The Crystal Mirror

(A/N, starting next week, my goal is to get my chapters up every week. So no more waiting two or more weeks for a chapter! Hopefully. I do plan however, on speeding up my chapter writing process during the Christmas break. So look forward to that! Anyways without further ado, Chapter Six, The Resistance!)

---The Crystal Mirror---

--The Resistance--
-The Hideout-

Fluttershy

I simply don’t know how we can trust these guys. That same ran circles around my mind. Rainbow Dash sensed the worry in my eyes.

“Don’t worry Flutters, if anything bad happens I’ll protect you”, then hastily added, “And everypony else of course!” Something was off about her. She was always acting strange around me. I tried to think about it, but we had already arrived at our destination. It had only seemed like minutes since we starting moving. No time to question though, we were already deep inside the Everfree forest. Cliché, but at least it’s well hidden. Red was the first to speak.

“Now I know that you are all very skeptical right now, but you are going to have to trust me. We can’t risk you seeing the complex pathways and codes required entering our hideout in case of you getting captured. So we are going to blindfold you. I’ll explain everything when we’re there”.

Everypony was hesitant to agree to his plan. Being blindfolded by some stranger you’ve only known for five minutes isn’t just something you do. Unfortunately we didn’t have a choice at this point. So one after the other we were all blindfolded and guiding along an intricate pathway to the hideout.

“Ouch!” Rarity cried out. “How much longer are we going to have to walk? My hooficure is getting RUINED out here.

“Calm down missy, we’re here”. Red spoke clearly trying to hold his frustration. A small tree trunk opened up as Red moved closer.

“Welcome Red, how may I assist you today?” An almost lifelike voice emitted from the tree.

“Just call up an elevator for my visitors”.

“Just a moment”.

From the opened up tree trunk came a small platform.

“Now we have to go three at a time. I’ll go last”. Red then proceeded to remove the blindfolds. Applejack, Rarity and one resistance member were the first to go down. The small platform quickly started to descend the tree.

“Oh my!” Rarity’s voice echoed up the narrow passageway. The platform came back up. Next to go was Rainbow and I, with of course, a resistance member. I was admittedly nervous at first, but Rainbow noticed and calmed me down. When we were all on the platform we fell REALLY fast. I could have sworn my hooves lifted of the platform for a moment. Then as the platform came to a halt, I saw what Rarity had seen.

The underground lair was jaw-dropping beautiful. The room was sparkly and everything seemed to be made of chrome. The room had the more space than anything I’d even seen. It was filled with high-tech devices I had never seen before. Everything seemed to be turned off though. I heard the platform land, and glanced back to see Red.

“Now, I’m sure you all are questioning everything you see around here”. Red said, walking towards some scanning machine.

“I will explain everything in good time”. He pressed his hoof on the machine and a robotic voice responded.

“Welcome Red, all systems now active”. Suddenly all the machines, devices and everything lit up. This was really startling and my first instinct was to curl up in a ball under a chair.

“Relax Fluttershy, no need and no time to panic, we have matters to discuss”. Red helped Fluttershy out from under the chair. “Now if you would all sit down, I’ll give you my backstory, as you requested”.

Everypony sat down along a huge round table and Red began his story.

