Halfling
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 4: Learning From Experience

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Winter Maple threw the front door open, letting the rays of the morning sun bathe her. She extended her white wings, stretching her muscles after a wonderful night's sleep. She gazed up into the sky, shielding her amber eyes from the intense, yet soothing, sunlight, smiling enthusiastically.

It had been a while since she'd been in such a good mood. All the stress over the baby had gotten the better of her as of late, and even though most of her questions regarding it had yet to be answered, for some reason her mind was pretty clear this morning. Her appointment at the hospital wasn't for a few days, but it was as if she had somehow managed to convince herself that everything was going to turn out just fine. She just couldn't explain it, but she certainly wasn't complaining. Even just one day without worrying herself silly over this was more than welcome. She was ready for a rigorous day at work.

Winter pranced happily toward the center of town, where she knew Rainbow Dash was going to be as she prepared for the day ahead. The sky was pretty clear already, but there was always work for the Ponyville Weather Team. Sure enough, the cyan pegasus was flapping about above the town fountain, scoping out the skies above town.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash!" Winter beckoned with a hearty wave. She flapped her wings, finding some slight difficulty in getting off the ground to go and meet up with her rainbow-maned supervisor.

Rainbow Dash saw the ivory pegasus lift off and immediately zipped down in a hurry before Winter could get more than a few feet up. "Whoa, whoa! What're you doing?"

Winter halted her flight, staring at Dash in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm getting ready for work."

"Oh no you don't," Rainbow Dash ordered, carefully guiding the other pegasus back to the ground. "Rarity told me what's up. You're pregnant."

Word had certainly spread fast, Winter thought. "Yeah, so what's that got to do with—"

"Are you kidding? You can't be working this job while you're pregnant. It's too dangerous. We, as full grown pegasi, can take a few zaps from a storm cloud, but that foal in your belly definitely can't. And what if something happened to you while you were flying? That's a pretty long drop from up there, and I saw how you struggled just to get off the ground."

Winter's eyes widened. How had that not occurred to her until now? She was well aware that she had been a little lacking in her workload lately, but she had simply believed that the extra weight was slowing her down. This entire time she had unknowingly been putting her unborn child's very life in jeopardy.

"To be honest, I'm pretty ticked off that you didn't tell me. I'm not going to be the one held responsible if a stray bolt hits you and scrambles your kid."

The mental image was certainly not appreciated, but Rainbow Dash definitely had a point. "So what do I do? How am I supposed to work if I can't... work?"

Dash shrugged, but wore a slight grin. "Simple: you don't. Starting right now, you're on maternity leave. No ifs, ands, or buts. And don't worry about it, you're job'll still be here when you're ready to come back. Oh, and word of advice: you might wanna stay grounded during the pregnancy. Don't take any chances."

"You seem pretty knowledgeable about this despite not being a parent yourself," Winter joked.

"Just one of my duties as weather manager." She brushed a hoof through her mane with a proud smirk. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm pretty good at my job. Now, go on home. We'll try and handle things without you. Oh, and congrats."

With that, the cyan pegasus took off once more to return to work. Winter, now left alone, stood around for a minute before she realized that she now had nowhere to be. So she figured she may as well just listen to Rainbow Dash and head home, and that's what she did.

It was kind of a weird thought. The entire reason she moved to Ponyville in the first place was this job, but now she couldn't work at all. For the remainder of her pregnancy, and even a little thereafter, she'd basically just be a stay-at-home mom. It wasn't a position she'd ever pictured herself in, but here she was. She laughed to herself quietly, wondering how the hay she was going to occupy herself for the next several months.

When she made it home, Winter immediately bumped into Shade as she opened the front door.

Shade gave her a puzzled look. "Winter? What're you doing here? I thought you left for work."

"I did. Turns out I can't do my job while I'm pregnant; it's too dangerous for the foal. So I'm on maternity leave."

"It just means that I'm off work until I have the baby, maybe even a little after. So I guess we're going to have to scrape by on your paycheck for a while."

Winter giggled, giving Shade a quick peck on the cheek as she stepped into the house. "Nah, we'll be fine." She took notice of how Shade seemed to be preparing to leave, hence why she had coincidentally bumped into him as she arrived. "You going somewhere?"

Shade, seeing as how this sounded important, shut the door. Considering how their discussions as of late tended to revolve around one particular subject, he was understandably concerned. "What's on your mind?"

Winter could see the compassion in his eyes and gave him a smile to alleviate his worries. "It's nothing serious. I've just been thinking that it's about time we tell my parents about the baby. It is their grandchild after all."

"Yeah, so I was thinking we could invite them here for dinner sometime within the next few days, preferably after my appointment at the hospital, and give them the good news." It was now that she noticed the involuntary grimace on Shade's fanged lips, and Winter let out a sigh. "Don't give me that look, Shade. They're my parents; we have to tell them."

The pegasus gave the reluctant changeling a corrective scowl. "You are not wriggling your way out of this. If I'm going to tell my parents that I'm having a baby, you are going to be there with me."

Shade gestured with his hoof for her to calm down. "Alright, alright, I get it."

Winter placed a hoof sympathetically on his shoulder. "Trust me, you're not the only one who gets a little stressed out when you know they're coming. Just try to enjoy yourself."

"Easier said than done," Shade grumbled. He turned back toward the door. "I'm going to head out now."

"Sure. But don't be gone too long. I'm going to need company now that I have nothing to do with my time."

The changeling gave her a nod before stepping outside, leaving Winter by herself. And without Shade around anymore, she stood in the middle of the house, glancing around as she tried to think. Sure, she'd had free time even while she still had her job, but for some reason, now that she didn't, it suddenly seemed like it was much more difficult to find something to do. She shrugged to herself, figuring now was as good a time as ever to write that invitation to her parents. She went to the kitchen, riffling through a drawer of odds and ends until she found some paper, an envelope, and a pencil, then sat at the kitchen table to begin writing.

She certainly understood why Shade was so reluctant to see her parents. Over the past year, they'd received a few visits from them, but they were rarely pleasant for Shade. Her mother, Autumn Maple, wasn't an issue. She was friendly, enthusiastic, and, perhaps most of all, very accepting of the fact that Shade was a changeling. In a lot of ways, she and Winter were pretty alike; they even looked similar.

The real problem was Winter's father, Nimbus. When Shade had first met him—even before he met him, as Winter had told Shade about him—Nimbus was rather elitist and was against the idea of his daughter dating somepony who was not a pegasus, let alone a changeling. He had gotten better about that with subsequent visits, or at the very least had been keeping his comments to himself, but it was still pretty evident that he was not entirely accepting of the fact that his daughter was dating a changeling. Both Shade and Winter could only imagine how he'd react to hearing that they were having a baby.

Winter finished up the letter, folding it up and slipping it into an envelope. All that she had to do now was bring it down to the post office and mail it.

