Halfling

by Dee Pad

Chapter 3 - Biological Concerns

Halfling
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 3: Biological Concerns

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Shade took a sip from his morning tea, sitting and pondering at the kitchen table as he helped himself to his breakfast of eggs and toast. Winter was still in bed, so he dined solo this morning.

It was odd; he had slept rather well that night, but for some reason, he woke up earlier than usual. Winter was still sleeping blissfully, so he didn't bother to wake her. She didn't need to work today anyway, so he figured she deserved to sleep in.

Especially now that he knew what was going on with her.

Winter was pregnant. Shade couldn't get over that. How he managed to sleep so well with that on his mind was beyond him. It was almost as if it had all been a dream, and when he awoke the next morning, everything would be back to normal. But he knew it was real, but still no less unbelievable. This mix of emotions he was going through was bizarre to him. He was happy, but at the same time confused. Surprised, but scared. But it wasn't just him. He could tell from Winter's voice the day before that she was in the same boat. In a way, that made him feel a little more comfortable with the situation, yet also a little more worried.

Am I really ready to be a parent?

It was that question that woke him up that morning. But it was more than that, too. He had so many questions, but with how unprecedented this whole scenario was, he had no idea where to look for answers.

Perhaps first and foremost would be to let somepony know about this. After all, this was big news for them. Maybe there wasn't anyway to get answers to his queries, but at the very least somepony out there might be able to offer him some advice.

Shade turned to the clock hanging on the wall. He breathed a sigh, knowing that he'd probably have to wait; six thirty in the morning may have been a little early to be making any visits.

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

"Chamella, can you pass me that roll of fabric?"

The female changeling did as her employer asked, lifting the heavy roll with a flash of her vibrant, neon green aura and no lack of effort.

As much as she'd been practicing using her magic as a multipurpose tool as unicorns did, she still found it difficult to manage objects weighing any more than ten pounds. Twilight had told her that changeling magic appeared to be more specialized than unicorn magic, being mostly tailored for specific spells, such as shapeshifting and hypnosis. Although, Twilight did admit that such spells were difficult for unicorns, even herself, leading her to the conclusion that the two types of magic had some significant differences at an arcane level, whatever that meant. Honestly, it all went over Chamella's head, and she tried not to think about it too much. She just continued to practice anyway since Shade had managed to make noticeable improvements over time.

The purple-maned changeling dropped the roll of fabric on the floor next to where Rarity was working, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding now that the strain was off.

"Thank you, darling." Rarity rolled out a short portion of the navy blue fabric, expertly running a pair of scissors through it and pulled the cut segment over to the sewing machine.

"Anything I can help with, sis?" asked a little, unicorn filly, standing with her front hooves on the desk where Rarity was working, perhaps a little too close to the sewing machine.

Rarity let out an ever so slightly irritated groan, motioning for her little sister to step back. "I'll let you know if I need anything, Sweetie Belle. But for now, I'd like to ask that you stand back when I'm using the sewing machine, alright?"

The small unicorn did as she was told, taking a few steps back. "Okay," she said with a persistent smile.

"It's almost lunchtime," Chamella pointed out. "Maybe I should make us all something to eat."

"A wonderful idea, dear," Rarity said with an approving grin as she worked the sewing machine. "Perhaps just a bowl of oatmeal for me."

Chamella nodded, making her way to the kitchen.

Sweetie Belle trotted close behind her. "Can I help?" she asked enthusiastically.

Chamella gave the little, white filly a smile. "Sure."

Given who Chamella not only worked with, but also lived with, it certainly wasn't uncommon for her to spend some time with Rarity's younger sister. In fact, aside from Shade and Rarity herself, Sweetie Belle was probably Chamella's closest friend. Despite the age difference, the two had some things in common. Being young still, Sweetie Belle had a lot to learn about the world and how it worked. In addition, the filly and her other friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, often went to Twilight to learn, with Sweetie Belle in particular still learning how to properly use her magic. Occasionally, Chamella would even join the three of them when Sweetie Belle would invite her to tag along. It was really the only time she'd do anything outside of Carousel Boutique without Shade. In a way, they were both little sisters that relied a lot on their relationships with their siblings to grow and mature.

