> A Changeling's Heart
>  by TheAnimerican
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Circe and Titanium
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't believe I finally did it. I have been with her for about a year and I had finally done it. I just couldn't take it anymore. Whenever I was around her or even looked at her, this feeling just built up inside. I just couldn't shake it off and I knew exactly what it was. What I had done that night, a lot of ponies would call it disgusting. Heck, many of them would call me a freak. However, I am sure SHE had a different word in mind.


***


"Are you sure about this?" Captain Bronze Plate asked.

"Yes sir," I replied.

"Very well. My men will be there. Just be sure to be ready both physically and mentally."

"I will. Thank you sir." 

As I was walking away, the captain stopped me before leaving his quarters, "Titanium wait."

A part of me wanted to ignore him, but my conscience was telling me to hear what he had to say. I turned around to make eye contact, but I couldn't hold back the flare of anger from within.

"Listen, I know we had our disagreements in the past, but I want you to know that I respect what you are doing."

After hearing those words, I wasn't sure how to feel. Although I still held memories for what he did, I felt that this was his way of apologizing to me as well.

He then stood at attention and gave a salute, "Good luck to you... sergeant."

I returned the salute, "Thank you captain."


***


Later that night, I went home to find Circe. Being in the guard had its perks. We were able to afford a house and I was able to help Circe find a job. She serves as one of the castle maids and is happy with where she is at. She socializes with the staff and made some friends.

Once I got home, Circe greeted me with a kiss on the cheek, "Hello Titanium. How was work today?"

"Rough and busy as usual." In a way, Circe has changed compared to when we first met. She is more outgoing now and is always smiling. I hope I had played a part in that.

"I guess that is to be expected when you are sergeant of the royal guard," Circe joked. 

"Well tonight, this guard wants to take you out?"

"Really? Where?"

"It's a surprise. Go and get ready, I already made reservations. Oh and wear something nice."

The restaurant was rather classy for my taste, but I thought it would be good for what I had planned. I grabbed a random suit and she wore her favorite blue dress. Although there were a few ponies that knew she was a changeling, she was not ready yet to reveal herself. So I respected her decision to walk around in her pony form whenever she was in public. 

As we walked to the restaurant, I kept asking myself if what I was doing was the right thing. I mean I loved her, but was this going a little too far. It was all planned out and I assumed everypony was in position. It was too late to back out now. I tried to act as normal as possible, but I was very nervous and that made Circe nervous.

"Umm, Titanium? Is everything okay?" she asked me.

"Huh? Of course it is. Why would you ask?"

"Well, you have been very quiet lately and this is the first time in two weeks we went out of the house."

"Oh I see. I know I'm sorry. By becoming sergeant, I now have more responsibilities. I haven't had any free time until now. To make up for it, I thought we could go to this restaurant."

After I said that, she moved closer towards me until we were side by side, "That is very sweet of you, but you didn't have to do this. I just missed you and hoped you were okay. Besides, you feed me enough with your love."

Before I could reply, Circe gasped, "Titanium, you feel rather warm. A-are you okay? Do you have a fever?"

I tried to calm her down, "No no no. I'm just fine. It's just really hot tonight and I don't know how the stallions in Canterlot can wear suits on a daily basis."

Truth be told, it wasn't hot at all that night. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot to the point I would be sweating drops down my muzzle. I knew she was still concerned about me, but she kept quiet and kept close to me.

We finally arrived at the restaurant and we made our way to the host. His hair was neatly combed back and wore that ridiculous pencil moustache. I don't know why that was required. I felt pretty sorry for him because he looked like he didn't like being there.

"Good evening sir," said the host. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a reservation? Party of two for Titanium?"

The host checked his list until he had finally found me. I was a little confused as he inspected my name very closely. He then looked to Circe and back to me. He gave me a nod for some reason and directed us to our table, "Right this way sir. I'm sure you are in for a real treat this evening." With that statement, I took that as a hint that he was in on the plan as well.

As expected, this restaurant was very high-class and had beautiful settings. There were bright crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and pillars with vines wrapped around them, there was just too much to describe. 

We finally reached our table and it was placed in the center of the restaurant, rather close to their water fountain. He pulled out Circe's seat and pushed it back in when she was seated. I gestured for him that I can do that myself. He left the menus on our table, "Your waiter will be with you shortly. Our special tonight is our seasonal summer salad. Please enjoy your evening."

"Thank you," both Circe and I replied. He then bowed his head and left us alone.

Because this place was too rich for my taste, I felt immediately out of place. My mane was a short blue haircut. Most ponies there had long manes and they were neatly groomed. Also, it was slightly obvious that the brand of my suit wasn't of high quality compared to the other stallions. I have to admit I had regrets about being there.

I was thinking that Circe would get positive looks because of her dress. However, being a pony who lacks fashion, we couldn't help but overhear how her dress was "outdated." I felt bad and I felt ashamed for never thinking about updating her wardrobe. To be fair, I saved most of my bits for the restaurant.

"I'm sorry Circe. I will buy you another dress when I can."

Circe stretched across the table to grab my hoof. "Titanium, you know why this dress is my favorite?"

"Hmm?"

"Because this is the dress you bought for me when we first met. This is the dress you took us out for a dance. I don't care what anypony else says. No up-to-date dresses will ever replace it."

Those words and that smile made my night. For what I had planned for her, I just hoped she wouldn't be too upset with me.

"Good evening to you two. My name is Grapevine and I will be your waiter tonight. Shall I get you two something to drink?"

"Can I just have water please?" I asked.

"Just water for me is fine," said Circe.

"Certainly, by chance is this your first time here at this establishment?"

"Yes, it is. How did you know?" I asked.

"I have been here for a few years and I have never seen you two here before. I would like to personally welcome you and I hope you enjoy it. I will personally bring you water that we collect from Neighagra Falls."

"Oh. Well, thank you very much," Circe said with a forced smile.

"Of course. Let me know if you would like anything else." After the waiter left to get our water, Circe whispered to me, "Is there anything special about water from Neighagra Falls?"

I chuckled and replied, "Not that I know of. Water is water to me." I hoped he would get back quickly because my throat was dry.

As I looked at the menu, I couldn't believe how much they charged for food there. Thank Celestia for my promotion. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Circe giving sort of a wave. I put down my menu to give her my full attention.

"Titanium, this place is very expensive. Are you sure about this?"

As caring as always. "Yeah, Circe enjoy yourself. I saved up just for tonight."

Circe then looked sad and looked down at her hooves, "Is... Is that why you have been busy...? Why I haven't seen a lot of you lately?"

"Well, I did request to work more and offered to do contract jobs."

"Titanium, I appreciate what you did, I really do, but why would you-." Circe was cut off as she heard a commotion near the entrance of the restaurant. Not only did it grab our attention, but the attention of everypony at their tables.

Through the entrance, there were a few stallions of the royal guard marching inside. As we watched them, they drew nearer and nearer to our table. This was it, the plan was in motion.


***


I was frightened to see the guards marching their way inside the restaurant as they were. Accompanying them was Captain Bronze Plate. Although I have visited his daughter many times in the past year, I still felt he held a grudge against me. I kept hoping that he wasn't there for me and Titanium. I kept hoping that he would leave us alone. My fears came true as the guards circled around us. I tried to remain calm, but I was scared.

"Well well well. Hello to you Titanium and... Circe was it?"

"Y-yes sir," my voice trembled.

"I'm sorry to disturb your night out at this fine restaurant, but I have a few questions for you."

For me? Why did he want to question me?

"Captain, please not now."

"I think now is a perfect time. You know what they say, 'No time like the present.' Now then, I'm going to ask you a few questions and I expect you to answer honestly. Alright?"

I couldn't get myself to answer him, so I nodded instead.

"Okay then. As I understand it, this is supposed to be your one-year anniversary with Titanium. Is that right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Okay good. Now, do you care for this stallion?"

"Y-yes."

"Would you say that you... love him?"

I paused for a moment as I stared at Titanium. His eyes always had a way of speaking to me. They were telling me not to be afraid and that he was right there. I took a deep breath and answered, "Yes."

"I see. Now, what is it that you see in him? Why do you care so deeply for this colt?"

"He... he saved me. When I arrived in Canterlot, I was alone and scared. When I met him, he helped me even though I was different from everypony else. He made me feel warm when it was cold, he helped me smile when I was sad, and he made me feel strong when I was scared." Circe then looked to the Captain, "Isn't this how you feel with your special somepony?" 

The restaurant was silent and the captain gave me a blank stare. After what I had just said, I was curious about what he would say, "I need you to listen to me very carefully."

I nodded and gave the captain my full attention. The captain then did something unexpected. He took off his helmet and bowed to me, "I just want you to know that I am very grateful for you taking care of my daughter over the past year. She has come to think of you as her big sister and I hope it will stay that way."

He then raised his head and put back on his helmet, "Okay Titanium, that is your cue." The guards then lined up next to the captain as he stood there near our table. I was both scared and confused at what was going on. Then I looked to Titanium as he slowly got out of his chair and walked towards me. He then bowed his head to the floor with his end raised high.

"Circe," Titanium started, "I have been with you for only a short year, but the time we spent together has been the best year of my life. I want to provide you with the same love and happiness you have given me. If anything, I want to provide even more for you."

He then raised back his head and opened up one of his wings to reveal a small box. He took the small box and presented it to me. He opened it to reveal a necklace with heart-shaped rose quartz.

"Circe, it was a year ago I asked you to be my special somepony. I am standing here tonight to ask you if you would share the rest of my life... being my wife?"

I heard about ponies doing this but... I never thought in my life this would happen to me. I have dreamt about this when I was reading tall tales as a little changeling and it was coming true. I had a lump in my throat and tears built up inside me. I covered my muzzle with my hooves and cried, "Yes. Yes, I want to be your wife."

As I cried in my hooves, most of the ponies in the restaurant cheered and Titanium held me in his legs. When he let me go, he then took the necklace and placed it around my neck. This was the most precious moment of my life.

"Titanium, I love you."
> Planning the Wedding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I woke upd the next morning, I couldn't have been happier to see Circe in bed with the necklace wrapped around her neck. Oh and in case you are wondering, Circe and I do share a bed. I mean, wouldn't you want to go to bed with your special somepony next to you? Anyways, I slowly got up to get out of the bed, but never did I take my eyes off of her. She looked so cute sleeping, I couldn't help but plant a kiss on her head. Unfortunately, I woke her up in the process.

"Hmm? Oh. Good morning Titanium," Circe said with a yawn.

"Good morning. Sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh no it's fine. I should get up anyway."

"Yeah. We have a lot of planning to do."

"Yeah," Circe said with a smile as she held the necklace with her hoof, "I still can't believe this is real."

"Neither can I." 

Although we have been together for a year, we still have moments of silence between us and I don't know why. I guess at some point in a relationship a couple can talk with their eyes as well as their mouths. It is hard to explain, but I am sure you will know the experience one day.

