Return to Stalliongrad [Closed: DerpRavener and RedCedar]

[RedCedar]

Even Red looked a little confused by his father's reaction, as, apparently, was the rest of the family. Powder Snow looked like she was going to make another retort, but stopped at her father's loud laughter. When Anchor Aweigh finally caught his breath, he looked over to Powder Snow and shook his head. "Relax, Honey, Red's fine." he said, then looked back to Red and Naj after another chuckle.

 

Taking another deep breath, he continued, "When you've been an officer in the Royal Equestrian Navy as long as I have, you get to hear a lot of things, some of which make you wonder." he said, stepping closer to Red and Naj. "For example, you hear from some of your buddies in the Royal Guard about a changeling fighting against caribou in the Crystal Empire. Or how a copper-coloured pony was spotted dancing with a changeling at a gathering afterwards. You hear about red ponies with Stalliongrad accents being wanted for questioning about changeling activities. You even hear how Princess Celestia granted legal resident status to a changeling, after being petitioned by a red pony from Stalliongrad and his friends." He shook his head a little. "You hear about it, but you never quite believe it... until it shows up in your house. That took guts, son, but good work."

 

Powder looked on, still seeming quite unsure of the whole situation, but when Anchor Aweigh noticed, he said, "Right now we need more friends, because we have plenty of new enemies. Besides, if she meant any harm, not even Red would have known, likely."

 

Finally, turning back to Red and Naj, he smiled. "So, ready for dinner?" he asked.

[DerpRavener]

It would seem Anchor Aweigh apparently trusted Naj, or at least was willing to give her a chance to prove herself not hostile.  Or maybe that was how he saw things the whole time, and Naj had been so caught up in the reactions of the other two to see it for what it was.  Either way it was a positive development.  Naj just knew that somepony in the family would at least be willing to give her a fair shake.

 

When the stallion had recovered from his laughter though, he said some things that did catch Naj off guard.  He mentioned a changeling fighting against the attacking caribou in the Crystal Empire, and a changeling granted legal residence by Celetia herself.  For Naj, it was like hearing the highlights of her recent years said back to her.  He'd even mentioned her dancing in the aftermath of the former event, which caused her to blush slightly.  She remembered nopony making mention of it that evening, and had assumed that in the general exhaustion of that evening that everypony and just accepted and overlooked it.  Which was how she'd preferred it in retrospect, she really wasn't much of a dancer.

He also mentioned that Red had been questioned with regards to changelings.  It didn't sound like anything came of it, and she'd never noticed anything adverse with Red himself, so it was fine this time.  It came dangerously close to something she'd been trying to keep from happening.  Naj looked to her coltfriend, think to herself that now as a bad time, but it was something she should ask him about later.

 

"Right now we need more friends, because we have plenty of new enemies. Besides, if she meant any harm, not even Red would have known, likely."

Naj nodded solemnly.  “That was part of my reason to put myself out in the open,” she said after a moment, though a little quietly.  There was long time when she was resigned to simply keeping her head down and avoiding causing harm as the best thing she could do, though things had worked out better so far.

It was a good topic, but perhaps a little heavier than appropriate for a dinner with ponies she'd just met.

 

"So, ready for dinner?"

“Uhh, yes sir.”  The fact that Anchor Aweigh was Red's father, combined with her having just learned that he was formerly a captain in the navy, meant her response was perhaps a little stiffer than she'd intended.  At least she had managed to avoid saluting.  She didn't know much about the navy, being from a place without any ships, but a captain was a captain, and Naj instinctively gave the title a certain amount of respect.

She once again forced herself to relax again, though in better circumstances this time, and smiled.  “That would be nice.”  She wasn't sure how much she'd eat, but she was still curious to see what they had cooked up.  She moved to follow Anchor into the dining room.

[RedCedar]

It had been a shock to Red to find out that he had been wanted for questioning. He could only guess the fact that he never had been was due to the guards not quite having found the right pony, or being too disorganized in the aftermath of the Crystal Empire attack to figure out who Red was exactly. Either way, it was now, thankfully, a moot point.
 
Red breathed a little sigh of relief after it all, though, thankful that his father, for all his military background, was on the understanding side. He'd managed to defuse things between Naj and his sister, at least for now, so hopefully the rest of the evening would go almost normally. "Well, you're quite the brave changeling, too, going straight up to Princess Celestia. That must have been hard." he said supportively. "And, no need to be formal. Anchor will be fine."
 