After some time, the two of them had finished prepping their lunch, opting to join Rarity with bowls of oatmeal of their own. Chamella called Rarity into the dining room, where the three of them sat and began eating.

However, their meal was interrupted by the jingling of the front door's bell. Rarity excused herself from the table, stepping out to greet the potential customer. But it wasn't a customer at all, rather it was Ponyville's other resident changeling. Certainly not an unfamiliar sight, as he would often visit to see Chamella.

"Well, hello, Shade," Rarity greeted with a welcoming smile. "We just sat down for lunch. Would you care to join us?"

Shade shook his head. "No, thanks, I already ate."

Chamella poked her head out from the dining room, having heard Shade's voice. "Hi, Shade."

"Hey, Chamella," he greeted her quickly before turning back to Rarity. "Listen, can I talk to you about something?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "I suppose. Is this about what we talked about yesterday?" She placed a worried hoof over her mouth. "Oh, dear. Don't tell me it didn't go well."

"Actually, it turns out we were both wrong about Winter."

The unicorn's eyes lit up. "Oh?"

Shade scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to make it sound believable. "Well, turns out Winter hasn't been gaining weight, at least not because of overeating. She's, uh... She's pregnant."

Rarity clapped in gleeful surprise at the news. "Oh, she finally told you! Wonderful! Congratulations, darling!"

The changeling gawked for a moment. "Wait, you knew about this?"

The ivory mare pouted apologetically. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I was sworn to secrecy not to tell you."

Shade was hurt to hear this. "Why would she tell you and not me?"

"Actually, she didn't tell me. She first told Twilight, who then accidentally let it slip to Applejack and myself. I wanted so badly to tell you so I could congratulate you, but that responsibility was on Winter. I'm just so relieved to see that her fears were unfounded."

"Wait, so Winter's having a baby?" Chamella said as she approached Shade and Rarity.

"A baby?!" Sweetie Belle squealed, having overheard the conversation, and came galloping out to join the adults. "So Shade's gonna be a dad?"

"Yes, that's right," Rarity confirmed with a proud grin.

"Cool! What are you gonna name it?"

Shade stared down at the excited filly. "Name?"

"They aren't thinking about that sort of thing quite yet, Sweetie Belle," Rarity informed her.

"How's that possible?" Chamella inquired, paying no mind to Sweetie Belle's interjection.

Shade struggled to answer her. "I... I don't know. Actually, I haven't really thought about that. How is this possible?" He looked to Rarity, who seemed surprised that he thought she might have an answer.

"Oh, don't ask me, dear. I haven't the foggiest."

Sweetie Belle tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Rarity? I thought when two people loved each other, they could have a baby together. Right?"

The question suddenly made the older unicorn feel a touch uncomfortable. "Er, well, yes, but that's for two ponies, dear. Shade and Winter are completely different species."

"So? They still love each other, right? Isn't that all they need to have a baby?"

The blush on her big sister's cheeks deepened. "It's... a little more complicated than that, Sweetie Belle."

"So what's the problem?" the filly insisted, becoming annoyed and impatient with Rarity's beating around the bush.

The older unicorn let out a huff. "I am not having this conversation with you, Sweetie Belle. If you're that curious, go ask Mom."

The filly crossed her forelegs with an angry pout, but didn't bother to inquire further knowing her sister wasn't going to answer her.

"Anyway..." Rarity sighed, returning her attention to Shade and Chamella. "As I said, I've no clue how or why this is possible. Regardless, it's certainly wonderful news. I'm very happy for both of you," she congratulated with a smile.

Shade nodded in understanding. "Thanks, Rarity, but I'd still feel better if I could at least figure out if things are going to be alright."

Rarity could see the worry in Shade's eyes. She could tell there was so much on his mind right now. "Well, perhaps Twilight could shed a little light on this. She is a genius after all. Certainly if anypony would know something about this, it would be her."

Shade considered that for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you're probably right. I don't know why I didn't think about that before. Yeah, I'll just go over and see her now."

Rarity was a little surprised to see him start leaving just like that, giving him a quick wave as he headed out the door. "Oh, well, goodbye, dear. And good luck."