But the moment she opened the front door to head out, she once again found herself bumping into somepony on the other side. This time, however, it was not Shade, but by some inexplicable coincidence, Ponyville's resident mailmare: a grey-coated, blonde-maned, wall-eyed pegasus wearing her beige, post office uniform and a big, friendly grin.

"This is actually good timing. Like, ridiculously good timing. I was just about to head down to the post office to mail this letter," Winter informed, holding up the envelope.

Winter considered that for a moment before shaking her head. "Nah, I'll just bring it myself. I have time to kill." She tilted her head at the other pegasus, suddenly realizing something. "Oh, wait, did you come over for something?"

"Oh, right!" Derpy, finally remembering why she came by, removed an envelope of her own from her mailbag, passing it to Winter. "This letter got mixed up at the post office. I was supposed to deliver it this morning. Sorry about that," she apologized with an embarrassed grin.

Winter waved off the error. "Don't worry about it. No biggie." She then actually looked at from whom the letter was sent. "Wait a minute, this is from the hospital."

"The hospital? Oh, that's right! I heard through the grapevine that you were pregnant! Congratulations!" Derpy said as Winter tore the envelope open. But realizing that the letter could be something serious, her tone turned more concerned. "Th-There's no problem, is there?"

Winter quickly scanned the letter before returning it to the envelope and dropping it on the side table beside the door with a sigh. "No, they're just letting me know they had to push back my appointment. Shade and I have had some... concerns about the baby," she explained.

"Mind if I come with?" Derpy asked. "I gotta head back and get ready to clock out."

For the first several minutes, the pair of pegasi walked in relative silence, with the only sound between them being Derpy's happy humming. The two of them weren't exactly strangers, but they weren't too well acquainted either. There have been specific circumstances that had brought the two of them together in the past, but nothing that really caused them to become close.

However, now that Winter was looking at the carefree, grinning face of the bubbly mare, a thought occurred to her.

"Well, until now the only advice I've asked for about being a mom has been from Rarity or Twilight. I haven't actually sought advice from another mother."

Winter held up her sealed letter. "That's what this is for. I'm inviting my parents over to tell them the big news. But that's still a few days away yet, and now that my appointment's been delayed, I'm getting kinda desperate for reassurance."

At this point, they had made it to the post office and stopped at the entrance. Winter looked to Derpy, the desperation she mentioned visually evident.

"What's it like?" Derpy's one off-center eye managed to straighten out, her face exuding compassion and sympathy. "Well, it's not easy, I'll say that much. There's gonna be sleepless nights, big messes, and the fear that anything could go wrong at any moment. It can be pretty overwhelming to suddenly become responsible for another pony's life."

Winter's ears folded back. That wasn't exactly the reassurance she was hoping for.

However, Derpy's mouth curled up into a soft, fond smile. "That being said, I can't imagine my life without my little muffin. Being a mom may be hard, but it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. All of the stress, all of the worry, and all of the doubt might take its toll on you, but it's all worth it just to see your baby smile. Those are the moments where you'll realize that being a mom is the best thing you'll ever do with your life."

Hearing that, Winter managed to smile again. Although she wasn't looking forward to all of the hardships she was going to have to deal with, it was still comforting to hear regardless. "Thanks, Derpy. I needed to hear that. Hopefully I can manage it."

Derpy's eyes returned to their usual state of unfocus. "No problem. And you'll be fine. If a klutz like me can be a successful, single mom, then you and Shade shouldn't have any real issues as long as you work together."

"Maybe you're right," Winter giggled. "I'm probably worried over nothing. Anyway, I should probably get a stamp for this letter."

Derpy took the letter from Winter's hoof. "Let me handle that. It's my job after all." Derpy went to go inside the post office, but turned around to look at Winter one last time. "And if you need any more tips on being a mom, I'm always willing to share my wisdom. I'm not good at a lot of things, but I'm proud to call myself a good mom," she laughed.

Shade let out a yawn, providing some noise in the otherwise silent household. But while the house was devoid of sound for the most part, it was not devoid of smell. The kitchen was thick with the smell of batter and fresh fruit and berries. Shade was busy fixing up a nice brunch for not only himself and Winter, but also her parents, who were expected to arrive pretty soon.

Winter could never decide what she wanted to make for her parents whenever they came to visit—or rather, could never decide what she wanted Shade to make; she didn't want her mom and dad to show up to a sub-par meal, so she thought it best that the better cook should handle it. But given her recent cravings for sweet treats over the past few months, she settled on a nice helping of pancakes, smothered in maple syrup and whipped cream, and topped with strawberries and blueberries. Not exactly a traditional or fancy meal, but Shade certainly knew how to make a mean short stack.

The pegasus herself was busy getting cleaned up upstairs. Combing her mane, preening her feathers, and making sure her coat was kempt and free of knots. It was always a habit for her to make sure she was presentable for her parents, especially her dad. He was a difficult man to impress, but she liked to try her darnedest.

Satisfied that she looked alright, Winter left the bathroom and approached the vanity in their bedroom. She gave herself one last once over in the vanity mirror now that she had the natural light shining through the bedroom window, but her true purpose at the vanity was a small, black case tucked away in one of the drawers.

Winter removed the case gently, an involuntary smile spreading across her lips. She unclasped the gold latch and flipped open the velvet case. Inside, the sunlight sparkling off of its pristine surface, was a diamond necklace cut in the shape of a snowflake with asymmetrical halves. Winter held it up, letting it dangle from her hoof, and watched the snowflake slowly rotate at the end of its silver chain. She couldn't help but feel her heart fill with emotion every time she looked at it.

It was the necklace Shade had given her the first time he told her he loved her. Like most couples, it was a very important moment in their relationship. However, it perhaps meant even more in their case. Until then, changelings—Shade included—weren't even sure if they were capable of falling in love. He very well may have been the first changeling in history to ever say "I love you" and genuinely mean it.

But it wasn't just that. She knew its asymmetrical shape was symbolic. His words explaining it stuck in her mind ever since that day: "How two beings that have no right being together can live in perfect harmony." This necklace did more than just remind her how much they loved one another, but also represented the hurdles they'd overcome in pursuit of their relationship and even gave her hope that, some day, Shade wouldn't be the only changeling to achieve that level of happiness.

Winter felt a little guilty. Although she had worn it everyday since he'd given it to her, that was only the case until recently. For the past several months she'd decided it best to not wear it everywhere she went. Sure, it was extremely important to her, but it was because it was important to her that she'd stopped wearing it. She had lost it once when she went to find Shade in the Changeling Kingdom, she didn't want to lose it again. It meant too much to her to risk losing it again, so she simply opted to keep it safe in its case at home. However, she still liked to bring it out for special occasions, hence why she was admiring it now.

