Chapter 1: How much do you remember?
"Rainbow, I think writing everything down won't help me one bit..." Fluttershy said, looking at her newly developed chitin in her body. "Plus, what if I become evil of sorts and attack you!"
"Oh please, Flutters. I'm stronger than you, no offense. Also, this 'quote on quote, notebook' right here..." Rainbow emphasized. "This right here is the information we need if ever I go and ask Twilight about it..."
"Alright, Rainbow. I'll leave it to you." Rainbow then started writing everything that was happening to her. "Oh, I almost forgot. Dashie. I think I should mention the dreams that I've had."
Confused, Rainbow Dash accepted her offer. "Okay, let's give it a shot." Rainbow said as she readied her pencil and notebook.
"Okay..." She said as she started to prepare herself.
"Droid #1973's Cocoon went missing! That poor little pupa!" said one of the Changelings. "That was the only sign of true love of the Queen! The kingdom now will never be complete! Our colony is now imperfect!"
Clopping sounds echo, similar to what you'd hear in a large hallway.
"Halt! Who goes the- princess 1973! Stop! Fillynapper!!"
Clopping becomes louder.
Sobbing can be heard. "I, the Queen of Changelings, will bow my revenge on the ponies and all of EQUESTRIA!"
"My lover is a lie."
"That's it?"
"No... Pretty weird. Especially 'my lover is a lie'. I don't get what it means. It must be a sign. Queen Chrysalis must have been heartbroken and I must be that baby Changeling." Fluttershy said as she looked at Rainbow, pacing around the room searching for more things that could help them.
"Aha!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Wear this first." She said as she handed her a pink hoodie. "We have all the information we need. We really need to go to Twilight's."
"I-i said i don't want to be a burden."
"What's that Flutters?"
"I-i really don't want to be a burden. We could do this on our own..."
"Don't be so sure that we can work it out on our own. Like you said, you could turn evil from them Hive mindy crazy wacky whatnots... Anyway, we gotta go to Twilight's."
"But you said she might dissect me..."
"Oh yeah..." Rainbow laughed nervously. "Forget about it, Flutters!"
"Okay, I guess..." Fluttershy sighed.
Meanwhile in the Golden Oak library, Twilight was always being herself, studious as usual. "So that's how they shed!" She said as she was reading the book. "Those changelings." she sighed, probably remembering the huge fiasco at Princess Cadence's wedding. "Next creature."
A knock was heard on the door. "Huh, I wonder who'd that be?" Twilight walked up to the door and saw Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy with a pink hoodie on. "Oh hi, Rainbow! Hi Fluttershy?" Then Twilight came to notice the look on their faces. Fluttershy had her face covered by the hoodie and Rainbow had a worried smile on her face. "Ummm... What could be the problem?".
They hastily went inside the library and locked the door. "Okay, Twilight... " Rainbow then showed her the notebook. "Read it and weep."
"Things to do. Number one, move clouds eastward of Ponyville. Number two, Practice Personal Hygiene. Number Three, write romantic poems in hopes I'd get a stallion one da-"
"OKAY, THAT'S THE WRONG PAGE!" Rainbow said as she snatched the notebook and turned it on the correct page.
"Fluttershy to... Changeling? Rainbow, what is this?" Twilight said as she read the title.
"I couldn't believe it myself, but..." Rainbow said as she removed the hoodie off of Fluttershy. Twilight looked in shock.
"Sweet Celestia! Rainbow, that's a-"
"Changeling. I know. But she's still Fluttershy... for some reason. She was raised by ponies, birthed by Changelings!" She yelled, then realized that she tried not to make much of a ruckus. "Flutters told me that she had these memory dreams and ever since after the invasion, she'd been acting weird and she's exposing her true form."
Twilight then squinted her eyes in disbelief. "Rainbow, how are you so sure that this is the real Fluttershy?"
"That's the hard truth..." Fluttershy spoke up. "There is no Fluttershy."
"What?!" Twilight and Rainbow exclaimed in unison.
"Fluttershy doesn't exist. It's all in my head."
"Now where's this coming from, Flutters? You gotta keep a positive attitude. After all this, you could be Fluttershy again! Unless you prefer to be a changeling?"
"Changeling or not, you're still our friend, Fluttershy." Twilight said "I mean we could do more research about changelings and different things of what they're capable of that could grant us ponies more knowledge on them!"
"R-re-really?" Fluttershy said in disbelief. "I-i-i'm still a friend!?"
"Of course! I came here to Ponyville to make friends, not to judge ponies by who they are! As long as deep inside, their intentions are good, I'll be good to them... You're safe. Fluttershy or not, you are our friend." Twilight said.
"She got that right! Now, Twilight. I have the things you need for research." Rainbow said as she ripped pages from her notebook and passed it towards Twilight.
'Fluttershy to Changeling Documentary. 9:00am'
Left side of face is nearly Changeling-ified. Is that a word? Don't know, don't care. The skin is starting to peel in other places, like the back and the legs. I'd say the percentage of completion is about 20%. Hopefully Fluttershy doesn't become a mindless creature of some hive-mind. I couldn't possibly imagine what would happen if she gives in to some hive-mind.
I hope that never happens...
'Fluttershy to Changeling Documentary. 9:30am
Fluttershy tells her dreams and this was the result. It started in the hive mind. Everyone was gossiping about the lost filly of the hive. Then it cuts to the scene where a changeling guard saw a pegasus stallion running with the said filly. Princess Chrysalis was seen crying and said 'my lover is a lie.'
"I'm the daughter of the Queen, Twilight. She must've really cared that much about me." She said to Twilight. "Listen, I'm a Changeling now, and I think we should give Chrysalis another chance at love?"
"Hmmmm, after disguising as my beloved foalsitter, being an imposter on my brother's wedding, giving me emotional trauma and utter sadness after you chose her over me..." she said as she squinted, putting a hoof on her chin.
"Yeah, we get the picture here, Twi." Rainbow Dash said. "Even so, Flutters, Chrysalis is strong! We couldn't even take her out when she was overflowing with love. She even took down Princess Celestia! It's very hard to give her another chance..."
"I guess..." she said as she yawned.
"You need some rest? I just researched that Changelings shedding takes up a lot of energy." Twilight said, holding up a book titled 'The Unfinished yet Sufficient Guide to Rare Creatures'.
"Y-yes, I need time to rest."
"Okay, well... I'll leave you two alone up in the lab room. I'll just be here in the library. Spike isn't in there so you can talk about something more personal of what happened to Fluttershy."
"Thanks Twi!" Rainbow said as they went to Twilight's room and locked everything.
"Okay, Fluttershy... Here's the plan. You go to the Hive and using your Changeling thingies, you can sense the hive, right? You can easily go there! Talk to Chrysalis that you were Fluttershy and do the thing... what does Twilight call it? Ah, yes, diplomacy. A diplomatic agreement and everypony wins! Sounds good to you, Shy?"
"Oh! Yes. Making peace is a way I can." Fluttershy said as she nodded her head.
"Then it's settled, to THE HIVE!"
"Dashie! Shedding, remember?"
"Oh yeah... To the notebook!"