My Life as a Changling

by rainbowPOOTIS


Bird is the Word

"Can't believe those uncool flip-flops..." the sound of someone talking roused me to an alert state, except whoever it was had taken the long way around and was entering the throne through the library. Positioning myself over the doorway, I waited...

The door swung open. "I mea- oh pluck, nest, nope, nope nope nope, angry mother, do not want!" The source of the voice retreated rapidly. Quickly regaining a hold of myself, I followed. At least SOMEPONIES smart enough to get the hell outta do- correction, someone. After having made a wrong turn, Gilda was now looking around, confused. Heh, they never bother to look up...

"You were quite right about that..." I couldn't help but smile when she whirled around like a maniac, before realizing I was above her. "Why hello there..." crud, is it me, or has my voice gotten softer and higher? Anyway, detaching from the ceiling and using my wings to slow my descent, I landed in front of her, and gave her a smile. "Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you." Oh god, the look on her face. I can't keep a straight face! I roll on the floor, giggling.

"What."

Composing myself, I get up off the floor. "So stranger, what brings you to these parts?" Gilda gives me a sour look, and sighs.

"You wouldn't get it... nobody gets griffon tradition."  She huffed, and kicked the floor in annoyance. Leeme think for a second, other than dragons and diamond dogs, I don't think there are any other carnivorous civilizations, and I don't think griffons would interact with either of those two. Meaning it might be because of the griffons predator mindset...

"Try me... It's not like you've got anything to lose, miss...?" This I want to know, especially since I'm finally talking to someone WITHOUT having nearly killed them. Not being squeamish about me eating meat is just a bonus.

"Gilda... And if you really want to know, its a griffon 'coming of age', where upon reaching maturity, we are sent out into the world for a few years, with one simple goal; survive... only then are we considered adults."

"Ah... return to you roots as a predator, and 'live off the land', correct? As a carnivore, you shouldn't have to rely on others to fend for yourself right?" She nodded. "Only partially. A well coordinated attack between two or three individuals is more than capable of taking down something several times your size. Not to mention you can prove you're the better griffon by swallowing your pride and working as a team with someone." She seems to get the hint.

"Why does that make more sense then I think it should...?" She seemed to pause, thinking.

"Go ahead and take your time, I'm going fishing, you coming?" She nods.

"Never seen how a non griffon hunts, I'll bite..." we both groan at the unintentional pun she made. Leading her to the kitchen, I couldn't help but grin like an idiot.

"So, tell me about yourself." She raises an eyebrow at that.

"Most ponies and whatnot just assume every griffon is prideful and quick tempered. I will admit to having a bit of an ego, but I actually find most things quite fascinating... especially weapons."

"Remind me to tell you about firearms sometime, that will be an interesting project..." She seemed to stumble for a second.

"You know about those? We only got past the concept this year!" Half eagles with guns, sounds like America in a nutshell.

Opening the door to the kitchen, I chuckled when Gilda saw the hole. "Only time I'm gonna need to leave is if I get sick of fish." Gilda simply flew down, and gave me a puzzled look as I walked down the wall.

"How do you do that anyway?" I have no clue whatsoever.

"It's like Pinkie, questioning how it works just leads to headaches... funny story how she and her friends met me, actually."

"If Dash was involved, I'm surprised she's still alive, let alone unhurt."

"Yeah, she bum rushed me, only for me to tackle her out of the air, and pin her in such a way I could snap her neck if she tried to escape."

"How did you not get beat up for that?!"

"They were quick to forgive after Fluttershy discovered I was protecting my egg."

"I just realized something, how are you going to fi-" She blinked at me when I stretched like a can and let my tail unfurl from beneath my wings.

"Simple, impaled with extreme prejudice... do you suddenly feel like you're being watched?"

"No, why?"

"Must just be my imagination, now watch and learn." Wading into the water, I began scanning for a sign of movement. After several minutes of nothing, I was getting suspicious. Gilda screamed and before I could even register that, I felt something clamp down on my midsection, and began crushing it. It was about that time I realized that I was being bitten by a stone crocodile, a rockodile if you will. "ARRRRRRRRRG! KILLITKILLITKILLIT!" My tail was bouncing uselessly of it's hide, and I was in too much pain to use magic. Gilda rushed at it while it was preoccupied with me, even as it began dragging me to the deeper parts of the river. I felt my wing coverings give, and a second wave of pain washed over me as both sets of wings were punctured. Gilda was clawing at it, to minimal effect.

