At long last (twenty minutes) the family in the making finally set foot on uncharted grounds, or at least uncharted to one of them... Waterfall. After meeting Papyrus, nobody else had delayed them and Martlet had made sure to not let go of Clover. She... Was a little tired of being kind of sort of laughed at.
"Alright Clover!" Martlet started energetically after they'd been walking for a minute or so, "you didn't forget what I told you before we left, did you?"
"...Yeeeeees?" Clover lied in the vain hope that Martlet too would have forgotten.
...
She didn't.
"Just hold still for a moment and I'll show you the ropes, it's easy trust me! Plus, you don't want to wait too much longer after cleaning yourself, your feathers will start getting itchy and trust me, that is not a pleasant feeling. Now stop-squirming!"
After Martlet had brought up the subject, they'd moved a bit off the beaten path so that she could give Clover a demonstration but... They just kept twitching! It was, a little bit frustrating, but Martlet knew she had to be patient. After a few more moments, she finally got a good angle and, boom! One successful demonstration!
"Alright, now you try!" Martlet smiled after slightly backing off. To be fair, most of Clover's body was covered so he wouldn't be able to do much at the moment, but Martlet fully intended to have him do a more thorough job of it when they got back home... For now though? She at least expected an effort. And an effort Clover gave.
Clover tilted his head around a bit, not really fully committing to nipping at any of his feathers... He just... Didn't think his neck could stretch like that. It didn't feel natural, for some reason.
"Clover?"
He breathed in and out a few times, rolled his neck, and then rotated his head at a 180 degree to get at a feather on the back of his neck. He did actually succeed, but oh god that didn't feel right, that REALLY did not feel right! He paled after completing the maneuver, feeling like he'd seen something vaguely reminiscent of the motion in the past. Though, his neck was completely fine... Huh... What was he worried about again? Clover let a breath out that he hadn't even realized he was holding.
"Good job! You can keep practicing on the way! I'd recommend you get used to it, cause I expect you to make this a morning routine!"
"M-m'kay mom."
She was at least getting better at not fumbling whenever Clover called her mom. Well, maybe that time Clover calling her mom was just a bit more fair than it usually was. Oh well... Wait, oh well? Oh well what?! That's not just something you say oh well too Martlet you're getting USED to it?!
...
Clover marveled at the sights of Waterfall, compared to Snowdin or other places that he had vague memories of... It was a truly beautiful place. Martlet held his hand through most of it, literally and figuratively given it was a bit more treacherous than Snowdin but even still it felt like he was getting his fair share of adventure just looking at the place! Light glimmered in the skys above, gems glittered and the land itself seemed to whisper with every step! Eventually however, they came to a stop at a running body of water.
Martlet sucked in a breath, then excitedly began. "Alright Clover, could you roll up your sleeves? I think it's about time you learn... How to fly!"
"...Really?"
"Yes really, come on!"
Clover... Very hesitantly began to roll up his sleeves. Now that he thought about it, Martlet hadn't ever seen his arm in its entirety, had she?
"What's wrong? Don't worry it's not very... I... Oh." Martlet lost steam the further Clover rolled their sleeve up, eventually revealing well... A complete lack of wings. Yes, their arm was indeed covered in feathers the same as Martlet, but they were very clearly arm SHAPED, purely arms. Not wings which could function as arms.
"I uh-there's nothing wrong with not having wings! Don't worry about that!"
"..."
"No-I'm serious! We can just solve some puzzles instead! You like puzzles, right Clover?"
"..."
"Oh come on it's not the end of the world, you don't need to go silent on me just cause you don't have a pair of wings Clover." Martlet smiled weakly as she kneeled down to eye level with Clover, giving her kid a quick scratch on the neck. "Really, it's fine, it'll be a good way to get reacquainted with the Underground!"
Clover breathed deep for a moment, before moving Martlet's arm away. "Alright, alright, I'm okay. What's this about puzzles?"
...
In Clover's opinion, it hadn't been much of a puzzle... They just kind of carried a few seeds over to the water, and curiously enough they bloomed when lined up with each other. He was certainly still a little upset about apparently not being able to fly like his mom could, but the pretty sights in Waterfall helped to somewhat mitigate that gripe. He really did enjoy the environment. He was easygoing by nature, and while some excitement was great fun, just having a relaxing walk like this...? Well, in this cowboys opinion, it wasn't too bad.