Winter slipped the necklace around her neck, letting its diamond body rest against her chest. She let out a wistful sigh, missing the feeling of it against her coat. If there was any consolation to not wearing it regularly anymore, it was that she could enjoy it so much more when she finally did. Just putting it on brought her back to that fateful moment in their relationship. It was funny to think back on it now, remembering that she didn't even know Shade was a changeling at the time.

Pleased with how she looked, Winter went downstairs to join Shade. She could have made it down blindfolded thanks to the sweet smell of pancakes and syrup guiding her by the nose. It was all she could do to stop herself from devouring them now, her temptations difficult to resist thanks to her growing "passenger." She stood at the threshold to the kitchen, grinning and grabbing Shade's attention.

"How do I look?" the pegasus asked, tossing her mane and posing in an attempt to look elegant and sophisticated.

Rather than comment on her perfect mane or shiny coat, Shade's eyes immediately fell upon the jewel around her neck and smiled fondly. "You got the necklace out, huh?"

"Well, it's a special occasion. It's not everyday you get to surprise your parents with a grandchild." Having said that, the grin faded from Winter's mouth, a small sigh taking its place. "Still, I wish the timing could've been better. It kinda sucks that my appointment got rescheduled for the same day my parents are showing up."

Winter shook her head in resignation. "We're just gonna have to do both. I don't have to be at the hospital until later, so we can have dinner with Mom and Dad, give them the big news, and then I'll go to my appointment."

"It's not that easy. Besides, do you want to wait even longer to get some answers?"

Shade grimaced at the thought. As far as he was concerned, they've been left to wonder about it long enough. "Fair point. But what about this dinner? Couldn't you just ask your parents to come another day? I mean, it's not like you're gonna have the baby anytime soon, right?"

"That would require me to write another letter to them. And considering they're already on their way right now, that'd be pretty pointless. And I'm not gonna just tell 'em to go back home when they came all the way out here. Plus, I want this to be a surprise for them. They might get suspicious if I just send them home."

"Not to mention all of these pancakes would go to waste," Shade joked, pointing to the two dozen or so pancakes being kept warm in the oven.

"Trust me, they would not go to waste," Winter said with a somewhat embarrassed chuckle, her statement punctuated by a growl from her hungry tummy. "But maybe this is actually good timing."

"It's just as well that my parents find out what's up with our baby when we do. Otherwise we'd have to break the potentially bad news to them over another dinner. That could be kind of uncomfortable."

Shade shrugged indifferently. As cozy as he'd gotten living amongst ponies, he still hadn't gotten a firm grasp on the more social aspects of pony life. Sometimes the choices that they made puzzled him when it came to dealing with situations regarding other people. Shade was more of an individual who would speak his mind in those types of scenarios, questioning the methods and reasons that other people used when he figured a direct approach would suffice. The only pony he really used any sort of tact with was Winter, for obvious reasons. That being the case, he typically trusted Winter's judgment when it came to this stuff, so if she thought this course of action was preferable, he was willing to go along with it.

Winter sighed with a hopeful smile. "I really hope so. It'd be really disheartening if my parents weren't excited about the prospect of being grandparents. At first, I thought they might lecture me about this and call me irresponsible. But I'm an adult, dang it," she exclaimed with a firm stomp of her hoof. "I'm perfectly capable of dealing with whatever problems life throws at me. And I'm sure they'll see that when they get here." Winter suddenly began fidgeting uncomfortably. "Speaking of which, I gotta use the bathroom. Be right back!" With that, she scurried off up the stairs.

While Winter was busy with that, Shade turned his attention back to their brunch. Everything seemed to be in order. There were certainly enough pancakes for four people and then some. All that was really left was to wait for their guests to arrive.

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Knowing that the time had come, Shade quickly set some plates, glasses, and utensils on the table in preparation before going to answer the door. But before he could, Winter, having heard the knock on the door, scampered back downstairs with a big, albeit anxious, grin.

She ran a hoof over her mane, making sure it was straight. "How do I look?" she asked Shade.

The changeling chuckled at her behavior, finding it odd and amusing that she was putting so much effort into her appearance just for a visit from her parents. "As beautiful as ever," he responded, earning a kiss from his pegasus as a reward for the compliment. "You ready?"

Winter nodded. "Yup. Let's do this." The pegasus sucked in a deep breath, followed by a long exhale as she placed her hoof upon the doorknob. She put on a smile and swung the door open.

Just as expected, a pair of pegasi stood outside, waiting to be invited in. One a mare, Autumn Maple, who bore a striking resemblance to Winter, but with the colors of her coat and mane reversed; her coat a bright crimson, while her mane was white—silver, really. The only other real difference was her cutie mark; a snowflake, as opposed to Winter's maple leaf. However, what was her most notable feature at the moment was her cheery grin, always happy to see her daughter.

Of course, with her was her husband, Nimbus; a tall, lithe stallion with a dull blue coat and dark blue mane. Coupled with the three clouds of his cutie mark, he brought with him the impression of the sky on the verge of a storm. That was only accentuated by the stern scowl he wore on his face, although at this point, Shade wasn't sure if he actually was scowling or if that was just his default facial expression. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

"Hello, sweetie," Autumn greeted back cheerily. She turned her sights on Shade, giving him a hug as well. "Hello, Shade."

"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Maple," the changeling said, happily returning her hug. After the embrace came to an end, Shade looked up at Nimbus, who's expression had changed none as he stared back at him. "Nimbus," Shade greeted flatly, though politely.

Nimbus acknowledged his greeting with a slight nod. "Shade." That was all he said before stepping inside and walking past the changeling toward the kitchen.

Seeing where her husband was headed, Autumn sniffed the air. A sweet fragrance wafted in from the kitchen. "I take it dinner's just about ready."

"Yup," Shade answered. "Should be more than enough for all of us. Have seconds if you want."

Winter trotted up next to Shade with a grin. "Trust me, you'll love it; Shade makes the best pancakes."

Taking that as his cue, Shade removed the large plate of golden-brown pancakes he'd left warming in the oven and whisked it over to the table with the glow of his neon green magic. He then fetched all of the toppings he'd prepared in bowls, placing them upon the table as well.

Autumn practically licked her lips. "Oh my, that does look good," she commented, taking a seat at the table.

Following her lead, Shade, Winter, and Nimbus took their seats as well, Nimbus opting for the chair next to his wife, leaving Shade and Winter on the opposite side of the table. With his magic, Shade generously distributed the pancakes into four short stacks, giving one stack to each of them.

Nimbus eyed up the food on his plate. Shade watched him as he did, knowing full well the stallion was looking for something to criticize. Shade didn't consider himself a great cook, but he was decent enough—especially in comparison to Winter. But if there was one meal he excelled at, it was breakfast, including pancakes.

Shade grinned slightly himself. He could tell that she was waiting for the same thing he was: the look on his face when he realized how delicious it was. Winter wanted desperately for her father to approve of Shade, and hopefully this would help work toward that.

