Mike Joyner trudged along behind Alana, Artex, Razor Wit, and Oriana as they headed toward the forest to the Northeast. The small procession stepped carefully, trying not to trample the growing plants in the field while Alana continued to explain about her friend. Joyner had heard that he was supposed to be big, but he didn't know exactly what to expect. Alana had asked that he not bring anything that could be considered a weapon, so he had left his gear behind at the C.W.G. Headquarters.
"Rifin doesn't live in the forest. He lives in the quarry. He couldn't fit between the trees easily and he didn't want to knock too many over. He did clear a path through from the quarry to Mario's camp where the others are so he could check up on them, but he's kept his distance from the town so as to not upset anypony. He knows the situation but his interaction with Humans has been limited to only Mario. On the positive side, he has no reason to be afraid of Humans. Mario says a lot of good things about you all."
Alana led them into the short forested area between New Humansville and the quarry. She picked her way through the bushes and trees that grew thickly all around the interior of the forest, talking as she went, "Now his body template is meant to be a soldier; his mind is set up to take commands, but he'll be resistant to acknowledging anybody as somebody who is worthy of commanding him. Even if he does accept somebody as an authority figure, he's still his own Changeling so don't try to control his life... what little bit of one he can still have."
Joyner's eyebrows crinkled together in curiosity, "What do you mean?"
Alana pushed a branch out of her way as she continued forward, "I mean he's huge and all soldiers with the template he has are male, to make them more aggressive. He doesn't ever have any chance to enjoy any sort of romantic interest, he can't exactly hold a mug to drink, he can't throw darts and play games with friends, and he can't even live in a normal home. What kind of a life is that? I feel sorry for him and indebted to him for making such a selfless decision, that's why I'm trying so hard to find a way for him to at least have some sort of life for himself. It won't ever be any kind of normal life, but I want to help him as much as I can. He deserves a chance at being cared for and appreciated for what he did, besides I can't keep sneaking away from town to keep feeding him love energy and regular food to sustain him. All of us who live in the forest and Vaiawa and I have been trying to help him as much as we can. He deserves it, but he also wants to earn his keep."
She stopped at the edge of the forest and looked down at the quarry sadly. The quarry had only been scouted briefly by the Humans so nobody had begun any work carving out stone. The quarry was a wide chasm in the ground, spanning Leagues in every direction. The floor of the quarry was more than a League wide and over a dozen Leagues in length. A small stream trickled through the center of it, but there were very few plants down on the floor. Instead of plants the floor was mostly covered in pea-sized gravel and light brown sand. The sides of the quarry gently descended down to the bottom in some places, and in others they were a sheer drop almost straight up and down. All in all it was like gazing into a miniature Grand Canyon.
Alana sighed as she stared down into the craggy basin, "He has very little hope left." she admitted quietly, "Most Changelings wouldn't help one who has taken the template, and he's convinced himself that no species in the world would ever accept him. Vaiawa and I convinced him to at least try to get along in New Humansville. He said he's willing to try, but his mentality is extremely fatalistic so be patient with him and try to see the situation from his perspective."
She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at everybody following her, "He'll be hiding when we first go down, so don't be alarmed if he pops up from somewhere. Even if he can't change his shape he's still a Changeling. Hiding is second nature to us and he can change his color if he wants to." She turned back around and exited the forest, "Follow me down and watch where you step."
The two mares and two men followed Alana down a gentle part of the slope as she pointed something out, "The slope we're on right now is one that Rifin carved himself so that he could get in and out and we could visit him."
The four following Alana slowed down and looked at the slope. It spanned dozens of Fathoms from one side to the other and over a hundred Fathoms in length. The magnitude and power of a creature capable of doing something like that was beyond impressive. After some minutes they reached the floor of the quarry and Alana called for a halt, "Stop here for a minute while I look around for him." She shielded her eyes from the sun and slowly scanned around the sand and gravel. She suddenly dropped her hand and pointed, "There he is."
