Manehattan, mid-afternoon, fed, watered and heading for a large set of chimneys near the waterfront. I hadn’t been to this area in a long time, in fact I hadn’t been to Manehattan in a long time, or so it felt. Nostalgia hit me along with the smells of smoke, oil, grime and cooking. The deafening noise of a city in full swing encompassed me like a cocoon. It was probably annoying to some, even disturbing, but to me it still felt like home. Nimble peered over the side of the carriage and gasped, “Never get used to this place, so many ponies, so much noise!”

“You get used to it”, I said looking over the drivers shoulder, “After a while it becomes just background and you don’t even notice it.”

The driver called back, “Heads up ponies, we’re nearing our destination. You want me to land nearby or in the carriage park?”

“The park will do, thanks.” We weren’t on any clandestine mission this time and would simply be walking in the front door for a chat with whoever was in charge.

Even before we landed though, the chemical smell hit me and made my nose itch horribly. I sneezed almost at the same time Nimble did and we shared a laugh, “I don’t envy ponies working in here. Goddesses, what a smell!”

Nimble nodded, “My sister used to work in one once. Great for getting your gear cleaned on the cheap.”

We trotted in through the doors to reception and addressed the scarlet coated mare behind the desk,

“Excuse me miss?”

“Can I help you?” The butterscotch coated mare was more interested in filing her hooves and carried on, barely looking up at us.

“Yes please, may we speak to the manager?”

“And who should I say is calling?”

“Agents Nox and Nimble, Celestian Bureau of Investigation”

The mare stopped in mid file, her eyes rolling up and finally taking in the badge I held out for her.

“Er…one moment please, gentlecolts.”

She clicked the intercom, “Mister Bone Meal sir, there’s two gentlecolts to see you”

The intercom buzzed back, the crackly voice sounding irritated, “I’m busy Rose, find out what they want and send them away, I don’t have time.”

Rose looked to me then back to the intercom, “Sir, they’re from the…”

“-I don’t care Rose! I said I’m busy, now get rid of them and stop bothering me!”

The intercom cut off, leaving Rose looking at us with a stricken expression, “I’m sorry gentlecolts, if you’d like to leave contact details…”

I motioned to the office door with the brass plaque stamped with the word ‘Private’ on it. Nimble nodded and turned, aiming his powerful hind legs at it. He looked to me for approval.

Rose stood up in alarm, “Hey! You can’t…!”

“You may fire when ready, mister Nimble”

The door flew open with such force it was ripped from its top hinge and crashed into the room with a deafening bang. I walked in, looking around the at the lavish book cases, clock, ornaments and large oak desk,

“Whoops! Sorry about that! Guess old agent Nimble here doesn’t know his own strength” I chuckled, taking in the scene.

Bone Meal, an older yellow stallion in a suit, was ensconced in a large red velvet chair with a look of horror on his face. The chair was tilted back at a strange angle and he had his hooves held down beneath the desk’s top,

“Wha!? Who the blistering buggering hell are you two?! Get the hell out of here, Rose…ROSE!”

The poor receptionist appeared in the doorway, poking her nose through gingerly, “Sorry mister Bone Meal, sir, I tried to stop them”

Nimble shooed her out of the room, “Thank you miss, it’s all under control. Now why don’t you go back and do some reception-isting things, okay?”

I looked back at him, “Reception-isting?”

Nimble shrugged, raising his eyebrows.

“Mister Bone Meal!”, I said chirpily, taking a seat, “Agent Nox, CBI. The pony putting your door back up is agent Nimble.”

“Th…This is intolerable! I don’t care who you are, you don’t just burst into my office. That door cost over a hundred and fifty bits !”

I leaned my hooves on the desk top, “I’ll make this simple, Mister Meal. There’s been a crime committed and your company can, how you say, ‘help us with our enquiries’. You play ball, help us, we go away happy. You refuse, and we come back here with a warrant and take this place apart brick by brick.”

He swallowed, “What do you want?”

“Just access to your records, and to be able to speak to your staff if need be.”

Bone Meal spluttered, “Can…can you give me a few minutes?”

“No.”

I knocked on the desk, “You can come out now, miss.”

A muffled squeak from under the desk was followed by a lilac Pegasus mare, peering up at me then her boss. Bone Meal moved out of the way, shooing her from the office,

“Thank you Crest, you can finish the…er…cleaning, later.”

“Yes, Mister Meal” Crest blurted out, her voice cracking as she hurried from the room.

I treated the suited stallion to my most endearing smile, “Now then, Mister Meal, shall we begin?”

Nimble and I worked our way through the records along with two employees and a flustered looking owner. The records were, it had to be said, immaculately well kept and made checking through them simplicity itself. The problem we had was that everything seemed to be accounted for; there had been no runs to the palace in weeks, not since some cock-up over a delivery had lost them the royal contract, a point which Bone Meal fully placed at the hooves of the palace staff.

