Mirror Magic
It was the day of the New Endeavours film premiere, and promotional posters for the movie were all over Canterlot Mall. Featured prominently were Gemini Shadow and her friends, who played the mirror universe counterparts of the starship crew featured in the movie. The premiere itself would take place that night right at the Canterlot Mall Cineplex, where mall staff were already working on setting up the red carpet.
About the only person who wasn’t happy was Juniper Montage, a green-haired girl with pale yellow skin. Infuriated by her uncle Canter Zoom’s decision not to cast her as Colonel Tenebrae, the film’s main antagonist, she did her best to sabotage the film’s production, only to be found out by the Rubies. Juniper was subsequently dismissed from her role on set, and given a job at the Cineplex.
She now walked around the second floor of the mall, glaring at the posters as if they had personally offended her. “Those girls… I can’t believe they get me kicked off the New Endeavours set… I bet they'll be at the premiere tonight. I bet I'll be the lucky one ushering them to their seats. Ugh!” She slapped herself in the forehead.
Her walkie-talkie chirped, and the voice of her boss spoke. “Juniper, where are you? We need you back at the popcorn popper stat.”
“What was that boss?” said Juniper, imitating radio static with her mouth. “Can't hear you! Losing you!” She clicked off the walkie talkie and sighed. “If those girls hadn't shown up, I would have played Colonel Tenebrae! Tonight would have been about me. I would have been a star!” She stopped at a sunglasses kiosk, where a hand mirror was lying abandoned nearby. She picked it up and peered inside, and saw a reflection of herself, as a celebrity.
“Incredible!” gasped Juniper, reaching into her purse to grab a few dollar bills, which she tossed onto the counter. “Keep the change. Something tells me this thing's worth it.” She left, taking the mirror with her.
Meanwhile, Sunset, Twilight, and Emerald were across the mall at the food court, taking a well-earned break from a productive day of shopping. As she finished off her burger, she pulled out the journal that let her communicate with Princess Twilight, and began to write.
Dear Princess Twilight, tonight's the night of the big movie premiere. All my friends are really excited, and I should be, too. Except I can't seem to keep my mind on anything other than our new powers, and the background magic that's floating around in this world, and how scary but exhilarating it all is. How does it work? How can we be prepared for it? When will it show up again? Well, you see the problem. With the weight of all Equestria on your shoulders, you must have some advice on how to-”
She stopped. After turning the page, all she saw was the interior cover of the book, rather than a blank page. “Oh, no!”
“What's the matter, Sunset?” asked Twilight, looking up from her own burger.
Sunset sighed. “Oh, I just ran out of pages in my journal, that’s all.”
“I see.” Twilight adjusted her glasses and peered across the table at Sunset’s journal and frowned lightly. “Well, I’m sure you can get more. But I feel like there's more bothering you than just journal pages, isn't there?”
Sunset gulped. “Uh, yeah, but I don't wanna take any of the fun out of our big night…”
Emerald scoffed and waved a hand. “Relax, will ya? It’s noon! We have all day to get ready for tonight! Besides, if I was you, I’d start spilling now, before Sparks starts looking at you like an interesting science experiment.” Twilight blushed.
Sunset gave in. “Okay, okay. It’s just that things have been calm around here, magic-wise. We haven’t really had any problems since the whole Nightmare Moon incident.”
“And that's bad how, precisely?” asked Twilight, looking at Sunset as if she was an interesting science experiment instead of a fellow human being.
It's not,” replied Sunset. “It's just that instead of enjoying the fact that things are calm, I'm constantly thinking about things going wrong, even when they aren’t."
Emerald nodded. “I getcha. Given we seem to be fighting raging she-demons on a yearly basis, no offense, worrying about magical happenings isn’t a bad thing.”
“None taken,” said Twilight and Sunset at once.
“I shouldn't even be thinking about any of this stuff right now,” continued Sunset. “This is supposed to be our big night, you know? I should just enjoy it, like any other girl.”
