“Oh, Twilight!” Fluttershy called out from her front door, “I’m so glad you made it.”
Twilight Sparkle smiled up at her from the path. “Of course, Fluttershy!” The unicorn made her way up to Fluttershy’s cottage, smiling warmly up at her friend.
As Fluttershy ushered Twilight in, she took stock of the home that she hadn’t seen for at least a few months. She always thought Fluttershy’s cottage was rather homely: simple wooden floors, a carpet here or there, modest sofas and chairs, even several bookshelves, which were far more than any of her other friends had. It had more than enough seating for the pegasus, which was odd since she rarely had visitors. Especially since that night one year ago.
It had been a year since Twilight Sparkle’s brother, Shining Armor, got married to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza at the royal wedding in Canterlot. It had been a year since the changeling invasion on Canterlot, an invasion which resulted in the capital nearly being lost if it hadn’t been for Cadance’s and Shining Armor’s love manifesting in a spectacular blast of magic which repelled all the changelings from Canterlot. It had been a year since, the night after said battle, Twilight both revealed a changeling spy which was immune to Cadance’s spell and attempting to somehow manipulate Twilight’s magic for evil, and found out that one of her best friends, Fluttershy, was actually a changeling that had been raised by ponies.
And now, a year after these terrific and terrible events, she found that Fluttershy was still hard pressed to find time to spend with her other friends. Sure, they had their usual adventures over the year, but she was always scared that something like that night would happen again; she had said as much to Twilight on multiple occasions. In fact, Twilight realized that Fluttershy had been spending more time with her than any of their other friends, which she attributed that to the fact that she knew who Fluttershy really was. It was the subject that came up most in their conversations, and Twilight was happy to be the ear for Fluttershy’s closure.
Her reflection was interrupted by Fluttershy feeding some animals a few feet away. Her mind now focused on the task at hand, she decided to ask a question that had been on the back burner for the last few days. “Fluttershy, are you sure you’re okay with this?”
Fluttershy tilted her head. “I just think it is about time that they knew. It isn’t fair that you know a secret about me that they all don’t. Besides, I did make that promise with Rarity, back when I was modeling. No more secrets.”
“But what if something happens?” Twilight insisted, “What if they panic and think you’re not Fluttershy? They might attack you, or chase you out of town!”
Fluttershy’s face turned stern in an instant. “Twilight Sparkle!” Her voice was commanding; it was the same tone Fluttershy used when she was angry at animals. ”I’m surprised at you! Do you really think our friends would be so hasty if you, Angel, and all the other animals here, were defending me?”
Twilight flinched at the accusation. “I… I just…” she sighed. “I’m just worried, Fluttershy. I want everything to go perfectly, but the chance of it just seems too low.” She looked down in shame and continued, “I still remember how I acted when I first found out. It… it was a tough night, but it was still cruel.”
Fluttershy brought a hoof to Twilight’s shoulder. “I forgave you for that a long time ago, Twilight. You don’t have to worry about it. But I am sure about this. Completely sure even. Even if they… they get angry… and they don’t believe me…” Fluttershy’s legs were shaking. “I have to tell them. It’s the right thing to do.”
Twilight was surprised by her sudden shift into anxiety. “Fluttershy…”
Fluttershy shook her head as she tried to calm herself down. “I have faith in them. You should too. After all, weren’t you what brought us together in the first place?”
Twilight sighed. “I suppose I am…”
She originally told Fluttershy to do this because she couldn’t stand keeping the secret. She knew about how valuable trust was, but this was something huge, and she was awful at the kind of mental gymnastics required to not spew out an interesting fact. Actually, not an interesting fact, but lots of interesting facts. Since the invasion, Twilight and Fluttershy both spent a lot of time researching changelings, just in case something happened and Fluttershy really needed help, and some type of conventional pony medicine or method of assistance couldn’t aid her. If she mentioned that she was studying changelings to her friends… well, she just didn’t want to risk anything.
Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, attempting to shake off her doubts. What the heck are you doing, ignoring how she feels to think about the fact that she’s a changeling? This is her day to worry, her day to have ponies stare at her in fear or anger, not yours. You have to be there for her, not justify her fears. She sighed and said, “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I shouldn’t be such a downer when I have firsthoof knowledge of how close we all are.”
Fluttershy giggled.“It’s okay, really,” Fluttershy said. “You’re just trying to be realistic. I understand.” Fluttershy glanced out the window. “I don’t see them yet. Should I make us some tea then?”
“Tea sounds wonderful, Fluttershy.” Twilight took a seat at a chair near the window. “I’ll wait for them here then. I didn’t tell them that they’d all get here at the same time, or that I’d be here, so they’ll probably be surprised to see each other. I’ll explain things while you get ready, okay?”
“Wait.” Fluttershy walked over to a mirror, then turned to face Twilight. “There’s something I’d like to show you first, if that’s okay.” Twilight nodded, not quite sure what Fluttershy had planned. “All right, just, tell me how I look.” She squeezed her eyes shut, as if concentrating on a difficult task of magic.
“Wait, Fluttershy, are you cha—” Twilight’s question was answered by a flash of pale, green light over the pegasus’ body. What was left in Fluttershy’s place made Twilight’s jaw drop to the floor.
She changed form into a changeling. But it wasn’t just a regular changeling; she looked unmistakably like Fluttershy. She had a pink mane that was filled with holes, just as changeling hooves did, but it looked dark, as if in a barely lit room. Her body was yellow instead of black, and had a similarly dark treatment. Her abdomen, which is usually not distinguishable on a changeling, was actually a hot pink. Her wings were taller and more solid than a changeling’s, but still had some holes.
“F-Fluttershy…”
She opened her eyes, and looked up to Twilight’s astonished face. “Did… did I do it?” She turned to the mirror. Any anxiety she had about her transformation turned to joy in an instant and she clapped her front hooves together, giggly madly. “I… I did it! I can’t believe I actually did it!” She turned to Twilight and jumped forward, hugging her. Twilight was completely unprepared for it, not expecting her usually shy friend to do something as personal as a hug so suddenly. Their gazes met, and Twilight finally saw her eyes: they looked exactly the same as when she was a pony, with bright, teal irises.
Fluttershy pulled back when she noticed Twilight’s expression, “O-oh, sorry there Twilight.”
Twilight realized she was blushing, and waved it off. “I-it’s no problem, hahaha, really.”
There was a knock at the door. As if on cue, Fluttershy flashed green again, and she looked like her usual, butter-yellow pegasus self. “Oh, are they already here?”
Twilight glanced through a window parallel with the door. Sure enough, all their friends were waiting. “That’s them all right.” Rainbow Dash was knocking on the door, with Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all behind her. “Should I let them in? Or do we want to get Angel?”
“Oh, no, I don’t think he’d particularly want to be here for this unless he needs to be. But I have to, um, think a bit, so if you could get the door, I’d appreciate it.” Fluttershy’s gaze returned to the mirror.
Twilight made her way over to the door, waiting for a series of knocks to end before opening it. “Hey girls,” she said in a casual tone.
“Twilight?!” Her name was shouted simultaneously by every pony at the door.
“Why are you here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Heck, why are we all here?”
“Ya didn’t tell none of us that anypony else was comin’,” Applejack explained as she walked past her cyan friend. “We were as surprised to see each other comin’ up the path. Why’re ya here so early?”
“I’m actually helping her with what she has to tell all of you,” Twilight explained. “She… well, I think she should explain it.” Twilight stepped aside as everypony entered the room, noting Fluttershy’s presence as she was still looking into the mirror. The ponies all settled into the room: Rarity and Applejack taking a seat on the sofa, Rainbow Dash hovering next to them, and Pinkie Pie hopping in place just behind the sofa.