The others followed her hand but couldn't make out what she was pointing to. There were rocks and even small boulders scattered all around the floor but there was nothing that their eyes could pick out that would be indicative of a huge, spiky Changeling. Alana turned back to everybody else with a grin, "Give me a minute to go talk to him so he doesn't end up scarring you. I'm about to change into my natural shape, so Rifin can recognize me, so don't freak out." Without another word she shifted into her Changeling form and shuffled out of her clothes. She picked them up and slung them over her back then cantered out across the open ground of the quarry floor. All eyes followed her as she jumped across the stream to the far side and stopped at a cluster of jagged boulders.
"I can see her shape, but I can't see what she's doing." Razor admitted, "She's a black blur right now."
Oriana brought up her left forehoof and shielded her eyes, "I can see her a little better than that, but I still cannot make out much."
Artex chewed his cheek, "It looks like she's talking to the boulders."
"And now she's waving us over." Joyner said, "Well let's go see."
Joyner led the way over to Alana and her boulders. The two mares had no issue jumping over the stream and Artex made it look easy, but Mike had to strain to make the jump since he didn't have the strength of any of the natives. The four of them calmly walked up to Alana and Artex called to her, "Where is he?"
Alana giggled into her right forehoof and pointed to the mass of boulders, "He's right here. Talk to him for a minute while I change back and get dressed again." She stepped back behind the mass of rocks and disappeared from sight.
The four others all exchanged uncertain looks and shrugged. Artex decided to go first, "Um, hello Rifin. I hope you won't think me rude but I can't tell where your head is right now so I'll just talk to what's right here. I am the Human Emissary and these two mares are Razor Wit, she's the Unicorn, and Oriana is the Zebra. They help me with my duties. I cannot say with any certainty that if you come to New Humansville that you will be accepted right away, however if you're willing to do your part and help out as best you can, I will see to it that you have a home at least, a house or a bunker if you prefer. I can also tell you that some of us Humans will be excited to see a being as large as you are said to be. I believe you can prove to be an incredible asset to the community and I, for one, am willing to welcome you so long as you do your best to be reasonable in your dealings with others."
Mike decided to take his turn next, "Hello there Rifin. I'm Captain Mike Joyner, I command the Community Welfare Guardians of New Humansville. I can tell you that your size alone could be a great help to us if we need to reach the upper floors of a burning house and your strength and flight could carry injured people to the hospital much more quickly than we can now. Like Artex here, I can't guarantee that your integration will be smooth, but given some time and effort I am certain you can and will find yourself as a wanted, needed, and appreciated member of the community of New Humansville. We try to uphold and personify the ideals of unity and acceptance of ALL people no matter what they look like. If we need to we will gather folks together and build you a home before you even come to town if it will help persuade you." Mike reached out his hand and grasped the closest jagged rock, "Nobody deserves to be alone and unwanted, especially one who has made as selfless a choice as you have."
Artex stepped up next to Mike and also placed his hand on the rock, "Come on big guy, give us a chance to show you a place you can call home."
Razor Wit approached the rock and placed her right forehoof against it, "I have always tried not to judge anybody on how they look, but by what they do and who they are. At least give us a chance to try."
Oriana lingered briefly then slowly approached the rock and tentatively touched it with her left forehoof, "I... I have only just met Alana last night but I can already tell that she is not the kind of being to be afraid of. We have been taught that Changelings are evil, but I have yet to see any sign of it myself. If I can accept Alana, I can try to accept you as well... please Rifin, come out."
All was silent as the four of them stayed still touching the rock, then suddenly, it rumbled. The jagged boulders began to shift and move and everybody moved away from the possibility of being crushed. As they looked on, the rocks and boulders shifted and shook and slowly rose from the ground. Most of the boulders moved and fell to the sides and the gravel and sand began pouring off of a growing mound emerging from the sand.
