//------------------------------// // 5 - Kindling // Story: Metamorphosis // by PaintSplotch //------------------------------// “We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” ―Ray Bradbury The walk across the Hudson River Bridge went faster than I thought. I sometimes stopped along the way. The thought of rushing...deep...cold water would often leave me feeling paralyzed. If I thought hard enough, I could almost remember how it felt to have my lungs being filled with water. When that happened, Yuri would gently push me until I started to move again. It got to a point where I would just hold onto his harness handle with my teeth and just let him guide me along. It kept me going and I felt so much better once we were back on solid ground. The march went slower than the trek from the National Forest to Beacon. We took several breaks, so I could look over Yuri's paw. It seemed to be healing well, but I made sure to apply antibiotic cream and bandages every so often. He was more patient than usual and allowed me to fuss over his injury. The wagon from earlier was an absolute godsendt, and even though the tires were filled with air and rolled smoothly over the dirt footpaths, I wanted to avoid paved roads if I could due to the fact that they’re absolute murder on hooves. I had no way to really be sure what my new chitinous skin was made from, but if it was keratin, it would wear down on roads. They were already a little sore, but I figured it's because my new body wasn't trained up as much as my human one was. I was going to have to endurance train all over again. That’ll be fun. When the position of the sun indicated it was noon, we stopped to eat lunch. I poured a bowl of dog food for Yuri and cracked open a can of ravioli for me. I ate it cold. The weather was warm and pleasant enough where a fire wasn’t necessary. So nice in fact, that it prompted us to lay in the shade and take a nap. The rest of the hike was uneventful. I was astounded to find that I was actually getting used to the absence of people. As I trudged on, I could see that the woods were beginning to reclaim the land. Weeds and grasses were beginning to push up through cracks in the roads, which made me ponder just how long it'd take before there wouldn't be any roads left at all. Just greenery as far as the eye could see. I suppose that it would definitely make traveling a bit different, but I also noticed that the air was more sweeter and felt more... 'clean' than I have ever known it to be. Well, either that, or I was starting to go bonkers from the lack of human interaction. The tall buildings and highways gave way to the green rural countryside. Fields of unripe corn and wheat marked the way towards our next destination. When we spotted Newton’s welcome sign, it was beginning to go into late afternoon. It was then that in the setting sun, that I noticed it. It was completely and utterly dark. The street lamps were off, houses were dark and digital signs were blank. The power was definitely out. I'm surprised it hung in there for this long. The only places with power now, I reckoned, were places that use hydroelectric power. Las Vegas for example, was probably going to be the last place on earth to be lit with electrical power. Hoover Dam was going to keep it alive for a long time. Eventually, that too will fail, but not for a few years at least. I didn't need light. I could actually see well in the dark now, but there's something comforting about having a steady light in the darkness. My body may have changed, but I still have a human brain and comfort from light is part of the human condition. When man first harnessed fire, they were able to banish the fear brought on by darkness. Thousands of years later the same is true, even if I’m in a different body. I was happy to find that the town indeed has a pharmacy. I would try to raid it the next day; I was hella tired. A six hour march will do that to you for sure. I'm sure Yuri was also tired despite the breaks to check his paw. We fell into a routine, which was to search for an open house to spend the night and leave it how we found it. Newton was smaller than Beacon. Instead of squished up townhouses on crowded streets, there were actual houses here. I chose an inviting looking house near the pharmacy; it seemed like a good place to set up for the night. The door had a knob, which I had to open up with my mouth. I resolved to gargle a bottle of Listerine if they had it. However, it was not to be. When I opened the door I could see tons of pairs of reflective eyes looking back at me with hisses and mews. This house had an ungodly amount of cats in it! Hungry cats were perched on every available surface. They just stared at us in the growing darkness. I found myself backing up from the doorway. I didn't fancy tangoing with an entire clowder of angry and hungry felines. I doubt they could bite through my shell, but I had Yuri to worry about. I left the door open and backed away into the the street. Out from the doorway ran what I estimated to be about thirty cats. All of them ran into the road and disappeared into separated directions. I decided it was best to find another house. After a little searching, I managed to find a house that wasn't stuffed full of cats. It was a small but cozy house. Looking at the pictures revealed it to be owned by an elderly couple. Old Military awards and a carefully folded up American flag decorated the mantle. Seeing pictures of the old lady made my heart ache for my grandmother. I pushed it aside and did the customary search for axe murderers and ghosts hanging around. It was all clear. The wagon was small enough to pull into the house, where I unhitched myself. Even with a comfortable harness and a slow pace, it left me feeling tired and sore. I was happy that my wings felt better and the crinkles were starting to disappear. I set out dinner on the living room floor and lit a battery powered lamp. I kept it on a low setting and it lit up the room in a soothing warm glow. I