A silence hung in the air for several moments. Fluttershy took a few deep breaths, but never took her eyes off the mirror. She kept looking to each of her friends in their reflections. C’mon Fluttershy, I know you can do it.
Rainbow Dash sighed suddenly. “I bet it isn’t even a big deal. She probably stepped on a bug or—ow!” Rainbow Dash was interrupted by Applejack yanking her to the ground.
“Ya better let her do the talkin’ here, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “Fluttershy, if ya have somethin’ to say, ya should just say it, and get it outta the way. We don’t bite, ah promise.”
Fluttershy gulped. “O-Okay. Just, don’t be mad, okay girls.” She turned around to face the group, took one last deep breath, then transformed, the green light bathing the room for only an instant. Once again, Twilight saw her in her changeling body, the same form that resembled Fluttershy profoundly. “I-I’m… I’m a changeling. I’ve always been a changeling. I’m still Fluttershy, but… this is who I am.”
Fluttershy looked to each of her friends. Their expressions were almost empty. No shock, no fear, no anger. They looked blank. Fluttershy’s face was one of pure fear, her whole body shaking for every moment the silence continued. “G-girls… s-s-say something…”
Without warning, the four ponies jumped forward onto Fluttershy. Twilight reacted instantly, prepared for the worst case scenario. She activated a barrier spell around Fluttershy, pushing back the ponies, while simultaneously teleporting in front of the shy mare. “Stop! Please listen to me, this changeling is really Flutter—” She was interrupted by Rainbow Dash kicking her out of the way, the student thrown into a bookshelf at the far side of the room. She ignored the stinging pain in her back, and after a few moments, she was on all fours again. She glanced over to Fluttershy and gasped in horror.
Two of them were carrying Fluttershy out, and the other two stood in front and behind the pair with the changeling. She saw a glimpse of the Fluttershy’s face, and saw flowing trails of blood and tears, the pegasus crying out for help.
The unicorn gritted her teeth, and tried the same spell combo again. But this time, she was angry. Instead of just extending the barrier to repel them, this time she fully formed it, holding it like a shell, which also sent the four flying off further and harder than the first time. Once her teleport was finished, she turned to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, are you okay?”
She was sobbing uncontrollably, still her in changeling form. Clearly not able to get a response out of her, Twilight turned towards the others in the room. “What are you all doing?! You’re attacking somepony that hasn’t done anything to you!”
The four approached with no response, their faces now full of anger. They began beating on the barrier, sending shockwaves which all fed directly into Twilight’s horn. She cried out in pain, not used to the pressure caused by the spell being struck. I can’t hold this for much longer… she turned to Fluttershy, who was curled up next to her now, huddling against her back leg in terror.
No. I don’t know what’s going on, but I won’t let this happen! She started charging a teleport spell, planning on sending it all the way to Canterlot with both her and Fluttershy. She made one last glance up to the ponies she thought were her friends; their hooves were strong, streaks of orange, blue, black, and white hitting hard against the barrier with such speed that—wait, black?
Feeling the barrier getting weaker, she cast her teleport that would hopefully bring her and Fluttershy out of danger. At exactly the same time, the barrier she was holding up broke, causing her to yell in pain, and for the flow of magic she was releasing for her teleport to fluctuate erratically, throwing off any concentration she had on it.
The teleport cast, and a second later, she wasn’t standing in Fluttershy’s living room with four ponies attempting to carry off her best friend, but was instead standing atop a dirt floor, surrounded by bark and foliage. With nearly all of her energy spent, she fell to the ground and blacked out.
“… t?”
“… light! Twilight?”
“Twilight, please! Wake up!”
“T-T-Twilight, I… I can’t stand it out here…”
“Hey, did you just… oh, are you awake?!”
Twilight Sparkle groaned. She rolled over onto her stomach and tried to push herself up. “Eugh… my head… did I stay up too late… at another Pinkie Pie party?”
“Oh, Twilight!” The unicorn found herself in a tight hug before she even opened her eyes. She felt fur, which meant Fluttershy was in her usual form. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“I… where are we?” She opened her eyes to see Fluttershy’s worried face before her. Her body was bruised, and still had scabs, a number of which were on her face, but she was smiling otherwise. The memories began flooding back, and she jumped to her hooves. “Oh, Fluttershy! You…”
Her ears splayed and her gaze was suddenly drawn to the floor. “Oh, it’s… it’s okay. I should have known that… that they… wouldn’t have been accepting as… as you were…” tears began to fall ever so slowly, building up steam as she spoke. “I thought you wouldn’t wake up. You were out for the better part of a day… I was scared that… that I’d be all alone out here…” She started bawling again, her speech reduced to babbling as she threw her arms around Twilight, her face pressed into the unicorn’s chest.
Twilight brought a hoof and softly patted Fluttershy’s head, being as comforting to the crying pegasus as she could manage. Getting attacked like that is not something anypony should have to deal with, and Fluttershy? Twilight couldn’t begin to think what she thought of the whole situation, but given the state of the pony hugging her, she had some idea. But… what did I see? Was that really a black hoof? That would, at least, somewhat explain why they were after her, but I don’t really know anything yet. We need to focus on figuring out where we are. She tried to cast a basic light spell from her horn to illuminate the area, but it instantly backfired, causing her headache to get even worse. Of course, after a teleport like that, I’m probably out of magic… and I don’t have any idea how far we went. It could be a day, it could be a week before I’m at full strength again. We need to start figuring out how to get home.
When the crying seemed to die down, and Twilight tried talking with her distressed friend. “Fluttershy,” Twilight asked. “Are you feeling any better?”
The pegasus had been holding tightly onto Twilight for several minutes. Her nose still buried in the unicorn’s chest, she muttered something; Twilight was barely able to make out the affirmative. “Fluttershy. I’d like to ask you to let go of me. Can you do that for me?” Slowly, she nodded and pulled away from Twilight. She still had wet trails of tears down her face. She still looked in terrible condition, but Twilight noted a leaf or two on her body, probably covering up worse wounds. It figures she knows some plants that help with healing.
Twilight then took the moment to glance about her surroundings. They were in a forest; from her guess, it was wild, just like Everfree. Unfortunately, she didn’t recognize anything. She hadn’t seen any wild life yet, but none of the trees or flowers or bushes in sight of their clearing she recognized. She wasn’t an accomplished botanist, but she had come to familiarize herself with a lot of the plant life in the Everfree forest from her visits with Zecora, as well as their conversations. In fact, the only thing she recognized in the clearing was Poison Joke, but it was so uncommon, as well as in batches of other flowers, that she doubted they would even affect the two of them.
Unable to make heads or tails of where they were, she turned to Fluttershy. “Do you have any idea where we are?”
Fluttershy sniffled. “I-I looked around when you were unconscious. I even flew up past the trees, but I didn’t see anything useful, honest!”
“Nothing at all? No mountains or other landmarks in sight?”
“Nothing. Just flat forest in every direction.”
Hmm, most of the larger forests in Equestria are near mountains or at least hilly regions. Where would we be that wouldn’t have mountains in sight? Maybe straight west of Canterlot?
“Uhm, Twilight?” She turned to her shy friend, who continued, “I think I saw a stream over there. We should get some water. I’m kind of thirsty. I-I think I can figure out what kind of animals are around here too, since they may leave tracks around there often.”
Twilight nodded. “Great thinking, Fluttershy. Let’s head over there, and figure out what we’re going to do. I think I may have a small idea of where we are, but I need to mull it over a little bit.”
With that, the two trotted off in search of fresh water, and for a quiet moment with which to gather their thoughts.
