A Great Change: Chapter Ten-The Truth Hurts

By: TammoWoodsorel

Fluttershy and Rainbowdash had both decided to take an off day while they waited for Pinkiepie's party to begin. They went out to the field behind Fluttershy's hut and relaxed while Dragonshy chased animals around. At first, Fluttershy had been worried about this activity but put her worries aside when she saw that not only Dragonshy, but also the animals that he was chasing, were enjoying the activity. Fluttershy was down on her haunches and she looked to her side to see Rainbowdash lying with her back against a tree and her fore-hooves behind her head as she slowly dozed off.

Fluttershy couldn't help but tease Rainbowdash a little, "So, Rainbow… I thought you said that Dragonshy was getting enough love from me…"

The statement snapped Rainbowdash awake, so much so that she slid off the side of the tree she had been leaning on. Trying to regain her composure, she propped herself up against the tree again.

Her eyes darted around and her face turned red as she answered, "Well I uh… just thought he looked tired after he was done flying. Yeah, that's it. I didn't want him to collapse right then and there before you could get to him. So I figured that I would help him out…"

She gave an awkward laugh and looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy just smiled one of her warm smiles that calmed Rainbowdash down.

Fluttershy said to Rainbowdash in her most calming voice, "It's ok Rainbowdash. It's ok to have feelings for him. I wouldn't be angry at you or anything."

Rainbowdash knew that Fluttershy knew that she had a huge crush on her. It was a good thing that Fluttershy was as kind as she was, because she would not bring it up until Rainbowdash was ready to bring it up for herself. Rainbowdash was not worried about Fluttershy being mad though.

Rainbowdash leaned back against the tree again and wondered aloud, "I don't get it though. I don't want to have feelings for anypony else. It just seems weird to me. I barely know him and all that I know about him is the fact that he has no idea who he even is. How can somepony have feelings for somepony like that?"

At the question, Rainbowdash gestured at the stallion who was being led in a circle by Angel. He quickly got dizzy, stopped, fell backwards, and almost crushed Angel since Angel had kept on going in the circle.

Fluttershy let out a small laugh and said, "I don't see how anypony could not love that. He's a sweet and gentle pony. He is considerate and likes to make everypony smile. He is so innocent that it is adorable…"

Fluttershy trailed off in the description. Rainbowdash looked at her as Fluttershy continued to watch Dragonshy snap at bugs in the air above him. Rainbowdash hadn't realized before that maybe Fluttershy had feelings for Dragonshy as well.

Rainbowdash shook off this thought and said, "I don't know about all that stuff, but I will say this. He is a great flier. I have the feeling that, before he lost his memory, he was part of a military of some sort. I've always admired ponies of the military, but the way I feel about him is different from just admiration. It's like every time I am with him, I start to overflow with emotion. It's a weird feeling but, somehow, I like it."

Fluttershy looked back at Rainbowdash. Fluttershy had never heard her friend talk like this. Even what Rainbowdash had said to Dragonshy back in front of her hut was completely out of character. Fluttershy began to think that maybe Rainbowdash now had greater feelings for Dragonshy than she had for her. The thought worried her. She always enjoyed her relationship with Rainbowdash and didn't want anything to ruin it.

With each of them pondering about their own things, they almost didn't notice the commotion coming from Ponyville. Rainbowdash took to the air to get a better view of the town. She was confused to see a giant sign that read "Bring him over!" Rainbowdash shook her head and thought about how Pinkiepie was always pulling off impossible feats that seemed too unreal to actually be there. Rainbowdash had learned just not to question what Pinkiepie did and just roll with it. She had no doubt that, by the time they made it to the town, the sign would be gone and there would be no trace of it.

Rainbowdash landed softly next to Fluttershy and said, "It looks like they're ready for us," she waited for Fluttershy to get up and the two of them to start walking toward Dragonshy to continue, "Fluttershy I've been thinking and I think that the best thing we can do is pull Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie aside and explain everything to them. Then, if anypony else starts to ask questions, we just give them the same story that I had originally given Pinkie. Sound good?"

Fluttershy just nodded. She was really nervous about telling all the others about Dragonshy being a Changeling, even if it did seem to make the most sense out of anything else to do. Rainbowdash saw that Fluttershy was hanging her head low as she thought about what might happen.

Rainbowdash nudged Fluttershy's head up with her nose and said reassuringly, "Don't worry Fluttershy, everything will be fine. If they do think that it would be best for him to leave, then we will figure something out. No matter what happens though, just remember that I am right next to you and I won't let him leave. Alright?"

