The Changelings of Manehattan

Clover eventually made his escape from the depths of the hive with his student, Onyx, in tow. He wasn't a prisoner, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he already felt like he needed some space. After leaving Spectrum to the tender care of a changeling queen, his stay had been... eventful. He had been exploring the underground of Manehattan, looked through the shops run by both changelings and ponies, and sampled a number of dishes in an effort to keep his magically enhanced appetite at bay.

He had also garnished a certain kind of attention in his wanderings. It might not have been so bad if it were just the changelings down here, as they just tended to treat him with a degree of reverence. However, the ponies, namely the mares, were a completely different story.

He could barely get a moment to himself before another one would find her way to his side. They would bat their eyes and wiggle their hips in an attempt to draw his attention, but then things got out of hand when one of them brushed alongside him in a far more possessive manner. He managed to escape the ensuing bloodbath that followed, but enough was enough. Sure, there were a number of stallions who would've loved to be in his position, but he wasn't one of them. An old friend of his would've enjoyed the attention, even relished in it, but Clover did not. There had only even been two mares he had ever sought companionship from, and since he'd been back, he barely had a single night alone with Luna. Clover's eyes dropped to study the floor as he remembered the other one. Before Luna, there had been...

Onyx didn't miss the sigh that escaped him as the elevator made its climb back to the surface. "Master Clover, is everything alright?"

"Huh?" The question snapped him back to reality. He had completely forgotten that he wasn't alone. "Sorry," he said. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Does it have anything to do with the appointment you received from Princess Celestia?" Onyx asked, making an educated guess.

A smirk found its way onto Clover's face as he reached up and ruffled the teenager's mane. "Is that what you think I'm preoccupied with? Tell me then, what do you think about that move she made?"

Onyx pulled away in annoyance and straightened his mane before answering, "I had a chance to speak with her during the three days you slept. Please don't take offense, but she seems very wise and nothing like the 'obstinate brat' you always made her out to be. She clearly sees some advantage in keeping you close at hoof."

The smile on Clover's face was a bit more relaxed now. He had to remember that Onyx was originally raised as a prince, of course he'd be reading into the actions of those in power. "Indeed she does," he said. "That's something I'll have to figure out when I'm next in Canterlot. I still don't know what exactly an archmage is supposed to do in this day and age."

"Canterlot is the current capital, correct?" Onyx asked.

"Yeah," said Clover. "The seat of power was moved from their castle in the forest to the unicorn city in the mountains after the two sisters fought." He grew quiet as he seemed to reflect on that for a moment. "I guess she didn't want to keep living in the place they grew up after everything that happened."

"If you're not thinking about the Princess's appointment," Onyx went back to thinking. "Then perhaps it would be the attentions you've been drawing from the fairer sex?"

A single chuckle bubbled up from Clover's throat. "Well, aren't you perceptive? Or have you been thinking about your own prospects? Don't forget that anyone in this age is gonna think you're too young for a while yet."

Onyx grumbled under his breath as the elevator came to a stop and opened up into the lobby.

They made their way through the lobby, where Clover received several awkward bows from the ponies already there, leaving the ones out of the loop to gossip amongst themselves, and asking if he was someone important. By the time they stepped out onto the street, Clover was already looking worn out, despite how early it still was.

"Master Clover?" Onyx asked worriedly. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Clover took a deep breath of the stagnant city air. "I'll be fine after some fresh air and a little breakfast. I sure hope whatever I end up doing in Canterlot doesn't have me dealing with this much attention on a daily basis."

They made their way down a few blocks, before stepping into a small little diner. After being shown to their table and sitting down, Clover looked far more relaxed than he had all morning.

"Finally," he remarked as he sank into his seat. "Some peace and quiet."

"Is that really all you've been seeking this morning?" Onyx inquired, finding his master's antics amusing. "And are you going to eat as much as you did yesterday? Forgive my rudeness, but watching you eat is a bit horrifying."

Clover grimaced. "I don't think it can be helped right now," he said apologetically. "I actually find it more unusual that I'm going through this a second time. The first time I awoke to find myself changed, my appetite took a couple years to settle down and when the royal sisters had a similar experience, I was able to observe this same behavior in them as well. Whatever it is that happens early in an alicorn's life seems to give them an absurd appetite. I imagine young miss Twilight Sparkle has already had her own fit of hunger pains to deal with." A wry chuckle escaped his lips. "I can't imagine what would happen if one were to find themselves with foal. If that's even possible."

Onyx looked like he had more he wanted to ask, but that was when the waitress made her way to their table. "Sorry for the wait," she said. "My name is Quartz and I'll be taking your order."

Clover looked up from the menu and had to blink a couple times at the one taking their order. Very rarely did he see a pony whose coat matched their mane, and never had he seen both be the purest white. Realizing he was staring, he looked down to his menu and placed his order. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. "I'll have the all-you-can-eat waffle breakfast."

"Ok," said Quartz as she jotted it down before looking to Onyx. "And for you?"

However, Onyx was doing his best to look small as he hid behind his menu. "I'll just have the haycakes," he said in as quiet a voice as he could manage.

"Ok," she said as she marked off her pad again. She clearly didn't have any trouble hearing the youth, who decided to get shy all of a sudden. "I'll have put these in right away. It shouldn't be too long." She turned to leave, but then looked back right at Clover, a confused look on her face. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"

"I don't think so," Clover said instantly, he had already thought about it after all. "I think I would've remembered somepony like you."

