Return to Canterlot
"What do you mean, 'I don't get to come along'?" Chrysalis snarled, her face an inch away from Twilight's.
"I mean, you're staying here. You still have community service to do for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!" Twilight snickered as Chrysalis' face filled with fear. "What, you think I didn't hear about that from Rarity? I'm not telling Celestia and Luna for now, but if you don't do your community service, then I just might have to spill the beans. So, you're not coming along!"
"But it was going to be so deliciously awkward. I wanted to watch!" The usually unflappable Queen started to sound like a petulant child. "That's just not fair." She huffed and sat on her haunches, crossing her forelegs.
"Sorry, Mother." Echo had to stifle a giggle with one of her hooves.
"Oh, don't you patronize me, child." She glared. "As much as it pleases me to see you smiling instead of panicking, I do not like being the butt of a joke!"
"Had me fooled."
"Ohhh..." She growled, shaking her head. "One of these days."
"Not today though." Echo snickered again before turning to Twilight. "So... we're going to see your mother?"
Twilight nodded. "Mmhmm. She knows how to deal with having a daughter, and she knows what it's like to have a child start dating."
"Oh? Who was --"
"Shining Armor. I just... well, never really found the right stallion. Yet." She smiled. "Point is, Mom will be able to give you some advice."
"Okay... where does she live?"
"She and Dad live in Canterlot, so it will be a little trip. We'll go spend a few days with them. You'll be my guest."
"Ah. What about Scootaloo and Ricochet? I can't just leave them here alone."
"You don't have to." Chrysalis grinned with a twinkle in her eye.
Echo stared at her mother for a tense moment before turning back to Twilight. "Like I said, I can't leave them here."
"Why, I never!" Chrysalis huffed again, one eye twitching.
"I... agree. I'll make arrangements for them to come along, okay? It... might be a good idea if you help Ricochet find a disguise. The princesses know about him -- I told them -- and they're willing to let you help him, so he isn't in any danger from the law... unfortunately though, some of the ponies in Canterlot have still got some unpleasant memories of their first encounter with your kind."
Echo winced. "Right. Understandable. Yeah, I'll help him find a disguise." Her eyes widened in fear as she realized something. "Oh horseapples, I left Scootaloo with Ricochet."
"Need to go?" Twilight said gently.
"I'll be back once I've got Ricochet in a disguise, okay?" She bolted for the door.
"See you in a few, Echo."
"You're really going to make me miss this, Sparkle?" Chrysalis deadpanned.
"Even if you didn't have business to tend to here, Chrysalis, do you really think just trotting back into Canterlot would be a good idea?"
"It would be hilarious."
"You'd start a panic."
"... and it would be hilarious."
* * *
Ten Minutes Earlier
"So... uh... what would you say if I told you I had a coltfriend?"
Echo's fork dropped along with her jaw. Ricochet and Scootaloo both looked at her with concern.
"Um... Mom?"
"Miss Echo?"
"S... say that one more time, Scootaloo?"
"I... have a coltfriend?" She blushed, looking at her plate.
"I... I'll be right... back..." She got up and slowly walked for the door, but once it was in sight, she bolted as fast as her wings could carry her.
"So..." Ricochet looked down at Scoot. "Tell me about him?"
"I..." She growled, squinting her eyes at him. "I guess. His name is Rumble."
"Oh? What's he look like?" Ricochet smiled. Something about her embarrassment was positively adorable."
"Hmph." She huffed. "He's about my height. Got gray fur and a dark gray mane. He's like a year older than me. He's a pegasus. His brother is Thunderlane."
"Sounds nice. How did you two meet?"
"At school. Where else?" She huffed a little again, looking off to the side. "He's really nice though."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Well, I mean... I knew him before when I lived in Ponyville, but then the other day..."
* * *
Scootaloo's first day back at school
It was the recess before lunch. I had just gone outside to play a little with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, when my old... frenemies? Nah, just enemies. My old enemies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked over...
"Look here, Di." Silver Spoon pointed at Scootaloo. "The chicken is back from 'boarding school'."
"What happened? Didja get kicked out?" Diamond Tiara laughed. "Only the smartest fillies make it at boarding schools. They're made especially to help the most gifted fillies get into good colleges."
"Well, no wonder Chicken Little got kicked out. Why'd they even let you in in the first place? Did your bug-mom give the headmaster something 'special'?"
"Hey, watch your mouths!" Scootaloo tried to launch herself at the duo, but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom held her back.
"Oh, I think you touched a nerve, Di." Silver Spoon laughed loudly. "I wonder what did it? Was it calling her chicken?"
