Destinies Intertwined

Rainbow landed on the path leading to Fluttershy’s cottage. She unzipped her jacket and felt the cool air rush over her body. She hovered towards Fluttershy’s door and knocked. “Flutters? You there?”

The door creaked open and Angel popped out, glaring at Rainbow.

“What? Look, I need to talk to Fluttershy, is she home?”

The bunny glared at her, and slammed the door in her face.

“Hey! What’s the big deal?!” Rainbow rested her hands on her hips and kicked at the dirt, “Great, just great.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy hovered to Rainbow from behind the cottage, “Why are you here?”

“Well, you seemed kinda upset earlier, so I thought I’d check on ya.” Rainbow confessed.

“Oh, thank you for checking up on me, but you really didn’t have to.” Fluttershy said, “I’m fine.”

“Flutters, I’m your friend, and the Element of Loyalty, it’s my thing.”

“Well, thank you again, but I’m fine, and I...need to do something…”

“What is it? I can do it for ya in ten seconds flat!”

“Um...no thank you Rainbow, it’s something I need to do myself.”

“Okay,” Rainbow took a couple steps closer, “What?”

“I- It’s personal…”

“Okay…guess I’ll see ya. I need to check up on something anyway, the apples farmhand’s been  acting kinda funny.”

Fluttershy’s ears caught that last part, “Caramel?”

“Yeah, he’s been leaving the farm a lot lately.”

“Oh… That is unusual…”

"Yeah, and he keeps seein Lyra Heartstrings, last time I saw them, they were talking at Sugarcube Corner, loudly."

This encouraged Fluttershy, “Huh… I think we might want to see what’s going on.”

"Whoah, 'We'?"

“Well, I was going to ask him out, but now I’m not so sure…”

Rainbows jaw dropped, "Whoah Whoah Whoah! You wanted to ask a guy out?"

“Yes… Why?”

"I dunno, just surprised you actually have the hots for a guy's all."

“Okay…”

"Well, you ready to go?"

“Yeah… I can go right now if you want.”

“Cool, let’s go,” Rainbow grabbed Fluttershy’s hand and bolted to the sky, with Fluttershy making a small squeak.

“Um, could you slow down a bit?” Fluttershy pleaded.

“Do you wanna ask Caramel out on a date?” Rainbow questioned.

“Um, I don’t know anymore.”

*****

Rainbow landed softly with Fluttershy (using her own wings) in the back of Sugarcube Corner, “Okay, let’s see what they’re doing…” Rainbow whispered.

“Um, are you sure we should be doing this? I mean what if-”

“Look, Caramel’s been acting funny lately, and Lyra’s been acting funny, what more do you want?”

“Well… What if it’s not what we think?”

“Well, then you can wait ‘till they’re done and ask Caramel on your little date.”

“Oh. Um… I was just going to talk to him.”

“Sure…” Rainbow rolled her eyes and bolted to the front. She ran up to the door, and bolted inside, with Fluttershy following at a much calmer pace.

“Oh, hello girls,” Mrs. Cake greeted with a smile on her face.

“Hi Mrs. Cake, can Flutters and I have a six pack of glazed donuts?”

“Oh, sure, hun. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll get it for you. For here or to go?”

“Here, please,” Rainbow grinned, she went ahead and lay the necessary bits on the counter. She turned to Fluttershy and cocked her head to a seat near Lyra and Caramel.

Fluttershy nodded and both girls headed toward the vacant seat near the two ponies and took their seat.

Lyra’s voice was a little faint due to her whispering, but it was still audible when she says, “What are we going to tell them?”

“I don’t know, it’s not every day you find out a national hero is a fake.” Caramel replied.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly! Not to mention our races’...incident.”

“I’m sure Khai will think of something, we have to find the fake before more damage is done.”

“Only problem is that it could be anyone.”

“I think we can rule out the pink one, no one would act like...that.”

“I suppose…” Lyra commented, “But we still have some obvious choices: Rarity for Spike’s crush and Fluttershy for her crush on you.”

Fluttershy let out a quiet “Eep!”

“Trust me she’s not the only one, I think Applejack’s crushing on me too, though she’s being pretty subtle about it.”

