I expected nothing.
That was my biggest mistake: a sin of pride. One of many, many consequences of which I had yet to endure.
I did not expect to be sitting there. With them. Before them. As the bodies gathered under the glow of electric lights and the sounds of adolescence poured in between the cement walls of the high school cafeteria.
Rarity came to the table first, followed by Pinkie Pie who bounded in second. I looked over from where I sat, wondering what compelled the frazzle-haired girl to delay rushing through the lunch line.
“Thundermane Marina!” Pinkie squealed enthusiastically, her hair and skirts and eye-lashes flouncing in the euphoric jubilation of the moment. “Thundermane. Marina!” She stared Rarity in the face. “Can you simply believe it, Rare-Rare?!”
“Yes-Yes...” Stifling a yawn, the fashionista casually pulled a compact from her purse and touched up her face. “The Rainbooms have certainly performed at exotic venues before.”
“It's more than exotic!” Pinkie cackled. “It's two blocks away from Granite Hooves University! Where my sister Maud is currently studying for her Rocktorate!”
“GHU...!” Twilight Sparkle remarked. She adjusted her glasses with an appreciative smile as she and Sunset Shimmer strolled over to the table with their lunch trays. “That's pretty impressive. How close is your sister from graduating?”
“Who cares?!” Pinkie did a twirl and sat down in time to face Sunset and Twilight with a beaming grin. “The fact of the matter is that she'll be there! We can totally go visit her after the sesh!”
“Pinkie...” Sunset fought a giggle. She smiled wryly as she juggled an apple in one hand. “Maud graduated from CHS only last year. We met her here every day.” She took a tiny bite of the fruit and tossed her hair back. Even now, she was still beautiful. “Mrmmfff... You make it sound we haven't seen her in decades.”
“Didn't you go visit her last week?” Rarity remarked, putting her compact and purse away. “Seriously, Pinkie, I do think you have abandonment issues.”
“One week is eight days too many!” Pinkie hissed.
“Uhh...” Twilight held up a finger. “There are seven days in a week...?”
“So sue me for being a Beatles fan!” Pinkie pumped her fists. “Stop changing the subjeccccct! Are we gonna visit my big sis after our gig or not?”
“Who are we talking about?” Fluttershy asked, gently striding in with a swish of her skirt. She sat beside me and filled the air with her melodic voice. “Maud Pie? Oh... she's such a calm... very together person.”
“I... uh...” Sunset twirled the half-eaten apple around in her fingers. “I was kinda hoping to take Twilight to the Thundermane Marine Museum before it closed that afternoon.”
Twilight's smiling teeth glinted in the light. “They have over two hundred samples of extinct shark teeth on display!”
“But... I-I'm sure we can squeeze in a visit with Maud while we're there,” Sunset said. “Even if... uhm... it's on the other side of the harbor.”
“Awwwwwwww...” Pinkie sank in her seat, pouting. “Now I feel like I'm souring everyone's grapes!”
“Nonsense, darling!” Rarity gave a hopeful smile. “I'm sure with the right scheduling, we can fit all sorts of events in! I—for one—would very much like to check out the nautical-themed shopping center they have out by the pier!”
“I can definitely help with the scheduling!” Twilight said jubilantly. “I-I mean... if we're gonna make a full day of it.”
“I'd be more than happy to meet your sister again, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said in a warm tone. She gazed past me without craning her neck. “I'm sure it will make her feel better to have friends and family visit. It must be so very lonely over at Granite Hooves.”
“I know... I know!” Pinkie's voice dipped with a touch of sadness. “I've only been able to send her forty letters!” She pulled at her curls. “I'm seriously slacking off! I-I hope Maud doesn't think I-I'm forgetting about her!”
“Whoah, what's this about Maud?!” Rainbow Dash bounded in towards my seat. I stood up and shuffled out of the way as she hopped in place. Completing the swift entrance, she yanked a sandwich from her own tray and took a bite. “Mrmmmfff... she getting the university blues?” A gulp and a devilish smirk. “Sounds like time for a rainbow intervention!”
“Are you seriously suggestin' we pony-up just to make a grand entrance at Maud's college-town?” Applejack asked, sitting across from her.
“Maybe I was...” Rainbow leaned back, casually kicking her feet up on the table as she continued munching on her sandwich. “...maybe I wasn't!”