Fluttershy was comforted by these words and nodded to Rainbowdash. They made it to where Dragonshy had fallen asleep on his back. Fluttershy almost didn't want to wake him up but nudged him gently anyway. When he opened his eyes, he stood up immediately. The three of them walked down the path leading to Ponyville from Fluttershy's hut.

…

Pinkiepie was standing atop the Sugarcube Corner with a pair of binoculars watching the road.

Upon seeing the trio making their way to them, she called down to everypony that was gathered, "They're coming! They're coming! Everypony get ready!"

Everypony had just been mingling and talking amongst each other. They all looked up questioningly at Pinkiepie.

Applejack, an orange earth pony with a blond mane and a cowboy hat, trotted up to the side of the building and yelled up to Pinkiepie, "Hey there, Sugarcube. I thought you said that this here party weren't supposed to be a surprise."

Pinkiepie somehow floated down to stand next to a confused Applejack and said, "Oh yeah! I'm such a silly philly, I forgot!"

Applejack rolled her eyes as the two of them went with the others to go and greet the newcomer. Together with Twilight and Rarity, the four of them met the trio before they made it to Ponyville. All the other ponies just continued their outdoor party as they waited patiently for the guest of honor to arrive.

When they all met up, Rainbowdash was the first to speak up, "Hey guys."

Rainbowdash looked over them, since she was already hovering a few feet above the ground, and saw that she had been right in her assumption that the sign calling them over would be gone without a trace.

Twilight answered, "Hello, Rainbow. Hello Fluttershy, would you mind introducing us?"

Fluttershy began, "Um… everypony, this is…"

She was cut off by an excited Pinkiepie that could not wait for Fluttershy to slowly make introductions, "Everypony, this is Fluttershy's cousin from Cloudsdale. Dragonshy, this is Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, I'm Pinkiepie, and over there in the town is Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake, the mayor, Cherilee, Big Macintosh…"

Pinkiepie found a hoof covering her mouth as Applejack said, "Easy there, Tiger. You're gunna overload the poor pony."

Twilight, a purple unicorn with a dark purple mane that had a pink highlight through it, stepped forward and said, "What Pinkie is trying to say is, welcome to Ponyville. We hope that you enjoy your stay here."

Before anypony could notice that he was not responding to anything that they were saying, Rarity said admiringly, "My my my, Fluttershy. You never told me that you had such a dashing Pegasus as a cousin. Why ever didn't you not inform me of his arrival? I would have cleaned myself up a bit."

Fluttershy drew circles in the ground with her hoof as she answered, "Oh… well um… he just sort of… dropped in suddenly."

Rarity walked up to Dragonshy and held out her hoof for him to kiss it as she said, "Well it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Dragonshy."

After an awkward moment of her holding out her hoof and him just staring at it, dumbfounded, she cleared her throat to get his attention. When he still did not react, she put her hoof down and took a step back.

Pinkiepie laughed and said, "See? What did I tell you? He is even shyer than Fluttershy is!"

Rainbowdash, still hovering just above everyone, decided it was time for her to speak up.

Rubbing the back of her neck she began, "Actually guys… We need to talk about something. Can we all go back to Fluttershy's? It would be easier to explain there."

Knowing that the party would continue without the guest of honor being there, they all went back to Fluttershy's hut. More specifically, they all went to the field that Rainbowdash and Fluttershy had been relaxing in before the party. Nopony had said a word on the way over. They were all wondering what it could be that they wanted to say.

When they got to the field, Fluttershy went to her hut to go and get something while Rainbowdash began to retell everything that Fluttershy had told her. Leaving out some of the more embarrassing instances, Rainbowdash told them everything that she could to the best of her knowledge. By the time she had finished, Fluttershy had gotten back with her copy of Equestrian Creatures.

Everypony just stood there, in thought of what had just been said to them, until Twilight finally spoke up, "I'm sorry to be the one to doubt what you guys are saying but the chances of a Changeling landing behind Fluttershy's hut is slim at the very most. Are you sure about what you are saying?"

Annoyed, Rainbowdash pointed at Dragonshy saying, "Just look at him. He has no pupils. His eyes are a solid green. You've got to admit that's pretty weird."

Twilight shook her head as she responded, "Even so, it is more likely for that to be a medical condition of his than it is for him to be a Changeling. Changelings have been banished from Equestria and are not allowed to even show their faces here."

