Reason hurried through the streets, dodging out of the way of several ponies that crossed her path. She was on her way to get what food she could with the few bits she possessed.
She always felt dirty and sick wearing the fur and horn of a normal unicorn pony. To a random passerby, she was a thin gray unicorn, about fifteen, with a dirty black mane and tail. To another child of Chrysalis, however, she was a bug. A monster. A parasite.
Her stomach growled. She tried her best to ignore her hunger. It felt so terrible to treat love, one of the most pure emotions a creature could feel, as nothing more than a food source. A tool. So she tried to avoid eating love whenever she could, and simply eat food like a pony. But no matter how much and how often she ate, she was still hungry for love. And she hated it.
She was so busy staring at the ground and trying to avoid eye contact that she bumped into another mare. They both fell, Reason's pouch falling out of her mouth. She scrabbled at the cement sidewalk trying to get up and collect her money; stealing from changelings was a sport among ponies, and though the young girl she'd bumped into had no reason to think she was one, you could never be too careful.
"I'm sorry, let me help you with that."
Reason looked up to see the girl putting her spilled bits into her pouch and handing it to her. She stared at the girl. This was the first chance she had to really look at her, and she was rather pretty. Yellow coat, pale blue mane and tail. She was a unicorn, though that was to be expected in Canterlot.
"Isn't this yours?" She was smiling. At her. It made Reason guilty to think the girl was only being nice because she thought she was a pony.
Reason took her pouch in her green telekinesis, mumbling a word of thanks. She walked off at a slightly faster pace.
"Hey, wait!"
She turned back to see the mare waving to her. "What's your name?"
Reason stared for a second, slightly dumbfounded. She wasn't used to ponies randomly asking her what her name was.
"Oh, um, Reason. My name's Reason."
"I'm Lemony Gem. Reason's a nice name." Lemony Gem. A beautiful name for such a pure creature. A gem, indeed.
"Guess you really are a gem." Reason smiled weakly. "Get it?"
Lemony burst out laughing. Reason tilted her head to the side. Making jokes like that usually got her in trouble with her siblings.
"Oh...oh, sorry. I have a weakness for bad puns and the like." Lemony wiped her eyes. "Anyway, do you want to come with me if you aren't busy?"
"Come where?" Reason's stomach growled again. She blushed. Now is not the time, hunger.
"To the changeling rights rally near the palace. Me and a few friends are campaigning for basic rights for changelings. It isn't fair that they're treated this way. They're ponies, too!" Reason was taken aback by the passion in her voice and the fire in her eyes.
"Not many ponies feel that way."
"I know! And that's why we plan to change that. It's so cruel the way ponies treat them now!" Lemony Gem tugged at Reason's hoof. "So, are you coming?"
Reason was rooted to the spot. On the one hoof, maybe she would help some. She really did want to help Lemony. She was her first friend. On the other hoof, if she didn't get back soon with the groceries, she would have Tartarus to pay.
Oh, screw it.
"Sure, I'll come."
"Great!" Lemony tugged Reason along through the crowds until they got to the palace. Reason had to stop and stare at the beautiful structure. It was a wonder, all marble and gold and amethyst stones, like the castles in the fairy tale books she got to read on occasion.
"Equestria to Reason." Reason jumped.
"You've never seen the castle before?" Lemony Gem wore a funny look.
Reason began to sweat. "I've seen it before from a distance, just never up close like this. It's beautiful."
Lemony stared at the castle with a savage look. "Yeah, it's pretty on the outside. But on the inside are despicable lawmakers working against creatures that only wanted to survive. Like poison worms in a poison apple."
She continued to tug Reason along until they were right at the gates. A few ponies were shouting and hoisting signs, many of which said Changelings Need Love Too!
A frazzled-looking representative of the government stood on a soap box trying to calm the protesters down, saying that the lawmakers were aware of the protests and were working hard on creating a system where all creatures could live happily.
"Liar!" Lemony shouted. "You're just saying that so we'll back off!"
Shouts of agreement followed her words.
"Enough!"
The crowd silenced as they recognized the pony speaking to be Princess Luna. Her dark blue wings were spread in fury. Her spectral mane looked like the moon and stars. Reason was speechless.
"My sister and the lawmakers - as well as myself - are working on a solution to the problems changelings currently face in society. I assure you we have everypony's best interests at heart. Now leave, all of you, before I send the guards to clear you out."
The protesters left, grumbling, the signs they held falling to the ground to be trampled by the masses. Lemony looked to Reason and shrugged. She didn't seem upset.
"We got definite answers from a Princess. I think we made progress." She nuzzled Reason on the neck, skipping off. "Hope to see you tomorrow!" She called behind her.
Reason stood, dumbstruck. Did she...just nuzzle me?
