The Nightmare Gift
The mirror sat there in the throne room of the crystal empire now.
It had been there for quite some time as far as Cadence and Shining Armor could tell, and while it was a
very lovely beautiful mirror they had no idea who it could be a gift from since the note only told them it was a gift from a pony that they knew. But they had their doubts and suspicions and eventually they finally decided to show it to the princesses and Star Swirl the wizard too as well now.
“Well, what is it exactly?” they said as they all stared at it now then.
“Clearly a gift, and also very clearly a mirror too,” Luna said.
“Thank you captain obvious,” Celestia said glancing at her sister now then.
“Enough of your bickering, I sense very dark powerful ancient magic within this mirror and I have no idea if
your emotions could set it off, so whatever you do try not to be nervous, scared, or fight and hate each other,” Star Swirl said.
“Alright, fine then, okay,” they all said now then.
“Alright, now then can you please tell me who sent this mirror as a gift?”
“We don’t know.”
“Alright, fine then, okay, I can work with that, can you think of any pony who had access to your throne
room or would want revenge against you?”
“Only one, and you already know who that is.”
“We can’t assume it’s him just yet, this is a very old and powerful mirror and I don’t see how he could have
possibly ever gained access to it or why he would give it to you, but I know this mirror is not good, it feels
very familiar to me yet I don’t know why, it’s almost like I have seen this mirror somewhere else before
now, yet that can’t be, I would remember, unless my memory was taken away of course. And yes, now I
think that I’m starting to remember the details again.
Yes, okay, this mirror can’t be moved until you look until it, and it also can’t ever be broken except by one
who’s heart is pure but one that has also gone to and seen the darkest parts of this whole entire world too
as well. But I can’t seem to remember its name, and I don’t know why that could ever possibly be so now.
I should be able to remember, but I just can’t no matter what I try to do now.
But I also can tell you this, no magic will work on or against it until some pony has gazed into it, only then may one be able to control the power of the mirror if they can conquer what they see, however if they do not then the mirror shall take over their minds and turn them into a nightmare, just like Sombra.”
“But he didn’t stare into this mirror, did he?” Celestia said very nervously now.
“I don’t think so, but some myths and legends do say that he did, now then are there any volunteers for
who wants to look into this mirror right now?”
No pony raised their hooves and he looked at them in disappointment.
“Very well then, fine, I shall do it if you so wish, but I must warn you that should I fail you will need to kill me
to stop the monster deep down inside within me.
And don’t try to argue with me because I’ll just fight you with my logic and beat you with reason, because if
I do fail then Equestria won’t be the same if I am evil, it will only ever get worse in any universe that I have
ever seen so far now.”
“We won’t, just be safe in there, okay?” Cadence said.
“I will, and I’ll be back, I can promise you that,” Star Swirl said.
“Stay safe,” Celestia said as he walked up to the mirror now then.
“I will,” he said as he turned to look at himself.
Nothing happened, and then he leaned in closer until he was face to face with himself, and then suddenly
something did finally happen now then.
His reflection smiled and then it suddenly pulled him inside the mirror to a land filled with dreams,
darkness, and shadows. But the dreams, they were more like nightmares instead, they were very vivid and
real as he saw them now then.
“Where am I exactly?” he said to himself not expecting an answer.
“Oh, you already know that, don’t you, Star Swirl the wizard and bearded?”
“You know my name, I was right about this being a very powerful dark and ancient old artifact,” Star Swirl
said smiling as he gazed at his shadow image and version of himself now then. “Yes, older than you or the
princesses, I am even older than the kingdom of Alicar itself,” it said now then.
“And I guess that you’re going to show me my worst fears and nightmare now then?” Star Swirl said, “After all, this is the land of nightmares, shadows, dreams, fears, darkness, and hopes, or basically the mindscape
as I call it now.”
“No, I won’t show you your worst fears because Pearl has already died, and you have already seen them all
in your dreams and nightmares and visions, you know every possible future so what more could I do to torture you? You’re so full of pain already, and it feeds me, and that is why you have already won against
me, but know this, should you die I will have no master and be free of your wishes, and that means should you try to hide me and then die I will eventually probably be found since the darkness and shadows will always return.
We will always return to haunt you and this land and every pony else too as well.
No pony is safe from our grasp, and no land can escape our army either.
And know this too as well, I am called the Mirror of Mephilius, and I have many other more various random
names that you probably know too as well.
But sadly enough I cannot talk to you any longer unless you wish so, master.”
“Wait,” Star Swirl said, “Explain this, who gave you to us and who was your previous master and why can I not remember what you were called.”
It smiled, “The answer to your questions are all almost one and the same, my former previous master was the one to give this to the Crystal Empire as a gift for Cadence and Shining Armor to cause chaos and strife,
his name is one that you already know, Nightmare Shadow. And I tell you this because after my master dies their wishes and commands no longer have to be kept by me.
I can tell their secrets to those who wish and command it of me, but while they live it is safe with me, but after they die, well they have no more such luck.
And as for why you cannot remember me, well that is because I did not want you to know who I was just yet, and that is why I cast a spell that altered your memory but didn’t completely erase it, only changed it just a little bit instead.”
“Is that all?” Star Swirl said now then.
“Yes, you shall now return back to your own mind and body, and do not ever forget this talk and experience, and should you ever wish to use my powers or call upon me then I am always at your command, my master.”
“Firstly, don’t ever call me that again, and secondly, I will never call upon the powers of darkness to fox
something, do you understand?”
“Yes, I do, Star Swirl,” the mirror image version of himself said now then.
And with that said it smiled and waved goodbye as Star Swirl woke up.
“Star Swirl, are you alright?” Celestia said coming over to him now then.
“Yes, I am, I know what that is now, and we have no reason to fear it, but I suggest that we put it somewhere far away that no pony will ever find it again.”
“Do you have any ideas or suggestions as to where exactly?”
“Yes, I do actually, but I can’t tell you, just in case, for your own safety and protection you know, but I wish I
could tell you, but I just can’t, okay?”
“Alright, fine then, of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Celestia said smiling as she nodded and then with that the mirror was taken far away now.
And then they were now finally free of the threat of Nightmare Shadow.
Yet they would never be free of the memories.
They would never be free of the grasp of evil, darkness, and shadow as well too.
And the only thing that they could do now was to always fight it.
For that was the only way they could be happy and eventually find peace.