They came across monster after monster, crossed river after river, over the course of an hour or so. Eventually, they reached a more... Rainy part of the place. Up ahead, a bit more of a... Clover would say torrential downpour awaited. Fortunately, some kind soul seemed to have left some umbrellas in a bin nearby. If Clover ever figured out who had, he'd need to thank them.
"I always wondered who leaves these here." Martlet mused out loud as she picked out two umbrellas, handing the yellow one to Clover and keeping the blue one for herself. "Regardless of who, I wish I could thank them somehow, I don't pass through here that often, at least not on foot but... I just feel bad knowing they don't get any recognition for this, you know?"
Clover nodded, he could understand that sentiment, but at the same time, sometimes you didn't need to be acknowledged for your actions. If you were content to just know you had helped, that you had done something just... That could be enough for a lifetime.
Clover did a double take at his internal words of wisdom. Where did that come from...?
"Well, let's keep going!" Martlet reached out for Clover's free hand, and he reached back.
It was a fairly scenic route through the rain, the land seemed to have lost its glow but... Something about it all just struck something in Clover, he felt serene. All things considered, it was a pretty short walk. The two of them passed through without talking much, both of them were somewhat lost in the natural beauty of the place. Martlet thought about maybe coming through here on foot a bit more often... But as usual, all good things must come to an end.
Once the rain had stopped, there was another umbrella bin. Of course, the two of them gave back the umbrellas. What kind of villain would steal them...?
"So, Clover, how do you feel about Waterfall?"
"I... Really like it here actually, it all feels very scenic, it's kind of relaxing you know?"
"Oh that's wonderful to hear! You know my parents used to live here before they moved to New Home, they postponed it a little bit more then they should but, something about the places beauty just spoke to them I guess."
"Huh." Clover nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, we're almost through now, we'll probably get to The Wild East pretty soon. I'm not sure if you remember anything about it, but it's a pretty drastic shift from Waterfall!" Martlet gave Clover a playful nudge as she spoke and Clover shrugged. Really, what did she expect him to believe, that they'd go from swamp to volcano in the span of minutes?
...
Yes, the answer to that question was yes. It was a VERY drastic shift. Clover almost couldn't believe how fast they went from wetlands to desert. You'd be able to scratch the almost out of that sentence if he hadn't seen it happen for himself.
"Uh, hey Clover?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you gonna be alright dressed like that? It's pretty hot out here. Might wanna roll up your sleeves?"
"Pff, cowboys are fire proof." Clover chuckled quietly at the question. Martlet gave them a questioning look, but he didn't budge on his answer...
"If... If you say so...?"
Clover had a rapid series of internal questions. Wait, why are cowboys fire proof? Am I a cowboy? What is a cowboy? And then a rapid series of internal answers. They just are, I'm living proof. Yes, of course I am! Cowboys are the gosh darn coolest thing this side of the Underground that's what!
"Welp, town's just a little bit away from here, we can probably meet up with Ceroba there! You liked all this cowboy stuff before you lost your memory, but I'm sure you'll get right back into it, right Clover?"
"I think I already am." Clover adjusted their hat juuuust right, he knew he looked cool... A shame he didn't have his overcoat on.
...
Clover was now certifiably the one taking the lead, he didn't even bother running all over the place to explore... He already knew his domain. So in the end it was Martlet who ended up following behind him. They had to do a little bit of climbing around, but both of them were perfectly capable of doing as such. Martlet still found herself worrying, but Clover was rather fearless for somebody who had a life threatening fall only days earlier.
After sliding down a slope of gravel, Clover absentmindedly reached for the gun in his... His holster... THEY HAD TAKEN IT OFF EARLIER! Clover was missing a very important part of his get up, and he was very suddenly much less enthusiastic. It felt like he was missing a part of himself with the lack of the weapon, which... Definitely didn't feel great. So it came to be that he was no longer leading the trek, but instead co-starring in it with Martlet.
"So, how are you doing Clover? I know you haven't really had, well, any problems so far, but have you felt anything odd today? You did get better pretty quickly, but we still can't be sure if everything's alright... Well, besides the obvious." Martlet sighed as she took step after step, now matching Clover's pace. She could see Oasis Town in the distance, so she knew they were nearing their destination.
"Oh, M'okay..." Clover answered somewhat dejectedly... It wasn't a very convincing answer.
"...You sure? You don't sound okay."
"I forgot my gun at the house..." Clover frowned again, instinctively reaching for his armament to show it to Martlet. But obviously, they came up short, given it you know, wasn't there.
