The End of a Long Day
The girls all let out a content sigh when they got to Carousel Boutique. Apple Bloom was still reeling from the idea that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were nice to a pair of blank flanks, Sweetie Belle was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Rumble had to live by rousette rules, just because he was friends with one -- and presumably his whole family followed suit, but then Thunderlane had probably set an example there -- while Scootaloo had to recuperate from racing and changing identities.
“What a day,” Apple Bloom started. She let herself fall backwards on the rug in Sweetie’s room.
“I know.” Sweetie Belle yawned. “What do you wanna do now?”
“Nothing, I’m plum tuckered out. I just wanna lie down and wait ‘till Applejack picks me up, and let her carry me home.”
“You got off easy,” Scootaloo commented. “You didn’t have to race in a different shape.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat up. Scootaloo’s wings were shaking, but it didn’t look like it was from exertion.
“Are you feelin’ okay, Scootaloo?”
The pegasus filly huffed. “It’s nothing.”
“Girls?” Rarity called out from below. “Are you in?”
“We’re here, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle called back.
“Well?” Apple Bloom asked again. “What’s wrong?”
Rarity entered just as Scootaloo had her answer ready. “Nothing’s wrong, okay? I’m fine. I’m just tired. We all had an exhausting day, so I’m exhausted.”
Rarity smiled knowingly. “You met Stella and Chitter, I take it? It seems those two girls are the talk of the town now.”
Scootaloo groaned. “Yeah, they’re real eyecatchers.”
“Are you jealous, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“No, I am not jealous. Chitter’s a nice girl, and Stella’s a nice girl, and we’re all gonna be great friends. Why would I be jealous?!”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were taken aback by that little outburst. Rarity sat down in between the fillies. “Girls, please don’t get into a fight over this, it’s not worth it. Scootaloo, care to tell us what’s really bothering you?”
Scootaloo folded her arms in front of her chest. “Nothing is bothering me, okay? There’s nothing wrong with me.” She shot a glare at Rarity that had the vaguest hint of a green glow to it, though only Rarity knew the reason.
“Really? So the idea of a community hiding in Ponyville for as long as anypony can remember, that doesn’t have any bearing on your situation now?”
The changeling in disguise looked away. “N-no. Why would it? It’s not like everypony’s acting like the rousettes are some kind of monster for keeping to themselves.”
Apple Bloom nearly slapped herself. “Wait, that’s what’s bothering you? Come on, Scootaloo, this has nothin’ to do with what you’re goin’ through.”
“Oh yeah? How’s that?”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Well, for one thing, you still hang out with ponies, and you don’t get upset when we call you a pony instead of a changeling, even though that’s what you are. You’re totally different from them: you’re one of us.”
Scootaloo bit her lip.
“Yeah, plus: you don’t know what to expect, they do. Nopony knows anything about you because you don’t know either. Nopony knows anything about rousettes because the rousettes don’t want anypony to know.” Apple Bloom shuffled closer for comfort.
The girl groaned. “It’s not that. It’s just that… I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“About what?” Sweetie asked.
“Well, are they ponies or not? Am I?”
Apple Bloom almost laughed at that. “Of course you are. Why wouldn’t you be?”
Scootaloo wrapped herself in flame again to reveal her changeling form. Apple Bloom noticed Rarity’s expression changing, but she figured that was more a concern about leaving burn marks on the rug than anything else.
“Because ponies don’t have bug wings like mine, or a horn like this one, or a voice that sounds like two ponies at once.”
Sweetie Belle shuffled closer. “Those things don’t make you a pony; what you do makes you a pony. You hang out with us, you’re one of us. You’re our friend.”
“That’s fine for you, but what about the rest of town? Am I gonna have to hide this all my life? Are they still gonna say I’m a pony once I show what I really am? When they find out this is… contagious? Look at how everypony’s making such a big fuss over those rousettes, they’ll kick me right out of town if they ever find out I’ve been keeping this a secret.”
