//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 - The Other Girl 
// Story: Halfling 
// by Dee Pad 
//------------------------------//


Halfling
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 6: The Other Girl

=====================================================================


Chamella brushed her long, purple mane out of her eyes with a sigh, mentally going over all of the things she had done to figure out what was left.  She glanced over to the several trunks in Carousel Boutique's storeroom, each of them locked tight, a clear indication that all of the leftover fabric had been stowed away for the day.  The changeling peeked out to the foyer, half-expecting the door to swing open.  She wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to handle a customer by herself without Rarity's help.  She was pretty sure that everything had been taken care of now.  In any case, if she had forgotten anything, it was probably of no consequence; Rarity would likely notice and rectify it when she got back.

Chamella took a seat on a couch near Rarity's usual workstation, taking a moment to relax after a long day's work.  This was actually the first time that Rarity had left her to close up the boutique alone.  Her boss had decided to take the rest of the day off so that she could attend Winter's baby shower, leaving Chamella with a list of things that had to be done when closing shop.  Of course, her quick-learning employee was well familiarized with the usual routines by now, but something about having the entire burden put upon her shoulders made her a touch anxious, admittedly.

But that was of no concern now that she was finished.  The quiet changeling managed a self-satisfied smile at a job well done.  The only thing left to do now was wait.  If the time was any indication, Shade should have been getting off from work any moment now, as well.  And she knew he was coming straight over to see her rather than heading home, like usual.  It still puzzled her as to why Shade couldn't attend the baby shower when it was his baby, too.  It just went to show how much about pony society was still confusing and weird to her, despite having lived with them for well over a year now.

The sound of the boutique's entrance bell brought Chamella to attention.  She hopped up immediately, a grin on her face as she started towards the door.  However, she stopped when it was not the dark chitin of her fellow changeling that showed through the door, but rather the white coat of small, unicorn filly.

"Hi, Chamella," Sweetie Belle chirped cheerily.

Chamella's ears fell slightly, admittedly a little disappointed that it wasn't who she'd expected.  "Oh, hi, Sweetie Belle.  Sorry, I thought you were Shade."

The filly lifted an eyebrow in confusion and looked herself over.  "Really?  I didn't think I looked that much like a changeling."

"I'm just expecting him, that's all."

"Oh.  Well, is Rarity around?"

Chamella shook her head.  "She's at Shade's house for Winter's baby shower."

The filly stomped in and pouted in a huff.  "Phooie.  I really wanted to go with her.  But apparently baby showers might be too 'adult' for a young filly," she huffed with a roll of her eyes and a grumpy pout.  Sweetie Belle then gave Chamella a quizzical look.  "Hey, how come you're not at the shower?"

"I wasn't invited."

"Why not?"

Chamella shrugged.  "I don't know.  It's not a big deal though; it's not really my scene."

"So you're just gonna hang out with Shade until it's over?"

"That's the plan."

The filly gave Chamella an eager and presumptuous grin.  "Can I come with you guys?"

Chamella was caught off guard by the question, hesitating slightly.  "Oh, um...  I mean, that'd be nice and everything, but I was really looking forward to spending some time with him today."  Her ears drooped a little.  "We haven't really had much time to just hang out and talk lately, what with Winter and the baby and all.  This might be one of the only times we'll get a chance to spend some quality time together.  You understand, right?"

Sweetie Belle smiled and nodded, seemingly not fazed at all to be declined.  "Totally.  Rarity's usually too busy with work or her friends or saving Equestria or something to spend time with her own sister," she said with a resentful grimace.

As if on cue, the door opened once more, and this time it was Shade who entered.  His presence immediately perked up Chamella, who met him with a cute grin.

"Hi, Shade," the purple-maned changeling greeted happily.

Shade matched her smile with his own.  "Hey, Chamella.  Hope you weren't waiting long."  He glanced down at the filly standing next to her.  "Oh, hi, Sweetie Belle."

"Hi!"

"So did you have any ideas for what we can do today?" Chamella asked.

"Actually, I was thinking we could head back to the café and grab a bite.  That sound good?"

"Sounds great," Chamella agreed.  "Just let me grab some money."

Just as she was about to head to her room, Shade held out a hoof to stop her.  "There's no need for that.  I'll take care of it."

Chamella gave him an unsure look.  "Are you sure?"

Shade nodded, smiling happily.  "Absolutely.  Think about it as an apology for not being able to spend time with you lately."

Chamella simply grinned gratefully.

Despite the fact that they were ready to go, the pair of changelings stood around for a moment, an awkward silence falling over them.  Chamella discreetly glanced down at the filly standing next to them, who had been intently listening in on their conversation, not wanting to up and leave her there by herself.

"So, um...  Guess we'll be heading out now," Chamella said rather awkwardly.

It took a moment, but it eventually dawned on Sweetie Belle.  "Oh!  Right!  I'll just be leaving now.  Have fun you guys," was all she said before slipping out the door herself.

With that out of the way, Shade turned back to Chamella, gesturing towards the door.  "Shall we?"


*****     *****     *****


It was certainly a clear enough day for a day out.  The sky was beginning to make it's way towards the softer colors of the evening, but there was still enough daylight to take advantage of regardless.  And it also wasn't too late for a nice meal either.  In fact, it was so nice outside today that the pair of changelings saw fit to eat outside, having gotten an outdoor table at the café where Shade worked.

Despite the fact that Shade worked there, Chamella didn't eat at the establishment often; she wasn't really the sort of person who went to a restaurant to eat alone.  That being said, she was quite fond of the food here.  Being primarily a carnivore, having options as to what to eat was refreshing.  And even though it took some getting used to for the citizens of Ponyville, they eventually got over the fact that one of their local eateries had begun serving meat dishes to appease their changeling residents, as well as griffon tourists.