“It was ridiculous. I mean, how can they accuse us of ruining uniform tabards when we’re a cleaning company? Of all the blasted nerve!”

“uh-huh”, Nimble muttered not really listening.

“For Celestia’s sake, all that time and effort improving our network and public relations and some bureaucrat pulls the contract because of a ‘funny smell’…A funny smell! I ask you…”

“yeah…”

I reached across the desk and took a quill to make notes. There was an extra column on this page, one that had times on it, several that certainly fell within the right time frame for the ‘incident’ at the palace. I kept having to remind myself that although it was actually ‘me’, at the same time it wasn’t. I’d have to have a drink later to get my head around it and then I’d have to find some way to contact my family in Smiling Borders. Fortunately, Mitre and princess Luna had that in hoof for later.

I nudged the filly standing next to me. She was peering over my shoulder through horn rimmed glasses,

“What’s this column for?”

“That’s the time the wagons are clocked in and out of the yard. Helps us keep track of delivery times.”

“I see, but this one here?” I tapped one of the entries that had a red ‘L’ next to it.

“Oh, that’s when they’re late back.”

“Bloody slackers these drivers”, Bone Meal chirped in, “Keep buggering off for tea breaks on company time. I’m not damned well paying them to piss about!”

I looked up from the book to both of them, “How do you know if they’re late or not?”

The mare trotted over to a drawer and pulled out another book, “This one shows our regular runs and journey times, we use it to estimate correct times for collections and deliveries”.

Looking through the entries, I noticed something odd. Many of the deliveries were late, but only by a few minutes. One however stood out in particular, “This one here, it’s nearly half a day over.”

“WHAT!?” Bone Meal nearly choked, “Half a blasted day!”

The other assistant cut in, “It’s been reported to the driver’s supervisor sir, only happened the other day so…”

“The other day?” I said checking the entry again, “Who was the driver?”

The mare checked a wall mounted roster, “Humble Dart, he’s the new fellow”.

“New fellow?” Nimble asked, “How new?”

Bone Meal spoke, “He only started a week ago, good driver though by all accounts. After this though, I’m wondering if we made a mistake hiring him on…half a blasted day late!”

Nimble turned to face me, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

I nodded, “Let me see the deliveries for that day”

The list was uninspiring. Collection’s of fresh laundry, uniforms and so forth, then a drop off at Manehattan General, following that it was several trips to various clinics and finally back to the laundry to drop off the sacks for cleaning.

“Manehattan General” I muttered quietly, “Bone Meal, you mentioned earlier something about a ‘funny smell’?”

“Why…yes, the hospital started using a new chemical that stank the back of the wagons out. We tried cleaning them, but just couldn’t shift it.”

Nimble looked at him carefully, “You use that wagon for dropping off items at the palace?”

“Not since we lost the contract, no”

“Do you use any other wagons for the hospital run?”

One of the assistants spoke up, “Some, yes. Certain wagons are set aside for them, especially since that business with the palace. After they started using the new chemical stuff though, we’ve been using sealed bags that keep any contamination away from clean or soiled medical garments.”

I pointed to the entry for the wagon Humble Dart was in charge of, “Where’s this wagon now?” I asked hopefully.

Bone Meal trotted to the door, “This way, it’ll be in the yard. We’re low on driver’s now with holidays and colds doing the rounds.”

Out in the wagon park, a number of wagons were parked up. Most of the bays however were empty, no doubt out on deliveries or collections. The wagon in question looked no different from the rest and sported the company logo on the side in large friendly yellow letters.

“It’s this one”, Bone Meal said, gesturing for one of the assistants to open the vehicles double doors.

With a loud metallic creak, the doors swung open to reveal the very empty cargo compartment; empty except for the still strong smell of antiseptic.

“Nimble?”

“Same smell Cap, no doubt about it”

I turned to Bone Meal, “I want the address of the driver, Humble Dart. As for the wagon, nopony is to touch this until the forensic ponies have examined it. Do you understand?”

The stallion’s mouth opened and shut several times like some landed carp, “Wha…why? I need my wagons for the business, all of them!”

Nimble clopped him on the shoulder, “It’ll only be for a day, Mister Meal, the princesses will be told about your co-operation.”

“The…they will?” he stammered. I could almost see bits glowing in his eyes and I shook my head in dismay. Bloody business ponies…

“The address details?” I prompted.

“Oh! Yes! Glory, help the agents with this will you?”

*******************

Leaving the laundry behind, we soared into the sky towards Fifty Fourth Street. I remembered the area well as it was the tramway terminus for the green line. I used to love using the rattly old things. It was amazing just how popular they were and had been kept in service a very long time. In Manehattan, ‘if it weren’t broke it didn’t get fixed’, as dad constantly reminded me.