“Darling, the ‘fuss’ over the rousettes in town has nothing to do with them being a different race. It’s just that they’re supposedly a part of Ponyville without ever being a part of anything ponies do, not to mention their insistence on ‘their ways’, as if ours aren’t good enough for them. Even the Cakes weren’t sure what to make of it, and that’s the Cakes. Rousettes are the ones at fault here, darling.”
“But that’s their traditions, and their way of life. They’re not ponies because of what they do, or don’t do. So doesn’t changing shape and feeding off love make me not a pony, either?”
Rarity pondered that. “Well, I suppose that all depends on whom you ask, and if you think their opinion matters.”
“Do you still think I’m a pony?”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded, so did Rarity.
“What about Chitter, is she one?” Scootaloo looked to her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Apple Bloom pondered it. “Well, that’s a tricky one.”
“What about Stella, then? Is Stella a pony because she hangs out with Rumble?”
Sweetie Belle shrugged. “I’d guess, but what does that really matter? It’s not like Rumble cares about what you are.”
Scootaloo’s jaw clenched. Her whole body went rigid. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I’m just saying it’s a good thing Rumble knows about you, that’s all. You already know he’s okay with rousettes, and you. Doesn’t that mean the rest of town might be, too?”
“Are ya sure you’re not a teensy, tiny bit jealous of Stella, Scoot?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I am not jealous of Stella! Why would I be? She’s just some girl Rumble likes, and she’s nothing like me. She talks all fancy and proper, like… like… “
“Like me, darling?” Rarity asked.
“Yeah. No offense.”
“None taken.”
Apple Bloom’s ears perked. Stella did talk like Rarity, everyone had noticed. Why was that bugging her so much? She felt like she was missing something here. “So you knew Stella was his girlfriend already, then?” Apple Bloom asked.
Scootaloo looked away. “I kind of knew, yeah.”
“And you didn’t tell us about the rousettes either?”
“What’s with the third degree all of a sudden? Am I supposed to tell you just every little thing I hear?”
“Well, no, but, it’s just that even Applejack’s kinda confused about the rousettes. I heard the Weather Patrol does some of the Night Guard’s work, so they must know each other at least a little. I just don’t get why ponies in Ponyville didn’t know about the rousettes, and I don’t get why you didn’t tell us, either,” Apple Bloom furrowed her brow, pondering.
Scootaloo sighed. “It’s complicated.”
Rarity sighed in kind. “Apple Bloom, consider this for a moment: Scootaloo told Rumble her secret, yes?”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded.
“Has he kept it to himself, do you think?”
The two girls exchanged a glance and shrugged. “Nopony’s asked about Scootaloo, so he must have.”
“Then doesn’t it strike you as simple courtesy for Scootaloo to keep his secrets in return?”
Reluctantly, Sweetie Belle nodded. “Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why rousettes wouldn’t just walk around in Ponyville, like ponies do. Even if they don’t sleep like us, they do go out in the day, but not into Ponyville. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Chitter already told you, didn’t she? It’s their tradition. It’s their way of life. Fine way of treatin’ their neighbours,” Apple Bloom said.
“You can’t just say their way of life is bad because you don’t understand it,” Scootaloo retorted.
“But isn’t that how they feel about ours?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Silence fell.
“It’s true, isn’t it? They don’t want to be called ponies, they only let ponies hang out with them if those ponies follow their rules, they don’t join in on anything ponies do and they only help when we don’t see it, or when they don’t have to see us.”
Apple Bloom sighed. “Yeah, that does kinda sting.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “You can’t change their way of life just like that. You’d just be wasting your time, like we’re wasting it now.”
Rarity patted the girl’s back. “Quite right, Scootaloo. We have more important things to do than worry about some silly bat-winged ponies who don’t want to be called ponies. Sweetie Belle, how about you and Scootaloo practise your magic again ‘till you get picked up?”
“Fine.” Scootaloo took a deep breath and blew out a glob of green energy, that condensed into a glowing flame before she swallowed it again. “There.”
Sweetie Belle winced. “How do you do that?”
