Return
“I'm so friggin' excited, Mom!”
“Hey, careful with that language.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“Danger.” She snickered a little while wrapping dishes and glasses in newspaper. “Scoot, honey, can you please help wrap the plates?”
“All right, Mom.” The filly nodded and looked up from the game she'd been playing. She trotted over to one of the cabinets and tried to grab an entire stack of plates at once.
“Hey, careful!”
“I got it, I got it! Relax Mom. I can handle – whoa, whoa! AH!” She fell forward when she tried to keep the unstable stack from dropping.
Echo heard every single plate smash, and she quickly rushed over. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine...” Scootaloo winced and rubbed her muzzle a little. “Sorry about the plates.”
Echo let out a soft sigh. “Told you. Just go ahead and sweep up the mess. We can buy more plates.” She kissed Scootaloo's forehead and turned back to what she'd been doing.
Unfortunately, increased incidents of poor judgment were becoming the norm for her daughter. She wondered if that was normal for teenage ponies, or if she'd screwed up something somewhere along the way. She watched with muted concern while Scootaloo grabbed a dustpan and broom and began to dispose of the fragmented flatware.
She was being quite well-behaved right now, but there were times where she was outright defiant. Such behavior was unheard of among changelings... but again, Scootaloo wasn't a changeling. This was going to be something to discuss with Twilight. Surely the Princess of Friendship would know what was going on with her newly teenaged pegasus daughter.
“You never get mad at me, Mom.” Scootaloo said with a bit of frustration.
“Why would I?”
“I don't know, just... it's weird.”
“You didn't mean to break the plates, did you?”
“Of course I didn't!”
“Did you learn anything from breaking them?”
“Yeah, not to bite off more than I can chew.”
“Then why would I need to yell at you?”
At that, Scootaloo let out a loud groan and rolled her entire head along with her eyes.
Echo's ears perked and she tilted her head, furrowing her brow. Absolutely unpredictable. Her daughter was upset with her... for not being upset with her. She shrugged and went back to packing.
It took the majority of the day to get the kitchen and dining room all packed up, since those two rooms had the most small loose objects to worry about. Another couple hours and the majority of the things in the living room had also been packed. By the time the sun set, all that was left was the big pieces of furniture. Try as hard as they might, one changeling mare and an adolescent filly couldn't move some of these things by themselves.
A knock came on the door and Scootaloo shot straight up. “Food?”
“Probably.” Echo snickered. She walked to the door and found that it was, indeed, the pizza delivery they had been waiting for so patiently. She smiled and tipped the delivery colt, who was extremely nervous at the sight of a changeling. She waited patiently as he stared at her, and after a few moments, she spoke again. “Uh, my pizza?”
“Wha...? Oh! R-right! Yeah! Here you go...” He held out the box.
Echo took it with a sincere smile. “Thanks! Have a good rest of your night!” She closed the door gently and set the box down on the dining room table. “A margherita pizza for the young mare.”
Scootaloo was practically drooling. The basil was cut into ribbons and spread over the top of the pizza, a fine dust of parmesean on top of it all. Even Echo had to admit it smelled heavenly, although it would provide her no nutrition.
Scootaloo grinned. “Thanks Mom!” She pulled a couple slices off and sat them on her plate, beginning to eat. She let out a pleased groan as she swallowed the first bite.
“I'm glad you like it kiddo. Enjoy, all right? I'm gonna go send a letter to Twilight and make sure the house is still available.”
“All right Mom!” Scootaloo said, muffled by a mouthful of cheese.
A couple trots later, Echo grabbed the quill and parchment that Twilight had given her when she'd moved, allowing her to send mail via Spike.
Dear Twilight,
I'm just writing you really quickly to see if my house is still there for me?
Thanks!
Echo
She smiled and sealed the parchment, causing it to send instantly. Twilight was usually very quick about replying. Sure enough, after about a minute of waiting, there was a puff of smoke as another sealed ream of parchment appeared. She opened it and read.
Echo,
Of course it is. Why? Is there a problem?
Princess Twilight Sparkle
She chuckled and wrote a quick response just to say that everything was, in fact, fine. She had just wanted to check.
Echo walked back to the dining room and gawked for a moment when she found the entire pizza had been devoured. “Well... someone was hungry, huh?”
A loud burp from her daughter was the response.
