“Would you like another carrot?” Angel nodded as his wound up Fluttershy toy held out a carrot for him. After he took it, he was about to munch on it. But his ears caught the attention of some ponies approaching. Leaving the carrot and the toy, he left his little shed to see what it was.
In the night sky, Angel saw Rainbow flying a cloud ride with Fluttershy and their daughter. The garden had been seeing quite the repair thanks to them and the help of the animals. But Fluttershy told them not to do anything unless one of them was around with instructions.
Seeing that they were just returning home, Angel wiped his forehead and went back inside. He wound up his Fluttershy toy, eager for its response.
“I love you!” the toy said. Angel smiled and rubbed his face up against the toy.
______________________________________________________________________________
Fluttershy went in first. She carefully pressed a hoof against the sill and reached down with her other. After making contact with the floor, she picked her weight off the cloud ride, letting the rest of her body enter the room. Miley followed after, jumping off the cloud ride and through the window. When they both had entered, Rainbow Dash detached herself out of the cloud ride and left it parked there in the air. She then flew in through the window, joining Fluttershy and Miley.
The repairs for their home had been coming along nicely. They had already been able to fix up the bedrooms, the shower rooms, and the kitchen. Although a lot had been lost due to the storm, nothing was lost that couldn’t be replaced. And those that were still damaged, could be fixed.
They were hoping Miley had fit among one of those. That’s why when they got home, they brought her here. The first thing they wanted her to see, was her repaired room. And now, she was seeing it.
The bed sporting the rainbow colored butterflies blanket was right where it was, next to the window pointed at the direction where the sun would rise. The bean bags with wing supporters were right next to that. She couldn’t see if her closet had been filled back with the toys she loved playing with so much. But right now, that wasn’t important to her.
Rainbow and Fluttershy watched as Miley started walking towards the area where her front door was. Initially, they felt their hearts being pulled. But they soon realized that she was only going to the most important thing in her room. Her mirror table. They didn’t know why it was the most important, but it was the only thing Miley asked for hopes of being fixed or replaced.
Miley jumped up on the table to get a clearer view of the mirror. Every time she looked into this mirror, she would only do just that. No brushes were ready anywhere in her room. The drawers from the mirror’s table contained no makeup. In fact, they usually contained little snacks instead. Not even cleaning tools were present. Just looking at this mirror, was all that was important about it.
And that’s what Rainbow and Fluttershy were seeing now. Miley hadn’t spoken a word since arriving. She just stared into that mirror. Her eyes pointing towards every section of her body from head to hoof. No change in her expression.
“Miley,” Fluttershy winced inside when Rainbow broke the silence. She feared doing it herself, fearing for the worst. But Miley hadn’t responded to it, so now it seemed needed. Rainbow continued. “How are ya feeling, Miley?”
A few seconds of silence followed suit. Miley responded. “Bad…” She turned her head to them. “Just like you.” Her view went back to the mirror.
It was an odd response, but Fluttershy stepped forward to speak. “Miley, please tell us what’s wrong. We want to be here for you whenever you’re feeling down.” Miley’s eyes lowered from the mirror’s view. It seemed like the words were reaching her.
“Listen, Miley,” Rainbow continued. “If this is about Princess Celestia again, remember what your Psychiatrist said. We would never-”
“Not… about her...” Rainbow’s words were cut off when Miley started to speak, barely audible. ”It never was…”
“Huh?” Rainbow stepped closer for a better hearing.
”I’ve been… I-I’ve been... lying.” Rainbow Dash was about to question again, when suddenly, Miley spun around and kicked her hind hooves against the mirror, emitting a shatter loud enough to startle some of the animals outside.
After Rainbow and Fluttershy recovered from their wince, Miley had dropped away from the mirror and faced towards them with her head down. Her teeth were gritting with slight sobs escaping them like she was desperately trying to hold back tears.
“What did you-” Rainbow was interrupted again when Miley looked up and shouted.
“I’ve been lying!” Miley turned away, speaking through her sobs. “T-This was never about Celestia in the first place! I, I’m afraid! And I’ve always been afraid! Sca-a-ared because I’ve… I-I’m…” The hiccups in her sobs made it too difficult to continue what she was saying. She sat down and covered her eyes with a single hoof.
Rainbow Dash became a bit nervous pursuing this subject now. Biting her lip, she took a step back while Fluttershy took a step forward with a caring, yet concerned expression. “How long have you felt like this?” Miley didn’t respond. She just kept hiding behind her hoof, sobbing. Fluttershy decided for a different approach. “Miley… if it makes you feel better, tell us. It isn’t healthy to keep these things bottled up. So please, if it’s that bad keeping it inside, then let it out for us.”
Miley wiped the tears away from her eyes and put her hoof down. No new tears made itself present, but she still wasn’t speaking. She just continued staring down, her eyes lightly pulsating like they were trying to form new tears. They wouldn't come though. As Rainbow Dash stepped forward again, Fluttershy continued.
