Impending Culture Shock
Rumble and Stella trotted along, side by side, as the other kids led the way.
“Oh, you should see the spa first,” Diamond Tiara started.
“No, Sugarcube Corner,” Twist objected.
“Why not the bowling alley?” Apple Bloom suggested.
“Ponyville has a bowling alley?” Chitter asked.
Silver Spoon turned to face the girl.
Chitter smiled nervously. “What?”
“I thought you said you lived in Ponyville?” Silver Spoon started.
“I do live in Ponyville. So do my parents.”
“And you don’t know where the bowling alley is?” the grey filly raised an eyebrow.
The rousette girl shrugged. “I never really go that way, wherever it is?”
“What about Sugarcube Corner?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Or Carrousel Boutique?”
“Err… I don’t usually go there, either?”
Lance frowned. “Wait, what about City Hall? You know where the gazebo is, right?”
“Dead centre of town, I guess?”
“And Ponyville Market?” Apple Bloom asked.
Chitter tilted her head away from them, slightly offended. “I don’t know, I could just fly up to check. Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Rumble cleared his throat. “Umm, Chitter, I think it’s because you just don’t get out that much. I mean, you were born in Ponyville, you live here, but nopony’s ever seen you out before sundown, or after. You don’t even know where you can get food around here. In your own town. Don’t you think that’s just a little weird?”
“Oh.” Chitter rolled her eyes. “Well, I know where to get pizzas in Tuber Lane, that’s something. And it’s not like you’re any better. Do you know where the Night Guard headquarters is?”
Button Mash, who’d been quiet this whole time, looked up in surprise. “We can get pizza in Ponyville?”
Sweetie Belle furrowed her brow. “Ponyville has a Night Guard headquarters?”
Apple Bloom thought it over. “Tuber Lane?”
Chitter groaned. “Okay, maybe you know where it is, but that’s only because of your sister. And come on, you’re acting like I’m some kind of freak just because I don’t know where the bakery is.”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon flanked the blank-flanked bat girl. Diamond put up her best smile. “Don’t worry about a thing, we’ll show you all the best places in Ponyville. You don’t really need to know every little spot in this boring old town.”
Rumble rolled his eyes, Stella chuckled. “Sorry, Chitter. I guess you’re the odd one out here, even if I’m supposed to be the new girl.”
“That’s okay. I know some of you already.” Chitter nodded towards Lance and Featherweight. “But actually, girls, now that you mention it, I don’t suppose either of you knows where you can get some fresh citrus?”
Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “Citrus?”
“Blood oranges, I mean, or some soda. I’m getting a little thirsty, and the fruits we get down Tuber Lane are usually canned.”
“Actually, I’m getting a little thirsty, too,” Rumble said.
“Me three,” Stella concurred. “Is there any place we can get milkshakes around here, mayhaps?”
“Sugarcube Corner’s got those,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s right this way.”
Chitter found herself at the back of the herd again as they all went off towards the local bakery, one she hadn’t been aware existed. It was normal that she didn’t know her way around town, though, it had to be. None of the other rousette kids in Ponyville knew where anything was, aside from maybe the train station and everything in Tuber Lane, of course. And rousettes all knew each other despite the rules of keeping boys and girls separated: that’s what parental gossip was for. It wasn’t her fault that these silly ponies didn’t believe in such a time-honoured way of keeping communities together.
Plus, she’d never joined as a junior watchbat on a Night Guard patrol, what with her dancing routines and all, so of course she’d never needed to know anything specific about the town she lived in. She knew where everything in Tuber Lane was, she knew where she could get bat food, bat clothes, and bat first aid.
But even then, a tiny part of her nagged at herself about the simple fact that bat food often had to be delivered, bat clothes were really the same as pony clothes at the end of the day, if a little greyer, and bat first aid involved a train ride or a quick flight to Canterlot. It kind of defeated the purpose of having bat first aid if pony first aid could get there first.
“Don’t worry about it.” Sweetie Belle lagged behind a bit to talk to Chitter.
“Yeah, really, there’s lots of ponies around here who don’t get out much,” Diamond Tiara added. As if on cue, Fluttershy came flying overhead with a basket of frogs in her mouth.
“Thanks. It’s nothing personal, though. It’s just, umm, tradition, you know? We’re not supposed to go out much before we’ve matured.” Chitter blushed.