"Maybe it was calling her stupid."
"Oh, or maybe it was when you called her bug-mom a slut."
"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Scooatloo roared, pulling as hard as she could against Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, who were pleading with her to let it go.
"It's not worth it!" Sweetie Belle insisted.
"Don't let them get to ya, Scoot!"
"I think that's it, Silver. I think she doesn't like it when we call her bug-mom a slut!" She laughed again. "Everyone knows it though."
Scootaloo felt her hooves slipping out of Sweetie and Apple Bloom's grasps, and she was ready. She wanted nothing more than to slam her hooves into the heads of the two fillies in front of her until their lying mouths stopped moving. She tensed up, waiting for the moment, when suddenly, her view was obstructed.
Rumble stood between Scootaloo and her tormentors. "Hey, I've got an idea for both of you. Leave the poor filly alone, huh?"
"R-Rumble?!" Diamond Tiara stepped back a bit, surprised by the interference.
"What do you care?" Silver Spoon stepped back in much the same way as her partner in crime.
"I care because what you're doing right now is wrong. You're just picking on her. Can't you see it bothers her? You think you're so tough... pick on someone your own size." He stared into their eyes, his chest puffing out a little.
"Wh... whatever." Diamond Tiara waved a hoof dismissively and turned around. "Come on, Silver. We've got better things to do."
"Y... yeah!" Silver looked back over her shoulder at Rumble, who hadn't taken his eyes off the two of them yet.
Once the brats were far enough away, Rumble relaxed and turned around. "You okay, Scootaloo?"
"Y... yeah. I'm fine. You can let me go, girls..."
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom let go of their friend, and shared a little glance and a giggle. She stumbled forward, tripping in the dirt.
Rumble held out a hoof to help Scootaloo up. She looked at it with uncertainty for a minute before accepting. Once he had helped her to her hooves, she brushed the dirt off.
"Thanks, Rumble..."
"Of course, Scootaloo. There's only so much I can watch." He smiled nervously. "Hey, so... Umm... do you think you'd want to go do something this weekend?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You know... I mean... do you think maybe... you'd like to go out with me?"
Sweetie and Apple Bloom's mouths dropped into wide smiles. They squealed in excitement and pushed Scootaloo forward, nodding 'yes'.
"Ow, hey!" She looked back, shooting her friends a quick dirty glare before looking back at Rumble, who was now looking down off to the side and kicking the dirt.
"I totally get it if you don't want to, it's just... well, I know we didn't talk a lot when you lived here before, but I actually missed you when you were gone."
"Well... uh... where do you want to go?"
"My brother's got a race this weekend. Wanna come watch it with me?"
"Oh. Um... sure. I just need to check with Mom."
Suddenly, he seemed confident again. His little chest puffed out and he beamed. "All right, it's a date then. I'll see you Saturday morning."
"As long as Mom says it's okay!" Scootaloo clarified.
"As long as your mom says it's okay!" He called over his shoulder as he galloped off to rejoin the other colts on the playground.
* * *
"Wow," Ricochet smiled, "It sounds like he really likes you."
"Yeah, I think he does. He's ... pretty cute, I guess."
"I'm sure your Mom will let you go to the race once you ask her, Scootaloo."
"You really think so, Ricky?"
Hey, she didn't call me 'idiot' this time! "Yeah. I do."
"Can... I ask you a question?"
"Uh, sure. Why not?" He smiled a little lopsidedly, with one ear flat on his skull.
"Are you gonna ask Mom out?"
Ricochet's eyes widened. Was he going to ask her out? Obviously not the same way Rumble did, that was too direct for a grown mare. Would he pursue it though? He still had no clue if she even really liked him all that much. She hadn't given him any clues she liked him as anything more than a friend, or maybe a good acquaintance.
Did he even really like her, or was it just infatuation? He knew what those emotions tasted like, but it wasn't like he could taste his own. He had trouble feeling the difference. He knew that part of his attraction to her was that he found her physically attractive, but he also knew he enjoyed talking to her, being around her. Even just being out in the garden and learning about herbs had been an almost intoxicating experience. He had found himself wishing they could spend all day picking herbs. Her voice seemed to calm him, and being close to her made him feel at-ease. Even for as terrifying as it was to have to learn how to live with ponies without a disguise. Even for as confusing as ponies were to a changeling who had spent almost his whole life doing one job, while surrounded by creatures who didn't really share emotions among themselves. Even for as much as he felt like an alien struggling to understand an entirely unfamiliar culture. Despite all those things, she made him feel happy, and at-ease. That had to be more than just infatuation, right? To be sure, he was very physically attracted, but there was so much more than just that.
