What Changes May Come

by Bluegrass Brooke

Up in Smoke

"We've done it." Milo strode into the office like a triumphant general, levitating a piece of parchment in front of him. "The date is set. Now we can-" He stopped short, staring at the pair of ponies lying prone on the floor.

They both were singing a cheery tune, tapping their hooves to the beat. Quill was absent mindedly flipping through a pile of papers with her magenta magic while Cheese was balancing a stack on his tail. Cheese was singing the loudest, and leading the ridiculous song. "A stack here, a stack there, but we don't seem to be getting anywhere."

Quill was the first to notice Milo's presence, ceasing the song, "You're back."

"Yes. What are you two doing?" Milo watched Quill's grey cheeks turn pink, and let out a hearty chuckle. "Not that I object to singing. But it's a little unusual for you."

"He he. Sorry, Milo." Cheese grinned sheepishly, "I kind of started it. Singing really helps me focus."

From the looks of it, the two had been doing some serious focusing. Boxes were lined up to the ceiling, all filled with Starlight's "condemning" evidence and assorted documents lay strewn about the floor. He raised an eyebrow, "Made any progress?"

"Some." She rubbed her temple, "It would be easier if you didn't go wandering around looking for witnesses all day. Send the kid next time."

Cheese looked up expectantly, "Oooh, that sounds interesting."

Milo massaged his temple, "No offense, but I don't think sending Scribe's son looking for ponies who hate him is a good idea."

Cheese looked back down at his work. He's got a point. "Guess that'd be pretty stupid."

"Uh huh." Amateurs, I'm surrounded by amateurs. "I had to cash in all my favors just to get the few ponies we have. They're scared, and have every right to be."

"What's that?" Quill pointed to the piece of paper Milo had been levitating the whole time.

"If you were listening, you would know!" Mediating his temper, he slapped the paper in front of her.

Quill adjusted her huge glasses and read the paper, nodding approval as she went. "Three days from now. You did well, sir."

Cheese dropped the pen he was holding, "What's three days from now?"

"The hearing."

"WHAT? But, we haven't figured all the details out yet!" Panic swept across his face, and he turned to Quill for back up.

Milo snorted, "Relax, kid. It's a hearing, not a trial. It's just to display some key evidence, and convince them it's a worthy cause to pursue." Geeze, doesn't he know anything about the legal system?

"Oh, that makes sense. So, you want me to keep helping Quill with this stuff?" Though progress was being made, he was not looking forward to shifting through the mountain of evidence in the office.

"You got it, kid. But-" He groaned, "-I'll help. You wouldn't know what key evidence looks like if it jumped out and slapped you in the face."

Cheese raised an eyebrow, "Thanks, I guess."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Manetattan afternoons were far from pleasant, but anything was better than being stuck in the stuffy office all day. So, despite the oppressive stench of hundreds of sweaty ponies, Cheese was glad to be out and about. Milo insisted that they work from the office from now on, not going back to the apartment until the hearing was over.

Poor Quill looked close to tears when Milo ordered her to go home. The stubborn mare loved the "thrill of the chase" as she called it and took to the papers like a dog after a bone. But, she was older, and needed the rest. Cheese was starting to think Milo needed it more. With each passing hour, the middle aged unicorn grew crankier and crankier.

Though it had been years since he wandered the streets, Cheese managed to find the way to the market just fine. Milo was fairly stingy with their "ration budget" but he at least was able to get some basics. Turning the corner nearest the office, he nearly ran into an unsuspecting mare. "Ooops sorry."

"Cheese Sandwich?" The tomato red mare's face lit up as though she had just discovered the lost treasure of Eldorido. "It is you! I'm so glad I found you."

"Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you." Advancing towards him, she pushed the startled stallion against the bricks of the nearest building. "I've been waiting for ages!"

Cheese felt his heart racing, "I'm sorry, but I already have a marefriend."

She paused, and took a step back, "Ooops, sorry. I got a tiny bit excited. I didn't mean to-" An uncomfortable warmth started in her cheeks, "-make advances. That's not why I'm here."

Carefully, he set down the package and stared at the unicorn. "Well?"

"My name's Prius. I need to talk to you about Starlight."

Anger flashed momentarily in his eyes, then softened just as quickly, "Mother? What about her?"

The cobbles under their hooves suddenly became highly intriguing to Prius. "I…I uh worked for her. She had me following you and that attorney Milo."

