Thought for Food

by AstralMouse

Sharing thoughts

Wake up. You're dying. Run!

Ambassador was startled awake, coughing. His eyes stung. His throat burned. Panic gripped him as he saw no obvious sign of danger in his burrow. Something was killing him, and he had no enemy to fight. He rolled off of the shallow bowl-shaped organic structure he used as a bed. Flight instincts took over as he crawled slowly toward the sealed exit of his lair. The more he exerted himself and the harder he breathed, the worse it became. In desperation, he fired a green bolt of energy at the thin layer of dried mucus sealing the entry, and used a powerful telekinetic shove to propel himself through the hole it created.

And then he could breathe again. Sweet fresh air filled his lungs and he coughed violently into the cold night. He felt as if he was on the verge of losing consciousness as his head swam and his vision refused to focus. Fortunately, he slowly recovered. Panic melted away, leaving a creeping dread in its wake. What happened? Was he attacked? Who would have sent assassins after him? And why did they use such ineffective toxic gas? And why did it smell so strongly of paint? Surely they could have... wait.

Standing, he approached his burrow entrance cautiously, just in case his suspicion was wrong. He sniffed lightly at the air flowing from inside, and could smell the paint he had used to repaint his sign just before going to sleep. Taking a deep breath, he held it and walked into his den. He quickly found the can of paint in his storage corner and, using his mouth, carried it outside, releasing the held breath and spitting out the carrying handle of the paint can. The stars provided plenty of light for him to read the myriad warnings on the side. Most of them were about how dangerous the fumes were without proper ventilation. I am the biggest grub ever, he thought.

He went inside again, this time collecting his sign, and brought it out. The paint was still wet, and would need most of the night to dry. His internal clock was quite accurate, and he knew it was still early. Luckily, it was a cloudless night, and he could leave the sign outside without much worry of rain. The protruding nails glinted in the soft light as he turned it around, inspecting it. Because there wasn't enough space to write more, he had needed to remove the sign from its post, flip it around, and nail it back on. Presently, it looked like it could serve as an effective spiked club with how many nails he had driven through it. The wet letters had dripped some, but it was all still legible.

LET'S
BE
FRIENDS

Ambassador smiled, glad he had been able to fit the last word on there. He'd just had to write a little smaller before reaching the edge. It was sure to earn him some status among ponies now. He had taken the advice of the great Twilight Sparkle, after all.

A thought struck him. His burrow wouldn't be safe to sleep in tonight. And changelings did not do so well in the cold of night. He had nowhere safe to sleep. Going to Ponyville seemed like his best option. Even if he didn't know any ponies well enough to go knocking on their doors in the middle of the night, he figured he could curl up under a house, or find an empty building for shelter. Then again, while he didn't know of any ponies, he did know of one changeling he could ask to stay with. Ocellus!

Excited, he grabbed the sign and took off at a brisk trot toward town. It was still early enough that she might not even be asleep yet. Not that that was an issue for changelings anyway as they could communicate to each other via the hive mind while asleep. So, even if she couldn't help him, he wouldn't be bothering her.

The walk to town was unpleasant for Ambassador. Changelings did not handle cold very well. He wasn't in any danger of freezing or losing any body parts, but his wings kept shivering under his elytra, jostling the sign around that he had leaned against them. He stayed positive, however, by thinking of King Thorax and how pleased he would be once Ambassador had an office. The thought even put a happy bounce into his step as he approached Ponyville.

As Ambassador made his way toward the school, he found that the streets weren't completely abandoned yet. One stallion was struggling to fit an overly large bag into a trash can, muttering frustrated obscenities at it. An elderly mare sat in a rocking chair just outside her front door, idly puffing on a pipe. It was serene but not desolate, carrying just enough of a spark of life to make the town feel like a home. He considered Twilight's suggestion to find a house here. While pony structures seemed overly rectangular and angled to the point of seeming uncomfortable, he felt a budding desire to try living in one. If he was going to get serious about relating to ponies, perhaps it was a good idea to live their lifestyle. He was confident he could, too. Many of his hivemates had spent years doing just that, after all. They were infiltrators living in disguise of course, but they had certainly adapted well enough.

