Chapter 6 ~Castle-mane-ia~

November 30th
8:32 pm
Everfree Forest
Ventus Stormwing

"Rarity, are you sure it's safe to go this far into the Everfree? Last time you were in here you said you were attacked by giant vines and plants." I asked her. We were walking down the forest path along with Fluttershy and Angel, the former of the two the only reason I was here.

"Of course it's safe, darling. We're only going to restore the tapestries in the Old Royal Sisters' Castle. Well, you two will help me get them; I'm not as strong as I seem to be." Rarity said back in her usual posh tone.

"…Not like you seem anything other than needy, you marshmallow…" I muttered under my breath. Good thing she didn't hear. She simply started to make her way over what seemed to be the most rickety of bridges, suspended over a thick fog with sharp rocks poking out of it.

"A-Are you sure we should cross this, R-Rarity?" Fluttershy asked. I extended a wing over shaking form.

"Fluttershy, let's just fly. I'll carry Angel on my back." I said. The rabbit hopped up, a little pleased it didn't have to hop on the bridge. Fluttershy followed me close, and we waited for Rarity on the other side of the bridge. "Took you long enough, Miss." I said.

"You are the ones with wings, Highwind." She said back. Currently, only Fluttershy knew my real name- she's kept her promise. "And I am stuck on my hooves, darling." After that, she simply trotted by us, and left Fluttershy and I to simply look at each other with slightly confused looks.

"We… should follow her." I said, earning a hasty nod in reply from her. We quickly raced back to Rarity's side, and touched down on the ground. "So, how many tapestries are in there, do you suppose?"

"Oh, I'm not too sure. But I'm only going to take one or two to restore; besides, they might give me the perfect inspiration for my dresses!" I rolled my eyes. "Well, you may not like the idea, Highwind, but SOME ponies do appreciate fine art."

"Hey, I like art as much as the next stallion." I protested, "But why go here in the middle of the night? Shouldn't a lady like yourself need her beauty sleep or something?"

"Scared of the dark, Highwind?"

"No, I'm not scared of the dark." I retorted. "I'm scared of what might be IN the dark." Okay, so I MIGHT have a SMALL fear of the dark. A TINY fear.

"Alright, say what you will, darling, but we're here." Rarity said, while Fluttershy cowered a bit behind us. I gulped a little before following the marshmallow inside. The ruins of the old castle were in desperate need of repair, but none of the regality has left them in their current state. It's not a hard feat to imagine this castle in its heyday, with its halls pristine, and even the two princesses walking through their halls can easily be imagined.

"Ooh, simply marvelous!" Rarity exclaimed. She was gazing up at a large tapestry that depicted Princess Luna raising the moon. "I must see this one up close. Fluttershy, Highwind, would you two mind getting it down for me?" I nodded, and tapped Fluttershy with my wing. With a small nod from her, the two of us flew up to opposite ends of the railing at the top.

Fluttershy and I weren't strong enough to lift it up. It barely budged, forcing me to fly back down to Rarity to tell her. "Maybe if I get below it…" Fluttershy said, flying behind the tapestry to get a better grip. While I told Rarity about this, I heard a small *click* and the entire wall that the tapestry was on swiveled and turned a half-circle, taking Flutters with it!

"…" Rarity and I were speechless. I just took one look at the wall, then turned my gaze to the white unicorn, who shared my shocked expression. However, within half a minute, the wall swiveled back again, and a very startled Fluttershy flew into me at speeds I thought she couldn't achieve otherwise.

"Uhh… Hi, Fluttershy…" I got out as the mare half-choked me out of fear.

"Oh, sorry, I was just a little… frightened…" Fluttershy said as she let go and shied behind her mane. "What happened, anyway?"

"Fluttershy, dear, you must have found a hidden passage or something. There's bound to be a ton of them in this castle, being so old and everything."

I argued against Rarity. "Yeah, but how was it so well-maintained? Are there ponies whose cutie marks are for 'ancient trapdoor repair'? what would those even look like?" She looked at me for half a second before shrugging and continuing on with her search for fine art. "Excuse me, but I'll take the lead." I said. "Don't want either of you two setting off the traps."

"Fine with me, darling." Rarity said. "I've always wanted such a big, strong stallion like yourself to protect me."

"…only in your dreams, marshmallow…" I said under my breath. I just didn't want Rarity to activate something that could hurt Fluttershy. As Fate no longer was on my side, I cursed to myself about ten minutes later when I felt my hoof press down on a pressure plate. I heard a small 'whoosh' sound and the screams of two ponies. Turning around, I saw only Angel standing not far from me. The rabbit shrugged.

"Fluttershy! Can you hear me?!" I yelled, receiving no response. In effect, Angel ran off, leaving me alone in a dim hallway. "Okay, Ventus, get a grip here…" I muttered, starting to trot slowly through the halls. "Just a little dark… no need to be afraid; you're just looking for where Fluttershy and rarity went. That's all…"

Eventually, I made my way down more and more flights of stairs. The two mares fell down a trapdoor, so I assumed they'd be farther down. The hallway I was in had eerie torches hanging from the walls; the flames, although bright and burning, gave off little light. I heard a faint moan come from behind one of the doors in the hall.

Curiosity taking over, I slowly creaked the heavy oak open. Inside was a large ballroom, but completely empty save for a large mirror in the middle. The mirror was dusty, and I used my magic to summon a small wind to blow off the layer of grime. The mirror was framed with gold, and inscribed in it was a message in runes I don't recognize. As if to answer my unspoken question, a voice filled my mind.

