And Yet, Don't Matter at All...
“We’ve been friends for a long time, now, Twilight.”
It was usually not a good sign when somepony used that sort of a line as an opener, especially somepony like Fluttershy. Twilight Sparkle, who had recently become the Princess of Friendship, had more than a little experience with being able to tell when somepony was having a friendship problem. In her expert opinion – which really was the most expert opinion in all the land if you went by her new title – Fluttershy was in the midst of just that, though Twilight wasn’t certain yet just how severe.
Yet, Twilight, despite all of her newfound experience with friendship, her ability to see that there was a friendship problem, and her general willingness to help others in need, was also in the middle of organizing her new castle’s new library. She had been putting this task off for quite a while, and had decided that today was the day. The fact that she was now facing an incoming friendship problem, which would possibly make her have to drop everything she'd been doing, activated the more snarky part of her brain, and she blurted out the first response she thought of.
“Well, for a year.”
Fluttershy shrunk down slightly. “That’s a long time.”
Twilight sighed and shook her head, realizing that may have sounded a bit rude, especially aimed at somepony like Fluttershy. She put the book that she had been levitating down and nodded her head. “Yes, I suppose it is. It feels like even longer, too. In the past year, the six of us have really grown quite close, haven’t we?”
“Well, I was friends with the rest of them for even longer, you know.”
Twilight could feel herself rolling her eyes internally. Fluttershy always did have a knack for handing back snarky remarks in her own manner. She really had come far in the past year, in a way. Still, she found it an endearing quality in her friend. She was still baffled at the statement, though. “Oh… kay? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“It’s just so strange. Me, I mean. I’m strange. I’ve been friends with all of them a lot longer, especially Rainbow Dash whom I’ve known since we were fillies, and yet here I am, bringing this to you.” The pegasus blushed slightly and hid behind her bangs, which was fairly typical for her and Twilight took it as a standard reaction.
“Bringing… what to me? You’re acting kind of strange.”
“You’re right, Twilight! It is strange! Why would I come to you with this?”
“With what?” Twilight asked, raising a hoof into the air above her head.
“Maybe because now that you’re the princess of friendship, it seems appropriate.”
A friendship problem. She had known it. Her mind, somewhat annoyed with the fact that she’d been right, grumbled to itself inside her head as Twilight spoke back from her heart.
“What happened, Fluttershy? Please stop beating around the bush and speaking in code. No offense, but I’m trying to get this new library in order.”
Okay, maybe her brain was speaking just a little, but it was true.
“Sorry. I guess I really do seem strange, don’t I?”
“Did you… need something? A book? A strange book, maybe?” Twilight was becoming more exacerbated than usual with Fluttershy’s mannerisms since they were keeping her from her previous task. She normally found them endearing and cute, but this was not the time.
“No, it’s just that I had a question for you.”
“Ah, now we’re getting down to it. What is it? As a good friend, I will try my best to answer this question of yours.”
“Okay… here goes…”
“Yes?”
“Twilight?”
“Yes? Yes?”
“If you found out that I was…”
If you were what? Twilight thought, her mind suddenly racing. Wait a minute, Fluttershy, maybe you shouldn’t tell me this. There’s a few ways this sentence could turn out, and some of them are sort of awkward… for both of us…
“Um… maybe you shouldn’t tell—” Twilight began to respond, but Fluttershy continued.
“…different from everypony else…”
Oh boy, and the options become more narrow. You’re right, Fluttershy, why did you come to me with this? Twilight thought, but then mentally slapped herself. No, Twilight! She trusts you! You have to be supportive! Besides, there’s nothing wrong with it, and she shouldn’t think she’s so different!
“Gosh, I don’t know, Fluttershy, I mean, different is a strong word. You know?”