“I can’t blame her, there aren’t a lot of men around here and, well, you do have a rather nice chest…”

Caramel gave Lyra a funny look, “Did I get you, too?”

“No way! You know I already have someone else.”

Caramel chuckled, “I know, but you were pointing it out.”

“Because it was obvious. Give me a break already!”

“Fine. But don’t get mad if I make comments on your-”

“Watch it, ‘Mel’.” Lyra sneered.

“Very well.” Caramel took a sip of his coffee, “We still have to consider the others, now.”

“True, Twilight does have some affection for Spike, but it’s more of the motherly kind. Then again, she recently got a boyfriend. Sounds suspicious, right?”

Rainbow’s mouth flew open as she turned to Fluttershy, whose eyes were as wide as-

“Here are your donuts!”

“Agh!” Rainbow and Fluttershy yelped.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Mrs. Cake apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. Thanks.” Rainbow gave a smile as the blue earth pony walked back to the counter. Rainbow flipped up the donut box and took one of the donuts, continuing to keep an ear out.

“I suppose, but I think they have too much in common for it to have been forced.”

“That’s what makes it the best cover.”

“One thing I’ve learned is you can’t make love happen, it happens on its own.”

“Alright. Alright, but I’m still marking her as a suspect.”

“Fine. What about Rainbow Dash?”

This perked Rainbow’s interest.

“I don’t know. She does have a love for the Wonderbolts, but not really the kind of love a changeling would go after…”

‘Changeling?!’ Rainbow stole a glance at Fluttershy, who was once again, equally shocked.

“I’ve never seen her react around men in any form of flirtation or romance or any sort of love.”

“Maybe either (a) she isn’t interested in a relationship, or (b) she’s secretly a-”

“DON’T say it. You know how much I can’t stand the thought.”

“It was just a theory.”

"A...disturbing theory."

‘Ya think,' both Rainbow and Fluttershy thought.

"Well, we have to consider every theory, no matter how disturbing."

"Perhaps...Thank goodness Changeypt has none of those issues."

‘Changeypt?’ Rainbow pondered.

"I can't wait to return to my aner, I want him to hold me and never let me go." Lyra said in a dreamy tone.

"He is a lucky man, to have someone like you.”

“Hey maybe you’ll find your girl soon.”

“I keep thinking I have but… Ugh, is it wrong to fall in love with your assignment?”

“Right now, you can’t afford to be emotionally attached to her. For all we know, she could be the spy.”

"I know, that is my greatest fear, especially after what happened last time."

“She died protecting you. I think that’s the greatest sign of love anyone can give.”

"It is, which is why somedays I feel like I am betraying her, particularly around Applejack and Fluttershy, and it doesn't help they both remind me of her." A tear rolled down Caramel’s cheek, "Sometimes I wish it had been me instead of her, she was too good to die."

Out of nowhere, Lyra hugged Caramel. A wave of shock came over Caramel, but he hugged back. This embrace made Fluttershy uneasy (despite hearing Lyra already had someone) and made Rainbow want to gag.

Once Lyra had finished she returned to her seat and asked, “Feel better?”

“A little,” Caramel half-grinned.

“Good,” Lyra smiled at Caramel before looking back down at her notebook, “I think we need to watch them all carefully tonight during the meteor shower.”

“Agreed.”

Lyra cleared her throat, “So, would you be my date to the event this evening?”

Caramel looked puzzled, “I thought you were going with Sweetie Drops…”

“No, we’re just friends, plus you know she’s also a girl. It’s unthinkable.”

“Sorry, it was just that the rumors were getting around that-”

“Well, I might have if ponies around here weren’t so quick to spread rumors, but we’d go as friends.”

“Okay. By the way, how has she taken the… you know…”

“Well, she freaked out at first, but when I showed her that I wasn’t too different from her, she calmed down, and has accepted it.” Lyra gave Caramel a playful look, “She also said she wanted to meet you…”

“Oh she did, did she?”

“Yes she did, she also noted how cute you were without a shirt.”

“Seriously? Is the chest the only thing girls notice?”

“I could say the same about the boys.”

“Fair enough,” Caramel chuckled.