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes fluttered open as she attempted to yawn out whatever remaining exhaustion she had. She glanced upwards; the sun was shining, but it was nearly impossible to tell what time of the day it was without flying up above the foliage.
She looked to her side, finding Fluttershy was still asleep. Twilight was happy to see her at ease finally. She had looked drained and nervous all of the previous day. Despite their friends’ actions weighing heavily on her psyche, she managed to get some helpful information for Twilight.
Fluttershy recognized most of the flora and fauna, though all she knew about them, geography wise, was that they weren’t all close to Ponyville. Her hypothesis had also been right; even when they arrived the previous day, several animals had been at the stream, and it seemed that the place was a common source of water for all the nearby animals. Fluttershy hadn’t noted any predatory animals or tracks, so she figured the two of them were safe where they were, and found a nearby clearing to rest in for the night.
After a few moments, Fluttershy stirred. She stood up, yawned, and groggily acknowledged Twilight. “G’morning.”
“Good morning, Fluttershy.”
“So, do we have a plan for where to go today? I still haven’t the faintest idea where we are.”
“I have a pretty good idea, actually,” Twilight said, “and I think we need to head due east. That should, if I’m right, get us to Canterlot, where we can both get a ride back to Ponyville, but also I can report to Celestia that there are changelings in Ponyville.” Fluttershy gasped with a horrified expression. “Not you!”
“Then who?” She asked.
“I think our friends yesterday were changelings.”
“Our friends… Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity? What makes you think they were changelings?”
Twilight stared blankly at Fluttershy. “I guess that was kind of a silly question,” Fluttershy admitted, “But, I mean…”
“When they were attacking the barrier, I think one of them lost their disguise, Fluttershy. It was hard to tell since I couldn’t look up, and the barrier kept flashing whenever they hit it, but I swear, one of the had a black hoof. Since none of them even have dark fur, that can only mean they were a changeling.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better about yesterday… it’s nice to know my friends don’t hate me…” after a moment of silence, realization lit up on her face. “Wait, so where are our real friends if they were changelings?!”
“That’s what I’m worried about, and why I want to get home as fast as possible.” Not to mention that I already miss them…
Twilight shut her eyes and concentrated, and sure enough, she had some magic back. It isn’t much, but it’s enough to make travel easier. “I think we should start getting ready. Do you know what leaves around here I could use to fashion some canteens?”
“Is your magic back, then?”
“Not entirely, but it’s enough to make objects out of other base parts, and a canteen should be the easiest thing. After that, perhaps a saddlebag, and we can head out.”
“What direction are we going in?” Fluttershy asked.
“If we are in Equestria, and we’re in a forest that isn’t within sight of any mountains, then we are pretty much going to be west of Ponyville and Canterlot, so we need to head east.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t head west?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “West?”
Fluttershy looked out in said direction. “Something about that way is… telling me we should be heading that way.”
“Well, if we don’t find anything after heading east for a bit, we can turn around. No matter where we are, we should be able to see something in the next day or so. So show me to some sturdy plants, and I’ll get to making us some tools.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, just let me get a drink…” she got up, but before turning to the stream, she trotted over to Twilight and nuzzled her neck. “But first, thank you for everything.”
Twilight found herself blushing again, averting her gaze from the yellow pegasus. “No, really, it was nothing. I’m just doing what I had to.”
“You didn’t have to choose me over them,” Fluttershy said, “you didn’t have to shield me or try and teleport both of us.”
Twilight took hold of Fluttershy by the shoulders and pushed her back, looking her straight in the eye. “I wasn’t going to abandon you, and what they were doing was wrong! It doesn’t matter if you were a changeling or not, they were my friends or not; they were attacking an innocent pony!”
“I… I guess you’re right. I just,” Fluttershy paused, “I don’t know. I just have to say something, because, uhm, well, I’m not used to ponies defending me like that…” she shuffled her hooves against the ground. “Rainbow Dash does it sometimes, but that’s it really…”
Twilight smiled. “I’m glad you appreciated it, but I think we need to focus on the task at hoof, Fluttershy.” She made her way for the stream. “Let’s start getting ready. We might have to travel for a few days.”
Fluttershy nodded, a newly determined look on her face.
Twilight Sparkle fell back on her rump, her head falling into her hooves. Fluttershy trotted up behind her, placing a hoof on her distraught friend’s shoulder.
“This is it, Fluttershy. We are totally lost,” Twilight said.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to get us home.”
“Really? Because,” Twilight swung out a hoof, motioning to the space in front of her, “I thought this would be Canterlot. I expected us to run head-first into the tallest mountain in Equestria, and… we get this.”
Fluttershy shrunk a bit in place. “Well, I did tell you to go west…”
“Yeah, but that was off an instinct. I thought I had a really clear idea of where we were. And now it appears I don’t have a single clue!”
Twilight looked out to the land before her, the sight of it almost making her lose hope altogether. The duo had traveled due east from their “landing site” for two days. Fortunately, with the makeshift canteens and saddlebags they had made from the forest around them, water and food weren’t an issue, not to mention that the flowers of the forest weren’t too bad tasting, and they had seen another stream on the way to their destination.
The problem arose when they broke out of the forest, and found before them a beach and what appeared to be an ocean.
Twilight’s mind was racing. If we aren’t in the greater part of Whitetail Wood, the only other place we could be in would be the northern end of Hayseed Swamps, but that area borders Baltimare’s Horse Shoe Bay, which has markings all around it. So… are we not in Equestria? Twilight glanced over to Fluttershy, who was looking up and down the entire coast. How is she so calm? Does she really believe in me that much? I’m just a book worm, I don’t have any kind of knowledge that would help me out here. She looked back to her makeshift saddlebags and frowned. Well, that isn’t entirely true…
“Why don’t we head west, back through the forest?” Fluttershy said, taking Twilight out of her thoughts.
“Again with this?” Twilight asked.
“I…” Fluttershy gulped. “I don’t really know. It just feels right. I think it’d be a bit safe to navigate back through the forest anyway, where there’s plenty of food and water.”
“That’s…” Twilight paused. “That’s a very good idea. I…” Twilight looked up to her friend. She had the warmest smile on her face, as if she didn’t care that the two of them were lost in a foreign land. Just seeing that face restored her hope. “Well, it is either that, or we follow the beach and hope we eventually find a coastal city. But given that there might not even be coastal cities here, that is a safer bet.”
“No coastal cities?” Fluttershy echoed.
“I don’t think we’re in Equestria right now, Fluttershy. None of the huge forests in Equestria have an eastern border with the ocean. So I’m just… I’m at a total loss of what to do.”
Fluttershy gulped. Oh. I guess she wasn’t as aware of that as me. “Well, don’t worry, Twilight. You should have enough magic to teleport us somewhere after a few days, right? We’ll just have to find some clues as to where we are in the mean time.”
Twilight nodded. “I guess that’s our best bet. Should we head out, or would you prefer to set up camp and wait until tomorrow? I’m not really sure what time it is, but,” Twilight glanced up to the sky, which was slowly turning from it’s clear blue to muddled oranges and reds with each passing moment, “it looks like it’s going to get dark soon.”
“I think a camp would be okay. We did wake up pretty early this morning, and we’ll have to start covering more ground every day. We should take one day to get a good rest.”
Twilight nodded, and the two re-entered the forest to look for a comfortable spot for the night. It only took a couple of minutes to find what would serve them well: a flat space covered in grass, and an opening in the trees that gave them a clear view of the skies. They weren’t very worried about the weather, and were vastly more concerned with getting up early enough to get a good start. After that, Twilight cleared out a spot in the middle to make a makeshift fire pit.
