I would like to thank AnkokuFang for allowing me to use their art work for the cover art. Please take a look at his channel and show him some support!
I would also like to thank TheEngie for tracking down the artist! I don't know why I was having a hard time locating him in the first place. Thank you!
When I joined the Royal Guard, I was expecting more action. I guess I shouldn't have had my expectations up so high.
It's kind of funny actually. When I was little, all I would think about was how cool it would be to wear that Royal Guard armor. To be able to be so close to Princess Celestia was my dream. I remember being with my parents during a parade. The parade was to celebrate Princess Celestia coming back from a successful diplomatic mission with Saddle Arabia. The guards escorting her, so disciplined, ready to protect our princess. I knew right then and there, that I would become a Royal Guard.
I trained hard and studied nearly all day and night to pass the entrance exam. When I passed the exam, I was actually offered to join the Wonderbolts. As amazing as they were, I felt like they were more for show than actual military. I still remember that time a large dragon was attacking Ponyville and somepony said the dragon trapped them to a side of a mountain. Also, there was the time three of them were saving a unicorn from falling off Cloudsdale. In the end, all three of them, THE THREE OF THEM, were knocked unconscious. What the hay was going on there?
I'm going off topic, I eventually went through the Royal Guard training. I gotta tell you, the training was difficult and I can see how they maintained their discipline. They have specific training for the Earth Ponies, the Unicorns, and the Pegasi. The Earth Ponies were trained with weaponry and hoof-to-hoof combat; the Unicorns are trained for powerful offense and defense spells; the Pegasi are mainly trained for aerial support, but are also taught hoof-to-hoof combat. When I swore my oath and received my armor, I was ready for anything life could throw at me...boredom was not one of them.
So far, I have just been patrolling the skies of Canterlot. Whenever we are needed, we assist the civilians and pony officers. After my patrols, I head back to HQ and write my reports. Eventually, this just became a daily cycle of my life. The training was suppose to prevent me from feeling this way, but I suppose they can never truly change you.
I was off patrolling as usual. Instead of patrolling all of Canterlot though, they had me patrol the castle and inspect the structure. Inspecting the structure, I have to be sure everything is secure and nothing seems suspicious. The day was almost over and so was my patrol. I proceeded to Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, but then I noticed something at one of the nearby towers. I saw a female pony on the balcony. Normally I would pay no mind, but it was suspicious that she was near Princess Celestia's Wing and she was not wearing the normal maid uniform. If she was not one of the staff, then how did she get pass the guards? I decided to fly to the balcony and question her.
"Excuse me."
The pony was startled. Getting a closer look of her, she was a blue pony with a black mane. Her black mane was straight, covered one of her eyes and she was a Pegasus like me.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, but I do not recognize you. May I ask who you are?"
She looked so frightened. Why? Did I startle her that much? I was pretty sure that she noticed my armor to know I am part of the Royal Guard. Why would she be scared of me?
"Umm, Miss?"
I should have known something was not right. I flew closer to her and her pupils became constricted. After this, a pink fire overcame her. At first I was shocked at what caused the fire, but something else appeared in her place. After the smoke cleared away, I was able to see that it was a changeling. A changeling? Here in Canterlot?
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to assess the situation. The changeling flew off, trying to escape from me. I quickly shouted to my fellow guards, "Changeling! We have a changeling on the premises!" Immediately, I was joined by more pegasus guards. Unicorns formed a circle around the castle and with their combined magic, they began to create a large dome to prevent any sort of intruders from escaping.
I would have thought that if any intruder was in this situation, they would immediately surrender. However, this changeling was observant and noticed the eye of the storm. The barrier is not completely formed and there is still an opening to the top of the would-be dome. With all her speed and might, we made our way to the top. The closer we got to the top, the smaller the opening was getting. Most of the pegasi that were with me gave up the chase. Only I and a couple other guards were still after her; assuming that this changeling was a female. After a long climb up, she and I made our way out of the dome. Unfortunately, my fellow guards did not make it. Instead, I heard a large crash behind me. While flying, I took a glimpse behind me, the guards who had followed me were unconscious and were falling. I was relieved after seeing them caught in mid-air by other guards. The chase was all up to me.
Flying after her, we were flying through the streets of Canterlot. This chase was much more difficult than the training courses. I was constantly avoiding innocent bystanders and hoping I don't hit any objects along the way. Soon, she flew out of the crowd and out of the parameters of Canterlot to a nearby forest.
Trying to lose me in the trees, I continued my pursuit. Fortunately, some of our training courses took place in this forest. I knew this forest like the back of my hoof, but I have never flown at high speed between the trees. Slowly I began to catch up to her; slowly I can clearly hear the flapping of her bug like wings. Eventually, I was flying right over her. Not once did she look back or look up to see if she was in the clear. Before she tried anything, I took a chance to stop her. With my helmet, I threw it on her right wing, causing her to lose control and crash into one of the trees. I turned around and made my way to the "crash" site.
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."
A day later, I laid on a bed in the infirmary. I shouldn't have been surprised at how empty it was. There were a couple sick ponies and a few nurses walking around, but it's not like I was able to chat with them. The nurses tried to avoid the guards unless they actually needed attention. To annoy me further, I had my captain interrogating me. He's the most strict and annoying earth pony I ever met.
"So let me get this straight, you were outmaneuvered, crashed into a tree, and lost the changeling spy?"
"Yes captain."
"I see. Although it is unfortunate that you lost it-"
"Her."
Captain Bronze Plate looked annoyed at my interruption, but also disturbed at the correction. "What was that?"
"I lost 'her.' I believe the changeling was a female."
"Male, Female, you can never really tell. They are monsters and can change into anypony. Don't forget that."
He looked at me with an intimidating look. I hate to admit it, but it worked.
"Of course. Sorry captain."
"Although you did lose the spy, you performed well out there. Your speed and determination set a fine example in the Royal Guard."
"Thank you sir." It isn't often the captain gave a compliment. For most of the guard, it was a rare thing. At that moment, I couldn't help but think about Circe. I was actually worried about her. Was I worried about what she could be telling her kind? Or was I worried about her safety? "Umm, by chance did we find out anything about the changeling? Why she was here? Any traces of her?"
"We still haven't found IT. From what we investigated, it seems nothing important was missing throughout the castle. Even if it made it back to it's hive, we don't believe it collected too much information. The only problem we have is that it now knows our defenses."
Oh pony feathers, of course she did.
"We have the Reserves investigating the forest. We doubt it is still there, but we are hoping to find clues to where it might have went."
"I see. Well, I will return to my duties." I wasn't able to get up as I felt a large amount of weight hold me down.
"Oh no you don't. Although it is greatly appreciated, it is better you rest for a couple days."
"But captain, the injury isn't that serious."
"This is an order."
Oh great, he used the "This is an order" routine. Once that was said, I really had no choice.
"Yes captain." I gave in and laid back on the bed.
The captain then got up, put on his helmet, and proceeded out the door. I began to wonder, "What the hay am I supposed to do for the next couple days?" That is until one of the nurse ponies came in.
"Excuse me Titanium, but you have a visitor."
A visitor? I asked the guards not to notify my parents to not have them worry. Who could have known I was here?
"Who is it?"
"She didn't say. She said it was a surprise."
"She?"
"Umm...Hello Titanium."
Behind the nurse I heard a small voice. My heart nearly dropped as it was very recognizable. I turned my head slightly and I believe the pony I was looking at was Circe. She was not in her changeling form of course, instead she was in her blue Pegasus disguise; the same disguise I caught her in the day before. She has no idea how much I was trying to keep my cool. I lied for her to escape and yet there she stood... with flowers?
"Circe!?!"
Not only did I scare Circe, but I startled the nurse and anypony else in that room. They stared at me like I committed murder, only I didn't...yet.
