//------------------------------//
// Reflection 
// Story: A Look Back 
// by Bluecatcinema 
//------------------------------//

Outside the Crystal Empire, in the expansive estate Echo Alchemy had inherited from his adopted father Nocturne, Sunset Shimmer was putting her son Arcane down for a nap. Echo was at work, teaching defensive dark magic to the Royal Guards of the Crystal Empire. Artorias was right there with him, serving as a promising member of the project, while Willow and Moana were attending a play, Nano was out drinking with his war buddies, and Wave, Elatha and Snow had gone to the park. It was just Sunset and Arcane. As much as she liked having their houseguests around, there were times when Sunset preferred to have some alone time with her husband and/or foal. Right now was one of those times. She loved rocking Arcane to sleep, and gently easing him into his crib.

The young colt snuggled into his blankets, holding his favorite toy, a stuffed dragon he'd named "Oogy", closely.

"Sleep tight, sweetie." Sunset gently kissed Arcane's forehead.

Arcane smiled lightly in his sleep.

As Sunset left Arcane to his rest, she sighed contentedly. Ever since her return to Equestria, her life had taken such unexpected, yet ultimately fulfilling turns. She glanced at herself in a mirror. Even though it had been over two years since she had come home, she still felt odd, seeing herself as a pony, having spent decades in human form in the world beyond the magic mirror.

Sunset sighed again, more retrospective than content. Her life had been so busy lately that she found she hadn't thought about that world for quite some time. It was a world that she had come to at arguably one of the lowest points in her life.

Despite being so many years ago, Sunset remembered those days well. Celestia had chosen her to be her personal student after she had passed her entry exam into the School for Gifted Unicorns with flying colors. Her parents, Corona and Sunspot, were thrilled, and Sunset herself was highly eager to accept that offer. She took on her role as Celestia's student with much enthusiasm, deeply grateful for the opportunity.

However, as her studies went on, Sunset quickly became arrogant and self-centered. She put her goals and her needs above everything and everypony else. She even distanced herself from her parents and isolated herself from any friends she had (though it was slim pickings to begin with). Things came to a head when Sunset learned of the mirror's existence. Looking into it when Celestia showed her, she saw herself as an Alicorn within the glass. After that, Sunset grew obsessed with the mirror, determined to use it to become a Princess, an alicorn with unprecedented power, destined to rule Equestria... all of that she felt Celestia was denying her. Celestia refused to speak of it anymore, saying that she wasn't ready, but Sunset refused to obey. Eventually, her obsession had gone too far and she found herself stripped of her title as student and removed from the castle...but utterly convinced that her destiny awaited her, Sunset overpowered the guards who were escorting her out the castle and passed through the mirror, and into the human world.

'What a blind, selfish idiot I was back then.' Sunset thought with great guilt. 'But that was just the beginning. I really started doing my worst after I passed through the mirror...'

After emerging into the human world, Sunset wasted no time working her way up the food chain of Canterlot High. Before long, she was practically running the school. Anyone who stood against her, she ruined. Rarity, for instance, had run against her for the Queen of the Fall Formal position, and Sunset had crushed her. She would even ruin the friendships of others, just for her own amusement.

'It never gets any easier...' Sunset frowned. 'Thinking about those days is always so hard... I was such a piece of work back then.'

Sunset was the undisputed master of Canterlot High, but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted more. She wanted the power and position she felt was rightfully hers, that she believed Celestia had denied her. She bided her time until the portal was open again, and returned to her homeworld. After taking a moment to gain her bearings, she sought out and stole Princess Twilight Sparkle's crown, which held the Element of Magic. She planned to use it to empower herself, and become the Alicorn she felt she was meant to be. But the crown's magic turned her into a demonic beast, corrupting her already dark thoughts, and she planned to invade and conquer Equestria. Fortunately, Twilight, who had followed her, used the true power of the Elements of Harmony to purify Sunset, freeing her not just from the corruption, but from her own twisted hubris.

Her mind clear for the first time in years, Sunset was disgusted with herself. But Twilight reached out to her, and became her friend.

'That was when things started changing for the better...' Sunset smiled.

With the help of Twilight's human friends (including Rarity, who chose to look past their past unpleasantness), Sunset began anew. Though the rest of Canterlot High weren't so quick to accept her reformation, Sunset proved herself when she turned the tide against the evil Sirens, freeing the school from their hypnotic singing.

