Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

“Jaunty Soul!” I tried waking up my partner who was sitting across the table. We had taken a train ride from Manehattan to Ponyville, each of us had our reasons. We hadn’t arrived to our destination yet, but I wanted to wake him up so we could eat a snack. The ride had been especially long, since the train had taken damage in some wheels and it took a while for the mechanics to finish repairing it.

Jaunty Soul is one of my best friends, and we have been since we were 13 years old. He was always a very happy stallion with a strong will of helping others, even if he had problems of his own. He is a Pegasus with white coat, dark brown curly mane and light green eyes. His cutie mark is a small candle; all of his friends, including myself, were intrigued by his cutie mark’s meaning, but for some reason he never wanted to tell us. He had been wearing glasses ever since I met him. He was a psychologist and he was going to Ponyville to start his career after finishing his university studies.

My reasons?... well… that’s a little complex…

My name is Silver Pen. I am a unicorn mare with light purple coat, black wavy mane and blue eyes. My cutie mark is a quill and a pencil crossed over a scroll. I used to be a writer and an artist looking for a nice and calm place to continue my work. I have always expressed my thoughts through the quill and scroll ever since I was little. I was escaping home… well not exactly escaping because back then I was 23, which meant I was already old enough to have my own place, but it was almost like escaping since I just wanted to be far away from my family. I’ve never been able to handle that annoying group of people. When I knew Jaunty Soul was leaving, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass. After all, I hate being by myself in a foreign place.

“Soul, wake up already! Or I will eat all of it!” I levitated two hay sandwiches, one of them in front of the half asleep Jaunty Soul.

“Ah… ok, ok. See? I’m awake!”  He took the sandwich with his hooves and gave it a bite. He started chewing on it, tasting it and seemed to enjoy it “I didn’t know you cooked! I thought you hated it!”

“Grandma taught me” my answer was plain and simple. My grandmother was a subject that I had preferred not to bring up. She had died a couple of months ago, and my grandmother was like my second and real mother, since everything my mother was supposed to do she didn’t do it, instead my grandmother took her place. Her departure was something that had left me a permanent scar.

“O-oh… I’m sorry… I didn’t know…”

“It’ll be okay as long as we change the topic” there was an uncomfortable silence afterwards. My look was very serious and I was starting to get slightly stressed and annoyed.

“Alright, alright. Calm down” Jaunty Soul seemed desperate, and he had reasons. Whenever I got angry, stressed, or depressed meant that a long and harsh argue was coming his way. Our points of view from the world are opposites; while he always sees the positive things, I try to stay away from fantasies and remain with my hooves pressed firmly on the ground. “So… have you heard anything from Jade Angel?”

And this is why he never succeeded in having a girlfriend.

For some reason, Jaunty Soul had only managed to touch delicate topics. Jade Angel used to be my best friend since the first year of middle school. She is also a unicorn and studied with me at Canterlot. However, she disappeared since our graduation and it was another thing that left me a scar. Jade Angel is a pegasus mare with light green coat and red mane. Her cutie mark is a microphone.

By the end of our last school year our relationship started getting worse and worse until becoming... one sided. While I was the only one who cared about her she never paid me any attention... I knew it had to end, but it still hurt; I missed the old years.

"...Kay..." I sighed "I've... heard her career as a singer has been... successful..."

"And..." he giggled nervously while fixing his glasses with one hoof "I guess I... touched another sensitive spot?"

Sometimes... just... sometimes... I wonder how you became a psychologist...

I shot him a glare, and it worked just as I hoped. He continued eating the rest of his sandwich.

I looked at the scenery outside of the window. It was already afternoon and the sky was bathed in beautiful golden colors from the descending sun. The afternoon was one of my favorite times of the day, of course, after the night; always cold and calm... I could see a small town of Ponyville in the distance.

Good... it looks... nice and peaceful...

Just when I said the word 'peaceful' a group of images flashed in my mind... All of them were full of blood and young ponies running and screaming... they were all staring in horror at... at me...

"Is something wrong, Silver?"

"Huh?" I snapped out and all of the gory images went back inside the depths of my subconsciousness. Jaunty was staring at me with concern and confusion "N-nothing... I'm okay..." I shook my head after realizing the horrified expression I had in my face.

Probably some images from daddy's old illustrated horror novel collection...

"Are you sure?" Jaunty insisted, staring at me suspiciously. I groaned.

"...Yes... I'm sure..."

We arrived at Ponyville just half an hour later. It was getting dark and after hearing an apology for the inconveniences during the trip, we started looking for the Town Hall. We both carried our saddlebags. His had some clothes (for special occations of course) and a couple of books while mine had quills, bottles of ink, scrolls, books and just a plain dress. Fashion wasn't really my thing nor I was interested in it.

There weren't many ponies around the streets, and there were no sings of any loud party, something that relieved me.

Good, no disturbances at night...

15 minutes later, we were already at the doorstep of our new home. I was surprised by how fast it was, unlike Manehattan, and by how nice Mayor Mare was... of course, unlike Manehattan. They all acted so superior and always showed off their money and power; I had always hated people like them... Even if the house was very economic, we both payed it since I didn't want to feel like a parasite attached to Jaunty.

"Well? How is it?" asked Jaunty, looking proudly at the small and simple, but nice and peaceful house. It was located at the borders of town, so it was surrounded by nature and just a couple of houses.

"It's good! I really like it!"

"Good! Then, let's go in!" He opened the door. Everything was very dark inside, so he turned on the lights and...

"SURPRISE!"

"AAAH!"

A pink pony with a party cone on her puffy hair was standing before us, her face only inches away from our horrified expressions. Behind her was a group of smiling ponies. A special group stood out from the rest. A purple unicorn, a rainbow maned pegasus, an earth pony with a cowboy hat, another unicorn with a very beautiful (but exaggerated) elegant dress and a pegasus hiding her timid face behind her soft pink mane. They were standing side by side (one of them flying).

"What is this?" whispered Jaunty soul.

"I have no idea..."

"WELCOME, NEW PONIES! MY NAME IS PINKIE PIE! AND THESE ARE MY FRIENDS TWILEY, DASHIE, AJ, RARITY AND FLUTTERS AND WHEN MAYOR MARE TOLD US ABOUT YOU I DECIDED TO TELL EVERYPONY TO COME HERE AND THROW YOU AN AMAZING PARTY BECAUSE I LOVE PARTIES AND EVERYPONY LOVES PARTIES BECAUSE PARTIES ARE AWESOME AND FUN AND..."

"I-I couldn't even catch her name..!"

"Pinkie Pie" said the purple unicorn to the pink earth pony sternly while stepping forward.

"Oops! Sorry!" she apologized with a sheepish smile which, I admit, was really cute.

"I'm sorry if my friend here confused you"

ONLY confused? ...sheesh...

"Nah, it's okay. I think it's really nice for you to throw us a party!" Jaunty, living up to his name, looked at the bright side, trying to cheer up the pink party pony.

"I knew you'd love it!"

The purple mare introduced herself as Twilight Sparkle. We also met her friends; Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy (we finally understood her name at the third attempt, her voice was just so low and she was so shy!). They were a very interesting bunch. The party was very enjoyable, not too noisy, and we met other residents of Ponyville, which were very interesting and fun to be around as well.

Hm... I think I'm gonna like this place a lot...

It happened again. As soon as I finished my simple thought, similar bloody images started flashing into my mind... but there was a difference...

The ponies I had just met... The ponies I was drinking punch and eating cupcakes with... were there, running away with blood covered coats and some with a couple of lost limbs or any other part of their bodies... screaming and looking at me with fear in their eyes...

...Or not?