//------------------------------//
// 84 - What You See in the Mirror 
// Story: New Endings, Old Starts 
// by David Silver 
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Twilight blinked as the source of the clip-clops became visible. A pony was entering her basement. "Who are you?" She trotted towards the filly. They had a cutie mark. A heart with hooves wrapped around it. "Oh. Comforting, why the disguise?"

"The idea just came to me." She twirled in place, showing off the form before her chimeric default popped back into being. "I wanted to try it. Now we're going where I can't do that, right?"

"That's the idea." Twilight turned away from Comforting, instead to a large elaborate device with a mirror installed. "Now, if I understand correctly, this world is closer to the one you came from." She sat with a nod at the mirror. "Which is part of why I don't feel as nervous as I would otherwise be. For you, this is a trip home, sort of?"

"A chance for school that isn't horrible, sounds kinda nice." She was about to snap her fingers, but thought better of it. Chaos spirits shouldn't do that casually... "Did you talk to your friends?"

"She's ready for you." Twilight's magic pulled a switch and the machine hummed to brilliant life, the mirror shimmering with its power. "She will also show you how to get home when you're done. Sunset Shimmer, to remind. She's a nice pony, er, human?"

"Going in!" Comforting dashed for the mirror, but an arm blocked her way, capped by Twilight's hoof. 

"I know your mother probably said this, but be careful." Twilight drew her in for a hug without much resistance.

"I will be." Comforting nuzzled her caring teacher and slipped away. "Now, take two!"

Nothing could stop her! She dove into the mirror of sensational horrors and dizzying heights and depths. She had fallen off the edge between frames, lost in the wider multiverse.

At least until she was flopped on her hands and knees on a sidewalk. The sun was warmly greeting her up above. Her hands were... hands. She had human ones. She rose up on her feet, dusting herself off with her little hands. With a chance, she looked over her form. "Oh!" Adorable! She was a little girl in a school uniform. "Precious..." Was that vain, considering it was her own body? Well, she liked what body she was residing in.

"Comforting?" A teenager was approaching, easily towering over her. "Comforting Shade?"

"That's me!" Comforting waved a hand at new presence. "Sunset?"

"That's me," she echoed with a smile, crouching down to be closer to Comforting's level. "Wow. I didn't realize she meant this young. What are you... 7?" She hiked a thumb at the high school behind her. "We have some early grades in here, but that's stretching it a little."

Comforting considered Sunset, her likely age, and put it all together. "That is quite the difference... But if I'm one of those too-smart kids?"

Sunset blinked at that. "Wow, wait." She held up a finger. "Are you that smart?"

"I'm not claiming to be super smart, but I am an adult, up here." She tapped her little head. "So they can hit me with high school tests and I should pass, I hope."

Sunset ruffled the little girl's head. "Twilight has the strangest friends." She stood back up to full height. "Well, easier to explain than a random dog. Alright, let's do this on the up and up." She started for the building. "Hopefully, Principal Celestia and Luna go with it."

Comforting jumped forward, and came right back down. Gravity would not be denied that day. "Right..." Walking. She could walk. She hurried to catch up to Sunset. "Nice to meet you."

"Hey. I was not expecting Twilight to just toss a tourist my way. She's usually way more secretive about the whole... thing..." Sunset paused. "You're not being banished, are you?" She turned to Comforting. "Did you do something bad?"

"No!" Comforting managed to avoid squeaking that time. "I'm a student of hers. She's taught me ma--"

Sunset had clapped a hand over Comforting's mouth, silencing it. "People around here are still getting used to the idea that anything could be magic outside a book. Let's not freak them out."

Comforting nodded, which got the hand removed. That contact had not been welcome... but there was a decent reason for it, so she tried to just set it aside. "Sorry." She reached into her pockets, which she had thankfully. Within she secured a pack of gum and soon had a stick in her mouth. Mmm, the taste wasn't bad at all. She offered one up towards Sunset.

"Huh?" She took it, but was peering at it suspiciously. "Thanks?" And she tucked it away. "Don't want to get in trouble though." She rolled her eyes. "Some students chew gum anyway. Alright, the principal's office is over here."

Had she said Principal Celestia? A downgrade from the princess... But if the highschool was the center of their world, a principal occupied about the same spot. Comforting followed into an office. It was an Office. There was someone at a desk, watching them come in. "Sunset Shimmer." Her eyes fell to Comforting. "Is this about them?"

"Exactly," gusted Sunset, as if relieved that had been figured out without needing to explain it. "Are either of the principals in?"

She pressed a button on her desk. Celestia's voice issued forth electronically. "Yes?"

"Sunset Shimmer is here with a small guest," noted the secretary. "Send her in or send her back to class?"

"Send her in," came Celestia's friendly tones. Human or not, Celestia was a good creature.

The secretary gestured with one hand in a single flip. "You heard the lady."

"Thanks." Sunset gave a half salute on the way past.

Comforting waved at the secretary on the way. "Have a nice day."

"You too." The secretary smiled. Did she think the little girl was cute too?