“It’s easier for us to do through the horn, Sweetie Belle. Just concentrate on the base and let the energy flow, don’t try to swallow it back in. That’s for Scootaloo’s kind of magic.”
Apple Bloom kept a close eye on her two friends, one squinting to get the magic through her horn, the other keeping her belly moving to center her magic. It struck her as odd, but she didn’t remark on it. Last she knew, Scootaloo’s magic had to run through her horn as well. Or did it? Something was different about Scootaloo now, but she couldn’t figure out what.
It couldn’t be her wings, could it? Not now.
Rarity caught the girl pondering. “Apple Bloom, why don’t you try and practise Earth pony magic with one of my flowers. Just try to make it wilt and recover by touching it, it should come natural. Don’t wilt it too much, mind you.”
Then again, ponies did differ in magic. So that couldn’t be what was bothering her changeling friend.
She’d tell us if somethin’ was really wrong. Wouldn’t she?
Nectarine let herself fall backwards on the couch while Thunderlane walked back and forth with the dishes. She wasn’t in much of a mood to be doing any cooking, and while he was no masterchef, her lifemate could be trusted to at least heat up a prepackaged pizza. He had a flair with adding herbs, too.
“So why’d you rush off to Froggy Bottom Bog like that?”
Rin cringed. She’d rushed off too soon there. She’d forgotten Fluttershy would be there as well, making it impossible to talk about the subject of Thunderlane’s family. She could never embarrass her love like that. At least that mare was quiet, and not likely to go gossip about Rin and Thunderlane’s relationship. Not that the whole town wasn’t about to find out one way or another, but she still felt anxious about the whole thing.
“Oh, nothing, really. I just thought, since I had some spare time, I’d go help. You know, Weather Patrol and Night Guard working together in perfect harmony and all that.” She just kept lying there on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
She heard the oven get turned on. With all the setting up done, Thunderlane poked his head out above the headrest of the sofa. “Rin, what’s wrong?”
Nectarine groaned. “It’s Rumble’s wedlock.”
The stallion grumbled. “Breaking the rules again, huh?”
“No, no, not that.” She sat upright and sighed. “What are we going to do when he invites his friends to the ceremony?”
Thunderlane chuckled. “Rumble’s not gonna invite his friends: he doesn’t have any.”
“Yes, he does, Thunderlane. He has pony friends, and I think Stella’s made a few, as well. They’re going to want ponies at their ceremony, I’m sure of it.”
The stallion winced. “But they can’t. Ponies don’t know about wedlock, they wouldn’t understand. They’d probably call it child abuse or something awful like that.”
“I know. But if Rumble goes through with this, they’re going to find out.”
Thunderlane threw his head back in frustration. “Why can’t he ever just listen? Why can’t he just follow the rules, like a normal rousette?”
Nectarine got up and hugged her lifemate. “Sorry, angel. I didn’t mean to upset you. But Gale and Blade are going to have to have a talk with Rumble soon. When is he due to be locked?”
“This Friday.”
“That early?”
Thunderlane shrugged. “The officials said they couldn’t do it any other day, with the other rousette pups doing it together in two weeks.”
“Right. Suppose you did let him do it, though, how bad would that really be?”
“Are you kidding? It would be awful. Ponies would riot, demand the traditions be changed, or just stopped. Somepony would get Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash or Applejack on it, and then they’d get the Princesses to force us to change the rules. And it’d be my fault.”
“You mean our fault, angel.”
Thunderlane looked away. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
Nectarine gently pushed his chin so he’d face her again. “Thunderlane, stop beating yourself up. You’re only trying to do what’s right. It’s just… you might not be right all the time, you know. Even traditions have exceptions.”
Thunder glared at her. “No, they don’t. Traditions kept our kind alive, we can’t break them.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Sure I’m sure.”
“I see. Then have you told Blade and Gale you made Rumble drink the Blood Cup Nectar?”
He flinched. “N-no. There’s no reason to tell them. It’s embarrassing.”
Rin shot him a glare. “It’s not embarrassing, it’s wrong, and it was dangerous. And if you hadn’t done it behind my back, I would have stopped you myself. You could have gotten arrested.”
