//------------------------------// // Dare to be Stupid // Story: TIL ALL ARE ONE // by CROSSOVER KING //------------------------------// It was another beautiful morning in the small but charming town of Ponyville. The sun was shining as brightly as ever, there was not a single cloud in the sky (thanks to the efforts of a certain cyan-colored Pegasus), and the citizens were going casually going about their everyday lives. Mares and colts were either shopping or going to work while the children were either playing with one another in a nearby park or simply accompanying their parents. There were even ponies who did not have any sort of business to attend to and they were just sitting in cafes conversing with each other on various topics. Needless to say, every pony was enjoying this peaceful day, and they were not even bothered by the fact that there was a fifteen feet tall metal giant with a yellow and black color scheme and armor similar to that of a samurai warrior strolling down the street. This mechanical extraterrestrial was named Bumblebee and he was the town's new beloved hero. It was the main reason why every pony on the street was happily waving at him, why he was waving back at them, and why there was a statue about half his height located at the very center of the town. This was all thanks to the fact that he had recently saved Ponyville from a couple of evil robots known as Decepticons all by himself. In fact, he had also helped save the entirety of Equestria from a whole legion of Decepticons and as a result of these accomplishments, he was now hailed as a hero by every single citizen of Ponyville and he was in good terms with pretty much every pony living there. He had even managed to be best friends with a famous baby dragon and three bold fillies who shared his enthusiasm for going on adventures and gaining recognition. Since the dragon named Spike was currently in Canterlot City for diplomatic business and the fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were spending time with their sisters that day, he had decided to spend the day walking through the town and seeing if any pony needed his help with something. So far, everything was quite and no pony was in any sort of disress. He had just arrived at the town square and was giving his own statue a salute when he heard a small familiar voice behind him. "Hey, Bee! How's it going?" He turned around to find the source of the voice and encountered a unicorn filly with pure white coat, pale, light grayish harlequin eyes, and grayish mulberry mane with pale, light grayish rose streaks. A big smile crossed his face as soon as he saw the filly and he even crouched down in front of her. "Oh, hey, Sweetie Belle! What's up?", he asked. "I thought you and Rarity were doing something today. Um, was it hat making or sewing up a dress?" "Well, actually, she's having tea with Fluttershy and the rest of the Crusaders are busy hanging out with their sisters", replied Sweetie Belle. "So, yeah, I'm pretty much on my own today and I thought we could spend the day together, if that's okay with you." "Yeah, sure, no problem. What do you wanna do first?", excitedly inquired Bumblebee. "Karaoke contest? Bird watching? How about a ride through the Everfree Forest" "Actually, there's something I've been wanting to do with you for some time. I came up with it about a week ago, but you were too busy hanging out with Spike, and me and the other Crusaders were at school", Sweetie Belle admitted. "Since Spike is in Canterlot with Twilight and it's a Saturday, I thought we could do that thing today." "Oh, I see...", Bumblebee teasingly commented. "Then, I ask, milady, what exactly were you planning to do with me on this perfectly convenient Saturday?" Sweetie Belle giggled at his overdramatic way of speaking and then, nervously revealed, "I... uhhh… I've been planning to give you a new color scheme." Right after she said that, Bumblebee became extremely confused and asked, "A new color scheme? Really? Is there something wrong with the one I have right now?" "No, no! Nothing's wrong with it!", hastily exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "It's just that I think I can make it even better. I've been practicing painting and coloring all week, and I'm finally ready to give you the best color scheme you'll ever have. Please, Bee. Give me a chance to show you what I can do. Trust me, you won't regret it." Bumblebee thought hard about this offer for several seconds before taking a deep breath and playfully replying, "Oh, what the heck! I needed a paint job, anyway. So, let's go and see what you got, you little artist." As soon as she heard that, Sweetie gasped in pure excitement and began jumping in the air while shouting, "YES! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Bee! Thank you so much! You're the best Autobot ever!" In response, Bumblebee let out a small chuckle, gently picked the little unicorn up with two fingers of his right hand, placed her on his left shoulder, and began casually walking towards Rarity's boutique. The trip only lasted a minute or so and once they reached their destination, he carefully placed her on the ground and she quickly ran inside her sister's shop to pick up the necessary painting materials. While waiting for her to come back, the young Autobot spotted another filly approaching the building. She had a pale magenta coat, pale, light grayish violet mane with white streaks, brilliant cornflower blue eyes, and a silver tiara as a cutie mark. On top of that, she was wearing a similar tiara on her head and had a suspiciously smug expression on her face. She continued to walk towards the shop and, soon enough, he came right in front of Bumblebee. She looked up and said with an excited tone, "Oh, my gosh! You must be Bumblebee! You saved our town from those evil aliens a while ago and we're all very grateful for it. You truly are one of the greatest heroes in not just Ponyville, but the whole Equestria, as well." Upon hearing that, Bumblebee let out a nervous chuckle and replied, "Why, thank