"I mean, this is so unexpected. I am so excited to see you." I said as I gritted my teeth.
"Ah, so you two do know each other. Then I will leave you two alone." As the nurse was leaving, she whispered something into Circe's ear. I don't know what she whispered, but it caused Circe to blush and drop the flowers. The nurse giggled and helped her pick them up. The nurse left and Circe proceeded to my bedside.
I whispered to her, "What are you doing here!?!"
"I'm sorry I...I...wanted to thank you for helping me." She extended her hooves holding the flowers.
"Thanks..." I took the flowers and looked at them for a little bit. Observing them, they are actually nice flowers. Each flower had their own unique color. The flower that stood out for me was the camellia. It was like that one flower contained over a hundred petals.
"I'm sorry, do you not like them?"
"No I... I do."
"Are you mad at me?"
I swear, it was like talking to a little foal. Before answering her, I placed the flowers on the closest nightstand. I felt like I had to be easy on her with the questions, but I needed answers.
I whispered softly to her, "Why are you here? I let you go."
"Well... you see... I just wanted to thank you. Those herbs you collected helped me heal nicely and I had enough time to hide from the guards. I came by earlier, but the nurse said that you were here in the infirmary. I didn't want to come in empty hoof. So I made a quick stop to a flower stand."
I guess this was very thoughtful of her, but now I felt like Hasbro is giving me another chance to turn her in. It is like he is shouting at me, "Now do your job right!" Then again, an enemy wouldn't bring me flowers would they?
"Are you sure you should be walking around? It was a pretty nasty crash."
"Oh, I'm fine." She came closer to me for a whisper. Although she seemed harmless, I kept my guard up. "You see, the ponies of Canterlot spread much love. Changelings heal faster in this sort of environment."
Did she come here to visit me? Or did she come back to the city to heal quicker?
"Oh, but I really wanted to see you again."
I swear she was reading my mind!
I took a deep breath, "Thank you Circe, but it is dangerous for you to be here. My Captain has guards on edge here at the Castle. Plus, he has the Reserves searching for you in the forest. You should just head back to your hive."
After saying this, Circe looked very upset and lowered her head.
"Circe?"
"I...I don't have a hive..."
"What do you mean?"
Circe stood up and began to walk away from me. I really wanted to call her back to my bedside, but I felt like I might have somehow upset her. What did she mean when she said she didn't have a hive? When Princess Cadence and Shining Armor defeated them with their love, it isn't like they destroyed the changeling race. What could she have meant?
That night, I couldn't really sleep. I was actually worried about Circe and hoped that she made it out safely. I wondered if that day was the last time I would have seen her. Deep down, I was actually hoping that it wasn't.
As Luna's moonlight shined through the window, all I could stare at was the flowers under the spotlight.
I was awoken by the sun light that shined through the window. As long as the captain was giving me time off, I was hoping to take advantage of that and sleep in. Apparently, there was no such luxury.
When I woke up, my vision was a little blurry. After rubbing my eyes, it eventually came clear and thought I was still dreaming. On my bedside, I was sure that I was staring at Circe.
"Umm...good morning." Circe said with a small and nervous smile.
"Circe?"
"The nurse from before recognized me. She was nice enough to let me in. I wanted to apologize for walking out yesterday, but I didn't want to wake you."
Yesterday? Oh right. I really wanted to ask her why she left, but I did not want to upset her again.
"No, if anything I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you yesterday."
She started to blush and wave her hooves frantically, "Oh no it's okay. It's just that...my hive is...something I don't like to talk about..."
Again, she looked depressed at the thought of it. What could have possibly been bothering her about it? So many questions and so little answers.
"I'm sorry, it's not everyday a pony can talk to a...you know."
"Yes, I understand. It also isn't everyday a pony would save a...you know."
"Hehehe. Yeah."
"Umm...why are you still here? You seem fine. Did you hurt yourself that badly?"
"No. My captain ordered me to rest."
"That's...nice?"
"Well, I guess it would be if I wasn't stuck on this hospital bed. I haven't been out of the castle for a while; not counting our little chase of course."
"If your captain wanted you to rest, why can't you leave?"
"He 'ordered' me to rest, but he made it clear that I am not suppose to leave this bed."
I laid back and looked up at the ceiling. Giving a long sigh that screamed, "Bored!" I couldn't help but notice that Circe seemed to have been in deep thought.
"Hmm...I-I think I have an idea."
Circe stood up and walk towards the nurse from yesterday.
"Circe, what are you doing?"
Circe ignored me and started talking to the nurse. They were talking rather softly so I couldn't make out what they were saying. Then they both started to giggle and it looked like they were nodding in agreement. Something told me that I wasn't going to like what was being planned. Circe then made her way back to me, "Okay. It's all planned."
"What is?"
The next thing I knew, the nurse came with a stretcher.
"What's going on?"
The nurse whispered to me, "Just act sick."
Act sick? All I was able to act was confused.
Both Circe and the nurse placed me on the stretcher. They made their way out of the infirmary, through the Royal Gardens, and I was heading out the back gate. Before I could make it though, the stretcher was stopped by a guard patrol.
"Halt!," one of the guards said, "Where are you going with him? He should be resting in the Infirmary."
"The patient is ill and we ran out of the medicinal herbs to treat him." said the nurse. "We are taking him to an herbalist in the city. Please step out of our way before it becomes a serious case."
"Please sirs. My brother is very sick." Circe pleaded with the guards.
What the hay was going on here!?! All of a sudden I am her brother!
"Very well. Go ahead."
"Thank you gentlecolts. Keep up the good work." said the nurse.
After exiting the back gate, we made our way to the outside of the castle walls. The nurse had me get off the stretcher, "Could somepony please tell me what is going on?"
"Sorry Titanium, I asked Nurse Passion Heart to help me get you out of the castle."
"Huh?"
"Hehe, that's right. Seeing how cute you two looked together, I just couldn't say 'no.' You are very lucky to have a marefriend like her looking out for you."
At the same time, Circe and I were blushing with embarrassment.
"W-w-wait, we're not-," I was cut off before I could finish.
"Okay, so this should allow you two enough time to go on your date. Just try to be back before sundown okay?"
"B-b-but, we're not-," Circe tried to explain, but she too was cut off by the nurse.
"Well, I better get back to the infirmary. Ta ta!" The nurse took the stretcher and ran back inside the castle walls.
Circe and I looked at one another, but we couldn't keep eye contact. That nurse just made it even more awkward than before.
"Well umm...I guess I better be going," said the changeling.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Umm...I just thought I would leave you alone. I thought you wanted to go in the city."
"I did, but...well...don't you want to come too?" Okay, while I did not plan this, I was really making this into a date.
"What? Are you sure?"
"Sure. What do you like to do in Canterlot?"
"Well... umm... I never really explored Canterlot."
"You haven't? How long have you been in the city?"
"Not long."
"Well...why don't I show you around?" What was wrong with me? Was I really offering to show her around Canterlot? If she really was a spy, I could've been providing her with all the information that she needed. Every ounce of my sense of duty was telling me not trust her; my sense of duty was telling me to turn her in. And yet... and yet... I couldn't get myself to do that. I felt that, I could trust her. She even risked getting caught in order to get me out of that castle.
"Really? I... no... I better not. I don't want to spoil your fun."
I extended a hoof out to her with a smile, "Come on. I could use the company."
At first, she hesitated. Slowly, she raised her hoof and grabbed mine. She returned her smile for mine. At that moment, I realized that she was no monster... she was my friend. We both flew off towards Canterlot. As we flew, I was deciding what would be our first stop. For starters, I was very hungry.
***
At the infirmary, Captain Bronze Plate made his way to the bed where he believed Titanium should have been resting. However, he was surprised not to see him there.