Soon enough, the School of Friendship came into view, its dark form limned against the starry sky. Using his innate hive mind connection, Ambassador sent out a series of thoughts in a quick telepathic burst toward the large building. Panic. Danger. Home. Toxic. Unsafe. Cold. Need. Warmth. Shelter. He instantly got a reply, as several emotions and simple ideas flashed in his mind.

Reassurance. Offer. Sleep. Chamber. Building. Side. Door. Locked. Wait. Ambassador smiled. That had been Ocellus! And she was offering him a warm place to sleep! He just had to find the side entrance and wait for her to open it. He sent her a pulse of confirmation and appreciation, then sought the door she had meant. The school had many doors, but since her idea had come to him with an impression of its location and what it looked like, he had no trouble finding it and waited patiently just outside. It wasn't long before he heard a soft click as the door creaked open, revealing a happy pastel blue face.

"Hi!" Ocellus said with excitement, even broadcasting some of it to him directly.

Ambassador returned the gesture, sending her relief and gratitude as he replied. "Hi, Ocellus! Thank you so much." She nodded and stepped back, pulling the door open to let him inside.

As he stepped over the threshold into the school, he felt as if he were entering another world. He was completely surrounded by pony architecture. Flat surfaces ended abruptly in edges and corners. Every wall and object seemed to be made of rectangles and squares. Everything had angles. Almost nothing had the natural, curving shape of the tunnels of the hive. He realized he had stopped moving. He was frozen in place, and his legs were iron posts, heavy and immobile. Then a warm and soothing blanket of comfort settled over him and he recognized that it was coming from Ocellus.

She giggled softly, resting a hoof on him in reassurance. "This is your first time inside a pony building, isn't it?" she asked gently. He somehow found the willpower to nod, a stiff and awkward gesture. Ocellus continued. "I know that feeling. It's so different from the hive. I actually practiced before coming here, myself. If you're anything like me, you'll get used to it pretty quickly. But until then, I have an idea. Try closing your eyes and thinking of the hive, and I'll help guide you to my room. It's not far. Here, I'll carry this."

Ambassador nodded again as Ocellus took his sign. Picturing the comforting curves of the hive tunnels, he closed his eyes. The younger changeling fed him a steady stream of reassurance and mnemonic directions, making him feel as if he had walked through the same hallway hundreds of times himself and was simply remembering how to navigate it. He took several confident steps and smiled at the small victory. Then a few more steps. Even without his vision, the steps felt familiar. Whenever anxiety bubbled up within him, he focused on the comforting thought of home, keeping his eyes tightly shut. Sooner than he expected, they were at her room. As Ocellus opened the door, Ambassador strode inside under her guiding thoughts.

"Okay," Ocellus said, "you can open them now."

As he opened his eyes, he took in his surroundings with a sense of wonder. Most of the corners and edges of the room had been filled in or covered by organic changeling glue or decorative paper, giving the small area a much more homey feel. It still had a lot more flat surfaces than he was used to, but it no longer evoked dread and a feeling of being trapped. He let out a relieved sigh, most of his anxiety going with it.

"Ta-da!" Ocellus said with a small flourish and proud grin. "They told us we could decorate our rooms however we wanted, so I made mine feel a bit more like home. What do you think?"

"It's nice," Ambassador said. "Much better than it was out there, at least." He indicated the door with a hoof and shuddered slightly. "That was strange, though. I knew pony structures were weird, but I didn't expect it to affect me like that. I couldn't even move."

Ocellus nodded knowingly. "Not everyling reacts that strongly, but it's really common. I'm not sure why. Anyway, I remember you from the hive," she said, flashing him a mental impression that served as his hive mind identity. "What are you doing here in Ponyville?"

"King Thorax sent me as an ambassador," he replied. "I'm here to officially represent us here in Ponyville!"

