I never felt so cold before. My hooves had lost their feeling. Yet I still walked.
Aurora had fell silent. I was worried. First nightmares and now this? What was wrong in her head?
Then, I saw it. For just a second, I saw a flicker of light. A campfire?
"Did you guys see it?" I hollered, trying to make my voice heard through the blizzard.
"See what?" Tourmaline replied.
"The fire?" I responded in a concerned tone.
"I don't see anything in this blizzard. . . " Slate said from behind, having fallen back due to his weight making him sink in the snow.
"Second?" I asked, worry starting to become clear in my voice.
"Nothing." She replied.
I then noticed the light off to my left. We were walking away from it at an angle. It has to be close. And if I was wrong, well, it didn't look like we'd get out of here anyways. I turned and made my way towards the light.
A few minutes later, I heard the shouts of my friends behind me as the light only grew brighter. Then I noticed why we nearly missed it.
It was in a cave.
I stared dumbfounded at the endless legions of changelings below me, preparing for war. Chameleon was muttering to himself as I tried to get a headcount. But every time I thought I had it, I'd lose track. There were thousands though.
Equestria would not survive alone, they would need as many troops as possible.
"Chameleon," I spoke up, looking to my old friend, "Is the way back safe?"
Chameleon looked towards me. "I'm sorry," He sighed, "But there was nothing I could do. . . you are trapped."
I lunged toward him at full force, ready to break his skull, only for a horde of changelings to pin me down before I could reach him.
"Chameleon, you traitor!" I spat.
Chameleon looked away, "I'm sorry."
The cave was quiet. Mostly because it cut off the wind. I felt heat slowly returning to me. I was still cold, but I could stand it a bit more.
Further ahead was a very bright light, a fire. Not wasting a moment I continued onward. As I neared the fire, I heard an old stallion's voice singing a song I didn't know.
"Oh ye Elder Gods, look over me.
Let your magic flow free.
Teach me your knowledge, that I may know,
with wisdom, to whom I'd bestow."
I finally saw the voices owner as the verse ended. He was old, his coat dull from age. What once would have been a brilliant red, now looks like rust, his mane which was once black is now greying. He was stooped over a large cauldron, stirring it as he sung.
"You took your time getting here." The stallion said, startling me from my hiding place.
"How did you know I was coming?" I asked him.
"I saw it, in a vision. You had with you a great shadow, and an even greater burden." The stallion explained, turning to face me so that I could see that he was an earth pony.
"Right," I managed to say without revealing my inner emotion. "My name is Swift, and this is Aurora." I introduced myself, pointing to Aurora and myself.
The stallion smiled, "I would give you my name, but I've been alone for so long, that I forgot it. But I crafted a new one from my profession. I am Dreamcatcher. I specialize in reading and dispelling dreams."
I couldn't find any words to describe how big of a coincidence this was. instead, all that came out was a "Really?" before my world went dark.
"I think we should've walked from the get go." were the first words I heard after I woke. Nearby, Dreamcatcher was hunched over Aurora, speaking in some sort of foreign tongue and spreading something over her brow.
"There, that will give her a fuller rest." Dreamcatcher explained.
"My head," I mumbled, getting the attention of the rest of my group.
"Ah, young Swift, you gave your friends quite the startle." Dreamcatcher said, drawing some liquid from his cauldron. "Here, drink."
"Why?" I asked, looking at the cup in Dreamcatcher's hoof.
"Because, I cannot teach you what you need to know if you cannot see what I have to show." Dreamcatcher explained, handing me the potion.
"Okay. . . bottoms up!" I said, chugging the potion as fast as I could.
"Excellent!" Dreamcatcher said with a smile, "Now, look into my pot."
I approached the cauldron and peered inside. I saw several ponies walking back and forth in Canterlot. I saw Cadence and a small armada of Yaks heading towards the Empire. I saw the train we were on, ponies and parts were everywhere in the snow. Then I saw a family, a stallion and a mare, with their child. I saw them take a poor skinny stallion off the street, I watched as the fed him and sheltered him. I watched as he attacked a shop owner, as he stopped at a couple of houses, killing ponies left and right. I could only stare in horror as the bloodstained stallion was about to strike again, but paused as he looked at the child of the ponies who cared for him. For a moment, I thought he would spare them. But he turned and struck them down.
A few moments passed before I realized what I was seeing.
I was seeing the past. And I had just viewed the killing of Aurora's families.
But the cauldron wasn't done, it showed me Star Swirl in a very dark cave. Changelings swarmed around him as he screamed that he wanted to be returned to death. I saw Chrysalis approach him and whispered in his ear. She then pointed and the Changelings tied up another pony, one I hadn't thought I would see.
Bright Blade.
I watched in shock as the Queen laughed and left the two ponies there. Then, the picture changed, and I saw mountains. Tall and white. I saw a path, one that would lead me to a cave, the cave that held Blade.
I wanted to look away, but I saw one last thing. One thing that truly scared me. And even though I knew I had to go to this cave, I was afraid to.
Because I know what will happen there.
A few hours had passed since my vision. I told the others everything except the last part.
They didn't need to be brought down.
Aurora was awake again, and around her neck she wore an intricately woven circle thing that Dreamcatcher said would catch the worst of her dreams.
Dreamcatcher gave me a copy of the recipe for his potion of vision, stating that I would need it one more time.
Then, together, we left the cave and headed west. To the mountains north of Griffonia. To the changeling cave. To Bright Blade.
And. . . to my fate.