"WHAT?" A snarl stretched across the stallion's face as his hoof struck the stones, sending a few flying.

She could not help focusing on Cheese's substantial muscles, imagining how easy it would be for him to flatten her. "It's not what you think. She had be believing that you were making all the abuse charges up."

Blood pounded in his head, and he felt his whole body shake. "Making them up am I? Do I look like the kind of pony who would lie about that?"

"No, that's why I was confused. Then-" She gulped, looking down at the ground, "-she told me the truth. About the abuse, about everything. I didn't want to think anypony could be so cruel." Biting back the urge to cry, she continued, "So I ran out of there and haven't been back since. I wanted to find you, to apologize, and to offer my help."

He felt a tinge of guilt for snapping at her. "Help?"

"Yes, since she confessed the whole thing to me, I thought we might use it to put her up on the abuse charges."

It sounded too good to be true, and it was. Cheese sighed, rubbing his forehead, "It's not that simple, Prius. Milo says we either need physical, concrete proof or Mother's own word. Your word and mine mean nothing in court."

"But, they'll see what a horrible pony she is and-"

"-no, you can't count on that, Prius. Plus, they don't lock ponies up for simply being horrible." The thought of another missed opportunity made his stomach ache. Not again.

Prius closed her eyes in thought, then remembered. "Hang on, there's one more way this might work out."

He snorted, "How?"

"Well, when Starlight confessed, she wasn't right."

"Wasn't right how?"

"She was starting to slip up, to act almost manic." Her blue eyes beamed with confidence, "I don't think she's in her right mind. I think if you work it right, you might be able to get her to confess herself."

Cheese raised an eyebrow, "Mother wouldn't do that. She's too proud."

"That's how she was before, but now I'm not so sure. I noticed it ever since I started working for her. This case, your abuse, Storm's takedown, it's getting to her." Prius rested a hoof on Cheese's shoulder. "Her line between past and present is blurring. If you use that to your advantage, why, I think it just might work."

It's a crazy idea, but it's worth a shot. "All right, but how do I know what to say?"

"That's easy. We'll dig up some dirt on her past, and then make her realize how far she's slipped."

He grimaced, "Easy you say? I don't know about that. But I'm willing to give it a shot if you're willing to help."

"Right." Prius beamed at him, and took his hoof. "I've got a feeling it'll all work out."

"Let's hope so."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Well? What are we waiting for?"

Razak rolled his eyes at the pegasus standing next to him. Slick as he was unaffectionatly nicknamed was the last pony he wanted to be standing in an alley with. However, Storm Scribe had insisted on his inclusion in the plan. He snarled back, "For you to grow some common sense."

"Oooh touchy." As the nickname implied, the stallion's voice had an unnatural smoothness to it. Slick rubbed his hooves together, pointing across the street at the office, "We could wait until he comes out, than take him down."

Razak raised an eyebrow, "You mean I'll take him down."

"Naturally." Slick rested a hoof, the exact shade of pond scum on Razak's back. Razak's immediate reaction of revulsion amused him. "My skills are of a softer variety."

Softer variety my hoof. You'd sell out on your own mother for the right price. The little pegaus was notorious for finding the weakness of any pony and selling it to the highest bidder. Holding back the urge to punch him, he growled, "Are you an idiot?"

The stallion's yellow eyes flickered surprise, "No."

"Well you're proving yourself wrong." Grabbing the pegasus by the wing, he dragged him over to where the office was more clearly visible. "What could go wrong if we rough up the colt?"

Slick cringed away from the burly stallion, "You seem pretty strong to me."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty good in a hoof fight. But, even I'm not stupid enough to pick a fight with him."

Slick eyed Razak's hooves nervously, "Why? He's a scrawny wimp. He's special talent is planning parties for Celestia's sake."

"Yeah, he's also an earth pony. A young earth pony." Razak released Slick, watching him ooze into the shadows once more.

"So? You're not that old."

Amateur. "I'm a unicorn, Slick. No matter what I do, how much I train, I'll never be as strong as an earth pony. And-" He struck a hoof against the stones, causing them to tremor. "-if you had the brain cells to look, you'd have noticed that that scrawny stallion is all muscle."

"Oh, you've got a point there." Slick rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "So, how do we stop him?"