was pleased to see there was a book case with several interesting books. Most were military in nature, but there were some on more mundane topics. I decide to choose one about the accounts of Navy SEALs. Navy SEALs were up there with what I wanted to do in life. Well… being a Forest Ranger wasn't exactly the same as being a SEAL. I figured that there were things I could still learn. I decided to read aloud, it filled the quiet and gave Yuri something to listen to. Soon the fatigue from the road was too much and once again, Yuri and I piled up together. With him yet again watching out for me, I fell into a deep sleep. . . . My wrists hurt. I looked at the test in front of me, but I couldn’t read it. I frowned. I was back in high school and this was my final exam. I couldn't recall exactly what class this is. I'm pretty sure I never studied for it. I could recognize that I was in a classroom, but the colors and shape shifted constantly. There were deep cracks in the wall, which were hastily patched with everything from duck tape to smears of glue. Every so often, the room would shake and motes of dust and gravel descended from the ceiling. A man sat at the teacher's desk, but his face was blurred out. No matter what, I couldn't focus on him enough to figure out who he was. Behind him was an old school chalkboard, where a picture of a horse drawn in blue chalk. Also drawn on the horse was a mane of stars and a picture of a crescent moon on its hindquarters. Hrm. The door behind me thumped. Muffled screams echoed in the distance as the door violently shook. For now, it held fast. I looked up at the clock to see how much time is left for my test, but it too was unreadable. If I failed this, I would probably die. I tried to pick up my pencil with my hoof, but it simply vanished out of existence. Blood splatters appeared on my test. I sighed when I realized that, once again, my wrists were bleeding. Goddammit. I hate these kind of dreams, I thought. “I have never seen one, so full of worries as you,” said a familiar voice. I looked up at the chalkboard, to see the drawing on it warp and change. The simple horse gained a horn and wings, while little, white drawings of stars erupted in its mane and tail. The drawing turned and looked at me. I knew who this was. I'd seen them before. “You aren't so loud this time.” I watched as the drawing began to exit the chalkboard. It drew ambient chalk dust around to give itself more mass and shape. After a few shakes, it pulled itself free and stood. “You were in great turmoil. I had to be sure you at least heard some comfort as I vanquished the nightmare.” The creature flapped its wings. “Yeah, well...” I waved a foreleg, splattering blood on the desk. The look on the creature's face was one of shock as it saw my lack of concern. “I wasn't in the best state of mind then. With the dead body I found and all.” “I see...” the creature spoke in a careful and measured voice. “Are you in a better state now?” “No,” I simply answered. “I will probably never be in a good state of mind for the rest of my life. It's just a fact.” The creature seemed put off by this. It eyed the cracks in the walls and the shaking door. “I do not understand...” it finally spoke. “With the spell, you should have been completely healed of all damage.” “What spell?” It was my turn to eye the chalk horse. “What do you mean healed? Just who the hell are you?” “I am Princess Luna, sovereign ruler of the night and protector of dreams.” She spread her wings, ignoring my rudely worded question. “I hail from a land called Equestria. We have been watching Earth for quite some time.” “Dreams, huh? So, your name isn't also Morpheus, then?” She gave me a look. “Sorry, uh… just a joke. So, um… you're an alien then?” I pointed in her direction. She tried hard not to watch the blood splatter as a result. “Are you the reason why everyone disappeared? Did you… did you abduct them?” “Nay. Do not fear for them, they have been safely sent away for now. They will return one day. There are still others out there, just vastly scattered.” She strode over closer to my desk as she continued to speak.“There was a great death swiftly approaching your world. My sister and I could not bear to see such a prosperous and clever species be destroyed in an instant. So we crafted a spell that would allow humanity to survive this disaster.” “Is that why I'm a bug-monster?” I wasn't always the brightest crayon in the box, but I could see where this was going. “Nay, you are a changeling… but… not.” Shit, I didn't like how uncertain an intergalactic alien horse sounded. She must have seen my face, so she elaborated. “You have the body of a changeling. You are not a Queen, you are not a male and you are not quite a drone. Your brain is more like a pony. Something… something must have gone amiss. The spell is far from perfect.” “Oh. So I'm a freak. I'm messed up no matter what I am.” I sighed. That's jusssst what I needed to hear. Not only was I a bug monster, I wasn't even a proper bug monster. Great. “Gee… thanks for that.” “You are no freak. For one, it is a blessing. I would not be able to speak with you, were you purely a changeling. I only regret that the spell apparently has failed to heal the injuries in your brain.” “Those aren't physical injuries.” I twisted in my seat to gesture at the cracks and the still screaming door. “They are psychological ones. Those just can't be whisked away in an instant.” “There were no mind healers for you?” “Yeah, well, they did try. But you don't survive your psychopath father inflicting every kind of abuse imaginable on you and your mom on a daily basis and then have him murder her and then try to drown you to death without some permanent psychological scarring.” I leaned on my desk. The test faded away as soon as I stopped paying attention to it. “The fact I'm still alive is a miracle.” She looked at my wrists again. “Yes, I see.” A wave of utter fatigue washed over me. I felt so heavy and weak. “I'm sorry… I'm just really tired.” It