Adalricus laughed as he and Raúl continued to tell jokes to one another. Raúl was really something to that of a joker, and one who never disappointed the dark Prince in conversation. Of course, that didn't mean that he would simply ignore the jokes that insulted him in any matter; Raúl would particularly never shy away from teasing Adalricus over his relationship with his mother. However, that was then, and this was now, where they happily ate under a tree. After traveling for 2 days with barely 10 hours of rest, they were taking a much needed rest. And yes, they actually flew after Adalricus was able to mimic an actual pony thanks to Raúl.

“I am still confused to why you decided to leave a bag full of bits to those ponies; it's not like they would have remembered me distracting them while you took your sweet time observing them to 'understand' their physical statures...there were 4 options!” Raúl pointed out, chewing on bread.

“Well they saw me,” Adalricus pointed out before drinking water. “And you knocked him out quite hard; I originally wanted to bribe them, but you thought it would be better to physically intimidate them! Last thing we need is word spreading that Queen Chrysalis' heir is roaming freely outside her fortress...even if you were trying to make them lose their memories.”

This time, Raúl laughed as he tossed his bread aside. “Oh really?”

“What?” Adalricus raised an eyebrow.

“You're going to find this quite difficult to believe, but I doubt that any living thing outside our kingdom even acknowledges your existence,” the changeling comedian explained.

“What-”

“Your mother didn't want to risk your life by letting her enemies know of your existence. In public appearances, she appears as a loner with no personal obligations; she's the Queen of our race and most changelings like me, are the closest thing to 'family' for her. All And that's saying something based on her reputation with other species,” Raúl explained, standing up and lifting his bag. He adjusted his scarf after feeling a light breeze. And this is only fall...good thing we brought warmer clothing, he thought. Aside from a scarf, both he and Adalricus were wearing thick traveling coats over long sleeves, dark jeans, and boots to counter the colder seasons. Winter was in 2 weeks and it was not going to be kind.

“Care to be a little more specific...?” the Prince asked, frowning as he looked at Raúl. Obviously Adalricus' mother was not completely honest with him over the years; she would often speak of how envious her enemies were of wanting him for a child. It was strange to him when considering how much she smothered him so openly within their home, that it would be difficult to believe that she did not gloat of his existence. “What, do they think that we're insects that are disposable under 'our' Queen's command? And that she's not capable of being a mother?”

“Yup,” Raúl confirmed as he started to flap his wings. “This also makes them think that she's given birth to all of our kind, to that of an ant or bee colony. You think that with her figure, they would think otherwiiiise~” he said smoothly.

“WHAT?” This time, the Prince was completely dumbstruck as he suddenly stood up.

“Yup,” Raúl repeated as he chuckled. “Could you blame the other species? About 95% of our kind looks the same in our true forms. We're like one big family from a first impression...” This time, he actually frowned. “I've aways said that prejudicial species are the most idiotic...like you.”

While Adalricus was about to question more on how other species viewed them, that last comment annoyed him. Especially when Raúl was the only changeling he knew who was not afraid to insult him. “Why do you gotta break balls?” Adalricus asked, quoting a line used by Raúl just last week.

“What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? Or a smart mouth servant?”

Adalricus glared. He lifted his bag and started to flap his wings only a second later. “You're quite immature, you do know this right?”

“Oh excuse me your highness; I am not the one who wanted to run away like an child!” Raúl laughed, as he followed his future King.

“I- Shut up...” Adalricus blushed as Raúl was getting the best over him in this argument...like aways.

“Also, WHY did you decide to keep wings and a horn? I already told you that ponies don't typically hold both traits unless they're of royalty,” Raúl explained. “You should have made it simple, and mimic only one of the ponies that night.”

“As I've said a 100 times, it feels strange to me if I don't have both,” Adalricus explained. Thanks to the black stallion he saw 2 days ago, he was able to keep his traditional body color. For his mane and eyes to share the color green, a yellow mare was available with these traits. And for the traits that stood him out as royalty in pony-culture, a stallion Pegasus and Unicorn mare were the ones who spotted him in the bushes.

“Speaking of which, how did you learn to merge their traits into one already? It took me mimicking at least 20 other ponies before I could figure that out,” Raúl said.

“I panicked; I don't know how I got it the first time!” Adalricus remarked with a blush.

“That doesn't make sense- You know what, never mind.” Raúl rolled his eyes.

Relieved that he accepted his answer, “I do hope that they've accepted my apology and won't mention to any other pony regarding what happened...”

