Thirty Minute Ponies

by Arcainum

Layered Deception

Prompt #79: Fluttershy always knew she was different.

Pinkie bounced gaily along the path to Fluttershy’s house, beaming brightly to match the midday sun and humming all the while. She’d finally gotten the shy little thing to promise to come out and play, and Pinkie had come to collect.

She was almost at the door, but her bouncing continued unabated. There was no need for her to knock, right? Fluttershy knew she was coming, and there was some funky green light creeping from under the door that she couldn’t wait to investigate. Maybe Fluttershy and the animals were having a party?

“Heeey there, Fluttershyyyooh.”

Bursting through the door, Pinkie ground to a halt as she took in the scene before her. The green light was fading and there, the last vestiges of her fur retreating into her chitinous carapace, was…

“Ah! Changeling! A changeling ate Fluttershy! Sound the alarm! Ring the bells! Somebody heeelp!”

As Pinkie’s alarums increased in intensity, the insectile creature waved its claws frantically and spoke in a familiar voice. “Um, please, Pinkie, calm down! It’s me, I swear, it’s Fluttershy!”

Pinkie pointed dramatically at the changeling, and it cringed in fear. “You can’t fool me Mr. Changeling-face! I know my Fluttershy, and she’s a pony through-and-through!”

“No, please, listen, I… I have something to tell you.”

Pinkie narrowed her eyes and slowly, ever so slowly, sat back on her haunches. “Oookaaay. I’m listening. But don’t think I haven’t got my eye on you.” To emphasise her point, she drew an imaginary line from her eye to the creature in front of her.

The changeling sighed and looked into Pinkie’s eyes sadly. “The truth is, Pinkie… I’m a changeling. I’ve never been a true pony, since the day we met. It’s a… long story, but when I was young, I had to disguise myself as a pony at flight camp and… well… then I met Rainbow, and I couldn’t just leave her behind when my mission was over, and…” A slick tear rolled down Fluttershy’s cheek. “I’m so sorry for lying to you all this time. I’ve felt so horrible for so long, but I love you so much, honestly, and-”

She was interrupted by Pinkie’s forelegs wrapping around her in a tight hug, and she sniffed in surprise as Pinkie spoke, her voice as bubbly as ever.

“Oh, silly filly. Just ‘cos you’re a weirdo insecto-pony doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, right? All it means is that the Fluttershy we thought was Fluttershy was just the Fluttershy you were pretending to be! If there’s another Fluttershy, that’s like having a whole new friend and the old one into the bargain! Isn’t that great?”

Flutterling leant into the hug and smiled. “Thanks, Pinkie. But…” She gently pushed her friend away. Pinkie cocked her head in confusion. Flutterling stepped back and reached for her head.

“Uh, Fluttershy? What’s the dealio?”

“I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I haven’t been completely honest with you. You see…”

Flutterling pressed her hoof into her forehead, and her insectile form shimmered and crackled before vanishing into nothing. The fading image revealed gleaming metal and whirring cogs, and two gleaming lamps gazed at Pinkie unblinking.

“I’m actually a robot. I had to disguise myself as a changeling so my creator couldn’t find me and destroy me. I’m so sorry for deceiving you.”

Pinkie laughed. “Oh, Fluttershy. How could you ever think I’d be mad at you?! Whether you’re a robot or a changeling or whatever, you’re still my bestest best friend! You had your reasons, and that’s okey dokey with me!”

Flutterbot glanced about the room and her hinged jaw twisted in uncertainy. “You’re so kind, Pinkie, but…”

A previously-concealed hatch opened on her back, and a loud buzzing sound filled the room. The light left Flutterbot’s eyes and a cloud of flitting darkness emerged from her interior. It took the vague form of a pegasus as it hovered over the metal frame now clanking lifeless to the floor.

“I’m actually a mindswarm.”

Pinkie stared. “You’re a what-now?”

Flutterswarm shook its head and sighed, its voice still the same old Fluttershy Pinkie knew and loved. “I’m a, um, composite being of a million minds, all acting together to form the circuits of a greater, um, whole. I need the robot to interact physically with your kind. I hope you can still accept me.”

Pinkie’s smile leapt back into place. “Flutters, even if you’re some crazy-wazy beehive thingy, you’re still my friend! No need to worry about any judgement from this Pinkie!”

Flutterswarm held a hoof to its nebulous chest and the suggestion of a smile appeared on its shifting features. “Oh, thank goodness. I suppose I can reveal, um, my true form.”

There was a flash of blue light and the cloud of darkness coalesced into a single mote of incandescence, which burst into radiance before taking the form of a serene, hovering pony.

“Um, I’m actually a Shining Emissary of The Wailing Ones. The mindswarm is, um, one of my powers. I have to maintain a corporeal form for most of the time or, um, I’ll dissipate back into the Searing Aether. And then I, um…” The gleaming spectre bowed its head shyly. “I wouldn’t be able to spend time with you.”

Pinkie massaged her temple with a hoof. “Okay, this is getting kinda weird but… you know what? Even after all this silly stuff, you’re Fluttershy underneath, right?”

Flutteremissary sighed with relief. I suppose now I can tell you the truth.”

There was a burst of light once more and Pinkie had to blink furiously to regain her eyesight. As the spots cleared, she saw…

“Hey there, me!” Pinkie Pie waved at Pinkie cheerily.

“I… you… what?!”

FlutterPinkie chuckled. “Heh, bet you didn’t see this one coming! I’m actually you from another dimension! Weird, isn’t it! But there’s some baaad mojo going down in my world, so I had to pretend to be someone else! I’m really sorry for all this crazy stuff, Pinkie. I feel super bad for lying to you.”

Pinkie stared blankly at herself for a few moments, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to process everything she had just seen. Then the horrible truth hit her.

“So… you mean… Fluttershy was never…?”

Her doppelganger stepped closer, face a mask of sorrow. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. Fluttershy was just somepony I made up. She was just an… an identity I used to hide from the bad guys. I’m really sorry.”

They stood for a moment in silence, in apology and in mourning. Then, suddenly, a nearby table spoke.

“Um, actually…”

~~~~~

Note: I don't even know what to say about this one. I love it. I'm not usually one to laugh at my own jokes but I was rolling while I brainstormed this. Okay, serious face. I'd say this one was probably my most blatant attempt at subversion yet. I was trying to think of a reveal that no one else would think of, when I realised that I didn't need to. All I had to do was have more reveals. And so this happened. In fact, the more I look at it, and at the word count, the more I realise I should have posted this one as its own story rather than Last Resort. Huh. 20/20 hindsight and all that.

Also 1029 (by GDoc's count) words in 29 minutes like a boss.

Comments

[PonysaurousRex]

Ok, you win. That was really funny. Perfect length fr the joke, too.

[Psykosis]

I pretty much spent the entire story with an increasingly "what" look on my face, but I'll admit that the ending made me laugh.

[Ezn]

Letting your inner Blueshift loose, I see.

I loled. Good job.

[hyourei]

1110880
Now that's a compliment to be proud of!

[Firebirdbtops]

But when will the tree speak up?

[RTStephens]

I swear I remember a Loony Toons cartoon that did this exact same thing. Good times.

Only Pinkie Pie. Only Pinkie Pie...

[GITPSilverbolt]

1112031

I actually thought that was the joke: she was a tree, but got made into a table! (And somehow still alive.)