“You mean like how ponies don’t do much without a cutie mark?” Silver Spoon snickered ever so slightly.
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. Chitter, though blank-flanked herself, didn’t take it as an insult. “Sort of, I guess. We have this thing about rousette boys and girls not consorting with each other. Ponies don’t have any traditions about that, and we can’t ask everypony to follow our rules, so it’s just easier to stay away from ponies if we wanna follow the rules.” She parroted the explanation from Stella more to convince herself than anyone else.
“But what about them?” Diamond nodded towards Stella and Rumble, who were still the centre of attention. “Does that mean you can’t talk to boys because of tradition?”
“That’s different. I’m still sort of allowed to talk to boys, because I do something different in our tradition. And Rumble and Stella are, well, they’re okay according to our rules now, but they weren’t before. So a normal rousette girl? No, she wouldn’t get to walk out on the street like this, unless her parents know she won’t talk to boys,” Chitter explained. “Same thing with boys talking to girls. But that’s a trust thing.”
“Wow, that’s a little extreme, isn’t it? How old do you need to be before you can? Are the grownups not allowed to do it, either?” Silver Spoon asked.
“It’s not an age thing, it’s more of a rite of passage thing. We don’t care that much about cutie marks, either, in case you were wondering. Cutie marks don’t matter much since most of us end up as guards one way or another. For the grownups, I guess they don’t mix with ponies because by the time they’re allowed to, they’ve gotten used to not doing it.”
“So, basically, the only reason nopony ever sees rousettes around town is… tradition,” Diamond said.
“Tradition,” Chitter replied.
“Tradition,” Sweetie Belle repeated.
“Tradition,” Chitter confirmed.
“Wait, hold on. You said rousettes usually end up as guards. So aren’t there, like, bat barbers, or bat farmers, or bat builders?” Silver Spoon kept up the questioning.
“Sure there are, but since we don’t sleep like ponies do, we usually get some other job on the side. A lot of the rousettes on my street are night shift builders; they help clean up the mess when something destroys part of Ponyville. You’d be surprised how much work they get doing that.” Chitter grimaced. ”But they’re also volunteer Night Guards, so in the day they help patrol the skies. You just can’t see them because that’s outside the residential areas and, you know, we’re stealthy and all.”
“Huh. So are you a guard, too?” Silver nudged the batty girl.
“I’ve hardened my wings a little, which most rousettes don’t, but besides that I’ve only done basic training.”
“And what’s basic trai-”
“Artillery! Get down!” Chitter rushed in front of Sweetie Belle, Diamond, and Silver, and spread her wings out as protection before bracing herself for her impending fiery demise. Like any good, properly trained rousette, she threw herself straight into danger, no questions asked.
When no shots came, she opened her eyes.
“Pinkie Pie, this is Stella, and that’s Chitter,” Rumble started, after gently folding Chitter’s wings back down. “They’re my rousette friends. They’re rousettes, not ponies and not bat ponies, they don’t like being called ponies.”
“‘Tis a cultural thing.” Stella winked at the pink mare.
Chitter blinked and slowly backed away. She looked up, down, and found that what she was seeing was still as confusing as before the closer inspection. “Why does that mare have a cannon?”
Pinkie Pie blinked just as confusedly. “Why didn’t anyone tell me we had bat-winged ponies in our town?”
Applejack took a deep breath before going down Tuber Lane again. She couldn’t be sure this would work, but it was the only thing she could think of.
“What are you doing here?”
“Gah!” Applejack turned in mid-jump. Like clockwork, Nectarine was standing right behind her. The rousette’s jaw was clenched, and her lips curled up just enough to show off the fangs.
“Well?”
Applejack cleared her throat to regain her composure. “I’m here to apologise about last night. I was out of line, and I didn’t mean to offend you or your kin. I was just tryin’ to get some of the confusion out of the way. And I probably shouldn’t have pushed it that hard. So, sorry.”
Rin’s jaw unclenched. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Can we continue this conversation elsewhere?”
Applejack raised hers. “Anything you say, officer, Ma’am.”