I tapped my communicator, “Mitre, Nox here”

“Go ahead”

“We’ve got our wagon. We’re on our way to pick up the driver now, you got any units nearby to assist?”

“What’s the address?”

“One twenty two, Fifty Fourth Street. Guy by the name of Humble Dart.”

“Roger that. We’ve done some digging on the company. Your man runs a legit business apparently. Used to have the contract for the palace until there was some argument over chemicals on the staff’s uniforms.”

“That’s what we’re found too. I think this driver’s our pony”

“I’ve got units on route now.”

“Mitre, I think we need to check out the clinics, surgeries and hospital too. These were all on the run that day. I’ll pass you to Nimble, he’s got the list.”

“Received, and Nox? Don’t forget tonight, or you’ll get skinned alive.”

“Understood.”

I passed the communicator to Nimble who went through the list with Mitre. This way we could cover more ground and get a quicker result. I wanted to get this bottomed and fast, my family hadn’t seen me since I ‘went missing’ and would be frantic. Thank the goddess for Mitre, he’d come through once again.

This time of day, traffic was heavy and I was thankful for the sky carriage, rather than a land based one. Even so, up here traffic could get hairy and bumps were common. Thankfully, our pilot knew his stuff and got us down in on piece around the corner from the targets house.

“Nox? Brandy…We’re two minutes out, hang fire until we get in position.”

“Received”

Several minutes later, with units positioned on nearby roof tops and alleyways, Nimble and I trotted up the steps to the front door and knocked. There was no reply.

“Cap…”

I looked to where Nimble was looking and spotted a wet patch just in front of the door. Reaching down, I dabbed my hoof in it and tentatively tasted it, “Water”.

We nodded to each other and with a quick buck, Nimble took the front door off its hinges. “You’re getting good at this, I know who to call if I lose my front door keys” I quipped.

The unicorn grinned at me, “You haven’t seen my other half”. I dreaded to think!

Inside, the hallway was saturated. A small waterfall was running down the stairs and soaking through the carpets and out the front door. I drew my PDW and kept my magic to hoof, just in case. This smelled bad, and not just the stink from the sodden carpet. Nimble gestured to the downstairs rooms and I headed upstairs, the two us moving through the house noiselessly.

The upstairs was a wreck. Water had soaked the floor and was creeping up the wallpaper and under doors into other rooms. Following the flow of water wasn’t hard, the sound of the taps running helping to muffle my splashing hooves. The bathroom door was partly shut and I pushed it open the rest of the way carefully, my pistol readied.

Inside, the baths yellow coated occupant lay face down in the water. Turning the tap off, I looked at his cutie mark; a dart board and champagne glass. I recalled his details from the employee records, it was him alright…Humble Dart. Poor sod, he wouldn’t be making any more deliveries any time soon.

Nimble appeared behind me, “Nothing. That him?”

“Yeah”

“Fuck it, there goes our lead. Suicide?”

“No signs of injuries I can see, but I don’t want to disturb too much before forensics get here. So far as I can tell, someponies drowned the poor bugger. We won’t be getting anything out of him.”

Nimble leaned against the doorway and sighed, “So what now? Check all the places he dropped off at?”

“That about the size of it, I’ll check in with Brandy and Mitre first”

Within minutes, the place was crawling with agency ponies. Leaving Brandy and the forensic team to secure the crime scene, we prepared to set off for the one place Mitre hadn’t investigated yet; Manehattan General Hospital.

It was our best chance to get a leg up on the masterminds behind the assassination attempt. With the slaying of the driver, I hoped something would come from the forensics team. They were currently checking out the trailer and we’d left them with Brandy to do what they did best, with any luck they’d find something that would help shed some light on all of this.

The carriage waiting for us had changed. A flight suit wearing driver stood leaning casually against the door fiddling with a small box as we approached. I could detect the smell from here and trotted over for a closer look.

“From the Sugarcube Corner?” I asked.

“Yup, bugger to get into the boxes though…”

“Hang on, I know that voice!”

The pony laughed and raised his goggles to reveal the bright green eyes beneath, “Hi Cap’, long time no see.”

“Loofa!” We clopped hooves and a quick round of introductions later we were sat in the carriage preparing for take off.

Our chirpy pilot strapped himself in and called back over his shoulder, “Cap, there’s another box under the seat, help yourselves.”

“Thanks!”

“Um…Cap? Is your coat different? I’m sure you had a scar too…”

I face hoofed. Damn it! I’d forgotten how I looked now,

“It’s a long story, Loofa. When I get a chance I’ll tell you everything in graphic detail.”

He just laughed, and with a powerful beat of his wings we rocketed into the sky.

