I had come to Ponyville with a powerful purpose. To find somepony that would love me back, somepony who would provide the warmth and shelter for me. But that was just part of it; I was a changeling, and I loyally served my queen, Chrysalis.
My journey began as I walked down the uneven mountains where the swarm lived. Being chosen by the high royal herself was a big honor, and many of my friends congratulated me, and wished me the best of luck. I felt a warm feeling inside when they did this.
I had transformed into a stallion with a green mane and yellow coat. My cutie mark was four different clovers arranged in a diamond-like shape.
I continue to pad down the grassy fields, watching the sun set on the horizon line. My first day on this expedition wasn't very exciting-why in Chrysalis's name did our home have to be so far from pony civilization?
The stars stretch across the sky just above me and I stop for a break under a leafless tree. Gee, nights are so cold without the surrounding warm bodies of others..
I shut my eyes, wondering who I would be able to find and bring back for my queen, my Queen Chrysalis. I soon fall asleep, and no dreams interrupt my peace.
The sun is bright and shining in my face as I wake up. I yawn, startling a bird that was nested above me. "Funny," I say, "I never noticed that bird."
I get up on my hooves and start to trot. "If I go quicker, I'll be able to reach Ponyville by the afternoon," I calculate, picking up my pace.
The grassy field gives away into an uneven dirt path. "Ooh," I squeal. "I am coming close to the town."
When I speak, I know my pony language sounds foreign. It is because our language was quite different of Equestrian type, so I'd probably have to buy a dictionary from a library or something like that before I met that special mare.
Next to me is a black forest that stretched for a long time. I think it was the Everfree; Queen Chrysalis always spoke about the area that she wandered in for some time, even disguising herself as another animal in a house made up of the roots of a tree.
I hear squeals and noises just ahead. Ponies! I think, trotting a little faster. I see young fillies laughing and playing right in front of a big, red building. A foal points to me and speaks briefly to his friends
.
"Stranger danger!" I hear one say. I start to sprint off, not wanting to erupt any trouble or conflict.
"Excuse...me!!"
I was running so fast I hadn't realized somepony had followed me. I skid to a stop and turn around to look at the mare who was panting for breath.
"Oh, uh, hello, fellow.." I greet awkwardly. Oh Chrysalis, this is too much for me.
The mare's coat is the slightest shade of a bright yellow, with a multi-colored mane of pink and blue. Her cutie mark is three pieces of candy all wrapped up.
She looks familiar, but it may be just me.
"I didn't know you came back to Ponyville," she said excitedly, a smile burnt on her face. I tilt my head. "Excuse me?"
Her smile vanishes, along with her cheerful expression. She looks crestfallen as she speaks, "Do you not remember me, Clover Ink?"
I shake my head, more bewildered than ever. "I am sorry, I do not know who you are."
"I'll make you remember, then!" she replies with sudden determination. "I'm Bon Bon, and..I'm your..."
She trails off and coughs, her face turning a bright shade of red-but not exactly pink. "Nevermind," she says, shaking her head. "Let's go back to my place."
This is way too much for me. But if I do not find a shelter quickly, Chrysalis knows what will happen to me. I want to ask her if we can go to a library or local bookstore to get a dictionary to at least improve my language, but I did not dare interrupt.
Apparently my name is now Clover Ink, which explains my cutie mark and color scheme. I should report to Chrysalis, but I cannot get in contact, having to be so far away.
Is this the special mare? It might be.
"So, Clover Ink, let me ask you one more time. You haven't had the faintest clue of who I am or what I looked like?"
The mare had been asking questions for quite a while, and it was getting extremely annoying. "I swear to Chrysalis, I don't have a hoof's worth of knowing who you are!"
"Chrysalis?" Bon Bon tilted her head, brows arched.
Uh oh, I think. I nearly gave it away. "I mean, Celestia. That is who you live by, right?"
"Of course...Gosh, Clover, you act as if you've lost your memory." The yellow confectioner pony now looked concerned, observing my face for any signs of mind loss.
"I haven't," I reply absently, looking at a different mare who was passing by. Her coat was a light shade of blue and she had grey curls, with a cutie mark of two linked horseshoes. Somehow, she had managed to catch my attention.
"Hey, who's that?" I ask, pointing a hoof
.
Bon Bon had a look of her face. "Shoeshine. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," I sigh, continuing to walk across the dirt. The candy-mare seemed a bit uptight at her mention, but I quickly dismissed it as we halted in front of a small house.
"I'm, uh, living with another mare," she explained before knocking on the door. "Lyra! I'm home, and I've brought Clover!"
The door rattled for a moment, then opened. Inside was a unicorn with a highlight in her mane. Behind her was a ginormous instrument that looked a little bit like a harp. Her hooves were throbbing red and I guessed that she must've been playing whatever the object was.
