//------------------------------//
// Kiss and Tell 
// Story: A Helping Hoof 
// by Drifter 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash sat on the couch in which Differ had sat only an hour before, glaring at her best friend. Her childhood friend. Her friend that was just kissing that... thing.
"Rainbow Dash, I can explain-" Fluttershy said. The blue pegasus told her that she would talk only if the changeling was in another room.
"Yes, Fluttershy. Do explain. Explain why you have a changeling, why you didn't tell anypony, and why you were kissing it!" Rainbow Dash cried out. The yellow pegasous nervously took a seat next to her friend.
"Well, um, it started when Differ-"
"Differ?! It has a name?!" Rainbow Dash interupted rudely.
Fluttershy glared at her friend, then sighed, "Yes, he has a name, now, Differ was running from the place where all the changelings were. A apparently there was chaos, and he left..."

Fluttershy told her friend everything that happened-the lullaby, the bandages, up to the part where the blue pegasus saw them kiss. 
"Rainbow Dash, when we kissed... I've never felt anything like it. Like... like... true love..." the last part came out a mumble, barely audible. 
"And changelings feed off true love. That's it, i'm telling the guards." 
"No! Rainbow Dash, don't!" But it was too late. The blue pegasus rushed out of the house and leaped in the sky, zooming away. Seconds latter, a sonic rainboom shook the ground. The world seemed to shatter for Fluttershy. Gaining a lover and losing him in seconds. She felt faint, her heart raced, her vision blurred. 
"Fluttershy?" Differ's voice came from the stairs, "What happened?"  When the changeling saw her, he rushed to her side.
"You ok?!" He cried out. Then the world fell away from the small pegasus. 

When she came to, Fluttershy was still lying on the couch. Differ sat nearby, tapping his hoof on the armrest.
"Differ?" she said, quietly. He turned to look at her.
"You ok? What happened?"
"How long has it been since I passed out?" Fluttershy asked.
"Five minutes."
Fluttershy got out of the bed, "Differ, she went to go get the guards..." 
The changeling's eyes went big as plates.
"You have to go." Fluttershy's voice trembled.
"What?!" he said.
"You have to leave. They'll kill you." She said, hating the very words coming out of her mouth. Differ wanted to argue, to find a way to stay. But deep down, he knew that's the only way he could survive.


They stood at the door Differ had arrived in. The changeling looked horrible, like he would break down any seccond. Tears streaked down Fluttershy's cheeks. Neither one wanted to leave the other. 
"Goodbye..." Differ said, pulling her in for one last kiss. They stayed together for that last moment and clinged to each other. Then, Differ let go and he ran. Ran off into the woods. Fluttershy walked back inside, taking a seat on the couch. She couldn't feel anything but pain and loss. Pain and loss. Everypony has to experience it at one time. She rested her head on a pillow, her mind recoiling from reality, and instead, yearning for a dream where she still had Differ. And
off 
she 
went
to
sleep.