No longer needing to feel self-conscience about consuming meat in front of her friends and neighbors, Chamella had happily ordered a hamburger and fries for her supper, while Shade had elected to get a plate of bacon and eggs; sure, it was a little late for that, but he knew just how good they made it here, and they offered all day breakfast anyway, so what the hay?

The strange thing was, it was oddly quiet between the two changelings.  After they had ordered their food, they went a couple of minutes without saying another word.  At the same time, however, it wasn't awkward.  In between enjoying the nice weather and admiring the pleasant view of the hills surrounding Ponyville, their gazes would cross occasionally, prompting both of them to give one another a fond smile.

It was nice; that was how Chamella would have described it.  She enjoyed just being able to spend some time with her best friend, even if it was in silence.  They had gone for a short walk a few days ago, but it was just that: short.  Today, Chamella knew she had the rest of the evening to spend time with Shade, which was more than she'd gotten since he found out Winter was pregnant.  But Chamella was willing to take whatever she could get.

"This is nice, huh?"

Chamella was almost startled when Shade finally broke the silence, smiling across the table at her.

"Just you and me," he continued.  "Kinda like old times.  Except now we're not wondering if we get to eat today."

Chamella gave Shade a cute grin.  "I'm glad you're not stressed out anymore.  I like seeing you smile, Shade."

"Likewise," he said with a chuckle.  He stretched his back a little, flittering his translucent wings slightly with a relaxed sigh.  "It's nice just being able to sit back and chill out for once, you know?  I've had too much on my mind lately.  I needed a distraction, and this baby shower is perfect for that."

"I guess when you think about it, we don't really have any right to complain," Chamella commented as she stared off into the distant horizon.  "Any problems we think we have now aren't really anything compared to how things used to be."

Shade nodded solemnly.  "You've got a point there."

Chamella looked back at Shade, whose gaze had followed hers toward the distance, and hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had popped into her mind.  "Do you... ever wonder what our lives would be like if you never left the Changeling Kingdom?"

Shade grinned slightly at the question.  "Not lately.  There hasn't been much besides the baby on my mind recently."  His smile then faded as he answered her seriously.  "Actually, I used to think about it all the time.  There were always those nights where'd I'd just be lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering how it was possible for everything to just be so... perfect.  A too-good-to-be-true kinda thing, you know?"

"You ever have any of those mornings where you wake up and expect to be lying on a pile of cracked leaves with the cold wind blowing over you?" Chamella asked with a somber look.

"You too, huh?"

The two couldn't help but smile when he said that.  As depressing as that used to feel for them, knowing that they weren't alone in their feelings was still quite comforting.

It was around that time that a waiter came by with their meals, placing Chamella's burger and fries and Shade's evening breakfast in front of the pair of changelings.  Without much hesitation, Chamella popped a fry in her mouth, still hot and crispy.  However, Shade just held a strip of bacon within his magical grip, but didn't eat it.  As Chamella chewed her food, she saw the look on his face.  He seemed to be lost in thought, but then looked across at her.

"I'm sorry, Chamella."

The female changeling was surprised and confused by that.  "For what?"

"Leaving you alone out there by yourself.  Thinking about it now, I was being selfish; leaving behind everything I ever knew and the only person I ever cared about to chase some pipe dream about making friends with ponies."

Chamella's ears drooped when she saw a sullen look fall over Shade's face.  "You don't have to apologize for that, Shade.  Everything worked out, right?  I mean, look at us now."  She pointed out the fact that there were many ponies around them that weren't paying any mind at all to the two changelings in their presence.  "We're just normal members of the community now."

Shade breathed a silent sigh, not exactly comforted by that.  "That's not the point, Chamella.  I had no idea whether or not I'd be successful.  It was a complete gamble.  And leaving you back there to fend for yourself was the worst part."

"You gave me the choice to come with you and I turned it down.  If I could go back to that point in time, I'd definitely go with you.  I was just... scared."

"I was scared, too, believe me," Shade sympathized.  "And I am glad that things worked out for the best.  It could've been much worse, all things considered."

With all that having been said, the two changelings were at ease enough to finally enjoy their meals properly.  But just as Chamella took her first big bite of her burger, Shade spoke up again.

"You know, Winter and I have been fussing and fretting over this baby for a while now, but I've never really had a chance to ask you what's going through your mind about all of this."

Chamella paused with a mouthful of burger, caught off guard by the question.  She swallowed the bite and looked a tad flustered.  "W-What do you mean?  It doesn't really have anything to do with me, right?"

Shade raised an eyebrow slightly, noticing that she was avoiding eye contact.  "What?  Of course it does.  Like Rarity said: you're family."

"Yeah, but... I don't know what to do with a baby."

Shade chuckled.  "Neither do I.  And I'm its father."

Chamella managed a giggle hearing that.  "I guess.  I just... don't know if I could handle being responsible for raising a foal myself.  I don't really envy you."

Shade looked quizzically at Chamella, her comment raising a question.  "Would that be possible, I wonder."

Chamella blinked uncomprehendingly.  "Would what be possible?"

"For you to have a baby."

That suggestion caused Chamella to reel slightly.  "M-Me?!  I-I just said I don't think I could handle that."

Shade shook his head.  "No, I mean biologically.  Would it be possible for you and a pony stallion to have a baby together?"

Chamella adjusted her mane with a sigh, relieved that Shade was just posing a hypothetical rather than an actual suggestion, but she was still a little baffled.  "Well, why wouldn't it be?  You and Winter are having a baby, so we know it's possible."

Shade didn't seem so sure of that.  "But our case is a male changeling with a female pony."

"You don't think it could work the other way around?"

