The bewildered stallion readied himself. He turned to face the newcomers, and reared up with his wings outstretched, effectively tripling the size of his normal silhouette. Two ponies rushed into the clearing. On second look, one pony and one zebra. The pony was presumably the unicorn who had sent the magical attack at the princess, making him the priority target. He had a light brown coat, and a multicolored green mane, giving him the appearance of a tree, and lending him a good deal of concealment in the forest. The zebra had a far less natural look. Her coat being a dark gray with vivid purple streaks, and her mane being considerably more fluffy than the average zebra's stiff bristly hairs. Despite her lack of magic, she had a certain keen look in her eye that made the stallion rethink his threat rankings.

The unicorn rushed past the purple stallion and took a threatening pose, completely ignoring the winged pony. "And tell the rest of your swarm to go with you highness!" the unicorn shouted after the fleeing princess.

Hold on; fleeing princess? The stallion returned his hooves to the ground and shouted at the unicorn, "What In The Hoof Do You Think You Are On About? You Have Frightened The Princess, Our Betrothed!"

The unicorn gave him a stupefied sidelong glance. He seemed completely impaired by the inanity of the statement. The word 'what,' or possibly 'who' seemed to be forming on his lips, but he just could not quite seem to force it out, "What are you on about?" the unicorn shot back, "Don't you know what a changeling is?" The expression on his face changed, burning away after being lit by a spark of recognition, leaving behind a visage of worry and surprise. "Oh. Hey. It's you," he said with a small tone of distaste, his demeanor having gone through another rapid multistage change, "Wasn't sure at first, but that stupid look on your face gives you away, even if your..." he trailed off, "You're different from last time I should say."

"Do, do I know you?" asked the now very concerned purple stallion, mostly dropping the Royal Canterlot Voice, "Everyone we run into today seems to know us." He was about to inquire further, when something wet hit his forehead and his eye, it broke his train of thought, and he immediately forgot the incident in favor of more pressing matters.

The zebra finally spoke up in the pause he had given her, "From high you've fallen, escaped your doom, high born are you, I presume." The unicorn nodded at her.

"Ye-yes, we thought we might be royalty, being engaged to a princess, and for some reason Using This Ridiculous Voice. But who are you two, and how do you know us?"

The unicorn sighed, "Luna's mane, you don't even remember who you are, do you?"

The two newcomers exchanged a knowing look, and the zebra spoke, "Would a rose be the same, if Furyheart was its name?"

"What are you talking about?" Furyheart demanded

"It's your name!" snapped the unicorn, "Furyheart, prince of thunder. We worked together once."

"So we do know you?" asked Furyheart, "What is your name?"

"You really don't know? Come on, think back," replied the unicorn.

"We seem to have struck our head and cannot remember anything."

"A bump on the head, left his memory dead," commented the zebra.

"Right," the unicorn agreed uncertainly, "Well I guess you can have this one for free. I'm Mortarmer, just call me Mort." The air grew uncomfortably quiet as the stallions looked to the zebra. Mort sighed, "Her name is Poisonberry, she can't figure out how to rhyme it. Anyway, that's all I'm telling you for now."

The bushes behind them started rustling. Mort raised his head, and without looking he sighed, "And here's the rest of the winners."

A pure white earth pony mare with a ragged pink and blond mane crashed through a bush. Across her back rested a feeble, frail looking, red orange earth pony stallion, though he looked barely older than a colt, whether that was from youth, or the reduced size of his sickly frame was uncertain. The mare wore a harness with spaulders, a chest guard, and vambraces. A sophisticated mechanically operated crossbow had been mounted to the rig on her right shoulder, and a quiver rested on her left, each running parallel to the orientation of her body.

The sickly looking stallion's mane had an earthy color, giving him the appearance of autumn. He bore saddlebags with a heavy looking book on his right side, and a toolkit on his left. The mare bowed down, and let her rider dismount. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she panted, "I had to shake a trio of some bucking determined changelings." She drew a bolt and reloaded it into her crossbow, and added, with a smirk, "I winged one, he got away, but the blood trail should still be there tomorrow. Unless it rains more. Hello!" She extended a hoof to Furyheart.

Furyheart raised an eyebrow and took her hoof, "Charmed."

"I'm Prize Hunter, and my esteemed boneless companion is Amber Brilliance."

"Not boneless," Amber Brilliance corrected, "but it does feel damn close sometimes. Brittle bones you see," he said to Furyheart directly, "Afraid I'm not able to carry my own weight in the field."

"Well not literally," said Prize Hunter, "but I probably wouldn't have caught that cockatrice without your help."

"Any idea why the swarm is here?" Mort interjected, trying to get the conversation back on track.

