//------------------------------// // Sleep, or Something Like It // Story: My Big Batty Not-Wedding // by Wise Cracker //------------------------------// Rumble had gotten used to this hall by now. It was big enough to hold the rousette communities of three cities, and not too long ago it had been where he’d met his lifemate, even. He wasn’t too used to being here this late after dinner time, but he could manage. He was even used to being scrutinised by older rousettes who felt they were somehow above him in rank. He wasn’t used to it feeling so awful, though. Stella and Rumble looked up at the caped rousette on the stage. As was tradition, only a Night Guard Captain who’d undergone the Trials of the Moon could form the bonds of a wedlock. But this dark greyish blue one, incenser Starlight, didn’t seem to like the look of the kids. “So, Gale, Blade, you mean to tell me your son has reached the ripe age of ten without a wedlock? And while having consorted with girls, pony girls, no less?” He scowled at Rumble’s parents. “Well, our son was looking for a very particular kind of girl, which he’s now found,” Blade replied. “And as for the pony girl; he’s explained it to his mate, and she accepted it. So, is that going to be a problem, Captain Starlight?” Starlight scowled. “You know full well it’s a problem, both of you. Your son is impure, his heart corrupted. If he can’t even keep fidelity towards the rules of our kind, who’s to say he won’t break the bonds of wedlock? I can’t just perform the rites for him.” “Star, if you’re implying my son is somehow less reliable because he’s a pegasus...” Gale started. “He broke the rules. Regardless of how he was born, I can’t just ignore that. Our Sovereign would have my head.” “Begging your pardon, sir, but I was under the impression that fidelity was a matter between those wedlocked, not the one performing the rite,” Stella objected, in her usual calm and lady-like fashion. “It’s a little more complicated than that, little girl. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to explain something to the grownups.” “We are grownups, sir,” Rumble said with a distinct edge in his voice. “As soon as a rousette pair declares intent to wedlock, they’re considered of age. That’s what the books say. Those are the rites, those are the rules, that is our way.” Starlight glared at the little colt, then to his parents. “I see you failed to teach him respect for his superiors as well, Blade? Really, I’d think a colleague would know to teach their child some manners.” Blade gritted his teeth. “Watch your tongue, Starlight. My offspring may not have my wings, but you do not get to insult my sons, either one of them. I know my place, and I know how far yours is beneath mine. Now, are you going to let them practise the rites, or do we need to find another minister?” “I agree.” Stella unfurled a wing and pulled Rumble closer. “Given what we’re supposed to be doing, I’m finding a distinct lack of love in the air here.” Starlight crooked an eyebrow at the girl. “I should think so, little girl. I take my job seriously. I’m not about to be responsible for a pair of careless infidels to tie the knot.” “Sorry about the delay, everyone!” Lord Nox called out as he trotted across the hall. “Apparently some buffalo were stampeding into dragon territory.” “They’re not going to start arguing about that again, are they?” Stella slapped herself in an as ladylike manner as she could muster. “Not to worry, dear, I’m sure they’ll be alright. Now then, how’s the practice coming along?” “L-Lord Nox?” Starlight asked. “This girl is-” “His ward,” Stella answered. “I am Lady Stella, sir, of the House Malpertuus, and I have chosen this boy as my lifemate. Now, may we please proceed to the rites?” It was a rare sight to see a highly ranked rousette gulp in fear, especially during peacetime. But Starlight was soundly beaten, and by a little girl, no less. Blade and Gale exchanged a glance. Once Starlight had his back turned to them to fetch the incense, Blade whispered to Lord Nox. “You taught her well, Milord.” Nox chuckled. “You have no idea. I trust Starlight will mind his manners during the ceremony?” “Oh, he will,” Blade replied. “He just has to get his say in. Some silly bats are always trying to ice skate uphill.” “Right then, do you know the vows?” Starlight asked, lighting the censer. Stella nodded, and so did Rumble. The boy’s nose curled from the smell. “Let’s start off slowly, shall we? First you are bathed in the Sage’s Smoke.” Starlight swung the censer in their direction to get waft of aromatic smoke around them. “Then once the smoke envelops you entirely, you close your eyes and clear your mind, same as channeling your magic.” “That won’t be too hard.” Rumble did as he was told. Stella hadn’t let go of him yet, and he couldn’t help but feel comfort in the little throb