Chapter 2: Mirror, mirror on the wall

The Pegasus mare known as Neon Fracture walked to her home in an apartment building in lower Canterlot, under the light of Luna's moon. She walked through the front doors, happily greeting the old unicorn stallion behind the counter and walked up the staircase to the very top of the complex. She trotted up to a door, took a key out from her hoodie pocket, and unlocked the door, entering her home. It was nothing spectacular. In fact, it was a little run down, but, it was what she had called home for more than half her life. As she locked the door, she looked to a picture on a set of drawers, showing a Pegasus mare with a purple coat and yellow eyes and a light green unicorn stallion with brown eyes. Both smiling, gently hugging each other. She smiled and put a hoof on the picture, "Hello, mom. Hello, dad."

She trotted further into her home, straight into her bedroom. She took off the hoodie she had been wearing, threw it onto the bed and went into the bathroom. As she took a hair brush out of a drawer she started to talk to herself, having nopony else to talk to, "So, me? Have you made a decision yet?" She looked intently at her reflection as she gripped the brush in her wing and started to brush her mane, "Should I leave Canterlot? I mean, it's been a year since mom passed away," She stopped looking at her mirror and looked to the floor, "Actually thinking about it, it seems my parents were the only things keeping me here."

She moved the brush from her main and started brushing her tail, "I guess I should. Even the Gardens haven't been as bright as they did before. What, with Discord and then the Changelings."

She continued to brush her tail, looking to the floor with her eyes closed, for awhile longer. She sighed and put the brush back when she heard a chuckle. Her head shot up and she looked around frantically for the intruder. She cautiously exited the bathroom and quickly glanced around before shutting the bathroom door and locking it. She sat on the ground wondering what to do, when a voice spoke from within the room, "Really, is that how you react to everything?"

She squealed in fear, jumping a little bit, almost falling into the tub and looked to the source of the voice, but, saw nothing but her mirror, "W-where are you?"

The voice sighed, "Look inside the mirror."

She shakily got up from her place on the floor and slowly walked up to the mirror. She felt her breathing increase in speed, as she gazed upon a pure white creature with red eyes in her mirror, a creepy smile adorning its face, "Surprise."

She tried to speak, feeling her heart beat pump fast and loud, but, manage to say little, "W-w-wha-what are y-you?"

The creature seemed disappointed, its smile vanishing, "I am not the scary. You are over reacting," She felt her heart slow, but, still knew it was beating faster than normal, at the creature's calm attitude, "Now, my I ask your name?"

She stuttered for a moment before gathering herself, thinking, It's in the mirror, it can't even touch me! Right? Shaking the doubts from her mind she looked the creature straight in the eye, "Neon Fracture."

The creature smiled again and raised its arms and hit its claw like appendages together to create a slapping sound, "Oh, I applaud you! Not even ten seconds ago you were a stuttering ball of uselessness, now your actually behaving like a reasonable living thing! Bravo! Bravo."

Neon gulped and started to muster some courage to deal with this strange being, "Not to be r-rude, but, what are you doing here?"

The creature chuckled showing two rows of sharp teeth, "Well, it's just that I have been oh, so bored for this last thousand years, give or take, and I think you can cure that. Simply by living your life."

Neon frowned, still cautious of the creature, " What do y-you mean? Who are you?"

The creature frowned and rose, what she assumed to be, a brow, "Surely you should know. You must have seen me a thousand times!" It smiled as it spread its arms wide, as if for a hug, "Its-a me, K! Your favorite statue! Well, half of it anyway."

She groaned as it hit her, making her cover her face with her hooves, "Ohh, not another Discord!"

K let his smile drop, along with his arms, "Not the reaction I wanted."

Neon let her hooves fall away as she looked to the door, "I should tell the Princess."

K chuckled nervously, "You really shouldn't! I mean it's not that complicated to understand! All you do is live your life! We just hang on for the ride, talking to you every now and then. Mainly through mirrors or other reflective surfaces! We could give you advice on certain things too, you know."

Neon looked back at the mirror with a thoughtful frown on her face, "And how do I know I can trust you and your friend, at least I think you have a friend from all the 'we's' you put in there."

K started to sweat a bit, "Well, I'll keep both of them under control. Promise!"

Neon raised a brow at the mirror, "And how can I trust you?"

K shoulders slumped, as he gave her a small glare, "Oh, yeah. Don't give the mysterious creature in your mirror the benefit of the doubt. It's almost like he did something bad to you."

Neon put a hoof against her forehead and thought for a bit, before sighing, "Fine, I'll give you and your friend or friends one chance. Then I tell the Princesses. Got it?"

K nodded furiously with a nervous smile, "Yeah I get it! Sure!" He raised one of his arms and looked at his wrist, "Oh, look at the time! It's about time I went and talked to my friends about out little agreement! Ta!"

