//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Changeling 
// Story: Prelude and Encore: A Tale of Friendship, Betrayal, and Forgiveness 
// by WritingDragonfly 
//------------------------------//

	With the sun setting behind him, Spike continued to walk towards the same bench he went to yesterday.

"I hope she actually shows..."

When the bench finally came into view, he saw a pastel-yellow and pink pony sitting on it. Spike smiled. "Looks like she listened."

As he got close, the pony spoke up. "U...um... Hello... Spike."

"You even have the acting better today. Good job!"

The pony looked at him confused. "Um... Acting?"

Spike did a double take. "W...wait. You're actually Fluttershy?"

She gave him a concerned look. "Who else would I be?"

Spike thought for a moment. "Just to make sure, what attacked the town when Trixie was here?"

Her face quickly grew red. "E...eh... Um..."

Spike pointed a finger at her. "Gotcha. Though, like I said, much better today."

"U...um... thanks." Chrysalis forced a smile. "I've been observing everypony around here..."

Spike smiled back. "Cool. I've been doing a little bit of research of my own."

Chrysalis rose an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I read the book that I mentioned yesterday. At least, the relevant part." He sighed. "I definitely wouldn't have been as friendly yesterday if I had already read that stuff before."

Chrysalis looked at the dragon inquisitively. "I figured the descriptions would be vilifying, but I'm curious. Just how bad were they?"

Spike looked at her and shook his head slowly.

She cringed. "That bad, huh?"

Spike nodded. "Not only that, but a lot of information seemed missing. For example... there was almost nothing about the monarchs." Chrysalis gave a sidelong glance, but Spike continued, unaware. "The book made it clear that they were different from normal Changelings, even in origin, but it wasn't very clear on how."

"I wish I was ignorant as you about that, baby dragon."

Spike looked at her, confused. "What?"

Chrysalis shook her head vigorously. "N...nevermind, baby dragon."

Spike's eyebrows lowered. "Okay... By the way, why do you keep calling me that?"

"Hm?"

"Baby dragon. Why do you keep on calling me that? It's kind of annoying..."

"B...but it's true. You're a baby dragon."

Spike pouted. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I appreciate being called one. It feels insulting."

"O...oh... Well then... I...." Chrysalis suddenly looked away, confused. "That's odd..."

The dragon couldn't help but grow concerned. "What's up?"

"I... feel like there was something I should have said... but I can't remember what it was..." She looked at Spike pleadingly. "Something that makes it better when you say or do something wrong."

Spike rose an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

Chrysalis lit up. "That's right!" Her expression suddenly grew solemn once again. "Has it really effected me that much...?"

"If you're not gonna stop it with the weird talking-to-yourself stuff, I'm gonna get suspicious."

"O...oh. I guess you would."

Spike gave a concerned look. "Okay. Let's change topics. Why did you come here in the first place?"

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "After reading about changelings, you couldn't figure that one out?"

"Jeez, I was just trying to make a conversation." Spike shrugged.

"I have many subjects. Not all of them can quite feed themselves. I personally have to take responsibility for the well-being of every single one of them."

"That's... a pretty hefty responsibility..."

"I'm kind of like a maternal figure to my subjects. So, to answer your question: I was gathering love for them."

"Oh." He thought for a moment. "So, did you figure out who I like?"

"Um... What?" Chrysalis looked confused.

"Well. You clearly thought I liked somepony I that I don't from yesterday's little performance. I was wondering if, in your 'observations,' you picked up on who I liked."

"No... at least I don't think so..."

"Ah! Okay." Spike smiled. "That'll be a little challenge for you for tomorrow."

Chrysalis looked a little annoyed. "Do you play these kinds of games with all of your friends?"

"Nope!"

Chrysalis sighed. "That cheeky smile of yours is starting to irritate me, baby dragon."

Spike looked at her with mock concern. "I would apologize, but it's not big enough a deal for me to care."

"Oh, you little..." Chrysalis seemed truly enraged.

Spike quickly backed away. "Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Learn to take a joke, why don't you?"

Chrysalis looked surprised. "Oh... I'm sorry..." She looked away. "It's hard for me to control my emotions, is all..."

Spike looked at her suspiciously. "Really? I mean, that just sounds like a cop-out to me."

"No, no, no." Chrysalis shook her head. "There's a very real reason why it's hard for me. But..." She looked away. "I'm not sure I want to tell you exactly why..."

Spike sighed. "Alright." He looked around, lost in thought. "Let me ask something else, then. Kind of related."

Chrysalis looked at him. "What's that?"

"I read in the book that Changelings have the ability to sense emotions. Is that true?"

Chrysalis suddenly smiled. "Yes. Very much so."

"Good, I got her to cheer up a bit," Spike thought to himself, a slight smile on his face.

"Changelings can sense all types of emotions. Obviously, they can sense love; they kind of need to be able to. But we can sense happiness, anger, sadness... we can even sense certain types of thoughts, like distrust and deceit."

"Whoa." He was impressed. "I guess changelings can act kind of like a lie detector test."

"In a way." She frowned. "But the way certain emotions are sensed by us changelings can be kind of detrimental."

Spike tilted his head. "Such as?"

"For example, sadness. Whenever a changeling senses sadness, they grow nauseous."

"Nauseous, huh?" Spike looked down thinking. Then he suddenly snapped his fingers and looked up. "That's right! That was something I really wanted to ask!"

"What is it, baby dragon?"

"There you go with the 'baby dragon' thing again." Spike smiled. "I was wondering if changelings can still eat normally, despite their standard food source being love."

Chrysalis looked up thoughtfully. "Well, yes, but our stomachs are fairly small, and our taste buds are kind of weird. I have personally not eaten anything that I've thought tasted good."

"That kinda stinks."

Chrysalis looked at him with a slightly devious-looking smile. "Maybe for you, baby dragon, but I don't know what I'm missing, so I don't care."

Spike thought for a moment. "I guess that's true..."

Chrysalis looked triumphant.

"But you really do not know what you're missing."

Chrysalis sighed. "It's almost exhausting talking to you, you know that?"

Spike looked up at the sky. The sun had fully set. "Oh!" He jumped of the bench. "Twilight's gonna kill me..."

Chrysalis grinned. "Are you later than you should have been?"

"Y...yes!" Spike looked at Chrysalis. "Tomorrow, same place, same time, right?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Yes, baby dragon."

"Then see ya!" He ran off into the distance.

Chrysalis smiled to herself after he was out of sight. "It may be a bit exhausting... but talking to him is kind of fun."