In the present, after telling Kuma about my brief visit to Starlight’s new place, they start giggling.
“That sure sounds like something I would do if I was just crowned ruler of all the changeling kingdom, especially going home and finding the answer alone.”
“Oh, don’t be so sure,” I reply as we arrive at the education hive. “Even though we wish things were always the same, there is no guarantee you’ll act the same I once did.”
Kuma looks on, seeing what I mean. This very spot is where Crater Hall used to be. Instead of the chasm, the floor is all even again. The note has been scrubbed, and in its place is a wall that can now open up to one of the classrooms here.
“Right… I once learned about the former Crater Hall in class… was becoming queen all it took for you to go from losing Rolling Acres to establishing the education hive?”
I grin. “Well, you’ll see.”
Back during the story I tell Kuma, I really wasn’t too satisfied with Starlight’s answer. So, going around Sire’s Hollow, I looked for any sign of Trixie, since I have next to no memory of her trail signature since the last time we met at that point.
On the side of one of the stores in the commercial area, I spotted four children looking at… something. There was an earth pony, a changeling, a griffon and a yak. Clearly they were all interested, so it had to’ve been something. I remembered Starlight told me something about these four residents, at least their names anyway: Sandbar, Ocellus, Gallus and Yona respectively. Gallus was the first to notice me, and tapped Ocellus on the shoulder with his claw.
Ocellus gasped, then ran over to hug me. “Queen Carve! Oh, I am so sorry I missed the coronation! You wouldn’t believe how busy Operation Comics has been these days!”
“T-that’s okay,” I said, taken aback slightly by Ocellus’ apparent remorse. “Your job comes first, and if it means you have to miss something like that, I won’t be disappointed.”
Sandbar came over to Ocellus with Yona and patted her on the back. “See? I told ya she’d be fine with it. Hey, Carve.” Sandbar waved to me.
“What new queen doing here?” Yona chipperly asked.
“I thought I would pay Starlight Glimmer a visit. She did recently move here to live with Sunburst after all.”
“Starlight Glimmer, huh? I heard she’s going across Equestria pretty soon.” Gallus thumbed what he and his friends were looking at before they noticed me.
I flew over and landed next to Gallus to see what he was talking about. It was a poster for “the Great and Powerful Trixie’s Autumnal Nationwide Tour”, an annual event Starlight mentioned to me in passing before that she partook in.
“Oh yeah, the ANT. Good thing I got here when I did,” I remarked. “She’ll know where Trixie is.”
Pretty much as soon as I mentioned the tour, Discord teleported in by visually materializing like he went through a wormhole to get here.
“Did someone say ANT? My, what dedication of you to visit my good friend, Starlight Glimmer, before she leaves. I am sure everyone back home would be proud to stand by you, Queen Carve… congratulations on the promotion, by the way.”
Yona was surprised by Discord’s behavior. “Wait. Dragon-pony know new queen? And Starlight?”
As Discord responded, he summoned a light bulb that turned on without the need for a current. “Well, of course I do. Name any creature and without a doubt, I have them in that little current of mine.”
Ocellus grinned deviously. “You’re on… How about Wavelength?”
“Mother of former Queen Areola,” Discord answered as his forelimbs separated, the paw and claw resting behind his head. “Even she was a queen herself while caring for her daughter.”
I shrugged. “Amplitude?”
“Your best friend’s original name before One Thirteen,” replied Discord, briefly summoning a changeling plush before tossing it aside with his paw. “She was renamed once by Chrysalis and another time when she lost her memory in the real world.”
His vast knowledge left even me shocked. “I didn’t know that was Carina’s original name. I was just trying another sound-based name… what about Sawto-”
Upon beginning to hear another name, Discord’s eyes bulged, as if red flags were mentally going off, before he impulsively teleported his arms to reattach them to his body, waving at me with both and averting his gaze. “No further test. I know who you were going to say. I just would like to know what you were doing, visiting Starlight Glimmer.”
“Well, I was going to talk to her again to direct me to Trixie,” I explained to him. “But since you’re here seemingly knowing Trixie too, not only do I not have to do that anymore, maybe I could get your experience with Aita instead… you said you were framed once, right? How was that resolved?”
“You have no idea, do you?”
Discord promptly floated me up to his lion arm, magicking up a copy Pharynx’s version of Starswirl’s time spell and swallowing it whole before he snapped us to the point in time I asked up him. Looking at us, I saw a blue glow coming from Discord and me. Looking at the scene he was presenting me, I spotted him again with Fluttershy, Lightning Dust and Aita, standing off with Wind Rider and Svengallop at one of the bedrooms of the Canterlot Castle suite.
In this showing of Discord’s, Wind Rider was the first to speak. Aw come on, kid. We learn all the time. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to come up with the ideas we have in our heads.
Wanna bet? I heard Aita retort, at least I thought it was who said it. It was REALLY weird hearing her old voice after finally getting used to the one I heard once she went through vocal training.
