“I think they’re coming back,” Cotton Fluff murmured, glancing over Flight’s shoulder. Sure enough, as Flight turned around, she could see Mochi trotting slowly towards them, her gaze focused directly at Flight, Scootaloo, and Cotton Fluff. As she got closer, Flight could also see the green hooves attached to the smaller form of her friend, trotting behind.

Once Mochi was not a metre from Flight, she stepped to the side, revealing the deep-green filly behind her. Kaylee stood there, breathing in and out unevenly with shallow, ragged breaths. When she looked up at Flight, it was clear that her eyes were red and the fur beneath her cheeks was matted. Kaylee was visibly shaking.

“Hey,” Flight said quietly, biting her lip.

“Hi,” Kaylee whispered.

“Um, do you guys need a moment?” Scootaloo asked, already moving to trot off to the other side of the small clearing, granting Kaylee and Flight as much privacy as their close quarters would allow. “We can just—”

“No, it’s okay,” Kaylee murmured, looking towards Scootaloo with sad eyes. Her voice wobbled as she spoke. “You should be here... too.”

Scootaloo blinked but held her tongue as she stepped back beside Flight. “Here... for what?”

Flight sighed. “Are you going to explain why you pulled that stunt back in the forest? I mean... it’s okay if you’re rejecting me, but why would you even say you liked me too, after all that?” She frowned. “Even if not like that... don’t you care about me, Kevin?”

Kaylee visibly cringed. “Please... please don’t call me that.”

Flight blinked. “Huh? Call you what? I didn’t call you anything.”

It took a moment for the green filly to respond, but when she did it was with more resolve in her voice. “That name. Please don’t say that name again. It’s not mine, and I don’t want it.”

Flight just looked more confused, and Cotton Fluff and Scootaloo joined her. “Kevin?” Flight asked. As she watched Kaylee flinch once more, a look of terror flashed across her face. “I don’t understand... what’s happened to you? That’s your name, isn’t it? That’s always been your name?”

“It was the name my parents gave me,” Kaylee replied, surprising even herself with how calmly she spoke now, “but I don’t want it. I never wanted it, and it’s been years since I found one I did want.”

“O-okay,” Flight stammered, still looking very nervous. She glanced to the side, at Cotton Fluff. “Can you check if he’s possessed or something? Or a changeling?” she hissed.

“I’m not possessed, and I’m not a changeling,” the green filly went on. “K-Kevin... was just never real. Kevin was a face I put on—somepony I tried very hard to be because I thought it would be better. And that’s not to say I’m nothing like that mask—because behind it, I was always there—but I’m not Kevin.” She took a deep breath. “I want you to call me Kaylee.”

Flight whimpered. “But that’s a filly’s name,” she said in a small voice, halfheartedly. “Don’t tell me—”

Kaylee nodded and shook as she spoke, looking up and addressing the small group surrounding her: “My name is Kaylee, and I’m a girl. I’ve known I was a girl for a long time—years and years, even before my parents died. I-I hope you support me, but...” she faltered. “I don’t know. I can just go back to Dienna if... if you don’t want me here.”

Kaylee took a deep breath. And then—

Scootaloo leaned in, embracing the green filly and holding her in a tight, fierce hug. For a moment, that was all Kaylee could think about, and all she could feel was the love of her new friend as she was held.

Yet what ripped her away was a loud cry of protest from Flight, and as Scootaloo pulled away reluctantly, both of them watched as the yellow filly, sobbing, bounded off into the trees beyond.