Magic Mirror

"You're not like any pony I've met before." I say it, and it's true. She snorts.

"I'm not surprised." Her voice is tinged with something. Regret? I can't tell.

"I didn't come here to make friends." She says.

"Why then?" I ask.

"I wanted to travel to see the world. I was looking for something once... But I think I found something more interesting." I don't like the way her gaze falls on me.

"What were you looking for?"

"Doesn't matter. Now I'm looking for adventure, and magical artifacts." She scribbles something in her journal. Her green magic moving the quill across the pages.

"Like what?" I ask. I want to know more. More about this mysterious mare. More about the world she's seen so much of. She pauses.

"Like the Great Mage Metalbrook's 8 enchanted items. Came up with nothing again." She sighs finally sitting down.

"I heard of them." Vaguely. From my mother. "What's it like? In the Empire and Republic I mean." I can't help it. I need to know. Is there still a whole world out there?

"Not much better than here. But salvageable. Still worth saving." Somehow out coming from her it doesn't sound like the way most ponies talk about hope. It sounds almost realistic, coming from her. Having seen so much. "I try to avoid the Solar Empire-"

"Why?"

"My own reasons." She snaps, and I'm worried she'll stop talking, but then she says. "The Lunar Empire is fine. She's strict, serious, and a bit full of herself. Her face sewn on every flag. But she's wise, and strong. Strong enough to protect her kingdom. She's terrifying, but deep down she's wants unconditional love as much she wants unconditional loyalty. Luna I mean."

"It's sounds like you know her." I say. It was rare to hear her referred to as Luna. She was always either Nightmare Moon or the Princess. Even though she often shifts back and forth between the two, most don't call her by her name. Ether out of respect, or lack there of.

"I did once." She says.

"You met the Princess?" I ask.

"Yeah I and I asked for her autograph." I blink. Not giving her a reaction. "Like I said I knew her once. I was in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." I try to remember where I heard that before.

"Princess Twilight had gone to that school." Before Celestia started spending most of her time rallying in an army. I see anger and resentment flicker in the pony's green eyes.

"I was so close to getting everything I wanted. If I had just had a little more time- Before the war. Before Twilight." I can't see where's she going with this. Then her eyes land on me. There's something unreadable there.

"Do you know what they used to keep in Celestia's castle? Before I found it? Before she moved it to the Crystal Empire?" The Crystal Empire. I hang on her every world. She smiles. "My destiny. My destiny was in that mirror, but Celestia believed that I wasn't ready. She moved the mirror because she feared me. I think she should fear you too." She says. Her voice is strange. Bitter and vindictive, but strong and hopeful too. There's so much anger, but there's love underneath the surface. I can feel it. "She feared Luna."

"I don't understand." I say finally.

"What would you see if you looked into that mirror?" She doesn't wait for me to answer. "Wings?" I freeze in place. Every hair on my coat stands on end. "They have nothing to do with birth right, or blood you know. There earned. It's too late for me, but you-"

"It's too late for me to." I say firmly. And old fear bubbling to the surface.

"Do you not want power?" She asks. When I don't answer, she's smirks. Recognizing something in me. Doesn't everyone want power, deep down?

"I could tell you where to find. If you're not sure. Maybe you'll see something in your reflection you'll recognize." She waits, and I answer.

"Yes."