Red followed Naj as everyone began to file into the dining room for dinner. Red and Naj had been given seats together on the same side of the table, quite deliberately it seemed, though that left Powder Snow beside Naj at one end, still peering warily at the changeling, not having been this close to one in the exoskeleton.
 
Night Singer, too, seemed to be mostly following her husband's lead, a little uncertain, but still graciously trying to be polite while serving dinner. As she placed grilled sweet potatoes and a large portobello mushroom cap on a plate and set it in front of Naj, she smiled, trying to be somewhat at ease. "I hope this is okay," she said. "Red mentioned in his letter that you liked mushrooms." It came out almost as a question rather than a statement, as Night Singer had never heard of changelings eating food before.

[DerpRavener]

Naj wasn't entirely sure how to respond to Anchor's replies, so she simply nodded.  She supposed it was a brave thing, but it was also a rational one.  She might have had the capacity, but it probably wouldn't have been healthy to stay in hiding indefinitely.

 

As they sat down, Naj could see that Powder Snow was still a little wary of her.  In some ways Naj couldn't blame the mare, she knew well how Equestrians first learned of changelings, and the hive's later actions.  Still, it made the changeling a little nervous herself: ponies who panicked generally weren't as predictable.

Naj tried her best to just ignore it, and focus on the meal itself.  The goal was for this meal to go as smoothly as possible, and from Naj's standpoint the best way to make that happen was to 'lead by example'.  Besides, the rest of the family seemed pretty accepting even if Night Singer wasn't quite sure what the make of things, so Naj guessed it would just take time.

 

It wasn't long before she found an easy source of distraction, the meal was ready.  Naj hadn't had much in terms of solid foods, but this smelled amazing.  Or maybe it was because of it.  Either way, the end result was something she was eager to try.  She was quick to respond to Night Singer's uncertainty.  “They look delicious!  Thank you.”  Naj simply nodded in response to comment about mushrooms.  It was true, mushrooms were one of her preferred foods, but that was as much a lack of experience as a real preference.  Though they couldn't have known that, and the thought was still nice.

 

The meal otherwise got off to a quiet start.  Though enjoying the food, Naj was mindful of being arguably the cause of the quiet, and she was here to get to know them among other things.  She looked around a little.  “So,” she started, breaking the silence, “Anchor, how long were you in the navy?”  It seemed a good, general place to start.

[RedCedar]

Red tucked into his food once everypony was served. Not only were grilled sweet potatoes one of his favourites, as his mother well knew, but it gave him a welcome distraction from the fact his sister was still entirely wary of his fillyfriend, almost watching her every move with her food with a look between curiosity and recoil.

 

Red's father, on the other hand, was more talkative. "I'm still in the navy," he replied between bites. "They'll have to throw me overboard before I'll retire. Even then, I'd still buy myself a yacht. You couldn't keep me off the water." His enthusiasm certainly came through in the way he described his adamant desire to stay at his post, although there was a bit of eye-rolling from Night Singer on that point.

 

"What about you? What did you do before coming to Equestria. For that matter, why did you come to Equestria?" he continued.

[DerpRavener]

Naj couldn't help a small smile at Anchor's statements.  Given the way he talked about it, she imagined that even if he was thrown overboard, he'd just swim alongside the boat.  In some ways she didn't entirely believe him, 'unstoppable sailor' didn't really fit with her current impression of him, but she liked the enthusiasm all the same.

 

"What about you? What did you do before coming to Equestria. For that matter, why did you come to Equestria?"

It wasn't long before the topic of discussion turned to Naj herself.  Naj took a moment to chew and swallow her food, which let her stall for time as she considered.  Given the subject matter, she was sorely tempted to dodge the question, but she decided against it.  These ponies deserved to know, and in all likelihood they would find out sooner or later.  “The short answer,” Naj began, starting with the second question as it required the least other explanation, “is that I came to Equestria because I didn't really have anywhere else to go.  The long answer...”

