My head is pounding. There's an ache in my back and along my spine. What happened? I can't remember. Where's the hive? The queen? I can't hear them!
Alarmed, I stand up quickly. Bad idea. With my vision swimming and feeling light-headed, I sit down heavily, looking around for anything familiar. There isn't a single thing around me that looks familiar, not even the leaves of the trees above me. And I can't ask the hive where I am, not like I used to whenever I got lost as a hatchling. This time, there isn't somepony I can ask. It's just me.
I wait for my light-headedness to pass, then stand, slower this time. This forest is far too quiet. Glancing up, I spot a rather ragged opening in the branches. It looks like something fell through pretty hard. My back twinges with pain, and I look back up. Maybe the thing that made that hole in the tree branches was me? Flapping my wings, I fly through and out above the trees. Hovering there, I look around for any idea as to where I am. On the horizon in the west, I can see several trails of smoke. Maybe a town? Ponies to impersonate and something to eat?
My stomach rumbles in anticipation of a meal, but I don't know what I'm going to do without the hive behind me, telling me the safest and most efficient way to harvest the love of the ponies I encounter. Shaking my head, I recall tales of other changelings that left behind their hive, and still lived a full life, eating up love and all. If they could do it, so can I!
Taking a deep breath through my nose, I head off for the edge of the woods closer to the edge of the town, to watch, observe, and impersonate.
There aren't many buildings here, but just the right amount of ponies to make this a rightful town. Quite a few ponies seem to be brimming with love. It feels like this place had never seen a changeling before, much less any hardships. A lucky find, for me. My hunger is getting close to dangerous, and I'm pretty sure the last time I ate, which was at Canterlot, was a few weeks ago. Which means Queen Chrysalis and the other changelings have been gone for just as long.
My stomach demands my attention once again, and I hiss at it quietly. The two passing ponies startle, but just coin off the sound to their imaginations and keep walking. The love radiating from them makes my stomach protest against my stealth. It's starting to make my stomach hurt, this lack of a meal....
Sneaking along the path, I try to leech off the love hanging around in the air, licking my teeth, watching the ponies as they walk along, chatting happily. Watching them, I can't help but notice something other than my stomach complaining. In my chest, somewhere near my ribs, I feel a sort of ache. It isn't normal, so I just ignore it for now. All I need is some love.
"I still don't understand why you had me come with you, Midday Glow. You can find a changeling all on your own!"
Startled, I back away from the bushes that mark the edge of the forest and the path around the town. An orange unicorn is walking towards me, a blue and gray dappled pegasus next to him. Once I see them, I instantly know that they will fill my belly today. It's an ignored love between the two, but it's potent enough for me to much on.
"It's because that was what you did under---"
"Midday! Shush! What if somepony can hear us?!"
The words are slightly muted to me as I siphon off the excess love, but it's already made me curious. Under who? Did he work for someone who hunted down changelings? Wait, these are all my thoughts? Oooooh, I like this! Wait, what did he say?
"--and they'll have already found one. That's why I need you here. If anyone wants to pick a fight with you now that they know about your 'secret', we can tell them what Celestia told us to. Okay?" The unicorn stops and looks at the station next to him. "Dapple? What is it?"
The Pegasus is staring at my hiding spot. "I feel like there's a changeling nearby feeding on somepony's love somewhere...."
I snap out of the feeding haze and start backing up. The hive never told me what to do when you get caught by somepony! Back off or hide in some other pony's skin? Fly or hide and hope he'll go away? My legs are shaking a little as I instinctively back into the woods.
"Hmm.... Never mind. It's gone now. Let's keep an ear out over here, though, okay?"
"You know best when it comes to changelings, Dapple. I'll put a warning spell on the area. Let's check the other places now."
Shaking even more, now, I turn and flee into the concealing woods.