Heeding his daughter's words, Nimbus topped his pancakes with some maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, and a spoonful of blueberries. Autumn happily followed his example with zeal. The stallion cut out a piece, making sure to get a little of everything upon his fork, and lifted it to his mouth to take a bite. Shade and Winter waited impatiently as Nimbus chewed, the seconds between the chewing and the swallowing excruciating for them.

Shade and Winter were a touch disappointed by his lackluster reaction. Sure, it was a rare compliment for Nimbus, but the lack of emotion in the comment didn't leave the pair particularly satisfied.

Her father shrugged. "What do want me to say? I said it's good. Is that a bad thing?"

Autumn leaned back in her chair with a mouthful of pancake, a blissful smile on her face. "Oh my goodness, this is just heavenly! It's so fluffy and flavorful."

"I told you, didn't I?" Winter said with a proud grin as she started on her own meal.

Shade grimaced slightly. The questioned sounded a little condescending, but his answer would fix that quickly. "No, I can cook other things. I only made this because Winter suggested it."

Autumn watched as Shade bit into a forkful of pancake with his sharp fangs, her curiosity piquing. "I've never thought to ask this before, Shade, but changelings are carnivores, right?"

Shade looked up from his plate with a puzzled expression, the question catching him off guard. "Hm?"

"Autumn, dear, is this the sort of topic you want to talk about while we're eating?" Nimbus cautioned her.

The crimson mare waved off his warning. "I'm just curious, that's all. If you're too squeamish, you can go into the other room."

Nimbus shifted awkwardly in his chair, not pleased to have his fortitude called into question. Shade couldn't help but smirk at the stallion.

The changeling looked at Autumn to answer her question. "Yeah, we eat meat. Have we never actually talked about this? I feel like this is something that would have come up by now."

"I don't believe we have. I've just kind of been wondering if that's had any effect on this relationship."

Shade and Winter exchanged glances. "Not really," Shade informed with a shrug. "To be honest, when I first arrived here, I gave up eating meat. I had to since nopony knew I was a changeling at the time; eating meat might have been compromising."

Nimbus gave Shade a judgmental glare. They'd discussed Shade's inception into pony society in the past, and Nimbus was very vocal of his disapproval of Shade's lying to people about who—or rather, what—he was. It didn't bother Shade really, though; had he not done what he did, he'd have been run out of town the moment he showed up. Things only turned out as well as they did because he disguised himself at first.

Winter, noticing the sudden raising of her parents' eyebrows, quickly interjected. "It's mostly for health reasons. And it's not like he eats it everyday."

Autumn gulped, hesitant to ask her next question. "So... what sort of meat do you eat?"

"Back in the Changeling Kingdom, it was anything we could get a hold of: mice; rabbits; bugs. Nowadays, though, I've got access to stuff like pork, beef, poultry, all kinds of things." He had to stop himself from saying anything further for fear of making his guests uncomfortable.

"So you kill pigs and cows just to get a bite to eat?" Nimbus accused, his voice containing audible disgust.

"Shade and Chamella have meat imported from the Griffon Empire," Winter told them. "It's not that big a deal. Griffons eat meat, and we ponies get along with them just fine. I don't think this is any different."

Autumn nodded in understanding. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I'm sorry if it seemed like we were judging you, Shade."

The changeling shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. I've had this conversation with enough people at this point that I'm not really fazed by it anymore."

"So you're fine with having meat in you're fridge, Winter?" Nimbus asked his daughter.

The ivory pegasus frantically waved her hooves in defense. "I didn't do it, if that's what you're worried about. I chickened out at the last second."

He shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing, it's just... puns," he mumbled. It was only now that he noticed the venomous daggers being thrown his way from the large stallion across the table. "What?"

"You know damn well 'what,'" Nimbus said, practically growling. "You're poisoning my daughter!"

Shade didn't let that accusation get to him, simply taking a bite of his pancakes nonchalantly. "I didn't do anything."

"I was just curious, Dad," Winter admitted quietly, a little ashamed. "Like I said, I didn't go through with it, so no harm done."

"Nimbus, you're overreacting," Autumn said in an attempt to calm her husband. "She's in a... unique relationship; it's expected that she'd be exposed to different things that she'd be curious about. I'm sure she was just trying to walk a mile in his horseshoes."

Nimbus received a quick, reprimanding jab in the shoulder from his wife, who was glaring at him harshly. "That's enough, Nimbus. Shade hasn't done anything wrong. Stop looking for excuses to not like him. He's a fine stallion, and we should be happy that our daughter's found someone like him."

Nimbus simply huffed in annoyance, turning his attention back to his neglected dinner.

Autumn rolled her eyes, but returned to her meal as well. However, she made sure to cast a warm smile in Shade's direction. "I can't really speak for him..." she said, tilting her head toward her husband, "...but I, for one, think you're doing my little powder puff a world of good, Shade. I can tell just by looking at her that she's a much more mature mare than she was when she left Cloudsdale."

Hearing that, Winter turned to Shade, feeling now was as good a time as any to get to the point of all this. "Well, Mom, it's funny you should say that. To tell the truth, we had an ulterior motive behind inviting you guys here."

Autumn's eyes widened curiously. Even Nimbus seemed a little interested. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Winter pushed out her chair, the legs scrapping against the tile floor. Shade followed suit. "Why don't we talk in the living room? This is pretty important."

Her parents shared concerned looks, but followed them into the living room. Winter gestured for her mom and dad to sit on the couch, and she and Shade opted to share the armchair, with Winter leaning against Shade, the chair barely large enough for the two of them, but the lack of space just made it more snug.

Winter took a deep breath, steadying her nerves as she prepared to break the news. "Okay," she started as she exhaled. "Guess we should just get right to the point." She looked her parents dead in the eyes, hoping that the small smile on her face would transfer to them when she told them. She wrapped a hoof around Shade's leg, pulling herself closer to him. "Shade and I... are going to have a baby."

There was a sudden silence within the room. However, it wasn't stunned silence as Winter had first predicted. Rather, her parents simply exchanged awkward looks; confused, yet concerned.

Autumn cautiously opened her mouth to speak. "Um, Winter, honey... I'm not sure how else to say this, but... Shade's a changeling."

Winter quirked an eyebrow, puzzled by their unexpected reaction. "Uh, yes, he is. Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, I'd hate to be the one to suggest this, but how do you even know such a thing is possible between our kinds?"

Winter sighed silently. "Mom, I think you might've misinterpreted. Shade and I are not planning to have a baby, we're having one. As in, I'm pregnant. Right now."

And now the silence had turned stunned. Autumn simply stared at her daughter, eyes wide, unsure if she was understanding this right. "You're... p-pregnant?"

The news was finally starting to set in, the excitement within the older mare beginning to seep out. "A-A baby?! You're having a baby?! My baby is having a baby?! I'm gonna be a grandma?!"

