Not too far off Ponyville in a forest was a lone hooded traveler; with a cloak covering his entire body. Said traveler stopped when near Ponyville and hid in the nearby woods. He found a puddle and looked at himself. There he took off his cloak and revealed the changeling underneath. He stared into his reflection.

He looked like a monster.

Here he was, a changeling, and if he was going to get into Ponyville and have a fresh start. Away from the views of his kind who took love but were filled with hate, who immediately turned on him in one moment after everything he'd done for them; all because he brought up two possibilities. Peace. Peace and friendship. Nopony had ever accepted his idea. And, he could see part of why his kind had thought that. They did look like what ponies would consider monsters, and they fed off of ponies love to survive. That was the main thing that separated the two; means of survival. But nopony ever said it would be easy to introduce change. And when he introduced the idea of ponies giving their love willingly to the queen, she laughed in his face. That was when he decided to leave. However, he knew that this wouldn't be the end of it. A changeling was not to leave the hive under any circumstances unless permission was received from the queen. Once he left the hive, he was a fugitive, to both changelings and ponies.

Now he was here, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't change into a pony he'd seen, what if the one he was imitating happened to come along, his cover would be blown. No matter how far away they lived, or how unlikely it would be, he didn't like to gamble. He also couldn't change into an original pony, that was too advanced for a changeling such as himself, only the queen herself could do that, and even for her it was difficult. He didn't know what to do. He then got an idea. He was still advanced in his abilities compared to other changelings, maybe there was a loophole; if he could turn into something himself, he could combine aspects from ponies he'd seen over his years of service. He changed into a white Pegasus, this was how many of those royal guards looked. Now for the hard part; he then made himself less built giving him the shape of a regular Pegasus, and changed his coat to dark indigo, with a messy black mane and tail. He struggled, but he finally got it down. Now all that was left was a cutie mark. He thought for a moment, and then finally decided. He cringed for a couple of seconds, then a storm cloud appeared on his flank. As soon as he stopped panting, he started looking on to Ponyville.

He started wondering if Ponyville was the best place to start. He would eventually reveals himself to his friends, if he made any, and while he would hear that Ponyville was one of the friendliest places in Equestria, it was also home to princess Twilight, who had a hatred of his kind, as it was changelings who almost took over her home city, as well as nearly killing her beloved mentor, whom she appeared to think of as a second mother. Even the Princess of Friendship had something she didn't like. It was annoying that he one of the few things that one (and maybe more) of the Princesses didn't like as well as a bit dangerous.

He started to walk over to the town, with some bits he had to steal, he was ashamed that he had to, but he couldn't live on the streets if he was to make any friends. He didn't know where to go, but he supposed he could ask somepony. He saw a pink earth pony with a frizzy mane and tail happily walking along. He recognized her as one of the "Elements of Harmony" in Canterlot. His wings started to flap, but then he stopped himself, changelings usually traveled by wing, even if it was just hovering above the ground, they were more used to that than walking, he supposed he should get more used to that. He walked over to the mare.

"Hello, my name is Shadowflight, could you show me where I could buy a house?" he asked, giving his best pony voice. She gasped and ran off. He just stared on in confusion. He tried someone else, who pointed him to a house that said "for sale". He looked at the address on the sign and walked off to find the estate house.

A tired purple alicorn had just got back from flight practice with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow sure didn't cut any slack, Twilight thought. But she did need it. After all, what good are wings if one doesn't use them? She then saw Spike come in eating a gem that he probably got from Rarity, when he started to look as if he was going to throw up.

"Oh no... not now... I just ate-" He spewed up a note labelled "Urgency". She opened it while Spike got some water and read it.

"Dear Twilight,

I fear that a changeling has left their hive. For the most part, my guards are able to see these changelings before they leave the hive and stop them before they absorb anyponies love then lead them back to where they came from. However, we have lost track of this one. We do not know where it is or what it wants. I cannot inform another invasion and I have already informed Cadence and Shining armour. Please, Twilight, be on alert

Sincerely, Princess Celestia"

Twilight closed the note. Her first instinct was to go to the Crystal Empire and see if Cadence and her brother were okay. After all, they had both suffered greatly at the hooves of a changeling and nearly lost each other. But Twilight knew that she had to tell her friends and make sure they were aware and alert. It was a good thing that she still remembered that spell which could break through a changeling's disguise. Just then a pink blur shot in through her door.

"OHMYGOSHTWILIGHTTHERE'SANEWPONYINTOWNIHAVEDOPLANAPARTYFORHIMANDGETSOMECAKEANDSTREAMERSANDINVITEEVERYPONY-"

"Pinkie, Listen to me!" Twilight grabbed her hyperactive friend with her magic "There's a changeling loose somewhere in Equestria and I need you to be on high alert!"

"Aye aye, princess!" Pinkie saluted and ran off. Twilight was a bit interested in this new pony. The changelings could be anywhere, and anypony and after just hearing from Celestia, she should he wary. But she wouldn't just assume that the changeling was here; it might not even be in Ponyville to begin with. And even if it was, then it it could have already taken the place of somepony in town, and not a new pony. Regardless, if the changeling was here, she WOULD find it.