Was he going to ask her out though? That was a whole different question. Maybe he should just be content with how happy she made him as a friend. Trying to push it further could just make things harder than they needed to be, or worse yet, end the friendship entirely. He didn't know if he could even survive in this world without her as a friend.
"I... I don't know, Scootaloo." He admitted.
"Well... if you decide to, can you let me know first?" She stood, picking up her plate and carrying it to the sink. "I just don't want to be surprised by it."
"I... okay. Yeah. Sure." He smiled gently. "I will."
"Cool. Thanks, Ricky."
The door opened and Echo buzzed back in. "Hey guys, is everything... okay? Yeah. All right. Everything looks okay. That's refreshing." Echo smiled.
"Welcome back, Mom. Where'd you go?"
"Just ... had to talk to Twilight really fast."
"Well... I guess Ricky can fill you in about my ... uh ... coltfriend." Scootaloo averted her gaze and started back upstairs. "I'll see you later, Mom. I'm gonna go do my homework."
"Oh... okay!" She nodded. Once Scootaloo was upstairs in her room, Echo turned to Ricochet. "She told you about him?"
"Yeah. I was surprised too."
"You didn't use any mind control to get her to tell you, right?"
"What?! No! Of course not. I'm not even that good at mind control."
"Okay... I just had to ask. Well, what did she tell you?"
"Well, the colt is named Rumble, and she met him when they were --"
"Hold on. Sorry. Uh, I talked to Twilight, and I really, really need help taking care of this filly."
He felt his heart skip a beat, and his pulse quickened. Is she going to... ask me out? "Okay...?"
"Anyway, we got to talking about you a little..."
Oh sweet merciful Queen Exuvia, she's going to ask me to be Scootaloo's dad?! This is too soon. Too much! "All-all right..."
"... I need to help you find a disguise. We're going to Canterlot so Twilight's mom can help me learn how to do this, but I can't just leave you and Scootaloo behind without me. The ponies in Canterlot still kind of don't like changelings much, so that's why I need to help you get a disguise."
Oh. Well, that's disappointing. "Oh... okay. Where do we start?"
"Why do you seem so disappointed?"
"No reason, just a little tired I guess."
"Well... I think I know the answer already, but do you want your disguise to be a mare or a stallion?"
"Stallion."
"I figured. All right, unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony?"
"I guess I'll go with pegasus. I'd like to be able to fly still."
"Okay, a pegasus stallion."
They continued for a few minutes in that fashion until they came up with a design and a backstory for him. He was a beige stallion with auburn hair. His cutie mark was a rolled up blueprint and a pair of compasses; this played to his actual strength in architecture, so he could keep up a ruse. His name was Key Stone.
"Looking good, Key Stone." Echo nodded. "Now, can you remember it?"
"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem."
"All right. I'll go tell Twilight that you're ready. We'll probably be leaving in the morning." She started back for the door.
"Okay." Wait, Scoot has her date on Saturday... "Hold on, what day is it?"
"Thursday."
"How long did you say we'd be gone?"
"A few days. Why?"
Uh-oh. "Um... no reason. I was just curious."
"All right. Well, get some rest, Ricochet. I'll be back in a few once I've filled Twilight in." Echo opened the door and buzzed away.
Oh, poor Scootaloo...
* * *
Ricochet had found sleep quite easily, and morning came sooner than expected. He had fallen asleep before Echo had returned. Once he was totally awake, he fumbled out into the hallway and knocked on her door. "Miss Echo? Are you awake?"
"Hmmph. I am now. What is it?"
"You said we were leaving this morning, right?"
"Oh, ponyfeathers. Yeah, we are! We've got twenty minutes. Wake Scoot up, would you?'
Sure, give me the job with the greatest risk of dismemberment. "Okay..." He trotted off to the filly's door and knocked. "Scootaloo, good morning."
"UGH!" The grunt almost shook the door. "What is it, Ricky?!"
"Mom says it's time to get up."
"What for? I don't usually get up for another hour."
"JUST GET UP!" Echo's voice reverberated through the whole house.
There was a long pause. "Tell Mom I'll be right there..."
"You've got it, Scoot." He turned and knocked on Echo's door again. "She said she'll be right out."
"Good." The door opened, and Echo stood in her old disguise as "Candlelight".
Ricochet blinked a few times as he looked at the mare in front of him. She had an alabaster-white coat, sapphire blue eyes, and a fiery red mane that fell in curls over her shoulders. Her cutie mark was a lit candle. "Whoa."