She widened her eyes and smiled, pleased. "Wow, that's great! You have no idea how many funny looks I still get and how many times I hear the same questions," she said, her smile fading. "'So are you, like, a bug?' Ugh. I'd be happy to never hear that one again."

Ambassador nodded. "I got plenty of questions like that earlier today. For that one, I just kept saying 'yes, but the friendly kind'."

Ocellus smiled and glanced down at the sign she had carried into her room, which was presently lying on her bed. "So, what's the sign for?" she asked. Ambassador's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh no!" he said frantically. "You gotta get that thing out of here! It almost killed me!"

"W-what?" Ocellus said.

"Yeah, the paint fumes are dangerous!"

Ocellus relaxed and giggled, confusing Ambassador. "It's fine. There's plenty of circulation in here. But if it makes you feel better, I could put it outside," she said. He nodded frantically. "Okay, no problem." She took the sign to a glass door that slid open onto a small outdoor balcony and leaned it against the wall. He sighed in relief. Then he did a double take at the door.

"Wait," he said as she returned, "that door goes outside. Couldn't I have just come in that way?"

"Well... yeah, but we're not supposed to let anyone in that way. Nocreature else really obeys that rule, but I kind of... do."

Ambassador gave her a flat stare. "So, I had to walk through this scary place with my eyes closed because you didn't want to break a rule that everyone else breaks?" he asked.

"I just... want to make a good impression. Especially with how ponies still view us. A lot of them think we're still evil," she said, sullen.

"Says the one who is lying about how we feed just to get head pets," he said with a glare.

"Wha- How did- I can- I mean... please don't tell anyone," she sputtered.

"Well, I told Twilight today when I met her. She's planning on talking to you about it."

Ocellus buried her face in her hooves. "Oh, no. I... I can explain. It, um... feels... really nice? I mean, the first pony who fed me did it wrong and pet my head and I just really liked it. Then he told another pony how he did it, and I didn't correct him, and, well..." She sighed, looking down at the floor. "Oh, Hive. Professor Applejack is not going to be happy. But you're right, I shouldn't have done that."

Ambassador sent her his forgiveness directly as he approached her and pulled her into a hug. "How ponies here in Ponyville view all changelings will depend on the impressions we give them. No more lying or tricking, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. But you still shouldn't be asking me to break rules for convenience."

"Ehehe," he tittered. "Fair enough." After a silent moment, the two ended the hug. Ambassador continued. "Were you asleep when I got here?"

"Yeah," she said, "but I had only just started sleeping when you did." She yawned, as if on cue.

"Well, we should probably get some sleep. I have to see Mayor Mare tomorrow morning," he said just before yawning himself.

"Well, my bed isn't big enough for both of us, but I can give you a blanket to sleep on," she said, hopping up on her bed and offering him a green blanket that almost matched his chitin. He took it and nodded gratefully.

"Thanks. So, you sleep on the bed? And you don't feel exposed?" Ambassador asked. Ocellus shook her head. "Well, if it's okay with you, I'll take that spot," he said, pointing a hoof at the space under the bed. "It looks nice and cozy."

Ocellus giggled, understanding. "Sure. I slept under there a few times myself when I first arrived," she said.

Ambassador smiled and wrapped himself up in the blanket, forming a warm cocoon of wool around his body. He made his way toward the bed, inching along like a grub, then wriggled into the comforting enclosed space. It was a tight fit and made him feel very secure, despite the flatness of the floor and odd angles of the underside of the bed. With his eyes closed, it was almost like resting in a wall niche in the hive.

"Good night, Ocellus," he said.

"Good night," she replied.

Soon, the two were fast asleep. Even after falling asleep, however, they continued to converse through the hive mind, getting to know each other better and sharing memories. Ocellus filled him in on a lot of pony culture and general information about her teachers. He was surprised when he learned that Twilight Sparkle was a princess, and that she was closely tied to the other princesses. Befriending her was a bigger success than he had realized. Ocellus also shared her fears of pony architecture and how she overcame them. As the night went on, he felt more and more comfortable being inside the school. By morning, the two were close friends.

