Halfling
By Dee Pad
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Epilogue Part 1: Exclusive

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Shade stood perfectly still. Not moving, barely breathing, not even really looking at anything. He was uncomfortable, his hooves starting to get sore, but regardless, he was smiling.

The changeling stood upon the mirrored stage within the lobby of Carousel Boutique, staring off at the far wall. He was being intently observed by the business's proprietor, clad in her fancy, orange spectacles she wore when she worked and carrying a sewing needle within the powder blue aura of her magic. This whole scenario brought back memories of when Shade first came to Ponyville. Rarity was among some of the first ponies he had met, but as much as he respected her now, he didn't exactly get a good first impression when she had dragged him into being a temporary model for a tuxedo she was making. But despite Shade's displeasure and less than enthusiastic attitude back then, he was much more willing to stand there for an extended period of time today, mostly because the tuxedo Rarity was making now was actually for him this time.

"What do you think?" the unicorn seamstress asked, trepidation in her voice. She knew that Shade wasn't much for fashion and was admittedly concerned that he wouldn't like anything she designed for him.

Shade had been motionless for quite a long time by now, however, that was only evident when he was finally given permission to move again. To him, it still felt as though he'd just arrived, but after Rarity's inquisitive voice snapped him out of whatever daydream he was in, he glanced down in mild confusion at her as she looked up curiously from below the stage. "Huh?"

Rarity gestured toward the mirrors surrounding him. "I'd like to know how you feel about this design."

Shade finally remembered why he was there in the first place and grinned apologetically and with slight embarrassment. "Oh, right. Sorry, my head was somewhere else."

Rarity giggled upon seeing the wistful smile on the changeling's face. "I'd imagine it was. Honestly, I can barely hold back my own enthusiasm. Now then, your opinion, if you please."

Shade nodded, turning to the trio of mirrors. He was never one for fancy dress—or dress in general—but given the circumstances, he really had no choice. He eyed up his reflection, focusing particularly on the pure white tuxedo over his front. Rarity watched with some worry as Shade's face expressed uncertainty at his garment.

Rarity waved her hoof confidently. "Oh, yes, although not nearly as common as black. However, in your case, I thought white would complement your natural colors rather than going black on black."

"Whatever you say," Shade said with a dismissive shrug. "I'm just gonna trust your expertise on this."

"Well, your request was 'something simple,' if I recall, and this is about as simple as I can get. Although, do bear in mind that 'simple' doesn't exactly give me any opportunity to flex my creative muscles," the fashionista stated with a disappointed huff. "But all things considered, if you're satisfied, then I suppose that's what matters."

"Yeah. I mean, I'm probably only gonna wear it once anyway, so no need to get too fancy with it."

A part of Rarity felt hurt by that comment, knowing that one of her creations was simply going to be buried in the back of a closet forever, but she soldiered on, choosing to focus instead on the reason for its existence. "Oh, this is exciting, isn't it?" she chirped eagerly. "The very first pony-changeling wedding! And I get to design the dresses!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, everypony knows that weddings are all about the bride. You just have to stand there and wait for her. Winter is the one who has to capture everypony's attention. After all, the song isn't called 'Here comes the Groom.'"

Shade went quiet for a moment, not because Rarity was talking down his importance in this whole thing, but because he still couldn't believe this was happening. He was quite caught off guard when Winter had suddenly popped the question a few weeks ago, but he was admittedly a little excited to take part in this respected pony tradition of unifying two people who loved one another, though also a touch nervous. Like Rarity said, this was going to be the first official marriage of a pony and a changeling, and they'd been repeatedly informed that news like that was going to spread pretty quickly. As eager as Shade was to take this step with Winter, he was somewhat uneasy about having so many eyes on him. He could only hope that Rarity's statement about the bride being the star of the show was true.

"Are you kidding?" Rarity laughed as though the question were the most absurd thing she'd ever heard. "I began drawing up design ideas the moment she asked me to make it. Chamella and I have been working on it everyday."

Rarity cast an insulted glare at the changeling. "You cannot rush perfection, darling. And believe me when I say that her dress will—nay, must—be perfect. And if I cannot perfect it in time for the wedding, so help me Celestia I will make you reschedule."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Shade responded, holding his hooves up defensively. "Then I guess it's a good thing that the wedding's not for a couple of weeks."

Rarity bit her lip. "Oh... Now that you say that, I wish it were sooner. The wait is simply torturous!"

Before their conversation could proceed further, the two heard the chime of the boutique's entrance bell. With amicable smiles, they both greeted the visitor, who happened to be Twilight Sparkle. She appeared to be carrying something underneath her right wing, but neither Shade nor Rarity could determine what it was under her feathers.

"Hello, Rarity," the alicorn returned, though her voice was notably less enthusiastic. However, she perked up slightly when she saw Shade step down off the mirrored stage in his blindingly white tuxedo. "You're looking dapper, Shade."

The changeling couldn't help but grimace a little as he looked himself over again. "Uh, thanks. I'll take your word for it, I guess. I'm not really the best judge for this kind of thing."

Rarity rolled her eyes with a giggle. "Don't let his uncertainty fool you. He's quite excited about his upcoming nuptials."

"I'd imagine so. To be the groom at the first pony-changeling wedding is a big deal, especially considering that he's the changeling."

Shade shuffled his hooves a bit nervously. "Rarity claims that all eyes are gonna be on Winter. You really think people are going to put the spotlight on me?"

Twilight frowned slightly. "I have a feeling that'll be the case, unfortunately."

"Do you really think so?" Rarity questioned. "I would have thought the first pony to marry a changeling would be the center of attention."

"Well, let's be fair, they're both going to get a lot of attention, especially once word gets out."

Twilight finally revealed the object she'd been carrying, removing a tube of rolled up newspaper from under her wing and unfolding it with her magic. The front page of the Foal Free Press displayed in large, bold letters, "An Unexpected Union: The First Pony-Changeling Wedding." Along with the headline was a picture of Shade and Winter that Shade was certain he didn't remember agreeing to have taken.

Rarity waved off Twilight's concerns with a confident grin. "Oh, it's a local newspaper, darling, and one printed by school ponies. I highly doubt that word is going to spread because of that."

