A Change in the Wind

Chapters

A Ghost, A Cafe, A Friend
A Problem, A Dream, A Question
A Chance, A Storm, A Truth
A Pattern, A Spill, A Sandwich
A Class, A Crowd, A Plan
A Date, A Painting, A Leaf
A Knock, A Shock, A Noise
A Silence, A Teacup, A Train
A Branch, A Hurricane, A Whisper
A Ride, A Wash, A Sleep
A Sneeze, A Drop, A Soup

A Ghost, A Cafe, A Friend

The Java Chip Cafe had never been so empty. Ghost Phase sighed as she looked out the window from across the counter. It was dreary, wet, and cold outside. Perfect weather, she reasoned, for a cup of coffee. She levitated a rag and wiped the counter for the fourteenth time in a row. The tables were spotless, each chair had been wiped down, and the coffee was freshly brewed.

Ghost had neatened herself up, too. Her cold-weather scarf, pale blue to match her mane, was hung on a hook behind the counter, right where it belonged. Her snowy white fur was brushed, and she looked clean and ready to work, which made it all the more sad that nopony was there to witness her one good mane day in Celestia knew how long.

The fireplace crackled away in the corner, casting flickering shadows across the tiled floor. It lit up the cushy armchairs with a warm ambiance, casting a cozy glow over everything. Ghost wished she could stand next to it, a chai latte in her hooves and a good book in her lap. It was simply tragic that employees didn’t get free coffee on the job.

Ghost thought that the mochas weren’t half bad here, and that meant quite a bit when she considered how long she had been working here. Four- no, five months now. Quite a long time to think the menu was good, especially considering she practically lived in the cafe.

It wasn’t as though there were many other places to work. In this corner of San Fransiscolt, her choices for an entry level position were limited to the cafe, the supermarket, or the fast food joint. Ghost hated the crowds in the supermarket, and she didn’t fancy going home every night smelling like hay fries, so this was the best possible place for her to work. Nice atmosphere, decent pay, and willing to work around her classes. Really, what more could she ask for?

Well, an employee discount would be nice, at the very least. And having a coworker to keep her company would be great as well. It got lonely in the afternoons, especially when the weather kept away the usual patrons. The writers and artists who hung out here usually kept to themselves, and the students left her alone for the most part, but both groups were missing today. Ghost blamed the rain.

There was that one time, she remembered, when that pegasus guy had harassed her, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. That was at a different cafe, though, and it happened a long time ago. It really shouldn’t affect her, but every once in a while she remembered it, and felt ashamed that she hadn’t said or done something different. It was in the past, though, and there was nothing she could do about it now.

Ghost sighed and pulled out her rag and stared at it. Must be nice to have somewhere to be, she mused. To have somepony to hang out with, and, more importantly, to be wanted in a group. She wished she had a social life, but the students in the classes she attended already had their own friend groups, and didn’t seem interested in adding her. It was a lot harder finding candidates for close friends since she got out of high school. Right now her greatest companion was the dishrag, and it sorely needed a wash.

She watched as a group of middle-aged unicorns walked past the shop windows, huddled under umbrellas in suits that were worth more than her week’s pay. They paused and stared at the ‘open’ sign, perhaps debating whether or not it was on in error, before walking in, dripping puddles onto the tile. The door chimed announced their entry, a welcome sound in a room that had only been filled by the warm crackling of the fire.

“Welcome to the Java Chip Cafe, is there anything I can get you?” Ghost chirped, trying to smile. The stallions barely noticed her, engrossed in their own discussion, before settling in the plush chairs around the fireplace. Ghost sighed and wiped down the counter again, thinking that it was mighty rude to not order anything, and hoping that her opinion didn’t show on her face. At least her shift was almost over.

She watched them talk, trying not to make it too obvious that she wanted to listen in. Snippets of conversation, she found, were often more interesting than their context. On busier days she even made it a game, trying to make up conversations where the phrases she heard would fit in perfectly. It didn’t work on quieter days, though, and all she could do was brew coffee, wait, and clean.

Ghost looked down. That would be the sixteenth time she wiped the same spot in the last ten minutes, she mused, so that countertop was as clean as it was going to get. She turned around to toss the rag onto the ‘dirty’ pile when the door chimed. Another customer, hoorah! Ghost felt she could almost cheer at the sound. “Hello, welcome to the Java Chip Cafe, what can I get started for you today?”

“Yeah, I heard there was one Ghostie left, and I just had to pick her up after work,” a mare’s voice purred, and Ghost spun around to see her best friend, Misty Step, disguised as a unicorn with purple-grey fur and an indigo mane, true to her normal colors for once. Her changeling friend may work with the royal guards, but that wouldn’t keep the average pony from freaking out if they saw a changeling wandering the streets.

“Oh my goddess, Misty! I didn’t know you were in town!” Ghost squeaked, and reached over the counter to give her a hug. Misty returned the hug, and Ghost could practically feel her grinning into her shoulder.

“Yup, got assigned here for the next few weeks. Just wanted to pop in and surprise you!” The changeling looked around. “Celestia above, this place is smaller than I expected. It’s warmer too. I wish I could fan out my wings near that fire, but, well, those fancy-shmancy tuxedo dudes seem to have beaten me to it.”

Ghost giggled and propped her head up in her hooves. “So, how’s work been? Catch any changelings siding with Chrysalis?” She kicked her back hooves as she sprawled on the counter, and narrowly missed knocking over a stack of cups.

The changeling looked panicked for a moment, looking around. Nopony took any note of the pair’s conversation, and she sighed in relief. “Hey, enough about that, at least while we’re in public. I’ve got a favor to ask, and I know it’s a lot, but could I crash at your place while I’m here? All the hotels are either run down or full, and couch-surfing sounds a lot better than sleeping on the park benches.”

Ghost nodded and scooted off the counter, catching the toppling tower of cups in her magic before they hit the floor. “Sure, I’ll be off work as soon as my replacement comes in. I can walk you there after I clock out, okay?” Misty nodded, and sat down at a table nearby, watching as Ghost reached out to wipe the counter with a rag that was no longer there.

Misty watched Ghost stare at her empty hoof for an embarrassingly long time, saying nothing. The suited stallions conversed, their discussion never rising above a dull murmur. Her replacement, Maple Spice, walked in a few minutes late and relieved her, before walking back into the kitchen to grab a rag and clean.

“Alright, Misty, it’s time to go.” The unicorn prodded her friend, who had been methodically making paper cranes out of a stack of napkins. Misty nodded, picked up one of the cranes and offered it to Ghost, who declined and wrapped herself in a scarf to head home.

The weather was still cold and wet, just the sort of weather that Misty hated. Ghost walked close to her friend in the vain hope that it would keep her warm.“Hey, so you’re not in any trouble, are you?” She teased, nuzzling the shivering changeling.

Misty frowned and huddled against her warmer, warm-blooded friend, all lighthearted cheer from the warmer cafe gone. “Um, let’s just save that discussion f-for when we get somewhere p-private, alright, Ghostie?”

Ghost blinked in surprise before wrapping part of her scarf around Misty in an effort to keep her from becoming a popsicle before they got back home. She had meant that as a joke! Whatever trouble Misty Step was in, she resolved to do the best she could to try to fix it.

A Problem, A Dream, A Question

A jangle of keys and a quiet, polite click announced the arrival of one changeling and one unicorn to the apartment. Misty sighed and tried to scuff off as much murky water on the hallway carpet as she could before entering. “Honestly, you couldn’t have gotten an apartment on the first or second floor, could you? No, it had to be the fifth floor. I swear to the freaking thunderstorms above, this has got to be the only building in San Fran-freaking-siscolt that has a broken elevator! It’s pretty absurd when you think about it. Sounds like a set-up. Somepony either has it out for you or thinks you need more exercise. Possibly both.”

Ghost giggled and closed the door behind her friend. “Yes, I bet it’s karma for eating all the junk food that a single mare living on her own can talk herself into buying.” She put away her keys and flipped on the lights, revealing a cozy little apartment. In one corner was a heap of blankets and cushions, arranged into a nest. Taped to the pillow nest was a sheet of paper that had “I do what I want” scrawled across it in messy hoofwriting.

Across the room were some chairs scattered haphazardly around a table. On the table was a pile of dishes, and an embarrassingly large collection of dirty mugs. Ghost made a mental note to clean those when she got the chance, and was thankful that Misty didn’t complain about the mess.

Piles of books littered the apartment. The titles varied from steamy romance novels to older classics and everything in between. Ghost read everything she could get her hooves on, and it showed. She hoped she had something that Misty liked reading.

A window at the end of the room let in natural light, and the windowsill supported two cacti. In one corner of the room was a kitchen area, with countertops, a microwave, a stove and oven, and a refrigerator that Ghost made a mental note to clean out. A door led to a tiny bathroom. The apartment was small, crowded, but cozy, and Ghost was proud that she had such a nice place to live.

Misty sighed and flopped on the pillow nest, wincing and pulling a book out from under herself. It was titled 10 Fun Things to do with Beans. She grinned and tossed it onto the nearest stack. “So, Ghostie, you wanted to hear what’s been going on in my life?” Ghost nodded, and snatched a pillow from the pile to hug.

“Alright, so there was this ring of changelings that were spying on the Princess in Ponyville, okay? They were renegades, and didn't magically change into sparkly moose bugs. So they still worked for Chrysalis, and were waiting for the right moment to take over again, right? I was working with the Royal Guard to infiltrate them, but we didn’t get close enough in time. One of them got away, escaped before we could apprehend them. Rumor has it, they’re here in San Fransiscolt.” Misty smiled tiredly at Ghost, who nodded attentively.

“Here’s the catch though. This isn’t the first time this has happened, and the guard is tired of dealing with this, so they’re launching their own investigation into the matter. I’m on my own in this, but that’s okay. So long as I catch that son-of-a-muffin, I’ll be fine, and I’ll have my job back. Good news, though. I’m on their trail.” She shrugged and rolled over to sprawl on her back. “So, what’s up with you, Ghostie?”

Ghost blushed and hugged her pillow tighter. “Well, not too much. I’ve been taking a few classes, and have been working at the cafe for quite a while. Oh, and I adopted some plants!” She points at a few cacti sitting on her shelf. “Say hello to Anthony and Anaconda.” Misty waved obligingly at the plants. The plants, of course, did not wave back.

Misty grabbed one of the blankets and threw it over herself. “Hey, if it’s alright with you, I’m gonna crash. This bug has had a long day, and I bet you gotta get up early tomorrow.”

