The Wonderbolts were meant to visit next week. Rainbow Dash had been practicing flips, dives, rolls, and even the infamous Sonic Rainboom for a grand bid for her dream of joining their ranks, but due to an injury sustained by the team's captain, the show had been canceled. Rainbow Dash was not inclined to let her preparations go to waste, and she couldn't bear to disappoint her friends and fans who had heard of her upcoming plans, so the ever-loyal pegasus announced that she would perform with or without the Wonderbolts.
Days passed since the official cancellation of the long-awaited air show became common knowledge, but thanks to the enthusiastic rallying of a young, purple-maned fan, the date was still on the schedules of many of the local ponies, and a surprising many from out of town. Soon enough, that date came.
“I can't believe it!” Rainbow exclaimed, “I am going to have my own air show! If I can pull this off, ponies all over Equestria will be talking about it! The Wonderbolts will practically have to recruit me!”
“Careful, Rainbow.” Twilight cautioned, ”Remember what happened before the Best Young Flier competition?”
The pegasus rolled her eyes.
“That was different! I have nothing to be nervous about, now. I have gone through this routine so many times that I have literally started doing it in my sleep.”
“It's true.” Fluttershy chimed in, “She would have flown right into a tree hollow if I didn't wake her up in time!”
Twilight blinked.
“Well, in any case, just remember that we're all rooting for you, no matter what happens.”
Rainbow Dash's five dear friends had gathered to make final preparations and, of course, cheer for her during the show. Applejack was hard at work assembling the stage while Rarity was waiting to decorate. Pinkie Pie was preparing a concession stand, which, due to her tendency to 'taste test', was doomed to sell out early. Twilight Sparkle, always fond of numbers, was admitting and counting early arrivals. Fluttershy did her part by keeping her fellow pegasus company, which Rainbow appreciated most of all, though she would hesitate to admit so.
The audience steadily swelled in size, eventually becoming hectic and loud enough that anypony but Twilight would have lost count of the five-hundred-seventy-two ponies and eleven foals that had come to watch the famous rainbow-maned mare. At long last, it was time for the show to begin.
After a reassuring nod from Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash positioned herself behind the stage curtain. Spotlights were centered on the curtain, and a record with a powerful but steady beat began to play. A bright flash of color streaked upward from the stage. Hovering high above, Rainbow Dash could see awe in the countless eyes fixed on her from below.
“Is everpony ready to see some one-hundred percent concentrated, premium, Rainbow Dash brand awesomeness? Let me hear it!”
The crowd boomed with applause. Echoes of hoof-stomping and cheering were heard from distant hills. The deafening roar continued for only a minute or so, but never settled into silence.
The pegasus lead an extraordinary performance. She blazed through the sky like lightning. Clouds were torn and sculpted. Thus far, the performance had gone better than anypony, including the less-than-humble Rainbow Dash, could have expected. Apart from a near incident involving an ill-advised volunteer stunt, the show was going flawlessly. Then came time for the Sonic Rainboom.
Rainbow Dash soared skywards until she was a mere speck to the eyes of the audience. This was the long-awaited moment. Countless ponies were watching in awe as a shimmering streak cut through the blue sky, every moment seeming the one before the grand prismatic explosion. That moment never came.
The shimmering streak abruptly halted and dissipated, and the speck at its core shot back, as though an invisible yet hulking wall had been struck and deflected off of. The Rainboom had failed. Rainbow Dash plummeted into the forest below. Her friends, as well as her audience, watched with mouth agape, though the sharp-eyed ponies in the crowd saw that the crash landing was soft relative to her usual, and the keen-of-ear heard her shout assurance that she was safe.
A moment passed, and the audience had already grown restless. Applejack walked to center stage and tipped her hat to the crowd.
“Well, everypony, as you've probably seen, we're having something of a technical difficulty, but we've got reason to believe that Rainbow is doing just fine! We've got a handful of ponies going out to check up on her, just in case, but if I know Rainbow, that gal will be getting this here show back...”
Rainbow Dash, apparently dazed but oddly unscathed, appeared from behind stage and announced herself.
“Do not worry, my adoring fans, I am unharmed! The show may now continue!”