Neon looked on, baffled at the sight of the creature just vanishing into steam. She shook her head and turned away from the mirror, "I hope I just imagined that." She rubbed her eyes with her hooves and groaned, "I don't care if I just brushed my mane, I'm taking a shower."

She stepped towards the bathtub, opened the curtain and stepped into it, closing the curtain behind her. She turned the hot water on a tad, before turning the cold on as well until the two were the perfect heat. Sighing, she relaxed under the gentle fall of the water, as she imagined how nice it would be to have dinner with Storm Cloud again, and to get that weird delusion out of her memory.

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An hour later, she stepped out of the bathroom with water droplets clinging to her mane, a towel wrapped around her midsection and a smile on her face. She trotted to her bed, where she removed the towel and threw it into her hardly used clothes hamper. She looked to the clock that was hanging from her wall, to see that it was almost time for her dinner with Storm.

Smile widening, she slipped the hoodie that lay upon her bed and trotted to her front door. Giving a small wave of goodbye to the picture, she walked outside her door, locked it, went through the apartment complex, and trotted down the street to an old diner. It wasn't a fancy diner like the kind in upper Canterlot, but, she would pass up all of them for that one. She looked at the old sign that topped the door. It read, 'Hotcake's Diner.'

She grinned gently at the old sign and trotted through the diner's door. A yellow middle aged earth pony mare with a red mane was sat behind the bar, looked up at Neon and grinned broadly, "I see you came here too, sweetheart?"

Neon chuckled at the mare, "Hello, Hotcake. How's business been lately?"

Hotcake shrugged, "Same as it's always been dear. Anyway, Storm is at your old table sweetheart," She winked at Neon, "Maybe you're actually doing it after all?"

Neon smiled and shook her head, "I told you the last time I was here, Storm is my friend, nothing more."

Hotcake laughed, "Last time you were here was just before Stormy moved to Ponyville," She waved a hoof, as if in dismissal, still wearing a smile, "Aw, get on then. I'll bring your usual food and drink over. But, I'll let you know, I know a relationship when I see it, and I've never been wrong before!"

Neon laughed as well, trotting over to a table near the back. Storm looked away from the drink he was sipping, "Hey, Neon."

She felt her grin widen again as she sat down, "Hello, Storm. How's your dad in Ponyville?"

Storm's glee faded as he set he drink down, "He passed a month ago."

Neon gasped lightly and brought a hoof over her mouth, "I didn't know! I'm so sorry."

Storm grinned a little again, "Eh, it's okay. My old man went the way he wanted, in a small place where it was nice and quiet."

Neon smiled lightly, "He never did like Canterlot."

Storm laughed and put on a gruff, old voice, "That city is full of loud, obnoxious bafoons! I'm going to Ponyville like my sister, where I can actually hear the birds over the sound of others talking about themselves!"

Neon chuckled and looked up to see Hotcake set the food and her drink down. She took a bite of her daisy and rose sandwich, "So, how's Ponyville been?"

Storm chuckled as well, "It's been up and down. One moment nothing's going on except a picnic, the next a herd of bunnies run through town eating most of the crops." He shook his head, still chuckling, "Sometimes, I think it's crazier than Canterlot!"

Neon nodded, "I've been contemplating moving there actually."

Storm rose a brow, "Really? But, you love Canterlot. You love the Gardens."

Neon shook her head, "Ever since my mother passed away I just felt like there's been something missing. I don't really know anypony here anymore, other than mister Lockkey, the apartment owner and miss Hotcake, but, everypony else moved away. Like, you moved to Ponyville to care for your father, and Icy Wing moved to Trottingham to chase after her obsession of mysterious creatures."

Storm put a hoof to his forehead, as if in thought, before his eyes went wide, as did his smile, "If you do move to Ponyville, you can stay at my place if you like."

Neon smiled at her friend, "Thanks Storm! I was going to think about it more, decide where to stay and such. But, since lodging seems to be taken care of, I'll move as soon as possible!"

Storm nodded, "Sounds good to me! And, since my vacation will last a few more days, I might be able to stay here and help you with your move. Or at least accompany you to Ponyville."

Neon got up from her seat and hugged Storm, before setting down a tip for Hotcake and heading toward the door, "I'll give my letter of resignation tomorrow and make all the plans," She waved to Storm before opening the door, "Bye, Storm! See you tomorrow."

She walked out of the door and down the street with a big smile on her face, It'll be nice to catch up more with Storm! And since I won't be working at the Gardens much longer, maybe I'll be able to see Icy again! With a giggle and a bounce in her step she headed home once more, seeing a shining tomorrow. Little knowing just how crazy Ponyville was and just how real her encounter with the strange being was. But, in that one beautiful moment, none of those things mattered, for Storm, her friend, would be there with her all the way.