Onyx closed his eyes tight, he didn’t really know why but for some reason he did, he didn’t want to see what was about to happen, he didn’t want to see the impending doom about to come down upon him and his friends.
As he braced for the worst he thought back to all the good times, he had shared with them, all the memories he had gathered of his new life his new family, sure Sweetie Belle had somehow found away to turn toast into a drink, but she was at least trying, and she spent time with him playing.
He remembered all those stormy nights when Rarity would take him to her bed and held him close, the fun the first snow fall brought as she took him outside, and built him a little snow fort with her magic then watched as he played.
Rarity she was always there to pick him up and cuddle him if he ever got upset about something. The way she would tuck him in at night and sing him to sleep, never harsh with him even when he had done something wrong as he thought back to the toy store caper.
All these deep emotions raced through his mind as he braced for what he thought would be his doom, and then he felt it.
(*flashback*)
As the group separated, Granny Smith looked at Sly who was now looking around the area trying to sniff out anything different. “Alright little feller, let’s see if we can find that secret passage opener.” As Granny Smith started to feel around the stone and Sly continued his search it took several moments before Sly located a loose brick.
“ARF!”
“What you got there?” As Granny smith removed the brick and reached inside to find a presure panel she smiled and pushed on it to watch the stone wall slowly lower and give them access to the new area, but instead of a passage they found a hidden room, and in the center remained a figure bound in chains securely locked to the floor. “Well what do we have here?” Sly walked up and sniffed a few time before wagging his tail. “Well what ever it is, it’s made you happy, why don’t ya’ll go get those keys back at the cell one of them is bound to unchain this critter.” with that Sly ran out of the secret passage leaving Granny Smith to look at the creature. “Now I don’t know what ya’ll are but ah’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, we’re going to let you go, but we need help getting through this castle think ya’ll can do that?” there came no response from the creature for several moments, and just as Granny Smith started to think maybe a relice from the past it’s head moved and got Granny Smith to smile, just as she head the jingeling sound of keys coming towards her, it took several tries but she finally found the keys that undid the chain that bound the creature but was unable to find the one that kept iron mask wrapped around it’s head. “Ah’m sure the princess will be able to remove that for you once we set them free.” Granny Smith said, as she smiled at the creature as it turned and looked at her. “No we better get moving the others have a great head start on us.” Just then the screams of the other group reached the room, getting Sly to yelp and then run towards the screams worried that his friends where in danger, but was soon picked up and carried along with Granny Smith in the arms of their new friend racing down the hall and set down on the floor as they watched the Stainglassed monster slowly walking up to the other group. As it rose its head to bring down is massive class shard claws onto its first victim the creature lunged forward and puched through the monster’s body then flipped it over with such speed it sent a cust of wind hitting Onyx’s group just before the beast was shattered on the stone floor. As Granny Smith and Sly ran up to their new friend they saw it holding a pink gemstone in it’s right hand just before it was crusting into a fine white dust that slowly filled the room and turned it back to normal.
“Are we dead yet?” Blueblood asked, as he kept his eyes covered, getting Granny Smith to smirk slightly before pointing Sly towards Blueblood. Sly smiled slightly as he walked up and sat in front of Blueblood who was still keeping his eyes covered before letting out a howl getting the young prince to jump into the air and onto Rainbow Dash’s back. “THAT’S NOT FUNNY!” Blueblood cried, as he scolded Sly who was smilling slightly.
“Neither is jumping on my back, GET OFF!” Rainbow Dash complained as she bucked Blueblood off of her.
“What happened?” Onyx asked, as he looked at Granny Smith then at the new member of their group. “Who is this?”
“Not really sure, but right now ah think it’s safe to say he’s on our side.” Granny Smith said, as she smiled at Onyx who was still looking up at the masked humanoid creature. That seems to look down at him, just before it knelt down and tapped the iron mask on its head.
“I don’t understand.” Onyx looked at the mask and noticed that it was completely enclosed except for the the two eye holes looking out from it. “There is no way to take it off, and until we free our parents we have no way to remove it.”
“Then I guess it’s got a reason to fight for us.” Sunset said, as she walked up and smiled at Onyx. The creature nodded a few times, getting a smile from the foals. “Great let’s hurry up and keep going, when he broke the monster the door became real.” with that the creature stood up and started to walking towards the door with the foals following close behind, all except Onyx, Night Mist, and Sky Hooves.
“Alright spill, what is that thing?” Sky Hooves asked, as he looked at Onyx.
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
“Well, maybe it’s Shadow Moon.” Night Mist suggested as he looked at his friends.
“Shadow Moon?”
“Yeah, remember mommy and daddy have been talking about that this armored warrior that has been fighting crimes across Equestria, and standing up against the rise of new evil lords like Sombra used to be.”
“Yeah, and I remember a few times Mommy said, that with Shadow Moon around, Celestia and Luna have been less worried about Discord trying anything major.” Sky Hooves pointed out as he smiled in the direction of the group.
“If that’s Shadow Moon then we have a better chance at making it back in the throne room in time. At least now we got some muscle on our side.” As the trio made through the door they found them selves standing in a hall of mirrors. “Oh this can’t be good.”
As the foals walked along the hall and looked at the mirrors not only was their reflections distorted they where drastically changed, until Nightmare Moon walked in front of one and found her self face to face with her old self. “I don’t get it, is this mirror supposed to show what I looked like?”
“No it looks like it’s supposed to show you your future self.” Trixie said, as she pointed to the base of the mirror that had the word future engraved on it.
“B-but I’m not like that no more, I’m not a bad girl.” Nightmare Moon started to whimper as she backed up from her reflection.
“Yeah she’s a good girl she’s not evil no more, why is this mirror saying she’s going to grow up and be evil again?” Blueblood said, as he tried to comfort Nightmare Moon.
“I don’t want to be a bad girl.” As Nightmare Moon started to cry Sly walked up and tried to comfort her with Blueblood.
“Now ya’ll only see the bad side of that reflection. You're not thinking about what else that image might be saying what Ah see in that image is a grown determined Mare that is ready to protect other ponies.” Granny Smith said, as she looked at Nightmare Moon getting her attention. “Why else would a grown mare be running around in battle armor, what that mirror be showing yaw is that when you grow up you might be a great protector of all pony kind.”
“Y-you really think so?” Nightmare Moon sniffled, as she looked at Granny Smith.
“Now ya'll listen to me, ah know a good filly when ah see her, and you little moon, you’re a good filly, look around you, would the old Nightmare Moon have so many friends willing to comfort her and make her happy?” Nightmare Moon looked around at her friends and smiled slightly as she looked at her reflection once more. “You're future is still for you to decided, and Ah bet you’ll grow up and be a great mare.” Just then the hall of mirrors dimmed slightly and the room started to twist and turn before all the foals fell through the mirrors finding themselves in a different reality. As they crowded together and looked around at their new surroundings, Onyx watched as their new companion got ready for a fight and started to look around the area.
“Where are we?” Sky Hooves asked, as he looked at Onyx.
“I don’t know, but this must be one of Kit’s traps.” With that statement the foals started to notice something rising up from the floor. “Uh, guys do you see that?”
“You mean those reflective looking ponies that have started to rise up from the floor?” Sky Hooves asked, as he kept watching the reflective ponies rise up from the ground.
“Yeah those.”
"Nope, I don't see them." As the reflective surface ponies rose up the foals got closer and closer together as their companion got ready to engage the new threats to them.