No.
Chapter 13 (Really this time): Changelings of Heart
“I specifically asked for him to not be on the team,” Hunter muttered to himself as he went through the files in Midnight’s office. He shook his head. “Nobody I work for likes being a changeling.” He sighed and looked around the office for anything he missed. Then he looked toward the closed door. “I’ve been here for hours and nobody’s shown up.” He shrugged. “I guess I’ll just try somewhere else.” Something caught his eye as he went to leave the room. There was something behind the shelf. He trotted over and carefully pulled the shelf away from the wall.
A bow fell over, landing at his hooves. It looked strangely familiar. Hunter scoffed at it. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He picked up the bow with his hooves and pulled at the string with his wings. “I haven’t held one of these in ages...” He let go of the string, firing a volley of dust into the air around the shelf. “And he just threw it away.” He shoved the shelf back into place, leaving no room between it and the wall.
Hunter trotted out the door and carefully made his way out of the compound unnoticed. He made his way back to Gorman’s hideout, making sure he wasn’t followed several times over. He sighed as he opened the door, readying himself for the foreigner with the freaky sword.
Gorman was sitting at the far side of the room. His armor was on and his sword was glowing in his claw. He smiled at the pegasus.
“Find anything out?”
Hunter shrugged. “Nopony home.” He smirked. “Still mad?” he asked the griffin before taking any more steps into the room.
“After what you said to me?” Gorman smirked back. “I’m more disappointed.” The smirk faded into a frown as he put the sword on the table next to him. “Not in you though...” He sighed and shook his head. “You... You were right.” He nodded along with his words. “Right about a lot of things. Whether or not Advantage and her hive deserved it, they’re all gone now.” He shrugged. “Well, mostly all gone. But the point is that I saw you and them as simple means to an end.” He sighed again. “And I’m torn. A true Gorman would see this through still. A true Gorman would kill anyone in their way.” He shrugged again. “But how does that make me better than that monster?” Gorman couldn’t think of much to add. His eyes strayed from Hunter’s. “You came back here after our fight. Why?”
Hunter shrugged. “At this point, I have nowhere else to go.”
Gorman looked him over. “You have a bow now?”
The pegasus almost fumbled the bow while turning his head. “Oh yeah, this old thing. Midnight kept it for some reason...” He winced at his own word choice. “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘kept.’”
“So your eyes are precise?” Gorman asked him.
“Yeah, I’m a pretty good shot. Why?”
Gorman walked up to him and put his claws around his snout. “Because I need your help, Gunter.”
“With what?” Gunter asked in a beak-ier voice. He looked down at himself to realize Gorman had transformed him into a griffin.
“I just hope you’re as good with claws as you are with hooves,” Gorman said, walking back to the table. He grabbed the sword and offered it to Gunter with a smile. “There’s but a single loose end that needs to be tied up.”
Gunter approached and took the sword from his claws.
Gorman smiled. “I need you to do exactly as I say. Can you trust me?”
“So you two can’t think of any loose ends at all?” Thunder asked Mirage and Gravity.
He paced the bunk room impatiently while Mirage and Gravity sat upon one of the many beds.
“I guess I could clean my spear,” Mirage replied with a smirk. “It is covered with Gorman’s blood...”
Thunder scoffed. “Please. We can’t just relax because the big guy’s finally dead. What about the guy he risked Gravity’s life to save? What about Advantage?”
Gravity scoffed. “Please, Thunder, just calm down.” She waved him off. “This is the first chance we've had to relax in the longest while. For once, everyone who isn’t here are actually going somewhere they want to go and not being forced at knifepoint.”
“Yeah, let's just relax for once.” Mirage stretched as he continued talking, his foreleg taking a while to reach around Gravity. “The games commence in like three days! Once Midnight’s back on the team he can figure all this stuff out...”
“That’s assuming his plans with the kelpie actually work,” Thunder noted. “We should be prepared for the worst.”
“But what’s the worst that could even happen?” Desert asked. “Gorman’s dead. Advantage trusts us enough to give us their little kelpie, and whoever that pegasus was certainly isn’t as strong as we are!”
Gravity reclined on the bed. “Just relax, Thunder. The bastard’s dead, and those twins never wanted to hurt us anyways.”
Thunder trotted toward the door. “All I know is that our problems aren’t just going to go away by ignoring them.”
Meanwhile, a green pegasus trotted into the Colonel’s office.
“Don't smile at me, you cretin,” the Colonel snarled at him.
“Sir, I have come with a humble request.” Hunter cleared his throat. “I want to take Gorman back across the border.”
“You’re taking a dead body across the border?”
“Sir, ...I'm asking on his behalf.”
The Colonel raised an eyebrow. “You're telling me he's alive?”
“He says he won't bother anyone here again.” He cleared his throat. “And he doesn't want Midnight’s team to know anything about this.”
The Colonel smiled. “He doesn't want to die, huh?” He chuckled. “Sure. Get him out of here.”
Hunter smiled. “Thank you, sir!” He turned to leave but stopped short of the door. “Oh, and before I forget... Advantage.”