Shade was so eager to get to Twilight's place that he barely took the time to shut the boutique's door behind him. However, he hadn't made it twenty feet when the door opened once more.

"Shade! Wait!"

Shade turned around, spotting Chamella hurrying over to him.

"You're just going to leave and glance over the fact that you're going to be a parent?"

"Oh. Uh, sorry, Chamella. I guess I've just got a lot on my mind right now. And, honestly, you know just as much as I do." Having said that, an idea came to him. "Hey, why don't come with me to Twilight's?"

"Huh? Oh, well, I'd like to, but I'm supposed to be working so—"

"Just go, dear," Rarity said from the door, flashing Chamella a grin. "Take an extended lunch break."

Chamella grinned gratefully. "Thank you, Rarity."

The unicorn nodded, heading back inside.

The pair of changelings started making their way to the library. However, they didn't get very far before Chamella gave Shade a curious look, noticing the indiscernible expression on his face.

"So what's the deal here?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "You don't seem very happy."

"I honestly don't know how to feel," he answered plainly. "Winter's happy. I guess that's what's important. But I just have too many questions."

"It's weird, huh? I wonder what your baby will look like."

Shade shook his head. "No clue. That's why I need to talk to Twilight. But the baby isn't the only thing I'm worried about."

"What else is there to worry about?"

Shade breathed a sigh. "Let's just get to the library," he dismissed. "It's just as well to save it for Twilight."

Chamella accepted that; no sense explaining things twice. They were almost there regardless, the large oak tree now within sight.

When they approached the library, Shade knocked on the door. The two changelings heard Twilight's voice from within, beckoning them to come inside. Shade opened the door and he and Chamella walked inside to find Twilight and her assistant Spike reorganizing one of the bookshelves.

"Hey, guys," the small dragon greeted from atop a ladder as he placed a few books back on the shelf where they belonged.

"Oh, hello. I wasn't expecting you two today," Twilight said, slightly confused. Using her magic, she materialized an organizer, flipping through its pages briefly. "I don't believe I've scheduled lessons for today." She hummed as she consulted her organizer. "Hmm... Nope." She shut the book, whisking it away with a flash of pink magic. She looked a tad disappointed, but still pleasantly surprised that her students had stopped by for a visit on their day off.

Since moving to Ponyville, both Shade and Chamella had made great strides in their education. It only took a couple of months before they were fully capable of functioning within pony society. Even so, the reason they continued with their lessons even more than a year after moving to the small town was not so much out of necessity, but rather the simple desire to learn more. And Twilight had no objections; she was happy to pass on her knowledge to anypony—or changeling—who wanted to learn. Of course, Shade had been there a little longer than Chamella and was slightly ahead of her when it came to their lessons, but she was making some pretty good progress. Their reading and writing skills were almost on par with the average adult pony, and the fact that they had learned as much as they did in such a short amount of time was fascinating to Twilight, making her even more eager to continue teaching.

"So what brings you two here?" the lavender alicorn asked with a hospitable smile.

"I need to talk to you about something," Shade informed, starting to realize just how much he'd been saying that lately; certainly a testament to just how busy his mind currently was over all of this.

Twilight nodded, gesturing to the table in the lobby. "Sure. Have a seat." She cleared a few books away, using her magic to guide them to their proper places on the shelf. As she and her guests sat down, she turned toward her reptilian assistant. "Spike, would you kindly make some tea for our visitors?"

The purple dragon gave a thumbs up. "You got it." he said, then scampered off to the kitchen.

Twilight turned back to her guests, admittedly a little enthusiastic to just sit down and have a casual conversation with them. "So..." she started, her hooves resting on the table in anticipation. "What did you want to talk about?"

Shade noticed the look on Twilight's face. That knowing smile of hers seemed to suggest that she already had an idea of what Shade was going to say. "I have a feeling you've already figured that out," he stated.

Twilight giggled happily. "Yes, I can tell by your tone and expression. Winter finally told you then?"

Shade gave her an affirmative nod. "Yeah. She's pregnant."

"And you have some concerns, I take it," she inferred.

The male changeling turned his gaze away slightly, causing Twilight's smile to fade. "Yeah..."

