I'm a Changeling.

Most of my kind are ruthless, evil, heartless. I've seen them kill those who they have sucked dry, left without any feeling of any kind. I guess I used to be that way too, but I try not to be anymore.

I'm probably the only one, but I spend my time in Ponyville. Every day, I pass through the town, greeted with waves and "hellos", pony-watching and relaxing in the midst of my friends. They know me to go by the name of the pony I take form of every day: Amethyst.

Little do they know, and I know way too well, Amethyst died. She died years ago. I found her in the Changeling Kingdom, lying on the ground and twitching. She had had all her feelings sucked from her body, just as many innocent passerby had before. Something struck me then, something from beyond the stone of my heart. I had no idea who she was, or where she came from, but I tried all I could in my power to keep her alive for her last hours. I fed her broth and cooed to her soothingly, and she kept repeating to me the same seven words: "I don't want to go to sleep". I knew exactly why.

She didn't know if she was going to wake up.

I vowed to do as much as possible to keep her awake. I sang to her, read her stories, but her eyes grew heavier and heavier before she passed out. I then laid my head against her chest, listening to her heartbeat and hearing my own breath catch when hers did. She inhaled slowly, opened her eyes halfway and caused me to flinch, and uttered: "Please. My friends. Go to them. Tell them I'm alright. Tell them I'm alive. They're in Ponyville. My name is…Amethyst." She then died right there on my bed. I sat there for hours, crying, shaking her in vain, and trying to magic her heart to beat again. It was all for naught. She was gone.

Now she is me. I am Amethyst. I will keep her friends happy, no matter what. Minuette, Parasol, Octavia… They are all so fragile. I could never hurt them. And now that I live as Amethyst, it's really hard sometimes to keep the boundary between the true me and Amethyst's body. I'm afraid one day I'll wake up and believe the lie I've been telling everyone for so many years. That I'll hurt myself as much as I would hurt them by being a Changeling.

"Amethyst!"

I look to the left just in time to catch Minuette trotting up to me. As always, she looks pretty proud. "Can we have a sleepover tonight? I just bought a million movies for half price, and I was thinking about inviting Parasol, Octavia, and Vinyl too! Just between you and me, though, I don't think we should show Tavi the Night of the Trotting Dead, huh?" She laughs lightly, flashing her teeth.

"Yeah. Sure, I'll be there." I smile at her as she walks off, then let the corners of my mouth fall again.

I'm starving.

I walk to the coffee shop, lay a few bits on the counter, and ask for a scone and a black coffee. I then take my little snack to a table by a window, right by a table of four. I recognize one of the ponies as Rarity from down the street. The other three are a complete mystery. As I sip from my cup, looking out the window, I catch bits of their conversation, not really caring until I hear Rarity mutter something.

"Have you heard? There are rumors that there's been a group of Changelings loose in Manehattan! Killing off ponies left and right!"

I flicker my eyes towards their table, watching Rarity lean closer to her companions. "They say Celestia's been keeping secrets from us. That Celestia is aware of this, and that she's been lying about the sudden deaths! Have you heard her excuses?"

"No, I haven't!" An earth pony chimes in.

"Are you sure your sources are to be trusted?" asks a Pegasus.

"Mm-hmm. I'm positive. They say she's been counting the deaths as a selective illness." Rarity groans. "As if. Half of the ones gone missing are either engaged or in a relationship. I hate changelings, why don't they just die?"

I feel my hooves press together and warp the porcelain of my mug. How dare she?! Why don't we just die! What a little—

"Amethyst?"

I snap out of it to find my hooves dripping in coffee and the mug in tiny pieces on the floor, and every pony in the café turned my way. I look up at Octavia, who has just strolled over. She seems worried. "Amethyst, are you feeling well?"

"YES! I mean, yeah, I'm okay. Just a little tired."

Octavia's eyes tell me she doesn't believe me, but her words contradict it. "Alright then. Just wondering. Would you like me to get you a new cup?"

"No, I'm just going to leave." I shove my chair back and stand, shaking the table and not minding to finish the scone. "I'll see you at Minuette's."