'I'll never forget that night for as long as I live...' Sunset thought proudly. 'It was the first step towards redeeming myself after all the cruel things I'd done.'

Though Sunset had finally gained acceptance, she started to worry about what her purpose in life could be. She even considered returning to Equestria at that point, reasoning that there wasn't much she could do in the mirror world any more.

The coming of the Friendship Games against Crystal Prep, and the arrival of Twilight's human counterpart, brought more trials. When the human Twilight was corrupted by the magic she had unintentionally stolen, Sunset stood up to stop her. Taking in the magic that had once turned her into a monster, Sunset was able to use the power for good, proving just how far she'd come. She managed to talk the human Twilight down, and offer her the hand of friendship, recalling the words spoken by the pony Twilight not so long before.

In that moment, Sunset had come full circle. From being a selfish pony, concerned only with her own personal glory, to a compassionate soul, ready to offer friendship to those who needed it. She had finally found her place. She would remain in the mirror world for decades more, communicating with the pony Twilight via a magic book Celestia had once given her. But eventually, she decided that the time had come for her to finally return to her true home. The human Twilight took her departure the hardest, as they had grown exceptionally close over the years. She said her goodbyes privately, with much tears, and couldn't bear to actually watch Sunset leave alongside the others.

'Oh, Twilight...' Sunset thought, a tear in her eye. 'Saying goodbye was hard for me too. But I left you in good hands. I just hope you're as happy as I am right now.'

Once Sunset returned to Equestria, she found herself once again struggling to find her place. Thankfully, Celestia, who had forgiven her instantly upon her return, helped guide her in the right direction, managing to get her a job researching dark magic (one of her favourite subjects during the old days), leading to her working under Echo, an enigmatic dark magic researcher, as his assistant. What's more, she had developed a rather 'strong' friendship with Echo's detail, Sterling Cross. It seemed as though life had finally returned to normal for Sunset.

But it was not to be, as Sunset soon found herself pulled into a quest to recover the lost pages of King Sombra's spell book, which led to her being embroiled in a conspiracy between the 'Order of Darkness' and a group far more sinister. She was then betrayed by none other than Sterling, who had manipulated events so that she would fall in love with Echo and bear his foal, in hopes of the foal growing up to become the first of a an army of Nightcrawler (ponies who could use dark magic at will) super-soldiers.

Speaking of Echo, Sunset learned that he had a terrible affliction, a dark magic power that transformed him into a monster form whenever anger or fury consumed him. It was later revealed to be that of a Berserker spell, which was Echo's ability as a Nightcrawler. That power however was eventually lost when Echo confronted the other mastermind behind the events that transpired (as well as Sterling's co-conspirator), his brother, Synchro. Echo's dark side was burnt out of him via an encounter with the Crystal Heart, and Synchro gave him his own powers as he died. After Sterling was imprisoned for his crimes, Echo and Sunset settled down, ready to raise their foal.

'That was a wild time.' Sunset mused. 'Love, betrayal, impending motherhood... not quite how I envisioned my life back in Equestria. But I wasn't complaining...'

Although there was their brief trip to Haygypt, and their encounter with Prince Nightshade and his evil alter ego Black Thorn, things seemed to have calmed down for the two of them. Echo inherited the manor they now resided in from his deceased adoptive father, Nocturne. It seemed like the perfect place to start a family.

But once again, adventure came knocking, as well as drama, as anti-Nightcrawler sentiment was on the rise, and the two were sent to confront a pack of Nightcrawler "terrorists" in hope of fostering peace between them and the normal ponies. Once they arrived, Echo learned of secret research Nocturne had performed on Nightcrawlers. The things he'd heard in the recordings had shaken him and ultimately nearly broke his resolve, almost driving him to turn his back on equinity, and Sunset tried her best to help him through it.

Fortunately, the rather timely birth of their son, Arcane, had all but restored Echo's will to stand up for what is right, and just in time, as they were soon under attack by a group of mercernaries, led by a rather ruthless stallion (who also turned out to be somepony from Echo's past, namely his abusive stepfather, Nero).