Raúl sighed at what he said. “You're quite gullible your highness; ponies cannot be trusted when you're a changeling.” He lead the Prince into the South direction. “Even if we just happen to use the same currency, money does not guarantee making things go in one's favor. Hence I was highly against you even bothering to leave them a note...along with a bag of bits. ”

Adalricus gave a small glare as he felt sensitive towards Raúl's remarks...a lot more sensitive than usual. His views on ponies was rarely based on what other changelings had told him; his mother never mentioned them- (aside from how they supposedly felt jealously towards his existence)-, his servants seemed to never know more than him, and Raúl never spoke of them as a major subject within conversations until now. All that he knew was that ponies supposedly discriminated against his kind, but was it the truth? He was too afraid to reveal his true form to them, despite the likely hood of being only recognized as a changeling and not the heir to his kingdom.

“So where are we going in particular?”

“Hm?” Adalricus looked over at Raúl.

“Well we 'agreed' to leave our wonderful lifestyle in order to experience life amongst ponies, but all we've really done is spent 2 hours at most within a small community before leaving...AGAIN,” Adalricus pointed out in disgust.

“It was your idea!”

“Do you not understand sarcasm?” Raúl questioned him.

That took Adalricus by surprised. “I-” Wait, so does he actually enjoy the company of ponies? Adalricus wondered, when he knew how open Raúl was with insulting ponies. However, he decided to let it go and answer with, “Well, I think that we should find some place for a long-term stay.” With that, he halted his momentum and held his position while looking around the landscape.

Raúl did the same. “Well hopefully there will be better love around; the only love we've been able to leech off is the admiration for our physical appearance,” Raúl remarked, sighing. “Admiration barely counts as 'love'! And not satisfying at all!”

“Ok just calm down,” Adalricus said, looking to the West. In truth, he was starting to feel light-headed after a few hours at a time. It was strange because he did not realize just how much his body relied on his mother's form of love, in order to meet his body's needs. Even sexual lust from his female servants wasn't enough. “Ah,” said the Prince happily.

Raúl turned to see what the Prince was looking at: a medium-sized pony community that looked promising. Smiling, “Shall we?”

Adalricus gave a nod. “Hopefully we can purchase a good home for the time-being,” he said.

Raúl rolled his eyes as he led them to solid ground. “Your highness, you have a lot to learn...”

****************************

As they walked, Raúl began to educate Adalricus more on the culture of ponies. When they came across the first pony community on their adventure, Raúl surprisingly knew more about their life-style than Adalricus had given him credit for. However, he was never clear on how or why he knew so much, despite the Prince's frequent questioning over his strong knowledge. Perhaps Raúl traveled more often than he had assumed. Regardless, he agreed with Raúl's recommendation over 'renting' a room within the community that they came across known as Ponyville.

It took only a big red stallion who was dragging a large wooden cart, to explain of their current location. Adalricus was actually stunned with how physically superior this pony appeared, when compared to the first ponies he ever came across during the last 2 days. Whereas Raúl was completely casual and kept a positive attitude, until they continued on their way. Regardless, that did not stop Adalricus from tipping Big Mac with a bag of bits, who then appeared confused before tossing it in his front pocket and just went along with it.

As they walked for 5 minutes, Adalricus took his time acknowledging the lively atmosphere that existed in Ponyville. It was strange, because he was feeling a steady flow of 'love' coming at him from all sides. What was so special about Ponyville?

“It's quite nice here; I feel odd yet comfortable as if we were home,” Adalricus remarked with a cheerily smile. “What do you think-”

“Ok, I know that I wasn't making that big of a deal on this before, but I STRONGLY suggest that you at least get rid of that horn during our stay,” Raúl interrupted uncharacteristically, whispering harshly at the same time.

“What? Why are you so bothered right now?” Adalricus asked, blinking in confusion.

“Because unlike the other communities, this one has more ponies staring at you in the first few minutes, than when we had in 2 hours within the other communities!” Raúl whispered harshly, actually appearing worried. “Seriously, as if they never seen an Alicorn!”

It took Adalricus only a few seconds to understand what he was trying to explain, before realizing that he was right; looking left and right, he saw a few ponies staring at him with excitement. They pointed and whispered to one another before bowing as he waked by Well buck, he thought while smiling nervously.

Satisfied that Adalricus agreed, Raúl led them to an alley where he motioned the Prince to undergo his transformation. With nopony watching, he was good to go. He gave a nod of acknowledgement before he engulfed himself in flames. “Better?” Adalricus asked.

Raúl looked back at the Prince and raised an eyebrow. “Um, you could have kept one of the traits,” he remarked.

“What are you-” Adalricus blinked as he felt his physical appearance, realizing that both his horn and wings were gone. “I didn't want both of them to go away!” he complained, before groaning and engulfed himself in flames once more.

