//------------------------------// // Adventure at the Park // Story: Sweet Affection: Young Love // by Masterob //------------------------------// That following weekend, it was a big moment for both Rumble and Sweetie Belle. The boy had gone to the park as promised, constantly checking his phone for both the time and any updates as to where Sweetie Belle was. He glanced at their prior conversation, detailing what would be their eventual meet up point. "Hey Sweetie Belle, I'm on my way to the park. I should be there around noon." "I'll be there, first I gotta help my sister with something. She's working on a dress and needs me to model for it." "That sounds fun." "Honestly, it's not that fun. She can be too hung up on details. But I'll be there as soon as I can." "Come see me at the fountain statue of Starswirl the Bearded." "You got it. See you soon, Rumble. ;)" Rumble glanced at the statue in question, curious by it. “Wonder who this guy was anyway? He looks like a wizard. Does he actually know magic though?” He shrugged it off, quite frankly this was not his subject of interest anyway. He had more important things. He looked back at his phone, seeing that Sweetie Belle had texted a selfie of herself on doing a genki girl pose on the way out the door. Rumble chuckled to himself, "She's got such a cute personality to go with her pretty face." Thinking that just made Rumble blush as his heartbeat accelerated, "I gotta get a grip. Why is this even bothering, I complimented her butt so..." Rumble's face turned even brighter. "Geez, I still can't believe I actually said that out loud. I'm lucky she doesn't think I'm a pervert or anything. Or maybe she does but...ugh, can't think straight right now." "Rumble!" Sweetie Belle called, running up to the boy. "Hey, I'm here Rumble!" "Sweetie Belle!" Rumble's face lit up the moment he laid eyes on his crush. Sweetie Belle had stopped just short of Rumble, the girl taking a moment to catch her breath and wipe some sweat away, "Hey Rumble, sorry I'm late." "I'm fine, you didn't run all the way here, did you?" Rumble asked. "A little, I wanted to make up for lost time," Sweetie Belle said, taking another deep breath. "Geez, this is why I hate physical workouts, they leave me so winded." "You seem fine to me," Rumble said. "So, we're here at the park, what do you wanna do first?" "Let's just take a seat here for a second," Sweetie Belle said, sitting by the fountain. "I still need a couple of minutes." "Wow, that must have been quite a run," Rumble said. "Well my house isn't that close by," Sweetie Belle said. "It's like ten or fifteen minutes to walk, and I left five minutes ago." "You know I wouldn't have minded if you were a little late," Rumble said. "I know, but I don't like keeping others waiting," Sweetie Belle said. "Probably a trait I picked up from my sister since she also hates being late to things. Unless she's fashionably late." "What does that mean exactly? I never understood that," Rumble said. "I guess it's like you're late but you still make quite a grand entrance, like if everyone was waiting to see your presence specifically," Sweetie Belle said. "That sounds kind of cool actually," Rumble said, reaching into his pockets. "Here's some water, I usually carry some on me." "Thanks," Sweetie Belle said, taking the water and drinking a bit, then poured a bit on her hand to wipe her forehead. "So...we're here, what did you have in mind?" "Whatever you want to do," Rumble said. "We can go for a walk through the park, play some racket ball, see a movie." "Racket Ball?" Sweetie Belle asked. “Is that like tennis?” "Sort of, there should be a court not too far away, come on," Rumble said, leading the girl down the path. The two did take some time to enjoy the sights, such as the birds in the trees, the ducks in the pond and even the marching ants on the ground below. Sweetie Belle took note of a flower bed full of pretty roses. "Aw, those look so nice." "What the flowers?" Rumble asked, glancing at them. "Wow, roses come in many different colors." "They smell really nice too," Sweetie Belle said. Rumble looked around