I knew what was in that cursed little box the moment Mom set it on the table.
I'm not sure how I knew. Nopony ever thinks it will happen to them. Infinity bands are very rare, and your parents aren't permitted to tell you if they've submitted your name. Even if you want it to happen, which I honestly didn't, you don't want to assume it will. The odds are too remote, so you're only setting yourself up for the biggest disappointment of your life.
Maybe it was the look in Mom's eyes that told me. I mean, I must have picked up on something. She was really excited to see me when I got home from school that Thursday afternoon, and she wanted to go to the Hayburger right away. I wasn't hungry yet, but she insisted. The weird thing was, my brother was home that week but he wasn't coming with us.
At first I wondered if we were planning a surprise party for him. I didn't think it'd be about me, because my birthday wasn't for another month, and I hadn't done anything special lately. But the moment I saw the box, my brain added it up.
I probably looked horrified. I could tell because Mom's face paled, which is hard to see since she's a buckskin. "Go on, open it," she whispered. "But not all the way, okay?" She looked nervously around at the other patrons, none of whom were paying attention.
It felt like I was walking into a trap. "Mom, um..."
She urged me on with her hoof and a nervous, smiling nod.
My ears fell back against my mane as I tenderly lifted the hinged lid, just enough to peek inside. Resting there was a small golden band inset with a ruby in the front. No doubt it had been sized to fit me.
I snapped the box shut and retracted my forehooves as though they'd been stung by a bee. They began to clatter against the table.
"It's real," she said, and her eyes shimmered. That much was obvious. No sane parent would ever prank a child with a fake infinity band, and Mom loves me as much as a mother can possibly love her colt (and maybe more). Still, hearing her say it helped.
I breathed in and out rapidly, and my eyes darted back and forth from the box to Mom's expectant eyes. She waited for me to speak with the patience of a vulture.
"I don't know," I whispered. "I just... I don't know."
"That's okay!" she said, smiling. "It's just a temporary, that's what the ruby means. It's to give you time to decide. They teach you about this in school, right?"
I nodded rapidly, eyes fixed on the box. "I... I know, but, um, if I put it on, am I stuck?"
"It doesn't mean anything. It's a temporary. It's fine." Her voice was soft, but carried a lot of energy.
I closed my eyes. "Mom, I need time to think about this."
"You don't have time, Son. If you wait any longer, you might not be able to decide at all. It's just a temporary," she said. "Please."
"Can we do it at home? Ponies are watching. They'll see," I said, nervously looking around the restaurant.
"You should do it now. Please, Rumble," she said, begging me with her eyes. "It only takes a second, and they're all going to see you wearing it eventually. It won't hurt, I promise."
It didn't feel like I had a choice. Besides, it was just a temporary, right?
"Okay," I whispered in defeat, and I opened the box all the way.
In one deft motion, Mom grabbed the band, wrapped it around my throat, and snapped it into place. I felt a tiny surge of electricity hit my spine, and a brief red glow met my peripheral vision.
"Oh thank Celestia," said Mom, exhaling deeply. "We're in time."
It was soft on the inside. Faux fur-lined, for comfort, and magically treated so it would dry right away after getting wet. It has to be fancy since you never take it off.
I heard a gasp from another table. A couple of mares were staring at us, an earth pony and a unicorn. "Is that new?" asked the unicorn, like she didn't already know.
I grimaced and nodded at them.
Pinkie Pie skated over to our table wearing her Hayburger uniform, and when she saw me she gasped out loud. "Ohmygosh! Rumble just got an infinity band!" she shouted, informing everyone in the restaurant.
"Congratulations, Rumble," said Mom, wiping a tear from her cheek as her wings flapped once. She looked as proud as I've ever seen her. As for me, I felt too many things at the same time: thrilled, confused, embarrassed, afraid... but mostly the last two.
Somepony nearby started clopping the floor, and the thunderous sound of hoofbeats on wood followed as the entire restaurant hooted and cheered.
"It's just a temporary," I belted out, standing up. "I haven't decided yet!"
"Temporary or not, this calls for a celebration!" said Pinkie. "Order whatever you like, it's on me! Not literally, though. It will be on plates."
Not hungry enough for a full meal, I had hay fries and a chocolate sundae. My mind swam laps in an unfamiliar moat of confusion and euphoria.
I thought I heard another foal crying in the distance as I ate, but I managed to tune it out.
Thunderlane was in the kitchen when we returned to the house. "Hay, are you planning to make—" he started to say when he turned his head and saw us.
"We have a surprise," said Mom, stiffly.
"What? Rumble?" said my brother. He looked back and forth between Mom and my collar. "There's no way."
"Yes. It's a band," said Mom.
"I know what it is," said Thunderlane. His eyes flashed with anger in a way I'd never seen before, and for a moment I was terrified. "Why did you do this without telling me?"
Mom placed a hoof in front of me, as though she needed to protect me from my best friend in the world. "Because I knew you would be like this!"
"I know, Mother, it was rhetorical!" he growled. "You have no right to do this!"
