//------------------------------//
// Sandwiches And Bunnies 
// Story: Kirin And Changeling 
// by dudenotactive 
//------------------------------//

Kirin's hooves echoed against the stone surface of the cave, the faint whisper of the wind flowed past him. He felt a cold chill run down his spine knowing what lies ahead. Kirin had just got off work and now he was returning to Minion with some sandwiches he had made for dinner. 

It was grilled cheese, two slices of sourdough bread with three kinds of cheese between, then buttered on the outside with bits of garlic to add some flavor to the mix. After grilling it on his back, he topped some more cheese on one side and steamed it to give the sandwich a cheesy coat. Kirin was looking forward to eating it, and the best part was that he made six so he can share with Minion. 

With the sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil to prevent it from getting any dirt on them, Kirin made his way back to his temporary home. He just hoped that Minion wasn't too mad about him leaving, it seemed like she was serious about drinking him dry of his life energy. And he needed to inform her about the only unicorn in town. Maybe that'll help their friendship problem. 

As Kirin entered the main room, he discovered a terrible sight. Minion sat in the middle right next to the campfire, a pot on top of the burning flame, and in it was Barry the rabbit soaking in the water. He was still alive thankfully, but the fact that there were also leaves and herbs in the pot painted a bad picture. Barry was fine, he didn't struggle or anything, he was just relaxing in the water like it was a warm bath. 

"Minion!?" Kirin exclaimed. 

"Oh, you're back." Minion said blankly. "I decided to make us both dinner, one last meal before I drain you of every ounce of love."

Kirin rushed in and pulled Barry out of the pot. "Don't even joke about harming Barry! He did nothing wrong to you!"

"But you did." She said with a scowl. "And now it'll be the final wrong you'll ever do to me."

Kirin stared down at the shorter changeling. His brows furrowed, and his lips formed a frown. "I made sandwiches."

"What?" The scowl fell apart, confusion took its place. 

"Grilled cheese topped with more cheese, made with a lot of love," Kirin said as he presented the sandwiches to Minion. "I couldn't get anything for dinner so we'll have to settle with these. I hope you don't mind."

She stared at the sandwiches, her nose caught the scent of cheese. She unconsciously licked her lips in anticipation. It was the first time Minion had heard of these so-called grilled cheeses, and after the last time, she ate normal pony food she ended up enjoying it. And the best part was that Kirin made it with "love". So there's something she was looking forward to. 

Without hesitation she swiped her share of the sandwiches and quickly bit into it, only to recoil back to spit out the tin foil. "Bleh!" She cried out as some bits of the foil got stuck on her fangs. 

"You gotta unwrap it first," Kirin said.

Minion glared at him for a second before doing as she was told. She ripped the foil off the sandwich and quickly took a bite out of the grilled cheese. She was once again overwhelmed by the taste, her body shivered with delight as she introduced the flavors to her tongue. And just as he claimed, the sandwich was indeed made with love. She tasted the spiciness of Kirin's energy, it complimented the grilled cheese very nicely and satisfied her hunger. She couldn't stop herself from eating the sandwich in seconds and before she knew it, she was already unwrapping her second grilled cheese. 

As Minion enjoyed her food, Kirin was by the campfire sharing one of his sandwiches with Helen the chicken and Barry the rabbit. The two little animals enjoyed the grilled cheese as much as Minion did. Kirin smiled brightly before taking a bite for himself. 

"Hey," Kirin called out to Minion. "We have a problem."

Minion paused, she looked over to Kirin with an arched brow and waited for him to explain. 

"There's a unicorn in town and he wants to meet you." He was straight to the point.

"Wait, did you tell people what I am?"

"No, he wants to meet Golden Star because there aren't any other unicorns around."

"I see," Minion hummed. "sure, why not? I could use another food source."

"I don't think you should mess with this guy though. From what I've seen, he hates changelings really badly."

"Wait, there's a pony who knows what I am?" Minion asked with disbelief. "Here in the middle of nowhere? I would expect to find ponies that know of changelings only in major cities and not in some small town... Who is this guy?"

"He said he's from the Institute of Peace, located in Canterlot, he came to Mud because of me," Kirin explained further. "He came to town to interview with me so they can learn more about the kirins. And there is a possible chance that my village will become part of Equestria officially."

"That's great..." Minion said. "What happens if I imprison him?"

"Minion, don't," Kirin warned her. 

"Or what? You can't do anything, and he can't either."

Kirin shrugged his shoulders. "Alright then." He returned to his sandwich and took another bite. The whole room became silent, no words were spoken for the moment. 

But then... 

"I watched him take on a monster today."

Minion spat out her food, shocked to hear such a claim. And yet, it sounded so honest that her body reacted alone. "You're lying." She was doubtful, she wouldn't believe anything that sounded absurd. 

Kirin only smirked, he was about to tell one heck of a story. 




"And that concludes today's interview. Thank you for your time, and I hope we can continue tomorrow." Stoic said as he and Kirin exited the inn. 

"Wait, don't you sleep here?" Kirin asked. 