“Rainbow...” Applejack sighed, eyes thin and bored. “If Maud needs some company, all she'll need is us. Ain't no need to go shimmerin' our geodes at the drop of a hat.”
“Applejack's right, dear,” Rarity said. “Remember what Sunset taught us ages ago? We should use our magic sparingly. Who knows what consequences there'd be if we went—how would you say?—'full-ham' all the time?!”
“Pffft!” Rainbow rolled her eyes in mid-bite. “Says the girl who used to play key-tar until her pony ears formed so she could design accessories for them!”
“Uh!” Rarity held a hand over her chest. “Why, Rainbow Dash, I am well past that!” She folded her arms and upturned her nose. “Besides... I have a full portfolio of sketched designs in my work drawer, just waiting to be transformed into reality!”
Fluttershy giggled. “I don't know about you, but a personal jam session for Maud Pie sounds really fun. Magic and all.”
“Heeeeey!” Rainbow Dash snapped a finger towards Fluttershy. “Not bad idea, Flutters!”
Applejack squinted at the girl. “I thought you weren't that big a fan of performin' at the Rainbooms' gigs.”
“Yes, but if it was just Maud Pie as our audience, it's not so bad.” Fluttershy gulped, hunching over slightly. “It'll almost m-make the performance at the Marina worth going through.”
“Awwwwwwwww... Fluttershy...” Twilight smiled gently.
Sunset reached across the table to stroke Fluttershy's wrist. “I already talked to the tech crew who'll be there. The lights won't be too brightly-lit where you'll be performing on stage.” A friendly wink. “I made a promise to you, didn't I?”
“Mmmmm...” Fluttershy blushed slightly under the warm comfort of her companions. “You did. You all did. And... thank you.”
“Of course we did!” Rainbow's voice cracked. “The Rainbooms sure as heck isn't about to do away with its tambourine section, now, is it?!”
Applejack glared at her. “Or the kind presence of Fluttershy for that matter...”
“Er... yeah... that... eheh...” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck. “Hey Sunset! You gonna eat those tater tots?”
“Knock yourself out.”
“Sweet!” Rainbow reached across the table.
Pinkie winked aside at the rest of the girls. “Although we all know Rainbow's already got tater tots.”
Rainbow—still stretching—chuckled sideways. “Yeah. I already got—HEY!” She blushed furiously, frowning.
The rest of the girls laughed.
I gazed at them all from where I stood. After a moment of silence, I breathlessly spoke: “I'm sorry.” I continued. “All along, it was nothing to be afraid of.” I stared past them. “I'm sorry I never bothered to be here before.”
Rarity looked aside at Sunset. “That reminds me—I've almost finished designing costumes for our performance at the Marina!”
“Oh, here we go,” Applejack groaned, rolling her eyes.
“I was going to go with something navy-themed, but if we're going to perform before Maud as well, then maybe I can do some last minute adjustments with added gemstones and—”
“Naaaaaaaah!” Pinkie waved a hoof. “Go with your gut, Rares! Maud doesn't care if we glimmer or shine!”
“Yes, but...” Rarity's eyes glistened. “I do!”
More giggles.
“How about we take a look at your designs after school?” Sunset asked. “We can come to a decision together.”
“Oh, splendid!”
“Eh...” Rainbow shrugged. “Count me out.”
“Rainbow...”
“Whatever Rarity drums up is fine. It's just that I've gotta buy some new shin-guards before the soccer season begins and—”
“OoooOooOooo!” Rarity suddenly clasped her cheeks. “You're going to go shopping?!”
Rainbow Dash paled. “Forget I said anything...”
I was already walking away at this point. The light waned along the edges of the room, and the shadows formed a path that led me elsewhere. The universe was full of destinations and apologies, which is precisely what made it infinite.
In the distance—like ripples at the top of a well—I heard a chiming sound, followed by Twilight Sparkle's voice. “Huh... that's weird. I just got a text from... my brother?”
“Oh yeah! Isn't he a cop? Did you get busted for stealing periodic tables again, Twi?”
She didn't so much as chortle from that response. A shivering hand covered her mouth as tears bloomed across the watery surface of everything. “Oh my god.” A sniffle. “Girls...”