Ghost nodded and flopped on the pillow in front of her friend. “Sleep well, Misty.” The changeling’s response was an unintelligible half-awake murmur, and Ghost smiled as she drifted off into dreamland.

The door was locked. Somehow, Ghost knew this, even as she raced over to grab the handle. The window was locked too. She had tried to break it open, but everything just bounced off. This was a problem, because the fire had spread over her bed and was slowly making its way around her.

Where was Misty? Ghost vaguely remembered her being there, but no matter how hard she looked, her friend was not to be found. The heat was unbearable, and the smoke made her cough. She fiddled with the sink in her bathroom, but no water came out to quench the flames. In desperation, she spat at the closest smouldering book, but it did nothing.

She screamed. “Help me, somepony! Help, I’m trapped!” She screamed for what felt like hours. “Somepony, please, my room is on fire and I need help!” Her voice grew hoarse, and the flames burned closer. Nopony came, nopony found her. “Please, save me, I don’t want to die!” The floor started to smoulder, the cheap carpet smoked, the walls were singed an ashy grey.

Nopony came to help her, and Ghost cried in alarm as the flames licked at her hooves. Her heart pounded in her ears, blood rushing to her head. She was going to die here. Nopony was coming. She wondered, what would they find of her in the morning. Would she be just ashes? Who would come looking? Would anypony notice that she was gone?

Who would remember her?

Ghost woke up in a cold sweat. Where was she? Oh, right, she was lying on the floor. Misty took her nest-bed, which she was fine with. Misty was her guest, after all. Ghost stared at her peacefully sleeping friend. Good, she didn’t cry out in her sleep. She sniffled. That was a terrifying dream, for many reasons.

She stood up and pulled her pillow closer to Misty, then settled back down. A few stray tears made their way down her cheeks. At least she knew one pony who would remember her, if she ever was lost for good. Closing her eyes, Ghost relaxed to the sound of her friend’s even breathing, and drifted back to sleep peacefully.

A Chance, A Storm, A Truth

Ghost awoke to the smell of smoke. In a panic, she scrambled to her hooves, half awake. “Who, what, why-” She mumbled, looking around for the source of the flame before taking a deep breath in. Was that… burnt bacon and sweet peas? Only one pony could possibly make such a horrible choice of things to cook. She sighed and flopped back down on her pillow. “Good morning, Misty,” She sighed, trying not to complain about the smell that would undoubtedly linger for days.

Misty grinned and waved from the nook that consisted of Ghost’s kitchen. How she managed to burn bacon and sweet peas together into an unrecognizable mush in a microwave was beyond her. Yet, here it was, served on her best plastic dishes. “Good morning, Ghostie-wostie! I made you some breakfast! Hope you like it, cuz that’s all there is!” She split the charred food into two portions and dug in.

Ghost’s ears slicked back as she poked the food with her magic. It wobbled, oh sweet Celestia. “I, um, I mentioned that I don’t eat meat, right?” She inquired, pushing the plate away from her.

Misty shrugged, halfway through her abomination meal. “Eh, yes, but that half is mostly peas! You can pick out the bacon if you don’t like it, I’ll eat it. And don’t scrunch up your muzzle like that. It isn’t burnt, it’s just dark brown!” She laughed and finished up her plate, much to Ghost’s disgust. With a resigned sigh, Ghost tried a small bite of her meal. Once she got past the abhorrant texture and flavor, it wasn’t too bad.

Misty cleared her throat. “While you’re eating, I wanna run by you the plan I made for capturing the spy.” She pulled out a list, written in crayon. Ghost managed a grimace that slightly resembled an encouraging smile. “Alright, so step one, I’m gonna wait this sucker out. He’ll make a mistake, and then wham-bam, I’ll swoop down and catch him!”

Ghost rolled her eyes at her friend’s energy. Misty continued, ignoring her. “Step two, I’ll plan out what I’d do if I were the spy. Which brings me to step three, retracing what I’d do around town until I find the spy!” She beamed. “So, what do you think? Does that sound like an actionable plan, or what?”

Ghost cleared her throat. “It sounds… well, first of all, I love your enthusiasm for it. But that may not work. These things take time, Misty. You can’t just expect you’ll happen upon the spy who’s hiding somewhere in San Fransiscolt.”

Misty slumped. “Hey, I know that. I’m not completely naive. I just… this is my last chance, Ghostie. I’ve led the Royal Guards to far too many dead ends. And it’s not just the ponies that are sick of it. My Queen, may the stars shine down kindly on her, has given me way more chances than it should take. If I don’t catch the spy soon, I’ll have to return to the Hive. I-” She sighed, and picked up both dishes in her magic, making them fly through the air and narrowly miss each other.

Ghost tried to reach out a hoof to hug Misty, but she leaned away and shook her head. “I really want to be a scout, Ghostie. More than anything in the world. I want to be good at this, and I want to find that spy before anypony. I have to prove that I’m good enough, or all this goes away, and I get stuck cleaning the bathrooms in the hive, or something equally meaningless.”

Ghost grabbed the dishes from Misty and trotted over to the sink to wash them. “I know how that feels. Sometimes… sometimes things don’t work out, okay? I know little jobs seem like the worst possible thing, but they’re not the end of the world. Besides, these things take more time than a day. I don’t want you tiring out and- oh Celestia above, is that the time?” She gaped at the clock flashing on her microwave. “I’ve got to get to class!”

The changeling sighed as she watched her friend scurry around the apartment, picking up books and notepads and stuffing them into her saddlebags. “I… I’ll probably go too. That spy won’t find itself!” Misty trotted into the bathroom.

Ghost grumbled as she left to go to her algebra class. She knew she was right, so why did that knowledge leave such a bad taste in her mouth?

Ghost sighed as she tossed her back into her apartment. That math class had been boring, almost a waste of time if she weren’t paying for it. She could hardly pay attention during it too. While the class went on about sine and cosine, all Ghost could think about was her disagreement with Misty. Besides, Fundamentals of Algebra was boring as heck. She looked around her home.

Misty had left while she was gone, and had finished the dishes Ghost had started to scrub. Stuck to a pair of clean plastic plates was a note, written in worse handwriting than Ghost wrote in.

Ghostie,

I’ll be back soon. I just have to try. I don’t want to end up doing nothing with my life. I’ve got to catch them, you’ll see. I don’t have a choice, I just need to try.

-Misty Step

Ghost hugged the note before setting it down to put the clean dishes away. She didn’t have work, so all she could do was wait on her friend’s arrival. She looked over at the pile of dishes and mugs thoughtfully. At least she could get something productive done while she waited.

Dish after dish, mug after mug was scrubbed, rinsed and dried. After every one, Ghost looked at the door hopefully. No Misty. Drat, maybe next dish. She wiped off bowls covered in the remains of ramen, and mugs dusted with dried tea. One by one, she levitated the cleaned dishes and put them away. Still no sign of Misty.

With the dishes cleaned, she grabbed a random book off the stacks and began reading. A Night of Spooks and Shrieks. Hopefully Misty would arrive just in time to cuddle her. Ghost perked up at a sound, and then frowned. It was just the rain, coming down in a cold dreary drizzle. Thunder rumbled outside as she turned a page, barely paying attention to what she was reading.

After a few hours (her clock read 9:38, so perhaps more than a few hours), Ghost finished the book. It wasn’t as good as she expected it to be. The rain was coming down in full force, but still no sign of Misty. Should she go out and search? No, maybe she was just stuck in a shop, waiting for the rain to slow down a bit before arriving.

Ghost started up a pot of her favorite jasmine tea, and grabbed another book. Saddle Arabia at Sundown: One Mare’s Steamy Journey. A romance book, something Misty would probably love to make fun of, judging by the title.

She was halfway through the rather exotically descriptive novel when a quiet knock on her door startled her from her reverie. Ghost trotted over to the door and opened it to find a shivering changeling, drenched in freezing rainwater. “I- I had to try, Ghostie,” Misty mumbled as she stood in the doorway.

Ghost shushed her and hugged her soaked friend, before leading her into her apartment. Misty stood in the middle of the room, dripping and shuddering as Ghost started up a warm shower for her. Sometimes, Ghost thought as she warmed up a towel in her magic, it really sucks to be right.

A Pattern, A Spill, A Sandwich

“So here’s the new plan,” Misty began as they both enjoyed a morning muffin the next day. Ghost gasped and fell over, pressing a hoof to her chest. Misty watched her as she twitched dramatically before slumping over. “Ha ha, no, trust me, it isn’t that bad. Um, this time. So, ready for this brilliance? We swap places.” Ghost gave a quiet shriek of mock astonishment, earning a glare from the changeling.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not super original, but I think it’ll help. A fresh set of eyes might do the trick, one way or another. I’ll watch the coffee shop for a half hour, twenty minutes even, and you’ll look at strangers and tell me if any of their behavior follow this criteria.” She held up a list of hastily-scrawled adjectives triumphantly. Ghost blinked at it.

“So, if I’m to understand this correctly, you’ll take over for half an hour a job that you have no training and no experience doing, while I go out and ponywatch?” Ghost ventured, to which Misty nodded excitedly. The unicorn sighed. “Well, I see absolutely nothing whatsoever that can go wrong, but I think it’s worth a shot.”

Misty squealed in delight, bouncing on her hooftips. “Great! So! How do you brew coffee?”

“Wait, so coffee is bean juice?” Misty gaped at the coffeemaker, after Ghost had shown her how to operate it for about the fifth time in a row. Apparently, the changeling wasn’t versed in the way of coffee making. At least she knew that tea came from leaves. Ghost had to give her credit there. Misty wasn’t completely hopeless, even if she could barely operate a coffeemaker.

Okay, so "barely" might have been a bit of a stretch, but what Misty lacked in experience, she attempted to make up for in enthusiasm.

Ghost found herself excited to sit down and do nothing but watch ponies, much to her surprise. It sounded rather relaxing, and she welcomed the break from the coffee shop, at least, assuming Misty was up for it.

“Hey, Ghostie, I got this. It's not a crowded morning, I'm sure I'll be fine, so long as they only order bean juice.” Misty waved from behind a counter. Ghost waved back, picked up a notepad, a quill, and Misty’s rather crumpled note. It was time to go ponywatching!

It was a peaceful morning in San Fransiscolt. Joggers trotted by, fully engulfed in the music their earbuds provided. Busy mothers trotted past, a stroller in front and a bag of groceries carried in their mouth or magic. Ghost settled on a bench and watched them go by. There were foals and fillies headed to school, and pushing past the foals was a business pony, hustling so much his suit wrinkled up, late for his job. All seemed right in the world, and for once Ghost found herself at peace with her lot in life.

