//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 The End 
// Story: The Pony and the Hurt Changeling 
// by Ugly-Duckling123 
//------------------------------//

As Fluttershy landed and looked up, everyone was looking at her mouths open blinking their eyes. 

"Wha... What just happened?" she asked backing away a bit.

"I think Fluttershy," Twilight said pointing Fluttershy's head to the sky "You just did your version of a Sonic-Rainboom." 

"I... I did that?" Fluttershy asked still holding Rainbow. "How... How can I? I was the weakest flyer in Flight Camp. How can I do a Sonic-Rainboom?"

"Strange things happen when your friends are in danger..." Rainbow said rubbing her head, grinning.

"RAINBOW!" Pinkie yelled coming up to hug her. "You're alright. Ouch..." she said as she got a shock from Rainbow Dash making her hair stand on end.

"Oh yeah, I may have got hit with a few lightning bolts up there."

"How many?" Twilight asked. 

"Six...Ouch" Rainbow said trying to flap her wings.

"But that's 60,000 volts of electricity isn't it?" Twilight asked. "How can you only have been unconscious and have a hurt wing?"

"Pegasi have their own limit of magic Twilight." Rainbow said. "We can stand some things..." 





While this was going on up on the tops of the buildings, down on the ground, as the Changelings were cheering for Fluttershy, and the leaving of the queen, Little Strong Heart pulled her father aside to ask him some questions.

"What else are you keeping from me Father?" she asked eyes slightly damp with tears. 

"You were going to be told someday, Little Strong Heart," Thunder Hooves said looking around at his people celebrating with the ponies and Changelings. "I just did not know how to tell you beyond that story." he said waiting for a response from his daughter. 

When it didn't come, he carried on.  

"I was never the one who did the talking Little Strong Heart," he said "That is why it seems I've been keeping secrets. Some were to protect you, while other would of been told to you when you were old enough. But you should know my Daughter, that when I say I care for you, you can believe me."

After a few minutes of silence, Thunder Hooves left his daughter to her thoughts.

All the sudden Meep came up buzzing her wings looking a bit annoyed.

"What was that for?" she asked. "I could feel his love and caring for you from over there." She pointed to where all the other Changelings were still celebrating. "He's your father, go after him. Can't you see he cares for you?" she asked.

"Please Meep, just go away," Strong Heart said as she turned and left the town to be by herself. 

Seeing his girlfriend run off looking upset, Braeburn excused himself from his friends and joined her, finding her at the apple orchid.





It was getting dark when either of them spoke up again.

"I wish my mother was here." Little Strong Heart said looking up at the stars. "At least then I would of heard the truth."

"But it was the truth Strong Heart," Braeburn said looking up as well. "And as you told the kids the story line's the same. And as long as they live in your hearts there always there. Right?" 

"But..."

"But nothing Strong Heart," Someone said behind them coming up to them. 

Turning around they saw Applejack coming to see if they were alright.

"You should be happy you still have one half of your parents with ya," Applejack said coming up to look at the stars now too. "Me and Mac and Apple Bloom, who's no older than Meep I recon, only have each other and Granny Smith. Why I'm even starting to forget their faces. And Apple Bloom didn't even have one day with them." she said taking of her hat and looking at it.

"You should be happy you still have someone there for you," she said gripping the rim of the hat tightly. "Especially when their gone. Parents do the things they do because they care about us. And as Meep said... You don't need powers to tell when someone cares about you."

Just then a shooting star went across the sky putting new thoughts into Little Strong Hearts head.

"I should say I'm sorry, shouldn't I," She asked getting nods from her friends as they got up with her and headed back to town.





The next day, planning for the wedding started up again. 

Applejack, and the town's ponies handled the food, Rarity did the decorations and the dresses, Fluttershy helped the Buffalo's set up the bonfire the bride and groom would need to walk around as part of the ceremony, Pinkie was party cannon shooting all over town (making some of the Changelings run and hide as they remembered it from the Royal Wedding), Rainbow was making a fuss that her wing was perfectly alright and that she can do a Sonic-Rainboom, and Twilight was over seeing that things went to plan.

Meep and her five friends were 'buzzing' with excitement and all the love and happiness that came from the ponies. 

"I think I'm going to like being friends with ponies 727." one of them said smiling.

"I told you, my names Meep," Meep said but still smiling that she finally had some friends of her own. 

"Sorry," he said "It's just so hard to remember, or get used to..."

"Where do we go when the ponies go home?" one of them asked on her left.

"What do you mean?" Meep asked turning to face the Changeling who asked the question.

"I heard them say this morning that tomorrow they'll be going home," he said eyes wide.

"But... But they said friends stick with you now matter what." Meep said purple tears leaking out of her eyes as she flew away to cry.

Then Rainbow Dash came up wanting to tell the kids some news, but when she saw Meep fly away got confused.

"Hey Kids," Rainbow called out getting their attention. "What's wrong with Meep?" she asked.

"What's wrong with her?" the one in the middle said buzzing his wings. "What's wrong with you and the other ponies?"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked taking a step back.