and picked out a purple rose for Sweetie Belle, "Here you go, it matches your hair." Sweetie Belle blushed at the gesture, Rumble's kindness melting her heart. "Aw, you're so sweet." She took the rose in her hand and placed it in her coat pocket. Rumble felt a little awkward himself but was satisfied at his boldness as he led Sweetie Belle to the racket ball court. While there, he spotted a pleasant surprise. Playing the game were the duo of Sandbar and Silverstream, the latter he was much more familiar with. "Yo! Silver!" Rumble called. "Huh?" Silverstream turned her attention to her friend. "Hey, Rumble! What's up buddy!?" Sandbar also took note of the boy, "Hey, you're that Rumble kid, right? I'm in the same class as your brother, I think. His name's Thunderlane, right?" "That's him, likely hanging around a pair of twins," Rumble said. "What brings you here?" Silverstream asked before noticing Sweetie Belle. "Oooh, is it a date?" "Uh..." Rumble looked to the girl, who herself looked shyly looked away. "We're just hanging out right now." "You're Sweetie Belle, right?" Sandbar asked. "Rarity's little sister?" "Yeah, that's me," Sweetie Belle said. "Your sister and her friends are nice, they helped me settle in after I moved here," Silverstream said. "How do you like it here in town so far?" Sweetie Belle asked. "It's great, so much different than living on an island," Silverstream said. "Shame there's not a lot of beaches but it's still a cool experience." "That's good," Sweetie Belle said, then recalled something she wanted to share. "Oh, by the way, Rumble took me and my friends to your favorite pool." "Oh yeah, he told me the next day," Silverstream said. "He did huh? Did he mention anything?" Sweetie Belle asked, worried about what Rumble might have said. "Just that you four had a lot of fun," Silverstream said. "I'm happy to hear, swimming is always fun." "Yeah, we had a lot of fun," Rumble said. "Anyway Sweetie Belle and I wanted to play a game here, but if you're using the court, then we can wait." "Nonsense, come join us," Silverstream said. "We even have some spare rackets if you need them." "Okay, if you're cool with it. I have a locker nearby that should have rackets," Rumble said. "Try these, they're sturdy," Silverstream said. "If you say so," Rumble said, turning to the girl beside him. "Ready Sweetie Belle?" "Yeah," Sweetie Belle said, getting herself determined. "Let’s do it, to it." In the court, Sandbar had the ball in hand. "I'll serve first." Sandbar whacked the ball as everyone rushed to hit it. Sweetie Belle accidentally bumped into Silverstream while Rumble hit the ball, Sandbar hitting afterwards. "Sorry Silverstream," Sweetie Belle said, then yelped as the ball nearly hit her, fortunately Silverstream was quick to save Sweetie Belle. "It's nothing," Silverstream said as Rumble hit the ball next. "Eventually they missed, to which it was Rumble's turn to serve. He hit the ball hard but not hard enough that Sandbar couldn't nail it on rebound. Sweetie Belle swung when it came to her, but she completely missed, "Dang it." "You'll get the hang of it," Silverstream said, taking her turn to serve the ball. This time it was Sandbar that missed, but he made nothing of it. When it was Sweetie Belle's turn to serve, she threw the ball up but instead of hitting it on the way down, she accidentally threw her racket, hitting the wall. "Dang..." "Try again," Rumble said, Sweetie Belle doing a better job the second time around. "Awesome!" The kids played the game for the next half our, with Rumble and Silverstream dominating the game, Sandbar doing an average job and Sweetie Belle screwing up a few times. On the last serve, Silverstream had hit the ball hard against the wall as it came toward Sweetie Belle, though instead of hitting it with her racket, she took it to the face, knocking her back. "AGH!" Sweetie Belle shouted in annoyance, the girl falling on her backside as Rumble went to check on her. "Sweetie Belle, are you alright? Does it hurt?" Rumble asked, frantically checking over the girl. "A little," Sweetie Belle said, removing her