Out of the Mirror

Present Day

I quietly opened the door and poked my head outside. I could still hear the sound of a quill, so I plastered myself against the back wall and scooted across it silently. What had appeared to be another wall from the keyhole was actually a chair. A big chair, with a much bigger butt sitting in it than I remembered Sunshine ever having. 1000 some-odd years, and even the fittest of goddesses will let themselves go. Of course, I didn't tell her that. She flew out before I had the chance.

Fortunately, that left the room completely empty, giving me all the space I needed to explore unhindered. The area I found myself in was rather grandiose, but it seemed to be rather par for a throne room. Big banners hanging on the walls. A big throne at the end of a big, padded walkway. Big open doors at the entrance. With big hinges. And with big hinges comes big gaps between the wall and the big open doors. Big enough for me to fit through as a painting, anyway. And normally, I would.

Unfortunately, as cool as being a painting and moving in complete secrecy is, there are several problems with it. First, it takes a lot of stamina to maintain for extended periods of time. I can neither confirm nor deny that my stamina dropped a mite in the past millennium; however, I will say that you don't get much exercise as a mirror. Second, I would need the ability to actually become a painting again. To do that again, heck to do anything besides soil the floor again, I would need to do a bit of adventuring. Restore what was taken from me.

And by that, I mean my virginity.

I kid, I kid. I just needed to find my crystal.

1064 years ago

It couldn't have been more than a few seconds between when the cloud surrounded me and when it disappeared, but those were some of the longest seconds of my life. Shrouded in a black cloud with no sight, no hands to hold onto, no noise. Well, one noise. Some shrill, bloodcurdling screech bombarded my ears the whole damn time! Even when the cloud was finally gone, that painful sound continued.

Strangely enough, it only stopped once I ran out of breath. Fancy that.

Anyways, with that awful sound gone, I could finally focus on what was in front of me. In particular, a pair of horses - ponies maybe, seeing they're only slightly taller than me - with eyes as big as the palm of my hand staring at me. I say ponies, but that's only 'cause I don't have anything else to compare them to.

One was pink with a tri-colored mane/tail combo and had a narwhal's horn drilled into its forhead. The one mounting it was dark grey with a black mane and tail, also with a horn. My first thought was 'Wow... whoever spiked the water fountain brought the good stuff.' My second was 'Wait, mount--'

"Oh, come on! What the hell, brain?" I quickly turned away. Of all the things I would want to see in an acid trip, horses getting it on wasn't high on the list. There was a shuffling of short clops on the ground a second later. When I turned back, the pair had separated and were blushing angrily. Yes, blushing. Like I said, whatever that guy put in the water fountain was potent.

A little too potent.

"Ugh... brain, why do you torment me so?" I groaned as I looked at and under the grey stallion. Thankfully, brain was feeling accommodating and remedied the problem quickly. It even made the stallion blush that much harder through his scowl. Quite realistic for something so bizarre.

"Wh-Who are you?!" the pink one stammered. "Why have you come to my bed chambers?"

I just shrugged and shook my head. I've seen some pretty weird stuff after having my drinks spiked, and while talking technicolor horses doin' the nasty in front of a crystal backdrop was pretty high on the weirdometer, it didn't compare to my first high school party. Since then, I'd learned that the best way to cope with a trip was to just go with the flow.

I'm not a junky, I swear. People just spike my soda a lot.

"Sorry, didn't mean to barge in on you doin' the nasty. Say, you don't happen to know where the bathroom is, do you? I'm so stoned, you guys look like horses right now." If I was lucky, I'd be able to lock myself in a stall and ride this through without bothering anyone else.

Of course, I wasn't that lucky. The stallion's horn suddenly glowed brightly and shot a blast of red light directly into my gut. Like the ponies though, I call it light because I don't have much else to compare it to. Where light would just shine, whatever this was hit like a truck and sent me flying backward into the crystal wall.

"You enter our chambers, unannounced and uninvited, and ruin a moment of intimacy between me and my wife. Then you have the gall to call my Cadence a horse?!"

I barely had time to open my eyes before it fired again. I cringed, expecting to be smashed like a pumpkin strapped to a live crash dummy. This time though, it wasn't me that the beam struck, but my crystal.

Let me tell you, I thought getting hit by the light was bad, but getting hit by the dark... It felt like it pierced straight through to my heart. Then the pain spread into every nook and cranny of my body like a thick soup being carried through the blood stream. I couldn't imagine what must've been happening in reality to make me feel like this.

When the pain finally stopped, the crystal was spewing that same bubbly, purpley-greeny stuff from earlier over me like a geyser. The darkness seeped into my clothes and belongings, tainting them until I could literally feel its power in everything I owned.