"So?" Circe asked.

"Huh?"

"What should we start on?"

"For what?"

"Aren't we going to have a wedding?"

"Oh right right right right right." And I can still sound like a complete idiot. "Umm... Umm... You know I am not sure. Maybe we should hire a wedding planner."

Circe giggled at my stupidity, "Good idea."


***


The wedding planner, Circe, and I were all gathered at the table in the living room.

"So first of all, congratulations to the both of you. I'm Calla Lily and I would be more than happy to help you two plan your wedding." Calla Lily was a middle aged, pink unicorn who wore her white-striped pink mane in a tail. Her cutie mark was a large heart wrapped by a string of flowers.

"Hello Ms. Lily. I'm Titanium and this is my fiancé Circe. Thank you for coming by on short notice, but we wanted to be sure this wedding was planned right," I replied. Circe sat beside me and it comforted me for her to hold my hoof.

"Of course. It is my job and passion to give a lovely couple a memorable wedding." Her personality was very cheerful. I couldn't tell if that was how she was or just a good sales pitch.

"So Ms. Lily-"

"Oh please," she interrupted, "Call me Calla. I like being casual with my clients. I want everypony I work with to feel comfortable."

"Okay. Umm... Calla. We obviously don't know what to do first. What do you suggest?"

"Well don't worry about being unprepared. Soon-to-wed couples are never really prepared. Then again, younger ponies these days get married without having a proper wedding or no wedding at all. It does my heart good to see ponies such as yourselves taking this seriously."

I bet it did. We were paying for her services after all.

"Well the first thing we need to do is plan your budget." She then used her magic to levitate a folder, a quill, and a ink pot from her saddle bag and placed them on the table. "Now then, what sort of budget are we working with?"

I immediately looked to Circe as I was embarrassed to tell Calla, "Umm... well... Can you work with... 500 bits?"

After telling her the price, her magic vanished and the quill dropped to the floor. Yep. That was the reaction I was afraid of getting.

"500 bits? Mr. Titanium, I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but what sort of wedding did you have in mind? I mean, the least expensive wedding I ever experienced was twice that budget."

First of all, rude. Second, she had me even more worried about the wedding now more than ever.

"So, does that mean we can't have a wedding?" Circe asked in a worried tone.

"Well now I didn't say that," said Calla. "I'm sorry for my behavior, but I was very surprised. I never worked with so small a budget."

I could've sworn she was nice and cheerful a second ago. I heard enough and felt the need to speak up, "Calla, I know we aren't the richest client you worked with, but I love this pony and I wanted to marry her the right way. I know the budget is low, but I called you here so you can make this work. If you can't, then I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Titanium," Circe laid her hoof on my shoulder, "There is no reason to-."

"No Circe that is quite all right," Calla interrupted, "I was being rude and I do apologize." After she regained her composure, she once again took hold of her quill and was ready to take notes. "If anything, I'm touched by his words. Now Titanium, as I said before, I have never worked with this sort of budget. However, I will do my very best to work with you. I just need time to think." With her thoughts, she puzzled and puzzled of what she could do. "I think I have an idea. If you are not against it, we can set your wedding in a public area. I wouldn't call it traditional, but this can save us a lot of room with the budget. It may cost little to no bits at all."

I looked to Circe to see what she thought of the idea.

"I don't mind. I will be happy wherever we get married," she said with a smile. 

"Splendid!" Calla cheered as she clapped her hooves, "Now then, was there a location you had in mind?"

"Umm... a beach?" I suggested.

"Hmm... A beach would be romantic, but I'm afraid you may need a permit to hold the wedding and those are usually expensive."

"Umm... Titanium?" Circe called.

"Hmm? What is it Circe?"

"I was thinking, you remember where we went on our first date?"

"Our first date...? Wait, Pony Joe's Donut Shop?"

"Yes. I was thinking," she paused as she fidgeted her hooves, "If Pony Joe didn't mind, I thought it would be nice to have our first wedding at the same spot we had our first date."

I always thought my wedding would be traditional and I would get married at a temple or something. To get married at a donut shop was a bit odd for me. Although, I could see why Circe wanted to get married there. That donut shop did hold special memories for both Circe and I. I looked to Calla, "Is that doable?"

"Well, not the most romantic choice of location, but as long as you get the owner's permission that should do just fine." I could swear there was a tone of disgust in Calla's voice, but that didn't matter to me. "I guess we have the location out of the way. Now then, what is the guest list like?"

"Well, you should definitely invite your parents," said Circe.

"Yeah definitely," I agreed.

"And umm... Captain Bronze Plate and his family."

I was a bit surprised at the suggestion. "You will be comfortable with him there?"

"Mhm," Circe gave a small smile, but I knew she wasn't completely okay with her own suggestion. I was sure though she wanted to see the Captain's daughter. "Was there anypony else you wanted to invite dear?"

"Hmm... Maybe my grandparents and I have a couple relatives in Manehattan that wouldn't forgive me if I didn't invite them."

"Wait a minute, we have only thought of guests for Titanium. Circe, isn't there anypony that you would like to invite?"

"Me? Well I-"

Oh pony feathers!

"Well you see uh, Circe umm... it is awkward between us and her family. There have been some disagreements."

"Oh? Oh! I see! Is it because they don't approve of your marriage?" Calla questioned.

"Yes! Yes!" Eh. I'll take what I can get. "That is exactly the problem! How did you know?" I asked sarcastically.

"I knew it! You would be surprised how often I get couples like that. It is kind of sad really."

"Yeah," I agreed, "You see, it is because... I'm in the Royal Guard. They don't approve of ponies being in the military."

"Uh except my mother of course!" Circe shouted. "Compass Rose. Right?"

"Oh uh yeah. Circe's mother is the only pony that supported our marriage."

"Ah. Well at least somepony from your side of the family supports it," said Calla. It was a good thing she was oblivious to  our horrible acting.

"I recommend that we keep the list as small as possible as there is not enough for decorations, food, beverages, so on and so on. There is just so much to do," said Calla.

"Other than the guest list, what else should we do?" I asked.

"Well we also need to have a date. When did you plan to have this wedding?"

"As soon as possible," Circe replied.

"Of course. Hmm... I estimate that planning this sort of wedding should take about a month. For three weeks I will try to find suppliers for your wedding. During the first week, you should both send out your invitations. On the second and third week, you should both find what you are going to wear and try to reserve the location for your wedding. On the final week, I will contact you again to discuss the plans and you both will rehearse the wedding reception. Would that meet both your satisfactory?"

"That's a lot to do. I'm sure we can handle it though. What do you think Circe?"

"I'm sure we can do it... Honey," Circe sai- Wait, did she just call me Honey?

"Well then, I believe we covered everything. I will see you two in about a month. I bid you adieu and once again, congratulations to the two of you." After finishing up her notes, she packed up her things and showed herself to the door. "Ta-ta!"

I had to admit I was very happy to get her out of the house. Probably explained why her service fee was so low. After I released a sigh of relief, I looked to Circe and gave her a smirk.

She raised an eyebrow, "What is that look?"

"You called me honey."

"Well... yeah. Did I use the word wrong?"

"No no you used it right. That was just unexpected."

She then looked down at her hooves in embarrassment, "Well, a lot of times I would see couples together and they would call each other 'sweetheart' or 'honey.' I thought that now we are going to get married, we could... well..."

Normally I don't care for couples calling each other names, but I think I can understand why she would like that. Although she is a changeling, I think she wanted to experience what other couples got to experience. I wrapped my wing around her and brought her in close. "It might take a little getting used to, but we can try something new... Precious."
> On This Day...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, I spent some quality time with my fiancée before I left for work. Well, by "quality time," I meant we were organizing the guest list. We decided to keep the list small so that we had more room in the budget for catering and such. Also, Circe was uncomfortable with the idea of meeting so many of my family members she hasn't met yet. Regardless of what we did together, I enjoyed every moment I had with her. 

Everyday, before I go to work, she helps me put on my armor. Before Circe, it was a pain in the flank putting it on. As a pegasus, you had to maneuver carefully with the wings or else you would get stuck. I had to start getting ready an hour before I left the house. Those unicorns have it good.

As we were almost done putting on my armor, I looked out the window to see that the sun was higher than I thought. "Oh pony feathers I'm going to be late!" Without thinking, I quickly made my way to the door. 

Before I could leave, I was stopped, "Titanium wait! You forgot this!" In the rush, I didn't notice I left my helmet behind. I gave a half smile and scratched the back of my head in embarrassment, "Thanks Circe. By the way, there are reports that I need to catch up on tonight. I don't know what time I will be home tonight. Did you still want me to pick up dinner?"

"Oh you don't need to pick up dinner tonight," said Circe.

"Oh? You're picking up dinner?"

"Nope. I'll be cooking for you tonight," she said with a smile.

"Oh okay... Wait what?" I asked in a surprised tone a voice.

Circe lowered her head lightly behind my helmet, with ears drooped and face lightly blushed, "I'm sorry. Is that bad?"

"Huh? No of course not. I'm just surprised that's all. I didn't know you could cook."

She raised her head and our eyes met, "Well actually, I only just started taking lessons. I was out in the market one day and I met this really nice mare that handles one of the fruit stands. She and I were talking and she showed me a couple of her recipes. She said that she attends a cooking class every week and invited me to join her. The first lesson was free, so I thought, 'Why not?'"

"Uh... how long have you been going to these classes?" I asked in a worried tone.

"I only just started. I have been going for the past couple weeks."

"A couple weeks? I thought only the first lesson was free. How have you been paying for the other classes?"

"The mare I talked to offered me a job at her stand. I didn't want to ask you for bits so... I..." The excited tone in her voice lowered as she noticed my worried expression. "Titanium? Is something wrong?"

"No no, it's just..."

She walked up to me, placed her hoof on mine and followed up with a kiss on my cheek, "You are still worried about me aren't you?"

I took a deep breath before answering, "I know you are able to take care of yourself, but I can't imagine what would happen if... The day ever came when you needed me and I wasn't there."

"Aww," she teased, "How sweet of you to think of me while at work."

"Circe, I'm serious," I said with a more firm tone, "The night we met, I was afraid I was going to lose you. That is something that is embedded in my memory. That was a painful thing to experience and I don't ever want to feel that again." 

Realizing that my words were genuine, Circe's ears drooped again and she embraced me, "Titanium, that night I will never forget either, but for a different reason. It was the night that I knew you would protect me even in the worst of situations. I felt safe knowing that I had you and that gave me the courage to go outside and explore." She let me go and looked in my eyes with a smile, "I will be fine. Besides, if anypony tries anything, I can always morph into a dragon."

"A dragon!?!" I asked in shock.

"Well, I'm still working on that. A bear at most," she said jokingly. "Enough with worrying about me. If you are late, the captain will be the one turning into a dragon." Circe changed to her blue pegasus form before opening the door. "Have a good day and please be safe," she said.