“What about them?”
“Gorman killed them. He destroyed the barn they were hiding in during the vine incident. And they didn't make it out.”
“Where might we find this barn?”
“Outskirts of Appleloosa, sir.”
The Colonel nodded. “I'll inform Midnight’s team. I won't mention Gorman.”
Hunter smiled. “Thank you, sir!”
“Get out of here.”
The pegasus trotted out of the compound. Once he was out of sight, he transformed into a griffin and flew off.
Another hoof knocked on the Colonel’s door, and another pegasus trotted on in.
“Need something, Sword?” the Colonel asked him.
“Do we know anything about Advantage or anypony who might be working for Gorman?” he asked him. “My ‘team’ doesn’t seem to be up for looking into it.”
The Colonel chuckled. “You just missed the latest report actually.” He smiled. “I could use your team’s help verifying these developments, if you’re interested.”
“What developments?”
“The pegasus that was working with Gorman was last seen hopping the border.” The Colonel shook his head. “Outside our jurisdiction now...” He half shrugged. “But... There’s also our last known sighting of Advantage.”
Thunder sighed. “Where are they?”
“According to the report, they are both dead.”
Thunder’s eyes widened. “What...?”
“Crushed by the vines. And also the barn they were hiding in at the time.” The Colonel chuckled and nodded. “Go figure. The barn house was apparently on the outskirts of Appleloosa.” He crooked his head. “Advantage is... or was... a high priority target. If those twins are actually dead from their own incompetence, we need to be triply sure.” He smirked. “You up for it?”
Thunder sighed. “The Equestria Games are in three days, sir...”
The Colonel nodded. “Of course. Why waste time on national security when gold medals are on the line, hmm?” He waved the sentiment off with a chuckle. “Don’t worry about it. I already have it on good authority that Advantage is dead. I’ll send another team to confirm it tomorrow.”
Thunder breathed a sigh of relief. “Understood, sir.” He smiled. “I’ll go tell the others.”
“By all means.” The Colonel waved him off. “You're dismissed.”
The pegasus trotted back to the bunk room. Desert and Gravity were both laying lazily on the bed now.
“Back so soon, you workaholic?” Gravity asked him.
“No loose ends, it turns out.”
They both rose up and looked at him. Gravity was curiously crooking her head as Mirage frowned.
“The pegasus jumped the border and Advantage kinda died from a vine attack while our backs were turned.”
Desert smiled. “So we're totally telling Midnight that we're here doing nothing, right?”
Gravity put a concerned claw on his shoulder. “No. You don't dare tell Midnight that Advantage is dead.” She shook her head. “Don't even hint at it.” She looked back toward Thunder. “He's with that... Thing right now.” She sighed and shook her head. “I don't want to know what will happen if they find out.” She gave Desert a look. “Especially by dragonfire.”
Desert scoffed. “Fine. I won't tell him.” He trotted toward the door. “I'm gonna go get a pizza or something.” He trotted out of view.
“So...” Gravity said, turning from the empty threshold toward Thunder. “What do you think of this whole ‘Advantage is dead’ thing?”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled. “I mean... I can hardly believe it. I hate to say it but it really is a relief.”
He smiled back. “Yeah, it's pretty crazy.” He exhaled and stretched his wings. “Either way, I'm just gonna head out of here. I'll take this day off and see you guys when we leave for the Empire.” Thunder turned and trotted toward the door.
Gravity crooked her head. “Where are you going?”
“Don't worry about it.” The pegasus trotted away.
“Huh.” She shrugged. She lied back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Welp... This day got boring real quick.”
Midnight awoke to the shout of the conductor.
“Crystal Empire!”
Already the changeling could feel the overabundance of love coursing through his body. He jumped from the bunk and onto the floor of the cabin. He turned to find a sickly kelpie writhing under the sheets.
His smile faded. “Are you alright, Elly?”
The kelpie squirmed as her head turned toward his. “I don't feel too good.”
“You'll be fine once you're out of bed!” he said, trying to keep a smile.
Midnight helped her onto her feet. He scanned her for any more signs of illness.
“Where are we going?” she groaned.
“I know a place. Just come with me.” He put her foreleg over his shoulder and carried her off the train. “I stayed here once before. We'll be safe, and you can rest.”
Elegiac just groaned, dragging her hind legs behind her.
“Can you think of anything that might improve your health?” Midnight asked. “Or even your mood? I'm a bit rusty on my wretching...”
“I can think of one thing...” She shook her head.
“Well, what is it?”
“Is there a quiet bed in the place?” she weakly asked.
Midnight smiled. “Of course there is.”
“I could use a rest,” she said. “And probably some more of your help...”
He looked over what he could without dropping her. “I'm still not even sure what's wrong with you...”
“Maybe you haven't... seen this before?” She coughed. “Maybe... You need to try something new?”
“Like what?”
“Midnight...”
“What's wrong?”
“You're only carrying me for Advantage’s sake, aren't you?” she asked hoarsely.
“I mean...”
“What if Advantage... Gave me to you? Trusted you... With my life?”
