My Name is Elijah

by twitterdick

3. Absalom Finds...

Word around the town was that this young male pegasus with a deep green coat, golden eyes and a black mane had a brother missing. He noticed that most he asked noted that ’Elijah’ was a strange name, and they’d tell him stories of a stranger wandering through town a few weeks ago who’d camped out somewhere near the Everfree forest. Others would tell him some orange earth pony wandered through from Appleloosa and took up work at a local diner. Others said they say a strange black figure lurking near an abandon mine shaft at the base of the mountain.

“Oh, I remember seeing a pony like that,” said the local librarian - female, unicorn, calculating eyes, navy blue mane with a violet and deep pink streak, purple coat, cutie mark; a large, six-pointed red star among smaller, white six-pointed stars, “He’d asked to borrow a book, and I let him. Come to think of it, he hasn’t returned it. If you find him, could you tell him I’d like it back?”

The young pegasus did his best to seem worried. “Did he tell you where he was going or… or give any kind of hint to his destination? Did he seemed worried or apprehensive about anything?”

The librarian shook her head. “Not that I know of. I heard a friend of mine say she’d seen him out near the Everfree forest, but I haven’t seen him since.”

She looked him up and down. “If you can’t find him, I could see about getting the Royal Guard to issue a missing pony report…”

He frowned. He certainly couldn’t get any kind of pony authority involved, but to decline such would be suspicious. “Let me see if I can’t find him first. I’m not sure if it’s anything serious, but… Will you be in the library the next few days?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He smiled politely and bowed. “Thank you for your help, miss.”

“Anytime. Good luck finding your brother.”

He went back to the town square where he’d remembered seeing benches he could use for a rest. The clank of the cobblestone calmed him some. He sat and thought, and gazed at the sun. The sun was setting. If ‘Elijah’ was truly camping out in the Everfree forest, he’d surely return there for the night. His stomach rumbled and his palette ached for the fresh greens of a restaurant. The dried grains supplied to him in his pack didn’t quite satisfy him anymore - not since he’d given in to the temptation and tried pony food a few jobs back. With that, he decided to try the diner some of the townsponies had pointed him to.

It was a small establishment called Johnnie V’s bar and grill, named after some old legend of a biker minotaur that ran a gang west of the town some fifty years prior. The restaurant was filled with memorabilia and little text blurbs explaining his story. Old photographs of him were hung on the way alongside what appeared to be his leather jacket and glasses in a glass case behind the counter. The hostess - female, unicorn, tired eyes, a purple mane of a lighter and darker shade, lavender coat, cutie mark; a purple four leaf clover - greeted him with what must’ve been a branded salutation, for her tone did nothing to mask how much she loathed saying it.

“Table for one, please,” he said.

She nodded, collected a menu and showed him to a small table near the corner. He was seated by an old juke box that played some old, poorly recorded music. The air smelled of cooking eggs and fried greens laced with smells of smoke and bathroom cleaner. The floor was well mopped, the diner was at about two-thirds capacity and waiters and waitresses hurried around delivering meals and taking orders. He looked for exits, as per his training. Besides the front door, there was a closed off side door under renovation that lead to an outside seating area. He noted an emergency exit by the restrooms and figured the kitchen had a door by which food delivers were made.

“Hey there, dude, welcome to Johnnie V’s. Can I get you somethin’ to drink?”

The waiter startled the young pegasus. He shook his head. “Um, water, please,” he blurted out.

“All right!” he scribbled such on a small notepad. The young pegasus looked up at him. He was a young earth pony… red coat… green mane… copper eyes, cutie mark-

“You got it, dude!” His waiter scurried off to the kitchen. The young pegasus eyed him suspiciously as he left and disappeared into the kitchen. He stared at the door a while, then, figuring he was looking somewhat conspicuous, stared down at his menu. All appetite had abandoned him and he found himself clenching his teeth his heart was racing. The ticking of a clock pounded in his ear. Could it be ‘Elijah’?

The door of the kitchen opened and his waiter bumped into a fellow employee. “Watch it, new guy!” she snapped. The young pegasus grinded his teeth and tapped his foot softly against the floor. He felt apprehensive… and hesitant. He’d never felt such a horrid rush before a retrieval. He’d never felt such nerves except when he suspected he might be revealed. The waiter set the water down on the table next to him.

“Ready to order, man?”

The pegasus shuffled and bit his lip. “I, uh, um, I’m not sure. Is there anything you’d recommend?”

