The Forgotten Elements: Shrouded Darkness

Jumping at the changeling, Twilight charged a spell, prepared to finish the fight with a single blow. Celestia apparently had the same idea, having also jumped at the changeling.

Attempting to tackle the changeling and fire a spell at the same time. This failed however as the changeling dodged to the side, leaving a crater where he stood from Twilight's spell.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." The changeling suddenly spoke, surprising Twilight. Every unreformed changeling she had encountered had been completely silent when battling her, making this a startling change.

Just what is this thing. She thought as she fully observed the changeling.

At first it looked quite normal, until you got to it's back. Instead of the classic insect like wings they were replaced with...something. It looked like it had the shape of pegasus wings but an endless void had replaced everything, appearing to go on forever. Then there was the several black tendrils that had sprouted from it's back. Then there was the fact that it had pushed Buttercup into a shadow and she had disappeared. It all seemed...strangely familiar.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she refocused just in time to see it dodge Celestia's spell as well, leading to it being on one side of the clearing while Celestia and Twilight remained on then other side.

"What do you mean?" She inquired, slightly confused at the changelings previous statement. While she would have loved to interrogate it's about it's strange appendages she could save it until after it had been captured.

The changeling chuckled coldly, sending a shiver down Twilight's spine, "I have been waiting for this fight with you for 8 long years. I'm sure you can understand that I am quite glad that the time has come." It replied, only confusing Twilight even more.

What had happened 8 years ago? She pondered to herself, searching the corners of her memory for when she had encountered a changeling. Her eyes widened in realization.

"The Canterlot Wedding." She realized aloud, bringing about another chuckle from the changeling as it began to circle towards them.

"Nice job princess." It said, eyes narrowing as it began to slowly herd them into the centre of the clearing.

Shaking her head in disbelief, a brilliant idea came to her. Convince it.

"Look, whatever I did to you at the wedding I am very sorry for. I am the Princess of Friendship, so I can help you. The changelings knew nothing about friendship before now look at Thoax. Look at the rest of the changelings!" She spoke, bringing the changeling to a halt. "They have solved their love shortage by revealing their true self. You can do that too! I can help you." She finished, confident that her words had worked on the changeling who was looking at the sky in thought.

Smiling warmly she took a step forward-

"You really don't remember me do you?" He pondered, bringing his gaze down to hers, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

Wearily returning the gaze she nodded, "No I'm afraid not." She said, returning to her warm smile."But that doesn't matter, I can help you either way." She finished with confidence in her voice, returning her gentle walk towards it.

Another chuckle stopped her again, "Perhaps this will jog your memory." He said, a large ball of darkness enveloping him, hiding him from sight completely.

Eye's widening slightly

Tentacles sprouted outwards, the shadows around the dark ball unnaturally moving on their own. The end result was a swirling mass of darkness and tentacels.

No, it can't be. She thought in disbelief and slight terror.

A pair of red eyes opened in the darkeness.'

"Hello Twilight."

Not thinking straight, she charged at the balck mass, rage filling her eyes. Charging a spell she fired into the darkenss only for it to pass right through. Undetered she rammed into it only for the black cloud to disperse. Growling in anger she turned to find Celestia rushing to her side. Jolting up she glanced around, eager to find the enemy.

"Come now Twilight, what happened to friendship and love?" That dreaded voice said from behind.

Turning around in a flash she fired a spell at the changeling, only for it to fly upwards into the air. "What did you do with Spike" She demanded, prepping another spell.

The changeling smiled, revealing it's glistening white fangs, "If you must know, he is somewhere in Canterlot doing who knows what." It replied before narrowing it's eyes slightly. "If you want to know about the memory loss I personally have no clue how that happened."

"Liar!" Twilight screamed, making to fly at it before being held back by Princess Celestia who had grabbed Twilight's tail in her magic while narrowing her eyes at the changeling.

Shrugging, the changeling turned lazily onto it's back while in the air, making a show of inspecting it's hoof. "Whether you believe me or not, doesn't change anything." It said in a bored manner.

That's it. She concluded angrily, firing a spell at the changelings exposed back. In the span of a second the changeling had done a narrel roll and landed on the ground, easily dodging the magical bolt flying into the air. Next thing she knew Twilight was being thrown across the clearing to the edge of it by Princess Celestia, narrowly missing the changeling's tentacle herself.

Landing with a resounding thud, she got back to her hooves, wincing at the pain in her side. Looking at the battle it was clear Celestia was on the backhoof, having to stay at a far distance to avoid the black tendrils that shot after her. This was made even harder as the changeling constantly charged at Celestia, only barely being kept at nay ny Celestia's constant stream of spells which were cosntantly fending of the tentacles.

Charging a teleportion spell she landed directly behind the changeling, allowing her to shoot a bolt of magic at it. The bolt hit the changelings leg, causing it to trip over and halt it's advance on Celestia while giving out a yell of pain. Taking the opportunity, she attempted to jump on the changeling and pin it only to be smacked with a tentacle, sending her flying into a nearby tree. Screaming in pain, she fell to the grassy floor, glancing back at her back. She winced as she saw her wings hanging limply by her sides, mangled and bleeding.