Ocellus awoke at the exact same time she did every day to prepare for school. Ambassador woke up with her, knowing it was time for him to get his day started as well. He slithered out from under her bed and shed his warm blanket, almost feeling like a new changeling. After a bit of grooming and brushing, he was ready to go. He hugged Ocellus and they said their friendly goodbyes. He walked out to the balcony and collected his sign, raising his elytra to fly off. Then he stopped and thought better of it, heading back into the room.

"Forget something?" Ocellus asked.

"No, I just want to try leaving the way I came in," he replied.

"Oh. Well, you don't have to. The rule is only for entering through a balcony, not leaving."

Ambassador nodded, remembering that she had shared that last night. "I just want to try going through the building myself. I have to learn some time, right?" He forced a smile.

"Right," she said with a friendly confident smile that told him that she believed in him.

"A-anyway, no more delays. See you around, Ocellus," he said, opening her door and stepping through it.

"See you, good luck!" she called after him.

Then the door was closed behind him. He felt the same fear that had caught him off-guard the night before, threatening to overwhelm him. But a new part of him felt comfortable and at ease here. It was home, where friends lived and learned. The many memories Ocellus had shared made it feel as if she were there with him in his mind, seeing the odd angles and unnatural constructs as familiar. He took a deep breath and did his best to let those thoughts take over. His first steps were tentative, but his confidence quickly grew. Along the hall, down the stairs, sharp left, then first door on the left. And just like that, he was outside again.

"Hey, you new?" came a familiar voice. Ambassador turned to see who had said it.

"Oh, hi Gallus," he said automatically. He had never met the blue griffon in front of him, but Ocellus' memories were still so fresh in his mind, he actually felt a bit of excitement to see a close friend.

"Do I know you?" Gallus asked suspiciously.

"No. I just came to see Ocellus and she told me about you," Ambassador said, not wanting to go into complex detail about just how she had told him. The griffon nodded, accepting his explanation as he continued. "I'm new in Ponyville, yeah, but not going to the school. My name's Ambassador, and I'm here to represent changelings here in Ponyville."

"Ah. So you're here to keep ponies from getting the wrong idea about you guys? Public relations and all that?" the griffon asked. Ambassador nodded with a friendly smile and Gallus smiled back before continuing. "I kind of wish griffons would do that. You won't believe how many ponies assume I'm a jerk just because I'm a griffon."

"Well, yesterday I got asked several times if I'm evil, so I think I know what you mean," Ambassador said.

"Yeah, I guess you do. I'd try to change their minds myself, but I'm way too busy here at school. And speaking of busy, I really gotta get to class. Nice meeting you," Gallus said with a wave. Ambassador waved after him.

His next destination was the Ponyville town hall. He realized he had forgotten the directions that Twilight had given him. But he didn't need them anyway. Thanks to Ocellus, he knew how to find it, and realized that he had seen it a couple times himself. He walked toward the center of town. Before long, the oddly round bulding was in sight, looking nearly as out of place as him.

Ambassador approached the main doors and opened them, stepping inside. The cold dread of being indoors settled over him, but he was able to fight it this time, even keeping his smile in place. He silently thanked Ocellus as he approached a desk with an elderly mare sitting behind it, smiling pleasantly at him. Her wavy mane was a two-tone gray and her coat was a mild tan color. He could sense from her a deep desire to be helpful with an undertone of mild anxiety.

"Hello there. How can I help you?" she asked, her tone warm but professional.

"Mayor Mare, right?" he asked. She nodded. "My name is Ambassador. And yes, I am also an ambassador. King Thorax sent me to represent the reformed changeling hive here in Ponyville. After talking to Ambassador Pinkie Pie and Princess Twilight Sparkle, I learned that I should get an office here for official ambassador... things. So, I hear that you can help me with that?" He waited anxiously for her reply, hoping he had made a good impression.

