The rest of the afternoon faded away. Rainbow Dash, upset and overwhelmed, whiled the day away flying. She’d found that the best way to deal with a problem was to get some perspective, to think more clearly.
Clear skies, clear head. Rainbow drifted back towards the palace. It was getting late and she had agreed to meet with the others for dinner, as much as she didn’t want to. That was almost the worst part of it all: she didn’t even want to be with her best friends. She couldn’t relax around them, not with a changeling in their midst. Until she found the fake, she couldn’t trust any of them. And it hurt.
The castle loomed large in front of her. Glumly, Rainbow angled herself in for a landing. The guards—the ones she’d grown up with-- nodded to her and tossed her a salute. She flinched, half expecting to be jumped. When she wasn’t attacked, Rainbow Dash managed to relax—slightly.
Remaining on edge like this was beginning to get to her. It’s like the moment while waiting for a race to start—only stretched forever. She made her way to the dining room. Just as she was about to open the door she stopped, deciding to listen in. Dash tilted her head and pressed her ear against the door, hearing muffled sounds of conversation.
“--I can’t believe--”
“--I don’t know. What about?--”
“Simply horrid!”
“Quit your whinin’. I--”
The voices grew more entangled, making it impossible for Rainbow Dash to make out anything. Deciding to go for her usual forward approach, she pushed the doors open and walked in. Her five friends’ conversation quickly ground to a halt, raising Rainbow’s suspicions. Were they talking about me? She forced the thought aside. “Hey guys,” She nodded to them, trying to keep her voice level, casual. “What’s up?”
Twilight looked up from her checklist and smiled widely. Too widely? Rainbow wondered briefly, before returning it. “Hey, Twi.”
“Rainbow Dash, hello!” Twilight nodded to an empty seat. “We were just about to start eating.”
“S’cool.” Dash sat down and looked around. When her eyes drifted over to Fluttershy, Rainbow flinched and looked away. She couldn’t face her yet. Changeling or no, looking at Fluttershy and knowing that she was upset with her hurt. A lot. “So, uh, how’re things?”
Twilight took a bite of her dinner. “Going well, I think. Right girls?” A chorus of largely unenthusiastic responses answered her. Awkwardly clearing her throat, she pressed on. “Now that everypony’s here I can ask how your wedding tasks are coming along! Rainbow Dash?”
“Hm, what?” Dash blinked. “Oh, right. The Sonic Rainboom. It’s fine, it’s good.”
With undisguised glee, Twilight made a big show of putting a check on her checklist. “That’s great news! Applejack?”
The earth pony in question was staring balefully at her own meal. “S’going.” She grumbled.
Twilight blinked. “Um...is that good?”
“Y’all could say that--if by good ya mean that I’m stuck working with th’ most ornery, side-winding, low-down, high-falutin’ pain in the rump that I’ve ever flippin’ met, then yeah, things are fan-bucking-tastic!” Applejack glared at her meal suspiciously. “And I bet a bit to a barrel of my best cider that he spat in mah dinner.”
Rarity took a sip of her drink and elegantly rolled her eyes. “Oh come now, Applejack. Whatever--clashes of personality--that you and the good chef may be having, he is a professional. He would never stoop to something as crass as spitting in your meal.
“Oh yeah?” Applejack challenged her. “Then how ‘bout you and I trade then?”
“...No, thank you. I am quite happy with my own meal.”
“Thought so.”
Pinkie slurped loudly, interrupting her friends as she swallowed half a bowlful of pasta. “Boy, I’m lucky I don’t have to work with anypony like that!” she announced, before frowning a bit. “Because the ponies I’ve met so far haven’t been much fun at all.”
Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie, a worried frown on her face. “Do you mean you’re having problems with your work too?”
“Well, maybe a little.” Pinkie admitted, as she idly rubbed a hoof around the rim of her bowl. “It’s hard because I have all these great ideas for the bestest best party ever, but all the ponies with the really fancy hats who usually do all the stuff for the Grand Galloping Gala don’t like them!” Her face fell. “They didn’t like the mareiachi band, the pinatas…they didn’t even like games! I mean, who doesn’t like Pin the Tail on the pony? Who?!” She whirled around, demanding answers.
