The Mirror

Rainbow Dash had always known the one simple truth of the village growing up. Don't look in the mirrors. Ever since she was a filly the elders had been telling her that, without an explanation. Not like there had needed to be one, for the most part all the ponies accepted this phrase as the whole truth. There was relative harmony in the village over the years with this universal acceptance, any time something close to a mirror was discovered it was hurriedly covered with a cloth and put away from prying eyes.

The young ones were usually scolded for trying to look, but it only ever happened once or twice before the stinging slaps with the magically held reeds got the message through their heads. Never look, never learn, always safest away from the reflections. Every now and then a pony would vanish in the night, but this was also never questioned. No explanation would ever be given, and every pony would just move on as though the vanished one had never existed to begin with.

Years of harmony, until Rainbow Dash was given the package to deliver to the next village over. It was part of her rite of passage, every pony took part in this ritual when it came time for them to ascend to adulthood. The package must be delivered safely through the woods, never opened and never harmed. Should be easy enough, surely. Her only instructions were simply to keep the package sealed until she reached the village a few days away, and once delivered to return home.

Nopony had ever failed this rite, always delivered the package and returned home safe and sound. It was an oddly simple ritual really, and Rainbow Dash had always been grateful that it wasn't something crazy like fastening rods in your shoulders while dancing around a fire for three days and nights. She bowed her head when the package was floated over to her, and then her mother had helped to fasten it so that it hung from her spine in a special saddlebag to keep it safe. The other saddlebag on the opposite side had been filled with food and drink to last the journey, and kept the package from slipping off of her.

Due to the nature of the saddlebags that had been buckled onto her body, her wings were all but pinned to her back and rendered flight useless. This was both to keep the package as safe as possible during the journey, and part of the tradition that dated back hundreds of years. Dash had mentally prepared for this as best she could, but there was still a bit of anxiety over being denied the freedom of the skies. This was the way though, and always had been.

Everyone had gathered at the edge of the village to wish Rainbow Dash safe passage, with the hopes that the cerulean pony would have an uneventful trip and return an adult mare to be celebrated. The chanting of her brothers and sisters, the members of the village filled her ears and bolstered her heart as she began to make her way into the woods on the simple dirt path. Familiarity helped to comfort her, as Rainbow Dash realized that she was completely alone for the first time in her entire life.

Initially, she was thrilled as she walked. No more fillies and colts hanging off her legs impeding her chores, no more constant buzz of voices and complete lack of privacy since everyone always knew everything. Mess up once, and within the hour the entire village would know what you had done. Just the natural silence of the world, peppered with birdsong, leaves rustling in the wind, and the babble of an occasional brook. It was very peaceful out here, so Rainbow Dash briefly wondered why after this rite nopony ever left the village save for the hunting parties. The world seemed very quaint.

The first day and night passed without event, and so did the second. On the third day, Rainbow Dash could have sworn there was whispering coming from her saddlebags. She tried to ignore it, but it put her on edge. It was a constant, barely audible sound, ever-present beneath the rustling of the trees and the calls of the birds. Always there, though she couldn't tell what the voices were saying.

Continuing to walk, Rainbow Dash noted the sun was setting. That meant the village she'd been sent to deliver the package to wasn't very far away now, and she should reach it tonight if she didn't stop to rest too much. Easier said than done, but since she was unnerved she found herself moving forwards even when she didn't want to. Anything to be rid of this quest so she could be on her way back home, safe and sound in the safety of the familiar sights and sounds of home.

Tensing up when her hoof unexpectedly snapped a twig on the path while she walked, Rainbow Dash realized two things at once. One, it was suddenly a lot darker than it was a minute ago. Two, the whispering was decidedly louder now. Spurred into quicker movement, the cerulean mare not quite rushed down the trail since she knew that her salvation lay at the end of the line. The path ended at the entrance to the village, connecting her home and this place for many years now. All she had to do was get to the gates and hurry inside, and she would be free of this troublesome burden once and for all.

Moving faster and faster, Rainbow Dash began to gallop in a desperation born of fear. Her breath shattered the quiet, hooves pounding the dirt passageway while her heart matched the rhythm in her chest. Had to get there now, before things got any crazier, had to drop this off-- Her thoughts were cut off as a shriek tore from her throat. Rainbow Dash hadn't seen the switchback turn on the trail in her haste, and promptly tripped and fell off the edge.

Falling head over hooves, spinning as wildly as any toy down the embankment until she crashed into the treeline below. Thankfully it hadn't been very far so she was only bumped and bruised, but when she rolled to her side and stood up Rainbow Dash realized with growing trepidation that the package was no longer hanging from her side. Turning to look behind her, she gasped at the contents that spilled from the cloth that had sealed it in.

There, lying in the moonlight, was a mirror. It reflected the moon and the darkness of the tree limbs around her, spidery cracks distorting the surface and causing the image within to look eerie. "A mirror?" Dash said out loud, the question deafening in her ears when she'd not spoken louder than a whisper. "Why did they give me a mirror?" There was nopony around to answer the questions, and Rainbow Dash realized she was going to have to wrap it back up and explain what had happened. And then bear the shame home of having been the first pony to fail the rite of passage since its inception.

Approaching the mirror carefully, Rainbow dash used her wings then her forelegs to gather the scraps of cloth so she could cover it and render it safe once more. Moving carefully, she tried to avert her eyes from the mirror so she would not be tempted to look within the forbidden depths. "Don't look at the mirror," she whispered to remind herself, sucking in a deep breath.

"Why?" A voice answered in the gloom. "Are you afraid of what is inside?"

Rainbow Dash was frozen, rooted to the spot with her eyes locked onto the mirror. If she didn't know any better, that voice came from those quicksilver depths. Laughter, soft and eerie filled the air. "I think you are," the voice continued, crooning to her now. "Always a good little filly, listening to her elders and never taking a peek." Almost against her will, Rainbow Dash crept closer.

"It is forbidden," she found herself replying, and cringed when the voice cackled with malicious glee.

"And you never asked why?" The voice replied, openly amused now.

"No," Dash replied, with a bit of conviction this time. "It was never my place to question the wisdom of the elders." This time the cackling hurt her ears, and her hooves all but touched the frame of the cracked mirror now. Why had she drawn closer to it? She didn't want to look inside, every fiber of her being demanded she cover it now and render the voice within harmless.

"Truly, that is what kept you safe until now," the voice said. "You honored the sacred pact to keep me at bay, until your foolishness led you astray and set me loose."

Rainbow Dash trembled as she listened. She had fallen silent because she didn't know what to say in response.

"I commend you, child, but now you must pay the price of your failure." The mirror seemed to rattle slightly.

"What does that mean?" Dash demanded, fear sluicing down her spine and chilling her blood to ice.

"You have freed me."

With that the mirror abruptly exploded into pieces, shards raining down like sparkling diamonds around the cerulean mare and catching within her rainbow mane and tail. There was a sound of something rushing past Rainbow Dash, and while she cried out her world abruptly went black. The last thing she remembered hearing was the cackling laughter, and the sensation of many teeth brushing past her body.