“Um...”

Adalricus then realized that he brought both traits back equally. “Ok, now this is just getting annoying,” he admitted with a frown. It took him 3 more attempts before realizing that he needed to practice some more. “Urgh, I'll just stick to a basic Earth pony for now...”

“That would be best,” Raúl agreed. “It's strange really: you can transform into an Alicorn despite never seeing one, yet you can't transform into a Pegsus nor Unicorn despite seeing one,” he pointed out, holding his chin in confusion.

“But you said that you can do the same, right?”

Raúl laughed as he engulfed himself in flames just as he did. This time, he reappeared as an exact replica of Adalricus' current form. “Of course I can, but it's just surprising how you're able to do it on your first try,” Raúl explained. With that, the flames returned and disappeared revealing his previous form. “Also, I don't want to stand out like you do; you should have listened to me beforehand.”

Adalricus rolled his eyes. “Well as long as this form doesn't bring unnecessary attention, I don't care by this point,” Adalricus admitted, accepting the situation and how he should have taken his advice more seriously. “So where can we 'rent' a room? I just want to lay down on a real bed again...”

“Agreed,” Raúl said, looking around as he led them out of the alley. “Well, you can typically look for 'signs' on particular buildings. So where would we-”

Raúl never got to finish that sentence as he was impacted by an orange burr. Now Adalricus was not able to fully comprehend over what just occurred, given that his friend vanished from his sight entirely. He hurried along the alley and looked to his left to see what had happened: an orange filly was on top of the disguised-white Pegasus, who was on top of her scooter. Only he gave a loud groan of displeasure, obviously as the only one actually suffering from serve pain.

“Oooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww- Buck my life...” Raúl groaned, as the filly finally got off of him with a small groan of her own. “I don't deserve this!” he whined quietly while moving off the uncomfortable scooter. He rubbed his stomach, wanting the pain to vanish sooner.

Like hell you don't! Adalricus thought, having a dark sense of humor and finally understanding why Raúl enjoyed seeing him miserable. He smirked like a complete jackass before asking,“Are you ok?”

“Not really-” Raúl started, but got really angry after realizing that Adalricus was tending to the little orange filly instead of him.

Scootaloo finally got her helmet off and saw stars in her vision. “I-I think so,” she answered, shaking her head after a few seconds. When her vision returned to normal, she blinked a few times before realizing what had happened. “Oh, sorry mister!”

Raúl shook it off as he finally stood up. “Don't worry about it,” he said with an annoyed tone.

Scootaloo accepted his assurance and looked to Adalricus with an raised eyebrow. “Huh, I don't think I've seen you before...are you new to Ponyville?” She looked back at Raúl, confirming that they were not local to her home.

Huh, I suppose this community is social enough that she would know that I am foreign, Adalricus noted, giving a friendly smile before nodding. “We are actually, and just happen to be looking for a room to 'rent',” he explained. “I don't suppose you can help us?” Adalricus then asked.

Scootaloo took a moment to think about it. After a few more seconds, “I think Pinkie Pie said that Sugarcube Corner was renting out a spare room!” she exclaimed with a happy nod. “Just head in that direction and you'll find it without trouble!” Scootaloo pointed in the other direction.

More than pleased with her super-convenient knowledge, Adalricus happily tossed her a bag of bits. “Thank you so much! Let's go Raúl!” Adalricus said, wanting to get there ASAP.

“Hey, wait up!” Raúl said, as the Prince ran off just as he finally acknowledged what they were talking about. “No patience-”

“WOW this is a lot of bits!”

“Huh?” Raúl looked to see that Adalricus was a bit too generous with his 'tip'.

“There has to be like 50 bits!” Scootaloo squeaked with excitement. Her eyes glittered in amazement.

“More like 200 bits,” Raúl said in annoyance; they were going to go broke despite the amount of money they left with!

“What?”

“Nothing!” Raúl said quickly, as he started to go after the Prince.

However, Scootaloo was that curious of their background, as she started to question him nonstop on the way to Sugarcube Corner...

**************************************************

“So it's only 1000 bits a month?”

“Yes sir! I finally got that expansion done and I am feeling generous today!”

Adalricus smiled as he continued to speak with the owner of Sugarcube Corner. It was wonderful that not even half an hour passed before he would find a promising new home after arriving in Ponyville. While there was no patrons at the moment, the owner's wife was feeding their apparent children at a table. Happily willing to accept the offer, Adalricus failed to notice Raúl outside the door with Scootaloo...

...Raúl growled as he had his hand on the knob. The orange filly behind him was asking too many questions that was really starting to get on his nerves.

“So is he from a high-classed family in Manehattan?”

