Finding Serenity

by M1ghtypen

Tricked

“It don’t make sense,” Thunderlane whispered as he watched Tick Tock bandage Mjolna’s leg. She winced every time the doctor touched her, and shook with the effort of holding still. “How’s she still alive?”

“The rope was caught on her harness,” Octavia said. “I suppose the pony hanging her failed to notice in the dark.”

Lyra was talking quietly with the changeling hunter, and looked less happy with the situation by the moment. After a while she nodded and tried to shake Mjolna’s hoof, but the earth pony pulled away. “I do not like to be touched,” she explained. “It is not personal.”

The Captain called for the rest of her crew and locked the doors so that nopony could listen in. She even made all of them touch an iron nail to be sure they weren't changelings in disguise. “Things have gotten a bit out of control,” she said when she was sure that they were alone.

Octavia held open the note that had been pinned to Mjolna’s harness and read it aloud: “Leave while you can. You have one hour. The sheriff’s dead, so nopony is coming to help you. We only want the bugs.”

“Surrender Dorothy,” her wife added gloomily.

Lyra snatched the note and crumpled it up. "Forget about the torches and pitchforks," she said. "We might have a bigger problem than some angry villagers. Mjolna thinks that one of the changelings around here isn't what she's pretending to be, and I don't mean just playing at being a pony for a customer."

"A murderer," Mjolna explained. "An old acquaintance, as it happens. Her name is Chitur, and she is one of the most dangerous criminals I ever hunted. I would have caught her during the war if I hadn't been... detained." She shivered and reached up to touch her jaw.

A terrible, sick feeling was building in the pit of Lyra's stomach. She had seen that kind of nervous behavior before. "Ezra?” she asked.

Mjolna's hoof dropped to her side, and her jaw tightened. Her eyes lost a bit of their focus and intensity. It wasn't quite a thousand yard stare, but it was headed in that direction. "That's right. I spent three months digging in the mud and the dark while soldiers in purple coats watched us work. Over time, we saw that those of us pulling carts lasted longer than the diggers.”

Her lips pulled back in a humorless smile to show her false teeth. A pony missing those teeth wouldn't be able to hold a pickaxe or a shovel, but they'd also have a very hard time eating or talking. "I made... arrangements. A pony can sacrifice all sorts of things in the name of survival.”

Lyra met her gaze without blinking. "I know."

As they stared at each other a silent understanding was reached. "Serenity Valley," Mjolna murmured. "Of course you do."

It was too easy to dwell on the ghosts of the pasts, and there just wasn't time for it. Lyra forced any unpleasant memories as far away as she could and tried to focus on more immediate concerns. “Thunderlane, get back up to the attic and keep an eye out. Let us know when the shooting’s about to start. Vinyl, you and Derpy get back on the ship. You’ll do the most good there. The rest of us need to figure out how we’re going to find Mjolna’s changeling.”

“It will not be easy,” the hunter warned. “I spent eight months chasing Chitur across three different planets. She is very smart. In the beginning I used cold iron to expose her, but she discovered that mimicking another changeling would make the iron test useless.”

“Could be worse," Lyra said. "At least she's not a queen. I hear that iron doesn't burn them at all, so they’re practically impossible to expose.”

Mjolna nodded in agreement. “Once we find her, we will have to subdue her. That could be even more difficult; she has been here for weeks, if not months. A changeling that has been feeding for so long can be almost impossible to kill without the use of iron. The more love they consume, the more punishment they can take.”

Octavia cleared her throat politely. “I was under the impression that changelings prefer to replace ponies in positions of power.”

“That would normally be foolish,” Mjolna said. “It attracts too much attention. Then again, Chitur was always vain and may not be in her right mind anymore. It’s possible that she would make a mistake like that.”

“What would happen to the ponies around her?” Lyra asked. “What kind of effect does a changeling have when she feeds on a pony?”

