//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 
// Story: Without a Trace 
// by Kelvin Shadewing 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 13


"Pipsqueak! Are you ready to go?" Pip's father, Shortstack, was waiting outside his son's room.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Pipsqueak fastened his saddle bag and rushed out past his father.

"Whoa, hold up there, kiddo," Shortstack said, "Aren't ya forgetting somepony?"

"Oh, um, I was gonna walk with Trace today." Pipsqueak looked at his father meekly.

Shortstack smiled and shook his head. "Really? Just you and Trace, huh?" He knelt down and put a hoof on Pip's shoulder. "You sure you're ready to take on the big world all by yourself, huh?"

Pip nodded confidently. "Sure, Dad. Nopony can bother me with Trace watching me, right Trace?" He looked over his shoulder, but of course, received no response from his invisible guardian. The little colt didn't wait, and went for the door.

Shortstack watched his son depart and sighed as his wife came to stand next to him. "Our little boy's not so little anymore, eh, Minnie?"

"No, he isn't," said Minnie, "You don't suppose he'll become to dependent on his imaginary friend, do you?"

"I don't think so." Shortstack shook his head. "He's just trying to tell us he's confident enough to go out on his own now. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I hope so."

Trace stood on the ceiling, listening to Pip's parents talk. Something inside him tugged at him and made him wish he could tell them their son was being protected. For the first time in his life, he actually wanted to reveal himself to someone other than a fellow changeling. His logical side shook the feeling off and disregarded it, reasoning that it was too dangerous a feeling to keep. But still, he wondered why he was having this feeling at all.

Deciding it was something to think about later, the assassin crept into the next room, and snuck out the window, then flew to join Pipsqueak on his way to school.

He found his ward faced with two fillies he knew from before. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the girls who liked to pick on him.

"Well, if it isn't the little mud flank!" Diamond jabbed, "Where's your imaginary friend today?"

"He's here!" Pipsqueak said bravely, "And what do you mean by mud flank? I don't have mud on myself."

"Just look!" Silver Spoon pointed to his rear. "It's just a brown spot that looks like mud."

"Makes sense to me," Diamond sneered, "Little Pip is as useless as mud, so it only fits that his cutie mark would be mud."

Pipsqueak shrank back. "I-I'm not useless as mud!"

"Maybe he's right," said Silver, "After all, at least pigs find mud useful."

Diamond sighed. "Yes, you're right. And Pipsqueak looks rather dry. Maybe he's useless as dirt!"

"I'm not dirt!" Pipsqueak shouted.

"Did you hear something, Silver Spoon?" Diamond asked, holding a hoof to her ear, "I can't hear anything over this mound of dirt here."

"I think I got some in my ear," Silver replied, "I can't hear anything either."

I'll give you some dirt in your ear, Trace thought as he grabbed a clump of earth from behind a tree and lobbed it with pinpoint accuracy.

The clump landed right on Silver's head with a loud thump.

"Ow!" She shook the dirt off and rubbed her ear, which now had dirt in it for real.

"Ugh, you're not supposed to really put dirt in your ear," Diamond chided.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Silver shot back, "Somepony threw it at me!"

Right at that moment, another clump of dirt flew out and hit Diamond Tiara right in the face. The blue filly squealed in disgust and furiously brushed her face clear.

"Whoever did that is in for a world of hurt!" she growled.

As they went to look for the assailant, Trace flew to the other side of the path and hit them from behind. It felt different from what he was used to: simply killing his targets with a well-aimed laser, but it was still satisfying. Something about getting to see the reaction of his targets when they were hit made leaving them alive worth while, and it was very gratifying to bring such snobbish ponies down.

After several more shots, the girls had had enough.

"Ugh, this isn't over, Pipsqueak!" Diamond shouted, "We'll get you and your little hide and seek buddy back soon!"

The two fillies turned and ran away as fast as their tiny legs could take them.

"I don't know what the fuss is about," Trace said nonchalantly, "Earth ponies are supposed to like dirt, or so I hear."

Pipsqueak spun around to face the source of the voice. "Trace! Was that you?"

Trace chuckled. "Maybe."

The little colt lunged forward and landed flat on the ground. "Ow..."

"Uh, I'm over here."

Pipsqueak picked himself up and gave Trace a slower hug this time. "Thanks for protecting me, Trace."

"It's my duty, isn't it?" the changeling asked.

"Um, I don't know. Is it?" Pipsqueak asked.

Trace sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."

Pipsqueak let go and looked where Trace stood, his face showing signs of weariness.

The assassin noticed this right away. "Pipsqueak? Did you stay up late last night?"

"No," Pipsqueak replied.

Trace picked up no signs of dishonesty in Pipsqueak's voice. But the little colt was looking nonetheless drained. "Pip? Have you been feeling well, lately?"

"Um..." Pipsqueak put a hoof up to his lip. "Well, now that you mention it, I have been a little tired. Yesterday, during recess, a couple other colts asked if I wanted to play tag, which is my favorite game, but for some reason, I didn't feel like playing."

Trace's eyes widened in realization. His feeding off Pipsqueak, even though it was only enough to get him through each day, had already started taking its toll on the little colt. Soon, ponies would become concerned with his health, and with no medical problems to be found, his presence would be suspected.

"Pipsqueak," Trace said sternly, "I have to leave."

"B-but why?!" Pip cried.

"Because, there's something important I have to do." He thought he could relieve his ward's unhappiness if he came up with a reassuring story. "I think you may be getting sick, so I'm going to get you a special vitamin to make sure you stay healthy." He should buy that.

"A vitamin?" Pip asked, "What kind?"

"A very special kind," Trace replied, "It could take a while for me to find, though, so if I'm not back in a couple days, don't get discouraged. I promise, I will be back."

Pipsqueak looked down sadly. "I understand. You're trying to take care of me. But, if I get better by the time you get back, do I still have to take the vitamin?"

"Yes," said Trace, "I need to make sure you're one hundred percent. Now I'll stay with you today, just to make sure those girls don't pick on you again. But tonight will be the last you hear of me for a while."

The colt nodded. "Alright. I think I'll be fine, but thank you."

Trace hesitated, resisting the urge to consume the colt'sgratitude. "You're welcome."