"No," answered Amber Brilliance, "this incursion is baffling."

"Care for me to make it more baffling?" asked Mort, "We just chased off a princess."

"What on earth for?"

"A Changeling princess," Mort clarified.

"That is less baffling than alarming," said Amber Brilliance, "and it might be prudent of us to get back home, no doubt our noble guest would like a place to rest away from harm."

"I've got no room for him," said Mort, "At least, no room that's up to his elevated standards." He turned and led the way out of the clearing.

"You must forgive him," said Amber Brilliance once he had remounted Prize Hunter. "He has a certain mistrust of, er, outsiders."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," said Furyheart.

"He thinks so."

"That's all that matters then isn't it?"

Amber Brilliance considered this, "Quite."

"You know, now that I think about it," Prize Hunter said, breaking her incredibly long silence, "that squad of drones probably flew right over you guys before we found you. They were strafing us, and then suddenly they saw something and took off in that direction, which was about the time I drew a bead on them and got that shot off, and then we found you. You can't think of anything they would be chasing can you?"

There was a long pause during which Furyheart suddenly realized she might have been addressing him. "Oh, me?"

"Well duh, everypony who wasn't with me then is out of earshot, except you, AB doesn't know, he was with me, and Mort and Berry seem to be deliberately keeping away from our conversation, so you're the only one I can ask."

"I didn't notice any -drones were they?- I didn't notice anything flying overhead."

"I only ask," Prize Hunter explained, "Because one of them at least would have been bleeding, and I spotted splatter around your eye. So obviously if they abandoned our flight just to fly over to you, they must have noticed something worth taking a bolt to the leg. And if they thought flying past you was more important than flying to you, then they must have been chasing something that was either past you, or fleeing from you."

Furyheart checked his eye, and scraped off something that had the smell and texture of dried blood, but was so dark it barely seemed to be red. It had more of an iridescent sheen of green and ocher. "Come to think of it," he said, "something did splatter onto my face, I had taken it for raindrops, and maybe some of my own blood from my scrape with that land parrot impostor. Vile beast. And the only thing I can think of running away from us was- my goodness! My betrothed! We must rescue her immediately!"

"Wait what?" asked Prize Hunter, "You brought your girlfriend? Why didn't you introduce her?"

"She fled into the forest when your friends startled us! Princess Veneer! She needs our help! She must be what or who these drones were after!"

Furyheart made to leave, but Amber Brilliance's voice stopped him, it sounded suddenly grave and commanding despite its weakness in volume, "I would advise against that. Princess Veneer is not who you think she is. She is a sadistic and wicked mare who uses ponies' love as a source of food. Did you say that she is your betrothed?"

"Yes, why?"

"I would like to be absolutely clear, Princess Veneer was not impersonating your fiance, she is your fiance. This is a true statement?"

"Yyyyyyyyes? This is what she told us. Your questions are strange Amber Brilliance."

"Please, call me AB, it saves time and such," AB replied as he pondered what he had heard. "Describe her for me."

Furyheart described her, from the jagged horn all the way down to the holes in her legs.

"Uh, AB?" Prize Hunter asked uncertainly, "Why didn't the princess of the Changelings transform into this guy's special somepony?"

"That is the question. Isn't it Prize? It seems like a novice mistake, unless of course our guest cannot remember anypony he loves, in which case her love unraveler charm would not affect him, which would in turn support my theory that he has retrograde amnesia. It is unlikely that he will ever remember anything more than bits and pieces of his life before his traumatic brain injury."

"But, AB," protested Prize Hunter, "I read a story where somepony hit his head a second time and his memory came back."

"I'm afraid that was little more than a story, Prize. In actuality the Hippocampus is a complex and mysterious part of psychology, and we lack any means of repairing it without alicorn magic; a rare thing these days. Fortunately his ability to remember details of his journey since then means he is at least able to form new memories. We're getting off topic though. Furyheart, I want you to understand something: changelings are deceitful creatures, anything Princess Veneer told you was meant to manipulate you into loving her, so that she could feed off of you like a parasite. If you do have a betrothed, I'm sure she misses you, and she would not wish for you to fall into the clutches of the changelings. If you are worried about her, I assure you, she will be quite safe with her own kind."

Furyheart grew gravely silent, it seemed the natural response to realizing what a fool he was. "Fine, we shall stay with you for now, but if this proves to be ill council, or malicious advice, we will hold you responsible, Brilliance."

"I would bet my life on my words," AB said with a severity that made Furyheart feel a small amount of shame, "Please come with us."