“No-”

“Are you his butler or something?”

“I am more of a 'friend' than a butler-”

“Is he a virgin?”

“WHAT?”

“You can tell a lot from a pony like that!”

“And just how OLD are you-”

“Does he like apple pie?”

“Who doesn't?”

“How old is he?”

“Would you stop-”

“Is he looking for a future bride because he's secretly a prince from a foreign culture because he's tired of the lifestyle brought to him by his parent(s)?”

“The buck-”

“Is he that much of a nice pony where he just gives away bits like that?”

“I-”

“Can I be his servant?”

“Look-”

“Can I live with you two?”

“...”

“Can I have more money? I really want to improve this tree house and-”

“HEY KID,” This time, Raúl released the knob and lowered his face closer to hers. “ever been eaten by a changeling disguised as a pony?” he growled.

With that, Scootaloo's ears dropped as her eyes widened. “EEKKKK!” she cried, running away in her scooter.

“Swell...”

Raúl turned to see the Prince-of-topic standing in the doorway with a displeased expression.

“Well she was annoying!” Raúl complained, as he walked inside Sugarcube Corner.

“Still, even I wouldn't be so stupid to threaten one with my actual identity; it's risky and idiotic!”

“OH REALLY?” Raúl crossed his arms as he gave a dull expression. Especially with how careless the Prince of changelings has been appearance-wise.

“Also, 'eat' her? We're not cannibals!” Adalricus openly pointed out, as the Cakes were out of their conversation range. “Anyway, I've booked us a room so we can just go upstairs now,” he explained.

Satisfied with how he handled things, “Well then, off we go? How many months did you pay in advance?”

As they walked up the stairs, Mr. Cake spoke with excitement with his wife. “And he even paid 24 months in advance! Could you believe that?! What swell ponies!”

Mrs. Cake was also awestruck by the luck they had. “Oh well that's wonderful! We should bake them something nice to show our appreciation!” she suggested, as she finished feeding their children.

“Honey, I think that this is a positive sign for our future~” Mr. Cake exclaimed, pressing his nose against her own with affection.

******************************************

Both changelings had no trouble finding their room, when it was the only door that was wide opened on the second floor. As expected, it was a decent sized bedroom with a large closet, 2 night tables, and an appealing dresser with a large mirror. However, there was only one large bed and under the only window in the room.

“He said that it's two mattresses together so we can just split it,” Adalricus explained while dropping his bag. In all honesty, he was just happy being able to sleep on a bed after traveling for 2 days. “And Mr. Cake's love for his wife is quite smoothing really,” the Prince pointed out, sensing and leeching off the love from downstairs.

“Yes it is,” Raúl agreed, sighing as he sat on the big bed while yawning. However, he took only a minute before standing up and started to separate the mattresses, each to a wall of their own. Adalricus on the other hand opened the window to allow a gentle breeze. “HELLO Ponyville~” he sung loudly with joy, as he felt really happy for some reason.

“HEY, BUCK YOU ASSHOLE!” a random stallion shouted back.

*******************************************

Both Adalricus and Raúl were getting used to the life-style of Ponyville during the first few days. Frankly, it was obviously an interesting experience for Adalricus, as he was able to socialize with any pony he came across without trouble. In particular, the Cakes' love and affection for one another was rewarding for the leeches themselves, as they felt rejuvenated after absorbing a proper form of love. In fact, thanks to their passionate love-making that occurred every night since their arrival, both changelings were getting the highest quality of love that one would kill for.

In their spare time, the changelings would mostly walk to the public park because...well they had nothing better to do.

“Ok I am bored, I want to stop doing whatever it is I am suppose to be doing,” Raúl complained.

“We're suppose to be acting like ponies...we are acting like ponies...right?” Adalricus asked. Yes, it was relaxing sitting in a park where various forms of love was available for them to leech off of from a respective distance. However changelings typically had to interact with another species in order to fully absorb any form of love. Thus, they were always occupied while earning the form of love that they desired. Yet, love was so vast and plentiful in Ponyville, that it was actually an effortless task.

“Well maybe we can go see what the market has? Something new to discover is there?” Raúl suggested, as he stood up and stretched.

The changeling Prince nodded as he did the same. “No food I assume? Lunch was quite an experience today...” A funny thing about changelings was that eating and drinking was more of non-essential body pleasure. Quite obvious when considering how they were publicly known for leeching off other species. However, this form of body pleasure eventually led to develop 'cravings', fooling one's body into thinking that eating and drinking was indeed essential.

Raúl laughed as they walked on. “I am still hungry to be honest, but I rather find a nice gift for my mother instead of discovering new edibles,” he admitted.

