//------------------------------//
// 2. Dark as Night 
// Story: Mirror Image 
// by Libria 
//------------------------------//

Twilight looked up from where she had fallen on the ground and gasped. It was Ponyville. But at the same time, it was not Ponyville. Where her blue crystal palace had been, there was now a towering black crystal castle, that, unlike her palace, did not in the least resemble a tree. It was just a tower, rising into the air, far higher than her palace, and ending in a razor sharp point. The Ponyville blue sky had been replaced with a dark one, like night, even though the sun was out. This Not-Ponyville had black obsidian roads that were deserted, and the houses were crooked and dirty. Cloudsdale seemed to have disappeared, and clouds were moving all on their own. The town hall was gone, replaced with another towering black crystal structure that was covered in posters of a pony who appeared to be Celestia. 



Twilight immediately knew that she did not want to be where she was, and turned back to the portal.

But the portal was gone, disappeared into thin air. She was trapped.


***


The ponies looked at Spike where he had landed on top of Applejack. He had been knocked unconscious by the impact of hitting her, but he was not dead because he appeared to still be breathing.

Rainbow Dash flew out of the room and came back with a bucket of cold water, which she dumped on top of Spike. He woke up with a start.

"Huh? Wha-? Who's there?" Then he realized where he was. "Wait... Where's Twilight? I went through the mirror with her. And why am I wet? What's going on?"

None of the ponies knew how to answer this, or wanted to, as they themselves did not know what was going on. Rainbow Dash hid the incriminating bucket behind her back.

Then Applejack, being the element of honesty, spoke up. "Sorry 'bout this, Spike, but Twilight ain't here. Ya went through the portal together but ya... ya came flyin' back out. Ya got knocked unconscious for a moment there, so Rainbow woke ya up with water. That's why you're all wet. I'm awful sorry that we don't know where Twi is."  

Spike just sat there stunned. Then he jumped up. "I have to help her!"

"But Darling, what if it spits you out again? I wouldn't want my little Spikey-Wikey to get hurt!" Rarity smiled.

"And anyway, I used up all of my cold water." Said Rainbow Dash.

Spike frowned. "I have to try anyway." He ran at the portal and jumped in.

This time, the ponies moved out of the way for the flying dragon.