Mjolna shrugged. “It is not always the same. Boxxy Brown’s wife was the latest victim, I think. She became paranoid near the end. Some ponies get depressed or become angry at nothing. Many times, young foals become quite ill.”

“And if one was a recovering alcoholic? Could she go back to drinking?” Mjolna nodded, and Lyra began to feel a little nauseous. She was going to need a long, cleansing shower when all of this was over. “I think I know who we’re after. Mjolna, you need to stay here with Tick Tock. You’ll probably just slow us down. The rest of us are going to split up and find Colgate.”

The others left right away, but Lyra stayed behind for a word in private. "We won't be able to stop them, will we?" she asked. "They'll try to burn this place to the ground even after we give them what they want."

"It's possible," Mjolna admitted. "Boxxy Brown was well respected before all of this. If he has his way, we'll be dead by noon. He blames this place for his wife’s death just as much as the changeling that killed her; he was sleeping here instead of in his own bed."

"Perfect," Lyra said with a tired sigh. For a moment she had a terrible feeling that she was forgetting something. “Have you seen a crazy little earth pony around here? I think we might have lost her again.”

*****

It was no minor annoyance to be stuck in an attic all alone. Thunderlane wished the angry mob would get a move on, because he felt like he would go insane if he had to stay in such a confined space for much longer. At least Rose had been able to entertain him, but with all that was going on he couldn't risk letting her keep him company.

The attic’s door swung open behind him, and his changeling climbed up through the hole in the floor. Speak of Discord, Thunderlane thought as he put one of his legs around her. “Sorry, la mei. You can’t be up here.”

“Why not?” she asked, a little hurt at being refused. “You said I could help!”

“Captain’s orders,” he sighed. “Some business about a killer changeling runnin’ around. Lyra wants me to keep watch alone until they've sorted it out. It sounds like a load of niou fun to me, but I've been wrong before.”

Rose pulled away. “Fine,” she grumbled sullenly as she backed away.

“We’ll play later,” Thunderlane promised.

The distinctive sound of a shotgun being pumped made his blood run cold. “I’d rather play now.”

Thunderlane instinctively leapt into the air moments before his chair was blasted to pieces. The gunshot was deafening, and shards of wood cut into his flank. He crashed into the wall, unable to fly in such a confined space, and scrambled across the floor as another load of buckshot skimmed through the top of his mane.

He tumbled down the access ladder and into Daisy, knocking both of them to the ground. “Don’t just stand there!” he snapped. “Run!” Daisy rose above him on shaky legs, a haunting green light shining from her eyes. He wasted a moment gaping at her before snapping back to his senses. “Never mind! I’ll run. You stay here.”

Daisy’s friend, a diamond dog with a name that he couldn't remember, snuck up behind him and wrapped her paws around his throat. “Hold him still!” Rose called from the attic, her voice deepening into the multi-pitched warble of a changeling.

Vision chose that moment to peek around the corner. Thunderlane managed to roll his eyes even though he was in the middle of being throttled. I hate this job, he thought as Daisy tried to grab her. I should have just stayed on the ship.

A swift blow to the dog’s sternum freed him, and he bowled Daisy over on his way to Vision. “Quit squirmin’!” he snarled as he snatched her off the ground. He rocketed down the hallway, feathers lightly brushing the walls as he tried to ignore the painful twinge in his wing. He hadn't completely finished healing from his fight with Horte Cuisine, and Vision's added weight wasn't doing his damaged muscles any favors.

Rose fired after them, and almost nicked Thunderlane’s wing. The wall exploded, pelting them with dust and splinters as Vision screamed. “Pipe down!” he shouted. Soon they would be at the stairs, and he could finally get out of the line of fire.

Colgate trotted into the hallway, a gold-plated pistol floating in her magic. “Gorram dirty whores!” Thunderlane spat as he quickly dropped to the ground. The slug that could have killed him buried itself in the ceiling and showered them with powdered plaster.