"For a spy you really are thick skulled aren't you?" Razak started to pace, calculating, "Our orders were to make them think twice about proceeding. Now then, isn't it possible to do that without getting our hooves dirty?"

A hungry smirk stretched across his pointed muzzle, "Fight smarter, not harder. I like it. But how?"

Razak stared into the window of the office, "How do you imagine a case with no evidence would fare, Slick?"

Slick's smirk grew wider, "It wouldn't."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hey, you finally made it." Prius beamed at the lank stallion from her table, a cup of coffee held by her blue magic. "I was starting to get worried."

Cheese shrugged, and took a seat across from her. "Yeah, well Milo had me looking over this financial report for the fifth time." He made a gagging motion, "You're a life saver, Prius."

"I don't know about that." She felt her face grow warm, "I'm just you're average nopony with an ax to grind."

"He he, aren't we all?" Cheese turned his attention to the little coffee shop they were seated outside. It would have been a fine autumn day, if not for the constant hum of city noise blocking out any chance of peace and quiet. "This is a nice place."

"Yeah, it's my favorite. Say, how's Milo taking our little endevor?"

He shrugged, "Meh, I haven't really told him. I don't want to get his hopes up. I did tell him that I was looking into another possible avenue though."

"Well then, let's get started with our little 'avenue,' shall we?" A notebook and pen levitated from her saddlebags and onto the table. "All righty then, I've found out a lot, but I need to ask you some questions."

"Right."

"First, I was wondering what your Grandma on her side was like." She placed the pen to the paper and started to write furiously. "I know that she wasn't the richest pony in the world, but apart from that and her death records, I've got nothing."

"Huh, well-" He closed his eyes, remembering the smiling face of his Grandma, "-She was super nice! Way nicer than Mother. I loved visiting her, and I guess Mother did too, because she dropped me off there almost every day when I wasn't in school."

Prius looked up, "Really? Did she say much to her when she came?"

"Naw, she just sort of pushed me in the door and told Grandma when she'd be back. But I didn't mind." His entire face lit up with glee, "We'd make cookies together, she'd teach me how to play the accordion and would always read me fun stories. I loved every minute with her."

"What about your Grandpa?"

"Uh, he died before I was born. All I know is he was super funny and looked kinda like me." He shrugged, "Guess I never really bothered to find out."

Prius' expression fell like a ton of bricks. "Now I'm lost."

"Lost? Why?"

Prius sighed dramatically, taking a deep sip of coffee before continuing, "Well, how could such a horrid mare come from two nice ponies? From her school records and old friends I managed to talk to, she used to be nice herself. So, what changed?"

Cheese wanted to laugh. Is she serious? "Prius, let me tell you something about my mother. The only thing she's ever wanted is fame, fortune, and praise. And she'll do anything to get it." For a moment, he stared at his reflection in the glass table top. "Marrying father, dumping her friends, it was all to get ahead. Nothing she ever did was out of love for anypony but herself."

"Oh." Prius was starting to think their little quest was hopeless. Then, she remembered Starlight's rant. "Hold on. You say she never had any love for anypony but herself, but that's not true."

He raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"When she was-" Going a touch insane. "-going on about her past, she mentioned having you and being proud. At that moment, I thought that some small part of her must love you. No mare talks about their foal like that if she hates them."

The thought of his mother actually loving him seemed comical. His cold laugh sent shivers up Prius' spine, "Mother love me? Now that's a joke. She's told me over and over again how much she hates me."

"Because it's easier to hate than to love, Cheese." She rubbed a hoof through her mane, "If she acknowledges her love for you that would mean she was in the wrong for years and years. It would break her, and she knows it."

"So, you want me to 'break her,' is that it?" Somehow the thought of "breaking" anypony, let alone his own mother was tough to swallow.

"Well, in a sense. But you aren't so much breaking her as you are breaking down her delusion." Prius looked into his eyes pleadingly, "What is crueler, Cheese? Letting her go on living in denial or making her face the truth."

"You've got a point. But, it won't be easy for either of us."

"It never is with this sort of thing. But-" She stood, packing her saddlebags, and turning to leave, "-it's always worth it."

"Right." He waved halfheartedly as she walked away, hoping it would be as easy as she made it out to be.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Why is it so hard? Pinkie stamped her hooves against the floorboards, shaking up another cloud of dust. After a good coughing fit, she looked around at the long hall. Progress was being made, but it was extremely slow going. I thought it'd be easier. Something her father always said drifted into her mind, "'Words are one thing, actions are another.' Guess you were right about that one."

