Moonlight Mirror

Moonlight Mirror had just finished all her classes for the day. Last night had been painfully humiliating for her as she had had to apologize to the Apple Family for something she didn't think was wrong.

As she walked out of the kindness lesson, professor Applejack accompanied her to see that she made it to the guidance counselor's office. She had to go and speak to Starlight Glimmer every day after class.

Applejack walked silently with Moonlight. While nopony liked her, Applejack didn't even try to soften their relations. If anyone had asked how she felt about Moonlight, she would have simply answered that she hated her.

Honesty was probably Moonlight's least favorite lesson. She just didn't find a way to use honesty to her own advantage.

Finally they were at Starlight's office. Applejack opened the door and led Moonlight inside, before leaving herself.

"Hello, Moonlight, how are you doing today" Asked Starlight politely.

"Fine." Moonlight answered shortly.

"Are you worried about anything?"

"No."

"Uhm, okay," Starlight answered, a little clumsily, "why don't you tell me what you learned today?"

"Kindness."

"Why don't you be a bit more specific." Starlight tried to get Moonlight talking

"It's good for finding friends."

"And how do you feel about learning about kindness and friendship in general?"

"Fine"

Starlight started to feel a bit more uncomfortable and asked what she was thinking: "Is there a reason you don't want to talk to me?"

"Yes."

"And what is it?"

"I feel that this isn't a safe place to talk. You are just going to report everything i say to Twilight and the others and so I can't be completely honest with you."

Starlight thought for a second, but then asked: "What if I promised you that i won't tell anyone about anything you tell me in this room?"

"That would be fine."

"Then you have my word. What you tell me, doesn't leave this office."

Moonlight sighed and then said: "Alright, then I'll be honest with you. I hate everything about this school. Most of all, I hate the faculty. Especially Twilight Sparkle. This is all just too overwhelming. I have avoided friendship my whole life. And now i have to master it."

"Whoa, thank you for being honest. It means a lot to me that you'd trust me like that. How about you try to find at least one positive thing in each day to begin with."

"Alright, I'll do that. Thank you for not looking like you judge me."

"I'm not judging. I was in the same position just a little while ago. Except i didn't really hate anyone as much as you do."

"Thank you. Are we done here?" Moonlight stood up

"I think so. Unless there is anything else you'd like to share."

"Actually, I think I can tell you something else. Soon, I will start to love going to this school."

"Oh yeah?" Starlight said with a relieved smile, "Why is that?"

"Because i will get my revenge on Twilight Sparkle."

Starlight's eyes widened in shock. "W-what do you mean by 'revenge'?"

"Well, i believe that i can trust you enough to tell you... I managed to make a copy of the magic absorption ring before all of this happened. One that would wrap itself around the horn and never come off. I am going to use it against Twilight Sparkle tonight and make her just a pegasus. Just like she made me an earth pony." She laughed with an evil tone while Starlight just looked and listened in horrific shock.

Starlight had promised not to tell anyone about anything Moonlight had told her. But this would be putting Twilight in danger.

Moonlight thanked her and left, hitting her head on the door before getting out. Once she was in the hallway, she couldn't stop giggling to herself. The first part of her plan had worked and Starlight was at an impass.

Starlight had spent the better half of the day, wondering what to do. She wanted to find Moonlight to try and talk her out of it. But Moonlight was nowhere to be found. Her stress only rose as she saw the sun starting to set. She had to warn Twilight.

She ran to Twilight's office, luckily still finding her in there. Twilight looked a tad confused by the sudden entry.

"What's the matter, Starlight?"

"Well, it is very complicated. Moonlight actually opened up to me."

"That's great!" Cheered Twilight

"Just wait. She made me promise that I wouldn't tell anyone about what she told me."

"Okay, it is good nevertheless. She seems to trust you then."

"But there is something I have to tell you. But if I do, I'll betray her. What should I do?"

"That is a really tough one. Do what feels right."

"Neither one of them feel right"

"Should I maybe inv..." Twilight couldn't even finish the sentence when she was interrupted by Starlight.

"She will ring your horn tonight."

"Really? I thought she had learned to be better than that."

"What will you do now?"

"If she does enter my room, then the story is true and I can bust her. I'll set a trap for her tonight."

Starlight, still worried, left the office while Twilight was already packing up stuff as well.

The darkness of the night had overrun Equestria. Moonlight had an evil grin on her face as she walked into Twilight's home. She knew that noone but her would be awake at this hour, but she suspected that there might be some trap that she might fall into.

She was carrying a small bag with her teeth. She was after revenge and this bag contained just the right thing to get her started.