“...” Adalricus looked to the side as he started to think about his own mother. When he ran away, it was so that he could get away from a life where he was never given any proper freedom. Always being followed, never able to have that assurance that he could have privacy whenever he wanted, never allowed to leave the castle like his mother, it was stressful. Yes he currently shared a room with Raúl, but at least Raúl didn't mind leaving him alone for at least an hour if he requested it. Nor would he mind if Adalricus wanted to sight see in an environment where many if not all were hostile to changelings. In fact, he felt grateful for having Raúl as a friend and more than just a loyal servant...even if he was a total jackass at times. However, the thought of returning home never occurred to him until now.

“Hey, what do you think of this?”

Adalricus came back to reality, failing to realize that they were already surrounded by various stands of good products. He looked to see that Raúl was examining miniature glassed figures, particularly a distinctive replica of an infamous creature.

“...Discord?” Adalricus assumed, recognizing the distinctive physical traits.

“Yes it is,” Raúl confirmed, admiring the amount of work that was poured into making this 2 and a half inched figure. “My mother enjoys collecting them...” Raúl said, having a hint of sadness in his tone. Obviously he had a better relationship with his own mother compared to Adalricus.

Wanting to lighten up the mood, “I heard that Discord's a complete jackass.”

Raúl looked at him completely surprised at his remark. “What?” he asked, showcasing a grin.

“My mother actually dated him once,” Adalricus said with a grin of his own. “And told me that he was unbearable to even acknowledge within the same room.”

“Oh did she really say that about me? And here I thought that her sending a 1000 of her minions after me, was just her way of getting my attention! I am actually hurt knowing that she thinks that I am a jerk!”

“Yeah- Wait, what?”

Both changelings failed to realized that the devil himself was running the stand. He was sitting on a stool while slipping some smoothing hot tea. He wore a black coat and a white scarf that hid his chin and a good portion of his goatee. His yellow eyes were unseen thanks to his spherical sunglasses that aided him on this bright sunny day. Finally, his white hair was tied into a ponytail, controlling his usual chaotic hair that was often a hassle to care for.

“I must say though, I honestly didn't expect the Prince of all changelings to be casually shopping at a public market within Ponyville itseeeeelf~” the Draconequus said smoothly, as he took a slip and sighed in relief before placing his tea down in front of him.

“I don't bucking believe it: the rumors ARE true!” Raúl exclaimed with excitement.

“What-” started Adalricus. Frankly, he had a lot of questions considering how confusing the situation was for him.

“I heard that you were released from your imprisonment, but I didn't think that the rumors were true!” Raúl looked as if he was a child within a candy store; he had a dumb childish smile on his face and Adalricus could swore that he saw stars appearing in front of his eyes. “Can I have your autograph???”

Adalricus' jaw dropped as he never expected this from Raúl. Let alone, meeting the infamous being known as Discord...who was known for committing such acts- Oh that's right; he's Raúl's idol! “Raúl, he KNOWS who we are; aren't you even a BIT concerned that he may spill our secret since he's known for purposely making hell for others???” Whereas the dark Prince was not an expert on ponies, he read many books on Discord after his mother first told him on how insane the Draconequus was. Only now did he remember that she once commented on Raúl's fascination over the chaotic creature.

“Oh come now Adalricus; I've changed! I am not so much as a sadist that I would purposely endanger both of your respective well-beings!” Discord claimed, laughing openly. “Besides, even if I didn't changed, I would simply watch and see how you buck things up on your own~” he said sweetly with a toothy grin.

“I-” Adalricus opened his mouth but closed it. Something seemed off about Discord knowing that HE existed, despite Raúl previously mentioning it as a secrecy. “How do you know who I am exactly??” Adalricus had asked.

Discord smiled as he reached for one of his glassed figurines. A basic looking pony, he clutched it slowly before opening his lion-hand seconds later, revealing a small replica of Queen Chrysalis herself. “You carry a hint of her scent, enough for me to recognize that she would a birth child.” With that, a smaller figurine appeared, baring a strong resemblance to the true form of Adalricus. “Also, my vision allows me to see through your adorable disguises without issue.” Discord yawned while covering his mouth. “But it's nothing special really...”

“And somehow that allows you to learn my name?”

“I have my ways of obtaining such information, Prince. Such as drinking with your father before I became a servant to the cause of harmony and peace,” Discord explained while taking a sip of his tea.

“You know my father?” Adalricus asked while blinking in surprised. He would have never expected his father to associate himself with a particular creature.

