Dark Ascension

Dawn. It was early, bright light spread my eyes open, like a crowbar forcing a crate open with sheer force and strength. Clover lay next to me, still sleeping soundly. I didn't wake her, she deserved her rest after what happened yesterday. Starswirl was up, almost unexpectedly, pacing in a circle around the now unlit campfire. He had left a groove in the dirt he paced through, a binding circle just keeping him locked in an endless spiral.

"Starswirl? Something wrong?"

As soon as I spoke, he halted in place, then stepped towards me slowly.

"I wanted to talk to you while Clover was asleep. I didn't think she could bear what I'm about to tell you. You may know that we are getting closer to the dark source with every step we take and with that, we get closer to it's influence. You know what it does. I... neglected to tell her. Well that isn't entirely true. We both know she has a love for nature, she would be broken to see creatures around her falling to the dark influence, which inevitably will happen. Creatures don't have... well, willpower as strong as sentient beings do. She knows that but doesn't know what this power does. She will have to find out soon Super... I want you to be the one to tell her. She trusts you the most. She won't take it easy from anyone, but you have a better chance than any. I entrust you with this Super,"

This was a mission I don't think I could bear the weight of. Starswirl truly think I'm the only one capable of telling Clover this? Why not himself? Well, when he talks about it he can get angry, that wouldn't help. He is right. This is my mission now. But I can't do it so early. I have to give it some time, let Clover begin to see what it is first.

Long after, we'd had some food thanks to Clover, who asked the animals to assist in finding suitable food for us. We received an assortment of berries and fruits which we were able to make even more luscious to eat by tending them with small flames via magic.

I couldn't eat, pondering my thoughts about what Starswirl had entrusted me to do. I occasionally looked up at Clover who responded with nothing but silence. "Something wrong Super?" I was speechless. I was sweating like a bullet. I tried my hardest not to sound suspicious. "Oh Uh, nothing. I just thought I saw something in the uh... bush behind-"

A black knife, aimed right at Clover, pierced through the bush and connected, penetrating Clover in the right hind-leg! "AHH! What ha-- GAHHHH! huff... huff.. hu-" Blood gushed out of Clover's wound.

"LOOK OUT!" I yelled. Starswirl grabbed Clover with Magic and along with be back-dashed behind nearby trees. Clover was badly hurt and bleeding badly. I tossed a healing potion to Starswirl. "Look after her, I'll handle whoever is out there!" He didn't respond. He dashed into a nearby cave, Clover in tow and I shouted out. "If you are going to attack, why not have the dignity to make your presence known? Who are you, stranger?"

No response. Just silence... Was it a quick-attack before they fled? A Diversion? All thoughts of that cleared when I heard a voice. "Oh... I thought the significance of the knife would show who I am, but I suppose it must be voice and blade that identify myself to you, a second time. Does this bear any resemblance?"

I saw a dark blade, a white shine streaking through as it moved. No doubt, it was the ebony blade from those DA freaks again. But which one was- "No need to ask. I am the one who fought you, DA-1. I thought you and your group would have died from the chasm, but I suppose it was a little... weak of us. Forgive me, I'll kill you personally this time, boy!"

"Why are you attacking us? What quarrel do you have with us? Are you seeking what we are as well? The source of dark energy everyone is hearing about?"

"Ah, smarter than you look my friend. Yes, our group is interested in this, source of power. But not to study it. Not even to control it. We have a goal, a goal that will change the grand scheme of Equestria, you won't keep it from us. I suppose it is time I introduced myself formally, rather than just DA-1 anymore."

He reached under his cloak and retrieved the blade again, and slashed the binds keeping his cloak concealing him to shreds. The blackness however, did not fade. The cloak was nothing more, but all that stood before me, was a monster. Holes in his legs, a sickly bug-like voice, void-like eyes with no pupils, and putrid wings and horn. I was terrified of this monster not because of his appearance, but because I knew what he was and what he could do. He's...

"A changeling. Yes, my incompetent friend. The voice usually gives it away... a pity it took you this long to catch on. This does of course mean my associates are changelings too, but oh I forget. Where are they? Probably tending to your friends right now. Your little strategy of limiting danger between you won't work, because it only takes one of us to take all three of you, we've just been ordered to go easy on you pups. So enjoy the fact that none of you will die today, but your friend will die soon. That knife was merely a petty injury, but she will be the first to die, you can know that right here and now. Don't think I'm lying to you, to make you angry and resent me because I know you already do. What do I have to gain by lying? I'm afraid we've stayed our welcome for too long. We'll be seeing your little bravado of Magi again soon. You can count on it..."

The other two appeared right beside him, then they all faded away just as quickly. I had no time to waste, I had to get to Clover now! But something had come over me. A hidden feeling of fear had rushed through my bones, temporarily paralysing me, leaving me to think. We are dealing with changelings. Horrifying creatures, devoid of any emotion, except hatred. They live only to take away Love and care from a pony and make them just like a shell... They devour all love inside you, then leave you as a husk, waiting until all your emotions are ripped from your body, then you become just like them, a fate worse than death.

"Starswirl! How is Clover? Is she alright?"

"She's fine. She took the healing potion not long after we came in, then passed out, likely from the pain. Thank the divines she is still alive. What happened out there? I didn't hear fighting."

I couldn't bring myself to say it. I had witnessed something that had brought my entire body to a halt, but I had to.

"Changelings... Those DA Freaks are changelings Starswirl. I'm sorry but... it's true. I saw him in all his terrifying detail, right down to that sickly voice."

What Super had just told me, struck me greatly. This journey had become much more dangerous than what I originally thought. We were dealing with changelings intent on seeing us all dead. Those... heartless beings, the divines themselves condemn those vile abominations, yet they roam free even today. I was unsure whether I could even continue. I had let one of my apprentices nearly die today because of my foolishness as a master.

"Super. I think... I think we should just go back. Clover is hurt and we are dealing with a much bigger threat here. Those changelings want us dead and they have the strength to do so. We aren't weak, I know that. But I fear that they are beyond our strength. We fought them and barely did anything to them. It would be best to-"

"No Starswirl. By returning, we'd be proving ourselves to be weak. Sure, they would stop hounding us, but why should pathetic beings like them scare us? We fought against them and you say it like it was for nothing. But it wasn't. We defended each other, we didn't fall that day. Whether they intended to let us win or not is not a matter. The point is, we are a match for them. Together we can take them down. We have the strength inside each and every one of us to do great things Starswirl. You've always taught us that. Now, this once, I am going to teach YOU something. Never give up on us. No matter how great this risk is, no matter how folly it looks, you should never doubt us. If we truly believed we shouldn't be on this journey, we would tell you. You know that. So I am going to tell you this. Believe in us. Believe in us like you always have Starswirl!"