"Are you sure?" a voice whispered.

"You can't have one without the other," came the response.

"But what if they notice?"

"Don't overthink it. Nopony will notice. Everything will be fine."

"I don't want to lose you..."

"Just remember all the bubbles of fun we made."

Candlelight woke up violently. She wanted to cling on to the dream. It had given her all answers, all memories, reminded her of things to come and how to prepare for them. Every second awake was destroying it. Even now she had forgotten most of it, left only with a sense of urgency, an unclear notion that something needed to be finished. That too faded away, leaving only a burning sensation on her skin. The other thing she quickly discovered was that she was tied up.

"Hump ih ghnng ohn heehrh?" She tried to speak, but a gag prevented her from forming coherent words. It tasted of rust and salt.

Candlelight's first reaction was to try to break free. A futile effort. Struggling only made the ropes bite deeper into her skin, and magic was not an option at present. Every attempt at spell casting was followed by a piercing headache. Defeated, she relaxed. Time would be better spent examining her surroundings. From what she could tell, she was in a store room of sorts. Old wooden crates rose in front of her, boxing her into a sliver of space against the wall. A smell of mould, dust and sawdust irritated her nostrils to the point of sneezing.

An interesting place to end up. Last she remembered, she had been picking a name in the corridor with the record player. Something had knocked her out right after.

"She's awake," a mare's voice said.

Candlelight tried to lift her head to glance in its direction. With some difficulty, she managed to reach a position in which she could see the other pony from the corner of her eye. The mare who spoke was a white pegasus, or had been, once. Dirt covered a majority of her mane and body, with a few spots of dried blood around one wing. No way to see her cutie mark from this angle, but a pair of metal rimmed saddlebags was clearly visible.

"If you make a noise, or try to use magic, I'll kill you," the pegasus said as she approached. The manner in which she said it was frighteningly calm, less a threat than a casual statement. Candlelight shivered. She didn't want to think how many times the pegasus had made good on her promise.

A wing grabbed Candlelight, lifting her in the air, while the other took a knife out of the white mare's saddlebags. With surprising speed and almost surgical precision, the pegasus sliced through the rope. That felt much better. If it wasn't for the knife, Candlelight could hug her.

"When have you eaten last?" the pegasus asked, putting her down.

Removing the rag from her mouth, Candlelight glanced at the knife. The pegasus was still holding it, and that made her uneasy.

"It's alright to talk," the other said. "Just quietly."

Not very reassuring. Candlelight hadn't imagined her first meeting with other ponies to end up this way. She knew it wouldn't be hugs and kisses, not in a place like this, but still... Waking up, gagged and tied, to a pegasus with a knife definitely wasn't what she had in mind.

"I don't remember," she answered. "I... I don't feel hungry."

"Voiceless," the pegasus shouted to something behind her. "Bring some food. We have a waker."

So the quiet rule only applied to captives.

"You're very strong," Candlelight dared to voice an opinion. Hardly the most intelligent conversation starter. Given more time she could probably come up with something better, but for the moment this had to do.

The pegasus stared at her. For the first time a twinkle resembling curiosity glimmered in her eyes. The question had obviously surprised her.

"I suppose," she said putting the knife back in her saddlebag. "What name did you choose?"

"Eh?"

"The names on the wall," the pegasus clarified. "You did choose one, right?"

Something about the question made Candlelight feel uneasy. It was almost as if she was in the presence of a predator ready to pounce on her at the slightest provocation.

"Candlelight," she answered cautiously.

"Good," relief was felt in the other's voice. "Did you cross it out?" Candlelight shook her head. "We'll go do it after you've eaten."

"And your name?"

No answer. The conversation was alarmingly one sided. On both occasions when something related to the pegasus was asked, the other had openly avoided it. Was there something that Candlelight was missing?

"We'll talk more once you've eaten."

With that the conversation ended. The pegasus deemed it unnecessary to ask any more questions and Candlelight didn't dare speak uninvited. The notion of insanity came to mind. There was already ample proof that ponies lost it after spending a while here. The messages were a perfect example. So far, the white pegasus had been quite calm. Overly calm, in fact. There was no telling what would make her snap. If it came to a conflict between Candlelight and her, there was no question what the outcome would be.

