The Elements of Sisterhood

~Little Snowflake's POV~
*Dream*

*Dream End*
"Hey! Snow, you awake? Wake up, for goodness sake!"

I woke up with a small moan and moved my head over to my right. My eyes fluttered open to find my study partner, an amber Unicorn named Sunset Shimmer, staring at me with a disappointed look on her face.

I lifted my head with a yawn and sat up from the picnic bench we were sitting on. I rubbed my eyes groggily and looked at the amber Unicorn filly in front of me, "What time is it?"

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes with a scoff, "It's passed noon, you lazy filly." Then she nudged my shoulder with her hoof, "Come on. You're supposed to be helping me study with these advanced elemental spells, remember?"

I blinked at her, "Didn't the mid-term exam just happened this morning? How are you not tired from all the studying?"

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes with a humored smile, then resumed reading the book laid in front of her. Then a voice called from the left side of the bench, "Sunset Shimmer!"

I gasped in startle and turned to see Sunset Shimmer and I were accompanied by five Unicorn fillies. I recognized the five fillies, but never got their names. They were from campus.

The first filly was in an all-blue color scheme with an hourglass for a Cutie Mark.

The second had curly pink mane and tail with cyan eyes and white fur. Her Cutie Mark was of three stars.

The third was a mint green color scheme, with a white streak in her mane and tail, and yellow eyes. Her Cutie Mark was of a harp.

The fourth was yellow with blue curly mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was of three light blue hearts.

The last one was pale yellow with violet eyes behind a pair of glasses. Her mane and tail were red with purple streaks and her Cutie Mark was of a purple crescent moon and stars.

"That vine you made was amazing!" The blue-themed filly praised Shimmer with a smile.

The pink-maned filly nodded in agreement, "Really exquisite!"

"Would you and your friend like to come have lunch with us?" The green-themed filly asked with a bubbly smile.

I smiled and nodded, "That would be-" But Sunset Shimmer scoffed and walked away from the fillies, dragging me along with her, "Hmph! Little Snowflake and I have better things to do than socialize. We're going to re-read 'Advanced Elemental Magical Practices' and then practice for my advanced summoning spells exam." She looked back at them, "What are you studying for? Nothing. That's what."

She lifted her chin and continued walking down the dirt road. I looked back at the fillies, they looked hurt by Sunset Shimmer's words. I looked back at Sunset Shimmer and let go of her grip on my hoof.

Sunset Shimmer turned to me, "Snow? What are you doing?"

I rubbed my right foreleg, "Actually, I think I'm gonna spend lunch with some of our classmates. You know, to practice Princess Celestia's lessons on humility."

Sunset Shimmer looked at me, then at the fillies behind me. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Fine." Then she looked at me, "But be sure you come back soon, alright? We're study partners for a reason."

I smiled and nodded in understanding. I walked over to the group of fillies and spent lunch with them. They seemed happy that I was able to join them. We got to know each other and compared notes from our classes. The fillies were surprised that an Earth Pony was able to understand magic the same way a Unicorn can. I was even able to learn their names.

The blue-schemed filly's name was Minuette.

The pink-maned one was named Twinkleshine.

The green one was Lyra Heartstrings.

The yellow Unicorn filly was named Lemon Hearts.

And the final one with a glasses was Moondancer.

*Later that Evening, Inside Canterlot Castle...*

"Sunset Shimmer, I have heard that you're not getting along with the other students-" Princess Celestia informed Sunset Shimmer, as she, Princess Celestia and I walked down the corridors of the castle, "We've talked about the fact that personal relationships..."

"Personal relationships?" Sunset Shimmer scoffed, "Who needs anypony? The most important thing in life is to be the best."

I frowned at the amber filly, "Shimmer, making friends does not make you weak. You'll be surprised what might learn if you started opening up and accept companionship."

Princess Celestia smiled at my words and nodded, "Yes. We've talked about friendship and its importance before. As Little Snowflake says, we've discussed that you need to start opening yourself up to new friends. Remember that talk we had about humility?"

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, "I remember how boring it was..."

Princess Celestia sighed and lead Sunset Shimmer and I into a room with a large, well-decorated mirror. Something about the mirror made my fur stand on end, but it eventually calmed. Sunset Shimmer raised a brow at the mirror.

