//------------------------------// // Shade Through Town // Story: The Tale of Saving Grace // by Cold Spike //------------------------------// Night Shade entered the town proper, the woods were connected to Ponyville Public Park. He stood there and stared at the various fillies and colts playing. I don't get it... His thoughts were interrupted when a ball landed near him, panicking he tried to remember what Grace would do in this type of situation, after ten seconds his mind drew a blank. She had admitted to him that in her travels through Ponyville, she tried to avoid talking or meeting children, but now his hoof was being forced ( or in the case of his disguise, hers was ). The ball landed and gently rolled until hitting his hoof. A pink colored filly from the group ran up and stared at him, or what she assumed was just another filly. "Hi!" "...Uh, hi?" His voice sounding almost too meek, he hated that his voice changed with the disguise to a more feminine sounding one, but the way he just talked was pathetic in his own opinion. "Wanna play with us?" The pink earth pony squealed, he noticed that introductions were already thrown out the window. Was it this easy to just meet other ponies? There was however one problem, she mentioned something about playing which was NOT part of the deal. Grace never mentioned anything about playing or how to do it. He sighed and shook his head, the filly in question shrugged and then grabbed the ball and left him standing. The only time they would ever play would be card games or talking about her inventions, still he wouldn't let this get him down. He had a whole town to explore! Well...With a few exceptions, before he left Grace had informed him to stay away from Twilight and Fluttershy just to make sure that no suspicions would arise later. "But where do I go now?" He tried to think like Grace but that was clearly not going anywhere, he loved his friend like a sister but he only knew of her antics at the campsite and not how to act like her in the town. However, he did know that she was pretty much welcome anywhere, she had shared her tales with him from day to day and in the end each and every adult in the town would always welcome her into their homes or business's. That he decided he could use to his advantage. Walking deeper into town, he spotted ponies going about their daily routines. Some even waved which he returned with a smile, if this was hanging out with ponies he decides that it was something he would love to do again. He wanted to take it to the next level, and make friends but it was at that point that he sighed profoundly. They would not be his new friends, they would be Grace's old friends and as much fun as it would be it was still not what he wanted. He then debated on whether or not to try and make friends with some fillies or colts again or try some of the places that she had been to before. He sighed and decided on a third option, wandering around aimlessly. He walked in the direction of Town Hall, not caring where he was going to end up. "This is harder than I thought it would be, I just wish I had my own form! Grr...." He stopped talking when he noticed a group of fillies walking by him, one in particular seemed to catch his eye. True he had only ever felt love for Grace before but this felt like a separate kind of love, it didn't make sense to him, but he liked that feeling. Forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be impersonating a filly, he started to follow them. The one he was particularly watching was a pure white colored unicorn, her mane fluttering in the breeze. He was focusing so much that his disguise almost faltered, but he forced his concentration to stay up. One of them turned around and noticed him ( or to them her ). "Huh? Uh..." An orange colored pegasus stopped the other two and motioned for them to turn around. Night Shade for all he was worth froze on the spot. "Can we help you?" The little unicorn asked which snapped him back into reality with a full blown force. He began to panic and breath heavily, and then without warning he darted away to hide in an alley, the fillies did not follow. What the hay was that about? His thoughts lingering on things he would rather not believe. I can't even make friends with a filly? What is wrong with me?! His first idea was to rationalize it, he concluded that he was nervous, well extremely nervous. But was there something else? He definitely felt embarrassment but that was before they spoke and noticed him, not after. Well sure after but it was there through out, but why? As a changeling he had often prided himself on knowing exactly what emotion Grace was feeling, whenever they did anything. But now he suddenly could not figure out his own emotion or worse yet, emotions? It made no sense and yet... That girl...She was pretty! Were changelings supposed to feel love towards another species? He didn't care that much for the answer, he was trying to become part of pony society so why not? He would feed on love, naturally from Grace and friendship and many other emotions. But to give love? He sighed. I just want to make friends! This bites! He debated on whether or not to head home or keep