of the veins on her wing. She was just as nervous as he was. “Then, when the smoke clears, you turn towards each other, lock eyes, and say your vows. Try not to break eye contact while you do. If you break eye contact, you have to start over.” Rumble’s heart skipped a beat when he did just that. He’d been prepped on the specifics many times, of course, and he’d seen the wedlocks of some of his fellow rousettes, when they were seven. Not that he’d made any friends going there, or that it mattered if most rousettes did it in group. He knew the incense was just a standard smudge stick, meant to get rid of bad influences. He knew clearing his mind was just to make sure there wouldn’t be any lingering magic tampering with the vows. He’d done this in front of the mirror the past few days, making sure he’d be able to do it for real. But actually standing there, in front of the girl he’d be tied to for the rest of his life, eyes locked -- so their souls were open only to one another, according to legend -- he felt overwhelmed by it all. Still, he endured. “By my wings, I’ll be your shelter. By my voice, I’ll be your guide. By my will, the world will know, that my soul, to yours is tied.” Stella bit her lip, and almost broke eye contact, but she kept her composure up just enough. “You weren’t kidding when you said he was good,” Lord Nox remarked. “Your boy’s a natural. I can almost smell his magic up to here.” Gale chuckled. “Yes, he is very, um, dedicated, Milord. Especially when it comes to weather control and pegasus magic.” “All the better. A lot of boys can’t hold their focus that well, certainly not on their first try.” “Yeah, our boy’s full of surprises,” Blade added. “No idea where he gets it from.” Stella finished her vows, just as Rumble had. Starlight gave them another swing of the censer and clapped his hooves together. “Very good. Now that that’s done, you can get to the next part of the rite.” Gale and Blade gulped. Rumble had seen this, he knew this by heart, but his parents still weren’t sure he could do it. Truth be told, he was having second thoughts on the matter himself. Starlight grinned. “The traditional pounce. There’s lots of details to get right, so you’re going to have to bring your full attention to it and just keep trying ‘till you get it right.” Lord Nox cleared his throat loudly and held up something he’d stashed away under a table. “Captain Starlight? Here, I brought a helmet.” Blade and Gale quirked their eyebrows. Lord Nox shrugged. “D’oh, what? Just because it’s tradition doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful. I’ve seen boys get some nasty concussions doing this, you know.” Rumble rubbed his bleary eyes as he got off the train. “What time is it?” “It’s almost one in the morning,” Stella replied. “You must be tired, huh?” “A little.” The two went ahead a few paces so the grownups wouldn’t hear. Rumble lowered his voice to a whisper. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? I mean, after all this is done, you and I are gonna be-” “I’m sure. You shouldn’t have to put up with the things that awful Starlight said, not from him, not from anyone.” Rumble smiled. “Thanks.” Stella gave him a gentle nuzzle, raising her voice again. “Any time, little angel, any time.” “Alright, then,” Lord Nox said. “I take it you’ll announce the good news soon?” Rumble was going to answer, but only realised halfway that Nox had asked his parents. Blade nodded. “Oh, yes, we’ll send out the invitations tomorrow, friends and family. They’re all close by, shouldn’t be a problem. And you, Milord?” The burly rousette shrugged and chuckled in his usual hearty tone. “D’oh, plenty of friends, no family. Well, aside from our fair Shadow Sovereign, but I doubt she can make it.” Rumble leaned his head against Stella’s as they walked up front. The pouncing practice had worn him out, apparently. He clenched his eyes shut, then when he opened them they were already in Tuber Lane, right where they had to split up. He turned and nuzzled Stella, just as she had. “Good night.” “Good night, Rumble. Sweet dreams.” Rumble wasn’t sure what happened next. His mom and dad were trying to talk to him, but he didn’t catch any of it. He just yawned and moved along in a daze. Something nudged him from behind, then lifted him up. It was warm and fuzzy, and smelled like his mom. “Come on, little angel, you need a batnap, stat.” Rumble closed his eyes again. Everything felt so cold around him. It wasn’t normal to be so cold and so tired. Being sleepy was supposed to be warm, and soft, and with a good pillow under his head. “Mom, dad? Can I talk to you for a second?” Rumble heard Thunderlane’s voice. He didn’t catch their conversation, but he was awake enough to realise he still had to brush his teeth before bed. Nighted Blade had a knack for smelling the fear in his adversaries. Usually