Screams of terror.
Gasps of horror.
Stares of wariness.
Murmurs of panic.
"Is that... Is that what I think it is...?!"
"What is that thing carrying it...?"
"Should we get Princess Twilight...?"
"Hide your children!"
But the stranger, evidently burdened with the weight he carried in his gentle arms, ignored the exaggerate fear emanating across the typically serene town, determined to reach his location without further delay. The black equine resting in the man's arms shrunk back at the waves of panic and distress aimed directly to the strangers walking through their precious town. Pure dark body, transparent blue wings and azure eyes, visible fangs and unnatural holes place within its limbs and missing chunks of its horn. The Changeling looked comically coddled in the arms of the moving human.
By contrast to the Changeling he carried, the short human with dark brown hair and facial hair, blue jeans with a black shirt adjusted to tiny vertical white stripes, weary hazel eyes behind regular-sized glasses, strode on without complaint. The man looked tired, his back leaning forward as the weight of the reviled creature he held testing his upper body strength.
Ponies left and right backed away, in fear and revulsion equally. Many fled to their homes, justifiably so, and pulled curious colts and fillies back from sparing even a glance at the known and unknown creatures passing through the streets. The man spared them no glance, instead looking back to the nervous blue orbs with a soft, reassuring smile. Around them, the residential equines continued to scream and and flee in stubborn horror.
"Could that tall creature be a Changeling too?"
"What are they doing here?"
"We should get inside. Let Twilight and the others take care of this!"
"You'll be alright." The man murmured quietly, keeping the frightened Changeling close to his chest in a protective stance. The youthful blue-green eyes illuminated in resolve, looking back up with a tired grin, revealing disorganized buck teeth. "Ah... We're here."
As ponies near the bakery scrambled in all direction to their approach, in either loud or silent fear, the man reached the doors and, with a grunt, shoved them open with his shoulder, making certain the Changeling wouldn't bump his head in the process. Ponies inside immediately backed away to the corners of the store in fright, even when the man gently put the black creature by a table and approached the male Earth Pony gawking in horror and recognition to the Changeling.
Jack smiled at the reaction and asked with in joking weariness, "We'll have whatever you'd recommend."
"Stay back you vile thing!"
He was scared.
"Back! Back I say!"
He was alone.
"I'm warning you...!"
And he was hungry. So, so hungry. And the love these two ponies expressed for each other before he unintentionally showed himself was too much. The Changeling snarled by instinct, approaching the terrified equines in the middle of the woods, his urges demanding his hunger be sated with their powerful shared emotion.
Take it... Take all the love...
That was what he wanted...
He grinned hungrily, getting much closer to the couple who backed themselves to a tree. Their love was his for the taking.
It was what he wan-
No... No!
Clenching his teeth, the conflicted Changeling tightly closed his eyes and writhed his head around in torment. This was not what he wanted! He was different! He didn't want to take love. He wanted... He wanted...
To share it...!
The sound of clopping hoofs alerted him back to the fleeing couple. They were escaping. The Changeling willed himself not to give chanse, feeling his insides tearing itself asunder. He needed to eat... He had to!
But not like this!
Not like... Them...
"Rarely I feel sorry for Changelings but... Christ..."
He snapped his head, regarding the unknown creature staring down at him in vague pain. It was getting too much... The hunger was driving him insane! The two-legged thing, as the Changeling had yet to determine as a friend or foe, removed his hands from his pockets and regarded the writhing insect with... Pity? Sympathy?
What happened next wasn't anything he expected.
"You poor thing." Sincere regret in the tall creature's tone, and he felt two limbs wrap around his torso and neck, the Changeling too drained to protest... Though that exhausted state, alongside the pain, thankfully alleviated from the sudden warm emotions broadcasting right to his face. The Changeling snapped its head upwards in shock, hungrily drinking in the affection this other creature radiated for...
For him...?
The two-legged being with glasses only smiled at the hungry Changeling, not seeming affected at all by this. It was ludicrous. "Take as much as you need, my friend. I don't have to worry about your magic hurting me." The Changeling obliged, happily so, relieved his hunger wasn't seeming to hurt the other creature filled with compassion. Kindness he wasn't honestly expecting of anyone, given his... Nature.
The pain, bit by bit, disappeared. The hunger evaporated, sated by the empathy this two-legged being provided. The Changeling never felt so relieved in his entire life... Nor grateful for the sanctuary of another creature.
"Better?" He nodded, prompting the being holding him like one would a child to grin brightly. "Great! I hate to see someone starve, even if they are a Changeling. What you do is in your nature. I can't fault you for that." The Changeling blinked, disbelieving of the warmth and... Sheer compassion this creature was emanating towards him. "Do you have a name?"
"Tho... Thorax..." He mumbled, suddenly finding himself rather shy and avoiding the mirthful gaze.
The creature's breath hitched, Thorax sensing pure shock at such. Did it... He think Changelings didn't have their own individual identities? Then, the two-legged being in clothing grinned, more bright than ever. "Well what are the chances...?"
"...What...?"
"This was probably your doing, old pony..." The creature muttered in bemusement, before clearing his throat and stating casually. "Ever tried pony food, Thorax? I've got just the place in mind, friend."
'Friend...' Thorax rather liked the sound of that.
"But, that's...!"
Rainbow Dash mistook Twilight's surprise for something else entirely. "I know right? Is that Changeling eating cupcakes? I didn't know they could eat them!"