In their two days of travel, they still hadn’t seen any predatory animals, which struck Fluttershy as odd, given the wild environment. While rarer in Equestria, they were almost vital to completely wild eco-systems, but if they weren’t there, they weren’t. Armed with the knowledge of their safety, the two agreed it would be safe to split up for only a little while and investigate the area. Twilight made an arrow on the beach pointing to their camp, preventing the two of them from ever getting lost for long, and they went their separate ways. Twilight headed North, and Fluttershy went South, and their hope was for finding any sign of civilization, thinking that there may be clues about where to head from what they found.
After about thirty minutes, Twilight was feeling nervous. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt uncomfortable being alone in the forest. Everywhere her eyes darted, she felt like something had just been there. “Fluttershy, is that you?” she called out.
No answer. After another fifteen minutes, she was starting to feel truly frightened. Come on, you aren’t Fluttershy. What do you have to be so scared of exactly? There’s just lots of trees, and it’s a little dark. No big deal. There isn’t anything out here that can hurt you—
A snap of a large tree branch falling just behind Twilight made her jump forward with panic. She smacked straight into another tree, bringing a pained moan out of the unicorn. After a few moments, she managed to sit up, rubbing her sore forehead with a hoof. She glanced back to the fallen debris behind her, and gasped at how large the branch was. It was as thick as two or three ponies, and at least several wide. She looked up, and saw one of the larger trees in the forest was apparently dying. It was significantly taller than the other trees around her, probably stretching up above the canopy. The trunk was thick, and solid, but even she could see upper branches were withering away.
If that had hit me, would I have been okay?
That was it; she was done: all she had found were birds and trees. She didn’t want to spend another waking moment alone in this forest, so she made her way back to camp as quickly as she could. Her thoughts wandered towards her horn as she walked back, not able to focus on anything else aside from her fear. My magic already feels spent today when all I’ve done is cut some grass and levitate a stick. I was lucky enough to make us some equipment our first day out here, but I feel like my magic’s been getting weaker and weaker since then. When she arrived, she looked around to make sure Fluttershy hadn’t returned. Seeing no sign of her, she looked over to a rock that she hadn’t used to set up the fire pit, and tired to levitate it. It floated steadily for about one full second before she yelled out in pain and her horn ceased its magic. Only one second… there isn’t any way in Equestria I could have managed that branch if it landed on me. At the rate I’m recovering, it’ll take me weeks, maybe months, to charge up a spell to get us back to Equestria…
Twilight gulped. I better keep that from Fluttershy. If she thinks that I don’t have a way home for us, she may panic… no, I should keep this a secret. But, if I can’t get us home… then how will we get home? I don’t think we’re even on the same continent. What if we aren’t even on a place with any equine life? If we’re that far away, there’s no possibility that any search parties could find us; we could be stuck here forever.
Twilight huddled down, throwing both her arms over her head as she shivered. I don’t want to be stuck here forever… I want to see my friend’s again. I want to see Ponyville…
“Twilight!”
“I’M NOT CONTEMPLATING BEING STUCK HERE FOREVER!” She yelled. She spun her heads towards the source of her called name, finding Fluttershy entering their campsite. “I mean, did you find anything?”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “O-okay… well, I actually found some old ruins, but there wasn’t anything but a bunch of stone structures. No signs, old roads, or anything. Nothing to tell us where to go. Do you want to go have a look?”
“N-no, it’s fine.”
“Twilight…”
“I’m just… I’m just scared, okay? Scared we’ll never figure out a way off, scared that we’ll never see our friends again, scared that—”
Fluttershy sat down next to her friend. “Twilight, I’m scared too. You don’t have to act brave around me.”
“I-I’m not doing it for you,” Twilight said, blushing a little, “I just… I’m not used to being like this. I don’t get scared much. Angry, worried, sad, but fear is not something I feel often…”
“Well, of course we’re both scared. I’m scared that we may not find an easy way home any time soon, since we don’t know where we are from Equestria. I’m scared that all my animal friends may not have any help right now. I’m scared of what might have happened to our friends if there are changeling copies of them running around…”
Twilight merely nodded, looking down in shame. Of course she’s as scared as you. You can’t keep worrying like this. Where will it get you?
“… But I’m okay, because I know we’ll be fine.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because I know you can get us out of here. You’re clever, quick thinking, smart, when all I can do is help small animals.” She brought a hoof to her chest. “I have faith that you can get us out of this place and back to Ponyville.”
She used that word again. “Faith.” She said that in her home, too. I guess she wasn’t wrong, really—we don’t know if our friends would think badly of her being a changeling, but that whole affair did come out horribly.
“Besides,” Fluttershy nuzzled Twilight’s neck, “I’m okay if I’m out here with you.”
Twilight simultaneously froze up and blushed from the contact. She looked down to see Fluttershy’s face radiating happiness and blushing as well. “Fluttershy…”
The pegasus pulled away after she realized what she was doing, “O-oh, uhm, how about we start a fire?” she suggested with a blush across her cheeks.
Twilight tried to shake the blush out of her face as well, but it was to no avail. “S-sure, a fire, right.” As Fluttershy put down the pile of sticks they had gathered earlier as firewood, Twilight effortlessly cast one igniting spark, starting their campfire. Just a single spark caused her significant pain, but she fought through it, making sure not to make a sound. Fluttershy immediately got as close as she safely could to the fire, leaving the confused and still blushing Twilight a few feet away.
Does she like me? Is that why she keeps doing that? It would explain the nuzzling, why she isn’t as scared… it would explain why she’s been trying to see me more when we were in Ponyville too… Twilight gulped. Better not… ask her about this right away. I don’t have any idea how I feel about this, and it could get awkward really fast. We… I should just focus on finding out where we are, and then I can ask her some other questions.
Their days passed quickly, and without much incidence. While Twilight was grateful to have a plan, she still felt the most at ease when she could see Fluttershy. Whenever they split up to look for resources, or whenever Fluttershy flew up to scout, she would suddenly get scared again. She had no idea why. It wasn’t like she was being watched—no, it was more like she wanted Fluttershy to be watching her. She kept that feeling as private as she could on their journey.
With Fluttershy apparently at ease, travel was easy. The forest was mostly flat, and the trees were never dense enough to impede their progress. On the third day, Fluttershy managed to talk to some birds before they were scared off, and found out that the animals knew of ponies, but had never actually seen any, which seemed to imply to Twilight that ponies either lived really far away from this forest, or that they didn’t live on that landmass anymore. Given that nothing seemed to be dangerous that they could find, she figured the latter was much more of a possibility. They traveled onwards anyway, since the only thing they could do was explore to make sure they were right.
The change came on the evening on the fifth day. “Are you’re sure you’re up to this, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked.
“It’ll be fine, I’m fine,” the pegasus answered shakily.
Twilight was skeptical. While they started out their trek that morning at full speed, her friend seemed to slow down as the day went on, turning to a very slow trot by the late evening. When she offered to do her evening check above the canopy, Twilight was understandably skeptical of her friend. “You haven’t been flying much, Fluttershy, and with how tired you’ve been today, I wouldn’t feel safe about you going up.”
“If I feel too tired, I’ll just come back to the ground, okay?” Fluttershy insisted. “I promise, I’ll be safe.”
“Well…” Twilight sighed. “Fine. Just, let’s find a clearing, okay?”
Fluttershy nodded. The two headed off, and after a few minutes, they found another small clearing with an opening in the canopy above. I hope she knows what she’s doing. My magic has been nearly dead these last few days. The best I can really do is catch her if she falls.