He was out of options, and had no time to think of a way out. The recoil had pushed Colgate’s revolver off target, but it would only take her a split second to line up another shot. He could hear Rose pumping her shotgun behind him. In moments he and Vision would be dead.

His eyes settled on a nearby window. “This is the worst whorehouse ever,” he complained as he clutched Vision tightly to his chest. He threw himself across the hall and into the glass, bending his wings around the earth pony in a protective canopy.

Thunderlane had never jumped through a window before, but he knew that it didn't happen like in the movies. He braced for the pain, knowing that the jagged shards would cut him to ribbons. He could feel the jagged pieces sliding against his coat, and hoped that somepony would be able to patch him up before he lost too much blood.

It could have been the adrenaline that kept him from feeling anything, or maybe he was going into shock. He spread his wings shakily, clinging to Vision so tightly that she almost couldn't breathe, and glided down from the house’s second story. He landed a few hundred yards away next to Sereneighty and shook himself off. Broken glass flew in every direction.

Once he had settled down, he let Vision go and looked himself over. From his head to his hooves, there wasn't a mark on him apart from a few missing feathers. “Tzuh muh luh?” he asked, so surprised that it didn't even occur to him to feel relieved. “Why ain't I all cut up?”

Vision looked up at the window and snorted angrily. “Shouldn't have been throwing the ball inside. You could break something.” She reached up and plucked a shard of glass from Thunderlane’s mane. “You should be more careful.”

“Never can tell when you’re suddenly gonna start makin’ sense,” he said. “We’ve got to get back in there."

"Company!" Vision warned. She pointed to a large group of ponies that was approaching from the road into town. Thunderlane swore and yanked her away as the first gunshot cut through the morning air.

*****

Tick Tock stared up at the ceiling as though he could watch the action unfolding upstairs through the wood and masonry. “I think those were gunshots.”

“They were,” Mjolna confirmed. One of her hooves rested on her hammer's grip. "If we are fortunate, your friends just found Chitur and killed her. We'll be able to offer her to the townsfolk to make them back down."

"Then why are you grabbing your weapon?" he asked.

Mjolna smiled and pointed to her battered face. One of her eyes was swelling up, and her lip had been cut open by somepony’s hoof. The raw patches of skin around her jaw were starting to scab over, but would probably leave a permanent scar. "Do I look like a fortunate pony to you?" Her caution was vindicated only a few minutes later when Rose snuck into the kitchen. She pulled Tick Tock underneath the dining room table and clamped her hooves over his mouth.

The changeling awkwardly tried to adjust the shotgun strapped to her back. She was clearly not used to carrying a weapon at all, much less one so large. After making sure that she was alone, Rose opened the basement door and trotted down the stairs. “Funny,” Mjolna whispered. "I remember another house with a changeling in the basement. I burned that one down.”

“We have to tell somepony!” Tick Tock whispered. “She’s cornered down there. If you keep an eye on her, I’ll go find Lyra.”

Mjolna crawled out from beneath the table and grabbed her hammer. She wouldn't be able to slip into her harness, so she settled for resting the weapon across her shoulders. "You may look for whoever you like," she said. "I will be downstairs."

"You can't!" Tick Tock said. "You're injured, and she's got a gun. She'll kill you!"

"No," Mjolna argued. "She has tried before, and she failed. I will be back soon." She limped toward the basement, leaving the frustrated doctor beneath the table. Descending the stairs was tricky with two injured legs, but the steps were concrete and wouldn't squeak beneath her. She went slowly, setting each hoof down as gently as possible while holding her hammer at the ready.

The basement was pitch black, and she was smart enough to leave it that way. Changeling eyes often glowed in the dark when they were well fed, which made it difficult for them to hide. Mjolna breathed deeply, inhaling the faint ammonia smell that she had come to associate with changeling nests. Her ears swiveled, searching for any signs of life in the dank rooms beneath the whorehouse.