"Excuse me," he motioned to a nurse, "do you know what happened to the guard that was resting here?"
"Oh, he was taken away by Nurse Passion Heart. She's actually over there." The nurse pointed towards Nurse Passion Heart with a patient.
The captain nodded in thanks and made his way to her. "Nurse Passion Heart, where is Titanium?"
Startled, she turned around and tried playing dumb, "Umm...who? Titanium?"
"He was the guard who had suffered an injury to the head. He was resting over there." The captain pointed his hoof towards the bed.
"Ohhhhhh, that one. Oh he's Titanium? Well, he was sick and we ran out of the correct herbs to treat him. His sister came to visit and offered to take him to an Herbalist in town. I would've escorted him myself, but as you can see we are very busy."
The captain observed the infirmary. He was confused at her claim, as the infirmary did not have many patients and the atmosphere was quite calm.
"You said his sister came to visit?"
"Oh yes, she was such a darling that one. It was so nice for her to come visit her brother."
"You mean Ocean Breeze?"
"Yes that's her! Oh she is such a sweet girl and...uh..."
She stopped talking as she saw the captain with a serious expression. The air felt cold and she began to feel sweat forming on her head. The captain moved closer to Nurse Passion Heart's muzzle. As he drew closer, he squinted his eyes in suspicion.
We flew down to a donut shop that was conveniently close to the Castle. During training, I always spent time there with fellow recruits just to get a snack. Nowadays, I was too busy and could not make time to even visit the place.
We walked through the front door and immediately I was greeted by Joe, the owner.
"Well hello stranger. It has been a while since I have seen you and-." He paused as he took notice of Circe who followed behind me.
"Well this is new. Who's your friend?"
"Oh this is Circe. She is new in Canterlot. I am on leave and I wanted to show her around."
"Ah well it's good to meet you miss. Any friend of Titanium is a friend of mine. Why don't you two take that booth by the window?"
We looked at the booth he pointed out. There seemed to have been nothing special about the booth, other than it was upstairs. The booth was somewhat isolated as if it was VIP only. I looked to Joe in question, but all he did was wink at me. So I thought I could trust him. Circe and I took our seat, but we did not know what to say to each other. As I was pondering what to say, I looked out the window and saw a very nice view on the edge of the cliff side. It was near the waterfall and we were able to see a small town from down below; I believe the town was Ponyville. I motioned Circe to look outside the window and she too was impressed at the view.
"Wow, this is amazing! Even though we could fly and see that, it is nice to be able to just sit here and enjoy the view," said Circe.
"Yeah, I can't believe I never noticed this before."
"Never? But I thought you have been here before."
"Well yeah, me and my fellow trainees would hang out here on our break, but we never been here in this booth. It was always occupied by cou-." At that moment, I realized why Joe had us sit in that booth.
"By what?"
"By... a couple of noisy colts. Our break was always around the time they got out of school. Joe would have them sit up here so the noise doesn't bother the rest of his customers."
"Oh I see. They must have been annoying."
"Yeah... they were." Sweet Celestia, what was it with ponies assuming that Circe and I were together? That was very bold of Joe to make such an assumption. I mean she was a changeling and I am a pegasus. Yeah, she's just a bug-like, cheese legged... friendly... cute... changeling...
"So what can I get the two of you?" Out of nowhere, Joe appeared to the side of our table.
"Oh. I will have the hay burger and a vanilla milk shake." I replied.
"Got it. And what can I get for you... uh... Circe right?"
"Yes. Umm... I don't really want anything thank you."
Wasn't she hungry? She could not think of anything from that menu?
"Can you give us a couple minutes?" I asked Joe.
"Sure thing. Oh and what do you think of this booth huh?" He asked me with a very playful grin. In reply, I returned the grin, but I am sure he knew I was annoyed.
"Oh this is a nice booth and such a beautiful view!" Circe shouted like an excited little filly.
"Yeah. When I first bought this shop, I noticed there was plenty of space left. I thought it would be a waste to leave a large hole on the side of my shop, so I decided to add on this booth."
"That was pretty smart of you, but it's a shame to have this give this to noisy little colts."
"Yeah... wait what?"
PONY FEATHERS! "Uh Joe I think that table over there is waving you over."
"What? Oh thanks." Joe quickly bolted and went to the random table I pointed out.
"Circe, you can have whatever you want. If it's bits don't worry I'll pay for you."
"Oh it's not that. It's just... well... I have never eaten actual food before."
"Really?"
"Well, Changelings only feed on love. We had no need or reason to eat anything else."
Before I could reply, Joe had already returned to our table.
"That table didn't call me over."
"Oh really? Guess I was just seeing things. Oh and Circe will have the same thing I'm having."
"Huh?" Circe looked at me in confusion.
"Got it. I will have it ready in a minute."
As Joes left to get our order, Circe whispered, "Titanium, I don't even know what you ordered for me."
"Don't worry about it. This place makes a decent hay burger and they have the best milkshake I ever tasted. You'll like it."
"Well, if you say so."
That moment, I was curious about something.
"Hey Circe."
"Hmm?"
"We don't know too much about the changeling race. I was wondering, how exactly does a changeling feed on love? You don't use those fangs do you?"
"Oh no, not at all. Actually... how can I explain this... changelings are like flowers."
"Flowers?"
"Yes. Flowers need the sun to power them to make their own food. Changelings need to be near a source of love and that alone satisfies our hunger."
"If that's the case, then why did your queen attack Canterlot? I am sure if she spoke with the princesses, they could have come to some sort of agreement."
Circe was silent for a little while before she answered, "Sadly, it's not that simple. The ponies spread love unlike any other race. The love energy here is enough to support our entire empire for many years; maybe even forever. Our queen saw this potential, but... even for her, the hunger was too great."
"But even if the attack succeeded, we would be living in fear under her rule. That love that she wanted would have disappeared in time."
"Believe me, there were a few of us that didn't agree with her, but no one would dare speak out against her."
Before I could ask her another question, Joe came back with our food.
"Here you two. By the way, this is on the house."
"Thanks Joe! This looks great!" Wow, this was my lucky day. Got out of the Castle and got a free meal out of it.
"No problem. Always nice to see an old friend. Enjoy."
Joe walked away and I already started to eat my hay burger. It was crunchy and warm; not like the food they serve in the castle. You would think that even guards deserve a nice hot meal every now and then. While I was eating, Circe didn't even touch her food. She just stared at it like she was observing a painting.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"It smells good but... I don't know."
"You will like it. Trust me."
Slowly and cautiously she picked up her hay burger with her hooves. She closed her eyes as she was about to finally take her first bite. After taking the bite, she slowly chewed the food. As if having an epiphany, she opened her eyes wide and a smile grew on her face.
"Oh my gosh, this is really good!" She announced it not just to me, but almost the entire shop.
"I told you."
The worried Circe had completely disappeared. I stared at a mare that quickly consumed that burger out of existence. Eating too fast, I noticed that it looked like the food wasn't going down her throat properly.
"Circe, drink your milkshake!"
She looked at me questionably. I pointed out the cold white liquid cup to her left. She took the cup and began to sip on the straw. After she breathed a sigh of relief, it was obvious she had another realization from the taste of the milkshake. She then started drinking the milkshake at an amazing rate. I couldn't help but giggle at her since she was completely unaware of the consequences.
After she finished her milkshake, she suddenly placed her hooves on her head. She released low moans and was confused, "Oh... my head hurts. What's happening to me?"
I was unable to hold it in any longer. I released a burst of laughter that caught the attention of the entire shop. Circe, still holding her hooves to her head, looked at me and said, "Titanium, this isn't funny. My head really hurts."
In a failed effort, I tried to breath and explain to Circe, "Hahaha! Cir-Circe, you drank that too fast! It's called a brain freeze! Hahaha!"