-Nicknamed-

Red

“It all started one hundred years ago”. I thought this was a cheesy starting, but whatever we went along with it. “Celestia had started to grow crazy with her immortality. She raised Luna, until her mother took her away and deemed Celestia unfit to raise a filly. After that Celestia was never seen or heard from again. Well at least for a few days. Not long after the outbreak with her mother, Celestia was back in the streets of Canterlot, only this time with a vengeance. Her insanity planned her to create a civil war in Equestria. Everypony had to die for the void her sister left in her to be filled. Now back then the Resistance were the only ones to see what she was doing. The Resistance was a few hundred years old by that time, and I was newly recruited. Back then, my name was Silver Shield. My dad used to be a Royal Guard, and he expected the same out of me. I quickly grew tired of being a knight, but I continued my training for years just to do my father proud. I couldn’t disappoint him, in fear of him severing all family ties with me. He was a very harsh and distant man but he was still my father. Soon during Celestia’s attempts to start a civil war the Resistance started to investigate Celestia’s actions. We knew questioning herself would only cause a huge amount of her attention and suspicion towards us. So we only asked ponies who talked to her. Unfortunately she found us out, and it was my fault. She found me interrogating other ponies about her. I couldn’t risk having the Resistance be found out be her, and having them all die. So I told her that the Resistance was just me. She knew who I was though. My dad being a Royal Guard had worked for Celestia and she had known my dad. In turn she grew to know me. I hadn’t thought about it until she left, but I knew what was going to happen. I had to warn my father. He would be at home that day, it was his day off. In fact, my whole family was there that day. My mom was a stay-at-home-mom and my sister was too young for school. I ran home as fast as my legs would let me. But I wasn’t fast enough. When I arrived home my front door was opened. A small breeze pushed the door open more and I forced myself to enter. My first instinct to leave was what I smelt, the smell of death. My second instinct to leave was what I heard, nothing. For my family it’s next to impossible not to make any noise for more than a second. I couldn’t back away. Something was drawing me forward. My brain couldn’t process what I had seen. There, spread on the floor, was my father. His spear was lodged down his throat and one of his arms was broken off. Next to him was my mother, she was decapitated. My sister had gone missing and over the two dead bodies on the floor was a note. Written on it was; now you know how it feels to lose your baby sister… Try not to spy on me again! After I read it, it just disintegrated. Now I was angry, no furious, no. No, no, no, I was more that. I wanted revenge. I wanted to see Celestia killed. So before I lit my house ablaze and burnt away the memories. I stopped caring. I stopped feeling. I lost all my emotions in the fire. The Resistance turned me into a killing machine, their ultimate weapon. It took weeks for them to perfect me. But when they were done, Celestia was about to start a civil war. Equestria had turned against one another. I had to stop her, I had to save Equestria. The Resistance unleashed me towards Celestia’s home. Royal Guards tried to stop me, but I was no longer Silver Shield, I was Red, the color that symbolized blood, fire, and pain. The guards stood no chance against my merciless power. With a quick swipe of a sword I held in my mouth, I killed countless guards without a second thought. It was easy. I occasionally would look at the bodies I killed and laugh to myself at how easy it was for them to die. I must have killed a minimum of fifty guards blocking my path to Celestia. And only when I found her, did I smile. Vengeance was near. She was a tough fight I will admit, but nothing compared to me. It was only a couple of minutes until she was down on the floor, panting for breath, as I towered over her with a stone expression. I could and would have killed her right there, but something stopped. What I could only still imagine to this day was the ghost of my father. I turned into something he never wanted. If I would have killed Celestia, I would have failed him. Even though I threw away my emotions, he still managed to awaken something inside. I looked back down at Celestia still trembling underneath me. I made a deal with her; I would spare her life if she stopped the war if not I’d kill her then and there. So she agreed and called off the war. Only I knew she would do it again sooner or later. I have never found my sister, but I don’t believe she’s dead. Present time wise, this has been the Resistance lair for hundreds of years. We have advanced our technologies years ahead of Equestria. Now we have found four out of the six of you. Now the Resistance believes in prophecies. Our prophetic book is kept hidden in this base. If the legends are correct, then Twilight is in huge danger stuck in the Otherworld and I can help get Pinkie Pie back before Celestia turns her into something you guys don’t want. All I need is your trust.

-The Dreams-

Rainbow

I felt the emotion that Red was exerting while telling his tale. I knew he wasn’t lying. And well, he was our only shot at getting Pinkie and Twilight back. I guess we needed him.

“Well you can count me in” I heard myself say.

“Y’all better not be foolin’ us, but I’m in too” said Applejack.

“As long as I can join with proper attire, I’ll join” Rarity said regally.

“Well we don’t have any other options. Let’s get Pinkie and Twilight back!” said Fluttershy.