"The mirror will show you things that are truly wonderous… if you truly want to know…" the voice said. Curious, I stepped in front of it proper, and I was astonished at what I saw.

I saw myself, standing over the motionless body of Celestia, with a triumphant grin plastered on my face. There were no words to describe the sheer accomplished look that was in my eyes. Well, on that half of the mirror. The image was split in two, and the other half of my reflection could be seen with a cheery disposition, affectionately nuzzling Fluttershy. Her friends could be seen in the background, all approving of… our wedding? Yes, I now saw a veil on her, and that half of me was in a suit.

"I don't… does this show the future..?" I asked myself.

"No… it only shows the deepest desires of your heart." The voice responded. "What you see can be the future, or it could be only a dream."

I shook my head, unsure of what to make of this discovery. "But, wait…who are you..?" I asked.

"I am all around you. I am in the darkness. I am in your head. I am but a Nightmare come into being." As if to accompany the voice, I saw a figure approach me, from behind the mirror. The pony was pitch-black in color. And that was it- no mane, no whites of the eyes. No cutie mark, no irises. Just pitch black.

"N-Nightmare?" I asked.

"Yes," the pony said, without opening a mouth. "I am here because of that accursed Twilight Sparkle and those Elements. I want my revenge, just as you want yours." The pony, seemingly a mare, extended a hoof to me. "If we work together, we can both achieve our goals."

I took one more look into the mirror. I saw the side of me with Fluttershy more happy than I've ever been before. "…Never." I said, turning away from the Shadow Mare. She simply laughed.

"Poor, naïve Ventus. You think I was giving you a choice!" The mare surged forward, and I quick win spell from myself pushed me out of the way of her hooves. "I will have your form, and I will get my revenge!"

"Not on your sorry flank!" I said, conjuring up a small storm cloud. I figured out how to do this a while ago. I bucked the cloud, and lightning shot out at the mare, electrocuting her and causing her to… evaporate?

All I heard was her laughing. "We will meet again, Ventus. Be sure of that." I ran from the room, headed up into the main floor of the castle. Who was that mare? How did she know my name? and what did Twilight do to her? I'll have to hold off on those questions; I still have to find Fluttershy.

That, actually, was easier than I thought. I heard voices coming from the library on the first floor, and I found the six mares I've come to know well (And Spike and Angel) laughing in a small study.

"Yeah, but AJ and I were totally able to take on the Pony of Shadows, even if that's just a myth!" Rainbow was boasting.

"Yeah, then how come the two of you were shaking more than a pony in a blizzard?" Pinkie Pie asked, causing Dash to stutter.

"Hey, girls." I said, walking in. They were all relieved to see me, Fluttershy especially. We talked for a time, and I didn't tell them about the mirror or the pony, simply claiming I got lost. It wasn't until later when Twilight announced an idea of keeping a diary together, to keep a record of our friendship. I agreed simply because I thought it was a good idea, too.

Applejack wrote her entry first. Everypony else seemed to think that was good for now. However, I wrote my own entry after they fell asleep.

Dear Journal (for I refuse to call this a diary),

I, too, have learned a little something about friendship. When a pony asks you to choose between your friends or to get back at a grudge, you shouldn't be tempted by revenge. Your friends will always be there for you, and no matter what had happened, time can heal the wounds of the past. I know that more than ever after tonight.

-Highwind Jr.

Satisfied with my entry, I closed the book and fell asleep next to Fluttershy, wrapping a wing around her.

Ten years ago, Canterlot

My studies into the names found in Celestia's book have shown me something odd. Each unicorn mentioned in this volume was of renowned strength, cunning, or ambition. That explains Sunset- if anypony is ambitious, it's her. But it still does not explain my name. Why am I in this volume?

I've also stumbled upon more ancient texts when looking up these names. Apparently, Celestia had banished her younger sister to the moon after Luna grew jealous of her sister's glory in the day. Banished to the moon for jealousy? Seemed like overkill to me.

A spirit of Chaos, Discord, also came up. This guy apparently ruled the land in eternal Chaos before Celestia and Luna turned him into a statue- one that I passed often in the Canterlot Gardens. I felt bad for the guy- turned to stone for eternity. That had to be painful.

Lastly, I found the texts on the Crystal Empire. It was headed by King Sombra, who apparently ruled the land with an iron hoof. He had enslaved his citizens, and indeed was a terrible pony. But then Celestia and Luna imprisoned him and annexed the Crystal Empire to their own country.

All this doesn't make sense. These dark tales of the past, my name in the journal… I need to ask Celestia about this. Maybe she'll know more.

~End of Chapter~

Nano Files
Entry 294: The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised was not actually created in Equestria; rather, an alternate reality known only to Princess Celestia. After an unfortunate event regarding the mirror, it was entrusted by an old, wise wizard to Celestia's care. The Alicorn kept the mirror safely hidden in the ruins of her old castle.

The mirror is known to show ponies what their hearts truly desire. Nothing more and nothing less. In the case of shattered souls, the image displayed in the mirror may also be equally fractured, as in the case of Ventus Stormwing. Note: it has been known that more than a few ponies have wasted their lives sitting in front of the mirror, unable to abandon the fantasy shown for the harsh truth of reality.

The mirror has been forgotten by many, including Celestia. It now forever sits deep in the ruins of the old castle, never to be used again… or so they say.