"Huh? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Hahaha! You-you didn't give me a chance! I'm so-I'm sorry! Hahaha!"
"It's not funny!" She said in a whiney tone. In an attempt to make me stop, she tried to hit me, but her blows were like a playful filly. It only made the situation worse.
After our little meal, Circe and I decided to walk around the streets. Along the way, we came across many shops and vendors; most of them were clothing and jewelry. I had no eye for fashion though and I didn't see the point in wearing clothes. I mean, most ponies did not wear clothing.
While walking, I noticed that Circe was no longer by my side. For the moment, I was actually worried and scared that somepony might have taken her. I was looking in all directions in hope that I would be able to spot her. Since she was nowhere to be seen, I began to retrace my steps.
Thankfully, I found her and was ready to scold her. I was walking towards her, but then I noticed she was acting odd. She was completely still, with her mouth open and staring into a glass window. Without saying a word, I stood beside her and looked through the same window. Through the window, there was a ponnequin displayed wearing a light blue colored dress with some gemstone decoration around the waistline. Working in Canterlot most of the time, there was nothing too special about it if you compared it with most of the ponies you saw here. However, I took one look at Circe and... it was like a filly looking at a special toy. I might not have seen anything special about that dress, but she did.
"Circe?" Once I called out her name, she snapped back into reality, "What? Sorry, did you say something?"
My mom always told me, that just about any mare would like to be treated like a princess.
"Come on."
"Huh?" Before she could protest, I grabbed her hoof and we walked into the shop.
***
As we walked in, there was a tall and slim pony there to greet us.
"Hello! I am Sassy Saddles! Welcome to Canterlot Carousel!" She said gleefully.
"Hello, I wanted to ask about that blue dress displayed in your window." I pointed out the dress to her.
"Ah, you mean Flowing River? That dress was released not that long ago. Designed by the owner herself, Rarity! She was inspired by our waterfalls that can be seen be the cliffside of Canterlot."
To be honest, I didn't care about the name of the dress or whoever made it.
"How much?"
"What?" Circe caught on what I planned to do.
"That dress is on sale. Usually it is 70 bits, but now it is for 50 bits!"
Ouch. Amazing how somepony is ready to pay for something UNTIL they hear the price. I wanted to get her that dress, but if I paid for it, I don't know what else we could do for the rest of the day. Before I could decide, I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I turned around to see Circe giving me a concerning look.
"Titanium, you don't have to get that dress for me. It's too expensive." She said this with a look of guilt. The funny thing is, that just made me want to get her the dress even more. While on patrol, I would see high class ponies splurging on their mares that would practically beg for anything. It was nice to see that she cared about my financial situation, even when she didn't know how much I had.
"Oh my, is this your marefriend?" Sassy Saddles asked. Seriously, that was going to be a regular thing wasn't it? I want to say that assumption didn't bother me anymore, but my heart would... skip a beat. Why would it skip a beat?
I glimpsed at Circe and saw that she was blushing. I might have been seeing things, but I could have sworn that I saw her smiled.
"Aww, how could I let this dress get in between you two?"
"Umm...it's not really-."
Before I could finish, she made an offer I could NOT refuse, "I'll tell you what, I will give you 50% off for the dress!"
35 bits!?! That was a steal! "Sold!"
"Well hold on sir, I would be more than happy to sell it, but don't you think she should try it on first?"
"Me? Try it on?" Circe questioned with a small smile.
"Well of course. You have to see that it would fit don't you?"
"Go ahead Circe. Where is your fitting room?"
"It is right this way. I will assist her on putting on the dress."
Circe gave me a worried look. I gave her a smile to encourage her to trust Sassy Saddles and try on the dress. She returned my smile with her own and went inside the fitting room.
I waited for about 15-20 min.
"I'm sorry for the wait sir! She just looked absolutely stunning in that dress and I could not help myself!"
"Huh? What do you me-?" I immediately cut myself off after seeing Circe. There she was, wearing that blue dress with her mane held up by a flower hair pin. It looks like Sassy Saddles also applied make up on Circe as well; Circe had light blue eyeshadows to match with the dress. The eyeliner she was wearing made her eyes look larger, but that was not a bad thing. Circe stood there rubbing her right foreleg against her left. I must have made her uncomfortable from staring, but I never really had a good look at her eyes until that point.
"Could you uh... not stare...?" asked Circe.
"I'm sorry. You just look... beautiful..." Practically hypnotized by her, I had no control of those words that left my mouth.
The words caused her to flinch, but at least she smiled, "Umm... thank you..."
"Oh you two are just adorable," Sassy said with a smile.
"Thank you Sassy Saddles. You have done a lot for us."
"Oh not at all. It was my pleasure and it does my heart good to see a mare happy with their dress."
I happily gave the bag of bits to Sassy Saddles.
"Now, shall I wrap that up for her?"
"Yeah, can you-"
"Umm...Titanium?"
"Hmm? Yes Circe?"
"Umm... can I... keep it on?"
I couldn't help but give a chuckle at the question.
"Sure. Actually, you might be needing it for our next stop."
***
Joe was clearing a table when he heard his door bell ring.
"I'll be with you in a minute," he said with a smile. That smile slowly faded after seeing that it was a group of five Royal Guards; one of the guards being Captain Bronze Plate.
"Sorry to disturb you sir. We had a tip that one of our fellow guards came in here. He might have been unrecognizable since he was not wearing his armor. You see, he left castle grounds when he wasn't suppose to. At this point, we consider him to be AWOL and need to bring him in." The captain presents Joe with a picture of Titanium.
"Hmm... a lot of ponies come in here, but I am afraid I don't recall him being in here today."
"Surely you remember him? I understand he used to be a regular in here."
"Yeah, 'used to be.' I haven't seen him in here for a while though. Being a Royal Guard and everything, he is probably too busy to be seen in a lousy donut shop."
Although Joe did not back down on his statements, the Captain did not seem to buy it. "You know, aiding a guard that has gone AWOL is considered a serious crime."
"Really? Then I suppose whoever you question better tell the truth."
"Well said. Sorry for disturbing you. Enjoy the rest of your night." The captain and the guards left Joe's establishment.
Although Joe tried to keep his composure, his blood ran cold and began to shiver. He sat down on the closest chair. "Titanium, what did you get yourself into?"
Although I had to pay a little more to rent the suit from Sassy Saddles, that night was going to make it totally worth it.
"Titanium, where are we going?"
"You'll see."
I was too excited to slow down or explain anything to Circe. I really wanted to make it a surprise for her. As the sun was lowered and the moon began to rise, my pace grew quicker.
It was a long walk to get there, but we finally made it to Canterlot Square. Although it was a wide open space, in the center of the square it had a large stage where there would be performers every night. Majority of the time, it was independent entertainers trying to get noticed. We got there before it became too crowded.
"Where are we?" Circe asked.
"This is Canterlot Square. There would be ponies performing on stage every night."
"Oh, like music? A play?"
"That's the beauty of it, every night it is a different... type of entertainment." Oh pony feathers! How could I have been so stupid? Tonight might not be musicians; it could be a play, a magician, a-
"Hello everypony! My name is Charlie Horse! Who's ready for a laugh?" Or maybe a comedian ready to ruin the night.
The moment he stepped on stage I wanted to unplug that microphone. Not only was he not a musician, but he was a terrible comedian.
"Anypony like that show 'Hole in the Wall?' Well I gotta tell you, I have a sister who is a unicorn and she is a pro at it. One night she was walking around her living room and tripped on the rug. Wow did she ever put a hole in the wall."
I was practically begging that somepony would boo him or something to have him leave the stage.
"Umm... I get it but, but it wasn't that funny." Circe said. Sweet Celestia, send me to the moon. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't even look at her.
"I... have to go to the bathroom..." I told her.