“Good because we will need everypony’s help to get Twilight back. We will need her to save pinkie. Now, before we begin, do any of you four know how to get to the Otherworld? We need to go there to save Twilight. Hopefully none of us dies.

“Hopefully? I’m starting to rethink my trust in you” the words exploded out of my mouth.

“Calm down Dash, I’m just joking. But seriously we need to find that gate, time is wasting”.

“Alright…” I murmured wanting to get this over with.

“I remember the way” said Fluttershy.

“Good Then we can get going. Pack up your things and tomorrow we will set sail for the Otherworld. Get some rest. We have plenty of rooms down here you can stay in.

I hadn’t realized but night had fallen during Red’s retelling and I felt really tired. Red guided us to our rooms. There was a long hallway with a different room door on each side equally spread apart. Each room was the same but I chose the one next to Fluttershy. I wanted to make a move on her, heck I still do. I just don’t think now isn’t the right time. There is a too much of a burden on everypony’s hooves. I hope I’ll find the right time eventually.

As I got into my room, I decided to over-analyze everything. First of all, the room was too dull. Everything was a lame murky white and rectangular. The bed was rectangular, the walls, the furniture, you name it, it was rectangular. The room grew tiresome fast but I was only staying here for the night so I would deal with it. As I lay down on the bed, my thoughts turn back to Fluttershy and the first day I met her at Junior Speedsters.

Unfortunately, my dreams wouldn’t allow me to keep thinking about her. I guess you could call my dream a prophecy? Whatever it was, it was a nightmare. It was dark. Trees rustled around but there was no sign of any wind besides a small breeze. Twilight was with us and none of spoke until the breeze subsided. We were in the vicinity of the gate and we all had are elements ready. We got to the gate with ease but that’s what bugged me. It was too easy. Twilight had acknowledged us of what was going to happen. She would use her magic to open the gate and then we would use the elements combined to destroy the barrier. We had to be quick or the spell would fail, and the gate would stay open. Forever. Then it happened, it was too quick for me to react, or any of us to do so. Twilight started the spell and the gate opened. Suddenly the same small breeze blew by and Twilight freaked. She yelled at us to use the elements but then it appeared. The winds intensified and then a shadowy blur of a figured formed between Twilight and the gate. It was Celestia.

I woke up covered in sweat. I was panting hard and profusely. My dream shocked my whole body. Somepony knocked on my door.

“Come in” I said forcing myself to calm down.

Red walked in. “Good morning Rainbow Dash. I assume you’ve had a nightmare as well?” He said in more of a this-is-a-rhetorical-question-don’t-answer-me tone.

“Have the others had them too?” I was actually concerned now.

“Yes it seems all of your friends have had some. Fluttershy has requested that all of you tell her about your dreams; she calls these dreams prophetic and wants to piece them together”.

I nodded my head and walked outside of my room, fully calmed down now. When I exited the long hallway everypony was sitting along the round table.

“Now that we are all here we can begin” Fluttershy began. “I want you all to start one by one telling me what happened in your dream. Don’t leave out any details! Red’s friends over here will write down everything you say. Be truthful”.

-Recapping-

Rainbow

“I’ll go first” said Rarity. “I started the dream in front of the Neverfree Forest. Everything was quiet. Twilight was with us, and we all had our elements on us. We started to walk forward and Twilight discussed the plan to destroy the gate. She had told us there was one thing missing. She kept on repeating and repeating it. We were about to enter the forest and then a small breeze rolled through. I woke up after that. I don’t know what Twilight was murmuring about though” Rarity took a breath and stopped recapping her dream.

“I can pick up from there” said Applejack. “I can also tell y’all what she was sayin’. Twilight said she was missing something to put into the gate before we started. She said if we didn’t it would ruin everything. It started with a C… Oh well anyways’ we walked into the forest and things were all quiet. Everything was real spooky. The trees rustled ‘round and we were all whisperin’. Then a breeze rolled in and everypony grew silent. Then I woke up”.