Twilight was skeptical of Rarity's assertion. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. It only takes one person to relay information to somepony else, who then in turn tells somepony else, and it can just snowball from there."

"And what's the big deal anyway?" the unicorn argued. "Everypony already knows that there are friendly changelings among us. Princess Celestia herself confirmed that at the Grand Galloping Gala when everypony still thought it was just a rumor."

"Yes, but she never said where they lived. Don't you think that if people knew Shade and Chamella were here in Ponyville they would have come to see it with their own eyes?"

"Maybe they're scared," Shade postulated. "I mean, I can't say I wouldn't blame them."

"But I would wager that there are also plenty of people out there who would simply be too curious," Twilight argued. "Look, I'm just saying that you should be prepared for if, or when you and your family end up in the public eye."

"Honestly, if that were going to happen, wouldn't it have happened when Snowflake was born?" Rarity insisted. "I'd argue that a half-changeling foal is more newsworthy than a pony and changeling getting married."

Shade thought about that for a moment. "Come to think of it, I don't remember the newspaper ever mentioning Snow."

Twilight shrugged. Although she was the one to bring up the topic, she'd said her piece and was ready to move on. "In any case, I just wanted to give you a heads up, Shade." She flashed a well-wishing smile as she turned back to the open door. "And good luck with the wedding." With a wave goodbye, Twilight left the boutique once more.

Shade lolled his head back and forth as he contemplated what Twilight had said. "Well, it's something to take into consideration, I guess."

Rarity passed him a soft, reassuring smile. "Don't let it discourage you, dear. Love conquers all, as they say. And I think you know that better than anypony."

Shade smiled back at her encouragement. "No kidding. Anyway, are we done with this or...?" he asked, gesturing to the tuxedo he was wearing.

Rarity nodded with a sigh. "Yes, yes. I'm sure I can make any finishing touches on my own. Just take it off and hang it on the rack over there."

Shade did as instructed, making sure to take care and not crease the fabric too much—he got an earful about that once already.

The changeling was about to prepare to leave, but the door opened again before he reached it. Shade put on a fond smile when he saw Winter and Chamella stepping inside, with Snowflake strapped in his stroller and sucking on a pacifier. To his surprise, it was the latter that was pushing the colt around, and not the child's mother. Even though it had been a few weeks since their little expedition to the Changeling Kingdom, Shade was still a little surprised whenever he saw the two mares just hanging out and conversing with genuine smiles. He'd also noticed how much more involved Chamella had started becoming with Snowflake, dropping by their house unannounced occasionally just to spend time with the foal. It seemed like she was warming up to the idea of being his godmother and was beginning to take the role seriously.

"Why, hello, Winter," Rarity greeted eagerly. Every time the unicorn had seen the other ivory mare since they announced their engagement, Rarity couldn't help but gush and turn the topic of conversation toward the wedding. One would think she was more excited about the wedding than the actual bride. "Did you enjoy your stroll, dears?"

Winter nodded with a grin. "Yeah, of course. We stopped off for something to eat and had a good chat." She turned toward Shade with a reprimanding look, though her grin still persisted. "You know, there are a lot of things you haven't told me about when you and Chamella were kids."

Shade raised an eyebrow, a little worried about what exactly she was smiling at. "Why? What'd she tell you?"

Chamella and Winter shared sly looks, stifling their childish giggles. The pegasus shook her head dismissively. "No, nothing. I mean, if it wasn't important enough for you to tell me, why should it bother you?"

Shade grimaced at her passive-aggressive tone, and the amused, yet slightly apologetic smirk from Chamella seemed to suggest that she had shared something embarrassing, but Shade couldn't think of what exactly. And that worried him.

Rarity wasn't at all bothered by the girls' supposed gossiping, continuing to flash her friendly smile. "Well, it's certainly nice to see the two of you bonding. And while you're here, we can update you on the progress of your dress."

"Actually, about the wedding..." Winter interrupted. "I wanted to let you know I've made up my mind about my bridesmaids."

"Oh! Wonderful!" Rarity exclaimed with a gleeful clap of her hooves. "I've been simply dying to get to work on the bridesmaid's dresses, but I need to know who they'll be to get the measurements right. Now then..." She stared excitedly and impatiently at Winter. "Do tell."

Winter started by giving Rarity an apologetic frown, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "Well, first of all, I'm going with four bridesmaids. And don't take this the wrong way, Rarity, but I'm not going to ask you to be one. I considered it, but since I'm asking you to make the dresses, I figured you'd want a break after all of that and not have to stand with us at the alter."

Rarity waved off her concerns with an understanding smile. "Oh, pish. I take no offense at all. Just having the opportunity to make the dresses is honor enough for me. Plus, I think I'll enjoy the ceremony even more if I can sit in the audience and see all of you in the gowns I created."

The unicorn leaned in, her curiosity continuing to rise. "Then who did you choose?"

"I'm going to go with my mom, Derpy, and Twilight, assuming they accept, of course."

"I'm sure they'll be overjoyed," Rarity assured confidently. "But, er... That's only three, dear."

At the mention of that, Winter's smile widened. "Right, because the last one is going to be the maid of honor."

Just as the unicorn suspected, Winter turned to the female changeling standing beside her. Chamella looked rather confused and somewhat flabbergasted at the implication.

"M-Me?" Chamella questioned in surprised, looking much the same as she did when asked to be Snowflake's godmother.

Winter smiled at her fondly. "After everything we've been through together, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have standing at my side when I get married."

Chamella gulped nervously, but forced a shaky smile to hide her reluctance. "U-Um, that's great. B-But as honored as I am, I-I don't know if I want that kind of responsibility. Don't you think you should pick somepony more reliable?"

Rarity smirked at Chamella's vain attempt to suppress her uncertainty. "Do you even know what a maid of honor does, Chamella?"

The female changeling blinked, her panic subsiding slightly. "Er, well... No. But it sounds like an important job."

The unicorn shook her head. "Well, it can be in some instances, but I doubt Winter wants to put too much pressure on you."

Chamella turned to Winter hopefully for confirmation, to which the pegasus nodded.