“Speaking of being a normal girl, Princess Magic Horse is writing you back,” Emerald interrupted, pointing.
Sunset checked the journal and gasped. “She wants me to come to Equestria right away!”
“Really? Cool!” Emerald grins. “Can we come? I always wanted to check that place out for real, ever since I got accidentally zapped in there during the Friendship Games.”
Twilight giggled. “You were so cute! I just loved running my fingers through your fur, and-” She stopped. “Wait! I can’t possibly go! If the other Twilight and I meet up and touch each other, the universe will explode!”
Emerald blinked and poked Twilight in the chest. “Uh, Sparks? You two met once already, before that sleepover, and nothing happened.”
Sunset nodded. “I think we’ll be okay, Twilight. Let’s go, if we hurry we can get there before 1.” The three girls got up, threw away the remains of their lunches, and boarded the first bus back to the suburbs.
Meanwhile, Juniper was back at the Cineplex, staring longingly into the mirror. “It’s like this mirror is the only one around here who gets me.”
“Popcorn spill at the condiment counter,” said her boss, pointing at a large popcorn spill nearby.
Juniper sighed, “Does this look like someone who cleans popcorn spills?”
The boss shook his head. “No. It looks like someone about to fire somebody.”
“Ugh! Fine!” Juniper grabbed a broom and dustpan and started sweeping up the mess, grumbling to herself. “This is the worst.” Then she had an idea. “Hey, I know what will perk me up! A little Mirror Me time!” And, after making sure her boss wasn’t watching, she watched her mirror self be asked by a group of fans if they could have her autograph.
Juniper giggled excitedly and grinned. “That’s more like it! I wish this popcorn would just clean itself up so I could just stare at you all day…” Then the mirror glowed, and a green vortex burst forth from the glass surface, sucked the popcorn inside, and dissipated as quickly as it had come.
Her boss reappeared at just that moment. “Done already? I'm shocked.”
Juniper laughed nervously. “You and me both!”
The Palace of Friendship was oddly quiet, save for Starlight Glimmer’s hooves as she trotted around the library, straightening books and making sure things were as organized as Twilight liked them. Her teacher had left in a huge hurry, staying long enough to grab a dozen books, before running off with her friends on some errand.
Starlight had gotten so used to the quiet that she practically jumped when the mirror portal behind her activated, sending three ponies catapulting into the bookshelf she’d just finished looking over.
Starlight frowned and went to help the three ponies to their hooves, who were moaning and groaning painfully. One of them had amber fur with a red and yellow mane and tail, the other was a double for Princess Twilight, except that she wore glasses and had no wings, only a unicorn horn, while the last had pale yellow fur with a curly brown mane and tail.
Sunset opened her eyes and looked blearily around. “Princess Twilight? Is that you?”
“Nope! Starlight Glimmer,” Starlight said, smiling.
Sunset got to her hooves without too much trouble, while Emerald and Twilight needed a little help adjusting. Sunset paused for a moment. “Starlight Glimmer… You're Twilight's other student, right?”
Starlight nodded. “Uh-huh. She wanted me to give you this.” She produced a new journal with Sunset’s and Twilight’s cutie marks on them. “She wanted to give it to you herself, but then she and her friends were called away to solve a friendship problem. That happens a lot around here.” Starlight smiled apologetically.
Sunset chuckled. “Can I ever relate. Never knowing when you might be called on to save the day. Dropping everything at a moment's notice… that’s basically been my life for the last few years.” She looked over at her two companions. “Oh yeah, this is Emerald Wave and my world’s Twilight Sparkle.” She gestured to them.
Emerald shook Starlight’s hoof exuberantly. “Good to meetcha, Glimmer!”
“Do you know when Princess Twilight might be back?” asked Twilight, adjusting her glasses with a hoof.
Starlight shook her head. “Nope, sorry. She just told me to give Sunset the journal. She left in a huge rush, so there wasn’t a lot of time for her to issue other instructions.”