A loud knock echoed across the empty room and three of her friends strode in. Twilight looked like a foal in a candy store, "Wow, this is amazing, like a living museum."

Rarity's eyes darted around the room, "It's bare bones, but I can certainly see the potential. You really did make a fabulous choice, Pinkie."

"Yeah, it's nice." Fluttershy squeaked, cringing away from the sea of cobwebs dangling from the ceiling.

"Thanks, girls." Pinkie hopped over to them, embracing them in a bone crushing hug. "What are you doing here?"

Twilight gasped for air, "Well, we thought it'd be fun to see your place for ourselves."

"Oh, well here it is." Pinkie released them, gesturing grandly around the room as though presenting some priceless jewel.

Rarity took a step back, as though seeing pinkie for the first time. "Pinkie, you did your mane up."

"Of course I did, silly. You can't expect me to work with my mane down." Truth be told, she had not put her mane up since Cheese had left. She had done it on a whim. "Does it look bad?"

Rarity waved a hoof in denial, "Not at all! I think it becomes you." It does show off that nasty scar. But, that can't be helped.

Fluttershy looked around at the sundry cleaning supplies scattered throughout the hall. "My, you've been oh so busy."

Pinkie hopped around the room, stirring up some more dust. "Yup. But better to be busy than bored. At least that's what Cheesie's always saying."

"I agree. There's nothing I love better than having a job. Speaking of-" A piece of paper levitated towards out of Twilight's saddlebags and into Pinkie's hooves. "-I've got a list for you."

"A list of what?" The sheet was completely filled with townsponies' names. "What's this for?"

A broad smile stretched across Twilight's face. "It's a list of all the ponies that want to help you clean up this place so you can get started renovating it. Fluttershy came up with the idea."

"Wahhh! Really?" Before Fluttershy could react, Pinkie had her locked in another one of her hugs. "You're the bestest! How'd you ever think up something like this?"

"When Rarity told me you were buying old town hall, I just thought, it would take you oh so long to clean on your own."

Rarity nodded approval. "Of course I thought it was a marvelous idea and so did the townsponies."

"We're all coming out tomorrow to help, so-" Twilight tugged at Pinkie's hooves, "-today you can join us for a pre-work day picnic. Applejack and Rainbow Dash have got it all set up."

"Really? Oh my gosh! I can't wait, let's go!" Without further ado, she cantered out of the building and into the sunlit street.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I think we've got it, kid." Milo looked over the semi-ordered boxes with pride. The past few days had been a frenzied rush to meet the three day deadline. But, they had done it. All the evidence cataloged, ordered by priority, and ready to present. "Tomorrow all this will be in the safe keeping of the police department."

"Yeah it's-" Cheese let out a huge yawn, "-it's great, Milo. Now can we go back to the apartment for some rest?" Sleeping on the office floor for days on end was hardly an ideal situation.

"Naw, best to stay here. It's one o'clock now. We need to leave for the hearing in five hours anyway. No point going back now. Besides-" Milo levitated a binder chock full of papers, "-I've still got to review my bit. Want to make it just right you know."

Cheese grimaced, "Okay, I'll be in your office then."

Milo looked mildly offended. "What? Again? Isn't the front good enough?"

"There isn't enough floor space." Cheese walked slowly away from the stallion, grateful to be able to get some rest. Plus, I don't have to listen to you gripe about the case all night.

Milo's office was filled with the smell of mold, but as tired as he was, he would not have cared if it smelled like a garbage dump. Giving one last, long yawn, he curled up in his favorite spot by the desk and drifted off.

It was a bright summer day in the meadows of Ponyville, the perfect day for a gallop. Cheese ran full speed beside a laughing Pinkie Pie. "Can't catch me!"

"We'll see about that." With a burst of speed, the mare sped past him.

Laughing loudly, he lengthened his own stride until he caught up with her. To his surprise, she had stopped, panting loudly. "Giving up already?"

Instead of responding, she pointed to the tree line where a massive black cloud was rising up. She turned to him, eyes alight with worry, "Wake up, Cheesie! You need to get up! You're in danger!"

A tight, twisting feeling filled his stomach, and the scene turned black. The feeling became an aching pressure, not in his stomach, but in his lungs. A whooshing roaring sound blotted soon filled his ears, making his head ache. Stop it, stop it!