Autumn hopped off the couch to give her daughter an elated and tearful hug. Winter got up to meet her halfway. "Oh my goodness, I can't believe it! This is amazing! I'm so happy for you, sweetie!"

While the two mares shared in their excitement, the men remained seated, with Nimbus staring on in disbelief. He clearly didn't know how to feel about this information. Shade watched as his mind was fighting through all of the emotions the stallion thought he should be feeling; should he be happy for his daughter, shocked by the surprise, or furious at the one who knocked her up? In any case, Shade couldn't help but smirk, as any opportunity to see Nimbus befuddled like this was pleasantly enjoyable for him. And upon turning his eyes to the changeling, Nimbus shot a scowl his way, but it had no effect on Shade.

Autumn took a step back, taking a breath to relax herself, though her enormous grin could only be held back so far. "Okay. Okay. Calm down. We can't talk about this if you're too excited," she said to herself between breaths. She looked between the two young lovers, confused, but her smile persisting. "But... how?"

Winter laughed, brushing an errant strand of hair out of her face. "Honestly, I don't know. It just is, and I think that's enough for me."

Shade leaned in toward Winter. "Are we gonna tell them about... the appointment?" he whispered.

"Appointment?" Autumn said with a tilt of her head, having heard Shade despite his effort to remain discreet.

Winter gave Shade a reassuring pat on his hoof. "It's fine." She turned back to her parents. "I actually have a doctor's appointment later today."

"We just want to make sure that there aren't going to be any sort of complications."

"That's a good idea," Autumn said with a nod. "And no matter how this foal turns out, we'll love it unconditionally."

Nimbus opened his mouth, but before he could get a word in, Autumn spun around, pointing at him with a reprimanding hoof and a stern glower.

Autumn put her smile back on, shaking her head dismissively. "If it's alright with you, sweetie, instead of concerning ourselves with the hows and ifs, I'd like to focus more on how we're going to be grandparents," she suggested with a giddy clap.

"Don't you think we're a little too young to be grandparents, dear?" Nimbus grumbled in a rather judgmental tone.

The scarlet mare rolled her eyes. "I don't think we're in any position to judge, honey. We weren't even out of high school when you got me pregnant."

"At the very least, we should be happy that Winter has her life in order and found a nice stallion like Shade to have a foal with."

Nimbus simply shrugged, but gave his daughter a heartfelt look through his usually stern, hazel eyes. Winter smiled, seeing from even just that look that her father was happy and trusted her with this big change in her life.

Winter caught her mother's gaze falling upon her stomach, the fond, proud smile on her face unmistakable.

"Honestly, I just thought you had gained a few pounds. I wasn't going to say anything," Autumn admitted, still clearly trying to figure out if this was real or not. She leaned toward Winter slightly, her hoof outstretched. "Can I?"

Winter rolled her eyes with a sigh and a smile, sitting down to expose her stomach. "Go ahead."

Autumn tenderly placed her crimson hoof upon her daughter's belly. The gentle curve and firmness of it brought back memories. She remembered that feeling fondly from when it was her in that position. And now, finally, she had a chance to watch her little bundle of joy give life to her own little bundle of joy.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Autumn said quietly, her smile ever wider. "I must admit that I was convinced I might never be a grandmother. Not that that made me think less of you, Shade, dear; I just didn't think it'd be possible."

Winter let out an exasperated sigh. "Because we had our own problems to deal with first. We didn't exactly plan for this to happen."

"Oh, it doesn't matter," her mother said eagerly. "What does matter is what you're going to do now."

"Plans, dear. You may not have planned for this to happened, but surely you've made plans now, right?"

Autumn rolled her eyes. "Well, for starters, are you going to have a baby shower?"

"Oh, uh... I don't think there's a date set just yet. I'll be sure to let you know."

Autumn leaned in toward Winter, speaking in a hushed tone. "So are there any plans to... 'update' your relationship?"

Winter ran a hoof down her face with a groan. "No, Mom. No wedding. At least, not yet. We've got enough to deal with as it is."

"I wish your parents were that easygoing when we were in this situation," Nimbus grumbled to his wife.

Autumn attempted to tug Winter aside and into the kitchen, though her daughter resisted. "Oh, there's so much we need to talk about. You need to know what exactly you're in for. Have you been having morning sickness? Mood swings? Strange appetite?"

"Uh, yes, yes, and yes. But listen, my appointment is pretty soon, so why don't we discuss it on the way?" Winter suggested.

"You sure I wouldn't be in the way? I understand that something this serious and worrisome is probably something that you and Shade should perhaps discuss in privacy."

Winter shrugged. "I guess, but I think I'd feel more comfortable if my parents were there to comfort me, too. You know, just in case it's bad news."

The ivory mare felt a hoof upon her shoulder. She was expected to see the loving green eyes of her beloved changeling, but instead was met by her father's hazel eyes, full of rare compassion. "Don't worry about it too much, sweet heart. Right now, it's important for you to stay optimistic. Stress isn't healthy, for you or the baby."

Winter shook her head. "Maybe a little early, but we can sit and talk in the lobby until they call me in. I've asked a few people for advice already, but it'd be nice to get some from my own mom."

Autumn put a hoof around Winter's shoulder, guiding her to the door as they prepared to leave. "I'll share everything I know, sweetie."

Shade hopped down from the chair, trailing closely behind the two mares. "Guess I should come with. I could go for some advice myself."

Autumn held out a hoof, stopping Shade in his tracks. "Actually, I think this is more... girl time. Maybe you and Nimbus could wait up for us."

The older mare opened the door, ushering her daughter outside. "Well, we'll be off. Hopefully we won't be long. Bye, boys!"

Shade looked over his shoulder to the tall stallion standing behind him. Nimbus didn't exactly look too keen on the idea either. The changeling did get some oddly cathartic enjoyment from occasionally pushing Nimbus's buttons, but that was only because he knew the pegasus wouldn't do anything about it while his wife and daughter were present. And now they weren't, meaning that there was nothing stopping him from retaliating. Shade was going to have to screen his thoughts before saying them out loud.

Shade forced an awkward smile, trying to seem as though he were at least attempting to be hospitable to his girlfriend's father. "Sooooo..." Shade started, but his effort at starting a conversation was met by a gruff grunt as Nimbus simply grabbed a newspaper off of the nearby side table and sat down on the couch to read it in silence.

It seemed as though any attempt at being amicable was just going to be ignored, so Shade figured it might just be best to try and pass the time until Winter and Autumn got back from the hospital. The changeling peered into the kitchen, noticing that their dirty dishes were still on the table, their dinners' left half eaten in all the excitement over the baby. Cleaning up that mess seemed like a good place to start.