Sunset nodded. “Gotcha. So, are you sure she won't be back anytime soon?”
Starlight nodded. “Pretty sure. Want me to give you three the grand tour while you’re here?”
Sunset crossed her forelegs and pawed at the ground with her hooves, her ears lowering. “I’d like to, and I know these two would love it, but Twilight kinda caught us at a tough moment. There’s a movie premiere tonight, and my friends and I are all invited, so we can’t really stay long.”
Starlight nodded. “I gotcha. I guess I just have to ask… What’s it like back there? I mean, Twilight’s talked about the time she went there. Something about a stolen crown and you turning into a raging she-demon, no offense. Trixie even snuck in there once, but apparently, Princess Twilight swore her to secrecy. She hasn’t even told me about what she saw there beyond vague details!”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “None taken. And it’s pretty different. And not so different at the same time? It's kinda hard to explain.”
“Guess you kinda have to go there to really get it, huh?” Starlight looked hopeful, and leaned forward slightly. “I, uh, don't suppose… I could come with you?”
“You really think Princess Twilight would be okay with that?” Emerald asked.
Starlight shrugged. “I don't know for sure that she wouldn't be okay with it.”
“That’s not a particularly compelling argument,” Twilight added. “It’s based solely on the faulty premise that Princess Twilight would let just anyone go through, when in fact, we know from prior experience that allowing others to cross through without permission can lead to terrible consequences.”
“Maybe, but I’m also her student, just like Sunset is,” Starlight pointed out. “She wants me to learn as much as I can about friendship. And I'm not learning a whole lot just hanging out here in her castle.”
Sunset considered this. “That’s a good point. I mean, I know for a fact there’s another you in that world, but no one’s seen her in a while, so chances are you aren't gonna run into yourself.”
Starlight smirked. “That’s not something you hear every day.”
Sunset chuckled. “That’s for sure. I guess it'd be okay, but just lay low. Don't draw too much attention to yourself.”
“You'll barely even notice I'm there!” Starlight promised. Then her excitement kicked in and she started bouncing slightly on her hooves. “But you'll also totally notice I'm there, and it will keep your mind off of other things that might be bothering you!”
Emerald nudged Twilight. “Sheesh Sparks, she’s like you whenever you’re on the verge of a huge scientific discovery.” She grinned. Twilight blushed.
“I’ll just leave a note for Twilight before we leave,” said Sunset, floating over a piece of paper and a quill from a nearby table. “Dear Twilight: I’ve taken Starlight back to Earth for a bit. I promise this won’t be a repeat of the Trixie incident. Your friend, Sunset.” That done, she smiled. “Alright everypony, let’s get going!”
And so, the four unicorns trooped off through the mirror portal.
Sunset, Twilight, Emerald, and Starlight all landed on the ground in front of the Wondercolt statue. The three humans got to their feet quickly, while Starlight took a little longer. She opened her eyes blearily and saw Sunset’s smiling face, while offering what looked like a smaller, less bulky version of a minotaur’s hand to her. “It's all pretty weird at first, but try to roll with it,” said Sunset.
“What happened to my hooves?” asked Starlight, peering confusedly at the light magenta hands that had replaced her forehooves.
“These are hands,” Emerald explained, wiggling her fingers, “And those are feet.” She pointed to her shoes, then helped Starlight up.
Starlight wobbled slightly, unused to walking on two legs, but with the help of the others, she was able to start walking like a human in no time.
Sunset smiled. “Now you’re getting it! Come on, let’s get back to the mall. The rest of the girls should be getting there soon.”
Meanwhile at the concession area, Juniper Montage was attempting to use the mirror to clean up another popcorn spill, to absolutely no effect. “Mirror, pick up this popcorn!” she commanded.
When nothing happened, she tried again. “Mirror, I command thee, pick upeth this poppage of corn!”
Still nothing happened, and she facepalmed. “Ugh! Why won't this thing work anymore?!”
“Like... we were gonna eat some of that,” said a patron, crossing her arms.