"I will. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight. What are you making?" I asked. 

"I want it to be a surprise. This is my first time cooking for you and I want to make it special," Circe said with redness in her cheeks. 

I gave a slight chuckle, "Okay then. I will see you later honey." I gave her a kiss and felt the warmth of her lips on mine. She smiled as she placed the helmet on my head. I returned the smile as I flew off to the castle.

I said to myself, "She's not that helpless changeling I met in the forest anymore."


***


"Okay then. I will see you later honey." 

He leaned in and his lips pressed against mine. Although we have been together for a while now, the magic of his kiss never went away. I gave him a smile as I put on his helmet. I waved him a goodbye as he flew away. Once he was out of sight, I shut the door behind me and giggled to myself, "He called me 'honey.'"


***


As Circe predicted, I encountered a dragon.

"Just because you are a sergeant and you are getting married, doesn't mean you can show up late for duty! Do I make myself clear!?!" Captain Bronze Plate shouted.

"Yes captain!" I replied. Unfortunately, I didn't make it in time. As soon as I entered the courtyard, I was ordered to report to the captain's quarters. There,  I had to sit through hours of lectures in just a few minutes. I kept reminding myself that he was just doing his duty.

"Since you want to act like a cadet, you are going to train like one. You need a little reeducation on discipline. Get into your barracks and make that place spotless! Afterwards, I expect those late reports to be turned into me before sundown!"

"With all due respect sir, I don't know if I can-."

"Well maybe you could have if you had arrived on time. Am I not correct?"

"Y-Yes captain," I replied as I bit my tongue.

"AM I NOT CORRECT!?!"

"Yes captain! You are correct!"

"Good! Now get moving!"

I responded with a quick salute, left the captain's quarters, and ran straight to the barracks.


***


In general, any part of the castle is clean. Especially the barracks since the guards are ordered to clean it almost everyday. The thing is, no matter how many times you clean it, no matter how deep you get in between the stone cracks, your superiors will always find something wrong. 

"Aww pony feathers!" I thought to myself, "How am I supposed to clean this barracks and be able to finish the reports before sundown? I have heard some ridiculous orders, but this one takes the cake." As I thought loudly to myself, I heard hoofsteps at the entrance. I turned to see a few of the guards under my command; One of them being a corporal named Stonewall.

"Sergeant Titanium!" the corporal shouted with a salute. The guards that accompanied him reacted in a similar fashion.

I returned their salute, "At ease."

"Sergeant, are we seeing things or is that a broom in your hooves?"

I gave an annoyed sigh, "Yes corporal."

"Oh sweet Celestia! It finally happened! He got demoted! Sergeant Titanium, I told you you were being too soft on us and the men. I am sure if we plead to the princess, she will-."

"I didn't get demoted corporal!" Stonewall backed off from my sudden outburst. I took a deep breath before continuing, "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm pretty stressed from the captain right now. I wasn't demoted, I was late reporting in and now I'm being punished. First, I have to clean this already clean barracks. Second, I have reports to catch up on."

"How long have you been cleaning sergeant?" 

"I would say about half an hour."

"Half an hour? But sir, to clean this barracks usually takes about an hour WITH the guards. By yourself could take hours. You wouldn't be able to finish those reports in time."

"No? Really?" was what I wanted to say, but I knew he was just concerned and I can't take my frustrations out on him. Plus, he was still young and he still had a long way to go before getting to my point. He was right about one thing, I am too soft on them. "That is true," I said, "but I must endure. Don't worry about me. I can handle the captain just fine. Your duties are else where. Go on before you get in trouble." I turned away and continued sweeping.

"Umm... right. Well, good luck to you sergeant."

I waved a hoof without looking back, "Thanks. I'll need it."

Not long after they left, I was sure I heard a bit of shouting from the courtyard. I assumed it was just the guards going through drills. I tried to not pay any mind as I didn't want to get distracted. But later, I heard hoofsteps and other unfamiliar sounds followed. 

If they were practicing marching drills, I should have heard the sound of metal hooves practically kicking the ground. Instead, each step was light and, for some odd reason, I was sure there were soft splashes of water. As I tried to fathom what the men were doing, I found that the noise drew closer to the barracks. 

I looked to the entrance and guards began entering the barracks. I was confused as to why they were in the barracks. Let alone the fact that each one carried some sort of cleaning material; one possessed a broom, the other a mop, another a feather duster, and so on. The last guard to enter was Corporal Stonewall. "Sergeant," the corporal addressed, "We have taken an oath to serve in the Royal Guard to protect the princesses and serve the public. However, we are also taught to respect and obey our superiors. You have trained and treated these guards with more respect than we deserve. We request permission to assist you in cleaning the barracks."

I would be lying if I said I didn't choke up at the sight. I have only been a sergeant for less than a year and these guys treated me like I was their general. Despite them saying I'm too soft, I wouldn't treat them any other way. While holding back tears, I controlled my breathing and replied, "Permission granted."

For the past hour, my fellow guards and I were making great progress cleaning out the barracks. Pegasus guards dusted the ceiling, earth pony guards swept and mopped the floors, and the unicorn guards made the beds. 

While we were still cleaning, Corporal Stonewall got a bit curious, "So sergeant? What did your marefriend say? Did she say yes?"

Immediately, the room got very hot and I began to sweat. If it was just Stonewall and I, I didn't mind discussing that with him. However, this was a barracks full of stallions that had little to no entertainment everyday. Hearing about a fellow guard proposing to their marefriend is like watching a five star live show to them.

"What's that? I didn't know he had a marefriend." said one of the guards.

"What do you mean, 'Did she say yes?'" asked another guard.

Quickly, the once quiet cleaning crew turned into a pack of interrogating journalists. At once, they dropped their cleaning equipment and began to swarm me with questions about Circe and I. Everyday, these guards are bored with patrols and reports. To listen to my story would be more entertaining than going to a Coloratura concert.

I raised my hoof, "Okay men quiet down! That is an order!" Although they were anxious for answers, they knew to obey when an order was given. Slowly they backed away, but still in a circle and only inches away from me. "If you all have to know," I started, "she said yes."

The men cheered with a loud roar that shook the barracks. I was actually afraid that the building was about to collapse on us. As much as I wanted them to shut up, I was unable to as they said their "congratulations" and gave me pats on the back. The whole time, as much as I appreciated them, the thought that ran through my mind the most was "I'm never going to get those reports done."


***


Finally, I was on my way home. By some miracle, the men and I got the barracks cleaned and provided me the time needed to catch up with the reports. I took a quick glance to the mountains and half the sun was already hidden behind it. "Good," I thought, "Not only will I be home on time, but I have a surprise dinner waiting for me. Maybe this meal will be my new favorite."

With the house in view, I dove and landed in front of the house. Before entering, I noticed that I could see clear through the windows and the lights were off. The first thing I found odd was the fact that the curtains were open. Although Circe is able to maintain her pony form, she liked the luxury of walking around the house as herself. Second, the lights were not on yet. Our house is built right beside the mountain side, so it would get dark quicker in our neighborhood. 

I tried not to be, but I was already worried. I looked through the window, but I couldn't see her anywhere. What brought me comfort was that there was no sign of forced entry; at least not yet. I ran to the door and began to pound on the door, "Circe? Are you home?" I called, but she didn't answer. If she had left, she would have left a note on the door or something. Again, I pounded on the door, "Circe? Are you okay?" Still there was no answer. From that point, I had to figure out what was going on. 

I turned around and got in position to buck the door down. With all my strength, I kicked the door as hard as I could. It was a failed attempt, but I did manage to crack the surface. Again and again I kicked in the door; making the door's cracks larger. 

As I kicked the door, at the corner of my eyes, there were a few ponies staring at me. There was one filly that was excited to see a guard "breaching" a house. I didn't care what they thought. My main focus was to see if Circe was alright.

Finally, I was able to break down the door. Hind legs splintered, I ignored the pain as I entered the house. "Circe? Circe?" I called and still no answer. 

I skipped the living room and ran straight to the kitchen. The kitchen floor was a mess as it was covered with vegetables and a kitchen knife. On the counter top, there were already some chopped veggies. Did that mean she was cooking while fending off attackers? Maybe robbers?

Without hesitation, I ran straight to our bedroom. While I ran through the hall, I took a brief glimpse at the bathroom and spare room; Circe was in neither room. Our bedroom door closed, I didn't bother checking and rammed down the door with full force. 

"Circe!" I cried out her name, but there was no need. She was in the room, but my heart dropped at the sight. She lied on our bed, in her changeling form and curled in a ball. I was barely able to see, but it looked as if a green light emanated from her chest. I rushed to her side, "Circe! Circe! What's wrong?" She only replied with a groan. Whatever was going on with her, it was causing her some pain.

"T-...Titanium..." Circe forced herself to speak.

"I'm here Circe. What's wrong? Who did this to you?"

"Titanium," Circe cried, "I'm scared..."
> The Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was in a panic. I wasn't sure what to do in this situation. My body went cold as I watched Circe curl up in pain from the glow.

"Titanium... It hurts..." Circe cried in pain. I didn't know what to do. All I could do was watch and comfort her the best I could. I sat by her side and held her hooves. She hugged my foreleg so tight she practically cut off my blood circulation. 

"I'm here," I assured her, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you Circe." I repeated over and over again to comfort her. I have never felt so useless in my life. I closed my eyes and contemplated on what I should do.

I feared the worst, but then something happened. Her moaning and breathing began to slow down. I opened my eyes, "Circe? Circe? What is it?"

"It... It's going away..." Circe said in a weak tone. I looked toward her chest as the glow began to fade away. I gave a sigh of relief, "Oh thank Celestia." My heart began to race again when she let go of my foreleg. I called out to her, "Circe? Hey, stay with me."

"I'm okay now... I just nee-," she lost consciousness before she could finish her sentence. I checked her for a pulse to be sure. Thankfully she was okay, but it was weak. I had to take her away and get help. "Compass Rose! She studied the changelings. Maybe she knows what is wrong with her." I thought to myself.

"Hello? Anyone here?" A voice was heard near the entrance of the house. It sounded like they had already entered. I couldn't let them see Circe. I immediately rushed out of the room.

As I sprinted down the hall, I ran into two fellow royal guards; one earth pony and one unicorn.

"Good evening sergeant," said of the the guards, "Are you already conducting an investigation? We have received reports of breaking and entering at this address."

Well, that's what I get for ramming down a door in a quiet city like Canterlot. "Uh no this is my house. I thought I saw a thief inside and I tried to catch him. He was smart to lock the door and hence the reason why I had to break it down."

"I see. Has he been apprehended?"

"No, unfortunately. He had enough time to escape out the window in my room."

"Why don't we search around? He probably left clues and we can make a note of anything that was stolen," the other guard suggested.

