I took to walking every day. I would go from the library, down to the boutique, and back. The looks I got the first few days were always ones of shock. But even those began to fade over the week. Everypony was getting used to seeing a changeling walking up and down the street.
And yet there was one pony I had yet to see. Rainbow Dash. I was finally starting to get friendly with ponies, even Applejack was softening up. But Rainbow Dash had yet to approach me or even be seen! Was I that bad?
Wait... There she is! Rainbow was talking to a couple of pegasi near the town hall. Maybe if I came up from behind... I walked towards her. The pegasi she was talking to were just flying away when I cleared my throat. Rainbow turned around. She froze when she saw me. I smiled.

"Um... Hi."

"What do you want?"

"I...just wanted to say hello. I haven't seen you around lately."

"Well I have a lot to do!"

As I had heard before. Napping must be every time-consuming.

"I was wondering...if we could...talk?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Why would I want to talk to you?"

"Because I'm trying to get to know everypony."

"Just because my friends like you, doesn't mean I have to!"

Her wings up unfolded and she took off. Luckily I had seen her wings twitching to take off and I pounced. We rolled through the dirt for a minute until I had Rainbow pinned. She growled up at me.

"What are you trying to do?!"

"I'm trying to talk to you!"

"Well I don't want to talk to you!"

"Why?!"

"Because you're a changeling!"

"Do I look like I'm trying to take over?! Or pretending to be somepony else?!"

"No, but changelings aren't what they seem."

I had had enough of this! I jumped back and let her stand.

"Fine! Fly off then! If you can't even be nice, then there's no point."

She stood up and dusted herself off.

"Good. Then you won't bother me again?"

"What do you have against me?!"

Rainbow's eyes seemed to catch fire.

"Seriously?! As if you don't remember attacking Canterlot!"

"Yes! I remember. But that wasn't just me. That was Chrysalis! That was an entire army!"

"So what? All changelings are the same!"

"Do I look like your average changeling?!"

We failed to notice that a crowd was gathering. I guess not much happens in Ponyville if this is considered entertainment. Rainbow began to pace around me.

"You and your kind nearly destroyed Canterlot. And you expect me to forgive and forget?"

"I never asked you for forgiveness. I just wanted your friendship. But if you can't look past the changeling, then I guess you'll never know me. The real me."

I walked away, not bothering to look back.

"Fine! You walk away, I win!"

The crowd parted and let me through. I noticed some of them giving me looks of sympathy. I guess more ponies were warming up to me than I thought. But Rainbow Dash wasn't one of those ponies. She hated me.
I walked back to the library, my head drooping. When I walked in, Twilight was reading. She looked up as I entered and immediately put her book down.

"What's wrong?"

I sat down and sighed. "Not much. Rainbow Dash and I just had a yelling competition in front of town hall."

"A yelling competition?"

"We had a fight."

"A fight?! Why would you two fight?"

"Because she hates me!"

Twilight frowned.

"She doesn't hate you!"

If my eyes could roll, they would be spinning like a top right now.

"It's not as if she's been friendly to me."

"She just needs to get used to the whole thing still."

"She can take all the time in the world! I tried to explain it to her, but she wouldn't listen."

I stormed away to the bedroom and shut the door behind me. That dumb pegasus! How could she judge me like that?! I haven't done anything to provoke her and she says I'm an evil monster!

'Knock Knock Knock'

"Shade? Please open the door. We need to talk about this."

I didn't budge, but she door opened anyway. What was the point in asking if she would just use her magic anyway?

"Shade? Turn around."

I slowly turned to look at the alicorn. Her eyes were filled with concern.

"You don't have to hide when things go wrong."

I sighed and nodded to the bed. She smiled and sat down next to me.

"What happened?"

"I tried to be her friend. She didn't want to be mine. She thinks I'm up to something."

"Can you blame her?"

I looked at her in shock. Did she think that too?

"Last time we faced changelings, it was a life and death situation. Rainbow doesn't forget easily. She looks at you and sees-"

"Chrysalis. The army. The invasion. Right?"

"You just have to give her time. You can't force ponies to be your friends."

"I... I guess I'm too used to using force. Changelings aren't patient."

"So I've noticed."

I glanced at Twilight to see her smiling. We both laughed for a second, the tension finally gone. She hopped off the bed and walked towards the stairs.

"I'm going out for lunch. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. Lets eat."

She took me to her favorite restaurant in town. I sat at the table, waiting for the food to arrive. I was famished!