A crate slid noisily from behind the pegasus. Moments later, another pony appeared. Candlelight moved to the side in an attempt to get a better look, but the white pegasus extended a wing, blocking her view. The crate screeched forward, pushed by the mysterious arrival. In it was a bowl of unclear liquid, something that would pass for a bun, a water flask, and three carrots that had seen better days.

"Eat," the pegasus ordered. "No magic."

An uncomfortable request, but Candlelight couldn't refuse. Pulling the crate with a hoof she then proceeded to bite the bun.

"Water first," the other said, a trace of eagerness in her voice.

The unicorn obeyed. It took her a few moments to get the cap off the flask. Usually she would rely on her magic for finer tasks. This obsession of her captor, her forbiddance of magic, proved quite bothersome. The cap gone, she took a few sips. The water tasted stagnant and slightly bitter. Candlelight's immediate reaction was to spit it out. The intense stare with which the pegasus was watching her, however, made her reconsider. Against her better judgement, Candlelight swallowed it. Strangely enough, despite the taste, she did appreciate the drink. It was as if she had been parched for so long she had forgotten. Eagerly, she took another gulp. The bitterness was gone, leaving just a slight aftertaste.

"You can stop now," the white pegasus said relief apparent in her voice and folding in her wing. "The other stuff tastes better."

Quite the change in behaviour. Taking off her saddle bags, the pegasus sat on the floor, exhaling deeply. Next to her, the mysterious pony finally approached. It was a pegasus stallion. Older than a colt, younger that a full adult, he was the complete opposite of the pegasus mare. Black mane, indigo body, he could well pass for her shadow. Another curious observation was the complete lack of wounds, scars or even patches of dirt on him. Apparently, looks mattered for some ponies, even in this insane place.

"This is Voiceless Silhouette," the white pegasus introduced him. "I'm Clouded Judgement."

Dreadful names. Certainly not the ones Candlelight would pick. To each their own, apparently. She wasn't here to judge. Her stomach gurgled. Ashamed, the unicorn looked away, then at the food.

"It's ok to use some magic," Clouded said. "Just no large spells."

That was a relief. Famished, Candlelight levitated the bowl to her lips and took a sip. It was good! Better than good! A distant spark of recollection suggested that she had once enjoyed this taste. The bun was quite pleasant as well. When they said the food was better than the water, they weren't kidding!

"I passed the test?" Candlelight asked between a few bites.

"So far." There was bitterness in Clouded's words.

"What was the test?"

The pegasus arched a brow. For a few moments she just sat there, speechless, then allowed herself a laugh. It wasn't much of a laugh, rather a cough and a smile, but apparently more than she was used to.

"You're one broken filly, you know that? You see a pegasus with a knife and all you think of is how strong I am?"

"Well, no pony has lifted me with one wing before," Candlelight said defensively.

"I guess."

Now it was Candlelight's turn to chuckle. Losing the knife and the threats, Clouded didn't seem half bad. Looked like they would get along quite well. The stallion, on the other hoof, hadn't said a word. He just stood there, looking at them with his piercing cold eyes, as if he were a statue. A perfect bundle of emotionless. Impossible to say what he was thinking. As if to confirm this notion, Voiceless nudged the other pegasus with a wing. She didn't seem to like it, but didn't react either.

"Where did you wake up?" Clouded asked, any trace of joy gone after the nudge.

"Some giant ball room," Candlelight chewed on the carrots. They were a bit rubbery, but still delicious. "That thing was enormous. At first I thought I was going to die there in the dark."

"Unicorn dome," Clouded nodded. Seeing Candlelight's confused expression, she went on to clarify a bit. "It's the place from where unicorns come. One of them at least. Didn't you notice the statues on the ceiling? All unicorns."

To be honest, Candlelight had no memory of that. There were statues, and they were of the equine variety, but she hadn't paid too much attention to specifics. What she found more interesting was the use of "unicorns", as in plural. That meant there had been others.

"Were there any mirrors?" Clouded pushed on.

"Hmm, I don't think so. There were several mirror frames, but all of them..."

A loud screeching sound caused Candlelight to stop mid sentence. This was the first time she had heard anything of the sort, and it definitely didn't seem friendly. Judging by the others' reactions, she was right to think so.

