//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: She's a WHAT?!? // Story: The Lost Changeling: Rolling Ends // by AizakkuHorooee //------------------------------// When the three of us exit the old roller rink, Rusty allows Trace Light to walk ahead while he turns to me. “Carve... what’s going on? How did you get so glum?” I groan. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to ruin your fun, but...” “...but...” “But... I failed to take my mind off of Rolling Acres.” “Oh, Carve. No one told you to take your mind off of anything. Tomorrow’s your visit to Rolling Acres, right?” I nod at Rusty. “Good. Once you visit, if there isn’t anything going on over there, then how’d you reflect on the behavior from earlier?” “Uh, if that were to happen, I’d probably think I was overreacting...” “Exactly. None of us have any idea if anything’s going to happen to it at the moment, but you will tomorrow when you go. Pane and I will be here for you in case you change your mind about staying in Akron.” My vision starts to blur as I hug Rusty. “Thank you so much, Rusty.” Rusty flares out his right wing and rubs my back with it, once again making me feel as cozy as if my back, covered in a robe, is facing an active hearth on a cold winter day. “No problem.” “Uncle Rusty! What’re you doing?” Rusty takes his wings off me as I release my hug. Then he walks over to Trace Light. “Oh, I was just talking to Carve.” “Oh, okay. Say, do you see anything on here? Did I get anything?” Trace Light proceeds to look behind herself, causing Rusty to chuckle. “Rusty, what’s she talking about?” “At it as always, Tracey. No, you didn’t get it in ‘Collaborative Exploration’.” “Rusty, what is this about?” “Oh, Trace Light was just trying to see if she can get her cutie mark as always.” “Oh. Why does she want a cutie mark? Don’t they just come from what I could gather from you and Pane’s pasts?” “That didn’t discourage her from continuing her ‘quest’ as a ‘Cutie Mark Crusader’.” “A cutie mark WHAT?!?” “Trace Light says that a Cutie Mark Crusader is someone who tries to get their cutie mark by finding something they’re good at.” “Um, why would Trace Light want to rush something that is somewhat seamless?” “Tartarus if I know. But just watch, Carve; in two months, she’s going to be sent a chair-shaped notepad where she can jot down ideas on her next mission to get her cutie mark.” “Uh, where would you find that?” “Well, I found that notepad when I first went urban exploring in Canterlot a couple years before that one invasion. I remember telling Pane about it before our sophomore year finished.” “So, you’ve had that same notepad for over two hundred and twenty five moons?!? It must be full by now.” “Actually, it’s been as unwritten as it was when I got it.” “Surely by now, the covers have to have at least faded out.” “Every holiday season, I’ve given it a fresh coat of ink.” “So, the cover doesn’t harden?” “Not really. Whatever changed is barely noticeable.” “But Rusty! Why would you give a notepad so long into your possession to your niece? Why this year of all years?” “This year, Trace Light made friends with, and became one of, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, so this Hearth’s Warming has to reflect that. Originally, it was just in a pile of peculiar items I started collecting, but I feel it’s the best choice to give Trace Light the notepad. I don’t have much reason to use it myself, but I’m sure Trace Light could smother it in pictures from cover to cover in ten days flat.” “Well, I guess it’s nice you’re giving that notepad to your niece.” “Uh, thanks. Hopefully, I brought you in a better mood by talking about Trace Light.” “You sure did. Thanks for doing that.” Suddenly, Trace Light turns around, causing me and Rusty to stop. “Uh, Carve?” “Yes, Trace Light?” “Can you teleport like Twilight?” I chuckle of the resurfacing memories of the times I have teleported. “Yes, I have teleported in the past. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did do it as Twilight Sparkle.” “Uh, do you think you could take me to the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse then?” “Ponyville?” Trace Light nods. “Well, I CAN teleport to Ponyville, but I don’t know where the clubhouse would be. Why do you want to go there?” “Because I need to tell Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo about the whole ‘collaborative exploration’ thing.” “Who’re they? A-are they other members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” “Well, yeah. They already have theirs, so I want to see what else I can find that I might be good at.” Rusty briefly tilts his head to the right. “I don’t know, Tracey. Urban exploration runs in our family; besides, other fillies at seventeen either would’ve been scared of where we just went in, or would just vandalized it like no tomorrow, which neither happened. You did pretty well in there, I gotta say.” “Um, thanks? But it didn’t get me a cutie mark.” “Don’t worry about that. Maybe you could talk to Applebloom about today when you go back to Ponyville.” “Hmm. You do have a point there. Dad’s here until Sunday, so I really hope that Nightmare Night parade on Saturday pays off.” After we drop off Trace Light, Rusty and I decide to head home for a particularly late lunch. While I wait for lunch, I head to my room and briefly recite A Great Deal More, a poem I made for my five year anniversary of living with Rusty Flashlight. As usual, I just flick out my tongue while Rusty just enjoys his meal with big grin on his face. And his choice of food? Pancakes... a ten stack of pancakes... covered in syrup. I chuckle. “Must be quite a bit.” “Oh that’s nothing. Look at the stove.” I look up where Rusty points, and before my eyes, there are two more ten stacks. My jaw drops. “Sheesh! Are you planning a party or something?” “You can have a few if you want. I just made them because of the dates on one of the ingredients being a few days away.” “But wait. I didn’t see anything in the fridge that looked like any of the ingredients needed to make pancakes.” “Oh, they were all in the drawer included in the fridge.” “Somehow, I want to say something, but I don’t know how to say it in Lingo. Well, bottoms up I guess.” And so, I levitate and consume three of the left ten stack.