The Forgotten Elements: Shrouded Darkness

Buttercup sprinted out of the door, not bothering to look behind to see if she was being followed. She didn't need to look however as a yellow bolt shot past her head, singing her mane. In just the span of 2 days her life had gone from pleasant and calm, to being chased by a princess that controled the sun. She was still trying to wrap her head around what she had done back in the castle, only remembering the pure rage she had felt when Rainbow had been shot. It was utter madness, and the whole shibang about Elements? Complete chaos. She definitely needed to ask Full Page about all this when she had escaped.

Another magical bolt from behind snapped her back to her current predicament as she glanced around for an escape route. Her glancing was cut almost as short as her thoughts as the familiar voice of Full Page sounded in her ears.

Turn right, but don't fly, you have a better advantage in the streets.

Not one to argue with a disembodied voice that had saved her life, she took a sharp turn, looking back to her chaser. Sure enough the princess had to go wide, her massive figure obstructing her turning. This flaw made Buttercup's hopes sore, as she sped up with renewed vigor, confident in her ability to outmanoeuvre the large princess. Her confidence lowered however, when the smaller Princess Sparkle turned the corner with ease, managing to stay side by side with Celestia despite the size difference. It was now getting more and more difficult to lose them as spells flew past her in an attempt to stop her, and Twilight wouldn't get off her tail. Sure she could lose Celestia in the cramped streets but she would soon catch up to Twilight and resume her salvo of spells.

You have to make it to the Everfree. Full Page said, causing Buttercup to scoff slightly at the idea before realizing her current predicament.

"Fine." She said to her self, taking a hard left towards the forest. This took the other two off guard slightly as they hesitated before continuing after their quarry.

You better not get me killed here Full Page. She thought as she made it through the treeline into the forest...

Vortix snored in his bed, his usual pegasus form disgarded in an attempt to get a comfortable sleep. While not a common fact, it was actually extremely unhealthy for a changeling to change forms for too long, the symptoms ranging from headaches, to vomiting. This was due to the energy it took to maintain a different form, the larger the form being, the more difficult it was. Now of course energy wasn't a problem for the changeling in bed, having stockpiled a ridiculous amount from the ponies. Of course this energy hadn't come easy, with him having to harvest it from the pleasant dreams of the ponies in Canterlot and having to avoid Luna as well, it wasn't the most relaxing of jobs. He had spent a good 3 years to collect this much energy, an impressive feat for any changeling.

Darkness...

He suddenly jolted awake, horn charging a spell in readiness against the voice, only to find nothing in his room but dust and thin air.

Air. He thought to himself, his eyes slowly widening in realization. The air itself had spoken. Before he could react it began speaking again.

We need help...our Bearer is pursued, and it takes us much strength to reach you...you are the only one who can help...Celestia... It said, fading off at the last word.

His mouth opened in surprise, before morphing into a disgusted sneer. "Still trying to get rid of them Celestia? After all these years you've finally cornered them. Not on my watch." He said before opening a dark portal and stepping through...

Buttercup let out a gasp of surprise as she tripped over a root, her mad dash into the forest not allowing her to see the surroundings. Looking back, she expected to find the two alicorns behind her, only to find an eery gap between the trees that she swore weren't there before. Looking around she found herself in a small clearing, a welcome sight from the dark corners of the rest of the forest, never being able to shake the feeling you were being watched. Thankfully, the feeling was distant in the bright sun above, the canopy of trees seeming to not dare trespass into the clearing.

Her smile quickly faded as an audible snap was heard from behind her. Turning her head slowly towards the noise, her eyes somehow widened in terror even more at the sight of the Everfree Forest's most famous creature...

Timberwolf. She thought in terror, slowly getting up in preparation to run away from the fearsome beast. Once she had fully stood up it decided to take action, pouncing into the clearing to reveal it's beastly form.

It was almost double her height, standing on for wooden legs with sharp thorns sticking out of the paws. On it's body was also dozens upon dozens of small twigs growing out of it's back, some with leaves, some without. Next were it's eyes, which were staring right into hers, looking to be little more than bright green orbs as a glow silently pulsated from them. It opened it's maw to reveal a jagged set of what looked like sharpened bark, a leafy tongue licking them hungrily. It stepped forward.

Buttercup stood frozen in terror, screaming mentally at her legs to move only to be met with a defiant silence. Taking another step, the Timberwolf snapped it's jaw threateningly at Buttercup. This terrified her to no point yet her muscles still wouldn't respond, an invisible force keeping them there. Deciding to concentrate her efforts, she poured all of her strength into her front hoof in an effort to make it move. A miracle then happened when her hoof shifted forward ever so slightly, causing the Timberwolf's attention to shift there. A look of confusion suddenly donned it's face as it eyed the hoof in curiosity, as if trying to find the answer to an unkown qustion.