With the help of Echo's long lost father, they were able to defeat him and his partner, a creepy old stallion who claimed to have worked with Sterling back in the days, and soon discovered a traitor in their midst, who had intended to use both them and their enemies to create his own army... but he was promptly stopped and killed.

After clearing things up with the Senate, Echo and Sunset took the pack members into her home, as the pack's hideout had been destroyed during the adventure. They all lived together, as one big surrogate family. Each member of the pack had found their own way, and Echo and Sunset were happy to be with Arcane in a home so filled with love and happiness. Even though Sterling's escape not long after worried both Sunset and Echo, they chose to focus on their new family, and Sunset in particular hoped Sterling would one day turn over a new leaf, knowing that there was still good in him.

But as the days and weeks passed, Sunset focused on being a full-time wife and mother, Echo and Arcane helping to keep her mind off things. After all her trials and tribulations, Sunset had finally settled down into a happy, prosperous existence.

'All in all, not a bad life.' Sunset told herself. 'Not bad at all...'

Just as Sunset was finishing her moment of retrospection, Echo returned home from work.

"I'm home!" He called.

"Shh." Sunset hushed him, turning away from the mirror. "Arcane's sleeping."

"Sorry." Echo whispered. He made his way over to Sunset and embraced her. "How was your day?"

"Same old, same old." Sunset shrugged. "In other words, perfect."

"Glad to hear it." Echo grinned.

"Hey, where's Artorias?" Sunset asked. "Doesn't he usually follow you home?"

"He saw Elatha and Snow at the park, and decided to join them." Echo declared. "Which means it's just you and me right now."

"Ooh, goody." Sunset smirked. "Whatever shall we do?"

"Would milady care to join me on the couch?" Echo asked.

"Would I ever." Sunset nodded.

They sat down on the couch, Echo draping a wing around her.

"Ah, I've missed this." He sighed. "Wasn't quite able to reach so far when you were pregnant..."

"Hey, it wasn't me who put a bun in this oven." Sunset joked, patting her stomach. "But for the record, I missed this too."

"Hmm. Those days seem so long ago now." Echo mused. "Back when we first met, I mean."

"Before we went on that crazy journey." Sunset nodded. "As smart as we both are, neither one of us would have ever seen that coming."

"So true." Echo smiled. "I was so content to keep myself shut away from the world, just doing my research. Then we went to the Crystal Faire, encountered my brother in that ghastly disguise, and began our quest."

"And look where we ended up." Sunset chuckled. "Together. In love. Married with foal. The whole enchilada."

"And so much more." Echo declared. "Your devotion and support helped me through so many dark times. It makes me glad you decided to come back from that mirror world you told me about. If you hadn't, I'd still in that musty old library, whiling away my sad, lonely life. For that, I will be forever grateful."

"Oh, go on." Sunset blushed.

"As you wish." Echo smirked. "You are the light that pierced the darkness of my life. Every good thing that's happened to me of late has been because of you."

"Hey, it wasn't all me." Sunset said modestly. "We made this life together. The ups and downs, the glories and the miseries, we came through it side by side."

"That we did, my love." Echo agreed. "That we did. And honestly, I've never been happier."

"Me neither." Sunset sighed.

The two embraced in a deep, loving kiss.

Sunset's life had indeed taken some twists and turns since she came back to Equestria. But even with all the harrowing and heartbreaking experiences, she wouldn't have changed a thing about how her life had turned out.

'If only my human friends could see me now...' Sunset smiled to herself, as she peeked at the mirror partway through the kiss. 'I wonder how things are going back there?'

Meanwhile, in the world beyond the mirror...

In the city of Canterlot, there was a scientific research centre, the Tenebros Institute for Genetic Research.

Not many people had heard about the company, only except that it was originally founded in Crystal City a long time ago by a Tenebros Wheatley, and was now being run by his grandson, Barbossa Wheatley. It was only in recent years that the company had decided to open up shop in Canterlot. The institute specialised in the obscure side of genetics, its workers seeking to unravel the mystery behind the genetic quirks found within so many.

One of its chief workers and head researchers was a man with charcoal-gray skin, well-groomed white hair, and yellow eyes that seemed almost bat-like. He wore glasses and a lab coat, an ID badge bearing the name "Echo Alchemy" pinned to it. Under the coat was a dull purple shirt with a black star on it. The human Echo had been working at the institute for quite some time, attending to many projects and experiments. Currently, he was peering at a gene sample through a microscope.