hands. "Did it leave a mark?" "Uh...it's a little red, I don't think it's going to leave anything permanent though," Rumble said. "Here you go," Silverstream said, placing a water bottle against her head, "This should help." "Thanks, it's fine actually, it didn't hurt for very long," Sweetie Belle insisted. "That was a hard hit, you must have a really tough skull," Sandbar said. "Well my sister always said I was thick headed," Sweetie Belle said as Rumble helped her up. "Sorry, maybe racket ball wasn't such a good idea," Rumble said. "No, don't say that, it was kind of fun," Sweetie Belle said. "I've been scraped up and bruised while hanging out with my friends, this is nothing." "I do hear stories about how rowdy you girls are," Silverstream said. "Likely exaggeration, don't put too much stock in them," Sweetie Belle said, handing Silverstream her water back. "It's fine, you have it," Silverstream said. "You should drink up too, you're kind of sweating." "Uh...right," Sweetie Belle said, feeling a little embarrassed. She started drinking up the water, feeling a bit more hydrated afterwards. "Thanks." "Come on, let's walk this off," Rumble said, turning to the older teens. "Thanks for hanging out with us." "No problem, come join us again any time," Silverstream said. Rumble escorted Sweetie Belle away, checking on her injury, "It really doesn't hurt?" "Rumble, it was a tennis ball, it's not gonna do that much damage," Sweetie Belle said. "Not like I got hit on the head with a baseball." "Oof, that would suck," Rumble said. "Let's try something light next, any ideas?" Sweetie Belle looked around and spotted a pair of classmates in the park, and their activity. "We can fly a kite, just like Noi and Ruby Pinch are doing." "That sounds fun, but I don't have kites," Rumble said. "I wouldn't even know where to find any." "I think a stand not too far away has them," Sweetie Belle said, taking Rumble by the wrist. "Come on!" Rumble blushed as Sweetie Belle pulled him away. The two found a stand that sold kites and purchased a pair at a very reasonable price. "This is gonna be so fun, I've always wanted to fly kites," Sweetie Belle said, holding a kite that resembled a unicorn. "Really?" Rumble asked, holding a Pegasus kite. "Well sort of," Sweetie Belle said. "It wasn't until the other day that I really grew interested, thanks to one of my sister's friends, Starlight Glimmer." "Starlight?" Rumble asked. "I don't think I've met her." "That's probably because she goes to another school," Sweetie Belle said, walking toward the field. "Crystal Prep I think it is." "You mean the school that Twilight went to before transferring here?" Rumble asked, following Sweetie Belle. "Yeah, that's the one," Sweetie Belle said, releasing her kite. "Come on, let's get a running start to help the wind." "Running? My specialty," Rumble said, both he along with Sweetie Belle taking off. The two ran down the field, getting their kites into the air, both now flying side by side with one another as the wind picked it up for them. "Sweet, they're taking off," Rumble said, letting his kite fly in the skies above, right next to Sweetie Belle's. "Wow, this is so simple, but kind of fun," Sweetie Belle said, maneuvering her kite around. "Yeah, not a bad idea," Rumble said. "So, this girl Starlight taught you about this? When was that?" "Just the other day when she came to visit," Sweetie Belle explained. "Rarity was fixing a dress for her, so to pass the time, she went to fly a kite in the backyard. I saw what she was doing and got curious. She had a lot of knowledge of kites, such as the best ones to use, what they mean and perfect days to fly them. And also where not to fly them. For example, always keep your kites away from trees, the two are mortal enemies." "Makes sense to me," Rumble said. "Hopefully I get to see her one day." "I think you'd like her, you two are kind of similar," Sweetie Belle said. "You're so laser focused on what you do, and you don't like being part of a matched set. She also hated the Cutie Mark thing too." "Did she now?" Rumble asked. "It caused a wedge between her and her best friend," Sweetie Belle said. "They made up though, I think they're dating too, but Starlight denies it." "Have you met her friend?" Rumble asked. "Twilight has, she says he's really nice," Sweetie Belle said. "He's trying to grow a beard though, Rarity thinks he looks silly." "What's wrong with beards? They're manly," Rumble said. "I'd like to grow a beard." "Oh really? You want to hide that handsome face of yours?