"Uh no. No thank you. That um... won't be necessary. I saw him run down the street towards the fashion district. Gather a party and question the civilians in the area. Maybe somepony spotted him."

"Yes sergeant," the guards saluted before leaving the house. 

As soon as they were gone, I ran back to the master bedroom. Circe still laid on the bed in cold sweat. How long was she in pain before I got there? Would she have... died?

Either way, I had to get her out of here, but her changeling form already made it too difficult. My mind was at war with the thoughts of Circe health and the thoughts of my next move. 

I can carry her with ease, but a guard carrying a changeling wouldn't go unnoticed. I can try to hide her in a wagon, but would I be able to rent a wagon at this time? Most shops are closed and the guards at the gate always check the cargo. What was I going to do?

"Sergeant, can you co-." My heart sank when I heard a familiar voice return. I turned around to see him and his partner in stunned silence.

"Sir, is that a changeling?"

I had to think fast, "Yes. It was disguised, but it gave its position away and I subdued it."

"Excellent work sir. We can take it in for questioning."

Over my dead body they were. As much as it upset me, I let them get close and took hold of Circe. One took hold of her front hooves and the other her hind legs. I was close to the unicorn guard that got her back legs.  While he was distracted, I took off my helmet and hit him as hard as I could. Luckily, I knocked him out cold on the first swing.

"Sergeant! What are you doing!?!" The earth guard shouted. I ignored him and threw my helmet at him. He had quick reflexes and knocked away the helmet. He dropped Circe in the process, but luckily she landed back on the bed. I ran around the bed and fought him as best I could. However, being an earth pony guard, he was better trained in hoof-to-hoof combat than I was. What the earth guard lacked in flight or magic, they made up for it with their elite training. I am embarrassed to admit that even without a rank he was kicking my flank. Whenever I struck, he would either block or counter it. I took out the unicorn first because I didn't have a chance against his magic, but now this guard made me question those actions. No, either way I was in trouble.

At some point during the fight, I began to run out of breath. My strikes became weaker and he became faster. Finally, he gave one good buck to my chest. Luckily my armor provided enough protection to prevent serious injuries, but it hurt like tartarus and got knocked the wind out of me. I landed on my back; squirmed on the floor as I gasped for air. I was unable to move as the guard closed in to apprehend me. 

"Sir, you are under arrest for attacking a fellow guard and under suspicion of-," he was cut short as he crashed to the floor near me. With what energy I had left, I seized the opportunity and wrapped my legs around his neck to perform a sleeper hold. I ignored the pain of his helmet digging into my forelegs. He struggled and fought back as best he could, but I refused to let go and tightened my grip even more. He violently rolled around and swung in every direction in hope of landing a hit. In less than a minute, I felt his strength get weaker and with little to no resistance. Once he stopped moving, I let him go.

He wouldn't be unconscious for long, so I got up as fast as I could. Standing up, I saw Circe on the floor with my helmet in hoof. I assumed she saved me by attacking the guard. "Circe," I knelt down to her, "We need to go."

"I'm trying... but... I feel... so weak..." she replied with heavy breaths. There was no way she could get out of the city in her condition. Although I tried to find the stealthiest way out, at this point I had no choice. The family next door had a wagon I could use to carry Circe. Before I left, I decided to tie up our guests.

After they were tied up and muzzled, I got out of my armor and put on the standard issue winter cloak. It was dark out and the cloak was a dark grey color, so I hoped that nopony would notice. I went to Circe, "I will be right back. I promise." She didn't reply. Before leaving, I couldn't help but kiss her on the head and cover her with the bedroom blanket.

Once I reached the broken down front door, I peeked my head out and observed the surrounding area. There were not many ponies walking around as before. I walked out nonchalantly to my next door neighbors. I knocked on the door, but nopony answered. I heard laughing, so I was sure somepony was home. I knocked again, but harder in hope of an answer. My hopes were answered, "Hello! How can I-," he paused and saw my bruised face, "Oh my goodness. Are you okay? Do you need help?"

This would seem weird and out of the ordinary, I felt I needed to play dumb in this case, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look well," he said in an uncomfortable tone of voice.

"Oh this? Well this is embarrassing, but I'm a pretty clumsy stallion. You see, my wife was helping me with our front door. We wanted to get it replaced. I had her unscrew the hinges while I held it up. The door was heavier than I thought and well..." I made a circle around my face with my hoof.

"Oh! Was that all the noise was earlier?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Anyways, I lost my balance, hit myself in the face, and now we made a mess. I was wondering if I can borrow your wagon to pick up the mess?"

"Oh sure! Not at all. Would you like some help?"

"No! Uh no, there is not a whole lot. We should have this back for you tomorrow afternoon," I lied.

"No problem. You should really see a doctor when you have enough time."

That's the plan. "Thanks. I owe you one," I said as I waved goodbye.

He returned the wave and shut the door.

I didn't like the idea of lying to such a nice pony, but you would do a lot of things for that special somepony. I went around the side of the house to grab the wagon. The wagon was old, two-wheeled, and a bit small, but I was sure Circe was able to fit. I put my body through the harness and pulled to the front of our house.

I went back inside, happy to see Circe was still there. "Circe," I called, "I'm back." I wasn't sure if she heard what I was saying, but it brought me comfort just to talk. 

I was still sore from the fight, so I couldn't get Circe on my back entirely. "Circe, can you stand? I need your help." Still no answer. With no other options, I crawled my way under her belly until she laid across my back. She was heavier than I thought, which made it even harder to get up. Every attempt to get back on my hooves was painful. After a few tries, I decided to catch my breath and think of an alternative option.

"Ti-...Titanium?" A soft whisper called my name.

"Circe?" I was relieved to finally hear her voice. "How are you doing?"

"I'm... So tired..."

"I don't know what is happening," I said, "But maybe your mom has an idea."

"My mom...?"

"Yeah. She will know what to do. She has to," Not only was I trying to convince her, but also myself. "Circe, I need you to help me a little to get back up." I felt her struggling to get back up. As the weight was taken off my back, I got back on my hooves. It was slightly harder to breath because of the pain in my chest, but I endured.

Once I got to the entrance, the moon was completely raised and the streets were illuminated by lamp posts.  Thankfully, the streets were empty for the moment. As I carried Circe to the cart,  I leaned to the side so she would slide off my back. Sadly, only the upper half of her body made it in the cart. "Come on Circe," I started to lift her up, "Just a little more." She was still very weak, but able to lift herself into the cart. 

Before anypony could see her, I quickly covered her with the blanket. As soon as I touched her, I was shocked at touch of her cold body. I hoped that the blanket was enough to keep her warm during the journey. That is, if I was able to get out of the city at all.


***


From where we lived, it took about an hour to get to the main gates. 

As I suspected, there was a caravan preparing to leave the city. From what I saw, there were only a couple of guards posted. One inspected the cargo, while the other talked to the pony about shipping details. I had to get out as quickly as possible. The only chance I had of escaping would be to try and blend in.

I put on my hood before I walked to the center of the line. The guard already inspected that group of wagons and I figured our wagon was too small to be noticed.

"Okay! They all check out!" The guard at the end of the line called.

"Thank you all for your patience! Stay safe and come back soon! Open the gates!" The guard in the front shouted. I became more relaxed as the doors began to open. One by one, the wagons began to leave the city. It was taking a little while longer, but it was about to be our turn to move. 

"We are almost out Circe," I whispered to her.

Finally, the wagon in front of me began to move forward. I took a deep sigh of relief as I followed him. A small grin grew under my hood as I was about to exit the city. Until...

"Hold it! Stop the caravan!" The guard at the post shouted. My body was frozen cold as I was afraid to look up. I heard him step away from his post as he drew closer and closer. Looking down, I was able to see his armored hooves. "Arrowhead, why isn't this wagon flagged? I thought you said all the wagons were inspected." We were so close... I completely forgotten that wagons get a flag to show approval.

With my head still down, I heard another set of hooves approach us from behind. The new set of hooves then walked around the entire wagon until he joined his partner next to us. "I'm sorry about that. I guess I missed one.."

"It's fine. Don't let it happen again."

"Yes sir."

"You keep watch here while I inspect this one. Excuse me sir," the guard then concentrated on me. "I'm sorry, but I need you to step out of the line to not cause a hold up. Everypony else move along!" The entire time, my heart was beating faster than me running on all four hooves. I tried to be calm about the situation as I never looked up. I followed his directions by moving to the side. I tugged on my hood to cover my face as much as possible.

I didn't wait long until he came up to me, "Thank you for your cooperation."

"Not at all."

"Now then, I'll need to inspect the entire wagon and it's contents."

"I'm sorry, but is that really necessary? I'm afraid the caravan is going to leave without me."

"Sir, I understand that you are on a tight schedule. However, I need to inspect every wagon before approving. If I let you go, I have to let everypony else go. As for your party, there are plenty of wagons still leaving the city. Don't worry, this won't take long."

"Ri-Right," I was glad that I wasn't wearing my armor. If I was, I'm sure we would have been heard the rattling armor plates. I was still attached to the wagon, so I couldn't see what he was looking at. I was hoping he wouldn't be too thorough.

"Sir what is this?" Well, so much for hope.

"What uh... What is what?"

"I'm going to have to check under the blanket."

"No wait-!" Before I could protest, I heard the fabric flailing in the air. I couldn't believe what was happening, a guard has discovered a changeling. "I failed her..." I thought to myself, with my eyes closed and waiting to hear what happened next. 

I waited for what seemed like an hour and nothing happened; no shouting, no alarms, and no attacks. I opened my eyes, tried to control my breathing, and licked my dry lips. I stood there while I listened to the blanket being gently placed back into the wagon. Slowly, from the corner of my eyes, the guard walked back in my line of sight. He looked behind me one more time before he leaned next to my ear, "Are you one of us?"
> Secrets Revealed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you one of us?" asked the guard.

"Excuse me?" I asked in confusion.

"Are you one of us?" As soon as he muttered the word "us," in a brief moment, his eyes gave a green glow. It was then that I realized that I wasn't talking to an ordinary guard, I was talking to a changeling.

"You're a-!?!" he shushed me before I could finish my question. I lowered my voice, "You're a changeling?" From this point, our entire conversation was in whispers.

"Yes. I am guessing by your reaction, you are an ordinary pegasus?" the changeling guard questioned.

"Yes. I'm a pegasus with the royal guard."

"A guard?"

"Yes."

He was obviously very confused about everything. He kept looking back and forth, between me and Circe. "Maybe you can clarify a couple things for me. I just told a guard of Canterlot that I am a changeling, and yet he isn't screaming 'Changeling spy!' Also, there is another changeling hiding in your cart, but you aren't turning her in. Why is that?"

"Well umm... The thing is..." Quite frankly, I saw no point in lying to him. So I told him the truth, "She is... my fiancée." Again, the changeling guard's face was in shock. His jaw slightly dropped and he tried to find the words that were meant to come out.

"Did you uh... know that she was-?"