"That's what I'm wondering, because giving birth is completely different between our species'.  Winter's actually pregnant with our foal, but female changelings don't give birth that way.  Can a pony stallion even get you pregnant, and if so, what would happen?"

"Oh.  I guess I never really thought about it like that."

"I mean, I can't imagine your body is designed to carry a baby for eleven months, and I also can't imagine a baby pony growing in an egg sac."

Chamella grimaced at Shade.  "Can you please stop using me as an example?"

"Think about it: it might not even be possible for you to have a baby like Winter and I."

"I'm not really torn up about it, if that's what you're saying," Chamella stated flatly.

"You're not bummed out at all that you might not be able to start a family here?"

"You seemed perfectly happy when you still thought that."

Shade couldn't deny that.  Back then, just being with Winter was enough to keep him happy.  "Yeah, but now that it's actually happening, it's completely different.  I'm excited, yet terrified.  It's an odd feeling, but I can't say it's unpleasant."

Chamella chomped down on a fry, not feeling envious in the slightest of her friend.  "I'll pass.  Being a mom seems like too much pressure for me."

"But what if you change your mind one day?"

Chamella was starting to get a little irritated with Shade's insistence to continue with this topic, casting an annoyed glare across the table.  But he just kept staring at her, waiting for a response as though he was unable to read her expression.  "You're getting a little ahead of everything, aren't you?  I'd need somepony to have a baby with first."

"And I'm sure you'll find somepony eventually.  I'm just saying, when that day comes—"

"If that day comes."

Shade stared at her assuredly.  "When that day comes, you might think about things a little differently."

"Okay, let's just say I do change my mind.  You just said it won't work, so what difference does it make?"

"It might not work.  I don't know for sure.  I'm just asking you what you'd do if it turns out that it isn't possible."

"I don't know.  How am I supposed to know?"

"Well, I heard that apparently some people adopt kids and—"

"Shade, I don't want to have a baby!"

Chamella immediately became self-conscience of the fact that she had said that much louder than she'd intended.  Several other patrons eating outside the café turned in their direction at the sound of her sudden outburst and the female changeling shrunk down slightly with an embarrassed blush.  Even Shade discreetly glanced around at the ponies surrounding them, hoping that they weren't misinterpreting the conversation.

Feeling thoroughly humiliated, Chamella silently returned to her meal, not looking up from her plate as she took another bite of her burger.

Shade also felt a little embarrassed, but not for the same reason.  "Sorry.  I didn't realize I was making you uncomfortable," he said rather quietly, hoping that the other customers weren't now listening in.

Chamella lifted her pinks eyes, looking a bit apologetic herself.  "Me too.  I didn't mean to shout at you.  I know that this kind of stuff's been on your mind lately."

Things got pretty quiet after that, neither changeling knowing what else to say.  Chamella wondered why she had talked to Shade like that.  She'd never spoken to him like that before.  It definitely didn't feel good, and it got her thinking about how much things have changed in just a little over a year and a half.

As time went by, the silence between them persisted.  The food on their plates diminished and their meals were over.  True to his word, Shade paid the bill and the two went on their way.  It was starting to get noticeably late anyway, the glowing amber of the evening sky transitioning to the soft violet of dusk.  But even now, as they made their way back to Carousel Boutique, the pair remained quiet.  Chamella began to think about everything that had changed in their lives.

"Everything's a lot more complicated nowadays, huh?" Chamella said quietly.

Shade turned to her, puzzled.  "What do you mean?"

Chamella inhaled a long breath through her nose, letting it out as a somewhat wistful sigh.  "It's not that I'm not extremely grateful for how our lives turned out or anything, but you have to admit that things were a lot simpler when we were back home."

"You mean wondering if we'll be able to eat today, or even if we'll wake up tomorrow?" Shade said bemusedly.

Chamella's ears drooped a little.  "You know that's not what I meant.  I mean that there's so much more we have to deal with around here.  There's so much we have to know, and we have to have jobs, and now you've got to deal with parenthood.  It may not have been an easy life, but you have to admit that there wasn't much to think about back home."

Shade furrowed his brow.  "Why do you keep calling it that?  That place is not our home anymore, this town is."

Chamella shrunk back slightly under Shade's glower.  "How can you say that?  I know it wasn't exactly comfortable or even safe there, but it's still the place where we grew up; where we were born."

"The Changeling Kingdom can rot for all I care," Shade scoffed with ire.  "I'll be happy if I never have to see that place again."

Chamella was appalled to hear him say that.  "What?  But what about the other changelings?  I thought you wanted them to be happy, like us.  You wanted peace between the ponies and changelings just as much as anypony."

"We have to face facts, Chamella.  The other changelings don't want the same things we want.  They're not like us.  We're different.  We're good people."

The two stopped walking, having arrived at the front door of the boutique.  However, instead of going in, Chamella just stared Shade right in the eye.  "Is that what you believe?"

Shade paused, not quite comprehending what she was getting at.

"You used to be no different from the rest of them, Shade.  You used to hate the ponies just as much as Queen Chrysalis or any other changeling.  I remember all the times you told me that one day we'd beat them, and then we finally wouldn't need to worry anymore.  You fought the ponies in Canterlot, just like all the others."

Shade tried to say something, but no words made it out of his mouth.  She was right about that.  It was only coming back to him now that he used to think like that.  "But... I changed," he argued with confidence.  "That's what makes me different than them."

"Then who are you to say that they couldn't change, too?  You don't think the other changelings deserve a chance to be happy like us?"

"Well... no, I'm not saying that, but if they want to be happy so badly, why won't they just do what we did?"

Chamella brushed her mane out of her eyes, turning away with a sigh.  "I don't know.  But if we were offered the chance to change, then I think they should, too."

Shade turned his gaze down, looking pessimistic about the whole thing.  "The question is: would they even take that chance?"

