Two Days Later...

The natural light from the sun hurt Daniel's eyes as he stared out his window nervously. It had been two days since the incident at SugarCube Corner and he had been worried about stepping outside ever since. He looked around his empty home and sighed as he saw a small calendar on his wall. It was a small calendar he kept to tell himself how many days he went without using his ability. It had been a good eight months and he would've have reached nine if it weren't for yesterday's little slip up. Daniel didn't know what it was that compelled him to use his power. It was like a hunger he couldn't shrug off and move on with his life.

"What is wrong with me?" He asked himself and angrily ripped the calendar of his. As he held it in his hands the rage at himself swelled and came out as he ripped the small calendar to shreds. The little bits of paper floated to the floor and piled up as Daniel tore every last page until it was just a pile of shreds. He inhaled and exhaled as he looked around at his still empty home and realized it was just him all alone with thoughts.

"And that's what happened," finished Pinkie Pie. Twilight and Spike Stood in surprise as they tried to wrap their heads around what Pinkie Pie had just told them.

"This sounds too crazy to be true," protested Spike, "How could the new guy be a Changeling?"

"Maybe he's a spy for Queen Chrysalis?" Twilight suggested.

"We should ask him to find out" Pinkie chimed in.

Twilight was about to refuse, she wouldn't just let her friend risk her life over a simple hunch. "Pinkie, don't just…" But before she could stop her, Pinkie was already gone.

The silence surrounding Daniel was interrupted when he heard a knock at his door. He stood up and answered and as he saw who it was all his fears seemed to surface.

"Hey Daniel I…" Pinkie began

SLAM!

Daniel began breathing heavily and his palms began to perspire. Pinkie Pie was the last pony in Equestria he wanted at his door. But maybe this wasn't a bad thing at all? Maybe all she wanted to do was talk? Daniel inhaled as he once again opened his front door and pulled the mare inside his home.

"What do you want?" He asked harshly.

Pinkie was shocked at Daniel's approach and was concerned for him. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and his face was melancholy and pale. Daniel crossed his arms impatiently waiting for Pinkie to answer him.

"I want to talk about what happened two days ago," she said. "I told my friend, Twilight, about it and…"

"You WHAT!" Daniel cried

"I told Twilight about what happened 'because I didn't know who else to tell," Pinkie continued.

"So your last option was a princess? Someone of royalty was your last option?"

"What else was I supposed to do?" Pinkie whimpered. "Just forget the whole thing?"

"Yes! Most people do try to forget that sort of thing!" Daniel ranted.

Daniel exhaled as he leaned against a nearby wall and plotted out his next move. Pinkie attempted to put a hand on his shoulder, but it was only rejected.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Pinkie Pie wondered.

Daniel only raised a sarcastic eyebrow as he turned toward the pink mare that was completely oblivious to the danger.

"What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase "shape-shifter"?"

Pinkie thought for a short moment then answered.

"Changelings," she said.

"Now does Equestria like changelings?" Daniel continued.

"Not really." She answered

"Now do you understand why I have to hide this part of me?"

"Yeah, now I do."

"Where does your friend live again?" Daniel inquired.

"The library," Pinkie responded. "You want to talk to her?"

"Yeah," he smirked. "Something like that."

Pinkie wasn't sure what Daniel meant, but she decided he had enough trouble for today. Daniel threw on a black turtleneck jacket and left.

"Let yourself out!" he shouted as he began a slow jog toward the library.

The library was the usual silent it always as Twilight went through her books. She had spent the entire time looking for books on changelings, but sadly the library only had four that she had read cover to cover once before. The door creaked opened as Pinkie Pie walked through.

"Pinkie Pie!" she cried. "You're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she said.

"So what did you find out?" Twilight wondered.

"Daniel said he just wants be left alone," Pinkie responded.

"What?" Twilight said. Pinkie had been gone for quite a while and she thought there would be more to it. Twilight went closer to her and put both her hands on her shoulders.

"Are you sure that's it?" she asked. What happened next shocked Twilight in ways she couldn't imagine. Pinkie's mane fell down and turned to black, her pink coat faded to a light brown as a scar appeared over her left eye. It was Daniel.

"I said I want to be left alone," he said in plain tone. "How hard is that to understand?"

"What did you do to Pinkie Pie?" Twilight cried grabbing him by his jacket roughly. Daniel stood in front of the lavender alicorn princess unamused as he took her hands off him.

"Your friend is fine and this isn't what this is about," Daniel claimed. "I'm here to talk about the elephant in the room."

"I've dealt with your kind before," Twilight said. "Whatever you and the rest of the changelings have planned, I can assure you it won't work like the last two times."

"That's the problem," Daniel said leaning himself up against a nearby shelf. "You think I'm one of those monsters."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at Daniel suspiciously. "What do you mean?" she wondered.

"I will agree that shape-shifting is changeling ability," Daniel explained. "But there is one thing they need to do to shape-shift that I don't."

"What would that be?" Twilight asked frustratingly.

"Love. Love is the source they need to transform. I only need the touch of a pony's hand and I can take on their form."

Twilight was on the edge of punching Daniel square in his muzzle. Everything Daniel did annoyed her deeply as he further explained himself.

"I don't know why I can do this and I'm expecting you and Pinkie to keep this stuff a secret."

"Why would I keep this secret for you? What would happen if I told Celestia and Luna in Canterlot about your little secret?" Twilight threatened.

"Well decide to report me to them, I don't know what they would do," Daniel said. The room darkened as Daniel walked closer to Twilight with a threatening look on his face "Twilight, I have gone from town to town to keep myself safe and there is no way in hell if I'm going to let a mare like you get me killed because your afraid of something you don't understand! "

And with that, Daniel Flint left the library leaving an uncomfortable silence. Sure that he had made his intentions to Twilight Sparkle crystal clear.