Erised the Looking Glass

A loud, warm ringing filled the air, stirring Twilight from her sleep. It was a clock chime. She turned over in her bed and groggily opened her eyes, only to freeze as she realizes she had no idea where she was. It took a moment before the memories of the past day came flooding back to her.

“That's right,” she chuckled to herself, rubbing a hoof through her tattered hair. The clock chimed again, and for a moment she just laid there to listen to its pleasant tone.

She had just about fallen back to sleep when she heard a knock at the door. Two maids quickly entered.

“Up and at 'em, young princess!” one of them chirped. Twilight rubbed her eyes and yawned, crawling to the edge of bed and sliding out.

She smiled at Silver Dust, who returned the gesture as the other maid started to make Twilight's bed for her. That was awfully nice.

It seemed darker than when she usually got up. Part of that was the sun itself, which still wasn't as bright as Twilight was used to. But a quick glance at the clock on the wall showed that it was nearly two hours earlier than when she normally awoke, even on a school day.

Well I guess that's the trade-off for being pampered, Twilight thought. Silver Dust bade her move quickly to the baths, and she obliged, stumbling out drowsily into the hall where a guard waited to escort her.

Lavender Scent wasn't there, leaving Twilight in the care of an attendant she didn't know. In her lethargic state, though, she didn't particularly care. As soon as she was washed and dressed for the day, the guard guided her down the random hallways towards the dining hall. She would have tried to talk to him, to get his name or something, but she couldn't yet open her mouth without having to stifle a yawn.

I hope they have scrambled eggs, she thought wearily.

When she stayed at the castle, Twilight usually ate all her meals in the staff cafeteria. But the guard brought her to the dining hall instead, which was almost empty except for a few other ponies staying at the castle. She couldn't be sure if they were guests or if they were workers or whatever; she was still a little too tired to care. She took a seat next to the head of the table where Princess Celestia was supposed to sit, and sat patiently as she wondered where the waiter was with her breakfast.

♦ ◊ ♦

Watcher was waiting in the dining hall when Princess Twilight arrived. As she sat down, he slipped back into the kitchen where her oat breakfast was just being finished. He loaded it onto the cart himself and pulled out his leather flask, draining the contents into her meal and drink. The black liquid quickly dissolved, but a quick prod with his magic assured him that it was still there.

Watcher rolled the cart along with him to Princess Twilight's seat and placed the plate before her, shoving the cart to the side for the waiter to grab. Princess Twilight frowned over her usual breakfast as though expecting something else, and then briefly glanced to the side of the plate as if there should be some utensil there.

Watcher's brow furled in concern. He still couldn't sense the substance inside of her, and her behavior had not improved. Nor should she be this tired. He gave a sigh of relief when she leaned forward and began eating as though nothing was wrong.

“Ahem,” he began, getting her attention, “I want to remind you that we are spending this morning visiting the nearby town to attend the opening ceremony for the local park. Your dress is already waiting in your room when you're done.”

Princess Twilight grunted in reply.

“Princess, speak to me when I am speaking to you.”

The princess paused. She seemed to be biting back a cutting remark as she responded quietly, “I'm sorry, Father. I understand. When will we be leaving?”

“Follow your escort to the launch bay when you are dressed,” he replied, “I will meet you there. And do something with your hair. It looks like you didn't even brush it this morning.”

♦ ◊ ♦

The launch bay, as it turned out, was a large garage on the ground floor where the royal chariot, among others, was left when not in use. The two guards that would be pulling the golden chariot were already in place and harnessed, and two more pegasus guards stood nearby to flank the chariot once it was in flight.

Twilight had never been this close to the royal chariot before. Holding her breath in reverence, she slowly approached the majestic vehicle and stood next to it. It was so polished that she could see her entire reflection in it, makeup and dress and all.

Sliding off one of her shoes, she slowly ran a hoof across the smooth wing-shaped sides of the chariot, marveling in the craftsponyship it took to produce such an accurate sculpting of pony wings in flight. It couldn't be solid gold (she knew that gold was too malleable to hold a solid shape like this, especially against the air resistance a chariot has to deal with in flight) but it was the best imitation she'd ever seen.

