Mirror: Book I - Mind

The Princess sat dutifully and patiently at the end of her desk, hooves folded and tucked beneath her muzzle as she scanned the board over for what seemed the umpteenth time now. Her opponent sat across from her, posture all the same as his hands laid folded beneath his nose, that thinking spark in the small of his eyes. All the pony could think about now was the paperwork piled over her desk, the hearings she would have to attend to in the coming days, the royal councils and the diplomatic meetings, so on and so forth. Not once did she come to think of the board and the pieces laid out before her, at least not for a while now. She had already planned twelve steps ahead.

“David?” She thought she might ask.

The boy blinked. “Hm?” And looked up.

“It’s your turn.”

“I know.” He rested his palms to the desk. “I’m still thinking.”

It seemed that in the past twenty-four hours, he had been doing just that, and that alone. Thinking. Why was he always thinking? Just what exactly was going on inside that head of his? Twilight studied each and everyone of his moves, struggling to understand some manner of cognition from the boy. Alas, it was all like before. His patterns were uncertain and his course a trail blaze, more impulsive this time, eager for an opening. Eager for answers, it seemed.

David simply decided to castle, the only move in chess where two pieces were moved at once. Twilight deemed it was going to be another long and monotonous game.

“Have you been studying the assignments I gave you?” The pony brought up.

The boy blinked again, having expected a quick, feasible move from his opponent. The equine was suddenly speaking to him, and it took a moment for him to register a response.

“I didn’t look into them too much.” He confessed.

Twilight covered a sigh. “It’s important that you learn to read Ponish, you might never know when you’re going to use it.”

“Then I’ll just stay in the castle.” He decided.

“You can’t stay inside forever.” She countered. “You’re the Royal Equerry now, you’ve been given a duty to fulfill.”

“But, Twilight…” His hands trembled. “I don’t know anything about this world. Not you, not these ponies, not anyone or anything.” A long, dreary exhale escaped his lungs as he struggled to continue. “It’s just like you told me, you’re not always going to be around to protect me, and that’s why you gave me this Equerry title in the first place. But, how am I supposed to protect myself when I don’t know the first thing about being the Equerry? It can’t be that easy…”

There was no doubt in the young Princess’ mind that the boy was indeed right. It couldn’t be that easy, suddenly being thrown into a world he had little to no knowledge of, being given tasks that a certain student of hers seemed to be better fitted for…But Twilight pushed the thoughts away. This was all meant for the boy’s protection, and to avoid yet another plethora of paperwork, of course. He knew that now just as well as she did, and she could only hear him out from then on.

“If you want to go ahead and kick me out, send me back to the forest…” David scratched at the scar beneath his shirt. “Then I can’t deny your decision. You are the Princess, after all.”

“Never.” Twilight stiffened.

“Huh?”

Twilight shut her eyes and turned her muzzle to sigh, looking back up at the boy glumly. “I didn’t want to have to tell you this, but do you know what the ponies from yesterday said? The ones who showed up at the castle? They said you were a disturbance, a threat even, and that if we didn’t take action soon then they would. I know you meant no harm to them but that’s what they’ve interpreted from their encounter with you, short as it may have been.”

“Would you, then?” He asked her.

“Would I what?”

“Would you have let them take the initiative on me?”

“I don’t know what they would plan to do with you, and neither do I like to think about it. As I said before I am indebted to you, and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep you from harm. As Princess, that is my duty.”

There was a hint of reassurance in his gaze, the smallest sliver of hope that he might be cut out for the tasks ahead of him after all. Alas, his head fell back down to the board in front of him, eyes fixed over their game of chess as though it was the only thing that mattered to him now. Twilight joined his sights with him, peering down at the board with her posture and gaze all the same. Yet, she simply couldn’t see what he was seeing. The moves set out before his eyes were all but invisible to her. Just what exactly was going on inside that head of his?

A stream of fresh, hot water from the shower head matted over his hair and trickled down his spine. Although he had to crouch to compensate for his height, at least it was one of the few things he was familiar with in this world. He almost unknowingly had the luxury of castle life to thank for it. Like the flow of the hot, soothing liquid, dribbling down into the drain at his feet, the thoughts of the day were filtered and washed away.

The boy twisted the valve until the water came to a stop, steam rising and fogging over the surface of the mirror. He draped one towel over his hair while the other strung about his waist, waltzing across the bathroom floor, humming an all too familiar tone as he went about his business.

He walked past the mirror, humming the first part of the song. And he stopped.

The first part of the song.

The boy backtracked, stepping backwards until he was behind the mirror, and hummed the song once again as he walked on by. There it was again, that all too familiar tone. He backtracked once more, and while walking in reverse, hummed the second part of the song.

The first part of the song, and the second part of the song. He wondered endlessly. What song…?

His own reflection met his gaze, and at that instant, the memories were beginning to run through his head all over again. Memories of his past, memories of his home. Friends, family, fun, hobbies, interests…that television show. That song!

It was the opening theme to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.