“Why? Rumble had to drink it because of his condition, that’s what tradition says.”
“That doesn’t make it okay, angel, and you know as well as I do that is not what that tradition is for, not by a long shot. There is nothing wrong with your little brother, there’s nothing wrong with you, when are you going to see that?”
He didn’t have an answer to that. “So you think we should let him invite ponies over? Even if they’re gonna riot?”
“You could try explaining it?”
“Why? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? I thought you wanted to protect the rousettes in Tuber Lane?”
Rin backed away with a sigh. “I do, angel, you know I do. It’s my job, after all. But ponies don’t hate us, and we stopped hating them a long time ago. The Night Guard and the Weather Patrol are already exchanging tasks, too much of it, if you ask me, even, but that’s beside the point. You work with ponies all the time yourself.”
“Yeah, well, I’m different.” Thunderlane looked morosely at his wings.
Nectarine lifted his chin so she could look him in the eyes again. “Just because you’re different, doesn’t mean you’re bad. And, you know, maybe if Rumble does have ponies over, it could make it easier for the rest of us to go out in Ponyville by day.”
“Why would any rousette want to go out by day?”
“Maybe to get some fresh fruits and vegetables from the market, or to see what kind of books the local library has, or to go to the spa here instead of the one in Canterlot. Or maybe so ponies know what we look like. We’re supposed to be serving the community, and the community doesn’t even know we’re here.”
“Wait, is this about Applejack sneaking around here?”
“She was not sneaking around, she was trying to be a good neighbour. And she did make a good point.”
“Which was?” Thunderlane cringed.
Nectarine bit her lip. “Not every rousette is the same, love. Sometimes, there just aren’t any bats around who are like you. And when that happens, if you can’t even walk down the street and see if there might be any ponies who are, well, that’s not very fair, now, isn’t it?”
Thunderlane snorted. “I never consorted with ponies before I was wedlocked, boys or girls, and I turned out fine. Why shouldn't Rumble do the same?”
“Because your little brother is not you. He doesn’t like the same things you do, or the same bats. You never consorted with ponies out of wedlock, but you had rousette friends then, you had a couple of things in common with them, at least. You never had to consort with ponies. But Rumble has his own interests, and he’s been stuck with no one to talk to but his cousin, just because he came second.”
He sighed. “So you think I’m doing a bad thing here, then? I’m the bad guy now?”
“Thunderlane, come on. I wouldn’t have wanted you all to myself if I didn’t think you had a good heart. And yes, I do think you’re wrong, but I don’t hate you for it. You’re just looking out for your little brother, I get that. But, really, just stop and think for a second. Who do you think Rumble looks up to most?”
“Rainbow Dash?”
“Sure, go with the obvious one,” Rin joked. “Strong athlete, dedicated to getting better, a pegasus pony like him, no reason he wouldn’t idolise her. But in his own family, who’s he got to look up to?”
“Dad?”
“No, that’s the one you looked up to most, because when you were growing up, Nighted Blade was making his way up the ranks. Your father was moving forward in life when you were little. But who’s moving forward now, huh?”
Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Me, I guess.”
“Exactly. Weather Patrol duty on your own area, prospective Wonderbolt, a lovely girl to keep you warm at night…” She nuzzled him.
“That does have its perks.” He chuckled.
“And you got through it all, sticking to traditions. Rumble listens to you because he respects you, because you got through what he’s going though. But you still did it on your terms, and you’re not letting Rumble have that freedom. The only reason you get away with it is because he still admires you and he thinks you’re still the perfect bat, but we both know you’re not. He’s not going to take that from you for much longer. You can’t tell me you’re not friends with Rainbow Dash, or anyone else on the Weather Patrol.”
“But that’s different! That was only after I met you. And I had to, if I wanted to get better at flying.”
“You mean like how Rumble wanted to get better at flying?” Rin asked coyly.
“He still consorted with Scootaloo before he met Stella. That’s against the rules.”
“Yes, he did. But did you ask why?”
The stallion looked away. “Yeah.”