They arrived at a small forest village without further incident. After the grave conversation they had just finished, nothing else seemed appropriate fare. The village, such as it was, consisted of little more than a few hovels gathered around a healthy looking stream. The hovels were simple two story homes with one room on each floor. The upper floors were made of wood, and all had a balcony of sorts with a rope ladder hanging down. Several of them sported a pulley system for hauling large objects up and down. The lower floors all seemed to be clay, or some other earthen material, with a good deal of stonework, and possessed much heavier looking doors than the upper levels'.

In the center of the town sat one building unique from the others. It stood as tall as any of the others, but lacked any doors or windows in the upper portions of its walls. It was mostly stonework with massive riblike wooden supports. Around the structure stood several massive tree trunks carved into effigies of the saints: the six matrons of harmony, the patron of chaos, the sisters; all of them gone from Equestria. How do I know that, Furyheart wondered to himself, but then he noticed the stream and his list of things worth thinking about made a drastic change. He rushed to the stream and began guzzling from it. AB and Prize Hunter joined him.

AB took a moment to stretch his chest. "Drink up AB," Prize Hunter commanded him.

"I hardly did as much work as the rest of you today, and I drank a good deal of rain during the storm."

"I mean it," she insisted, "It was plenty hot this morning, and I know excitement really gets me parched, you're much more excitable than I am, therefore," Furyheart got the distinct impression she was imitating him, as her voice took on an officious tone, "you must drink."

"Hah, well when you put it like that I am a bit thirsty," AB chuckled. As he drank next to Furyheart, he seemed to notice something on Furyheart's face, but he never mentioned whatever he thought he saw.

"Ah-hah! There you are!" exclaimed a new voice, "You must be Furyheart!"

Furyheart looked up across the stream and spotted a pegasus mare with a golden mane. What little he could see of her coat and feathers was pale blue, like the haze around the sun on a cloudless day after a cold front. An old flight suit from Canterlot's aerial teams hid the rest of her body. Over the flight suit she wore a rig like Prize Hunter's, but the padding seemed to focus around her neck and her belly, instead of her chest and shoulders. Strapped to each wrist Furyheart could see a spring release blade, and she had at least five one foot metal darts with a tassel on the end, strapped to her chest. Furyheart shuddered to think of the effect they could produce after a skilled pegasus flung one in mid flight.

"Mort and Berry told me all about you, but allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Everfree Independence Society!"

"We? The who?" Furyheart asked, eloquent as always.

"The Everfree Independence Society, that's what we call ourselves here! Or at least I do, I'm the only one who seems to care about anything that matters these days!"

"Things liike..."

"Oh, loads! But mostly maintaining our independence from every despot coming along claiming she rules us, because nopony rules as much as me!" She flexed her front limb and gave a photo smile.

"And you are?"

"Oh! How could I forget to introduce myself?" she slapped her forehead, "I," she jumped up and did a tight loop in the air, rising no more than six feet from the ground, "am Sunspot! You can call me Sun for short, or Sunny, Spots, Spotty, but call me Spot and I'll bite like a dog and give you the ol' Whammy!" she demonstrated by pantomiming some sort of martial art strike with her front hoof. "Anyway, I am Sunspot and my mission is keeping the proletariat safe from the inequity of tyrants until a kind and loving ruler can return to the throne in Canterlot!"

Furyheart blinked as he processed this, and said "Wow, that is a lot of responsibility for one pony."

"Well the others help, but I coordinate the efforts. I haven't gotten much farther than keeping this village safe from tyranny, but one day I hope to spread the word."

"Well I would love to hear all about it, but I really ought to go... somewhere."

"That's fine! I have pamphlets! Let me go get one from my home," she trailed off and Furyheart watched something fall into place in her head, "Oh! You need a place to stay! You should have just asked, you don't need to be so shy about it."

"Well I didn't want to intrude," said Furyheart.

"Nonsense, AB has asked for you to live with him, at least for a while, I think he wants to study your condition. He's wanted to work on a psychology paper for a while, but there's only a dozen of us. Even if we are all crazy, that's still not a lot to work with! Well, I'll see you around, feel free to stay as long as you like, and, if you want to do work for us, we won't stop you!" She hopped up and flew back to the massive building in the center of the village.

"That would be our de facto leader," explained AB, who had waited patiently through the whole exchange, "She has the most ambition, and the most will, therefore everypony follows where she leads. Now if you'll follow us, we can show you to your new home."

***

In a distant part of the forest, just near the edge, Princess Veneer, still clinging to the title, cowered in an abandoned building. It had clearly once been a barn, as evidenced by what little remained of the flaking paint, and what remained of the apple orchard now choked by much hardier plants. Also in addition to the general size and shape, which a concerned observer could still imagine, even if half the wretched building's frame had collapsed in on itself.

"What are you doing?" she asked her reflection in a puddle that had gathered beneath a hole in the roof, "What kind of life are you holding onto?"