“Guess I’m next” I said. “The breeze rolled in and everypony was silent”. I heard Applejack murmur that she had already said that. “Then Twilight walked up to the gate and started casting her magic mumbo-jumbo and opened the gate. The small breeze intensified and Twilight freaked and yelled at us to use the elements. None of us were able to move, we were all shocked in fear. Then a shadowy mist formed in between Twilight and the gate. She shrieked in terror and I woke up”. I looked at Fluttershy and said, “Guess your last”.

“Right you are” She said sweetly. “The shadowy mist cleared itself up and turned into Celestia. She looked like Chrysalis without the holes. She was purely black; her insanity had given her a new form. Twilight was saying, I told you girls this would happen! Celestia glanced at her and laughed then stared into the gate. She then yelled BE FREE MY PRETTIES”. Fluttershy’s voice boomed though the room. “After that, all hell broke loose and we all ran away to this hideout”.

We all sat there for a few minutes, thinking about what we had all just heard. Twilight was going to be a huge key in restoring peace to out once glorious and Light filled land. All we had to do now was get her out. As if reading my mind, Red had said,
“Well, I think it’s about time we set sail. Not with ships of course but you get my point. If there was any better time to save Twilight it would be now. The fate of Equestria lies mostly in her hooves”.

He nudged his head at Fluttershy, telling her to move closer to him.

“You’re going to lead us young Lassie. We will need all of your friends best effort to get Twilight back”. He spoke the words fast and emotionless.

“Understood. I will make sure everypony is on their best behaviour”.

Red nodded and walked towards the platform. Before going up he glanced at all of us and smiled. When the platform ascended Fluttershy turned around and looked at the three of us.

“Ok, no more fooling around. We have a crisis on our hooves. If we mess up Twilight will probably die and Equestria is fucked. So don’t… Screw… Around”.

We were all taken aback by Fluttershy’s curse. Being the sweetest pony around we don’t ever expect it from her. But she was right. We messed up, and everything is fucked. I had to do things right, for me, for Equestria, heck just for Fluttershy. Fluttershy turned back around after her little pep talk and walked towards the platform. She stepped on it and gave us one last line of encouragement.

“When we go out there, put your game faces on”. Fluttershy spoke bluntly.

As she ascended, we all prepared to go ourselves. A long journey awaited us. It was going to be hell and back retrieving Twilight. We had to do it we couldn’t fail. And I couldn’t stress it more.

-Fond Memories-

Red

As the train to the Neverfree Forest came to a halt, I was the first to speak.

“Now I hope you all know what is going to happen next”.

Everypony nodded. I could see the fear in their eyes. The memories of this place burned back into their brains. They feared this forest. It was a windless afternoon. It had taken half the day for the train to reach its destination. As we exited the train I noticed the yellow one walk in ahead of me.

“I’m leading remember? Follow me carefully; it’s easy to get lost in here”. Fluttershy showed no emotion. It had seemed she had lost all her emotion walking into this mess. I feared for her. Not wanting her to become like me. And to have my past…

I quickly threw away the thought as fast as I had gathered it and followed her into the forest. The other ponies whispered away, horrified of the forest we had just entered. It had only been seconds since we were in here, but it seemed as if the exit was not until the next five miles. Fluttershy had known where she was headed. She navigated thought trees and vines and, well, speaking of trees; they bristled and rumbled even with the lack of wind. From the looks of it, they were whispering to one another.

Fluttershy stopped in her tracks.

“We’re here” she spoke softly.

I stared at the giant cave entrance that we stood before. I took a deep breath and took leadership again. The cave echoed my hoof steps and the cave seems to stretch on longer than the forest. Sure enough there it was the gate, standing tall, surrounded by crystals. The gate was a marvelous crystal itself. I took a small bag of power from my pocket and threw the powder into the air.

An aura started to mix with the air. The wind rippled and suddenly BOOM. The gate exploded open and glowed rapidly.
“Well now is our only chance, I hope you are all prepared for this”. Then I added in, “Good luck too, you’ll need it”.
The Gate started to close.

“Hurry everypony!” I yelled. “Jump into the gate!”.