“Hey Twilight! What’cha reading?” Pinkie exclaimed as she popped up from behind the book stand, causing her friend to fall over in surprise onto her back. As she did this, the troop of Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack sauntered through the door, having been summoned by Pinkie. AJ eyed the mirror up and down.
“Heya sugarcube, what’s goin’ on here?” When she saw the poor mare on the floor, she suppressed a laugh. “Uhh… not quite naptime yet honey,”
Twilight muttered to herself and then got up to start a lecture on her discoveries to her friends regarding mysterious mirrors.
“From the brief amount of reading time I had, I realized the-”
Meanwhile, Rarity was sliding up to the monolithic structure, analysing the jewels that studded its purple frame, not listening to the continuing blather of Twilight.
“-so as I was saying! Mirrors have been used in the past as forms of-”
“Umm… Twilight… I have a suggestion” murmured Fluttershy, after she had her own look at the mirror.
“-communication between people using light over large distances and-”
“T…wilight? What if we just…”
“-although I don’t know of any magical properties about this mirror yet, then-” But she was interrupted loudly by one of Rainbow Dash’s infamous yawns.
“You’re such an egg head! Why don’t we just touch it! I mean, it has steps!”
“That’s what *I* was going to suggest…” Fluttershy aspirated quietly to herself as Pinkie randomly cartwheeled into a bookshelf. Twilight glanced around the crowded room and sighed loudly. It was clear that she was going to get no logical answers from books whilst this lot was around.
“Fine! Let’s try this!” and she shooed Rarity away from the gems and gingerly levered herself up onto the first step. And then the second step. The tension was so thick that Pinkie could have bounced on it. Her forehoof was slowly edging up to touch the surface, but was unexpectedly interrupted by an orange mare who sailed through and crashed head first into Twilight Sparkle and the two mares tangled into a heap on the floor. The other five stood there in silence.
“Woah!” the other mare exclaimed as she scrambled up and frantically looked around the room. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as an orange coated pony with electric blue hair and some sort of silly symbol on her… flank?
“What? Who are you? How did you get here?!” Twilight said in a flummoxed manner. The striking mare took a step back. Unlike Twilight, she wasn’t willing to make herself seem flustered, regardless of where she was or what these strange creatures were that mirrored her shock. After all, enough crazy stuff had happened to her that day, what were a few colourful equines? The mare straightened herself up into her usual confident pose.
“Hey, well… I’m Flare Sentry and there appears to be some confusion… where am I? In fact, what am I!?” Twilight looked back at her friends and felt reassured by Rarity’s encouraging nod.
“Well… for starters, you’re in Ponyville Library but as to what you are, well, are you not usually a pony?” she joked.
“A… pony” Flare repeated to herself quietly, then turned around to observe herself in the mirror. “I… see?” but then she remembered her events with Sunset. “I have to get back! To my own place,” This information sparked an interest with Twilight.
“What do you mean own place? Where are you from?” Flare struggled to find the right words to get a detailed explanation.
“Look, I’m a human!” Flare said bluntly. She didn’t even know if these… ponies knew what one was, but it was worth a try. “I go to a school called Canterlot High and-”
“HUMAN!!” Twilight exclaimed so loudly that everyone ducked their heads in surprise. She was having one of her ‘sudden realization’ moments again. Flare coughed loudly, trying not to be confused by the outburst.
“Yes, human. Do you know of them?”
“Yes, well… no, kind of. I’ve had some dreams!” All the ponies looked at her strangely as it was the first time she had mentioned it.
“Explain?” Asked Flare.
“Well… the most recent one I was in a big room, and these ‘humans’ were sitting and eating and then all of a sudden they kind of got up and started to sing and dance about some sort of crown… and ‘Canterlot Wondercolts’. Another time I was talking to two of them in a hall-…” Her voice trailed away, as Flare’s eyes lit up.
“Can you remember their names? I know the Canterlot Wondercolts as that’s my school sports team!”
“I think they were called Bubble Berry and… Sunset Glaze. But it’s just a dream! How can it be real?” At this comment, Pinkie bounced up to Twilight, interrupting Flare’s gasp of astonishment.
“Just a dream?? Do you know how important dreams can be? You might be able to seeeeeeeee into the fuuutuuuuureee! Woooooo!” As Pinkie made her voice quiver, just like she did whilst being Madam Pinkamena and predicted Twilight’s birthday present. She then noticed Flare looking at her in a peculiar way. “What?”
Flare just laughed it off. “Oh, you just remind me of a boy in my science class. Coincidentally he’s actually Bubble…. Ber” Flare noticed the physics breaking pink hair and balloon symbol on her back, so similar to Bubble’s design on his shirt.
“Sorry! I need to go! That Sunset Glaze person you mentioned? He’s going to do something big… really big and I am the only one who knows how to stop. But it was… nice? to see you all-“
“Wait!” Twilight interrupted. “I want to join you!”
“WHAT?” Exclaimed everypony.
“I am sorry girls, but I can just feel like I need to do this. These dreams have been annoying me for so long and it would be such a good learning opportunity. Think of what we could find out!”
The ponies were not really surprised at the proposition, more that it was so spontaneous for Twilight to decide this, which was unlike her.
“Well if that’s the case sugar cube, we’re coming too!” Applejack boldly stated.
“Yeah!” Pinkie bounced up.
“We certainly wouldn’t let you go alone,” Rarity confirmed as Rainbow Dash asserted,
“Let’s show these ‘humans’ what Equestria is capable of!”
“Umm… I guess. We can’t let Twilight go alone.” Fluttershy murmured as usual. The air crackled with adventure as the ponies sensed the excitement of their awaited journey. Twilight took a deep breath and chose her words carefully.
“No.”
“WHAT?” the exclamation echoed again, louder this time. “But why?” Rarity questioned.
“I feel like this is something I need to do alone. I don’t know what dangers would be out there, and you all have jobs. I don’t know how long I could be out there, or even how time works there. You all have jobs and responsibilities to do, whereas this can be part of my Princess duties.”
What Twilight didn’t mention is that all of the boys in her dream looked and acted exactly like them. She didn’t know how her friends would react if her dreams were true.
“Please just trust me on this.” Gradually they began to nod their acceptance, even though they were uncertain. Spike however looked like he was about to cry. “Tell Princess Celestia what’s going on if I have not returned in 5 days, and don’t worry about me.” She turned to Flare, who was still confused by the turn of events. “Ready to go?”
Flare nodded and they both turned and walked up the stairs and disappeared into the bright light, passing through the mirror membrane. Spike cried out
“TWILIGHT!” and ran in after them, also disappearing.