Luna walked up next to Reason. "You're a changeling, if I'm not mistaken."
Reason was too lost in her heart-racing trance to be surprised or panicked. "W-what was that?"
"I said that I think you're a changeling. Your guises don't hold up under a simple spell."
"N-no, Princess, that wasn't what I meant."
Luna thought for a moment. "Oh, that. I do believe that's called flirting."
Two Months Later
Reason and Lemony Gem sat on the stone wall that bordered the palace gardens. They were beautiful at night, with the lilacs and various night-blooming flowers aglow in the moonlight. It was here that Reason had brought Lemony to tell her her secret.
They had been together for two months, and they already loved each other so much that Reason could feel the love emanating from them, and her stomach ached from hunger whenever they hugged. They had met when Lemony was going to a changeling rights rally...she wouldn't judge her...
"Reason?" Lemony asked quietly, her voice sounding abnormally loud in the near-silent gardens. "You said you had something to tell me."
Reason took a deep breath. Quickly, before she had the chance to change her mind, she changed to her original form of a pony-sized, bug-like creature, with holes in her legs and pupil-less eyes. Lemony gasped.
"I'm a changeling." She stared at the ground.
"But...I didn't feel tired, or drained while I was around you..." Lemony gasped again, this time putting her hooves over her mouth. "Are you saying you haven't eaten for two months?!" She looked more surprised that Reason hadn't eaten for so long than that Reason was a changeling.
Reason morphed back into her pony form. "I didn't want to hurt you. I can survive on pony food." She lied.
Lemony's expression changed from surprised and worried to determined. She got off the stone bench and stood in front of the hungry Reason. "I don't care that you're a changeling. I don't care if you feeding might hurt. I love you, Reason, and I don't want to see you starve. Go ahead and feed."
"But-"
"No buts!"
Reason sighed. Despite how much she hated to admit it, it was getting harder for her to walk to and from the market and her secret meet-ups with Lemony Gem. Her stomach growled louder and more often with each passing day. Her horn was screaming at her to take Lemony up on her offer. She didn't want to, but she was just so hungry...
"Alright."
Reason closed her eyes and felt the green magic rush into her horn. She held it there for a moment. This was her chance to stop. She could survive a few more days...But the look in Lemony's eyes settled it.
She delved into Lemony's heart and head, fishing out memories and feelings from when they were together. She siphoned away more and more, the taste was so seductive and sweet. She could taste it in her mouth, somewhat salty. It felt so good to feed after so, so long...
"Reason."
Her eyes flew open. Lemony was half-laying on the ground, her eyes fighting to stay open. She looked tired, so tired. She wanted Reason to stop, but at the same time she loved her too much. Reason stopped the spell and rushed toward her.
"Lemon, Lemon, can you stand up? We'll get you some water, you'll be okay, I promise." Reason helped Lemony Gem up, guiding her over to the water fountain. All the while she scolded herself. She could keep herself alive with normal food and not taste love for the rest of her life. She shouldn't have given in to her cravings. Now she had gone and nearly killed Lemony.
Lemon supported herself with the water fountain, and using her telekinesis, downed some water. Her breaths were hollow and ragged. "Reason, I'm okay. I'll be okay." She stood up, a little wobbly, but alright, to prove her point. "See? You don't have to beat yourself up."
Reason walked slowly over to where they were sitting before, laying down on the cold stone. Now that the adrenaline had mostly faded away, she noticed she had taken too much, with two telltale symptoms of a love high. Stomachache, and feeling a bit swirly in the head. Changelings were taught the symptoms from an early age in order to tell if they were having too much. They could only afford to take little bits from each victim in order to avoid dozens ending up like Lemony just had.
Lemony made her way over to where Reason was, sitting down near her. "Hey, Reason. It's okay. I'd rather be a little tired than let you starve. When you were feeding, I saw your face. You were smiling. Happy." She scooted a little closer.
Reason continued laying down, letting the night breeze cool her warm face. "Are you sure you'll be okay? The whole reason I didn't feed for so long was because I didn't want to hurt anypony."
"I'm fine. Yeah, I have a tiny headache, but an asprin'll take care of that." Lemony Gem pulled Reason up and into a hug. Reason leaned against her, her stomach really starting to hurt.
"The funny thing is, I came away from that with more harm. I feel sick." Reason let out a soft moan.
Lemony laughed a little, holding Reason closer. "You know, I'd be happy to let you feed again if you do get hungry."
Reason's eyes began to close. "Thanks, Lemony."
The night grew darker as minutes passed, Lemony stroking Reason's mane. But the two lovers didn't care that the leaves rustled and the owls hooted and the things that went bump in the night came out around them.
Because as the two continued to embrace, and as they both began to fall asleep, they both realized that over the two months they were together, their relationship had taught them something.
When love and fear face off, love always wins.