“Remember. No matter what it is you’ve been lying to us about, we will still love you like a good family would.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash reached their opposite side hooves towards each other and pressed them together. They held them together much how they would hold onto their hope.
“No…” Miley responded. Irritation formed in Rainbow’s mind.
“Come on, Miley. You know how kind-” Rainbow was interrupted again.
“Not been lying to you… Just… … lying…” Rainbow and Fluttershy looked to each other with confusion, wondering what she was saying. She looked back up to them, slowly standing herself up. “I have to show you… s-show you what I’ve been lying about… What I’ve been so af-… afraid of you to find out.”
It was then that Miley turned herself to the side, closing her eyes and keeping that same frown. Of course, the first thing they saw was her broken heart Cutie Mark, reminding them of how this all started. When they saw that heart, curiosity made them wonder if that Cutie Mark had anything to do with what their daughter was saying.
But then, as Rainbow looked into that heart, her own heart, bat a beat ten times more powerful than any beat has ever done. Every nerve in her body and brain tingled at that beat, making her feel just how bad of an omen Miley was making this out to be. But this went unnoticed by both other ponies as Miley showed them her Cutie Mark.
And then, Miley’s Cutie Mark began to glow. Sparkles started resonating from it. It seemed to be peeling itself off from the bottom. When it got to the top, it fell gently like a leaf, swaying back and forth. But it was still resonating that glowing sparkle. Fluttershy was beginning to think that Miley had faked her Cutie Mark. Because now, Miley’s flank bare blank right in front of their eyes.
The broken heart Cutie Mark reached the ground, where it looked like it laid stiff. But it wasn’t touching the ground yet. They would’ve guessed that it was over now, until the Cutie Mark started spinning itself around. It spun faster, and faster, then started circling around Miley’s hooves. Miley didn’t move from her spot as her own Cutie Mark spun circles around her.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy watched as that Cutie Mark gained speed, faster, and faster. The Cutie Mark reflected off their eyes and they could no longer keep up with it. The speed became so fast that they could literally see multiples of that Cutie Mark.
Suddenly, a green flame circled around the path that Cutie Mark flew in. Both Rainbow and Fluttershy opened their mouths in awe, Rainbow feeling more stings crawl under her coat and in her skin.
The green flame started rising along with the Cutie Mark. The light from the flames resonated along the cloud walls as well as the broken shards of the mirror. It became bright enough that it was difficult to look at in this night. But Rainbow and Fluttershy did not tear their eyes away as they witnessed that flame engulfing their daughter.
Miley’s appearance was changing as the flames passed her body. Her yellow hooves had now turned black. Her legs revealed to have multiple holes in them. The flames reached up to her wings, revealing a clear bug-like set, revealing more holes in them. Her blue tail started vanishing and was replaced with a black bug-like one. They reached her closed eyes and passed the top of her head, engulfing her mane and revealing more black. And finally, the Cutie Mark flew to the front part of her forehead and connected with it, engulfing itself into flames and revealing her horn. When the transformation was complete, she turned her body to Rainbow and Fluttershy, slowly opening her eyes, and revealing the deep lifeless blue in them. Her eyes blinked once.
Every muscle in Rainbow’s body begged itself to flee from the room right then and there and hide herself forever. From the very start, she knew that there was something wrong with their daughter, and she ignored it every time the signs came. Now, it has come back to haunt her. She stared at Miley in shock, fighting every urge to not move where she was.
Fluttershy was not taking it any better. Fear filled her mind and her eyes shrunk pea-sized. She could barely supply her lungs with the oxygen that they needed. Her mouth vibrated gibberish words, trying to get them to say something clear.
“You… Y-Y-You’re a… a-a c-c-c… Changeling?!” Fluttershy bursted out. She placed a hoof on her chest and started hyperventilating. “N-No! T-T-That can’t be right, if you’re a changeling, t-then… Celestia… our foal… o-o-our... “ She gasped. “Oh no!” Fluttershy turned and was suddenly starting to run. It looked like she was headed toward the window, but Rainbow stopped her.
“Fluttershy, stop!” Rainbow shouted.
“But Celestia made a mistake!” Fluttershy responded. “If Miley is a changeling, then our foal-”
“Celestia made no mistake! Now come over here!” Fluttershy yelped as Rainbow started dragging her to the door despite the struggles.
“Wah-” Miley reached a hoof slightly out to them as they passed her by.
“Go to our room, Fluttershy! I’ll explain everything there!” Although Fluttershy still struggled to get passed her when they reached the door, Rainbow struggled keeping her there as she turned to Miley. “Miley! Please don’t-... wait…” Rainbow retraced her words as a thought came up, the struggle causing feathers to go flying from Rainbow’s flapping wings and Fluttershy’s one flapping one. “Miley, what’s the name of Fluttershy’s favorite pet rabbit? And answer quickly!”
“U-Uh… Angel Bunny?” Miley answered nervously.