 

Naj exhaled, and gathered her thoughts.  “I used to be a soldier in the Changeling Kingdom.  I was there at the Canterlot Invasion...”  She preemptively raised a hoof.  “Though before you say anything, I've since learned there are much better ways to find food than to take it by force.”  She felt the need to throw that bit of explanation in before continuing.  “Anyways.  That particular event left me and a number of my group separated.  I tried to take charge, and lead them back...” she swallowed again, though this time it had nothing to do with eating.  She grew quiet, though she found it easier to say than the last time she tried to tell this story.  “I took too many risks...I was the only one who made it back.  I was exiled...and made my way to Ponyville.”

Though part of it was an effort of will on her part, she brightened as she went on, even starting to smile.  “Then I met Red," she wrapped her foreleg around him, equally to emphasize the point and to remind herself that he was still there to support her if needed, "as well as a couple other ponies, and now things have turned around.”

 

"So, uhh, that's why I ended up in Equestria."  Naj fell silent after that, realizing her answer was somewhat beyond the scope of the question.  She gave everypony some time to process it, and focused on her own plate as she waited for their reactions.

[RedCedar]

Red listened on as Naj told her story again. It was obvious the whole experience still weighed on her mind, and not just because of her being exiled afterwards. As she wrapped her foreleg around him, he smiled, wrapping his own around her as well in a gentle snug.

 

Even Night Singer seemed to approve, for a second, of the obvious affection Naj showed Red, even after an initial shock, allowing herself a small smile as Naj reached over to Red. Anchor nodded, taking a moment to digest the answer as much as his dinner, a bit of a serious expression on his face as he considered it all.

 

Powder Snow, on the other hand, had other questions. "Okay, so, Red's a great guy, we knew that, but how did you... and he... end up..." she stammered, her hoof waving between the two of them as if to suggest she just couldn't see how a changeling and a pony would end up together, and it was taxing her brain to even consider it, let alone that it was happening to her brother.

 

Red just smirked. "Says the mare who grew up reading tragic romance novels." he said quietly.

[DerpRavener]

Naj released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.  Maybe they had already assumed and come to terms with it, but Naj had essentially just told them she had participated in the initial attack on Canterlot.  It wasn't something she would do again, but it was still likely something very unpleasant to suddenly learn.  As it was, she was thankful that quiet consideration seemed to be the overall reaction.

 

"Okay, so, Red's a great guy, we knew that, but how did you... and he... end up..."

Or, maybe that point would be almost completely ignored, in favour of something else.  Caught off guard, Naj blinked in surprise.  “...Huh?”  She looked at Red for a moment, before looking back at Powder Snow.  She scratched the back of her head with a hoof.  “Well, there's not really much of a story there, but I guess I could tell you about it.”  If nothing else, this would be a much easier story to tell.

“We met in Ponyville,” Naj began, “Twice I suppose.  Though, the first time we were in the middle of Winter Wrap Up and I kinda ignored him by accident...Heh.”  It was minor incident, but it had stuck in her mind given the events that followed.  “So the next time I saw him in town I made a point to apologize.  We got to talking, the subject of changelings came up, and Red seemed surprisingly tolerant of the idea.  I'd been in disguise at the time, of course.  I decided to take a chance.  And well, even after that we kept talking.”  She shrugged, unsure exactly what to add to it.  “ 'And the rest is history,' I think the saying goes.”

[RedCedar]

Powder Snow looked like she was about to make some other kind of retort, but Anchor Aweigh headed that idea off before it could get started. "Well, you obviously made an impression on him, if he went and stood in front of Princess Celestia with you." he said, as Powder backed down and scowled at her plate.

 

AS he took another bite of dinner, he continued, "As for the rest, well, you don't spend as long in the Navy as I have without considering the hazards of following orders. There's not much time to consider the possibilities, especially when you are serving your own kind at the time. So, whatever happened in Canterlot, we'll leave it at that." he said with a sense of finality. "Like I said, we need friends now more than more enemies. Red certainly saw that."

 

Night Singer decided to take on a more at ease tone at long last. "So, uhm, Naj. What have you enjoyed most about living in Equestria?" she asked.

[DerpRavener]

Naj appreciated the approach Anchor was taking, he seemed to have something of an understanding of what had motivated her, though she couldn't help but feel he was missing a few things.  When she opened her mouth to elaborate however, she thought better of it.  It wasn't necessarily the best dinnertime conversation, and she didn't want to have defend her actions.  This was a conversation she wanted to have eventually, and she made a mental note to talk to him again once everypony was more acclimatized to her presence, but for the moment she thought better of pressing the issue.