you, miss. Really appreciate the compliments. Um, I didn't catch your name, though." The filly giggled a bit before declaring, "Oh, come on. Surely you've heard of me one or twice. Diamond Tiara, the one and only daughter of Filthy Rich, the wealthiest pony in all of Ponyville?" In response, Bumblebee scratched his head for a few seconds and answered, "I'm sorry, but I really don't recall hearing such a name." Diamond's facial expression instantly changed to shocked and she even growled in anger for a couple seconds. However, she eventually managed to compose herself and after taking a deep breath, she proudly said, "Well, now you've heard of me and there's one other thing you should know about me. I can paint your body with the most amazing colors you've ever seen in your life." Immediately after hearing this, Bumblebee became extremely confused and mumbled, "How did.... What?" "Oh, you're wondering how I know about Sweetie Belle's plan of giving you a new color scheme? Why she couldn't stop talking about it for a whole week", continued Diamond. "I always keep track of what goes on my with my classmates and Sweetie Belle is no exception. While her plan is good, I know how to make it truly spectacular. A hero like you deserve only the best and I know just the pony who can give you the best color scheme you can ever imagine. Me! So, what do you say, Mister Bee. Care to see the magnificent colors I can provide for you?" Before a completely puzzled Bumblebee could even begin to answer that question, they were interrupted by the sound of something hitting the ground hard. When they turned towards the direction that sound came from, they saw Sweetie Belle surrounded by dozens of fallen paint boxes, brushes, and spray cans near the store entrance and wielding a very furious expression on her face. "What do you think you're doing here, Diamond Tiara?", she asked, "Didn't I tell you that you can never ever come here?" "Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. Can't really remember and, frankly, don't really care", Diamond nonchalantly replied. "No need to be so jumpy, though, Sweetie Belle. I'm just here to provide our new town hero with something you unfortunately lack." Instantly taken aback by this, Sweetie's glare intensified exponentially and she exclaimed, "What the hay is that supposed to mean?!" Diamond responded by giving her a wicked smile and declaring, "It's quite simple really. Bumblebee deserves the very best color scheme imaginable and I have the necessary resources to give those colors to him. You, on the other hoof, don't seem to have them. So, it would be best if I give him your gift , instead." "NOT A CHANCE!", shouted Sweetie. "Giving him a new color scheme was my idea from the very start and it's only fair if I'm the one who does so. Besides, I very much doubt that whatever colors you can give him will be better than what I have in mind." After letting out a sinister giggle, Diamond replied, "Oh, you want to challenge me, then? Very well, but I must warn you, there is a good chance of you suffering a very humiliating defeat. Anyway, let's begin, shall we? RANDOLPH, OVER HERE!" Immediately after she yelled, a much older Earth pony came to her side with incredible speed. He had a pale blue coat, white mane and tail, light cobalt blue eyes, and a feather dust as a cutie mark. From the tuxedo he was wearing, it could be assumed that he was a butler and since it was Diamond who commanded him, it was clear that he was under the employment of her family. "Give the new hero of out town the most suitable and amazing color scheme you can think of", ordered Diamond and as soon as she finished her sentence, Randolph took off and returned half a minute later with several buckets of paints, spray cans, and paint brushes of all different sizes. He then immediately began covering an utterly stunned Bumblebee with gallons of paint using both the brushes and the spray cans. He was working at such a rate that it was very difficult for anyone to keep track of his movements. In fact, Sweetie Belle soon became dizzy from trying to watch him. Meanwhile, all Diamond was doing was laying on the ground and contently watching the clouds in the sky, fully confident that she was inevitably going to crush this competition. Under just one minute, Randolph had finally completed his work and as soon as he did, he took a few steps back so that every pony could see what he had accomplished. Indeed, the moment Sweetie and Diamond laid their eyes on Bumblebee's new look, they were both left completely speechless. The young Autobot scout had gone through a complete color reversal. The parts of his body that were once yellow were now black and the ones that were once black were now yellow. On top of that, his entire chassis was shining as brightly as a diamond under the shimmering sun and every single section of his armor was utterly spotless. Bumblebee could not help but take a moment to admire the fine work applied to his body and he even let out a small chuckle in pure delight. He then turned his attention towards Randolph and said, "Awesome job, mister! Thank you so very much. You are truly an incredibly talented artist." While Randolph took a bow before him in respect, Diamond shot a smug look at Sweetie and said, "Go on. Try to top that." Sweetie's facial expression immediately changed from astonished to determined and she cracked her neck twice before quickly grabbing her materials and beginning her work. While she initially used only primary colors, she eventually started using every single color at her disposal. Moreover, during the whole process of covering Bumblebee with paint, she was also accidentally covering herself and everything around her with it. She even spilled a few drops on Diamond and though she was disgusted by it at first, Randolph instantly wiped them away with his handkerchief. After two whole minutes of painting, Sweetie was finally finished with her work. However, when Diamond and Randolph took a good look at it, they both gasped in pure horror. Bumblebee's chassis was