Seeing the seriousness in his expression, Twilight could tell that his concerns may be a little more severe than she had initially suspected. "Shade, please tell me that Winter's fears were unfounded."

"Of course they are," Shade confirmed with steadfast resolution. "She already told me that she was worried this news might scare me away, and I told her that I'll stay by her side no matter what." He took a deep breath. "That being said, that doesn't mean I'm not a little scared myself."

"That's understandable. The prospect of being a parent can be pretty scary."

The conversation was interrupted suddenly by a knock at the door. The trio sitting at the table watched as it opened and the crimson mane of a certain pegasus poked in.

Shade was surprised to see her here. "Winter?"

"Oh, you are here," Winter said with a smile as she stepped inside. "Rarity said you two came over here."

"Actually, this is good timing," Twilight said. "Shade was about to voice his concerns about being a parent. It seems like a topic that both of you should be involved in."

"That's a good idea. Come over here, Winter." Shade pat the floor, signaling her to sit next to him.

As Winter sat down, Spike reentered the room with a tray holding a teapot, sugar bowl, milk, and three cups. However, noticing that they now had an additional guest, he hurried back into the kitchen, retrieved one more cup, and returned to the foyer, placing the tray upon the table. Twilight gave the dragon a quick "Thank you" before he went back to his duty of reordering the bookshelves.

Shade held Winter's hoof in his, staring into her eyes apologetically. "I'm sorry I came to Twilight about this instead of talking to you about it, but I don't think you'd be able to give me the answers I'm looking for."

"That's okay, Shade," Winter said with a soft smile. "We're both a little nervous. I could use a little reassurance myself."

"Need I remind you that I am not a parent," Twilight interjected, looking a little insulted. "I can't exactly tell you how to be a parent. I don't have that kind of experience." She glanced over to the dragon standing atop the nearby ladder. "Well, not in the traditional sense anyway. I'll offer what I can, but I'm not making any promises."

"Actually, that's not exactly what I want to talk about," Shade corrected.

Twilight, as well as Winter, raised an eyebrow. "It's not? Then what else could you be concerned about?"

Shade glanced at Winter, specifically her stomach, where their child was slowly incubating. He turned back to Twilight. "I want to know if this is even safe for her."

"Safe?" Twilight echoed.

"He has a point," Winter added. "I know we talked about this a little before, Twilight, but we have no idea how exactly this foal is going to turn out."

Twilight closed her eyes, placing a hoof upon her chin in thought. "Hmm... To be honest, I've been thinking about this myself. It's just so fascinating to me," she said with a whimsical twinkle in her eye. "Just think about it. Your foal is going to be the first half-pony-half-changeling in history. A... halfling, if you will. Pretty clever, huh?"

Her three guests simply sat quietly, the princess's enthusiasm over the situation in stark contrast to their own feelings.

Twilight took notice of their unease, clearing her throat awkwardly as she attempted to get to her point. "In any case, as I've said, I've been putting some thought into this. My main problem is that I couldn't get any information until Winter actually revealed that she was pregnant. But now that she has..." With a flash of magic, the alicorn produced a piece of parchment, as well as a quill and inkwell. "...I have some questions of my own."

"Can't it wait?" Shade asked, admittedly a touch irritated that she had twisted the conversation toward her own ends. "We'd really like some piece of mind over here."

"Have patience," Twilight told them, dipping the large quill into the inkwell, staining its tip black. "My hope is that the answers you provide me might help me quell your worries. I just need information about changeling biology so that I can compare it to ours. Now..." She readied the quill, holding it above the parchment. "Shall we get started?"

Shade and Winter shared unsure looks, but in hopes of actually getting some answers and reassurance, they agreed to let Twilight conduct her questionnaire.

It's not as though Shade wasn't accustomed to Twilight inquiring about changelings and their society. Ever since Shade and Chamella had started living in Ponyville—even before that, in fact—she'd developed a keen interest in them. This was partly due to her wanting as much information as she could get so that perhaps Equestria could be prepared in case Chrysalis staged another siege, but it was mostly out of her morbid curiosity and her need to expand her knowledge. For these reasons Twilight had steadily been working on a research paper that she was hoping to one day have published and make all facets of changeling life public knowledge now that they knew the threat was out there. And she could not have been more fortunate to have two changelings she could go to for that information. Shade and Chamella were more than willing to help her out whenever she had a question; they, too, hoped to avoid any future altercations with their own people, and if this was one way to help, they were happy to contribute.