This reaction also happened to confuse Buttercup, thoughts running through her head in an attempt to answer what the Timberwolf was doing. Another snap came from in front of her, in the opposite direction she was looking, causing both her and the Timberwolf's heads to swivel in that direction. The last thing she expected to see was a changeling.

Not only that, but a non-reformed changeling. It had become pretty common knowledge of how the changelings had reformed to embraced harmony and friendship, forgoing their old visage. Yet here stood, a red eyed, non-reformed changeling. What more it was looking directly into her eyes, not even paying attention to the wolf behind her. Then something even more terrifying happened.

It smiled...

How interesting...they had actually chosen a Bearer. If his memory served him correctly the last Bearer of Air was centuries ago, around about the time Celestia had started the Purge. Yet here stood one of the last free Elements of Equestria, and with a bearer no less. What was even more interesting was that she was completely invisible. The only way he had spotted her was when she moved her hoof. The same went for the Timberwolf behind her, before it's attention switched back to him. growling the Timberwolf leaped forward, intent on killing it's prey in a single blow.

Suddenly, a dark tendril sprouted from the back of Vortix and shot towards the wolf at incredible speeds, only giving it a moment to notice the tendril. The wolf shattered on contact, pieces of it flying all over the clearing, some even making it into the tree line from the sheer force of the attack. Then amongst it all Vortix spotted his target. The core. While he could easily take it on again if it reconstructed itself, time was of the essence. Aiming the tendril at the small, dark green orb, it shattered much like it's owner, sending bits of it flying everywhere. It was at this moment that all the returning pieces of wood fell out of the air, landing onto the grass with loud thunks.

Now the problem of the pony in front of him.

Walking up to the invisible figure, still smiling, he stopped right in front of her, staring into what he assumed was her eyes.

"Hello."

This was beyond scary, the fact that it had dispatched of the Timberwolf with ease with what seemed to be a dark tentacle of sorts, and that it had spoken to her. She simply stood still, hoping that it would somehow think her a strange statue. Of course the chances of that were abysmal, being even more unlikely than Celestia giving her Canterlot Castle.

The changeling suddenly looked to the side, bringing her attention as well. Standing there was none other than Full Page.

The changeling smiled at Full Page, a look of familiarity in his eyes, "Full Page, it sure has been a while." It said, surprising Buttercup to no end. This thing knew who Full Page was? Than there was the question of it's eyes, being a strange crimson red, unlike any other changeling she had seen before.

"Too long old friend." Full Page responded, a similar smile coming onto his face.

"And what of this pony here? And must you still keep her invisible." The changeling said, causing Buttercup to look down at herself. Sure enough she couldn't see herself, and began reprimanding herself for not noticing before.

Full Page simply shrugged, "It's just a precaution, you never know when an alicorn can come flying down at you." He said.

The changeling chuckled at that, before shaking his head sadly, " 'Tis indeed a terrible time we live in."

Turning back to Buttercup, the changeling stared again right in her eyes, "Sorry for the fright I may have given you. My name is Vortix." It said, smiling again. It was clear it was trying to look comforting, only to fail almost as hard as Buttercup's statue theory.

She stood there for what seemed like hours before forcing her vocal cords to work, "H-Hello Vortix, I am Buttercup. M-may I ask why you are here?" She eventually said, dreading the answer to come.

Before it could respond however, a large yellow beam shot out of the forest behind him, only to be stopped by a swirling black shield appearing form nowhere. The force of the yellow beam caused him to go flying to a stop beside Buttercup before getting up to face the attacker. Buttercup's blood froze in terror as Princess Celestia and Twilight walked out from the tree line, horns charging up another spell. Reacting on instinct she dove to the ground, just in time to dodge a purple bolt that flew above her. Rolling to the side and standing up, she faced the two alicorns, prepared to go down fighting. Looking to the side she saw Vortix stand up, a look of hatred and anger on his face as tendrils started sprouting from his back, eliciting surprised and horrified looks directed at the changeling.

So they stood, the alicorns on one side and the odd duo on the other, prepared to fight it out. A tendril then wrapped around Buttercup causing her to look at her supposed ally in betrayal only to find it's face desperate and worried. Before she could utter a word she was thrown through a portal, her last shred of vision being the alicorns pouncing on the changeling before it all went black...