“But of course; Sombra and I have quite a history together. In our youths, we had dreams and strong desires. Sadistic we were, loving how miserable we made others feel...but naturally we had different ways of causing such misery. Despite that, we have great respect for one another~” Discord laughed, before adding, “However, that doesn't mean that I would help him out of the situation that he's in now.” With that, he gave a nasty grin to displeasure the Prince's mind.

Adalricus glared at Discord; while there were only a few things that would bring great discomfort to him, Discord's reputation alone would make any living-being restless. Well, almost any living-being as Raúl was now asking Discord to write his signature on his body. Thus, it was his cue to leave and look at other goods that were available in the market.

He may be a crazy bastard, but mother always said that he was a creature of his word, Adalricus thought, as he let out a sigh after a minute of feeling his blood boil. Hopefully his mother was right and that Discord would not reveal their true identities for the time being.

Adalricus came across an apple stand where he felt somewhat excited; the apples he tasted outside his kingdom were a lot more pleasing than what he was used to. Thus, he licked his lips as he craved for something sweet and juicy. “Excuse me, how much is it for 2 apples?”

“It's only 2 bits for 3 but you can get 10 of them for 5!”

“AH!” Adalricus yelped as he dropped one of the apples he was examining. A pink maned mare- or just 'pink' in her overall appearance, appeared from inside the small mountain of apples with 3 perfectly stacked at her head. Her speech was fast-paced and just annoyingly LOUD.

“Hi my name is Pinkie Pie! You're the new stallion who rented up the new room that the Cakes recently added right? I heard that you're sharing the room with another stallion but I haven't gotten the chance to meet you two since you both always leave before I wake up and get home super-duper late! It makes me sad because I wanted to throw you two a 'welcome to Ponyville' party where all of my friends including Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash!”

“I-” Adalricus only had a few seconds to comprehend what she had just said. He blinked repeatedly as he only managed to understand what her name was. Huh, so is this the pony that the orange filly was talking about? he wondered, as it was all coming together on what her business was with him. It was the same when the Cakes told them of a pink pony renting out another room. He only just realized how funny it was that he never met her until today. Wait, how did she know who he was and how he looked like when they never even met?

“So you want an apple right? RIGHT? Oh I just love Apple Jack's apples because they're SOOOOO juicy and so satisfying~! You MUST buy like a crate of them-”

“Whoa there Pinkie, let the fella take his time and not be pressured; I ain't too fond of that ya hear?”

Adalricus took a moment to acknowledge who he would assume to be Applejack. As expected, she also wore a coat for the current season, only hers was an appropriate shade of green with a white scarf. “The name's Applejack sug, and I heard you from out of town right?” she asked with a friendly smile.

Adalricus already grew a stronger liking for the blonde pony over his pink neighbor. “I am,” he confirmed as he picked up 3 apples and held up 2 bits for her to accept. “And I must say that it's been quite an interesting experience so far,” the changeling confessed. “Also, it's amazing that you're able to produce such high quality apples- let alone, any apples-, when winter is so close! You must be quite the farmer no?”

Applejack took pride in his compliment, as she happily accepted his money. However, it was Pinkie Pie that spoke up. “Oh yeah she does amazing things when you least expect it! Heck she has even-”

“Ok Pinkie Pie I think he gets it-”

“Oh but I want to tell him about the time when you and Rarity were alone in Twilight's tree house and you decided that the best way to sleep together was-”

“GAH- How do you know about THAT?!”

It wasn't difficult for the changeling Prince to realize that Pinkie was about to talk about a sensitive story that would embarrass Applejack; she was already turning red. “Well, thank you!” he quickly said, wanting to make the situation less awkward as he waved goodbye. Moments after he walked past 2 stands, Raúl finally appeared beside him.

“You won't believe where I got his signature-”

“I really don't want to know Raúl...hahaha,” Adalricus said, shaking his head. He took a moment to acknowledge the families of ponies walking around the market. Everything was so outgoing and peaceful, no unnecessary attention was stressed as they were actually happy to be within this type of environment. “You know, it's funny.”

Raúl the joker, raised an eyebrow. “What's funny in particular?”

“Well,” This time, he stopped and looked at Raúl. “I just find it funny with how easy it is to socialize with ponies. We've lived here for a few days now and even though we don't have a special relationship with any pony, I am really enjoying myself just talking causally with random strangers alone. Heck, I am actually starting to find them quite appealing.”

Raúl's normal smile was disappearing.

“I actually thought that they were bad as a species, but they're not as terrible as my mother told me. Then again, she hasn't been entirely honest with me now has she?” He laughed after that last statement, finding the idea to be ironic.

Raúl's expression became completely neutral by this point “You're thinking dangerously Adalricus, you should really stop talking in such a matter.”

