10. Mirrors - Titanium Dragon

Titanium Dragon

Mirrors

"Howdy Rarity!" Applejack said with a bright smile on her face as she stepped into the shop.

"Coming!" chirped the mare in question, the seamstress emerging from one of the back rooms of the boutique with a smile on her face as she approached the farmer, giving her a nuzzle which the earth pony returned warmly, leaning into her lover.

"Twilight and I saw somethin' you might get a kick out of when we were in Canterlot yesterday."

"Oh?" the unicorn leaned back, her eyes bright. "What is it?"

"I left it outside, it was kind of tough to get in through yer door by myself. Its kind of fragile."

Rarity stepped out the front door of her shop and looked around for a moment before spying the canvas-covered pane sitting in the cart, a smile creeping across her face. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Sure is," the cowpony said as she stepped out after her marefriend. "Twi and I found it in the market, and figured it was just up your alley. Another magic mirror for your collection."

"Ooh, what does it do? Oh, wait, don't tell me, I want to see for myself." Applejack smiled tolerantly as her marefriend seized the covered mirror carefully with her telekinesis, floating it out of the cart and in through the front door of the store before setting it down on the floor, its back resting against one of the tables at an angle. The farmer followed her marefriend in and sat to the side, watching the eager unicorn carefully undo the canvas with her magic with a smile, the brown cloth slowly sliding away from it, the silvery surface of the mirror slowly revealing itself, the canvas covering sliding over onto a nearby bench before Rarity returned her attention to the mirror.

The unicorn's shriek jerked Applejack into action, the farmer leaping forward to hug her marefriend as the wild-eyed pony stumbled away from the mirror. "That's terrible!" Rarity wailed to her marefriend, whacking Applejack's chest with her hooves.

"Constarn it Rarity, it just makes you look like a princess! It ain't anything bad!"

Applejack could feel the seamstress quivering against her, and looking down at her face, could see fear in her eyes, tears running down her cheeks as she sniffled. "What do you mean?" she asked, shaking slightly. "That isn't what it showed at all!"

"Did that vendor trick us and give us the wrong mirror?" Applejack growled, her eyes narrowing, while Rarity relaxed slightly against her marefriend.

"You think he pulled a trick on you?"

"I don't know, let me have a look at it." Applejack slowly released her marefriend, who watched with trepedation as the farmer stepped towards the mirror. The orange earth pony's face grew puzzled as she tilted her head, the pony in the mirror doing the same.

"What are you talking about Rarity? This is exactly what the mirror in the market did."

Rarity rose to her hooves and moved next to her marefriend, Applejack watching her approach over her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile, but the tears only began anew as Rarity gazed into the mirror once more, the tailor's legs going out from under her as she collapsed to the floor next to her marefriend.

Applejack turned her head to look back at the mirror, trying to see what her lover saw, and her eyes grew wide. In the mirror, the regal alicorn's eyes did the same, her mane flowing in an ethereal breeze beside her neck, her tail doing the same behind her. In the mirror, the farmer stood tall and regal, no longer a little pony, but instead a princess, full grown as Celestia.

But it wasn't her own reflection that made her eyes grow wide, but what stood beside her: a weathered tombstone with three blue diamonds glittering above the name of the pony laid to rest beneath it.

Next prompt: Affection