Juniper sighed. “Mirror, make these annoying people go away!” The two patrons left. Juniper shrugged. “Well, that kinda worked.”
Then there came the clearing of a throat as a posh, Trottingham-accented voice said, “Juniper Montage! What a surprise!” Gemini Shadow approached the counter, with Raven, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata following along in her wake. “What in the world are you doing here?”
“You weren’t invited to the premiere, were you?” said Adagio, her hands on her hips.
Juniper shook her head. “ Of course I wasn't invited to the premiere! Uncle Canter Zoom felt bad for firing me, so he pulled some strings and got me this job. I kinda wish he hadn’t though, it’s absolutely beneath my dignity.”
“Y'know, if you hadn't tried to sabotage the movie, you could be celebrating with us,” Raven pointed out.
“Yeah! We get to play the villains and everything!” Sonata gushed. “It’s gonna be the best movie of the year!”
“Don’t you think I know that?!” Juniper snarled. “Your faces have been everywhere I’ve looked in the last six months, I haven’t been able to escape you! This should be my night! I would have found a way to be in the film if you all had stayed out of it! I would have been Colonel Tenebrae! Everyone would've loved me! But noooo, you meddling kids just had to swoop in and take all the glory!”
Juniper brandished the mirror like it was a weapon. “I wish you'd all just go away and leave me alone!” she shouted. Right on cue, the mirror finally activated, and a blue-green torrent of energy burst out from the glass, enveloping Gem and the girls. Gem had taken out her magic screwdriver, but never got a chance to use it. She and the others screamed loudly as they were sucked inside the surface of the mirror, and then it was over. The magic screwdriver fell to the floor, coming to rest at Juniper’s feet.
Juniper smiled sinisterly. “So I have to wish for something to happen, huh? Looks like I may be finally getting the hang of this.” She noticed the magic screwdriver and picked it up, twirling it around between her fingers. “Wonder what this is… I think I’ll keep it.” She slipped it and the mirror into her pocket, and went to clock out.
“Five cell phones, all straight to voicemail,” Emerald grumbled, slipping her phone back into her pocket.
“I'm sure they're around,” said Starlight confidently. “What’s the worst that could have happened?” She, Emerald, Twilight, and Sunset were wandering the mall, eating ice cream and looking for the rest of their friends.
“Ever since I stole Twilight’s crown, magic is kinda floating around here now, and it doesn't work the same way it does back in Equestria,” Sunset explained. “Any number of terrible things could have happened. And lately, I spend eighty percent of my time thinking about them. My friends are probably fine. I'm overreacting. But maybe not. I can't tell anymore.”
“This is the problem you wanted to talk to Princess Twilight about, right?” Starlight said shrewdly. “Because you can still talk it over with me if you want.”
“I say do it,” Emerald recommended.
Sunset nodded. “Yeah, okay. It's like this… I know my friends and I have been given special powers for a reason, and I want to be ready for whatever is gonna be thrown at us. I guess knowing that is making me feel like I could never really relax and let my guard down, so I end up obsessing about it and can't get out of my own head.”
Starlight hummed thoughtfully. “That is a toughie. Guess my advice would be to just trust things will work themselves out in the end. If you spend too much time worrying about the bad things that might happen, you'll miss out on all the good things that are happening.”
Sunset grinned. “Heh, yeah. Like how Princess Twilight's student is teaching me a lesson right now.”
Starlight nodded and finished her ice cream. “Yup, like that. Come on, let’s go take a look around the theater! I’m sure they're fine.”
“So, where are we?” asked Raven, picking herself up from what she assumed was the floor.
“I don’t have the faintest idea,” said Gem, checking herself over for injuries and finding none, “But I can say that it looks like that Juniper sucked us into the mirror itself, or into some kind of limbo behind it.”
“If it’s a magical mirror, then how did it get here from Equestria?” Adagio asked.
“Maybe it’s not from Equestria at all,” Aria suggested. “It could be like our amulets. For all we know, it was just a perfectly normal mirror until some extra magic hit it.”