“Scoot! That's rude, don't do that.”
“Okay, Mom.” she said lazily, rubbing her belly and leaning back with her eyes closed.
Echo smirked and bit her lip a little, but sat down. “Twilight says our house is still available. So, when the movers get here tomorrow, we should be able to get on our way.”
“That's good. I can't wait.” She yawned, stretching and leaning back so far that Echo was worried she'd fall of her chair. “Sweetie and 'Bloom are gonna be excited!”
“I bet they will.” She nodded. “Now, why don't you go brush your teeth before you get too tired and just fall asleep?”
Scootaloo sat up and grumbled something under her breath as she trotted off to the bathroom. Echo sipped at a glass of water quietly and sighed. Truthfully, she was the one who was excited. She wanted to bounce off the walls – literally – and shout for joy. Her anticipation was palpable. Yet, on the surface, she was the picture of serenity.
After wishing Scootaloo a good night, she slowly traipsed off to bed and snuggled in under her covers. It took some time, but eventually sleep found her.
* * *
Unsettling dreams were her company for the night. She couldn't remember any of them when she finally woke, but she remembered the feeling with which they had left her. Anxiety, even outright fear, was the most pervasive. She shot up in her bed, finding all of the covers kicked off of her. Her heart beat loudly in her ears and she breathed frantically.
Scootaloo. She didn't know why, but something told her she needed to check on Scootaloo. It was 6:45, she should be asleep. They both should. Still, instinct was forcing her to get up and check. She didn't know why she thought anything would be wrong, but she couldn't ignore it.
She practically galloped out of her room to Scootaloo's door. She turned the knob slowly, cracking the door just an inch, and waited a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness again. She felt her blood chill, though, as she realized that Scootaloo wasn't in her bed. She flung the door open and rushed in. “Scoot? Scoot-Scootaloo?! Where are you?! Oh sweet Chrysalis, no...”
“Mom?” Scootaloo called from behind her. She had a mug of … coffee?
“What on Earth are you doing out of bed this early?” She admonished, walking over and looking down into Scootaloo's eyes.
“Dunno, I guess I was just excited.” She sipped the drink and made a sour face. “Blech. How do adults drink this stuff?”
Echo sighed. “You scared me.”
“What, by getting up a little early?”
“Yes.” She stated firmly.
“That's dumb.”
Echo sputtered a bit at that. “Hey, watch it!”
“That's dumb too!” Scoot growled. “I'm almost 13, it's not like 'dumb' is a curse word or anything, sheesh.”
“It's disrespectful to talk to me like that.”
“Whatever Mom. Go back to bed or something then. I was just gonna read until the movers got here.”
Echo stood for a moment, glaring at her daughter. She didn't know how to respond to that. Scootaloo had never spoken to her like this before. “What has gotten INTO you, kid?”
“What, just because I'm not being a good pet something must have gotten into me? Jeeze Mom, take a chill pill.”
“If you don't change your attitude, missy, I'll –”
“What? Yell at me?”
Echo sputtered again, taken aback completely. “I'll... I'll... I'll think of something!”
“Very scary. See you in a few, Mom.” Scootaloo barged past her and sat up in her bed, pulling over a comic book out of the box she'd packed the day before and setting the coffee down on her nightstand.
Echo growled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her with a bit more force than she'd intended. This certainly hadn't been what was wrong in her nightmare, but she wasn't sure if this was any better. Did Scootaloo not love her anymore? Well, no, that wasn't true, or Echo would have starved to death by now. What in Tartarus was going on?
She shook her head and walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of that coffee. She took a sip and immediately spat it out. Opening the top of the coffee maker she found that Scootaloo had neglected to use a coffee filter, so the beverage itself was full of sediment and now overly bitter. She poured it out and grumbled as she sat in the living room and levitated a book out of her box, next to the empty bookshelf. The movers were scheduled to show up at 8:30, and now it was about 7.
She found that paying attention to the writings of Ernest Hemingneigh for an hour and a half quite difficult, while she was so upset.
"When should we leave?"
"Whenever you want."
"Oh, I want to right away. Didn't you know?"
"Maybe it will be fine and clear when we come back. It can be very fine when it is clear and cold."
"I'm sure it will be," she said. "Weren't you good to think of going, too."
