After Equestria: The Crystal War

III

  Eclipsed Star

Even before he got run over, Eclipsed Star was having a bad day.

  He’d been tasked with tracking down some Changelings in Ponyvile, hiveless Changelings, they-unlike their cousins, didn’t feed on love. They fed on flesh.

  Eclipse sighed, staring at a ruined, ‘Welcome to Ponyvile’ sign with a big smiley face that had been ripped in two. This is *totally** gonna be great.* He thought sarcastically.

   Ponyvile had been his home, one the last places to be overrun, about … ten years ago. It was the first-and last town to be used as the Lunar Republic’s hideout, al least until the Changelings overran it. He still remembered the shrieks and screams of terror as the Changelings descended …

No, Eclipsed Star thought; don’t think about that, think about something-anything, else.

' Death and despair … 'A voice whispered, ' you shall-'

“Oh, shut up already!” Eclipse Star groaned, he was sick of his nightmares, they going to drive him insane one of these days.

Alright, this is perfectly fine, just a routine trip of Ponyvile … and Faust knows I've put this off for too long …

Things had become desperate after Firestorm disappeared, that strange amnesiac unicorn had shown up and disappeared in one day. Commander Lyra was less then pleased about that. She had immediately assembled a rescue team to find Firestorm, Lyra’s reasoning for doing so echoed in his ears. ‘I don’t claim to be all-knowing or omnipotent or anything stupid like that. I don’t know if destiny’s real or fake or if all of reality is a figment of my imagination. But, I’m help shake the feeling that there’s something off about that unicorn; *Firestorm*.'

Firestorm. Who was he? What was he planning on doing? And who had- for the magically readings Glimmer had observed- been so desperate to kidnap him? The mystery behind that unicorn was intriguing. Eclipsed Star had met Firestorm, the latter seemed cool, casual and calm he never seemed like a big deal at the time but now ….

‘Isn't Big Mac a type of burger at Burger King?’That comment seemed harmless-though no less strange, at the time but now, Eclipsed Blade wondered if Firestorm had lied about his amnesia. If he knew who he was and why he was there but didn't want to do it. ‘The reluctant Messiah’ that’s what ponies were calling him now. They believed he was sent by Faust to save them, and his disappearance was just a test to see if they would lose hope.

  Some called it a prophecy, others deemed it plausible. Eclipsed Blade deemed it bullshit. He hated the idea of waiting for some ‘Messiah’ that clearly, would never arrive.

Hisssss!

Eclipsed Star snapped his head in the direction of the sound, his heart beating like a drum-not out of fear, but of anticipation. He knew what was happening; he’d be an idiot not to.

  He was being watched, that was obvious enough-but by what? A Changeling, perhaps? But a single Changeling would not be foolhardy enough to give away its location unless …

Eclipsed Star widened, his body tensed and his horn charged and crackled with magic-probably not the best idea for a stealth mission but still, it helped.

The hissing grew louder, punctuated by shouts and screams.

Shit. Eclipsed Star thought, it would be hard enough to fend off a swarm of Changeling without having any civilians in the crossfire. Just get them to safety. That was the mission- his mission, it didn’t matter if he lived or died he just needed to save the ponies who were in danger.

Taking a deep breath, Eclipsed Star tensed. Then, he shot off like an arrow from a bow, running as fast as he could.

“HEY!” Eclipsed Star yelled. “Why don’t you take me on you Changelings scum?”

   And that’s exactly what happened.

  BANG!

  A ruined house was blasted to smithereens, a small swarm of Changelings- six or seven- ran from the ruins.

  Eclipsed Star had time to think; Oh shit. When the swarm knocked him over and galloped all over him. Pain rocked his body; Eclipse Star tasted the metallic taint of blood in his mouth. This it I guess, he thought bitterly. After trying so hard to survive I’m going to die here-in Ponyvile no less! The Changelings formed a ring around him, sneering and hissing at him.

“Well, what do we have here?” One hissed, triumphantly.

  “It’sss a pony!” Another hissed.

“No.” The third one said. “It’s dinner.”

The changelings hissed in harmony-like laughter, the closed around him when-

  “HEY!” A strangely familiar voice yelled. “GET THE HELL OFF OF HIM!”

  A blue beam blasted a hole in one of the Changelings neck, gasping for air it fell to the ground, green blood like sap gushing from its wound.

Another purple one cut down a Changeling the tried to take a bite out of Eclipsed Star, the rest ran screaming.

“DRAGON!”

  “Oh my freaking- Eclipsed Star?!” The familiar voice whispered. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“It doesn’t matter,” somepony said in a southern drawl. “We got ta’ save him!”

“Your right, Applejack,” said another pony. “We got to get him to safety-“

“Yeah but where can we take him?”

“I know.” Said the voice, the one he recognized.“We got to take him to the lunar republic.”

“Yeah, but where is that?”

“Look, first let’s take him to Zecora’s place.” A deep voice growled.

  “We don’t even know if she’s still alive-“

“So? It’s a start, at least.” The deep voice countered. “And we might be able to put something together to help this guy.”

  There was a pause that seemed to go on forever as the ponies- or whatever they were-mulled on the options.

  “Alright,” the familiar voice said. “Let’s go.”

  Eclipsed Star was gently lifted into the air and onto something large, scaly and warm- a dragon. Hanging helplessly from the reptiles back Eclipsed Star glanced up, only to see his long lost friend- Firestorm staring back at him.