"I hope so."  Chamella sat down, leaning back against the door of the boutique.  "Knowing that you used to be that way once makes me think that there is hope."

"I still think we're different than them," Shade reiterated.

Chamella lowered her head slightly, speaking quietly.  "The only one who was different was me.  I could barely fend for myself.  I was scared and helpless."

Shade sat down beside her.  "And you had every right to be.  Changelings are violent, selfish, power-hungry..."  He looked down at his sullen friend.  "Well, most of them are.  I guess I was at one point, too.  Which is exactly why you shouldn't think about it anymore.  The Changeling Kingdom is a dangerous place.  There's nothing good there."

Chamella lifted her head again, giving Shade a disagreeing glare.  "I don't believe that.  Despite all the bad things and hardships, I still have good memories of the Changeling Kingdom.  I remember being happy there, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Shade raised a quizzical eyebrow.  "What could you have had that made you happy that the other changelings didn't?"

"You, you dummy!"

Shade was taken aback by her sudden outburst.

Chamella was silent for a moment as she stared into Shade's eyes, all of her memories running through her mind.  "Like I said, I wasn't strong enough to take care of myself.  In reality, I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you."

It was somewhat jarring for Shade to hear her say that.

"You shared your food with me, helped me build a shelter, stood up for me when other changelings threatened me.  You were what made life worth living.  You were why I was happy."

Chamella stared off into the distance for a few moments.  Shade simply sat there, staring at her in silence.  She seemed to be deep in thought.  She closed her eyes, breathing another sigh.

"I guess I was wrong."

"About what?" asked Shade.

Chamella looked back up at him with a small smile.  "You were different.  You cared enough to help me.  No other changeling would have done that.  Guise never did anything nice like you did."

Shade grimaced at the mentioned of that name.  "Guise was just waiting for an opportunity to stab us in the back.  Now he was no different than the others.  You can at least agree with me on that, right?"

Chamella giggled quietly.  "Yeah.  Maybe worse even."

The two of them leaned back against the door, letting out simultaneous sighs as they gazed up at the sky.  By now, night had fallen entirely, but they were not completely blanketed in darkness as the full moon and sea of stars above them still illuminated the small town with their soft, white glow.

"You ever wonder how different our lives would be if things went differently?" Chamella asked as she stared up at the endless expanse above.

Shade looked over at her, a little confused.  "Didn't we already talk about that?"

The purple-maned changeling never took her eyes off the sky.  "I asked if you wondered how things would be if you never left the Changeling Kingdom."  She turned to meet Shade's gaze.  "But what about if other things were different?"

"Like, if you had come with me?"

Chamella nodded.  "Yeah, something like that."

Shade turned his eyes back up as he thought about the question.  "Or if I had gone through with my original plan of showing up without a disguise.  Or if I had been able to help that pony in the forest.  Or even if I'd ended up in a completely different town."

"I think it's safe to say our lives would definitely be a lot different if any of those things had happened.  All things considered, this is probably the best that things could have turned out for us, huh?  Is this what 'fate' is?"

Shade shrugged.  "Maybe.  But you're right: things couldn't have turned out better for us, but I guess there's no way to know for sure."

Chamella turned away, lowering her head and rubbing her foreleg ashamedly.  "Well, I guess some things could have been better.  I did some awful things that still haunt me today."

Shade stared down at her, concerned.  "You mean with Winter, right?"

Chamella simply nodded slowly, still avoiding eye contact.

Shade closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.  It had been quite some time since that topic had been brought up.  He knew it was too much to ask for Chamella to get past something like that.  The day would probably never come where she was able to forgive herself for what she did to Winter.  But Shade couldn't help but feel that it tied into their conversation about fate.

"It's weird," Shade said quietly, almost to himself.

Chamella removed her gaze from the dirt below to look up at him curiously.  "What's weird?"

"Well, would we be where we are now if you hadn't kidnapped Winter?"

Chamella's eyes widened in shock in response to hearing him say something like that.  "Wait, you're not saying it was a good thing that I did that, are you?"

The phrasing of that inquiry made Shade feel a little awkward about it, but he figured he may as well explain himself.  "Well, think about it.  If you hadn't done what you did, Winter may have never found out I was a changeling.  Can you imagine how she—not to mention everypony else in Ponyville—would have reacted if they found out months, even years, later that I was a changeling?  I don't think I would have been able to talk my way out of that.  As bizarre as it might sound for me to say this, I really should be thanking you."

Chamella blinked silently, certainly not feeling the same way about it.

"I mean, not that that makes what you did okay or anything.  I just mean that I should thank you for making me shed my disguise and come clean.  You have no idea how amazing it felt to find out that, even though she knew what I was, she still loved me.  It's still so hard to believe."

Chamella ran a hoof through her long mane with a sigh.  "I still wish I hadn't done it.  I feel terrible about it."

"I guess there's no helping that.  But at the very least, if you hadn't done that, you would still be living in the Changeling Kingdom.  Alone."

"I know you're trying to make me feel better about it, but no matter what you say, I'll always consider it a mistake on my part.  It was entirely possible that I might have ruined your life."

Shade gave her a reassuring smile.  "Well, the important thing is that you didn't.  Besides, I'm the one who'd feel guilty if you were still living back there, if you can call that living; 'surviving' is more like it.  And guilty or not, as long as you're happy now, that's what's important, right?"

Shade felt Chamella rest her head against his neck, letting out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes and nuzzled into him.

"I'm just glad you're still my friend."

Shade tilted his head back, leaning against the door comfortably.  "And I always will be."