“Like, deep down inside…”
“You know, it’s perfectly normal. Lots of ponies are, well, you know…”
“Wait, they are? I don’t think you know what I’m talking about yet, and…”
Wait, so there’s more? Oh my gosh, is she in love with somepony? Somepony she can’t tell? Wait, is it me? That would be a little odd. Not unwelcome, I guess, but odd. No, Twilight! Stop overthinking things! Stay on topic!
“Fluttershy, I read you loud and clear. Listen, it’s okay. I know it may not seem like it sometimes, but it’s totally okay!”
“It is?”
“Absolutely. You know, I’m kind of relieved you’re telling me. I mean, that means I’m not the one that’s got you all in a tizzie, right?”
“Huh?”
“Right. If you were confessing to me, that would be a little weird. I mean, for the both of us. Right?” Twilight said, and then felt her stomach slowly filling with butterflies. What if it is me? Surely, it couldn’t be. I mean, there’s been no indication, not that I noticed anyway. I guess I can be a bit oblivious sometimes…
“Weird for both of us? Huh?” Fluttershy asked, her face contorting a bit into a look of frustrated confusion.
Oh no! Twilight thought. Was it me? Am I breaking her heart right here, right now, after she’s just opened up to me so sincerely? Why did I even say that? I should face this head-on.
“Fluttershy, you have got to stop worrying. You can tell me anything. So, who’s the lucky mare?”
“Lucky mare? Wait, Twilight, you’ve got it all—“
“Oh! My! Gosh! Is it Rarity? Yikes! I mean, she’s as confused as can be about her own situation, still! And you’ve got some stiff competition! I mean, Applejack is—“
“Twilight, that’s not it. I’m not in love with Rarity… or whatever it is you’re thinking about.”
“Oh. Okay. Sorry! Scatterbrained me! Okay, you tell me, then. You know, if you want to!” Twilight said, somehow having traded places with Fluttershy as the most nervous one in the room. She was practically shaking as she sat on edge, waiting for her response.
“Well, I don’t think—“
“Right. It’s private. I understand. Gee, I really feel honored that you’d come to me about this, though. I won’t pry, I promise.”
Well, it’s probably not me. Probably.
“Twilight, I’m not—“
“I will be curious forever, though! Seriously!”
Especially if I’m wrong, and it’s me.
“Twilight, hold on—“
“I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell everypony, and then—“
“TWILIGHT!”
“Yes, Fluttershy?”
“I’m a changeling!”
Twilight felt her brain shut down temporarily. “You’re a what, now?”
“I’m not gay! I didn’t come here to tell you I was gay! I don’t need your advice on romance! I came here to tell you that I am a changeling!”
Twilight stood silently, staring at the yellow Pegasus, her thoughts having restarted and sped up to a breakneck speed. A changeling? Like the ones that attacked Canterlot before? It’s been months, and she only just now decided to tell me? To tell us? Any of us? And why me? Why tell me? The changelings did terrible things to my brother! They hurt and imprisoned a long-time friend of mine! Their queen blasted Princess Celestia! I can’t imagine ever forgiving them, even if I ever saw them again! And yet… Fluttershy? A changeling? Sweet, kind, beautiful, demure, polite little Fluttershy is one of those… monsters? How? Don’t they feed on love? Nopony has seen Fluttershy doing that.
“Actually, wait, no, that’s not even why I came here! I came here to ask you if it would matter if I was a changeling!”
Twilight’s eyes were racing to and fro with each passing thought. She came for a philosophical conversation? ‘Would it matter if I was?’ Of course it would, if she’d been feeding off of ponies, but nopony has seen her doing that. Could she have been feeding on something besides ponies? Wait… her animals! Oh my gosh, that’s it! Unbelievable! She’s been hiding all this time! When the changelings appeared in Canterlot, she must have been scared beyond belief that we’d find out!
“I’ve been waiting months to ask you about it, but I figured I’d give the whole invasion thing a little time to cool off, you know? I was about ready to tell you, then wham, suddenly you became an alicorn! And then you became the Princess of Friendship! And now we have this big castle, and this map that points us to friendship problems! It’s doing a pretty crummy job, wouldn’t you say? It didn’t even point any of you to me! A changeling! Living right under your noses this whole time!”