“Alright, to the list.” She mumbled, holding it up, trying to decipher Misty’s hoofwriting.

Is the pony in question acting in a manner unlike their station in life (like a filly paying bills or a salespony uncharacteristically quiet)?

Are they looking over their shoulder, or giving everyone a stern look as though to memorize their surroundings?

Do they use abilities beyond what they can do (like unicorns flying without magic, or earth ponies using magic)?

Do you get a cold or unemotional vibe from them?

Are they just plain being suspicious but you can’t put your hoof on it?

Do they seem to have a great amount of knowledge of how changeling hives work?

If yes to any of these, write down everything you can about them! They could be the spy!

Ghost rolled her eyes. Those were some pretty odd criteria, but she’d do her best. She pulled out a quill and tried to discern a pattern to their movements. She’d find Misty some suspects if it was the last thing she did!

Though, she’d really prefer it if it wasn’t.

After half an hour of writing what she hoped were helpful suspects, Ghost closed her notepad and trotted back to the Java Chip Cafe. It had been fairly productive, and oddly relaxing, especially considering she was writing a list of potential changeling spies out to take over Equestria. She opened the door to the cafeteria, took a deep breath, and looked up.

Misty stood squarely in the middle of a huge puddle of Falltime Frappuccino. The icey bits near her hooves slowly melted into the frothy liquid, which had spread behind the counter and out towards the customer’s chairs. Thankfully, the customers had the sense to vacate them some time ago. One customer stood at the counter, looking rather irritated that his drink wasn’t in his cup where it belonged.

“How- why- what happened?” Blurted Ghost, rushing over to get a mop.

Misty chuckled weakly. “It’s a long story. It’s, ah, actually kind of funny when you think about it. Oh hey, while I'm at it, I wouldn’t drink this if I were you, sir. I don’t know if you heard, but they put beans in it! Ground up beans! Yeah, like you get in a can! Imagine that! So I was standing here, trying to remember the difference between cappuccino and mocha -really I have no idea how you keep track of those, they both sound like a different language- and this guy walks in, and he says, get me a latte, so I-”

“I’m terribly sorry about what happened to your drink, sir. Here, I’ll make you a new one, a large, on the house. Give me one second and I'll refund it for your trouble.” Ghost was a whirlwind behind the counter, cleaning up as best as she could while mixing in syrups and steaming milk. In almost no time at all, she served the upset customer, who huffed and stormed out of the cafe.

Ghost turned to Misty, who chuckled weakly and shrugged in response. “I… guess I’ll just wipe off my hooves and stand, uh, over there, unless you want my help?” The changeling perked up guiltily, but Ghost emphatically shook her head. There was enough mess to clean up, without Misty casually making it worse. She handed Misty the notepad and pointed a hoof to one of the stools at the bar, and got to work wiping up the mess.

“Wow,” said the bug, banished to stool-land. “You sure were productive. Let’s see, this is a great list of suspects! I can’t wait to check them out. So, um, sorry about the mess. It was an accident…”

Ghost frowned as she wiped underneath an industrial-sized refridgerator. “You don’t understand, do you? You don’t understand how many consequences there can be for ‘accidents.’ I could lose my job for this! If Maple Spice walked in and saw this, and decided to report it to my boss, I’d be fired on the spot!”

Misty sputtered. “I… didn’t mean to…”

“No, you didn’t mean to. You wouldn’t do this on purpose, I know. But it’s just another sticky mess I get to clean up as fast as I can.” Ghost sighed and scrubbed away at the floor. She needed this job, badly. This was her source of income, and she had worked hard to earn the amount of hours she had. She wasn’t going to let a stupid mistake ruin that.

"Look, Misty," she reasoned about a minute later, trying to shake off a napkin that was stuck to her hind hoof. "It's not like I even have much of a choice. If I lose my job here, what else am I going to do? I can't just walk back in a week later and ask for another shot. That's it. When I'm fired, I'm done."

The changeling sat in sheepish silence, kicking her hooves under the counter like a little filly and watching her friend clean up her mess. It wasn’t fair, none of this was fair, but this was how the world worked, and sooner or later Misty had to realize that.

Ghost’s shift ticked by, agonizingly slowly. After the mess was cleaned up, the unicorn idled behind the counter, correcting anything that Misty had misplaced and washing everything until it shined like new. When Maple Spice came in to take over the shift, Ghost barely managed a tired nod before trudging home, Misty skipping behind her.

After they arrived at the apartment, Ghost set down her bag and walked over to the kitchen area to make some sort of sandwiches for the both of them, since they had missed dinner on her shift. Misty cleared her throat awkwardly and fiddled with her hooves. “So, aside from my catastrophic mishap, how was your day, Ghostie?”

Ghost sighed and set down the jelly, before tossing a sandwich over to Misty. “It’s been a very long day. And… it hasn’t stopped being a long day for a very long time. I’m tired, Misty. Some days I can barely stand upright. But those are the days I need to push past the hardest, because someday it’s all going to be different. You understand that, don’t you?”

Misty swallowed her bite of PB&J and nodded slowly, lost in thought. “So, um, is there… any way I can help make it better, Ghostie? Some way I can make it up to you? Because I get that it's hard on ya, I really do, I just don't know what I can do about it. And unlike what the magazines say, I can't really read minds, so if ya think of something, please, let me know?”

Ghost sighed and thought about it for a moment. Misty was trying, so that had to count for something at least, right? She smiled weakly and wrapped her friend in a tired sticky hug. “I don’t need money or anything, Misty. All I need is you here. That’s doing a lot.” Misty returned the hug, and they didn’t let each other go for a very long time.

Author's Note

Ghost walked slowly on her way to work, Misty trailing behind. Everything was normal, another dreary day, when suddenly a stranger pony rushed up to her. The mare had a pink mane and a nurse's hat. Ghost figured she worked at the hospital, and was about to ask her what was wrong when the stranger hugged her tight. Ghost stiffened for a second, stunned, before relaxing. Was this something new? Were strangers just randomly going to hug her?

It felt... nice. Ghost didn't want it to ever end.

A Class, A Crowd, A Plan

“Waffles!” Squealed Ghost as she sat down at the table the next morning. Misty grinned, and pulled another waffle off of the waffle iron. Ghost grabbed it, set it on her plate, and doused it in syrup. “Waffles are like the ultimate pancake. They’re light and fluffy and so… geometrically attractive.”

Misty giggled as Ghost practically drooled over her breakfast. The unicorn stuffed her face and moaned in ectacy. “Mmm, sho many shquares~” She babbled, before forking down another mouthful.

Misty poured more batter onto the waffle iron and giggled. “So, now that I have your attention, I’ve been looking at the list you made me. One of the suspects you mentioned was in your class, correct?” Ghost nodded and started on her second waffle as Misty continued. “You’ve got class today, so I was wondering if I could tag along and observe.”

Ghost shrugged and nodded again as she munched. Encouraged, Misty added “I’ll even bring a book to be less conspicuous,” and grabbed a random book off of the nearest pile. “Attack of the Robot Pirate Space Rangers... Well, it’s something to read, I guess. Let’s get going, okay? Time to go to school and get some knowledge!” Ghost let out a muffled sigh of assent, unplugged the wafflemaker, and trotted to the door, her textbook and the remaining waffles floating in her magic.

As they left the apartment building, Misty tried to start up a conversation. “So, learning, huh. What class are we going to, exactly?”

Ghost blinked tiredly at her. “Basic Writing and Composition. I know the material, but it’s required for pretty much everything, so I have to suffer through it.”

Misty groaned. “It’s not even interesting writing, is it? It’s like, essays and stuff. It’s the sort of thing that you’ll use in college and nowhere else. I mean, you don’t even write any essays for working in the cafe, right? So what’s the point of this class? To get into college, don’t you need to know how to write anyways? It’s just a class they make you take to get ready for all the other weird classes they have, except you don't even need it since you know it already.” Ghost shrugged, and nudged Misty towards their next turn. Misty barely caught herself from stumbling into a shrub.

“It’s pointless, really. Besides, you’ll hardly use it once you’re an expert in, um… what are you getting your degree in again?” Misty asked, pushing a crosswalk button over and over.

Ghost shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I’m still trying to decide. I can’t afford to take that many classes at once, so it isn’t like I don’t have enough time to decide.”

The changeling looked around. They were standing on the edge of campus. Fall was in full swing, and the leaves dotted the landscape with brilliant reds and yellows. Paths crisscrossed across freshly mowed lawns, and students milled about on it. A couple ate lunch on a dirty blanket, a few ponies relaxed in hammocks or studied underneath the rustling trees, and a group of students sat in a circle in the grass, playing some sort of hoof-clapping game. It looked exactly like the brochures advertised it to be, and yet…

Something was different. Whether it was the bags under that one student’s eyes as he studied underneath the tree, or the way the couple ate without speaking at all, something seemed off. Ghost was used to it, but Misty seemed almost uncomfortable. “They’re all just… tired, Ghostie. Even the ones laughing and playing a game, they all just seem exhausted. It’s like they’re already dead, but on the inside. What’s going on? Is it finals week?”

Ghost shook her head and led Misty to one of the university buildings. “This is normal for this time of year. The excitement of taking new classes has faded, and it isn’t close enough to their autumn break to cheer them up. Welcome to life as a student.” She held out her hooves and spun around before marching up to the building’s doors and gesturing for Misty to get inside.

As class started, Misty tried hard not to stare over her book too intently at the other students. None of them had the telltale signs of a changeling spy, they all just seemed… dead to the world. Misty elbowed Ghost, effectively ruining her writing mid-sentence. “Ghostie, what’s wrong with them? Half of them aren’t even paying attention to the instructor.”

Ghost huffed in irritation at her ruined page before setting the pencil down. “They’re just getting by, like me. Everypony is exhausted, and it’s rude to whisper during class. You don't want to be kicked out, right?”

Misty let out a drawn-out dramatic sigh and slumped in her seat. Mentally, Ghost agreed that this class was boring as heck. Why bother with grammar and sentence structure when you could just go out and write more stuff, and learn as you go along? It was a complete and utter waste of time.

Misty tried her best not to fall asleep during it, but was nodding off anyways. Ghost giggled as she stealthily began to pack up her books. Watching Misty jerk awake every few seconds was more entertaining than the teacher droning on at the front of the class.

She gently reached a hoof out to shake the changeling awake. “Hey, class is over, it’s time to get going.” Ghost murmured gently. Misty yawned and nodded, and the two began their walk homeward.