The two just sat there quietly for a few minutes, basking in the peaceful silence of the night.  Chamella lay with her head upon her best friend's shoulder, a blissful smile on her face.  This day had been quite the roller coaster for her emotionally, ranging from friendly chats to uncomfortable arguments and even a little anger.  But she couldn't say she didn't enjoy her time with Shade, especially considering this was the most time they'd spent together since he found out Winter was pregnant.

And with that thought, everything had come full circle.

"You're really looking forward to being a dad, huh?" Chamella said quietly, not opening her eyes.

Shade nodded lightly.  "I am.  And I want you to be excited, too, Chamella."

The female grimaced a little.  "I'm not making any promises.  But at the very least I can be happy for the two of you.  But I'm still a little worried at the same time."

"We all are.  I think the important thing here is to remain optimistic and hope for the best."

For once, the pair had nothing else on their minds that they wanted to share.  Chamella was content to just sit there and continue to enjoy Shade's company.  Who knew when they would get another chance like this?  The closer they got to the baby's arrival, the less time they were likely to spend together, especially after it was born.  Chamella wanted to make the most of the very limited time they would have together after this.  And if that was simply just a matter of the two of them sitting in silence, staring up at the night sky with smiles on their faces, that was fine with her.


*****     *****     *****


"IIIIIIIIIs this your card?!"

Derpy looked at the card Pinkie Pie was holding up to her face, pushing it away so that she could actually distinguish it.  "No."

Pinkie looked at the card herself, surprised.  "Oh.  Really?"

Derpy shook her head.

"Okay..."  Pinkie tossed the card aside, rummaged through the rest of the deck, and selected another card, holding that one up to Derpy's face as well.  "Is this your card?!"

Once again, Derpy shook her head.

Now Pinkie was starting to get frustrated, pouting grouchily as she held the two cards and analyzed them.  "I know I did this right, so if it's not this one, or that one, then which one is it?"

Derpy scratched her head in thought.  "Um...  I forgot."

The pink pony threw the whole deck into air with an annoyed groan, starting an impromptu game of fifty-two pick up.  "Augh!  Fine, we're starting over," she declared as she reassembled the deck.

Applejack let out a sigh as she passed by the earth pony and pegasus, carrying an empty glass into the kitchen where Autumn, Rarity and Twilight were chatting.  "You know a party's startin' ta wind down when Pinkie Pie busts out her rudimentary magic tricks."

"I guess it is starting to get a little late," Twilight commented, noting the now total absence of sunlight outside.

"You girls can head home if you want," Autumn told them.  "If you're bored, you don't have to stick around.  I'm sure Winter just appreciates that you all came."

"Nonsense, darling.  I'm still having a wonderful time," Rarity said with a cheery smile.  "I'm willing to stay as long as you're willing to have me."

"Likewise," Applejack agreed.  "Ah was just pointin' out that things are gettin' a little mellow."  She glanced back into the living room, particularly at a certain cyan pegasus lounging on the couch, fidgeting around.  "Ah figure Rainbow Dash might be gettin' a tad bored, but she ain't gonna bail so long as nopony tells her to.  She got more courtesy than that, an' I'm sure she doesn't wanna offend her gracious host slash mare of the hour."

"Speaking of whom, where is Winter?" Twilight asked, peering out into the living room but seeing no sign of the ivory pegasus.  "She was in here eating some cake with us, then... well, I have no idea where she went after that."

Autumn shrugged with a quiet sigh.  "I think she went upstairs.  She says she's fine, but I personally believe that something's bothering her."

Rarity held her hooves to her cheeks in worry.  "Oh, dear.  You don't think she's still fretting over the baby, do you?  After everything we've done and said to reassure her, I'm not sure what else we can do to ease her weary mind."

"No, I don't think it's that," Autumn said with a shake of her head.  She looked to the three other mares, a particular concern arising in her head.  "What can you girls tell me about Shade's changeling friend?  Chamella was it?"

Twilight tilted her head.  "Chamella?  Well, she's a perfectly friendly individual.  Eager to learn, but a bit shy and bashful.  Timid even.  I've actually been tutoring her just as I have been with Shade."

Rarity nodded in agreement.  "Yes, and quite the quick learner indeed.  She's been working for me at my boutique since she moved here, and I must say she catches on quickly.  I dare say she's inherited my eye for fashion," the fashionista bragged with a smug grin.

"I suppose she and Shade are close then?" Autumn inferred.

"Like apples from the same tree," Applejack confirmed with a smile.  "They've known each other their whole lives.  Apparently, they're a rare example of changelings that were actually friends.  They looked out for one another as if they were real kin."

"Shade actually considers Chamella to be like a sister to him," Twilight added, but her expression shifted to an unsure frown as she continued.  "But... past evidence seems to indicate that Chamella may feel differently toward him."

"She doesn't care about him as much as he does her?" Autumn asked, concern in her voice for the man her daughter loved so much.

"Just the opposite, I'm afraid," Rarity corrected with a sigh.  "At one point she appeared to actually be in love with Shade."

Hearing that worried the older mare.  "Oh.  I see.  Would that have anything to do with the 'animosity' you mentioned earlier between her and Winter?"

Rarity nodded somberly.  "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"How much has Winter actually told you about Chamella, Mrs. Maple?" Twilight asked.

"Not much.  She just briefly mentioned her here and there when telling me more about Shade."

"Oh, dear.  Then I suppose you aren't aware of the... incidents that occurred between them," assumed Rarity.

Autumn did not like the sound of that.  "What incidents?"

Rarity, Twilight and Applejack all shared glances and could tell that they each had the same thought.  Applejack was the one to speak it.

"Ah don't really think it's our place to be tellin' ya that.  If she wanted to talk about it, she would've."

"Is it that serious?" asked Autumn.  She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know anymore, but at the same time, if something was bugging her daughter, she wanted to do what she could to ease her.

