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

Group C.

Shooting Star and Fluttershy made their way down the hallway to the west wing of the castle, the two of them making small talk as they went.

"So how have thing's been for you since high school?" Star asked Fluttershy as the two trotted down the hall, glancing at any door they happened to pass by. So far they hadn't found a single clue as to the whereabouts of the elements. So they decided to do things the old fashioned way. Search every room they came across. So far they had looked through what used to be a broom closet, an old musty bathroom and what looked like an abandoned hospital wing.

"Oh, not much," Fluttershy said as she peered at a plaque next to a door to see a name that was too worn by time to make it out. She shook her head.

"Just taking care of all my animal friend's." She said trying the knob only to find it was stuck. She huffed and the two set off down the hall for the next available door. "You?" She asked glancing over at his face. He gave her a soft chuckle.

"Well, not much myself. I've mostly been going from place to place trying to find where I belong." He said being extremely vague. Fluttershy picked up on this but didn't pry.

"Oh, that sounds like an adventure." She said letting a little excitement escape in her voice. Star just chuckled.

"Yeah, you could say that." He said flashing her a smile. The two of them looked over to yet another door.

"Let's see what's behind door number 3!" Star said as he altered his voice to be that of a dramatic talk show host. Fluttershy giggled at this and went to go check the door. To both pony's surprise, the door swung open with nary a squeak of protest. Star immediately took the lead, his light illuminating the dark corridor that awaited them.

"Well, this just keep's getting better." He muttered to himself. "Nothing like a creepy old set of stairs that more than likely lead to the dungeons." He shook his head. Then he turned to Fluttershy.

"Ok, Fluttershy I'm going to go down there." He said pointing down the stairs. He looked around for anything he could lite on fire. His eyes fell on a torch set into the wall. "Well, that's convenient." Lifting said torch in his magic he lit one end on fire and gave it to Fluttershy.

"Um, wh-wh-what about me?" Fluttershy asked her eyes lit up with fear. Star sighed. He gave her a sad look.

"Fluttershy listen to me." He said grabbing her attention. "I don't know what could be down there." He said pointing a hoof down the stairs. "And I don't want you to get hurt." He said casting a small levitation spell upon the torch. Then his horn flashed once more.

"Here." He said floating the torch over to Fluttershy, where it stopped in front of her still floating. "What's this for?" She asked her voice leveling out. Star gave her a soft smile.

"I cast several spells on that torch. It'll lead you back the way we came and stay lit for a good long while." He said giving her a grin. She returned it back. "But what about you?" She asked looking a little forlorn. Star just laughed.

"Oh don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I just want somepony to let the other's know how far we've gotten exploring this place." He thought about it.

"If my memory is correct the other's should be done searching there area's and they should be regrouping by now." He said giving her a soft smile. Fluttershy gave the torch a glance. Then she looked back over to Star.

"Are you sure you'll be safe on your own?" She asked concern lacing her voice. Star shrugged.

"Honestly I don't know. But I can't just not check down here." He smiled. "Beside's this is possibly the last place we have to check so might as well get a head start." Fluttershy looked past Star and into the darkness below. She gave him a soft smile.

"Ok but you better come back at the first sign of trouble mister." She playfully scolded him. Star laughed and nodded his head.

"Yes, mom!" He said letting out a soft chuckle. He was soon engulfed in a hug as Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around Stars neck.

"Be careful ok!" She said. Star nodded. "Ok. I will. Don't worry." He said reassuring her that he would hightail it back here if there was any trouble. As Star descended the stairs there was only one thought on his mind.

"You know in the movies it's always a bad idea to split up." Meanwhile Fluttershy contemplated not following Star's orders.

"Oh, Please be safe." She said as she trotted down the hall following the enchanted torch, it's green glow now her only companion through the darkness.

Group A.

Rarity fiddled with the latch holding the picture in place. As her magic worked over the picture she explained her finding to her friend's.