was exhaustive just saying that all outright. But I figured if an alien could somehow get in my head to see my dreams, they would be able to find out anyway. “Then rest.” She bent her head down and kissed me gently under my horn. The same warm feeling came over me. My wrists didn't hurt anymore. I glanced down to see that all the blood was gone. The screaming had stopped. The room wasn't shaking anymore. “We will speak again,” her voice echoed off as I closed my eyes. I woke as the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. I stood up and stretched, surprised to hear that I still had bones to pop. Yuri also stretched, groaning and moaning like an old man as he did so. I chuckled as I went about to get breakfast ready. Dog food with a dog cookie for Yuri and some creamed corn for me! Again, all cold. I should try to find a portable stove in town today, or something. As I busied myself, I pondered over my dream last night. It was strange to imagine that an actual alien horse princess from another world has taken an active interest in me. If what she says is true, than people are just… somewhere else for now. When they came back, would they look anything like me? She mentioned that I have a 'pony' brain. Would they be like the dead person I found then? If so… then Grandma was either already taken or changed; and either way, I had to hurry home and see. What if she was turned into a little old pony? It would be just as bad as being left alone as a human. I had to have faith; Gram was tough. She could get through this. I still wasn't too happy that I'm somehow a bootlegged version of a changeling. Something must have gotten lost in translation. Maybe my psychological issues had something to do with it? There was no way to know for sure and that infuriated me. Perhaps next time we talked, we could talk more in length about it. What she said left a lot more questions than answers. For now, I needed to take care of my medicine problem. Of course the fucking pharmacy would be locked. That goes to show how lucky I am. I cased the joint, looking through windows and trying to find a way in. It was the same story, though: bars on the windows, thick walls, metal grates and impossible for a bug-monster and a dog to get in. Sorry, but ‘bug-monster’ sounds a lot better than 'changeling'. I'm sticking with it. I found a few cars in the parking lot still. I knew how to drive… just not with the anatomy I have now. However, the cars gave me a plan. If I couldn't get in the normal way, I could bash my way in! If I could use a vehicle, I could perhaps use it to make a hole in the pharmacy's wall. Then I could crawl my way in and grab what I needed. After Looking around for a bit,  I chose a rather rugged looking truck. I figured it would survive hitting the wall a lot better than a little car. There was a bottle of Mountain Dew on the seat, which was unopened. The truck keys were actually in the ignition, ready to be turned on. Perhaps the person was getting ready to leave when they vanished? Maybe my luck was looking up! Now to rig the truck up where it would go without me actually sitting in it. I found a car jack, along with some other tools stashed behind the seat. It was also the truck was a two wheel drive. This wasn't going to work with a four wheeled one. I propped up the back end using a jack so that the wheels were an inch or so above the ground. Now all I needed to do was start the truck, put it in drive and put a big heavy stone on the gas pedal. Ferris Bueller would be proud. I stood back and admired my work so far. The truck roared as the back wheels spun so fast they blurred. The only thing keeping it from speeding off was the jack, holding up the back. “Stand back, Yuri!” I gestured. Yuri obediently backed up until he was at the edge of the parking lot. “Stay!” He immediately parked his rear on the gravel and tilted his head at me. I took a deep breath and kicked the jack as hard as I could. With a loud squeak the back end of the truck slammed hard into the pavement. Free of the jack, the truck zoomed right at the building's wall. I watched as it drew closer and closer before the truck smashed into the side with a loud crash! Chunks of brick and dust rained down on the sizable hole in the wall where the truck stopped. It was quiet, save for the hiss of steam coming from under the hood. I could look inside to see a ruined cash register and a few knocked over shelves. Yes! I cheered and danced around. For once something went according to— KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM! An invisible wave of air pressure and heat knocked me off my hooves and onto my side. The truck erupted into a literal ball of fire. I scrambled around to look at it and I saw the building buckle from the force of the explosion. My eyes stung from the intensity of the fire and heat and light lit up the area in shades of red and yellow. I gasped, watching as the building groaned and shook from the heat of the flames. I could hear popping noises as the medicine bottles inside exploded. The roof shuddered and collapsed around the truck. There was a foul smell as black oily smoke rose into the air. Shit! Yuri came running and began to nudge me to my hooves. He whined as pieces of brick and flaming paper dropped out of the sky around us. I could tell that he was nervous. Oh shit fucking fuck! I got up as he fussed over me, looking to see if I was hurt as I got up. As soon as I was steady, I turned right around and swiftly walked away from the fire. Yuri followed, looking worriedly back at the flames.  He had every right to be, I just set a building on fucking fire! God, I'm stupid as hell. I should have known something like that would have happened! There was no hope of putting that out. The building itself was far away from other buildings and surrounded by pavement. Hopefully, it wouldn't spread. I hope. My heart pounded as I picked up my pace as we raced to where my wagon is stashed. Time to get the fuck out of here before I make everything worse!