As if on cue, Winter herself walked back downstairs, but almost immediately headed for the door, stopping only to briefly say something to Fluttershy, who nodded back at her.  Just as Winter opened the front door and was about to step out, her mother called out to her.

"Winter, where are you going?"

"Hm?"  Winter turned to face her mother, her expression somewhat melancholy.  "Oh, I was just going to step out for a minute."

The ivory pegasus grinned at her mother, but Autumn wasn't fooled for a second.  "Is there something on your mind you'd like to talk about, honey?"

Winter was caught off guard by that.  "What?  I thought we talked already, Mom.  I told you I'm fine.  I'm just getting some fresh air.  Maybe I'll see how Shade's doing, too.  I'll be back in a few minutes."

Autumn sighed internally.  "Alright, sweetie.  But when you get back I'd really like to just... talk for a bit.  Just you and me.  Mother to mother.  Okay?"  She gave Winter a warm smile.

Winter returned the smile with one of her own.  "Sure thing."  She then stepped outside, shutting the door behind her.

The ivory pegasus let out a breath, the smile she had given her mother fading.  She didn't like lying to her mom, but this was something that really didn't concern her, Winter thought.  If her mother found out that she had just spent the last ten minutes shut away in her bedroom, debating to herself whether or not she should go and talk to Chamella, she no doubt would've butt in.  She didn't need that right now; there was already enough on her mind.

As Winter began her trek to track down Chamella, she couldn't help but wonder why this was so difficult for her.  Why was she so hesitant to talk to her?  But the moment that question popped into her mind, she realized how dumb it was.  Of course she knew why.  She was well aware of the fact that she hadn't spent any extended time with Chamella in the nearly two years since she and Shade moved to Ponyville.  Whether that was on purpose or a subconscious decision may have been up in the air.

But the important thing was that she had worked up the nerve to do it now.  Better now than after the baby was born, was what she thought.  And maybe now was even better than she initially thought.  Shade was with her after all.  His presence might make this whole situation a little easier on her, not to mention she'd probably be a little more careful with her words and attitude with him there.

The question now was: where were they?  Shade had said that the two of them were going to get something to eat, but they likely finished a while ago.  Twilight was at the baby shower, and Winter couldn't see Shade and Chamella hanging out at the library with just Spike around.  It was entirely possible that they simply went for a walk around town, and if that was the case, it'd prove difficult to actually find them.  The most logical thing to do would be to wait for them at a spot where they'd most likely wind up.  With that in mind, Winter headed for Carousel Boutique since that was probably going to be their last stop before Shade went home for the night.

Winter stared up at the stars as she walked.  She certainly wouldn't blame Shade for wanting to go for a walk on a night like tonight.  She and Shade had spent many a clear, starry night sitting outside and just gazing up in silence, enjoying each others company.  Maybe when the baby shower was over and everypony had gone home, they could do the same tonight.

After a few minutes of walking, Carousel Boutique came into view.  The dark veil of night made it's purple accents somewhat difficult to pick out from a distance, but the outline, even in the dark, was unmistakable.

But as Winter got closer to the building, she stopped, just standing there for a moment as though she were trying to understand what she was seeing.

At the front door of the boutique, just sitting there, not saying a word, were Shade and Chamella.  Shade was staring off into the endless blanket of night, the sky blue of his sclera and the deep green of his irises practically glowing in the dark, while Chamella's eyes were closed, her head nestled up against Shade's neck.  Both of them sat there in utter silence with peaceful smiles on their faces.

And Winter could only stare, uncomprehending.  Suddenly, it was though her emotions had begun to roil and mix.  The words she had planned to say while contemplating this moment in her bedroom just minutes ago had all vanished from her mind in an instant.  She felt her teeth clench in her mouth, her hoof ground slightly into the dirt beneath her, and then she turned and walked away.

Winter couldn't even collect her thoughts as she briskly stomped off, believing her destination to be home as her legs were running on autopilot so she could devote all of her brainpower to making sense of the storm of emotions raging around in her head.  She honestly couldn't tell how she was supposed to feel right now.  Was she angry?  Saddened?  Upset?  On top of it all, she was confused, adding to the already overwhelming maelstrom she was experiencing.  Her purposeful, yet pensive, gait seemed to suggest that it must have been some sort of amalgamation of all of those emotions.  Her ears felt hot, her wings twitched, and she felt as though anything else even the least bit upsetting would manage to bring her to tears.

Before she had even realized it, Winter had made it back home, finding her hoof already on the doorknob when she snapped back to reality.  But she hesitated to open it.  In her state of emotional confusion, she had forgotten that she had a house full of guests, including her mother who she had already promised to chat with when she got back.  Needless to say, she wasn't in much of a chatty mood now and may need to postpone that promise.  On top of that, it might be a good time to wrap up the shower.  All Winter wanted to do right now was lay down and try to make sense of what was going through her head at the moment.

Taking in an apprehensive breath, Winter stepped inside the house, attempting to seem as though nothing was wrong so as not to draw any questions that she really didn't need right now.  She was met by a few looks from her house guests, acknowledging that she'd returned, but nopony spoke up, thankfully.  Winter knew she wasn't gone for very long, but part of her had hoped that some of them would have gone home in the meantime to make things a little easier.  No such luck, unfortunately.

"Oh?  Back already?  That was fast," Winter's mother commented, exiting the kitchen when she realized her daughter had returned.  "Did you find Shade?"

Winter tried to put up a facade, but found herself unable to form a smile.  The most she could manage was a look of indifference.  "Yeah."

"Did you talk to him?"

Winter sighed in defeat.  "No."

Autumn tilted her head in confusion.  "Why not?"

"I changed my mind.  That's all."  Winter said with exhaustion.  She looked around at her guests, still just sitting and chatting as though the night had no end.  "I think it's time to wrap up.  I'm kind of tired."