it was a boon, and one that had saved his life as well as that of his fellow Night Guards on many an occasion. Now, though, it alarmed him. “What’s the matter, Thunderlane?” After settling down on the sofa with his father, the stallion nodded towards the stairs. “Is everything on schedule? Rumble’s doing it this Friday?” Blade nodded. “Yes. He’s surprisingly good at it, actually. Never even broke eye contact. Why? You think Stella’s not the right girl for him?” “It’s not that I’m worried about, dad. Are you sending the invitations tomorrow?” Again, Blade nodded. “It’s a little on short notice, sure, but it’ll do. Now what’s the problem, son?” Thunderlane bit his lip. “So Rumble’s going to invite his friends tomorrow, too?” The rousette chuckled. “His friends? What friends? Rumble doesn’t have any friends.” “He doesn’t have any rousette friends, dad, but he does have pony friends.” Nighted Blade could feel the blood drain from his face. “Oh, no.” “Yeah. You see the problem?” “Well, what did Rin have to say about it? Does the mayor know?” “She knows, but it doesn’t matter. The mayor can’t stop any ponies from showing up to the ceremony if they’re invited, and she can’t stop him from doing that, either. But you could.” “Could what?” Strife Gale asked as she joined them. “Honey, is Rumble asleep already?” “Went down like a log.” Gale rolled her eyes. “Why?” “How are we going to keep ponies out of his ceremony?” Thunderlane asked. “Why would there be ponies at his ceremony?” “Because he has pony friends, remember? He’s been socialising since he met Stella. It’s probably the only reason he agreed to it in the first place,” Blade remarked. Thunderlane nodded. “And turns out he’s pretty good at it. At least half his school is gonna show up if he’s allowed to invite them, and they’re gonna bring their parents. So, is he?” Gale sat down with the other two. “Goodness, we can’t just have ponies to a wedlock ceremony, can we? If they found out, they’d think it’s child abuse or something horrible like that.” “That’s what I was thinking,” Thunderlane said. “We can’t stop them from showing up if Rumble decides to invite them.” “So we just have to tell him he can’t ask anypony to come to the wedlock,” Blade concluded. “If we allow ponies at the ceremony, we’d be shamed ‘till the fifth generation. We can’t let them, can we?” Gale shook her head. “I don’t think so, no. My parents wouldn’t approve, neither would yours, and great-uncle Dashing would have a fit. That’s not even mentioning what the ponies might do if they saw it. I mean, they’re a judgmental, panicky bunch of herd animals who only listen to whomever’s shouting loudest or smells nicer. They’d take one look at our customs, then get the torches and pitchforks.” “Especially Ponyville ponies,” Thunderlane added. “They could get the Princesses in on this, force them to ban the whole thing. And it’d be because of our family.” Gale sighed. “So what do we do? Can’t we ask Rin to just try and buffer things a little?” “Rin was the one who told me about it. She can’t intervene, not legally. And the more she talked about it, the more she started thinking Rumble should just let ponies come. I can’t force her.” “Then why don’t we have a separate party for Rumble’s pony friends? They wouldn’t have to see the rite itself, or even know what it’s for,” Gale suggested. Blade grunted. “Then Rumble still has to go his wedlock without his friends to see him. It’s as simple as that.” Thunderlane winced. “I’m sorry, dad.” “Not your fault, son. Should have seen this one coming sooner.” “Are you gonna tell him now?” Blade looked to Gale. Gale shook her head emphatically. “No, sirree, you are not waking that boy up for a shock like this. He won’t catch a wink of sleep if you go up there now.” Blade yawned. “Right then. I think we can all do with some shuteye, I’ll talk to him when he wakes up.” Scootaloo tossed and turned in her bed, before settling down to stare at the ceiling. Sleep wasn’t happening tonight, not with everything going on. Something gnawed at her mind, and knotted up her stomach. She turned again to look at her clock. Two in the morning, and she was wide awake. She heard the front door open and close. Octavia was fast asleep, but aunt Vinyl was just coming back from her gig in Canterlot, hosting some talk show, not Canterlot Radio this time. Mom and dad were out of town again, both called to oversee some potential weather problem or another on Equestria’s border. And Aunt Vinyl could be pretty smart when she wanted to be... Scootaloo sighed. She wasn’t going to get any sleep at this rate, so she might as well. Vinyl yawned and stretched out her arms and legs, before getting the remote in her magical grip. “You should be in bed, kiddo.” Scootaloo wasn’t surprised her aunt had caught her. Vinyl Scratch had a notoriously strong sense of hearing, to the point