Twilight squinted at the books on the shelves. She tapped her hoof on the floor impatiently as she looked. The journal along with the other books weren't there. It was getting late. She had been there for hours now. There were so many books there that it would take her a lifetime to complete her search. The shelves reached all the way to the high ceiling almost thirty feet high. Twilight was pretty sure it wasn't here. She sat down on the floor and sighed.

The friendship journal was all she had of Celestia and Sunset. If she had been smarter about it, she would've kept the book near her when she first came back to Equestria a year ago. She and Sunset could still be in contact. But no, she lost it in a place that was so obvious. She lost it under her bed. Twilight looked up at the ceiling. She didn't understand who would take the book. It wasn't like there was something so confidential in there that the book would be valuable.

Twilight sighed and turned to leave. It was no use. Her book was gone. She still had her memories of Celestia and Sunset to go on at least. It would've been nice to have a physical thing to keep her memories fresh and alive since it was a reminder...but that was ok, she guessed. As she turned to go, however, she saw something glint. Twilight looked back and frowned. There was something in the far corner of the library that seemed to be shining. Twilight made her way to it out of curiosity. The shining object was hidden in the shadows somewhat. It looked tall like a book shelf. Maybe there was something on the shelf there that was shiny? Trick of the light?

But as the mare drew closer, she saw that the object wasn't a shelf. It was something slim and reflective with a dusty cover lazily tossed over it, part of the cover sliding off and revealing what she thought was a 'shiny thing'. Wait a minute. Twilight's eyes grew wide with recognition as she came closer. This thing she had seen from the front of the library was the mirror! Twilight hurriedly rushed to it and pulled back the cover, spreading dust everywhere. She coughed and rubbed her eyes as she looked at the portal.

It had been a long time since she had seen it. Twilight had practically forgotten it existed. Looking at it now was like she was seeing it for the first time. The same awe and excitement from the first time she laid eyes on it came back to her. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. A lavender pony with bangs and violet eyes. The same smart and intelligent pony she knew herself to be. Stepping closer, Twilight extended her hoof to touch the glass. She wasn't sure when the portal opened or if it did anymore.

Her hoof brushed the glass surface of the mirror. Twilight let out a sigh. She had been hoping it was open...Twilight shook her head in disappointment and used her magic to lift the cover. As she draped the cover over the portal, something happened. The portal flickered and she saw a flash of green and pink.

"Twilight!"

Twilight jumped in surprise and dropped the cover. The dusty thing fell on the floor beside the mirror and another cloud of filth stirred in the air. The mare blinked. Surely she was imagining stuff. The portal did not just flicker...and say her name. The princess cautiously took a step forward and eyed it. It couldn't do that, could it? She gulped. This was just her imagination...

The portal shook as an image flashed across it.

"Twilight, I need you to listen!"

The mare's eyes widened. She recognized the white coat and flowing mane of blue, green, and pink. The mare's eyes were worried and held a lot of grief. It was Celestia! The former ruler's voice sounded strained and urgent. How could this be?! The dead was talking to Twilight! And through the portal??

"P-Princess Celestia!" Twilight called out.

The portal struggled to keep Celestia's image in place.

"Twilight! I need help!" Celestia told her.

Need help? But she was dead! Twilight shook the thought from her mind and squared her shoulders. Either way, she would help her.

"Tell me, what is it?"

"I've done a terrible thing," Celestia told her. "I made a deal."

"A deal?? Like a business deal??"

"No, Twilight. Not that kind of deal. It was a contract," Celestia said.

Twilight tilted her head. A contract...None of this was making sense.

"I traded my soul by signing a contract, Twilight, and I need your help to free me from it," Celestia said. "I don't have much time before he comes back. I need you to find it. Find the contract and rip it down the middle. It's the only way to free me! I'm being tortured and am forced to work as a slave against my will. Please find it!"

Twilight was shocked. What was going on?! Contract, ripping it, free her, tortured, slave... These were words that banged around in her head. And who was he? And where was this contract? Why did she sign her soul away? What the hell was going on?!?!

The portal began to flicker once more and Celestia's image began to fade. Twilight panicked and started asking a lot of questions.

"Who is he? Where is this contract? What have you done??"

As Celestia began to fade, her voice became quieter.

"You'll find it in my private st--"

The portal closed and went back to being a mirror before she could finish her sentence. Twilight stood there looking pale and frightened.

"PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!!!!"

But she was gone. Twilight fell to the floor in shock. Everything she just heard made absolutely no sense. What was going on?? How was it that Celestia was communicating with her? Where was she? Twilight sighed shakily. Before Celestia had left, she did answer one of her questions. She told her where this contract was. The only place that sounded like 'private st--' was Celestia's private study. It was in there that she would find it. But Twilight needed to get herself together before she further went into this.

Twilight got up and turned to leave like she initially was going to do. And there on a table was her journal, History, Psychology, and Astronomy books. She groaned. Nothing about this day was making any sense.