"You okay Shade?"

I looked at Twilight and nodded.

"Yeah. Just hungry."

"You're eye is twitching."

Was it? Oh yeah, it was! What else was it supposed to do. I hadn't eaten properly in months! And I was barely getting by with this pony food!
A waiter appeared with a platter of food.

"Here we are! Enjoy!"

I barely heard him as I already had my face in a sandwich. It was gone within seconds. I sat up and sighed. Twilight looked at me, concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"This! The food! I... I can't take it anymore!"

"Don't you like it?"

"I love it! But..."

I didn't have to say it. We both knew what I was getting at. I was a changeling. And changelings feed off of love. But I couldn't do that here. I refused to do it. I would not be the monster ponies thought I was! Twilight looked down at the platter. I followed her gaze. It was empty. And I still felt as if I were being starved.

"Should I order more?”

"No. I could eat everything in their kitchen and still be hungry. Better that I don't put them out of business."

We payed the bill and walked away, my stomach growling to me. Twilight led me to Sugar Cube Corner.

"If there's a pony that could help out, it's Pinkie Pie."

How could she help? If anything she'd probably make it worse. We walked inside to find Pinkie entertaining two foals. The foals were laughing as the pink pony made faces at them.
Their laughter stopped when they saw me. I closed my eyes, waiting for them to scream or cry. Instead, I felt a small hoof against my own. I looked down to see the unicorn foal was supporting herself against my leg. And then the pegasus foal landed on my back. I winced at the weight increase, but my back was well enough to take it. Pinkie smiled.

"Aww! They like you!"

Like me? These young foals actually like me? I lowered myself to the ground and the foals began crawling over me and giggling. I couldn't help but smile at them. They were perfectly fine with me, even if I didn't look like a normal pony. They didn't treat me like a monster at all. It felt...nice. And I felt something else... I wasn't hungry! At least not as much as before. I looked up at Twilight as the pegasus climbed on top of my head.

"Twilight! I'm not hungry!"

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"I think it's them!"

She seemed sacred at the idea.

"Can you stop?"

Could I? I'd never had to stop feeding before. The supply always ran out. But that was amongst thousands! I alone had two foals that were feeding me. Could I force myself to stop such a feast? Pinkie walked over.

"I'm not surprised you're hungry! Changelings eat love, and Pumpkin and Pound Cake love ponies that play with them, and you're playing with them so they love you, and you're getting fed now because they love you!"

Twilight and I stared at Pinkie. Had she just explained the whole situation? Twilight looked down at the foals.

"But won't they be drained of their love? When Chrysalis fed off of my brother, he got really weak."

Pinkie rolled her eyes.

"Oh Twilight! Foals have more love than anypony! They love everything!"

At that moment I felt something I had never felt before. I was full! I felt the flow of love ebb away. The foals continued to play as I smiled for my full belly.

"I guess that's it for now."

Twilight's eyes bugged out.

"You drained them?!"

"Are you kidding? Pinkie's right, these two are like an endless buffet! I'm full Twilight! For the first time in my life, I'm full!"

Pinkie jumped in the air.

"Woohoo! We should throw a 'Hooray Shade's First Full Tummy' party!"

Twilight stooped down and looked over the foals.

"They seem fine. But you should be careful. You don't want to cause anypony harm. Especially young foals."

"Then what do you suggest I do?"

Pinkie beamed.

"I know!"

She disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing a second later with a plate.

"Try these Shade!"

I looked down at the plate. It had a pile of cookies on it. I looked up at the mare.

"Pinkie, I doubt these would do anything."

"Go on! Try 'em!"

I looked down at the cookies and picked one up. It seemed pretty normal. I don't know what Pinkie was trying to do, but I guess I should give her the benefit of the doubt. I bit into the cookie.

Woah!

I felt the smallest morsel slide into my belly. It couldn't be! But it was!

"What are these?!"

"Cookies! Made with love!"

Made with love? Love was an ingredient you could bake?! I bit into the cookie again. Another piece of love slid down my throat.

"How did you do this?"

Twilight looked at the cookies.

"Pinkie, just because you say they're made with love doesn't mean there's actual love in them."

I laughed as I stuck another cookie in my mouth.

"Believe me princess. These were made with love!"

The foals had left my back and had sat down next to the plate. They each grabbed a cookie and began gnawing on it. I smiled and picked up another one for myself. I think my days of hunger are long gone.

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