The Lost Changeling

by AizakkuHorooee

Chapter XI - A New Day

“CARVE!!!”

I wake up to a feminine scream onto my name in state of being shaken. But it’s not a jolt. It's more like being enveloped in levitation. I see a golden tint like when I lost control of my body when crossing the road. It has to be Pane.

“Huh...” I mutter.

“You had us worried back there! Are you alright?!?”

The tint fades, giving me a chance to regain my energy and get up..

“Um. I guess so.”

“Why did you do that? We were worried sick about you!”

“It was the only way I knew how to get in, Pane. The door was locked anyway.”

“Perhaps for a good reason.”

“But wait. Why were you two worried for me? Ponies normally don’t care about a changeling’s state. How long has it been?”

“Only one night.”

“Phew. I wasn’t out cold. Thank Chrysalis. But then why were you worried?”

“That you wouldn’t make it?”

“Well, I’m awake now, if that pleases you guys. Come on; let’s explore Akron.”

“Okay. First, though, how did you know to change into Twilight of all ponies?”

“Element of Magic? Duh.”

I change back into Twilight and attempt to teleport again. However, Pane stops me.

“Save the energy for when we go back to Equestria.”

“And how’re we supposed to go to Equestria if we’re st- oh! I see a lock on the entrance. I got that.”

I use my horn to unlock the entrance so that we can exit, which succeeds. And with a push using my magic, the door simply opens.

“Carve! Pane! What’s going on over there?”

“Rusty, you can come out now! Carve discovered the exit here!”

Rusty comes out of the backroom to see that the entrance is open, but not without shaking off any dust.

“Alright. Since this is in the same structure as an academy, some of those ‘earless creatures’ might be here pretty soon.”

Pane’s eyes grow.

“Like, how soon?”

“Probably ten to thirty minutes. Judging by this time of year, it’s likely six o’clock to six thirty in the morning.”

“So you’re saying that students here come as early as six ten?!?”

“No, not the students. The staff might though.”

Pane blinks.

“Oh. Right.”

So, the three of us head our way back to the road with the glowing eyes, me closing the door on our way out. And just like yesterday before sunset, the traffic remains unchanged. The only difference now is that a higher percentage of the carriage drone hybrids are coming into the parking lot opposite of Rolling Acres, so that means more rights on red if that one hybrid turning under those circumstances said anything. Suddenly, something pops into my head relevant to the two tier sign.

“Hey wait a minute. Did that place we just left use to be Regency if my logic is correct?”

“What about The Office Place? Did it use to be called that?”

“Pane, I already see a building that has that name.”

“So, I guess that place was called Regency then.”

Suddenly, I hear gurgling.

“Hey Pane? Carve? Anyone else getting hungry?”

Pane nods.

“Perhaps you had your breakfast already, Carve?”

“Heh. Yep. I’ll see if I can find you two a place to eat here in Akron. I’m not sure what these earless creatures’ diet is. But I assume it’s roughly the same as yours.”

Suddenly, Rusty points a hoof to the sign past “The Office Place”. It’s the yellow and cheddar building from earlier. At this view though, I can only see the sign, and not even what it reads. But it is in the shape of a bell with a blue outline.

“What about that one?”

“Taco Bell? Well, that’s convenient. Rusty and I could just find something within our diet over there.”

I suddenly get itchy on my cheeks as the “Taco Bell” sign reminds me of that blue tint I got when I was very young when I was gently put into my nest every night, which got me thinking of that day that eventually led to getting stuck in Rolling Acres.

“Actually no. I don’t want to go somewhere being reminded of that one day the whole time.”

Rusty’s eyes grow.

“What?!? What day, Carve?”

“January thirteenth... Queen Chrysalis’ very first invasion onto Equestria. It was over eight years ago. To this day, that day is regarded as one of the saddest days in changeling history.”

“What happened?”

“The former Queen - Areola - was Chrysalis’ mentor at the time. Areola had made plans to go after two towns: Ponyville and Canterlot. When the ponies fought back, there brought an explosion that caused damage onto the towns, caused by the changelings that had been blasted into them. Three of them died, including Areola, and coincidentally, Queen Chrysalis had sustained a massive injury by a repellant spell, one that was much more severe than the drones had sustained.”

Rusty gasps.

“Oh. Wow. That’s horrible! How long was Chrysalis like that?”

“Up until the invasion onto Dodge Junction, which was about two and half years afterwards. By that time, it had inspired me to help out Chrysalis in any way I can with her first independent invasion, but all I got was basically, ‘Aren’t you a little young to help invade Equestria’. From then on, I would have to report what had happened since the last invasion in that specific location by entering shacks to gather dates and records.”

“Well, you could wait for us at...”

Suddenly, Rusty’s eyes shrink when he sees something unusual.

“...Regency.”

“What’s going on?”

“Carve... look.”

Rusty turns me past the direction of where I slept through the night. There’s a third part left of it. And what does the sign on the entrance read? Regency.

“Look. Let’s all just stick together until we all know where to fill your guts. Okay? Obviously Taco Bell won’t work if we do that. Why don’t we just go with what we originally planned? Going north?”

Rusty and Pane nod.

Comments

[Razzy]

Will, Taco Bell won't work because there's no food there. *ba-dum-pshhhhh*

I hope Chryssie fully recovered from that injury.

[AizakkuHorooee]

8286991
Why else would there have been the Dodge Junction, Ponyville and Canterlot invasions plus the seventeen others?