Crisp fresh air, cool wind brushing past her mane and the feel of hard packed dirt beneath her hooves was all Gold Star needed to feel as alive as she did on her daily run through the forest. Seasonal song birds accompanied her with a choir of heartfelt tunes and the rhythmic churning of gears and compressed exhaust from her mechanical leg tapped in beat with her heart. Today was a good day, in Gold’s opinion, and knowing that there was still a couple more miles left for her run was all the motivation she needed to keep up her pace.
The next mile was a favorite of hers; a path that ran along the edge of the Everfree forest and just outside the town of Ponyville. Gold always loved this part because there was a fork up ahead that she could take either through the heart of Ponyville where even after living in the small quiet town for the past couple of years, she always liked how there was something new to discover every day, or go beyond toward Whitetail Woods. Running through that forest always reminded her of her days back in her hometown of Brightwood. So many memories emblazoned in her mind that she would never forget and of her family and friends that she thought about each and every day. Furthermore, both paths offered a great route for tranquil scenery and ran for more or less the same distance; one thing she would always admit to herself was that she loved the thrill of a good run, no exceptions. Gold was at the fork in no time at all and was about to make the choice of taking the path through Whitetail Woods that day when the slightest breeze of wind carried the sounds of commotion coming from the direction of Ponyville caught her attention. She tried to remember if today was a holiday, but by the sound of it, these were not cries of laughter and enjoyment. Gold’s mind was made up without hesitation and at the fork she took the path leading down to Ponyville post haste.
What greeted her was more devastating than anything than she could have imagined. It was not a scene of destruction but the devastation she felt at that moment was far more than she ever had thought to feel or handle. Now within the streets of the bustling village, terrified screams of ponies appeared to have increased tenfold but what made her truly gasp in horror were the black forms that flitted from one place to another over the terrified village in chase of ponies who ran as fast as they could, and took a shape she only saw in a newspaper before... a shape she’d never considered she might actually see with her own eyes.
For a stretch of time that she could neither count nor measure, Gold stood at the edge of the town as if mesmerized by the horrors that took place before her but what brought her to reality were the shrieks of defenseless foals in the chaos that ensued in the attack; foals that were searching for the safety of their parents. Others were being rounded and grouped up by the insect-like creatures while those who tried to run away were caught and dragged elsewhere with no help to be had. It was at that moment when it hit her that she needed to fend for her own daughters that might as well be any of those who were screaming in fright.
Gold’s memories of the path she ran were something like a hazy blur. One that was interrupted by a stallion whose screaming at the top of his lungs in a vain attempt to escape capture, “Everypony for themselves, the changelings are back!” But her memory of him did not go beyond his scream as her eyes were kept trained on the nearest group of ponies to help.
It was just outside Crazy Dave’s Joke Shop and Emporium that she encountered her first changelings. They were a gang that was corralling and herding a small group of whimpering foals who were trembling in fear of the hissing and chattering changeling bullies. Indeed, Gold Star felt on the verge of being sick when she saw the innocent tears in the young ones’ eyes as they were made into a very tight circle. The changelings snapped their long, sharp fangs at them, chittering in pleasure over their easy successful capture. Each of them looked eager to pounce and claim the first prize but the first to jump and seize its prey suddenly found itself flying elsewhere.
It was at that moment, when the Changeling leapt, that the yellow-orange pegasus gave her running hooves a greater burst of speed and barreled herself into the Changeling’s side, making it fly sideways and right into its siblings. There was a moment of confusion as it tried to put its hooves on the ground but, when it finally rose, the sight that met its twisted eyes was not anything it expected: standing not far from it, with all the foals that were meant to be captured behind her, was a pegasus mare that held her wings wide open in a territorial-protective stance. Her blue eyes were narrowed in defiance and her green mane and tail swayed behind her and sideways like a proud flag in a gust of wind. She appeared, then, much more formidable and frightening to the changelings, who sought their strength in numbers, than anything they have ever seen or encountered before.
Without removing her eyes from the changelings before her, Gold Star spoke in a steady and resonating voice that otherwise held a motherly-reassuring tone to it, which somewhat calmed the frightened hearts of the foals that stood behind her and around her hooves, “Go! Run away, children!”
From the corners of her eyes, she watched and made sure that they made a break for another piece of shelter in town and they did not go into another trap. The Changeling gang was stunned; they did not expect such strength from one mare that was not even of a significant muscular structure but what held them at bay, as the foals ran, was their apprehension of the dark grey metal that encased her right foreleg. They, of course, did not know what it really was and, mere bullies as they were, they all stood and surrounded the one pony that dared to interfere with their plans and fun. They made sure of their numbers and quickly aligned themselves to cover every escape beyond their tight-knit circle. They circled Gold and snapped and hissed at her but the intimidation did nothing as she then spoke at large, “How dare you attack defenseless foals! You’re nothing but a bunch of school yard bullies!”
But if the changelings thought that they had seen the best this pegasus can do, they were greatly mistaken. A smile slowly spread across her lips, one that was meant to intimidate than a real smile and she scraped the ground with her left hoof. “So why don’t you pick on somepony your own size?!”
The changelings hesitated then. Their number did not lessen but the mare who stood with nary a quiver before them suddenly started to appear, in their eyes, much bigger than she was. Their hissing increased in their attempt to invoke what small amount of courage they could muster and chittered back in response. Gold kept her eyes trained on one of them that still appeared to have some soreness near its chest from the hit it took, with a slight curve to her eyes; a challenge for it to attack her. Slowly, the circle they formed started to close around her until that one Changeling leapt at its would-be victim.
Gold, however, was prepared for it.
