The Things I'd Never Do

        Rose Aphid stood huddling under a lamppost at noon on Hearth’s Warming day. If she had been an ordinary Pegasus filly, she would have been home with her family, drinking hot chocolate by the fire. But she was no ordinary Pegasus. Rose Aphid had no home, her “Family” had abandoned her, and said “Family” certainly didn't drink hot chocolate, by the fire or otherwise. Rose wasn't actually even a Pegasus, but rather a Changeling.

        Rose was a young female Changeling, who had been seen unfit to rule the Changeling hives. She was therefore deemed useless to the hives, and had been banished.

        She had spent about a year wandering Equestria aimlessly, on the brink of starvation, with only enough energy left for one shape-shift. She used it to disguise as a snow-white Pegasus filly and gained access to the capital city of Canterlot.

        Upon entering the city though, Rose was no better off than she was before. She was only able to survive by the kindness of Pony Joe, a local doughnut shop owner who had given her some money, and an apron to keep her warm.

        That was the equivalent of one day ago, and Rose was still in Canterlot.

        Suddenly, Rose heard laughter; she turned around, and saw two ponies walking by. They were obviously a couple out for a walk in the serene silence of Hearth’s Warming day. The fresh, perfect snow was very romantic.

        Rose waited for them to reach her. When they did, she opened her mouth, and a slight wisp of acid-green aura emanated off of the couple, and into her mouth. The couple didn’t notice it, or her, but their loving gazes did seem to dim down a bit as they walked by.

        The tiny changeling hated having to feed on love. Knowing that your own survival depended on hurting someone else wasn't a pleasant thought. If Rose ever lost control of her hunger, and completely drained anypony of their love…

No! Rose thought, my survival isn't worth anypony’s life, if it comes to that, I’ll just have to starve.

        Rose stood up, and started walking. She didn't know why she bothered moving, there probably wouldn't be anypony else out for a while. Maybe I’ll go see the royal palace, to see if it really is as magnificent as they say in the stories. The tiny changeling thought.

       Keeping Joe’s apron wrapped around her, Rose walked down the streets to the heart of the city. There in front of her, with its graceful spires extending up into the clouds was Celestia’s palace.

        Rose stared up in wonder. If only I could go inside,I’m getting a bit sick of the cold. She thought.

        Rose was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of the gates opening. She hid in a nearby bush, but continued watching through the branches of the dead, snow-covered shrub.

        Three alicorns walked through the gate. The tallest of the three was pure white (about the same color as Rose's disguise, but not splatter with mud) with a mane and tail of different colors that were constantly shifting. The second tallest of the three was a dark shade of blue. Her mane and tail appeared to be made of a starry night sky. The shortest and most plain of the three had a coat, mane, and tail of lavender.

        Upon seeing the third alicorn,though, Rose felt something that she was strange to her.

Hatred.

        Hatred was something that she only felt for one person in the entire world, her mother. Of course, Rose barely remembered said mother, other than that she had been a changeling queen.

        But this was a different kind of hatred, not a hatred gained by experience. Rose had no only heard of the other two; Celestia, and Luna, through stories, and had no idea who the third one was. No, the hatred the tiny changeling felt for this plain lavender alicorn was more like an instinct.

        Anyway, whatever it was, it was a completely new feeling for Rose. And, admittedly she was curious.

        "Thank you for coming to visit Ms. Sparkle." The white alicorn spoke

        "Yes," the blue one continued, "are you sure you have to leave so early?"

         "Sorry Princess Luna," the purple one replied "I'd like to get back to Ponyvile to see my friends for Hearth's warming day."                       We shall just have to do this again sometime soon." The white alicorn spoke again.

        "Maybe we could see about inviting Cadence and Shining Armor next time." The shortest of the three said enthusiastically.

         With that, the Mysterious lavender alicorn flew away, and the other two walked back into the castle.

         Rose exited the bush and began walking away from the castle, contemplating her next course of action. The changeling filly's curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she wanted to know more about these feelings she had for the purple alicorn. But on the other hand, something had been keeping her in the city, and she didn't know what it was.

Actually, she amended, as she stopped in front of a closed-for-the-holiday doughnut shop I do.

        Rose Aphid didn't know what she gravitated back towards this shop, or what she still expected from Pony Joe. Joe had saved her life in several ways with one act of kindness, and he had made it very clear that he wouldn't be doing her anymore favors. And Rose knew that it wasn't fair for her to expect anymore from him.

       Rose made up her mind. She knew that she had to get out of the city as soon as possible. The ponies of Canterlot had a special prejudice against changelings, Joe's sympathy had been a mere stroke of luck.

I guess I'm going to ponyvile, Rose thought. I hope that train station I saw on my way to the city is open on Hearth's Warming day.