"Don't make a sound," Clouded whispered to Candlelight, as she took a knife in each wing. "And whatever you do, no magic."

The unicorn nodded. Another screech came, this time closer. Whatever was causing the horrible sound was getting nearer. The urge to teleport was overwhelming, despite Clouded's warning. So far, the pegasus seemed to know what was going on, but could she be trusted? Looking at it objectively, she had told Candlelight next to nothing. Did she have the unicorn's best intentions at heart, or was it all an act? After all, one of the messages warned that nothing here was what it seemed.

A third screech! It sounded like glass being torn apart. Candlelight was already preparing to cast a teleportation spell, when Voiceless rose in the air, his wings moving soundlessly. Was this normal? Candlelight certainly didn't know pegasi were capable of silent flight. No flapping, rustling of feathers, no breathing even. It was more like a shadow moving up a wall.

"Is..." she began, but Clouded quickly placed a hoof over her mouth. They had to be quiet.

Voiceless flew over the crates, disappearing from view. Moments later the screeching sounds increased, accompanied by a series of maneraising shatterings. It was as if thousands of windows smashed into each other over and over again.

Candlelight closed her eyes. Only the reassuring hoof on her shoulder kept her from attempting a teleport. Those dreadful sounds! Hearing them felt like something had clawed its way inside her mouth and down her throat. When the terror stopped and silence finally returned, it felt like a blessing.

"They are gone," Clouded reassured her. "You can relax now."

"What are they?" Candlelight asked as she opened her eyes, still trembling.

"Mirror images."

"Mirror images?"

The look of disappointment on the pegasus' face was unrivaled. Slowly, she moved a step away, knives still in wings, and gestured at Candlelight to finish her food. Clearly the question had upset her.

"Don't trust mirrors," the pegasus said. "Didn't you read the writing on the wall?"

"I did," the unicorn replied glancing at the food. She no longer felt hungry. Of the five messages she found there wasn't any related to mirrors. "Will Voiceless be alright?"

"Not to worry. He's mirror-touched. Images can't harm him."

There was that mirror connection again. Mirrors, images, mirror-touched. They seemed like pretty important things, as far as the Clouded was concerned. Problem was, they didn't mean hay to Candlelight. Were they good or bad, or maybe both?

"Tell me about mirrors," she ventured. "What are they?"

"You sure are a waker," Clouded snorted. "What exactly have you been doing so far?"

"Magic," the unicorn replied angrily. She knew the notion made the pegasus uncomfortable. The ruffled feathers proved she was right. "Look, I know I'm new. I don't know what a waker is, although I assume it means a recent arrival. I have no idea what this place is, what I’m doing here, anything related to my past, and I certainly don't know what is so frightening about mirrors and magic. What I know is that neither of us will get anywhere if we don't find a way to help each other. That's the only chance we have to escape."

"You want to escape?" Disbelief mixed with mockery. "You seriously want to escape?"

"And you don't?"

"You can bet your horn, I don't! How many rooms have you seen so far? Five? Less? Everypony who tries to escape pays a price. If they persist they are never seen again, and I don't mean in a good way. I've been here thirty one chimes, and I've seen enough to know there is no escape! All we can do is find a good room and keep away from mirrors."

"So you won't tell me why?"

For a long moment the two started at each other, neither willing to stand down. Clouded had her weapons, but Candlelight had magic. Granted, there wasn't any spell she could use in the situation. Light, teleportation and levitation were all she could remember. Attempting anything else in these circumstances was suicide.

"Alright," Clouded conceded, putting away her knives. "But you share as well."

"Only after you tell me about the mirrors," the unicorn said adamantly.

"You are a handful," the pegasus sighed. "It was the first message I saw upon awakening. I wasn't in the unicorn dome, like you. I awoke somewhere different. The place was deserted, or so I thought. Long rows of tables, old chairs scattered all over the floor. I gather it must have been a banquet hall once. No windows, just hundreds of torches all over the walls."

Quite different from Candlelight's waking place. Creepy, but it had light, at least.

"There was a door, but it was nailed shut. Somepony had gone through a lot of trouble to make damn sure nothing could get inside. At first I thought it was a good thing. That way, at least, I knew I would be safe. Then it started to get to me," she shivered as she said that. "The lack of space. The hall was so small, I could barely stretch my wings, and the ceiling," she waved a hoof, "a jump would make you bump into it!"