This wasn't the first time that she had been alone in the dark, and it wouldn't be the last. A changeling hunter's life mostly consisted of stalking through one gloomy, foreboding place after another. She had traversed caves, basements, mine shafts, and even sewers many times over the years. A good hunter learned to use the darkness instead of hiding from it.

A very faint echo led her to a door. It was just a supply cupboard, but the back had been dug out to form a small tunnel that led deeper underground. She followed it, crouched low and clutching her hammer in her teeth.

The telltale green glow of a nest caught her attention, and Mjolna peeked around an illuminated corner. Rose was standing in front of a glowing chrysalis of hardened changeling resin. Her victim was encased inside, dead to the world and trapped in a place halfway between dreams and reality.

Mjolna grimaced as her behavioral conditioning kicked in. She flicked her tail anxiously, reining in her feelings and suppressing them with cold logic. When she felt ready, she snuck up behind the changeling and cleared her throat.

Rose spun around and caught the iron hammer right across her face. Her disguise disappeared in a flash of green light as the chitin cracked and ignited. She fell with a wordless scream, thrashing about and clutching at her cheek as it sizzled.

For a moment it was tempting to gloat. Mjolna had spent a long time chasing this wretched creature, only to knock her out in a dark basement with no trouble at all. The urge to rub it in only lasted until she noticed the second chrysalis in the room. It was sitting directly behind the first, so in the gloom they had been difficult to tell apart. This one was empty, but she didn't think it would remain so for long.

"She isn't alone," Mjolna whispered, slowly backing away. "Celestia, help us. How many more?"

"Just the one," Chitur said from behind her. A flash of green light lit up the basement, and Mjolna collapsed in a heap on top of Rose. Her eyes rolled back in their sockets as she struggled to cling to consciousness. "Not to worry. I’ll fix that soon enough."

The earth pony's limp form was pressed against the green membrane of the second pod, and she began to sink inside. She struggled weakly as the green fluid filled her mouth and nose, then abruptly seized up and gave in to the sedation spell. "Hush now," Chitur whispered. "I've got work to do, and you could use the rest." As she gathered up Mjolna's things, she looked over Rose's ruined face. The younger changeling was probably going to die from her injuries.

It was a shame, really. She had shown promise.

*****

Lyra was quickly reaching the end of her patience. She and Octavia had scoured the attic for any signs of Thunderlane, but the pegasus had disappeared. His radio was still sitting next to his chair, and the walls had been blasted apart with one of his shotguns. “Somepony caught him by surprise,” Octavia said.

“Yeah,” the unicorn agreed. “At least there isn't any blood. It looks like he made it out alright.”

Octavia pointed to the window. “We seem to be out of time, sir.” Lyra followed her gaze and spat out a colorful string of profanity. A long procession of ponies was approaching from Forgeright with a brown pegasus out in front, heavily armed and out for blood.

“Ta ma de!” Lyra swore. “Come on!” She ran toward the stairs and nearly crashed headlong into Mjolna, who was hobbling along with her hammer clutched in her teeth. The head dragged the ground, bumping against the steps and scarring the wood.

The injured mare made it to the top of the stairs and sat down heavily, groaning in pain. “I looked for Chitur in the basement,” she said. “No luck.”

“Figures,” Lyra muttered. She heard some of the defenders downstairs opening fire, picking out the distinctive crack of Braeburn's rifle. “We’re out of time. Octavia, get downstairs and keep an eye on things. Try not to kill anypony, but don’t be afraid to wing them if they get too close. We need to buy as much time as we can. Mjolna, you’re with me. We'll check Colgate's room first.”

Octavia glanced nervously at Mjolna. “But, sir, I think –”

“It's alright,” Lyra said. She clapped Mjolna on the shoulder and grinned. “Don’t worry, ‘Tavi. We can handle this.” Octavia stared at her, then at the hoof on Mjolna's shoulder, and finally at Mjolna herself. She nodded politely and marched down the stairs to prepare the ranch's defenses.