"Oh okay. I will come with you."
"Okay..."
You know the show is bad when she would not even wait for me to come back from the bathroom. We began to make our way through the crowd to leave, but then suddenly I felt a hoof pull me to the side.
"Found you!" It was a earth pony Royal Guard.
"Hey! What's your problem?" I demanded to know.
"Titanium, you are under arrest for going AWOL."
The ponies around us gasped. Apparently, they found us more entertaining than Charlie Horse.
"What? I didn't go AWOL. I was just out on the town."
"You were granted time off to recover, but you were not allowed to leave castle grounds. Captain Bronze Plate would like to see you."
That night was not my night.
"There you are!" Speak of Sombra.
"Hello captain." Of course I was not thrilled to see him.
"I will take it from here. You head back to the castle and fill out your report."
"Sir, are you sure you that-?"
Before the guard could ask his question, the captain practically roared at him, "Did I stutter? MOVE IT!"
The guard ran off without hesitation. I had to admit, I don't think I could have ran any quicker.
"As for you, you will get a hoof full out of me."
"Wait sir, I need to-" I turned to look at Circe, but she was nowhere to be seen. Did she abandon me? I thought we were friends... I thought... Of course she ran off. That Changeling never really saw me as a friend did she? She only used me to walk around Canterlot without the fear of being arrested. Plus, she got a free dress out of it.
"Move it!" The captain shoved me forward.
We made our way out of the crowd of ponies of staring ponies. I am just glad they did not follow us to see how the show ends. While we walked, I noticed that we were not heading to the castle. Instead, we entered a nearby park. Something did not feel right, so I took a chance and stopped.
"Is there a problem Titanium?" The captain questioned me.
I turned around to make eye contact, "Captain, where are you taking me?"
"What does it matter to you?
"This isn't the way to the castle."
"Hehe. You're right about that."
Soon the captain was engulfed in pink flames. When the flames died down, Circe appeared in her dress with a large smile on her face.
"Circe!?!"
"Hahaha! You should have seen your face! Hahaha!"
"Wha-? How? When?"
"I morphed into the captain while hiding in the crowd. I remembered what he looked like when I first saw him leaving the Infirmary. The other ponies were so focused on you that they didn't notice me change. I would have told you sooner, but I thought it was nice to have a little payback for the brain freeze."
"..."
"Titanium? I-I'm sorry. I didn't meant to make you mad. It was just a jok-."
Before she could finish her sentence, I embraced her in a hug.
"T-Titanium!?!" She was surprised by my actions, but I didn't care.
"I'm so sorry Circe."
"Sorry? For what?"
"While you were taking me away and I didn't see you in the crowd... I... I thought you ran away. I thought you abandoned me. I felt betrayed and I had thought terrible things about you."
As I held her, I felt her fore legs wrapped around me.
"Of course not. You could have turned me in to the guards back in the forest, but you treated my wounds and let me go. Then today, we spent some time together. I got to try delicious food and... this beautiful dress. You are my friend and I wouldn't abandon you."
After hearing those words, my heart began to beat faster and faster. We both loosened our fore arms and we were staring in each other's eyes.
My thoughts became distracted as I heard... guitar strings? I looked in the direction of the sound, "Do you hear that?"
"I do."
Curious, we both walked to the sound of music. Making our way through the park, we saw a small outdoor stage with ponies dancing in front. On the stage, there was a earth pony playing a guitar. Although the song he played was slow, it was a nice set of strings. To prove that, the ponies danced in tune with him. All the ponies dancing were obviously couples.
"Aww, they all look so cute together. That guitarist really knows how to play." Circe said with her hoof on her chest. It was obvious that she was touched by the scene and the background music.
I was going to thank Hasbro so hard that night.
I walked in front of Circe and bowed with my hoof extended. Although I acted confident, I was nervous and had cold sweat down my back.
"Circe, would you care to... to... May I have this dance?"
Circe blushed and had her hoof cover her mouth. It felt like minutes was going by as I waited for her answer. Slowly, her hoof left her muzzle and she grabbed my hoof. "I... I would love to..." She said with a smile.
When we were about to reach the dance floor, she pulled my hoof back.
"What's wrong?"
"I... I don't know how to dance."
"Hehe. Neither do I." I pulled her hoof and we made it on the dance floor.
We both observed a couple that was dancing near us. We both stood on our back hooves, wrapped one of our front forelegs around each other's waist, and then I grabbed her free hoof with mine. In sync, we started off with small steps until we became comfortable with our pose. Slowly and steadily, we danced just as well as the other couples.
"Haha. And you said you couldn't dance." I joked to Circe.
"Same thing can be said about you." She replied.
As we danced, I spotted a couple that looked deep in each other's eyes. I noticed the distance between their muzzles were getting shorter and shorter; both their lips met for a kiss.
My heartbeat was faster than that time I flew over 30 laps around the castle. I looked at Circe and she stared at me with those innocent eyes. I knew what I wanted to do, but could I have gone through with it? She was a changeling and I was a pegasus. Yet... I didn't care. I did not care what she was. I couldn't deny what I felt for her. I think I have... fallen for her...
"Circe..."
"Yes?"
"Come with me."
She looked at me with confusion, but she nodded that she would. We left the dance floor and walked through the park.
I didn't care where we went, but I just needed to be alone with her. I was happy that she did not ask questions since I probably would not have been able to answer them. As we walked, I spotted a small lake. We walked to the lake and stood by the edge. It was beautiful to look at as the moon reflected off the surface of the water.
"Titanium, what's wrong? You are making me nervous?"
I looked around to be sure that we were alone. After checking if the coast was clear, I took a deep breath and looked to Circe.
"Circe, I am going to ask you something crazy."
"What is it?"
"Will you... come out in your true form?"
"What!?!" She gasped, "But somepony might see me. Why do you want me in my true form?"
I walked up to her and placed my hoof on her cheek. "Because this whole time, you have been wearing somepony else's face. I want to see the real Circe..."
Circe's eyes began to glisten with tears. She grabbed my hoof that I still had on her cheek. As she held onto my hoof and she closed her eyes, the pony form that she had slowly disappeared. Soon enough, I was looking at the changeling that I first met in the forest. The Changeling that I hurt so badly and I deeply regretted.
She opened her eyes with a smile, "I'm... I'm so happy that you didn't forget about this changeling..."
"How could I?" I said with a smile.
I had closed my eyes and began to close the gap between us. With my eyes closed, I could only hope that she saw what I was doing and that she would have accepted it. As I drew closer and closer to her, I felt her breath on my lips. Then, I felt my lips touch her's. I might not be a unicorn, but I knew what was happening was magical. The time we shared together, I thought that the sun might have been rising above us. I did not want that moment to end, but unfortunately we needed to breath.
Once separated, we both had gasped for air. We opened our eyes and smiled at one another.
"Circe... would you... be my... very special changeling?"
"I... I would."
***
In the castle, Celestia sits in the Throne Room.
Princess Luna appears, "Sister, you should get some rest. I will handle the rest of your duties for the night."
"Thank you sister." As Celestia was leaving the Throne Room, a Royal Guard ran right into the princess.
"Ah! Forgive me your highness!" The guard apologized as he bowed.
"It is quite alright." She noticed a scroll on the floor next to him.
"It is my report for the day your highness. I thought you might be interested in this one. If you are tired, I can show it to Princess Luna instead."
Celestia levitated and then opened the scroll. The guard waited patiently as she read his report. "What is this about a guard going AWOL?"
"A guard named Titanium was accused of going AWOL by Captain Bronze Plate. He left the castle grounds while he was supposed to be recovering in the Infirmary. I spotted him in Canterlot Square, but the captain arrived and took him in his custody."
"I see. Tell me, where is Captain Bronze Plate now?"