“They'll come get you eventually, they love you too much.”
Elegiac shook her head. “But what about you?”
“What about me? Last I checked you almost killed me twice.”
“Can you trust me?” She began to tug her foreleg away from him. “I can walk there if you trust me.”
Midnight sighed. “Go for it. I'm not doubting your strength I just...”
Elegiac stood on all fours, looking back at him with a crooked head.
“So you can walk,” he noted.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
Midnight turned and trotted toward a large manor in the city. “Don't you trust me?” He smirked.
She trotted by his side despite her weakened state. “I only asked because I know of an old remedy that might help me...”
“And what remedy is that?”
“If you can trust me, I’ll tell you what you need to do.” She coughed again. “But I need some more bed rest.”
Midnight took her claw with his hoof. “Don't overdo it. Advantage will want to see you back at your peak.”
Elegiac smiled and nodded.
The two changelings trotted into the abandoned manor. Dust filled the air inside the old building. Midnight’s eyes quickly covered several familiar places around the entryway.
There was the dining room on the right, the kitchen right next to it, and the stairs to the bedroom on the left, just through the living room. Midnight turned his head around the corner. The couch was still there. He turned around. That old blanket was still on the dining room table. His head hurt. The locations were all correct but this house seemed much smaller last time he was here.
“So where’s the bed?” Elly asked.
Midnight gestured toward the stairs on the far side. “Come on, I'll help you up...”
She trotted past him and collapsed on the couch.
He sighed with a smile. “That's... Not the bed.”
“Well, it's good enough for me.” She nuzzled into the cushion.
Midnight's memories of his past clawed the space behind his eyes. He tried to ignore the sentiment.
“Are you feeling alright?” he asked her.
No response. She was already asleep.
Midnight went upstairs to the bedroom to find a blanket for her. The stairs were the same height, which he found almost odd. At the top, he turned to his right to find the door to the bedroom, but also a hallway around the next corner. The second floor was as big as the first, contrary to his memories.
“I suppose I wasn't in the best mental state when I was first here,” he noted as he opened the door to the bedroom.
Inside was a bedroom he recognized. The closet at the far side seemed almost out of place, with another changeling standing there in all of his memories. He shook off the sentiment.
“At least they cleaned up the broken mirror,” he said as he pulled the comfy blanket off of the bed.
Midnight trotted back down the stairs and laid the blanket over Elly as she slept. He tried to smile, defying the eerie aura of dread looming over him from his memories.
Agitated, he decided to explore some of these “new” rooms. He started with the first floor, trotting past the living room and the kitchen onward through the unseen hall that appeared to be hiding yet another room.
A clean, white sheet had been draped over the door on his left, opposite the kitchen. He pulled it away and opened the door.
It was a large bedroom, presumably for the owner of the house. Large clouds of dust swirled around in the draft. The bed here was large enough for two, and two night stands accompanied it. Opposite the bed was what appeared to be some kind of writing desk. A box of crayons and a picture frame sat on top, coated with dust. His curiosity getting the better of him, he picked up and blew the dust off of the frame to see the picture inside.
The dust was persistent. Midnight grabbed the white sheet and wiped it clean. As the gray sheet fell away, he could see a deteriorated photo of a somehow familiar crystal pony couple. At least, the mare in the picture seemed familiar. Most of the photo had deteriorated too far, and the stallion’s “face” was unrecognizable. Midnight sighed and placed the picture back on the desk.
He turned his attention to the box of crayons. They too had accumulated quite a bit of dust over the years. Looking into the still open box, all of the crayons appeared to be gray. Midnight shook his head, refusing the urge to dust each crayon off. Instead, he pulled out a single crayon to dust off; it was the most worn and used one in the box, reduced to a rounded stump at its end while the others still had points. He wrapped a white part of the sheet around the gray crayon with his magic. He pulled the gray away to find the crayon just as colorless as before. He tried again. He pulled more gray away to find no change. He tried again, as hard as he could. He pulled the sheet away to reveal no change. He breathed in and blew as hard as he could. Nothing flew off of it.
Midnight sighed as he realized it was just a gray crayon. He dropped it back in the box.
He left the bedroom behind and returned to the living room. The unicorn tucked the blanket under the sleeping kelpie.
He looked up and saw gray writing on the walls: Several sets of tally marks counted to almost 40 with the words: “Fallen to dust, No hope left” scrawled around them. Midnight took a step back. He turned his head toward Elegiac and saw the blanket was still covering her on the couch. He looked back and the wall as clean.
Midnight blinked several times. He touched the wall with his hoof. He dragged his hoof down it. It was clean, not even a speck of dust.
“A rational mind, but a bit weary on generalizations...” a female voice spoke from behind him.
Midnight turned around, his gaze on Elegiac again. She was still asleep under the covers. He slowly trotted past her, toward the bedroom.
“So I guess the question becomes...” the voice continued, coming from the bedroom.
Midnight turned the corner to find the same crystal mare from the picture sitting on the bed. She smiled at him.
She crooked her head slightly. “Do you believe in ghosts?”