The Lost Changeling

After our hug, I look back up to the disembodied eyes above and study them. It seems that there’s a sequence they follow, at separate times. The pair facing south is what I see first, and for a good forty seconds, the eyes stay green. After that, they change to yellow without sound, and for a short five seconds before it changes to red. I quickly shift my focus on the pair facing west. Shortly after, that same sequence of events happens, and the whole time, the pair facing south is red until the other pair turns red.

Then I shift my focus to the carriage drone hybrids. It seems that they halt into a stationary position whenever the pair of eyes facing south is red. And when they’re green? Those hybrids just go about the day like nothing happened. Yellow and its short time? Almost exactly like green. I say almost because select few of the hybrids stop as the eyes change.

“Uh, Rusty? Pane? Do these rules apply in Equestria?”

Rusty blinks.

“What rules?”

“Red is stop; green and yellow is go.”

“Well that’s new to us. We just travel wherever we please or need.”

Suddenly, one of the carriage drone hybrids keeps going while the rest of the others are stationary as the eyes are red again, turning to one of the buildings across the street.

“D-did you see that?!?”

“Carve, you don’t have to pay mind to them. We could just fly over them. Look, there’s an area we can safely walk on.”

As Rusty points to the northeast corner of the area, I lose control of my body, floating, Pane levitating herself. I close my eyes, trying to process what is happening. Opening them back up, we are on the other side of the stopping area. On the road that crosses with the one that the hybrids seem to stay on, there’s a two tier sign that reads:

DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND DEALER SHOWROOM
Regency
YOUR COMPLETE OFFICE SOLUTION

The Office Place
Desks, Chairs, and MORE!
Office Furniture Specialist 330.848.4652

IMAGINE SCHOOL

When Rusty notices it, I notice that his state is conflicted.

“Uh, why aren’t there any pictures on here? There’s just the name of some place with some information about it. I have no idea what that number is supposed to mean, but I take it that it’s something about this organization, maybe some code we haven’t learned yet. What do you think, Pane?”

“I-I’m not sure. Maybe those ‘earless creatures’ know.”

Hmm... Pane and Rusty seem to be missing the point of our trip here. I know they're used to Equestria Logo Format, but I ought to tell them what I think.

“If we’re going to ask them, then we might as well find the town hall here. But that’s not important right now. We’re trying to get me back to Queen Chrysalis, right?”

Pane and Rusty nod.

“Good. I would like to explore this town first though. Those earless creatures have my curiosity peaked right now. And we don’t have any time to waste. Just look over at the sun.”

I point to the wider growing shadow cast by the front of Rolling Acres alongside JCPenney’s Outlet Store, it inching towards the three of us.

“So what you’re saying is that your resting time always starts at dusk?”

I nod at Pane.

“Well, shoot. Let’s find a hotel then.”

Rusty suddenly startles me.

“Actually, there apparently isn’t one within four miles of us. It would be way past dusk by the time we even reached the closest one.”

“Aw, damn it. Carve, which place do you see that we should stay at?”

I scan around for any places that don’t look to be in use right now, and judging by the empty parking lot past the two tier sign, it so happens that it’s not in use. I take a closer look at the structure in relation to the parking lot.

On the front looks to be two playgrounds. The areas they rest on look to have some sort of fake sand or something of the sorts, unlike the other playgrounds I saw in Equestria. The building itself looks like some sort of market, if the aesthetic of blue that the top of the front boasts says anything. The strange part about it, though, is that the sign on that front reads “Imagine Leadership Academy”. The playground wouldn’t look so far off if it were next to a schoolhouse. It wouldn’t even fit in an academy. Maybe I might be thinking of another definition of academy, but what do I know?

But apparently, I was only looking at the right side of the structure. On the left, the top of the front has a purer blue than on the right. As opposed to the right entrance, the left entrance has only one pane left on the top. I point to that entrance, to which Pane’s eyes grow.

“What? That place? Isn’t that part of the ‘academy’?”

“Apparently not. Look at the entrance. There are boards on the top, just like there were some on the entrance of Rolling Acres. And you probably didn't see it, but I saw a distant building covered with boards. This one must be vacant.”

When we approach the left side of the “academy”, Pane attempts levitate the door open, but with no success. Then, she presses on the panes with her face, trying to get a good view inside.

“Well, you’re right, Carve. It is abandoned. But we can’t go in.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have a plan, ponies.”

I change into Twilight, remembering all the details about her and correcting whatever details I got wrong by looking at the reflection on the windows. Finally, I’m satisfied.

“Okay, you two. Hold on to me.”

And with Pane and Rusty holding onto my neck and torso respectively, I’m ready. I use my horn to teleport into the vacant half of the “academy”. And because of teleporting, I lose my disguise and collapse onto the floor, ready to sleep as the two let go of me.