Mirror's Image

Chapter 14

"Uh-oh indeed," Rarity said with a hint of anger and disappointment in her voice. Her makeshift weapon was lowered to the ground again and placed beside the door. "Sweetie Belle, care to explain why you are hiding in Twilight's closet?"

Twilight stared at Rarity. Something, somewhere had gone very wrong. For some reason she was now an exact replica of Rarity's little sister. Or so she assumed, since Rarity hadn't pointed out any obvious errors like her wings or crooked horn.

The exact reason why she was wearing a Sweetie Belle disguise was a whole different matter. Was it her decision? Instinct? Divine intervention? Twilight didn't know but she was thankful that Rarity hadn't seen her as a Changeling. Twilight knew for sure that there would have been screaming and that the whole situation would have ended with Rarity fainting onto her automatically appearing couch. Twilight regretted inscribing a teleportation rune onto that piece of furniture.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity shouted, pulling Twilight back from her deep thoughts. "Are you even paying attention to what I am saying here?"

"What? Oh, sure!" Obviously, Twilight hadn't heard a thing that Rarity had said to her but judging from the taller Unicorn's face it hadn't been much good. It was a strange sensation, having to look up at somepony. Twilight hadn't felt so... small since she had been a filly. It was not a sensation that she enjoyed.

"Honestly, Sweetie Belle, pay attention when I talk to you," Rarity scoffed. "I am just so very disappointed with you. How could you think that breaking and entering could earn you your cutie mark?"

Twilight just nodded as Rarity went on and on about how she should be ashamed of herself and that Sweetie's parents would be so disappointed (or so they would be if they were in town.) All Twilight was concerned with was to get away from Rarity so she could change back and seize control of the situation again.

However, a new problem slowly presented itself: Rarity's make-shift weapon, that ugly one that her uncle had given her years ago, was slowly but surely floating upwards.

Her sole guard slowly turned visible again and shot her a knowing look as he floated silently above Rarity, the vase poised to strike. A hint of a smile had crept onto his face, something that Twilight really didn't like.

Twilight simply stared at him intensively, trying to reach the guard through her connection to him but found it impossible to do so. Before it had been somewhat doable but now her link was muddled. Was her disguise limiting it? Was it stress? Twilight didn't know and she didn't appear to have time to find out!

"And one more thing," Rarity continued, not noticing the impending doom looming over her. "Did you ever stop to think about how Twilight would feel about this?" The guard's hooves twitched.

"No!" Twilight screamed at her guard, who shrank back and lowered the vase again, setting it back beside the door before Rarity could notice.

"No?!" Rarity uttered. "Out! Now!" She turned around, narrowly missing the Praetorian hovering behind her, who turned invisible again before Rarity could see him.

Twilight waited for Rarity to walk down the stairs before attempting to do so herself. Her legs were a lot shorter than they had been before and it was affecting her balance. She even tripped up when she got half-way down the stairs and would have fallen down, if it hadn't been for her guard's quick reaction. He caught her and silently lowered her to the ground.

Whispering a thanks, Twilight followed after Rarity who was waiting in front of the door.

-

The walk to the Carousel Boutique was uneventful. Silence reigned as neither of the supposed sisters said a word to the other. Rarity walked at a brisk pace, never taking her eyes off of Twilight. This meant that Twilight had no other choice than to play Sweetie Belle for a bit longer, until she could get away from Rarity and transform back.