"Don't worry about it. Sometimes the maid of honor is a little more involved than the other bridesmaids, but I really just want you to be there for me during this important moment," Winter assured her.

Chamella closed her pink eyes, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank Celestia. Don't scare me like that."

Winter draped a hoof over Chamella's shoulder, pulling her in close. "You can be as involved as you wanna be. But if you want to help Pinkie Pie with the invitations, or the bachelorette party, feel free."

"She's already helping design and make your dress. That in and of itself should be considered a great honor," Rarity added. "You could also give a speech at the reception..." Rarity could already see the sweat drops forming on Chamella's forehead at the notion. "...but I suppose you'd rather not."

Winter gave her changeling friend a hopeful smile. "So? Whaddya say? Will you be my maid of honor?"

Chamella took another moment to think it over. A part of her still believed that she didn't deserve such an honor, but she also felt like she couldn't, in all good conscience, say no to Winter when it clearly meant so much to her. Chamella smiled back at her, still looking a little unsure, but willing to accept Winter's trust in this request. "Okay. I'll do my best."

The alabaster pegasus immediately pulled her new maid of honor in for a tight, grateful hug. "Thank you. This means a lot."

Shade chuckled quietly with amusement. "Geez, you're making more of a spectacle out of this than when you proposed to me."

"And on the topic of you..." Rarity said as she turned to Shade with a quizzical look. "What are you going to do about your groomsmen?"

Winter tapped her chin in thought as the realization dawned on her. "Oh, yeah, you don't really have a lot of guy friends, huh?"

Rarity waved off his concern with a dismissive flick of her hoof. "I doubt it. It's not entirely necessary to have groomsmen, dear; you can get married without them."

Shade took a few seconds to think it over. "Well, I guess there's Spike. And there's some guys at work, like Horte, although I wouldn't exactly say I'm all that close with them."

Again, Rarity dismissed his thinking. "Don't concern yourself, darling. It'll be fine."

Winter gave a disgruntled grimace. "I'm grateful that he helped us and everything, but he's still not someone I want anywhere near my wedding."

"Gotta agree with Winter," Shade said with a similar expression on his face. "In any case, if I don't need groomsmen, then I probably won't bother. Maybe I'll ask Spike, but that'll probably be it."

"That sounds fine," Rarity said with a nod. She then turned to Chamella with an eager grin. "Well, then, if you have no other plans, would you like to help me get started on designing the bridesmaid dresses?"

Chamella gave an enthusiastic nod, wheeling Snowflake's stroller to Winter, but not before giving the colt a quick nuzzle.

"Guess we should get going and let them work," Winter suggested as she looked to her fiancé.

Shade nodded with a silent grin, saying goodbye to Chamella and Rarity before he and Winter started on their way back home with their son.

As the loving couple trotted down the road, Shade looked down at the stroller Winter was pushing to see Snowflake reaching a hoof out to him. Shade gave the tot a grin, playfully rubbing his head and eliciting an amused titter, though muffled by his pacifier.

Winter let out a quiet chuckle of her own. It just seemed so much more heartwarming to watch simple, little interactions like this since they got home, even if they've been given ample time to get back to their daily lives. Admittedly, Winter couldn't push the thought of something like that happening again at some point out of her mind, but that would be something to bring up during her therapy sessions. Right now, she wanted to focus on the wedding.

"You know, Twilight was saying earlier that this wedding is gonna attract a lot of attention," Shade spoke up, jostling Winter from her thoughts as though he'd been reading her mind.

The pegasus wasn't surprised by the notion, simply offering an indifferent shrug. "So? Let 'em gawk. Love can be found in the most unexpected places. I'm just happy to have found my special someling," she said affectionately, nuzzling up to Shade.

Winter blushed a little at being called out for the little pet name. "Uh, yeah. Like 'somepony,' but your a changeling, sooooo... What, you don't like it?"

Shade waved a hoof when he noticed the slightly disheartened look in Winter's eyes. "No, no, it just... caught me by surprise. Might take a little time to get used to it."

Winter turned her nose up with a huff, feigning insult. "If you think it sounds dumb, just say so."

"What?! No! I-It's fine! I like it!" Shade quickly argued as he forced an uneven grin, thinking he'd offended her.

Winter couldn't help but snort in amusement at his backpedaling, passing him a dismissive smile. "Relax, I'm messing with you. And I was just trying it out. I won't make a habit of saying it." She watched him breath a sigh of relief, though she couldn't tell if it was in regards to her decision to limit usage of the word, or that he simply hadn't hurt her feelings.

Having gone off on a tangent, Winter figured it best to bring the topic back on track. "So is Twilight worried about us, or something? I mean, I get it, you haven't exactly been in the public eye since you moved here, but if people really wanted to find you, they'd have probably found you."

Shade shrugged uncertainly. "Maybe. But to be honest, I can see where she's coming from. If people start showing up to see us, it could get kind of hectic." He glanced down to Snowflake, the colt oblivious and uncomprehending of the conversation. "I mean, we have a family to manage. Considering everything that's happened, I'd just like things to quiet down a little."

The air went silent for a minute as Winter observed the difficult-to-read expression on Shade's face. He looked a little wistful, but at the same time, apprehensive. A thought had suddenly occurred to her: she had asked Shade if he wanted to get married, but did he say yes for her sake, or because of the moment? Winter was a little hesitant to mention it, but given the topic of conversation and quiet tone of his voice, she felt the need to assure him of his options.

The changeling gave her a confused and concerned look. "What? What do you mean by that?"

Seeing and hearing his worry, Winter made sure to make herself clear. "I understand that this wedding is putting a lot of pressure on you. If you're uncomfortable with this whole thing, we don't have to get married yet. We can put it off for a while. Alternatively, we don't have to get married at all."

Shade wasn't sure how to react to that, but, thankfully, Winter continued with a soft smile to put his active imagination at ease.

"I don't need a big ceremony, or some dumb marriage certificate to convince myself that I love you. I only proposed because..." Winter looked away for a moment, her ears flattening to her head as the realization slowly dawned on her. "I guess I want to get married before something else horrible happens to us..."

