With Aita and Carina out of the house now, I can finally sit next to Jon and tell him what he needs to know about Carina’s state. But... how do I tell him? He knows more about changeling conception than a stand-in queen does, and that’s saying something, although it’s a given I’m likely plenty younger than Carina. She already has Aita, who is probably seven and a half at this point, so maybe she’s ten years older than me.
“Uh, hey Carve.”
“Hi. Um, Jon? I kind of have something to tell you about Carina’s-”
“I know about it already. I kind of experienced it first hand seven and a half years ago.”
“Oh... so I was just barely an adult drone when that happened. I think I can remember what happened when Thorax first went against the norm and brought Carina here.”
“Wait, you actually saw that happen?”
“Yeah, Jon. I was there.”
;=;
“Everyone! Look! She’s in here!” Cervix whispers to me, Thorax, and Brand, looking into a hole into the session room.
“Well, what are we wa-”
I shove my hoof over Brand’s excited mouth.
“SHHH!!! Don’t wake her up! That changeling is named after a former student’s teacher! Let’s try to put some care into our welcome, okay?”
Everyone else sighs.
“Fine.”
“Hopefully she’ll recognize us,” Thorax adds.
“Maybe, but who knows what happened to her. I’m going to see what did, and I’ll give you all the signal. Cervix, Thorax, Carve? Ready for this?”
I nod alongside the others.
“Good.”
;=;
“So that WAS you?”
“I have to admit, I was a completely different changeling back then.”
“You know something Carve? When Carina first lived here, I didn’t really have much of a liking to Chrysalis.”
“I know that feeling. Rolling Acres does a lot to us, doesn’t it? First me, Rusty Flashlight, and Pane Fall, then Chrysalis... and now...”
“Actually I was there, right before Carina went missing. It was in pretty decent condition back then. And I guess that was why it didn’t phase me so much... because I’d seen so much worse at the time. What did though was Carina having Aita. For a while, I thought I was going to lose Carina. And now that Aita’s getting a sibling, that fear is coming back.”
I pause and look at him; he seems to be telling the truth. Most of his current emotional contents seem to point to fear.
“...You aren’t alone, Jon. With Pane leaving Las Pegasus without letting us know, everyone was scared... everyone who was at Rusty’s anyway... so why are you so scared about Aita having a sibling? Carina is pretty content with this coincidence.”
“It’s because she has always lived with me ever since I found her. The state she was in when I first found her was why she still lives here.”
“So she’s practically one of your own?”
“Yeah. You live with urban explorers, right Carve?”
“Right. Was it their names that gave away what they liked to do?”
“Partly. Carina told me about them anyway. She said Rusty Flashlight and Pane Fall take you on their explorations.”
“Well, yeah they do, but only when I’m available. Carina says she never really gets much of an opportunity to tag along.”
“...It has been quite a while since I brought Carina along with my explorations. And now that Aita’s getting a sibling... I don’t even know what’s going to happen. Before we ever thought about Aita’s conception, at one point Carina became unresponsive she was in so much pain.”
“Jon... that was seven and a half years ago. Carina’s still here, right?”
“I kind of doubt for long.”
“Please, listen. Carina’s still here after what she experienced. Am I right?”
“Well, right now she is.”
“If Carina is still up and kicking when Aita is seven and a half, and older, then I don’t think I’d worry about her unless she was taken back to the hive by force. And that won’t be happening until at the VERY least the time I retire if I were to become Chrysalis’ successor.”
“Hawww... I just feel so paranoid right now. Now that there’s going to be an additional member of our makeshift family, I have no idea what will happen to her.”
“I don’t what else to tell you, Jon. I can definitely see why Carina needed to stay with you when you found her; she had amnesia after all. I don’t know what exactly will happen to her, but what I do know is that nobody will ever be alone in their situation. Carina has ponies, changelings, and her own family, all of which identify with her.”
“But Carve... will I l-”
“What did I just say? I have NO idea what will happen to Carina. It might be one of the riskiest events for her, and it might not. But we’re going to be there for her no matter what. She’s not alone in this situation, or any really.”
“Okay. Thanks for the talk, Carve. I really needed it.”
“Eh, not a-”
Suddenly, I hear rapid knocking on the door downstairs.
“...problem... I think the door needs answering.”
I head downstairs and open the door to see Aita, who looks quite scared.
“Aita! What’s going on?!?”
“Quick!!! Headrest Centre!!! Now!!!”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Aita... I need you to get Carve and Jon for me. Go now.”
I gasp.
“Oh no... Carina! Err... OSIA!!! Jon, what should we do?!?”
“Carve, Aita... you two get to the vet. I’ll meet you there.”
“That’ll have to do. Let’s go, Aita. I’ll see you in about ten to fifteen minutes, okay Jon?”
“Okay.”
Aita and I begin our way back to the vet, by flight, seeing Jon get into the car in the process. The frantic flight though begins to be put at ease when I think exactly of what Aita did. At the biggest height of the situation, he might’ve actually saved his mother’s life. Aita may not’ve been able to directly help, but he quickly passed the info someone who could, someone who had a car that could cut the time of a flight in half.
I just seriously hope Carina’s going to be okay.