"Yes, but I need to buy some books from the library. I'm a late sleeper, so I need something to pass the time before I can rest."

"How many hours do you usually sleep?"

Stoic paused for a second. "Three hours if I have important plans, four if I do not."

"Dude, that's not healthy. People need eight hours of sleep, you know?"

"Yes, but I wish to be efficient. Sleeping in would be the opposite, and I would rather have fewer sleep hours than miss any important work that requires my immediate attention."

"You sir, are a workaholic." Kirin chuckled. "Well, I can't argue with you I guess. So follow me, I know where the bookstore is."

"Ah, excellent. Lead the way, my good friend." 

The two odd ponies made their way through town and towards the library. None said a word, keeping a bubble of silence around them. Kirin would sometimes greet random ponies who he had never met before and continued forward after. A few ponies stared at them with strange looks, but the two were used to it, it was no longer new to them. And Kirin found it a tad bit funny that they reacted in such a way. 

But as the duo crossed the street, an ear-piercing scream filled the air before a cry of help was heard. Stoic bolted into action and followed the noise to the source, Kirin followed after the unicorn confused and unsure of what exactly he needed to do. 

The whole town was shaken to their core, a few ponies who were brave enough followed Stoic's lead and joined him with his investigation. Now accompanied by a handful of ponies, the group finally discovered the source of the horrid scream. There, the ponies blanched as their eyes witnessed a terrifying scene. A manticore bigger than anyone had seen, it had a small and scrawny mare under its claws. 

It snarled at them, and the mare below it could only whimper and hope that someone would rescue her. Before Kirin could even take a step, Stoic had already dashed towards the beast at full speed. His horn lit up and an orb of light blinded everyone, even the manticore. During its moment of weakness, Stoic's hind hoof struck the manticore's elbow, loosening the weight on the mare. Enough for Stoic to use his telekinesis and pull the mare out of trouble. 

Then he carelessly tossed the mare towards the ponies behind him. Now he had to deal with the manticore who had finally recovered from being blinded. The beast roared and swiped at Stoic with its claws only for the unicorn to duck under the massive paw. Then a flurry of swipes was made, but Stoic was quicker, so he danced and dodged around any attacks that went his way. 

After its foolish attempts, the manticore lunged forward with its maw open for a devastating bite that could tear a pony in two. The ponies looked away, many screamed as loud as a banshee. As for Kirin, he couldn't just stand there, he had to make a choice. Kirin watched for too long it was time for him to act. 

"Stoic!" He cried out as he ran, but Kirin was too far to do anything. He felt his body burn, the stench of ash filled the air and the ground beneath his hooves started to smoke with every step. But before he could even lift a hoof, the beast bit into Stoic's leg.

Everyone screamed, and Kirin froze. Not in fear, but awe. Afar, one could only see a beast about to kill its prey. But when you are where Kirin stood, you'd notice the fact that Stoic held his ground. Stoic stood on his hind hooves with his left foreleg in front of him, teeth wrapped around said leg. Yet no blood was spilled, it was like the manticore bit into a chunk of stone and not flesh. 

Though there was no sign of blood, Stoic still grunted in pain, his teeth bared at the manticore. "I need rope!" Stoic requested.

Before any could respond, Kirin had already tossed his dead root seeds right under the manticore. It cracked and grew rapidly, the roots wrapped around the manticore and constricted it. Before anyone even knew, the beast was brought down to its knees. Even the manticore was surprised by the turn of events, so much that it stared at Stoic with eyes wide open. Even its tail was caught, disabling its ability to sting anyone. 

Victorious, Stoic pulled his leg out the beast's jaws with no scratches or injuries. He sighed tiredly, and the pain in his leg started to subside. "Dead roots, useful." He commented. 

"Thanks, I keep them in my mane." Said Kirin. 

"Hmm, and yet it doesn't grow? Dead roots are mostly found in the north, in an area with lots of snow to be accurate. It prefers the cold, so that would mean your body heat is enough to keep the seed in a passive state. Clever." 

Kirin chuckled. "Thanks."

"Ahem," Both stallions turned towards the crowd, the mare from before stood at the front. She looked away shyly. "thanks, you saved me from that manticore."

"It's no problem, I did what I had to do." Stoic bowed respectfully. "If you have been stung, I advise that you seek medical care quickly," Stoic said. 

"I will." She nodded. 

With that, the crowd cheered for their heroic act, Kirin stood proudly to accept their praise. But Stoic chose to leave instead, not without Kirin of course. 

"Alright, back to business. Where did you say that library is?" Stoic asked as he held Kirin in a bubble of magic.

"Could you not pick me up like that? That kinda hurts my pride." Kirin jokes. 

As the two stallions moved on, the crowd they left behind waved at them goodbye. Their opinions about the two started to change. Stoic especially, he had jumped into action so selflessly, especially for someone he had never met before.

But once the two were completely gone, the crowd realized something. The manticore was still there, trapped in a prison of roots. The question was: what do they do with it?




"And he didn't tell me how he survived that bite." Kirin ended the story, he recalled it so clearly since it happened just recently in his life. 