"I am not sure your highness. He is probably still on his way to the castle with the prisoner."
"Hmm... I will be going out for a bit. Give this report to my sister."
As a stallion, of course I wanted to have a very special somepony. I never would have thought that my special somepony would be a changeling.
Circe and I laid beside each other as we relaxed on the edge of the lake. It was so quiet between us that I was able to hear the water in motion, crickets chirping, and hints of that guitarist back at the outdoor stage. As much as I wanted to say something, it was nice to enjoy the silence and feel the warmth of Circe against me.
Circe placed her foreleg into the water with a sway motion. As she did this, she began to hum a tune that I did not recognize. The tune was hummed at a slow pace and it was comforting to listen to. I had closed my eyes and leaned my head against hers. However, the moment didn't last very long as the humming faded away. Although I was not looking at her face, I felt that that tune brought back memories. I was concerned if they were good or bad memories.
"Titanium..."
"Yes?"
"There is something that I want to share with you."
"Does it have something to do with that humming?"
"Yes... and more."
More?
"You see, that humming was from a friend I made before coming to Canterlot."
"A friend? Another changeling?"
"No. Actually, she was a pegasus."
***Flashback***
When I was just a hatchling, I was already deemed a special case. It was unheard of for a changeling to be born a specified gender. Most changelings are born as hermaphrodites. Although I had over hundreds of siblings, every one of them looked at me like I was not one of their own. They did not see me as a sister, but as a mistake. Although the queen did not treat me so harshly, she did not show the same love to me as she did for the rest of the hive.
Changelings had to undergo training at a very young age. My training started when I was about four years old. We always start with our transmutation training. Since I'm a female changeling, it was much harder for me to be able to transform into anything. Other changelings would be finished with their training in a few months. My training, however, I never completed. The entire hive laughed at me, judged me, and sometimes even physically hurt me. There was no love at the hive and I was starving. Plus, they would not allow me to go on scouting missions to find love. I only saw one solution that no changeling has ever done... I ran away.
Normally, a changeling can't leave the hive unless they were out on scouting missions. Any changeling who dared ran away would have been hunted down and severely punished. But for me, I didn't believe that they would send any changeling to come looking for me. I mean, why would they search for a mistake?
All my life, I lived in the hive and knew nothing about the outside world. I knew it was risky to leave behind the only home that I had, but I felt I had no choice. I thought if I left the hive, I would have found more love and be happy elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was not that simple. Wherever I tried to live amongst other creatures, in other nations, I was always turned away. In some cases, they have tried to arrest me.
In the end, I found myself weak and starving in a forest. I almost didn't care where I was anymore. I felt dizzy and I was lost. I collapsed near a tree, felt cold, and my vision grew dark. At that point, I accepted that there was no love for me and I was going to die there alone.
***
For the first time in forever, I felt warm and rested. I tried to open my eyes to see where I was, but everything was a blur. Judging how my body was positioned, I was not in the forest anymore. Instead, I lied on my back on something soft. I moved with what energy I had left. I expected there to be a flat surface. Instead, I fell to a hard wooden floor.
"Oh you're awake."
I heard an unfamiliar voice and hoofsteps coming to my direction.
"You are not healthy. You need to rest."
Whoever was helping me, they lifted me back on the soft object. They then covered me with a blanket.
"Don't worry you are safe here. Just rest and I will take care of you."
After hearing that, I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.
***
When I woke up again my vision was much clearer. I woke up in a dark room with little illumination coming from a nearby window. The window was slightly covered by the curtains. I still felt weak, but I had enough strength to get up and move toward the window.
When I got there, I moved the curtain ever so slightly. Through the crack of the curtains, I saw that I was still in the forest. Well, at least I assumed it was the same forest. Looking down, I saw that there was a garden that contained a large variety of fruits and vegetables.
I was startled when I heard hoofsteps behind me. I turned around, but there was nothing there. Then I realized that the hoofsteps were coming from behind what I believed to be the front door. I was so frozen with fear that I couldn't move. When the door opened my heart sank.
What came through the door was a blue pegasus with a straight black mane that covered one of her eyes. She was much older than I, but she was still in her early ages. On her back, she had a saddle with some food. She was startled to see me by the window, but her expression quickly changed and gave me a smile.
"Oh hi," she greeted as she shut the door behind her. "Sorry it is so dark in here."
She made her way around the room and started to open the curtains for the other windows. As she did, the room became bright and I saw things I have never seen before. On one side of the wall, there was a bookshelf completely full. On the other side, there was a desk and artwork on the wall. The wall was covered with drawings of different creatures; such as cockatrices, gargoyles, and even changelings.
"My name is Compass Rose. I was wandering around the forest to try and find more fascinating creatures. I was quite surprised to see a little changeling sleeping by a tree. I am not sure what you call yourself at your stage in life, but us ponies would call you a filly or a colt."
Oh right, she didn't know what my true gender was. Although she seemed nice I was still very scared. I couldn't stop shaking and I didn't know what to say to her.
She took a glance and noticed my shivers, "Oh no you poor thing. Look, you don't have to worry about a thing. I'm a friend." She said with a smile and slowly approached me.
As she approached me, immediately questions began to race through my mind. What was she going to do? Was she going to hurt me? Was she going to turn me in? So scared, my body dropped to the floor and I covered my eyes. I heard her hoofsteps getting closer and closer. At some point, she stopped right in front of me. I refused to open my eyes and look up. I waited to see what she would do.
I flinched when I felt something touch my head, but whatever it was it didn't hurt. Something rubbed my head and I found it to be comforting. I opened one of my eyes to see what it was. It was Compass Rose rubbing my head with her front foreleg. She looked down on me with that smile again. Her smile said to me, "Don't be afraid."
***
Over the years, Compass Rose took care of me under her roof. She was originally from Canterlot and studied there. She explained how she wanted to explore and find exotic creatures. Eventually, she quit her studies and moved into the forest. She thought that it was so isolated from society that she would be able to find other creatures more easily.
I was still on edge about the kindness she has shown me. But as the years went by, I grew to trust her and became more outgoing with her. I helped her with chores around the house and answered any questions she had about the changelings. I told her whatever I could about our society, our culture, and about our hunger for love. I even explained how I was different from the rest of the changelings and I could not transform as well as them. Instead of laughing at me, she said that she would help me in anyway she could.
At first, it was hard and it brought back painful memories that I had back at the hive. However, this time, things were different as she kept encouraging me to keep trying and have faith in myself. She even helped me by showing me photos of other ponies. It was long and hard, but eventually I was able to transform into anypony with ease. Although, I still found it difficult to be able to transform into anything bigger or smaller than a pony.
Her support didn't stop there though. She even helped me with my flying. With her help, I was taught how to maneuver through the trees and do tricks.
When I became a fully grown mare to her, she took me out into the forest on expeditions to find more creatures. However, I think I was probably the most exotic creature that she has ever found. On our journeys, we mostly found parasprites, jackalopes, or timberwolves.
The love that she has shown me kept me fed and warm. Every night, she would tell me stories about amazing ponies; such as Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight and her friends. Whenever I did not want to learn about pony history, she would read me her Daring Do stories. Sometimes, she would sing me a certain song to help me fall asleep.
I was happier than I have ever been. Whenever I looked at her, I looked at her like... she was a mother. Although she was not biologically my mother, I loved her like she was my own. I would take care of her as much as she has taken care of me.
However, like every other mother and their child, the child is bound to leave the nest one day.
***
One night, I made dinner for her. I had set up the table like usual. She came into the kitchen sat in her regular chair. Although I did not eat food like she did, I always enjoyed sitting with her and chat. She gave me one of those smiles like always, but this time it faded away into sadness. I was very concerned as this has never happened before.
"Compass, what's wrong?"