Nectarine escorted the farmer mare out of the shadows of the trees and out of earshot from any of the locals. “I wanted to apologise too. It’s not your fault you don’t know anything about us.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Exactly. I just want to be a good neighbour here and get to know some of y’all, but I’m startin’ to think rousettes just don’t want anything to do with ponies. It’s like you still hate us for whatever some ponies in the past did to ya. Or that you think you’re better than we are.”
“Oh, come on, you must know that’s not true. We just cling to tradition, that’s all.”
“Clinging to tradition’s one thing, but y’all are using it as an excuse to stay away from anyone who doesn’t follow them. That ain’t what traditions are for, is it?”
Rin groaned. “Okay, that’s just being dramatic. What’s wrong with how things are now? Why do you even care so much?”
“I care because Ponyville is supposed to be a place where everyone can live together in harmony. I care because I just found out a few days ago that the town my family helped build has had a whole community of rousettes in it that never showed their face to anypony. And I would hate to think that any of y’all feel like you’re not welcome to share our streets in the day.”
Rin chuckled to herself. “That’s a very noble thought of you, Applejack, really, but we do consort with ponies, mostly the Weather Patrol and politicians. We don’t need to do more. We have lived like this for centuries, and we get on just fine. We have our ways, you have yours.”
“You know, you keep saying that like it means something, but all I hear is ‘We don’t want to be around you because you don’t do things our way.’ And that kinda stings.”
“What if it was the other way around, then? Would you be okay with us getting offended because ponies in Ponyville don’t use magic for Winter Wrap-Up? What if we wanted to join in the Running of the Leaves? Would you allow us to use our wings to stabilise our run or would you tie them down so we can barely breathe?”
Applejack flinched. “Err, no, no, I see your point, there’s obviously some differences no one can help, and tyin’ up anypony’s wings would be an awful thing to do, and I would certainly speak up if I saw anyone do that. But, umm, you don’t feel like you need to go, I don’t know, shopping for fresh fruit from Ponyville Market, then?”
“We get our food delivered to our doors most of the time. We’re a busy bunch, with our sleeping rhythms being what they are. We don’t need to go to the market.” Nectarine shrugged. “So we don’t.”
“Wouldn’t you like to, though? Or do you really get everything you want delivered?”
The rousette thought that over for a moment. “Well, it does get a little dreary, sometimes. We do only get one kind of apple, that’s unfortunate. I think it’s one you grow, actually. I assume you know Filthy Rich and his family?”
Applejack nodded. “Sure do. But not everything we grow goes to Filthy Rich. Most kinds of apples, we sell ourselves. Do you really get that much variety in deliveries?”
Rin sighed. “Not especially, no. We do have a culinary tradition, mind you, but our home cooking isn’t that refined, I’ll grant you that.” She quickly shook her head to break that train of thought. “But you don’t understand, isolation is just part of our culture. We have a tradition of minding our own business and only acting with stealth. We just don’t like being out in the open, that’s all.”
“But you’re part of Equestria, and correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t most of your kind Night Guards in some capacity?”
Reluctantly, Rin nodded. “The vast majority are low-ranked or volunteers, but yes.”
“Don’t you think you deserve a little recognition for what you do, then?”
“We do get recognition, in private ceremonies where our nobles conduct the rites. We don’t invite ponies to that.”
“Why not?”
Again, Rin sighed. “Because it’s not how we do things. In our culture, those in high esteem wear it through their conduct, nothing more. I don’t expect you to understand, but in rousette tradition, real heroes do not brag.”
Applejack felt a bead of cold sweat roll down her neck. “Really? That’s your tradition? Real heroes don’t brag? That’s the rule?”
“Yes, that is our way. That’s how my parents taught me, and my parent’s parents. Why, is something wrong?”
“No, no, it’s fine, just… seems kinda weird not to brag, ever, about anythin’, is all.”
“Not about our own accomplishments, no, but parents do like to brag about their children, obviously, that’s totally different.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Totally. So there’s nothing you’d really want to mix with ponies for?”
“No, thank you. Our kind will accept invitations, sure, but we’re not going to mingle in our daily lives. We don’t feel the need to.”
The farmer nodded. “Okay, I get that you don’t, but what about the ones that do?”
“What do you mean?”
Applejack shrugged. “Are all rousettes the same, then? Isn’t there a single one who would like to be around ponies?”