"You said friends were always by your side... Or something like that." One on the end said.

"And then we heard you this morning say something about 'Going home'," A third one said.

"And that's what I came over for, to tell you all that you five, Nurse 516 and Meep are coming with us home," Rainbow Dash said looking along the line. "But you know, if you don't want to..." she said heading off in the direction Meep flew off in, cursing that her wing was broken.

*

Meep was hiding in one of the one of the orchards apple trees crying harder than she had ever done, thinking her first friend, the Element of Loyalty at that, was leaving her. 

"Meep?" someone called putting a stop to Meep's tears. 

"Meep where are you?" that voice she knew that voice. 

Walking along the branch she was on, Meep looked down through the leaves to see Rainbow Dash looking around trying to find her.

"Meep please come out..." Rainbow said getting closer to the tree she was in.

Suddenly, 'Meep, Rainbow said they're going to take us with them,' one of her friends said.

'Yeah right,' Meep said pulling back and sniffing, catching Rainbow's ears.

"Meep I know you're here somewhere," she said "Please I need to tell you something,"

"Tell me you're leaving me?" Meep's voice said from the very top of the trees. 

"First of all, Meep." Rainbow said after cursing her wings again. "I'll never leave my friend, whether if their in trouble or not. Secondly can you come down so we can talk face to face?"

After a moment Meep came out of the tree and sat with her back to Rainbow Dash, who every time she tried to look at Meep, just got the cold shoulder. 

"Fine..." she finally said. "Look, Meep, I don't know what you heard or not, but I got the feeling you didn't hear everything." Rainbow said.

"I heard that you and the ponies are going home tomorrow..." Meep said rubbing her nose a bit.

"And...?" Rainbow asked.

"And what?" Meep asked turning around eyes full of tears. "You're leaving me! Aren't you!"

"Well if you want me to..." Rainbow said starting to get up.

"NO!" Meep said running up to her and rubbing her face into Rainbow's chest. "Please don't leave me Rainbow Dash." she said.

"Who ever said I was?" Rainbow Dash asked pushing Meep away a bit.

"Well..." Meep said looking away.

"You need to get all the facts before you assume things like this Meep." Rainbow said. "Yes my friends and I are going home, and we want you Nurse 516 and your friends to come with us."

"Really..." Meep asked rubbing her nose.

"Yeah," Rainbow said smiling. "But you know, if you don't want to come with us..." she said looking away still smiling.

"YES YES YES!" Meep cried flying up in the air and doing some back-flips expressing her happiness. Then coming back down bear hugged Rainbow. "Thank you Rainbow Dash."

And together they made it back up to the town.





That night, if seemed like Luna's moon shone the brightest it ever shone as everyone enjoyed the party for the newly weds. 

Twilight even sang her 'Loves in Bloom' for them as they did their first dance. 

After they had finished and were off the dance floor, Little Strong Heart went over to her farther to say sorry for how she acted the day before, and thank him for letting her marry Braeburn.

"You are welcome my daughter," Thunder Hooves said smiling.

The party went on all through the night, cheers, laughter, and love spreading everywhere. In the morning, the main six, along with Meep, Nurse 516 - now named Sugarcube - and the other five 'still to be named' children, were at the train station saying their goodbyes to the town.

"We'll be sure to be back soon," Twilight said smiling and shaking hooves with Silver Star, looking to her friends getting nods in return.

"You are welcome here whenever you'd like." he said stepping back as the train's door shut. "And thank you for all you did for the town this time too." he said as they looked out the window, as the train started moving.

* 

After fifteen minutes, and the other five Changelings were a sleep from parting all night, Meep went to find Rainbow at the rear of the train, thinking to herself.

And Meep didn't need her powers to know something was wrong.

Slowly she walked up and got onto Rainbow's back rubbing her head on her neck.

"Hey kid," Rainbow said in a i-don't-care kind of voice, still looking at the sky.

"What's wrong Rainbow Dash?" Meep asked thinking it would help.

"It's just, when I was up in the clouds to shut the machine off, and I saw the lightning," Rainbow explained "It... It reminded me of my parents. And how I... I lost them."

"Do... Do you want to talk about it?" Meep asked buzzing her wings a bit.

"No thanks kid," Rainbow said smiling "Besides, even if they are gone, I can always remember them. And I'll always be there for you." 

"It might be a bit difficult when she meets Scootaloo, Rainbow." Applejack said coming out to see them. 

"Well why can't I have two little sisters?" Rainbow asked opening her good wing at Applejack.

"I didn't say that you can't. Not that Scoot's is your sister. I'm only saying, don't get big headed with all the attention this time ok?" Applejack said going back in.

Feeling embarrassment coming off Rainbow, Meep asked.

"What's she talking about Rainbow?"

"It's a long story." was what she got.

"It's a long ride home..." Meep said trying to get her to talk.

Sighing a bit Rainbow started telling the story of Mare-Do-Well.

"It all started after I rescued a filly who fell down a well...."



The End