"So you got out?" Candlelight asked eagerly. The way the pegasus explained things were captivating. A far cry from her usual single sentence remarks.

"Tried to. Several times. I flew over every inch of the room, tapped on every floor tile, pulled every torch. Nothing. The only thing I found were two messages, both hooved into the tables. The first one was 'don't trust mirrors'. The second..."

"Old names no more," Candlelight finished the sentence for her.

"Yes," Clouded said. "Both didn't make sense at the time. There were no mirrors in the hall, and I certainly couldn’t understand what the other message meant. Until I tried to remember my own name. I couldn't remember anything of my life before waking up, in fact. At the time it seemed terrifying. Now I am glad. This way I have nothing to compare this place with."

A sound argument. How would Candlelight react if she could remember the image of the sun? Not pictures, like the one on her cutie mark, the real, unadulterated, larger than life appearance! How fast would she lose her sanity if she knew she would never see it again?

"So I sat at one one of the tables and waited," Clouded continued. "It was depressing. So depressing that I started to sing." Candlelight gave her a weird look. "I like singing. And there wasn't much else I could do. I imagined singing myself to sleep and never waking up, when Voiceless crashed in."

"Crashed in?" The unicorn blinked.

"The idiot had heard my singing and had been kicking on the other side of the door ever since," she smiled as she said that. "I had so given up on life that I hadn't even noticed. Then he took me to the corridor of names. I picked Clouded Judgement."

"That's it?" Candlelight sounded disappointed. "What about the other messages? What about the mirror images?"

"We share, remember?" The pegasus reminded. "What messages did you come across?"

"Just the five," Candlelight was quick to answer. She was so eager to hear more that she didn't even think. "Old names no more, nothing is what it seems, don't leave yourself behind, the other side, and pick a name. The same that were on the record."

"Record?" It was Clouded's turn to be puzzled.

"The one in the record player, near where you found me. It kept repeating 'don't leave yourself behind.'"

"There was no record player. Just you unconscious on the floor. At first we thought you were a mirror image. That's why we tied you up."

"And what was a mirror image again?" Candlelight asked again. Clearly the point was not lost on the pegasus.

"There is one thing you need to remember," Clouded began slowly. "Mirrors are not your friends. If they see you they can make a mirror image of you. Think of it as a close to perfect copy, whose only purpose is to kill anypony it sees. They have no will, no brain, and until recently, no voice. When it sees you a mirror image tries to get close by mimicking normal behaviour. You can tell most of them apart by just waving. When they wave back they will do so in mirror fashion."

"So that's why you wanted to see me drink water!" Candlelight exclaimed.

"The older images have become quite good mimicking ponies, yet they could never taste. If you had pretended to like the water..." there was an uncomfortable pause. "Nowadays mirror images rely on strength and fear. They roam the rooms and hallways, hunting. Think of them as living glass - if you get too close, you get cut."

Candlelight wanted to ask more. There were too many gaps in the story for her to see the whole picture. Before she could, however, Voiceless appeared. He was just as silent as before, landing a few steps away from the two. A single cold glance in Candlelight's direction said it all - any questions could wait.

"We have to change rooms," Clouded said quietly. "Finish your food. We'll find you some gear. And please, no magic. It attracts them."

Candlelight nodded and looked at the crate with food on the floor. It would be an effort to finish it right now, but there was no telling when her next decent meal would be. With a sigh, she got to it. Meanwhile, the two pegasi moved past the wall of crates to the centre of the room. Everywhere around them were stacks of wooden boxes, forming a miniature maze.

"She has seen the record," Clouded Judgement said in a hushed voice. "She is curious."

The dark pegasus stallion turned towards her.

"Don't worry, I only told her about the mirrors," she was quick to add. "I didn't tell her about us. I didn't tell her about the other message."

Finding the answer agreeable, Voiceless turned away. Taking a few steps forward he pulled out one of the boxes and opened it. Inside were two saddlebags and a series of wooden planks. Hooved on each plank was a message. The top one read "don't trust unicorns, don't trust Twilight Sparkle."

Author's Notes:

Next chapter: 10 of 7