This is an original story that takes place in a anthro, Rule 63 (flipped gender) version of Equestria. It features original characters and, of course, MLP characters.

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The next morning, Gust and Gleaming walked towards the breakfast, followed closely by Twig. Gust sat down on his bench. Twig hopped onto his lap. Gleaming sat down with a slight wince.

“Are you okay, Gleaming?” Shimmer asked. “Was your bed not really comfortable?”

Gleaming blushed and nodded. “The mattress isn't as... padded as I thought it would be.”

Lily smiled and handed her a mug. “Here, Gleaming. Sleeping outside in a tent can take some getting used to. This is an elixir that will help with sore muscles.”

Gleaming blushed as she took the mug and sipped it. “Thanks, Lily.”

De Poet smiled as she cooked breakfast with Shimmer's help. “So, Gleaming are you going to play with Gust today at the fair?”

Gleaming nodded. “Yes. I just hope I can play as well as he does.”

Gust chuckled. “Don't worry about that, Gleaming. Your is playing lovely. You just have to get used to playing for a crowd.”

Shimmer looked at the couple and sighed quietly to herself. She could tell that they truly loved one another. She wished she had someone like that. She had had lovers in the past, but the males that she dated were only fascinated in her appearance. Not her. Also, some of the unicorns that she dated were jealous when they found out that she was more magically powerful then they were.

De Poet looked down at her daughter. “Shimmer? Is everything okay?”

Shimmer looked up at her mother. “Hmm? Oh. Yeah. I'm fine. Just... feeling a little lonely. I guess.”

The blue mare nodded, “I understand.”

Shimmer sighed some more. “I wonder, am I destined to be alone? I mean, I don't want to seem jealous, it's just, Gust seems to have all the luck.”

“He does seem lucky.” De Poet said as she watched Gust tuck a loose strand of hair behind Gleaming's left ear. “However, Shimmer, I honestly don't think you're destined to be alone forever.” She smiled and looked down at her daughter and scratched her right ear. “In fact, I have a feeling that your luck just might change.”

Shimmer purred at the attention. “I hope so...”

Soon breakfast was served, eaten and cleaned up. The Rom then went to their acts. Shimmer went to her busking blanket and used her magic staff to unroll it and put it on the ground. She then used a vine that she summoned from the earth to set her empty basket down. She used the same vines to juggle several rocks for the gathering crowed. After 5 minutes, she formed the vines into five steps , each higher then the other. She walked up to the top of the stairs and summoned several fireflies to dance around her head. She smiled as she lowered herself back to the ground as she dispersed the fireflies and vines as the coins hit her basket and the crowd went to watch other acts.

One cloaked individual... that had been watching her entire act, stayed behind and walked up her. “You magic is amazing.” The female said. “I've never seen such magic performed by a... um, cat being... or anyone.”

Shimmer smiled at the cloaked female. Her head was covered by a however, however, she could see her face, though not really clerly. “Thank you. I was taught Druid magic by my mother. Non-Equestrian magic. Not goat, or horse, or pony. It's my own.”

“It's as amazing and as beautiful as you are...” The stranger smiled. Shimmer blushed and looked at the girl in shock. “I...” “Um, for-forgive me for being so bold, Miss... but I was wondering...” She pulled out a bouquet of black hellebore flowers. “I was wondering, would you be interested in going out?”

Shimmer only managed to let out a slight squeak in response.

The cloaked female stood there with the flowers held at arms length for a good few seconds while Shimmer simply stared at them with her wide eyes, narrow pupils and her mouth agape.

“Um, A-are you okay, Ms?” The mare asked as she lowered the flowers slightly.

Shimmer shook her head to snap herself back to reality. “D-did you ask me out?”

“I did.” The mare nodded.

“I'm flattered. I truly am.” Shimmer said as she used her staff to support herself. “However, that being said, who... who are you?”

“Oh.” The stranger used her non-flower filled hand to lower her hood, revealing her face and head to Shimmer.

Shimmer took a half-step back.

“You're a... cat?” The cat asked out of shock and surprise.

“Yes. I'm a cat.” The pink cat-girl, with her shiny purple hair, smiled sweetly. “My name is Aerith.”

Star Shimmer blinked a few times. “A-are you from my world? A refugee? Like me and my brother?”

Aerith lowered her arm, as it was getting tired from holding the flowers up. “Um, no.” She bit her lower lip. “This is just the disguise... I chose... to make you feel more comfortable.”

