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Description
Marriage and a kid meant that Scootaloo and Terramar didn’t get out nearly as much as they used to. Keeping up some semblance of a home and family took up so much of their time that there was little energy left over to maintain outside relationships.

They didn’t agree on much, but they did agree that this needed to change. They needed friends outside of each other. Seaweed was older now and they had a little extra time, so they would take advantage of it.

“Who’s ready for some drinks?”

Scootaloo called out to the other ponies at the table. She already knew Rumble, Kettle Corn, and Skedaddle from her old cutie mark camp days. But while she was still close with the Crusaders, Terramar didn’t really have any friends at all, so she was helping him make some in the only way she knew how.

“I’ll pass! Thank you, though!”

Kettle declined, backing up from the table just enough to show her swollen belly.

“I must keep the baby safe.”

“Oh! Congratulations!”

The others eagerly murmured their best wishes, though Scootaloo and Terramar couldn’t help but be surprised. Their kid was almost in high school, they kind of forgot there were ponies their age still just starting families.

“Yep! A little colt due in five months!”

Skedaddle beamed with the natural enthusiasm of a first-time father. Then he turned his gaze towards Scootaloo.

“We wrote to you about it a while back!”

Just then Scootaloo’s face grew hot with shame. She was embarrassed that she acted so surprised. That she was so surprised. She vaguely recalled seeing the letter in a pile but she wasn’t quite sure, but nevertheless she decided to save face.

“Damn, it must have gotten lost or we would have written back! That, or Terramar over here did something with it. He loves fooling around with the mail, I can hardly keep track of it!”

She laughed and elbowed him jokingly, but Terramar knew exactly what she was referring to. The miscommunication that started their first fight, something that he still regretted deep down. It stung that she was airing it out for others.

“Haha, yeah! But you can be pretty forgetful sometimes, Scoots! I’m sure it just slipped your mind!”

It was Scootaloo’s turn to get offended. Terramar just wouldn’t let it go, that time she signed up for a scooter troop without him. Like she wasn’t an independent mare. She ignored the fact that she fired the first shot this time, shrugging off the wing he tried to wrap around her.

“That’s hilarious.”

She turned to Kettle and Skedaddle, a much happier couple than her and Terramar. It was time to change the subject.

“So how’s the cutie mark camp?”

“It’s going wonderfully! So many foals are discovering their talents!”

“Taking it over was the best thing we’ve ever done! Aside from haikus and camping, this really feels like our calling.”

“You should come visit!”

Scootaloo suddenly felt a longing for those days, when she was free to just have fun with her friends without any other responsibilities. It was when she got pregnant that she and her friends had to hand the camp over, and now she felt like she was missing out.

“I would if it weren’t for the old rope and halter!”

She chuckled, hardly hiding the bitterness in her tone.

Terramar was about to shoot back another thinly-veiled insult when Rumble finally spoke up, trying to come up with a diversion of his own. He wasn’t stupid, he could see the tension between them.

“Sked and Kettle are having me take it over when they have the kid. Right guys?”

The happy couple nodded in affirmation, and he chuckled to himself.

“Man, I used to hate that camping shit. I thought it was so lame. But you know what? It helps the kids, they like making friends and stuff. It’s actually pretty great. If I didn’t get caught up with you Crusaders I probably wouldn’t have figured out how awesome cooking is. Now I’m saving up to open my own kitchen!”

“That’s awesome!”

Terramar and Scootaloo put aside their bickering to congratulate him as well, but deep down they both felt a pang of envy for their friends. Rumble was on his way to achieving his dreams. Skedaddle and Kettle Corn were happily married and had all the time in the world to plan their family.

The unhappy couple couldn’t help but wonder what their lives would have been like if they had all that freedom.

Terramar was the first to snap himself out of it, smiling civilly at the stallion.