Shade watched her face become crestfallen, the expression hurting him as well. He tenderly placed a hoof on her shoulder, prompting her to look into his emerald irises as he smiled lovingly at her. "I get where you're coming from, Winter. But regardless of whether or not we have to get married, I still want to."

Winter's amber eyes lit up with hope, but she was still a little unsure. "Even if all the extra attention interferes with our family life?"

Shade shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. "Hey, we don't even know if that's gonna happen. Like you said, if they really wanted to find us, they would have."

The pegasus grinned fondly. She couldn't even remember anymore which one of them was actually the one that was worried about it, but at least now she knew that they were both on the same page. Winter sidled up next to Shade comfortably as the two of them and their child closed in on their house, ready to sit back and enjoy a relaxing afternoon together.

Shade let out a tired yawn, stretching out on the couch as he relaxed. He could hear Snowflake enjoying himself in his playpen, but he couldn't actually see him what with the pen being behind the couch. Shade wasn't worried about not having a constant view of his playful son. There was nothing but stuffed and plastic toys in there with him; no choking hazards and no sharp objects.

A part of Shade figured that he'd be scolded by Winter for not keeping a constant, vigilant eye on their baby, but he couldn't decide if that would have been the Winter from before their visit to the Changeling Kingdom, or the Winter from after. On the one hoof, the "before" Winter was incredibly overbearing and—as Winter had said herself—a little crazy. However, the "after" Winter, while certainly more responsible and calm, has been showing that the whole experience has left her a little paranoid. Shade definitely preferred the "after" Winter; a little paranoia was manageable, but he wasn't sure how much longer he'd have been willing to put up with "before" Winter's nonsense.

Regardless, Winter wasn't around at the moment, so it was a moot point anyway. Winter had to get up early on this new morning, as the weather team had scheduled heavy rains and needed every available pair of wings they could get to round up all the rambunctious storm clouds. She'd been out there all morning, and it was nearly lunchtime. Shade was starting to wonder if she would be given time to come home for something to eat, what with how busy the team supposedly was. At least Shade had the day off today, so he didn't need to slog to work in this deluge and could stay home with his little colt.

Shade suddenly jumped with a start when he heard a knock on the door. Although the rain was pounding on the walls of the house like liquid hail, the sound of somepony's hoof rapping roughly on the wooden door was loud enough to be heard throughout the house.

There was a moment where Shade froze up on the couch, his mind recognizing this familiar scenario and instinctively forcing him to carefully think this over. A short time had passed before a second series of knocks resonated through the living roof, slightly louder than before. Shade breathed a sigh. Now he was being just as paranoid as Winter. Wraith was dead; with him gone, who would bother coming all this way to cause him trouble?

With a shake of his head to rid himself of any worry, Shade rolled off the couch and made his way to the door. It was pouring buckets out there; whoever was at the door was likely not going to stick around much longer without reason.

Remaining cautious and keeping his guard up anyway, Shade slowly opened the door. He let himself relax when he saw a pony standing outside, though raised a puzzled eyebrow. He didn't recognize the unicorn mare. He was pretty sure she wasn't from Ponyville. Her coat was a light beige color, while her mane was striped with brown and white, though the rain's aqueous assault made it difficult to tell how she normally styled it, as it was currently weighed down by the heavy moisture and matted to her face and neck. Shade could barely see her cutie mark from his position: a microphone with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it. She was wearing a black blazer with a white undershirt, though both were thoroughly soaked through. Additionally, she was carrying a black satchel over her shoulder which, while wet like the rest of her, did at least appear to be waterproof, the water drops rolling harmlessly down it's smooth surface and the flap protecting its contents.

The moment Shade had opened the door, the unfamiliar mare took a step back, her eyes widening in slight shock. She stood motionless for a few silent seconds, only her eyes moving and looking over the creature that had answered the door. It was evident from her reaction that she hadn't met a changeling before.

She managed to compose herself somewhat and straightened up, though there was still a hint of disbelief in her maroon eyes. She cleared her throat as she introduced herself. "My name is Daily Scoop. I'm a freelance journalist from Manehattan. I heard recently that there were changelings in a small town called Ponyville, so I thought I'd investigate." Her eyes ran up and down the changeling once more. "Guess the rumors were true."

A journalist. Twilight did warn Shade about the attention they'd be getting, though he didn't expect it to start so soon. "Well, you picked a great day for it," Shade said with a joking smirk as he looked out at the downpour still actively bearing down on Daily Scoop.

The unicorn groaned in annoyance as she brushed a few strands of wet mane out of her eyes. "Yeah. I should've checked the forecast before coming out here. Small towns and their miserable weather... They don't schedule storms like this often in Manehattan."

There was a moment of hesitation from Shade as he recalled Twilight's warning. However, he was a member of a community that was well renowned for its hospitality, so he wasn't about to let somepony in need suffer. Shade stepped aside, offering a friendly smile. "Do you wanna come in?"

Daily Scoop was a little caught off guard by his hospitality, perhaps not expecting such kindness from a changeling. But given her state, she wasn't in much of a position to decline such a generous offer. "Uh, thanks." Before walking inside, however, she looked herself over, water dripping freely off her body and her hooves caked brown with mud. "But I'm afraid I might make a bit of a mess."

Shade smirked as he made for the stairs, waving her concerns off dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'll get you a towel."

Daily Scoop managed a grateful smile as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She felt a little guilty about getting mud and water on the carpet, but if he was insisting, then she wasn't questioning it.

With Shade out of the room, the unicorn planned to take a look around the area, though only from her current vantage point as she didn't want to track mud all over the house. However, before her analysis of her environment could even begin, she immediately spotted a baby's playpen set up just in front of her, in the middle of the living room. And through the mesh sides of the pen, she could see the baby in question, which was perhaps more surprising to her than meeting a changeling face-to-face. But even more baffling than that was what the foal was exactly. It appeared to be a baby pony, however, it had a pair of small, translucent, insect-like wings sprouting from its back. Daily Scoop blinked as she stared at the colt, who was curiously staring back at her as he quietly sucked on his pacifier. She wasn't entirely sure if those wings were real or not, but she wasn't about to approach a stranger's baby without permission.