Rainbowdash stepped toward Twilight as she challenged, "Then I suppose that him being able to turn into a dragon is a medical condition too?"

Twilight couldn't think of a response and just said, "Well, you two were face-to-face with an Ursa Minor. Maybe you were seeing things in your excitement."

Fluttershy, who had been trying to get their attention the entire time with a book in her mouth, finally dropped it on the ground and said, "Excuse me, but um… I know how to prove that he is a Changeling."

Applejack saw her friend was nervous and walked over to place a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and said, "Well why didn't ya just say so, partner? Go ahead and show us."

Fluttershy smiled, nodded, opened the book up to the page with a picture of a changeling, and held it up to Dragonshy. She tapped on the picture several times with her hoof before Dragonshy finally got the idea. They all watched in wonder as Dragonshy transformed. His wings lost their feathers and became thinner to the point of being bug-like. His tail lost all its hair and hardened into the texture of a scale and became the shape of a spear tip. Lastly, he grew out his fangs. When he was finished, he looked just like the picture.

Everypony besides Fluttershy and Rainbowdash backed away out of fear.

Rainbowdash and Fluttershy watched as Twilight whispered something to Applejack, who nodded in reply.

Rainbowdash could not keep the scorn out of her voice, "What are you up to?"

As she was saying this, the message was passed to Rarity and Pinkiepie. The three of them made a wall between Rainbowdash and Twilight. Before Rainbowdash could figure out what was going on, Twilight took off down the road towards Ponyville.

Rainbowdash yelled, "Wait! What are you doing?!"

Pinkiepie said in her usual excited tone, "Oh, Twilight is going to get Spike so that she can write a letter to the princess about a Changeling being in Ponyville!"

Before Pinkiepie had finished her sentence, Rainbowdash attempted to fly over them to catch up with her. Applejack saw this coming and used the bouncing Pinkiepie as a springboard to jump up to Rainbowdash's height. Applejack grabbed Rainbowdash's tail and held her back. Applejack struggled to keep Rainbowdash there. She knew that she would not be able to hold her for very long but also knew that she just needed to hold Rainbowdash until Twilight got enough time to send the letter. As she was holding Rainbowdash, Applejack glanced behind her. She was worried that the Changeling would do something but, to her surprise, the changeling just stared with a cocked head at what they were doing. Applejack was puzzled by this but was thankful that he didn't do something like turn into a dragon. Then something totally unexpected happened. Fluttershy took off from where she was standing, zipping right pass the astonished ponies that had been in front of her. She was out of sight within seconds. None of them had ever seen Fluttershy fly more than five miles per hour. She had just rushed pass them at a speed that none of them could guess. Applejack's jaw dropped, letting go of Rainbowdash's tail but Rainbowdash was too surprised to do anything either. Eventually, they all got over their surprise and rushed after her.

Dragonshy took this time to change back into the form that he had been in previously, since that was the form that Fluttershy liked. He was exhausted after changing form twice, so he began to fly to catch up with everypony and get some energy.

Fluttershy was incredibly scared. She had never gone this fast before. That wasn't why she was scared though. She was horrified at the thought of the Princess banishing Dragonshy from Equestria. She didn't even know that she was physically able to fly this fast. She didn't care though. All that was in her mind was getting to Twilight before she was able to send the letter to the Princess. She went straight for the library, busted through the door, and tackled Twilight as soon as she saw her. Fluttershy pinned the surprised Twilight to the ground but when she looked up, she fell to her knees at the sight before her. Spike had just opened a window and sent the letter.

Spike turned to the saddened Fluttershy and said, "Hey there Fluttershy. So I hear you have a new pet," when he got a disapproving shake of the head from Twilight he shrugged his shoulders and began to head out the door back to the party, "Nopony tells me anything."

Before he could make it out the door, he burped.

A scroll popped out and he tossed it to Twilight saying, "I'm heading back to the party. You can read the congratulations letter yourself," he was obviously upset about being kept out of the loop.

The rest of the friends got there just in time to hear Twilight read the letter allowed, "My Dearest Twilight. I am appalled at the news you have just given me and I demand that you and your friends begin to head to Canterlot immediately. Bring the Changeling with you. If he poses a threat to you in any way, do not hesitate to use force. They are a dangerous lot and this amnesia could all be an act. Do not let you guard down no matter what. Anxiously awaiting you arrival, Princess Celestia."