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// A little kindness 
// Story: The Wrong Hoof 
// by ChainGunDragon 
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Twilight knocked on the door to Fluttershy’s cottage, it was the day after she had gotten home from Canterlot and she wasn't keen on wasting any time. The door opened just slightly as Fluttershy peered through the small gap.
“Y-yes?” the timid pegasus stuttered as quietly as ever.
“I need your help with something.”
“Can it wait?” Twilight paused for a moment, wondering what she was doing. It was clear the pegasus was hiding something but Twilight was far too sick of secrets and being kept in the dark to care about her privacy.
“No, it can’t.” She teleported past the door with her magic, immediately looking around and noticing there was nothing out of the ordinary except Cloudchaser, sitting over on the couch. Even Discord was nowhere to be seen.
“I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy, closing the door and turning back to face Twilight. “I was just catching up with Cloudchaser.”
“Rainbow Dash wants us to create another cyclone,” Said Cloudchaser, still sitting on the couch. “Cloudsdale needs more water and Fluttershy began to doubt herself again. As a fellow pegasus I wanted to make sure she was alright so she could try her best just like last time.”
“Well that’s awfully sweet of you,” said the alicorn, turning to face Fluttershy. “But we need to talk.”
“About what?” said Fluttershy, clearly still concerned about something. Twilight took a couple of steps towards her and brought her voice down to a whisper.
“I need your help finding the changelings.”
“Why? We don’t even know if there are anymore.”
“I lied at the picnic. I wasn't up late studying. The changelings brought me to their hideout. I couldn't risk the others telling princess Celestia in case the changelings were telling the truth, but I know I can trust you because you’re the only one who stood up for them.” Twilight paused for a moment, looking at Fluttertshy. She was frozen with a wide-eyed expression, not moving or saying a word. “I know this must be a lot to take in, but they’re not evil. And we’re the only ones who can help them.”
“W-what do you want me to do?” the pegasus stuttered, still in shock.
“All I could really tell from when I was there is that they were underground, and they must be in Ponyville or at least near it. You’re friends with all sorts of animals that burrow their homes underground. I need you to get them to help me find the changelings, that’s all.” The timid yellow mare regained her composure and took a moment to think about what she had just heard before sighing gently.
“That won’t be necessary Twilight,” Fluttershy nodded towards Cloudchaser to which the pegasus on the couch simply shook her head. The yellow pegasus took a couple of steps toward her pegasi friend. “She wants to help.”
“No.” Cloudchaser said quietly not wanting to be heard by the alicorn. Fluttershy started glaring at her, giving her a stare that Twilight had seen scare animals into submission countless times. In mere seconds Cloudchaser was visibly sweating. A few seconds later and she looked away, shutting her eyes. “Fine!” she shouted, hoping Fluttershy would stop.
“Show her,” said Fluttershy, returning her gaze to her normal, nurturing look. Cloudchaser slowly got up off of the couch and looked away shyly as she was enveloped in a green light, quickly transforming into a changeling.
“P-Please don’t hurt me,” the changeling stuttered.
“Twilight, this is Dolus.”
“We've met,” said the alicorn with a hint of anger. “I’d recognize that voice anywhere. This is the one that tricked me. He lied to me.”
“I didn't have a choice, you were going to hurt me,” said Dolus as he edged closer to Fluttershy, trying to hide behind her.”
“Well I can give you this much, you’re nothing if not an avid liar,” said Twilight, glaring at him.
“T-Thank you?” said the nervous changeling, poking his head out slightly from behind Fluttershy before realizing that it wasn't supposed to be a compliment.
“Please stop,” said Flutterhsy, trying to break up a fight before it started. “He’s a nice person if you get to know him, Twilight. It looks pretty clear to me, he’s willing to let things go if you’ll forgive him.” She turned around and nuzzled the changeling's forehead gently, treating him like one of her many animal friends.
“How long have you been hiding this?” said the alicorn, turning to face Fluttershy.
“A few months,” she said sheepishly. “I found him unconscious. I was frightened at first, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave him there.”
“We don’t have a source of food in our hive,” the changeling waded in. “I was selected to gather food. I fell out of a tree while picking apples. We can’t maintain a disguise if we’re not awake.” Twilight slowly rested her face into her hoof, not sure where to begin.
“You climbed a tree to pick apples?”
“Are you not supposed to?”
“You don’t pick apples, you buck them.”
“You buck them? I’m sorry I don’t know much about apple trees, we didn't have any back home.”
“I thought you fed on love anyway, why are you eating apples?”
“It’s not always that simple. A lot of love and care went into growing those apples. Sometimes that’s all we need.”
“You can feed on a secondary source?” The alicorn could just barely contain a smile. Current circumstances aside, no one knew much about the changelings and she couldn't help but think she could be the first to study them.
“So why did you want to find the hive again?” said Dolus, trying to change the topic. Twilight noticed him looking away, trying to hide his face, as if ashamed or embarrassed.
“I talked to princess Celestia. Now I know Vano was telling the truth, I need to know what the next step is.” The changeling stared at Twilight with a shocked expression.
“You told Celestia?”
“I didn't tell her anything about your hideout, or about Vano. I told her it was just a hazy dream, nothing more.”
“And she believed you?”
“Yes.” She pulled out a scroll and glanced over it quickly. “Or at least she used to.”
“And now?”
“And now I need to see your prince.” She rolled up the scroll again and put it away. “There’s more to this than any of you realize.”