So anyway, once again we were heading out over the city, this time with a mouthful of the delicious chocolate. Watching the sun sinking over the horizon, the white clouds taking on a soft pinkish tinge, I wondered at how anypony could fail to marvel at how lucky we were to be alive to see such amazing sights. An image of Meadow popped into my mind and threatened to pull me off my chocolate high but I rammed it down. It wasn’t like I couldn’t see her, but the small doses were painful at times; I hated to see her go…

A tap on the shoulder from Nimble brought me round, “You okay?” he said worriedly.

I nodded, “Yeah, just a bit melancholy at times. You know how it is.”

“I guess so, never been through the things you’ve been through though Captain”

Scratching my ear, I looked down at the city below, “No. You don’t want to, Corporal. Trust me, you really don’t”

To avoid any distress to patients and staff, just Nimble and myself would be conducting the initial investigation. If we found anything, we’d call in backup and have the place swept. I was quite impressed with the agency’s attitude to crime scenes; unlike some of the earlier days in the watch, these ponies were careful not to trample through potential evidence. That said, latent magic detection was a hell of a lot more advanced than it had been. Still, an old hoof at this now like my dad before me, I followed my instincts and my nose first.

We landed on the roof of the hospital where I’d arrived upon hearing Tingles’ was in trouble with the pregnancy. Thank Luna that had all turned out alright. I would have to speak to her and Shadow later. I shuddered at the prospect; I was going to catch all sorts of hell this time.

We trotted down the stairs. No need for disguises now, but I still wore the sunglasses to avoid my eyes upsetting anypony. The eye colour changing lenses felt a bit weird, so I’d left them with our forensic ponies in case they could pick anything up from them. I doubted it though, and really, I just wanted rid of the damned things.

Inside, we headed downstairs rather than take the lift. I didn’t like feeling confined and besides, I didn’t exactly have a great knowledge of the layout of the hospital as it was. Thankfully, wall maps were liberally dotted around to help ponies navigate the maze.

“Excuse me, can I help you? This area is for staff only”

The rust coloured doctor appeared out of a side office and challenged us, poking his glasses back up his muzzle.

“Good afternoon doctor”, I replied to him politely, “Agents Nox and Nimble, CBI. We’re here on official business”

He didn’t seem impressed “And what ‘business’ would that be?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that doctor, however your co-operation would be appreciated”

He sniffed, “This is a busy hospital Agent Nox, I’m not sure we can spare anypony to help you and besides, we can’t have you wandering the corridors getting in the way like some lost soul.”

I rubbed my chin and glanced at Nimble who smirked at me slyly, “Not a problem doctor…” I looked at his name card with exaggerated scrutiny, “…Break Water”.

He took a step back and I advanced on him keeping my distance, “I’ll be sure to explain to princess Celestia that you were so busy, you didn’t want us to disturb your busy work schedule. I’m certain she’d be understanding and be able to find somepony else who did have the time to show us around.”

The doctor coughed, readjusting his glasses again, “Yes…the princess…um…” he looked around himself hurriedly, “You there! Make yourself useful and help these two…’agents’, will you? I have important matters to attend to…very important!”

Without further ado, he rushed off down the corridor and into the boys room.

“Hi! Whatcha doin’?”, the yellow mare chirped, her white poofy mane bouncing wildly beneath her nurses cap. The ponies wide pink eyes were as bright as ever,

“You look…familiar…” she said moving closer, too close!

“Please, miss!” I said pushing her back gently, “We’re here on official business.”

She didn’t look convinced, “Hmm…suspicious,” the yellow mare lowered her eyebrows along with her voice, “very suspicious.”

Nimble cleared his throat, “Miss? Could you please show us where your medical supplies are kept?”

“Okey Dokey!” Her suspicions instantly (I hoped) forgotten, Quill turned on the spot and bounced away down the corridor, “Come along slow pokes!”

I face hoofed. Was she the only mare they had on the team here? How come every time I came to this place I kept bumping into the same bloody nurse!? Nimble trotting alongside me grinned expansively,

“What?” I snapped at him.

“Oh, nothing” he chuckled. I shot him a glare but couldn’t help but raise a smile myself, Quill just had that effect.

We followed the enthusiastic nurse through the warren of corridors and stairwells before finally arriving in a brightly lit area which consisted of a vast array of shelving. All manner of medical items were stored here, from gowns to syringes and numerous other things that made my knees feel weak. I seriously didn’t like hospitals!

Looking around, we found the store for the antiseptic. It was kept secured in a room all of its own with a sealed door.

“Why’s it kept in here?” I asked, genuinely interested.

“It stinks!” Quill chirped, “Really makes your eyes water too. Best thing to keep those bad bugs at bay, maybe bed bugs too…bad bed bugs.”

