The Lost Changeling: Taken it Back

Sitting on my throne, I hear Twilight calling.

“Hello?”

“Twilight! Back already?”

“Yeah. I have a bit of twist in the visit though. A certain urban explorer’s niece will be snapping a photo of us.”

I chuckle a bit in pleasure of Twilight’s “twist”.

“That sounds familiar. Earlier within the week, she wanted to take a picture of me, possibly so that she can convince other ponies that I’m good now. By then, I was already friends with Starlight.”

I’m here now!

“And there she is,” I finish as Trace Light comes into view with camera being worn on her neck.

“So, are you two ready?”

Twilight nods at Trace Light.

“Ready as we’ll ever be.”

I get up on my now whole hooves, and sit on the throne.

SNAP!!!

A split second after the picture gets snapped, I blink and rub my eyes with my right hoof to correct my vision. The correction comes in time for me to see the camera spit out the picture.

“Hm... what do you think of the picture?”

“I suppose it doesn’t need any change,” I answer to Twilight. “I can see all of both of us really.”

“Well, Trace Light? Why don’t you take that picture to school, and see if your peers want it on the headlines on the Foal Free Press. I would love to see us in the school news.”

Trace Light nods.

“You got it, uh... Twilight if I remember correctly.”

“Exactly.”

After the filly leaves with the picture and the camera, Twilight turns to look at me.

“So, what plans have you made for today?”

“The only other thing I wanted to do today was to check on Carve and see how she’s doing. I know she witnessed you having me let go of some of my past experiences, but it’s better safe than sorry.”

“I understand Twilight. You can visit her anytime you want as long as she’s home.”

Twilight chuckles.

“Right. I forgot she sometimes goes with those two ponies on their adventures. Well, I’ll be off to Las Pegasus if you need me then.”

;=;

As I begin picking up the Power Ponies comic book in the bedroom, the one that’s not mine, I hear knocking on the door. I trot over to the living room and open the door to see what may be a taller version of Twilight.

“Oh, um, hi. Twilight, was it?”

The alicorn nods.

“Yeah. So, are you... home alone right now? I didn’t really hear anything before the door opened.”

“Actually, yeah I am. Pane has company at her house. I remember hearing something about her going to some place called ‘Irondequoit’. I’ll have to look further into the matter sometime later. Maybe when I visit Carina.”

Twilight nods.

“Okay. So, in the meantime, I just wanted to talk.”

“...about...”

“It’s about the way I had treated you when Chrysalis was trying to get me to trust her.”

“Well, I am aware of two things, Twilight. One, I understand where you’re coming from, and that treatment is behind me, and it should be behind you as well. Two, Chrysalis wasn’t getting you to trust her. She was being open about learning from her mistakes. I bet Thorax would do the same with Chrysalis as Chrysalis did to you, since he neglected adjustment to switching leaders.”

“Wait. How did you know, Carve?”

“About what?”

“About what I was going to tell you... the curfew I put on you for Ponyville...”

“Twilight... all that’s in the past. You and Chrysalis are friends. I know you regret banning me from Ponyville. If you can promise to refrain from making an unprecedented flee, you certainly don’t need to hang onto your other mistakes.”

“...Well... I do trust the queen, so that means you’re welcome to come to Ponyville anytime you want.”

“That’s better. Now, do you want to get something at Greta Scone Corner? On me?”

“Actually, um, how about Sugarcube Corner? It’s a good chance to catch up with Pinkie Pie.”

“Well, if that’s what you want, I’m fine with it. And PLEASE don’t tell my two friends about it, especially if it involves hotsauce.”

“Okay. ...and what about where you’ll sleep?”

;=;

Well, I guess this will be the last round of hall management for today. Most changelings have now gotten into their rooms, ready to slumber. However, when the hole to Carve’s room opens up, a scent spills into the hall, one that’s a little musty. When I peek inside, more strange things ensue. Firstly, from the times I saw Carve sleeping, she never snores, and now she is. Then, on and around her nest is a puddle. I’m not sure what the puddle is made up of, but I certainly don’t want to know. Getting inside the room, the musty scent assaults my nostrils enough to make me briefly gag.

I decide to bear the scent and continue on to the puddle, then proceed to tap Carve on her exposed left shoulder. Right away, I get a bit of an answer. Carve turns around and sprays a couple of drops of what the puddle is made of onto my whole front hooves. Suddenly, her eyes shoot open to my presence.

“Oh, C-Chrysalis! What’re you doing in my room?”

“I happened to see that your room has seen better days on my last round of hall management for the day. Do you care to explain why that is?”

“Oh, sweat. Heheh... I kind of went the Sugarcube Corner and had some hotsauce with Pinkie Pie.”

“Hotsauce, you say? Well, I can’t say I don’t see the connection. How well did the party pony fare?”

“Eh, she was pretty unphased by it, though she didn’t really speak as quickly when rambling after having her own bottle. It’s funny too because when I first met her properly, she said too much of the drink will make a pony’s liver explode even if the mouth manages. Long story short, I got sweaty over two bottles of hotsauce.”

“Oh. Well, hopefully you and Pinkie Pie will recover by tomorrow. It’s too late to go back home, so why don’t you continue your slumbers here?”

“Thanks. Oh, and Chrysalis?”

“Yes, Carve?”

“I don’t want the urban explorers I live with to hear about what happened today. I have no idea how they’ll feel about me going to Sugarcube Corner for a sweat.”

“Don’t worry about it, Carve. Your experiences are safe between the two of us. Sweet dreams, my changeling.”

Carve shifts herself back into the previous position before our conversation, ready to sleep. It feels pretty hard to turn away initially, Carve being a changeling I care quite a bit about. But then I take one last deep breath, causing me to be thrown back into reality, and by reality, I mean the musty scent and the ensuing snoring.

I proceed to exit the room and let the hole fill again, cutting off the source of must. At first I have the thought of having a talk with Carve about coming into the hive immediately after having drinks of higher spice, but it falls through as I chuckle to myself.

As long as Carve is experiencing Equestria finely, she should be just fine after living there for over five years. Those urban adventurers are nothing short of brilliant ponies.