The Stranded Changeling

by Regular Antipony


Chapter 1: Forgotten Memories

I begin to gain consciousness. I realized that I am on a bed with bandages covering most my body. I don't really remember what happened until I am finally here. It seems that I'm all alone in this room, though. I then wake up and get a proper stand – I somewhat recovered from my injuries... but how did I end up here? What happened? I tried to remember all the past events but it didn't give me any memories – I clearly had amnesia.

I take a peek to the outside at the window to scan the environment outside – I'm really sure I have never been into this place before. A small creek around this house, the animals playing here and there, far from the village center... it's sure a great place to recover weary souls and physique. I then turn my back and see the simple but neat decoration of the house - I'm somewhat sure the owner is a mare.

By the time I was looking around the room, a yellow filly pegasus with pink mane and tail comes from the downstairs – she seems pretty shocked about noticing me standing already even though I am still in the recovery phase. I don't know what to do; jump out through the open window, curl back frightened, or talk to her. She just stands there without saying a word or two... probably just shocked and shy to start a conversation?

I don't know why but my hooves just want to back away slowly. I felt awkwardly nervous since she also backs away downstairs. At least she "gave" me some time to think or escape, though, but I just don't know. I then heard some kind of incoherent chatter downstairs and all of sudden lots of hoofsteps going upstairs. Cripes! It's too late for me to run as other five fillies show up. I think my life would end anytime – or anything bad-related events. I end up curling in fear as all of them steps forward. I don't really want to see their faces since I'm already overwhelmed with fright – I covered my eyes with my two fore hooves and am shaking in fear.

"Uhh..., are you okay?" said one of the fillies. I was completely overwhelmed with fear that I didn't answer her. I somewhat wonder why did I develop a timid nature even though I wanted to stand up and face her like a gentlecolt. "...It ain't like we're gonna torture ya or something," said another filly. I still don't respond. "Fluttershy, it's all yours." I guess it's time for me to leave this life for good, I thought. I could hear all of the fillies back away slowly.

"...um, Mister," said an extremely faint voice, "It's alright, don't be scared with us." I slowly uncovered my face and found out that it's the yellow pegasus I met earlier. She looks like the most kind-hearted among her friends, though, or what does my instinct say. "There, there, it's alright," she said again in order to take me out from my excessive fear of the group. It seems like I've seen the fillies before, but where? When?

I still can't say anything to them... yet. It's not that I'll be tortured or something, but... I just don’t know what to say to them – I wondered why I would need to experience this kind of stupid amnesia. "Twilight, this one is completely different from the most we have seen back then in Canterlot," said one of them. The purple unicorn, who I suppose as their leader, thinks for a moment and then said, "Girls, I'll write to Princess Celestia about this. I'll be right back," as she goes downstairs. The rest of them laid their sight on this helpless colt – I begin to develop fear among them again.

"Applejack, do you think he doesn't remember anything? I mean, as if he lost his memories during the crash?" asked one of them to another. I crashed? But how? "Ah'm sure he is, Rainbow. He'd suffered terrible injury, 'specially his head," said a typical country accent, "but ah can't believe he's already stood on his hooves!” Come to think of it, I did notice the bandages but I myself didn’t know that my injuries were bad. In addition, I don’t really feel pain in my hooves as I stood back then and now. I wonder what’s taking place on me.

“Well, that means he’s ready to do some party! Yay!” as one of them suddenly dashes forward and shakes my fore hooves. She shook too hard that I have certain dizziness after that. I start to sway around and finally crashed my head to the wall. It was terribly painful, but suddenly I saw myself being thrown in the air – it’s sure good to be flying! But as I was trying to enjoy the vision, suddenly I felt like crashing to something and have my vision fade to black.

As I slowly open my eyes, I realized that I’m back on the bed. I only find the yellow Pegasus – Fluttershy, if I remember – in the room, just beside me, looking after this poor colt. I looked around, but I can’t find anypony else. “They had left,” Fluttershy said to me, as if she knows what I was going to ask. “I’m really sorry if my friends scared you, they didn’t mean any harm, really.” I begin to wonder, why she would be so caring to me, knowing that I’m only a stranger to her.

“…is it true that I crashed?” That was the first sentence I said ever since I woke up earlier. It’s true that the crash related to the vision I had back then. “You were, I was scared that you didn’t wake up for few days after the crash! I’m worried about you,” she said. Okay, I’ll announce that she’s the most kind-hearted among her friends, no doubt. Still, I’m curious about her reason about helping out this unknown pony. Is it maybe her conscience? Or there’s a typical reason behind all of this, since I heard about one of them saying “different from the most we have seen”.

I am rather helpless as Fluttershy prevented me from waking up, saying that I should recover completely before actually going out and interact with the others, without knowing my desire to discover my own past and whatnot. That vision of sky… that unexpected black end… come to think of it, it's too bizarre and I'm really itching to know it! “…Do you have a name, if I may ask?” Fluttershy asked me, “I’m Fluttershy, how about you?” as she offers her hoof. “Sky… Blackend,” I replied while shaking her hoof.

I’ll hold to that name until I finally discover who I am….