"So you see this whole castle has a maze of secret passage's linking the whole thing together." She said she finally got the latch undone.

"Ah ha!" She said slipping the back cover off the picture frame. Rainbow and AJ stood there.

"And y'all know this how?" Aj piped up. Rarity scoffed. "Oh Applejack, please. A castle this old is bound to have a secret passage or two. If we can just find one of the entrance's we could be in luck." She said. Rainbow had remained silent content to let Rarity talk. Meanwhile, her brain was soaking up all of the info and concocting a plan.

"So Rarity how would we find one of these secret passage's?" She asked out of the blue causing the two friends to look at her quizzically. Rarity scrunched up her face in thought.

"Well, darling if my theory is correct the most obvious giveaway of a secret passage is a strange air flow coming from somewhere within the room. Dash gave a salute.

"Say no more. As the captain of the weather patrol if there's air where it doesn't belong then I'll find it." She said as she did something that boggled the other two. Rainbow trotted to the center of the room, closed her eyes and spread out her wing's.

"Um, Dash just what are you doing?" AJ asked looking more than a little lost. She received a sharp "Shh!" from Dash.

"Now what--" "Shh!" Dash repeated cutting the cow pony off. Aj was about to tell Dash off but Rarity stopped her with a hoof.

"Easy darling. Let Dash work her magic." She said. Dash meanwhile was tuneing the world around her out.

"Focus." Her mind was cleared of all distraction. A soft flow began to make itself known to her sense's. As she continued to clear out her brain her body began to adjust to her surrounding's letting her senses extend beyond her body. Soon as she reached an almost trance like state she began to feel the effects of her meditation paying off.

"Now to find the air." She shifted her focus on extending her magic outwards, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"Try and find a draft." Her magic washed over everything in the room, the desk, the bed and stopping at the big cabinet.

"That's it!" Her mind realed with excitement. quickly focusing her magic into a finely tuned scalpel she began to probe the cabinet until she found it.

"Gachta!" She shouted grabbing the attention of her friend's. "You found it?" AJ asked. Rainbow spun around a broad grin upon her face.

"You betcha!" She said striding over to the cabinet. She opened the door and all three looked inside.

"So dear you wouldn't happen to know how to open it?" Rarity asked looking between the other two. AJ shrugged while Rainbow beamed.

"Allow me." She said as she reached into the back of the cabinet and felt about. The other two watched in amazement as they heard a small cathuck! With a hisss and a whoosh, the back of the cabinet swung open to reveal a small passage with a set of stairs leading down.

"So where do they lead?" Dash asked as she sat back her work complete. AJ face hoofed and Rarity giggled.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Aj exclaimed giving Rainbow a sour look.

"All that work and we don't even know where it is we're going?" She asked. What ever response Rarity was going to give was cut off by a scream ringing through out the castle.

"Fluttershy!" Dash said racing out the door and down the stairs at breakneck speeds.

"Oh, what now?" AJ said rushing after Dash, Rarity in tow.

Group C.

Against his better judgment Star sent Fluttershy away to the others.

"It's better she doesn't see this." He said. Another wave of pain lanced through his skull as he struggled to stay standing.

"Ngghh!" He let out a gasp as he fought to keep his cool. "Come on keep it together!" He told himself. He cast his light around his surrounding's seeing nothing but more cells.

"What would Nightmare Moon even be doing down here?" He wondered. Another wave overcame him. "So much anger." This wave sent him to the ground and he struggled to get back up. His horn fizzled out and darkness overtook him. He lay there, the depressing atmosphere consuming him.

"So the little knight has met his match!" A harsh voice cut through the darkness like a knife through butter. Star's blood froze.

"Oh no." He struggled to his hooves and frantically looked around. Suddenly a deep blue light pierced through the darkness lancing toward's Star who was too weak to dodge. His shield flared to life causing the blow to ricochet and blast a door off its hinges. Star stood there now fully awake and fearing for his life.

