Amie sat silently by the window, watching traffic in the city pass. She could have fled into that town, but somehow the outlook of such an attempt did not seem promising.
“Motherlode” had maybe three large streets in total, with a dozen structures scattered across the cliffside. There would be no way to vanish into the crowd here. Not unless she could change the way she looked.
Was stealing a body permanent?
The face staring back at her from the glass wasn’t her own, but neither was the stupid bug she’d been trapped as for the last month. If she could only have one, this seemed preferable. Her features were graceful, rather than angular. Most importantly, she didn’t have soulless compound eyes. This was better.
An alien who was a horse had died so she could have this body, it was true. But she hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger. I stole your body, Gale. But I saved your partner. I hope you can forgive me.
The door banged open, and Sawbones reappeared in the doorway. He waved her inside, and she followed. She left her saddlebags in the connecting room—but if the locals thought they were strange, no one had said so yet. Maybe they assumed they were special military issue.
Tailslide lay in a hospital bed against the far wall. Though there was an absence of modern sensors attached to his body, he did have an IV running into one leg, with a sealed glass bottle filled with something clear attached to it.
His eyes were open as they approached, fully alert. Strangest of all, his injured leg hung over the thin hospital blanket—and she saw no injury. No missing patches of fur, no sign of the wounds.
“I don’t know what kind of thread you used—” the doctor said, as they crossed to the bedside. “I poked around once he took the regenerative, but I couldn’t find them. Canterlot has magical sutures now?”
Amie shrugged absently. “I used what was in the trauma kit. Where’s the wound?”
Now it was the doctor’s turn to stare. Confusion radiated from him, aimed squarely at her. That was something she should understand. “We have healing potions for the worst wounds,” he said. “I used enough to get him on his hooves overnight. But when you take him back, don’t let them send him to duty for at least a week. Freshly healed flesh tends to tear when you strain your magic too hard.”
“I won’t, doctor,” Tailslide said. He spoke clearly now, slur gone. His eyes focused instantly on Amie, and never looked away. He remembered her. Was this the part where she had to run?
“I’m going to turn him over to you once he gets another liter in him,” Sawbones continued. “You two go ahead and catch up. I’ll be in my office if anything happens.”
He vanished down the hall, leaving the door open.
Amie settled down on her haunches beside the bed. At least there was a blanket this time. There was no chance of accidentally seeing more than she wanted.
“You really did it,” he said, finally breaking that long, awkward silence. “You got me all the way to Motherlode. Saved my bucking life.”
She nodded. She kept her voice low—no telling how good that doctor’s hearing really was. “Told you I would.”
“I don’t… understand you,” he whispered back, exasperated. “You’re in danger here. Even Motherlode knows what your kind did in Canterlot. Everypony knows someone who lost a relative in the invasion. Thousands and thousands of ponies, gone.”
He believed what he was saying. Only this time, it wasn’t just anger in his words. Some of that was worry, for her. “I would never ‘invade’ anyone,” she said. “I’m out here to save my brother. Do you have any siblings, Tailslide?”
He nodded. “Three sisters. All younger.”
“Then you know how I feel,” she said. Her face felt damp with tears, but she couldn’t stop now. “It’s my fault he’s here. He should be warm in his bed back in Portland. But I pressured him to come to camp with me. I’m the reason he’s in danger.”
She sniffed, wiping her face with one hoof. The fur was much better at it than the shiny black stuff had ever been. “I hope the Motherlode horses didn’t attack him, like you did—but no one mentioned an attack on the town. God, if he died while I was distracted—”
She felt something on her shoulder—his leg. The injured one, though there was no blood anymore. “What kind of changeling are you?”
“I’m not!” she whimpered, but didn’t pull away. How long had it been since someone held her? “I’m a human being. Or I’m supposed to be. I’ve been cursed. Ever see The Princess and the Frog? I’m the ugliest, mangiest frog you ever saw.”
“I… believe you.” She felt it, almost before she heard it. His compassion. Pity, mostly. But there was gratitude too, and amazement. For her, not the body she had stolen. It filled her in a way no refreshments the miners gave ever could.
Hoofsteps sounded from behind them, and the doctor reappeared. “Looks like the saline is all in. I’d keep you overnight, but company policy—I’m not allowed, unless you’re dying. But I have some good news. There’s a bunkhouse waiting for you, just up the road.”
Amie blinked, looked over her shoulder. The stallion was still holding her. She broke away from him, ears tucking behind her head. Half the town would be thinking they were together now. “Oh! That’s great, doctor. Thank you for everything.”
He strode past her, and went about removing the IV, and applying a little bandage to the area. “My work is done, Anemone. Unfortunately, yours has just begun.”
He levitated over a little cloth bag, clattering with the sound of glass inside. A large scroll protruded from its neck. “I have instructions for you, or whatever pony arrives to take you both. Keep him drinking so often he hates it, and he’s pissing clear. With the blood he lost, he needs at least a bushel of beets, however he prefers. But don’t let him skimp.”
He lowered his voice. “So many ponies think the healing was in the magic. But the real healing comes from your own body, after the fact. Give the body what it needs, and he’ll be good as new. Skimp on it now, and he’ll eat himself up trying to heal. Do you understand?”
She nodded. Beets, not beef. Maybe this world didn’t have cows. “I’ll make sure.”