His waiter thought. “The omelettes are pretty good, as is the grand salad. That’s all I’ve tried, really.” He laughed. “Honestly, I haven’t worked here long.”

The pegasus cocked his head. “Have you lived in town long?”

His waiter looked him in the eye and shuttered slightly. “…No. You?”

The pegasus took a sip of his water. It’s coolness relieved his dry mouth only for a short time. “I’m only passing through.” They were both quiet for a time. They were both still. He knew, and the other knew right back. The pegasus’s heart pounded in his chest and his grip on his bag. “Actually… I’m looking for somepony,” he added without looking up from the table, “I was hoping a local could tell more, but…”

His waiter laughed softly. "Well," he said, "I suppose you could say that I am not one of them." He eyed the pegasus nervously.

The pegasus took a big gulp and set the glass down firmly. He exhaled out his nostrils. "…But they all know me by name," he said. He looked up coldly at ‘Elijah’. His grip on his pack tightened to the point that his hooves hurt.

His waiter’s face went white.

The two simply looked at each other for a while, like they were frozen. ‘Elijah’ was morbid; his brow crooked and his breathing tense. The pegasus simply watched him for a while, waiting. Then, he stuck a hoof into his pack. ‘Elijah’ flipped the table violently and the glass and silverware spilled onto the pegasus, who fell out of his chair. A costumer screamed. Another gasped. An employee shouted. Some filly whimpered. ‘Elijah’ wasted no time bolting for the door. He shoved the hostess to the ground and through the door open violently.

The pegasus ignored the pain in his rear and jumped up to the window. ’Elijah’ ran out to the side, but his side of the restaurant. “Are you alright!?” came a call from a female voice. He ignored her, pulled out his crossbow and equipped it. She screamed and fell away. He grabbed the upturned table and hurled it at the window. It went crashing through and out into the street. The alarms in the diner went off and the public screamed and panicked. Some ran for the door. Some hid under their tables. Some stared at him in disbelief. He paid no mind and jumped out the window.

‘Elijah’ had heard the crash and turned to see the table. He’d stopped and stared off at the pegasus with the saddest eyes he’d ever seen. “It doesn’t have to be like this!” he shouted. The pegasus ignored as was his duty and pulled a crossbow bolt from his pack. His bounty saw the bolt and his eyes widened. He swallowed and ran… ran for the town square.

The pegasus pursued.

His bounty upturned a grocery cart to obstruct him, but he’d simply leapt over it. ‘Elijah’ threw down benches, grabbed twigs and glass bowls that decorated balconies and hurled them at his pursuer. He’d even scooped some dirt and threw it. It hit the pegasus in the face, stinging his eyes and flooding his mouth. He stopped, spit and wiped. Then he saw. ‘Elijah’ ran ahead passed a few shops then, noticing a crowd before him, shook his head and bolted left down a different street. The pegasus realized he was actively avoiding civilians. He took off in pursuit.

He turned the corner to find ‘Elijah’ leaning against a railing, panting. They locked eyes and the pegasus froze.

‘Elijah’ looked on him with sadness and shook his head slowly. ”Do you ever wonder why you've done the things you've done?" The pegasus did not respond. He only waited. He could feel the heat of the setting sun on his back. He could see the creeping darkness of the night eating the sky behind ‘Elijah’, as well as the dark edges of the Everfree forest, which he mused was his bounty’s intended destination. Still, he watched. ‘Elijah’ seemed to be luring him away from Ponyville’s denizens, and, despite being more than capable, made no effort to attack him.

“It… it doesn’t have to be like this,” ‘Elijah’ said, “How long before you’re just like me? How long before the Queen sends somepony to kill you just because you acknowledge that you’re an individual?”

The pegasus said nothing. He slowly brought his pack from his back to the ground and, without taking his eyes off ‘Elijah’, pulled out a crossbow bolt and put it between his teeth.

‘Elijah’ winced and turned to run. The pegasus was soon behind him with the bolt in his teeth. He cursed the fact that he hadn’t time to load it. ‘Elijah’ turned his head back occasionally to look at him despairingly, then continued out passed a residential area, passed the idle cottage, passed those that looked on. He ran until he reached the bridge that separated Ponyville from the Everfree forest beyond.

"Why do you think we run away!? The Queen doesn't care about you. The Queen doesn't care that you're sapient, so she tells you to feel nothing!"