She wandered off into a cheery song about bed bugs while Nimble trotted up, looking over his shoulder at the nurses antics,

“I can’t believe they let her treat ponies, you think she’s right in the noggin?”

“No, but she’s a damned good nurse.” I said peering back at Quill, “If I needed help, she’d be the one I went to alright.”

We opened the door and I took a quick whiff of the antiseptic. It was the same stuff alright, and bloody powerful too. I sneezed, making my glasses fly off my nose. Quill caught them in her hooves with a very accomplished cartwheel,

“Told you, agent sneezy!”

I took my glasses back and popped them onto my nose, “Thanks, Quill.”

This was drawing a blank. So we had the wagon, a dead driver and antiseptic, but what next? I had to think this through, something was niggling me and I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it. At the end of the room, through an open door, I saw an elderly stallion pushing a blue cart. The noisy blue plastic thing was rattly as its operator. I noticed the name of the hospital was emblazoned on the side in big white letters…

“Quill…”

“That’s me!”

“What do you use those wheeled blue box things for?”

“Oh, those! All sorts of things, moving mail bags, equipment, laundry, you name it”

“Laundry…”

I tapped my chin, “Where do you keep it before it’s collected?”

“A scarrrry place…” she whispered conspiratorially in my ear, “Deep down underground…ooooohhhh!”

“Quill! Please, this is important.”

“Well of course it is silly, just follow me and we’ll be there in a jiff.”

The madcap mare led us along the corridor to a wider section that held a number of the blue boxes, all of them empty. Leading the way, Quill finally opened a set of doors that led to a large lift which stank of musty laundry and warm muggy air.

“Going down!” she laughed as the large metal doors slid open.

Nimble's eyes went wide. Looking at the interior of the lift nervously, he began to edge back before I grabbed his coat, “If I’m going, you’re going too buddy.”

He sighed and squeezed in next to Quill and myself, the three of us stuffed in like sardines. I had the distinct impression this was only meant for goods and not ponies. With a horrible thud and shudder, the steel box descended into the bowels of the hospital.

In the darkness of the lift, the dim yellow light flickered, the shadows and closeness of it all making my heart rate accelerate. Images flashed through my minds eye like sparks, a brief burst of colour and then nothing, over and over again. I would have fallen over if I hadn’t been squashed next to Quill. As it was, she eyed me worriedly,

“You look peaky, I think you need to see a doctor mister Nox”

“No…no thanks, Quill,” I said not entirely convincingly, “I get a little claustrophobic in lifts.”

She nodded slowly, unsure, but didn’t push the issue. When the door opened, she exited first, watching me as I came out shaking myself. Nimble looked concerned too. I shot him a look,

“Look, I’m fine, for Luna’s sake leave me alone, I’m alright, okay?”

I took a breath of the warm air. It didn’t help, the images kept on coming and the corridor started to lurch around me. Quill grabbed me and shouted to Nimble to help her. Sitting on my haunches, she wiped me down with a damp cloth she’d quickly collected from a cleaner’s cupboard.

“Your heart rates abnormally high”, she said seriously before placing her forehead on mine, “Your temperatures up too, we need to get you back upstairs.”

“NO!” I shouted louder than I meant to, “Sorry Quill, look, we’ve come this far, I’ll be okay.”

Damn it, I didn’t have any of the life essence with me either. I’d completely forgotten to ask Luna about it too. Come to think of it, I hadn’t been using as much lately either for some reason. I reasoned that it was probably down to my self discipline in using my wendigo powers and filtering through only what I needed rather than ‘full on’ or ‘off’. Still, I had to take more care and be sensible about things. I should have made sure I had some with me.

Nimble helped me to my hooves and, at my insistence, we trotted off down the corridor. I didn’t like this place one bit, if somepony was down here…

“Quill, I want you to go back upstairs” I said firmly.

“No”

“Please?”

“You’re not well agent Nox, I’m staying right here!” she poked me in the chest and nodded, “So there!”

I hung my head, ears flopping in resignation, “Okay, okay, you win. Look, just stay between Nimble and myself, alright? If anything happens, we need you to get out of here and fetch help, call the agency and get ponies here.”

Quill looked at me oddly, “You…you sound like somepony I knew…”

I turned away, “I’m not, Quill, I’m sorry…”

The pipes banged above us and steam leaked from vents, giving an oppressive feel to the badly lit corridors. Here and there, odd rooms held equipment and machinery, the unseen guts of the immense hospital above us. I imagined it as some living, breathing thing, the banging its heartbeat, the steam its breath; here in the belly of the beast we roamed…

“Captain?”

I looked at Nimble, “What is it?”

“There’s something in there...”

I took out my PDW and pushed open the door, casting a torch beam around in my telekinesis. In the light I caught the faint movement of something hanging from the roof…chains. We kept to the wall until we found the switch for the overhead lighting. Thankfully it didn’t take long.

