Chapter 64: Choosing Futures
A few days later.
“Ready or not, here I come!” Beebee’s voice loudly declared before he came out from the basement, his eyes wide and sweeping across the living room of the house. Eventide and Lancea stood off to one side, watching the little guy speed through the house on buzzing wings, searching for his hiding mother.
It was almost noon, and the light of the summer sun was pouring in through the windows. It had rained the previous night and into the early hours of sunrise, and numerous puddles were scattered across the still damp world.
After a few minutes of merely watching Beebee hunt for his target, Lancea gave a snort of amusement. “...Do you think he knows that changelings can turn into non-living things?” he asked under his breath, shooting Eventide a sideways look.
He blinked and looked down at Lancea, disbelieving. “For real?”
Lancea nodded with a coy smirk. “Yup. It takes less power, but it’s a lot more uncomfortable. Being a big boulder is, eheh,” he rubbed the back of his head and winced as if remembering something painful. “My neck wasn’t the same for a few days…”
Eventide just stared at Lancea for a good few moments before chuckling and shaking his head. “No, we did not know that. Beebee never tried to turn into an inanimate object.”
As if on cue, Beebee came back into the room, floating in the center and spinning in a slow circle. “...Mom? Where’d you go?” he called before disappearing back down into the basement.
“Well, at least he’s having fun,” Eventide noted, leaning back casually against the wall. “I don’t think I’ve seen him have this much fun over the course of a week since he was less than a year old.”
Beebee came flying back up and landed on the backrest of the couch, his eyes narrowing as he examined the home. “...Okay, I give up, mom. You can come out, now.”
On cue, a subtly-hidden copy of the television remote right below him exploded into green flames, making Beebee leap back off the couch with a startled shriek. When the flames vanished, Clypeus was revealed to be laying there on her back, her forelegs curled up over her chest and a playful smile on her face. “Hey, Beebee!”
His eyes widened in shock. “Wha- but- how did- you were- WHAT?!” he babbled before flying down so his muzzle was right up against hers. “Hey, that’s not fair! You cheated!”
“Did I?” Clypeus shot back before reaching up with her hooves and tugging him down against her chest in an affectionate embrace. “You never said I couldn’t turn into a remote!”
“But I didn’t know you could do it!” He complained, pouting, despite returning the embrace. “That’s not fair!”
“How was I supposed to know that you don’t know about turning into objects?”
“But… I… GAH!” Beebee sat up on her chest to throw his forelegs up into the air in exasperation before allowing himself to fall limply into her waiting hooves again.
Clypeus just giggled at his adorable, childish frustration, and leaned down to nuzzle him on top the top. After a few seconds, Beebee’s indignation faded away, and he gratefully returned the nuzzle. With disaster averted, Clypeus placed her muzzle next to his ear to whisper to him. “Would you like me to teach you how to do it?”
That question caused Beebee to sit bolt upright, his eyes wide with eager anticipation. “Oh, oh! Yes please!” he chirped, clapping his hooves together over his muzzle.
With a giggle, Clypeus nudged him off and sat up on the couch so they were side by side. “Okay, well, it’s not so different from changing into an animal, really. You just need to remember the properties of the object, rather than the anatomy of the creature. So, for example, if you wanted to turn into a rock…”
“I’d be hard and pointy?” Beebee ventured, earning an approving nod from his mother.
“Exactly. Give it a try.”
Beebee closed his eyes, his horn lighting up. Then, in a swirl of flames, he was gone. In his place was a plain gray rock about the size of a chihuahua. It was heavy, though, and immediately caused the cushions on the couch to creak in protest as they all but imploded under it.
Eventide’s eyes widened. “Woah, hey! Mind the couch!” he called, stepping away from the wall and uncrossing his arms.
Another swirl of flames later, and Beebee returned, blinking a few times. “Ooooh…” he groaned before shaking his head. “Ow, that… that felt weird.”
“Told ya,” Lancea remarked under his breath as Eventide began to relax.