And strangely enough, it felt good. I stood up and looked at my hands. Somehow, I felt stronger. Lighter. For someone my size, that's saying something.

"What are you? What manner of magic was that?" I saw the stallion's horn charging up again. "Answer me, creature!"

"Screw you! You want me to answer you after you shot me?" I pulled my shield off my back and uncovered its mirror just in time for him to shoot again, following a hunch. Since he was hitting me with light, then the mirror should send it right back. Hopefully with equal force.

What happened next caught me completely off guard. Instead of reflecting the blast back at him, my shield absorbed it and started to flash. I blinked. Then I grinned. Oh, this hallucination was getting better and better!

"Is that it?" I jeered. "Can't even make it past a simple shield?" The taunt worked like a charm, resulting in a larger blast and a faster-flashing shield. "Haha! Guess I was right about that!" I could almost see the steam coming from his ears as he charged up again.

"Sombra, it's provoking you! Don't let it--" The one called Cadence didn't have time to complete her sentence before Sombra fired his largest blast yet. But just like before, the shield absorbed every bit of it. And with three of them stored, my shield flashed rapidly.

"Hah! Eat it, son!" With a loud pewewewewewew, the shield blasted a red beam of magic at the ponies. A cyan forcefield shot up between the beam and the ponies just as it reached them. I could see Cadence's horn glowing and beads of sweat running down her face, but her magic held just long enough to block the beam before shattering. Then she collapsed.

"Cadence! You monster, what have you done?!" Sombra roared, glaring daggers at me.

"Well, obviously I just took all that power you wasted trying to shoot me and redirected it back at you as a concentrated beam of magic. Duh." I gave him my best you're-a-flippin-idiot look.

And barely managed to interject my shield between me and his horn as he tried to skewer me. With dexterity I never thought possible in quadrupeds other than monkeys, the stallion then turned on a single hoof, rooted himself to the ground, and bucked. Hard. I didn't fly as far as I did with the magic, but landing on my ass after being airborne has never been my thing.

As I glared down at him from against the wall, I happened to notice that my boots had wings. That my hands had gauntlets. That from head to toe, I was completely bedecked with equipment. I mean, I know I never lost my stuff, but only now did I realize I still had it. And if one of my items gained its actual powers from this hallucination...

Why not all of them?

1064 years ago, Cadence's PoV

Something is happening. I can hear noises, like somepony is fighting, but I can't move. I don't have enough strength. I tried to protect my husband from that creature's attack, but I don't know if I succeeded. My shield broke under its power. I never have enough strength. Is my husband still near? Is my Sombra still fighting?

He is here. He is still fighting that creature. I can hear his voice. He will protect me. He always protects me. I am thankful to him for caring of me, even though I am weak. I love my husband dearly.

What was that? Was that Sombra's cry? Something is touching my hooves. Something warm and soft. What is this laughter? It is not my husband's voice.

"Wh-who are you...?" Was that Sombra? His voice is so close to me. Why does he sound so weak? Has this creature felled him?!

"Who am I? I am the shadow of the hero, the one touched by darkness. I am the wielder of the winds, the seasons, and even time itself. I... am Dark Link!" Dark Link. Such a simple name for such a terrible foe. A name I will never forget. "Now seriously, can you tell me where the nearest bathroom is?"

"D-down the hall, to the l-left..."

"Great. Thanks!"

"Y-you are w-welcome..."

Oh Sombra, my love, your voice is so weak. Is it you too weak to speak, or me too weak to hear your voice? Either way, how could I let this happen? If only my shield had been stronger. If only I were as strong as you. Maybe then this would not have happened. Maybe then, we could have worked together to defeat this monster of darkness. But my shield was not strong enough. I was too weak. Too weak to help you, my husband, my Sombra, and you fell.

"I am sorry, Cadence. I could not defeat the one who slighted you."

I am sorry, Sombra. I could not help you further, and I only got myself injured.

"But I will grow stronger. I have been remiss with combat, for I believed I was the most powerful pony and could protect you from all harm."

But I will grow stronger. I never received training, for I believed you were the most powerful pony and would protect me from all harm.

"I was foolish. Never again will I make the same mistake."

I was foolish. Never again will I make the same mistake.

"That creature's strength was darkness. I will learn to use that power and become the strongest once again."

That creature's strength was darkness. I will learn to use the light to burn through that power.

"And once I have become the strongest, Cadence..."

And once I am strong enough to help you, Sombra...

"Geez, you guys really need to get better cleaning staff. I had to stand while peeing 'cause there was no way I was sitting down in there! Anyways, see you later, hallucinogenic horses!"

"I will defeat Dark Link!"

We will defeat Dark Link!