Making Her Proud
Tohru sighed softly to himself as he went through the motions of his chores around the antique shop. While no charges had actually been leveled against him - between a dearth of testimony against him, his own willingness to turn on his employer to protect others, and his assistance in stopping Shendu allowing Captain Black to clear most of it away (mostly due to his being defenseless against a certain redheaded filly's puppy-dog eyes) - he was still under observation from 'interested legal parties', which basically meant he had to stay on his best behavior if he wanted to keep his record clean...something he was more than willing to do. For the first time in a long time, he was happy with himself and his life. He knew that he would not be asked to do today something he would regret tomorrow. And when the invitation had been extended, he'd been happy to move into the antique shop's residential area, and keep his apartment lease empty until it ran out.
However, all the good in his life did nothing to push back the worry and sorrow that plagued him now. She was coming, and she would be disappointed.
As he turned to carry the tea out of the kitchen, a hoof stopped him. "Forgot the tea," Apple Bloom pointed out, indicating the pot of hot water he was about to carry out.
Tohru groaned softly. "Apologies...and thank you." He turned to the cupboard to fetch the tea for the pot.
"No worries," Apple Bloom offered warmly. "Ah get it."
And there was the one spot of comfort. Apple Bloom did get it. She had been inside his mind. She knew just how important her good regard was, and knew his fears of losing it as well as he did. He didn't need to explain anything to her beyond the one comment he'd made about her coming. Sympathy, understanding, and support had been overwhelming...though he couldn't help but notice that Apple Bloom had a look about her...the sort of look that said she had plans to be clever.
His overall morose demeanor seemed to match the stormy weather, to the point it went unnoticed by Uncle and Jackie. Jade noticed when he could only barely follow her talk about the upcoming Japanese Cultural Expo (which only reduced Tohru's mood, since she was visiting because of it). He was unsurprised that Jade followed him into the kitchen, where Apple Bloom and Audrey III were now playing cards. Apple Bloom was enjoying being able to sit in a wooden chair without making it sprout, since the arrival of her Cutie Mark had stabilized her magic.
"What's bothering you, T?" Jade asked worriedly. "You've been off the past couple of days."
Tohru sighed, not really wanting to get into it. Before Jade could start making guesses, Apple Bloom explained for him. "His Mom's comin' ta visit for the Expo. She's a big fan of Kara Noki and her yodeling kabukis."
"The screeching country singer?" Jade asked, sounding both shocked and disgusted. Noticing the fish eye Apple Bloom was sending her way - and Apple Bloom's own music preferences - Jade quickly added, "Key word screeching." With her cousin mollified, her mind snapped back to the more interesting part of the conversation. "Wait, you have a Mom?" she demanded of Tohru.
"What, ya think he just appeared one day outta the ether?" Apple Bloom demanded waspishly.
"You did," Audrey III teased, getting a raspberry from Apple Bloom, a giggle from Jade, and a smile from Tohru for his troubles.
"I'm just having a hard time picturing the woman who could squeeze him out!" Jade explained, gesturing to Tohru. "I mean, look at him! She deserves a medal for that!"
"I wasn't always this large," Tohru pointed out mildly, though he was glad for the humorous direction the conversation had taken for the moment.
"So...isn't her visiting a good thing?" Jade asked in confusion.
"My mother is...very hard to please," Tohru explained. "I am...the black sheep of the family. I...all my life, I've just wanted her to be proud of me. But...it is difficult to get her approval."
"How could she not be proud of you?" Jade demanded in confusion. "You went toe to toe with a demon!"
"And lost," Tohru pointed out.
"He was fifty feet tall!"
Apple Bloom's look increased. "Jade...how much bald faced truth do ya think ya can dump in casual conversation?"
"Depends on the opening," Jade replied. "You have a plan to make his Mom proud?"
Apple Bloom grinned eagerly. "Just get Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo downstairs the moment she arrives, okay?"
Tohru found a worried smile beginning to cross his face. Maybe, just maybe...things would work out.
As Tohru served the tea and cookies to Uncle and received a 'thank you', a loud knocking echoed from the front of the shop. As the door swung open to the sound of the bell, lightning flashed to illuminate a shadowed figure.
The woman had Asian features very similar to Tohru's own, save for a beauty mark to the left of her mouth. Her girth was somewhat rotund, and pleasantly contained in a white blouse under a red jacket and skirt combination, her hair done up in a topknot. ...said topknot just barely cleared Tohru's waistline.
"M-Mommy?" Tohru greeted, his voice warm but childish as he knelt for a hug...that was not returned.
"Mommy?" Jackie and Uncle both gasped in shock.