Misty looked around. “So, every college brochure lied to me. They made this place look fun and inviting, not… dead.”

Ghost shrugged, twirling her textbook in her magic. “It’s not always like this. In other universities and even in other classes, people have more life to them. Here, in the basic classes, you just get washed out. You’re part of a crowd. That can kill anypony’s spirit.”

Her friend grumbled to herself and kicked a pebble on the sidewalk. “Well, at least we got that over with. Hey, I can probably help you with your homework. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?”

Ghost just stared tiredly at her friend. “You weren’t even paying attention, you were falling asleep. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll do it on my own.” Misty looked taken aback. Was she really that surprised about how easy it was to miss out on the lecture? It must have been quite the revelation, because Misty remained silent the rest of the walk home. Ghost looked over at her friend, who tensed up and nodded to herself every few minutes.

Her silence made Ghost suspicious. “Hey, you’re not usually this quiet. Are you plotting something?”

Misty nodded solemnly. “Of course. I want to help in some way. I just need to think of a plan.” Ghost grinned and nuzzled her friend. Misty and her plans. They were always the sort of distraction from her peaceful routine that made her life more interesting. Perhaps it was what her life had been missing.

A Date, A Painting, A Leaf

Crowded. It was far too crowded. Ghost waded through the sea of ponies, trying to find a way out. Everywhere she looked, there were just more of them, all strangers, all with blank faces. None of them so much as paused when she waved at them, none talked to her when she tried to start up a conversation. She was just part of the crowd, and nothing else. Alone, and yet surrounded by hundreds of others. It was terrifying, it was-

“Ghostie, hey Ghostie, wake up!” Misty was shaking her shoulder. Oh, Celestia above, it was just a dream. Ghost yawned and stretched, trying to hide the relief on her face. At least one pony acknowledged her assistance. Ghost picked herself up off the floor and stumbled her way over to the kitchen space.

Ah, burnt toaster pastries, courtesy of Misty’s phenomenal cooking skills. She levitated one in her magic and crunched down on it. There were notes of chocolate underneath the charred bits, so this wasn’t half bad for Misty’s cooking. Ghost remembered the waffles she had enjoyed the day before, and wished she had saved some for breakfast leftovers.

“So, I was thinking…” Misty said as Ghost made her way through the pastry.

“A dangerous pastime,” quipped Ghost, shoving the rest of her breakfast into her mouth.

“I know.” Misty grinned. “You need friends, Ghostie. More friends than just me. I mean, I’ll admit, I’m fantastic and wonderful and the best bestie in the whole wide world, but I can’t be here all the time. So today, we’re gonna make you a friend, alright?”

Ghost shrugged. “Whatever you say, though I thought you’d want to look for the spy today. I don’t have class or work, for once.”

Misty trotted over to the door, her form flickering into her unicorn disguise. “Maybe we’ll see him on the way to the coffee shop. A changeling can always spot another one. It’s instinct!”

Ghost bit her lip to keep from asking what happened all the other times Misty’s ‘instinct’ failed her, and followed her friend through the door. They started down the stairs together, Misty pouting at the broken elevator as they passed it. “So, why the coffee shop?” Ghost asked as they headed in her workplace’s direction.

Misty picked up a leaf and set it on her walking friend’s back, trying to count how many steps it would stay on before fluttering to the sidewalk. “A lot of interesting ponies go there! There’s bound to be somepony to make friends with!”

Ghost sighed and entered the coffee shop. It felt weird being in there without needing to rush behind the counter to take a customer’s order. The Java Chip Cafe was fairly empty that morning, with a few patrons sipping their drinks and reading a newspaper or checking their phone. Nopony looked as though they wanted to be bothered.

Figuring she had nothing to lose, Ghost walked up to the counter. It was Maple Spice’s shift, and she waved at them. “What can I get started for you two today?” She chirped, swishing her tail back and forth behind her.

Ghost squeaked. “Um, well, I don’t…” She trailed off, looking to Misty for help.

“Yeah, we’re here to make a new friend. When do you get off your shift? You and Ghostie here should totally walk around town and look at things!” Misty nodded, beaming back Ghost, who was attempting to hide behind her mane.

Maple giggled and looked at the clock. “I get off in a few minutes. Sounds like fun! I’ve got a few masterpieces I’ve been totally dying to show off to somepony, anyways!”

Ghost nodded and scampered off to curl up in a plush chair. She hid her face in her hooves. “That was so terrifying, oh my gosh. I don’t know how you just get up and, you know, talk to ponies!”

The changeling pat Ghost’s mane gently. “It takes practice, experience, and guts. You can do it, you know. You just gotta get up and make yourself talk to others. Hopefully this’ll help!”

Maple sauntered over as her replacement took over behind the counter. “So, like, wanna go out and walk around town?”

Misty answered for Ghost, who shrank back in her chair and wished it would swallow her up and hide her forever. “Of course! Go on, Ghostie, make me proud!”

With a bit of nudging from Misty, Ghost shakily stood up and caught up to Maple. She watched her coworker as she sashayed out of the coffee shop. Maple was an earth pony, and a gorgeous one at that. Her pink and grey-tipped mane looked fashionable, and she looked like somepony straight out of a fashion magazine. Ghost gulped. Of all the things to notice about her soon-to-be-friend, why did she have to focus on how beautiful she was?

Maple turned around, and Ghost did the same, only to blush in mortification. Misty was following a few paces behind the two, giving them encouraging winks and smiles. “You know,” said Maple as they rounded a leaf-strewn corner. “I think your changeling friend there wants to set us up on a date or something.”

The unicorn shook her head fervently, sputtering helplessly. “No... no! No no no, that’s definitely not what’s going on. She just noticed I’m lonely, and wanted me to make a friend. That’s all that’s going on, I promise!”

Maple chuckled and nudged Ghost gently. “Don’t worry, I’m teasing. I’m not even into mares. I am, however, interested in art. I paint, you see, and it’s totally going well. I’ve gotten a few shops to use my paintings as in-store examples, and I’ve even sold a few!”

Ghost pressed her face against the window of a shop Maple pointed out. The paintings displayed in the store’s frames were beautiful, something out of a dreamscape. The pastel colors blended together to create blurry outlines of shapes and places. “They’re amazing!” breathed Ghost. “I wish I could afford one!”

The artist smiled at the compliment. “I’m so glad somepony likes them! I’ve been inspired by everyday places and events, and I try to make them more exciting and beautiful. It’s just how I see things. Like, you’ve got a leaf stuck to your back.” She reached out to brush it off.

Ghost turned around to glare at Misty, who whistled innocently, her hoof full of leaves. Maple laughed and wrapped Ghost into a hug. “No, no, it’s okay. It’s given me an idea for my latest piece. I’ve been wanting to do one about autumn leaves, but I didn’t have the right color palette. I can’t wait to paint this!” She perked up, bouncing on her hooftips.

The unicorn smiled meekly. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your inspiration, and I really should get back home to work on classwork, so, um…”

“Right, of course!” Maple nodded and swished her tail, sending a few leaves into the air behind her. “I’ll see you around, okay? I can’t wait to hang out more!”

Ghost waved as her new friend trotted off at a brisk pace. Misty popped up next to her, grinning like a maniac. “Aww, my sweet little Ghostie-wostie got a new friend! I’m so proud!” The changeling sniffled, pretending to tear up, much to Ghost’s amusement.

“Hey. I could have done that on my own! Eventually, at least.” She swatted at Misty, who cackled and dodged her hoof. They wandered off towards Ghost’s apartment, Ghost lost in thought. It took a special kind of pony to notice the beauty in everything like Maple did. She had to admit, it was fun to talk to somepony else.

“Hey,” Misty said softly, getting her friend’s attention with a friendly poke. “So, I really like Maple. She seems nice, and a perfect friend for you to get to know better. Plus,” Misty added under her breath, “I’m glad that she isn’t into mares.”

Ghost blinked. “Wait, why?”

“Um, nothing. Hey, did you want to grab a bean juice on the way home? We could totally get some, it’s got caffeine and, uh, mocha, and latte milk, and it foams like the ocean except less saltyish, I think? I mean, I never actually tasted it, so I wouldn't know, you know?" Misty babbled on, making Ghost shake her head. Sometimes, Misty really was odd, but that’s what Ghost loved about her.

A Knock, A Shock, A Noise

The smell of waffles filled the air. It was the only thing, Ghost noted, that Misty could make without burning something into an unrecognizable lump of charred spices and blackened sauce. Thankfully, Misty seemed perfectly happy to keep making them for every meal, which worked out well, because Ghost was perfectly happy to keep eating them. Her wafflemaker was getting more use, the apartment was lively, and Ghost was rapidly running out of maple syrup, but that was fine, everything was fine. For once, she felt… happy. Happy was becoming normal.

Ghost thought that was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to her. Well, besides waffles. Waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, just like today. Dinner waffles tasted twice as wonderful, because they carried the satisfaction of another day spent with a friend by her side.

“I’ve been thinking of writing an anthem to waffles,” said Ghost as she stuffed her face. “It’ll go something like, Oh squared pieces of heaven, how you brighten my day, with fluffy toasty yumness, and sticky syrup on the way. Or something like that.” She giggles, and Misty laughed as well as she forked another one over.

“So, here’s my question for ya,” Misty started, waving a batter-coated spatula that dripped onto the table with each gesture. “Why are you on your own, anyways? An adorable little Ghostie like you should be surrounded by friends and family all the time. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend time with ya?” Misty said as she blushed and turned to pour more batter into the waffle iron.

Ghost shrugged and poured syrup into each neat little square of her waffle, making sure not to miss a single one. “I felt like I was freeloading off of my parents. They said oh, it’s fine, take whatever classes you want while you figure things out, but I just couldn’t take it. They’re well off enough to afford it and all, but it just felt… too much like charity I suppose. So, um, I left. I’m living on my own now, off of my own money. I still see them for Hearth’s Warming, though.”

Misty nodded sympathetically. “I get what that’s like, you know? I don’t wanna let the hive down, just like your parents, I guess. I’m working hard to make ‘em proud, and hopefully someday I’ll be able to give back for all the support they’ve given me. And maybe, someday, I'll make myself proud, on my own terms. So, yeah, I get it... I think?” Misty sighed, lost in her thoughts for a moment before the wafflemaker beeped and she spun around to remove the latest golden piece of right-angled perfection and pour another.