“Oh, I suppose Lord Nox counts. Ambassadors tend to live by their own rules, not to mention grooming their successors.” Rin wriggled her wings nervously. Good thing no one could see her get this blindsided by a simple question.
“There ya go. If y’all stick to yourselves because of traditions, what do you do with the ones who don’t like those traditions? Do they get a choice in the matter?”
Rin’s gaze and voice hardened. “That’s out of line, Applejack. If you’re suggesting we force our traditions on our children, you’re getting dangerously close to hate speech.”
“Am I? How am I supposed to know if there’s no one I can ask? And you haven’t answered my question, officer. If a rousette decides they don’t like tradition, that they don’t like your ways and want to do things their own way, what then? Suppose they wanted to make friends with ponies who aren’t bats according to you, or whatever’s not allowed in your tradition, within the limits of Equestrian law, would y’all accept that?”
Rin tried, but she couldn’t shake the image of Thunderlane’s little brother from her mind. And, to her shame, Applejack’s reasoning had brought forth the one question that could keep Rin from her slumbers: what if Thunderlane ever gave her a pony child? Would their own son or daughter have to be raised by rousette traditions, isolated from ponies? Would it get a choice?
“Yes,” Rin lied, “We do accept that some of us break with tradition, and it doesn’t bother us at all. Really, we’re fine. You just don’t understand the importance of keeping a low profile in our culture.”
“Oh, I think I am starting to understand, actually. I just don’t see how you deal with all the problems you must get from doing it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I mean I get it. I get that you’d want to avoid crowds or like to be alone or away from ponies, I really do. You know Fluttershy?” Applejack nodded towards town.
“The animal manager, yes, we get reports from her on occasion. Can’t say I’ve met her.”
“You know she doesn’t get out much either, right?”
“Yes, I have heard that about her.” Rin chuckled carefully.
“Well, there you go, there’s a good example. Fluttershy likes bein’ on her own with her animals sometimes, because she feels safe like that. And we all respect that, we just give her a little nudge when we think she needs one, but we don’t pressure her. Not anymore, at least, it never ends well.” Applejack winced at the thought. “Thing is, when she’s feelin’ lonely or scared, she comes to us. Where do y’all go when something happens on your end of town?” Applejack leaned in for effect.
“I don’t follow.”
Applejack shrugged. “You’re the Night Guard, right? You said you protect Ponyville. Who protects you?”
“Well, we err… we have the rousette communities of Canterlot and Trottingham to rely on. And me and Thunderlane can contact Rainbow Dash for any Weather Patrol assistance we might need. We don’t need to be out in the open for that.”
Applejack cocked an eyebrow. “Really? So you don’t see any problem with all your families hiding like that, lettin’ nopony know what you look like, what you like to be called, not even showing your face or nothin’? That doesn’t bother you?”
“Why should it? What’s your point?”
Applejack locked eyes with the rousette. “If one of your little ones went missing, wouldn’t you want ponies to join the search?”
Rin felt a jab in her chest. “If it was needed, yes.”
“But that’s never happened, right? There’s never been any accidents, anything bad, for the whole time that your kind has lived in Ponyville?”
If it had been any other rousette, Applejack might have gotten blown off at that. But Rin was the current Captain of the Ponyville Night Guard. Nothing ever happened without her knowing, not when it came to her bat-winged kin. “You’ve made your point, Applejack. No, we have our accidents and our tragedies just as you have yours. But, as I keep reminding you, we are a race of tradition, we live and we die by it. If we were to mingle, how do you know we could keep those traditions? If they knew us, how do you know ponies would even let us live as we do now?”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Come on, you make it sound like your traditions would be weird or somethin’. What’s so different about your ways that you can’t mix them with pony ways, anyhow? Ponies get up to all kinds of crazy stuff, you can be yourself and still mix with ponies all ya want. I mean, really, aside from the stealthy stuff and the not-bragging rule, what kind of traditions could you possibly have that ponies wouldn’t understand?”
“Well, for one thing, there’s-” Rin froze. Her heart skipped a beat and her throat tightened.
The tradition of wedlock.
Ponies don’t know about wedlock. They wouldn’t understand.
And Rumble’s about to go through with it.
Where everypony can see.
“There’s… what?”
Nectarine shook her head. “I need to go. Night Guard emergency. Sorry again for the misunderstanding, hope we can talk again soon. Bye!” She bolted off in a blur.
