Why am I doing this? Diamond Tiara thought, the sounds of the marketplace being muted as she turned down an alley, following her prey. I know I’ve had stupid plans in the past that didn’t work out - but this... this takes the cake.

Up ahead the one she was following turned a corner, not wanting to lose him, she took the bend herself. Do I have a death wish? I shouldn’t be following a changeling through dark alleys and byways. Wait... Noticing that she was alone in the alley, she took in the sparse trash that littered the ground, the small pile of metal the lay at the bottom of a wall, and a dirty bed almost directly across from it leaning against some trash cans.

A prickling sensation went down Diamond’s spine as a morbid sensation filled her. She was not alone.

“You know, if it makes you this unsettled, why follow me through alleys?”

Diamond whipped her head, trying to find the source, the recently brought to light information making it all the more unsettling.

“Uh, up here.” amusement could be heard dripping from his voice.

The filly, embarrassed and made a fool, finally saw her prey again, perched on a pole sticking out of the wall. “W-well, I overheard my daddy say that there might be a changeling in the area, and I thought that you might like to know.”

A grin made its way across Moonfire’s face, the filly’s heart racing as it spread. Wow, he looks- wow...

Diamond watched as the colt came down from his perch, all the while thinking. Wait... why do I feel this way about him? He’s a changeling. But.... (My heart’s beating this way because he smiled at me. He gave me a true, genuine smile.) No, he’s a changeling, this is exactly what he wants. (But why would a changeling go through so much trouble just to stay here of all towns? Why bring up his past to anypony? Why let anypony know exactly what he is?)... Why is he waving his hoof in front of my face? Ugh, he still has that smug grin as well.

Blushing a little, Diamond said, “Uh, w-what did you say?”

“I said, I thought you didn’t care this much for me, considering what happened when we met,” the colt said.

“Well, it was that and I was wondering if you would like to go with me to Sugar Cube Corner...” Diamond trailed off, the color on her cheeks becoming a deeper red.

“Okay.”

... It was that easy? it’s never that easy. “R-really?”

“Yeah, I don’t have anything to do at the moment. Besides, I like hanging out with you,” Moonfire said over his shoulder, walking towards the sweets shop.

Following behind, Diamond slowly caught up and trotted beside the colt. Like her body, her mind slowly caught up to the present. I just- me- I just asked him to go on a date with me.... What’s happening to me? Is this some sort of changeling magic? (Nope, you do like Moonfire!~) Are my feelings true? (They are.) A-am I answering myself?... I-is this just me noticing him trying to control me? (Honey, if he were trying to control you you wouldn’t think that at all. I am you. The parts you’ve denied a voice ever since you threw them away.) W-what? (I have been locked deep within your mind. But now... now you won’t get rid of me as easily.)

“Uh, Diamond?”

Pulled from her thoughts, she said, “Yeah?”

The colt she had been following smirked again, “What would you like?”

Glancing around confirmed that they were in Sugar Cube Corner in front of the counter. Great, because of you I didn’t notice that we had gotten here. (Guilty as charged!) “I’ll have a strawberry-banana milkshake.”

Great, now there’s rumors about a changeling here. Well, at least it isn’t two ‘lings that they’re talking about. Moonfire took another sip of his milkshake, taking stock of the emotions around him. Love flowed through the air, twisting around the booth they were sitting in, twining and mixing with a swirl of other emotions. Hurt and suspicion mingling with everything, a veritable medley of emotions swarming around a single filly. Diving past Diamond’s inner turmoil, he found the set of emotions he attributed to the little dragon, Spike, bouncing by on top of his wonder-filled caretaker, Twilight Sparkle on the other side of the wall beside him. Focusing, he turned his senses clockwise, noting all of the different islands of emotions and slowly putting names and faces to all of them.

“Um...” Shaken from his surveillance, Moonfire focused on Diamond again. A blush was growing on her cheeks. “I-I was wondering- my dad’s going to Canterlot next week and.... W-well, Silver Spoon is grounded for some reason....”

Moonfire tilted his head a little as she glanced up at him, her blush growing before she looked back into her drink. Canterlot...?

“W-well you are m-my only other friend... a-and my dad said I could bring somepony....” Moonfire’s eyes widened, a plan for the visit already forming in his mind. I could take her to that one cafe, maybe the theatre.... A smile made its way across his features as he took another sip of his milkshake.

Diamond glanced up at him again, annoyance evident in her frown, “What’s so amusing?”

“Nothing, I’m just thinking about what sights I can show you,” Moonfire said.

Diamond blushed a bit more, "Just be at the train station at eight o'clock Saturday!"

With that she turned and trotted out the door, Moonfire once again lost in his thoughts about the coming week.

Author's Note

Well, this chapter certainly took a long time to come out! I had a huge block of obsidian writer's block when it came to this chapter and it still isn't how I would like it.... Oh well, part of why I'm writing in the first place is to get better. If you see any inconsistensies or grammatical mistakes, please point them out.

I don't have any ideas for the next chapter, though I'll do my best to get it out before another month passes.