Choking on her last bite of waffle, Ghost sniffled. It felt really nice to have somepony else get it, and not question her on why she was giving up on free support. “Misty? I’m so proud of you.” Misty looked back at her, eyes wide and tearing up, missing the waffle iron and spilling batter all over the counter as she turned. Ghost nodded emphatically and opened her mouth to say more when there was a knock on the door.

She frowned. She rarely ever heard that sound, unless it was one of her irate neighbors complaining that they got her book shipment because she wrote the address wrong again. Getting up from her place, she trotted to the door to look through the peephole.

There was a guard outside her apartment. And not just any guard, a royal guard. He looked important, and terrifying. Ghost wanted nothing more than to lock the door and pretend she wasn’t home. No, that would be cowardly, wouldn’t it? Besides, Misty was here, and she had Ghost’s back. Taking a deep breath, Ghost opened the door.

The guard cleared his throat. “Is this the residence of Ghost Phase?”

Ghost nodded, and tried not to squeak in terror. “Yes, I’m Ghost Phase. Is there something you need?”

The guard took no note of her panic and looked past her, into the room. “I’m here for one Misty Step. I have a message to deliver to her, and I’d appreciate a bit of privacy.”

Ghost bit her lip and shook her head. “With… with all due respect, sir, this is my home. If you’ve got something to say to Misty, you’ll have to say it in front of me, or I’ll have to ask you to leave. Unless… um!” She took a step back as the guard frowned down at her.

Misty brushed up against Ghost. “Unless you have a royal decree, you can’t legally search her apartment or banish her from the premises, even temporarily. What’s the message?”

The guard gave a curt nod at her defense, though he seemed displeased. “I’ve been informed to tell you, Misty Step, that your services under the Royal Command of the Princesses are no longer required. We’ve apprehended the suspect. You may return to your hive at your earliest convenience.” He straightened up, then added as an afterthought, “Have a nice day,” before turning on his hooves and marching away.

Misty stood still next to Ghost, rigid as a stick. She laughed, but it was a hollow laugh, as though she had forced it out. “So, Ghostie, how bout them waffles, huh?”

Ghost blinked. Misty must be in shock. She’d be too, if she was told that she wasn’t needed for her dream job. She waved a hoof in front of Misty’s face, and she blinked. Good, at least she was still somewhat responsive.

Misty took a deep breath. “I have to go home, back to the hive, okay? I'll see you around, though. Sometime. Probably.” She turned to look over at Ghost, and Ghost could see her eyes were tearing up.

What should she say? What could she say? Ghost didn’t know how to respond to that. She nodded, not knowing what to do. What do you say to a friend who’s lost everything? I’m sorry? That doesn’t feel like enough, that doesn’t carry enough weight.

Misty tried to fake a smile back, and then she stepped through the door. And then she was gone.

Ghost leaned against the doorway and stared out into the hallway long after Misty had trotted down the stairs. Something was missing. She turned back into her apartment. Spilled batter on the waffle iron was turning a crusty black. Ghost walked over sullenly and unplugged it. Cleanup could wait. Everything could wait until tomorrow. Maybe she’d feel better, and maybe she’d think of something she could have said.

She curled up in her nest and shut off the light. It was quiet in her apartment, something she usually prefered. Tonight, it just felt empty. She closed her eyes, and tried to sleep, and tried not to think about what it was that was missing from her apartment.

The woods were cold. The damp leaves stuck to her hooves as Ghost walked onward through the fog. Surely somepony else was there, surely she wasn’t truly lost and by herself, right? She looked around. It looked empty. Yup. She was definitely lost, the type of lost where you can’t even ask anypony for directions.

Wait, there! A sound, coming from her right! Ghost looked, and it looked like somepony else was there. Was it Misty? It couldn’t be, could it? Ghost could have cried from relief. Misty would know where she was! Misty could save her!

She ran through the leaves that stuck to her fur and chilled her to the bone, towards the figure in the mist. “Who’s there? Is it you, Misty?” She called out, running towards the shape. The form in front of her was fading into the mist, as though they were nothing but mist all along. Ghost stopped after she ran so hard she was panting, and looked around. There was nopony to be seen, and no answer to be heard.

The thunder outside her window woke Misty up, and she jerked awake. A storm was raging beyond her apartment walls, beyond Anthony and Anaconda the plants. She sniffled. Were her plants her only company now? She was so used to being alone, but never in her life had she felt so incomplete before.

Ghost pressed a hoof to her face. Tears were streaked down her face. Okay, she had a bad dream, tears were normal, being sad was normal. Being sad was her new normal. Okay. She laid her head down and tried to get some sleep.

Being alone? That was normal too.

A Silence, A Teacup, A Train

Birdsong woke Ghost up from her restless sleep. Curse them. Curse those happy birds to the depths of Tartarus. Misty was gone, everything was too quiet, except for happy bird noises. What right did those birds have to be happy? Misty wasn’t there. Ghost huffed and stomped over to the window and threw it open, almost knocking Anaconda the cactus from the windowsill.

“Shut up,” she said, “or I will cook you with rice and lemons! And I will eat it, too! And it will be frickin DELICIOUS!” Ghost slammed the window shut with a huff, tipping Anaconda the cactus over. The apartment was silent, almost judgmental. Ghost scrunched her muzzle at it. The apartment, of course, did not make a face back, which somehow made Ghost even more upset. Everything was back to the way it was, and yet everything felt so wrong!

She grabbed her saddlebags and stomped off to work. Leaves were falling, twirling down from the trees at the slightest breeze. One landed on her back, and she brushed it off as though it were a blood-sucking parasprite. Stupid leaves. Stupid autumn. Stupid everything! Ghost's frown didn't deter the leaves from falling, but she dearly wished that it somehow would.

Work was boring. Every customer smiled at her when they ordered, and she smiled back, making pleasant conversation with them. It felt normal. She winced when one customer ordered a frappuccino, but other than that the day went by irritatingly smoothly. Ghost caught herself missed the mess Misty had made, and the sheer chaos that came from her presence. A laugh escaped her as she remembered cleaning it up. If only she had Misty's ability to make light of anything.

She caught herself almost asking if anypony wanted a refill on their hot bean juice.

Everything reminded her of Misty. The scents, the laughter she heard every once in a while when the cafe door swung open. Why did she miss her so much? Why did Ghost feel as though a part of herself was gone? Every time the coffee shop’s door bell chimed, she looked up, secretly hoping that her friend would step through the door. Why? She had friends visit her in the past, and she hadn’t missed them this much.

What made Misty so special? Was it her easy-going laugh? Was it her jokes, the way she moved, or her horrible cooking? Ghost didn’t know. All she knew was that she felt more alone than she ever had.

She walked home in silence. If Misty were here, she’d be laughing about something silly that Ghost hadn’t bothered to notice. Why did she feel like being around Misty made everything all better? Ghost kicked a leaf, stubbing her hoof against a sidewalk crack. It was just loneliness, that was all. She just had to get used to it. That was all. Nothing more. She refused to let herself wonder if it was anything more.

The afternoon passed as it always did. Ghost made a pot of tea and sat down with a book from one of her stacks. How to Train your Beef-Eating Moth. Fascinating. She stared into her teacup for a good long minute before taking a sip, and settling down to read.

Half an hour later, she realized she hadn’t read a word. She had been thinking about Misty again. That was exactly what she told herself what she wasn’t going to do! And yet… Yet she missed having somepony else around.

What would Misty do, if she were lonely and missing a friend. She wouldn’t sulk over her tea, Ghost mused. She’d get up and do something about it! Ghost took a shaky breath before standing up, tea and book forgotten. This was supposed to be her calm and peaceful afternoon, perfectly normal.

Well, normal could go buck itself with a rusty chainsaw, for all she cared! This was Misty she was talking about. She had to do something not-normal! She put on her saddlebags and raced to the pantry, shoving whatever snacks were at hoof into them. It was time to give up on normal, and time to change her normal. For Misty!

She snatched a book off the top of her stacks and raced down the hallway. How should she do this? Should she write Misty a letter? Should she go out and make a friend, like Misty said she should do? No, Ghost thought with a determined grin. She should go out and find Misty, and drag her back into her boring lonely life!

Ghost ran, without caring if she bumped into other ponies, or if they saw her disheveled and out of breath. The train station would be the fastest way to Misty. Where was her hive again? Ghost puzzled over this. Misty Step was a changeling scout from… Hive Tempest, wasn’t it? She lived in… a storm cloud, over… um…

Ghost paused at the train station, and doubled over to catch her breath. Storm cloud. Right. Misty’s hive was inside a raging storm that never stopped. Her queen’s name was Queen Hurricane, she remembered. Misty had mentioned that. And they lived in the eye of the storm, which circled around… Everfree forest! Her stop was Ponyville!

She slammed a bag of bits down. This was her coffee money, but coffee could wait for another day. Her friend could not. “One ticket to Ponyville, please,” she said to the surprised ticket booth attendant. He hoofed over a ticket, and she trotted over to the train tracks, ignoring his offer to give her change. She didn’t need change, she was making a change.

The train screeched to a halt in front of her, and Ghost boarded it and plopped in the nearest open window seat. She opened up her saddlebag. A signed edition of Stallions Who Love Mares Who Hate Stallions and half a dozen packets of peanut-butter crackers greeted her. Well, she’d be able to fall asleep with that sort of book, anyways. Ghost grinned and looked out the window.

Towns and countryside passed by in a flash. The sky was dimming in a brilliant sunset, shining over the vast expanses of trees that made up the Everfree Forest. Misty had to be out there. Somewhere, Misty must out there. Ghost wouldn’t be alone for much longer. She was finally doing something about her normal. Buck normal, she had this. No, wait. Buck normal, she had Misty.

Author's Note

Ghost looked up from her book. Stallions Who Love Mares Who Hate Stallions was every bit the sappy, pointless read she had expected. A sphinx had shuffled up next to her, and was blocking the train's light. The sun had set, so that's all she had to read by. She sighed. As dumb of a book it was, she still needed something to pass the time.

Ghost tapped the sphinx's shoulder. "Excuse me, um, I need to see my pa-" She got no further as the sphinx swept her up into a huge, warm hug. Ghost flailed, dropping her book and losing her place. "Why do random ponies keep hugging me!" she whined, and was only cuddled closer as a result. She hung limp in the hug. It was going to be a loooong ride.

A Branch, A Hurricane, A Whisper

“Next stop, Ponyville!” the conductor shouted as the train slowly chugged towards the station. Ghost pressed her face against the window as the town slowly came into view. This was that little town where the Princess of Friendship lived! Should she visit her, or… wait, no, Misty probably needed her help. She grabbed her saddlebags and raced off the train as soon as the doors opened. A pink pony with a bouncy magenta mane was waiting at the train station, and handed her a balloon as she looked around.