"First question," Twilight started with an eager smile. "What is the gestation period for a changeling fetus?"

The two changeling's stared blankly at the lavender mare. Chamella, especially, looked confused. "'Gestation period'?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. In other words, how long is a female changeling pregnant before she gives birth?"

Shade and Chamella shared confused glances.

The alicorn didn't quite know how to simplify it any further. "For... example, a pony will give birth after eleven months. Does that help?"

There was an audible groan from nearby, where Spike already had his claw on the doorknob, ready to excuse himself to evade the off-putting conversation. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna go hang out with Rarity for a while," he grumbled.

Chamella turned her eyes up as she thought about Twilight's question. "Oh. Well, it's a little difficult to say. We didn't really count the days or anything when we lived out there, but I'd say, um... a week, maybe?"

Both Twilight's and Winter's mouths dropped open. "Wait, a week?"

"At most," Chamella added with an unsure shrug. "At least, that's the longest it's been for me. I can't speak for other female changelings."

Twilight held up a hoof, looking puzzled. "So let me get this straight, female changelings get pregnant, then give birth only a week later?"

Chamella rocked her head side to side as she tried to explain. "Well, we don't really 'give birth.' We mate, find a nursery in the hive, create an egg sac, and implant the egg in the egg sac. Then the larva just grows there until it's born."

"Oh. Well, I guess that kind of makes sense," Winter said, recalling her own past run-in with baby changelings.

Twilight's face lit up with curious wonder, furiously jotting down notes on the parchment. "Fascinating..." she mumbled to herself. "Who'd have thought the differences between us would be so stark? It only makes this whole scenario all the more baffling."

Winter's eyes widened suddenly. "Hold on, back up a minute." She turned to Chamella. "Did you say that you went through this, too?"

"Well, yeah. A few times," the purple-maned changeling answered.

Twilight looked up from her parchment, her ears perking up. "Wait, you mean you're a mother?!"

Their shock made Chamella feel a tad uncomfortable. She figured this was something Shade might have already mentioned. "I-I guess, yeah. I mean, I've mated and laid eggs, so I suppose I'm technically a parent."

Twilight had to let that revelation sink in for a moment. "Wow. I never would've thought you'd be that kind of mare."

Chamella turned away, suddenly feeling ashamed of something she had never really seen as abnormal.

Winter shifted her gaze to Shade. "What about you?"

Shade was caught off guard by the question, not feeling comfortable with the hurt look in her eyes. "You've seen me during the mating season. It was really the first time I'd ever actually fought against those urges. It's just a part of our lives. I guess I've never really thought too hard about it until now, but I guess we both have offspring out there somewhere. It's instinctual."

Winter turned her eyes downward. "Oh. Okay."

Shade leaned forward, trying to read the expression on her face. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

She looked up into his emerald eyes, trying her best to smile. "No, no, I'm not mad. That was another part of your life. It's in the past."

Twilight glanced between the two changelings. "Um... Out of curiosity, you two haven't... you know... with each other, have you?"

"Huh?" Shade briefly turned to Chamella, then to Twilight, frantically waving his hooves in denial. "No! Absolutely not!" He looked straight into Winter's eyes. "I swear we haven't."

Winter furrowed her brow a little bit, looking through Shade and toward Chamella. "Glad to hear it."

"Shade and I always made sure we were nowhere near each other when we knew the mating season was coming around," Chamella clarified.

"I guess that speaks to just how different you two really are compared to other changelings, huh?" Twilight commented.

Shade raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you said that you've never resisted those urges before, but clearly you have. You willingly tried to avoid being around one another during the mating season so that your friendship wouldn't get, for lack of a better word, weird."

Shade shrugged. "Maybe. But then again, having friends isn't exactly commonplace for changelings to begin with. Some of us stick in pairs for survival's sake, but the moment things get rough they turn on each other. You guys saw that for yourself with Guise."

