//------------------------------// // Split up and meet up // Story: Celestiphilia // by Dr Atlas //------------------------------// Carl continued to stare off into space as he sat in the waiting room, knowing it was going to be a long wait- *BELCH* Especially since Stan was still drunk. Carl thought that Stan would of passed out by now, since it’s been hours since the drinking games. But no, Stan sat next to him drunk as ever, with one ear stem up and another down, his eyelids did the same, and his eyes were pulsating both green and blue. All the while, he was wobbling back and forth with a dopey smile, a raised head, and a lazy tongue that hung out of his closed mouth. “So..” Stan said. “When will the princess get here?” Stan paused for a second. “Actually, that reminds me…” Stan reached for his pockets while Carl was glad to know that his lie of the princess meeting him here was working, while Stan did...whatever he was doing, Carl chose his next words carefully. Carl closed his eye. “Stan…” He said. “We need to ta-” He opened his eyes and saw that Stan was making out with the poster of Celestia. “STAN!” Stan came out of his kiss and fumbled with the poster before stashing it in his flank pocket. “W-w-w-w-ww-hat….y...you ain’t seen nothin’” Stan tapped Carl on the nose. “Besides, I waaaaaas practicing.” Carl grabbed his hoof and threw it out of his sight. “Stan, listen to me, you need to snap out of it.” “Snap out of it? I can’t snap Carl, I can only tap.” Stan started tapping his hoof on the ground and laughed. Carl rubbed his temples, trying to contain his anger. “No Stan, you need to stop acting like this.” “But I ain’t good at drama Carl, now sports is another page of the story of-” Stan raised his hoof and swung it across the air, saying, “The great and heroic Stan’s plans for getting a princess.” He nudged his friend. “It’s a good read Carl.” Carl grinded his teeth. “No Stan...you need to cut it out.” “You mean like what those ponies are doing to our sister?” Stan pointed forward. “What?!” Carl looked up to see what Stan was talking about, only to realize that they were operating on her infected leg. Carl sighed and looked across the rest of the waiting room, seeing that many of his other brothers and sisters were being operated on as well, some trying to go through the pain, while others fought back each time the doctors touched them. Thankfully, most of them were under anesthetic or were fast asleep, it was the middle of the night anyway. The doctors would’ve taken them into a room to operate, but all of them were full with other changelings. Carl tried to ignore it, but he knew it wouldn’t help. All these injured changelings being in the same room as him was making him sick, reminding him of when he went back to the hive with Stan. “Yeah…” Carl answered. “Something like that.” Stan giggled. “I don’t think I can cut my legzies off Carl, I’m preeeeeeetty sure I need them for stuff.” He looked down and marveled at the sight of his hole filled legs. Carl looked up at a clock. “It’s only ten thirty? Seriously?” Stan knocked Carl’s head out of the way with his own to look at the clock. “Maybe Mr. Tony forgot what time it is.” Stan scratched his head. “Well, time is like a merry go round anyway, it’s pretty bad to ride in it, and you can totally forget what you’re doing…” Stan shivered and sat back in his seat. Carl got up and rubbed his head. “Did you really need to do that?” He asked as he sat back in his seat. “Before you know it,” Stan continued, ignoring what Carl had said. “You’re gonna be finding fish everywhere.” Carl opened his mouth to respond, but he knew Stan would just say something stupid again. “You know what...I don’t even care anymore…” Carl had enough. He got off his seat and started walking away. “And after a while, You’ll run out of ti….Carl?” Stan finally snapped out of his speech and realized his friend was walking away from him. “Where are you going?” “Home…” Carl said blankly. “Home?” Stan reached in his pocket and pulled out his poster. “But we still need to get to her Carl, how else will I-” Carl turned around and snatched the poster out of his hooves. “I don’t care Stan!” He yelled, making others in the room start to stare. “Caaaaaaaaaarl, that’s mine.” Stan wined and reached for the picture. Carl snapped. He held the paper in front of Stan and ripped it, then he did it again, and again, and again, until it was nothing but pieces of tiny paper. Gasps were heard, mostly from Stan. “C-carl?” Stan asked. Carl threw the pieces of paper at him and yelled. “Will you wake up Stan! You’re not gonna be with her! Get it through your head!” “But I am awake, and my head doesn’t have any holes in it.” Stan said innocently. Carl was ready to punch him, he was ready to raise his hoof in the air and hit him, right in the nose, right in his drunk face, but he knew, with the others that were currently watching them, that he wasn’t gonna get away with it. So, he took a deep breath, calmed his mind, turned around and walked to the door. “Carl, don’t leave.” Stan grabbed him. “We still need to wait for the princess to get here.” Some commotion was heard in the room. “The princess is coming here?” a voice shouted. Carl put his hoof on the door and sighed. “No Stan, I lied. She’s not coming.” Stan was too confused to understand. “What do you mean? You said that-” Carl turned around and knocked Stan’s hoof that was grabbing him. “I said that I lied Stan. The only reason why I brought you here is because you’re drunk, and you have a concussion. Just please understand that you need help from a doctor, and not from me.” Stan walked back a bit. “Why not? You helped me a lot.” Carl shook his head. He knew that wasn’t true. “The only thing I helped you with, was getting you drunk. I almost got you killed...Twice! And I sure as shi...shugar...don't wanna be apart of anything else that will happen to you. So...From here on out...” Carl put his back legs into it and bashed the door open. “You’re on your own.” Carl no longer wanted to be apart of whatever Stan would do next, it would either have him almost getting eaten by a goat, or getting violated by a powerful mare. So, with that, Carl turned around and walked outside, where it continued to rain. “Well fine!” Stan yelled. “I can find her with, or without you.” Stan flew into the air and flapped away. Going wherever his wings were taking him. As for Carl, he walked further away from the hospital into the city. “Just go home Carl.” He told himself. “You’re sober.