Just like Alana described, it had six legs as thick as tree trunks which Mike doubted he could even wrap his arms around. The back and sides were revealed as the sand and gravel poured off of them revealing thick, jagged armor plates made out of hard chitin. The joints for the back and legs had a wicked curved spike protruding from the outside edge of each section, none were smaller than a man's arm. The head was massive, as tall as a Smart Car and half again as long. From the forehead came a long spike which spanned at least a full Fathom in length. As it rose to its full height it unfolded two massive scythe-like battle arms, each as long as a Mike was tall. Thick eyelids slid open revealing bright blue, intelligent, massive eyes each the size of a dinner plate, and a long, thick tail swished around behind the backside of the enormous creature. It stood taller than a Mac truck and wider as well. Mike guessed that it had to weigh at least twenty tons. Rifin shook himself to dislodge the last of the gravel and sand, but he ended up creating a veritable dust cloud of debris and dirt.
Mike looked on in awe as the behemoth stared down at four creatures he could surely crush with a single misplaced step. For several seconds nobody moved, then Alana stepped out from behind Rifin, "See, I told you he was a big one."
Swallowing and feeling like he swallowed half his stomach, Mike stepped forward and walked up to Rifin, "It's... good to see you all the way. It tends to make it much easier to talk to somebody when you can see them."
Rifin watched Mike for half a moment before he lowered his colossal head, "Grrraaaa!," he roared in a voice which sounded like it was made by grinding rocks. Mike held his ground and refused to even blink as he stared up defiantly at the hulking figure. His lack of fear seemed to enrage Rifin, "Why do you not fear me?" he rumbled, "I could crush any of you with but a single step! I could cleave you in two with one swipe of my battle arms! I could chomp down and liquefy every bone in your body with one bite! And you just stand there!" Rifin took a step forward and nudged Mike with his horn, "Why are you not afraid of me!?"
Mike managed not to evacuate his bowels or bladder as the monstrous horn nudged him, "Because I know you're only acting out." he stated calmly, "You're afraid."
Rifin reared his head back and roared again, "What do I have to fear? You are no threat to me."
Mike shrugged, "Not physically, no. But we represent a possible future where you are accepted and valued. You cannot comprehend that possibility. You can only see the possibility of failure, so you're trying to make it a reality. You're trying to scare us so you feel justified in how you think we'll react to and treat you."
"How do you know I won't just slaughter you all when I get the chance?" Rifin bellowed.
Mike forced his face into a smile and prepared himself to call what he hoped was a bluff from Rifin, "Because if you had planned to do that, you would have already."
Rifin surged forward faster than even Mike could move his hands and Alana screamed, "RIFIN NO!"
The C.W.G. Captain willed his body not to move. He had anticipated a bluff and hopefully the gamble would pay off. If it didn't then New Humansville would be looking for a new Captain. Mike held still as a statue as Rifin swung one of his battle arms in a slicing motion. The edge of the blade halted not a Hoof length away from Mike's right side. He continued to stare at Rifin and even crossed his arms as if to ask, 'Are you finished?'
Rifin held his pose and stared straight into Mike's eyes. Mike stared right back in defiance of the gargantuan creature threatening him. Rifin looked into Mike's eyes and saw fear, but it was a fear that was controlled by the man's will. He acknowledged his fear and owned it. In his eyes, Rifin saw a kind and compassionate soul who could be hard when needed. This was one who lead from the front, an individual who others respected not because it was expected, but because it was earned.
Mike also looked into Rifin's massive eyes. Within those two blue orbs he saw familiar emotions and thoughts. The eyes were alien, but the feelings in them were as familiar as his own skin. Mike had been right, Rifin was afraid. He was saddened because he felt that his sacrifice, the sacrifice of his natural body, had been in vain. He had taken the steps to become a martyr for his people and he felt as if had failed in that role. He felt hideous even by Changeling standards and he couldn't accept that he could ever be useful for anything except to die valiantly in defense of his kind. His body template was a terrible thing. It was a thing meant for killing and destruction. It was also a wonderful thing. It was a symbol of valiant action and selflessness, a protective bulwark, a shelter from those who would do harm to those for whom he cared. In those moments with each of them staring at one another, Mike felt that he understood a little of what Rifin felt and feared.