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I mean I...wait," Rumble glanced at the girl. "What did you say?" Sweetie Belle's face turned red, the girl looking for a distraction. "I mean...hey, I just realized, we each chose a pony to fly, really cool huh?" Rumble looked suspiciously at Sweetie Belle but had no interest in pressing the subject. "Yeah, I like ponies, they're a big part of our culture's mythology." "Didn't peg you for someone who was interested in that," Sweetie Belle said. "I’m not like...super into it or anything," Rumble insisted. "But, I have always found the Pegasus Pony to be pretty awesome. They can fly fast and control the weather. If I were a pony, I'd want to be a Pegasus. I would soar through the air and rule the skies." "That's actually fitting for you," Sweetie Belle said. "I personally like Unicorns, they're really pretty. Also they can do magic. If I were a Unicorn, I'd want to know a lot of magic spells." "Aren't there rumors that these creatures exist in some strange parallel world?" Rumble asked. "Well...maybe," Sweetie Belle said, the girl looking unsure. "I think I overheard my sister talking about it once." "Imagine if it were real, that would be freaking awesome," Rumble said, then started to lose control of his kite. "Hey, what's up with this thing?" "The wind is knocking our kites together!" Sweetie Belle said as her kite began circling Rumble's. "Hey, get back in formation!" Rumble shouted, trying to fix his kite. "Damn, this thing's tricky to control!" "We got it!" Sweetie Belle said, maneuvering her kite. "At least, I think we got it!" As the two struggled, Sweetie Belle stumbled and fall on top of Rumble, the two kites flying off afterwards. Sweetie Belle groaned in pain, before looking down and seeing that her face inches away from Rumble's, the boy now looking embarrassed. "Whoa, um…" Sweetie Belle quickly got up, dusting herself off. "Sorry about that." "It happens," Rumble said, the boy shyly standing up. Sweetie Belle quickly looked around, trying to find a distraction when she saw that the kites were flying away. "Ah! Our kites! They're heading towards the woods!" "The woods? But that's where trees are!" Rumble said, focusing on the kites. "They're about to encounter their mortal enemies!" "Quick, after them!" Sweetie Belles said as the two ran for their kites. The Pegasus kite and the unicorn were latched on to the top branch of a very tall tree, much to the disappointment of Rumble and Sweetie Belle. "Damn, they're stuck up there," Rumble said. "Well that was a waste of bits then," Sweetie Belle said. "Not quite," Rumble said, walking toward the tree. "What are you doing?" Sweetie Belle asked as Rumble jumped. "I'm gonna climb the tree and get our stuff down," Rumble said. "Um...those kites are really high up," Sweetie Belle reminded. "You might fall if you're not careful." "Pfft, I'm not afraid of heights," Rumble said as he continued to climb. "Being afraid of heights isn't going to negate any injury you might sustain if you fall," Sweetie Belle said. "No, but it will keep me from doing something stupid," Rumble said as he went higher up. "Uh, climbing a tree like that is kind of stupid!" Sweetie Belle said, not that Rumble listened. "Well he's got stubborn determination, not too different than Scootaloo or Apple Bloom." Once he reached the top branch, Rumble carefully stood up, grabbing the kites from the leaves. "Awesome." He looked down below, "I got the kites!" "Good! Now climb back down!" Sweetie Belle called. "Seeing you up there is making me nervous!" "You worry too much," Rumble said, attaching the kites around his waist. He attempted to climb back down when he heard some