 

"So, uhm, Naj. What have you enjoyed most about living in Equestria?"

“Hmm,” Naj frowned in thought, as she considered the question.  Having been sent away, rather than choosing to leave, meant she'd never done a lot of comparison between Equestria and her old home.  “Well it's certainly more colourful, though that's a bit of a mixed blessing.  It's more interesting when you look and wander around, but it makes certain things a little harder.”  She considered a bit more.  “There's more love to go around, but that's more a practical matter than a cultural one.”  She didn't think it a good idea to go into detail about feeding methods, unless asked.  She was fine talking about it on some level, but she'd made things uncomfortable once, and even if it's in a harmless way creatures generally don't like to discuss how they are fed upon.  “I guess if I had to pick, it would be that everypony's more open.  In the hive, we're all generally civil, but we all had our own agendas and often kept to ourselves.  Here, it's more...” she waved her hoof in a little circle in front of her, as she searched for the right word.  She couldn't quite think of one at the moment, so she settled on “...Friendly.  More willing to talk, without worrying about costs and benefits of doing so.  Something of a pleasant surprise, once I got used to it.”

[RedCedar]

Night Singer nodded, apparently trying to wrap her head around an alien way of life. "Oh, I see." she eventually said. Well, I'm glad you've been enjoying it, even if it's a difference to where you came from."

Red listened intently as well. This was a part of life in the hive he hadn't heard about either. Again, it seemed that changelings had their jobs and that is what they focused on, more than anything else, almost to the exclusion of having friends, even, if the main way to keep them was to make time when you could and work together when possible. As a soldier, it was almost no wonder Naj had never found anyone to become close to in the hive, especially after the times she said she was stuck on guard duty.

 

Powder Snow, on the other hoof, shuddered, as though she'd heard something distasteful.

 

Anchor Aweigh gave a stern look to his daughter before continuing. "And now that you're here and allowed to stay, what do you hope to do? Aside from dating Red, I mean."

[DerpRavener]

All things considered, the evening was progressing smoothly, if a little awkwardly.  Naturally it was always a bit of a surprise to find out somepony was a changeling, but after that it would seem Naj had avoided saying anything too controversial.  Or at least, nothing that came as a shock.  The dinner was a little quiet, but Naj was in some ways actually thankful for it.  It was far better than a number of alternatives.  Though she couldn't help the occasional wary glance (most directed at Powder Snow, though a few around the table as a whole), for the most part the changeling just munched happily.

 

"And now that you're here and allowed to stay, what do you hope to do? Aside from dating Red, I mean."

Naj paused, thinking about the question.  “I...don't really know.  I don't need to scavenge food, I'm not on the run, I have a few fairly safe places to sleep.  My needs are met, and I found a few ponies I can talk to.  I'm just happy to keep my head down at this point.”  Life plans hadn't really been her strong suit.  Back in the hive, she was content to let that largely be decided for her, outside of a vague idea of wanting to be a soldier.  “I have found one thing, but it hasn't really come to much yet.”

Naj scratched the back of her head, and chuckled a bit.  “To be honest, life goals are something I haven't considered much before, and I'm not that good at it.”  Then she had a thought.  Ponies often asked their in-laws for advice, right?  Even if not, Night and Anchor were still her elder, and might have something.  “Not that it's fair to ask, but I don't suppose you have any ideas?”

[RedCedar]

“Not that it's fair to ask, but I don't suppose you have any ideas?” Naj asked. It was a topic Red had brought up with her before, as well, but perhaps there would be a better thought from his parents.

 

Anchor Aweigh gave it some serious consideration, however. "Since you were a soldier before, I would be tempted to suggest the Royal Guard, but honestly, there would be some in there who would resent you being there, so it probably wouldn't be a good idea." he said, matter-of-factly. He went back into a thoughtful silence as he took another bite of dinner.

 

Night Singer smiled. "Is there anything you enjoy doing for yourself that you might be able to make into a career? Powder Snow is a competitive skiier, and she teaches it as well as leading ski trips when she's not training." she said.