Yeah, why is that? Twilight thought, her eyes briefly darting over towards the hallway that led to the Chamber of Friendship. The Cutie Map has always pointed us to friendship problems before, it hasn’t led us astray yet, but here I am with Fluttershy, clearly with a friendship problem, and nothing is happening. She looked down at her cutie mark, taking note that it was not glowing or vibrating at all.
“Fluttershy, hold on, this is a lot to take in, and I—“
“You what? I told you I was a changeling! What are you going to do, now? Blast me? Banish me to the moon? Banish me to Tartarus? Put me in a cage in whichever place you banish me to?”
“Fluttershy, no! Hold on!”
“I can’t hold on anymore, Twilight! I can’t keep living this lie!”
Living this lie, Twilight recited in her mind. What’s the lie besides you not telling us you’re a changeling? It’s true, a lie of omission is still a lie, but it doesn’t change the fact that… I’ve got it! Twilight’s face lit up with a big smile and she looked right at her shy little friend.
“Fluttershy… you said that the Cutie Map never pointed us to a friendship problem here, and that meant it was doing a bad job, right?”
“Yeah, and hey, let’s go look at it. I bet it still won’t,” Fluttershy replied, dragging a hoof against the floor.
“Maybe it will now! But it didn’t before, and I don’t think that’s because it was broken. Do you want to know why I think it wasn’t pointing this friendship problem out to us?”
“Why?”
“Because there wasn’t one.”
“There… wasn’t one?”
Twilight nodded her head sagely. “No. There wasn’t one. And there still isn’t one as long as you don’t make one. Trust me, I know a thing or two about creating friendship problems! Not worth it! Besides, none of us will feel any differently about you, Fluttershy. You’re our friend! There isn’t a problem, and even if you had admitted what you were to us, there still wouldn’t have been! The map had nothing to report, and I bet if we go look at it right now, it still won’t.”
“So… you don’t hate me?”
“Hate you? Of course not. I love you, Fluttershy. We all do,” Twilight said, feeling herself subconsciously putting a little extra emphasis on the ‘I love you’. Too bad it looks like that’s as close as I’ll ever get to that, she thought, sighing slightly.
“So… do you think we should tell the others?”
“Yes. I do. Come on, Fluttershy. You're the same Fluttershy that's been with us through everything. It doesn't matter if you're a changeling underneath that mellow appearance of yours, you're still you. Let’s call together an emergency meeting of the Council of Friendship. I know they will all accept you for who you are, no matter what. That’s just the kind of ponies they are!”
“Okay! You’re right, Twilight! I should never have doubted my friends. I guess I sort of forgot that.” The two ponies began to walk down the hallway towards the Chamber of Friendship, side by side.
Twilight laughed. “I guess we can all forget the true value of friends every once in a while. Even just earlier, I have to admit, I’d gotten a little bit annoyed at you for interrupting me in the middle of my re-shelving. That was wrong, though. There’s nothing more important than a friend in need.”
Fluttershy blushed slightly and nodded her head. “Oh, Twilight, by the way…”
“Yes?”
“You know that part about me not being gay?”
“Yeah?” Twilight asked, glancing over at Fluttershy.
“That was a lie,” she responded, and planted a peck of Twilight’s cheek. “I guess while we’re being honest about things... That’s sort of why I came to you with this, I guess…” The yellow mare’s face had lit up cherry red.
Twilight felt intense heat rising in her cheeks, as well. “Okay, Fine. While we’re being honest… Remember that part about it being weird if you were confessing to me?”
“Yeah?”
“That was a lie, too,” Twilight said, leaning over and nuzzling Fluttershy lightly against her cheek. “But, we can talk about that later. Let’s deal with the changeling part first, okay?”
Fluttershy smiled and giggled. “Okay.”