Rainbow looked to Fluttershy and cocked her head to the window, and mouthing “Go”. Fluttershy nodded and both girls headed out of Sugarcube Corner. “So one of us has been replaced with a spy,” Rainbow said, “That means anyone of us could be working for Chrysalis.”

“Oh...Oh my! Who could it be? I mean, I already know you’re real, or at least I think so.” She put two of her fingers on her forehead. “I’m so confused.”

“Well, confusing as it is, I think you’re the only pony I can trust, if I tell any of the others about this, they may just flat-out deny it.”

“You’re right, but how will we know who’s the spy?”

Rainbow was about to answer, but she immediately stopped herself. She thought about it for a bit and replied, “I think we might want to do some research on that.”

“But...what do we do if Twilight asks what we’re doing?”

“Come on, is either of us reading a book unusual?”

“Well, you only read books from the Daring Do series…”

“Okay...Um...maybe we’re doing research for my fanfiction?”

“That’ll work.”

“Good, let’s go by my house and get my notebook and then we can go to the library.”

“Um...do we really need your fanfiction?”

“Hey, if I’m gonna be doing all this research, I might as well actually do it.”

*****

“Here are all the books I have on Changelings,” Twilight put two books in front of Rainbow and Fluttershy.

“That’s all,” Rainbow asked.

“I’m sorry, but Changelings haven’t been documented that well; they’re not like pegasi and unicorns.”

"Okay, thanks, Twi." Rainbow thanked her friend.

"Sure." Twilight replied, then, "I'm going to be at Applejack's for a little while, if you could let Spike and Applebloom know when they come down, that'd be great."

"Sure thing, Twi," Rainbow grinned.

With that, Twilight walked out the door. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy opened their books. They searched for nearly an hour, but couldn't find anything. Finally…

“Um… Rainbow Dash, it says here that changeling blood is green…” Fluttershy pointed out.

"Really? Well if that's the case, all we have to do is gather everyone up and stab 'em."

Fluttershy gave Rainbow a look. “I don’t think they’d like that.”

"Well, maybe we can just get a needle or something. It's better than knowing one of us is a fake."

"I suppose. But when should we do it?"

"That's the problem, especially since we're all kinda fighting."

“I guess we could do it before or after the meteor shower.”

"I'd rather do it before, ASAP, but I think everyone might be in a better mood afterward."

"I guess, but we might get tired."

"Ugh," Rainbow put her head in her hands, "Why’d Caramel have to act so weird?"

Fluttershy merely shrugged.

"Well, let's go, we should probably get ready."

“But what about Spike and Applebloom?”

"Leave a note?"

“I don’t know… Why don’t we just tell them, or at least bring them with us?”

Rainbow gave Fluttershy a look, “Um...I’d rather not bring a teenage dragon with me to see me get ready. I’ll just tell ‘em.” Rainbow ran up the stairs to let Spike and Applebloom know they’d be alone. This left Fluttershy alone with her thoughts.

‘Caramel has a crush on me, too? But, he said he also likes Applejack, and he can only choose one of us. But maybe he’d like Applejack more...’ Fluttershy didn’t want to think about that, Caramel was the first (decent) pony to show interest in her. Not to mention Applejack didn’t seem to care about relationships right now, so maybe she DID have a chance.

“Ok, let’s go.” Rainbow’s voice brought Fluttershy back to reality.

"Oh, um, okay." Fluttershy grabbed her coat while Rainbow grabbed her jacket and notebook. “So to your place?”

"Sure," Rainbow opened the door and held it for Fluttershy, and both girls made their way to Rainbow's cloud home.

*****

Rainbow opened the door and stepped inside with Fluttershy, "It's starting to get dark," Rainbow noted while flipping on the-

"EEP!" Fluttershy screamed.

Rainbow whirled around to see Caramel and Lyra standing right there! "Whoah! What are you doing here? And...how are you here?!"

"We'll explain, but first we need you to do something for us." Caramel replied.

"Seriously?! You break into my home and offer me a job? What's your problem, 'Mel?"

"It'll be your problem too if you don't help us, and you don't want problems do you?"

"Is that a threat?" Rainbow clenched her teeth and pulled her fingers into a fist.

"Merely a factor to consider."

"For what?"

"Come into the kitchen, and we'll explain everything."