Sunset pushed into the next room. "Hey." She wriggled her fingers at the human that had features in common with the princess of ponies, but was clearly a human. "I'm not in trouble this time, I swear."

"I'm glad to hear that." Celestia was smiling kindly, watching Sunset, at least until Comforting came in. "And who is this little adorable thing?"

Comforting waved at who had saved her being, in another world. "Hello, um, ma'am."

"How polite." She returned her look to Sunset. "Is she related? You shouldn't bring your little sister to school, you know."

Sunset laughed nervously at that. "No! Not quite like that." She put a hand behing Comforting, nudging her forward. "This is Comforting Shade, and she's a very advanced student. She's not getting the education she needs, and wanted to test into here."

Celestia sat up, suddenly quite serious. "Is that true?" She was looking at Comforting directly. "You want to go to school here?"

Comforting smiled nervously, in the center of attention. "If I can, ma'am."

"You realize." She put a hand out at Comforting's height, then slowly raised it to Sunset's level. "You would be the youngest student here, if allowed, by some measure. Everyone else would be quite larger and older than you. Is that alright, before we even approach if this is possible?"

Comforting grabbed Sunset's closer leg. "They may be bigger, but I hear they're pretty nice."

Celestia smiled at that, heart melting at the display. "Some of them are... I can't promise all of them are equally kind, especially with such a new, young, addition. I just want to be sure this is what you really want."

Sunset rested a hand on Comforting's head. "I'll help keep an eye on her."

"Thank you for the offer, but you are a student first. I can't have my students sacrificing their education." She clasped her hands, leaning forward on her desk. "It is our job, as teachers, to make sure every one of our students gets the best we can give. But, first... Sunset, could you get her a chair?"

"Sure," Sunset pulled a chair to face Celestia's desk.

Comforting got the hint and half-climbed up to sit across from Celestia. "Test time?"

"Test time," gently agreed Celestia, reaching down to pull out a folder. "If you don't know an answer to a question, don't feel bad. You are testing quite a bit above your... What grade were you in?" She raised a brow at what could have been a gradeschooler easily.

Comforting took the folder and flipped it open, paying it more attention than that question. Some questions were easier to answer than others. "Oh, um, do you have a pen, ma'am?"

"Of course." Celestia surrendered a pen. "Good luck." She gestured for Sunset to come with her off to the side of the room, where she could whisper conspirationally. Comforting could still hear her. "Sunset, I appreciate you wanting to see a bright and eager student, but her chances of passing the competency exam are... small."

Sunset chuckled nervously. "Let's let her answers speak for themselves. She's a bigger girl, on the inside." That was as close to the truth as she could get. "She may surprise you."

"That she's taking the test at all is already a surprise." She glanced over at Comforting dutifully penning answers and filling in circles. "Most students her age are very poor at such tests, even if they know the answers. It's a learned skill, how to take an exam."

"Tell me about it." Sunset rolled her eyes, thinking of her first days in that world. As a pony, they had taken different kinds of tests... "Um... Thanks, by the way..."

Celestia patted Sunset on the shoulder. "You are proof that it works both ways. She may be advanced in the art of test taking, but some need a helping hand, and that doesn't make them less intelligent. You are a brilliant student, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Still, Sunset had required some remedial training to get up to speed on some of the basics that most sudents took for granted. "Look at you now, a model student."

Sunset smiled at that with a little laugh. "Oh, want some gum?" She offered the stick that Comforting had given her.

"Thank you." Celestia accepted it without delay, wielding a bit of a sweet tooth. "Now we wait and see what answers she gives. As you learned, test taking and knowledge are not the same thing."

Comforting looked up. "Is it alright if I use a calculator?"

Celestia blinked at this request. It wasn't unusual for high-schoolers to want, or even require, such a thing. But that was a grade schooler. Most such places didn't allow their students to have calculators, as they were still learning how to calculate at all. "Yes, of course." She set a calculator down next to Comforting. "You know how to use it?"

Comforting was already punching buttons and writing results. "I see." She went back to where Sunset was standing. "Today is full of surprises." She rose a hand in a vain attempt to hide  her words. "Is this another Equestrian thing?"

Sunset laughed a bit hysterically.

This was answer enough for Celestia, crossing her arms and looking at Sunset penetratingly.

"Ugh, yes..." Sunset sagged, caught in her little lie. "She just wants to go to school. She'll be good."

Celestia laughed gently, looking suddenly less tense. "You could have started with that... This is far less surprising if she's... not from around here. Does she have any... tricks that will upset students or faculty?"

"Not that I know of?" She gave a genuine shrug. She had no idea! "But she is Other Twilight approved."

"Ah..." Answer enough? "How are you doing?"

Comforting set her pen down. "I answered all the ones I could." She pushed the folder away from herself. "I hope I did well, ma'am."

Celestia came to claim the test folder, snapping it shut. "I'll go over this. For today, follow Sunset. Don't get in the way of her studies. It'll be a chance to get a look around. How does that sound?"

Comforting smiled brightly. "Thank you, ma'am!" She hopped down to the floor. "I'll be on my best behavior, promise."