[DerpRavener]

This was reminding Naj of a conversation she'd had before, although this one had something of a different angle to it.  She wasn't sure how she felt about revisiting, though she brushed the thought aside for now.  There was still something to yet be gained.

 

She'd already considered what Anchor was talking about.  “Yeah,” Naj agreed, “that was one of my first thoughts too.”  She spoke a bit wistfully  “It's still something I keep in mind, maybe some day I'll get the chance, but it'll be some time before a changeling in the guard is a good idea.”  And for that matter, she doubted there would be any related work even.  Most groups that would likely accept a changeling wouldn't impart the sense purpose she was hoping to find.

 

Night presented a more interesting idea, even if it came with its own failings.  Naj looked contemplatively at Snow for a moment, before realizing the mare likely wouldn't appreciate that.  “I'm not really sure,” she said eventually, “I like to read I suppose, but I doubt you make a career of it...”  She thought for a few moments, before realizing that might not quite be right.  “Research,” she said eventually, and continuing off of that idea she added “I'm sure there are a few scientists who'd like the idea of a changeling lab assistant, once they got used to it.”

“And failing that,” one more idea had come to mind, “I've enjoyed my wanderings.  Maybe some kind of mail or courier work.”  Naj stated them as open concepts, not necessarily needing opinions, but inviting them all the same.  This was still just brainstorming after all.

[RedCedar]

Red smiled as Naj mused aloud on possible career paths. It seemed the longer she stayed in Equestria, the more possibilities she saw opening up for her. The one about research was a new one, though in the back of his mind he hoped any scientists would see her strictly as an assistant and not as a test subject. "Those are some new ones..." he commented.

 

Night Singer nodded and smiled. "Those sound like lovely ideas." she said. "I hope whatever you decide on works out well for you." she added, seemingly a little more comfortable with the unique guest in her house.

 

Powder Snow, on the other hoof, most definitely was not so comfortable. "So, tell me a little more about how you found Equestria different," she began. "You said there was a lot more love to go around, but that was a matter of practicality. Is that all love is to you? A convenience? Does the word mean anything to you at all beyond food? Do you feel anything for Red at all, or is he just a meal?"

 

The table suddenly got deathly quiet as the other ponies sat staring at her. "Powder, that's not fair." Red protested.

[DerpRavener]

For the most part, everypony in the room seemed to approve of her proposals.  If nothing else, it mean she hadn't said anything blatantly in error.  It was a good sign, even if she still had a lot to do and discover.  It presented something to work towards, at any rate.

 

And along came Powder Snow, and truth be told Naj wasn't sure she could blame the mare.  It wasn't helping her case certainly, and she would have preferred to have everypony on her side.  But she had to concede that changelings as a whole had made a pretty poor first impression.  Naj rested a hoof on Red's shoulder, when he called his sister out on the comment, though she kept her eyes on Powder Snow.  “I don't know, in some ways it's probably a reasonable concern.”  She just wasn't sure it was thought through.

 

She addressed Powder Snow directly.  “Of course love is a resource to me.  If I don't find it, one way or another, I die.  Let me put it like this: some ponies are really passionate about gardening and farming, putting their heart and soul into their plants.  With that in mind, how much thought are you giving to those potatoes you're eating?”  She pointed at Snow's plate.

And then Naj sighed, and tried her best to keep the edge out of her voice.  She was hoping to achieve at least begrudging tolerance by everypony before the night was done, but she wasn't too happy with the insinuation.  “But that probably won't convince you, so let me try this.  Ponyville has enough ambient love to support probably a group of changelings.  That's guilt-free feeding with almost no chance of being discovered.  If all I saw in Red was a source of food, I probably wouldn't be spending any time with him, much less have shown him what I am.”

Naj turned back to her plate.  She listened intently to the reactions, but she knew she couldn't avoid glaring and Powder Snow if she tried looking at the mare, and if possible Naj didn't want to agitate things any more.

[RedCedar]

Red patted Naj's hoof on his shoulder before turning his glare away from Powder Snow and, after letting out a sigh, slowly beginning to eat the last of his dinner. Powder Snow didn't look entirely satisfied, still, but went back to eating herself.

 

Night Singer, on the other hoof, had been listening intently to Naj's description of life from the changeling point of view. "You must have been terrified the first time you showed Red, then." she said softly. "That took a lot of courage just to find someone to talk to."