She sighed and watched the setting sun. The last of its warm rays reminded her suddenly of that stallion, whoever he was. She had stolen love from so many ponies before, it was love intended for somepony else. She had never felt even the slightest bit of affection directed at herself. He seemed concerned beneath the bravado, and the weak attempt at slick charm.

No, just another lustful stallion, easily snared by pretty eyes, a sleek mane, and a sob story, or some other fake emotional play. He would prove to be just like the rest of them, if she ever saw him again, which was unlikely.

Still, now that she was truly alone, having felt the warmth of honest connection, without the thin cover of lies, just punctuated how truly lonely her life had been. "The hive knows no love it does not steal," she muttered. Then she returned to the corner, and bedded down on a lump of rot that might have once been hay.

High overhead a trio of changeling drones flew in tight formation, searching with their deep senses for any trace of their princess.

She's weak

She'll be easier to catch

But she's harder to find

Patience hatchmates, She will betray herself soon. How is your leg?

It's fine. I hunger.

There will be plenty of time for that later.

There will be plenty of time for me to heal later

Focus brothers, we need to focus to find her.

Yes sister.

Yes sister.

The trio picked up their pace and dipped down into the forest near where they had seen the green otherworldly fire of changeling magic.

Now, we start from the beginning, and track her properly this time.

It will be easier without those ponies attacking us.

Indeed, now, ssseeeeek!

***

Furyheart settled down on a straw pile next to the central chimney in AB's hovel. AB had used one off the freight elevators to ascend, though Furyheart had offered to carry him up himself. Whether it was pride, or just not wanting to feel like a burden, Furyheart could respect him and his reason.

"Now then," AB began, "I noticed your flank is bare. I wonder if that could have anything to do with your current mental state."

"Frustration?" asked Furyheart, who had only just started realizing the severity of his situation. "I have a question, since you're so smart." He suddenly hoped he hadn't sounded sarcastic.

"Ask away."

"Why do I know things?"

AB blinked at him, "You know things?"

"Yes. Like words, how am I able to talk? Or, for example, I can remember that -one- Equestria -two- is in turmoil, after -three- the dissolution of Canterlot's rule. Three things I can remember, three useless facts that I know, despite having no memory of who I am!"

"Please try to relax, I don't want you to black out again."

"What's the point!" Furyheart stamped his hoof, and heavy dust puffed away from where it struck the wood. For a brief moment AB thought he could see a Cutie Mark on Furyheart's flank. "I even know why the kingdom fell. It fell when the sisters failed to properly transfer power to the princess of friendship. I can even list all the saints! You have totems of them! Discord, Luna, Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity! And I could pray to them all night, but it won't matter because none of them can help me remember who I AM!" He stomped both his hooves, and still more dark dust puffed into the air away from a completely clean floor.

In his heart, Amber Brilliance knew he had seen a Cutie Mark, but he did not like to think of its appearance. From the brief glimpse he caught, it looked like a Hearts and Hooves heart, with a spike through it, wreathed in crimson flames. He could only guess what kind of special talent this would grant a pony, and his guesses were none too pleasant.

"Some, times," AB said shakily, "Evidence is gathered. Which suggests. That there are multiple kinds of memories."

Furyheart heard the quiver in his host's voice, and saw the tremble in his body and felt ashamed yet again. He paid close attention, this pony deserved that at least.

"These memories can take different forms. Episodic, semantic, procedural. These are the three we have identified, but they may have subcategories. Episodic is memories of events. Semantic is learned information. Procedural is commonly called 'muscle memory."

"So you're saying that even though we, I cannot remember events of the past, my knowledge of facts can remain intact."

"Yes, you may also have a certain emotional memory linked with events or other ponies which could remain. Also, you likely retain the ability to perform any skill you knew beforehand. Like for instance walking or flying."

"Flying?" Furyheart's heart leaped. He certainly remembered good emotions about flying. He looked back at AB, who seemed to have noticed that thing on his forehead again, but again, made no mention of it. "I'm sorry to have intruded in your home, I must take my leave of you now."

"Mhm, yes," AB said absentmindedly, lost in thought. The words only struck him when Furyheart turned towards the door, pushed it open, and took off into the sky. "No! Wait! Just because you can doesn't mean that you should! Oh bother."

Author's Note

inb4: trust me, the colors for Prize and AB totally work, i spent like an hour messing with them on a palette mixer. i only say this because, well, by Celestia, it sounded like an awful mix when i wrote it down. yeah, there, i've convinced myself.
anyway, haven't written consistently in a while, kinda stalled out on some other projects, this has felt really good, so i hope you enjoy reading as much as i enjoy writing for you. -Majenta Mane (aka Mr Majenta)