creaking. "What is...oh shit!" The branch under Rumble broke just as he quickly leapt to the other tree, Sweetie Belle yelping in fear as the branch landed near her. "Oh my gosh!" Sweetie Belle shouted in worry, grateful the branch didn't land on her. She looked up at the boy. "Rumble, are you okay!?" "I'm fine!" Rumble said. "But I think I'm stuck!" "Huh!? How can you be stuck!? Climb back down the way you climbed up!" Sweetie Belle demanded. "I kind of can't," Rumble said. "This tree doesn't have anything that will help." Sweetie Belle grumbled in annoyance, "Great...Don't worry, we'll figure something out!" "I'm actually not worried, it's really great up here, quite the view!" Rumble said. "Too bad you're not up here with me!" "I wouldn't want to be up there! I'm not a heights girl!" Sweetie Belle shouted in annoyance. "Hey! Is everything alright!?" Silverstream asked as she and Sandbar passed by. "Not quite, look," Sweetie Belle said, gesturing to the boy in the tree. "Hey Silver! Hey Sandbar!" Rumble greeted. "Rumble! How'd you get up there!?" Silverstream asked in disbelief. "I was trying to get some kites," Rumble explained. "That's quite a climb," Sandbar said. "You should call the fire department or something." "Man, it's gonna be embarrassing having to talk to them again after...a lot of other things that happened with me and my friends," Sweetie Belle shamefully admitted. "Well that may be our only choice," Silverstream said. "Unfortunately there isn't a way for us to climb it." "I don't know, I bet I can climb it," Sandbar offered. "Bad idea, you'll get stuck too," Silverstream said. "Hey if you get a quilt, I can jump!" Rumble said. "Are you crazy!? I'm not doing that!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Hey I can handle it!" Rumble boasted. "Rumble, that's really dangerous!" Silverstream said. "Sounds gnarly though," Sandbar said, annoying the two girls. "What? It is!" "No way!" Came the voice of a nearby Scootaloo, the girl walking over with Apple Bloom. "Rumble!?" "Oh, hey girls! Lovely day!" Rumble said, waving at the two. "Scootaloo? Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle said. "What are you two doing at the park?" "Ah finished mah chores early and came fer some fresh air," Apple Bloom said. "I was the reason she finished early because I just happened to pass by out of boredom," Scootaloo said. "We heard you and Rumble would be at the park and we wanted to crash your date." "Oh so you are on a date?" Sandbar asked. "I never said that! Scootaloo's just being dumb!" Sweetie Belle said. "Also, I understand Scootaloo being that immature, but you Apple Bloom?" "Hey, to be fair, that wasn't mah plan," Apple Bloom said. "Like ah said, I came fer some fresh air, Scootaloo's the one who wanted to find ya, and I had to chase after her to make sure she didn't strain herself." "Geez you worry too much," Scootaloo said. "It's like you're my wife." "You wish you could be with a girl like me," Apple Bloom said. "Um, girls! Sandbar!" Rumble called. "Do you have another plan or should we just try me jumping on a quilt!?" "Holy crap, you're gonna jump!?" Scootaloo asked. "You should totally do it!" Sweetie Belle angrily turned to Scootaoo, bonking her on the head, "Stop being stupid!" "Holy crap you're aggressive," Scootaloo said, the girl rubbing her head in pain. "Just...stay there Rumble, I'll be right back!" Sweetie Belle said as she ran off. "Not like I can go anywhere," Rumble said as Sweetie Belle ran off. "She's kind of a worrywart, but it's cute." "Wonder where she's going?" Scootaloo asked. "Probably to call fer help," Apple Bloom said, grabbing her phone. "Ah should do that too." "Who are you gonna call? The Fire Department?" Scootaloo asked. "You know they hate us, don't you?" "They don't hate us, they just think we goof around too much," Apple Bloom said. "Which isn''t far off." "Well they're awfully judgmental," Scootaloo said. "Put a lid on it," Apple Bloom said. "Hopefully whatever Sweetie Belle has in mind works out." "Yeah, don't want Rumble to get hurt," Scootaloo said. "This really works out though, suppose we