Applejack found herself pondering that. “Now what was that all about?”
Chitter let out a private moan as she sipped on the banana, blood orange, and vanilla milkshake. The cold, sweet milk went down and soothed some of the heat she’d been building up from being out in the sun. “Hmm, this is really good.”
“Tell me about it. But you gotta ask for the special; it’s a little pricier, but the extra vanilla is totally worth it,” Silver Spoon remarked.
Apple Bloom had her eyebrows quirked at the two rich girls. They were being uncharacteristically nice, considering they were the only two kids there with cutie marks. Maybe it was a safety in numbers kind of thing.
The group of school kids had split up at Sugarcube Corner, with most of class heading off to the playground or the park. Scootaloo had made her entrance without much fanfare, and with enough time between it and Truck’s leaving that it wouldn’t arouse suspicion. That just left the three Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara to hang out with Rumble and his bat-winged friends.
“So, Scootaloo, I hear my Rumble’s been giving you flying lessons?” Stella asked in that quiet and distinguished tone of hers.
Scootaloo nearly choked on her chocolate milkshake. “Huh? Oh, that. It’s more of a training thing, actually.”
Rumble nodded. “She helped me with my turns, I helped her learn how to dash forward.”
Chitter once again found herself slipping into obscurity as Stella and Scootaloo made their acquaintance. It didn’t bother her, of course, as rousettes prided themselves on being able to go unnoticed. Being ignored by everyone was a feat she could be proud of. And yet, something felt off. Maybe she should have stayed home.
Or maybe she hadn’t counted on what it would mean if her favourite cousin didn’t need her to look out for him anymore.
She sipped her milkshake again. This was getting silly, it’s not like she couldn’t make friends. She was already on good terms with Scootaloo, after all, they both liked Rumble a lot. But it was Stella’s turn to talk to the pegasus filly.
“So what do you do for fun around here, anyway?” Chitter asked Diamond.
“Umm, there’s actually not that much to do, fun-wise,” Diamond replied. “I mean, not our kind of fun. You might think there’s fun around here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Stella and Rumble fell silent and turned their heads as one. Diamond and Silver threw up their hooves quickly. “Oh, nothing, nothing,” Silver Spoon stammered. “It’s just that we don’t usually hang out in Ponyville, and we don’t know what you’d think is, like, fun. What do you like to do?”
Apple Bloom was really pondering that overly nice tone now. Sweetie Belle caught on to it, too. Why would the two rich girls, who only ever treat anypony nicely if they got something out of it, suddenly be nice to two rousette girls? Why would they treat the bat-winged blank flanks any better than the other ones? Why would they not bring up the lack of business the rousettes had in Ponyville?
Then it hit them: Diamond Tiara’s father must have had dealings with rousettes, maybe Silver Spoon’s had as well. This wasn’t just courtesy, it was a business meeting.
“I like dresses, but not the frilly ones,” Chitter started. “I kind of like martial arts, but I’m not in any club. I do like dancing, especially ballroom dancing.”
“Yeah, Chitter’s a real gala-goer,” Rumble noted.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon groaned.
“Oh, you too, huh?” The pink filly started. “Well, that can be a problem here in Ponyville. You might as well just keep hanging out where you usually hang out, because Ponyville doesn’t have any balls.”
Silver Spoon gently slapped her friend on the shoulder. Diamond jumped. “What?”
“Don’t say it like that, Diamond Tiara, it’s rude.”
“What is?” Diamond asked.
“‘Hanging out’. Try to be a little more sensitive,” Silver Spoon whispered.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom took note of what was going on. Scootaloo looked from one end of the table to the other, clearly confused.
Diamond Tiara didn’t see the point. “Why is ‘hanging out’ an offensive thing to say?”
“Umm, it’s racial? Because she’s a bat? Duh.” Silver Spoon rolled her eyes.
“Actually, darling, we like being compared to bats; it’s ponies we don’t like to be associated with,” Stella explained. “So it’s not racist, I assure you.”
That got Apple Bloom’s attention fixed on Stella, right then and there. Something was off about the girl, but she couldn’t tell what. She spoke like a noble, sure, but that’s because she was a noble. So what was it?
“Oh. You know, that’s kind of confusing. My daddy told me to watch what I say. Like, umm, you’d get mad over any little thing,” Silver Spoon said.