"Hmm, fascinating..." He mused.

As he continued his observation, another man entered the room. He had tan skin, light blue eyes, orange hair and a matching beard. He wore a black suit with a white undershirt with a symbol of two crossed serrated blades on the chest pocket. He was the human version of Sterling Cross, hired as head of security of the institute, and Echo's personal supervisor.

"So, Professor Alchemy, how goes the research?" He asked.

"Quite promising, actually." Echo smiled. "The sample shows an increase in that unusual energy I've been looking into. It could prove to be an excellent starting point for further experiments."

"Good to hear." Sterling smiled. "The folks over at the Gene Trust didn't give us that research grant so you could play with your microscope all day. They expect results."

"With the kind of money they gave us, I'm not surprised." Echo admitted. "However, science is a tricky mistress. It takes time to unravel her mysteries."

"I know, I know." Sterling nodded. "But you know those rich folks. They're all so impatient. They want to see a return on their investments right away."

"I pray that they hadn't been too much of a nuisance today?" Echo asked.

"Nah." Sterling shrugged, "Those they are worried about that new company, Forefathers Enterprises. Those guys are into all sorts of things. Our backers are worried they might beat us to the punch."

"Not likely." Echo smirked. "Not when this institute has Echo Alchemy on its side."

"That's the spirit, pal." Sterling chuckled. "That big brain of yours hasn't let us down yet."

"And it never will." Echo said proudly.

"Don't I know it." Sterling grinned. "All the same, though, it never hurts to have some help. That's why they hired that new lab assistant."

"Lab assistant?" Echo asked.

"Yeah." Sterling nodded. "Figured you could use a hand."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have some help with the test tubes and beakers..." Echo shrugged.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Echo called.

The door opened, and a woman who looked more-or-less identical to Sunset's human form entered the room. Her hair was shorter and straighter than the other Sunset's had been, and she was wearing a labcoat. Sterling grinned, appreciative of her beauty. Echo, meanwhile, was experiencing an odd feeling as he looked at her. Even though they had never met, he felt as if he knew her from somewhere.

"Hi." She smiled, as she walked over to them. "I'm the, er... new lab assistant. Sunset Shimmer."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Shimmer." Sterling shook her hand, a wry smile on his face. "I'm Sterling Cross, supervisor and head of security. And this is the brainbox you'll be assisting: Echo Alchemy."

"Hello, Mr. Alchemy." Sunset smiled. "I look forward to working with you."

Echo blinked a couple of times, struck by a strange, unexplainable sense of deja vu.

"...Yes, as do I." He pulled himself together. "Are you... new to the area, by any chance?"

"Actually, I lived here many years ago." Sunset declared. "Just before I started high school, my dad got a new job, and we moved out of the country. After my parents passed away, I decided it was time to rediscover my roots, so I came back. There a lot of familiar sights, but quite a few new places too... this institute, for instance."

"Yeah, Barbossa Wheatley had heard about odd goings-on around this city." Sterling declared. "He decided to open up shop here, in hopes of unearthing the truth about it all."

"I imagine it must feel good to be back after all this time?" Echo asked.

"It was... until I noticed people walking up to me like I already knew them." Sunset frowned.

"Say huh?" Sterling asked.

"It's true." Sunset declared. "This pink girl came up to me from out of nowhere. She started rambling about how I'd 'come back' and how nice it was to see me after two years."

"Two years?" Echo asked. "I thought you said you moved away when you were a teenager?"

"I did." Sunset insisted. "So as you can imagine, I was more than a little confused. At first, I thought the girl was just crazy, until another one showed up and referred to me by name. That was enough for me to get to the bottom of things. I started talking with them, and they told me a very strange story."

"How strange?" Sterling inquired.

"Very." Sunset declared. "According to them, another version of me had arrived here from another world, not long after I'd moved away. I didn't believe them, until they started describing her. It was all very familiar-sounding, to a rather alarming degree. And believe it or not, they said that other version of me was from another world!"

"Seriously?" Sterling snorted, "Are you sure they weren't pulling your chains?"

"I too am sceptic." Echo agreed.

"So was I." Sunset admitted. "Until they showed me these two pics..."

She pulled out one photo, which was of 'her' graduation photo at Canterlot High.

