Legends of Equestria: Night's Calling, 1

"W-w-what the hell?!... is with you?!" I said, stumbling back.  This wasn't a regular pony.

He turned, let out a small laugh, and said. "Heh, you have no idea..."  It was just going to be a trivial bout to get him to tell me whatever secret, so I didn't ask.  I stood back up on the ground, silent, blinking occasionally.

The pony reached out his hoof, once more, and let out a gentle smile.  "Come, follow me."  he said.

I was pondering over everything that had happened up till now.  The team, the family... my own family.  Everypony I know is gone.  I have no pony else to turn to, and now this strange, darkish pony comes to offer to take me with him...  It's just overwhelming.

When I look at him, he doesn't seem to be deceiving me in any way, but... why is he helping me?  Why go through the trouble of helping a random pony?

Is he some kind of a hero of sorts?

No... he doesn't carry that "air" about him.

"Trust me." he said, ushering me with his outreached hoof.

I was looking off to the side, and I could feel the intensity of him looking at me, a relentless gaze yet soft and subtle.  It didn't have to be mentioned that I was nervous, and, scared.  But what would happen if I go with him?  When we were in my coach's office, he said he was a researcher (of sorts) ... That's obviously not the case, seeing him right now...

No, I won't trust him, I can't.  He's hiding too many things.

When the world goes to hell, trust no pony. Keep *yourself** alive.*

I just became infuriated.  This is too much to think about!  And... and, "You know what?  No!  I just... just.... Grah!" I turn and started running.  I kept running, and running, and running.  There may have been a chance of getting somewhere with that pony---

that pony...

I could imagine him slowly putting his hoof down, his gentle smile turning into a frown with a disappointed brow.  He would turn and scoff with a cynical impression of me.

I'm not one who takes things like that lightly.  I knew, if I ever had done something wrong to another, I'd never stop thinking about it.  But that was probably the last I would ever see of that pony.  And it's too late to turn back now.

That lasting, faulty impression of me will forever plague my mind.

Running, and running, and running.  I don't know where I'm going, but I know I'm going somewhere.  The rain started falling less and less as the clout started to disperse.  Could I be finally getting out of this cursed weather?  And finally, out I came from the green fog.  But what I saw was probably worse than being inside the green downpour, blind.

The land was dead and blackened, there were no signs of life anywhere, the trees bore no leaves, and the houses that once populated a town were now withered to ruin.  Everything was exactly what that pony had described.

I paused for a moment, taking in the ominous sight.

"Th-this..!  This can't be real!" I say aloud, "It-it just can't be!"

Then I heard sound of fluttering wings not far overhead.

On the edge of the dark clouds, they were there;  Changelings!  They were pushing the clouds, which explains how the weather was moving past so fast.  My realization was cut short, as I saw figures of them coming closer.  Shit!  They saw me!

There's no way I could take them on.  They fought like wolves whenever that pony fought them.

I resorted into sweeping the landscape for places to run through, anything to try and get them off.  There was a large structure in the distance, withered to circumstance, appearing the have multiple rooms.  It had a stain of familiarity to it but there wasn't time to debate that.  I kicked off the ground to boost myself and flew as fast as I could.  Looking behind, the changelings were gaining on me, and the building was still some distance away.

Closer and closer they got, I could feel the hair standing on the back of my neck.  The feeling of terror enveloped me...  Am I going to make it?  Just then my adrenaline kicked in.  I flew faster, I didn't feel tired, I just kept flying without looking behind.  I burst through the doors of the structure and turned to the first thing that looked like an escape.

I didn't stop to look around...  After a few turns  I decided to stop and catch my breath.  I've never flown that fast in my entire life.  Granted I would have lost it if I-  Wait... No...  They wouldn't kill me...

"Changelings...  They are a strange lot."

"They're able to shapeshift into somepony you know, and what they do is feed off your love for that pony."

If what he said is true, then they would have done the same thing they were doing to the spectators in the baseball match...  Encase me in a...  I shivered at the thought.  Well, I'm NOT going to get captured by them either way!

How would they feed off my love anyways?  I don't love anypony...

Are you alright?...

Trust me...

Ugh!  No!  I don't love him...  H-he's rude a-and In-c-c-considerate, a-and!...

He saved my life...

I was pausing, thinking about that rogue pony.  It was the sound of buzzing wings getting closer that snapped me back into reality.  Gasping, I realize that I haven't lost the changelings yet.  I stopped and looked around.  I knew from looking at the building from afar that this building was familiar.  The interior was untouched by the corrupted rain of the changelings' magic, and I recognize these halls.  They're the hallways of my school.

The buzzing noises were getting closer, I started off in the other direction.  Flying down the hallways, I looked for places to hide, but every door was locked.  Even the bathrooms.  I imagine I was able to get through the front doors is because the doors must have rusted over or something.

I was still trying to figure out where I was in the school.  The halls have little to no differentiation to each other, and I could be in any one.  So I'm flying blind until I can gather my bearings.

I turned a corner and up ahead I saw a windowed hall with a closed hallway checkpoint[(*]  I came to a streaking stop in front of the doors.  I pushed the bar to see if they would open, unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side.  Damn!  The buzzing was closing in.

The changelings rounded the corner and saw me, trapped at a dead end.  I could hear them hissing in delight while I could only look at them in fear and terror.  They immediately started down the hall at me.

Was this it for me?  I have nowhere else to run.  No pony's going to save me...

I closed my eyes, maybe for the last time, and waited.  Waited for them to take me.  I was balled up against the wall, shaking.

I could hear the stomping of hooves and buzzing of wings getting closer... and closer... and closer.

But then, there was the sound of glass shattering, and a familiar voice shouting, "Hold it!"

Time seemed to slow down as it happened.  I opened my eyes to see... him, again.  That royal blue stallion.