She closed the cover of the book and grumbled to herself. She chose the wrong book to read to settle her mind. 7:58. She stood and set herself to getting the house staged for the movers. She pulled the furniture out of the way, to make sure they could get in and move anything wherever it needed to be. That took her another 20 minutes.
“Scoot!” She barked a little. “They're gonna be here soon, get ready.”
“Okay!” Came the succinct response.
Echo growled a little. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. She trotted over and flung the door open.
One of the movers, a large and bulky stallion, shouted in surprise, taking a swing at her. She ducked out of the way and hopped back. “Yeah, that's a pretty common response. I'm Echo, I live here. Thanks for coming.”
“'Yer a changeling?!”
“Is that a problem? I'm sure I could find a different moving company.”
“N-No!” Another stallion in the group said, punching his coworker in the shoulder roughly. “Sorry, sir –”
“I'm a mare actually.”
“S-Sorry! Ma'am. Naw, it's just... we wasn't expectin' a changeling. We didn't mean no offense or nothin'.”
“Naturally. Well, then, if you're done attempting to hit me, can we get started?”
The stallions filtered in and began to plan out what would get moved first, and after about ten minutes of surveying the home, they began to work. Scootaloo had transferred her reading to the front lawn, but was staying out of the stallions' way, so Echo decided not to say anything for the time being.
Once the movers were about three quarters of the way done, Echo went outside and sat on the grass next to Scootaloo. “Scoot, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?” She smiled softly.
Okay, this was seriously bewildering. “Well... we're gonna have to leave soon, have you got everything?”
“Yep.” She motioned to a saddlebag on the grass next to her. “Everything I need for the trip.”
Echo nodded and looked over at the movers, who had placed everything neatly onto a series of wagons, which they would then haul to the train station themselves. They were just going through to make sure everything was secured and that they hadn't missed anything inside the home.
“You two ready?” One of them called out.
Echo nodded. “Yep, all set!”
“Great. We're headin' out now, we'll load up all yer thangs. Y'all don't need to worry about it, jest go on ahead and get to yer seats on the train. We'll unload when ya arrive at your destination, too.”
“Thank you, sirs.” She nodded and stood, offering a hoof to help Scootaloo up.
The filly took the hoof and stood, rolling her shoulders a bit to stretch, and followed her mother on the way down to the Las Pegasus train station.
Boarding proved interesting, since many ponies were still not used to changelings being seen in public. The bright side was that she and Scootaloo had about half of the train car to themselves, though. Scootaloo took the opportunity to stretch out over two entire seats as she played a hoof-held game.
After a few minutes the train began to move, and Echo felt her heart beat wildly. She was tremendously eager to get home. A smile crossed her face and her wings buzzed against the seat as one of her hind hooves tapped the ground. It made a curious rhythm.
Scootaloo's ear perked up and she smiled, bobbing her head in time. She began to hum a tune in time with Echo's buzzing and tapping.
Echo's ears perked and she looked over, stopping her movements in the process.
Scootaloo laughed. “No, keep going!” She bobbed her head to keep time, adding a new beat to the mix with her hooves on a metal bar under the seat in front of her.
Echo started to smile as she continued. Now she was getting into it too. Eventually, Scootaloo started to make up lyrics.
“Reluctantly crouched at the starting line,
Wings pumping and thumping in time.
The green light flashes, the flags go up.
Churning and burning, they yearn for the cup.
They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank,
Wings beating fast through a cloudy bank.
Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns.
Their prowess is potent and secretly stern.
As they speed through the finish, the winner's proud.
The fans get up and cheer out loud.
The arena is focused on just one mare,
Still flying and diving as fast as she'll dare...”
Echo began to laugh as Scootaloo got into the performance, standing up and singing to an imaginary microphone.
“She's going the distance!
She's going for speed!
She's all alone!
In her time of need!”
Eventually even Scootaloo couldn't keep up with her own silliness, and she fell back onto her seat laughing. Echo began to clap her hooves, and to her surprise, a chorus of other hooves also joined in. She looked to the front of the train car and found that all the ponies who had been afraid moments before were smiling brightly and clapping. “Scoot,” she nudged her daughter, “you've got fans.”
Scootaloo's head popped up over the seat and she blushed brightly, not making eye contact with any of them. “Oops.”