Magical lighting clinked and hummed into life, bathing the wide space in their unnatural illumination. I stared at the chains, coiled like metallic snakes, both in the floor and hanging down from the ceiling with pony size shackles. A drain sat beneath them, a hose lying discarded nearby for washing the poor creature these would have held. Propped against one corner, a long whip and reigns hung from a peg on the wall by a table and chair, a lone glass sitting there, empty. I’d been so thirsty, so terribly thirsty…mistress? Why...

“Captain!” Nimble shouted into my ear, jabbing me with his hoof, “For the goddess’s sake, snap out of it!”

I shook my head, but the images were flooding me, drowning me, “Captain…” that was my name wasn’t it? My name…

I looked at Nimble, grabbing him in my forehooves, “Who am I Nimble…WHO AM I?!”

“You’re…you’re Captain Fairlight,” he stammered, “the one who saved me in the tunnels. You’re my friend.”

Staring at him I barely picked up the movement beside me. Spinning to face it, Quill jumped back in fright before advancing on me, her eyes narrowing, “It…it is you…isn’t it? You were there in the ward that time too, with the Pegasus mare…you’re Meadows husband.”

I took off my sunglasses, “I’m sorry Quill, I didn’t want you to remember me.”

“Why not? Meadow was my best friend, I loved you both, you were…I…Fairlight, why didn’t you speak to me? I never had a chance to say goodbye to her…”

Tears began to form in her eyes. My own thoughts and fears were washed away with my concern for my wife’s friend, “Quill, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t want you getting hurt. There’s a lot of bad ponies out there who want to hurt me and anypony close to me.”

“But you could have spoken to me! I wanted to talk to you about her!”

Her mane seemed to lose it poofiness and her eyes brimmed as she began to shake with sobs. I took her in my forelegs and hugged her gently, “Oh Quill, I’m an idiot, I should have trusted you more. Look, when this is all over, when I can, I’ll send for you and you can come and visit us at our new home.”

She sniffed, wiping away the tears, “Us?”

“Meadow, Sparrow and everypony”

“Meadow? I don’t understand…”

“Quill, it’s hard to explain, but please, not right now okay?”

She nodded and I clopped Nimble on the shoulder, “Corporal, I’ve been here before, this is where she held me.”

He shook his head in disbelief, “My goddesses, Captain, they kept you in here?”

I tapped one of the chains making it swing quietly, watching it sway back and forth, where there grey hairs on that? “The gap in my memory, I’ve been getting flashbacks all the time we’ve been here, but…nothing substantial. It’s like trying to catch mist”

Nimble checked his PDW, “Maybe if we looked around more?”

We moved out of the room. Following the fragments of memory, bits and pieces began to reform; the blue laundry bins, the corridor, the steam, the corridor to the mistress’s room.

“My goddess, we’re here”, I muttered stopping by the junction in the corridor.

“Here, Cap?”

“Yeah, her room’s there, just ahead”

I spoke to Quill quietly, “Keep back, and keep out of sight. We don’t know who’s in there.”

She didn’t protest this time and moved into a niche behind some boxes while the corporal and I took station either side of the door. I knocked, there was no reply. Trying the handle, the door lock clicked and it slowly swung open. My heart beat like the pistons of the steam train I’d watched on the overhead railway, sweat beading my brow. If I didn’t face my demons now, I never would.

I charged in, PDW ready, with Nimble covering me. Inside, the room was devoid of life. There was the bed, the dresser, even the shelves complete with books. It was all so neat, so well laid out, but where was she? I poked around but found nothing. We’d have to get forensic down here, but we’d never get a signal and would have to move back to ground level first. Nimble picked up a small bottle of perfume,

“Lavender, I always loved the smell.”

I ran a hoof over the bed, “Yeah…”

“Quill?” I called, “You can come in, its safe”. There was no reply, “Quill?”

Nimble and I shared a look. As one we covered the door before I rolled out into the corridor, my PDW ready. In front of me a dark figure in a cloak, a green magical glow emanating around it, stood over the prostrate form of Quill. It hissed angrily at me and turned suddenly, running off down the corridor disappearing into the steam.

“Stay here! Help Quill!” I shouted taking off after the cloaked figure.

It ran with an unnatural speed. It was light too, as if its hooves barely touched the ground. I channelled some of my magic and felt my muscles burn and roar with strength, white hot anger and rage trickling through me. The figure bolted around a corner and into a room, and like a bloody rookie I charged right in. The door slammed shut behind me and I was plunged into complete darkness, dark other than for the green glow of magic surrounding the pony in the black cloak. The aura from the things horn illuminated the figure as it hissed and clicked, an amused sound emanating from it,

“Sssstupid ponyyy, you’ve fallen ssstraight into our hoovesss.”