Fluttershy lifted off, and Twilight already noticed something was different. Instead of pointing her body upward and accelerating in the direction she was facing, she instead chose to simply hover upwards, flapping her wings with just enough strength to keep herself upright and rising. Twilight found herself worrying, but after about 100 feet, it looked like she would be fine.
Until one of her wings cramped. Legs flailing, the pegasus fell like a brick. Sparing herself only the briefest of seconds to think, Twilight stepped back a few steps, then performed a running jump, hoping to break the fall as best she could.
Somehow, she calculated it right. Fluttershy landed on her back at the apex of her jump, bringing both mares straight to the ground. They landed with a thud, the air forced out of Twilight’s lungs by the force of the impact. Fluttershy rolled off of Twilight, allowing the coughing and sputtering Twilight to stand up and turn to her friend. “Fluttershy…”
Fluttershy choked back a sob. “I-I’m sorry, Twilight, I just… wanted to help…”
Twilight ignored her explanation. “Fluttershy, how is your wing? It looked like something went badly up there.”
“I-I don’t actually know, uhm.” Fluttershy blinked back her tears, then extended a wing forward so she could examine it, but just doing such made Fluttershy’s face cringe with pain. “Ooow… I, uhm, better check my wing in my real form, I think.” Before Twilight could reply, there was a flash of green, and Fluttershy was replaced by her unique changeling self.
Twilight nearly jumped back from the sudden change; the pegasus had been so nonchalant about it that she hadn’t braced herself mentally. It had been a week since she saw her friend like that, and seeing it again simply scared her. It was hard for her to keep reminding herself mentally that Fluttershy was a changeling, especially when she was so focused on getting home. And of course, that moment five nights ago.
It still haunted her mind. Fluttershy hadn’t made any… advances, Twilight supposed, since that night, and she was thankful. She wasn’t sure what she would do if Fluttershy admitted to liking her that way, out in the wilderness. Could she afford to reject her, and create that awkward space between them? Or did she, maybe, reciprocate the feelings, but wasn’t aware because of their circumstances? Did she have to reciprocate the feelings to prevent that tension? There were too many possibilities. Is… is Fluttershy scared something is going to happen? Why would she make little tiny romantic advances without saying anything, when we only have each other’s company? I don’t like this one bit. She turned her head to Fluttershy, who was looking back at her transparent wing, occasionally buzzing it.
No, enough of this being unsure. I’ll ask her about it tonight.
“How about we set up camp here?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy only nodded, still extraordinarily interested in her wing. With that, Twilight started preparing camp again, setting up the fire pit in the middle, then obtaining fire wood from the surrounding area. Broken pieces of wood seemed especially plentiful where they were, and she had enough to start a fire in only fifteen minutes. By the time Twilight returned to camp and set up the fire, Fluttershy was already walking around in her pony form again.
“Aren’t you hungry, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as she took a seat by the fire.
She shook her head. “I decided just to eat what I had in my saddlebag while I was out looking for fire wood. It isn’t like we haven’t seen plenty of flowers everywhere. But enough about me, Fluttershy.” Twilight sat down next to her friend. “You… you really scared me earlier.”
Fluttershy averted her gaze. “I… I just wanted to help. You know what direction we have to go every day. You even know which flowers are safe to eat. You know all this stuff, and all I’ve done is talk to a few birds who barely understood me…” she sighed. “I just… I just wanted to help, really. And all I did was nearly get really hurt. I could have… if you hadn’t caught me—”
“You can’t think like that, Fluttershy!” Twilight said. “You’re okay, and that’s what matters. Just, you have to think a little bit more before you do something like that again. That’s all.”
Fluttershy nodded, though she didn’t seem to have the same sentiment, as she was attempting to make herself as small as possible, huddling as close to the ground as she could get. “You’re right, I was really dumb today.”
“Fluttershy…”
“We aren’t going to get home, are we?” She asked.
“What are you—”
“You only use your magic when we make camp. If you were using it that little, you’d be recovering faster normally.” Twilight gulped, which only seemed to edge Fluttershy on. “So that is it, isn’t it?! Something happened when we teleported, and you aren’t recovering as fast!”
“Well, that doesn’t mean—”
“You think we’re on another continent, Twilight. Those birds only knew ponies existed because we were the ones asking! We can’t make a boat out of anything if we don’t have any magic. We’re… we’re going to be stuck here with no way to get home…” Fluttershy had her hooves around her eyes now, rubbing at them as tears fell. “It’s just going to be you and me here for… for…”
“Fluttershy, stop,” Twilight commanded. Fluttershy’s panicked rant halted, and Twilight continued, “You’re right. I… my magic isn’t recovering very quickly at all. I think the barrier breaking somehow made my magic overflow into the teleport spell, and somehow that is making me unable to use much magic at all. And you’re right, neither of us have the tools or skills to make things that could cross a body of water. And you’re also right that there probably aren’t any ponies where we are anymore who could help us. But,” she reached out and pulled Fluttershy’s hooves away from her face, “you can’t lose faith. You just can’t. If you keep thinking about all these impossible things, then they’ll keep being impossible. We have to go on thinking that we can do something, that we can make it, because if we don’t… then we won’t.”
Fluttershy sniffled, and smiled despite herself. “You’re a really good motivational speaker, Twilight.”
“Really? Because I just sound crazy when I listen to it.” Twilight chuckled. “And besides,” she brought a hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug, “I don’t want to lose the only other pony out here.” She let go, expecting Fluttershy to scoot over a foot or so to give herself some space.
She didn’t. Instead, she pushed up against the unicorn even more, the entire lengths of their bodies now right up against one another. Twilight could feel Fluttershy’s body heat instantly, contrasting the evening coolness that she wasn’t even aware was making her uncomfortable.
“Twilight…” Fluttershy murmured, eyes closed and head resting on the ground.
Twilight realized she was blushing again. “Y-yes?”
“I think… while we’ve been out here…”
Oh, no, is she going to—
“I just… I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Oh Celestia she said it. She really said it. What do I do? Respond? Let her keep talking? Wait, is she talking again?
“I know I shouldn’t tell you this, since I don’t even know if you like mares. But we might be out here for… a long time, and we don’t even know if we’ll get back. Something might happen like today, and one of us could be hurt really bad, and… I just have to make it clear before anything happens. I,” Fluttershy paused as she opened her eyes and bit her lip, seeing Twilight’s unsure expression, “I just hope this… this doesn’t make things too weird, but I’m just… I’m really comfortable around you, and happy around you, and I hope that’s okay.”
Twilight wasn’t sure how to respond. She was planning on drawing those feelings out of Fluttershy, and didn’t expect her to be brave enough to just say them on her own. Part of Twilight regretting thinking that the pegasus couldn’t have done this, and part of her simply wished she hadn’t said a word. She glanced downward. Fluttershy was looking up at her with, not pleading or worried eyes, but simply curious. Is she okay with me saying I don’t like her back? Do I even know if I don’t like her back?
Is… there a way for me to try and see if I do?
“Fluttershy, I… you know what? Do you want to try something a little crazy?” Twilight asked.
“C-crazy?” She asked.
Without warning, Twilight lowered her head and pecked Fluttershy right on the lips. Fluttershy’s entire face started to look like her mane, and her wings seemed to extend on their own. “I… that was…”
Twilight realized she was blushing too. “Wow, that was exhilarating.” Fluttershy’s curious gaze was almost too much for Twilight to take, so she averted her gaze to the stars. “I’m going to be honest, Fluttershy. I don’t know anything about romance, heh. I don’t think about it, and it never occurred to me to pursue it. But… well, if it’s you, I’m willing to try. Especially when we’re out here. So,” she looked back to Fluttershy, “girlfriends?”