“Hi there! You look like a new mcnewpants here! It’s so nice to meet you!” The pony said, and looked as though she would bounce on her hooftips, if several balloons weren’t keeping her hovering a few inches above the ground.

Ghost stepped back and cocked her head, puzzled. “Um, do you always greet random strangers who get off the train?”

The mare giggled, as though Ghost had reminded her of an inside joke they shared. “Of course, silly! It’s always so much fun to say hello to ponies arriving from their travels! There are so many wonderfulicious stories that they can tell. So, friend, what brings you to Ponyville?”

The strange earth pony turned her head in the direction Ghost was staring. Ghost snapped her focus back to the mare sheepishly. “I’m, um, looking for Everfree. Could you give me directions, or…”

“Oh sure! Follow me!” The pony made bouncing motions with her hooves. Despite the fact that she didn’t touch the ground, the balloons seemed to get the message and blew her forward at a quick pace. Ghost struggled to keep up, but followed the sight of colorful balloons bobbing in the crowds of ponies loitering around on the beautiful day.

After what felt like forever, and narrowly avoiding a random burst of song from a pair of houses they passed, Ghost and the peculiarly enthusiastic mare arrived at Everfree. The trees loomed above them as the cheerful pony floated around to smile at her. “So, here we are! Why did you want to come here, anyway? It’s all spooky!”

Ghost bit her lip and stared into foreboding forest. “I’m looking for a friend. Thank you for the directions, miss-?” She turned back, but the strange mare was already gone. Probably off to greet the next train or something. Taking a deep breath, Ghost stepped into the forest.

It was easy, at first, to follow the path into Everfree. Misty had one said that her hive was somewhere here, right? Ghost hoped she was right. She hadn’t expected Everfree to be so big, though. There weren’t any forests where she lived, at least none that weren’t enclosed in a park, so she had no experience with this many trees, densely packed into so much space.

All around her were strange sounds and unfamiliar smells. Ghost tried not to imagine what sort of creatures and plants were connected to such sounds. The path ahead was getting harder to discern, the rocks and sand slowly fading away and branching off. Did she make a wrong turn? Had she gotten lost? Oh, she didn’t think she’d be able to find her way back if she did. That would be the worst possible-

A sharp snapping sound cracked behind her. Somepony or something was following her! Was it a timberwolf? Ghost didn’t want to stay to find out. She ran forward blindly, the trees overhead blocking the sun as she raced ahead. The rustling behind her was getting closer, wasn’t it? The path was lost, she realized as she looked down. She was lost, and all was probably lost too. Ghost looked up just in time to see the branch in front of her, but not in enough time to stop her forehead from smacking into it, right underneath her horn.

The last thing she heard before she blacked out was twigs snapping as something stalked closer to her collapsed form.

Her eyes flickered open to pure white. For a second, Ghost thought she was dead, until she felt the warm softness of cloth that she was unfamiliar with underneath her. A bed. She was on a bed, which meant that she probably wasn’t dead. Does heaven have beds?

Groaning, she propped herself up. The room was white, the walls seemed blurry and almost undefined. Ghost ran a hoof across the one close to her bed. It was soft and cool and somehow sturdy. It was… cloud? Was she in a cloud?

She gingerly swung her hooves over the edge of the bed and stared warily at the floor. Unicorns can’t walk on clouds. What if she fell right through? Would she be impaled on a tree, or would whatever pegasus that saved her notice that she poofed through the floor and was tumbling out of the sky?

A polite knock at the door (how do you knock on clouds?) startled her away from her panicked thoughts. She looked up, and almost thought the changeling staring at her serenely was Misty. Her mane was indigo, just like her friend’s, but hers was longer, and done up in a messy bun.

“Before you fret,” the changeling said softly, “we cast a spell on you so you can walk here, so don’t worry about falling. Besides, the floors are reinforced with resin that some of our drones create, so even if the spell wears off, you won’t die.”

Ghost blinked. She.. she must be in-

“Oh,” the changeling added as she turned to leave, “welcome to Hive Tempest. If you feel dizzy, it’s because you’re in the inner ring of the hive. It spins the slowest, but it can still be disconcerting. You’ll get used to it, though; we all do. If you get lost, just ask a ‘ling, we’re all happy to help you. Hope your head feels better!” With that, the changeling’s wings buzzed and she took off.

Ghost prodded tentatively at the ground with her forehooves. It held, and felt much sturdier than she had expected from a cloud. Once all four hooves were on the plush floor, Ghost made her way unsteadily to the hallway. She felt a little disoriented. It must be because she was spinning, or whatever the ‘ling had said.

She wandered around the hive, taking in the sight of the hallway as she trotted around. The color of the clouds varied from a stormy black to a mellow white, and they were swirled together in wavy spirals. After asking another changeling for directions, Ghost followed the clouds as they turned darker, the walls gradually darkening. The hallways were lit with what appeared to be thunderbolts, which flickered and jumped across the ceiling in crisscross patterns. Ghost resolved not to touch them, as they looked fairly dangerous.

All around her, changelings moved in harmony. Ghost peeked into a few rooms as she passed. In one, five changelings worked in almost mechanical efficiency, each one simultaneously assembling a different part of what appeared to be a nest. She squinted at their hooves. They were spinning it from what looked like… spit? Strands of it came from their mouths as their hole-riddled hooves expertly wove it into what must be a bed.

In another room, closer to the darkest storm clouds, a nurse rushed around. Clutched in one hoof was a changeling larva. When he turned, Ghost saw two more clinging to his back, staring up at her between his frail-looking wings with wide glassy eyes. Their skin looked papery and pale, and beneath it Ghost could see blue veins that somehow made their feathery manes seem brighter.

He wheeled around the second Ghost and the baby changelings made eye contact and beamed warmly at her. “The grubs must be watched, Ghost Phase. We’ve found that they do better when they’re taken care of in the groups they hatched in.” Ghost wondered how he knew her name, but he hustled around the room as quickly as he could with a grub on his hoof, and she felt it wasn’t the time nor place to ask.

She came to a stop in front of a door that was closed, which struck her as odd. There weren’t any doors in front of the other rooms, and this was definitely the darkest patch of cloud. Maybe she was in the wrong place, or…

“Hello! Precious, I’ll be right there! I just had to send off these simply fabulous designs, and my my, they will be dazzling!” Ghost perked as a changeling skidded to a stop between her and the door. His mane was long and weaved into a complecated braid, and adorned with ribbons and sequins. A light dusting of glitter covered him as he inspected her.

“My, oh, my, sweet stars above! You really are as pretty as she said, if I do say so myself!” Ghost blushed at the comment, and the changeling continued unfazed, flipping his mane and sending a shower of glitter onto the floor below him. “My name’s-”

“He’s flamin’, is what he means.” Another changeling walked up to them, dressed in a flowing lab coat that was smouldering on one edge. “I’m Crimson, and that’s Sparkles over there. Before you ask, he’s actually bi, and yes, he flirts with everyone. Don’t take it personally, he’s just an idiot.” Sparkles didn’t seem to mind, and actually appeared to take it as a compliment.

Ghost stared at them both, at a loss for words. Sparkles took that as a cue of sorts, and nudged her gently. “The queen’s been wanting to see you, darling. She’s ready now, if you’ll walk through the door.”

She gulped, and stepped through the door as the two changelings opened it for her.

"Oh Crimson, darling, you really could use some touch up on your mane! I may be the flaming one, but you, sweetheart, are literally smoking in patches!"

"No, idiot. You're not touching my mane."

"Aww, but why not? It's simply bursting with potential!"

"The last time you tried to style it, you managed to get glitter up my a-"

The slam of a door cut off their argument, but Ghost felt that they somehow got along despite their disagreements. She turned to look at where she had walked into, and what she saw made her jaw drop.

The walls swirled in a slow spiral around the throne room, wisps of light and dark cloud swirling together. Above her, the sun shone down on the room, filling it with warm beams of light. Lightning arched above her head, jumping from wall to wall with a snap, and leaving behind a strong scent of ozone. The throne itself sat in the middle of the room, built up from resin swirled artfully in thin strands, and looked as fragile as glass.

Seated atop the throne was a large changeling. She had Misty’s violet eyes, though hers had a compassion and grace that her friend’s gaze lacked. The queen perched on the throne with rigid posture, and Ghost took a step back before she realized what she was doing. This ‘ling was intimidating, and yet somehow friendly at the same time.

The queen nodded at Ghost curtly, her thin lips curling into a smile. “I am Queen Hurricane, Ghost Phase. It is a pleasure to meet you at last. I am certain that you have many questions. Please, do not hesitate to ask, for you are a guest here, and a friend of one of my daughters. You need not fear speaking your mind within the Hive.”

Ghost gulped and took a deep breath. Every instinct she had screamed at her to run, get out of this weird and alien place, but she had to find Misty, and she was more than a little curious about what she had seen. “Um, your Majesty? Where’s Misty Step? How do you know my name? Are you all psychic or something? Do changelings just do incest all the time, and are they all really your kids? Why is the room spinning?”

Hurricane laughed, and her shoulders relaxed. Her wings flared, fanning out to catch the sun. “My children will guide you to Misty. She is quite the ball of energy, but hearing the news seemed to sap most of it out of her. It will do her well to see you. She has spoken of you quite a bit, and I’m certain there are small groups of young ‘lings who imitate how you look because of her enthusiastic words.

“We are not truly psychic, but we do host a hive mind. Each hive has their own, and I’ve heard each one sounds different. We are all genetically nearly the same, but the queen can alter her children’s genes slightly before giving birth. It is an art we have perfected over millennia. Still, strictly speaking, yes. We are insectuous insects with a parasitic tendancy towards empathetic emotions.

“The room is spinning because the entire hive revolves around the throne room, literally. Hive Tempest is situated inside an eternal storm over the Everfree Forest. My scouts were on patrol when they spotted and recognized you. Before they could greet you, you ran off and were knocked out. My most sincere apologies for the misunderstanding. Do you have any other questions?”

Ghost paused, trying to wrap her mind around the information the queen had given her. “Um… so, ah, how are you doing?”

Hurricane drooped on her throne as she considered the question before straightening up again. “To be honest, I am tired, Ghost Phase. It takes a great amount of energy to run a hive successfully, and while my children do not cause trouble often, I often feel as though I cannot keep up with them. I am grateful that many of them, like Misty Step, remain so enthusiastic in their work. Speaking of Misty, you should go check on her. She’s thinking about you, and it is difficult to keep the news of your arrival from her.”