“Okay, just had to be sure. Now Miley, please stay here! This has nothing… Well no, it has everything to do with you. But not for the reasons you think! Gah! I’ll come back later and explain everything. Just please! Don’t! Leave!” Rainbow Dash finished with a large grunt as her wings flapped faster, forcing Fluttershy and herself out of the room with the doors closing behind them.
Miley… was just standing there, staring at the door to her room, now revealed, yet alone. But oddly enough, all the fear that was present in her was gone for the moment. Of all the things she had expected as a response to her reveal, this was not one of them. Only one question was filling her mind right now.
“What just… happened?”
______________________________________________________________________________
Rainbow Dash had managed to push Fluttershy to their room, where she had followed up with locking the door and prevented Fluttershy from leaving. Fluttershy, still hyperventilating, was frantically trotting in place, looking for a way to leave.
“Rainbow Dash! We have to go to Celestia. Miley’s a changeling. Our foal… our real foal is still-”
“Fluttershy! Our foal is not out there. Miley is our-” Rainbow stopped herself as she realized what she was saying. “Actually, no. Miley isn’t our foal.”
“See?! That must mean our foal is-” Rainbow cut Fluttershy off again.
“Our foal was never with Celestia! We never had a foal, Fluttershy!” When those words escaped Rainbow’s mouth, Fluttershy’s panicked stopped and was replaced with a stock-stilled fear. “Look Fluttershy, when we received Miley from Celestia that day, the letter that was there wasn’t from Celestia. And I could tell because the writing was very sloppy and wasn’t even close to hers.”
Fluttershy started backing away, looking towards the ground. “B-But… if Miley isn’t our foal… and we never had one… then why…” Fluttershy looked to Rainbow Dash. “What did we do wrong? Didn’t we do what we needed to get a foal?”
Rainbow Dash cringed and sighed. She started walking towards the bed, passed Fluttershy. “No, Fluttershy. That isn’t where foals come from. Don’t you get it?”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin. “Then they do come from the hospital?”
“Nooo!” Rainbow grunted loudly and let herself fall hard on the bed in grief.
Fluttershy’s ears dropped. “I don’t understand… Where did Miley come from then? And why didn’t you tell me she wasn’t our daughter?”
Rainbow Dash sat up and sighed. “I don’t know…” She picked herself up, sitting at the edge of the bed. “But when I saw you two together like that, how happy you were… I was too afraid to tell you… Like if I told you the truth, that would ruin not just your happiness, but Miley’s. And… and...” All she could do was finish with a sigh. Fluttershy walked over to the bed and sat next to her, where they looked each other in the eye.
“Rainbow…” Fluttershy started. “Do you know where foals come from?”
Right after Fluttershy asked, Rainbow got off the bed and answered. “Yes!”
“But I don’t understand… if you knew, then why didn’t you tell me?”
Rainbow turned around a pointed a hoof at her. “Because you didn’t know!”
Fluttershy backed her head away at the sudden violent gesture. “I… What do you mean?”
Rainbow’s voice trembled over many different words. “Because… they come from us… They… I… Y-You… The animals… Gah!” She turned her head away in shame.
“What do you mean they come from us?”
Rainbow’s stomach sank deeper into her body as she tried to talk. “I… Me and you, I…” Seeing she couldn’t control her words, she sighed. “I can’t tell you… I don’t know how to… I’ve been trying and trying… but if you don’t know already, how could I… How would I be able to… Grrr!!!” Rainbow shook her head with irritation. “I don’t know how to tell you! I don’t!” She turned her head away to avoid vision with Fluttershy. The thing that caught her eye was the closet. Something in that closet provided a very delicate thought in her mind. There was something still in there she could use... something she wished she didn't have to use. “I don’t… I can’t tell you… But I… I-I think… I think I can… show you…”
“Hmm?” Fluttershy’s ears turned up, somewhat confused as to what Rainbow was saying. Rainbow returned her vision with her.
“Fluttershy… you trust me, right?” Rainbow asked in a very careful tone.
Fluttershy tilted her head. “O-Of course I do… Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because I need you to trust me more than that.” Rainbow was backing up, appearing to be headed towards the closet. “I need you to trust me more than you have ever trusted me before. And whatever I do now, please… please don’t get mad, or scared, or something else bad.”
Fluttershy had no idea how to respond. Her heartbeat suddenly increased at the amount of pleading Rainbow was setting upon her. Rainbow was really serious about this, but she had no idea why. It had been forever since she ever had to hide behind her mane whenever she talked to Rainbow Dash. But now, she found her eye hiding behind one of the locks of her mane.
“O-Okay…” Fluttershy responded with a nod.
Rainbow took a deep breath and reached her hoof to the closet door. “Then I’ll show you… I’ll show you where foals come from.”
With that, Rainbow Dash opened her closet door. What followed after was the last thing Rainbow Dash would ever expect to hear in her entire life, even from Fluttershy.
“They come from our closet?”