“Nah, it’s fine.” Chitter started. “We don’t go rabid over any little thing, really. I’d know when you’re trying to offend me. And I don’t go to that many balls, Rumble.”
Rumble chuckled. “No, but you do go dancing every single night.”
“That’s not true.” Chitter pouted. “It’s not every night. Sometimes it’s in the morning, too.”
Apple Bloom squinted. “You take dancing lessons in the morning?”
“No, I put on some music and I practise in front of a mirror. That’s what most rousettes do.”
“Really?” Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow. “Every day?”
Chitter nodded. “Pretty much, why?”
“What time do you do that, usually?” Diamond asked.
“Oh, you know, midnight, one, two in the morning.”
The ponies at the table, except for Rumble and Scootaloo, dropped jaws at that.
“What?” Chitter shifted nervously in her seat.
“Don’t you sleep at night?” Silver Spoon asked.
“Sure I do. Just, like I said, four hours at a time, max. You gotta do something when you’re awake in the middle of the night, and most bats do the aristocratic stuff anyway, might as well try to get good at it.”
Sweetie Belle perked her ears. “So, wait, you play music in the middle of the night and you dance in front of a mirror? Every night?”
“Pretty much,” Stella replied.
“Don’t your neighbours complain about that?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Why would they? They’re all awake by then, too, since, you know, they’re bats like me.”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Huh. I guess that’s why y’all don’t live on the pony side of town. Yeesh, that’d be a mite nuisance if any of y’all ever moved. No wonder you fall asleep in class, Rumble. You must get a lot of noise from your neighbours.”
Rumble shrugged. “You get used to it after a few years.” Or they try to turn you into one of them so you wake up when they do.
Chitter pondered it for a moment. “Huh, I guess that is a pretty good reason not to live too close to ponies, now that you mention it. I live right next to a family of cellists, and that can be really annoying. You don’t wanna be practising your waltz when the neighbours are doing the Shadow Imperial March, trust me.” She shuddered at the thought. “But not all the bats in town do midnight learning. Some of them join in on Night Guard patrols, get some fresh air and help out.”
“Umm, excuse me, Chitter, is it?” A squeaky voice came from the edge of the table.
Scootaloo shuffled closer to check. “Hey, Pipsqueak. What’s up?”
“Scootaloo, that’s harsh. It’s not his fault he’s so short,” Chitter started.
The colt chuckled nervously. “Umm, thank you, but, Pipsqueak’s my name, it’s not an insult. I just overheard you talking about guard jobs and all, and I was wondering… is it true that there’s a Night Guard patrol stationed in Ponyville?”
Chitter nodded at the pinto colt. “Has been since before I was born.”
“And does that Night Guard deal with, umm, monsters, by any chance?”
Chitter looked around, Diamond winced. “Is this about that monster you think is in your closet again?”
“It is there, I tell you! It really is!”
Chitter’s ears perked. “Really? There’s a monster in your closet? What does it do?”
“It keeps me up at night, it does.”
“Pip, there’s no monster in your closet,” Silver Spoon started. “That kind of thing doesn’t exist.”
“Oh, it exists all right, and it can get bigger if you don’t get rid of it quickly,” Chitter replied. “Pip, what does it do, exactly?”
“Well, every night at midnight it starts rumbling around in my closet, like it’s trying to dig its way out. I’ve tried burying it in more of my toys, but I’m scared it’s going to come get me and my parents won’t listen! Neither does any grownup I’ve asked.” Pip only now noticed that a certain pink grownup was coming near.
“Aww, you just gotta give that ghostie a giggle, Pip!” Pinkie Pie piped in, carrying a tray for the empty milkshake glasses.
Pip shuddered. “I don’t think giggling is going to make it go away, Pinkie Pie. Do you know where I can ask someone about it?”
Chitter shrugged. “Um, sure, the station is right down Tuber Lane.”
“Really?” Pinkie asked. “But I thought Tuber Lane was full of poison? My Pinkie Sense goes off every time I go there.”
Chitter shook her head. “I don’t know what your Pinkie Sense is supposed to do, but Tuber Lane doesn’t have any poisonous plants. That only happened once, and it got cleaned up pretty quickly.”