“Good. A few days taking it easy on that leg, and he should be fit to fly again. Don’t let him into the air until then.” He lifted the blanket, stepping aside from Tailslide. “I’m serious, Tailslide. You feel good, but you’re really a sponge left out in the sun. If you try to push your body, you’ll collapse. Don’t want to do that at altitude.”
Tailslide lifted one wing to a salute. “I understand, doctor. This young mare got me this far, I’m sure she’ll keep me honest.”
He rolled out of bed. He managed to put real weight on his leg, despite the gunshot less than a day ago.
These aliens might not have the same medical tech we do, but maybe they don’t need it. They can just regenerate a gunshot.
Her mind raced with the possibilities, down avenues she hadn’t dared consider until then. Could they cure her of being a hideous bug? Could they save all the people in camp, change them back to normal?
At least a group of humans wouldn’t have strange instincts and a restrictive diet to work with.
I did promise my kids I’d find a way to help them.
She remembered the phone in her saddlebags then, along with the crude metal satellite dish meant to get her reception to Stella Lacus’s intranet. Maybe she could take a look at that tonight.
Wes should still have his phone! If he’s in town, I can just message him!
Why hadn’t she thought of that during the hours she sat in the waiting room? Amie couldn’t curse herself for her stupidity—Tailslide was still weak. He only made it a few steps before it was obvious how much help he still needed. Amie walked up alongside. This time he lifted a wing, resting it on her shoulder.
That would never have worked for a bug—but these “pegasus” wings were much stronger.
A friendly old miner waited outside, complete with pickaxe and missing teeth. He led them up the hill a short way, to a row of identical bunkhouses. They were far from luxury affairs, but at least they had real windows, and a door that would shut.
He offered her the key, holding it out in his hoof. Like most of the people in town, he lacked wings or a horn. She hadn’t seen a horn on anyone but the doctor, in fact.
“Expenses covered by the Crown,” he said. “Quartermaster’s already been informed about your needs. You’ll have the best, plus whatever doctor says you need. If there’s anything else, supervisor’s house is the pretty one up on the hill, the one with the garden.”
Just like that he was off, heading straight down the hill. Amie could smell on his breath where he was going—one of the few structures in town still lit, the bar.
Firelight already glowed from inside the house, shining through a crack in the door. Tailslide looked it over, eyes narrowing. “Thought I was over living in places like this when I joined the guard. Living on land again…”
She fumbled with the key, and eventually gave up even trying to use her hooves for it. She just stuck it into her mouth, then twisted in the lock. Her cheeks warmed as she did it, but Tailslide didn’t react. Doing things with her mouth apparently wasn’t that strange.
The interior was better than she expected—about the same as an unremarkable motel. A single large bed off to one side, with clean but plain bedding atop it. They had their own bathroom at least, and it even seemed to have a shower and sink inside.
But instead of electric lights, there were honest-to-God gas lamps, solid metal fixtures that glowed with pale pilot lights. Tailslide seemed to know how to turn them up, illuminating the interior with the same orange flames as glowed on the streets outside.
No couch, she thought. Good thing I packed a sleeping bag.
“I am… not sure what I imagined, when they assigned me to guard ‘Changeling Mountain,’” he muttered. He stumbled over to the table, staring longingly at the heavy glass containers of food.
Heat radiated from several. The smell should’ve been inviting to her. But there was a subtle undertone of something off about it all. Just slightly expired, the same as all the not-meat at camp smelled.
Well the meat smelled like that too, she just didn’t puke it up afterwards.
“I got you.” She removed a plate from the cupboard, then opened each of the trays in turn, placing each one within reach. “Can’t say I expected—any of this, either. The school year should be starting back up around now. I would be learning—nurse stuff. Instead, look at me.”
She settled her saddlebags onto the ground at her hooves, removing most of what they contained before she got to her phone. She switched it on, then carried it over to the table. There were no chairs, so she had to sit on the carpet, opposite Tailslide and his feast.
“You look like my squad leader,” he whispered. “Tough, brave—Gale died a hero. Did you… ever tell me why you were out there in the first place?”
The screen lit up. “Mesh Size: 2 devices. 1 new message:”
“Amie—I hope you get this. I got to the town. The people here seem pretty nice. A little weird. They seemed really scared when they asked me if I was a ‘changeling’ so I told them no. I said I was a kelpie.
I hope you’re okay. I heard gunshots… thought about coming back to help. Sorry I didn’t. Listen, when you get close to this town, you should probably not come inside. I asked, and I think changeling is their word for whatever you are.
They know we live on the next mountain over, and they’re terrified of us.
I asked around, and they found me somewhere to work caring for the chickens. Farmer just moved out—I’m safe, okay? Don’t worry about me. You don’t have to rush in and rescue me.”
Amie started crying all over again. Tailslide set his food down, watching her with renewed concern. “Something wrong?”
She shook her head. “My brother. He’s safe. I… one sec, I just need to send him a message.”
There was barely any signal to the other device—that meant a call probably wouldn’t work. But she could take out the stylus, and type out a quick message. “I’m safe too, Wes. I am nearby. If you can come to me, I’m in the top bunkhouse on Steel Street. I’ll put something in the window for you to know it’s the right house. Ask for Tailslide.”
She sat back, watching until the word “Delivered” appeared on her screen. Then she grinned, so wide she started crying all over again.