“And? Was it a good reason or a bad one?”
Silence fell between them. Eventually, though, Thunderlane had to concede the point. “He said Scootaloo needed help flying.”
“And did she?”
“Scootaloo? Yeah, she definitely needed some help. Everyone in Ponyville noticed.”
Nectarine smiled and stroked his mane. “Well, there you go, then. When you were that old, wouldn’t you have helped out a girl you weren’t introduced to?”
Again, Thunderlane looked away.
Nectarine nudged him in the chest. “I’m waiting. Would you have cared if it was a pony or a rousette? Would you break the rules if you knew it was the right thing to do? Is Rumble really being a rebel just for the sake of it, or is he doing what he knows you would have done in his shoes?”
A bell sounded. Thunderlane motioned to the back. “Pizza’s done.”
Nectarine didn’t press the issue any further. She sat down and waited for Thunderlane, ever the gentlecolt, to take out the pizzas and put them on the plates. “You know, I was thinking if we couldn’t get something fresh. Maybe some goat’s cheese, puff pastry, some honey, maybe, and cherry tomatoes.”
“I’ll go get some at the market tomorrow, then.”
“No, I want to go.”
“What?”
Rin smiled at him. “I’d like to go shopping at Ponyville Market sometime.”
Thunderlane gulped. He couldn’t just start another argument about this now. He didn’t have the heart for it. “It’s not just Rumble’s problem, you know. My parents, your parents, their friends, Lord Nox… are you really sure you’d want to tell Rumble it’s okay to ask his friends over?”
Rin stared at her food before taking a bite. “Talk to Blade and Gale. If they don’t want their son to have his friends over, they can be the ones to tell him.”
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A new chapter so quickly! Splendid! Also: first hehehe
I also wonder if Scootaloo will slowly assend the path Chrysalis has walked before her. To become a monster and destroy a pefect loving couple. That would be a real plot twist!
I vote Scootaloo for the villian! 
[such obliqueness, such liez]
6638493
I update every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so it's purely coincidental that it's so soon after your previous comment. As for Scootaloo becoming the villain... not a bad idea, but would turn the whole thing into a 'shoot the shaggy dog' story, which I'm not that fond of.
6638546 True.
Eeeh... I would like to see a re3play from the Canterlot Wedding. Foal Edition XD
The bats do have a point: Ponies don't understand them. In a community as open and interconnected as Ponyville, the idea of an entire group willingly isolating themselves doesn't compute, so they assume it's out of arrogance. At least the children are sufficiently open-minded to consider the other side, and to present their viewpoints to one another rather than just making assumptions. Breaking the cycle of isolation and misunderstanding is going to be all kinds of awkward, but it will be worth it.
Also, I always love seeing earth pony necromancy. The manipulation of life can weaken it as much as strengthen it.
Also also, it seems that whatever's going on with Scootaloo, it's not immediately obvious. Most curious.
And I'm very happy to see someone confront Thunderlane about his overprotectiveness. Hopefully, Nectarine has given him something to think about, not least because for all of his concern, he didn't even know that his brother had friends. Plus, the character building on Thunderlane himself is fantastic. Great job of showing his motivation and how he's projecting his own issues on Rumble.
6638606
That's the thing, though: Thunderlane laughs when he says Rumble doesn't have any friends. It's obvious to him that Rumble doesn't have any bat friends and it hadn't even occurred to him that he'd make friends elsewhere.
There's sort of an 'It takes a village to raise a child' vibe coming up, and Thunderlane is involved in that, as well as Nectarine. She has a responsibility in these matters, too, after all. I'm glad you like Thunderlane; I was really worried I'd made him too antagonistic.
Next chapter's going to be mostly at night, and involve Rumble's parents' take on the whole thing. Will they let Rumble invite ponies to the ceremony?
Yknow, I didn't like Thunderlane in this story at first, but now that we've got a little bit more back story on him, and why he acts the way he does, I feel like I understand him more.
6657231
Me too, now he seems more like he just wants his brother to fit in than before when he seemed like the bad guy.