"Yes I knew," I interrupted, "I knew since the day I met her and I don't care. I... I love her... I want to marry her and-."

"Uh, no offense, changelings do hunger for love, but I don't need to hear all that out loud."

Titanium slightly blushed in embarrassment. He cleared his throat, "Anyway, I am trying to get her out of here. She isn't well and... Wait! Maybe you can help?"

"Me? What can I do?"

"She's sick or something. I don't know. When I got home, she was curled up in pain. There was this glow coming from her chest."

"A glow from her chest?"

"Yes. It is gone now, but it caused her a lot of pain and now she is very weak. She can't even maintain her pony form anymore. Please, you have to help us."

The changeling guard gave deep sigh, "Look, I want to help I really do. But I don't even know what is wrong with her. Never in Changeling History have I heard of anything like that happening."

"Mother of Luna. There has to be something."

"Where were you planning to take her if you didn't know anything more than I did?"

"Her mother's... Well, her adopted mother's home. She has studied many creatures, including the changelings. I thought maybe she would know something."

"Well, in any case, I have to get back to work. I will flag your cart for approval and-."

"Wait," although I needed to go, I just had to know, "Why are you with the guard?"

"Don't worry. If it makes you feel any better I am not a spy."

"Then why? I thought all changelings were loyal to their queen."

"Not all of us... There are those that don't agree with the queen's methods. Most of us starve and we would sneak out of the hive to replenish our strength. After the attack on Canterlot, we realized just how weak we were and we needed to change our ways. As soon as we saw the opportunity, we left the hive and never returned."

"Others? There are more of you?"

"There were, yes. However, we didn't want to get caught by the other changelings. That is, if they even bothered to track us. As a precaution, we went our separate ways and lived our lives peacefully."

I was shocked at this discovery. This whole time, I thought Circe was the only changeling to have defected from her hive. Now I wasn't sure what to think. How many ponies in Canterlot are actually changelings? How many changelings are roaming all across Equestria? Also, for just how long has this been going on? How many of them are threats? How many of them are like Circe?

"Anyways, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anypony else about this. In return, I never saw you leaving the city."

"Wait, this is something that ponies should know. Maybe the ponies and changelings can coexist."

The changeling guard's look changed to one of disappointment, "Let me ask you something. If you believe that we can coexist, why are you still trying to hide her? Does she have anything to fear?"

He had a point there. If I was truly confident, why haven't I told anypony else of her existence? Truth be told, I was scared for her life. Although I have met good ponies, I also met ponies that would cause her harm. As much as I wanted to believe in the thought of peace between us, maybe not all of us are ready for such a change. He accepted my silence as an answer.

"I'm glad that there is a pony with an open mind. However, this only proves that not everypony will truly accept us." He then filled out the paper and presented me with the flag of approval. With it, I no longer had to be inspected by other guards. "I wish the best of luck to both of you." He then walked back toward the gates.

As he walked away, I called for him, "Wait, can I at least know your name?"

He turned around, "My name is... Troy."

I could not help but notice that he looked upset. Also, there was that long pause before saying his name. "No," I said, "I meant your real name."

The guard gave a soft smile before replying, "Maybe another day I'll tell you. You better get going."

I bowed my head to him, "Thank you. I will never forget this."

The guard returned the bow before we left our separate ways. As I walked away, I was relieved that we made it out of the city. However, I was still bothered by a couple things. One of them, being that I discovered that there are changelings living among us. I'm hoping that they are peaceful as he said. My biggest concern, was for Circe's health. I'm glad she is not in pain at the moment, but the silence is also unsettling. I had to move and fast.


***Back at Titanium and Circe's Home***


"So he came here and asked you to borrow the wagon to transport the broken door?" asked a guard.

"Yes sir. I was concerned that he might have needed help because of how late it was getting. When I went to offer him help, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, I found some parts of the house to be a mess and two guards tied up," said the pony neighbor that lived next door to Titanium and Circe.

"Thank you for your cooperation. You may return to your home. If you see anything suspicious or have anymore information regarding the case, please let a guard know as soon as possible."

"Thank you. Umm..."

"Is something wrong sir?"

"Well, it's just that, the guards that were tied..."

"If you are concerned for them, I can assure you they are all right."

"Well I am glad they are okay, but that isn't what I was concerned about. One is a earth guard and the other a unicorn. For a pegasus guard to be able to handle them both is a bit frightening. Is he really that dangerous?"

"We are questioning the two guards for answers as we speak. I'm sure there is no cause for alarm."

"Well... The thing is... When I untied them, one of the asked me, 'Where is it?'"

"It?" the guard questioned.

"By 'it,' he was talking about... A changeling. Is there one in the city?"

The guard kept his composure as he heard this new information. "As I said, we are questioning those two right now. We can't confirm or deny the presence of a changeling. In the meantime, I would request that you would refrain yourself from spreading rumors around. We do not want to cause a panic in the city. Is that understood?"

"Um, yes. Crystal clear sir," the pony civilian replied.

"Thank you sir. Have a goodnight."
> Hanging On
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even after leaving Canterlot, I had too much on my mind. My worries for Circe kept me distracted. The entire time, I wanted to pull to the side and check on her. But I felt we couldn't afford the time. It hurt to hear her groans, but at the same time it provided me comfort to know she was still breathing.

Another thing to get me worried was the caravan I traveled with. Everypony kept their eyes on me. More than likely, they thought I was a thief who planned to steal their cargo as they slept. I mean I couldn't blame them. A random pony joins a large caravan with a small wagon full of cloth? I would have been suspicious as well. 

Luckily, I didn't plan to stick with them for much longer. The distance from Canterlot to the train station was not far. As soon as I got there, we would separate; I take the civilian train while they took the freight train.

As we made our way over the last hill, I was able to see the train station. The journey was almost over and I would finally have been able to rest. At least that was what I hoped for.

After I went my separate way, the glares from the other ponies went away with them. Their suspicious expressions changed to both of relief and of confusion. At that point I didn't care.

Unfortunately, to buy my tickets, I had to leave Circe alone in the cart outside. I tied the wagon to a wooden post and made sure that she was completely covered. I checked my surroundings before leaning in the wagon and placing a hoof under the covers. As I gently stroked her face, I felt she was still a little cold, and yet she was covered in sweat. I whispered loudly, in hope that she could hear me, "I am going to buy the tickets. I will be right back Circe." With that said, I didn't even bother to watch where I was going. As I ran up the stairs to the train station lobby, I nearly tripped a couple times.

Since it was the evening, the lobby wasn't too busy. I tried to look for the shortest line, but most of the ticket booths were closed already. My only option was to take the shortest line of the two available windows. 

The shortest line of the two had about six or seven ponies in front of me. I tried to remain calm, but every second that went by felt like a minute. 

I literally heard the ticking of a clock the entire time I waited in that line. In the center of the lobby, there was a 4 sided clock for everypony to see. The sound might have been practically silent, but that clock taunted me specifically.

At the entrance, the doors were open for me to look outside. Although it was dark, I was sure to have the wagon in view of the lobby. Seeing that nopony went near the wagon was the only thing that provided me comfort. 

As time went by, I got closer to the ticket booth. However, it wasn't as simple as I hoped it would be. I swear the universe had something against Circe and I. I overheard a sky colored female unicorn in front of the line arguing with the yellow female earth pony in the booth. The unicorn was dressed in a very expensive coat; made from white virgin wool.

"What do you mean you have no more trains leaving to Manehattan?"

"It is as I said ma'am. I'm sorry, but there are no more trains that leave for Manehattan tonight. You can rest here and I can reserve a seat for the first train to Manehattan in the morning," said the employee. 

"No no no, you don't understand. I will be late for a very important appointment meeting and I have to be there by tonight."

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Can you kindly move to the side so I can help the next pony in line? I will have somepony else assist you shortly."

"No! I refuse! Do you know who I am? I can get you fired and see to it that you won't be able to work ever again. Now I demand the service I deserve and I demand a train to get me there tonight!"

That unicorn, she was like many of the ponies back in Canterlot. They felt rich, powerful, and the feeling they had the right to talk down to everypony less fortunate. Normally, as a guard, I had to be calm and remain neutral. In this case, I was off duty and I grew frustrated with her. I felt for the employee, the ponies in line, and the changeling that was waiting for me. I had no time to waste and I had just about had it.

At the corner of my eye, I spotted the janitor. With him, he had a cart that held many of his cleaning supplies and tools. What caught my eye was the bucket of water that was attached on the edge of the cart. I am pretty sure you all know where I am going with this. 

I walked over nonchalantly to the cart. I made sure that the janitor paid no attention to me as I grabbed the bucket. Quickly but carefully, I grabbed the bucket with my mouth. I then proceeded to the line I previously waited in. Instead of getting back in line, I went around the stanchion and proceeded to the front. Ponies gave me funny stares, but I didn't care. As expected, the unicorn was still arguing, threatening the earth pony. Without hesitation, I dumped the contents of the bucket on the unicorn. Immediately, everything went silent; the unicorn, the employee, and even the ticking from the clock.

I remained standing there; Still with the empty bucket hanging in my mouth. The unicorn slowly turned in my direction with her pupils constricted. She stared at me as if she waited for an explanation. I placed the bucket on the floor and said, "You looked like you needed to cool off." It was probably best I didn't say anything at all. 

She then released an ear-piercing scream. She ran out of the line and began to yell, "My coat! What have you done!?! Are you mad!?!" She kept shouting until her voice was muffled inside the mare's restroom.

A normal pony should feel guilty, but I am not ashamed to admit that I felt proud in that moment. When I looked to the ponies in line, majority of them cheered and clapped with their hooves. With my head held high, I went back in line. The ponies I stood in front of before were more than happy to let me have my previous spot in line. The only ponies that were probably sour towards me, was that classy unicorn and the janitor.

From then on, the line moved much quicker and it was soon about to be my turn. Things were starting to look up, but sometimes that is also the point when things go down again.

It was finally my turn and I was greeted with a smile from the employee. "Hello sir, thanks for the help earlier."

"Oh not a problem. She had it coming."

She gave a chuckle, "Indeed. Now where would you like to go this evening?"

"Well you see, I have a friend that lives in the forest near Ghastly Gorge. What would be the closest train station to there?"

"Oh, Umm... I see," her expression changed and it made me feel uneasy.

"Is there a problem?"

"I'm sorry sir. The closest train station would be Ponyville, but there are no more train stations heading out there tonight. I can book you for the first train in the morning if you'd like."

"What? No, it would be too late by then. Are you sure there isn't anything else?"

"I'm sorry sir, but there is nothing I can do."

From behind, I began to hear the other ponies complaining. I'm sure they were already fed up with the high class unicorn from before, but I just couldn't give up. I leaned in closer to the pony behind the counter, "Listen, my fiancee is very sick and that friend of mine is probably the only one that could help her. I don't know if she can wait till morning and I don't want to risk it. Please... I'm begging you." I held back my tears with every word I spoke. 