"Wait like... An... Actual gun...?" Martlet asked very hesitantly, her face gaining a new shade of pale with each word.
"Yeah? Cowboys always carry a trusty firearm around with em."
"R-right..." She looked ahead, avoiding Clover's eyes as her own struggled to shrink back to a normal size.
Only a few minutes later, the two finally reached town. So, just up ahead should be where they needed to go!
"Alright Clover, my friend's place is just ahead, make sure to behave yourself! And maybe take a look around? Talk with them a bit, you did know them briefly! It might jog some of your memories!"
"M'kay mom, I'll do my best."
"...Yup! You do that!"
The gates to the manor were open, so Martlet figured Ceroba would be there. Why would they be open if she wasn't? It wouldn't make much sense now would it?
The duo walked right on in, and up to the door. Martlet knocked, waited a few seconds and...
"Martlet, is that you?"
"Yup! Hi Ceroba!"
The doors swung open, revealing a smiling Ceroba on the other end. Though that quickly turned into a slight frown. "I... Thought you were bringing Clover? Who's this?"
Clover waved as he once again readjusted his slightly too large hat. Martlet sighed. Both because they wondered why Clover didn't just get a different hat, and because she knew she would have to do a fair bit of explaining.
"Remember how I said there was a bit too much to tell you about over a letter?"
"...Yes?"
"Say hello to the first part of that!" Martlet gestured grandly to Clover, who gave her his best raised eyebrow. Something he'd found funny in the past... But from where?
"I'm sorry... What?"
"Look... Ceroba, this IS Clover."
"I'm... I'm sorry... WHAT!?"
...
"Hey, Clover?" Martlet gave Clover a light tap on the shoulder as they inspected a portrait, continuing shortly after they turned around. "You might want to step out of the room for awhile, I'm sure Ceroba wouldn't mind you looking around...?" Martlet's eyes drifted over towards Ceroba, and although she did still look... Bewildered. She gave Martlet a quick nod.
"If you say so." Clover shrugged and opened the door to the hallway, closing it behind them as they stepped out of the room.
Ceroba waited a few seconds after Clover walked out of the room before bringing a paw up to her face. She pinched at the bridge of her snout trying to come up with something, literally anything at all to say.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"I-what even?!"
"I'll start." Martlet smiled weakly as she walked over to a chair, sitting down at the table in the room. She beckoned for Ceroba to take a seat, which she did.
"So... Clover's actually been like this for a little more then a day now. They woke up the day after I brought them home, their soul was still cracked, and it was recovering slowly like you thought it would but... After the first day, something changed. Their soul started recovering way faster and well, when they woke up they looked like... That! They're... I don't even know what they are to be honest!" Martlet leaned forward placing her head into her wings.
"I-"
"But like I said, that's only the start of it! Ceroba, I don't know what to do and I REALLY need help here. They think I'M their mom! They have amnesia and I haven't had the heart to tell them-basically anything!"
"...What?!?"
"And I-"
"No! Hold on! Slow down a bit, holy shit Martlet!" Ceroba stared at her incredulously, she held a paw as a symbol for Martlet to cease, which she did. Ceroba leaned back, covering her face with both paws and slowly dragging them downwards.
"Okay... Now... Can you say all of that again, but slower this time? What the hell is going on Martlet?"
"...Right, sorry." Martlet sighed quietly, then she sat up straight. "The day after I brought Clover back, their soul changed somehow, it... Morphed? That's the best way I can put it. I... Checked them, and they're "the first of their kind", according to it."
Ceroba felt her blood run cold... Their soul... Changed? Did that mean-surely not right?! Her plan couldn't... Kanako couldn't be... No, surely there was more to it. There... There HAD to be.
"Okay... Continue, please."
"Clover's got amnesia. I don't think it has anything to do with their transformation they just... Took a really bad fall. The problem with that is that I haven't told them anything about what they were before their fall. They don't even know that they're human... Or at least, sort of human...? Every time I try to tell them, I get cold feet or something interupts me! And the worst part about it?... Well, maybe not the worst part..." She muttered, both because there were legitimately worse parts to the whole situation but also because as much as she didn't want to admit it, Clover calling her mom did give her the fuzzies, even if it came with a healthy dose of her mind crunching at the word...
"They... Clover thinks I'm his mom. I haven't had the heart to tell him otherwise." Martlet frowned, and Ceroba stared at her with absolute shock.