As it spoke, other green glows began to appear around me like large fire flies, bathing me in their strange alien light. One of the creatures, the one that lead me in here, threw back its hood to reveal a nightmarish being, black as night with teeth like curved blades. Its eyes glinted in the light like a beetles; soulless, empty.

“What the fuck are you?” I snarled dropping into a fighting stance.

The things wings buzzed beneath its cloak, “We?” before my very eyes it transformed into a perfect copy of Quill, speaking confidently in her squeaky voice, “We are your friends.”

It changed again, this time into Nimble, “We are your allies”. Again, this time…”We are even…”

Meadow. I stared at the thing masquerading as my murdered wife, my beloved Meadow. Emotions ran through me, surging and roiling, the creatures laughed and buzzed around me.

“Yesss!” one of them cried, “Ffffeelll…hurrrttt…succhhh emotionsss!”

Changelings. I’d heard of the damned things, how they’d once been friends of ponykind and had been ‘altered’ somehow, become corrupted. Now they were nothing more than emotional vampires, but even so, they’d been confined to their own part of Equestria hadn’t they? The bloody things were barely more than a legend nowadays, yet here they were. And here I was.

I snarled at the thing, “How dare you…how dare you look into my mind and take that form, you fucking filth.”

It clicked and buzzed before speaking, “Annnd what cannn you do, ponyyy? You are trapped in here witttthhh usss.”

I laughed, allowing the magic to take me over, flowing, running, burning through me like an inferno of the bitterest ice. I dropped the PDW, the mist rolling out around my hooves, my eyes ablaze, teeth lengthening. The creature backed away, unsure, and it was right to do so. In the swirling fog, I coalesced a form; the haft, the blade, hard as the purest crystalline ice, sharp as the bite of the northern winter, merciless as the mountain snows.

“I think you misunderstand something…changeling”, I snarled, white fog dripping from between my teeth, “I’m not trapped in with you…you’ve trapped yourselves in here with me.”

The things horn began to glow brightly and I could hear the sound of blades being drawn,

“You wanted to feed up on me?” I laughed, “Then come, allow me to show you a real banquet…” the scythe swung, “…A feast of death.”

They tried to rush me at once, the second creature falling even as the first, its throat opened to the air, scrabbled on the floor in a spreading pool of its own ichor. The third and fourth flew at me as I swung low, taking away their forelegs, the thud of their bodies and severed limbs falling to the ground like heavy rain. Shrieks and cries rent the air and I breathed it all in, replenishing my strength, revelling in the death of these things…these vile filth that had dared to defile the memory of my Meadow…My Meadow! Kill them…there would be no mercy here.

The song flowed and I danced to its tune, slicing and parrying, blocking and rending. My teeth ripped through the throat of one, its bitter blood foul and loathsome. I spat it out as I kicked and smashed my diamond hooves into the face of another trying to impale me on a wickedly pointed dagger. Its face a ruined mess, I sent it to the afterlife with a smile on my mine.

Finally, oh, so finally, the song ended. Sadly, it was all too soon. I replaced my PDW and checked the bodies. One of them, with its legs still twitching nearby, looked up at me with its dead eyes,

“Where’s the mistress?” I hissed at it. The thing clicked and twitched horribly, “Where’s the mistress, changeling. Tell me and I will ease your passing, fail and I will keep you alive…every moment a treasure you will wish I had never bestowed upon you.”

The thing stared at me, “Ssshee hasss gone northhh” it hacked a dreadful cough and writhed, its back legs kicking helplessly, “our missstresss isss not pleasssed.”

“Where to the north?” I shook the thing, “Where to the north damn you!”

It hacked a cough, sputtering out a final dying breath, “To ssseak nourissshment from the ssssource.”

“What are you talking about?” But it was useless, the damned thing was dead and I had a terrible feeling of impending doom. I opened the doors and headed back to Nimble who was in the mistress’s old room, helping a very pale looking Quill.

He looked up at me, “Fuck me, Captain, you’re covered in…”

I cut in, “-I know! Come on, we’ve got to get out of here, there’s changelings in Equestria and I think I know what’s going on.”

I levitated Quill onto my back, “Come on, lets shift flank pony”

We left Quill with the doctors and were assured they knew how to treat her properly. I left her with a promise I’d send for her when I could and she’d nodded weakly, “Make sure you do, you big silly”, she’d said trying to smile. I’d given her a wink and headed back to Loofa and the waiting sky carriage.

Loofa was looking up at the sky intently as we approached, “Loofa, you okay?”

“Yeah, don’t see them very often.”

“What?”

“Griffin. He’s flying a bit erratically too…whoops! There he goes…”

The creature began to fall out of the sky but Loofa was there like a streak of black lightening, catching the griffin and bringing him down to us. He laid the stricken creature on the seat of the carriage, looking down at the mess of blood, fur and feathers. I could barely recognise him, but it was him alright.