She stared at me at a loss for words. Judging her expression, I doubt she was ever put in this type of situation. She looked at me with sympathy and in a way I felt guilty for putting her on the spot. 

"I'm sorry. Forget I said anything. I will find a way." 

As I was about to walk away, she stopped me, "Sir wait." 

I turned to her; curious at what she was going to say. I stood there as I watched her rummage through the drawers until she pulled out some sort of blank paper. "Do you have a wagon by chance?"

"Uh, yes I have one outside." She then grabbed a pen with her mouth and wrote something on the paper. After she put the pen down, she slid the piece of paper toward me, "We have a freight train leaving for Ponyville tonight. Go around back and give this form to the security guard at the gate. If you hurry, you might be able to get out of here on time."

Without hesitation, I quickly grabbed the form and smiled happily, "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Without thinking, I jumped halfway over the counter and hugged the earth pony. I then quickly ran out of the station and back to Circe.

With no time to waste, I untied the rope from the post, put on the wagon harness, and ran to the rail yard.

As the yellow pony said, the rail yard was located just behind the train station. At the entrance, I was stopped by pop up bollards. To my left, was the small guard shack. It didn't take long for security to come out and greet me, "Good evening sir." The security guard was a gray earth pony and wore a plain black shirt as his uniform. I can see why they hired him. This pony was huge! Although I was trained to fight, I wouldn't want to tango with him. He then said, "Let me see your papers."

I immediately showed the form that was given to me earlier. He read it over and then proceeded to the wagon. I was nervous as he slowly walked around and inspected the wagon. Luckily, he only took a quick glance at the contents inside. Yet, for some reason, he was very thorough looking over the wagon's exterior. As he made his way back to me, I was more comfortable at that point. That is, until Circe gave a slight moan. The security guard gave me a dirty look and my worries came back in an instant. 

"Listen buddy, I know you're in a rush, but ya have to wait patiently like every other pony that comes through here. I don't care who ya are or what business ya have waitin for ya. So ya better watch that attitude if ya expect to make your train on time. Do I make myself clear?"

Wow. And he told me to watch my attitude. Although I was annoyed, I bit my tongue and nodded.

He then looked over the papers one more time before asking, "Is this your first time here?"

"Yes."

He went back to the guard shack and had a scroll in his mouth. Once he dropped the scroll, he laid it out to show me some sort of map. "This here is a map of the rail yard. Pay attention closely. You are here and ya need to get here. Once ya enter the gates, you make a left. Go past these three warehouses and then make a right. From there, you will need to find the freight conductor in charge of the freight for Ponyville."

"And that would be?" I asked.

"How should I know? Just ask around when ya get inside."

"Fine. Thanks anyway."

"Uh huh. Sure thing," he replied as he returned my document and went back to the guard shack. Once he was inside, I assumed he was the one that made the bollards sink into the ground. With a clear path, I proceeded inside the walls of the rail yard. 

I followed the directions that were given to me as I ran through the yard. I had to be careful as there were many employees working and there were a couple freight trains still moving. I could only hope that the train I needed to be on was still there. 

When I made the last turn, I saw what I assumed was the correct freight train. I also saw the final ponies boarding the train. With what energy I had left, I ran to the train and shouted for them to wait. I shouted too hard as it made me cough. It only made it more difficult to run. Luckily, a pony had heard me and waved me over. He was an older pegasus who wore an orange, yellow-striped uniform; similar to other ponies around the yard.

I finally made it to, what I hoped, was the final step of the journey. I tried to speak, but failed. Instead, I was breathing hard and still coughed to clear my dry throat. 

"Easy there son," said the pony, "You made it just in time. You going to Ponyville?"

Still unable to answer, I gave a nod.

"May I see your form?"

I didn't reply. I just quickly showed him the requested form.

It only took him a quick glance to see that everything looked to be in order. "Alrighty then, Come on aboard."

"Oh thank you," I said with relief. 

As I took a few steps forward, he stopped me, "Woah there sonny. You can't be taking that wagon on the train. That there needs to go on one of the freight wagons."

"What? Why?" I asked.

He then gave me a look, wondering if he should have taken the question seriously. I too, knew the answer was obvious. However, under the circumstance, my worries kept talking for me. Regardless, he answered the question, "That wagon can't fit on the civilian cart. Just leave it right here and I will have the boys take it."

"Sir, you don't understand. The cargo is very precious to me."

"I'm sure your cargo is precious to you, but so is the rest of the cargo that's loaded up. If I let you bring that on, I would have to let everypony else grab their things. Then there would be no use for the freight wagons then will there?" The last question must have been a joke since he started to laugh. I found no amusement, but I cracked a smile as not to seem rude.

"Can I possibly just stay in the freight wagon with my things?"

"No can do. Unless you are a staff member, nopony is allowed to be near the cargo."

"But what if somepony tries to steal my stuff?"

"Oh you don't have to worry about that. I assure you that your cargo is in good hooves. We have security in each freight wagon so that you don't have to worry. Trust me. Your cargo will be safe. If you would be so kind to board, we are running late as it is."

I didn't like the idea of leaving Circe alone again, but I didn't see anyway around this one. This pony, who I assumed to be the freight conductor at this point, was not going to let up. And I couldn't agree with him more, I was wasting precious time and needed to get to Ponyville right away. "Well... Okay. Please take good care of this."

"Of course. I treat everypony's belongings as if it were my own. Now can I get your name?"

"My name?"

"Yeah. That way we label the wagon."

"Oh, I see. It's Titanium."

After I replied, he took out a pen and wrote it on the form I gave him earlier. He walked to the wagon and nailed the form to the side. "There you go. You're all set. Now why don't you head inside and get some rest."

"How long does it take to get to Ponyville?"

"Well since we are going downhill, it should take about 12 to 13 hours."

I took off the wagon harness and slowly boarded the train. Repeatedly, I looked back to the wagon. The freight conductor smiled, but I was sure he was annoyed with me. I only wish I could have talked to Circe before I boarded.
> All Aboard For Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I boarded the passenger car, I was still cautious about my surroundings. With everything that has happened so far, I couldn't afford to let my guard down. 

The inside was different than any passenger car I have ever been in. There were individual chairs at assigned tables. Plus, in the back, there was a little bar. Well dressed waiters and waitresses attended to the passengers. As I looked at the passengers, I became self-conscious with how I looked. Everypony, but me, was dressed sophisticated; with jewelry and cleaner clothing. 

The other ponies were appalled at how I looked. I wanted to shout, "What are you all looking at?" But for obvious reasons, I didn't want to risk getting thrown off the train. Annoyed, I was biting my lower lip as I tried finding  a seat.

There were a few available seats, but it was the ponies at the table I wasn't comfortable with. I felt it was pointless to continue. Giving up, I walked back to the entrance/exit to sit outside for the rest of the journey.

"Excuse me! You with the hood on!"

I heard a male voice calling out. Seeing that I was the only pony wearing a hood, I had assumed that whoever called out was talking about me. I turned around and searched for the source of the call. To the back of the car, where the bar was, a hoof was waving in the air. There was an older, white earth pony, well groomed grey mane sitting at the bar. When I spotted him, he nodded his head and motioned me to come over. I was confused and suspicious of this, but I slowly walked toward him. 

"That's it. Come on over here. I won't bite."

The thought had occurred to me that he might have been drunk, but he seemed harmless. The first thing I looked at was his eyes. Normally, if somepony was drunk, I think I would have spotted darker red veins. However, his eyes were milk white. Next to him, there was half a glass of what I assumed was red wine.

He then patted on the chair next to him, "Take a seat. Let me buy you a drink."

I raised an eyebrow at his offer. On the outside, he seemed like any of these other ponies. However, he might have something in mind. Not all of these high class ponies made their wealth honestly. Then again, his offer was better than anything else at this point. Cautious, I took the seat. 

"Now, what kind of drink you want? You can order whatever you'd like." he asked.

"Uh... I'll take uh... Moscato," I replied. 

"Moscato? You're a sweet tooth huh? Well I won't judge." He turned his attention to the bartender, "Excuse me, get me one glass of your best Moscato for this young gentlecolt here." The bartender looked at me and then gave a nod to the old unicorn. "Now allow me to introduce myself. I am Silver Ingot. I am pretty sure you can guess how I made my wealth. What's your name?"

I wasn't really sure if I wanted to answer him. Although it was rude of me, I lowered my head in hope he thought I was too shy to answer.

"Aww horse feathers. I suppose you are one of the quiet types huh? I can respect that, but I was hoping you would be somepony to talk to with exciting stories to tell. Guess I was wrong. Oh but don't you worry none. You will still get your drink, but where does that leave me for the rest of this trip?"

The way he put that made me feel slightly guilty. He was definitely not like these other ponies. For starters, he was actually attempting to talk to me. Second, he is very outgoing and talks casually. It was as if the "Rules of Etiquette" didn't apply to him. Did he not care of his image in front of these other ponies?

As I tried figuring him out, the bartender placed the drink next to me. Silver then placed the bits on the counter top. As I was about to take the drink, a magical aura took hold of the glass and was levitated away from me. It turned out it was Silver and he did not hesitate to take the first sip of what I thought was mine. He then placed the glass of wine next to me and said, "Look, if you are not going to tell me your name, then the least you can do is let me have a taste of the wine I paid for. By the way, I take back what I said. That Moscato was a good choice. I hope you enjoy it."

Although many would say that this was considered bad behavior, I found myself relieved by this pony's actions. For the first time throughout this journey, I kind of felt comfortable. "My name is Titanium."

He gasped, "You can talk? Geez that scared me. You shouldn't do that when somepony is drinking. Titanium huh? I like it. A really strong name. It's a good name to have. It certainly makes up for the weak drinks you would be ordering." Having said that, he then took a large gulp of his own wine. "So Titanium, what is your story? I saw you traveling with us from Canterlot. When we got to the station, you separated from us. And yet, here you are again. Why is that?"

I looked around the car again and looked at the ponies. I don't know how I didn't recognize them, but these were the exact same ponies that I traveled with from Canterlot. Fortunately, I already had a story in mind to tell him, "Well you see, I had small wagon and I couldn't afford guards. So I felt safer traveling with a larger caravan."

"Ah I see. You're a real sneak aren't you? Well, I can't argue with the profit you would be making. That still doesn't explain why you split up from us."

Okay, the story I told him was in case I was asked during the trip to the station. Beyond that, I had no story in mind. "Well... It was to uh..."

"Okay okay. Say no more, there is no shame in being cheap. You tried to avoid paying for the freight shipment right? Taking the civilian transport would have saved you more bits. So what went wrong?"

Normally I would be annoyed at ponies who finished my sentences. In this case, I was grateful, "Well uh, there were no more civilian transports to Ponyville. So I was forced to get on the freight train."