Shade casually sauntered back down the steps, holding a yellow towel with his magic before passing it to his guest. Daily Scoop graciously accepted it and wasted no time in drying herself off and doing as much as she could to clean up the mud on her fetlocks.

"A cup of tea sounds pretty good, thanks," she requested as she toweled off her mane. But as Shade headed for the kitchen to fix up her beverage, Daily Scoop felt the need to ask the burning question in her mind. "So, uh... Is this your kid?"

Daily Scoop approached the playpen curiously to get a closer look at the colt. There was an equally curious look in the foal's bright green eyes as he stared up at her, though he also seemed a bit wary of the stranger, clinging tightly to a stuffed rabbit. "So he's..."

"Half-pony, half-changeling, yes," Shade responded. "And before you ask, yes, that is possible, and yes, we were just as surprised to find that out."

The unicorn looked back down at the colt. For supposedly being half-changeling, he certainly looked to be mostly pony, save for the wings. "What's his name?"

Daily Scoop raised an eyebrow, taking particular note of the foal's jet black coat. "Cute name, but he doesn't really strike me as a 'Snowflake.'"

Shade shrugged as he brought her her cup of tea. "There are personal reasons behind the name. I won't get into it."

Snowflake started reaching up to his father with quiet whines. Shade reached down into the pen and picked the needy colt up, recognizing Snow's behavior and figuring the tyke was hungry. He brought his son into the kitchen, grabbing a small jar of puréed carrots and a spoon before carrying him back into the living room where his guest was still standing around.

Shade noticed the way that Daily Scoop was watching him, like an animal at the zoo. She was clearly surprised to see a changeling just doing normal, pony things. It seemed as though she were waiting for him to do something distinctly non-pony. "So what exactly were you looking to do once you got here? Did you just want to see a changeling with your own eyes, or what?"

The unicorn seemed to snap back to her senses when the question was asked. "Huh? Oh, right. Actually, I was hoping that, once I found you, we could perhaps do an interview. I'd like to write an article about the changelings that have supposedly been accepted into pony society. Also this..."

She opened her satchel, using her dull red magic to remove a folded newspaper and presented it to Shade. It was the same issue of the Foal Free Press about his upcoming wedding that Twilight had shown him the day prior. Shade was honestly a little surprised and impressed; for a paper printed by schoolponies, it had certainly gotten around quickly.

The journalist took another look at the photo on the page. "And the pegasus with you in the picture is the bride?" She looked at the foal cradled in Shade's hooves as he fed him his baby food. "Aaaand the mother of this colt, I presume."

Again, Shade nodded to confirm her assumptions. "That's right. Her name's Winter."

Daily Scoop looked at Snowflake once more, the colt's name making a little more since after learning his mother's name. She then had a quick look around, noticing how quiet the rest of the house was. "I'm guessing she's not home right now."

"She and the rest of the weather team have been pretty busy all morning, but I'm sure you're well aware of that," Shade informed her with a slight grin.

"I see. I was hoping I'd get to speak with her, too. And there was a second changeling as well, is that right?"

Daily Scoop looked at Shade curiously, discreetly removing a notepad and pencil from her satchel. "How do you two know each other? Are you related, or did you wind up in this town by complete coincidence?"

Shade stopped feeding Snowflake for a moment to give the unicorn a raise of his eyebrow, watching as she enthusiastically jotted down notes. "Is the interview starting now, or something?"

The mare paused, looking as though she'd been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. "Oh... Is this not a good time for you?"

Shade gave her a somewhat displeased grimace. "Considering I haven't actually agreed to an interview yet, kind of, yeah."

Daily Scoop looked down at her notepad, staring at it for a moment as if she hadn't realized she'd even taken it out. "Oh, right..." She quickly replaced the pad and pencil back into her bag, giving Shade an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, force of habit. I didn't mean to pry. So? Can we do an interview, then?"

Shade took another moment to eye her up silently. "I'll have to think about it."

The journalist's jaw dropped a little, having not quite expected that response. "Wait, what? Why?"

"Well, I'd like to get Winter's opinion on this first. I'm not just gonna go and discuss our relationship without consulting her first."

Daily Scoop nodded, feeling a touch guilty. "That's understandable." She passed her cup of tea—which she had only taken a few sips from—back to Shade, then turned back toward the front door with visible disappointment on her face. "Then I guess I'll get out of your way for now. Please let me know when you make a decision."

Daily Scoop opened the door, reminding both of them of the utter deluge pouring down on the town. Through the relative darkness caused by the overcast sky, the unicorn pointed to a fairly small wagon parked not far from the house, large enough to provide shelter for one person, but not much more. "I've got my carriage. I'll find a suitable place to set up somewhere in town. You find that, you'll probably find me."

"Alright. I guess I'll see you later, then," Shade bid her as he gave a quick wave goodbye. Daily Scoop bid him farewell, too, before bracing herself to deal with the relentless storm while she attempted to find a place to set up her wagon.

As the door shut and the journalist disappeared behind it, Shade let out a sigh, as though he'd been holding his breath without realizing. Snowflake had finished his lunch by now, so the father wiped his muzzle clean and gently lay the child back into his playpen. Shade wasn't entirely sure how he felt about this interview. Twilight seemed worried about just a local paper reporting about the wedding. Daily Scoop was a journalist from Manehattan, one of, if not the biggest city in Equestria from what Shade had heard—even bigger than the capitol of Canterlot. If she published an interview in a Manehattan newspaper, it would likely be read by thousands of ponies. The more he thought about it, the less comfortable he became with the idea.

Shade shook his head, attempting to jostle the nervousness from his mind. He said he'd talk to Winter about it, and he still planned to do that. Maybe her input would help him find a viewpoint on the whole scenario.

Winter blinked curiously as she took another bite of her macaroni and cheese, glancing across the table at her fiancé in interest.

The pegasus hummed in thought. "Hmm... Wasn't expecting the tabloids to show up so soon." She chuckled a little, though there was hint of uncertainty in her voice. "I guess we're kinda like celebrities now, huh?"

Shade stared at her hopefully, looking for an answer from her. "So? What should we do? Should we do this interview, or not?"