“Grimble! Dear Luna, what’s happened to you?!”

One eye weakly opened, “Lord…lord Fairlight? I…I’m so sorry, I tried…I really did.”

“Tried what? What’s happened Grimble, what about my family?”

He coughed and winced in pain, “Smiling Borders. We’ve been attacked, so many dead…” he shook and closed his eyes tight.

I took my friend in my forelegs and channelled the power through me, “Grimble old friend, drink, here.”

A trickle of silver dripped from my maw as Nimble and Loofa stared with their mouths hanging open. I guess it did look a bit odd, even to me. However, If it could save my friend, then delicate sensibilities could go to the devil.

Grimble’s wounds began to smoke, flesh knitting back together, bone mending. He was still missing a few feathers, but they’d grow back. He was weak though, far too weak to fly. He reached up and grabbed me, “My lord! The village,” he coughed trying to catch his breath. Loofa passed him a flask of water from the carriage supply locker which he took gratefully,

“We’ve been attacked, we don’t know what they were, there was so many of them. Black things, like ponies but not ponies, a sort of unicorn that could fly, but not alicorns…more like…”

“They were changelings” I said quietly, “The bloody things have attacked my home…”

I put a hoof on Grimbles’ shoulder, “Old friend, tell me, what of my family, what of Heather?”

He shook his head sadly, “I don’t know my lord, the place was in such a mess; fire and smoke everywhere. We fought them but had no warning and were ill prepared I fear. Heather took your family into the tavern for safety where many of our warriors would protect them with their lives. I was sent for help, at my age I am ill suited to fighting. The things attacked me in mid flight, I killed two, maybe three before I got away in a cloud bank. I’m so sorry my lord, forgive me my weakness.”

I shook my head, “You’re not weak, Grimble. Far from it my brother.”

He smiled up at me and grasped my foreleg, “We need help my lord, we need you.”

I picked up Grimble and took him into the hospital as quickly as I could, finding yet another doctor and leaving my comrade in their care. The poor bugger ended up in the bed next to Quill, but thankfully she was asleep when I left him there. I didn’t envy his ears when she woke up.

“I’ll be back Grimble”, I’d said, “Take care of him doctor, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The look of utter devotion in the griffins face made my heart skip a beat. He believed in me so wholeheartedly, I could only hope his faith wasn’t misplaced. If an army of warriors couldn’t stop them, could I?

Standing by the carriage, I addressed my friends, “Nimble, Loofa, the shits hit the fan, or it’s about to. These bastards have attacked my home and goddesses know what’s happened to my family. I wont ask you to help, its not your fight, but I have to go.”

Nimble smiled, “Who’ll have your back If I don’t go, Cap?”

Loofa laughed, shaking his head, “Gonna fly all the way out north without a good pilot? Not with your stubby wings!”

It was definitely one of those moments I would treasure forever, but right then, all I cared about was getting home. I tried not to think what I would find what I got there though; fate could be a fickle bitch. Nimble picked up the communicator and handed it to me while Loofa rocketed us up into the air,

“Mitre, its Fairlight, you receiving?”

“Go ahead”

“Changelings, they attacked us in the hospital basement. Grimble’s here, they’ve hit the village too, I’m on my way there now.”

“Changelings? Celestia’s arse, how many are we talking about here?”

“More than for an assassination mission, the village sounds like it’s been overrun.”

“Fuck it, stand by one”

A few moments passed, each one a second nearer home, a second that felt like an hour. Mitres voice came back,

“Getting reports now, detectors are going off all over the place. Armours mobilising the army and shielding the whole of the palace. We’ll get agents over to Smiling Borders as soon as we can. I’ll get Brandy on the case, looks like you’re going to need some extra firepower.”

“Received. We should be there soon, Loofa’s driving”

“Bloody good job too. Look, Fairlight, take care out there boy, okay?”

I smiled despite myself, “Yeah, you too Chief.”

We hurtled through the air, poor Nimble hanging on for dear life but still with a look of grim determination on his face, “Wish we had the guard with us, or at least a few army lads.”

I checked the kit bag, taking out two of the pulse guns, “I know what you mean, but they’ve got to protect the princesses and the wedding party. Here…” I passed him one of the sleek weapons, “Know how to use one?”

He nodded, “Yeah, not many of us have though, more of an agency thing.”

I looked out the front window, “Spears aren’t much good when your enemies shooting at you, the army needs to move with the times. If these things are attacking us, we need to be able to respond accordingly.”

“Something tells me, you’ll be able to do just that”, he said wryly, checking the gun was loaded.

“What makes you say that?”

He pointed to my coat, “Let’s just say you’ll need a shower when you get a chance, there’s changeling all over you.”