"Which further proves that you two are different," Twilight said with a smile. "But we're getting off topic. Let's get back to your baby, shall we?" She gave her quill another dip in the inkwell. "Hypothetically speaking, should your foal be born as a typical changeling baby, would that really change anything? I mean, you'd still love it regardless, right? And you guys have proven that changelings can be normal people, too."

All three of them looked a little uneasy about the prospect. Shade spoke for the group. "That was one of the other concerns that I had. Changeling larvae are... not like ponies. They're not even like grown changelings."

Twilight's eyes shone with curiosity. "How so?"

"Changeling larvae run on pure instinct," Chamella answered. "All they think about is food, and they'll do anything to get it. They're violent and vicious. They're basically just wild animals."

Twilight was certainly surprised to hear that, her own expression beginning to show signs of concern. "Really?"

Winter shuddered at the thought of it. "I've seen it with my own eyes. A hundred baby changelings all trying to sink their fangs into me. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life."

"Only about half the larvae in a given cluster will actually survive though," Shade added. "If they can't find any food, they just cannibalize each other."

Twilight blanched at the mental image of a hundred baby changelings tearing one another apart.

"If there's any consolation, once their full they calm down, and it only takes around a year before they actually start developing their intelligence and personalities. Still though, even adults try to keep their distance from them."

"Almost as though they go through some sort of metamorphosis, huh?" Twilight commented. "Appropriate, given your insect-like bodies. But it's hard to believe that even you two were once like that yourselves."

Winter tried her hardest to not picture Shade ripping into another changelings flesh. But the alternative thought in her mind wasn't any more pleasant. "Twilight, what if our baby turns out like them? What if it's just a violent and uncontrollable drone?"

Twilight could see that Winter was becoming increasingly hysterical as these thoughts continued to pervade her mind. The alicorn scratched her head, trying to come up with a solution. "I suppose that's just something you'll have to prepare for. Shade did say that they're a little more manageable with full stomachs and they start to grow out of their animalistic behavior after a while. I guess you could just stick it out for the first year."

"No offense, Twilight, but that's not exactly comforting," Winter said with a sigh, her ears folding back.

Twilight rubbed her temple. She was starting to get somewhat frustrated with this whole situation. She was glad to give them advice, but it was hard to give anything concrete when there was so much uncertainty. "Look, we can talk about this all we want and not get anywhere. When it comes right down to it, this is just a waiting game; we won't really know anything for certain until the baby is born."

Winter ran an exhausted hoof through her mane. "So we really do just have to sit and stew over this for the next eleven months." She let out a long sigh. "I guess my only hope is that maybe it'll actually be a little shorter than that."

"Not necessarily," Twilight reassured. "There's actually a pretty simple way to get some answers: just go see a doctor. There's a chance that it might turn out how we just talked about, but there's also the possibility that it won't. At least this way you'll know and can be prepared for it."

Winter's eyes widened. "You're right." She stood up, a smile finally managing its way onto her face. "That's actually a great idea. In fact, I'm going to go make an appointment right now. Thanks, Twilight."

And with that, she stepped out the door, leaving the alicorn with the two changelings.

"Not a problem," Twilight said, but not managing to get it out quick enough for the pegasus to actually hear. She looked back at Shade. "I guess you want to go with her. You're probably just as curious, huh?"

"Actually, there's something else I want to talk about." Shade glanced toward the door. "It might even be better for Winter to not be here for this."

Twilight could sense the seriousness in his voice. Whatever was on his mind must have been even more concerning than everything they'd talked about thus far. She sat quietly, listening intently to Shade's plight in hopes that it wasn't as bad as he made it sound.

Shade hesitated to speak, unsure if this was something he should even bring up at all. He was just so worried that there would be nothing he could do about it. "I..." he started, but paused, not making eye contact with Twilight. He took a breath. He needed to get Twilight's input, otherwise it would eat away at him until the baby was born.

"I don't know if I can be a father."

That sounded concerning. Twilight took a moment to contemplate what exactly he meant by that.

"What do you mean, Shade?" Chamella asked with a tilt of her head.

"I mean I'm a changeling. You said it yourself, Chamella, changelings mate, lay eggs, and that's that. We don't really take care of our offspring. We've never needed to."

"But that's for changelings," Twilight interjected. "We don't know yet if that's going to be the case for your baby."

