Changes

It’s funny, how quickly things can go bad. One moment you’re sitting at home, then all of a sudden it’s as if somebody pointed the shit canon at the fan and let loose a barrage of recycled matter until you couldn't tell rotor from feces.
You were sitting at home, minding your own business, until you happened to take a glance out the window. Your “home” as you had become accustomed to calling it for the past month, was a small, one room apartment in the changeling kingdom on the seventh floor. There was a small t.v., a cabinet, and a couch in the living room. Along with a basic kitchen, and a bedroom. Simple. That’s how you wanted it to be. You looked out the window as you passed it. Just a check, nothing more.
You kept walking but retained a nagging feeling that you had seen something. You turn back and decide to take a better look. It was winter in the kingdom and thick layers of snow were packed down across the trash laden streets. You look down and see three cars parked across the street from your building. Inconspicuous, normal, nothing to really catch your attention and yet the feeling was still there. You kept looking, nothing. And then you saw it. The three cars were full of maybe six guys each. All of them returning the stare you gave them. It was chilling.

You quickly backed away from the window, fighting with your common sense. Telling yourself it was a coincidence. You look out again. Still the men stared, the only difference being that they were beginning to file out of the car. You noticed they were holding guns. All of them were holding guns. They began to walk towards your building. You knew why they were there, knew that you would be found. And yet, the hope for living the “quiet life” as you called it was always with you. You saw the men slowly advance toward your apartment, then one of them raise his hand towards you in a gun shaped position, and fire an imaginary round into your head.

listen as you read:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nljVUL5Vo8E

You backed away from the window and hurried towards the cabinet. You remembered how long the estimated time it took to get up to the seventh floor on those crappy elevators in the building. You think it was about six minutes. You open up the cabinet and retrieve two shoulder holsters, two pistols and a small ammo belt. You quickly adorn this new gear and ready yourself. Three minutes till approach, you think to yourself as you begin putting on your tan shoes, a white jacket, and a pair of tan pants. Underneath you were wearing a white shirt and two pistols, along with ten clips. Two minutes. You grab a small backpack filled with E- canisters and some extra ammo. You check your watch, one minute left. You open up your door and walk out.

“Don’t you move a fuckin’ muscle Pierce.” You hear as a small metal tube with the capacity to end your life is pressed up against your head. looks like you counted wrong.

“Come on guy, can’t we just talk this out?” You say, trying to look for an opening on this man. He was a member of an equestrian gang called the steel regimen, 'Regs' for short. They were led by a gryphon who called himself Apex.a couple of months ago you had 'made out a loan' from the national bank of Apex’s house. He 'proposed a transaction' where you returned the money, whereupon you 'sent the bankers on their way home to their families'. Apex had been looking for you ever since. And it appears he found you today.

“How’s Apex?” You ask, trying to make small talk with this soon-to-be-assailant.

“Angry.” Replied the goon in a serious tone.

“Well he has every right to be, I did take fourty thousand dollars from him. Say, how did you get up here so fast?” You ask.

“Stairs.” replied the goon in the same icy way he had responded to your other remarks. You could hear the elevators slowly rising to your floor. “Looks like It’s finally time to pay Apex back his money.” said the goon with a devilish grin.

“Yeah, about that,” you say, “I kind of spent it on a car. Which Apex destroyed last time you guys found me.”

This, sadly, was no lie. The money was not put to good use in retrospect. You hear the elevator doors at the end of the hall open and several 'people' walk out. You call them people for the same reason you call yourself a person. Technically everyone in this situation was a changeling. After the human race went extinct years ago, most changelings had adopted the human shape. The way a changeling worked, is that they need magical energy to change forms. When mankind had been hit with the gryphon bomb, the magical energy blasted out and slightly affected the entire world. Changelings, being the closest kingdom to mans kingdom, along with the natural ability to absorb magical energy were affected the most. The Energy canisters, or E-cans, held enough energy for a form change, the amount of energy you chose to absorb is what made the difference on how long you stayed in that form. Although most canisters only hold enough energy for a one hour change.A permanent change would take much more energy.

“Hey,” You say to the man with the gun. “ I know you’re here for me, but maybe you should watch out for that guy with the gun.” He turns to look for the imaginary man. Stupid punk. You slap the gun away from your face and headbutt the goon in the face, knocking him out cold.

“Hey! He’s gettin’ away!” You hear from down the hall as bullets ravage the surrounding walls. You sprint down the other end of the hall towards the stairwell. Bullets fly past you as you shoulder the door between you and the exit. It gives and allows you to continue on your escape. You un-holster one of your guns and fire back at the goons chasing you. You hit one in the shoulder, two in the chest, and you thought you saw a bullet hit a head but you weren't about to go over and hold a forensics operation. You close the door and bar it with a fire axe found by the door. You make your way up the stairs and hit the tenth floor before you hear the door break and the footsteps of angry men running up stairs. You pick up the pace and duck into the thirteenth floor. There were only fifteen floors to the building so you were nearing the top. You rush down the hall and head towards the elevator shaft on the other side of the building. You kick the doors to the shaft until they give and allow you to pry them apart. You look into the shaft and look for a service ladder. You see one on the other side of the shaft. You prepare for the jump.

“One. Two. Thr- AAACK!” You feel a hot, piercing round enter your left side and pass through you only to be embedded in the wall of the shaft.

You heard a goon exclaim, “I GOT HIM!” behind you as you fall into the dark shaft. You see your life flash before your eyes as you dive. You know this is the end.

Suddenly, as quickly and painfully as the fall began it ended. Only not in the way you had imagined. You come crashing through the roof of the elevator and land on your back. You keep conscious and attempt to get up and pray at the same time. You stumble up and use the wall as support as you look at the level indicator which read 11. You press the lobby button and pray thanks once more. As you begin your controlled descent bullets begin slamming around you. You try to use the pieces of roof that remained intact for cover but two rounds make contact, one in the left shoulder and the other in your right leg. You grunt at the pain and remain pressed against the wall. You stay like that for eight minutes until the elevator doors open and allow you to quickly limp your way out. You track blood through the empty lobby. As you pass the counter you see the body of the building owner, Mr. Stenton. You feel bad for him but continue towards the exit upon the remembrance of your situation and that if you stayed here any longer you would be apologizing to him directly soon. You step, or better yet limp, your way out of the front door and into the cold, crisp air. You see your car and the goons cars. You aim your pistol at the tires of each car and shoot them, making pursuit a little bit more difficult for your pursuers. You hear them enter the lobby and begin climbing into your car. As soon as you close the door bullets fly through the window, sending broken glass and bullets throughout your car. You start the engine just as a bullet grazes your face and slams into the dashboard to meet the others.

You start the engine as you yell out “Don’t you guys ever run out of BULLETS?!” You slam on the gas and become better acquainted with three more bullets as you barrel down the street. Your shoulder made this escape more difficult but was still usable. You swerve and sway down the road at full speed. Luckily not many people decided it was a good day to go on a road trip or a calm stroll. You keep driving like this until you exit the kingdom. You slowed down and collected your thoughts. First things first, you needed medical attention before you bled to death. The nearest town was around ten miles down the road and had a train that went to Canterlot, where you might get some help. You decide that this is the best course of action in your current state and made for this town.

Twenty minutes later a car rolls slowly into the middle of Ponyville. The only passenger opens the door, screams for a doctor, and passes out in a pool of his own blood.