The Lost Changeling: Taken it Back

Whenever I travel to a given city in Equestria, I would only go to that one city. This is the first time that’s ever changed. Carve and I were in Canterlot a little while ago, solely to inform Princess Celestia of Twilight’s friends coming to me for help, looking for her. Should Celestia ever get a shutdown report from any city in Equestria, she will look for Twilight there. If she so happens to find a pair of top drones, she should offer to stay with them.

Having now just arrived at the Crystal Empire, the train station ahead of us, I likely will see a few... familiar faces. And... yes, they are present. Carve runs up to them in recognition. However, when they see me, I can see nothing but whites in their eyes. As I think back to the infamous Canterlot Wedding invasion, an event that even Carina’s world knows about, I gain a heavy heart over how traumatized the two must’ve been after encountering me... and only on the first time... I can’t imagine how they must feel now, after being replaced the second time around, much less alongside their child.

“Um... Chrysalis? A-are you okay?” Carve inquires, looking back at me.

I briefly sniffle and sigh.

“I’ll be fine. Go ahead of me and talk to Twilight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Carve gallops in the direction of the Crystal Palace, leaving me with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. After waiting a few moments to let my brain refocus, I give one final huff, which grants me enough confidence to walk up to the station. Well, it does come to them initially as a surprise.

“Umm... Queen Chrysalis?!?” They exclaim simultaneously.

“Greetings, Shining Armor... Cadence...”

“...What are you doing in the Crystal Empire?”

Shining Armor’s voice sounds particularly cold... as if what I’d done had stripped so much warmth from it, it’s practically become a dip in a jetstream that I’ve become trapped in. I try to fight a newly formed itch under my eyes before I clear my throat.

“I... I have arrived here... to help Twilight’s friends look for her... S-she hasn’t been seen since she left for Canterlot to tell Celestia of what I’ve been trying to do for the past week.

Cadence looks at me like she thinks she knows what I’m talking about.

“Yeah... nice try on the wording... I don’t think that’s actually why you’re he-”

“Princess Cadence! I have a stand-in queen who lives in Equestria... Her name is Carve, and she is friends with adventurous ponies who genuinely care about her... Twilight’s friends are the same way as Carve’s. They came to me for help... otherwise... I would not have known that Twilight went missing.”

“Um, what’re you talking about?” Shining Armor asks.

“Huh... I thought you’d say something like that... what did you not get?”

“I-I could’ve sworn she was just watching Flurry Heart with Sunburst while we headed out to see if you’d come.”

Okay, this is starting to get quite annoying.

“Ugh... fine... where is Flurry Heart?”

“Well, where do you think your changeling was headed?”

Now knowing what place Shining Armor’s talking about, my eyes shoot all the way open.

“Well, thanks for the hint, Shining Armor. I must depart now.”

“Actually Chrysalis... why don’t Shining Armor and I go with you? We haven’t seen Carve since we honored... well, you know who. Was she the one that ran off into the empire?”

I nod, prompting Shining Armor to sigh in relief.

“Good. Then she’s trying to talk with Twilight again. We were a little concerned for her when she didn’t want to talk with us a second time.”

“Very well... let’s head to the palace.”

;=;

Now alone, I look up at the Crystal Palace. So, judging by how Cadence is the ruler here, this palace just may be where she lives as it’s the only tower in the kingdom. Well, no point in just standing around I guess.

As I head in through one of four entrances surrounding the crystal heart and start the journey upstairs, I think about how Chrysalis acted when I told her about me losing permission of my presence in Ponyville. Ever since Twilight was first presented as having a grudge against her, Chrysalis hadn’t emitted any negative emotion until we left for Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. She didn’t show that emotion, but I could feel it.

Getting higher within the palace, I tone down my hoofsteps and listen in to hear anything infant-like. The only thing I hear though is just the low rumble of silence, almost as if I need to walk higher into the palace... either that or I need to come back down. Suddenly, fading in is a very quiet barrage of high frequency, almost as if a chime is being constantly stroked, out in the distance. Then, there she is... Twilight Sparkle... It’s a good thing she isn’t looking at me, and instead reading a scroll. Things would probably end badly if-

Uh oh, that gasp...

“Carve!!!”

Ow... my eardrums!

Twilight rushes over to me in a rage that can only be matched by the moment she kicked me out of Ponyville.

“What’re you doing here?!?”

I take a slight minute to regain my composure, partially by shaking my head to regain my hearing.

“W-well, I know somebody that might ask you the same thing. I’m not in Ponyville, right? But that’s not important. Chrysalis and I came here in hopes that we’d find you! I may be thankful about finding you... what’re you doing here anyway?”

“Helping Sunburst watch over Flurry Heart...”

“Yep... I’m calling it right now...”

“Calling what?!? And why did you want to look for me even after I kicked you out of Ponyville anyway?!?”

“You didn’t use to be this way...”

“So, you’re basically saying that until now, I never took precautions against-”

Twilight, please stop.

I know that voice anywhere... I haven’t heard it since I (sort of) witnessed Ponyville honor Thorax. I turn around to see who it’s coming from, and to none of my surprise, it’s the same stallion that voice belonged to.

“Shining ARMOR?!?” Twilight exclaims.

“Yes. Now, Twilight? I want you to meet me and Cadence at the train station. SomeONE is here, and is expecting to see you. I know you might not like that someone you’ll see, but hopefully, she can clear things up for you.”

“Okay. Do you want me to let Sunburst know about what’s going on?”

“Eh, he should be fine,” Shining Armor answers. “Ready, Carve?”

“Ready.”

I nod and turn over to Twilight.

“Still going to let him know?”

“Uh huh,” Twilight deadpans, prompting me to walk back over to Shining Armor.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Twilight walks off in the opposite direction as me and Shining Armor, the latter two of us now headed for the train station. I do know who Shining Armor is talking about, which is Queen Chrysalis so I have a feeling she’s going to talk to Twilight about this whole situation better than I can do. Changelings can relate to certain subjects too, based on past experiences. I know I did.