“So all the Night Guard ponies are in Tuber Lane?” Pinkie loaded up the finished drinks.
“All the rousettes live in Tuber Lane, yes. They’re not ponies, and they’re not all Night Guards, not official ones, at least. But, umm, Pip, if it’s just something in your closet, even if it is a monster, it’s probably not a big one, not yet. I can ask the Night Guard for you, if you like.”
“That would be swell. Thanks a lot. I’ll see you around, then?”
Chitter took in her surroundings and smiled. “Yeah, I think I am gonna hang out around here in the day more often. I’m starting to see why ponies like it so much.”
“Me too,” Stella added. “It’s easy to forget all the fun you miss out on when you’re hiding your true self.”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo noted. “It sure would be.”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged a glance. Pinkie Pie casually strolled over as Missus Cake came in to take over the shift.
Nopony saw Pinkie sneaking her cannon out towards Tuber Lane. “This is gonna be the best welcome party ever.”
Rin trotted about the gazebo. As expected, she caught Leading Lady overseeing some decorations by the local Weather Patrol. Thunderlane wasn’t there, though.
“Missus Mayor? Can I have a word with you?”
“Of course, Rin. Move the garlands a little to the left! Yes, just like that, perfect!” She turned to leave the pegasi to their job. “What’s the matter? If this is about that dinner with the Apple family, I just hope you know-”
“I know, Applejack apologised already. And I apologised as well. We’re fine, no hard feelings.”
For the briefest moment, Nectarine could feel a wave of warmth wash over the mayor. The tiniest of genuine smiles almost got out, but the mayor was nothing if not an experienced politician. She was a master at hiding her emotions when she wanted to, and that discipline was one of the reasons the rousettes of Ponyville respected her so much. “Glad to hear it. Then what is the matter?”
Rin led the mayor out of earshot from the ponies overhead. “You are aware of what Lord Nox’ ward is doing in Ponyville?”
“Oh, yes, I saw her with Cheerilee’s class just a few minutes ago. Looks like she’s already making friends, and so was her companion. Was that little Chitter, then?”
“Yes, that was her.”
“Oh, good to see they’re socialising, then.” The mayor’s smile brightened, despite her best efforts to hide it.
“Yes, that’s actually what I was hoping to talk to you about. Do you know what Stella and Rumble will be, umm, doing soon?”
“Well, I would imagine that, given rousette traditions and Rumble’s sudden socialisation efforts, along with his, ah, issues, he and Stella are to be wedlocked, yes?”
Rin gulped. “Yup, they are.”
“Then what’s the problem? Do you have any objections to it, as Captain of the Night Guard?”
“Well, no, but, umm… I was just thinking, if Rumble is going to be wedlocked, that means he’s going to invite his friends along, no?”
“I should hope so. It’s rare for ponies to see rousettes around here. Not that I’d question your lifestyle choices or traditions, of course,” Missus Mayor added quickly.
“I understand. But what’s going to happen when ponies find out rousettes have basically been marrying kids for all these centuries?”
The Earth pony shrugged. “I fail to see the problem, Rin. Your tradition is legal, and Equestria has freedom of speech in its laws. If ponies don’t like what they see, I’m sure they’ll say so in a calm and civilised manner.”
Nectarine groaned. “You and I both know that’s not what’s going to happen. What’s going to happen is: Rumble will tell his class he’s getting wedlocked, they’ll tell their parents, and then all the hysteric ponies in Ponyville will come stampeding up to here. I’m going to have to explain why we rousettes are so secretive, they’ll think we’re child abusers, and by the time the ceremony rolls around the whole town will be up in arms.”
Leading Lady winced. “I suppose that is quite likely, given the circumstances. But honestly, Nectarine, don’t you think maybe Ponyville rousettes could stand to mingle just a little bit? I’m having a hard enough time explaining why the Weather Patrol does Night Guard duty. You’re lucky Rainbow Dash is as understanding as she is.”
Rin rubbed the sides of her head. “Look, all I want is to keep the peace around here. And if ponies start massing on Tuber Lane, they’re going to end up seeing the ugly side of the Night Guard. I’d rather avoid that, and I know you do too, Leading.”
“But what do you want me to do? I can’t just put a ban on ponies attending a rousette ceremony if Rumble wants to invite them. Thunderlane hasn’t said anything, I haven’t seen Rumble’s parents come to me about it. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I even know what they look like.”