After rubbing his now stiff neck for a second, Beebee grinned massively at Clypeus before lunging forward to hug her tight around the neck. “I did it, mom! I did it!” he cheered.
She returned the hug gladly, chuckling at his jubilation. “Yes, you did! You did very well!” she congratulated before nudging him back to look into his eyes.
“How many more things can you teach me?” Beebee inquired while shifting to lean against her side.
She draped one of her forelegs over his shoulders and pulled him closer, her eyes going distant. “Oh, so many things… Our magic can do a lot more than lift things and change our shapes, you know. We can make barriers, change something’s properties, and so many other wonderful things.”
Beebee closed his eyes, purring quietly in his throat. The dreamy look on his face gave the impression of a creature picturing everything that was being said to him. “Wow… I wanna learn it all…”
Eventide felt his heart warm up for the millionth time this week at the sight. However, before he had the chance to make a comment on it, something moving in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Frowning, he leaned over to look. His heart fell lower into his stomach when he saw Sunset’s car pulling up into the driveway, the fiery-haired woman herself behind the wheel.
Of course… it was time for Clypeus and Lancea to return to Equestria. Eventide sighed in disappointment before turning back to the cuddling duo of bugs on the couch. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but more lessons will have to wait until next time. Sunset’s here. Clypeus, Lancea…”
All ears in the room fell to rest flat against chitin-clad heads. “Already?!” Beebee demanded before cuddling closer to Clypeus. “I don’t want them to go home, yet!”
Clypeus sighed and reached a hoof over to lightly pet him on the back of the head. “We don’t want to go either, Beebee… but we know where to find you, now. We can come back and see you again. And maybe…” her eyes drifted over to Lancea. “...Maybe you can come to see us, too.”
Eventide nodded slowly, an apologetic look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, guys. Believe me, if I had my way, you could stay here as long as you wanted. But the magic expert and the princess have ordered otherwise. Not much I can do to argue with that…”
“It’s fine,” Lancea waved him off before giving him a small smile. “It’s been wonderful.”
“Yes, it has…” Clypeus added, sliding off of the couch. Beebee followed her down, his eyes turned down to the ground.
Eventide almost couldn’t bring himself to look at the sad sight. After a second, he turned and opened the front door. “You guys want or need anything before you go?” he asked, his eyes finding Clypeus again.
Beebee suddenly perked up. “Oh, oh! I wanna give them something! Hold on!” he shouted before turning and vanishing down into the basement in a flurry of buzzing wings. A moment later, he came back up with a certain children’s book clutched in his paws.
Eventide couldn’t help but smile at it.
Clypeus raised an eyebrow as her son presented it to her, her eyes tracing over the title. “Pete, the big green dragon? Beebee, what’s this?”
“My favorite book,” Beebee replied with a smile. He flipped it around and opened it up to the first page. “It means a lot to me, and it really helped me feel like I belonged here when I was little. Dad used it to make me feel welcome even though I was adopted…” he then closed the book and held it out to Clypeus again. “I want you to have it.”
Her eyes went as wide as dinner plates, her mouth hanging open. “Wha… Beebee, I…”
He nodded at her. “Go on, take it. I just want you to bring it back to me the next time you come to visit, and I’ll give you another gift the next time you leave.”
“So that I always have to come back,” Clypeus breathed in realization, gingerly taking the book in her hooves. Her horn sparked into life and flipped it open to flip through the pages, her eyes scanning every line. Steadily, a smile appeared on her face before she gently closed it. She then leaned forward and pulled Beebee in for another hug. “You’re such a smart nymph… I’ll bring this back to you, I promise.”
“Good…” he replied, returning the hug and giving her a tight squeeze. “...I love you, mom.”
Time seemed to stop for everyone present as those words fled his lips. Everyone was utterly silent, the only sound coming from the sound of the leaves of trees rustling outside the house. After a few seconds, Clypeus suddenly gave off a quiet sob, her eyes screwing themselves shut. “I l-love you, t-too… Beebee.”