"Look into this mirror and tell me what you see." Princess Celestia instructed.

Sunset Shimmer wasted no time in taking a look in the mirror. She looked at her reflection and smiled, "A beautiful Pony that has nothing but power and potential."

Princess Celestia looked concerned, then turned to me, "You're turn, Little Snowflake."

I swallowed a lump of anxiety in my throat and walked toward the mirror. Sunset Shimmer stepped aside and I looked at my reflection. I saw a young Unicorn filly with pastel green fur and dark green hooves. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of hazel. Her wavy mane and tail were pastel blue with white streaks and ombre. Another reason I was named 'Little Snowflake'... Hehehe.

Around my reflection, a colorful vapor emerged. The vapor circled around my reflection and took the form of a green stallion, an amber-yellow mare, a buttercream yellow filly and an aquamarine colt. All Pegasi. My reflection had a hole in its chest. I was about to answer, but then the vapor did something else.

The vapor circled around my reflection again and took the form of six faceless Ponies and all in different colors; Purple, blue, pink, yellow, orange and white. The hole healed itself and there was an explosion of color.

I smiled and answered, "I see a family... Friends... Rainbows and smiles. A powerful magical source."

Princess Celestia smiled at my result and turned to Sunset Shimmer, "Care to try that again with our talk about humility taken into account?"

I stepped away from the mirror and gave Sunset Shimmer a second try. Shimmer growled under breath and looked into the mirror again, "I see a Pony who isn't powerful enough. Somepony who could be great, powerful... Somepony that could rule Equestria."

I took a look at Sunset Shimmer's reflection. Her reflection showed herself as a powerful Alicorn, but something went wrong. The reflection smirked and flames engulfed her form. The last thing we saw was a pair of menacing cyan eyes and a pair of draconic wings emerging from the flames. I froze in fear of what the mirror was showing.

Princess Celestia noticed my fear and moved Sunset Shimmer and I out of the room, "Maybe we better move on..."

"Wait, what was that?" Sunset Shimmer asked in surprise, keeping her eyes on the mirror, "I thought I saw..."

"Oh, it was probably a trick of the light." Princess Celestia assured, "Our lesson is over for today. For tomorrow, I want you to reflect on the discussion we've just had."

But Sunset Shimmer didn't do what she was asked. For days within the following week, that's all she wanted to talk about, but Princess Celestia quickly dismissed it. I couldn't help thinking about that demon that I saw in Sunset Shimmer's reflection, it sent shivers up my spine and put ice in my veins.

On the last day of the week, Princess Celestia, Sunset Shimmer and I were outside of the castle, having a nice picnic, until the weather started to get bad and Sunset Shimmer decided now to try again, "You know what's fascinating? Mirrors! About that one..."

"Sunset Shimmer!" Princess Celestia sternly spoke up, "We've been over this, we will get to the mirror and many other lessons in due time... When you're ready."

The weather got worse, as it started to rain. Princess Celestia and I began packing up our picnic and began making our way back to the castle. My ear twitched, as I heard Shimmer growl under her breath, "I am ready..."

*Later that Night...*

I laid in my bed, staring at the moon and stars in wonder. I couldn't sleep because I was worried about Sunset Shimmer and the path she was following. I looked at the moon and the stars, the stars twinkled in a strange order and the eye of the moon started to glow, as a female voice spoke within my head,

"Aid your friend... She is following a path not destined for her..."

I blinked in confusion, I rubbed my eyes and looked again. The moon was back to normal. My mind must be playing tricks on me. Then there was a loud knocking on my bedroom door. I leaped out of bed and walked toward the door. The knocking was getting impatient. I opened the door and it was Sunset Shimmer. She had a large grin on her face.

"Shimmer? What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" I whispered, as I pulled her into my bedroom, "We have exams in the morning. You should be sleeping."

"I found something in the library that might have answers about that mirror the other day." She whispered to me.

I face-hooved and shook my head, Sunset Shimmer is never gonna let this go until it's answered. I looked at Sunset Shimmer, "Shimmer, there is a reason why Princess Celestia said 'no'. We're not ready to know what that mirror can do. For all we know, it could be dangerous." I placed my hoof over her shoulder, "Please, for your safety and mine, go back to bed and be patient. We'll learn more when we're ready."