She took another moment to consider him before nervously nodding and ducking back into the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, Clover turned his attention back to Onyx, who was just now coming out of hiding. "What was that all about?" He admonished. "It's not like you to get all shy all of a sudden. Unless..." He trailed off. They had been talking about relationships earlier. "Do you find her cute?"

"What?!" Onyx slammed down his menu, his perked up ears now getting red at the tips. "No! It's nothing like that!" He began to trace a hoof around on the table. "Sure she's pretty and she looks like she's around my age, but..."

"So talk to her, what's the worst that could happen?" He asked. Clover wasn't much for this kind of thing himself, but even he knew that the worst thing that could happen is that she was either not available or wasn't interested.

"It's not that simple," said Onyx as he folded his menu back up. "Master," he said, a serious look on his face. "That was a crystal pony."

Clover's eyes grew wide. "Oh," was all he could think to say. "Should we go somewhere else?"

"No," Onyx was quick to shut that down. "I'll be alright. Besides, I'm not going to be able to avoid them forever."

"I thought I saw yous come in!" Came a call from the direction of the kitchen. Onyx was about to hide under the table when he noticed that this voice was male. He looked back in the direction of the kitchen to find a very familiar earth pony with a dark patch of fur over one eye and wearing an apron.

"Waffles!?" Exclaimed Onyx. It had been a few days since he fought with the pony and he had mostly forgotten about him. "What're you doing here?"

"Pfff," Waffles scoffed. "I live here." He slammed his hooves sharply on the table and looked back and forth between them. "What about yous?" He said. "Last I saw yas, those bugs were dragging you away to their lair or somethin'."

"I think you made a friend, Onyx," Clover couldn't help but be amused by the wannabe punk's reappearance. It was certainly a refreshing break from having every mare in the underground proposition him.

"No one's askin' you, old timer," Waffles dismissed Clover out of turn. "Last I saw yous, yous were letting other ponies do your fightin' for yas." His eyes looked back and forth between the two of them. "I see you're still wearin' my gang's colors. You tryin' to start somethin'?"

"I've actually been dressing this way long before you were born," Clover normally wouldn't entertain this conversation, but something about this youth amused him. "If you don't mind me asking, why does your gang dress this way as well?"

"You're a special kind of stupid, ain't yas?" It was almost cute with how he kept putting up the tough act. "We dress this way to honor one of the founders of Manehattan. I guess yous didn't know that Clover the Clever went on to help found this city after founding the nation, did yas?"

The self-same Clover was trying really hard not to burst out laughing at the absurdity of the current situation. "Actually..." He started.

"Chocolate Chip!!!" Came a bellowing roar from the direction of the kitchen. "Get your flank back in the kitchen, or so help me Celestia."

All three ponies snapped their heads in the direction of the shout to find a plump brown earth pony standing there and glaring daggers in their direction. Clover and Onyx also noticed the indominable Waffles, or Chocolate Chip as it turned out, was wilting under her glare. "I'm Sorry, Mama Pancake," he said quickly, dropping the apparently fake accent in the process. "I was just saying hi to some friends."

"Well, you can talk to them when you're off work! These waffles ain't gonna cook themselves!" Mama Pancake shouted back.

All around the diner, the other patrons began to chuckle and gossip amongst themselves. This probably wasn't the first time something like this had happened here, as evidenced by how red with embarrassment Chip was currently turning. "This ain't over," he said quickly under his breath. "Don't forget, Onyx, that we's still have a score to settle."

Just like that he was gone, along with their early morning entertainment, if the grin on Clover's face was anything to go by.

"Master Clover," Onyx looked at him puzzlingly. "Forgive me, but I don't see what's so amusing."

Clover waved off the statement. "I probably shouldn't be laughing," he said. "It's just been so long since I've seen that much youthful bravado all at once. He actually reminds me of a friend I once had. It'll make sense when you get older."

"If you say so, Master Clover," said Onyx as he settled back in his seat. He wasn't used to seeing him act like this. Maybe the attention he had been getting back at the hive really was starting to get to him.

The sound of breaking glasses and shattering plates once again drew their attention to the kitchen. This time it was once again Quartz standing there with broken porcelain around her hooves. "I thought I recognized you. You're Clover the Clever, aren't you?" She turned her attention to the pony sitting across from him. Her eyes narrowed to pinpricks and despite her white coat, she managed to turn even paler. "It can't be..." Her bottom lip began to quiver as she slowly backed away. She was shaking her head like she was trying to forget something. "No... Not again... Not Sombra..."

Quartz bolted for the kitchen, slamming the doors open as she galloped through them. The place she once stood was left as a veritable minefield of broken glassware. The incident had made quite a scene and it hadn't failed to draw in the attention of any of the other patrons.

Onyx lowered his gaze and pulled the hood of his cloak far over his head. He began to shake in place as tears fell from his face to splash against the table. "This was a mistake," he said before jumping from his seat and galloping from the diner as fast as his hooves could carry him.

Clover made to run after him, but as if she had materialized from the woodwork, the same large pony from earlier appeared in front of him and cut off his escape.

"Ok then," said Mama Pancake, her presence making it very clear that escape was no longer an option. "What exactly did you do to make poor little Quartz cry?"