He chirped happily as he heard those words, his wings buzzing briefly on his back before folding up to disappear under his shell again. Gradually, the hug came undone, the two of them smiling sadly into each other’s eyes.
Lancea chose this moment to step forward, joining his family in the embrace. After a moment, though, he leaned back and looked into his mate’s eyes. “We should get a move on… Clypie, why don’t you go down to the car? I’ll be down in just a minute.”
Clypeus looked down for a second, then nodded. She then stood up and turned to make her way for the door. Before she had even gone a step, though, Lancea turned to Beebee and spoke to him. “Why don’t you go with her? Keep her company until I show up?”
Beebee tilted his head at this, then looked past Lancea at Eventide to silently ask for permission. It came in the form of an equally silent nod of the man’s head. Beebee smiled at his adoptive father, then cantered over to trot by Clypeus’ side, the two of them disappearing from the house through the front door.
Once they were gone, Eventide turned to look at the only remaining bug in the house, looked into his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s up, Lancea?”
The brown-colored changeling looked down for a second, his face twisted as if he were struggling with something in his mind. Then he sighed and looked up again. “I’m just going to cut to the chase here, Eventide. Clypeus and I were talking about it while trying to sleep last night, and… we want Beebee to come back to Equestria with us.”
Eventide blinked, several protective instincts flaring into life inside of him at that moment. He was quick to kick them into submission, though. He took a deep breath through his nose, keeping his expression neutral. “...I’m not surprised.”
“But,” Lancea continued, his ears drooping. “We’re not blind… we can literally see how much you two love each other, and how happy he is. And in the end, no matter how much we want him to come and live with us… we want what’s best for our son more than anything else…” he started to trot forwards, his eyes downturned. “And the fact of the matter is, you have known Beebee for a lot longer than we have. He is your son as much as he is ours, and you’ve been a good father to him.
“It would be foolish and short-sighted of us to ask you to give him to us just like that. I will not jeopardize my son’s happiness for anything, and…” Lancea sighed, his gaze drifting out to stare after his mate and son. “...And if you think he’d be better off with you than with us, I’m willing to believe your judgment and leave him with you.”
Eventide recoiled, taken aback. Well… that wasn’t where he had been expecting this conversation to go. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as he fished for something to say in response. “Uh… w-well… I… I don’t know,” he finally mumbled.
Lancea raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “You don’t know?”
Eventide nodded. “I don’t. I mean, yeah, I’ve known him since he hatched, and we have a routine that works. We’re comfy, and we’re happy, and if he went with you, a lot of that would be uprooted. Plus, it…” he shuddered at the mere thought, his hand falling from his hand. “...It would mean having to say goodbye to him.”
“So, does that mean you think he’d be better off with you?” Lancea asked, his voice displaying his disappointment.
Eventide was quick to correct him. “Not necessarily. I want what’s best for him, too, and,” he let his head lean back until it was staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t know if staying with me is the best option. He has to live in hiding most of the time here, and as happy as we are, there are so many things in life he’ll always be missing out on here on Earth. He’ll never be able to get a job, he’ll probably never be able to move out of my house. No matter how happy he is, how familiar with life here he is, he’s… he’ll always be something of a prisoner because of what he is.”
Lancea slowly nodded in understanding. “I understand, I think…”
“But if he went with you…” Eventide continued before closing his eyes and sighing. “He’d be in the world he was born to live in. He won’t have to hide all the time. He can just be himself and be with his own kind. But… at the same time… he’d have to learn all about an entirely different world, and he’d have to leave me, Buddha, and Fluttershy.
“I’d follow him to Equestria and live there if I could, but I have too many things tying me down here. I have my parents, who I’ve only just patched things up with a year or so ago after a long falling out, and I’m not about to walk out on them again. I have a lot of friends who would miss me if I just disappeared, and…” Eventide bit his lip, his arms curling together over his chest. “...And Fluttershy. I can’t leave her. I gotta stay here no matter what.”
Lancea nodded again, his muzzle scrunching up in thought. “Well, then… what do you propose we do? It sounds like no matter what, Beebee will have challenges to face moving forward.”
