The Lost Changeling: Taken it Back

“Carve? Are you feeling alright?”

I shake my head to get rid of my speechlessness. I blink a couple more times to regain my composure and sigh.

“Yes. Pinkie just caught me off guard for a little while. I’ll be fine. Anyway, you said you’ll have to have ALL of your top drones help look for Twilight?”

Chrysalis nods at me.

“Oh, okay. Maybe I can-”

“-get your friend and her son over to the hive?” a voice finishes for me, leaving me briefly stunned yet again from its familiarity.

“CARINA!!! AITA!!!”

With a new hole making two changelings visible, I rush over to hug the older one, then the younger.

“What’re you two doing here?!?”

“Aita and I were starting to get nightmares the other night about you guys failing to befriend Equestria! Aita and I decided to quickly check on you and see how you were doing!”

“Well Carina, there has been a level of success upon us. While Twilight is still stuck in believing I haven’t changed my ways, I have a hoof full of ponies that are now friends with me, including the royal sisters.”

“Really?!? Then I guess you got the ball rolling, huh?”

“Well, not exactly. I am particularly pleased that you managed to get here when you did, Carina. Carve and I are about to gather the top drones to contribute to a search party for Twilight.”

“What?!? You mean Twilight’s gone MISSING?!? Well, I know her! She’s the one Aita had resided with while I went searching for him to get him back home! I can help search for her!”

“Good. Now, why don’t we wait for Pinkie Pie and Starlight Glimmer before we gather the rest, okay?”

Carina, Aita and I all nod.

Suddenly hearing Pinkie Pie’s voice makes the four of us jump.

“Well, you don’t have to wait any longer.”

“Whoa, uh, who are these two?” Carina asks, stunned by the appearance of Pinkie and Starlight.

“Carina, this is Pinkie Pie, and she’s gotten Starlight here to stand in for Chrysalis while we all go searching for Twilight.”

In response to my answer, Starlight’s eyes shrink down to half their normal size.

“...wow... you want me to watch your hive while you’re away? This... I... I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything Starlight. We’ll find Princess Twilight soon enough. She may not trust me, but if even her closest friends’ efforts are fruitless, I will be there for her. Now, please watch over the hive for me while the nine of us search for Twilight.”

“Okay. See you later then, everyone...”

Starlight waves me, Pinkie Pie, Carve, Carina and Aita all goodbye as the five of us go down to gather the others.

;=;

After Carve, Carina and I all gather the rest of the drones, we all end up in the meeting hall once again, this time with Pinkie Pie and Aita there as well.

“Cilia... Cervix... Brand... Seta... Carina... Carve... Aita... Pinkie Pie... everyone should be familiar with all of Equestria’s cities, am I correct?”

“Well, everyone except me...” Atia guiltily adds, prompting me to look at the changeling next to him.

“So what about you, Carina?”

“I watched a documentation of this world’s history in Wisconsin. I’m familiar with most names of Equestria, though I haven’t seen all of it.”

“Fair enough. As Pinkie Pie had told the queen and her stand-in, Twilight Sparkle has left Ponyville and is headed in an unknown direction. She has made one of two actions at this point: going to the Crystal Empire for ‘safety’, or warning at most three cities, other than Canterlot, of my presence in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie, you let us know about this, so if you want, you can collaborate with me, Carve, or any of the top changelings in search for Twilight.”

“EEEEEEHHEHEEEEEE!!!” Pinkie Pie cheers, falling back first onto the floor, only to get back up.

“Now, my changelings, pick the one changeling you want to join that will stick with you as safety measures have established by previous search parties from before One Thirteen. Once you’ve all found your co-op, there should be a map-out of where each pair of changelings will go.”

The changelings nod, except for Carve, who ends up standing next to me. The pairs that I see as a result of the nod look to be Carina and Aita, Cilia and Seta, then Cervix and Brand.

“I presume you all are happy with your decisions.”

The changelings nod again.

“Hmm. Now for the cities. Which ones do you feel like traveling to?”

Cilia raises her right hoof.

“How about Seta and I go to the northeast? We’ll have places to search there for quite a while, especially in Manehattan.”

“Hmm... and what about you two, Cervix?”

“Huh... Brand and I could probably pay a visit to Vanhoover. Pretty cool up there this time of year.”

“So, northwest it is for you two. Carina? Aita?”

“I have wanted to see what Appleoosa looks like in the flesh.”

“So, southern Equestria it is for Carina and Aita. The only real place left that hasn’t been taken is the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh. So, we’ll go there, Chrysalis?”

"Yes, Carve. We will go there.”

“And I’ll be able to join any of you! I’m remembering it correctly, right?” Pinkie Pie asks.

I briefly cover my smile with my right forehoof.

“Hmhm... Yes. You don’t have to though. It’s entirely your choice.”

“Heeheehee... alright! You got a point there. Maybe I can go see Rusty and Pane again!”

Wait. When did she run into them?

“Wait. When did you run into them?”

I guess great minds think alike with Carve.

“On my way here after getting Starlight. Just said hi and bye.”

“Geez, Pinkie!! Filly Second much?” Carve exclaims, causing Pinkie Pie to roll onto the floor.

“Yep! I actually WAS her once!!”

Carina and Aita blink twice each.

“...okay... so, uh, if you’re going to see Rusty and Pane, does mean you’re going with me and Aita?”

“Eh, I can do that whenever you guys go to Las Pegasus.”

Carina shrugs.

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

“So, my changelings... and Pinkie Pie, it seems that we are all set for the search for Twilight Sparkle. Am I hearing correctly?”

Everyone nods.

“Great! Now, everyone, if you encounter somepony that I had before the Canterlot invasion, avoid them as much as possible. Move on with your search. It’s important to help Twilight’s friends. She already doesn’t trust me. She doesn’t need to deal with more than who is searching for her now. Now does anyone have an unanswered question remaining?”

Suddenly, Carve raises her hoof.

“Um, since you and I are going to be in the north, should we check Yakyakistan?”

Hmm... while we do want to cover as much land as possible, Yakyakistan is a nation of its own merits. Maybe...

“Well... we likely will save that for when the Crystal Empire fails, Carve. Does that sound alright to you?”

Carve shrugs.

“Eh. I’ll take it.”

“Good. Now, let’s move, everyone.”

All the changelings, except for Carina and Aita, who wildly nod instead, use their horns to briefly brighten their eyes, then cheer, obviously looking forward to the search.