“I’d love to taste your food sometime, Rumble. We’re so happy for you. All of you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier: Parrhesia
Previous: Aquatic Filter
Next: Inconscient

Description
Marriage and a kid meant that Scootaloo and Terramar didn’t get out nearly as much as they used to. Keeping up some semblance of a home and family took up so much of their time that there was little energy left over to maintain outside relationships.

They didn’t agree on much, but they did agree that this needed to change. They needed friends outside of each other. Seaweed was older now and they had a little extra time, so they would take advantage of it.

“Who’s ready for some drinks?”

Scootaloo called out to the other ponies at the table. She already knew Rumble, Kettle Corn, and Skedaddle from her old cutie mark camp days. But while she was still close with the Crusaders, Terramar didn’t really have any friends at all, so she was helping him make some in the only way she knew how.

“I’ll pass! Thank you, though!”

Kettle declined, backing up from the table just enough to show her swollen belly.

“I must keep the baby safe.”

“Oh! Congratulations!”

The others eagerly murmured their best wishes, though Scootaloo and Terramar couldn’t help but be surprised. Their kid was almost in high school, they kind of forgot there were ponies their age still just starting families.

“Yep! A little colt due in five months!”

Skedaddle beamed with the natural enthusiasm of a first-time father. Then he turned his gaze towards Scootaloo.

“We wrote to you about it a while back!”

Just then Scootaloo’s face grew hot with shame. She was embarrassed that she acted so surprised. That she was so surprised. She vaguely recalled seeing the letter in a pile but she wasn’t quite sure, but nevertheless she decided to save face.

“Damn, it must have gotten lost or we would have written back! That, or Terramar over here did something with it. He loves fooling around with the mail, I can hardly keep track of it!”

She laughed and elbowed him jokingly, but Terramar knew exactly what she was referring to. The miscommunication that started their first fight, something that he still regretted deep down. It stung that she was airing it out for others.

“Haha, yeah! But you can be pretty forgetful sometimes, Scoots! I’m sure it just slipped your mind!”

It was Scootaloo’s turn to get offended. Terramar just wouldn’t let it go, that time she signed up for a scooter troop without him. Like she wasn’t an independent mare. She ignored the fact that she fired the first shot this time, shrugging off the wing he tried to wrap around her.

“That’s hilarious.”

She turned to Kettle and Skedaddle, a much happier couple than her and Terramar. It was time to change the subject.

“So how’s the cutie mark camp?”

“It’s going wonderfully! So many foals are discovering their talents!”

“Taking it over was the best thing we’ve ever done! Aside from haikus and camping, this really feels like our calling.”

“You should come visit!”

Scootaloo suddenly felt a longing for those days, when she was free to just have fun with her friends without any other responsibilities. It was when she got pregnant that she and her friends had to hand the camp over, and now she felt like she was missing out.

“I would if it weren’t for the old rope and halter!”

She chuckled, hardly hiding the bitterness in her tone.

Terramar was about to shoot back another thinly-veiled insult when Rumble finally spoke up, trying to come up with a diversion of his own. He wasn’t stupid, he could see the tension between them.

“Sked and Kettle are having me take it over when they have the kid. Right guys?”

The happy couple nodded in affirmation, and he chuckled to himself.

“Man, I used to hate that camping shit. I thought it was so lame. But you know what? It helps the kids, they like making friends and stuff. It’s actually pretty great. If I didn’t get caught up with you Crusaders I probably wouldn’t have figured out how awesome cooking is. Now I’m saving up to open my own kitchen!”

“That’s awesome!”

Terramar and Scootaloo put aside their bickering to congratulate him as well, but deep down they both felt a pang of envy for their friends. Rumble was on his way to achieving his dreams. Skedaddle and Kettle Corn were happily married and had all the time in the world to plan their family.

The unhappy couple couldn’t help but wonder what their lives would have been like if they had all that freedom.

Terramar was the first to snap himself out of it, smiling civilly at the stallion.

“I’d love to taste your food sometime, Rumble. We’re so happy for you. All of you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier: Parrhesia
Previous: Aquatic Filter
Next: Inconscient