It was certainly a nice enough day for a stroll through Ponyville, but it was difficult to enjoy it with so much on your mind. That was Winter's thought as she and her mother walked to the hospital together. Autumn kept a smile on the whole way, remaining optimistic that there was nothing to fear. Winter envied her. She couldn't quite understand how her mom could be so nonchalant about something they knew nothing about.

Winter jumped slightly when she felt her mother's hoof pat her on the back. She must have noticed the worry on her daughter's face.

"Try not to look so glum, sweetie," Autumn said with pep. "As thick-headed as your father may be, he's right; you shouldn't be so stressed out. At this rate, if there's going to be a problem, it'll be because of your poor attitude."

Winter let out a defeated sigh. "It's easy to say that. I'm responsible for the very life of this baby. It's hard knowing that and not be worried."

Autumn nodded in understanding. "Believe me, I know. You don't think I didn't go through the same thing when I was pregnant with you? Heck, I was still a teenager. I think I had more reason to be concerned than you do. You didn't have to tell your parents that you were going to be bringing a baby to your graduation."

"And you didn't have to tell your parents that your baby was half changeling. Nopony has. That's what worries me. I'm worried that this is going to make raising our foal so radically different that nopony can really give me any advice to help."

It was about this time that they had made it to the hospital. The pair of pegasi stepped into the bright, white lobby, continuing their conversation as they approached the reception desk.

"Well, that's just the thing, dear; everypony's experience with parenthood is different. Most of the important things you'll learn about being a parent you're going to learn as you go. What worked when my parents were raising me didn't necessarily apply to how I raised you. There was advice they gave me that didn't work whatsoever, so I had to come up with my own solutions."

"Maybe if you ever have a baby that very well may try to eat you moments after it's born, you'll have more of an idea of where I'm at emotionally," Winter groaned, not finding her mother's words the least bit comforting, surprisingly.

The earth pony nurse at the front desk looked up upon overhearing the conversation—particularly that last, odd statement. With a perky smile, she greeted the patient. "You're Winter Maple, right?" She briefly checked the appointment list. "You have an appointment regarding... your unborn foal?"

"That's fine," Winter waved dispiritedly. "We're just going to wait." She led her mother to a bench off to the side of the lobby.

As they sat down, Autumn took notice of other ponies in waiting, whispering quietly while frequently glancing in their direction. Whenever Winter would bother to look up from her own thoughts, whatever other pony her eyes fell upon would wave to her cheerily.

"It's less 'popularity' and more 'gossip.' I'm just 'that mare who's dating the changeling.' Although, recently it's been more like 'that mare who's having the changeling baby.' I've been trying to keep it on the down low, but I guess in a small town like this, news tends to spread pretty quickly."

Autumn rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Winter, you need to lighten up a little. If not for your sake, then for those around you. If it is gossip as you say, then walking around with a frown and your head hung low is only going to make people think the worst. From what I've seen, the people of this town are very friendly people. I doubt any of them are here to judge you."

Her mother simply sighed in resignation. It seemed as though it was pointless to try and cheer up her daughter until after her checkup, when they would have more information.

As the conversation slipped into uncomfortable silence, the hospital's front door opened and a certain perky, grey pegasus trotted in, humming to herself happily. The bubbly mare approached the nurse at the front desk, the two exchanging a few words before the pegasus stepped away to look for a seat. It was then that the grey mare noticed that Winter was there, though only one of her yellow eyes managed to spot her, the gaze of the other sort of just trailed up toward the ceiling.

"Oh, hi, Winter," Derpy greeted with a friendly grin. "I didn't know your appointment was today. Talk about a coincidence. No bad news, I hope."

Winter sighed, brushing her mane aside slightly. "That's what I'm here to find out. It's just a checkup to see if there might be complications."

The deadpan tone of Winter's voice concerned Derpy a little, the blonde mare taking a seat next to Winter. "You sound like you're pretty confident that something might go wrong."

"I've been trying my best to make her feel better, but she's just too stubborn," Autumn explained. "Oh, I'm Autumn, by the way. Winter's mother." She extended a hoof out to Derpy, which she accepted.

"Well, that's nice," Autumn said with a friendly smile. "So why are you here? Nothing serious, I hope."

The grey mare shook her head. "Naw. I make an appointment twice a year to make sure this..." She pointed to her eyes, one of them having veered off-center slightly. "...isn't getting any worse. Just a precaution, really. My condition hasn't really changed in years."

"I certainly wish my daughter could take a page out of your book and not fret so much," Autumn commented with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm not saying she should worry herself sick over it, but speaking from experience, it's probably for the best if you mentally prepare yourself for everything that could go wrong. When I was pregnant, I was terrified that my filly would inherit my little problem. I basically spent the whole pregnancy wondering and worrying what I was going to do—what my filly was going to do—if they had to deal with the same stuff I did throughout my life. But then it occurred to me that I had experience dealing with it that I could share with her if that turned out to be the case. Maybe my suffering could be used to make life a little more bearable for my daughter."

"But I don't have that kind of experience!" Winter argued. "I can't pass on that wisdom to my foal."

"Shade's had to deal with being a changeling in pony society for a while now. I'm sure that'll make things easier on all three of you."

Derpy giggled awkwardly, scratching behind her ear. "Heh, uh, well, probably not. But you've got a whole town of great people here to support you if you really have any problems."

Derpy was surprised to hear that. "Gossip? Have you even talked to anypony about this? Everypony's so excited for you!"

"Yeah! Your kid's gonna be like a town treasure or something. I've heard people saying that they even believe it could be the first step to making peace between ponies and changelings. They want to do everything they can to make sure you get through this."

The ivory pegasus sat in stunned silence as she let that sink in. She knew she had some good friends that she could depend on, but she never once thought that the entire town of Ponyville would be willing to support her.

"Now, you hear that, Winter?" Autumn asked with a triumphant grin. "There really is nothing to worry about."

The three mares looked up toward the nurse that was now standing in front of them.

Winter nodded, but gulped nervously as she stood up. She glanced back at her mother and Derpy, the two smiling comfortingly at her.

"We're here for you!" Derpy bellowed with an enthusiastic wave, earning an annoyed shush from some of the other ponies in the lobby.

Winter took a deep breath before following the nurse. It was time to get some answers.

As Shade made yet another pass through the living room, he once again cast a glance toward the couch where Nimbus was sitting quietly, reading a newspaper. The changeling entered the kitchen and, knowing he was now out of sight, let out a quiet sigh.

Shade had finished washing the dishes half an hour ago. Now, he found himself wandering aimlessly, yet with purpose in his step, around the house in an effort to make it look like he was busy. All so he could avoid having an uncomfortable, face-to-face conversation with Nimbus. He must have looked ridiculous tracing all around the house while doing absolutely nothing. He'd been up and down the stairs nearly ten times by now, and during none of those trips did he ever bring anything up, or take anything down, or even do anything while he was up there. He could just stay up there and wait this out in the bedroom, but no doubt his absence would raise suspicion; it'd quickly become evident he was avoiding Nimbus.