As current Discord and I looked at the scene, Aita teleported in four pears, past Discord peeling off the edible part to reveal the seeds. She placed those seeds the same way she did in the projection Starlight showed. Instead of just Chrysalis though, I also saw Areola with her.
Young Aita, you called at the right time. I’ve been having my teacher visit regularly in case this would happen. Are you in Canterlot?
Why yes I am. I have these two in hot water. Aita nodded as she answered Chrysalis’ question, then pointed to Svengallop and Wind Rider.
Areola playfully beamed. Alright, what did they do?
Wind Rider and Svengallop posed by letter as the moving company I used to begin life in Ponyville, then framed Discord for it, Lightning Dust explained.
Chrysalis and Areola’s jaws hung low in response, the former’s horn beginning to glow as she began to wink in in the flesh, which caused the signal behind her to fizzle out as she started cornering Wind Rider and Svengallop.
Before we can see Chrysalis say anything, Discord snapped me back to the present with Yona, Sandbar, Ocellus, and Gallus in front of us. “So, was that all you needed to see?” he inquired to me.
I tilted my head and rubbed my horn. “Well, from what you experienced, I think so. I at least know what happens when I’m off the throne. The spell won’t work right this minute then… Thanks for the help, Discord. You all know where to look if you need me, right?” Everyone nodded yes and waved farewell as I began taking off. “Bye everyone!”
My next stop was Aita’s castle. Since I had learned how contact with the throne worked, I wanted to hear what it was like on the throne. I could’ve gone back home, since Areola was a queen once herself, but Membrane experienced that too. I would’ve gone to Silver Shoals, but Patch sent a letter before I left Sire’s Hollow, saying his grandmother was visiting Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and Aita.
Near the dining room, hearty laughter from Cozy and Chrysalis erupted, so I opened the door, only to see them getting up off the floor while Membrane was stifling a laugh of her own on a chair at the table. Seeing them share this moment together certainly brightened my mood. That’s for sure.
Membrane was the first to see me. “Oh! Carve! What brings you here?”
“Hi, Membrane,” I greeted, but then noticed someone absent as I looked around me. “Where’s Aita? I figured since you were visiting, she’d like to stay to see you.”
“Oh she went home for a while to celebrate her coronation,” Cozy answered. “She should be back by tonight though.”
“So, here for a visit already?” asked Chrysalis.
“Kinda… Patch directed me here to talk to Membrane.”
When Membrane heard my explanation, she put on a subtle-looking grin, got up off her chair, and started for the door, gesturing me to follow her. Once we were alone in the halls, Membrane was the first to break the silence between us.
“So, I imagine this was the environment you wanted to talk to me in?” I was left dumbfounded how she figured that out, getting a chuckle out of her. “I think I know what this is about, dear Carve. That pear spell? Eighty years don’t mean I don’t take clues.”
“And I thought Aita’s deductive skills were impressive. I didn’t even need to tell you anything once we got out here!”
“So, would you like my experience?” offered Membrane, to which I nodded. “You see, when Chrysalis was working to make amends with her son, I took her offer to join her in the throne room to see her duties in action. When Aita, Spike and Twilight called, it was like the top of the spire itself was glowing. Powered from up above, at the very center of that room was a projection of the backside of Donut Joe’s with Aita front and center, and her friends visible to her sides.”
“Huh…” After listening to Membrane’s description, the information left me a bit stunned, but satisfied. I gave her a hug. “Mother Membrane, I have to thank you for your help. When I took the trip to Sire’s Hollow earlier today, I had no idea how any of that worked. Thanks to Discord and you, I know exactly what to expect… but I also know other changelings will feel the same way I did. Since I lived with Rusty Flashlight, even as a sub, I didn’t bother finding out for myself because I didn’t need to yet.”
Membrane elbows me lightly, making me realize what I did. “Guess I wasn’t the only one, Carve. You seem to have the empathy fit for the queen you have become. I could never have imagined you’d ever reach this height when I first retired. If you think common knowledge should be expanded, then you and your royal team can teach your kingdom, that way your successor will be more prepared.”
Another pause happened before I could answer, but in that time, Membrane’s suggestion was something that rang true to me.
“That’s a great idea,” I replied with a confident strut. “Gathering my peers around to teach a new generation of subjects sounds like something I could get behind. Thanks again, Membrane.”
Finally back in the present, Kuma and I have now returned to the hall leading to the throne room. The former of us two particularly paid attention to Discord’s part as that was the part they were confused about the most.
“So, what you’re saying is… it doesn’t matter which changeling contacts the throne. You just have to be on it?” they say, interpreting what I’ve told them.
“What do you think the crown is for?” When Kuma and I reach the throne, Patch is no longer there; it’s empty. “One of our classes is probably in session right now. I’ll go get Patch. My other peers should be here any minute. Sound okay, Kuma?”
Kuma nods yes as I head back out of the throne room to trail Patch so he can return with me.