So, I brought the foal some blackberries and apples, I found just over the next ridge…

While it was oddly convenient that that orchard would be over the next ridge, I certainly wasn’t going to say no, either!

Still, I wanted to know more…

I gaze at her intently, to see her using her magic, to hold a partially eaten red apple, in her blue glow, and I stare down at her, and ask, “So, exactly when did your mother die?” as a cool breeze blows here underneath the shaded forest canopy, amidst the trees, and the branches lightly sway, from side to side, and a few leaves fall down the trail behind her…

The pink filly swallows, and looks up at me, underneath her disheveled purple mane, and as one strand falls down on the left side of her green eyes, says, “Oh uh, probably sometime between last night, and when the sun rose this morning. Um, she wouldn’t get up when I found her, and she wasn’t breathing anymore… “ before looking down, to float the apple to her muzzle, for another bite…

And while she chewed, my eyes focused on her amidst the trees, in the shade, and as another wind gently blew down the trail, I suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Binky's tragic loss… I looked at the messy mass of the filly's mane, and I all of a sudden feel a sinking feeling in my gut… "I see," I say back softly, “That must have been very difficult for you to find her like that? Losing a parent can be incredibly painful, especially for one, so young…” and then I swallow, “And just what of your father? Where is he?”

Her blue eyes widen, and she nonchalantly admits, “Oh, he wasn’t around… “ before turning her eyes skyward, “Come to think of it, I haven’t really seen him in years? Weird, that he’d just disappear, like that!” before looking down, shrugging, and floating the last of the berries to her mouth, for a bite…

I frown at this story… Her mother just died, and she doesn’t really know her father… This filly is all alone… And she just talks about it so normally!

She uses her magic, to chunk the apple core out into the woods, and looks back at me, with those eyes of hers…

But then, why do I even care?

This makes no sense! I lost my hive earlier, and now I care for a foal!

I decide to ask the filly one more question, “Would you like a hug?” although I’m not sure why?

Her eyes widen and light up! “Oh, wow! My other mommy got real sick, and hasn’t given me one in months! That sure would be nice uh, new mommy!” and she smiles at me, hopefully…

I finally decide to get up from my haunches, and trot slowly towards the filly…

She simply stands there, as her face normalizes, and yet her sparkling green eyes seem enormous, now…

Clip… Clop… Clip… Clop… I hear the leaves cracking underneath my hoofsteps…

I finally get close to her, and I then take her within my hooves, for a soft, warm embrace…

I know not what I’m saying anymore… “I’m so sorry, Binky… “

Her body feels tight, at first, as if she’s not sure how to react, but she eventually softens her muscles, and gently returns the hug with her hooves, while saying, “Sorry for what?”

I widen my eyes, “Sorry for how you lost your parents!”*

“Oh, THAT! Uh, yeah, that’s pretty bad, I think?”

I hold the foal silently…

“Thanks, mommy… “

Once her hooves were around me, something else happened… I felt peace and joy enter my heart, but it wasn’t like absorbing love earlier…

I increase the firmness of my hug on her, as I feel morelove begin surging into me…

It isn’t the same as before, because this was willing, and happy…

And it’s strange too, because I’m sure I can feel her heart beginning to soar, as I hold her in my embrace, and while it’s certainly a good feeling, I don’t know where it comes from?

Just what is happening to me? What does this mean?

I hang onto the foal tightly…

<*****>

I love my new mommy!

She got me food earlier, and now I’m hugging her!

And she actually listened to me, when I talked!

Nopony ever liked to listen to me talk about my life before…

Um, I haven’t really seen her eat, but I’m sure it’ll happen later…

I hold her tightly, to feel her insectoid carapace around my hooves, and while it is different, I still somehow feel warmth, as if this creature I was now calling mommy actually did care for me?

I also feel her forehooves going over my back, and clenching onto me, tightly, and warmly…

This is so great! I wish this hug would never end… I think to myself, while smiling and snuggling my way further into her body.

I sigh happily from my snout… Thanks to my new mommy, I had food and love, again!

She wraps her weird black insectoid forelegs around me, and curves her clear fly-like wings around me, when suddenly, she begins to glow…

I open my eyes, to see to my horror, that I’m also glowing!

“What’s happening?” I ask mom.

“I don’t know?” She stammers, out, before she stops glowing, and I notice that she’s not black anymore, and her holes are gone!

I gaze at the creature holding me, and I see that she’s greenish-blue, with wisteria eyes, and one big curved horn on her head, with three smaller horns on either side, with the one in the middle of each cluster slightly bigger, but they all seem to match to the larger horn, curving to the sky, on her forehead…

I continue standing, while in her embrace, and say to her, “Mommy! Did you just change?”

I see her purple eyes widen, “I uh, I’m not sure?”

She releases me, and I take a couple of crackling steps back from her, over the brown leaves, and look up at her, and widen my eyes, when I take this all in…

Her wings are really the only thing that didn’t change from before!

Uh, I really should ask her what she is! “Just what are you, anyway, mommy? I don’t think you’re a pony.” I say, before frowning, and staring up at her, intently.

<*****>

I blink, and decide to tell her the truth, “I’m actually a changeling, Binky, and I can shapeshift… However, I did not turn into this, willingly, I assure you!” What just happened?

She stares at me, with those sparkly eyes, “Oh, wow! Cool! So you can just change into anything you want, right?

And why do I feel this bond with this annoying unicorn filly now? I smile and nod, “That is correct!

Why do I do these things for her?

She frowns, “But you say that’s not willing? That you just what? Look like that, naturally, now?”

I blink my eyes, “I guess so?” Why did I suddenly change? I finally ask her the obvious question, “Did I just become reformed?”

Her enormous eyes, somehow get even bigger! “How would I know? Reformed? Reformed from what?” She asks, as her purple tail, goes side to side…

I stare at her, and realize that she knows nothing about me and who I really am, and so, since nopony will recognize the new design of my carapace anyway, I decide to drop it… I smile, “Uh, never mind, Binky! Did you get enough to eat?”

She smiles back, and kinda nod-hops, when she says, “Oh, yes mommy! I’m well-fed now!”

I grin as well, “Would you like another hug?”

Her eyes widen, while her smile lowers, “Well uh, if you think it’s necessary?”

I begin trotting towards her, “Of course, it’s necessary! You just lost your only parent, and you need emotional support!” and then, I embrace her in my forehooves again!

There’s that lovely feeling again… Pure love… So innocent…

She finally lifts her own hooves, to try and embrace me, “Thanks mommy! You really do care about me!”

I feel more love beginning to surge into my body, from this filly, and it’s almost like a happy numb feeling…

I’m starting to like this a lot…

<*****>

She seems to really enjoy hugging me? I think to myself, while being held in her forelegs, and closing my eyes in huggy bliss…

It’s been so long since anypony actually cared for me… I ponder to myself, matter-of-factly…

She got food for me, and makes sure I’m safe…

I guess she is my mommy?

(To be continued… )

Author's Note

*So, that was the second time I got amnesia! The first and third times, were a bit different… Anyway, while I did find my mother that way, back when I was 21, I didn’t actually burn my own house down. Although that did happen, much later on… Between that and my amnesia, there’s really nothing left of my childhood, and that’s one thing ponies do for me…