Applejack was now not only concerned, but puzzled.
“You feeling alright? You really don't seem yourself right now.”
“I am feeling excellent, and I am certainly ready to finish this performance.”
Low whispering flowed through the audience. Applejack approached the pegasus.
“Are you sure about that, sugarcube? Let me take a look at you. Did you hit your head on something?”
“No!” Rainbow Dash backed away. “I mean, I am certain that I am uninjured, but as the old saying goes, The show must go on!”
Applejack sighed.
“Well, I know well enough that when you got it in your head to do something, it's a fool's errand to try and convince you otherwise. Go ahead and finish the show. Just promise me you'll stop if your head starts feeling funny, or if anything else starts going wrong, okay?”
“Promised. And so the show continues!”
The sky blue pony took flight, but halted within seconds, as though she lost her train of thought.
“Well then, it seems I have lost track of my routine! Does anypony in the audience have a request to offer as substitute?”
The crowd, although baffled, jumped at the opportunity. Through the many shouts, “Buccaneer Blaze” and “Fantastic Filly Flash” were commonly heard, but the most common request, by an overwhelming majority, was to once again attempt the Sonic Rainboom.
Rainbow Dash was clearly unnerved by this.
“Very... well. If it is insisted upon, I will... perform a Sonic Rainboom. I hope you enjoy the finale.”
Applejack stamped her hoof down, resulting in a loud, echoing thud.
“Rainbow Dash! You are in no condition to do this! Get down here now! We need to get you to a doctor!”
“I have to!” The pegasus shouted back, “I... The audience wants to see it! I must...”
Applejack lunged at Rainbow Dash, but fell short, and the winged pony drifted upwards. She slowly and clumsily gained altitude until she was somewhat larger than the former speck in the sky. Applejack watched helplessly as her friend began to plummet. There was no shimmering streak, only a terrible, tumbling spiral directly above the audience.
Some screamed, some assumed it was part of the act. The blue pegasus was picking up speed, and the audience began to flee.
Another Rainbow Dash, clear minded but smeared with tree sap, appeared from behind the tree line, alongside Twilight Sparkle.
Without hesitation, Rainbow lifted the unicorn from the ground and left a colored streak on her way to the identical blue pegasus' expected point of impact. Twilight, though somewhat startled, knew what was expected of her. The unicorn's horn began to glimmer, as did the air itself. After a moment of tension, the plummeting Rainbow Dash fell into the glimmer and gradually slowed to a halt.
Seeing that the pegasus' fall had been broken, Twilight released her from the enchantment, resulting in an unceremonious but feet-first drop onto the now empty bleachers. Twilight was dropped to the ground in a similar fashion, albeit less gracefully. The pegasi made eye-contact. The sap-covered pegasus was fuming with anger.
“Who the hay are you? Why do you look like me? Answer me!”
The pegasus who plummeted dropped off her feet and covered her face.
“You fool...” She muttered to herself, “How could you let yourself do this?”
Applejack leaped from the stage.
“What in Equestria just happened here? Why are there two Rainbows?”
Having gotten to her feet, Twilight began to assess the situation. It all seemed very familiar, but she sincerely hoped she was wrong. She had to be certain.
“The two of them are perfectly identical, down to the manecut. They even have identical scars! I doubt that they're long lost twins, unless they've lead very, very similar lives.”
By now the six friends had gathered around the odd scene.
“What do you mean to say, Twilight?” Rarity asked, “What do you think this is?”
Twilight paused to think.
“I... I have one guess, but... No. It can't be.”
The unicorn turned toward the two rainbow-maned pegasi.
“First things first, I presume the real Rainbow Dash is the one I found in the forest?”
The addressed Rainbow Dash was infuriated that there was any doubt. The one who plummeted looked up at the unicorn, but made no claim.
“I thought so." Twilight stated flatly, turning toward the impostor, “But that leaves us wondering what exactly you are. Who, or what, are you? Is this a spell? Are you using a potion? Or are you...?”
The impostor rose to her feet and held up a hoof for silence.
“I am sorry for what I have done, and the least I owe you is an explanation.”