some ponies in the music scene suspected she was part bat. While Scootaloo couldn’t be sure about that, she did know from experience her family had some changeling heritage running through it, at least. She hovered over the railing of the stairs and gently landed on the sofa where the unicorn had taken a seat. “Is it okay if I just sit here for a little while?” Vinyl took off her sunglasses and lowered the television’s volume. “Sure. What’s on your mind?” Scootaloo shrugged and folded her arms so her hooves would be under her belly. “Nothing. I just couldn’t sleep.” “If nothin’ was keeping you up, you’d be in bed by now, squirt. So what’s keeping you up?” Scootaloo bit her lip. “I’ve been thinking about, you know, what’s happened with me. And with Rumble, and all the rousettes.” “What about it?” “Are rousettes ponies?” Vinyl Scratch shrugged. “I dunno. You’d know better than me. Or they would.” “They say they’re not.” “That just means they don’t wanna be ponies. Do they act like ponies?” Scootaloo shook her head. “Not really. They don’t join in on pony holidays, or mix with ponies, they’ve got traditions that ponies don’t have, and they’re really attached to them. They don’t do things the same way we do, and they don’t want us to call them ponies.” “Then it sounds like they’re not ponies, Scootaloo.” “But then what does that make me?” Vinyl tensed up. She knew a bombshell question when she heard it. She muted the television and looked her little niece in the eyes. “What do you mean?” “Well, like, I change shape, right? Ponies don’t do that. And I lie and pretend so I can hang out with Rumble.” The unicorn nodded. “Because of that thing with his brother.” “Yeah, that. Ponies don’t do stuff like that, but I do, so I’m not a pony.” “Maybe not, but you hang out with ponies. You still follow pony rules, so you’re a pony,” Vinyl argued. “Except I’m not a pony anymore. I have changeling magic, but that doesn’t make me a changeling because I still follow pony traditions? If I’m a pony, then why do I have to drain someone to stop from getting sick?” Vinyl sighed. “Is this about you having to stay in Ponyville again?” “No, no! Of course not; I know mom and dad have to do important stuff, I get it. I know they can’t be around all the time, even if I can fly.” “And you know they love you.” “Well, duh; I feed off that. I’m more sure of that than any kid in Equestria.” The unicorn ruffled the filly’s mane. Scootaloo sniffled ever so quietly. “But… like, rousettes used to be ponies, and now they’re not, or they say they’re not. But they know what they are. I don’t. I can be a boy if I want to, or a girl. I can be an Earth pony, or a unicorn, or even a rousette. I can change everything about me, and ponies can’t do that, so I’m definitely not a pony. But I’m friends with ponies, I love doing pony stuff, and I don’t even know what changelings are supposed to do, so I’m not a changeling, either. What am I?” Vinyl shuffled closer and rubbed the girl’s back to comfort her. “Oh, you are waaaay too young to be worrying about this kind of heavy stuff, Scootaloo. You’re talking about some high-falutin college stuff now, not something you’re gonna learn in school next week. But I think I see what the issue is here. You think you’re just one thing or another.” “What?” The unicorn smiled. “Let me ask you something, kid: when you ride your scooter, all fearless and speedy, who do you think you take after, your mom or your dad?” Scootaloo shrugged. “Umm, dad, obviously. He turns everything into a race.” “Okay. What about when you dance in front of the mirror in your tights?” “You’ve seen that?!” Vinyl chuckled. “Same question, squirt: who else does that, your mom or your dad?” “I don’t know. I guess mom, sometimes. She does like wearing tights. And so do I.” The girl blushed. “Good answer. And how about you being so clean around here? Why do you do that?” This was a silly question. “Because Octavia likes it clean.” “Just for her? And you don’t like things clean?” “Sure I do. Can’t have fun in a big mess. You gotta be able to find your stuff when you’re done.” “Exactly. So Octavia’s rubbed off on you too, then.” “Maybe a little, sure.” Vinyl gave Scootaloo another warm rub. “And your taste in music? Which fine, awesome musical genius is responsible for teaching you to appreciate a good tune, huh?” Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “Umm, sorry, but that’s you and Octavia and mom and dad.” “Very good answer. So really, what you’re saying is you take after your parents and me and Octy, at least a little.” Scootaloo weighed it in her mind. “Umm, I guess?” “So you’ve got a little bit of two pegasi in you, and a little bit of an Earth pony, and a little bit of a unicorn, don’t you?” Scootaloo pondered that for a moment. “Hey you’re right. I do, sort of.” Vinyl nodded. “And what about your friends? The way I remember it, there was a time you couldn’t even read a line on a stage, let alone sing. Who gave you the guts to do that, huh?” “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.” Scootaloo shuddered. “But that’s different, I just didn’t want to get outdone. And Rainbow Dash doesn’t get stage fright, either, so-” “No, that’s not different. They taught you to be something you weren’t, to be like them, just a little bit.