The Lost Changeling

by AizakkuHorooee

Chapter XX - A Night at Twily's

When the two of us let go, I wipe my cheeks with my right hoof.

“Thank you, Chrysalis. Once Rusty and Pane are home, I will make sure that I visit the hive.”

“Okay. I will keep you in mind until then.”

After Chrysalis and I bid farewell, I look at the Elements of Harmony and Immunity. While Applejack has her hat over her eyes, and while Rainbow Dash just looks at me with pebble sized pupils, the rest are gathered in a group hug with a tear puddle under them.

“Whoa. What the heck did you do? I know you basically said that there was a chance of Chrysalis reliving her rise to changeling power, but what exactly did you do?”

“I made a mental link to try and show Chrysalis where I had landed after the wedding. You know which one I’m talking about.”

“Rolling Acres?”

“Exactly.”

When I nod, I notice that me and Rainbow Dash’s shadows are quite elongated, meaning that it’s near sunset.

“Uh, Twilight...”

“Yeah?”

“I know it might be a bad time, but it’s almost sunset. Where do you think I can sleep?”

Suddenly, Pinkie’s eyes shoot open.

“Sleep?!? What do you mean?!? I know what this calls for, and it’s definitely the complete opposite of sleep!!!”

“...and w-”

“Meet you in ten minutes!!!”

PInkie dashes off, pouring dust into the wake.

“Uh, girls?”

The remaining six shrug, except for Twilight, who just walks over to me with a recovered smile.

“We should head to my place now. It’s too bad Spike’s going to miss out on all of this.”

;=;

When the seven of us enter Twilight’s oak tree house, there is very little light inside, that is aside from the daylight pouring out of two windows in the first room. By my study of the room, it’s filled with ponies.

“Uh, Twilight? Where’s the light? We kinda need to see,” Applejack notes.

“Ugh, don’t those po-”

I get interrupted by the ponies in the room who shout in unison, “Surprise!!!” With the exception of Twilight, we all jump.

“Whoa!!! Um, can Pinkie Pie tell the future?”

Then, we hear laughter coming from Pinkie.

“Well, of course I can! And how did you know about me? Are you a party planner too?”

“A what planner?!?”

Pinkie laughs again.

“Carve, right?”

“Yeah.”

“If I’m correct, then you have chosen to spend the night here in the Golden Oak Library.”

“So that’s what this place is called. That’s actually kind of genius. Since this place is filling with positive emotion right now, I think I might have a treat.”

“That’s what I like to hear!! Come on now!!! LET’S PARTY!!!”

And with that, everyone in the room cheers continuously.

Some time later, Pinkie decides to show me the refreshments when I point to a red bottle with a flame as the label.

“Uh, what kind of drink is that?”

“W’ll, that would be hotsauce.”

“Hot sauce? Ponies wouldn’t be able to drink this then.”

“Actually it is drinkable. The only catch is: drink too much hotsauce, your liver would explode, that is if it goes through your mouth first.”

I start to quietly chuckle.

“And you’d probably have to be a pony too.”

“Eh, what’s a little heat going to do?”

I levitate the bottle and pour the hot sauce into one of the available goblets. Well, it looks like hot sauce; the only difference is that the viscosity is a lot lower than I remember from whenever I was in Equestria. I levitate a straw into the goblet and sip into it. What results is... nothing? Probably a trickle in the throat? I don’t know. All I know is that the result isn’t significant. I smack my lips to get a better taste... nothing happens. I take another sip... again, nothing substantial. Hmm. I could get used to this drink.

“Say, how old are you, Carve?”

“Twenty one. Why Pinkie?”

“I thought you looked quite...”

“...young to drink this? Well, it doesn’t seem to affect me much.”

“Well, you’ve only taken two sips, silly! Try a few more!”

“Uh, okay...”

I decide to have a few more sips of hot sauce and the results... I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE WAITING...

I finish up the goblet of hot sauce. Other than a little sweat in my mane and tail, nothing really happened on the outside. Inside, all I feel is my throat reacting to the hot sauce, like there was a fizzy drink inside.

“Hey, Pinkie... is it a little late in the year to drink hot sauce?”

“Hotsauce is always a good drink any time of year, Carve. Sure you’ll sweat after a cup, but that’s NORMAL.”

“Even in the winter?”

Pinkie nods.

;=;

Twilight looks at me from the front door. As of right now, only the Elements of Harmony are present.

“Carve... do you know what that is?”

“You mean the puddle?”

“Yeah! What is that?”

“Oh, that’s Carve’s sweat.”

“Uh, you do know that the heater has been turned off since Winter Wrap Up, Pinkie Pie.”

“Well, duh. Carve was curious about the hotsauce bottle. Then-she-and-I-had-a-couple-of-cups-out-of-the-bottle-afterwards. I-was-unfazed-but-Carve-needed-a-fan really REALLY badly, so-I-figured-you-had-one-but-I-couldn’t-find-it! Do you know where one is?”

“Do I know where what is?”

“A fan, silly!!!”

“W-why would you need a fan?”

“Weren’t you listening? Carve and I had some hotsauce!”

“Did you pour some in your cupcakes?”

Pinkie shakes her head.

Rainbow Dash, on the window sill, sighs after snacking on a scone.

“I gotta say, I didn’t know you had a tolerance for hotsauce, Carve. How do you not have the hiccups by now?”

“I don’t know if you know this, but my body doesn’t really react to that kind of stuff. It was a little warm, but nothing really happened. I’m an emotivore, Rainbow Dash, not an herbivore.”

Applejack comes down the stairs with Rarity and Fluttershy.

“Well, this was a mighty party that you threw Pinkie! Rarity and Ah have errands to run before the day’s over.”

“And Angel’s gotta get to bed soon.”

I chuckle at Fluttershy.

“Same here. Well, bye everyone!”

“Yep! See ya, Carve!” Rainbow Dash calls. “Time to go read some Daring Do!”

“Bye, Carve! I’ll be in Sugar Cube Corner if you need me.”

Pinkie waves goodbye before I go to get a mop to clean up my sweat.