The wheels, made of the same mysterious metal, were geometrically perfect, which for pegasus craftwork was standard, but so few ponies ever got to see it up close except on the battlefield. But this was no battle taxi; this was designed for status and comfort.

Her state of awe was almost enough to make her forget that she'd never flown before.

“Are you ready?” Watcher asked, pulling Twilight out of her trance. She hadn't even heard him enter the room.

“Y-yes, Father,” she said, turning to face him, blushing at how he had caught her in such a personal moment. Watcher's mind seemed to be on something else, though. She could see it in his eyes; they looked completely glazed over. He could see her, but wasn't really registering her presence.

Twilight couldn't refrain from scowling as Watcher stepped onto the chariot, getting whatever grime was on his hooves all over that beautifully polished surface. She did her best to wipe her boots clean against the cement floor, for whatever good it did, before gently stepping up onto the carriage.

“We're ready,” Watcher told the guards, who nodded in reply. Twilight was already trembling. She scooted closer to the front of the chariot, prompted by visions of being thrown from the cart mid-flight.

The large double doors creaked open, and daylight flooded the bay. Twilight made to wince as she was wont to do whenever somepony swung open the shutters to let light into a dark room, and was stunned when the light didn't blind her.

That's right, it's darker over here, she reminded herself. She relaxed, only to receive a jolt as the chariot began moving.

Twilight grabbed onto the edge of the carriage. She gulped as they passed through the doors. I'm not ready for this, she realized, eyes wide with fear. The ponies pulling them threw their wings open, causing Twilight to give off a frightened “eep!” in anticipation of what was about to happen.

“Are you alright, princess?” the guard walking alongside the carriage asked, watching her with concern.

As if triggered, Watcher snapped to life and barked, “Mind your own business!” before glaring briefly at Twilight for drawing the guard's attention.

Twilight didn't care. She was about to throw up. Or faint. Or both! What if she fainted and then threw up?! She'd suffocate on her own vomit! Not that it would matter, she realized, because as soon as she was unconscious she would slide from the chariot and start rushing towards the ground at terminal velocity.

The chariot was picking up speed. The guards beside them were trotting with their wings wide open in preparation for takeoff. Twilight would have been amazed at the smoothness of the ride had her thoughts not been consumed by her terror.

Twilight closed her eyes and tried to grip the side of the chariot harder, silently cursing the frictionless boots that wanted to slip and slide against the polished metal of the chariot. She might have said something aloud had she trusted herself not to puke.

More speed. Twilight could feel the wind in her face, blowing through her mane. She was trembling, tears running down her face. A whimper escaped her throat.

And then she felt a gentle hoof against her shoulder. For a moment, she thought it was Celestia's; it was the same touch she used whenever she saw Twilight was afraid of something.

Why hadn't they taken off yet? The runway was not this long.

She opened her eyes just a peep, and then a moment later opened them fully in amazement.

They were high above the open plains of Equestria. They must have left the city limits a while ago, and were passing swiftly over spacious fields and winding rivers. In her panic, Twilight hadn't felt them leave the ground.

She turned around to see who was touching her. Watcher was resting his hoof on her shoulder, smiling warmly at her. There was something new in his eyes, none of that hostility that she had seen up to that point. It was a type of fondness, one she recognized seeing from only one other source: her parents. He was telling her that everything was going to be okay, and that he–

The chariot hit a sudden air pocket and lurched slightly. Twilight whimpered and clutched the rim tighter. Watcher only scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her.

For a while, they just sat there in silence. Eventually though, Twilight took her hooves off the chariot wall and sat properly. Despite how fast they were going, the wind was nothing more than a gentle breeze against her, certainly not the gale-force current she feared would sweep her away.

Pegasus magic was amazing.

Seeing that she was okay, Watcher retracted his arm and let her be. Twilight continued to gaze off at the scenery, refusing to even look back at him for fear of what she'd seen in his eyes.