"This was a stupid idea!" His brain screamed at him. "Show yourself!" He screamed out loud before his brain could think it through. He cursed himself for being this determined to see if his hunch was correct.

"Ok so we know she's here. Now, what!?" He looked around and ran through the lower levels of the castle's dungeon trying to find the stairs that lead back to his friend's.

"Come on! Come on! were is it!?" He frantically tried to retrace his hoof step's and soon found what he was looking for.

"Yes!" He cried out as he raced up the stone steps. Soon the claustrophobia was gone and so was Nightmare's presence.

"Thank Celestia!" Came a voice as soon as he ran through the door leading to the hall. He spun around ready for a fight only to see Fluttershy standing off to the side looking a little terrified. Star looked at her and soon his poster went back to one of relaxed focus.

"Fluttershy? What are you still doing here?" He asked. He was soon engulfed in another hug as Fluttershy gave him the full force of her affection, which wasn't much compared to most ponies. Star gave her a soft pat on the head.

"I know you said to go find the other's but I just couldn't leave you there all on your own," she said releasing Star and giving him a soft nuzzle. Star sighed and returned the nuzzle.

"Yeah, i guess you have a point there." He said. "It usually isn't a good idea to split up in situation's like this." He chuckled.

"Well then let's go tell the girl's the good new's." He said. The two set out down the hallway to let the other's know what they had found. As the two walked down the hallway Star couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Fluttershy do you feel that?" He asked. The two stopped and stood still for awhile. Fluttershy gave a soft shutter. She knew what he was referring to.

"Yes. Someponys watching us." She muttered under her breath so only star could hear. Her eye's darted about searching for the predator that undoubtedly wanted to make them its prey. They were shaken from their vigil by the sound of harsh laughter coming from behind them. The two whipped around and saw something that took their breath away. Star and Fluttershy were witnesses to a black swirling cloud of pure darkness and negative emotion.

"Run little ponies." came a soft whisper. The two stood there still in shock.

"RUN!" The voice shouted to the two. They were shaken from their shock and obeyed, fleeing down the hall as evil laughter followed them down the hall.

"Yes! That's it! Run!" Nightmare's voice haunted their every hoof step. The two continued to run blindly down the hall, the only light now was their torch. Star tried to ignite his magic but to no avail. His eye's looked around and he almost screamed out. "No!" His mind realed as shadows began to gather ahead of them. Time slowed as his brain processed what was about to happen. He saw the figure beginning to solidify in front of them and made a choice. With the last bit of magic, he could muster he channeled it into a ball of light.

"Eat this!" He shouted as he shot the green ball of fire toward's the figure. Nightmare wasn't expecting this and so no shield sprang up to her defense. The fire ball collided with the bearly materialized queen of the night and there was a brief flash of light. With the danger temporarily dissipated Star and Fluttershy continued their sprint to the end of the hall unimpeded. The two turned a corner and they saw it.

"Almost there!" Star shouted. "Come on Fluttershy just a little bit- Gurt!" Fluttershy didn't notice her companion's sudden stop, she just kept running for her life. She had to slow down to keep from running into the door. Her hoofs were shaking as she tried to open the door.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Star!?" She squeaked looking around for her companion. Her eye's bulged as she noticed he wasn't there with her.

"Star!" She shouted out frantically looking around for her friend. She stopped however as she soon heard the sounds of a pony in pain. As the darkness began to lift from the hallway she saw a pony laying there on the floor.

"Star!" She shouted rushing over to his side. Her eye's scanned her surrounding's making sure all of the trace's of the darkness were gone. She soon got to Star's side and knelt down to see just what was wrong. As soon as she knelt down, however, she felt something warm and sticky.

"What?" She questioned. Soon she was joined by the torch. As soon as it's light illuminated her surroundings she let out a scream that reverberated throughout the castle.