"Ah. Tough luck there. That must have put a serious dent in your profits. Well, you can't let that get you down. You need to spend money to make money. Am I right?" He then lifted his glass and motioned to me for a toast, "To making money."

I then lifted my glass, "To making money." Our glasses clinked and we had our drink. 

He was the first to put his glass back down, "So tell me, what business are you in?"

I nearly choked on my drink from the question. I coughed to clear my throat before speaking, "Well you see, I just started my own business. I'm trying in the manufacturing industry; specifically silk weaving. I'm starting off small and hope to grow from here."

"That is certainly a good mind set. Work with what you have. From here, all you can do is go up. I like the way you think. Now, let me give you some business advice."

After he said that, the train had finally started to move. I then realized that this was going to be a long ride. I called the bartender, "Excuse me. Another please."

"Hey," my attention back to Silver, "I am only paying for that one drink."


***


I wasn't sure how much time had passed. Although, I kind of knew I was having more fun than I should have after the fifth glass. Or at least I thought it was the fifth glass.

"The nerve of that guy," said Silver.

"I know right? Despite all the work I do, I still get little to no respect."

"Well you know what, if what you say is true, then you are a hard working colt. I could use a young lad like yourself working for me. Why don't you quit and work for me?" he asked.

"You mean that?"

"Sure! You seem like an interesting sort. I knew you were different from the rest of these bigots the moment you stepped in."

I raised an eyebrow, "You did? What made you think that?"

He chuckled, "Well for one thing, none of these ponies would be caught dead in what you are wearing. Second, it was also the way you walked."

"The way I walked?"

"When you work in this business as long as I have, you begin to notice that little things can say a lot about somepony. Many ponies I have worked with walk with their heads held high. The higher their head, the more ponies they look down upon. They walk with what they consider 'elegance,' but I call that 'arrogance.' You walked with your head low and it has been a while since I saw a pony like that. It might be from the way you were raised or because you didn't start rich... But you are a breath of fresh air."

I really didn't know what to say to him. Before I could say anything, one of the staff members came up to me. "Excuse me sir, are you by chance Titanium? You own that little wagon with the cloth?"

"Umm, yes. Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I'm sorry sir, but we are so busy that we didn't have a chance to tell you."

"Tell me what?" I asked confused.

"We meant to deliver a message to you before we left. The freight car was full and we couldn't move your wagon on board. We had it moved to the refrigerated cart instead."

He was still talking, but everything went silent the moment he said that. I was still in a daze from the wine, but I heard exactly what he said. Without thinking, I lunged at the pony; causing him to fall on his back and I stood above him. "What do you mean it is in the refrigerated car?" I asked with a deep and angry tone a voice. 

The pony tried to cover his face with his forelegs. He struggled to speak, "W-we  thought you wouldn't mind. Since th-the wagon had c-cloth. We ap-p-ologize for-."

I was so furious that I had no interest in his apologies. I had to admit, I was so angry that I wanted to bash his muzzle in. "How could you just assume huh? Maybe there was something UNDER the cloth, something that can't be in the cold, something VERY important to me. Did you ever think of that!?!"

Suddenly, a magical aura surrounded me and I was levitated off the ground. I was unable to move as the staff member got back on his hooves and ran. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a unicorn guard.  "I would say you had enough for tonight. Why don't we get some fresh air?" I couldn't scream or speak as he walked me out of the cart. "Sorry everypony," he shouted, "I will handle this matter personally. Please enjoy yourselves and return to what you were doing." As I was being escorted out of the cart, I couldn't help but notice the look of disapproval from Silver.
> The Heart is Ticking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although I was curious what it was like behind bars, I never thought it would actually happen to me. 

Train robbery was very rare in Equestria, so I wasn't too surprised that there was only one jail cell on the train. The cell itself was about 60 in. by 30 in. and it was located inside one of the baggage cars. I guess they wanted to save as much room as possible, but I still thought it was stupid to have a jail cell in a car full of other's belongings. The cold hardwood floor and the vibration of the moving train made it very uncomfortable for me. Heck, even if I wanted to, I couldn't sleep with Circe on my mind. Despite the cold, the thought of Circe made my blood boil.

"Hey!" I shouted, "Let me out of here! I am not supposed to be in here!"

"Oh really? Well then I guess I ought to let you out of there then huh?" The guard questioned sarcastically. 

Luckily, the guard was an earth pony. The unicorn guard from before went back on patrol as soon as he was relieved. If the unicorn was here with me, his magic would have just shut me up.

"Please. I have precious cargo and they stuffed it in the refrigerated cart. It can't stay in there; I have to get it out," I pleaded.

"Sorry sir, but you assaulted a staff member and you will remain here until we reach the next station."

"But it will be too late by then!"

I can tell I was annoying the guard, but this was my own way of fighting back. At this point, my goal was to annoy him until he gave in. He took a deep breath, "I don't get paid enough for this job."

"Right you are!" A new and yet familiar voice entered the room. "I really do apologize for my nephew's behavior. Why don't you take a little brake and I will watch him in the meantime?"

"I appreciate the offer sir," said the guard, "But I shouldn't leave my post."

"But you are looking rather tired. There are still waiters walking about the passenger cart. Why don't you get yourself some coffee?" Silver then tossed a bag of bits to the guard. Although the bag was small, I was able to hear there was more than enough bits for a simple cup of coffee.

"You know, I am feeling kind of tired. I think I will take you up on that kind offer. Thank you sir."

"No no no. Thank you. You earned it," said Silver.

The guard picked up the bag of bits with his mouth, but that didn't stop him from giving me a satisfied smirk before leaving. 

After he left, Silver casually sat beside me with his back against the bars.

"Your nephew huh?" I asked.

"Well I certainly wouldn't make you my son. Now then, my mischievous little nephew, you care to share with me what it was you were so upset about?"

I kept silent as I contemplated on what to say to him. 

"Oh no, you are not going to give me the silent treatment this time. Sharing a drink with you was one thing, but offering that guard a cup of coffee was another thing. Look, I'll even sweeten the deal." He didn't have to say anything as he presented a ring of keys hanging on the tip of his hoof."

"Are those-?"

"Yes they are," Silver interrupted me. "I am going to be honest with you, I didn't start off my living with honest work. I might be old, but I still got the magic touch."

"Silver, I can't explain right now, but I need to get to my things in the refrigerated car."

"Now you see, that is what has been puzzling me since you got thrown in there. When we spoke, you told me that inside that cart was silk. Even in a refrigerated car, the worse that could happen would be the fabric getting wet. Simple fix, you hang them out to dry. I mean, we would make it to Ponyville before noon. So I believe there is something far more important than cloth in that car. Now being the curious stallion that I am, I could give you the key if you care to share what you are hiding."

In that situation, what was I supposed to do? What was the right thing to do? I had to get to Circe right away, but would I be saving her if I told him what was in the car?

"I don't think that guard will be much longer with his coffee," Silver reminded me.

I knew he was trying to get the answer out of me, but he was right. I was running out of time and I needed to make a decision. "Silver, my wife is in the car," the room went completely silent as the words left my mouth; I couldn't even hear the sound of the train moving along the rails.

"You said your wife?" Silver questioned.

"Well, my fiancé to be exact."

"Why is your fiancé in the car?"

"She is very sick and too weak to move. I had carried her around in the cart all night."

"That still doesn't explain why she wasn't with you on the passenger car with us."

"No, it doesn't," I agreed, "I can't tell you everything. All I can say, is that she is a very special kind of pony. If she were to be caught, I am afraid of what might happen to her."

"You mean she is a criminal?"

"No!" Silver slightly startled from my sudden outburst. I took a deep breath before continuing, "No she is not. If anything, she is the kindest and most beautiful creature that I ever came across. But there are ponies out there that would see her as a criminal and I have to keep her safe."

Silver pondered as he jingled the keys. Then out of nowhere, he chuckled and turned around to face me. "I knew it," he said.

"Knew what?"

"I knew you were going to be an interesting sort as soon as I saw you board the train. I know what it is like to be in love and on the run. Although, as you might have guessed, things didn't work out the way I had hoped. Maybe tonight, is a way I can make amends for her," he smiled. 

"Make amends?"

He nodded, "You know how I said I didn't make my first earnings honestly? Well, this one mare caught my eye as she wore this old necklace. That necklace of hers possessed a rare gem called alexandrite. I knew that if I got my hands on it, it would square away a debt that I had. However, it came at a higher price than I thought. She and I became very close; a lot closer than I meant to. Trying to get out of it quick, I stole the necklace and tried to get the bits I needed. On my way to a pawn shop, my conscience kept nagging me every step of the way. Finally, I realized what was more important and decided to give her back her necklace."

Although it sounded like the story ended happily, the look on his face said otherwise. "There is more isn't there?" I asked.

"Yes there is," he answered in a depressed tone of voice. "On my way back, those ponies I was in debt to caught up to me. They saw the necklace and thought that was my payment to them. I tried to explain that it wasn't mine, but they wouldn't have any of that. I tried to fight them off and hold on to that necklace, but they overpowered me and took it from me. Later, I was arrested by the guards for the wrong I tried to correct. At the trial, I saw her and there was so much pain in her eyes. Not the pain of her necklace stolen, but the pain of betrayal. I was of course found guilty and sent to the dungeons. I wasn't there for long since I got let off on good behavior, but it was enough for me to make a life changing decision."

"What about the mare? You never tried to talk to her again?"

He shook his head, "I couldn't. I couldn't bare to look her in the eyes. Although I never said it to her face, I apologized in my own way."

"How?"

"After years of making an honest business in trades, I  made more bits than I could have ever imagined. One day, I noticed there was an auction. In the auction, I couldn't believe my eyes to see that the necklace was one of the items up for bid. It seems, that fate had decided the time was right. I entered the auction and I probably paid almost three times the actual worth. To me, it was still worth a whole lot more."

"Then you took it and gave it back to her?"

"Oh I gave it back to her, but not to her face. I wrote a letter and had the necklace delivered to her. Titanium, I deeply cared for her, but I could never forgive myself for what I done."

I was saddened, but also confused by his story. "I don't understand. If returning her necklace to her didn't make amends, then why would helping me be any different?"

Silver then looked in my eyes with a blank stare, "You are right. It wouldn't be any different, but it would surely help me feel better about myself." Before I could say anything, he diverted his attention to the other end of the car. "Uh oh. It looks like we ran out of time."

Although I couldn't see what he was looking at, I was sure he was referring to the guard coming back from his coffee break. He then slid the keys through the bars. "The refrigerated car isn't far. It is just behind the freight car with the rest of the merchandise. One day, I hope to meet you and your beautiful wife one day." He then got up and head toward the door.

I heard the door slide open, "Thank you for the bre-."

"Hey there buddy ol' pal!" Silver shouted.

"Buddy?" the guard asked confused.

"Yeah, you know, I think I had a little too much myself. Can you show me to my room?"