“ “So what you’re saying is: nothing I am is really me?” Vinyl rolled her eyes. “I’m saying, squirt, that every pony changes a little when they hang around another pony. Your teacher, your friends, your family, Rainbow Dash, Octy, and me, we all rub off on you, whether you know it or not. And what you are is all the bits of us that you decide you wanna hold onto. Do you understand that?” “A little. But how does that help me? That just makes it more confusing!” Vinyl smiled. “You are a pony, Scootaloo. You’ve got little bits of me, Octy, your mom and dad, your teacher, your friends, all of those ponies that you let in and learn from. And you are a changeling, and a good one, because you’re using your changeling powers for all the right things. Plus, now that you’re hanging out with rousettes, you’ve probably got a little piece of them, too. Bet they made an impression on you today, huh?” “You have no idea.” Scootaloo groaned. The unicorn chuckled. “The point is, ponies who care about you, who want what’s best for you, will rub off on you. When you get inspired, or encouraged, or taught something new, that’s them sharing a bit of themselves so you’d be better off. Most of the time you won’t notice. But you know the best part?” “What?” “When you do your best to help your friends, or inspire an audience, you rub off on them, too. That’s what I try to do, at least. Me, I play records to cheer up anypony on a night shift, and I talk about stuff thinking it might help somepony feel better. I throw out a little bit of myself every night for anypony listening, and that’s all I gotta do. Other ponies just have to decide if they want a piece of me or not. The same thing happens with everypony, including you. If you think the world needs more of you, all you gotta do is give it. The world’ll decide if it wants it.” “So I’m not just a pony, I’m lots of ponies? And lots of ponies are a little bit of me?” “A little bit. Although I guess in your case, you being lots of ponies is a bit more literal.” Scootaloo chuckled and lay her head on Vinyl’s lap. “What about the rousettes? They don’t hang out with ponies, they don’t join in with us. No pony’s rubbed off on them.” “They don’t want a piece of ponies, I guess. Maybe they just don’t know what they’re missing. Somepony should show’em sometime.” Scootaloo’s mouth curled up in a smile. Everything felt heavy all of a sudden. Something warm and fuzzy landed on her back, and Vinyl made sure the blanket covered her properly without squishing her wings. “And then there’s Rumble, of course.” Scootaloo’s stomach groaned at that. Vinyl chuckled. “Are you sure you’re okay with this whole Stella business?” Scootaloo shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if I am. Rumble has to go through with it, I just have to put up with it.” Vinyl sighed and rubbed over her little niece’s back some more. “Just remember that if it ever goes too far, he has rights nopony can take away from him, same as you.” “I know. It’s just complicated.” Vinyl groaned. “Tradition usually is.” “I’m sure things’ll be better once that dumb wedlock is done. After that, Rumble’ll be allowed to pick who he hangs out with, even if it is a pegasus pony.” “And Stella?” Scootaloo winced. “As long as she says she’s okay with it, Rumble can do what he wants. Simple as that.” “If you say so.” The girl let out a weary sigh. “Aunt Vinyl?” “Yeah?”  “Is it okay if I just close my eyes like this?” “Of course, kiddo, you just go ahead and nod off. I’ll put you to bed nice and gently, you won’t even notice I’m carrying you.” “Hmm, your legs are really comfy…” the filly rubbed her cheeks against that white fur. “Aunt Vinyl?” “Yeah?” “Thanks for the talk. I think I needed that.” Scootaloo’s voice grew slurred as she got comfy. “Anytime, kid. Anytime.” “How’d you get so smart, anyway?” “Same as anyone else: I made friends with ponies who are smarter than me.” She chuckled and rubbed the blanket against the girl’s back. The filly went out like a candle, snoring peacefully. “Good night, Scootaloo.” Nighted Blade got up and stretched out his legs. He gave his wings a cursory flap as his darling wife got out of bed. “You going to have the talk with him now, Blade?” “Might as well. It is Twilight Time, after all.” Blade walked out towards his son’s bedroom. Every rousette knew the tradition of Twilight Time: it was the early hours of the morning before a child was out of bed, and a