The impostor closed her eyes, and an unnatural green flame engulfed her. Through the ghastly blaze flickered the images of the six now terrified ponies encircling the flame.
“My name is Moth, and I am a changeling!”
Twilight's suspicions were correct.
The flame died away, and the image of the blue pegasus remained.
Fluttershy whimpered. Rarity nearly fainted. Pinkie Pie was oddly amused. Twilight was left speechless. The real Rainbow Dash would have ended the changeling had not Applejack restrained her.
“Woah, there, girl!” The earth pony spoke through her teeth, tightly clenched on the rainbow colored tail, “I don't like changelings any more than you do, but civilized ponies ask first, then fight!”
Applejack released the irate but no longer hostile pegasus.
“You got that?”
A frustrated groan was made in reply.
“Fine. I'll hold off for now, but she will get what's coming to her! I hope you guys haven't forgotten what these things have done against Canterlot.”
Twilight gave Rainbow Dash an icy glare.
“I will never forget what they did to Princess Cadence and Celestia.”
Applejack stepped toward the changeling.
“After all your kind has done, what in tarnation makes you think you can show your face, or any other pony's face, for that matter, anywhere near Canterlot? You're lucky we haven't gone and wiped out the lot of you changelings!”
Rarity stepped up beside Applejack.
“Your kind has no respect for love to speak of! You treat it like cheap candy, consumed without the least care. Quite honestly, it disgusts me!”
The changeling sunk to the ground, still bearing Rainbow Dash's image, more shame-faced and distraught than anypony could remember ever having seen the original.
Rainbow Dash stepped before the others, with a sharply contrasting expression of smug victory.
“See? Honestly, I haven't heard one reason why not to kick the snot out of this faker and knock it back to where it came from! So I am not going...”
“I think we should give Moth a chance.”
Fluttershy spoke quietly, but with unmistakable resolve. It was well known that that voice should never be ignored, regardless of circumstance. Rainbow Dash was startled to hear this voice used against her.
“Why should we! I've heard and seen enough of what changelings will do...”
“Changelings have done some really mean things, but even the nastiest of creature have the occasional nice one. I won't let anypony harm any creature without it being absolutely necessary, even if that creature is a changeling.”
After a frustrated sigh, Rainbow Dash relented. Although she hid it well, the usually shy and submissive Fluttershy had always scared her just a little bit.
“Okay! Fine! I'll leave your freaky animal friend alone, but what would you have us do with it? The thing ruined my performance! I will not just let it leave!”
Twilight cleared her throat.
“Them having posed such a great threat in the past, the Princess will probably want to hear about any changeling that turns up, especially one that made such a scene as Moth.”
Applejack stamped her hoof.
“Gosh darn it, Twi! We don't know how long we can keep track of a critter as slippery as a changeling! We need to act now!”
“Do we? Moth here has done nothing to try to escape, and if she's plotting something against us, well, we took out what must be a hundred changelings back during the assault on Canterlot, why not just one now? Besides, we don't even know if she had anything to do with her queen Chrysalis' plan!”
Green fumes began to rise from the now enraged changeling.
“I had nothing to do with that awful scheme! It was doomed to fail from the beginning, as with all things as evil. And Chrysalis... Though I once served her, I am in ponykind's debt for disposing of that fiend! And, on another note, I...”
Flames flashed over the changeling, revealing the form of a stallion the six others recognized from the audience.
“...am a guy.”
Rarity turned her nose up with a huff.
“Well now, you wouldn't have needed to clarify that point if you had given up your disguise when you were first discovered!”
“Yeah!” Applejack spat out, “Show us your true face! We know you have one!”
Moth panicked. He glanced at each of the six friend, but Twilight especially. This unicorn had already demonstrated immense power. It was not far-fetched to believe that she knew a Revelation spell, something Moth did not want to go through.
“I suppose I have no choice.” the changeling sighed, “I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this...”
The green flame rose again. The light tan hide of the stallion shriveled and blackened. Pieces of ashen flesh flaked onto the ground. Decayed stubs of wings and a horn appeared. The blaze began to die, and little was left but a black, nearly skeletal frame.
The six friend stood silent from shock and fear. No changeling of the hundreds they saw was as utterly consumed and broken as this. A rather pale Twilight began to speak.