* * *
The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, with Scootaloo spending most of it hiding her face in her hooves and focusing on her game. Eventually, the train whistle blew, and Echo felt the train start to slow down.
“Scoot, sweetheart, I think we're there.”
“Neat...” she said meekly, looking up out of the corner of her eye, still blushing a bit.
Eventually the train squealed as it came to a halt, and the doors opened. Echo stepped out after the rest of the passengers, with Scootaloo right at her heel. She looked to the rear of the train where her movers were already starting to pull the carts full of her things off. She waved at them, and they started over toward her.
“All right, where to?”
“Follow me!” She smiled and started to walk through town.
Ponies seemed to recognize her, and most of them smiled happily and waved. A few said “good afternoon”. Eventually she arrived at her old home. It still looked the same as she remembered. Immaculate. Her friends must have kept it up for her. She picked up a fake rock near the door and found a spare key still under it. She smiled and turned the lock, stepping in. Aside from having almost no furniture, it was still just as she remembered. The movers began to carry things in through the door, and Echo stepped out when there was a gap. She smiled. “Go on, Scoot, find your friends. We'll meet back here in a while. I'm gonna go see Twilight, okay?”
“All right Mom!” Scootaloo seemed excited, and her little wings buzzed furiously. She bolted off as fast as her hooves could propel her.
Echo chuckled again and started through the town to the library... but found that it was no longer there. She blinked a few times. Where once the library had stood there was now nothing but a slightly charred hole in the ground. “Um... wow. What have I been missing?!” She turned to a passing unicorn and smiled gently. “Excuse me, do you know where Twilight is right now?”
“Oh, she's at the castle.” The stallion smiled and pointed toward a large crystal building.
“That... wasn't there before. Thanks!”
“Sure thing!” He smiled and continued on his way.
It was another few minutes before Echo arrived. She held out her hoof and knocked on the door.
Twilight came to the door... with wings. Echo blinked a few times. “Oh. Hi, Twilight, how's it going? Nice wings, when did that happen?”
“E- Echo?” Twilight tilted her head. “But you were just here...”
Echo laughed. “Feels like ages for me!”
“What happened to the book I gave you?”
“What book?”
“You know, you asked to borrow the final installment of Daring Do? Like five minutes ago?”
“Uh... Twi, are you feeling okay?”
A familiar voice called out from behind. “Oh, Twilight, I almost forgot, I need to buy … a … bookmark...”
Echo turned slowly and her eyes widened as she looked into the eyes of a perfect copy of herself.
“Oh... Hello!” The copy said with a sheepish smile.
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7978445 Not completely along with the finale.
In my version of events, there's been a bit of an upheaval for them, but not like it was in the show.
The greatest monster of them all... Teenagers.
Well, that's going to be awkward.
7978464 Ah. Well, I hope this version turned out better for Chryssie.
I liked Integration Part Two better. Echo seems too...soft here. I remember when she was kind hearted, but was more than willing to smack a stallion in the nuts for looking at her wrong. Echo wouldn't have stood for those movers taking a swing at her, she'd have nutted one of them.
But then again this IS a rewrite so...whatever. Let's see where this goes at least.
7978794 Lol.
It's funny you say that considering I've started on Chapter 3.
You'll see what I mean when that comes out.
7978836 No, I mean...this isn't awful, it's just not quite the sort of continuation I thought would arise after the first Integration story which was a damn good tale if I may say. I liked Echo's character - kind at heart, but fierce and not hesitant to kick a stallion in the face if provoked. I was starting to get interested in that one character of yours named Puzzle Piece along with the fan art made of him in his Changeling form and his disguised form.
Here, Echo just seems too...nice, easy going. But again, maybe you'll take this somewhere interesting. I mean, according to the beginning of this fanfic she and Scootaloo have been away from Ponyville for some time so...maybe living in another location has affected her behavior or something, I don't know how your mind works or what ideas you have for this story.
But still, I'll watch this story just because I am glad you made a return. I waited for so long to see you continue your Integration series, so I'll see which direction this gets taken.
7978962 Like I said, there's a bit of a return to tradition in the next chapter.
What I've been working with is the idea that in the time she's been living with ponies, she's mellowed out a bit. Kind of came to the realization that beating the snot out of anyone who messes with her is not a socially acceptable response.