"Circe, I have been thinking a lot about something. For most of your life, you have stayed with me here in this house in the middle of these woods. You have grown to be strong and you have taken good care of me."
"Of course. Just as much as you have taken care of me."
"Yes, but... I have come to a decision about something. This is the hardest decision I ever made. Circe, I can't let you stay her any longer."
My heart shattered at those words. Those were words I always wished that would never be said from her.
"Wh-what? What did I do wrong? Did I make you angry? I'm sorry for whatever it is I had done! I promise I won't do it again!" I was scared that I had upset her. As I said all this, I had a lump grow in my throat, my breathing became heavy, and I cried large drop of tears.
Compass Rose got out of her chair and embraced me in a strong hug. "No no no. You didn't do anything Circe. Please don't cry. You haven't done anything wrong. You are a wonderful girl." I could hear her cries as she said those words.
I cried in her mane, "Then why? Why can't I stay here?"
"Because, there is more to life than this mare and this house. There is more to life beyond those trees."
"I don't care! I want to stay here!"
That was when she let go and looked straight in my eyes, "Don't say that! Look at me Circe. I am growing old. One of these days, I won't be around here anymore. After that, who will take care of you? Huh? Nopony. I am the only pony in your life and I can't let that happen to you. It is time that you moved on and explored the world."
Although I understood what she was saying, it did not make it any better. I wiped my tears away, "But... but everypony hated me. I have nowhere to go."
"That was when you were a hatchling. Now you are grown, stronger, smarter, and you have an amazing ability to be whatever pony you want."
"What about you? Please come with me."
"I'm sorry Circe," she said as she placed a hoof on my cheek, "but this is something that you need to do on your own."
"But... I'm scared. I don't think I can do this..."
"That's what you thought when you were practicing your transformation skills. What did I always tell you?"
"To-to never quit and... have faith in myself."
She grabbed me and pulled me in for a hug again.
"That's right. You are strong and I know you will be alright."
I continued to cry, but I was not sure for how long. I was sure though that I cried long enough for her food to get cold.
When I stopped crying, I felt emotionally exhausted. I believe she knew that too, as she helped me to my bed. It was just like that time when we first met. She helped me on the bed, waved a blanket over me, and made me feel safe. She kissed my head and was about to walk out when I stopped her, "Compass?"
She turned around, "Hmm?"
"Could you... could you sing that song for me? For old time's sake?"
She giggled at my request, "Yep. You might be grown, but you still have the heart of the little changeling I found those years ago."
I blushed at the remark. She returned to my bedside, she rubbed my head, and sang that very special song.
"Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hoof
And hold it tight
I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry."
***Present***
"The next day, she gave me some bits and a map that showed all of Equestria. I decided that I wanted to fly to Canterlot. She told me much about it and I hoped to maybe meet the princesses. However, the guards would not allow me to have an audience with her. So I tried to sneak in."
"Umm... by chance-"
"Hehe. Yes. That's the day you chased me down and had me crash into a tree."
I chuckled nervously as I scratched the back of my head. Then something hit me, "The way you described Compass, it sounds a lot like-"
"Like the pony form I had the whole time? Yes, that was how she looked when she first found me. It has only been a few days, but I already miss her."
"That's normal. When I left my family to join the Royal Guard, every single day I thought about them and I wanted to go back home."
"Really?"
"Of course. It just shows how much you really love them."
"Thank you Titanium. I didn't mean to ruin this night."
"Not at all," I smiled to her. Suddenly, I remembered the reasons she originally came to Canterlot for.
"So, you want to meet the princesses?" I asked her.
"Ever since I was first told the stories," she said happily.
"Well, Princess Celestia most likely has gone to sleep for the night. I'm sure I can help you meet Princess Luna though."
"Really? But, what about the guards? They are looking for you."
"Just turn into the captain again and escort me as your prisoner. When we get to the castle, I will change into my guard uniform and escort you to the princess."
"Won't they recognize you?"
"Please, most of the guard looks exactly the same with their armor on. If we stay a certain distance away from them, I am pretty sure they wouldn't recognize me. By the time we get to the Princess, you get to meet her, and I can give her reasons for my actions."
"That's a lot of faith you are putting in your princess."
"Princess Luna is just as kind as her sister. I know she will listen. It will be fine. I promise."
With the confidence in my voice, she became more at ease and looked to me with a smile.
After I made sure the coast was clear, I signaled Circe to change form. After she changed form, I couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the captain that took her place.
Circe noticed my shivers, "What?"
"Nothing it's... just need to remember that it's YOU that I kissed."
She gave a small chuckle, "Try not to think too much on it. You ready?"
"Let's go."
We left the lake and made our way back to a path. We did not know our way around the park, so we decided to head back the way we came.
On our way out of the park, we noticed a few figures coming in our direction. I couldn't see how many exactly, but one of them was definitely a unicorn. The unicorn was using their magic to light their path. The light was too bright to be able to see, but I heard heavy hoofsteps and slight clanking noises. I had to assume it was a patrol.
I positioned myself in front of Circe and whispered to her, "Circe, there's a patrol coming our way."
"Got it," she replied in the voice of the captain.
Soon we were just a few hoofsteps away from them. I was surprised they didn't say a word to us yet.
Circe broke the silence, "I have this runaway in my custody. I am taking him to Princess Luna right away."
"Is that how I look?" One of the figures spoke and immediately my body turned cold. Although I was not looking at Circe, I was able to feel that her energy had drained. The unicorn dimmed the light and we were able to see the party of ponies; one of them being the captain.
"I don't recall ever having a twin brother. Now what are you?" Despite the captain asking that question, I knew he was playing dumb.
Behind me, I was able to hear Circe shiver in her armor. I slowly stepped back until I was by her side. I placed my hoof on her foreleg. She looked at me for reassurance, but I did not like the idea of giving a promise I wasn't sure I could keep. The most I could do for her was let her know that I was there. I made my presence known and I assured her that I would not leave her. She gave a small smile, but I could still see that she was scared. She took my hoof and changed into her true form.
Gasps and small talk was heard from the guards. The captain, however, stood there silently like he wasn't surprised. Circe and I focused our attention to the guards.
"So this where our spy has been hiding. And you, Titanium, were hiding it from your own-"
"Her."
The captain was annoyed at my interruption, "As I have told you-"
"And I have told you! It is a her and her name is Circe!" I lost control of my temper.
Never had I thought that I was capable at raising my voice like I did. Let alone to a superior officer. I couldn't tell if the guards were more shocked at the changeling or at my sudden outburst. The captain continued to look at me unamused.
I felt a sudden grasp on my hoof and I looked to Circe. She looked at me with a smile and tears began to drop. I no longer saw fear in her eyes. I couldn't help but give half a smile.
The moment was short lived as the captain shouted, "This is sickening! It is a changeling spy!"
"She isn't a spy!"
"What you are doing is considered an act of treachery. You will be rendered a traitor and answer for your crimes."
"What crimes? I swore an oath to defend the princess and her kingdom, but I also swore to protect whoever and wherever we are called in all of Equestria. The way I see it, this changeling is part of Equestria and I will protect her."
The anger in the captain grew with every word I spoke. I saw that my words were never going to get through to him.
"Titanium, as your former captain, you are considered a traitor from here on out. You and the changeling will be escorted to the Castle to face trial. Take them." Two earth ponies separated from their party.
I was not about to let them take me or Circe. I locked forelegs with her.
"Titanium?"
"Hold on."
Immediately, I shot both of us in the air without looking back.
"Circe, flap those wings!" I ordered her. Although I was capable of carrying her, it was much easier if she helped out.
"Titanium, they're behind us!"
I learned that if I wanted to fly fast, I was not to look back or be distracted. I took her word for it and just flew. I obviously did not think that through. We might not have gotten arrested, but now we were flying with nowhere to go. As I pondered my next move, I heard something alarming from down below. I heard the sound of a horn. The horn blasted in patterns that I recognized from training.