"Clover Ink!" she gasps with a toothy grin. "I can't believe you came back for..oh, you know."
Bon Bon nudged Lyra, embarrassed. "Shh, you be quiet. He doesn't remember me at all," she adds in a whisper, but I am still in earshot.
"Oh! Okay, I guess I'll just move my lyre so he can get settled," the green pony exclaims, hurrying to the living room. So that's what that is, I think in astonishment.
I am surprised to see that Lyra can lug that huge thing down the hallway. I settle in the blue couch in a comfortable position before meeting the two pairs of eyes that belonged to both mares.
"So," I begin, not actually knowing what words to pick from. "I guess I don't know any of you..?"
The two friends exchange a meaningful glance. "Well," Lyra coughed, "It's just that..you've been with Bon Bon for over five years. Then ya left in a fit of rage and never came back until now.."
"With Bon Bon?" I echo. So wait. I'm a changeling who transformed into an actual pony that used to be the confectioner's boyfriend. This was definitely way too weird for me to process.
"You've been gone for seven years," Lyra adds, after she was done calculating with her hooves.
I thought I was a stallion who never existed! I start to panic in my mind. If I have a full-on freak out, I might expose my changeling secret. I started to take deep breaths before speaking up again.
"I guess I just don't remember you anymore. I'm sorry.." I gulped. Hopefully those were the right words to pick out-and gosh, seven years? Now what kind of pony would do that?
"That's alright!" Bon Bon sighs. "But I'll let you back on track, and remind you of everything you've ever done with me."
"Sounds neat," I say, inwardly sighing with relief. I hop off the couch. "I just need to buy a dictionary-"
"Do you even have bits?" Lyra chuckles, noticing my empty hooves. I shake my head, wondering if those were Equestrian currency. The green unicorn tosses a sack ringing with bits, keeping a grin on her face. "You'd better get there by seven," she warns. "The bookstore closes around eight."
"Thanks," I reply, opening the door. A small walk would be great to process all of what was explained to me fully.
Clover Ink. So that's my name, I think. It had a nice ring to it! But that was not the case. What was is that I had a relationship with Bon Bon, the Ponyville confectioner. What if's swirl in my head.
What if I accidently expose my changeling secret in front of all these ponies? What if I'm sent back to Chrysalis? What if I can't find the special mare?
What if the real Clover Ink comes back?
The thoughts slowly turn into tiny concerns. It was not the time to panic, especially in front of public. I saw a bookstore and opened the door. A bell laced just above the exit chimed throughout the enclosed space. A mare behind the counter looked up, smiling and shutting the book she was reading.
"Hi, I'm the librarian, Leaf Fig. May I help you with anything, dearie?"
"Uh.." I glanced at the towers of unshelved books. "I just need to buy a dictionary."
"Yes, we have plenty of those," the orange earth pony stated, pointing to a smaller stack of thick books. "Just pick any-they're all the same price."
I trotted to the corner and looked at the different word encyclopedias. Finally settling on the largest one, I placed the heavy thing on the counter and dumped out all the bits from Lyra's sack.
"Is this enough?" I asked, gesturing to the currency lying on the wooden surface.
"Will do," Leaf Fig said cheerfully, ringing my purchased item up. She put it in a bag and handed it over with a blissful grin. "Take care, Clover."
I exit the bookstore until I realize-how does she know my name? I dismissed the thought as quickly as it came into mind. Probably had to do with the actual Clover, not the imposter, which was me.
I retrace the trail I took from Bon Bon's house, but I ended up bumping into some other pony. We stumbled in the dust for a moment before getting up again.
"Sorry!" I exclaim, helping the squirming figure. As it stands straight, I recognize it is Shoeshine. The same grey curls and linked horseshoe cutie mark.
"It's alright," she replied gruffly, setting off in another direction. Awkward, I think as I come up to the door of Bon Bon's home.
Before I could knock, the entrance swung open to reveal Lyra. "Got your stuff?" she asked, looking at my bag. Then she noticed that I had chunks of dirt plastered on my fur. "I think you'll need to take a shower, but Bonnie is in the bathroom right now. You'll just have to wait."
I nearly ask who Bonnie was until I realize that it was obviously a nickname given by the lyre unicorn herself. "Okay," I sigh, plopping on the carpet and taking out my dictionary.
After fifteen minutes of intense word-studying, the doors to the bathroom opened. The yellow confectioner had a towel wrapped around her waist and mane.
"Oop!" she gasps, noticing me looking straight at her. Her face flushes into a shade of red before she quickly trots back into the bathroom.
Lyra laughs hysterically before saying anything else. "When she's done getting ready, then you can take your bath."
I nodded, looking back at my dictionary. The window brightened for a moment and I noticed that the sun was beginning to set. Day Two was already going decently. And maybe that special mare was already right inside the household.