"This where you live?" Mrs. T demanded irritably as she handed Tohru her umbrella. After checking the dust in the shop, she let out a disgusted grunt. "You gave up cushy job with that nice Mr. Valmont for this?"
Tohru couldn't prevent the wince that crossed his face. One of the other things that had made Valmont a good boss despite his criminal activities: if family members stood large in the lives of his high ranking Enforcers, he took the time to get to know them personally. For all the job turning into something Tohru wasn't comfortable with, Valmont had earned his loyalty over the years.
Jade started to step forward to ask Tohru something, only to be pulled back by a discreet vine.
Mrs. T let out another disgusted grunt. "My son...a servant in a-"
"Onii-chan!" Apple Bloom suddenly called out as she rushed up to Tohru, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo not far behind her. To Jade and Tohru's surprise, plant life - or at least, the image of plant life - was springing up in her hoofsteps. "Onbu yo!" she pleaded as she put her front hooves against Tohru's side. Tohru, for his part, couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face as he lifted her into his arms, gently booping her nose with one finger.
There was a small thud as Mrs. T dropped her bag. "Wha...how...who...?" She rubbed at her eyes. "Onii-chan?" she demanded, struggling for an explanation. "Son, why is pony blessed by Amaterasu calling you big brother?"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's eyes lit up as Apple Bloom shot them a wink over Tohru's shoulder. Their Japanese studies were bearing fruit in unexpected ways. As they suppressed their giggles, Tohru explained. "We...met through my work for Valmont," he began carefully. "And...one particular meeting resulted in a...rather strong bond." He rubbed the back of his head, unsure how to explain that part.
"You mean when you, Apple Bloom, and Audrey III were magically fused to do battle with the Cthulhu facsimile to keep it from completing the summoning ritual?" Jade spoke up, deciding it was time for her to 'dump bald faced truth'.
"Wait, what?" Mrs. T gasped in shock.
"It's...not as impressive as it sounds..." Tohru demurred, not really liking being made much of this way.
"Yeah, you should have seen it, Mrs. T!" Jade continued. "With the three of them magically fused, Tohru became a sort of giant plant kaiju version of himself, and he beat that not-quite-Cthulhu into submission with his bare vine-hands!"
"You punched out Cthulhu?" Mrs. T whispered in shock.
"I...had help..."
Mrs. T managed to shake herself out of her shock. "But if work for Mr. Valmont so good, why quit to work here?" she demanded angrily.
"Opportunities with Valmont's organization were...drying up," Tohru explained carefully. "It reached a point where I had to choose between working with him, or being there for this little one." He gently stroked Apple Bloom's back. "I...made the choice that was right for me..."
Mrs. T frowned with crossed arms, staring at her son. "...that so..." Though her tone and stance remained mildly hostile as she had been, her expression seemed...thoughtful.
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25.media.tumblr.com/6189a72d1efb8129e18cf28d3364ad6b/tumblr_n3em7aBRSB1rvazxqo3_250.gif
I WANT TO SAY GODDAMNIT JADE BUT I CANT
The Feels are strong with this chapter. I can just see Tohru and Big Mac trading stories of being big brothers to Apple Bloom. I can also totally see Apple Bloom telling someone who doesn't know the group and is threatening her, "My big brother always protects me!" "Why should I be scared of a wimpy pony?" "He's the giant guy looming over you and getting ready to show you how Sumo wrestlers fight!" Cue high pitched girly scream from bully.
wish I remembered this from the show after this point!
The one woman that can get under Uncle's skin like no other! I think he just enjoys trading verbal barbs though.
The punching out Cuthulhu line was my favorite.
Curse you, cliffhanger!!!
Least the reason for visiting the Expo won't have any masked expectations.
When I read the line for when Tohru's mom was introduced and Applebloom spoke I was like, "Oh brother."
Not sure if his mother's expectations dropped like a bag of bricks.
Go Apple Bloom! What mom wouldn't be impressed by her son having such a sweet bond with a cute little pony?
And punching out Cthulhu's not something to sneeze at either.
Google Translate has failed me, what does "onbu yo" mean?
7890419
"Pick me up!"
finally tohrus mom SHOULD be proud
Jade used 'bald faced truth' attack ... and it is super effective!
7890419 Don't use google translate; get a translation dictionary!
camo.derpicdn.net/af8bdc6f5dd844a735c1ed331b3228b8d08c6f6a?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.discordapp.com%2Fattachments%2F177482261145452544%2F245557111101063168%2FTorch_5C-Sad_I_know5C-_S6E5.png
Why can't I be kawaii like Apple Bloom-chan?