 

Anchor Aweigh nodded his agreement. "It certainly did," he added.

[DerpRavener]

Naj felt she'd made her point, and Powder Snow seemed to back off for the moment so Naj left it alone.  Given the initial reaction, this wasn't a fight Naj was expecting to win in one evening.  It was something that would take time.  She would have to settle for a mere 'truce' at the moment.  The family quietly returned to the meal.

 

But only for a moment.  Night Singer, who had perhaps been a bit more directly interested in Naj's perspective on things, complemented her on her courage in coming forward.

Naj wasn't quite sure how to take it, to be honest.  “Erm, thanks?”  She wasn't entirely sure what she'd done was really a measure of bravery.  “I mean, I suppose.  But it was just a calculated risk.  Really, I think Red was the brave one.”  She looked to him, and beamed.  “He was the one who was willing to stick his neck out, after just meeting me and learning what I was.”  She smiled to herself, remembering that first conversation.  It was something she would likely remember for her entire life.

[RedCedar]

Red smiled back to Naj as she extolled his bravery in his reaction to her on their first real meeting. He didn't think it was really that big a deal himself, or at least hadn't until his father had brought up that he had been wanted for questioning, but even so, he was glad to have done it. Resting his hoof lightly on her shoulder, he said, "Well, I could hardly leave you on your own after that, could I?" Changeling or not, she had reached out to him for a friend, and that was something he couldn't find it in himself to ignore.

 

Powder Snow looked like she was trying her best to ignore it, however.

 

Anchor Aweigh, however, looked quite pleased. "Well, I'm just pleased he had the courage to help a pony in need when they needed it, instead of brushing it off like so many others might. Good job, Red." he said, pleased that the outcome had been a devoted new friend and perhaps a path to some understanding.

 

Night Singer began to gather up plates as everyone finished. "Guess it's time to bring out dessert, then. Naj, have you ever had chocolate before?" she asked with a smile.

[DerpRavener]

Naj shot Powder Snow a sympathetic look when she thought the mare wasn't looking.  Much as she disagreed with the mare's position, she had some idea what it was like not to be supported by one's family.  Even if this was a friendlier sort of disagreement.  She didn't say anything, because nothing Naj could say would likely improve the situation.  She would just have to hope that Snow would become more comfortable with the idea with time, with any luck sooner rather than later.

Either way, Powder Snow was still on the wrong side of this discussion.  Naj could appreciate changelings being dangerous, heck she'd made a career out of it.  But at the moment, most of that danger came from the fact that changelings took love, rather than earning it.

 

"Well, I'm just pleased he had the courage to help a pony in need when they needed it, instead of brushing it off like so many others might. Good job, Red."

She was a little loathe to press the point, but Naj nodded her agreement.  “Between the two of us, I'm hoping we can set a good example.  For both ponies and changelings.”  Even if she wasn't interpreting it quite the same way, she too though it was a good thing, and had high hopes for what might come of it.

 

"Guess it's time to bring out dessert, then. Naj, have you ever had chocolate before?"

Naj blinked, considering for a moment.  She knew she'd never tried it, but the sudden shift in tone had caught her by surprise.  “...Can't say that I have.  Bits were never something I've had much of, not really needing them most of the time, and what little I've had I'd generally save for emergencies.”  She eyed Night, wondering just what was coming next, and added, "and of course, I never learned to make it myself."

[RedCedar]

Red smiled to his mother. "She had a chocolate milkshake the first time she was here," he said. "She seemed to like that, at least," he added, then turned to Naj. "I think I know what's coming next. If you liked the milkshake you should love this," he said to her quietly.

 

Night Singer nodded, trying to be careful about what she gave Naj to eat. Chocolate allergies could be bad enough for ponies, but she had no idea what might make a changeling sick. Red's reassurance, however, gave her a little more confidence. After Night Singer cleared the dishes into the kitchen, she then returned with a tray upon which were five bowls filled with something whipped and creamy and cool and sweet smelling. Setting the first bowl in front of Naj, she said "Well, this is chocolate mousse," she explained, "It has about as much chocolate in it as a pony could handle without layering it between cake." she said with a smile as she handed out the other bowls, everyone looking at them with an anticipatory grin, even Powder Snow.