"Can... Can you give me a moment to think?" Ceroba stood up, slowly taking step after step towards the door opposite to the one Clover had walked out of.
"O...kay?" Martlet didn't get why Ceroba was so freaked out over all of this. She didn't have any stakes in Clover's well being, they barely knew each other didn't they? Well, the information was pretty shocking Martlet supposed. Wait... Was she judging her?! Oh no but she said she'd be willing to-
...
Ceroba's very SOUL was trembling. She found difficulty in even forcing herself to stand... So she slumped against the wall, slowly falling down as she tried to control her breathing. Clover wasn't human any more. How?! Such a thing... It had literally never happened in the history of all of Monsterkind as far as Ceroba was aware! She wanted to believe that it would still work, that, even if Clover's soul was... Part monster or something, it could still be used to bring Kanako back. But... She had no way of knowing. There was no way to tell, she NEEDED to get a look at it, to take samples, put it through tests. Would it be similar enough to a human's SOUL to still work...?
Ceroba didn't even acknowledge the other things Martlet had said... In her mind, it didn't matter whatever their relationship was, what Clover was going through... All of it paled in comparison to Kanako. She knew what she had to do.
...
"Why don't you and Clover stay the night? It's three after noon anyways, plus if you want help with Clover's situation I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out with a bit of extended brainstorming, right?" Martlet nodded slowly, that was somewhat sound logic. She had off for the next few days anyways, so spending the night shouldn't be an issue. Though, what Ceroba said next Martlet was sliiiightly less enthusiastic about.
"And I'm sure Starlo has been dying inside ever since he shot Clover. Even if Clover doesn't remember, Starlo has been wanting to apologize ever since the accident."
"...Maybe that's not for the best?" Martlet frowned-it was more inbetween a frown and a scowl actually. She hadn't really thought about it that much, but Starlo's well, literally shooting Clover with a GUN didn't sit very well with her. "Sometimes there's a certain point where you just let something be, you know? Besides Clover wouldn't even remember what they did... Well..." Martlet frowned, there was actually a pretty good chance Clover would remember something given it was names that gave him flashes of his memory.
"...I guess that'd be alright." Martlet frowned after an extended silence, turning away from Ceroba. "Where even is Clover anyways?"
"That's what I'm wondering." Ceroba mused. "I'll need to do some check ups with Clover before you go to see Starlo, mind helping me find them?"
"Of course not, oh and by the way you didn't really answer me earlier... What should I do about Clover's amnesia? Should I tell them that they're actually human, that they were trying to find out what happened to the other humans?... Oh, also them calling me mom..." She asked with considerably less heart then her first question.
"Hmmm, how about you ask me after you and Clover talk with Starlo?" Ceroba dismissed the questions, walking in the direction Clover had initially taken off to.
Why is she avoiding the question...?
...
Clover wandered up the steps curiously, this part of the house felt... Different, somehow. Hallowed grounds, dusty, untouched. The air itself seemed to take on a somber tone.
Tentatively, he quietly walked around the place. Inspecting the room itself, before finally letting his eyes settle on a bed... What had happened here...?
"Clover?"
Oh, mom's calling!
"Coming mom!"
And just like that, he left the room behind. Adventures for a later date, a cowboy could wait, he was patient.
"Clover?" Martlet called out again, she was much closer this time, so when Clover next rounded a corner they immediately saw each other.
"There you are! We're going to go say hello to some... Acquaintances..." Clover did not miss the disdain in her voice, nor the squinting of her eyes. "In a little bit, but first Ceroba needs to... I'm... Not sure actually, let's go find out okay?"
"M'kay, if you say so." Clover shrugged, once again reaching to readjust his hat just right as he walked down the hall following Martlet. He hadn't been readjusting the hat nearly as often before he'd come to this land, but now it just felt right.
"Ceroba?" Martlet once more called out, similarly to Clover, she too rounded a corner. "What was it you needed to check on Clover for?"
"I need a blood sample."
"I... What?" Martlet gave Ceroba an eyebrow almost as powerful as Clover's, though she didn't falter.
"If I want to fully check what changed with Clover, I need to do it. Is that a problem?" She said smoothly.
"No. I just..." All the while, Clover didn't see what it was Ceroba was holding, Martlet was conveniently perfectly blocking it. "Clover? You're not afraid of needles are you?" She turned to him, her gaze could only be what Clover would describe as, mortified.