Shimmer titled her head. “Wait... what? Disguise?” She narrowed her eyes. “Hold on a second... are you a changeling?”

“Er, yes.” Arieth admitted honestly. “See... A group of us...”

Shimmer scoffed. “Save it. I don't want to hear it. Your kind can't be trusted.”

Aerith winced at Shimmer's words. She even dropped the flowers. “I... what? N-no. See, I'm not one of THOSE changelings. I would never kidnap or capture anyone...”

Shimmer's eyes lit up pink, as did the end of her staff. “I don't want to hear it, Aerith . Leave me alone.”

A tear ran down Aerith 's left cheek. “Ms. Shimmer... Please... I'm not like that...”

“I don't care.” Shimmer said. “Leave now, or I'll make you leave.”

Aerith lifted her hood again and walked away from Shimmer. Shimmer's eyes and staff stopped glowing as she ebbed the flow of her magic. She took a deep breath, not noticing her mother walk up behind her.

“Star Shimmer.” De Poet said with a scolding tone.

Shimmer winced at the use of her full name. “M-mother?” She said as she turned to face her. The older mare had her arms crossed and a look of disappointment on her face.

“That was rather rude and inconsiderate of you.” De Poet said.

Shimmer winced. Again. Her ears were folded back and her tail drooped. “Mother...” She looked around, but noticed that no one was looking at them.

“I put up a privacy bubble. No one can see or hear us.” De Poet said. “Why were you rude to Aerith?”

“Changelings... well, you've heard the stories... the reports. They capture and replaced ponies.” Shimmer protested. “How could anyone, even you, defend them? Or forgive them?”

“I forgave them because them Twins forgave them.” De Poet answered. “That was 20 years ago. Besides, you're forgetting one other thing, Star Shimmer. Have you ever known the Princes to be lenient to the guilty?”

Shimmer looked at her feet and shook her head no. “No...”

“Using that logic, do you think that Aerith is as evil as you think she is?” De Poet asked.

“I...” Shimmer said as she looked and locked eyes with her Mother. “A changeling tried to capture Gust. Injured him...”

“One Changeling acting on their own. Besides, there's a group of reformed changelings. They were born after the War. Their shells are pastels and their wings are fairy like. Yes, they still feed on love, but only with permission.” De Poet stated. “Aerith is one of those new changelings. They don't follow Queen Crystallid. They have a new Queen.

Shimmer bit her lower lip. That last time De Poet scolded her like this was when she was 5 and she came home covered in mud, and tracked it through her caravan. She knew she wasn't mad at her, just disappointed. Which was worse, in her opinion. She sighed heavily.

De Poet used her magic to pick up the discarded flowers and then brought them over to herself. “Hm. Black Hellebore. Your favorite flowers.” She sniffed them. “So rare that no pony flower shop grows them.”

Shimmer looked at the flowers. “They only grow in Saddle Arabia. I wonder where she got them from... and how she knew-” she stopped talking as she looked at De Poet as something dawned on her. “Mother, did you already talk to her?”

“She happened to come by the camp last night.” De Poet nodded. “She said that she enjoyed your act, and in a not so subtle way, asked for my permission to court you. In a subtle way, I gave her permission by telling her your favorite flower.” She quirked her eyebrow. “She must really like you if she managed to track them down.”

Shimmer nodded, now feeling really bad AND guilty for how she acted. “Yeah, I guess she does...”

De Poet’s horn lit up as she lowered the bubble. “I'll put these in water at my booth, and watch your area.” She pointed in the direction that Aerith had gone. “Go to her, Shimmer.”

Shimmer sighed. “What should I do?”

De Poet stroked Shimmer's left ear to lift them up. “Use your ears and listen.”

The turquoise cat took off at a quick sprint in the direction that Aerith had gone. As she did, she used her magic to communicate with the birds in the trees. A particular noisy, and nosy, blue jay told her that he saw a sad looking female cat in a forest clearing not far from where Shimmer was.

Shimmer headed into the brush, and after a few moments of searching, found the clearing, and saw Aerith sitting on a mossy log.

The pink cat looked devastated. She had her eyes closed as tears were streaming down her cheeks. She had removed her cloak, which was beside her on the log.

“A-Aerith ?” Shimmer called out tentatively.

Aerith sniffled and opened her eyes, as she looked up slowly. Her eyes were red from crying. “Wh-what are yo doing here? Come to accuse me of my specie's past some more?”

