The Winds Of Change, Season 1: Friends and Enemys, New and Old.

5:45 A.M.

The surge of panic and other negative emotion's was threatening to overwhelm Star as he made a mad dash to a nearby alleyway.

"Come on gotta focus." He said shaking his head to get rid of all the bad thought's surging through it.

"Star!" Came a shout from above him. He looked up to see Rainbow closely followed by Fluttershy descend to the ground. He touched a hoof to his head.

"Ow." He winced starting to feel a headache come on.

"Hey, you ok?" Rainbow asked as Fluttershy looked around in a panic. Star shook his head.

"No. But I will be as soon as we get out of here." He said making his way to the other side of the ally. Rainbow grabbed Fluttershy's hoof and lead out the same way. The trio started to walk out of the alley and Star soon locked onto Twilight's thoughts.

"I have to Stop this!" She was frantically running to the outskirts of town. Star pointed after her.

"Come on. There may be a way to stop this." He said running after Twilight. Soon their little trio was joined by another group of three. They all gave each other knowing look's and continued their sprint Twilight's house.

6:00 A.M.

Twilight threw her door open and ran inside. Spike was secured thank's to her magic and she quickly deposited him upstair's. He had been one the first to faint at the sight of Nightmare, Twilight tucked him into his basket and quickly made her way down stairs. She began to pour over every book she had.

"Come on! Come on! Elements! Elements! E! E! E!" She shouted as she looked in the E section of the library. Then she spotted it.

"Yes!" Said as she picked it up with her magic. "The Elements Of Harmony: A Reference Guide. and began to leaf through it. "And just what are the Element's of Harmony!?" Came a familiar voice. Twilight's head whirled around and her eye's shrunk in a panic.

"What are all of you doing here?" She asked the ragtag group of pony's that had just barged into her, temporary, home. Rainbow glared at her. Star gave her book a look of curiosity. Pinky was bouncing around like nothing was wrong. Rarity and Applejack were off to the side seeing how things played out. And bringing up the very rear of the group was Fluttershy, trying to make herself look as small as possible.

"Answer the Question!" Rainbow barked, still in the air. Twilight took a step back, glancing over to the rest of the group, her eye's pleading for some kind of help. "Rainbow!" Star yelled getting her attention. "What?" She said giving him a look of annoyance.

"It's one thing to want answers. It's another to just barge in and demand them." He said setting her straight with a scowl. The two didn't back down that was until Dash rolled her eye's.

"Fine see what you can get out of her." She said flying over to Fluttershy giving her a comforting hug. Star let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "That mare can out stare cockatrice." He shuddered. His eyes roamed around the little library, then fell back onto Twilight who was clutching her book for dear life. Star gave a weak smile.

"Sorry about her." He said pointing over to Rainbow. "She can overdo it a little sometime's." He said rubbing the back of his head. He pointed to her book.

"So like Dash said. Just what are the Element's of Harmony?" He said motioning for the other's to gather around. Applejack gave a nod. "Ya sugar cube. You seem to know an awful lot about that there pony we just saw." The other's nodded their agreement. Twilight let out a sigh. "Yes, I do." She said, levitating the book up so the other's could see for themselves.

"What happened tonight all started 1000 year's ago." She said launching into a brief but thorough tail of the event's that transpired when Nightmare Moon was imprisoned in the moon.

6:15 A.M.

"So you see that's why I have to go and find the elements of harmony." She said finally ending her story. The 5 ponies in the room were all staring at Twilight with wide eyes. "So let me get this straight," Dash said lifting into the air once more.

"These elements of harmony are the only thing's that can stop this,- She pointed outside to the moon, - from lasting forever?" Twilight nodded. Pinky had stopped her bouncing and was now looking deep in thought. "Ah Ha that's it!" She said bringing all attention to her.

"What's it darling?" Rarity said. "So if we wanna stop queen meeny we just have to find these lost treasure's correct?" She said giving Twilight a hopeful smile. The others once against found their gaze upon Twilight. She looked nervous.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" She said. "Please don't do what I think you're going to do." Pinky looked around to the other's and quickly whispered into each of their ear's. Applejack spoke up. "Well Pinky you got a point there but we still don't know where these things are." She said. Pinky just giggled.

"You are correct. We don't." She then bounced over to Twilight. "But she sure does," she said shoving Twilight towards the group. Twilight tried to dig her hooves into the wooden floors but she found her traction to be lacking. She stumbled a little as Pinky stopped her shoving and went to go join the rest of the group.

"What are all of you talking about?" Fluttershy stepped forward. "Well, Twilight from what you've told us the elements are held somewhere within the Everfree Forest." Twilight nodded. "Yes. What's the big deal?" She asked. Star gave out a cough. "Wow I don't even live here and I know what the Everfree Forest is." He thought to himself, looking out a nearby window to the forests beyond. He was brought back to the current situation by a loud stomp.