A somber silence fell over the room as Eventide got his thoughts in order. He ran over each possibility in his head several times before, at least, an idea came to him. He didn’t like it, but it was the best he had. So, with a sigh, he opened his eyes and looked into Lancea’s. “...I’ll talk to him once you guys go. I’ll explain the pros and cons of staying with me versus going with you, and then… I’ll let him choose.”
Lancea looked surprised by that decision, but after a moment of thinking it over, his face softened into an understanding smile. “Alright… I think that’s the best we can hope for. Beebee’s smart… just make sure you explain everything. As clever as he is, he is still a child.”
“I know,” Eventide replied before getting down onto one knee and holding out a hand. “I’ll do my best, and I’ll have Sunset get word to you when he makes his choice. I promise.”
Lancea reached up and placed his hoof into the palm of the human’s hand. They shook. “I’ll hold you to that…”
The two fell into one more silence, allowing the weight of the arrangement to set in. Then, with a breath, Eventide released Lancea’s hoof and stood back up. “Alright, you need to get a move on. Clypeus is waiting for you, and I need to get to talking with our son.”
Lancea met Eventide’s gaze for a moment, then bowed his head low to the ground. “Farewell, Eventide. And again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of Beebee for us,” he said before smiling up at the man and trotting by him and out the door.
Eventide turned to watch him go, leaning in the doorframe. He watched Lancea come up to Clypeus’ side, the both of them taking turns to give Beebee one more long hug each before hopping up into Sunset’s car. The engine came into life a minute later, and the car began to make its exit. As it left, Beebee remained planted in the driveway, just watching it go. Even from this distance, Eventice could make out Clypeus and Lancea looking back at their son through the back windscreen, their hooves on the glass.
The car rounded a bend, and Beebee’s parents disappeared from view.
A gentle breeze washed over the driveway, sending some stray dirt and dust drifting by. Beebee remained utterly still for a long time. He took a small step forward, as if he wanted to follow the vehicle, but he thought better of such an idea and fell still again. Eventide watched him for almost a minute before leaving the doorway to approach, moving slowly and carefully.
“Beebee? You okay?” he called in a ginger voice once he was a few paces away.
The bug looked back at him for a second, then looked down at the ground. “...I don’t want them to go, yet…” he whispered sadly, his ears drooping.
“I know, Bee,” Eventide replied gently before stepping up to his side. He crouched down and put his hand on the back of his son’s head. “But we’ll see them again… maybe sooner than you think.”
Beebee blinked and looked up into his father’s eyes, curious. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Without a word, Eventide scooped Beebee up into his arms and began to carry him back to the house. “Come on, Beebee… we need to talk.”
With those words, he stepped back into the house and closed the door behind him.
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At least he didn't do a Puellula and poke a sensative spot on the 'vase'.
*Twilight gleefully rubs her hooves together* "I sense a new student for my school~"
'We need to talk' - As a kid, those words are dreaded indeed.
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thumbs.gfycat.com/GranularSpitefulAngwantibo-size_restricted.gif
What will Beebee choose, to stay here on Earth or go back to Equestria with his birth parents, turn in next time for the final conclusion here on 'The Bug In The Basement!'...............
9666703
as an adult those words are scarier
Well, again, regardless of where he goes, Beebee can move semi-freely between dimensions. It might mean, depending on how often he changes worlds, that Clypeus and Lancea have to move to Ponyville, maybe, away from the Hive for convenience's sake, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind that too much.
This is gonna be a rough next chapter, I think, no matter what. There's good arguments for both sides, and either choice is mitigated by the fact that there's no need for it to be permanent. There's no "right" or "wrong" choice, exactly, just whatever Beebee thinks is best for himself. Personally...I think that it might be a good idea for Beebee to go to Equestria, at least for a little while. Learn about his people and himself in a way that Eventide - and all credit to the man for everything he has been able to do - but Eventide just can't.
But that's me, and above all else what Beebee needs is support from Eventide, Fluttershy, Clypeus, and Lancea for whatever choice he does make. And I'm sure they'll give it to him.