Shimmer shook her head no. “No. I...” She took a deep breath. “I came to apologize. I acted out, and was rather rude to you. “I'm sorry.”

Aerith sighed. There was a flash of light, and she changed into a purple pastel changeling with green eyes and gossamer fairy wings. She had a horn in the middle of her forehead. Unlike other changelings, she didn't have holes in her wings or body.

“Buzzy.” She said suddenly. “That's my real name. I read the name Aerith in a book, and picked it.”

Shimmer smiled slightly. “I'm sorry for earlier. I judged you before I...” She bit her lower lip. “I'm sorry.”

Buzzy nodded. “You're not the first to judge us for what the other changelings used to do. Yes, We did try to take over Canterlot, and Equestria... but, like I said, we don't do that anymore. We don't steal love. We share it. Feed off one another. Only take it if it's given willing to us...”

Shimmer smiled. “Oh.”

“I was hatched 20 years ago... me and my brood-mates. A new species of changeling.” Buzzy shrugged. “No more kidnapping, or capturing.”

“I... understand.” She walked over to Buzzy and stood in front of her. “I'm sorry for... judging you so harshly.” She blushed red. “Thank you for the flowers. I really did like them.”

“You’re very welcome.” Buzzy said with a bright smile.

“Wow.” Shimmer gasped in surprise. She then blushed heavily. “You said that my magic was as beautiful as I am... did you really mean that?”

“I did.” Buzzy admitted. “Surely you've been told that before?”

“N-not really.” The cat admitted. “I've been called pretty, cute, adorable... never beautiful.”

“Well, that is a shame.” The changeling Mare blushed heavily. “So, um, s-since you liked... the flowers... would you like to go on a date?”

Shimmer swallowed hard as her heart beat quickly. “I... well, um, a-a date would be nice. Um, what-what were you thinking?”

“Well, there's a lovely cafe in town called Caramel's Sweet Treats.” Buzzy said as she stood up and smiled down at Shimmer. Now that she wasn't hiding under her cloak, and standing at her full height, the cat noticed that she was a head and half taller then she was. “Would you like to have some lunch with me?”

“Lunch would be nice. But, do you eat food?” Shimmer asked.

Buzzy nodded. “I can eat food. Doesn't really do much for me, but, it helps with the illusion.”

Shimmer nodded in understanding, “Well, um, since you wish to date me, you should know that I'm leaving town at the end of the fair.”

“Oh.” Buzzy said. “Um... where are you going next?”

“Trottingham.” Shimmer said. “Then, the Royal fair near Canterlot.”

“Tell you what then,” The tall mare said, “Can we try dating this week, and then, if you want, I can come see you at those fairs?”

Shimmer blushed more as she thought about what Fizzle was asking. “What about... your home? Your job?”

“Well, due to my circumstances, I earn a stipend from the Royal Banks, so that's my job.” Buzzy answered honestly. “As for my home? I don't really like crowds, so mainly, I live in the woods. Camping and what not.”

So, you travel like the Rom?” Shimmer asked, now curious. “Traveling from fair to fair?”

“Well, not exactly like Rom.” She held spread her wings, and hovered two feet off the ground. “I fly.”

“Right. Of course.” Shimmer giggled. “Silly me.”

“It's okay.” Buzzy nodded. She stopped hovering, and smiled sweetly. “So, um... shall we get back to the fair?”

“Oh, right. My act.” Shimmer said as she looked back towards town. “You could come and stay with me if you want.”

Buzzy shifted back into her cat disguise, and held her left arm out like a hook for Shimmer to take. Shimmer giggled cutely and wrapped her right arm through it. The two girls then walked back to town in comfortable silence.

“So, where did you manage to find the flowers?” Shimmer asked as they reached her blanket. She noticed that they were in a g;ass vase, on a stool next to her blanket.

“Well, um, I found a Saddle Arabian Florist.” Fizzle admitted. “Apparently, they sell flower species from all over Equestria, including, of course, Saddle Arabia.”

“Well, thank you. That was very sweet of you.” She smiled sweetly.

Aerith looked around. “Uh...”

“You can watch me from there.” Shimmer said as pointed to a canvas chair that she used between her acts, as she turned to the crowd.

Aerith sat on the chair, off to the side, and watched Shimmer perform her magic. The cat was simply astounded as she summoned a kaleidoscope of butterflies. They formed a crown on her head, and a crown on a small filly in the crowd.