"Then it's settled." Applejack said in a voice that brokered no room for an argument. "The 5 of us are going go with you to hunt these here elements down." She said a soft smile crept upon her muzzle. Twilight was not thrilled.

"What! Why?" She asked looking a little panicked. Rarity draped a hoof over her shoulder. "Now now darling. You don't think we'd let you go into that dreadful forest all on your own did you?" She said giving Twilight a smile. Twilight looked around. "Are you all sure you want to come along? "She asked. They all nodded. "Ain't now way we're going to let one of our friends go into that crazy forest all on their own." They all gave a yell of agreement. Twilight shook her head.

"Ok fine. Let's get going then." She motioned for them to lead the way. Star hung back and waited for her.

"Hey." He said a smirk on his face. Twilight gave him a nod. "You should know that we didn't mean to come off as rude. We just really love our town. So when some crazy mare come's along threatening to plunge it into total chaos we can get very defensive about it." Twilight just scoffed. "Yeah, I'll say. I really thought Rainbow was gonna tear my head off there for a sec." Star just chuckled. "Yeah, she's like that some times. Act's without thinking everything through." His gaze followed Rainbow as he and Twilight walked with the others.

"But she means well even if she could do a better job of thinking before acting." He smiled. "I wouldn't want to have her as an enemy that's for sure. Just give her some time. She'll warm up to you." Having said his peace he trotted up to the rest of the group leaving Twilight to her thought's.

6: 30 A.M.

It took the small group a good 15 minute's to reach the outskirts of the forest. They all stopped for a little break.

"Ok girl's let's stop and rest for a sec," Star said as they all sat down on the trail that lead deeper into the dark forest. Rainbow smirked. "Look who's finally taking charge for once." She said slapping Star on the back. He withstood the slap only budging a few millimeters at most. He gave Rainbow a death glare. "Har de har." He muttered. "Not like I got anything better to do." He smirked. The group all chuckled at his dry humor. He looked over at Twilight.

"Hey, Twi that book of your wouldn't happen to have a map would it?" He asked. Twilight rummaged through it. She gave out a sigh.

"No, it doesn't appear so." She said gazing into the forest. Star shook his head. "Well, one can't have their cake and eat it too." Pinky's head shot up.

"Say's who!?" She shrieked causing the group to cover their ear's. Star gave her a soft stair. "Relax Pinky. It's just a figure of speech." He said trying to calm her down. Pinky's face lit up. "Oh. Well, why didn't you say so." She said trotting over to the forest's edge. Twilight gave her book a skim. "There's nothing here about what we'll face in there." She huffed in disappointment and shook her head. "Come on. Princess Celestia gave you this task for a reason." She tore her gaze from the forest and looked at the group. "They all seem so oblivious to the danger's that could be in there." She looked back to the forest. "Why?"She muttered to herself.

"Why what?" Came a voice from right next to her. Twilight jumped a good foot in the air. Whipping her head around she saw that it was just Applejack. Her breathing slowed down.

"Oh, it's just you." She said taking a deep breath. Applejack smiled.

"Sorry 'bout that sugar cube." She said her thick southern accent poking through. Twilight just laughed it off. "No, it's fine. Just a little bit jumpy is all." She said. Once more her gaze wandered over to the forest.

"So has any pony ever gone into it?"

"Huh?" Applejack gave her a stare.

"The forest I mean. Has anypony ever gone in.." She paused. "And come back out?" She hesitated to ask such a grim question right when they were about to embark on their own little trip through the wood but she had to know. Applejack thought about it.

"Well, Twi I ain't going to lie. There 've been several ponies who wondered in there never to be seen again." AJ looked to the ground. "Now that don't mean they aren't alright but if'n they are then they haven't come out on this side 'o the forest." Twilight was silent. Star looked over to Fluttershy. She was calmer now thank's to Dash. He smiled looking at the two pegasi.

"Those two are like sister's." He chuckled to himself. He looked up to the moon.

"Alright everypony." He said getting their attention. "Let's get going. The sooner we get to this castle, the sooner we can stop this Nightmare Moon from destroying our home." He said. It wasn't a rousing speech but the group took it for what it was. One by one they all got up and in a single file entered the Everfree Forest.

??????

"Any pony else know how long we've been walking through here?" Pinky Pie asked. Rainbow sighed. "For the last time Pinky we don't know. we're in here the same as you and none of us has a watch." She said. Pinky just sighed in disappointment. "Not that it would help us anyway." Star chimed in. "What ever do you mean darling?" Rarity asked. "Well, the moon hasn't changed its size at all since we got here." He said pointing up through the trees. They all took a glance at it. Sure enough, the moons position in the sky hadn't moved an inch.

"She wasn't kidding about shrouding the world in darkness," Rainbow said from behind Twilight. They all trecked on oblivious to the force of evil that followed, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.