Oddly, however, the gruff pegasus hadn't bothered to even look up from his paper to see what Shade was even doing. The only time he had even seemed to move in the past half an hour was whenever he would turn the page of the newspaper, and the only sound he made was an occasional cough, or clearing of his throat—not that he had anything to say.

This is ridiculous, Shade thought to himself. What am I doing? What reason do I have to be so uncomfortable around this guy?

Shade peered out into the living room. For once since he'd known him, Nimbus didn't have any sort of stern expression on his face. Although, he couldn't imagine that something in the newspaper would be enough to upset the stallion. At the very least, when Nimbus came to visit he had the animosity between himself and Shade to encourage his brow to furrow. Shade didn't know what counted as a good mood for Nimbus, but this was probably the best he was going to get.

This was his girlfriend's father. His child's grandfather. Shade was beginning to think he should listen to Winter and at least make an effort to get on his good side. Shade took a breath before stepping back into the living room with a determinate look on his face.

Nimbus continued to read the paper quietly. However, he felt something disturbing the atmosphere around him—a sense most pegasi developed due to their affinity with the sky and weather. Nimbus lowered the newspaper. Standing before him was Shade, staring at him with green eyes full of resolve. There was a brief moment of tense silence between the two before Nimbus spoke.

Nimbus simply raised an eyebrow. "Of what? You traipsing up and down the house to kill time until the girls get back? No, it was getting on my nerves as well, I just didn't say anything."

Most of the confidence in Shade's face drained away. "Oh. Well, you can see why I'd be so reluctant to sit down and talk to you," the changeling said, attempting to remain stoic.

Nimbus lifted the newspaper again, trying to return his attention to his reading. "Nopony said we had to talk at all."

Shade sighed, letting himself fall onto the nearby armchair in exasperation. "Well, at least I'm trying. When you leave later, I can say with confidence that I walked out of this as the good guy who gave enough of a damn to make an effort."

Shade glared with contempt at the stallion, though only because he knew Nimbus couldn't see him through the periodicals. He couldn't wrap his head around why this pony was so dead set on hating him. Autumn had once speculated that it was simply a case of a father protecting his daughter, that no man would ever be good enough for her. But you'd think that if that were the case, Nimbus would be satisfied to just see that his daughter was happy, but apparently not. It only made Shade more determined to get to the root of the issue.

Shade chose not to acknowledge that remark. "Well, whether or not you like me, the fact is I'm going to be the father of your grandchild."

Nimbus turned down a corner of the newspaper to stare at Shade. The changeling smirked slyly, knowing he'd finally hooked the pegasus.

"And with that being the case," Shade continued, "it'd probably be in your best interest to at least learn to tolerate me. Don't wanna set a bad example for your grandkid, do you?"

Nimbus let out a groan; not a groan of defeat, but rather one of exasperation. He folded the newspaper, set it aside and stared Shade dead in the eyes, unnerving the changeling. "Listen to me. I don't know what put it in your head that I don't like you..."

"But in case you haven't noticed, you haven't exactly been showing me the respect I deserve either. 'Do unto others...' Have you ever heard that phrase where you come from?"

Shade gulped. He hadn't thought about it from his perspective before. He may have had a point. Ever since Winter told him about her father back before she'd even introduced them to each other, Shade had it in his head that he was just a very disagreeable individual, so that's how Shade always approached him. He hadn't considered that he himself was the one who came off as being a jerk sometimes.

But the stallion had asked a question, and judging by the raised eyebrow, Shade figured Nimbus may be getting a touch annoyed. "Um... No, I haven't."

Nimbus nodded, having guessed as much. "It basically means that you should treat people the way you'd want them to treat you. And since you've always talked to me as though I was some sort of obstacle you had to overcome, it only makes sense for me to be one."

Shade was puzzled by his reasoning. "But... if you put any stock into that saying, shouldn't you treat me nicely? That's how'd you want me to act, right?"

Nimbus leaned forward, a dead seriousness in his eyes. "The reason I treat you the way I do is not due to anything ridiculous like prejudice. The fact of the matter is that you are responsible for my daughter's happiness."

"I will admit that I may have been somewhat insensitive in the past when it came to... race and species, but I like to think I've made leaps and bounds to put that behind me. And I have you to thank for that."

"Ever since I first met you, I've made an effort to like you. But knowing that you were ultimately the one who held the key to Winter's happiness... It made it difficult not to be critical of you."

Once again, Shade found himself confused by the stallion's logic. "I don't follow."

"I need to be absolutely sure that my daughter—the person I love more than anypony else in the world—is safe in your hooves. So far, I've yet to really see that judging by the way you act around me."

Shade ran a hoof through his mane. Admittedly, he felt more than a little ashamed of himself. "I, uh... I guess I owe you an apology then. Sorry. I guess I never bothered to show you who I really am." Shade glanced at his foreleg, paying particular attention to the holes that were distinctive features of his kind. "Even when I'm not disguised, I still manage to hide my true colors." He let out a defeated sigh. "I guess I'm still not going to ever escape what I am."

Nimbus shrugged indifferently. "Maybe not. But what you are and who you are are two completely different things."

Shade looked up at Nimbus. For what seemed like the first time ever, the stallion looked back at him with compassion. And what he said sounded pretty familiar as well. She really was his daughter.

"So... you don't actually have any objections to me being with Winter?" Shade asked, actually wanting Nimbus's honest opinion.

The pegasus's expression turned stern once more. "As long as she's happy with you, no, I don't." He leaned forward suddenly, causing Shade to jump slightly as if to defend himself. "But if you ever hurt her—if I ever find out that something you did caused pain for my baby, or your baby—you'll have me to deal with."

Shade finally managed a genuine smile. It seemed like they were finally starting to make some headway here. "Right. I understand."

Nimbus stared into Shade's eyes for a moment, scrutinizing both his expression and his tone. Satisfied with what he'd heard, he leaned back onto the couch with a nod. "Good."

The changeling rested his head against his hoof. Winter was going to be happy to hear that he and her father had actually gotten to talking and were beginning to get down to the bedrock of their issues. It was going to take some doing to fully earn his trust, certainly, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

But speaking of trust, it occurred to Shade now that there may be something Nimbus needs to know. How the stallion handled the information was difficult to predict, but he felt Nimbus should know regardless.

Nimbus had been just about to pick up the newspaper again, but stopped when Shade spoke, choosing instead to see what he wanted. "And what would that be?"

"It's about me... and changelings in general. It's a couple of things, actually."

Nimbus looked genuinely concerned, no doubt for the well being of his unborn grandchild. He listened intently.

"Well, no. But that's why Winter's at the hospital right now. Hopefully, we'll have an answer to that soon. But just in case it is, it's important for you to know that changeling larvae and pony foals are two completely different beasts. Literally. See, changeling larvae are not dependent on their parents to raise them. In fact, they basically run on pure, animalistic instinct from the moment they're born. Like wild animals basically."