"Umm, of course. You can lean on my shoulder to-"

"Don't mind if I do," Silver did just that. I heard the guard struggle as he tried to keep Silver up. They then once again left the cart. When I knew for sure they were gone, I quickly grabbed the keys and was already flustered with pressure. There were no more than ten, but I knew time was of the essence.

It was one of those moments when I wished I was a unicorn. I had to be extra careful to not drop the keys. Although I knew how to handle keys with my feathers, I never done it on the other side of a cell before. I didn't bother to look at the keys. Instead, I tried each key one by one. With every failed attempt, handling the keys became more of a struggle.

Finally, I heard the magic sound of the cell unlocking. Slowly I opened the cell door and checked both sides to be sure it was clear.  As I exited the cell, I closed the door and cautiously left the car. 


***


Outside the car, my robe flapped in the wind and the air was very cold. However, I doubt I could have compared that with the cold Circe was dealing with. Although Silver told me where to locate her, I still was not sure which direction to go. I knew in one direction, was back to the other passengers. I didn't know what was in the opposite direction, but I felt that was probably the best route at that point. 

I secured the keys in my mouth and then cautiously walked to the next car. From what I could tell from the outside, it might have been another passenger car. I peaked through the door's window and saw a couple of ponies in uniforms. While observing, I recognized one of them to be the pony I scared off earlier. I assumed this was a car for the staff. 

At this point of the trip, the train was going down the side of the mountain. To my left, there was the mountain wall. To my right, it was clear and I was able to see the flat land of Equestria below. I walked to the right and looked over the car's platform rails. 

Luckily, the train curved in a position where I can see the other cars. I saw that behind the staff car, there were two other freight cars and the caboose at the end. Although it was dark, I was able to see one of the freight cars to be made of metal as the moon shined off its surface. The metal car was behind the other freight car; I had to assume that was the refrigerated car. 

My only dilemma was how to get there. There was no way to avoid the staff and waiting for them to leave was not an option. It was risky, but I saw there was only one way to Circe; I had to fly to her.

On a regular day, I would like to think I would have been able to do this no problem. However, I was very tired and I was still at risk of being seen. Of course, I was out of options and I already wasted enough precious time.

I checked one last time over the rails to be sure nopony was looking and see if the drop was clear. I took off my robe as I feared it would have got in the way of my wings. After I took a deep breath, I threw myself over the rails.

At first, I let gravity do the work to pick up speed. Not much later, I opened my wings and swung my way back up toward the caboose. I thought by doing this, if anypony did see me, I would have made it more difficult for them to pinpoint me. However, on my flight back up, I found I made the task more difficult for me instead. 

I didn't realize that the train was about to enter a tunnel.  With whatever strength I had left, I flapped my wings as hard as I could. I drew closer to my target, but my wings became heavier as I climbed. I checked again and saw that the train had entered the tunnel. My time was running out and I was only a few yards away. I gritted my teeth on the key ring as I made that final push to get on the car. When it seemed like I was about to hit the exterior of the tunnel, I closed my eyes for the impact.

I did ram into something, but the pain wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Also, the surface of a mountain side was different than I expected. I opened my eyes, but there was nothing but darkness. I listened to my surroundings and heard the sound of a train's whistle. I laid down, with the keys still in my mouth, I took deep breaths at the sudden realization that I made it. "Almost there hun. I'm almost there," I thought to myself. 

Although I was unable to see, I did my best to continue on. As I tried to get back on all fours, I felt a sharp pain in my left hind leg. I didn't notice it before, but I might have injured myself when I crashed. I was pumped with so much adrenaline earlier I doubt I would have felt anything at the time. Dealing with the pain, I knocked myself up against the cold metal wall. When I became more stable, I tapped along the wall, hoping to find a glass window or maybe come across the knob. 

After the next couple hops, my chest rammed into something. With my available hoof, I felt the obstruction and realized I found the doorknob. I felt around and found what I believed to be the keyhole. With my right wing, I took the keys and got to work. Again, I dealt with butter feathers as I struggled to find the correct key. I thought behind cell bars was a challenge, but the pressure was worse when you were in the dark and used only one of my wings. With every key, it took me a couple minutes as I struggled to find that keyhole.  I got worried as I was running out of keys to try. It was until I got to the final key that my heart stopped. "Did I screw up? Did I miss the right key? Did the guard even have the correct keys to begin with?" Worry and doubt poured in my mind. Pointless, but it made me feel better to close my eyes, as I hoped this final attempt was a successful one.
> Cold Journey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I held my breath as I turned the key and hoped this would work. I heard the relieving sound of a click. I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached for the doorknob. Being the idiot I am, I failed to check which way the door would open. Once I turned the door knob, I found out the painful way that the door swung in. I lost balance and fell nearly face first to the cold floor of the car. 

I struggled to get back up and tried to find whatever I could for support. Unfortunately, the car was only about half full and I was unable to reach anything to help me up. The closest thing to me were a few barrels with flavors labeled on the side. They were a few feet away and I believed I could have made it no problem. However, as I dragged myself across the cold meatal floor, my strength was nearly depleted and the scraped leg didn't make it much better. I think I only moved a little more than a foot until I dropped to the floor from exhaustion. 

I breathed heavily and stared at the warm breath leaving me. Through the fog, I was able to see a large shadow of an object. Despite how dark it was, I was certain there was something emanating behind it. I squinted my eyes and had my breathing under control to make my vision clearer. I was both relieved and worried at what I saw. Behind a wall of crates, there was that green glow again. Although the glow was dim, I knew it was the same glow that caused Circe pain back in Canterlot. The fire within me grew and I diverted my attention back to the barrels.

Forcefully, I tried again to reach the barrels at a much quicker pace. I kept my eyes on Circe as I crawled. It was probably pointless, but I felt the need to call out to her, "Circe? Circe! I'm coming!" As I feared, there was no reply. 

Finally, I reached the barrels, but it took me a bit of time to get some grip. The barrels were only chest level height, but they seemed much taller when you are on the ground. I used one leg to reach for the top, while the other provided elevation. After a couple minutes, I was able to get the grip needed to pull myself off the ground. 

Once I got up on my three good legs, I realized the next challenge I faced.  I was leaning on my right and the injured leg was on my left. I know I sound like a little foal, but the pain in my leg was annoying and these obstacles did not help make it any better. I looked back to Circe and I saw I didn't have much left to go at that point. Using the barrels for support, I limped my way to the cart. I nearly slipped a few times because of the condensation. I kept my eyes focused on Circe the entire time. My frustration grew as the green glow taunted me with every step I took.

I reached the end of the row of barrels and met with my final obstacle; the wall of crates. The height of the wall was slightly taller than the barrels, but it was short enough to vault over it. However, I was concerned if I was even capable of making the leap. I tried again to put weight on the injured leg, but there was still a sharp pain. I cursed myself for my clumsy mistake. 

I observed my surroundings, with the hopes of finding a better and easier alternative to reach Circe. Although there were alternative paths around the crate wall, it would have taken much longer than it needed to. Plus, the deeper I go in the car, the darker and harder it would have been for me to see. I felt I had no other option but to try and make the jump. 

The best I could do for momentum was rock my body back and forth. "All I need is one good lunge and I can hop that wall," I thought to myself. I kept rocking myself and took deep breaths. Despite all these "preparations," I never felt confident enough to make the jump. So I decided a more foalish approach. "1... 2... 3!" I threw myself as hard as I possibly could. 

Even in mid-air, I knew I wasn't going to make it. Although I was close, I predicted that I would still miss it by a few inches. For Celestia's sake it was only another few inches. I knew I was going to regret my next action, but I was left with no choice. When I made that lunge I was determined. To give me the extra inches I needed, I landed on all four and made one last jump. The pain I felt in my leg, I could have only imagined that was what a stab felt like. The pain was so sharp, I screamed as I reached for the top of the wall.

Successfully, I managed to have my upper body hang on to the top of the wall. Despite my lower half was still touching the floor, I felt like I was hanging on the edge of a cliff for dear life. I tried my best to lift myself over the wall. While also using my one good leg to give me the extra boost.

Once I brought myself over the wall, I actually felt relaxed for the first time the entire trip. I ignored the pain in my leg as I rolled on my back to catch my breath. I breathed heavily with my eyes closed. It was so tempting to fall asleep right then and there. "It's... It's so cold..." I thought to myself. 

I slightly turned my head toward the glow. I was relieved to see the wagon was less than an inch from the wall. Also, judging from the glow, Circe was on the opposite side of the wagon. Which made this next move the easiest part. With little effort and care for my safety, I rolled myself into the wagon. 

It was a slight drop, but I was too tired to care. Luckily, the layers of fabric provided even cushioned the fall and made it less painful. I sat upright and removed each layer of fabric to reach Circe. After removing the last layer, I had finally found her. 

As I thought, her eyes were closed in pain. "Circe, I'm here now," I said to try and comfort her. I touched her head and it was as I feared. Since her body was an exoskeleton, she was cold to the touch. I can't imagine what she would have been like if she didn't have these covers.

Without thinking, I tucked myself under the covers. There wasn't that much room for me, but I didn't care. I embraced Circe in hopes I could provide some body warmth. She was so cold and I was worried that it wasn't working. She was shaking and groaning. I wasn't able to tell if she was getting warm or not.

Even with my eyes closed, I still saw it; the glow. It was constantly blinking and causing Circe pain. It constantly reminded me that I was useless and I couldn't help her. I couldn't imagine what pain she was going through. I kept questioning myself, "What can I do? What can anypony do in this situation?" Being desperate, I did the only thing I thought I could do to provide comfort.

"Hey Circe. I couldn't stop thinking about you while we were apart," I forced a chuckle. "You remember when we first met? How I caught you sneaking into castle grounds and tried to capture you? I chased you all the way to the nearby forest. I thought I was going to lose you through the trees since you were so fast. I felt I had to capture you no matter what. So I went as far as to throw my helmet at you to make you crash. After I found you hiding in the bushes, you made me feel like a real jerk. You were crying and were hurt pretty bad. I hesitated to help you. In the end, I surrendered and helped the changeling I was supposed to capture. In the end, we had nice small talk and I wasn't sure whether to let you go or turn you in. You looked so innocent and I couldn't get myself to do it. Then we-..." I paused as I remembered something very important. "You know what? Now that I think about it I never did apologize to you for that did I? Ha! And this is the stallion you agreed to marry? You have terrible taste." I said jokingly. "I'm sorry Circe. I am a year late, but I really am sorry. I love you and I will never hurt you again." 

Not long after I said those words, I noticed that her shaking has slowed down. Also, I couldn't see the green glow anymore. I opened my eyes to see that the glow was gone. She then returned the embrace. Although it was weak, it was comforting for me. "I... Love you too..." Aside from the first time she said those words, I don't think I have ever been so happy to hear them.

"It is so warm... So peaceful..." I thought to myself as I closed my eyes.