at it, unfortunately his mind was made up for him. "Hey!" The unicorn from before had trotted up to him, only with her friends. "How come you ran away? Also, were you um, watching me?" The unicorn tilted her head to the side and waited. Without thinking he stammered out his answer. "Yeah, I'm sorry you're just real pretty and-" "Thanks! I like you're mane and those eyes, there so...Green?" He already knew of his mistake, he was in a filly form and two fillies could not fall in love, could they? Regardless of that answer, he was acting as Grace and whatever they said would not matter later on. He was not Night Shade to her, when he said she was cute she probably thought she was complimenting her from filly to filly and not in any way some type of love interest. Also to make matters worse, he just realized that his eyes could not change and were not Grace's color. Perhaps if he was a skilled changeling like the queen, he could manage that but his eyes light up the darkness bright as a sunny day, the filly did not seem to mind. "Uh, thanks? My name is N- Saving Grace." "I'm Sweetie Belle! So did you want to play with us? We were crusading for our Cutie Marks and even though you still got one, maybe you could help out?" Could he? He had no issues with that but should he? That was slightly more complicated. No matter how much they 'bonded' and no matter how much fun they had that day, it would still be her fun and not his. Still, at least it was something! "Sure! Let's go find your friends!" Sweetie Belle nodded and they left the dank corridor, they found them as Sweetie Belle explained what happened. "Uhh, okay you can help us. Ah'm Apple Bloom!" "Scootaloo, what's you're special talent anyway?" He decided to go with a half-truth, Grace had told him about these and even though he had less issues with lying than she did, it still made him a bit sad. "I'm good at construction, sometimes with machines and once I helped make a whole campsite!" He stated proudly, at least the last part was true, Grace designed it while he did the grunt work. "Cool! Then you can help us make our super slingshot! See we were going to use it so I could try and get my mark in stunts, if this works I can sling my scooter at near supersonic speeds!" Scootaloo was grinning but her friends seemed less than convinced, Night Shade was just plain confused. "Uh, Scootaloo I really doubt you can go supersonic with a giant sling shot..." Sweetie Belle trailed off, Apple Bloom just shrugged and agreed. "Well I can't fly yet! How am I supposed to do it then?" "Wait, were you just trying to get a cutie mark for yourself? I thought you said this would get each of us one!" Sweetie Belle stomped her hoof down, obviously upset over her friend’s deceit. Scootaloo blushed. "Well, I thought after I got such a cool mark that I could use that to help you both?" It was more of a question and Night Shade could tell that she was not even sure of herself, all three of them sighed together. "Well that idea's out, plus I don't think we have enough wood or any of this stuff anyway...Unless Saving Grace has any ideas?" Night Shade thought about for a while but sighed and shook his head. "Well thanks anyway, see ya!" The three said in union and walked off leaving him in the dust. "What a jip! Grr this place..." He wanted to scream to the heavens but decided it was best to just leave for the campsite, thankfully he showed up uninterrupted. "You’re back! How'd it go?" He turned back into his form and grunted. "It was weird! Also how come my eyes won't change color?" "Hmm, I guess that is a tougher skill? So just tell me what happened, please?" And so he began his tale from the park to Sweetie Belle and their 'falling out'. "So wait...You fell in love?" Grace wanted to laugh at him, but it was a bit too shocking considering the circumstances. "What? No! I just thought she was cute!" He protested, at this she chuckled. "Okay, we need to clarify a few things. First off, had you been seen as Night Shade or at least a colt, she would have thought you were trying to ask her on a date or something. But since it was my body, she probably just thought you were another filly complimenting her mane so no big deal. As for your day, well what do you think went wrong?" She challenged while he groaned. He hated it when she got that way. "I don't know! And changelings can't fall in love!" "Oh can't they? You said she was cute, and you said that you felt weird around her? Not sure if that's love myself, but it sure sounds like it, I think it's cute!" Another groan and a roll of his eyes later, he began to gather up his thoughts. "I think, what went wrong- Well a lot of things but mainly the problem is that I have to be you out there and not me..." She nodded. "Right, I'm glad you at least got to see the town but I think it would be best if we just try and make you a new form, okay?" "But what if that never happens?!" "...Then, I promise I will try and find somepony who wouldn't mind meeting a changeling. I'm sure someone out there wouldn't mind." "Fine, next time you go into Ponyville can you promise me to look for someone like that?" He grinned causing her to chuckle. "How can I say no to that face?"