The pegasus stopped just at the foot of the bridge and, again, made no response. He simply took the bolt from his mouth, skillfully loaded his crossbow and place the firing string in his mouth. ‘Elijah’ shook his head and cursed under his breath, then made for the tree line. The pegasus sprinted to the apex of the bridge and fired a shot. It missed and struck the dirt near its target. ‘Elijah’ shook his head and, much to his pursuer’s shook, shifted into his changeling skin - his default skin. The pegasus cocked his head and thought. He figured their natural, chitinous black skin would blend well with the darkness of the forest and their green eyes would blend with the foliage. He followed suit, and abandoned his pegasus skin for his natural changeling skin. He followed his bounty into the forest.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. His heart was pounding. His breathing was quick. His mouth was dry. He let the firing string fall from his mouth so he could catch his breath and took the time to reload. He then got low and moved towards a small mount he could see some yards in front of him. He lay himself down softly and listened. Crickets chirped in the distance. Cicadas screamed in the trees. He heard a fly buzzing frantically nearby. Passed that, he listened further. There was a rustling on the dead leaves.

“…What’s your name?” ‘Elijah’ called out from the distance.

“We don’t have names. Not truly.” It was foolish of him to even try responding.

“I do. It’s ‘Elijah’. My name is ‘Elijah’. You have one too. You don’t have to be a drone. You can be an individual.”

"Enough of this," the changeling called out, "You know enough about our work to know there's no escape. Cut me down and another will find you. Please, don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

"Our work?" ‘Elijah’ shouted indignantly out in the distance. His cool was lost and his words sputtered from clenched teeth. "Is that what you call what you did? What I did? Work is constructive, we slaughter. I have buried hatchets into the skulls of our brothers. I have slit the throats of our young and felt nothing. I have butchered changelings because they wanted to live somewhere else. I have beaten and slashed and ripped and bit and torn and murdered them and if they had blood, I'd be covered in it. Covered in it!! And why? And for what!? So our Queen can sit in her cave and plot to take what isn't hers?! She takes and we're expected to give. There's a reckoning coming for all of us. Believe me. It's coming and we deserve it!"

He listened to the words, absorbed them, then listen passed for the breathing and rustle of leaves. The words gave away his bounty’s position. He got low to the ground and peered out towards the sounds. His gaze scanned the trees for a silhouette. He soon found one and fired a bolt towards it. It slapped into a tree trunk, but the silhouette jumped and slunk off into the jungle.

"Damn you!" he whispered to himself. He got up and ran after him.

His bounty’s hoof prints were easy enough to track in the jungle. The changeling rubbed his nose and listened. Everfree at night assaulted his senses. The air stung his eyes and he felt nose run. It was dark in this place. Light from the moon outside struggled to pierce the foliage, and the forest floor was littered with plant corpses. It was difficult to see. He stood up upon his hind legs and leaned against a tree. He allowed himself to change back into his pure form for his natural sight was more adjusted for the dark.

He carefully and quietly reloaded his crossbow while listening all around him. The jungle was fickle and it's sounds would soon betray ‘Elijah’.

Sure enough, leaves cracked beneath the weight of hooves a few feet to his left. He clasped the firing mechanism in teeth and crept down among the lines of twisted trees. He couldn't see ‘Elijah’ through the brush, but if he calmly listened, he could hear his breathing.

He whipped around the corner and saw ‘Elijah’ face to face. His teeth buried themselves upon the firing string but the startled green eyes of ‘Elijah’ made him pause. They were still for a moment, but ‘Elijah’ grunted and made off further into the jungle. The changeling fired his bolt at him but missed.

"When will she give the order that takes your life away!?" ‘Elijah’ shouted back at him.

The changeling started after him, but noticed an incline on the right that might give him a vantage point. He nodded to himself and crept up into the hill. It was covered in thick brush and stood over a small cliff that overlooked a moors. He nestled himself into the brush and spied ‘Elijah’ trying to maneuver the moors. He reloaded his crossbow very slowly in tune with the squeaks of the jungle.

‘Elijah’ looked all around. The changeling lay vary still in his brush and just watched him. His bounty paused from his rant and panted. His face was twisted from rethinking. Absalom had figured ‘Elijah' had lured him out into this forsaken forrest for a reason. He'd expected traps, but found none. He'd expected more of a fight from ‘Elijah’, but the latter just ran away and shouted.

‘Elijah’ began to frantically look for his hunter in the jungle. He sputtered and mumbled to himself. The changeling did not blink, and slowly lifted his crossbow to the tune of nature around him and settled it on the fork in the branch in front of him. He clenched the firing string in his teeth and squinted.