"No way, I don't believe you!" Minion had a good reason. No pony could just run at a manticore and survive. 

"Just ask around town, they will tell you what you already know." Kirin had a smug look as if he wasn't lying to Minion. "And if you aren't careful, he might just take you on in a fight."

"Damn it." She cursed. 

"For your sake Minion, I think you should lay low. Be Golden Star until he leaves town." Kirin advised her. 

Minion pondered about the unicorn. If the story was true, then he was a fearless soldier, no ordinary pony would ever cross a manticore. Unlike changelings, they are weak and squishy. The advantage ponies have is their wings and or horns. Of course, a unicorn would simply use spells, but from the story, Stoic had used only one.

"This is bad..." Minion muttered. "If he sticks around too long then my plan is in danger."

"What exactly is your plan?" Kirin questioned.

"Sorry, I don't share private information with just anyone."

"Not even to a friend?"

"We aren't friends," She shot back. 

"But I made you those sandwiches because I'm your friend. That's a fact." Kirin smiled warmly. "I would ask you to hug me to show you that we are friends, but the last experience has traumatized me and now I fear the embrace of another flesh."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Minion said ominously. "Besides, I'm still mad."

"You don't look mad." Kirin pointed out.

Minion only grunted in response and continued eating her sandwich. She pondered about the unicorn, wondering about how she should deal with him. Though something was bugging her, the thought of Kirin's presence reaching Canterlot so quickly was odd. Only a day or two had passed and yet a unicorn was already in town looking for Kirin. To Minion, it painted a picture with empty spaces all around the scene. 

Gossip or small talks don't just spread like a light in a dark room, Minion should know, she's a changeling. One of their skills was to expertly eavesdrop with anyone, they have a keen sense and could easily pick up valuable information from two whispering ponies. 

"Doesn't make sense..." She muttered aloud. Kirin looked at her but said nothing. 

Her chewing slowed and her mind raced for an answer. She's a smart girl, she knows that she'll understand why soon enough. 

"Someone talks about a kirin and describes them accurately," Minion hummed. "one would think it was just an odd-looking unicorn and go about their day."

After a few seconds of silence, she growled in frustration. 

"Grr! I need more clues!"

"You can always just go find clues," Kirin said nonchalantly. "Also, I will be in town for the whole day tomorrow."

"Why?" She asked as she glared at Kirin. 

"I need food, food needs to be bought with bits. Bits need to be earned by working. Plus, we need to save up for when we leave town."

Minion scoffed. "Why would I ever leave? This place is like a gold mine to me, several ponies just waiting to be drained of their life energy. And the cave?" Minion sighed happily. "This place is perfect for a hive. Plenty of space, good ventilation, and most important of all, it's far from major cities."

"So you're serious about staying here... We can make it into a theatre!"

Minion snarled. "We are not doing anything! This is my cave and you will not have any part of it other than being its prisoner!"

"Oh come on, think about it. There's this room that could fit a whole town in. With a bit of lighting, some dusting, several comfortable chairs, and a stage, we would totally blow their minds away! Listen, I didn't exactly write this but my friend would definitely be happy if I use one of his stories for a play."

Kirin fished through his mane for a second and pulled out a notebook.

"Dude is a decent writer, and I always wanted to see one of his stories on stage. This one in particular," Kirin opened the notebook and pointed a hoof at the page on display. "It's about a thief and a magician working together for a heist. I'll give you a copy but please don't show it around. Don't want to spoil anything, right?"

"I'm not interested!" She snapped at him. "Why can't you just be a good prisoner and shut it!?"

Kirin frowned. "Because like it or not, you and I are stuck together now. There's nothing you can do about it."

"I can simply throw you in a pit and just leave you to rot."

"And what? From what I've learned, you were doomed from the moment we met." Kirin said and Minion recoiled. He rose to his hooves and towered over Minion, he was certainly taller than her. "Stoic is determined, if I had stayed in this cave then he would have surely flipped the whole forest over just to find me. If you keep me here against my will, then he will suspect something now."

"W-what are you say-"

Kirin took a step forward, Minion flinched as she shrunk in her place. "The odds are stacked against you Minion, someone who knows more about you is here, and you run the risk of getting hunted down by said someone."

"He doesn't scare me!" She stuttered back. 

Kirin smiled warmly. "As I said, Minion, we're stuck together now, so it would be great if you accept my friendship." He raised his arms open for a hug, he gave Minion a small nod. 

But Minion was reluctant, she would've jumped at the chance to feed. But something felt off, so she decided to keep her distance and hissed at Kirin. Before he could even say a word, Minion buzzed away, she left through the hole above leaving Kirin alone with Barry and Helen. 

He sighed weakly, Kirin sat back down and returned to his sandwiches. And it would seem Minion was not done with hers, so he decided to finish them himself. He needed a new approach to befriend Minion, but he just doesn't know-how. Then an idea came, who knows more about peace than a unicorn from some institute. 

With that, Kirin scheduled his day for tomorrow and he would Stoic for some diplomacy lessons. And hopefully, Kirin would get through Minion's cold exterior and be best of friends.