“It … surely is a mystery.” Twilight said slowly, looking hastily to Rarity. “So, how’s the work on the wedding dress going? I’m sure it’s going to look wonderful.”
Rarity tittered nervously. “Wahaha, of course they are, darling! My finest work, I should say!” She daintily dabbed at her cheeks with a napkin.
“Buuut?” Twilight prodded.
“It’s simply…” Rarity coughed. “A matter of finding the right … inspiration.”
Twilight sagged slightly in her seat. “Inspiration.”
“It’s essential!” Rarity affirmed, lifting a glass to her lips to save herself from having to elaborate further.
The news that Twilight couldn’t check off half the items on her checklist was making her visibly distressed. “Fluttershy? Please tell me you have some good news.”
Fluttershy shrank down in her seat. “Well, Mr. Bluejay made a new friend today--but I’m afraid Philomena is going to take some adjusting to singing with a group. She, um, rather likes being in the spotlight and needs to work on her sharing.”
“Great,” Twilight groaned. “We’re falling behind schedule!” She levitated several scrolls out of her saddlebag and hastily started consulting them. “I’ll have to rearrange everything to take this into account!”
“Chillax, Twilight.” Rainbow casually snagged a hooffull of bread rolls from Twilight’s plate. “Everything’ll work out. Right guys?” She looked around.
Pinkie Pie noisily swallowed a mouthful of pasta and nodded. “Yeah! Rainbow Dash is right! After all--” she clambered up on the table and began to dance.
Well, party party party!
I wanna have a party!
I need to have a party!
You better have a party!
Come on, party party party!
Ya gotta party hardy!
I'm gonna have a party!
Or else you will be sorry!
Dash leaned back at the vaguely threatening last line. Nopony else present quite knew how to respond to it either. Not seeing anypony else partying, Pinkie slunk back into her seat. “Aww, nopony wants to have fun.” She sulked, spotting Applejack roll her eyes. “You’re being silly, fighting with the chef like that. You’re spending so much time arguing that you aren’t helping me with the all the apple goodies like you promised!”
“Well, maybe if I got some more help in dealing with that no-good, galoot what calls himself a chef, maybe I’d have some more free time...Pinkie.” Applejack ground out.
Pinkie pouted. “But that’s no fair! I have to change all my plans for the reception because a bunch of snooty-snoot pants don’t like anything fun.” She shot Rarity a look.
The white unicorn harumphed. “I can hardly blame the Canterlot elite for wanting the first Royal Gala Wedding in history to be properly arranged. In any event, I’m sure I could speak to them about giving you more leeway in making the reception fun for the elite as well as the common pony.” She paused, before shooting Fluttershy a glance. “That is, if I’m not far too busy making all the dresses by myself.”
Fluttershy slunk down in her seat, but frowned at the table. “I’m very busy too … Philomena’s a little bit selfish and likes attention.” Her eyes flickered to Rainbow Dash, the subtext loud and clear.
Rainbow flinched. She never thought it could happen. Her friends...were turning into complete jerks. She looked over to Twilight, only to see her so wrapped up in her checklists and schedules that she didn’t even notice things falling apart. I can’t take this… Dash shoved herself away from the table and trotted out the door. She slowed herself down--but nopony even tried to stop her.
This is all wrong, She grumbled as she almost slammed the door shut behind her. It’s all wrong! All of them were acting wrong. Nothing made sense anymore...she soon found herself standing at one of the palace’s many large windows, watching the sunset. So far, that was the only thing she could still depend on: the rising and setting of the sun and moon.
A lone guard walked past as Rainbow was watching the sunset. She ignored it...until she caught a green shimmer out of the corner of her eye. That’s the same color that appeared when the changelings dropped their guise! She recalled as she leaped into action, quickly spreading her wings and zooming in front of the guard. And he looked young. A bit too young to be a palace guard. Tellingly, she noted, she didn’t recognize him. And she knew almost every guard in Canterlot--what with them constantly trying to chase her down.
“Hey!”
The guard paused as Dash put herself squarely in his way. “Can I help you, miss?”