His bounty’s mouth opened like he wanted to call out, but he appeared to bite his tongue and look around. The changeling breathed out and aimed. He fired, but ‘Elijah’ had moved, so it breezed by his back. He shrieked and made for the nearest brush line. It was on the opposite side from his hunter and he’d have to cross some mud. It was clear he was panicking.

The changeling sprung up and quickly reloaded. It was difficult to see ‘Elijah’ moving into the hazy atmosphere, but a shot in the dark might spare him from giving even more chase. He took aim and fired a second shot. He heard it hit something with a squish, but heard no scream. He sighed and collected his things from the brush and hurried into the swamp.

It stunk in the place and he had grown to hate mud. He tried to move around the contours of the large patch but it was difficult to see. He groaned and began to wade through it towards the direction he'd fired. There was a shadow before him. He approached.

‘Elijah’ lay there in the mud. The bolt stuck from his hind leg and he whimpered. The changeling approached him slowly and laid his pack down between two rocks to his bounty’s left. He pulled his last bolt from the pack and attempted to reload his crossbow.

‘Elijah’ clutched his leg and panted. The changeling grunted with frustration. His bow was jammed.

‘Elijah’ started to cry.

"Stop that," his hunter said. He disconnected the crossbow's string and carefully cleaned the parts around the firing mechanism. He felt a ping in his heart and it was awful.

"What's the point?" Elijah whimpered, "What's it all mean?" His pitiful voice cracked

‘Elijah’ pouted and tried to see the sky through the cracks in the canopy. He then turned to his hunter as the latter worked.

"There… there's got to more than just this, you know?"

"Be quiet."

"I mean… What's the point of developing something like consciousness if you just die and it doesn't matter. What's the point!?"

He wept more aggressively and coughed like he was choking.

The changeling finished his work and reassembled his crossbow. He test fired a bolt at a nearby tree. It worked perfectly. ‘Elijah’ stared over at the bolt in the tree. His breathing picked up.

"I'm.. I'm gonna… die," he murmured, "You're… You're gonna kill me…"

His hunter had finally loaded another bolt and positioned himself in front of ‘Elijah’. "Yeah," he said softly. He had a grim face. He aimed his crossbow at his bounty’s face.

‘Elijah’ winced. "Can… could you stand me up? I'd like to go out…on my feet, you know?"

The changeling hesitated and thought. He swallowed. "No."

He clasp the firing string between his teeth and pulled. The bolt stuck its target’s right eye and, in an instant, ‘Elijah’ was snuffed out. His head whipped back from the force then slowly sunk forward. His mouth fell open and spit dripped out. His left eye was darkened. The fresh corpse tipped forward and fell into the mud. The left side of his face was just above the water line and the mirky water mixed with his blood and flooded his mouth. The changeling’s bolt had gone through the skull, and the pointed end stuck from the back of his head.

He pulled the crossbow from its holster and placed it carefully into his pack. He moved to the corpse’s left side and brought his head down near the water. He tilted it and stared into the dead eye. It was just empty, like pages torn away from a journal.

They were taught to look away, but lately the changeling felt he owed it to his bounty to watch.

Light flickered in the dead eye like a dim flashbulb. Soon his skin soporifically sizzled and began to melt away. The broken body of his bounty slowly burned and was reduced to cinders. Some got caught up in the breeze and some were carried away by the muddy river, but most of the ash simply collected in a small circle around him. His flesh melted away like wood in a dying fire. Soon, only bones remained. They fluttered without skin or muscle to hold them together.

The changeling pulled the tarp from his pack and laid it gently on the dirt near the corpse. He then collected them bones and placed them in a neat pile atop the tarp with the skull in a paramount position. He then pulled a pair of pliers from his pack and placed the rusted iron tip onto Elijah's right tooth and pulled it out. He placed the tooth in a small, predetermined bag and tucked it into a special inside pocket of his pack.

He left the bolt in the skull. It was part of him now. It seemed like a transgression to use it against anypony else. He also left the bolt that had struck the leg in the water.

He wrapped the bones carefully and with precision before lifting them up onto his back. He carried the bones to their resting place - the grave he had dug earlier that day by the creek. He lowered the bones down inside and slowly, gently piled dirt upon them. Soon, the whole was filled. The changeling hunter lowered his pack and laid his weary back upon the fresh, cool dirt near the headstone that read ‘Elijah’.