"Titanium, there are more guards behind us!" Circe shouted.
The horn sounded a call for reinforcements. Seeing as there was not much clouds in the sky, we were easily spotted by other guards. I might have been fast, but there were other Pegasi that were faster. I was only able to fly for so long.
"Titanium, they are catching up!" Circe shouted in fear and I wasn't sure what to do. An idea came to mind. It wasn't the smartest idea, but it might have worked... for Circe anyway...
"Circe..."
"Huh?"
"I just want you to know that... you are the best thing that has ever happened to me..."
"Wait, what are you saying?"
"Fly!"
With a strong swing, I threw Circe as far as I could throw. I immediately turned around to face whatever came my way. It wasn't as large as I thought, but it was still about a dozen guards. In mid-air, I went into a fighting stance. At that point, I wasn't afraid of being arrested or anything. I just wanted Circe to be safe.
As I waited for the impact, as sudden wave of energy shot towards the other Pegasi. Hovering and confused, I looked around to see what caused that blast of energy. Behind me was somepony completely unexpected.
"Princess Celestia?"
The guards that were chasing me bowed before their princess.
"You must be Titanium." Princess Celestia said.
"Yes your highness."
"I was actually searching for you. It is not often when a Royal Guard is accused of AWOL and to be accompanied by a changeling."
Behind her, Circe peaked her head up.
"Circe!"
She flew towards me and I took her in a strong embrace. However, I also got a strong kick in the gut.
"Why did you let me go!?!"
I tried to catch my breath before I spoke, "I couldn't let them catch you. I thought if I let you go you could escape."
"Don't ever do anything like that again!" Circe almost began to cry and took me in a hug.
I returned the hug, "I won't."
Princess Celestia gave a small cough to remind us of her presence.
Circe broke the embrace, but she took hold of my hoof. We both looked towards the princess.
"Umm... we can explain everything," I told the princess.
"I am very interested to hear."
***
On our way back to the park, I gave a short story to the princess about meeting Circe; how we met, about our day, and what the captain has done.
We finally made it to the park with the captain and his group at the same spot. The captain and his party noticed us and he was not happy. Once he spotted the princess though, he bowed in show of respect.
Once we landed, the princess stepped forward to the bowing guards.
"Captain Bronze Plate, you have some explaining to do."
"Your highness, the guard with you, Titanium, is aiding this changeling. It is a spy and-"
"She, captain. It is a she."
It brought me so much satisfaction that I was not the only one who did not see Circe as a thing. Plus, it was a bonus to see the captain get frustrated with that correction.
"Your Highness, you can't possibly-"
"From the story they have told me, she has committed no crimes. Up to now, she has shown no sign of hostility towards anypony. Also, what sort of spy would stay behind to go on a date with one of our guards?"
The captain and his party raised their heads in confusion.
"Did you say... a date?" One of the guards asked.
"Yes. They were on a date."
"That's... that's disgusting!" the captain shouted.
"You will mind what you say captain. Love comes in many different forms. Whether you are a pony or a changeling."
"But... your highness. You can't trust anything they say!"
"That will be all captain. You are relieved of duty. I expect you to report to me first thing in the morning."
"...Yes ...your highness," the captain grudgingly agreed. He got up and left with his party of guards. He didn't leave without giving both me and Circe a look of disgust. I don't think I ever wanted to buck somepony so badly.
"Please understand that the captain has suffered because of the changelings. During the attack at Princess Cadence's wedding, his family's home was attacked as well. Debris from a building fell on his daughter. His daughter is fine, but she is now a handicap. She is just a filly and there is so much that he wanted to do with her. He blames himself for it and said he was too weak. He vowed to be a better captain and protect everypony."
After the princess explained things to us, I did not know whether to hate him or feel sorry for him. One thing for sure though, I was never going to let him get close to Circe.
"Before the attack, he was a good soul and I believe he still is. For now, he has too much hatred in his heart. However, I believe that Circe is the start of something new. I hope that one day, the changelings and ponies can live amongst one another. It will be long and hard, but I believe that you two will set a fine example. One day, I would like you to meet my faithful student so she can learn from this."
"Of course. Thank you for everything princess," I said.
Circe and I bowed to the princess. The princess bowed her head to us and flew off into the night sky.
"So? Was she what you expected?" I asked Circe.
"Yes... and more," she said with a warm smile.
"I only wish I could have talked to her more. There is so much I wanted to ask her."
"You will. I'm sure after tonight, she would like to get to know you more. She even said you could meet her student; the Princess of Friendship."
"That would be nice. For now though, I am very tired."
"Yeah me too. We should get some rest. I hope Sassy won't be too mad about the suit. Do you umm...have a place to stay."
"I am staying at a apartment around here."
"I will take you home."
As we walked, I felt Circe bump into me. I thought maybe she was too tired to walk. Then I noticed, she was just leaning up against me for comfort.
"You don't mind do you?"
"No. I don't mind at all."
"You know what, it's an amazing feeling."
"What is?"
"For the first time in my life... I'm not hungry..."
***
The next day, Circe said she had a surprise for me. Luckily, I had permission from the princess to go with Circe. I wasn't sure where she was taking me, but it was miles away from Canterlot. It wasn't until we hit a forest that I had an idea where she was taking me. However, I didn't want to spoil the surprise. At some point, we made it to the house in the middle of the forest.
"Circe, is this place what I think it is?"
"Yes. I would like you to meet her."
"I don't know. This is like... this is like meeting your mother."
Circe gave a smile, "Yes. I guess it is."
"What if she doesn't like me?"
"How could she not like you?"
As much as I wanted to give her a reason, I really couldn't think of anything.
"Just don't bring up the time that I kicked your flank."
"Deal."
We walked up to the front porch. I was nervous and my heart was racing. For the first time, Circe had to comfort me. She placed her hoof on my foreleg and gave a smile. I loved that smile. With confidence, I took a deep breath and knocked on the front door.
"I'll be right there," a voice came from the other side of the door.
The door slowly opened and a blue pony appeared. I was looking at what I believed to be an older mare of Circe's pony form. Her black mane was tied back with a hint of grey. Of course, the first thing she noticed was Circe.
"Circe! Sweet Celestia, it is so nice to see you. You are back so soon. I missed you a lot more than I thought. I-."
She paused when she noticed me.
"Who is this?" Compass Rose questioned.
"Compass, this is Titanium. He is my... my coltfriend," she said with blush in her cheeks.
At first, it was very silent. I thought maybe she didn't approve of me. I grew worried as she looked at Circe and I.
"Ah! I'm so happy for you!" I was startled by her sudden burst of energy. She pulled both Circe and I into a hug.
"Come in! Come in! Circe, you got a coltfriend so quickly. You fox you. I need to know everything."
Compass Rose welcomed us with open hooves. The rest of the day, she asked us questions about everything. How did we meet? How long have we known each other? What did I like about Circe? What did Circe like about me? It was like a job interview more than a friendly visit. At first, she did not like the idea that we got together so quickly. By the end of the day, she saw that my love for Circe was true.
***
I didn't know what the future had for a pony and a changeling that loved one another. The princess was right, it was a long and hard road. There were many ponies that did not approve what we did. However, we made friends that showed their support for us. That alone was enough to give us hope.
As time went on, Circe tried so hard to get along with Captain Bronze Plate. I was against it at first, but she insisted on giving him a chance. She tried the approach of visiting his daughter from time to time. His trust might have grown for Circe, but I fear that the hatred for the changelings still lurked within.
I hope that other ponies out there will hear my story. In hope that this story will encourage others to not judge anypony without getting to know them. Because in the end, your life might change for the better... just as mine did.
