Do y’all remember this fella from when I did 2021’s Goretober? He was featured in day 8, and had a short story to go along with his picture as shown here: https://www.deviantart.com/gingygin/art/Goretober-Day-8-Cursed-Transformation-894310477

I decided to finally get around to making a sheet for him, officially making him part of my universe.

This is Nodus, a changeling who rebelled against the natural way of life for the species. After the attack on Canterlot during Cadance’s and Shining’s wedding, Nodus was never the same- sickened at the sight he saw that day. He ran off, thinking he could live without needing to feed on love, but boy was he wrong… somewhat anyway. Attempting to change his diet, his new way of living failed time and time again, never feeling content with his experimental food plans. He grew sickly thin, his hunger rising by the day, until he snapped; his body changing on its own, his mind forcing him back into the land of ponies.

He called his disguise “Shudder Shock”, a bug collector/photographer/display artist who had been lost in the wilderness for far too long, just now rediscovering civilization. While “living” there, he takes small amounts of love from ponies to the point they wouldn’t notice. It held him off for a little while, but it just wasn’t enough for his body, which became evermore frail and bony.

That’s when he came across an older mare, who insisted on taking him in for a while. She was kind, and fed him hot meals (even if they were meant for ponies, not changelings), and soon enough, he found his frame growing back out, returning to normal. The holes in his legs and wings disappeared and he finally felt full. What was this lady feeding him?

He soon finds out that it in fact wasn’t the food she was giving him, but it was the love and care she was showing. Nodus now realizes that Changelings don’t need to feed off love, but rather can feel full by shared love. Oh sonny boy, if only you were around when Thorax and Pharynx found that out.