They're EVERYWHERE!

65536: 17

Nearly a week passed since Half-hearted Fury's arrival in Canterlot and Luna's return from the dreamscape. For 65536, it was downright unbelievable because, thanks to it now being general knowledge that there was a friendly changeling inside the castle, it was allowed to go outside! Unfortunately, it didn't last. According to Luna, the dreamscape was still in turmoil, so she only took a day of rest which she spent with 65536 before leaving again. No amount of wibbling helped prolong Luna's stay in the real world, but it did make her feel better.

So, with the reassurance of quick return, Luna vanished into a portal again.

Unfortunately, so far she hasn't come back.

However, having the entirety of castle grounds as its new playground, 65536 has been keeping itself busy.

"Dig dig dig, only a bit bit bit," mutters the drone as it makes a small hole in a flower bed and plants something Pink Sunset called a geront- gearon- geronimo- a pink flower into it, "Only eight more left, two rows of four. Doo dee do do doo..."

Being able to dig, if only a little bit, and perform a repetitive and basically mindless task has been making 65536's head hurt less and less. Humming with a smile, the drone keeps on replanting the flowers in the shadow of the castle with only a single look up and a quick wave to the pegasus Royal Guard perched on a balcony and clearly keeping an eye on it.

One row of flowers later, 65536 raises its head in surprise as stomping guard hooves that have been passing by the entire morning stop nearby, and it finds itself surrounded by five Royal Guards with extremely stern expressions.

"Uhh, hi?"

"Grab it!" orders the leader with a nod.

"Huh? What's-?" 65536 gets its forelegs swept with a butt of a spear as two other guards make sure it stays on the ground while a third one puts hoofcuffs on its hind and front legs, "What's going on?" 65536 manages to force out of its mouth with its muzzle pressed into the grass.

"Be quiet or we'll muzzle you!" barks the leading unicorn as his telekinesis picks 65536 up and the whole unit gets moving.

The only reason why 65536 isn't panicking is because it can't move or do anything anyway, which feels eerily familiar to how it was back home when a high rank came to examine its work.

Things get worse when the guards take the stairs down to the dungeons, bringing back its own bad experience.

Things get better when 65536 spots Sharp, who has quite clearly been woken up mere moments ago, as well as Princess Celestia.

Things get worse again when the drone reads the princess' grim expression.

Things improve yet again when the princess shoots a dirty look to the Royal Guards as she notices 65536 being shackled.

"Take those off," she frowns. As the guards do so and 65536 finds itself on the floor, raising its legs up and down, her horn lights up and the entrance to the dungeons behind her opens, "Commander Biscuit, 65536, follow me. An EIS expert as well as Grandmaster Beacon are already waiting."

"Did I do something bad?" 65536 pumps its legs quickly to follow Celestia's long strides, "I know I wasn't supposed to dig anything but Pink Sunset told me I could make small holes in the flower bed and move the flowers around."

"It's not about the flower bed," says Celestia grimly.

As they turn the corner and 65536 sees the elderly paladin talking to a pony wearing a white lab coat, the drone's breathing quickens.

"Did... did something happen to the changelings?"

"We're not sure," she shakes her head. Once they approach the open cell door, Beacon measures 65536 with narrowed eyes. Sharp, having the experience, recognizes the coated unicorn as an EIS crime scene analyst.