"It's not the baby I'm concerned about. It's me." Shade lowered his gaze to the floor, his emerald eyes wracked with worry and shame. "Changelings may not have any parental instincts to speak of. What if, when our baby is born, even if it turns out to be a normal, pony foal, I feel nothing when I look at it? No desire to care for or nurture it; no love for it; no attachment to it whatsoever. And what would Winter think when she found out that the father of her child can't bring himself to care for it?"

Twilight closed her eyes, letting Shade's words simmer in her mind for a moment as she analyzed them. Shade finally looked up at her, somewhat confused by her expression. He'd expected her to be showing more sympathy and offer some comforting words.

"Honestly, I think this is yet another instance of something you're just going to have to wait and see about. Sorry I can't offer anything more than that, but that's just the way it is."

The male changeling let out a disappointed sigh. "I see... But I'm going to have to bring this up to Winter, even if she might hate me for it."

"Now, there's no need to be so down on yourself about it," Twilight said to try and reassure him. "While it's true that we won't know for certain for some time, I personally feel that you have nothing to worry about on that front."

Shade raised an eyebrow, a small spark of hopeful optimism developing. "How do you figure?"

The princess gave him a comforting smile, as he had grown accustomed to seeing when going to her for advice. "Well, you've shown over the past year that you're capable of defying what limitations you thought changelings had. You thought that changelings couldn't make friends, but you have Chamella and even me, a pony. You thought changelings weren't capable of loving another, yet you fell for Winter. We all thought that changelings and ponies couldn't propagate, but here you are, expecting a child."

Shade stared in quiet contemplation about all of that. Those words were managing to subjugate the worries and fears that had plagued him ever since Winter told him she was pregnant. Maybe this was just another one of Twilight's theories, but given the evidence, there may have been some truth there. And with that truth came hope. Hope that he could be the father that their child needed.

Chamella smiled, seeing the confidence in Shade's face rising. She was relieved to see that he wasn't going to let this get him down too much, even if the possibility that they were wrong, however small it may have been, still existed.

Shade nodded, grateful for Twilight's words, even if she couldn't give anything absolute. He gave her a grin. "Thanks, Twilight. That makes me feel a little better."

Twilight smiled back, looking Shade straight in the eyes. "Believe me, Shade, I have full confidence that you and Winter can handle this as long as you're willing to put in the work. It's not going to be easy, but I know you have what it takes."

Shade stood up, taking a breath as he did so. "I think I better go see how Winter's doing. We have more to talk about, I think. Thanks again, Twilight." And with that, he excused himself, stepping out the front door.

Chamella stood up as well, passing a grateful grin of her own to Twilight. "I should get going, too. I'm only supposed to be on a lunch break, so should get back before Rarity gets mad."

"Alright. And make sure to send Spike back here, would you? He's not getting out of helping me organize these books."

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

Shade turned off the water in the shower, stepping out and grabbing a towel with his neon green magic to dry himself off. He vigorously scrubbed his soggy mane before turning his attention to the rest of his body, which didn't take long to dry.

Winter had voiced on several occasions how she envied Shade for not having a coat of fur. She'd sometimes complain that it could be difficult to clean and was a real hassle when it was wet. Shade's chitinous skin was smooth and harder than a pony's, making it quick and easy to clean and wash. Conversely, Shade was a little jealous as well; a warm coat would have been a blessing for he and the other changelings back in the Changeling Kingdom to protect them from the biting winds of their perpetual autumn weather. That being said, not having a coat of fur made snuggling into her at night all the more pleasant for him, although he couldn't imagine she felt the same way, but she's never complained about it.

Shade stepped out of the bathroom, still running the towel over his head to dry his still damp mane as much as he could. He sauntered absentmindedly downstairs, glancing around the living room, but seeing nothing and nopony.

Winter still hadn't come back from the hospital. Since he'd left Twilight's, he'd been sitting at home, waiting for his ivory lover to return with news, whether it be good or bad. In addition to that, he needed to tell her what he had told Twilight earlier. Admittedly, he was getting a little impatient and antsy. He had gotten a shower to simply pass the time, and now he was contemplating putting together something to eat, maybe make something for Winter for when she got back.