"It is getting a little late," said Twilight, approaching the two from the kitchen, Applejack and Rarity close behind.

Having overheard the conversation, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Derpy all stood up as well.

Winter looked at each of her guests and friends.  Again, she attempted to smile, but found herself lacking the energy to do so.  "Thank you for coming, everypony.  You've really done a lot to help me through all of this.  You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"You don't sound too happy about it," noted Rainbow Dash.  The cyan pegasus then received a firm, correcting nudge in the ribs from Applejack, along with a disapproving glower at the comment.

"You're more than welcome, darling," Rarity said with a compassionate smile.  "And we really should have more get-togethers like this.  It was such fun."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie agreed enthusiastically.  "Parties like this give me an excuse to practice mixing cocktails.  I'd like to try my hoof at being a tradional, wise, savvy barkeep doling out advice to her patrons and easing their weary minds with a cold drink."

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.  "Since when have you wanted to do that?"

"Since just now, when I thought of it," the pink pony answered with a chipper grin.

"Oh, geez, it really is getting late, huh?" Derpy said, a hint of guilt in her voice.  "I should get home.  I need to relieve the foalsitter before she falls asleep on my couch.  And I like Rarity's idea; we should do this again sometime.  Bye, girls."  The wall-eyed mare waved goodbye as she stepped out into the night, ready to pack it in.

"Ah reckon we'll be hittin' the ol' dusty trail, too," Applejack said with a tip of her hat.  She paused, however, taking a look at the coffee table, noting the leftover snacks and dirty dishes.  "That is, unless you want some help cleanin' up."

Winter shook her head dismissively.  "Don't worry about it.  I'll clean it up tomorrow.  And I'll get you're glasses and stuff back to you when I can, Pinkie."

The party pony waved it off with a carefree grin.  "Take your time."

"Then I suppose we'll be calling it a night," said Twilight.  "Thanks for having us, Winter."

The others nodded in agreement and the rest of Winter's guests made for the door, saying their goodbyes as they exited, leaving just Winter and Autumn standing in the living room.

Without so much as looking at her mother, Winter turned and ascended the stairs to her bedroom.  Autumn was becoming quite concerned about her daughter's behavior.  Something happened when she went to find Shade, she just knew it, and given the way Winter was acting, it wasn't likely she was willing to share.  But that wasn't going to stop Autumn from trying.

Once Winter was within the sanctity of her bedroom, she shut the door behind her, sauntered over to the bed and fell upon it, her head sinking into the pillow.  She didn't even bother to cover up; all she wanted to do right now was lay down, not necessarily sleep.

However, she had laid down for less than a minute before her privacy was disturbed by a gentle, cautious knock on the door.

"Winter?  Are you alright, sweetie?  You seem... out of sorts," her mother expressed through the wooden door.  She received no response, further solidifying that something was wrong.  "Winter, if something's bothering you, you can talk to me.  This is supposed to be a happy day for you.  I don't want to see you moping around."

"I don't want to talk," came Winter's voice weakly through the door.

Autumn frowned at the somber sound of her daughter's voice.  "Winter, it's not good to keep things bottled up.  Please, I'm worried about you.  I only want to—"

"I said I don't want to talk," Winter repeated, her voice more stern, though still fairly quiet.  "I just...  I think I need to be alone right now."

Autumn breathed a defeated sigh.  "Alright.  If that's what you want, I won't push it.  Just know that I'm always available if you need to borrow somepony's ear."

Reluctant as she was to do so, Autumn kept her word and turned to leave and head home.  Just as she reached the staircase, Winter's voice could be heard once more.

"Goodnight, Mom."

Hearing that from her at the very least managed to put a small smile on Autumn's face.  "Goodnight, Winter."

As silence once again began to take hold of the modest, two-story home, Autumn descended the stairs and went to the door.  As she stepped outside, she let out another sigh, feeling guilty about leaving her daughter to deal with whatever it was that was bothering her by herself.  No doubt she was going to be up all night worrying about Winter and wondering where this tension between her and Chamella stemmed from, but what was she supposed to do if Winter kept refusing her help?

Autumn was about to take off back to Cloudsdale, her wings spread and ready to carry her home.  However, she stopped when she saw a figure in the darkness coming towards her.  Had it been anypony else, she likely would not have recognized them from this distance, but there was no mistaking the luminescent eyes of a changeling.

Trotting up to the house with a bit of a spring in his step was Shade.  He certainly seemed to be enjoying the night air, a smile on his face as he inhaled the crisp, cool oxygen through his nose.  In fact, he seemed so distracted that he hadn't even noticed Autumn standing there until he was practically right in front of her, halting in his tracks and passing his smile to her.

"Oh, hey, Mrs. Maple.  You heading home?"

Autumn nodded solemnly.  "Yes, I'm afraid so.  Everypony else has called it a night, so I figure I might as well do the same."

"Did you girls enjoy yourselves?  Was the baby shower fun?"

"Oh, yes, it was a hoot.  I think everypony had a blast," she confirmed with a grin.  However, that smile fell as she continued.  "Although..."

Shade raised an eyebrow.  "What?"

Autumn looked Shade in the eye.  She was about to mention Winter's current mood to him, but for some reason, something told her to not.  Shade seemed like he had enjoyed his night, and if Winter was so adamant about not talking about it, it probably wouldn't go over well if she had found out her mother told her boyfriend about it and had him try and drag the issue out of her.  Not to mention worrying about Winter would quickly put a damper on Shade's day.  Maybe Winter really did just need a little alone time, and if it persisted, no doubt Shade would try and cheer her up anyway.

Autumn smiled once more, shaking her head.  "Nothing.  Sorry.  Anyway, I should be getting home.  Nimbus is probably going to be upset with me for coming home so late, but that's his problem," she laughed.  "Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight," Shade bid her as she took off, flying off into the night sky back to Cloudsdale.