Princess Cadance: "Good...good...let the romance flow through you. Only through shipping can your journey towards the HEART SIDE be complete! And don't think I've forgotten about Apple Bloom and Beebee!"
A Tempestuous, Pharyngeal Engagement has me loving the idea of an adorably manipulative but ultimately benevolent Cadance who just wants to ship everyone so bad.
This is all very sudden. They shouldn't try to decide where Beebee's going to live, almost on-the-spot like this. Or try to make Beebee decide. That's putting way too much pressure on themselves, and worse, on the poor kid!
They can take their time and think about this, this isn't something they need to decide right now. But more to the point: Why “decide” one way or the other, in the first place? Why not just let Beebee visit his birth-parents in Equestria, when he wants too? And then visit Eventide in the Human world, when he wants too?
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Well, in the case of Clypeus and Lancea, they live in the Badlands Hive and not Ponyville, so it would potentially be kind of a schlepp to constantly move back and forth between the two. Though I suppose that the two could always move to Ponyville - but at the same time that'd mean finding jobs there, a house, etc. It'd be a whole big thing.
I do agree that this is a bit fast, but, rule of drama. I'm willing to let it slide.
9666738
This situation is a bit more complicated then the Terramar deal we saw in Season 8. This isn't just sea vs air, this is two totally different worlds that operate under substantially different rules that have had very little contact with one another, relatively speaking.
Plus, having too many beings jumping back and forth through the portal has a few hazards involved. For one thing, travel time. Clypeus and Lancea live in the hive, which is days of travel south of where the portal resides. This would pose obvious risks to Beebee, a five-year-old drone if he had to make that trip too frequently.
and of course, Earth is a fragile beast. Twilight keeps a very careful eye on how much goes back and forth through the portal. Too many magical things being allowed to just head over without appropriate oversight could lead to a substantial destabilization of things on Earth. This is why it's usually only Twilight going through on the rare occasions she heads over to the human world in Equestria Girls. Spike goes with her, true, but he was never supposed to in the first place. It's also why Sunset tried to make sure she, Rainbow and Sci-Twi were on the down-low and trying to not be seen by anyone when heading for Twilight's castle in the recent special.
Now, that's not to say Beebee can't bounce back and forth. He totally can. But doing so would require a fair amount of time spent planning and coordinating between worlds, and then there's the aspect of keeping on the down low when heading back and forth. Travel time and travel risks when in Equestria need to be considered, transport needs to be arranged when on Earth. It's a complicated mess, and managing to arrange all of that isn't as simple as "I kinda wanna go to Earth today."
I do hope that all of this information is satisfactory to you.
9666753
It's more then just that: Beebee still won't be living with the Changelings, if he lived in Ponyville.
We may call the whole universe “Equestria”, out of convenience. But Equestrians and Changelings are two different peoples! And living in Equestria-proper won't teach Beebee what it means to be a Changleing.
Huh... Well I’ve heard of people being rock headed, but that’s just ridiculous, Bee.
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Yes, that might make things tricky. But I think my overall point stands: It feels like Beebee's three parents are rushing into this, and putting too much pressure on themselves, when there's no need for it.
That said: Realistic characters do sometimes make mistakes.
I can see Bee going bakc to Equestria. Eventide needed him at first and Bee came into his life when he needed him most.
I wish they could all live together. What if Clypeus and Lancea don't really have ties to their hive, and can come back? Beebee shouldn't be separated from anyone permanently, but I wish they could all live together and be happy.
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If they lived in a perfect world, maybe. But they already have ties at the hive. Jobs, duties, and more recently, friends. Much like how Eventide can't leave his friends, family, or Fluttershy, Clypeus and Lancea can't abandon the Hive or their responsibilities.
This is either going to be wonderfully heartwarming or devastatingly heart-wrenching. There is no in-between.