♦ ◊ ♦

The ceremony took place at the front of the park entrance. There was no gate, so two small poles had been set up and a red ribbon tied between them to be cut. A podium had been set up where the mayor stood to give her speech. Twilight stood behind her and off to the side, flanked by the guards who had flown beside the chariot.

She was having trouble breathing. Not because of her outfit – that was loose enough – but because of what she saw by staring out into the audience. There were so many of them! That wouldn't be a problem on its own, but as she was stepping down from the chariot when it landed Watcher had let her know that her speech would be waiting on the pedestal for her to read.

Twilight never had problems with her oral reports; in fact she was more than eager to share what she knew with other students. But this was different. This was an important speech, made to complete strangers, which would be recorded by reporters, that she hadn't written and hadn't rehearsed even once!

She bit her lip, aware that she was heavily perspiring. The mayor was still going on, but it was anypony's guess for how long she would continue. Twilight tried to forget the speech and focus on something other than the crowd.

The mayor was a somewhat elderly green earth pony. Her blond mane and tail were already greying, both pulled back into a bun. A group of ponies she could only assume were her family were sitting off to the side. There was an orange mare sitting next to a red stallion, and with them a pair of young fillies, also orange and red and wearing simple dresses that Twilight envied. Her own dress had taken fifteen minutes and three attendants to get on. Neither child looked particularly pleased to be there, though, and Twilight sympathized with them.

Twilight was still trying to figure out what the mayor's cutie mark had to do with politics when the guards on either side of her stood up. Her heart skipped a beat as the mayor stood aside from the podium and looked towards her.

With a silent prayer, Twilight followed the guards forward. A stool was quickly placed in front of the pedestal for her, and she climbed up to read the speech.

All eyes were on her. The crowd was silent; a child made a noise but was quickly hushed. Her mouth was dry. She wanted to throw up. Watcher was watching her. She didn't want to see concern in his eyes, much less than she wanted to see anger there.

Twilight gulped and tried to read the first few lines: “Every town has a unique…” All that came out was a terrified whisper. She was trembling. She wanted to cry. The crowd looked confused. They were murmuring to each other, questioning her silence. The mayor looked just as uncomfortable as everypony else.

Twilight had failed. She realized that now. For all her talk of not doubting herself anymore, she hadn't actually accomplished anything since she stepped through that darn mirror. She closed her eyes and let her shoulders sag, ready to resign herself to tears.

“Princess,” one of her guards whispered, sounding oddly fearful, “I know that today is very difficult for you, but please stay strong. You have such a wonderful group of friends and loved ones who care so very much for you. Everyone out here is here for you, not the park, because of how much you mean to them.”

Twilight glanced over to the guard. He was smiling faintly in support of her. She didn't know what he was talking about today being special, but he was right. Back home, she had ponies who loved and cared for her. They may not have been there, but she wasn't going to let them down by messing up when she could be improving herself.

Wiping her tears away with the back of her hoof (her pastern, she remembered. She hadn't been studying her anatomy enough), Twilight smiled back at him and looked out at the crowd again. They did look concerned for her. For some reason, it made her feel a little calmer.

Clearing her throat, Twilight began again with the speech. This time, she projected her voice like she was supposed to, keeping it steady and strong.

“Every town has a unique history and culture to it,” she began, “One that changes ever so slightly every year. Today, we are here to honor a new addition to this town's history and identity. As Princess Celestia's representative…”

When she finished, Twilight was brought a large pair of scissors by a pony with a cutie mark shaped like scissors. She took the scissors in her magic and walked up to the red ribbon. She quickly snipped the ribbon to the sound of thunderous applause.

As ponies began milling into the new park to enjoy their “addition to the town's history”, Twilight made to follow them, but was cut off by Watcher.

“Come,” he said, “We must get back for lunch.” There was no inflection in his voice, nothing to suggest that he had an opinion on Twilight's hesitation. She saw him glance at the one guard who had helped her and purse his lips, as though thinking about reprimanding him. Fear was plastered on the guard's face, but after a moment Watcher simply disregarded him and began walking towards the parked chariot.