We’ll see. Rainbow mused to herself, eyes narrowing. “I’ve never seen you around here before.”
If he was at all confused at being confronted by a civilian, he did his best to hide it. “I was posted to the castle two months ago, miss. Is something wrong?”
“What unit are you with? Who's your commanding officer?” She barked out her questions as she pointedly prodded him squarely in the chest.
“I'm with Machwing Company, my CO is Major Nimbus Gust.” A slight frown crossed his face at being interrogated in this manner.
Rainbow ignored it, recognizing the name of Cloud Kicker’s mother. “Yeah? If you know the Major, you'll know who her daughter is, then.” She crossed her forelegs over her chest, waiting for an answer.
“Ma’am, I'm just a private. I don't fraternize with the Major's family.” The guard’s tone was clipped, growing irritated.
Rainbow Dash didn’t buy it for a second. “Likely story!” She flapped her wings, giving her some altitude so she could look down on this so-called guard, practically pressing her face into his.
The guard grunted brusquely. “Ma'am, I'm not sure what your problem is, but I have duties to attend to, so…” He tried to walk past her, only to stop short when Rainbow slammed her hoof into the wall, scarcely a few inches in front of his snout.
“You're not going anywhere until I say you can!” Dash barked.
That caused the guard to noticeably tense. “Miss...are you threatening a member of Her Highness’ Royal Guard?” His voice was dangerously soft.
“Is that what I’m doing?” Rainbow asked. “Are you even really a guard?” Her eyes narrowed further, rolling her neck in preparation for trouble.
“Miss, you are obstructing a member of Her Highness' Royal Guard in the course of his duties. Desist at once, or I will be forced to detain you.” The guard shifted forward getting ready to spring at her.
Dash snorted. “I’d like to see you try, bug.”
Just as the two ponies were just about to spring at each other, another guardpony rounded the bend in the corridor and spotted the confrontation. This guard was slightly older and had the look of a veteran. “What's going on here?”
The guard tried to speak first. “Sergeant, this nag is—”
Rainbow cut him off, her tone practically pleasant. “Hey Steelwing.” She dipped her head to him, one of the guards Nightmare Moon had transformed into a Shadowbolt during her return.
“Miss Dash,” Sergeant Steelwing dipped his head to her, smiling fondly. “I hope you weren't pranking members of Her Highness' Royal Guard again…”
Rainbow relaxed slightly. “Him?” She nodded to the guard she’d been arguing with. “This is the type you're recruiting now, Steely?” She sighed plaintively. “Your standards are really slipping.”
“You know it takes a year to really whip them into proper shape.” Steelwing reminded her. “Is this anything I need to bring to his CO?”
“Dash ... pranks…” The new guard blinked as he recalled a couple of stories he heard around the barracks and put two and two together. “You're Princess Celestia's protege?!”
Rainbow’s wings twitched as she bristled. “You got a problem with that, newbie?”
“Er … no, Miss Dash.” The suddenly cowed guard dipped his head, ears flattening against his head. “No problems here.”
Rainbow looked to Steelwing. “You vouch for this guy, Steely?”
“Private Iron Hoof?” Steelwing nodded once. “Yeah, he's got a case of young and stupid, like most new recruits, but he's alright.”
Rainbow shot Iron Hoof one last look before relenting. “Yeah, well...fine. Just keep the newbies in line would you? I'm not around in Canterlot as much anymore, so I need you to keep Tender Hoof here on his toes.” She ignored Iron Hoof’s brief glare at her.
“Right, right. You have a good day, Miss Dash.” Steelwing beckoned to Iron Hoof and the two offered her a salute--Iron Hoof’s being offered begrudgingly--and continued their rounds.
Once the two were gone, Rainbow Dash let out a sigh and rubbed her face. There were so many ponies in town for the Gala Royal Wedding--both familiar and unfamiliar--that it was going to be impossible to keep track of everypony. Perfect for infiltration...I’m really starting to hate these bugs.
She trotted off to bed, wanting nothing more than to rest for a couple of hours and not have to think about this. But all dreamed about that night were her friends faces melting, revealing cruel monsters hidden just below the surface.