Winter took a moment to think, turning to her son—perched in his highchair next to her—and wiped the milk he'd been drinking from his chin. "I guess that's up to you."

The changeling raised a confused eyebrow. "Me? I figured you'd want to have a say in it."

"Well, I do, sure, but she's here to see you; I think the decision should ultimately be yours. Are you ready to be exposed to the public eye?"

Shade grimaced at the question. "When you put it like that, I'm not entirely sure. I didn't think much of it when Twilight mentioned it, but now that it's actually happening, I'm a little nervous. I found myself being a little suspicious of her. I'm not quite sure if I trust her."

Winter leaned forward onto the table, closing her eyes for a moment. "The way I see it, this is going to happen one way or another. If you don't do an interview now, how long do you think it'll be before another journalist shows up to do the same?"

Winter shrugged. "Again, I'm leaving that choice to you. But you're the one who wants to be accepted, right? You've wanted that since you moved here. Do you really want to hide in the shadows forever?"

Shade let his fork lay against his bowl of macaroni, looking away as he contemplated his lover's words. First of all, he was surprised to hear Winter of all people speak so saliently. It wasn't often she managed to provoke such deep thought. But she had a strong point. When Shade first left the Changeling Kingdom, he had fully intended to arrive without a disguise, hoping that the ponies would accept him for who he was, not what he was. Essentially, he was dealing with the same dilemma now. Did he allow the people of Equestria to see him for who he was, or continue to hide behind the vague rumors? There were certainly pluses and minuses to both options. His choice to hide his face when he arrived in Ponyville started well enough—enough to get his hoof in the door—but it resulted in nearly losing the love of his life when she found out the truth.

Shade looked up and across the table. Winter was staring at him curiously as she patiently waited for him to come to a decision.

A small, involuntary smile—unnoticeable by the pegasus across from him—creased his fanged lips. He nearly lost the love of his life, yet here they sat, together, still in love, with a child, and a wedding in the works. As painful as it was when she found out he was a changeling, it all worked out in the end. And he remembered having a similar revelation during a conversation with Chamella some time ago. There would be some consequences and unpleasantness if he did the interview, to be certain, but maybe it was for the best to get everything out in the open.

Winter grinned, pleased by his answer. "Great! I figured you would. But it's not like there aren't gonna be problems. The paparazzi might be all over us for a while, prying into our personal lives, our family, your past and the Changeling Kingdom. They might even ask about Chrysalis."

Just as Shade had come to terms with his choice, he suddenly felt uneasy once again. Winter took notice of how his expression gradually fell, but waved it off with a dismissive grin.

"But the media has a short attention span. We'll be the highlight for a few weeks, but after a while, we'll be old news and they'll move onto something else. We just have to endure the early onslaught of reporters and articles. I'm sure we can manage."

Shade couldn't help but laugh at Winter's rather nonchalant attitude. "You're awfully calm about this. I figured with everything we've been through, you'd be reluctant to do something like this."

Winter leaned forward, smirking across the table. "After everything we've been through, a few reporters and potentially slanderous articles are nothing. I say 'Bring it.'"

Before the conversation could continue further, Winter and Shade heard a knock on the door. However, the visitors didn't wait for them to answer and simply let themselves in, not that the two residents minded considering it was Rarity, Twilight, and Chamella, all escaping from the torrential rains outside, but kept mostly dry by a combination of their umbrellas and a little of Twilight's magic. The three mares didn't greet Winter and Shade with amicable smiles, though. Rarity quickly hurried to the kitchen where they sat, a panicked look on her face.

"Dreadful news!" the ivory unicorn exclaimed in distress. "The press have shown up! They're looking for you! You two should stay home and not engage them!"

Shade and Winter stared at her blankly. "Uh, yeah, we know," Shade told her. "I talked to her earlier."

Rarity grabbed Shade by the shoulders, startling the changeling. "What did you tell her?! What did she ask?! You didn't tell her anything incriminating, did you?!"

Shade grabbed hold of Rarity's hooves firmly, staring her in her deep blue eyes. "Calm down, I haven't really told her anything yet."

Rarity, who had been practically hyperventilating in her panic, managed to slow her breathing, straightening up and taking a long, deep breath. "Oh, I see. Thank goodness."

"Yeah, just yesterday you said there was nothing to worry about," Shade reminded her.

"I was referring to tourists and gawkers; people who would come just to see changelings. The media is an entirely different beast."

Chamella stepped forward with an expression of deep worry. "Is this something we need to be concerned about, Shade?"

"Of course it is!" Rarity insisted loudly. "The press are ruthless, ravenous vultures who have no qualms about dragging poor, innocent people through the mud with lies and exaggerations if it means getting the attention of the masses and selling their papers. They care not for you, only for themselves and their ratings."

Shade and Winter simply shared a look between one another, more in concern for Rarity herself rather than her words of warning. "Don't you think your being a little melodramatic?" Winter said. "Can you talk some sense into her, Twilight?"

The alicorn gave Winter a slight, remorseful frown. "While I agree that Rarity may be overreacting a little, I do think she has a point. Some tabloids have a tendency to embellish the truth to make their stories sound more interesting or shocking, even at the expense of those being written about."

"Well, Daily said she was freelance. She doesn't actually work for any particular paper," Shade informed them.

"All the more reason to be concerned," Rarity continued. "Freelance journalists are the most vicious, making their stories as appealing to potential publishers as possible so that they get more lucrative offers. Their indifference for your feelings knows no bounds."

"She stopped by to meet me," Twilight replied. "She seemed like she wanted to interview me, too, although I've started getting used to that kind of treatment. But she did ask if I knew anything about you."

Twilight shook her head. "Nothing. I told her I wasn't going to comment unless you approved."

"You're not actually going to do this interview, are you, Shade?" Chamella inquired pensively.

Shade let out a long sigh, feeling exasperated by not just the conversation, but with himself. "The longer we keep ourselves hidden, the more the people of Equestria will start to think we have something to hide. Well, I'm done hiding. If she tells everypony else that I can't be trusted, or that I'm up to no good, who cares? I don't know those people. Everypony I care about is here in Ponyville. My life right here is what matters most to me. I'm not going to let some false rumors get under my skin, if that is what she plans to do."