"This was supposedly me, graduating Canterlot High." Sunset explained. "Even though I had never enrolled, let alone been to the school."

"...Okay, that is concerning..." Echo mused.

"Well, I am kinda freaked out by this." Sterling admitted. "I mean, she looks exactly like you... either that or she had gone to great lengths to assume your identity."

"That is nothing compared to the other pic they showed me." Sunset declared as she pulled out the other picture, which was of a Unicorn with her colors.

"...Is that a Unicorn?" Sterling deadpanned.

"Indeed it is." Sunset nodded.

"As in those imaginary creatures from fairy tales?" Echo asked, just as shocked.

"I know what you are both thinking." Sunset admitted, "But believe it or not, this Unicorn had apparently came to our world and enroll herself in Canterlot School."

"But...where the hell did this...'Unicorn' come from?" Sterling asked.

"Well, I asked the girls that, and according to them, the statue at the front of the school had this mirror which served as a gateway to another whole universe." Sunset explained, "On the other side, this world is called Equestria, where instead of people, there are ponies."

"Ponies?" Echo asked.

"Ponies?!" Sterling gaped, "No way..."

"Yes way." Sunset nodded, "Furthermore, in that world, there is a pony that resembles each and every human in this world. As there is a Unicorn like me, there were Pegasus and Earth Ponies, even other mythological creatures, that resembles each of us in that world."

"Pegasus, Earth Ponies, mythological creatures?" Sterling repeated, "Okay, I'm sorry, but this cannot be. You mean to tell me that there is a world through this mirror populated by a bunch of colorful horses who are simply us in their universe? Forgive me if I don't buy this..."

"Is it any stranger than those old stories that are still floating around? The ones about sirens, demons, and magic wormholes around Canterlot High?" Sunset asked. "Compared to those, does this really sound so farfetched?"

"Well, it's unlikely, but still quite plausible." Echo mused. "There are theories about worlds in parallel dimensional planes, which are vastly different from our own. I mean, have you read that paper from Miss Sparkle? The one stating that there could be hundreds of different iterations of our universe? It may be strange, insane, maybe, but nonetheless possible."

"It's nice to see someone believes me." Sunset smiled.

"But still, it's pretty crazy." Sterling snorted. "What, like there's another me out there? A pony who's gone the way I have in this world? Heck, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. When I was a kid, I had it rough back in Egypt. I also had very big aspirations: being some knight in shining armor, joining up with one of those cool secret societies, travelling the world, that sort of thing..."

"Who knows? Maybe the other you has done all that." Sunset declared. "No one said this other world had to be an exact mirror. "

"If there is another me out there, I wouldn't wish for him to be anywhere else than in a place like this, doing the research that I love." Echo smiled.

"Okay, that's enough of that mushy bullcrap." Sterling rolled his eyes. "In case you two have forgotten, we have work to do."

"I would never forget." Echo smiled. "This is my life's passion, after all."

"I always had a liking for this kind of stuff myself." Sunset smiled. "I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy working with you, Mr. Alchemy."

"Please, call me Echo, miss Shimmer." Echo declared.

"Only if you call me Sunset." Sunset grinned.

"Deal." Echo nodded.

"Real cute, guys." Sterling rolled his eyes. "Now, how about that work? As for me, I've got some order forms to fill out. All these experiments are hard on the inventory..." He then winked at Sunset. "I'll catch you later."

Sterling left the room.

"Don't mind Sterling." Echo smiled. "He means well..."

"I'm sure he does." Sunset shook her head. "Now, what is it we're working on?"

"I've recently discovered this unusual energy." Echo revealed. "It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. I'm trying to isolate it, in hopes of identifying and replicating it."

"Sounds like real cutting-edge stuff." Sunset noted, peeking through the microscope.

"Indeed it is." Echo nodded. "It could revolutionize the world. Now, could you hand me that beaker, please?"

Sunset passed Echo a beaker full of purple liquid. As Echo took it, their hands touched.

"Oh, um... sorry." Echo apologised.

"That's okay." Sunset blushed.

"Now... back to the experiment." Echo said awkwardly. "Let's see if we can't get our little friend here to co-operate..."

As they continued working, Sunset couldn't shake the feeling that something special had just occurred. Special, yet somehow familiar...