Rin nodded in defeat. “So if I alert the family and they alert you, can you stop any riots from happening?”
“I’m sorry, Rin. Rumble decided that he would follow rousette tradition. Even when he was feeling down and he talked to me, he never said he wanted to abandon your kind’s ways. As far as I know, he wasn’t pressured into this by his family, so I can’t forbid him doing anything to follow through. And that includes inviting ponies to the ceremony. If you don’t want any upset ponies, you’re going to have to use your authority to stop Rumble from inviting ponies.”
Rin bit her lip. ”I see.”
“You don’t think that’s right, either, do you?”
Rin shook her head. “The whole point of the tradition is to protect children. I can’t just tell a child he can’t invite his friends to one of the most important days of his life. Especially when he’s had trouble making friends, and even more so when it’s my lifemate’s little brother. I’ve foalsat for him, for crying out loud, I can’t be the one to do that.”
Leading Lady put a hoof on Nectarine’s shoulder, a warm attempt at comfort. “Then don’t. Talk to his parents, talk to Lord Nox about it, see what they have to say. But if you ask me, Rin, you should let ponies see your traditions. Let them see rousettes for once. As crudely as Applejack may have put it, she did have a point. You’re our neighbours, we share our history and yet we don’t know anything about you. You have your ways, we have ours, but we don’t know what yours are. We don’t know you. One little introduction, with children, can’t be all that bad, can it?”
The rousette let out a dejected sigh. “There’s going to be some very upset ponies when they hear about this.”
“Hear about what? Oh, hey, Rin.” Rainbow Dash trotted through the door towards the pair. “What’s up?”
“Do you know where I can find Thunderlane right now? He’s not at the dam. He said he’d be at the dam.”
Rainbow Dash nodded towards the woods in the distance. “Work’s finished at the dam, he’s helping Fluttershy get some frogs to a new pond now.”
“Of course. Froggy Bottom Bog, I take it?”
Rainbow Dash didn’t get the time to reply. Rin had already departed with a quiet ‘woosh’.
“What was that all about?”
Leading Lady pondered it for a moment. “I think we may need to start reconsidering the work distribution between your patrols and the Night Guard. It looks like poor Rin’s getting too much on her plate all at once.”
Rainbow nodded. “If she’s flying out in the daytime, she must be. I’m all for shuffling stuff around to make it work better, if she is.”
“I’ll make the arrangements. Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, Rainbow Dash, would you mind terribly staying on guard in Ponyville tomorrow? There may be some public disturbance coming, and I might need you for crowd control.”
“Crowd control? It’s that bad?”
“It might be, it might not be. Just in case.”
“Would this have anything to do with a certain boy and a certain girl doing a certain ceremony sometime soon?” Rainbow Dash whispered.
“If it did, would that present any, ah, moral dilemma for you?”
Rainbow smiled and nodded. “I’ll stick around, and I’ll keep a raincloud ready in case Rin gets one too many hotheads on her case.”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash. You’re a real lifesaver.”
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I had a long post written out, theorizing about wedlocks. I'm sending it to you and not posting it in the comments because I might get things right and spoil it for the other readers.
Argleblarg. Sorry, kind of playing catch-up with a lot of stories.
In any case, there's a lot to take in, but it's all very interesting. It's nice to see some logical reasons for rousettes to have their own enclaves even as more and more of the justifications are shown to be self-perpetuating at best.
Of course, it seems like Pinkie's going to set back pony-rousette relationships by a century if she can't stop calling the latter ponies. And that's before taking the impending partillery barrage into account. Oh, this won't end well at all... unless Lord Nox has an excellent sense of humor.
And you still haven't resolved that cliffhanger with whatever's going on with Scootaloo. I have a guess, but I'm not going to say anything until I get confirmation.
Okay, so bats are out of the orchard. Let's see How It goes. Albo what's with Scootaloo? Why isn't she Here? And if Rumble tells Stella?
"Antek! Hit the Jew!" [historical quote] So we're At the heavy anti-semitism topic. Any chances for references of past century quotes in the story? They sure are climatic...
Well, they did it now with Pinkie. All have mercy for them on those who try and stop pinkie. Best to let her have her way and don't question it.