"Down boy, it's just me." An entirely different voice from Echo's spoke. "Scootaloo!" She called out, "Pack a few books and your game thing, okay? We're going for a trip?"
"Wait, what?"
"Don't argue, just do it!"
"Who's that?"
"It's your mother, I'm wearing my old disguise."
"Why?"
"Because we're going to Canterlot."
There was another long pause. "Aw, dang it, this SUCKS!"
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the train station. Twilight was standing next to one of the cars with Spike on her back, both of them looking impatient. The train's crew had just called 'all aboard', so it was safe to say the trio had arrived just in time.
"Come on, you three, let's get going!" Twilight teleported onto the train with Spike. Echo threw Scoot onto her back and ran over to the train, which had just barely started to roll. Ricochet wasn't far behind. They found their seats, and Echo set Scootaloo down. She promptly pulled out her game system and lost herself in it as the two changelings sat, trying to catch their breath.
"You could have teleported us here with you, couldn't you?" Echo asked Twilight breathlessly.
"I could have, but then what would you have learned?"
Both Echo and Ricochet let out a small growl as they stared at Twilight.
"... anyway," the princess continued after a tense moment, "I think you're going to like my Mom, Echo. She's a very caring mare. She's got a depth of heart that I've never seen in anypony else." She smiled wistfully. "I miss her often, you know."
"She sounds lovely, Twilight." Ricochet smiled.
"She is, thank you. I have to say, Ricochet, this is a good look for you. 'Key Stone', right? I'm impressed." She tapped her chin. "Say, can I ask you something?"
"Uh... sure?"
She motioned for him to lean over, and she leaned forward to meet him, whispering into his ear. "Echo once joked with me that the reason changeling mares are heavier than stallions is so they can support the weight of a male while they're mating. Is that true, or was she just pulling my tail? I'm writing a research paper about your species, so I'd like to know."
His eyes were wide with shock. He blinked a few times. "Uh... I have no idea. I don't think so."
"Oh, well that's not very much help. Thanks anyway." She smiled honestly.
"What did you ask?" Spike poked Twilight's shoulder.
"Nothing, Spike. Don't worry about it."
The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. Ricochet and Spike had both dozed off after the third hour of questions from Twilight, with the little dragon actually resting his head on Ricochet like he was a pillow. Echo had begun to pace through the cabin, nervous about the next few days. Twilight was putting some more work into her research paper, and Scootaloo was doing her best to beat level 23 of her game. The train's whistle jolted everyone back to their senses, though.
Twilight stood. "We're here, everypony." She lit her horn to grab her bags, passing a few of the smaller ones off to Spike. As they disembarked the train, a railroad worker handed her a ticket. "Huh. I don't remember packing any other bags, but... oh well." She walked to the rear of the train, presented the ticket, and a large pile of baggage was rolled out on a cart.
Ricochet hooked himself up to it and began to pull. "Ugh! This is heavier than it looks!" He struggled, but eventually found a good pace to keep it moving.
Twilight, meanwhile, led the way out of the train station and through the bustling city.
A few ponies took second glances at Echo, and Ricochet felt a little twinge of jealousy. He stayed close, feeling protective.
Echo stayed calm on the outside, though she was panicking internally. She wasn't getting second looks because she was beautiful, but because she had made a major error. Candlelight, her disguise, had originally been a pony from Canterlot...
This was bad. She was going to have to come up with a new disguise, provided they could make it to Twilight's mother's home without anything happening.
"Oh, this was my favorite cafe when I lived her. I used to come here every morning for a daisy sandwich while I did my morning homework."
"Twi, can we hurry it up a bit?" Echo asked nervously.
"Huh? Um... okay. Sorry." She turned her trot into a brisk canter. Eventually, the troop came up to a building in the upper district, just below the royal district. Twilight knocked and waited.
The door opened a crack at first, and then it flew wide. A mare who looked surprisingly like Twilight Sparkle -- a bit older, and a different color scheme, but otherwise almost identical -- launched herself out and latched on to Twilight.
"Oh, my sweet baby! It's so good to see you again, Twily." She hugged tightly.
Twilight Sparkle hugged back. "It's good to see you too, Mom. These are my friends, Echo and Ricochet. This is Echo's daughter, Scootaloo. Ricochet, Echo, Scootaloo, this is my mother, Twilight Velvet."
"Good to meet all three of you. Come on in, I made cookies. Just back the cart on in here, we'll unpack it later.
"That sounds great! Thank you, Mrs. Velvet." Ricochet slowly backed the cart into the home, and unhitched himself.