“Wha... What... happened to you?”
Moth looked down on his frail, crumbling hooves in disgust.
“This is what happens to a changeling that neglects to feed. All changlings bear such scars, but for my fasting, those scars have all but consumed me. Do you understand now what kind of desperation led me to do what I've done?”
Fluttershy was horrified to know that any creature could live in such a decrepit state.
“Moth! Why would you let this happen to yourself!”
The changeling stood as proud as such a shattered being could manage.
“I did so out of respect.”
“Respect!” Rainbow Dash snorted, “What respect do you have?”
“Respect for love. Every changeling knows the power of love, but few care for anything but its power. After the Lover's Miracle nearly eradicated the changeling race, I know better than to trifle with it. I am determined to leave love where it belongs, regardless of the suffering it may bring me.”
The pegasus was baffled.
“I... No! That can't be true! You have to be fooling us! Those holes, those pathetic, stubby wings... they must be a disguise! I can't take it anymore!”
Rainbow lifted from the ground, ready to charge.
“You're going down, changeling!”
The pegasus shot forward, but was jerked back before any harm was done. The startled and furious Rainbow Dash looked back and saw her tail engulfed in a familiar purple shimmer.
“Let go of me, Twilight!” she roared, “We have to get rid of this freak!”
Twilight flung her friend behind her, staining the pegasus' blue coat with dirt as she tumbled violently across the ground.
“Stop this now, Rainbow!” blared the unicorn, “I know the sort of magic changelings use, and it can't do this! He really is starving himself, and is currently being much more civil than you!”
Rainbow Dash was too dazed to respond.
“That's better.” Twilight turned toward the changeling, “Now, Moth, while it's quiet, I want to get some answers from you. I should note that refusing to speak won't look good in the report.”
The changeling gave a coarse, dusty sigh.
“Very well. Ask all you want.”
Twilight cleared her throat.
“Lately there's been a lot of confusion between the six of us. I've been accused of saying things that would never have crossed my mind. Applejack seemingly forgot her own sister's name. Rarity received an order for a formal dress from Pinkie Pie which she doesn't remember placing.”
“Uh, actually, Twilight.” Pinkie interjected, “Turns out I really did do that. I found out I accidentally baked the receipt into a cake. How strange is that! I just bit into it, and then it hit me! The memory, not the cake. Well, the cake too. You see, I was really hungry and I thought...”
“Anyway,” Twilight interrupted, “I thought you might have had something to do with all of that, Moth. Is it so?”
The changeling dropped his head shamefully.
“It's true. I was desperate. Please understand that I did so to stay alive. The six of you have the closest friendship I've every encountered. I regret having to have done all that, but I owe my life to all of you!”
“Ooh! Hey, Mothy!” Pinkie blurted, completely ignoring the sentiment Moth made, “When were you me? Or, you know, pretending to be me? I hope you were better than that other changeling!”
Fluttershy snapped to attention.
“Oh, I think I know that one, Pinkie.” she chimed, “I was afraid to ask, but you seemed to be acting really strange at our tea party last week. Can you believe that I did most of the talking? You even refused sugar in your tea!”
Pinkie Pie reeled back.
“I refused sugar! That is so weird! Why did I do that?”
Twilight sighed with her face in her hoof.
“You didn't. Moth did!”
The pink pony flipped toward the changeling with a look of shock.
“You refused sugar? What kind of pony or pony-like thing would refuse glorious, delicious sugar! That's crazy!”
“Sugar is very overpowering to changelings.” Moth shrugged, “Very few of us like it. I am not one of those few.”
Pinkie Pie took a deep gasp.
“A whole species that hates sugar! No wonder changelings are all dark and evily!”
Twilight was losing her patience.
“We're getting off topic! It's getting dark, and we're going to have to take this discussion back to the library. Moth, we can't have you walking around Ponyville looking like... that. Change back to the colt you were earlier, and follow me. Step out of line, and I'll start by doing to you what I did to Rainbow over there,” she said, gesturing toward the toppled pegasus, “and continue with whatever comes to mind.”
The unicorn began walking homeward.
“Come on, Moth. We haven't got all day.”