“On the upside, there's popcorn in here!” Sonata exclaimed, munching away. “Extra spicy! Just like a taco!”
“Is there a way out of here?” Raven asked.
Gem shook her head. “I don’t think so… even if I hadn’t lost my grip on my magic screwdriver, I wouldn’t risk using it in here. There’s no telling what could happen if you used one magical device on another!”
“Then I guess we just have to wait it out,” Raven decided, and took out her phone to play Bejeweled.
Meanwhile, Sunset, Starlight, Emerald, and Twilight had arrived at the concession stand, where Juniper was getting ready to clock out.
“It's Juniper Montage!” Sunset gasped, hiding behind a claw machine.
Starlight looked surprised. “No! Okay, seriously, who’s that?”
“She's trouble,” Emerald growled. “A few months back she tried to kill development of the movie because her director uncle wouldn't give her a shot at the big time.”
“She’s holding Gem’s screwdriver!” Twilight gasped, pointing. “Did she steal it? Gem never goes anywhere without that thing!”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Sunset decided, straightening up. “Starlight, stay here. In case things go south… well, I’d say get a message to Twilight, but since she’s busy… you’ll have to think of something.” And so, Sunset, Twilight, and Emerald went to confront Juniper.
“I was wondering when you three would show up,” Juniper said as the group approached. “Looking for your friends?”
“No duh,” Emerald shot back. “Where are they, Montage?”
“I'll never tell,” said Juniper, smirking.
“You don't have to,” Sunset replied, and she touched her pendant briefly before touching Juniper’s shoulder. Her eyes glowed as she was suddenly treated to a relevant flashback of recent events. Once it was over, she softened her tone. “Listen. I know you want people to like you. But trust me, the magic in that mirror is only gonna make things worse for you.”
“You're just saying that because you want the mirror for yourself!” Juniper exclaimed. “You can't have it, Sunset Shimmer! It’s mine!”
Sunset shook her head. “You don't understand, I don’t want that mirror! What I want is my friends back! Please, Juniper. You wished them into that mirror. Maybe there's a way you can wish them out.”
“No!” Juniper said firmly. “You eight ruined my life, and I’ll get my revenge no matter what! If you want your friends so bad, then I wish you’d join them!” The energy vortex boomed into life, and the trio were sucked inside.
Sunset, Twilight, and Emerald landed roughly on the floor of the void, and picked themselves up slowly. “Girls! Thank goodness, you’re alright!” Gem exclaimed, hugging each of them.
“I guess Montage trapped you too, huh?” said Raven. “What a rhymes-with-witch.”
“I’m just glad we’re all together again,” said Sunset, breathing a sigh of relief.
“But wait,” Gem gasped, realizing something. “If we're all together, then nobody out there knows where we are!”
“I wouldn’t say nobody,” Sunset said. “Starlight Glimmer does! I mean, the pony version, not that woman who took over CHS a few months ago. I kinda told her she could come back here with me after I went off to get a new journal from Princess Twilight.”
“I see,” Gem replied, and nodded. “Well, as long as we have someone watching out for us… gah!” Her geode had just bonked her in the nose. All eight gems were floating over to their owners, who put them on gratefully. But something was wrong. They started to glow brightly, and as they did, a round gateway appeared above them.
“What’s happening?” asked Emerald, looking around in confusion.
“We’re setting off magical devices in a magical environment!” Gem shouted.
“Which could cause a tremendous explosion!” added Twilight, coming to the same conclusion.
On cue, eight beams of light the same colors as the geodes shot out and collided with the mirror’s magic, causing an explosion, and outside, transforming Juniper into a raging she-demon. Or, at least, a twenty foot tall woman about a decade older.
Inspecting her new form, Juniper grinned deviously. “Now everyone will recognize I'm a real star!” she thundered, stomping off toward the main part of the floor.
