The Evergreen Burns

The small group of survivors sat in the small house, waiting for it to be over for the changelings, or them.

There was a sudden banging on the door. Spark moved quickly to hold the door shut, cain following him. Soulstrings moved over to the window, she looked out and saw a horde of changelings banging on the door with their maces and clubs. She screamed and moved back from the window.

"Just hold the door Cain. They can't get in through the barricades we've installed." Spark tried to reassure him but it wasn't doing much. The other guard had an urge to move over to his family and protect them from any danger. There was a hard bang on the door that knocked Spark and cain onto the floor. The door burst open, changelings quickly flowing in.

"Bow!" Spark shouted to Cain. The two guards pulled out their bows and fired off shots at the changelings. One changeling dodged an arrow shot and jumped on top of Spark, knocking him down. Sparn pulled out an arrow from his quiver and stabbed the changeling in the throat. He jumped to his feet and pulled out his sword. Moving over to Soulstrings. Soulstrings was gone, she had escaped up the stairs along with the others. Cain ran up the stairs after them, leaving Spark to fend off the horde. A changeling aimed a thrust at Spark, who then jumped out of the way and slashed at it's head. Spark knew he was never going to survive if he stayed down here, he moved up the stairs. He found Soulstrings alone in a room. Spark quickly shut the door and pushed a desk up against it.

Seeing Spark, Soulstrings dashed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Spark held her close and whispered into her ear, "Whatever it takes, I will get you out of here alive." soulstrings looked up into his comforting eyes and knew that if she stuck with him she would be alright.

"Cain and his family left." She said to Spark. He didn't know what to think, to be happy that Cain got his family out, or to be enraged that he left Soulstrings here. He didn't have time to think about that at the moment, he had to get her out some way. He saw a window in the room and kicked it out. He picked up Soulstrings and flew out. The city was burning. There were ponies being lined up and then executed. He flew directly to the catacombs, but he was followed by the angry group of changelings that stormed the house. He set Soulstrings down by the large locked door that had barred their entry earlier. He quickly pulled out his bow and fired off 2 shots in a heartbeat. He then retrieved his sword from his back and flew at the changelings. Soulstrings knew she had to do something, he would surely die if she didn't act quickly. She flared up her horn and shot a burst of magic into the group of changelings, sending them flying and hitting the ground hard.

"Thanks. Where'd you learn how to do that?

"Oh just something I taught myself." she said with a grin on her face.

"Think you could use that trick on the door?" Soulstrings turned to the door and her horn flared up again sending a bolt of magic at the door. The entrance exploded and Spark turned to her in amazement once again. The moment didn't last very long since more changelings were coming their way. Spark moved Soulstrings inside the caves. She tried to grab his hoof and pull him in with her but he quickly pulled away. She looked at him confused but then realization dawned on her face. He wasn't coming.

"No. Spark you can't stay out here. They will kill you!" she pleaded with him to come inside but the determined look on his face told her that no amount of begging could change his mind.

"Spark, I need you. Please. You saved my life countless times today and now I know who I want to be with for the rest of my life, you." Spark turned back to her, he was the happiest he could have ever been. That moment didn't last long. A changeling flew up behind him, Spark turned to face it but it was too quick and it stabbed him through the chest. Soulstrings knocked it away then ran over to Spark who had fallen down and was bleeding out. She tried to use her magic to heal him but the wound was too deep. She was starting to tear up and Spark put his hoof around her.

"Go, get in the catacombs and warn the others. There is another way out through there." Spark took his hoof away and said one final thing to her. "I'm sorry." Gen quickly emerged from the large entrance and saw Soulstrings sitting over hs dying friend. He grabbed her and pulled her into the caves. As the other ponies were quickly barricading the entrance she could see changelings swarming over his body. She kicked and screamed trying to get free of Gen's strong grip.

A week had passed since the changeling attack. The guard force from Baltimare showed up a day after and cleared everything out. It tuned out that Fang had mentioned the unusually dark sky and they recognized it as the changelings. Many funerals were performed and Spark's was one of them. Gen, Callie, Fang and Soulstrings attended it. When it was Soulstrings turn to speak, she could barely get through the first sentence without crying. Spark was reguarded as a hero by the town and it's people. A monument was erected in his honor 2 months prior ro the attack. Soulstrings never forgot the words he said to her in the house.

"Some ponies deserve a second chance, and others don't."