"Yes, of course I can help. Just a moment." Mayor Mare got up from her seat and walked back to a line of filing cabinets. She opened a few of their drawers, collecting papers, and was soon back at her desk. She sorted through the papers and slid two of them over to Ambassador. "So, there is an office available that I can rent out to you. If it's going to become an embassy, however, you will have to talk to Twilight, since she handles foreign affairs. But for now, just fill out these papers and we can go from there."

Ambassador nodded and looked at the forms. Many of the questions looked difficult or impossible to answer for him. Home address? Birth date? ID number? Seeing his confusion, Mayor mare spoke again. "Is everything alright? Do you need help?" He nodded again. "I suppose it was designed for ponies to fill out. That's fine, we'll figure it out."

The mare invited him to her side of the desk and pulled over a second chair for him to sit at. It turned out the questions didn't need to be answered very accurately, and some could be skipped entirely until later. With her help, he soon had the two forms filled in and ready to be submitted.

"Okay," she said, "we'll just need a few days to do inspections and such before you can start getting moved in. We should also see about getting you an address. Are you looking for a house here in Ponyville as well?"

Ambassador thought for a moment and nodded. He wanted to try living like a pony. The mayor collected more papers and helped him fill them out too.

"Now, normally I would need to tell you about costs, but since you are an ambassador from a land that doesn't use currency, the princesses will likely cover all of your expenses. I'll need to talk to Twilight about it, so just make sure to send her my way when you get the chance. Sound good?"

"Yeah! I can't wait!" Ambassador said cheerfully.

"Now, there is one more matter I should address," she said, her demeanor becoming more serious. He could feel her anxiety from earlier returning. "Yesterday, I got a couple of complaints about a changeling begging in the market. Were they referring to you?"

Ambassador felt icy fear run through his body, and he suddenly felt very unsafe. Like any small mistake could cost him everything. He was terrified of telling her the truth, but he knew lying would only be worse. He simply nodded, unable to say more.

"I see," she said. "Well, while the ones who reported you will remain anonymous, I will say that they are known for embellishing and can be rather overdramatic. You seem very nice, so I would like to hear about what happened from you before I decide whether or not to take any action."

Action? Oh no. He was tense and slightly quivering as he tried to think of where to even start. Seemingly sensing his worry, the mayor offered a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, take your time," she said.

He took several calming breaths and started from the beginning, including any details he felt were important. She simply nodded along and listened to him calmly. By the time he was finished, she was smiling.

"Okay, Ambassador," she said, "I see no problem here. While we do have laws against begging in a disruptive manner, it sounds like there was no malice intended by you, and that ponies actually enjoyed meeting and feeding you. The witnesses who reported you to me probably never even took the time to approach you. I'll even officially give you permission, as mayor, to continue using that same area to meet ponies. Just as long as it doesn't become disruptive, which I highly doubt will happen with a sweetie like you." If changelings could blush, he would have been as red as a lobster.

"Thank you so much, Mayor Mare!" he said happily.

"So I'm interested in this... feeding? You mentioned that it's unpleasant, but the ponies that fed you weren't all that bothered by it?" she asked curiously.

He nodded eagerly. "Oh yeah, it's uncomfortable but it doesn't hurt. And I'm careful not to overdrain them."

"May I try it?" she asked.

"Sure, just touch my horn whenever you're ready, then think happy thoughts. Be careful though, it's sharp," he said, tilting his head down toward her.

She smiled at his concern and reached a hoof out to touch his horn. As she did, she could feel the sensation he had meant. It certainly was uncomfortable, but far from the worst feeling she had felt. Mayor Mare let her mind drift to her most memorable moments. She thought of her late husband and their beautiful and happy wedding. She remembered caring for him during his final days. How, even through what must have been tremendous pain, he still smiled every time he saw her. She recalled when he told her not to give up on her duties as mayor when he was gone, and to continue to do what she loved and find happiness. She thought he would have been proud of her now. Then Ambassador pulled away.

He looked uneasy, as if worried for the mare. "Thank you, Mayor Mare. I have to ask, are you okay?"

The mare was unsteady, needing a bit more time than most to recover in her old age, but she was soon feeling good enough to answer him. "Ah. Sorry, I suppose those weren't the happiest memories, were they? But they're my favorite. Did you, uh... enjoy it?" she asked.