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You didn’t do anything hurtful to her? Did you?!” A changeling grabbed the doctor who had walked out of Chrysalis’ operating room and shoved him into a wall. “Because if you did-” Another changeling pulled him off the pony. “Just give it a break Rex.” She said. “The doc and the other ponies are helping her.” The pony got up and adjusted himself. “Nice to see that some changelings have some sense around here.” Rex was about to leap on him again, but his sister held him back. “Just... tell us how it wen't doc. Rex here is dying to know.” She said with a fake smile. The doctor sighed. “Well, she’s getting better, but she must've hit that wall pretty hard for that many bones to shatter, a pony wouldn't even survive such a hit.” “Because you’re all weak.” Rex whispered, making his sister punch him in the shoulder. “OW, Stacy!” “Shut it Rex!” She turned back to the doctor. “Do you know when she’ll get better?” The doctor shrugged. “I’m sure it will be soon, we ponies don’t know too much about changelings, but we are doing the best we can with our magic. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll live through this.” The doctor nodded and walked away. “Stupid pony, why don’t we just do it our way?” Rex asked. Stacy rolled her eyes. “Because our way is rolling up a broken bone in slime. These ponies have magic that can really help us. Changelings don’t have very powerful magic, Rex.” Rex rolled his eyes and walked away. “At least we’re stronger than them, weak little- OW!” Stacy punched him again and walked beside him. “Just put a sock in it and help the others Rex, not all ponies know the anatomy of a changelings.” Rex groaned and walked toward the waiting room. “Wish they would just-” *SMACK* Rex fell on the floor “OW! Will ya stop!” he sat up and rubbed his head. “Why’d ya do it on the head this time?” “It wasn’t me Rex, it was...Stan?” “Stan?” Rex looked up and saw a changeling all too familiar to him. “W-what?” Stan spun around a bit and looked at the pair of changelings. “Oh...Heeeeeeey guys….how you doin’? How’s the rain?” Rex got up and glared at him. “Well, if it isn’t the traitor” “Rex…” Stacy put a hoof between him and Stan. “Don’t start this.” “Yeah,” Stan nodded “Ya can’t stop what ya can’t start!” He spun around and pointed at them. Rex growled. “Oh, I will start this.” He pushed past Stacy and stood inches away from Stan. “Do you know what you’ve done?” “Hmmm?” Stan tilted his head. “Um, you’re gonna have to be a little bit specific on what I did. ‘cause, I’ve been doin’ a lot tonight, ‘cept for the princess, haven’t done her yet…” “You know what I mean bug! You caused all this.” Rex grabbed Stan. “You made us look like cowards, just begging for others to help.” “Rex…” Stacy crossed her hooves. “Stan didn’t do anything, he was the only one who wasn’t a caretaker, like us, and had to take the paper.” She walked up to him. “It was an order too. If anything, you should be blaming the queen.” Rex let go of him. “Try telling that to the other changelings who hate it here, and the ponies.” Rex glared at him. “You are a traitor Stan. You are making a fool out of, not only yourself, but us too.” Stan tilted his head. “How can I make fools? Do I use, like, tools or somethin’?” Stacy chuckled. “Nice rhyme Stan, and Rex, will you take it easy on him? He just did what he had to for the swarm.” “She’s right Rex…” The trio of changelings turned around and saw the door to Chrysie’s room wide open, with the queen standing at the doorway, leaning on a pole with and bag of fluids connected to her. “He did what was right.” Rex and Stacy did their respectable bows while Stan fell on his face. “Queen,” Rex started. “I-I wasn’t-” “Rex.” Chrysalis interrupted. “You need to realize that our kind is going through tough times, getting help is our only resort right now.” “But it’s makes us look weak, you’re highness.” He continued bowing. “What if these ponies take advantage and-” “They won’t,” Chrysalis said. “they will help us.” Rex got up, as did Stacy. As for Stan, he raised his head and looked around in a daze. “How can you be sure, my queen?” Chrysie sighed. “I’ll admit it child, I can’t, but I know these ponies are merciful, and I’m sure that they will help us. It is part of the treaty.” Rex sneared. “Last I remember, the messenger dropped it in a puddle.” He craned his head toward Stan. “Hey! That was the puddles fault.” Stan yelled. “How was I shupposed to know water would get in the way of my plans of getting into her bedroom.” “It doesn’t matter.” Chrysalis interrupted. “We made another, and we still need to follow it. Understand?” “Yes queen.” Rex and Stacy said. “Probably, pretty sure, most likely, economy, surely, yes….Chrisie…” Stan smiled at his clever wording while the others stared at him in confusion. “Are you alright Stan?” Chrysalis asked. Stan scratched his ear “I think so, can I go now?” Stacy rose up “That reminds me. Why are you here Stan?” “Um…” Stan thought about that, he remembered coming here for a reason, but what was it, it had something to do with a friend, and going away, and going to… Stan raised his hoof in the air. “OH OH. I remember, I came here to ask about Celestia.” “The princess?” Chrysalis tilted her head. “Yeah.” Stan nodded. “Is she here?” The other changelings looked at each other. “Um...Why do you need to know?” Rex asked. Stan scuffed his hoof on the ground and looked up. “Just to talk.” “Well...um…She should be at her castle.” Chrysalis shrugged. Stan rose in the air and smiled. “Then leave it to Stan!” He extended his wings and flew off. *SMACK* He got his face off the wall and yelled, “I’m okay!” He flew down another hall and made his way to an open window. Chrysalis sighed. “Such a strange changeling, first he doesn’t want to go to the princess, now he needs to go to her.” Rex nudged Stacy. “Maybe he has a crush on her.” He said with a smile. “Right…”