Although Twilight still seemed apprehensive about it, she nodded in acceptance. "If that's what you want, then I won't argue. Just... be careful what you say, okay?"

"If you wish, we could be there with you during the interview for support," Rarity offered, some concern still evident in her tone.

Shade smiled at her kind suggestion, but shook his head. "I think we should handle this ourselves." He then turned to Chamella. "But I think you should join us, Chamella."

The female changeling's eyes widened slightly, surprised and reticent. "Me? Why?"

"She came here to see the three of us. I figured she'd like to hear from you, too."

Shade gave her a warm grin, understanding her reluctance. "You don't have to if you don't want to. Just thought I'd throw it out there."

"Well, then I hope it goes well," Twilight said, offering an amicable smile to Shade and Winter as she, Rarity, and Chamella turned back toward the door, retrieving their umbrellas. "We'll talk to you later."

"If you run into Daily Scoop on the way home, tell her she can come over whenever she's ready," Shade requested before they left, to which he received an affirmative nod from Twilight.

As the front door opened, Shade and Winter greeted their expected guest. Daily Scoop had been informed of Shade's decision to proceed with the interview, and seeing as how the heavy rains had let up in the past few hours—lessening to a light drizzle and even letting the sun shine through the gaps in the clouds—she didn't have any problem making the trudge over to the couple's home.

Now that she wasn't soaked through with rainwater, Shade noticed how Daily Scoop normally wore her mane: the brown and white stripes of her mane were done up in a small beehive, almost resembling a chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream.

This was actually the journalist's first time meeting Winter. First impressions, based on their quick introduction upon being let into the house, were somewhat tepid; the pegasus seemed nice enough and perfectly normal for somepony who was apparently in love with a changeling, but Daily Scoop couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was being judged.

Shade led their guest to the couch, gesturing for her to sit in the adjacent armchair while Shade and Winter took up spots on the couch. Snowflake had been put down for a nap upstairs, evidenced by the presence of a baby monitor sitting on the coffee table.

Daily Scoop removed her satchel, laying it on the floor beside the chair, but not before taking out her notepad and pencil. She offered a grateful smile to her hosts. "Thanks for agreeing to this. I was a little nervous that I might have come all this way for nothing. Although seeing the changelings for myself would have been a nice consolation anyway." She adjusted herself in her seat, ready and eager to begin the interview as she held her pencil to pad with her magic in anticipation.

Daily Scoop's ears swiveled forward at attention. Winter's tone and expression were serious, which may have been why she had felt odd about their introductions. She waited for the pegasus's request.

The unicorn blinked in confusion, but noticed Shade give Winter a sidelong glance. "My... 'objective'?"

Winter shook her head slightly, her expression easing up a bit. "It's just that my friends seem to think you have some selfish motive to do this interview, that you just want to write something to get people's attention with no regard for Shade's feelings. I just want to let you know that, for their peace of mind, if you start asking questions we don't like, we may ask you to leave."

Daily Scoop grimaced slightly at the accusation, though she wasn't upset. "I get it. The media can be harsh sometimes, but I assure you that I came here to write only what I hear. I'm interested in actually learning what your life here is like, and I feel like that information will grab the attention of the public without the need for 'creative embellishment.' And if it makes you feel any better, I intend to write up my article and maybe poke around in this little town for a while longer. So if you want to have a look at what I write before I find a publisher, be my guest."

Hearing that put a relieved and more amicable smile on Winter's face. While all of that could very well have been a convincing fabrication of empathy, Winter chose to do what Rarity and Twilight apparently weren't willing: give the journalist the benefit of the doubt. "Alright then. I guess we can start."

Satisfied that Winter was satisfied, Daily Scoop once again prepared to take notes.

"So where should we start?" Shade curiously asked his interviewer. "I suppose you want to know a little about where I come from."

"I do, but this article is going to focus on your integration into pony society and the relationships you've developed here. That's really what the public wants to hear about."

"Makes sense," said Winter with a shrug. "Put their worries at ease first, then learn the backstory later."

"Well, there's that, plus I've heard that Princess Twilight plans on publishing her own research about changelings. I don't want to step on the princess's hooves."

Shade raised an eyebrow. "Has she still not published that yet? It's been a while since she's asked Chamella and me about ourselves and the Changeling Kingdom. I figured she was already doing that."

"She probably wanted to put that stuff on hold. You know, let us focus on being a family for a while," Winter presumed.

"That's actually where I'd like to start," Daily Scoop interjected, looking specifically at the pegasus. "I want to know how you two met; how two seemingly different people from different worlds wound up falling in love and starting a family."

Winter chuckled awkwardly. "Heh, well, I hope you have enough pages there, because that's kind of a long story."

Shade looked away slightly, a small grimace blemishing his fanged lips. "And it's not all pleasant. I've had to do and witness things I wish I hadn't."

Hearing that only proved to interest Daily Scoop more, though out of respect, she attempted to suppress her enthusiasm. "I'll reserve judgment for when I get the whole story. So, start wherever you see fit."

The rain had since ceased its deluge on the small town of Ponyville, a new shift of weather pegasi casually starting the process of clearing the now drained storm clouds. The sun had begun its descent for the approaching evening, though it was still high and bright enough to pierce through the remaining cloud cover. However, the rains had left Ponyville's roads and paths rather moist and soft and quite muddy. Splashing around in the mud may appeal to playful foals, but to the adults in town, it was somewhat of a nuisance.

Chamella watched as Rarity paced worriedly, practically tracing a path through the damp dirt and grass. The unicorn was muttering to herself the whole time, but Chamella couldn't really pick out most of what she was saying. Rarity didn't seem too bothered by the muddy terrain, but at least had the forethought to equip her hooves with some purple galoshes to protect her dainty fetlocks. And even though the rains had died down, she had also taken an umbrella to shield herself from what little mist the clouds had left to dispense. Her two companions had also dressed similarly, but they, too, were not exactly preoccupied with the weather.

Like Chamella, Twilight was concerned about Rarity's behavior as well, but watching her carve a muddy trench in the ground with her pacing was beginning to look pitiful. "I'm sure it'll be fine," the alicorn tried to assure her with a small—though somewhat uncertain—smile. "They know there may be privacy risks, so I'm sure they'll be careful what they say."

