The Story of Starberry Sparkle

Starberry had nowhere to run. There were nearly fifty of the creatures within the cave - it must have been a hideout of sorts. About twenty blocked any chance she got to make my way to the exit. They were all murmuring foreign speak to one another but they were all chanting something about taking no prisoners. A creature slammed forcefully into her side and started to attack. Starberry shouted in pain and swatted it away with force. Two more dove in for the kill but she dodged with as much skill as she possibly could.

It seemed like an eternity this went on - running, swatting, dodging - when in actuality it was five minutes. Finally she was tackled by five as they started to tear at her skin. She screamed in agony as horns pierced and fangs gnashed. Starberry felt faint, and was trying with all her might to fend them off with magic.

"Foolish pony! You dare challenge the Changeling Swarm? You are but an insignificant unicorn! You can do nothing to stop us! NOTHING!"

For a moment she felt like this was true. She was bleeding from the side and her scar on her hoof was open again. That's when she felt like she should stop fighting back - there were too many. But a strange thought occurred when she heard pounding gallops from outside the cave. Was that another changeling? She was surely going to die, here and now...

A flash of blinding light entered the cave. That didn't seem like any changeling magic she's heard of or seen. But this did distract the changelings as their yelps of terror harmonized with hers. She fought back some changelings piled atop her. The light seemed to weaken them.

She stumbled near the entrance of the cave. She picked up her grass blanket and wrapped it around her deep cut on her side. It did barely anything. She felt extremely nauseous, like she'd been on a giant roller coaster with twists and turns and upside-downs. But her last few waking moments were spent gazing across to the other side of the cave.

A figure of a unicorn stallion with a powerful build stood in a corner. He blasted beams of light from his horn at the monstrous creatures. He seemed almost perfectly okay.

Then, Starberry Sparkle blacked out, in the corner of that bloodstained cave.

"Gah! Where am I?!" were Starberry's words when she sprang up from her seat. She was in a round room and sitting on a red velvet couch. Books and tomes lined shelves and she saw bottles of strange substances on a cabinet. There was a stallion sitting across from her.

"You truly put up a good fight in that cave, young mare. You should be proud of yourself for such feats." he said. The strong stallion had a very baritone voice. He was certainly much older than Starberry, for a long, flowing beard touched the floor beneath him - not that the floor was very far away, but the beard was a sign of his age.

"Who the hay-? Where am-?" Starberry start stuttering. She was sure he was a cop, she must have been caught. But with closer observation, the old stallion looked kind. He didn't have any obvious intentions of bringing her into jail.

` "How foolish of me!" The stallion suddenly blurted out. "I forgot my manners. I am Starswirl E. Glimmerdust, otherwise known as Starswirl the Bearded."

Where've I heard that name before..? She thought, but then it hit her.

"Hey! You're the Miracle Pony everyone talks about!" she said in a rush. Starswirl chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that's my most common name.." With a sigh, he shook his head to himself. "Starswirl the Miracle Pony. Yes, that is what I'm commonly known as.." Starberry took a few minutes to let this soak in.

Finally, she said, "Are you really a great wizard in storybooks?" Starswirl let out a large laugh. "I have been around a while, I'll give you that, but those storybooks are mere.. Exaggerations, I should say. I am actually a.. Hunter, of sorts, though I know some magic. And young mare, you haven't told me your name, and what in this world you're doing in the middle of the forest. So let me hear your story."

Starberry was extremely reluctant. She didn't want someone she met five minutes ago to hear what she's been doing for the past.. what.. A month?

But she somewhat trusted the stallion. After all, he seemed so kind, and..

Suddenly, it hit her. It was kind of stupid as well, having just realized, that, well, this stallion saved her life who knows how many hours ago. That must've been the pony who came and saved her at the last minute in that cave.

"Before I do, I just want to know one last thing," She said a bit slower. Starswirl lifted an eyebrow, beckoning her to continue. "What exactly.. Do you hunt?"

There was a long silence.

"Changelings," he said finally. "I hunt changelings. Now let me hear your side of the story, young one."

"Fair enough," she said, satisfied. "Okay, so, uh.. Where do I start..."