"It was some of the best love I've ever had, but also some of the worst pain. It was... intense. I still liked it, though, and I'm very grateful for it," he said.

The mayor nodded, smiling. "That's good to hear. If you ever want to do that again, I'd be happy to help. I'll try to think of happier things next time, I suppose."

Ambassador smiled warmly. "Thank you, I appreciate the offer. For now, I think I'll get back to the market, if that's okay with you," he said.

"Of course, dear," said the elderly mare. "If anypony gives you trouble, you know where to find me."

He nodded and with a wave, he was off and out the door.

The trot to the market was pleasant. Some ponies waved at him in recognition and he waved back, feeling very welcome among them. He thought of how impossible the idea sounded before the hive's reformation. A changeling walking undisguised among ponies without being driven out of town? It used to be unthinkable. Yet here he was, living proof that it could work. Chrysalis had been wrong. She had been wrong about many things, it seemed. He used to believe in her, because to doubt her was severely punished.

As Ambassador planted his new sign in the familiar location, ponies were already gathering around him. Some were faces he recognized, but most were new. Together they formed a veritable storm of curiosity, mentally prodding at him like a hundred testing hoof pokes. Before long, he was making new friends and making ponies eager to learn more about changelings. One encounter especially stuck out to him.

A pale yellow mare approached him late in the morning, her red, pink-accented mane bobbing up and down. He recognized her as one of the mares running a nearby flower stand that he had passed by several times. He could sense annoyance and resolve over an undercurrent of fear. Ambassador spoke as she stopped in front of him, nose slightly upturned.

"Hi, I'm Ambassador! What's your na-"

"Roseluck, and I know what you are," she said, cutting him off abruptly. "Whatever your evil plan is, take it somewhere else. You're scaring away our customers."

"But... I haven't really felt much fear at all today. Actually, yours has been the strongest so far," he said.

Roseluck scoffed. "Why, you little... insect! Get out of here before I report you to the mayor!"

"Oh! Do you mean Mayor Mare? I talked to her earlier. She told me I can use this spot," he said with a smile, hoping that would convince this mare that he was no threat. Unfortunately, it only seemed to make her more angry.

"There is no way some stupid, evil bug like you is allowed to beg for food here in our market," she said with a sneer.

"Hey! Leave him alone, Rose," came the voice of a stallion. Ambassador recognized him as Caramel, a pony who had fed him the day before.

"Yeah, he's been nothing but nice to us," said a mare. This one was a pegasus named Cloudkicker that he had met and befriended that same morning.

Other ponies gathered around, expressing their disapproval of the florist. Ambassador felt an outpouring of sympathy and outrage from the crowd. Roseluck looked around nervously, then snarled in frustration. "That's it!" she shouted. "I'm going to the mayor right now and settling this." She galloped off before anyone could respond.

Cloudkicker trotted up to the changeling and rested a comforting hoof on his back. "Hey, don't worry about her. We say you're welcome here." Several heads nodded in agreement, and he smiled his thanks.

Ambassador made several new friends as the morning passed into early afternoon. Some familiar faces fed him. His energy reserves, drained as they were from the crazy night before, were still not full again.

He stiffened as he saw Roseluck returning, fearing the worst. She had her head down, however, and he could feel shame and regret radiating from her. She came to a halt in front of him, and he chose to let her speak first.

"Hey, Ambassador," she said in a low tone, "I came to apologize. I talked to Mayor Mare, and she told me all about you. I didn't realize you were an ambassador. I just saw you there yesterday and I assumed you were just some... vagrant begging near our flower stand. And when I saw you back today, I just got angry. I really should have talked to you first. Will you forgive me?"

Ambassador couldn't have hidden his smile if he wanted to. He nodded to her, enjoying seeing her brighten up at that. "Of course I forgive you, Roseluck," he said and pointed at his sign. "Would you like to be friends?"

