Not Them

by BleedingRaindrops

Feather Brain

“Thanks for coming, see ya tomorrow!” called a cheery voice from the counter.

A basket of muffins blocked Derpy’s view of the line of ponies still waiting as she made her way to the door, and outside. Dinky would be home from school soon. Her first day back after winter wrap-up. A perfect occasion for some treats.

Derpy smiled to herself. Not that any day wasn’t great for some treats, but today was a special day. Pinkie Pie prefered cupcakes over muffins, but she always made them just the way Derpy liked anyway, and always with a pleasant surprise. Today’s surprise was an extra muffin at no extra charge. Pinkie knew how to keep ponies coming back.

The door jingled out Derpy’s exit and the bustling streets of Ponyville answered. The southern birds were singing sweetly in the trees, right where they should be. Derpy’s ears swiveled happily to listen. A conversation wafted in through the song, from around the corner. She followed it, and soon Cafe Hay came into view with its polka dot tables. A grey pegasus mare Derpy didn’t recognize with a blonde mane sat there, chatting with Cloud Breeze from work. She was wearing the same delivery uniform as Derpy wore. Ooh, maybe they were getting new help?

As Derpy got closer, she spotted the mare’s cutie mark.

Bubbles.

She squinted, trying to see if maybe she’d got it wrong, but no, that mare definitely had the same cutie mark. She should go say hi. This was sure to be a fun conversation. Derpy picked up to a trot and perked her ears for a clean spot to chime in.

“But when I got to the Lunar Sea, I still hadn’t found them. I was about to keep flying, but then Rainbow Dash swooped in and turned me around. Turns out I’d been heading west the whole time. Pretty crazy, right?”

“Hahaha, you feather brain! Thank goodness Rainbow Dash was on the case. I know I couldn’t’ have caught you.”

A mare they needed Rainbow Dash to catch? Derpy definitely needed to get to know this girl.

“She nearly didn’t, you know.” It was nearly inaudible.

“Wait, what?” Cloud Breeze rubbed his ear. “I definitely misheard that. It sounded like you said Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in Equestria, nearly didn’t catch you. I know you’re fast, Derps, but you’re not—”

Quickly gathering lift before she was spotted, Derpy alighted the roof of the cafe and waited there with an ear poised for the mare’s next words.

“Oh she’s not quite as fast as everypony thinks. If she hadn’t called out so loudly, I wouldn’t have known to turn around so she could catch up to me. I might have even found out what’s beyond the edge of the map.”

Wow. That was correct.

Cloud Breeze laughed. “Oh, you crack me up, Derps. You could write a book with all these stories you tell. Next you’ll be telling me you saved Princess Twilight from the Storm King.”

The mare’s ears twitched, and she fanned herself with a hoof. “Well, um…”

“Listen, Derps. I’ve got to get back and close up. Seriously though, you should write a book. I’d read it.”

Derpy ducked as he flew over her head, then looked back down to the mare below her. She breathed in deeply, as though drinking an aroma, but probably not a good one because she scrunched her face a moment later, and shook her head, then slumped off of the hay stool and trod slowly away.

Derpy looked down at her muffins, then back at the mare, then grabbed the basket and took flight.

“You went North the year aft—WHA!”

The two mares stumbled as Derpy misjudged her distance from the other girl. She shook her head, and focused just one eye on her, trying to make out if she was hurt. Pretty soon, they wouldn’t let her deliver mail either, and she’d be stuck behind the desk.

The other mare stared back with both eyes. Both of her eyes. Derpy’s eyes. No, wait. Derpy blinked. For a moment, the other mare’s eyes had been bright green, but now they were the same gold they’d always been.

‘I’m s—”

“You can use my stories if you want.”

The other mare might have turned to stone if not for the color in her mane. But even that disappeared for a moment, replaced by a weird green fire. It reminded Derpy of the changelings in Canterlot two years back.

This mare couldn’t have been one of those awful changelings, though, even if they had changed their ways. This poor girl looked just like Twilight had, the day Derpy took the petrification spell meant for her. She had barely made it in time. Maybe she could help this girl too.

“I don’t mind, really.” She reached down, and plucked a muffin from the basket, holding it out. “Go ahead. Have one.”

The ice broke, and the other mare dropped her head low. “I’m sorry. I thought maybe I was me this time.” She took the muffin, and then green flames covered her body and… wow, she really was a changeling. Her gossamer wings started buzzing, and swiss cheese legs left the ground.

“Wait! You don’t have to go!” Derpy quickly called as the changeling girl took flight. “Just stay inside during feather flu season and you can be the fast—OOF ” Derpy sailed after her, closing the distance quickly, but she overshot her, and lost sight of her as the whole world became green flames, and then Derpy was caught between the branches of a tree by the Everfree.

Not again.

“I’m sorry. I’m not you.”

Derpy’s ears swiveled to find the source of the voice, just as the muffin basket landed neatly below her.

“I’m sorry.”

She heard the retreating sound of insect wings, but she couldn’t follow anyway. Speed was useless if you couldn’t fly straight. Once again, she was good and stuck. Hopefully Dinky would understand, and they could still enjoy their day, once she got free.

She looked down at the basket of muffins, minus one, and smiled. Maybe Pinkie’s gift could make one extra smile today. Derpy really hoped so.

Comments

[Brony4Ever1992]

Glad to see this is back and hopefully those Changelings don't hurt Derpy

[shadowjourney15]

I'm really glad to see another chapter! This story and the idea of creatures changelings? having others memories is both eerie, and then sad once we see that they don't seem to mean much if any harm, trying to be who they think they are.

Are they all changelings though? And why do they have others memories? Wwhy do they think they're somepony or somecreature else?

[BleedingRaindrops]

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Funny enough, I suddenly have a bunch of free time on my hands and no distractions to prevent my fingers from getting some much needed exercise. Also the air is cleaner somehow.