*Splurch!*My tail penetrated something, but I was in too much pain to have thought of injecting venom. The rockodile's hold loosened on me as it roared in pain, and after I rolled free, saw that I had pierced on of it's eyes. Trying to focus through the pain, I cast the barrier spell, hoping to avoid further damage. That was probably what made the difference between the chiten on my barrel cracking, instead of shattering, when the rockodile tail slapped Gilda into me. Frankly, I was now pissed. I hauled Gilda out of the water, before charging up a bolt spell and slowly advancing towards the rockodile. The moment it opened its mouth, I fired. Unfortunately, it turns out that the rockodile DOES conduct electricity, as I felt every single pain receptor in my body fire at once, and began spasming uncontrollably, before my vision started to fade...


I smell smoke... Slowly opening my eyes, I realized I was in the castle lobby, and Gilda was cooking pieces of... something over a fire. It smelt delicious, but when I tried to get a good whiff, I discovered that deep breaths where a bad idea, as a new wave of pain washed over me. Gilda turned to me and blinked.

"You just won't stay down, will you? And just when I thought it was impossible to be more reckless than Dash, you go and shoot of a lightning spell, while standing in the river with that croc! Not to mention you where bleeding pretty badly, your blood is not only flipping yellow, but it plucking glows..."

Wheezing between breaths, I chuckled. "Not the- ow, the most... stupid thing I- ow, I've done..." and looking at the stains from hr dragging me across the floor, I confirmed that my blood was indeed yellow and glowing.

The steady pitter-pattering of rain finally registered to my ears. "I still can't believe that you slept through an Ursa Minor attacking Ponyville... and I never got your name, either." Shit, I slept that long and deeply? Damn, I missed best unicorn...

"Sh-shinkiro..."

*KRA-KABOOM!* "EEEEEEK!" Or maybe not, if the scream outside was any indication. I hear pounding on the main door, which I never realized had a latch until now... My head feels like it's going to split open.

"Mind letting her in, Gilda?" She gave me a nod, before walking over and pulling it open. Yup, Trixie. She was staring, slack jawed, her hat sagging from how drenched it was.

"Trixie would like to know what the buck happend here!?" I winced, the volume not helping my headache.

"Please... tell m- ow, me you know... a he-nrrrg, healing spell?" She shook her head. "Piss... No cho- nrrrg! Choice then... To Ponyville... Help me-owch, me up..." Gilda, with Trixies help, hoisted me up onto her back. Owowow... and so we began our march, but not before Trixie, in a show kindness I didn't know she had, removed and draped her cape over me, giving me a sad smile. "Th-thank... y-you..." every movement brought pain, but I did my best to contain it.

Frankly, I was scared that the scent of my blood would attract a predator, but my fears were unfounded. It took us a few hours to take an alternate route around the gorge, but eventually the forest began thinning, and Ponyville appeared in the distance. The rain had only intensified since then. The pain had dulled, and every single one of my limbs had gone numb...

"Oh my Celestia! What happened!?" Fluttershy?

"Rockodile attack, now isn't really the time to get into details!"

"I'll go ahead and get help, just keep going!" Fluttershy zoomed of at Dash worthy speeds.

Within five minutes, the sound of rather heavy hoofsteps began approaching, all my fuzzing over vision could see was a blob of red approaching.

"Eyup. That's bad alright." The ground suddenly rushed towards me.


*thirdperson*

"Don't die on me now!" Gilda was having a panic attack, as Shinkirō had suddenly toppled off of her. With Big Mac's help, the two of them hauled her back up, and began sprinting towards Ponyville General, with Trixie and Fluttershy spearheading the group, getting the occasional pony out of the way for the large pony and griffon behind them.

Upon bursting into the hospital, Macintosh and Fluttershy witnessed the extent of Shinkirō's injuries. Blood was seeping from the cracks in her chitin and pooling on the floor.

"Faust... what the buck is that, and what in Tartarus happened!" Dr. Flatline was the only pony keeping a level head at the time, and upon seeing the sheer amount of blood, went to autopilot. Save now, question later. "Get it to the E.R. now!"