"Ooh! Do you think all Changelings like cupcakes?" Pinkie grinned at the very prospect.
The Princess, blinking rapidly, pointed to the other creature sitting beside the consuming Changeling enjoying his own sweets. "No, I mean, that's a human eating with the Changeling!"
The rest of her friends gasped collectively, all six having just entered into Sugarcube Corner after hearing news of 'another Changeling invasion.' The man in question smirked at the loud proclamation, taking another bite of the brownie and inquiring to Thorax, "Enjoying yourself?"
"Mm-hm!" The Changeling nodded enthusiastically, gleeful expression and mouth filled with food. "Thif if goof!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full, Thorax."
A loud gulp. "Sorry. This is good!"
"And don't swallow large food at once. You're gonna choke yourself."
"...Yer sure that's a human, Twi?" Applejack narrowed her eyes skeptically. "What's one doin' outside of his world, hangin' out with a Changelin' of all things?!"
"I'm positive." Twilight nodded, stepping forward first towards the table cautiously. "Excuse me, that Changeling you're eating with is extremely dangerous." Thorax whirled his head at the statement, joyful azure eyes suddenly changing to shock and terror at the familiar eight of six certain ponies who defied his Queen long back. It was Jack's sudden grip that stopped the Changeling from bolting upwards and attempting to flee.
"They won't hurt you." He said determinedly, glancing at the six equines with a sudden hardened glint to his eyes. Twilight just noticed how small they were and how big the nose was in comparison to the other humans in Sunset's world. "I promise."
As Thorax looked between them and the vowing man, slowly sitting back down, it was Rarity who inquired disbelievingly. "Pardon me good sir, but you're not seriously protecting that vile creature, are you?"
"Yeah!" Rainbow added rather angrily. "Do you have any idea what it is? What its Queen tried to do with our friends? With Twilight's brother and step-sister?!" The others nodded in agreement, even Fluttershy with a skeptic disposition.
"Oh, I do." The simple statement threw them off-guard, and Jack called out to Carrot Top by the counter. "More soda please! Thorax, you want any?" The Changeling nodded eagerly. "Make that two, thanks!"
"...Yet yer sittin' right here, defendin' it." Applejack commented flatly.
"Yep... And 'it's' a 'he,' thank you Applejack."
"But... Why?" Fluttershy asked softly.
"Because he's done nothing wrong."
"Darling... I think this human isn't feeling well." Rarity whispered to the alicorn's ears.
Violet eyes stayed fixed on the two mismatched creatures dining together, brow furrowed as though attempting to solve a complex puzzle. Meanwhile, one of the two owners walked towards them and carefully placed their bottles down, a shaky grin present on his muzzle. "Here you go, enjoy yourselves gentlecolts..."
"What is happening right now...?" Rainbow muttered sourly as Carrot retreated back to the kitchen in breathtaking speed.
"You're protecting a Changeling." Twilight pointed out simply.
Jack shrugged, looking towards the mares with an obvious look. "Tell me, is one responsible for the actions of his kind?"
Rainbow sputtered in disbelief. "He's a Changeling! No doubt he was there when Chrysalis attacked Canterlot."
"Yet he didn't want to fight." The short human stated it as though it were fact, popping another delicious brownie to his mouth, taking a moment to chew and savour the taste. "Could do with more cocoa..."
"You can't know that." Applejack stepped forward beside Twilight, looking visibly irritated by the nonplussed attitude the man displayed. "He's a Changeling! He's dangerous-!"
"Are all ponies the same?"
"This is different! You can't-!"
"Well someone has to show them kindness!" The girls blinked at the sudden snapped tone, two palms slamming on the table's surface. Rising from his seat, hazel eyes blazed in sheer anger, and Twilight felt a chill at such raw emotion present through his face and bare teeth. "If not you! If not the Princess of Friendship! It fell to a dragon to show your kind that not all Changelings are love-obsessed monsters!"
Twilight flinched at the unhidden jab. Rainbow glared. "Look pal-!"
"Is it not in pony nature to forgive? To love, to tolerate?" He sounded rather scornful, rolling his eyes and twisting his mouth in repulsion. "I get enough prejudice from my own people, thank you very much. I don't need it from your kind as well."
They gulped at the unbridled anger building up from the man, Fluttershy attempting to appease the situation. "We're just trying to understand. The Changelings threatened us, long ago... We don't mean to say we wouldn't give them a chance if it was possible..."
"...You're not ready." Jack shook his head, fishing through his pockets and slamming golden bits onto the table and offering the stunned Thorax a hand up. "Far from it. You still have Tirek to deal with and all that... Come on Thorax, I know when we need to go next." The Changeling looked put-out, inciting the human's amused small grin. "Don't worry, I know a lovely ice cream palour where we're going." And that lifted the smaller creature's spirits.
"Thanks for the food!" Thorax then called out to the nervous owners, inciting more stares of shock, especially from the Mane Six.
Twilight frowned, obviously missing something. Yet as the two swerved past the cautious mares, the Princess, with all the loaded questions and more filling her mind, found herself calling out only one, "Why? Despite knowing what the Changelings did, why would you give him a chance?"
Pausing from the doorway, Jack turned and met the Princess's stare equally, and behind those glasses, Twilight say a glimmer of pain and weariness. "I've spent enough of my life to know there is no living without kindness. And I'll be damned if anyone goes through what I have."