"He is my son, Thunderlane. I am the only pony who has the right. You aren't his father," she pointed out.
"Guys, please, don't shout," I said.
"We don't have a father. And that's what this is about, isn't it?" said Thunderlane, as his brow furrowed. "No, wait. It's about Spark. That's what this is."
"Don't you dare! I love my son, Thunderlane. I'm saving his life!" said Mom. Her face looked like she'd eaten a slug. "If you truly cared about him, you'd be happy for him too!"
"You think you're saving him? He's never going to grow up!" shouted Thunderlane.
"That's it. I'm taking this dumb thing off," I said, and pulled at the collar with all my might. Of course, it didn't budge.
"No. Not until you've had time to decide," said Mom.
"Take it off of him," he ordered her.
"One week, precious," Mom said to me, ignoring my brother. "Wear it for at least a week, or longer if you need to. Then you can decide."
I shook my head. "No. I've already decided."
"You will decide on your own," she said, glaring in Thunderlane's direction. "With plenty of time to think, and without your brother telling you what he wants you to do."
"Mother, for the love of Friendship..." said Thunderlane, holding a hoof over his face.
Mom snorted. "Get out of my house, Thunder. Leave. Now." She stomped a hoof and pointed at the door.
"What? Mom, no!" I said, looking up to her in shock. "This is crazy!"
My brother opened his muzzle wordlessly, then shut it and flew right out the door. He didn't even stop to grab his saddlebags.
"Wait!" I called out, but Mom grabbed me in her legs before I could take wing.
"He'll be fine, Rumble. He just needs time to calm down. This is all new to him," she said. "He's only upset because he cares about you."
"I know," I sobbed, as tears ran down my cheeks. I tried to push Mom away, but my legs were weak.
I'd never been angry and sad at the same time before. I was furious with Mom as I cried. I didn't want her to hold me, but I stopped struggling. It didn't matter if I hated what she'd done. She was still my mom, and being in her legs provided too much comfort.
That was the point of the band, after all.
I woke to the smell of a big breakfast Mom was cooking up, so I took my shower in three minutes flat. My neck was a little sore from sleeping in the infinity band, but after the shower it wasn't as bad.
When I got to the table, it was loaded up with eggs, hashed hay, oats, rye toast, and blackberry jam (my favorite). "Thanks Mom," I said, and I began stuffing my muzzle with warm goodness.
In the confusion last night, I'd forgotten to eat anything aside from the Hayburger snack. I was so hungry that morning, it wasn't until I was several mouthfuls into my meal that I remembered just how awful Mom had acted last night. When the memory hit me, I was swallowing a overlarge mouthful of hay, and I almost choked. I grabbed my glass of apple juice to help it go down, then coughed a few times.
"Sweetheart! Slow down!" said Mom, a horrified look on her face. "That band won't protect you from injuries, only illness and aging! You have to be extra-careful now that you can live forever, okay?"
I finished coughing and looked up to her, frowning bitterly. "I don't need to live forever, and you shouldn't have made Thunder leave last night! You gotta tell him you're sorry."
Mom's face fell. "I... Rumble, you're right. I am very sorry for how I acted, and I'll make up with him as soon as I can. But you have to understand, Mommy's feeling very afraid right now," she said. Mom walked over to pet my mane, which I reluctantly allowed. "I'm worried that you're going to throw something wonderful away, and you'll regret it later. You've been given a chance at an amazing life that very few ponies will ever get to experience. I only want you to have that chance because I love you."
I set down my fork for a moment. "Well... what I want is to be like my brother," I said. "Living forever sounds cool and all, but I want to grow up big and strong like him. He's a Wonderbolt, Mom! I mean, if I have to live forever, I don't wanna be a nopony, y'know? I wanna do something important with my life."
"You are not a 'nopony', Son! You can emulate your brother no matter what you decide, but even if you don't accept the band, you also need to be your own pony. You're not going to live in Thunderlane's shadow your entire life... that's not something he wants for you, either. I know you're going to make a name for yourself someday, but you'll do it in your own way," she said. "This is a very big decision, and you need time to think about all the consequences. Before you make up your mind, I want you to talk to the other frozen foals in Ponyville and hear what it's like to be frozen. Could you do that for Mommy? It would make me so happy."
I sighed. "Yeah, sure," I said. "I guess it'd be dumb not to give it some thought."
Mom smiled brightly. "I'm so glad to hear that honey," she said, and kissed my forehead.
On Fridays we didn't have to bring assignments to class, so I didn't need to grab my saddlebags. I was headed for the door when Mom stepped in front of me.
"Rumble... there's one last thing, dear," she said, frowning. "Don't let Cheerilee fill your head with nonsense about being a frozen, okay?"
I rolled my eyes. "She's not like that, Mom. And if I going to hear from frozens, I should hear from her too."
"Okay, okay," she said, backing off. "I just want your decision to be yours, that's all."
Pfft. Of course you do, Mom, I thought. That's why you want me to listen to the other frozens, but not my brother or teacher.
"Yeah," I said, with a shrug. Then I headed out.