Casting a quick bandanging spell, she turned back to the battle to find Celestia pressing the attack, the changeling's leg leaking a blue liquid she could only assume was blood. Slowing her breathing to calm herself, she stalked around the battle, looking for an opening. The changeling suddenly turned it's back to her, allowing her the chance she had wanted. Casting a fireball, she shot it at the enemy, only for it to dodge out of the way at the last moment, sending it instead into Celestia. Thinking on her feet Twilight cast a shield in front of Celestia, wincing in pain as her horn began to ache from the strength of her fireball.

Looking towards the changeling she found nothing but an empty space where it had been. Panicking at it's disappearance she looked all around her to make sure it hadn't sneaked up on her. Finding nothing she looked to Celestia who had a hardened look on her face, being a stark contrast from the usual calm and motherly look. A black tendril began to creep out of the shadow underneath.

"Celestia watc-" She began before the tentacle flew out her shadow with impossible speeds, flinging Celestia up into the air, before smacking her out of the air into the ground, causing her to scream in pain as she smashed into the deceptively hard grass and dirt. Sprinting over to Celestia she was stopped when a tendril shot out from the trees, hitting her to the other side of the clearing away from Celestia. Standing up she turned to where the tendirl had come from, finding the changeling stepped out from the trees, a victorious smile on it's face.

"Game over." It said, charging a spell with his horn, his aura being a crimson red, not too different from his eyes.

It didn't have the chance as Celestia fired an unfamiliar golden spell from her spot on the ground, blood bleeding from what seemed like everywhere on her body, at the changeling who deflected it into the air with a flick of its tendril. The changeling opened it's mouth to speak again only to be cut off as the spell exploded mid air, creating a blue star in the sky. Eyes narrowing at the blue star in the sky, the changeling opened his mouth to say something before he was cut off once again.

By the sun being lowered.

The moon rose across from the sun, shining brighter than it had before. The changeling's eyes widened in realization as it turned towards Canterlot to find a dark blue alicorn charging at it. Yelling in shock it submerged itself into the shadows as Luna smashed into the ground where it had once stood, leaving a crater from the sheer speed and power that Luna had arrived with. Eyes turning this way and that, she suddenly shot a spell at a tree, forcing the changeling behind it to dodgew into the clearing. Summoning a brilliant silver sword luna began to advance, pursuing the changeling as it attempted to reach the trees again. Shooting another spell Luna continued her pursuit, continously swinging her sword at it. This was not needed however as her spell hit it square in the head, causing it to be sent plummeting into the cold hard ground as blue blood gushed from it's head wound.

Luna held a sword against the downed changeling's throat as it lay face down in the dirt. It caught her off guard when it suddenly sunk into the darkness beneath it, a tendril shooting up at Luna's face, before being cut in half, making the bottom half retreat back into the shadows while the top half squirmed on the grassy floor beneath it.

The changeling reappeared on the other side of the clearing, somehow still standing despite the two wounds that where now bleeding blue blood onto the ground, as Luna raised her sword at it.

"This is not over." It said, coughing up blue blood as it dripped down his chin from his mouth, "You may have won this time, but mark my words I will have my revenge." It said, before falling into a coughing fit. It gave Twilight one final glare of hatred before falling into it's shadow.

Buttercup looked at the green pod before her, or more specifically at the pony contained within. It's features, apart from it's horn, were completely obscured by the gel surrounding the pod not allowing her to get a good look at who it was. She was still trying to figure out why exactly she was here. First everything she had ever known had been turned on it's head, as well as the fact that she was now clearly an enemy of the crown, despite the fact that she had no idea why. Then there was the fact that she had just been saved by a changeling.

A changeling...

She still had vivid memories of the Canterlot Wedding, causing her to never been able to properly forgive them despite the fact that they had apparently 'Reformed'. And that changeling was unreformed. It was all so confusing, especially in the way she had gotten here. She had been pushed into a black hole of some sorts then ended up in this very dark room of some sorts. The voices had fallen silent ever since she had gotten here, making it eerily quiet and creepy, only increased by the fact that there were no windows or light sources other than the luminiscent pod in the centre of the room only lighting it up to a certain extent, making her have no way to know if there was an entrance.

"DAMN IT!!!" A shout suddenly originated from upstairs followed by the sound of what sounded like several pieces of furniture being thrown. It than returned to the creepy silence before being replaced by footsteps approaching closer. A door opened at a wall nearby, flooding the room with light.

Holding a hoof up to block the sudden brightness, her eyes eventually adjusted to the new light level, allowing her to look at the changeling in the door. It was very different from the changeling in the clearing, mainly due to the fact that there was blue blood dripping off of several wounds covering it's body. It also held a towel against it's head where it was bleeding the most. It sighed as it lowered towel to the ground, smiling sadly as it looked at Buttercup.

"Guess you're gonna want some answers huh."