Not wanting to wait around any longer and eager to ask Winter about her day, Shade entered the house.  Immediately, he had to stop himself, taking notice of several unfamiliar objects near the couch.  One in particular caught his attention: a tiny storm cloud in a jar, crackling with small flashes of thunder and lightning.  Shade glanced down at the floor, noting all of the torn wrapping paper on the floor.  These must have been the gifts that their friends got for them.  Perhaps more interesting was the large crib pushed over into a corner of the living room.

But he'd have to ask Winter about all of that stuff later.  Right now, his attention was drawn to the empty glasses and tray of leftover snacks on the coffee table, accompanied by a mess of stray crumbs.  Curious, he took a peek in the kitchen.  Much to his chagrin, the sink was full of dirty dishes, mostly cooking trays for cupcakes and such.

"Guess I know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow morning," Shade grumbled to himself with a slight grimace, although he wasn't going to let it spoil his good mood.  It certainly looked like the girls enjoyed themselves, so he couldn't be too annoyed with them.

Shade noted as well that Winter wasn't around, quickly inferring that she must be upstairs, perhaps cleaning up in the bathroom.  With that in mind, he quickly ascended the stairs, skipping every second step on the way up in his enthusiasm, and entered the bedroom.

He was about to head straight to the bathroom himself, but contrary to his assumption, Winter was already in bed—or rather, on the bed; she hadn't even bothered to cover up.

"Hey, Winter," Shade greeted her with a chipper grin as he made his way to the bathroom.  "Man, you girls must have partied your flanks off if you're already this tired."

Winter didn't respond.  Instead, she simply watched Shade enter the bathroom and grab his toothbrush.  Her gut tightened as she remembered what she saw earlier.  Despite her efforts to cool her head, she still was having trouble grasping exactly how she was feeling.  She found herself resenting the fact that Shade was actually happy when she struggled just to understand what was going on in her own head.  And she hated herself for it.  Never in her life did she ever believe she would think such a thing, but she just couldn't get that image out of her mind. 

Shade stepped into the doorway, toothbrush in his mouth, and looked intently at Winter.  "You have fun today?" he said between brushes.

Winter hesitated briefly, contemplating not saying anything at all, but instead answered with a simple and quiet, "Yeah."

"You got a lot of weird gifts, huh?" Shade commented, recalling the pile downstairs in the living room.  "Was there a storm cloud in a jar?"

"Yeah, that was from Rainbow Dash."

The changeling tilted his head curiously.  "What's it supposed to do?"

Winter shrugged.  "It's just a storm cloud.  It doesn't really do anything.  It's more of a decoration than anything, I guess."

Shade was hoping for a more interesting answer than that, but took it for what it was and went back into the bathroom to rinse out his mouth.

"And how was your day," Winter asked.  She didn't really mean to ask that.  It just sort of came out of her mouth.  She most definitely did not intend for it to sound so spiteful.  Her emotions really were starting to get the better of her.

Thankfully, Shade didn't seem to notice her tone, gargling and spitting into the sink before rejoining her in the bedroom.

"Great," he answered with a content smile.

Just that one word elicited a slight scowl from Winter, again, making her hate herself more for not being able to keep her emotions in check.

"Me and Chamella just talked all day.  It was nice, you know?  We haven't been able to spend much time together in a while."

Once again, unable to really contest her own feelings, Winter grimaced, thinking to herself that Shade would rather spend time with Chamella than her.  It was starting to seem as though he'd only been spending time with her, the mother of his foal, because he felt obligated to do so.

Shade climbed onto the bed before continuing.  "You know, she's just as worried about the baby as we are."

It was that statement that finally made Winter a little curious.  That was her original intention when she went to find Shade and Chamella earlier: to ask about Chamella's point of view.  She just got a little... distracted.  "She is?"

Shade nodded.  "Apparently.  She's concerned it's going to be tough for us and she feels like she's not going to be able to help us.  I even brought up the subject of her one day starting a family of her own."  He sighed with an awkward chuckle.  "She was not keen on that idea."

"But I guess you two got to a more enjoyable subject eventually," Winter said, recalling the pair of changelings sitting quietly together, the image bringing back that swirl of uncomfortable emotions.

"Yeah.  We talked about the Changeling Kingdom a bit.  Apparently, we having slightly differing views of our former home.  But we ended up talking about how our lives might have been different if certain things were changed."

Winter swallowed nervously.  Judging by the way she saw them, she was worried about where that conversation might have led.

"But, despite the bumps along the way, I decided that the way things are now are exactly how I want them to be."  He looked down at Winter, who hadn't turned over since he got onto the bed and her back was still facing him.  Despite that, he smiled fondly down at her.  "I wouldn't change anything."

Winter suddenly felt the tension that had been building in her mind begin to melt away.  And at that moment, she felt Shade pull the covers over the two of them, wrapping his hooves around her and pulling himself close, snuggling up into her back.

"Just talking about it made me eager to get home and back to you," he said softly into her ear.  He then ran a hoof gently over her round belly.  "Both of you."

Winter lay motionless with Shade nestled comfortably into the back of her neck as he readied himself for sleep to take him.  And she, for what felt like quite a long time to her, somehow finally managed a smile, as if she had been sick and Shade was the remedy.  The squall of confusing and frustrating emotions tearing away at her insides finally began to quell.  Maybe she was just being irrational, or maybe she was overthinking things.  But what really mattered was not what she thought Shade could do, but rather what he actually decided to do.  And if that decision was to come home and just lay in bed within each others embrace, then she could be happy.  Any doubts would have to be cast aside if she wanted to truly achieve and maintain that happiness.