This time, Adalricus was taken by surprised. “Why do you think so? Surely one who obviously has more experience with ponies than I do cannot deny that we're not so different from them when it comes to exchanging conversations,” Adalricus frowned in displeasure. “WHY are they our 'enemies' to begin with? They seem like a kind species.”

This time, Raúl leaned against the wall of a building near the stands. He let out a loud sigh, indicating that Adalricus was supposedly thinking wrongfully. “It's complicated Adalricus, especially since you're your mother's heir,” Raúl explained.

“Oh? How so? Has my mother actually done anything that would make ponies and changelings hostile?”

“Oh no; she did done fucked up how ponies view us,” Raúl confirmed. “But you seem to live in this fantasy that things can change in a way that you want it to be. Sadly, that's not how life works Adalricus.”

“What are you trying to say?” Adalricus started to glare at Raúl, who remained calm.

“You don't have a sense of viewing things by how they truly are; you refuse to acknowledge reality itself!”

This time, Adalricus popped a small vein on his neck. “What do you mean 'I don't acknowledge how reality is'? It's because of me accepting reality over the fact that my mother would never take me seriously, is the reason why I even bothered to go on this trip! I am here because I don't like the way how my life is! I want to LIVE MY LIFE!”

“Oh yes, because your life is SO difficult-”

“Don't buck with me on that; happiness is desired no matter of one's status and does not automatically come to one when they're wealthy!”

Raúl gave a displeased expression, but accepted that fact. “Regardless, your idea of peace between our kind and theirs is unrealistic and foolish to even consider...”

Adalricus stared at Raúl with a stunned expression. Ever since they 'ran away' on this trip, Adalricus was learning more and more about his best friend over the past week, than he ever did in the last 20 years that they've known one another. And there was obviously some information that he was keeping from Adalricus. And given by how Raúl was rarely serious, Adalricus could tell that he wasn't being completely honest with him.

“Maybe we shouldn't have come here, I KNEW that this was a bad idea,” Raúl then said. “You should have just stayed and found another way to deal with your mother.”

Adalricus crossed his arms. “Then WHY did you allow me to leave and not tell my mother before I could escape?”

This time, Raúl let out a chuckle. “Well considering that you were leaving a farewell letter, I thought that you would come to your senses after a day, but you didn't.” This time, he moved closer and stopped smiling. “I suppose it's my fault for not thinking this through, I am sorry.”

Now Adalricus was dumbfounded with what Raúl just told him; did he actually just apologize? “Raúl...” He walked closer to his friend. “...you've been acting different since we left the kingdom,” Adalricus pointed out, looking at Raúl with a serious expression. “And I know that there's something that you're not telling me, right?”

Raúl suddenly rolled his eyes. “Eh.”

“What do you mean, 'eh'?”

“Eh.” Raúl repeated, yawning and walking away from Adalricus, who was once again displeased with his answer.

“You're unbelievable,” Adalricus growled before walking away.

Raúl stopped lwalking after Adalricus had a 10-second head start. His expression relaxed as he turned to see the Prince of changelings look over some vegetable stands. His expression then turned into more displeasure, as he thought about Adalricus. I have to really keep an eye on him in case something does happen...

Adalricus finished his third apple and ate the core without trouble. Licking his fingers, he then saw some flowers on a large stand that were quite appealing. It surprised him that he didn't bother to buy some ever since his arrival beforehand. As he reached for a lily, he saw that 3 ponies managed the stand and were helping to other customers. Thus, his attention span failed to notice that one pony had her hand on it already. “Oh...”

“S-sorry, did you want that flower?”

“Oh that's fine-”

“N-no, please take it if so-”

“N-no, really-”

“P-please-”

Adalricus laughed as he shook his head. He released the flower and clenched her delicate hand around it. “I really don't need it; it's no trouble...really!” he said with a friendly smile. Who was this mare?

“Oh um...you seem to like flowers too; a-are you sure?” Fluttershy then asked. She showed some concern, as if his life depended on that lily.

“I am sure; I can assure you that it's no trouble at all,” Adalricus said, now starting to chuckle as her reaction was priceless and adorable to him. Her mane was pink but straight and humble, unlike Pinkie Pie's which was curly and chaotic. Her smooth skin reminded him of butter cream with a hint of yellow, and her expression was perhaps the gentlest that he ever came across. It was...innocent to say the least, as she seemed trustworthy from first impression. Her expression of uncertainty brought a comfortable yet confusing feeling inside of him, as she looked up at him. Her shyness and overall shorter size made her a perfect example of over cuteness. As for her attire, she was wearing a light brown coat over a white sweater while a light blue scarf remained loose around her neck. And while he was not trying to stare at her cleavage, he caught a glimpse of those large beauties for only a moment. In fact, he actually felt guilty?