now covered in a complete mishmash of colors and they were all arranged without rhyme or reason. While there were a few instances of complementary colors like red and cyan being close to each other, there were numerous cases of shades of the same color being in close proximity or right next to each other. Plus, there were just so many colors on display that it was a total mess and even Bumblebee was at a complete loss for words when he saw what had happened to his body. Before he could make any comments on Sweetie's work, Diamond let out a hysterical laugh and exclaimed, "Oh, my Celestia! That is even more pathetic than I could've ever imagined! Is this honestly what you had in mind when you thought about giving him a new color scheme? Considering you have a sister that specializes in colors and tones, this must be quite embarrassing for you. Just face it, Sweetie Belle. You will never be as good as her and she will always see you as a big disappointment." Upon hearing this, Sweetie hung her head in despair, sniffled a few times, and tears started to well up in her eyes. She was saddened by her failure that she did not even react when Bumblebee knelt beside her and gently caressed her mane. However, as soon as he said, "It's okay. I actually like this color scheme more than the previous one", she looked at him in total confusion and wiped away the tears in her eyes. Meanwhile, a completely shocked expression appeared on Diamond's face and she frantically asked, "WHAT?! WHY?! Can't you see just how terrible it is?! I mean, honestly, what aspect of it could possibly make it better than my idea?" In response, Bumblebee stood up, walk right in front of Diamond, and explained, "It's simple, really. Sweetie actually TRIED to give me a good color scheme. She invested time and EFFORT into preparing this present. It doesn't really matter whether it's good or not. What actually matters is whether or not you put legitimate effort into creating it and Sweetie Belle did just that. Also, do you wonder why I admire that statue of mine in the town center? Not because it looks good, but because the townsfolk took their time and tried their best to show me their appreciation of my deeds. As for you, you did not spend any effort at all and, instead, used another pony to do your job before taking credit for his work. Randolph may have done a good job, but since he's your servant, he's not allowed to take credit for his own accomplishment. So, yeah, I'm sorry, but Sweetie is clearly the winner here." Right after she heard all that, a huge smile appeared on Sweetie's face and she proceeded to hug Bumblebee's left foot while Diamond screamed in pure rage and exclaimed, "My father will hear about this! Your days in Ponyville are numbered, mister! As for you, Randolph, don't just stand there and take me home right this instant!" Randolph responded by promptly picking her up with his hooves, placing her on his back, and trotting away at top speed. Soon after they were gone, Bumblebee knelt beside Sweetie and carefully placed him on his left shoulder with one hand before she asked, "Do you think something bad will happen when Diamond Tiara reports you to her dad? I mean, what if Filthy Rich forces you to leave the town. He has the money and power to do that, you know." "I wouldn't worry about that too much", nonchalantly replied Bumblebee. "Him and I are actually on very good terms. He's a friend of Apple Bloom's family and we even played a game called, 'golf', the other day. It was actually pretty fun." Sweetie giggled at that before curiously inquiring, "So, um, did you really mean everything you said to Diamond Tiara or was it all just to make me feel better?" Upon hearing this, Bumblebee gave a warm look at her, held her chin up with one finger, and said, "You know me pretty well, Sweetie. Do you really think I'd ever lie to you or any of the Crusaders?" In response, Sweetie once again smiled and rubbed her head against his head like a cat while the Autobot let out a small chuckle and gently caressed his mane a bit. Once that was over, she revealed, "I know you said you liked my work, but I gotta admit, it does look pretty ridiculous. Do you mind if I erase it and start over tomorrow?" "As long as you promise to put actual effort into it", replied Bumblebee. "Deal?" "Deal!", Sweetie happily declared. "Now, can you please put me on the ground? I gotta go get the turpentine." Bumblebee promptly did as she asked and watched as the young unicorn trotted towards the store and disappeared as soon as she entered. However, he soon sensed another presence right above him and immediately looked up to see an unfamiliar female Pegasus hovering above him. She had strong orange eyes, a vivid orange mane with light brilliant amber stripes, a brilliant gold mane, and a stylized phoenix as a cutie mark. She was also wearing a blue uniform with several decorations on it and had a puzzled expression on her face. "Um, you're the Autobot known as Bumblebee, right?", she asked with a raspy voice. "The one and only, miss", he replied. "What can I do for you?" "The princesses described you as black and yellow. What's with the mishmash of colors?", inquired the Pegasus. "Oh, that? Yeah, it's a long story. No need to delve into it", explained Bumblebee. "The princesses asked to see me?" "Yes, they're summoning you to Canterlot for an urgent meeting and I've been asked to escort you there", the Pegasus replied. "I'm Spitfire, commander of the Wonderbolts, Equestria's elite flight squadron." "Nice to meet you, commander", Bumblebee said as he saluted her. "Will you be present at the meeting, as well? What's the reason for it, anyway?" "Everything will be explained once we reach the castle", revealed Spitfire. "So, I suggest you get ready to move out as soon as possible, soldier." "Will do, ma'am", promptly declared Bumblebee. "I just need a few minutes to wash this paint off of me. You can go ahead without me. I'll catch up to you." Spitfire responded by shrugging and saying, "Suit yourself", before she began flying towards Canterlot.