In the Changeling’s mid-jump, Gold ran directly in its direction, kicked it aside and bolted out of the circle from the gap that formed by the Changeling that fell. As she ran, she taunted those who were still stunned, “Catch me if you can!”
Gold’s intention was not to defy or attack for she was much smarter than that but still she wanted to keep the attention of this gang of changelings fixed upon her so that they would not turn and chase the foals she managed to save. Some rose into the air while other made to chase after her but her powerful legs, the product of years and years of running around the forest, carried her faster than any Changeling in the air. Indeed, she led them on a merry chase around the village as she sought to look for her daughters when a terrible scream made her blood go cold in her veins.
“Help me!”
The sheer panic in the unknown voice was all that she needed to hear in order to reconsider her current position, even it meant abandoning her search for her own loved ones. Much to her own chagrin, Gold stopped her search to answer the distressed call for help and came upon another scene of helplessness. It was another group of changelings, with apparent joy at their success, with a mare they captured and were carrying away. Gold, with another burst of determination, ran and broke through the offending ranks, making the dark-grey coated mare land on the ground in a heap.
But the mare that fell did not rise on her hooves but raised her head to look shakily at Gold. A quick once over of the now-freed pegasus mare revealed no major injuries but still she asked, “Are you okay?”
The mare gave a shaky nod in reply and squeaked to her rescuer, “I-I have to get out of here.” She attempted to push her sporadic limbs back underneath her, but every time she tried force herself back up her legs shook in cold defiance “P-please, help me.”
The pleading look the young mare gave her was one of pure helplessness and desperation; as if Gold was the only thing standing between the dark pegasus and a fate more terrifying than death itself. Gold Star wanted to stay and continue her search but one more look at the mare told her that she was too traumatized to move on her own. She just could not in good conscious just leave her to fend for herself and, as much as it truly pained her, Gold nodded in return and wasted no time in helping the mare to her hooves. She could only hope that her good deed wouldn't go to waste on her karma and grant her mental plea that Ruby managed to escape with the children. A group of hungry looking Changelings however, did not give them much time to recover and prepared to attack from overhead. With the other mare fast on her heels, after a bolster of quick encouragement, they made for the only escape route available that was past the deserted shop of Sugarcube Corner and, with a few close calls, the pair made it out the north side of town with barely a glance back the town now swarming with changelings.
For some time, Gold stood beneath the cover of the Everfree Forest overlooking her ‘home’. The mare she had rescued had passed out nearly as soon as they made it to safety; obviously too overwhelmed by her ordeal to find any reserve in will-power left and was now laid, steadily draped, across Gold’s back. Tears flooded her eyes and more than once it was that she considered going back to Ponyville, charge past every Changeling there was until she found her daughters but she had to convince herself several times that she had to remain out of capture for them. That she must somehow find out a way to save them and that going in witlessly will not do them any good.
As she stood there, though, with her head down and eyes barely allowing her to gaze upon anything, a small groan caught her attention and directed her to the now awakening mare that rested atop of her. The dark grey pegasus mare mumbled to herself and looked like she was trying to get a sense on her bearings. Gold took the initiative and lowered herself so the other pony would be able to reach her hooves to the ground. The purple-manned pegasus stammered to one side and almost fell over before Gold caught her in her wing.
“Easy, easy. You’re safe now.” Gold offered in her most soothing tone that she could muster at such time. The other pony steadied herself against Gold’s side until she was able to look around without throwing herself off balance. Her eyes shot open as she must have realized that she had passed out and urged for her savior to give her a bit of room. Gold cautiously obliged and stepped out from her supportive side while keeping a keen eye on the pegasus for any sign of regression.
Soon enough, the other mare was back on her own hooves, if not a little shaky. Gold watched her as she took in her surroundings and eased herself into a more composed state. It was not long, though, before the calming mare took note of the commotion that came from behind her and let her head sink in sorrow as she looked over Ponyville much in the same way that Gold had. Gold saw the expression in the mare’s eyes that she had recently been acquainted with not too long ago and carefully trotted by her side as the first few tears fell from the heartbroken pony’s eyes. The grey mare must have felt the comforting presence of her fellow companion for she soon buried her muzzle into Gold’s placid, green mane and cried harder than Gold had heard any other pony before. She gently put her wings around the dismayed pony and stroked the grey pegasus’s withers with a gentle hoof; letting her cry out. In truth, Gold wished she could have a shoulder to cry on herself but, seeing the other pony breaking down, it was apparent that she needed to appear strong for her.
The pony’s gasping sobs withered into hiccuping whimpers as she tried to pull herself together enough to speak. Gold gave her a few more minutes so as not to rush her and, eventually, coaxed the mare into speaking. “T-tell me this is just a dream…please?”
The poor mare’s desperation-filled eyes bore into Gold’s as she choked on her words. Admittedly, she also wanted to believe that this whole thing was nothing more than a dream as well. Just some delusional trick of her mind that just wanted nothing more than to watch her squirm under the force of her own imagination. Of course, dreams were supposed to be nothing more than illusions brought up by one’s memories, twisted into something else by one’s imagination and no matter what, could never hurt the one dreaming. But this was something beyond a dream, it was a nightmare; one that neither of them had a hope of waking from any time soon.
“I’m sorry, I was only able to save you from those Changelings… It was all I could do.” Gold replied, closing her eyes in her sadness.
For the moment, Gold remained a silent sentinel as she continued to gaze upon the darkening town of Ponyville, carefully gauging her responses to keep her own fading will in check. The silent pair stood for the longest time as they watched their homes being consumed by the ravaging creatures of the past.