I briefly filled the ponies in about our family's findings spending time among their kind, both from what I was told and what I had experienced myself. While it was clear that true love was the best 'meal' we could feed on, less potent versions of it could still help stave off the hunger we felt.

Our little stint at Hollow Shades had clearly proven certain ponies just dispensed their love freely, in such abundance that they could keep us fed for a longer period of time. Pinkie Pie was a limitless wellspring of untainted love which she shared among her friends without a second thought behind it, and my sisters and I had felt it firsthand.

My little conversation with Camellia had shown me that other ponies unwittingly shared their love, albeit in smaller amounts, when just having a friendly conversation. A single pony could barely sustain us just by having a friendly chat, but it would certainly help keep us from turning feral in a pinch.

Twilight frowned as she took this information in like a good student of magic and all things, while Applejack studied the expression on Oval's face. Camellia had more of a neutral expression on her face, but Meadowsweet just stared hard at the couch she was resting on as if she didn't take part in the conversation.

My sister just sighed as I finished my explanation, nudging me in the side. "You're a special kind, aren't you? Talk about Pinkie Pie; you're here trying to find a place of mutual understanding between ponies and us as if it will change the world tomorrow."

I shook my head at that suggestion. "Not tomorrow, no. But small groups, like ours here now, can find common ground and lay the foundation for more open interactions in the future. Like what you and our siblings were talking about back in the Hive. It may take years, decades even, but we can't keep going the way we have."

"You're right, it can't," Twilight Sparkle interjected. "I have been talking with Thorax on occasion, but you have certainly explained things to me which I had not dared talk about with him. I understand now why he was guarded every time I tried to inquire about it."

"How long ago did you meet with Thorax, if I may ask? Openly, I mean. Not with him taking on a disguise," I asked with some clarification.

"Oh, only a few weeks ago. I'm sure he will open up more when he feels ready to do so," Twilight answered with a smile. "He's still settling in now he's accepted in the Crystal Empire. I'm sure Cadance is doing what she can to make him feel at home."

I turned to Applejack after receiving the princess' answer. "Did you have a Buckball match against Appleloosa yet? Or a visit to Las Pegasus with Pinkie Pie?"

Applejack shook her head. "Now why would I go visit a loud and obnoxious party place like Las Pegasus?"

I waved the question away. "Forget I said it. Buckball match, though?"

"Hah, yes; we showed cousin Braeburn what's what, I tell ya!" Applejack stated proudly.

I smiled at the answer and turned my attention back to Twilight. "Okay, I know when we are now. This is going to make things easier for all of us."

"In what way, Pearl?" Oval asked, "Because I'm a little confused about what Buckball has to do with us making a friendship pact."

I motioned to Applejack. "She learned recently that it's better to have fun with friends than to be focused on winning a game at all costs, am I right?"

Applejack frowned, but nodded. "You got it, sugarcube."

"And that's after they all went to the Crystal Empire, where our cousin Thorax was hiding after the failed invasion of Canterlot," I explained to Oval.

"Thorax was found by Spike, Twilight Sparkle's dragon friend, and they became friends in secret," I continued, while Twilight Sparkle got a thoughtful look on her face. "Spike tried to have Thorax make friends with the crystal ponies while wearing a guise, but suffered from the effects of the hunger when faced with so much love pouring into him and was forced to reveal his real form."

Oval winced at the thought. "I can't imagine that went well?"

"Oh, we certainly misjudged him," Twilight sighed with some embarrassment. "But Spike forced us to see the error of our ways."

"Right, and I know all that because the world I'm from has documented that encounter," I explained. "I have only been here for a few months myself now, but apparently I'm catching up to what was documented. Some events haven't happened yet even if I know about them."

Twilight Sparkle took a half-step back as she finally realised what I was saying. "Don't tell us! Messing with time is..."

"Oh, I know! I know," I warded off immediately. "I'm not saying any more than what I needed to confirm with Applejack what she has and hasn't done yet."

"Can we get to the point now, Pearl? I'm getting a headache," Burst sighed.

"The point is; I know the princess and her friends have taken a major chance becoming friends with various creatures they never would have considered being friendly with," I started, then motioned to our host. "Camellia is not the problem either; we had a lovely conversation before and she's been nothing but kind to us ever since we met."

Camellia coughed uneasily at being pointed out yet again. "That's just good manners, honestly..."

"Meadowsweet, on the other hoof," I started, glancing over at the Earthpony on the couch, reflecting on how that area of the room appeared more dimly lit than the rest.

"Why, you look mighty bothered there," Applejack started. "I haven't seen anypony look so sour since the last time Flim and Flam tried to take over Sweet Apple Acres and failed."

"I'm... fine," Meadowsweet mumbled, giving a quick glance over at Oval and me. "I just can't figure out why we have to let these two creatures stay among us."

I winced at the coldness in the earthpony's voice as she pointed out my sister and I.

"Now hold your horsefeathers there," Applejack protested. "Ain't you been listening to Pearl here?"

"No," Meadowsweet responded flatly. "Why would I listen to our enemy? Do you forget they attacked Canterlot once before? They should all be locked up in the dungeons, if you ask me."

Applejack sputtered, but Twilight Sparkle moved in to stare at her friend. "Meadowsweet! That's not like you; don't let the Tantabus get in your head."