The queen grinned. “I hope the surprise will lift her spirits. One changeling’s emotions affect us all.” Her smile widened, though she looked weary, and the door behind Ghost opened. The voices of Sparkles and Crimson echoed into the throne room.

“Yeah, well, your coat is simply a fashion disaster! You can’t blame me for trying to correct it!”

“I was coughing up glitter for weeks, you imbecile. If you can’t control where your magical fairy dust goes, then seek medical treatment! I don’t want to touch anything you’ve laid a hoof on ever again!”

“That’s not what you said last night, darling. Ah, Ghost Phase, we’ll take you to Misty Step, right this way, if you please!” Sparkles gave her an unashamed grin as she blushed, and waved her over. Ghost didn’t know whether or not she should bow to the queen as she left, so she gave her an awkward nod of respect as she stumbled out of the door.

Ghost sighed as the door swung shut, uncertain about how to respond to the queen and the changelings. Still, she felt the need to break the silence with something, so she cleared her throat as the pair of changelings led her down a hallway. “So, um, what do you two do around the Hive?”

Sparkles winked at her. “Why, precious, we f-”

“We’re Queen Hurricane’s personal drones,” interrupted Crimson quickly. “We are her consorts, her advisors, and her friends. Aside from royal duties, I am the head of the scientific division of ‘lings. Pixiedust here is the head of creative pursuits.”

The glittery changeling sputtered as they rounded a corner. “My name is not Pixiedust, sweetheart, and I’ll have you know that that’s a chitin condition! I can’t control it when my wings shed sparkles!”

Ghost cocked her head. “A chitin condition? That sounds painful.”

Crimson rolled his eyes and brushed glitter off his lab coat with a tattered wing. “It isn’t, and it’s actually fairly common in our hive. Just like pegasi molt, our wings occasionally shed scalelike glitter. Sparkles here does that more often than most, though, which makes him a glittery freakbug.”

Sparkles shrugged good-naturedly as they walked through the hallways, and Ghost suspected he was quite used to Crimson’s friendly insults. Ghost noticed that the corridors were becoming wider and better lit, and changelings swarmed around the trio, rushing from room to room. Some of them flew up into tunnels in the ceiling, dodging lightning arcs with speed that Ghost doubted a pegasus could match. None of them hit each other, and instead weaved through the crowd with a grace that must have been the result of their hive mind.

“How does your hive harvest love, since you’re so isolated here in Everfree?” she asked, ducking as a small ‘ling flit above her head.

Crimson answered her as he led her into a room packed full of young changelings. “We integrate with pegasi in Cloudsdale, and work closely with the Wonderbolts to manage storms coming in and out of Everfree. It hasn’t been easy, but we’re slowly gaining acceptance among smaller pegasi communities.” He shook his tousled mane, which was still smoking, much to Sparkles’s evident amusement, and pointed down the row of nests in the room. “Your friend should be at the end of the hallway. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ghost Phase.”

Sparkles waved as their wings buzzed and they turned to fly out of the room. “Hopefully we’ll meet again, gorgeous! Ta ta!” Ghost smiled as they flew off and looked around.

It must be a dormitory, she figured. She walked through the rows of nearly-identical nest-beds, looking through each of them. They all looked the same, but upon closer inspection, each one had a slightly different personal touch. Some were adorned with beads or feathers, while others had photographs taped onto them or books stashed next to them. Though she wasn’t a fan of the evident lack of privacy, it looked like someplace almost anypony could call home, and the changelings seemed fairly friendly.

Most of the nest’s occupants weren’t around, and the few that were chatted with each other or worked with their magic, forming intricate shapes out of hardening resin. Ghost supposed that this was the changeling’s version of art, and found it weirdly beautiful. She made a mental note to ask Misty about it once she found her.

In the last row, pressed against a corner of cloud, one changeling was curled up in the nest. Unlike the other nests, this one was plain and looked brand-new. Stacks upon stacks of manilla files were piled haphazardly around it. The changeling huddled in the bed was shaking, and Ghost thought she heard weeping. She walked quietly towards the slumped form.

“Hey, Misty, it’s me, Ghost. I-”

Ghost got no further before Misty sprang up and held her tight in a crushing hug. Ghost could see the tears on her friend’s face as she nuzzled against her and breathed deeply. “I knew you’d come, Ghostie,” Misty whispered as she squeezed Ghost hard enough to leave bruises.

The unicorn let her friend squish her for a few moments before her lungs complained to her. She regretfully pried herself away for want of air and wiped away a tear that threatened to trickle down her cheek. “I missed you, Misty. You need to come home, with me, because-”

“Because I’m so awesome, you realized life was boring and pointless without me?” finished Misty, giggling through her sniffles.

Ghost nodded. “Pretty much.” She broke out into a grin, which Misty copied as she rubbed her eyes.

“I missed you, Ghostie. Life in the hive isn’t as fun as hanging out with you is. I just… don’t know what I’ll do with you. Maybe I’ll work at the coffee shop with you, learn how to make bean juice or something. It’s not glamorous or fantastic, but maybe I’ll be able to figure things out somehow.”

Ghost wrapped Misty in a gentle hug, nodding against her chitin. “I believe in you, no matter what happens, Misty.”

Misty stiffened and bit her lip in an uncharacteristically shy gesture, which made Ghost pull back and give her a concerned look as the changeling spoke. “Hey, Ghostie? I’ve been kind of thinking, I… geez, this is really hard to say, but I lo-”

The changeling blinked, and her ears perked. Misty’s eyes unfocused and she tensed, gazing into the middle distance. Ghost looked around, surprised to find that every changeling in the room looked the same. It was as though a ripple had went through the crowd. It must have been the hive mind, Ghost figured. Maybe they made an announcement?

Misty’s lips parted in a relieved smile as every changeling relaxed. The announcement must not have taken very long. “Oh, this is just great, Ghostie. You’re not gonna believe this!” squealed Misty, bouncing on her hooftips as though nothing strange had just happened.

Ghost quirked an eyebrow. “Alright, what did the hive mind say?”

The changeling spun her around in a tight hug, dancing with joy. “It’s a message from one of the guards. They caught the wrong pony! Come on, we have to get back home and start up the search again! There’s still hope!”

Author's Note

Will Sparkles ever invent a cure to correct normal changeling's lack of glitter? Will Misty discover the secret plot to replace Princess Celestia with a rainbow-colored moose bug? Can Ghost convince Queen Hurricane to have a girls night with her?

Find out some of this and more in the next chapter of A Change in the Wind!

A Ride, A Wash, A Sleep

The train back to San Fransiscolt was packed full of tired businessponies by the time Misty and Ghost reached the station. They had to push and shove between ponies waving goodbye to their loved ones to get into a car, but made it just before the doors closed. Inside, it smelled of juniper, sweat, and ash, the mingling fragrances of exhausted ponies and their faded cologne.

Ghost didn’t mind one bit, though. She had Misty back, so everything was perfect. For all she cared, the whole world could be burning down, and she wouldn’t bat an eye. Her best friend was by her side, and everything was going great. So she scooted a bit closer to Misty.

She was slightly startled when Misty put a hoof around her and held her close, but she really couldn’t complain. Maybe Misty just wanted to keep warm? Yeah, that must be it, her not being warm-blooded and all.

Ghost didn’t notice the first drop that fell on her fur, and the second one she mentally passed off as somepony drinking something cold and dripping condensation on her, but the third one made her look up. It was Misty. She was crying, but she didn’t look too sad. “You okay?” murmured Ghost, wrapping a hoof around Misty back, holding her close.

Misty clung to her as though her life depended on it and let out a dramatic sniffle. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m just so happy to see ya, Ghostie. I didn’t think you’d come back for me, you know?”

Ghost smiled, letting her hooves wrap around Misty’s back. “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?” She debated trying to wipe away Misty’s tears, but that might end up poking her in the eye. Instead, she settled for simply rubbing Misty’s back, watching the world blur by through the windows of the train.

The sun was setting over the Everfree forest, the trees reaching up towards the sky. The branches looked as though they were dipped in golden light. Slowly, the orange creeped down the clouds, fading to pink, purple, and then deep blue. The first stars had flickered to life by the time Misty’s grip relaxed. Together, they watched the moonrise as the train clacked on towards home.

“So you just rushed out to get me, and left everything out?” chuckled Misty as they staggered into Ghost’s apartment. The barest flicker of dawn peeked through the window, casting a long shadow from the tipped-over cactus Ghost had hastily left behind. A hazy scent lingered in the apartment, one of musty tea and dusty mugs.

“Yup,” mumbled Ghost blearily, surveying the chaos she’d left in her wake. At least the bed was cleared off. More or less. It could fit both of them if they really squished together, but the smell of the room left much to be desired.

“Ghostie?” purred the changeling, examining a dried stain on the sink.

“Yes?” Ghost perked up from where she was straightening the poor cactus.

Misty gave her a devilish smirk, turning on the sink with a flourish. “You’re a mess when you miss me.”

Ghost laughed and tossed a rag at her. Misty snatched it from the air and started scrubbing the counter, her tongue poking out in concentration. The unicorn grinned. It had felt like forever, Misty being gone. Perhaps the calendar didn’t agree with her perception of time, but that didn’t matter. Misty was back. That was all that mattered.

That, and perhaps the state of the apartment. Ghost liked to keep it decently livable at the minimum. She opened the window and set about dusting the room. Misty deserved to stay in - no, visit, she corrected herself. Visit, for hopefully a long period of time. As long as she wanted, in fact. Regardless, Misty deserved to live in a room that was clean and spacious and not the mess Ghost usually kept it in. Which meant she may have to get more bookshelves, eventually, since not every pony enjoyed tripping over stacks of books in the middle of the night when trying to find the restroom.

“So, they caught the wrong changeling, huh?” she said, while attempting to clear the air with her magic.

Misty shrugged, grabbing a mug that had been sitting there for Celestia knew how long. “Yeah, it’s great. Not as great as seeing you come find me, but it’s still good news. Why?”

“I was just thinking, maybe I could take a vacation from work, sometime? Just a few days, or something, but I could try to help you find the renegade spy. I do want to help, and since you got another chance at this and everything…” The unicorn trailed off, and picked up a book to fiddle with. The Complete Compendium of Yarn twirled between her hooves.