parent who was up and about could sit with them to talk. The subject was usually something embarrassing for the child, and, as tradition dictated, as soon as the child got out of the bed there would be no mention of whatever had been spoken of during the day, unless it was an emergency. Blade had had a lot of talks like this with Thunderlane, but never with Rumble. Blade had never really had anything to talk about with Rumble. Thunderlane had been an absolute dream child all the way to adulthood, and the boy had known since he was little he wanted to be a Wonderbolt. Of course, while most rousettes would have preferred a more low-key lifestyle, or at least something that involved performing for fellow rousettes only, becoming a Wonderbolt was a fine ambition to have, almost as good as a Night Guard. Almost. Rumble, despite his drive for improving his flying and weather control skills, didn’t seem to have much in the way of ambitions, and it bothered Blade, not to mention Gale. Still, like any good rousette father, Blade supported his son in any endeavour, and had made every effort to ensure Rumble had plenty of opportunity to find his true calling, and be surrounded by well-mannered, proper rousettes to call his friends. More to the point, Blade and Gale had made sure that Rumble had a fine example to follow in Thunderlane, and that their boys could spend as much time together as Rumble needed to become a fine young stallion like his brother. Not that that had worked at all, but at least they tried. Blade knocked on Rumble’s bedroom door. When no answer came, he entered. Rumble was still in bed, so tradition said the talk was a go. “Rumble, are you awake?” The boy stirred under the sheets. He had his back to Blade, but that was no surprise. Being around rousettes who judged him the way they did, combined with the embarrassing feathery predicament of his wings, it was less painful to just try and ignore the fact that he wasn’t like his parents. Turning his back on them was a mere reflex action, and nothing personal. His brother had been just like that when he was younger. Of course, Thunderlane had grown out of that habit around the time he got wedlocked. As he sat down, Blade hoped his youngest son would do the same soon. “Rumble, I think we need to have a talk.” “I’m listening.” Blade sighed. “Look, son, I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, and that it’s been rough on you, having to live around ponies when you’re really a rousette.” Rumble curled up tighter under the covers. “Actually, scratch that. I know it’s hard, having to hide your family from everyone you know, and having to stay away from ponies because of our traditions. Especially going to school with them.” “That’s a pretty hard trick,” Rumble muttered under his breath. Blade nodded. “I know. But, now that you’re going to be wedlocked, everything will be fine. The other rousettes won’t avoid you anymore, or look at you weird. You’ve just gotta try your hardest and they’ll accept you, like they accepted your brother. Stella’s a fine match for you, you just need to present yourself as being worthy of her respect, and then everyone will see you’re worthy of respect, period. I know you can do that.” “I think I can do that.” “Good.” Blade gulped. “Then there’s just one more thing. When you go to school, don’t tell anyone you’re getting wedlocked, okay? It’s between you and the other rousettes, you don’t need to have your friends there.” Silence fell. Blade bit his lip. “Oh, stars, what am I saying? Of course you need your friends there. I-I… I don’t know what to do here, son. If you bring ponies to a wedlock, they might get upset and demand the entire tradition be banned. They’ll find out you’re a pegasus pony in a rousette family, and they might even try to take you away from us. We do not mix with ponies, son, we just don’t. They’re too different from us. We can live side by side, but not together. We never could. So… if you could let this pass without bringing any of them, that’d save everyone a lot of trouble.” Rumble shivered under his sheets. He still wouldn’t face his father. Blade shook his head. “But if you don’t, then you have to go to the most important day of your life all alone, and you don’t deserve that. You didn’t do anything wrong, you shouldn’t have to choose, I know. But, Rumble, if you go through with it, you’ll bring shame on our family. You know rousettes are too damn proud for their own good, and it’s gonna come back to bite us in the rump one of these days.” He rubbed his temples. Blade looked at his son’s prone form. He could only guess what Rumble was thinking, or how angry or disappointed the boy’s face might look. “It’s already biting us in the rump, I suppose. Heh, a Captain in the Night Guard can’t even let his son invite some friends over on his big day. It’s not right. But that’s