[DerpRavener]

Naj looked at Red, surprised and a little perplexed.  Had she really?  She didn't remember it that well.  Had she really forgotten?  Had she just been caught up by more important things, or was this something she was suppose to remember?  “Huh,” she said after a moment, “I guess I forgot about that.”  Red assured her she would like this though, and she trusted him and apparently herself, so now she was looking forward to this.

 

"Well, this is chocolate mousse, It has about as much chocolate in it as a pony could handle without layering it between cake."

The bowls were brought out soon enough, and truth be told after that introduction Naj was a little intimidated.  She doubted she'd have any trouble with chocolate usually, but this seemed...concentrated.  She poked it with a spoon, finding it consistently light and gooey.  Between that and the colour her first impression was less impressive, at least until she sniffed it.  The smell was heavenly!

And looking around, Naj saw she was apparently the last one to pick up on that.  Everypony else at the table looked ready to dive in.  “It smells amazing,” she said, and then waited a moment herself.  She held back to see just how this was supposed to be eaten, before before starting on her own.

[RedCedar]

Red smiled as Naj tried to recall her experience with the milkshake. Certainly, the last few weeks had been a whirlwind for them both, and if she couldn't recall one milkshake, it was to be expected. Still, Red always had enjoyed being able to share experiences with her. "I remember you liked it," he said. "I always like to watch as you try things for the first time. It's not everyday that a pony experiences so many new things all at once, and seeing you with that look of wonder on your face, well... I guess I just enjoy seeing you happy." It may have sounded a very simplistic answer, but it was the truth.

 

As the bowls were handed around, Powder Snow almost immediately started attacking her mousse with a spoon, as much to have something else to focus on as it was to enjoy her dessert. Each of the other ponies at the table gradually did the same, Red included, a smile of satisfaction quickly spreading across his face as he savoured the first bite.

 

“It smells amazing,”  Naj had said, and Red turned and nodded to her. "Wait 'til you taste it. It's very rich," he said. "Mum's not kidding when she says it's a lot of chocolate in one small bowl."

[DerpRavener]

Red described his enjoyment of watching Naj try new things.  It seemed a bit unusual to Naj, until he made his explanation.  While it wasn't something she liked to advertise, it was true that there was a lot of 'standard Equestrian life' which she didn't know much about.  It was something she was slowly working to correct, and at the end of the day what this meant was that he would be happy to help her out in this regard.  Which she knew already, in some ways, though it was always nice to hear.  Naj nodded solemnly.

 

It only took a moment for the family to get started on their own desserts, digging into them with what Naj might call reckless abandon.  Naj supposed that there was the answer.  Having not been especially hungry when she arrived, she followed their lead but wasn't quite able to match their enthusiasm.

At least at first.  After she took her first bit she suddenly understood why the family was so excited about the dish.  She was stunned for a moment by the intensity of it.  “This is amazing!”  She was overusing that word, but ahh well.  She turned to Night.  “Where did you learn to make this?”

[RedCedar]

Red chuckled a little to himself as his prediction of Naj's reaction came true. Night Singer smiled. "Well, I'm glad you like it!" she said before adding proudly, "It was my grandmother's recipe. She was a pastry and dessert chef at one of the fancier hotels in Stalliongrad a long time ago." She swirled her spoon around in the mousse herself before savouring a bite. "If you like, I can make sure you and Red get a copy of the recipe."

 

Anchor Aweigh smiled in satisfaction at dessert as well. He'd been holding back a bit during dinner, not wanting to overwhelm Naj on her first night meeting not only new ponies but having to reveal such a secret as well. Or, perhaps not so secret now but still, something she didn't feel comfortable flaunting yet. Of course, Powder Snow hadn't exactly made her feel welcome, either. Still, curiosity was getting the better of him and now that everyone had had a meal and a chance to calm down over a bowl full of sinfully delicious mousse, perhaps now was the time to satisfy some of that curiosity. So, Naj, tell me, if you don't mind. What exactly is your Queen like when she's in her own kingdom?" he asked. "I'm sure you realize she wasn't in Canterlot long and what little I've heard from those who were there in the guard didn't give me much to go on. I'd like to hear your take on her, if you're comfortable with it." He realized he was talking about the same Queen who exiled this changeling, so he gave her a chance to hold off on that one if she wanted to.