Fluttershy wasn't convinced; she gave a frown as if he took away her favorite doll and they were in the middle of a playground. “W-w-well I DO think you need this flower! A-a-and I think you should have it!” She shut her eyes and blushed as she pushed the flower against his chest.

Adalricus frowned to the point where he looked slightly displeased. No female, changeling nor pony, has ever said 'no' to him! “No, I said that it's fine and you can have it!” This time, he gently pushed the flower towards her chest. “Take it!”

Fluttershy was turning more red as she felt as if he deserved the flower more than her. At least, that was what she always believed when placed in situation like this. Not only that, but there was something strange about this black stallion and the way he looked at her. “N-n-no, you take it!”

What's with her? I am trying to do something nice! What female doesn't accept a kind gesture from a male??? Adalricus thought with confusion. Honestly, why did it bother her that much? “Look-”

Pouting as if he were her father who refused to let her keep an abandoned puppy, Fluttershy shook her head as she blushed and said, “I don't want it!” It was ironic because the flower ponies never seen their regular customer act in such a matter. Whereas Adalricus assumed that Fluttershy was always this confident in an 'argument' such as this. Especially when she gave a shy smile. “T-t-thank you anyway!” She turned and went on her way, allowing him to take full notice of her wings as she flew.

“I-” Adalricus was dumbfounded as no female ever had the final say with him...not counting his mother of course. Looking at the flower ponies, “Is she always like this...?” All three flower ponies laughed, confusing Adalricus even more. “What's so funny??”

“Oh you're quite something to be making Fluttershy act like THAT,” Rose remarked with a grin.

“What?”

Lily giggled before answering, “Fluttershy lives up to her name, but I've never seen her turn red like that before!” She looked at Daisy. “What do you think?”

Daisy had better control over her reaction, as she simply smiled and said, “Well, you are charming from a first impression.” With that, Daisy gave a wink.

Getting the idea that they were trying to hint at, he chuckled slightly. “I see...well thank you for your kind words,” Adalricus gave a nod before tossing a small bag of bits at them. He would leave before they would realize that he gave them a generous payment, allowing him to think about the pony he just met. It was still very odd to him as he looked at the flower and gave it some thought. She was...interesting to say the least, as he looked to see if he could spot her again- “OW!”

Adalricus clutched his stomach as he almost fell forward, had it not been for Raúl who made perfect timing returning to him while assisting him. He grabbed his arm and helped him regain balance, lifting the weight of stress from him. “What's wrong?” he had asked.

“I-” Adalricus blinked as he held his stomach. It felt odd as he never experienced pain such as this. The arm that Raúl released wasn't well either, as Adalricus rubbed it carefully after being released. “I think that those vegetable wraps we had today is having an affect on me; I feel nothing but discomfort,” the changeling confessed, blinking before he rubbed his eyes.

“Let's back to Sugarcube Corner then,” Raúl suggested, keeping a hand on Adalricus' back. “Hm?”

“What is it?”

“Did you finally figure out how to transform into a Pegasus?”

Adalricus raised an eyebrow as he took a moment to notice some discomfort on his back. “Well look at this!” he exclaimed, as he adjusted the wings that he 'grew' and slid them through the holes of his uni-race coat. Two black feathered wings came out and stretched in relief. “Weird, when did this happen?” Adalricus failed to turn into a Pegasus nor an Unicorn despite attempting to every morning and night.

“Strange, but I suppose you may have gotten it right last time and didn't notice?” Raúl assumed.

However, Adalricus shook his head as he remarked, “I am quite sure that one of us would have noticed before I got my coat on,” he sighed, feeling the pain vanishing. “It doesn't matter now since I am feeling much better now,” he explained as he started to shake it off.

“...” Raúl was not fully convinced, but nevertheless continued to walk by his side. Although he took a moment to acknowledge the flower in his hand, before looking back to possibly spot the mare that he saw Adalricus speaking with. “Alright then...”

Adalricus continued to walk while rubbing his arm, in an attempt to settle his nerves completely. It was pain that he never experienced within the 22 years of his life. To make matters worse, the changeling failed to notice the small chunks of flesh falling off his hand, before fizzling into green smoke...

Author's Notes:

Oh god, NO SEX IN A CHAPTER DONE BY FROBOY?

Yeah, frankly I felt that I was whoring my stories too much with having sex done within EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER of every story that I've done.

Now I originally had this chapter split into multiple ones, but I then realized that I was going to be making this story a lot longer than what it needed be in the amount of chapters that I had planned. Thus, this one is a merged into one chapter~

Ciao for now~