Fluttershy gulped. “I… that isn’t…” Fluttershy started tearing up. “No. This isn’t fair to you. I didn’t think, and now here I am, forcing feelings onto you when we should be trying to focus on surviving and finding a way back…”
“It isn’t a big deal. Besides, I’ve never had a girlfriend before. If we’re stuck out here, then… maybe this is a good time to experiment?” She shrugged. “I can’t go rejecting the only pony that might be within a thousand miles of me.”
“That’s a really depressing thought,” Fluttershy said, “but it reminded me of Rainbow Dash, so that’s nice.” She giggled, and with that sound, whatever doubts Twilight had about her decision were seemingly banished from the clearing.
“I’d like to think I’m not as thick-headed as her,” Twilight said, “But I guess it isn’t all bad. She does like to read books after all. I kind of wish she’d get some variety though…”
“Does she read anything besides Daring Do yet?”
“Well, she has tried some Fetlock Holmes, but she wasn’t a big fan of them…”
The night passed without incident. The two mares spent the eve discussing their friends and Ponyville; for only being gone a week, to them, it felt like a lifetime. With their worries about the possibilities of getting home cast aside for blind faith, their wills were strengthened, and their resolve renewed.
They next three days passed with equal ease. Somehow, after that night, Fluttershy’s energy had been totally rejuvenated, and she was as active as ever. She would fly as they made way through the forest, make more active conversation; everything about Fluttershy was turned up to eleven, and Twilight was happy to see her so joyous.
The morning of the fourth day of their journey, they still hadn’t found a way out of the forest. Twilight was beginning to suspect something different entirely about their location: that perhaps they were on a forest island. It had to be a large island, since they couldn’t see the other ends of it yet, even after ten days of travel in one direction, but if the ecosystem managed to be constant across the entire island because of wind and water currents, it would make sense for a forest to grow across the entire thing. Hopefully, that meant that the island was near a coast of some kind, but she had no idea if that was true. Honestly, she didn’t have any idea if any of it was true. Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind her hypothesis about their situation, since it kept their minds active and hopeful.
The fourth day also marked a change in pace for them. Just as the sun was highest in the sky, their travel was stopped by finding something other than an endless sea of trees before them: stone ruins seemed to rise up at them as they crested a hill. Several stone pillars held up some archways, all surrounding a stairwell that went down into the earth.
Twilight rushed up to the pillars without a second thought, knocking on them with her hooves. “Whoa, these are incredible.”
“These look a lot like what I found near the beach,” Fluttershy said. “Did ponies live here a long time ago then?”
“It wouldn’t be surprising. This island is perfectly tame and hospitable. We haven’t had any shortage of food or water while we’ve been here. Where did they get stone like this from, though?” Twilight asked herself. “We haven’t seen any mountains or anything that would resemble a quarry…”
Twilight was interrupted by Rainbow Dash tackling her as she spoke.
The two tumbled several feet, rolling over one another, until they came to a stop with the pegasus atop the unicorn. “R-Rainbow Dash?!” Twilight was completely confused, but after the rainbow-maned pegasus punched her once, landing a solid blow to the side of her head, Twilight was fully aware of the situation.
Ignoring the pain, she mustered up whatever pitiful magic she had left into one spell: a spell that revealed changelings for what they were. She aimed the magenta beam at the pony above her, and her hunch was proved correct: the pony was indeed a changeling, one that appeared as generic as any of those that invaded Canterlot.
It didn’t seem to mind the lost disguise at all, and proceeded to raise both hooves above it’s head, ready to bring them down on the helpless unicorn. “Fluttershy, help!” She turned to look at the pegasus, who was still as a statue, petrified fear spread across her face.
The hooves swung down. Twilight closed her eyes, bracing for the impact. This is it… Fluttershy…
“Scout! What on earth do you think you are doing?!”
Twilight’s eyes shot open. The changeling’s hooves were inches from her face, and its gaze was turned to the source of the voice. She glanced over to Fluttershy, and saw her staring in the same direction. When Twilight finally looked, she gasped.
It was Queen Chrysalis.
The changeling queen that had led the invasion on Canterlot one year ago; that had replaced Princess Cadance and nearly stole away Shining Armor; that had been defeated and thrown out of Equestria, stood before them with as much elegance as she did a year ago, as if nothing had changed. She had the tall stature of an alicorn, with the same black body, hole-filled hooves, and green abdomen and wings, long teal mane and tail, and stunning green eyes. Her face was one of rage as she took every step closer to Twilight and the changeling.
“What do you think you are doing with Celestia’s student?”
“I, I,” The changeling sputtered. The voice was definitely male, but had that similar distortion that the queen herself had as she spoke. “I was only doing what you would desire, your majesty—”
“My subjects do not decide what is important to me!” She yelled. The changeling fell off of Twilight, stumbling away. “I said you were to guide them here for me to deal with. I said nothing else!”
“Th-they were getting close to your abode, your maj—”
“Do you think I cannot deal with two measly ponies by myself?” She pointed a hoof off towards the east. “Go, continue your scouting duties. Do not return until the night falls. We shall have a talk about your obedience then.”
The changeling gulped, and flew off, little wings buzzing as fast as they could to carry him.
Twilight was stunned. A monster she hoped to never see again had, not only re-entered her life, but saved her from being struck down? Her mind was boggled, but didn’t remain that way for long. The changeling queen’s voice echoed through the clearing as she said, “You two. Unicorn and pegasus. You will follow me into these ruins, and we shall make discourse. If you do not follow me willingly, then I will drag you down myself.” Without any further speech, she walked down the stairs at the center of the ruins, her horn lighting a green light, giving them a clearly visible path down.
Twilight stood up, and looked to Fluttershy. The shy pony gulped, and merely nodded, heading towards the stairwell behind Chrysalis. Twilight steeled herself, and followed right behind. I don’t know what’s going on, or why Chrysalis is even here, but she’s defeated Celestia before. Even if she isn’t feeding off of Shining Armor’s love, she is still as powerful as an alicorn. I may hate it, but I have to do as she says for now. If not for my sake, then Fluttershy’s.
“So was that changeling really named Scout?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight facehoofed, and Chrysalis chuckled. “You mean to tell me that, I allow you to ask me one question, any question, and you ask me that?”
“I’m just curious is all. He seemed really concerned for you , and you yelled at him. He looked really scared.”
“When one’s queen yells at her subject, fear should indeed be the appropriate response.” Chrysalis took a sip of her tea. “No, his name is not truly scout, but when we are working, we refer to each other by our positions.”
“Oh, I see,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight sighed. Somehow, this had taken an unexpected turn that she didn’t understand. When Chrysalis led them down those stone stairs in the middle of the ruins, she expected to find a dungeon, filled with ponies she was draining, or cells meant for the two of them. What she actually found were a set of hallways that all lead to completely open rooms, branching off in all sorts of directions, with well kept torches every several feet. Most rooms were empty, but clearly had beds set up, and a few even had stray changelings sleeping in them. It was expansive, but the largest and most central room seemed to have the most furnishing, ranging from tables to even a proper bed, though their quality only matched the surroundings. This stuff would all be thrown away if it was found in an attic of somepony’s home.
It got stranger when Queen Chrysalis decided to, still without saying a word, make them tea. The two sat at a center table patiently, and after several minutes, found sauces and teacups before them, which is when Chrysalis said, “You may ask me one question of your choosing, and I will answer it to the best of my ability.”
Fluttershy’s question had been useless; it gained them no knowledge and did not help their situation in any way.
“His name is Copycat, and he has been a loyal subject of mine from the day he could talk. He is one of the few of a band of changelings that have joined me in this exile.”