Shade paused for moment. The look on Nimbus's face was difficult to read, but he seemed like he wanted to say something.

Shade shrugged with a sigh. "Not much, really. At least for changelings. But anything else it sees is basically viewed as food."

Nimbus nodded in understanding. "I thought as much. Winter's told us about her little excursion to your homeland and how she was almost eaten alive by them."

Shade shuddered at the thought of where he'd be now if a certain someone hadn't been there at the time. "And I'm just worried that, if our baby turns out to be more like an average changeling larva, it might just happen again. Baby changelings tend to be wary around adults, but ponies—or any other animals—are a different story."

Nimbus took a breath, letting that all sink in before speaking in a surprisingly calm tone. "I suppose we'll know for certain pretty soon if that's something we need to worry about. And if so... Well, I guess we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it."

"You're taking this pretty well. I'd have thought you'd be a little more upset."

Nimbus simply shrugged. "It's not as though it's something I can help." He then raised a curious eyebrow at Shade. "You said there were a couple things you wanted to talk about. What else is there?"

Shade hesitated. This was the moment that he'd been pensive about the whole time, but there was no point in keeping his mouth shut now. "Well, like I said, changeling larvae are capable of looking after themselves when they're born. Getting right to the point here..." Shade stared at Nimbus for a moment with apologetic eyes. "I don't know if changelings possess any parental instincts to speak of. There's a distinct possibility that, when our baby is born, whether it's a changeling or not, I might not have the instincts necessary to care for it."

Shade waited for Nimbus's reaction. The pegasus furrowed his brow slightly, worrying Shade.

"Have you mentioned this to Winter?" he asked sternly, obviously looking for a yes.

That appeared to quell any concerns that Nimbus had at the moment. It seemed he was more concerned about Shade being open and honest with his daughter more than anything.

"But I just want you to know that even if I don't have what it takes to be a parent, I'm still going to try my best," Shade assured.

Shade flinched slightly at Nimbus's response. The harsh glare the pegasus was shooting at him was making Shade more than a little uncomfortable.

"Like I said before, this is my daughter and grandchild we're talking about here. I only want what's best for them. And right now, that's going to have to be you, whether I like it or not. I am not going to let my grandchild grow up without a loving father, and if you think you're not good enough to be it's father and leave them behind, I will personally go to the Changeling Kingdom and hunt you down. Understand?"

Shade sat in mild shock. Sure, Nimbus had never really been the most hospitable person to him, but he'd never really made a threat like that, especially not one that sounded so aggressive. But regardless of Nimbus's threat, Shade managed to smile. "Yeah, I get it. Actually, Winter herself thinks it won't be a problem. Before I met her, I didn't know it was possible for a changeling to actually love someone—especially somepony. So I guess it's possible that I'll be able to love our kid just the same."

At that moment, the front door opened. Immediately, Shade hopped from his chair just as the two mares they'd been waiting impatiently for returned, with Nimbus following close behind. The changeling took a moment to read the expressions on their faces before inquiring about the results of Winter's check up. He had a difficult time determining what was going through their heads, though. They weren't smiling, so it obviously wasn't good news. However, they didn't look particularly upset either. Winter looked pretty much the same as she had when she'd left.

"So? What's the verdict?" Shade asked, trying to maintain some level of optimism, but the worry in his voice was still evident.

"They couldn't really tell us anything about it at this point and we're probably not gonna find out until the baby's born," the younger mare answered, starting to sound somewhat aggravated.

Shade ran a hoof through his mane with a groan. "So, basically, we're back at square one. Dammit. I was really hoping we'd be able to get some answers."

Autumn, seeing both Winter and Shade looking distraught about this whole thing, forced a smile and tried to lighten the mood a little. "Well, it's not all bad news. Right, Winter?"

Winter paused for a moment, then shrugged. Her attitude did seem to lift a small amount. "I guess. At the very least they were able to tell us that it's healthy for now. From what they can tell at this point, there aren't any complications that they can pick up on."

Winter shook her head. "No. Actually, the doctor's thoughts are pretty much the same as ours have been this whole time."

Shade's eyes widened. That wasn't a word he was expecting to hear. "Mutation? What do you mean?"

"Like I said, it's the stuff we've been talking about. Our foal might have shared traits from both of us. The problem with that is that those traits might conflict with one another because of how different we are physically, and that can wind up leading to some... unfortunate complications."

Autumn immediately noticed Shade's expression fall, so she decided to speak up before he could voice his concerns. "But that's not guaranteed. Like Winter said, the baby is healthy as it is right now. As long as Winter makes frequent visits to the doctor, we can be sure whether or not everything is going to be alright. My advice would be to try not to worry about it too much."

Nimbus put a hoof over his wife's shoulder, looking compassionately at Shade and Winter. "And no matter what happens, or how it turns out, we'll be here to help you through it."

Shade smiled at Nimbus's encouraging words. Winter, however, as well as Autumn, glanced at him with puzzled looks.

"That's... surprisingly assuring of you, Dad," Winter commented, more amazed than anything. "You're really not upset about this news?"

Nimbus shook his head. "Shade and I had a little discussion about this ourselves. And before anything else, I'm a father who loves his daughter and am willing to do whatever it takes to see her happy."

Winter's head shot around to Shade in shock. "You guys actually talked?! Wow. I think that's the big news of the day," she giggled.

Autumn joined in on her daughter's amusement and pleasant surprise with mild laughter of her own. "Well, I think it would be for the best if we left this on that positive note. It's starting to get late anyway. Your father and I should probably be headed home."

Winter nodded. "Alright. And thank you for being so understanding and supportive."

The ivory pegasus gave her mother a hug, then her father. In an unusual display of affection, Nimbus bent down to give his daughter a loving kiss on the forehead, then looked into her eyes.

Her father's compassionate words were almost enough to bring a tear to Winter's eye. "Thank you, Dad."

And with that, Autumn and Nimbus went to the door. As Autumn stepped out, Nimbus paused briefly to look in Shade's direction, giving the shapeshifter a look of warning.

Satisfied with that answer, Nimbus followed his wife outside, closing the door behind him.

Shade shook his head, his grin persisting. "Nothing. You don't need to worry about it."

Winter gave the changeling a skeptical look, but decided not to inquire further. "Okay." The crimson-maned mare then let out a long yawn. "Ugh, this day... All I want right now is to lie down and sleep."

Shade wrapped a foreleg around Winter's shoulders, pulling her in for a loving kiss. "Then why don't we hit the hay a little early tonight?"

As the two ascended the staircase toward the bedroom, Winter's curiosity finally got the better of her.

Again, Shade laughed. "I wouldn't go that far. I think I've still got a ways to go before that."

Halfling

by Dee Pad

Chapter 4 - Learning From Experience