//------------------------------// // A Monster? // Story: Not the Enemy // by TheAnimerican //------------------------------// The first thing I found was my helmet, all battered and could no longer fit my head. For a Royal Guard, that is not good as their armor is a part of you. Explaining this to my superior will not be pleasant, but hopefully he will go easy on me after bringing back a prisoner. Then I started to hear crying in nearby bushes. As far as I knew, there was only I and the changeling in the woods. Was there another pony nearby when it all happened? I was going too fast to notice anypony else in the forest. Following the sound, I located the bushes and found it's source...it was the changeling. A changeling crying? I was taught that Changeling were monsters and were to be treated as such. Yet, this changeling was crying in pain. Slowly, I made my way in the bushes to confront her. Through the rustling, she noticed me approaching her and she put up what I believed to be her hooves. She had them up in a "surrendering" expression. "P-p-please don't hurt me," she spoke with a soft tone of voice. What was this I was feeling? Was I feeling guilt? Guilt for what? That I hurt a changeling? Why should I care? "Please, it hurts." I looked at her closely. I saw that she not only was slightly bleeding from the head, but also there was a large scrape along her belly. Looking up and ahead, I noticed that there was a couple broken branches and a large gap in the bushes. I suppose she spiraled out of control, swung into a few branches and scraped her belly along the bush before crashing. Unlike the changelings they have taught and shown me, this one was pink than the green examples. Plus, I was taught that they were love sucking monsters, but this one is cowering in fear. This changeling looks so fragile. It was like looking at a foal being sorry to their parents for doing something naughty. I was ready to arrest her and bring her back to the palace, and yet here I am hesitating what should be my next move. "Don't hurt me." She continued to say those words to me, like I was the bad pony. I don't know if it was out of guilt or pure duty, I could not ignore the cry of help...even if it was a changeling. "Wait here," I told her. I ran off looking for anything to try and help her. After searching for a few minutes, I found some old pony's beard; a medicinal plant to prevent infections in wounds. With it, I was able to clean her wounds...assuming that she was still there. Unfortunately, I could not really find anything to use as bandages. Not wanting the changeling to get away, I quickly ran back to the spot where I found her. I ran back, following my hoofprints, in hope that I did not make a huge mistake. She could have been faking it; she could have flew away while I was distracted. What was I thinking!?! To my surprise though...she was there; lying there exactly the way she was before. When she noticed me, she still had tears in her eyes. Although changelings' eyes were different from ponies, I can still see the look of fear in them towards me. With the old pony's beard still in my mouth, I sat beside her and put down the herbs. "This might sting a little." I warned her. She nodded to me that she understood. With what I had, I put a small portion on her head and the rest on her belly wound. She whimpered from the touches, but at least she was not being hostile. After applying the herbs, she and I were just staring at each other. She and I were probably thinking the same thing. Why did I help her? Why haven't I arrested her? "T-thank you..." "Umm...no problem..." That was probably the most awkward reply I have ever given to anypony or anything. "Why...why did you help me...?" Seriously, was she reading my mind? Well actually, I was told that changelings can enter your thoughts to morph into a pony you know. Also, they read your personality, to be able to fool a pony you love. Was it possible they can read minds too? To test this theory, I was thinking of my reply rather than saying it. "I'm sorry...I will keep quiet..." Okay, scratch that. "No no, it's just that I have never been one on one with a changeling before." "Oh...I see..." Her voice was so soft and she seemed so shy. "So?" she asked, "What?" "Umm...why did you help me?" "Honestly...I don't know." "Oh." These conversations were so short and so awkward. It was like having a friend or relative that I haven't seen in a while and I was too uncomfortable to talk to them. Not wanting to be in awkward silence, I decided to break it, "So umm...do you have a name?" "My name?" "Well, you do have a name don't you?" Wow. That was a bit rude of me. "Umm...it's...it's Circe." "Circe?" "I know. It's stupid." "Actually, I was going to say nice." What am I doing? Am I really having this conversation with this changeling? "What is your name?" "Mine? Well, it's Titanium." "That's...nice." She said to me with a small smile. It was actually nice to talk to somepony, or a changeling in this case. Being part of the Royal Guard, you don't have much time to socialize anymore. For new recruits, we get the worst jobs and almost no free time until we have been with the Royal Guard for at least a few years. Speaking of the Royal Guard... "Over here! There are broken branches in the trees!" Shouts from a male pony. No doubt that it's other Royal Guards searching for us. My attention was immediately drawn to Circe. Her smile completely disappeared and was replaced by that look of fear. She and I made eye contact and I could see the pleading in her eyes. "Please. I'm scared." "But how can I trust you? You're a changeling!" Whispering loudly. "Titanium...please..." Again, tears was starting to form. Why was this so hard? "I think I see somepony!" One of the guards yelled. They were getting closer and I had to make a choice. Turn her in? Or let her go? By turning her in, I would be fulfilling my duty as a Royal Guard. It is risky to let her go. She could report to her hive with whatever information she collected in Canterlot. And yet...I can not see this changeling being a threat. This goes against everything I was taught. "Titanium! Is that you?" I have made my decision. "Stay down and keep out of sight until we are gone." I whispered to Circe. I grabbed my helmet and hit myself in the head. It was hard enough to make me slightly bleed, but hopefully not enough to cause any brain damage...with the decision I made I might as well have. I walked out of the bushes towards one of the guards. "I'm here. I'm sorry, I lost the changeling through the forest and-" "You are wounded! You two, help carry him out of here!" A unicorn began to levitate me and a earth pony grabbed my helmet. "Wow," said the earth pony guard, "What did you do? Fly into a tree rookie?" "Umm, yeah. I did." "What a rookie mistake. Don't worry, you aren't the first and you won't be the last." As we were leaving the forest, I could not help but look back. Looking back, I saw Circe peeking above the bushes. As expected, I saw her smiling at me from a distance. However, it wasn't the "You fool. I have won," smile. It was the smile of, "Thank you."