Twilight blinked. Wait, did Chrysalis just reveal why she’s here? Wait, I think she just addressed me… “Yes, your majesty?” Twilight asked.
“Are you aware that your friend here is a changeling?” She asked.
The bluntness of the question threw off Twilight’s train of thought. “I, uh, yes, I am aware. Actually, no, may I propose something?”
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, which Twilight took as a sign to continue. “You let us ask you a question, so we owe you some information as well. How about we tell you how we arrived on this island, which appears to be owned and controlled by you?”
“I am indeed most curious as to how you managed to teleport here,” Chrysalis said, taking another sip from her tea. “This island is not known to pony kind, and it is very rare we even see boats this far north. I would love to hear your story.”
Twilight gulped. Her politeness is making me nervous… but I have to stay on her good side. If she gets angry, then who knows what will happen.
With that, Twilight took over the discussion. She decided to not explain how she found out Fluttershy was a changeling, acting like it was just a fact to be taken as a given, and started out explaining that they were both in Fluttershy’s home, the attack that took place there, and how the stress of the fight made her mis-cast her teleport, which somehow threw them to this island. She decided, by the queen’s continued prodding, to explain their travels on the island as well. She skipped over the two’s decision to consider themselves lovers, and spoke until they found the ruins, where Chrysalis interrupted her.
“You have done more than your fair share of explaining, Twilight Sparkle, and I am glad that you have decided to be forthright with such information. I shall inform my mages that we must strengthen the barrier around this island.”
“Barrier?” Fluttershy asked.
“This island, as you rightly guessed, is a fairly large landmass off the coast of the frozen north. It is an exile for changeling society, where those who stray from the will of their hives are often sent to spend the rest of their days, alone, and to starve.”
“O-oh,” Fluttershy gulped. “That sounds horrible…”
“So why are you here?” Twilight asked without thinking. She immediately regretted the decision when a glare from Chrysalis made the unicorn squeal with fear.
“I am here because you found me out!” Chrysalis got off of her cushion on the ground and snarled as she pressed up against the unicorn’s nose, pushing her towards the back wall as she ranted. “I am here because my invasion of Canterlot failed, because you destroyed any order my hive had! You ruined me, made me a laughing stock for all of changeling kind! I should drain you of your love, your magic… your life, right here.” Chrysalis smacked her lips, a single strand of saliva flicking onto Twilight’s cheek, though she didn’t dare to move to wipe it away. “That revenge would taste so sweet…”
The two were interrupted by a small squeak of effort. They both turned to see Fluttershy attempting to push Chrysalis away from Twilight, though her efforts were in vain, as Chrysalis hadn’t even felt the pressure until she saw the pegasus. “Y-you get away from her! She was just trying to protect her loved ones! If you hadn’t tried to invade Equestria—”
“My duty as queen comes before empathy for you pathetic ponies!” Chrysalis yelled as she shot a blast of magic at Fluttershy, throwing her across the room. She landed face first into the opposite wall, falling to the ground in a heap.
“FLUTTERSHY!” Twilight yelled. She slipped around Chrysalis’s imposing form, running to her friend at the other end of the room. She turned her over on her back and held up her head a little bit to examine her injuries. Her forehead was bleeding, but she was still conscious. She shakily reached out a hoof to Twilight, mumbling something, when her disguise fell away, leaving the yellow and pink form of a changeling in Twilight’s arms. The unicorn didn’t flinch, but instead, brought her into a tight hug. “Thank Celestia you’re okay. Don’t worry, that wound looks really shallow. Don’t bother trying to change back, just save your strength.”
“My oh my,” Chrysalis said as she sauntered over to the two mares, “it seems she’s groomed you quite well. You really do love her, don’t you?”
“Groomed me?” Twilight asked, not moving from Fluttershy’s side. “Sh-she’s my friend! I don’t know what you’re—”
“You are speaking to a creature that feeds off of a vague emotion, you know that, right?” Chrysalis laughed. “I can feel your love for her saturating this entire room! Any changeling could!”
“I-I, well, who cares!” Twilight yelled. “We’ve been closer longer than most ponies even date! What does it matter?”
“Why, it’s very simple. Because I don’t feel any from her!” Chrysalis’ booming laughter filled the ruins, echoing all around the unicorn. “You’ve been played the fool by your own friend that you knew was a changeling! How so very pathetic.”
“She… she doesn’t feel love towards me?” Twilight asked.
“Tell me, after she admitted she loved you, did she get more… energetic?” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Did she use some inappropriate body language for a while, first? Or perhaps she tried to spend time with you, and you alone?”
N-no, this isn’t possible. This is not possible.
“My dear, a changeling needs love to live. Be it adoration from fans, the care of a family, or the platonic or romantic love of peers, but the fact remains: a changeling needs love. When you two become isolated, far from any animals she knew, far from the ponies that cared for her, what did you think would happen?”
The same night she fell from exhaustion, she also told me she loved me, and made me consider my feelings…
“This could be the first time in the history of the world that a changeling admitted she was a changeling, and still got a pony to love her. Ohohoho, hahaha, I can’t contain this laughter!” Chrysalis had to sit down, her deep cackles echoing all about once again.
Twilight couldn’t take it. She threw her hooves over her ears, and huddled next to her barely conscious friend, feeling like she could just lie there and crumble away into nothingness. Fluttershy wouldn’t manipulate me like that… she isn’t just another changeling. She’s Fluttershy. She’s special, she has to be special, she’s… I love…
She started shaking, an immeasurable despair taking over her mind, when she felt the touch of a hoof against her. She looked to see Fluttershy smiling at her, shaking her head. “N-no, she’s wrong, Twilight.”
Twilight just stared, Chrysalis’ cackles dying down now, and Fluttershy continued. “When we were in Ponyville, I always felt something from you. I wasn’t sure what it was. But it made me feel great around you, made me feel like everything could be perfect and nothing could go wrong. It only got stronger here, when I… when I got too close a few nights. All that made me do was want to tell you how important you were to me, even if I wasn’t quite sure what the feeling was.”
“Fluttershy…”
“When I told you I loved you, I thought I meant it. I guess I really didn’t, if she can’t feel anything, but I want to mean it. I want to get back to Ponyville with you, and go on dates, and have silly romantic walks in the setting sun, and tell all our friends that we’re together, and all that silly stuff that you read about in books.” She sat up, still bleeding from her forehead. She quickly swiped any of the blood no her face away with a hoof, then tried to take both of Twilight’s hooves in her own. “I want… I want to love you, so so badly. You’ve just been so nice to me, and understanding, and patient, and I really couldn’t imagine it being anypony else.”
Twilight was about to respond, when she heard Chrysalis give an undignified snort of a laugh. “I apologize, do carry on,” she said.
“Fluttershy, can you wait a moment?” The confused changeling nodded, and Twilight turned to Chrysalis. “You’re lying to me.”
“Not at all,” Chrysalis said. “I was having fun with you. I do not feel love from her to use, because I cannot feel love that isn’t given to a changeling. It does not manifest in any way, because it is simply a thought. When a changeling receives love, it causes certain reactions and energies within them to activate, and the presence is unmistakable.”
“Why did you bring us down into your lair to play us for fools, and hurt us?! Just tell us what you want, and then be done with us!” Twilight yelled. “Take me and drain me, fine. But don’t hurt Fluttershy. She is hardly a changeling anymore, and certainly wouldn’t accept orders from you. I won’t have you performing this, this torture on us anymore!”
“KNOW YOUR PLACE, PONY!” Chrysalis shouted. The force made Twilight slide into the wall across the stone floor. “I will not have such insolence in my domain! You will not be the pony who gives me orders. Is that understood?”