Rarity finally stopped dragging her hooves around in the mud long enough to let out a sigh. "I know, but I simply can't help it. I just don't want them to wind up in a situation they might regret. They've been through so much recently; they don't deserve all the harassment that this might create."

"Maybe I should've agreed to join them," Chamella said with some regret. "I'll admit, I'm a little worried myself just standing out here and not knowing what's going on." She looked at the house of her best friend that they were currently all gathered in front of, respectfully, but impatiently, waiting for Shade and Winter to finish up their interview with Daily Scoop.

"If it makes you feel any better, there probably isn't much you could say that Shade can't," Twilight reassured her.

"It's really the things that Shade would say that you can't that concerns me," Rarity voiced with worry. "What if he says something about that stallion he was impersonating? She might start making rash assumptions."

Chamella's own worry began to heighten at the mention of it, and she was starting to feel panic coming on. She bit her lip nervously as she stared at the house. After a few moments of deliberation, she made a decision. "I can't leave them alone in there. I'm going in to help."

Chamella hastily headed for the door, intent on simply barging in whether Shade and Winter liked it or not; she wasn't about to let this stranger throw out accusations and spread lies and rumors about her best friends. However, just as Chamella reached the door, it opened of its own accord quite suddenly, the large slab of wood striking the female changeling firmly in the muzzle. The surprise of the impact knocked Chamella onto her haunches, creating an audible splat as her hindquarters landed in the mud.

From the other side of the door came a shocked gasp, the journalist they'd been talking about hurrying out to the fallen changeling's side with an expression of deep apology. "Oh, shoot! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know you were there!"

Chamella squeezed her eyes shut as mild pain shot up through her nose, pulling her front hooves out of her boots to gently rub the offended area. She was prompted to open her eyes again at the sound of the apologizing voice, seeing the journalist looking remorseful and holding a hoof out to help her up.

Chamella stared at her apologetic face for a moment before accepting her hoof and allowing the mare to help her out of the mud. "I'm alright. It was just a little bump."

The female changeling glanced over Daily Scoop's shoulder to see Winter and Shade standing in the doorway behind her, peering outside to investigate the minor commotion. The two then noticed both Twilight and Rarity were there as well, and Shade let out an exasperated sigh.

"We just wanted to make sure things went smoothly," Rarity said defensively, a little embarrassed to have been caught.

Daily Scoop let out a sigh of her own, knowing what she was insinuating. "Look, I'm aware that some media outlets operate on shock value and baseless gossip, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't done a bit of that myself in the past. But for matters like this, I want to make sure Equestria understands the situation fully and truthfully. Shade and Winter both said they hoped there would be peace between ponies and changelings someday, and I honestly feel the same way. I certainly don't want another invasion."

Twilight noticed the slight smiles on Shade and Winter's faces. "I take it it went well, then?"

"Aside from one or two questions that may have been prying a little too deep into our personal lives, yeah, it went well," Shade answered, his comment eliciting a blush from both Winter and Daily Scoop.

"She mostly asked about Shade's life here and his relationships with the ponies who live here," Winter elaborated.

"To be perfectly honest, it was a little more mundane than I was expecting," Daily Scoop admitted. "Aside from his initial arrival when he posed as a pony, everything else was fairly normal. But I guess that's a testament to how well he's integrated into our society. The public might be relieved to hear that."

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to look over the notes you took at some point," Twilight requested.

Daily Scoop knew that the request had to do with their previously mentioned concerns, but the princess had a rather intrigued smile, perhaps simply interested in comparing them with her own notes. "Well, I can't exactly say no to a princess. And if it's not too much to ask, would it be possible to maybe see what you've learned from living with changelings? It's not my focus right now, but if this article does well, I plan on following up with something that goes more into their culture in general."

"Now that I can certainly help with," Twilight giggled. "Though I'm not going to share everything; you'll have to wait 'til I publish it to get all the details I've learned."

"Fair enough," Daily Scoop said with a gracious grin. "Now, I'm getting a little hungry. Any place where I can get some good eats around here."

"My boss might get upset if I didn't recommend the café I work at," Shade replied, pointing in the general direction of the place.

With that, Daily Scoop went about her business, leaving the three ponies and two changelings behind.

Shade shrugged indifferently. "We won't know until we see the article. And she said she'd let us look it over before she published it anyway."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, recalling something that the journalist had said as odd. "You didn't mention our recent visit to the Changeling Kingdom, did you?"

Winter shook her head. "No, we decided not to mention Snowflake's kidnapping at all. Figured that would be a little much for the first interview."

Chamella tilted her head in slight confusion. "'First interview'? You're going to do more?"

"Well, I suppose we'll see how that goes in due time," Rarity said with a nod. "Now, I do believe Chamella needs to get herself cleaned up."

The purple-maned changeling turned her head back at her muddied hindquarters, grimacing in mild disgust. "Ugh, no kidding. Okay, I guess I'll see you guys later. Bye."

With a pair of waves goodbye, both Chamella and Rarity left to head back to the boutique so Chamella could have a shower.

"And I suppose I'll leave you two to enjoy the rest of your day," Twilight bid them with a wave.

"Later, Twilight," Winter called out with a wave as the alicorn left. She then turned to Shade as the two went back inside. "You know, I'm actually a little excited about all this. Nervous, but excited. You think the wedding will get flooded with reporters because of this?"

Shade quirked an eyebrow at the grin spreading across Winter's face. Given the concerns that their friends had expressed about reporters and the media, Winter's reaction to this hypothetical was somewhat baffling. "What, you want our wedding to be bombarded by them?"

Winter tried to straighten out her face, though her smile was difficult to suppress. "I mean, no, not really. I just... I guess I kind of want my fifteen minutes of fame, you know? I'm going to be the first pony to marry a changeling. I might be famous because of this, so I might as well get used to the paparazzi following me around."

Shade rolled his eyes, but found himself unable to not smile at his fiancée's child-like exuberance. "You're a wacko, you know that?"

Halfling

by Dee Pad

Epilogue Part 1: Exclusive