Fluttershy hummed with a smile on her face as she washed her hands at the sink in the animal shelter bathroom. She had just spent all afternoon taking care of its residents, and although she was pretty sure they were all healthy it was still prudent to make sure to prevent the spread of disease.
She turned off the faucet and glanced into the mirror―the being inside snatching her attention and causing her heart to leap into her throat.
The mask on its face.
That jagged horn.
She’d recognize Midnight Sparkle anywhere!
Before she could scream, it spoke.
“Hold still
Before I kill
You”
She was pretty sure she heard that, but the Midnight-reflection’s mouth didn’t move. She was shivering too hard to care, so she nodded slowly.
It sneered.
“Do
Do”
It looked down and away. It seemed like… like it was struggling to say something?
“W-what are you trying to―” she managed to work out before Midnight snapped to face her and cut her off.
“Do you
Like
The Twilight-Creature?”
Fluttershy looked left and right with her eyes, her lips drawn tightly. What was the right answer here? She’d never spoken to a mirror demon before.
Especially not one that almost destroyed the world.
A memory of something read long-past snagged in her mind and compelled her next words out of her mouth.
The corners of her mouth upturned slightly as a giggle chattered out of her throat. “I-I mean, she’s one of my best friends, of course I like―”
“Request
Interaction”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she pursed her lips. “B-but today’s Valentine’s Day! She’ll be spending it with Timber―”
“Impress
Urgency”
“What?” Fluttershy said before she bit her bottom lip. “Y-you want me to lie to her?”
Fluttershy then noticed something about the Midnight-apparition’s face: it wasn’t smiling. Every other time she had seen it, it had this wicked grin on its face. But this time it wasn’t.
She gulped. “I’ll see if I can convince her.”
The mirror-Midnight nodded.
“Life
In the
Balance”
With that, Midnight Sparkle faded from the mirror, leaving a very disturbed Fluttershy staring at her own reflection.
She gazed for a moment, then grabbed her phone.
I head for my Twilight and hope for success in impressing upon the Fluttershy-thing the importance of drawing my Twilight away from that mule. Being a projection of her, her happiness is of my utmost importance even if she has rejected my love. She is me, in a sense, so her satisfaction is mine as well. I will not allow her to be Spruce’s whore if she dreams of the yellow animal.
Perhaps one day in the future, those two beings will join in matrimony and begin a life together. Maybe even raise human spawn. Grow aged and wrinkled.
And when fortune presents, I will reveal myself as who Twilight is indebted to for her joyous existence, her fruitful struggles, their shared failures. For they will have failure. I will assure of it. Defeat provides strength, as I have experienced, and I wish to grant upon Twilight that strength as well.
Upon reaching my Twilight, she appears to be rushing towards something. The Fluttershy-thing has done her part.
Twilight bent over and rested her hands on her knees at the entrance to the park, taking sharp staccato breaths. She looked up to see Fluttershy, a blush and a smile on her face as always.
“Fluttershy, what is it? You said it was important.”
You hurt me, Twilight, when you rejected me. You drove a flaming sword straight through me and compelled me to remove it myself.
Fluttershy pressed her lips tightly and ran a hand through her long, silken hair. “I-it is. Just follow me.”
You left me to writhe in anguish and curse your name endlessly. I almost compared you to Sunset Shimmer.
Twilight followed Fluttershy to a bench, where Fluttershy sat down and patted the seat next to her.
“Why don’t you sit down with me?” Fluttershy said as a wan smile flashed on her face.
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she carefully claimed the seat next to her. “Um, I don’t see how this is important, but then again I guess I don’t understand friendship that well.”
In revenge, I will give you your heart’s desire―that which you most want. And when I come to claim the price that is your everything, you will have no choice but to concede it to me.
Fluttershy saw Midnight briefly flash into view and inhaled sharply, grabbing Twilight’s hand in the process. “J-just stay with me tonight, okay?”
“Fluttershy, are you okay?” Twilight asked as a blush formed on her cheeks.
The grip on Twilight’s hand grew tighter. “I’ll be fine as long as you’re with me.”
A grin quickly accompanied Twilight’s blush. “I-it’s nice to hear that.”
Yes, I will claim what you are and use it to wipe existence clean.
But not today. Today you deserve this true exhilaration that comes from deep within you. Not the false chemical bliss from being the whore of Spruce. On this day, this day of love, you deserve to feel what I feel for you.
You deserve someone who sees you as I do, full of potential, not some object to discard, not some trophy to receive.
Fluttershy rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder as they watched the sun set, the lovely scene interrupted by Twilight’s phone ringing. She picked it up, then silenced it and set it back down.
“Who was that?” Fluttershy mumbled.
Twilight grunted. “Timber. I told him I was spending time with you because you asked.”
“Mhmm.”
“I have half a mind to tell him off next time I see him,” Twilight said with a sneer.
“Why would you do that?”
A smile forms upon my face as my vengeance exacts itself under the guise of reward. They say love is a double-edged sword, and I of all beings know that all too well.