how it is.” “I understand,” Rumble whispered. “Look, I’ll tell you what: you go to the wedlock, no ponies invited. You put up with the stares, the comments, whatever, one last time. After that, you can have a party in Sugarcube Corner, in broad daylight, any pony you wanna invite is welcome.” Blade sighed to catch his breath. “And then that’ll be the end of it. You won’t have to pretend to enjoy yourself when we drag you off to another bat meeting, you won’t have to worry about any matchmaking anymore, you and Stella can just be together however you like. No more forcing you to be something you’re not. As long as you stay in touch with Stella, we’ll know you’re okay. We’ll know you’re safe.” “I don’t know.” Blade suppressed a sad growl. “Please, son. I’m not gonna lie: we’d lose face if you got ponies to the ceremony. But your mom and I, we’re Night Guards, we’re both Captains, and we’re both up high enough on the ladder that we can take it. We’re known, and respected. You’re not. I don’t want to see you get hurt, or to have to watch you carry that kind of burden all your life. I don’t want to lose you, okay?” “Okay. I think I’ve got it.” “Good. Now come on, time to get up.” “Alright, Rainbow Dash, here goes.” Blade’s ears twitched. “What?” Rumble’s body twitched under the covers. He made a motion like he was trying to flap his wings, then kicked his legs like he was running. Nighted Blade had seen a lot of disturbing things in his day. He’d been on expeditions beyond Equestria’s borders, where threats stopped being ‘creatures’ and started being ‘things’. He’d earned his medals facing predators that fed in ways that couldn’t be described without a degree in psychology or physics or, in some profoundly unsettling cases, both. He was Captain in the Night Guard and, while that was a relatively common position, he happened to be one in the royal black ops branch, the mere membership to which came with bragging rights usually reserved to demon hunters in other nations, along with a very generous life insurance. Blade was not, by any stretch of the imagination, easily spooked. But seeing his son like that, and seeing his alarm clock, that sent a chill down his spine. It was four in the morning. Rumble was just talking in his sleep. He didn’t wake up at this time of night, not like other rousettes did. The thought got stuck in Blade’s mind. All this talk of wedlock and rousette traditions had made him forget that Rumble was, despite everything, a pegasus pony and not a rousette. The only reason Blade could talk with his other son like this was because Thunderlane had learned to get by with strange sleeping habits. Thunderlane had been the perfect son, after all, a rousette with feathers. Rumble was a pegasus in a rousette family. The silly little thing hadn’t heard a word Blade had said. The rousette let out a deep and dejected sigh. He should have noticed. The great Captain of the Night Guard, always alert, couldn’t even tell when his own son was awake. “Some Captain.” “Dad?” Blade looked up. “Rumble?” Rumble sat up and rubbed his bleary eyes. “What are you doing?” “Oh, nothing, I just…” “You… wanted to talk?” Rumble looked out the window. Sure enough, his neighbours were up, getting a nightly snack or something or other. He could tell by the lights in the distance, and the odd dark form flittering about in the treeline. The sound of cellos and violins filtered through the treeline, as well. Blade looked at the ground. “Sort of.” “Well, what did you wanna say?” Blade was about to say something, but it got stuck halfway his throat. “Never mind. It’s not important enough to lose sleep over. You just rest up. Me and your mom will be downstairs for a bit, we’ll try to keep quiet for you.” Rumble got back under the covers. “Umm, okay. Good night.” “Good night.” Blade closed the door and shook his head. “Love you, son,” he whispered. The next morning, Rumble had forgotten all about the nighttime talk, it seemed, which was good, because Nighted Blade hated putting his hoof in his mouth like that. Unfortunately, that meant the matter of inviting ponies to the wedlock was still under question. Rumble chewed on his breakfast of crumbled wheat mix and sliced banana with milk while Blade braced himself. Gale took the initiative when no words came. “Honey, there’s something we need to talk about.” Rumble swallowed. “What?” Gale and Blade exchanged a glance. Since Blade hadn’t managed to do it, it was only fair Gale took over. “It’s about your wedlock, Rumble. Were you planning to invite anyone?” Rumble shrugged. “Well, yeah. It is a pretty big deal, right?” Gale nodded. “But it wouldn’t be too many invites, right?” “Actually, me and Stella were planning to invite everypony in my class. And I guess they’d bring their parents, too.” Gale felt the blood drain from her face. “R-really? But… come now, you’re