Mirror's Image

Chapter 4

Twilight scrambled through the door. She needed to get away from that crazy pony, now! Was she even a pony, she wondered briefly before focusing her mind at the task beforehand.

Getting out.

From wherever she was.

It would be easy, she figured. She just needed a window, to give her a location so she could teleport. She could try a blind teleport but since she had no idea where she was, that was incredibly dangerous. For all she knew, she'd end up halfway through a wall.

"Amaryllis!" The queen called after her.

Who was Amaryllis anyway? Twilight wondered. Was she talking to her? Was that her real name?

No, her name was Twilight Sparkle. She was the firstborn filly of the Twilight family and they were always named Twilight something or another. She liked her name.

But the way Chrysalis said that name... it made Twilight's heart ache. She briefly considered stepping back in, to confront the queen about it but decided against it.

She even slammed the door shut and kept it closed with her magic, just so she could get a head start.

For now, Twilight just needed a nice, calm spot so she could recollect her thoughts and prevent herself from going all crazy again.

And that nice, calm spot was not in this hallway. It was most certainly NOT here.

Dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of eyes stared at her.

Hundreds of creatures looking like the queen. Some of them were on the ground, others were hovering in the air. Some of them were bigger than two Big Macintoshes taped together, while others were as small as Sweetie Belle.

And all of them were looking at her, their gazes fixed only on her.

Twilight squeaked in fright.

In an instant, the creatures bowed before her. 'Do not fear us.' The gesture said.

Twilight felt a rush of comfort wash over her, engulfing her entirely. She felt slightly more at ease. If the creatures wanted to get to her, they would have.

But she knew they didn't mean to harm her.

Somehow, they were transmitting their feelings for her into her very mind!

She felt no hostility from them. No anger, no hatred.

Instead, she felt... love? Compassion? Happiness?

How was she able to identify those feelings? It wasn't her own happiness she felt. It was theirs, it had to be.

Because she wasn't feeling very happy at the moment.

Was the queen messing with her mind? Making her feel things that weren't there?

The pressure steadily increased as more and more Changelings pitched in. More emotion than Twilight had ever felt was forcing its way into her being.

And it started to hurt.

As she tried to organize these new thoughts and feelings her magic faltered. The door behind her swung open before Twilight could reestablish her hold on it.

Twilight cursed to herself for allowing herself to be distracted.

The Changeling queen stepped through the doorway, her own magic keeping the door firmly in place this time.

Twilight felt her headache coming back, just like before.

"What's going on here? What are you doing to me?" Twilight demanded from the queen.