Opening his eyes, Cheese thought he was still dreaming. The room was unnaturally hazy, and he could hardly make out the furniture. It took a few seconds to realize that it was not haze, but smoke. Smoke? Where's it coming from?

He struggled to stand, and fell back down. The pressure in his lungs was being replaced by a stinging pain. No matter how much he coughed, the pain remained. Looking to the hallway, he noticed a flickering light. His stomach dropped out from under him. Fire. From the look of the flames, it was coming from the front office. Milo!

It took all the strength he had to stand, inhaling a lungful of the noxious smoke. Pressing a hoof to his muzzle, he walked through the darkened hallway to the light. As he neared the room, a new more disturbing sensation came to him. Heat. Not the kind of heat you get from sitting next to a campfire or by a fireplace. No, this was a wild, uncontrollable heat that hurt the closer and closer he got to it.

When he made it to the entrance, he nearly fell back from the shock. Flames licked the walls, floor and ceiling, fueled by the mountain of paperwork. The light from it was blinding. Cheese lept back as a burst of it shot towards him. A panic like he had never felt before swept over him. Where's Milo?

There was an earsplitting crack, and crash as a few flaming beams fell to the ground and landed. And there under the timbers was Milo, lying still as stone. Without hesitation, Cheese jumped into the room and immediately regretted it. The moment his hooves touched the flames, he could feel a searing pain rocket through him.

The sound of his screaming was drowned out by the earsplitting roar of the blaze. Heat like he had never experienced before rocketed through his legs. It was nearly unbearable. Squinting in the smoke, he saw Milo and the wall of fire blocking his path. Another burst of flames shot up next to him. It was now or never.

Leaping into the fray, he tumbled and landed next to Milo. The flames on the timbers nearly obscured the unicorn. I've got to get him out. Moving the timbers was extraordinarily difficult, and painful. They were heavy, and it took all his strength to lift one of the flaming timbers. He grabbed board after board, even as the flames crept up his hooves. The ever present roar of the blaze spurred him to work faster. Finally, he dislodged the last one, freeing Milo.

A loud crash and whooshing sound hailed the arrival of another jet of flame. Time to go! Somehow, he managed to sling the unconscious stallion onto his back. Knees nearly buckling from the exertion, he squinted in the brilliant light, trying to find the exit. There behind the flames was the outline of the door.

Cheese did not miss a beat. He moved as quickly as he could to the door. Gathering up his strength, he jumped headlong into it. The wood splintered and broke with a crash. Before he knew what was going on, both he and Milo toppled down the stone steps and rolled violently onto the cobblestones.

The heat from the fire was unbelievable. Cheese stared in wonder as the entire building was engulfed in the blaze. The effort needed to raise his head proved too much, and he collapsed on his side, coughing violently. Just a few feet away lay Milo, as still as ever. The unicorn's back was bleeding and his skin was a brilliant red. "Milo," The soft, raspy quality of his voice scared him, "Milo, wake up."

If he had heard Cheese, he made no response. Moaning, Cheese tried to move, but found his hooves would not respond. He nearly gagged when he looked down at them. They were red and raw, bleeding onto the cobbles. The longer he stared, the more he began to tremble. Despite the intense heat, he felt the shaking grow exponentially worse. Slowly, his vision clouded over, and faded to black.

Author's Note:

Well now, I decided to crank up the danger on this one (poor Cheese just isn't catching a break). I hope you enjoyed the read. I've figured out all I'm going to write for the next chapter, so look forward to that coming out soon. As always, I love to hear your opinions on it. Thanks for reading!

Comments

[OmniFox]

His Cheesie Sense didn't see that coming.

[Black sun and white mist]

I love this story!

[Bluegrass Brooke]

5093189 Glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading.

[Sketcha-Holic]

.....

ARGH! Of all the-- how could they-- sons of fishes! Evil radish sniffers! Insert hilarious substitute swear here!

So much for the evidence...

[Bluegrass Brooke]

5093672 Yup. It's pretty well incinerated.

[hootscootaloo101]

Wow I can't wait to see what happens next...

[FIMficslvr]

Why is that son of a fish, Storm, winning?! Poor Pinkie would be traumitized if she saw what had happened to Cheese.

[TwibraFlattercordlover]

Add attempted murder to the list.