Once they were alone, Mjolna trotted into Colgate's room and poured herself a drink. Green fire flared up around her, burning away her disguise and revealing the changeling underneath. It was obvious at a glance that she wasn't like the others; numerous fractures and scars crisscrossed the plates of chitin on her back and sides. Her eyes were tired, her hooves were cracked, and she was missing part of her horn. This was what a changeling looked like after it had been through Tartarus.

"What tipped you off?" she asked.

"Lots of things," Lyra said. "The blood on your hammer, for starters. You should've cleaned it off."

Chitur downed a shot of whiskey and went back for another. She reconsidered at the last moment and tossed her glass aside in favor of the whole bottle. "Hell with it," she grumbled sourly. "I used to be better at this. I was even good enough to fool the Ironbringer! That's no small thing, y'know?

"You've got one chance to turn yourself over peacefully," Lyra said. "This doesn't have to get bloody."

"You think I'm worried about blood?" Chitur asked. "I've seen more than my fair share, Captain. Didn't Mjolna tell you where she finished chasing me?" Lyra shook her head, and the changeling sneered disdainfully. "Reaver territory. She chased me into Reaver territory. I might be a criminal, but nobody deserves that."

Thoughts of Spitfire sprang to mind, and Lyra cringed. Changelings could sense the emotions of anypony nearby, much like a reader could sense thoughts. Being around Reavers was probably torture for them.

Chitur shut her eyes and drew in a shaky breath. There was a sob hidden in her voice, waiting to come to the surface at any moment. "There was so much pain. So much anger. There's only one logical thing to do when confronted with that kind of evil, Captain."

"And what's that?"

"You give up on logic altogether." Chitur looked out the window at the mob circling the house. "I can’t begin to describe what I saw," she said. "It made me realize how... how small we all are. I know what I have to do now; I want to make a safe place for changelings. We're starting over, right here in Forgeright. One day we'll be strong again, even if I don't live to see it."

"There's a whole mess of folks outside that aren't going to let that happen," Lyra said.

The changeling grinned, displaying a single curved fang. The other was missing. "They'll see things my way soon enough. In the meantime I'll just hand over Rose's body. Nopony out there will know the difference. Once I go out there dressed as a famous changeling hunter and carrying a dead changeling, they'll believe anything I tell them. They might even apologize for getting in the way."

Lyra pulled out her revolver and took aim. "And us?" she asked. "Got any bright ideas that can outsmart a bullet?"

Chitur nodded as the bedroom door flew open. Colgate stood in the doorway, her pistol drawn and her eyes glowing with unearthly green light. She wasn't Chitur after all! Lyra thought. She was undeniably relieved, but this raised a troubling question. I feel a lot less violated now, but who did Chitur replace?

Instinctively, Lyra's pistol spun around and fired. Colgate's revolver flew out of her control as the bullet deformed the gold-plated barrel, rendering the gun useless. A name came to mind as she leapt into the hallway and knocked Colgate senseless. It had to be Berry Punch. Chitur's become an alcoholic, so she swapped placed with another alcoholic to avoid raising suspicion!

Lyra snatched up the ruined revolver and backed away from the unconscious unicorn. "You need better help," she taunted as she turned to face Chitur once again.

A ray of green light struck her in the forehead and electrified her body. Her muscles locked up, and her teeth ground together as she struggled to fight back against the surge of magic. Glossy black chitin slid against her coat as Chitur put one leg around her. Warm laughter tickled her ear, and she shuddered in revulsion. "What a lovely idea." The world disappeared in a sea of green, and Lyra felt herself falling.

Her eyes closed, and then she felt nothing at all.

Author's Note:

I'm... tired of writing this sad story. I think I'll write something happy now.

Comments

[TigerSwirl448]

uh oh, that was unexpected.

Changelings and angry villagers? Crud, how will the crew survive this? Good chapter, excited to see more.

[Asheram]

"Serenity Valley," Again, you're slipping, boss.