She hummed quietly as she finally made her way to Twilight's room. She shut up as she opened the door and snuck in slowly, so as not to make any noise.

Right when she was in the middle of the room, she bumped into some magic forcefield. As she did, the room became lit by magical lights.

As she tried to run toward the door, she found herself trapped in a magic forcefield as well.

She was facing the door as she heard an enraged shriek shouting: "MOONLIGHT!"

Moonlight did her best to put on a worried face as she turned around to face Twilight.

"Have you still not learned a single thing?" Twilight started to monologue her, "Did you lie when you said that you were seriously going to start studying? I can't believe that I trusted you enough to give you other chances. This time, you have blown your last chance!" She had an almost sad tone hidden in the rage, because she had hoped to reform Moonlight and it seemed that it would be impossible.

"I'm sorry, but..." Moonlight started, but was immediately cut off.

"No! You are not going to talk your way out of this one! You are out of this school fore..." Moonlight interrupted her.

"SHUT UP!" Twilight stayed quiet for a second, but it was mainly because she was speechless due to Moonlight's rudeness.

"I'm sorry," continued Moonlight, "that I broke into your room in the middle of the night."

She turned around again, and said "I'll just take this and leave. Goodbye forever, Twilight Sparkle." She managed to speak in a really devastated tone. She grabbed her little bag with her teeth and started to walk towards the exit.

"No, you are not taking that thing anywhere!" Twilight used her magic to yank the bag out of Moonlight's mouth to see the weapon inside. "Who knows what damage you could do with this..." she emptied the bag, only to find a single card, "...card?"

Moonlight stated: "You probably shouldn't read that. It has some outdated info."

Twilight picked up the card and read the poor mouthwriting that made up "Twilight, thank you for believing in me. And I'm sorry for everything I've done. As long as I have your faith, I believe that I can truly change."

As Twilight read it out loud, her voice got quieter and quieter. "M-moonlight... I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be. I know now that you are just saying that."

"I feel awful"

"Tell it to one of your friends. YOU still have some of those."

Moonlight was really proud of her acting skills and she was internally celebrating that one of her plans had finally worked. Twilight started to trust her more and felt bad in the process. Of course this plan wasn't as grand as kidnapping the main 6, but at least this one worked.

"Moonlight. Let me make it up to you somehow."

"I don't think that's possible right now." She walked out of Twilight's room as she was no longer held there.

A wide, unbreakable smile spreaded across her face once she was alone. She galloped to her hideout in the Everfree forest.

She had a shack in the forest, quite small, but cozy enough for her. She knew that Twilight would mentally suffer for longer if she didn't see her for some time. So her plan was to hide in her shack for a week or so, letting Twilight boil in guilt and shame.

Moonlight was running out of supplies in her shack after a week. So she decided to show her face again in Ponyville.

She strapped herself into saddlebags and went to the market to buy some groceries.

She filled her bags halfway. Then she decided to pay Twilight a visit. She went into her dorm room on the premise of packing up her stuff.

She left her door opened and started to pack. Just as she had predicted, she soon heard Twilight's voice at the door: "Moonlight, please forgive me."

Moonlight wiped her grin off her face before turning around and starting her act. "Try to put yourself in my shoes. Everyone hates you. So much so that even you start hating yourself. Then you somehow find one pony who believes in you. You feel yourself starting to be more open and vunerable. Then it turns out that the pony was faking it, she hates you and thinks you are a worthless piece of junk!"

"I don't think that. It doesn't matter. I know I could never understand all that you are going through. But I really want to. And I want you to forgive me. It is true that I didn't believe in you before, but I do now."

"You are such a good liar that I almost believed that."

"I'm not lying, Moonlight. What can I do to make you forgive me?"

"Give me back my magic. Then you show that you trust me enough."

Twilight thought long and hard, just staying silent at the door of Moonlight's room.

"Fine. After reading that letter, i believe that your motives are pure."

Moonlight smiled, although she would have liked to scream and cheer of ecstatic joy.

Twilight used her magic to slide off the ring on Moonlight's horn.

Finally, Moonlight could use her magic again. She used it right away to open every single door in the dormhouse at once to make up for all the times she had run into doors.

"I forgive you" Moonlight stated.

"Thank you. And if you so wish, you are still welcome at the school of friendship." Twilight walked away, worrying about whether or not she had made the right decision.

Moonlight just lied down onto her bed and sighed in relief and delight. Her plan had worked even better than expected. Now that she had her magic back, some true revenge could start. She decided to stay in the school so Twilight would trust her even more and, at some point, consider her a friend.

But now she had so many options. She just had to make another grand plan.