I believe you mean discreet, perhaps?
Well, that's one way to get mummy's approval. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the great work. Deus tecum.
any mother not willing to be happy her son picked protecting a child over working for someone isnt worth respecting. i hope Tohru's mom makes the right call here
if shes anything like Gru's mother this is the only way to truly please her
Uncle's arch-nemesis appeared!
Tohru's mom. Honestly, I can see her and Uncle still having their little fights. No matter how much things change, I think some things still stay the same. Sure, it might be more lighthearted now, the nagging from both sides some strange way of their 'friendship' working out, but I think it'll still happen enough where the CMC+J will watch it happen with popcorn and general amusement. I mean... people are weird. Stating the fact.
7890422 ...kawaii~~
I gotta agree with Rainbowglitter1 here. Any mom that condones abandoning a child for a man, despite said man having earned their loyalty, doesn't deserve to be called a mother. Children come first. Always. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There is no middle ground. Children are the future of a species, and to condemn them is to condemn their species.
If Mrs. T isn't careful here, she may find herself under the bad kind of attention of quite a few patron Gods and Goddesses for a variety of species, Celestia and Luna the least of which.
Yes! My favorite ship is here. I want to see just how far it can go with these three here. I always found Uncle and Tohru's mom the perfect couple. Now will they get together in this timeline or not is the question?
That was pretty good mother management.
7890324 Is it wrong that I imagine them swapping stories while arm/hoof wrestling?
Apple Bloom's so adorable.
7890673 I was honestly expecting them to butt heads. A pity that hasn't happened yet
7890160 hahaha!
7890697 I agree. Hell, when no one is looking they probably trade baby stories, and parental anecdotes about dealing with the problems of excessive good chi. After all, I believe it was mentioned early in the story that the one thing Tohru had in excess besides his size (dude is literally the biggest human in the series), was his good chi.
Blessed by...
I wonder...
Has Celestia spent any time in Japan?
And I'd say that Applebloom was blessed by an individual whose will determines the sun's place in the sky.
ONII-CHAN!!
HNNNNNNNNNG!
Welp, I've never been so thankful for my near-deity levels of resistance to death, since 'Bloom just made my heart explode again. And I know it's gonna explode again in the next chapter, but I can't wait to actually see said chapter.
Oh, the fun has just begun!
This came to mind immediately
thedrunkenclam.com/wallpapers/elephantchild800x600.gif
7890534
...I'm always mixing those two up...
Let's see, what's next... oh yes, that's right.
Another world spanning adventure against the forces of evil.
(I always did like that one of the portals was at Fenway Park)
Chapter Eighty Two
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 43
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 73
7890673
No. That title belongs to Daolon Wong. I wonder if he will try to corrupt the CMC. If he does try he will have two good chi wizards (if Uncle takes Tohru as his apprentice like he does in the canon), one severely ticked martial artist, a secret agent who is head of the government installation and can make people disappear, and one ticked off Japanese woman(depending on how close Torhu's mom becomes with the CMC) after his behind... Daolon Wong Is bucked.
That line though!
Oh Jade, sweetie you have much to learn.
Damn it dude! My heart can't take much more of this! And I'm used to this!
i.ytimg.com/vi/GgVFTbwL-sM/hqdefault.jpg [img] This! http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/939146105cb0d4c344b57f2f9376a23bfa2770.jpg[/img]
And this!
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/29/8c/6c/298c6ce8fb9913b2a0d15635d9ee1bac.jpg
I point out that Cthulhu is an elder god not a demon, still that was awesome.
7892098
But Shendu is a demon, and Tohru went toe to toe with him when he tried to kill Jade and the CMC.
...got his ass handed to him, admittedly, but it was still pretty awesome of him.
7891494 you forgot jade and her magic
7892106
Daolon Wong is really BUCKED then.
I don't know how this will end since the Cutie Mark Crusaders are in Jackie Chan's world, but I hope they know what they are doing! *gulps*
Skip to the end to hear Apple Bloom say "onii-chan"
(Or listen from the beginning to hear Sweetie Belle say "Cheeriree-sensei")
7890902 If they get bored, then yes, they can arm/hoof wrestle. But I think Tohru would prefer simply relaxing and beeing at peace. He'd probably get along well with Fluttershy and help her with the animals.
7892522 adorable... and Cherilee's cutie mark is perfect for Cherilee-sensei since those are the stickers they put on kids papers in Japan to show a job well done. Very nice find.
7892522
I just realized...
In Japanese, Big Mac's lines are probably "Hai" and "Nai" instead of "Eeyup" and "Nope".