"Nah, M'not afraid of much." Clover shrugged casually, which did seem to relieve Martlet a bit. Her shoulders sagged, and she walked out of the way.
Now Clover got a good look at Ceroba, she was smiling pleasantly, which felt off given she was holding a syringe about a fifth of the size of her paw. True to his word though, Clover was undaunted. Really it took quite a lot to get under his skin, or a very specific set of circumstances. Most of which involved family... For some reason? He couldn't quite fathom why, Martlet had never done anything to him that was particularly upsetting.
"Clover? Can you hold your arm out for me? I promise it'll be quick." Ceroba upheld her smile perfectly as she said that. As far as Clover was concerned, that was more unnerving than the syringe itself. But, he obliged. As Ceroba approached, he rolled up his sleeve, and held out his arm.
Ceroba looked at it confused for a moment, before her eyes locked on a certain point. Clover flinched when he felt the needle pierce through his flesh, but he sucked it up and waited. Waited... Watched his blood flow... Got a little bit weak in the arms, then finally Ceroba pulled it out.
"Clover, you should eat something, here." Martlet patted Clover on the back, before handing him a piece of monster candy. Apparently, she had thought ahead.
"Thanks mom." Clover mumbled out before popping the candy into his mouth. He was bleeding a little bit... Why was he bleeding? He was a monster wasn't he?
Clover's eyes narrowed as the bleeding stopped, the hole that was presumably in his skin healing up as he ate the candy. It felt both natural, and EXTREMELY unnatural to be bleeding. He almost asked Martlet, but stopped when he saw Ceroba holding another empty syringe, this time looking at Martlet.
"Now, since Clover was such a big kid, surely you can do the same, right Martlet?" Ceroba smiled all the same, looking at Martlet dead in the eyes.
"W-wait why though...?"
"It's... A hunch, I need a comparison between your magic and Clover's SOUL. It shouldn't be a problem. Your kid could do it-"
Martlet's beak dropped as Ceroba said that, really, she just went along with it? What had happened to giving advice?!
"-so you can too, right?"
Clover raised the all powerful eyebrow at both of them, and under pressure Martlet slowly nodded.
"Yeah, I can. Just make it quick... Alright?" She smiled very nervously.
...
Martlet rubbed at her wing, the spot she'd been pierced in still stung a little... Monster food was less instantaneous for her when compared to Clover, so it still did hurt even though it was mostly healed. She had noticed Clover giving her an odd look, but she wasn't quite sure what it was about. They didn't ask anything though, so she didn't bother to press them on it.
"Alright, we'll head back soon, but for now, we're going to go meet those acquaintances I mentioned earlier, alright? If you don't remember anything, would it be alright with you if we just left? I know you like all this stuff but..." Martlet frowned, something had clearly happened here in the past, something Martlet really didn't like. It was easy for Clover to tell. So... While the thought of missing out on cowboy stuff did shock and appall Clover... The thought of making his mom upset did too, even more so.
"Alright mom, I'll let you know if I don't remember anything and we can leave, alright?"
Martlet smiled and ruffled a few exposed feathers on Clover's head. A few words came to mind. But she wasn't sure if she should say them... It didn't really feel...
Clover closed his eyes and smiled, that was a direct blow straight to Martlet's figurative heart. She gave in mere moments after the fact.
"Love you Clover."
Oh god-WHY DID I ACTUALLY SAY IT?!
"Love you too mom."
Welp. That's that. It's over. I've got no more outs, even if I wanted to say no at this point I don't see how I could do it without breaking their heart. When they finally get their memories back... Will they hate me for not telling them anything I knew? Will they ever get their memories back...?
Clover squeezed the end of her wing. She stopped thinking about it, and she gripped his hand firmly right back.
She hadn't even noticed but, they finally arrived in the town itself, The Wild East.
"Ah, well if it ain't..." A familiar boisterous voice rung out, though it very quickly died down.
"Ah, ello... Ma'am." Starlo said considerably more dejected then he had been a moment ago. "Why don't you come in with your... Kid? I'm sorry, who're they...?"
Martlet frowned, did he seriously not recognize the hat-wait no, that was definitely recognition dawning in his eyes.
"Wait a gosh darn minute... Is that...?"
"The kid you shot?" Martlet deadpanned, though Clover didn't even seem to notice the aggression in her voice. He was staring starry eyed at the cowboy before him...
"But... How?" Starlo mumbled, before being loudly interrupted by said small child.
"North star-right?!"