Twilight and Fluttershy both nodded.
“At first, I do not deny that the desire for revenge was at the forefront of my mind. But I began to think, as we talked, that it would truly do me no good. I made my mistakes, and failing to take over Canterlot simply sealed my fate in changeling society. Who does it serve to take revenge on you here? It serves no one. You may call me evil, but I will not take your lives for the fun of it. Everything I did was for my hive.”
The two nodded. Fluttershy then suddenly asked, “So… you said you were exiled to this island, y-your majesty?”
Chrysalis nodded. “This island is meant for the exile of changelings. It is protected by a barrier that prevents us from leaving, but it allows changelings to enter. The magic that keeps us here is so strong that it resonates with all changelings’ very beings, whether or not they are even aware of it, and when it is willed that they go, they appear here. They will find a way to travel to the island, teleport themselves, even cause so much trouble that a hive is forced to throw them here.” Chrysalis pointed at Twilight. “You teleported across your entire country to this island, well past Canterlot. This is likely because Fluttershy felt so terrified during her assault that she wanted to go where nopony could ever do that to her again. To be left alone so she didn’t have to scare anypony, or something to that effect. I don’t know her thoughts. But those kinds of thoughts would definitely make her feed some of her magic into your teleport, and could very well bring you here.”
“So… so I brought Twilight here by accident?” Fluttershy asked.
“I believe so. The ponies you encountered would very obviously be changelings, but not ones under my command. It would do you well to inform your leader, upon your return, that there is another planned invasion.”
“Upon our return?” Twilight echoed.
“You are a pony. You are completely unaffected by the magic that surrounds this island. In fact, you are only a day from the western shore of this island, which would bring you, most likely, into teleportation distance of the shore of the frozen north. You should be able to teleport with your changeling mate here as well.”
“Why are you telling us this, y-your majesty?” Twilight asked.
Chrysalis smirked. “You learn fast, pony. I tell you this, instead of draining you or keeping you both as slaves, because doing such would being me absolutely nothing. I said earlier, I do not commit pointless violence against others. When I finally saw you, I was simply not expecting to be so physically reminded of my failure, and that led me to feel justified in some of my actions here. Yet, I accepted my fate long ago, as well as the fact that I shall remain here. Taking one of you from the other would bring me little. And besides, I wasn’t lying when I said it was the first time in history that a pony loved a self-admitted changeling.”
Both Fluttershy’s and Twilight’s eyes went wide. “There are those changeling hives that simply co-exist in Equestria, satisfied living their whole lives like they were ponies, some even forgetting their past. But none ever admit it. Ponies fear changelings far too much for that, and I cannot imagine it getting any better after my failed invasion.
“I have never heard of a changeling revealing herself, and finding love in return. It’s unheard of. So if I cannot help my hive, then I can help the rest of our kind.” Chrysalis lowered her horn down to Fluttershy’s forehead, bringing a nervous eep out of the yellow changeling. With a pale, green glow from the queen’s horn, Fluttershy’s wound was mended. Then, she lowered her horn to touch Twilight’s, and the unicorn instantly felt a surge of magic flow through her horn. The shock made her yelp and fall back, rubbing her sore horn in an attempt to comfort it. Chrysalis then said, “I have restored enough of your magic that, when you reach the shore, you should be able to reach the frozen north, and be within sight of the Crystal Empire.”
“Y-you know about that place?” Twilight asked.
“I have my sources. I may be stuck on this island, but that does not leave me a fool to the events of this world.” Chrysalis sat at her table again, then motioned with a hoof to the exit. “Now, leave me be. Before I change my mind, and make a snack out of you.”
The two mares understood the weight of that threat. They both bolted for the door, Twilight making it first. She merely turned and bowed before leaving.
Fluttershy stopped, and looked behind at the queen. “Y-your majesty, may I ask one final question?”
There was no reply. Chrysalis didn’t even bother to look back at the yellow changeling, far more interested in sitting at her table and drinking her tea.
“Twilight and I have this book. It was written by a changeling that lived like a pony in Equestria. That book told me a lot about myself, and… I just remembered something. He says that hive members can find their queen, and that hive members always yearn for their queen. Is that true?” Still no reply. Fluttershy gulped. “I… I was drawn here. I don’t know why, but right after we teleported here, I wanted to head straight west, straight here towards… towards you. Am I from—”
Fluttershy was interrupted by being daintily lifted up by a levitation spell, coded by green light, and just as she was through the door way, a large slab of stone rolled across the entrance to the queen’s room.
“Fluttershy, come on!” Twilight called from above. “Let’s hurry! I already feel like I could teleport from here!”
Fluttershy nodded, though she doubted Twilight could see it. Just before she reached the first step, she felt something running down her face. She wiped it away with a hoof, and realized it was a tear. She glanced back to the room once more, then made her ascent as quickly as possible.
Ponyville. Home sweet home at last.
Chrysalis had truly underestimated Twilight’s power. As she had said, the next day, the pair had reached the shore of the island. Twilight took both of them up in a teleport, and when they reappeared, she realized that she was inside the throne room of the crystal empire. Despite a distraught and confused Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, Twilight assured them that she would explain it all in due time, and insisted that they get a train straight to Ponyville.
Now, almost eight hours later, Ponyville came into view. Without Spike to send a letter anywhere, there was no way of her sending a letter faster than the train, so she figured it would have to be a surprise when she returned.
Of course, now worries remained about their home. Did the town panic while I was gone? Do they even know Rainbow Dash and Applejack and Rarity and Pinkie Pie had changeling doubles? Oh, I hope everything is okay. Please be okay, everypony.
The station came up. There was no welcome crew, or anything. Only a few ponies were at the station, presumably to continue on south on the train. As Twilight and Fluttershy exited their car, one pony nearby recognized them. “Hey, you’re Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, right?”
The two instantly recognized the tan-furred earth pony as Bonbon. “Oh, uh, hello there,” Fluttershy greeted, “do you know if anything’s been going on while we were gone?”
Twilight facehoofed again. “Actually, yeah,” Bonbon answered. “Your four friends have been running search parties looking all over for you guys. Apparently they found a bunch of changelings that looked like themselves in Fluttershy’s house, and there was a big fight, and then they rounded them up, and realized you two were gone—”
“Then they’re okay!” Twilight yelled. “Oh my gosh Fluttershy, our friends are okay!” She brought the pegasus into a hug and kiss, excitement taking over her instincts.
Then she realized she was kissing Fluttershy in public. She let go instantly, both ponies blushing brightly. Neither pony noticed Bonbon roll her eyes as she boarded the train.
The train departed, and the two were left alone on the platform. The two ponies stood still as stone, only a few feet separating the two of them. Twilight made the first move, shaking off her nerves as best she could. She stepped forward until she was right next to Fluttershy. The pegasus continued to blush as Twilight got closer.
“So, uhhh, we’re supposed to be dating now, aren’t we?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy nodded, still blushing. “So, uhm.” Twilight was shuffling her hooves. “Maybe we should get used to the kissing thing?” Fluttershy shook her head. “Okay! Okay. No kissing yet. How about walking side by side into Ponyville, the town we’ve been missing for so long, and hope that eventually one of our friends finds us, because I am waaaaaay too tired to go looking for them outside of town?”
Fluttershy nodded, walking over to Twilight, then turning to face the same direction as her. Her touch melted the unicorn’s anxiety away, and she started trotting off the platform, Fluttershy keeping up with her perfectly. The couple, supporting each other’s weight as they walked, headed right into the heart of Ponyville, relieved, no longer afraid, and grateful that their faith in each other finally paid off.
They were home.