9666947
Perhaps I should skip the last chapter. Most of the time, I find feeling sad utterly lacking in positive value. Maybe Princess Twilight can give the parent(s) that don't keep him a magical notebook, and they can communicate all the time? And then, at prearranged times, the other parent(s) have Beebee?
Or... sometimes, people just have to move. This can apply to any of Beebee's parents. They should move in together in Ponyville for Beebee's sake. After all, Eventide moved once for Beebee. And there is the magic journal for staying in contact.
Stop ripping my heart in half, then very quickly patching it together, redo the stitching so it fits better, and then afterv all that ram your foot into the heart.
9667090
How 'bout no?
Or Beebee could just get better at shape-shifting. If he could hold Human form for as long as he wanted: He could live a normal life.
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If only it were so simple. If he isn't wearing himself out, he can hold a form for a few hours at best. If he's wearing himself out and not transformed, again, a few hours at best, and that's with around 3 years of almost daily exercise. His physical improvement is slow and always will be due to his hampered physique. Getting to a point where he can hold a human transformation for upwards of 12 hours straight while also exerting himself would take many, many more years of constant and increasingly intense exercise. He isn't going to be managing that anytime in the foreseeable future.
9667205
But he's still not legal, he's got a ton of paperwork and things to even come close to being "normal". Eventide can't fabricate identification after all...
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*spittakes* yeah, that.... 😂
They should treat it like sending him to boarding school, just, to the hive instead. And it's not like they can't write each other, right?
Im wondering if there is going to be just the one portal as origional, or a second as in Spring Break, or a whole crystal vertex array of them world wide for things to fall through in both directions, just that the rest of them are in more inimical locations?
Diaspora transfer is the reason for teh worlds being the way they are, and so needs to occur, yet like The Amber Spyglass, there are quantifyable rules to them?
If they moved back to next to Canterlot High, BeeBee would be closer to Twilights Magic School than he would to Canterlot Highs cinema?
9667237
If this is America: Beebee is legal. He was born (well, hatched) in America, and is therefore an American citizen in the eyes of the law. Plus he spent his whole life in America, being raised by an American father. It'd be very difficult to argue that Beebee is in America illegally.
But, he doesn't have documents. That's a problem. Hopefully, Equestrian magic could be used to make some documents, or something.
9667252
Problem being proving it, indeed. Eventide's only evidence is testimony and a few photos that don't prove B's birth here. Would need to ask a lawyer, honestly.
Actually, some of the "illegal literal alien" has been touched on in other fics. One recent one (Farmer Bruener Has Some Ponies) posits that since the ponies (in that story) didn't cross any border (under the premise that there is no such thing as a dimensional border, notwithstanding the inability to claim or demark such), they're not illegal in the immigration sense, for example.
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.
It would take a lot of time and effort, but I think in the end it would be better for both worlds to have greater contact, though with tight control of who and what goes either way through the portal. And greater contact and travel both ways would be good for Beebee. He shouldn't have to give up either world. That said...it probably is in his best interest to go to Equus for a while to learn more about his origins, his people, and his magic.
There are a lot of ways greater contact could go wrong, of course...but few worthwhile things are ever easy or without perils.
There's so many time skips the story feels a little bit ragged...
And am I the only one who feels like there's an important part missing after the Beebee's confession? The Crusaders must have bombarded him with questions and requests, asking him to shapeshift, etc. But I see nothing of that... "Our friend is an alien? Ah, okay...let's pretend we didn't notice that"
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If Beebee truly can't live a normal life here, that's sad!
Assuming Canterlot High is in America: Beebee's an American. He was hatched in America, to American parents (Eventide and Fluttershy). He's lived his whole life in America, surrounded by Americans.
This kid's clearly American. Yet he can't live a normal life here in his own country, with his own kind. That's really sad.
Heh, logical version of “No u.”
Well.
I hope they can work out a compromise, a way to get the best of both worlds.
9666813
He could still just... you know... have sometimes where he decides to go on vacation. Plus... don't trains and long-range teleportation exist?
On the other hand I guess even if Eventide and Fluttershy aren't a couple they're like best friends. I guess that can't easily go away.