Shimmer shook her head, "We are ready, Snow. We can find out the secrets of the mirror together." She frowned, "But I won't be denied the power that Princess Celestia has hidden from me any longer. Now, are you with me or against me?"

I sighed and solemnly nodded my head to her. Shimmer smiled and we left my bedroom to sneak into the library. Sunset Shimmer lead me to a section of the library that was locked up behind double-doors. Upon the plaque, it read 'Dark Magic. No Entry.' With a quick lock-picking spell, Sunset Shimmer got the lock off and the doors opened.

"Not ready? I'll show her not ready." Shimmer mumbled under her breath, "You'd think this place would be better guarded."

Once both of us were inside, Shimmer and I began searching through the books for any mentions of the mirror or the magic it contained. We read through all sorts of books. 'The First Ponies'. 'Crossing Over'. 'Salem's Stable'. Even 'Infamous Cemeteries of Equestria'. But nothing on the mirror yet.

"Nothing on the mirror yet, but a few of these spells will come in handy..." Sunset Shimmer whispered to herself.

I put my book down in the pile, then noticed a very intriguing book, 'Canterlot Castle. A History. Volume II'. I searched through the pages and found mention of the mirror and what it really does.

I nudged Sunset Shimmer and showed her the book, "Shimmer, I think I found something."

Sunset Shimmer smiled and took the book from me to read it, "Here we go." She smiled at me, "Well done, Snow."

I gave her an uncertain look, as I noticed from the corner of my eye, the librarian dashing for the doorway. Probably to get Princess Celestia. I wanted to warn Sunset Shimmer, but her eyes were glued on the book, as she search through the pages.

"'The Crystal Mirror...'" Sunset Shimmer read, "'Every thirty moons, a portal will open to... Another world'?"

"That's not really for you to know, now is it?" A familiar voice spoke from behind us, startling Sunset Shimmer and myself. Busted!

Sunset Shimmer and I turned around to see that the source of the voice was Princess Celestia, and she was accompanied by two Pegasus guards. I looked away from Princess Celestia in shame, while Sunset Shimmer glared angrily at her teacher.

"How dare you keep this kind of magic from me!" Shimmer scowled, "You know that I'm ready for this, that I can be great!"

"You could be great." Princess Celestia corrected sternly, "I thought I saw compassion and sincerity in you, but it was nothing but ambition. You're being selfish, you need to step back and reflect-"

"I'm selfish?!" Sunset Shimmer shouted, as her horn lit up with her magical aura, but it turned black and hazy, as well as her eyes.

I gasped and took a step back. Sunset Shimmer shot a beam of the dark magic at Princess Celestia. I leaped away from Sunset Shimmer and jumped in from of Princess Celestia. The beam of dark magic hit me square in the chest and my entire body surged with pain. I felt to my side. The last thing I heard was Princess Celestia calling my name, as everything around me went black.

When I came too, I found myself back in my bedroom, laying in my bed. Was it all a dream? I looked over and found Princess Celestia sitting beside me with a sad look on her face. So it wasn't a dream.

"Princess Celestia?" I whispered, trying to find my voice.

"Easy, Little Snowflake." She told me, "You were hit with some dark magic. We don't know the extension of your injuries."

"Sunset Shimmer? Where is she?" I asked.

"Gone." Princess Celestia answered, lowering her head sadly, "I banished her from the castle and she fled through the mirror. I don't know when she's gonna come back."

"Am I in trouble too?" I asked, as I thought back on my actions and worried about the next course of action.

Princess Celestia shook her head, "No, Little Snowflake. Like I said before, I see compassion and sincerity within you. You are a good soul. You went out of your way to have lunch with the other students. You tried to convince Sunset Shimmer to be patient and get some sleep for tomorrow's exam. You even protected me from dark magic. You can stay in the castle."

"But what will I do now?" I sat up, but winced in pain.

"Rest for now, Little Snowflake. I will take care of the rest." She assured me.

With that, Princess Celestia stood up and walked out of the bedroom, leaving me to lay in my bed and stare at the sky in wonder.