"Well," Rifin rumbled, "What do you see, Captain? Do you see what I do when I look into the water? Do you see a monstrosity built for mayhem? A creature of death and carnage?" He turned his eyes away, "What do you see? Look at me." he challenged, "LOOK AT ME!"
"I am looking." Mike replied calmly. Rifin closed his eyes sadly and lowered his head, almost scraping Mike with his horn. Mike continued, "I see nobility. I see willingness to give of one's self for the sake of others." He stepped forward, reached out his right hand and lifted Rifin's chin, "In you I see the same spirit and drive to protect and defend that I see in all of my officers. Now you look at us."
Rifin opened his eyes and his gaze swept the others as Mike continued, "I'm not perfect. None of us are. We accept that fact and we push forward. We strive to do our best with what we have."
"What do I have to offer? I'm made for slaughter." Rifin said as softly as a rumbling rock could ever hope to speak.
Artex quirked an eyebrow, "Really? Because it seems to me that you've already proven how helpful you can be." He pointed back to the gentle slope Alana had led them down, "You managed to use your size and body to build a safe ramp down into this quarry. Your body may not have been designed to do that, but that didn't stop you then and only you can decide if it's going to stop you now. Our offer stands true. Will you take the chance and join us? Or will you stay here alone?"
"I was there." Rifin said, "I fought when we attacked Canterlot. The Ponies will never accept me. Even if they did, the Princesses would have me arrested to spend the rest of my life in a cell... or destroy me."
"No they won't." Razor Wit said firmly, "They are forgiving. They forgave Discord for his two rampages in Equestria and that was after he turned our lives upside down, literally in some cases. Your participation in the attack on Canterlot was a grain of sand compared to a avalanche."
"Do you really wish to live out the rest of your days indebted to others to feed you when you have no want to repay them? Do you wish to be a burden on the lives of those you chose to protect?" Oriana asked bluntly, "If you do, then stay here and be the burden. Live here as a useless lump wallowing is self-doubt. Do you have the courage to at least try to change your lot in life? Or do you wish to be a coward? Altering yourself permanently was an act of courage. Will you dishonor yourself and the other Changelings by hiding in the quarry like a coward? The other Changelings are one tenth your size and they're willing to try living with us, what's your excuse?" Oriana took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her posture changed from confrontational to calm, "Show us the same bravery you demonstrated when you made yourself into a protector. There are others of like mind waiting for you in town. They may be strange or even frightening to you, but I have seen that often in New Humansville, a stranger is merely a friend you have yet to meet."
Mike strode forward fearlessly and patted Rifin on his cheek, "We're offering for you to come with us, to find a home. That's not something you would likely be offered elsewhere. You cannot go back to your queen, but you can come home with us. All you have to do is agree, just say 'yes'."
Rifin averted his eyes and lapsed into deep introspection, thinking deeply. Alana slapped her hand against the right side of his chest plate, "Come on Rifin, I've found a home there, Vaiawa has too. The other Changelings will be coming out soon and we don't want to leave you alone out here. You were there for us when we might have needed it, now let us be there for you."
Rifin rumbled in his throat and raised his head. He stared down at the four small beings standing in front of him. They had already treated him as if he were normal. They weren't intimidated by his size or appearance, "I will come."
"Oh HELL yeah." a male voice called from the far side of the stream.
All eyes swept around, following the voice, and spotted Kaneesha and Andrew standing there. Mike shook his head, "I should have known you two would follow us. What did you mean anyway?"
Andrew chuckled and crossed his arms, "Calvin is going to be SERIOUSLY happy to see you there big guy." Andrew continued laughing, "Because, for once in his life, he WON'T be the biggest, blackest dude around!"