Panicked screaming ensued as various patrons ran as fast as they could away from Juniper. In the confusion, no one noticed Starlight follow after Juniper, thinking of a plan. “Okay, first things first. I need to get that mirror away from her!”
She followed Juniper through the mall, keeping out of sight at all times. After several minutes, she saw her chance and seized the mirror, grabbing it tight with both hands.
“Hey! Give me that back!” Juniper growled, tugging on the mirror. It went flying and landed on the tiled floor, where it shattered. Inside the mirror, cracks appeared in the void, showing nothing but empty space.
“This mirror is nothing but trouble!” Starlight yelled, picking the mirror up. “You have to realize that!”
“What I realize is that you are just like those other girls!” Juniper hissed. “I wish you'd join them!” Nothing happened.
Starlight breathed a sigh of relief. “Looks like you can't make that wish unless you're the one holding the mirror! Whoa!” More cracks had appeared. Thinking quickly, Starlight a desperate gamble: “I wish Sunset Shimmer and her friends would come back!” Nothing happened, but more cracks appeared in the surface of the glass.
Juniper laughed coldly. “Ha! Looks like you can't use it, either!” The two began to fight again. “Give it back to me!” Juniper snarled, her eyes practically glowing with menace.
“My friends are trapped in there!” Starlight insisted. “They’ll die!”
“Fine by me,” Juniper growled. “Your friends stole my one chance at being famous! They deserve to die!”
“Is fame really what you're after or are you looking for something else?” asked Starlight suddenly.
“Like what?!” Juniper asked.
“Like... a friend?” Starlight offered.
Juniper scoffed. “Who would want to be my friend?”
“I would,” said Starlight softly. “I understand you, Juniper. You think getting revenge is going to make you feel better, but it's not! Please, don't make a mistake that you'll end up regretting for the rest of your life!”
Juniper looked down. “I’ve already made too many mistakes. What I've done is... is... unforgivable.”
Starlight shook her head insistently. “No, Juniper. I know they'll forgive you. But first, you have to set them free!” More cracks had appeared, and the girls were on the edge of disaster.
“Are we going to die?!” Sonata shouted.
Gem gulped. “I… I don’t know!”
“I... I wish I could make up for my mistakes,” Juniper whispered. A torrent of energy burst from the glass one more time, releasing the eight girls once and for all. The mirror shattered, its magic gone.
“Starlight, you did it!” Sunset gushed, as she and her friends all hugged one another in joy and relief.
Juniper approached them, back to her normal form. Her expression was sad. “I’m so sorry…” she said, scuffing the floor with her shoe.
Sunset smiled and placed a hand on Juniper’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We've all been there.”
“Really?” Juniper asked.
Starlight nodded. “Manipulated an entire town into giving up their talents so they wouldn't think they were special.”
“Got possessed by dark magic and killed a girl in cold blood,” Gem added.
“Overpowered by a magic I couldn't control and created a rift between two worlds, almost destroying both of them in the process,” put in Twilight.
“Hypnotized a school just to gain adoration,” said the Dazzlings in unison.
“Got brainwashed by an evil hypnotist and joined up with her,” Raven pointed at Aria, “to help her regain the powers she lost.”
“Turned an entire school into my own personal zombie army in hopes of conquering a distant pony world,” finished Sunset.
Emerald seemed to realize something. “Hey! Am I the only one here who hasn’t gone crazy?”
“Yes,” said everyone else, in unison. Then everyone laughed, even Juniper.
Back at the portal, Starlight and the Rubies had gathered together to see the former off. “I'm so sad to leave,” Starlight said, looking around at the other girls. “I haven't really had the chance to get to know all of you!”
“Maybe you don't have to leave yet,” said Sunset with a grin. She held up the new journal and read from it. “Dear Sunset, some lessons are better learned in action, and you girls are great teachers. Starlight should stay for a few more days. Enjoy the premiere! Sincerely, Princess Twilight.”
“That’s wonderful news!” Gem exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. “Come on girls, let’s go to my house! We have a premiere to get ready for!” And away they went.