Puzzle Piece was a character I had created in conjunction with a friend at the time of Adaptation's writing; he was planned to be a changeling from the very beginning, when he appeared at her welcome party.
Problem is, that friend and I had a falling out. It doesn't feel right using a character I had made for him. If the cover art and the end of the most recent chapter is a clue, there is going to be a new character added though.
Thanks for your kind words though, friend. I really do appreciate it. I'm hoping this story can really take off once I get more work put into it.
7978996 Integration was one of the first good stories I ever read on this site. Oh yes there were others, some of them a bit better than yours now, but still your story had charm, interesting characters (what few of your own making you had in the story anyway, but your take on existing characters were cool as well). I am sorry to hear of your falling out with your friend. I suppose if you are unable to continue the other story as a result of this falling out, I can understand. I'll wait to see how this new character of yours turns out.
By the way, if you consider using those new changelings in your story, I applaud you. People just don't seem to get that the new forms for the changelings came about because the changelings...CHANGED. Besides, I read somewhere that the old changelings will be kept in the show, as there were still a handful of them outside of the changeling kingdom at the time. Plus you got Chrysalis who can always shag herself and birth more of the little bastards so unless Hasbro forgets these details I think the old changelings might pop up somewhere next season.
Besides, isn't it good to know the changelings won't starve anymore regardless?
Anyway, get on with that third chapter already. You, being one of the first authors I came to respect on this site, might motivate me to take up writing my own fanfics again. Inspire me, friend. Inspire others with your work. But mostly me.
7979041 I really do consider that high praise. Thank you.
I'll definitely get back to writing that third chapter now.
Honestly, the reason I'm not going to use the new changelings in my story isn't so much that I dislike how they look or anything, it's that I don't want to have to include more lore that may or may not contradict with elements of changeling biology I'd written when Echo was "born". In short, where I can keep the changeling status quo, then for the ease of writing this story, I'm going to keep the changeling status quo.
Thorax is one of my favorite characters in MLP though, to be honest. I've always identified with the misfits.
7979052
I never would have known that, except Echo kind of made that clear that as probably the case. XD
7979052 And don't waste your thank you on me, please. You deserve the praise. Don't thank me for stating your obvious talent.
7979057 Some people think I'm strange when I say this -- and they're not wrong -- but Echo is kind of a fictional representation of a very real part of me.
That's as far as I'll go with that because I don't feel like pouring out my soul right now, lol.
BACK TO WRITING WITH ME!
Cracks whip at self
7979061 Bouncing vibrating dildos, you type fast, man! I just turned my head away for a moment and you already responded.
7979064 Nice exclamation, lol.
Yeah, I have a typing speed of 90WPM (including error correction) so it's fair to say I can type quickly.
7979078 So, wait. Someone was impersonating her for how long? If for the short time, like a few days for a visit, than I can buy it.
If more,than would Twilight get suspicious about Echo use letter,would not she ?(in the beginning of the chapter )
Also if someone was impersonated Scootaloo, then she and Echo will be not peeved, but [buysomeapples].
7979078 And last my comment was rhetorical question. I sure Echo will beat out answers from imposter.
She seriously had no clue Twi as an alicorn. BULLCRAP. even baring news Swettie and Applebloom would no and tell Scoots and Scoots would tell her. Sorry there is no beleiablitiy that she doesn't know Twilight is an alicorn.
7981011
Yeah ... I admit the library thing I can buy. But Twilight's coronation was a very widely publicized and massive public event. There's noway everypony in Equestria doesn't know who she is. Especially from a big city like Las Pegasus.
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo.
who is whom.
It seems that Scootaloo's getting moody from a combination of becoming a teenager and being separated from her friends for two years
.
I feel like Echo's point of view should be written a little bit more with respect to being an empath. She barely speaks of what Scootaloo's emotions are like, aside from the brief blurb that Scootaloo must still love her, else Echo would have starved some time ago.
Those are some very fast movers. Seems Echo's doppelganger is going to have something to answer for, and boy, won't Twilight feel violated that she was so easily tricked by a changeling pretending to be a friend who's also a changeling.
had the play this as scoots sang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_HoMkkRHv8
8012448
At first with the you never get angry at me, I remembered an anime where the daughter just wanted to feel loved and needed to know that the parents actually cared for what she did. For me it was a bit to sudden how moody she got.