"Now, where did your father run off to?" Twilight Velvet tapped a hoof.
"Oh... I wager I could find him..." A familiar, ethereal voice trailed through the home.
"Who said that?" Twilight Velvet's coat stood on end.
"Oh, no," Echo and Twilight Sparkle both said at the same time.
The baggage on the cart erupted into a tower of green flame, revealing that Queen Chrysalis had, in fact, stowed away. She laughed maniacally, almost in the same way that she had when she had revealed herself at Shining Armor and Cadance's wedding.
"Oh, the look on your fa--"
WHAM. Twilight Velvet's hoof slammed home into the side of Chrysalis' face, and she fell limply off the cart and to the floor. "That's for my Shiny!"
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You can fool all of the ponies some of the time, and some of the ponies all of the time, but you can't fool Mom.
rip chrystmas it was nice knowing you :P
Velvet... PAUNCH!
hopefully ricky can save the day for scootaloo and she can see rumble!
8002564 throughout the day. The big issue is Echo and Scootaloo fighting like this. it really drove me away.
8003019 I can understand that. The thing is, this story is about Scoot growing up. Teenagers tend to get into fights with their parents... unless that was just me, and nobody else here ever did.
Often, those fights are pretty silly in the grand scheme of things.
I get it if you don't enjoy it, and that's okay... I'm not making you read it though.
F
Yeah! Go Velvet!
I'm starting to have an issue with Chrysalis. She's on probation for what is effectively a major felony or is a POW. The whole I don't have to follow your rules 'cause I'm a Queen is getting unbelievable. She's actively defying the rules and that's the fastest way you go back to jail.
D'awwww, Ricochet and Scootaloo are growing closer together~
Good to see the Trollsalis is doing well.
Twilight, why didn't you ask Chryssie about tha- oh yeah.
The mental image is even more hilarious if you imagine Chryssie's horn sticking out of the luggage.
Ouch, K.O. She kind of deserved it, though, hopefully it'll count in Velvet's book as getting even. *puts a bag of ice on Chryssie's head *
One of the few truly terrifying things in this or any world: an angry mother. Though I have to admit, Chryssie was right. That was hilarious.
8003056 Most of teenagers are. But some of them just refuse to interact. Preferring loneliness. And some be just a crybaby and drama queens.
Oh, she really blew it with that one, didn't she?
Also, good god are spoonbutt and the diamond one annoying. And, this isn't even far off from the show (you know, aside from the innuendos)
I mean, at least spoonie has some redeemable qualities, but Tiara is just incessantly frustrating.
YA GOT KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT!!!
You in da wrong hood muthabucka. Poor Scoots, potentially missing her date
nice right hook.
Holy shit, mama bear mode activated...
8003220 Shhh...
Yes...
Chrysalis was right, that was hilarious.
Twilight Velvet has a mean right cross.
I like this chapter lots going on and setting things up for more.
This kinda Chrysalis is the best Chrysalis. All Hail Chrysalis!
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/290/723/0c8.png
8006086 The wiki listed Hondo and Cookie as canon names when I checked it last?
Cap.
_______________
I really hope the 'Richochet being let down' sub arc finishes shortly. I mean, sure, I can't see Echo dating a stallion. But if she did, it wouldn't be a near useless pile of flesh that's barely smarter than Fighter from 8-bit Theater (but with architecture instead of swords (in terms of specialization). I can see her viewing him as a little brother or as a second child (since she's basically having to teach him everything from scratch, and he's nowhere near her intellectual, emotional, or physical equal).
But frell he's stupid. Endearing as a supporting character, but as a shipping character I'd rather set my eyeballs of fire, and snort shards of glass.
___________________
Also the last bit with Twilight Velvet was hilarious. I rather like how you've done Chrysalis in this series.
8008615 Thanks for catching that!
>Rumble
Oh.
I was pretty much expecting that last scene to happen. Seriously Chrysalis, you go into the home of the mother and father of the stallion you brainwashed? What do you think is going to happen?!
Faaalcon-Hoof! Whammy.
Oooh that was priceless.
*Ding ding ding
K.O.
I remember this.
Could be the last two lines right there.
I love it! Grate way to finish
Two blue eyes? Didn't she use to have one eye red in her old disguise? Also choosing that disguise for a trip to the city where the real Candlelight lives seems like a horrible idea.
She could keep her eye red, go with jer nickname Candie and make up a new cutie mark and she'd be fine.
Also, people are probably going to assume that Ricky is Scootaloo's father.
How much do you wanna bet that Chrysalis is hiding in one of the bags?
Nice!