not really friends with all the ponies in your class, are you?” “No, I don’t know them that well, because I wasn’t allowed to consort with girls, and rousettes don’t really like ponies that much. But I’m still friend-ly, and now that Stella’s here they are friends. Why, what’s wrong? Is the hall gonna be too small?” Gale looked to her husband, but he held up a hoof to tell her she was free to do this on her own. Gale sighed. “It’s not that, Rumble. It’s just that we’re not sure if it’s a good idea to invite ponies to a rousette ceremony.” Rumble’s ears fell flat against his face, and his mouth curled up in that heartbreaking pout that Gale and Blade had learned to avoid at all costs. While he was a rule-breaker and a bit of a rebel, Rumble had never been manipulative with his parents. He’d never tried a fake pout or sob to get what he wanted, which made it all the more painful when he showed sincere sadness. The two Night Guards had a better defense against a cockatrice’s glare than their son’s puppy dog eyes. “Why?” he asked. They could practically hear his heart breaking as, once again, him being a pony was somehow a bad thing. Gale sighed again and shook her head. “Try to understand, Rumble, ponies aren’t like us. We have our ways, they have theirs. They don’t follow the same rules we do, they live differently. And if they saw how we lived, well, they’d want us to stop living the way we do.” Rumble let his head hang. “It’s not that we don’t like them, it’s just that we don’t mix with them for a good reason. We all know who we are and what we have to do because of our traditions, and ponies aren’t a part of that tradition.” “So even if I get wedlocked, I still wouldn’t be okay?” Gale groaned. “No, sweetie, that’s different. You were born a rousette, that’s what you are, doesn’t matter if you have feathers. But we can’t let ponies into our ceremonies. It’d bring shame on the family.” Rumble took another bite. “So it’s not just tradition, it’s because of our family? They wouldn’t want me to bring ponies?” Gale sighed. “None of the rousettes would want to be around ponies, Rumble. You’ve been around ponies, you know how they can get. But that doesn’t mean we don’t like your friends. We know we can trust your judgment, at least, you deserve that much. We just can’t afford to have our kind mix with ponies, not on that kind of scale. We can organise a party for you at Sugarcube Corner, though, have all the ponies you want there. Say it’s a welcome party for Stella, no one would have to know.” That sent Rumble’s ears in a twitch. “Well, what about Stella, then?” Blade finally spoke up. “Excuse me?” Rumble carefully chewed and swallowed another spoonful of his fruit and cereal before speaking. “Stella’s made friends with ponies, too. Actually, come to think of it, doesn’t Lord Nox consort with other species all the time?” Gale rolled her eyes. “Well, yes, but that’s different; Lord Nox is an ambassador, and a noble. Sure, we’re highly ranked, but that’s nothing compared to him. The rules don’t apply to him like they do to us. If anyone in his family decided to bring their friends along, he could do it without any-” She froze. Blade looked to his suddenly flummoxed wife. “Honey? What’s wrong?” “Oh, gosh, Blade, I don’t think we thought this through. Our family’s in the Night Guard; it’s in our nature to work in secret. Tradition demands we keep to ourselves. But Lord Nox is a noble, and so is Stella. And we can’t go against the will of a noble, now, can we?” The pieces finally fell into place. Blade hummed to himself. “Gosh, I suppose you’re right. Well, that settles it, then: Rumble, you are strictly forbidden from inviting any ponies to your wedlock. You’ll just have to make do with any ponies Stella is allowed to invite.” Rumble finished his milk, wiped his chin, then flashed them a bright smile. “I think I can handle that.” Gale looked to the clock. “Best get going, then, you wouldn’t want to be late for school.” Rumble grabbed his bag and rushed out. “Okay, see you later, love you!” Gale chuckled. “Love you too, son.” The front door opened and closed. Blade heaved a heavy sigh. “The ponies are still going to cause trouble, though.” “Maybe. But even if they do, this is a pony town, and they have the right to argue.” “Do they have a right to tell us how to raise a child, though?” Gale shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’m sure Nectarine will have a good explanation ready to calm everypony down, if she needs to. Besides, it’s not like they’re going to find out about our son’s heritage, right? As far as they know, we’re just two pegasi who aren’t in town very often.” Blade caught the hint of an edge in her voice. He grabbed her in a warm hug and rubbed her back. “We’re doing the right thing, Gale, you know that.” Gale nodded. “I know. Everything will be better for him soon.”