She smiled and her eyes became a little misty as she nodded eagerly. "I'd like that," she said, blinking away the tears that were threatening to come. She took a calming breath and continued. "Also, the mayor recommended I try... feeding you. She said it would help us understand each other." Her discomfort would have been plain even if he weren't able to feel it directly.

"It's up to you, but if you would like to, just touch my horn and think happy thoughts. When you touch it, it will feel uncomfortable, but that's just how feeding works. I won't harm you," he said gently.

Roseluck nodded. "Yeah, I think I want to try it."

Ambassador tilted his head down to her. "Okay, just touch my horn when you're ready. And be careful, it's sharp."

The florist reached a hoof up tentatively, part of her still scared of this odd creature. When her hoof made contact with his horn, she felt like it was boring a hole into her very mind. She pulled away in surprise, but steeled herself and tried again. This time, she kept her hoof pressed against the side of the sharp green horn. She did as he had said and thought happy thoughts. She thought of her family. Her dear brother and sister in Hoofington, her loving parents in Manehattan, and her pet goldfish, Petal. She thought of her two closest friends and business partners, Daisy and Lily. Selling flowers with them still felt just as fulfilling as it had years ago when they first started.

Ambassador pulled his head back, smiling. Roseluck had plenty of love inside her, but it was still mixed with a tinge of fear of him. He hoped to eventually change that in all of the ponies here in Ponyville. "Thank you, Roseluck. That was pleasant," he said as the mare recovered.

"I... I'm glad you liked it," she said, blinking away the fog in her mind. After a moment, she was feeling fine again. "I'll tell my friends we were wrong about you. They'll listen to me. Speaking of, I should actually get back to the flower stand. It's actually been... very nice meeting you, Ambassador."

He smiled and nodded. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Roseluck. I look forward to meeting your friends too!" He waved as she turned to leave.

The rest of the day was filled with interactions. He made many friends (including Daisy and Lily) and by the end, he felt like he had met half of the town. The ponies loved meeting with him and asking questions about him and the hive. After a few feedings, he found himself full again, and had to decline offers afterward. There was a noticeable difference in the overall attitude he felt from passersby from his first day. As word about him spread, there was much less fear and uncertainty, and much more pleasant delight and curiosity.

Once the sun began to sink below the horizon and the sky grew dark, Ambassador prepared to go home for the night. The paint fumes would be clear by now, and his home safe to sleep in. He plucked the sign up and sighed in contentment. As a changeling, he would never get a cutie mark like ponies, but he felt that he had found his true calling here in Ponyville.

Comments

[Vaguely Demented]

Pretty high on the list of slightly embarrassing ways to die.

[Ergoan]

so mayor mare is old in your story?

[AstralMouse]

9366200
Maybe not Granny Smith old but yeah, in the show she was about the same age as or older than Applejack's parents.

[TheClassyLeviathan]

Two chapters right now? Tonight of all nights? It's a christmas miracle!

media.giphy.com/media/5hIJUt1GLRs3e/giphy.gif

[tsaukpaetra]

Scootaloo:" what would an ambassador Cutie Mark even look like?"

[Scyphi]

9366301
Like Ambassador. The changeling. Just a picture of his smiling mug on your butt for all time and eternity!

[Tranquil Serenity]

Interesting the way you portrayed Changelings able to communicate simple thoughts, and then more in-depth (due to closer proximity, I guess?). It seems like they don't dream, but 'talk in their sleep' to others?

That's actually what I kinda thought was going on at the start when he was panicking - dreaming about the times under Chrysalis. Unexpected that it was actually something in the present moment.

"Everyling." Clever.

I will say that they are known for embellishing and can be rather overdramatic.

At first I thought of Spoiled Rich, but then...

The witnesses who reported you to me probably never even took the time to approach you.

Ohhhh. Yeah it's probably those "The horror! The horror!" ponies.

[Adam Jensen]

That's an awesome ability, to share thoughts and knowledge like that.

>Would you like to download the "Ponyville etiquette pack"?
>Yes

[Sozmioi]

Hmm. Given that last encounter, I wonder if the Mayor leaned on her to go through with it.