The changeling headed into the kitchen. But just as he opened the fridge door, the front door also opened. Shade decided to forego his meal and instead focus on Winter, who had finally come home. He quickly trotted over to her side, tossing the towel sitting on his head aside.

"Well?" he asked with concern and curiosity. "What's the news?"

Winter simply let out a frustrated sigh. "There is no news. Not yet anyway. I made an appointment for a checkup in a couple of days."

"And that'll help us figure out whether the baby is changeling or pony?"

Winter shrugged. "I don't know, but it'll be something at the very least." The pegasus plopped herself down on the couch, letting her body sink into the cushions and letting out another sigh. "I guess all we can do now is hope for the best."

Shade sat down beside her and draped a hoof over her shoulders, prompting her to rest her head against his neck. As much as he didn't want to sully this cozy moment, or pile even more onto their already rather large list of concerns, he had to let her know. "Winter, listen, there's something else I need to warn you about."

"It can't be any worse than everything else," she mumbled.

"There's a possibility that I may not be capable of caring for our foal."

Winter lifted her head from Shade's neck, her expression a mixture of hurt and worry. "What?"

Shade could tell how she felt without even looking at her, and it was pretty much exactly the reaction he expected. "What I mean is that changelings don't raise their young; they're fully capable of taking care of themselves the moment they're born. So it's not in a changeling's nature to take care of children." He looked Winter in the eye. "I may not have the parental instincts that I need to love our baby."

Winter closed her eyes, laying her head back onto his neck. "I guess there's a lot we don't know. We're just going to have to wait and see for sure, huh?"

Shade looked down at her peaceful face. "You're not upset?"

She shook her head lightly, her silky, crimson mane brushing lightly against Shade's ebony skin. "At this point, there's no reason to be upset about stuff we can't be sure about."

"I want you to know that, even if I'm not able to love the baby, I still love you. And as long as I love you, I'll be here to help you through this."

Winter smiled into his neck. "I know. To be honest, I'm not worried about that. If you can love me, you can love our kid."

Shade smiled as well when he heard that. "Twilight said the same thing. Maybe you're both right. Maybe I'm worried about nothing."

She snuggled into him more deeply, pushing him down onto the couch and lying on top of him. Shade didn't mind the extra weight anymore, now that he knew the real reason for it. In fact, as he looked up into her soft, amber eyes, his worries just sort of faded away for the moment, letting him enjoy her embrace.

She grinned down on him before laying her head onto his chest and closing her eyes. "Guess we'll find out eventually, hm?"

Comments

[Slavenger Karl]

New. Chapter. Halfling.
img.ifcdn.com/images/3f695dde4722ade439fc88ed72e9ea9662b635433b40b311331e830f93e577fa_1.jpg

[FordPrefect]

Thanks for the update.

[Grekoy]

"Chamella, can pass me that roll of fabric?"

I suggest adding a 'you' between can and pass.

"Not a problem," Twilight said, but not managing to get it out quick enough for the pegasus to actually hear. She looked back at Shade. I guess you want to go with her. You're probably just as curious, huh?"

Missing a quotation mark.

Anyway, thanks for the update. I've been for this moment.

[changeling khaos]

Thanks!

[Dee Pad]

7054553
Thank you, fixing it now.

[ThatNoobPony]

Well, that sweet.
What can go wrong?

[IsaacTheHungry]

I didn't realize the sequel was out yet until a few days ago. I love it so far.

You may want to make a blog tagged to first story to let people know there is a sequel.

[Recteik Shade]

I have a kind of a fringe theory about Shade and Camellia and why they went to such lengths to ovoid each other during the rut. Changelings live much more feral lives, in a sense(Just hear me out), and as such are much more similar to animals than the more civilized races. In nature, most animals will instinctively ovoid procreating with close genetic relations. And while I don't remember it perfectly i believe Dee established that Camellia is younger than Shade. I theorize that they are, in fact, blood relations who share at least a single parent(if not two) and that the reason they are so different is because they share a genetically dormant gene that is a hold over from their species time as ponies. in the same sense hat some human infants are born with tails because both parents carry the recessive genes for it. Or i could just be taking a story about bug-horses way too seriously lol