Misty set the mug down and trotted over to where Ghost fidgeted. Gently, she put a hoof over Ghost’s. “Sure, if that’s what you want, Ghostie-boo, but I don’t want to just work. We got this second chance, yeah, but I wanna help you out with your life, too.”

“But-”

Misty’s hoof wrapped around the book and tenderly set it back in the stack. “No buts. This isn’t just a second chance to catch some spy bug, this is a second chance for us to be together.” The changeling bit her lip, her hoof pausing before gently grasping Ghost’s. “Not… not together-together, but, you know. Hang out, figure out how to make your life slightly less lonely and depressing.”

Ghost chuckled, but something about the earnestness in Misty’s eyes made her hesitate. “I’m not that lonely, you know,” she muttered, turning to flop onto the slightly-cleared-off nest of pillows and blankets. “I’ve got friends.”

“Books don’t count as friends!” chirped Misty, before leaping onto the pillow heap, partially on top of Ghost. “I mean real ones. Tomorrow, or today, or whatever day comes next when the sun’s already up, we’ll see about finding you a million friends to cheer you up.”

Ghost smiled slightly, shifting a bit under the changeling until she was a bit more comfortable. It honestly wasn’t that bad, being used as a pillow. It wasn’t like there was much other space on the floor, anyways. It was just one night. She yawned and snuggled a bit closer to the changeling. To keep her warm, of course. Changlings don’t like to be cold.

“I’d like that. Though I do have friends. I have you, don’t I?” she murmured, relaxing next to Misty.

As she drifted into dreamland, Ghost could have sworn she heard Misty whisper “For as long as you want, forever.”

Author's Note

Hello faithful reader! It's been ages since I've written anything, hasn't it? ~~one and a half years since I updated this story, but who's counting? Oops...~~

Thank you for getting this far, and for sticking with me. The adventures of Ghostie and Misty continue! ~~Here's to the eternal shipping of Bug & Boo!~~

A Sneeze, A Drop, A Soup

Ghost Phase woke up to three things that made her heart skip a beat.

The first was Misty’s hooves wrapped around her. This wasn’t a problem, as she rather liked being cuddled up to her friend, and it was a truly welcome shock. It just felt right somehow.

The second thing was the clock. It blinked at her. 0:00. Crap, she thought, as coherently as she could after being yanked bodily from dreamland. I’m probably late to work, aren’t I? Crap, crap, crap.

The third thing was a violent sneeze, that jerked her body so hard she almost fell off the blanket-nest. It woke her up the rest of the way, and made Misty shift positions behind her.

“Whatzat?” muttered Misty, grabbing one of Ghost’s hooves and attempting to wrap it around herself like a blanket. “‘s too early to be doin’ the waking thing. Five more hours…”

A second sneeze made the changeling lift her head, blinking some of the sleep out of her eyes. “Wah… Ghostie? Are you the alarm clock?”

“I dink I’b sick, Mibty,” Ghost replied, pawing at a few book stacks blearily for a tissue box. Half of her nose felt congested, and it was driving her nuts.

“Sick? Sick! Oh no, oh sweet stars above, you’re sick!” Instantly, Misty’s demeanor changed, and she lept to her hooves, wings buzzing frantically. “What do I do, what do I say? Oh, gosh, is there a ritual I should perform? Or a song you need to hear? I’m not much of a singer, but I can try if it’ll help.” She took a deep breath. “Ohhhh, Celestiaaaaaaaaaaaa, my bosom sings to-”

“Dat isn’t helbing.” Ghost flashed her a weary smile as she struggled out of bed. “Don’t you doh how to helb a sick pony?”

Misty wobbled on top of one of the stacks, frantically bouncing on her hooftips. “Not really, no. I mean, changelings deal with sick ‘lings by isolating them until either they aren’t sick anymore or… well, they aren’t sick anymore. We don’t get sick very often, though, because we’re, y’know, bugs.”

“Right, right.” Ghostie blew her nose and made a face as she crumpled the tissue in her magic. “I’m probably going to call out from work. Could you deliver a note to me?”

“Sure! Yes! Can do, I can do that! Letters, notes, anything you need delivered. Leave it to me!” Misty nodded, helpfully pulling out a few tissues from the box before tenderly stacking them on Ghost’s head.

Ghost pressed her lips together as she scrawled a quick note and handed it to Misty, seconds before sneezing a third time and toppling back onto the blanket nest. “I’m going back to bed. My head feels full of fluff.”

Misy paused, one hoof already out the door, and looked back with a few notes of concern in her desperately-chipper expression. “Do I need to call a pony doctor?”

Ghost waved a hoof from the bed as she buried her muzzle back into the pillows. “It’s just a cold. I’ll be fine, I just need a few hours to feel right as rain.”

The door to her apartment swung shut with an all-too-loud clunk as Ghost’s eyes slid shut. The room felt as though it was spinning around her as she gave in to the siren call of sleep.

The sound of a shattering crash was just barely enough to wake Ghost from her doze, after what felt like a few minutes. A familiar voice followed the crash, making her feel simultaneously relieved and exhausted.

“Curse them all! Every last bit! Curse that bit and that bit and that bit and… all of it! Curse it all to a thousand years of sleep, only to wake up in a land with no toilets!” Misty yelled, wings buzzing as she dove for a broom. “Who in Equestria and the wastes beyond makes a mug that freakin’ breakable? It’s like glass, except less pretty, I swear to-”

She froze as her eyes met Ghost’s. “Crap. Did I wake you? I didn’t- I was just trying to do some dishes, and-”

Ghost blinked owlishly at her, before taking in the room around her. Many of the book stacks had been moved, and she dearly hoped it only looked like they had been sorted by color. A towering heap of bowls were arranged haphazardly against the counter, most of them far cleaner than she remembered them being. The heap of shards Misty had been screaming at looked like the remains of one of her mugs: the one with the teddy bear, if she wasn’t mistaken.

She sighed before yanking a pillow over her head. Half her face felt weirdly clogged up. “You’re fibe, Misty. I’b going back to sleeb.”

“Ghostie?”

A hoof gently poked her shoulder. Groaning, Ghost levered herself into a mostly-upright position. “Yeah?” She muttered, squinting first at Misty, then at the clock, which was still blinking a helpful 0:00. “What is it?”

Misty bit her lip. “I cleaned the apartment.”

“That’s nice,” said Ghost, her back popping as she stretched. One of her hind hooves was still asleep. “Thanks,” she added, after a few seconds of silence had stretched to the point of awkwardness.

“It’s just…” Misty hummed, swaying back and forth on her hooves. “I don’t know how to help. Like, I can clean and stuff, and I delivered the note and they said it was fine and all, but like… I don’t know what will make you feel better. I feel helpless, Ghostie. And I know that pony colds are a little thing, but it’s still something I can’t fix.”

Ghost pursed her lips and hugged a pillow, but Misty wasn’t done yet as she began pacing. “And it’s not like I don’t know that there are things I can’t fix, but this is such a little thing, a little annoyance, and it feels like something I should be able to do something about, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what the right thing to do even is! And I didn’t want to bother you about it earlier because, you know, sick, but it’s been bothering me and I need to know.”

She took a deep breath and sat in front of Ghost, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face. “How can I help make this easier for you? Is there anything I can do, that you’ll let me do, that will make you less sick? Or at least feel less sick?”

Ghost gave her a tired half-smile before looking around for a tissue box. She slung her magic towards one and yanked two tissues out of the top. One she held up to her muzzle, and the other she laid almost lovingly on top of Misty’s head.

“Soub.” Ghost nodded, before blowing her nose with a noise like a trumpet. “I’d like a soup, please.”

Misty grinned. “Soup! Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. Hm… alright, I don’t know how to make soup… I’m pretty sure it isn’t a toaster food, so, uh, I’m just gonna run to the store and grab some, okay? You just… here.” She grabbed a book from one of the few stacks that wasn’t chromatically sorted and gingerly set it next to Ghost. “Read this if you get bored, it’s got a neat cover on it and I’ve got no clue what any of it means.”

Without a second word, she dashed out of the apartment, and it wasn’t until the end of the hallway that Ghost saw the telltale flicker of her shapeshifting magic. Sighing, she settled back into the pillows and glanced at the title. Earthworms At Dawn: One Annelid’s Journey of Love and Loss stared back at her. Chuckling as best as her stuffed sinuses would allow, she cracked open the cover and began reading.

Time passed, in the strange way that time zips along while one reads, until Ghost looked up from a chapter to find that her eyes ached. The sun must’ve gone down, and as her horn glowed to flick on the lights she frowned at the clock. 0:00. She really needed to teach Misty how to reset a clock.

Wait, Misty! Where was she? Ghost slid the book jacket’s flaps into place as a makeshift bookmark before struggling to her hooves. Misty was gone! Had she gotten lost on her way to the market, or-

The door slammed open, revealing a pony in a strange shape whose mannerisms she knew all too well. The mare swung the apartment door shut again before spitting out a few feathers that Ghostie didn’t recognize for the life of her. A lilac-tinged flash later and Misty grinned up at her, one very dented and unlabeled can floating in her magic.

“I got the soup.” Misty shook her head, and a few more feathers floated off of her mane. “Let me just heat this up for ya, and you’ll be on your way to feeling better! How’s the book, by the way?”

“It’s very, er, down-to-earth, and I’m not sure where it- wait, are those scorch marks?” Ghost’s jaw dropped as she stared at Misty’s flank. “What in Equestria happened out there?”

The changeling shrugged as she closed the microwave, barely remembering at the last second to pour the soup into a bowl instead of microwaving the can. “It doesn’t really matter. Besides, you’re sick! You probably shouldn’t stress out much, since I’m taking care of ya.” The microwave beeped, and she pulled out the slightly-less-lukewarm bowl and plunked a spoon into it before levitating it over to Ghost.
‘
Ghost stared into it. It looked and smelled just like generic vegetable broth. With a sleepy shrug, she took a few sips. Yup, just broth. Not bad for congestion, at least.

Misty sat down next to her on the blanket nest and opened the book. “Now, I’m gonna read to ya while you eat that, and we’ll figure it out from there, okay? Now, where were we?”

Ghost pointed at a paragraph before taking another drink of soup. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she settled against Misty’s shoulder. This felt right. This felt like home. Misty felt like home. And right then, snuggled against her changeling friend, Ghost wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, all! I promise, I have a planned ending for this story, and I might as well make some headway on getting there! Thanks for any and all of you who've stuck with me for... uhhh, let's see how long it's been...

... oh, yikes, uh, let's not see how long it's been! Thanks for sticking with me, dear reader, you mean the world to me!