"And here she is; the prodigal foal," the earthpony snorted haughtily. "Disappeared on her friends one day only to come back as a princess. Why would you care for what a commoner like me thinks?"

"Hold up now," Applejack protested again, trying to stand up for her friend.

"Why does this sound like the Tantabus took a page out of Sombra's book?" I pondered to myself, noting the way Meadowsweet's fears just turned to vitriol against Twilight Sparkle and us Changelings. "Wait, that's it!"

Twilight turned her head to look in my direction. "What's that, Pearl?"

"Oh, here we go; those creatures obviously mean more to you than your friends from Canterlot," Meadowsweet berated.

"The Tantabus makes your nightmares come true, right? It feeds on guilt, like how Sombra controlled the Crystal Empire by fear," I started, pointing my good hoof toward Meadowsweet. "She's feeling guilty about not doing enough to maintain her friendship with you. Seeing you bond with a couple of Changelings like us, and our cousins Thorax and Moonshine, and every pony you come across, shows her how little she's done to get closer to you."

Twilight winced at the thought, turning back to Meadowsweet. "Is that right, Meadowsweet? You're afraid you're going to lose contact with me again? I know I've been a bad friend myself in the past, staying away in Ponyville for as long as I have. It may not have made it easy to reach out to me, but I'm here now."

Meadowsweet scoffed. "And you'll be gone again once you're done here, as usual. If I send a letter you're probably never going to read it given how busy your life is, so I just haven't."

"But of course I would read a message from one of my friends! No matter how busy my life gets, I would at least make time for that," Twilight stressed. "And you should feel free to visit any time you're in Ponyville; my door is always open."

"Same goes for me," Applejack added. "Yer always welcome at Sweet Apple Acres; a friend of Twilight's a friend of mine."

Camellia chuckled. "Let me add that my door is similarily always open to you, Meadowsweet."

"Ah, hell... if I ever get back to Hoofton, I gotta have you meet my mare, Meadowsweet. As long as you don't reveal I'm a Changeling before I'm good and well ready to explain that part of me to her myself," Oval grumbled.

"And that leaves me; I'm not here to steal Twilight or any of your friends from you. I'm here to make more friends, and I'd be honoured if I could count you among them, Meadowsweet," I spoke truthfully.

"You shouldn't feel guilty about not staying in touch anyways; life happens," I pointed out. "You're here now, aren't you? Friends find one another back again when they need one another."

Meadowsweet's shock was clear on her face, but it was difficult for her to break free from the Tantabus' grasp.

Twilight finally moved to rest one of her wings on her friend's back again. "We'll always remain friends, no matter where my studies take me or how often we are in touch with one another. That's a promise."

"A Pinkie-promise?" I asked pointedly, to which the princess rolled her eyes.

"I'll even make it a Pinkie-promise if you need me to, yes," she agreed.

The shadows surrounding Meadowsweet pulled away from her, and I realised that part of the room had been darkened far more than the rest of Camellia's home.

Now the Tantabus' grasp over the earthpony withered thanks to our efforts, her facial expression softened as well and a cautious smile returned to her face.

"That's the spirit," Applejack chuckled. "Now if that ain't a display of what friendship can do for a pony, I don't know what is."

I lifted my good hoof up slightly. "Hear, hear. Are we all friends now? Ponies among one another and, perhaps, my sister and me as well?"

Meadowsweet sighed with a wry smile. "Oh here's me being a dumb little filly again, giving in to my feelings of guilt... The one thing we should be warding ourselves against right now, like protecting against anthracnose."

"Well, it's difficult to get rid of anthracnose without use of magic, and we didn't have to resort to that in your case," Camellia pointed out, knowing the botanical term that was brought up.

"You going to be okay there, sugarcube?" Applejack wondered, to which Meadowsweet moved off the couch.

"Yes, and yes; let's affirm our friendship for one another. I have caused us enough delay as it is, and the Changelings in the dungeon won't become less of a problem if we don't get going soon," the earthpony decided.

I beamed a smile over at her and watched her fumble a step. "It's the fangs, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's the fangs," Meadowsweet agreed with an awkward cough.

"You get used to them," Camellia chuckled, sidling up to Meadowsweet's left side with Twilight Sparkle on the earthpony's right. Applejack moved to close the circle around the table to Camellia's left side, sitting to my right.

I put my good hoof on the table before me and looked around at the others. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you giving us a chance."

"Anything to keep the peace," Camellia smirked, putting her own hoof up on the table.

"Hear, hear," Applejack agreed, adding her hoof.

"Let's get this sorted so I can get back to my mare," Oval grumbled, putting her left hoof up.

"I'll do my best to not cause more delays," Meadowsweet chuckled, putting her right leg on the table with the rest of ours.

"I'm reminded of when me and my friends got together to fight Nightmare Moon," Twilight chuckled, lifting her own right hoof up. "I'd be happy to count you all among my friends. Let's fix this problem with the power of friendship."

Twilight's hoof joined ours on the table, and a warm feeling started to flow into me as I looked around at the others.

"Oh, now, this... This is definitely helping stave off the hunger," Oval suggested with a light shudder as the ponies' friendship poured into us.