get our marks in rescuing!?" "Oh shut up," Apple Bloom said. "This is more important than Cutie Marks." Scootaloo's eyes widened in disbelief, "How...DARE you!" Silverstream turned to Sandbar, "What is the deal with Cutie Marks?" "Just an old culture thing, don't worry about it," Sandbar insisted. A half hour later, Thunderlane had shown up with a ladder alongside Flitter and Cloudchaser, the trio joined by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, especially Rarity. This situation even attracted the attention of Tender Taps, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and Cozy Glow. "Wow...Rumble's one gusty kid," Tender Taps said. "Kind of dumb though," Diamond Tiara said. Cloudchaser smirked up at Rumble, the girl managing to find some humor in the situation, "You and your daring escapades, Rumble." "You know me, I laugh in the face of danger," Rumble said. "You're a brave boy Rumble, but you're not always the brightest," Flitter said. "Hey! Not cool Flitter!" Rumble said. "Wow, Rumble actually climbed up a tree?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Gotta hand it to him, he's one daring kid." "Rainbow Dash, don't encourage this," Twilight said. "Why is he up there in the first place?" "We were flying kites and they got stuck in a tree, so he got stuck trying to get them down," Sweetie Belle said. "Oh my, that poor boy," Fluttershy said. "Serves him right," Rarity said, this getting a confused reaction from Sunset Shimmer. "Uh, where did that come from?" Sunset asked. "Hm? Where did what come from?" Rarity asked, feigning innocence. "Well you're clearly full of it," Sunset focused back on Rumble, seeing that Thunderlane placed the ladder on the tree. "Is that ladder big enough!?" "Not quite," Thunderlane said, seeing that the top didn’t reach the branch his brother was on. "Rumble, I'm gonna find a bigger ladder, can you just-" "I got this one!" Rumble said, ready to jump. Thunderlane's eyes widened in worry, "No, no, don't!" Rumble jumped down, nearly tipping the ladder over as he fell to the side. Acting fast, Thunderlane, Applejack and Cloudchaser rushed to grab the ladder, but the trio lost their balance for a split second. "Rumble!" Sweetie Belle shouted in worry, fear of this boy getting hurt. "I don't think I thought this through!" Rumble said. "Ya think!?" Thunderlane said, trying to reposition the ladder back near the tree. Unfortunately the ladder started to break right under Rumble. "Not good!" Rumble shouted, everyone down below worried as they inched closer to the boy. "I can't watch!" Cozy Glow shouted, covering her eyes as Tender Taps rushed to see how he could assist. "Get ready to catch him!" Applejack said as the ladder completely broke and Rumble fell, landing on the group, knocking them over in the process. "Is it over?" Cozy Glow asked, peeking out. "Yeah, he's fine," Diamond Tiara said. "Thank goodness," Silver Spoon said, the girl wiping some sweat away. "Ow..." Rumble said. "Good think I had a nice landing, thank you to-" Rumble looked behind him and saw that he landed on Rarity, seemingly knocking the girl out. "Whoops." "Rumble!" Sweetie Belle helped the boy up, frantically checking for any sign of injury. "Are you hurt? You didn't break anything, did you?" "Just the ladder, I'm fine," Rumble said. "Okay, good..." Sweetie Belle said as her worry quickly turned into anger. "THEN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" "Uh..." Rumble was at a loss for words. "First you climb that tree on a whim, then you get stuck and come up with convoluted plans to come down, and the moment we get something decently planned, you risk your life by jumping like you're some type of...of...jackass!" Sweetie Belle was fuming with anger. "You could have gotten really hurt today, Rumble!" "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Rumble said. "Hmph..." Sweetie Belle turned away in annoyance as she crossed her arms in a pout. "Just don't do that again, I don't care for boys who act like they're invincible." "Heh, just like I said the other day, you're really cute when you're mad," Rumble said, earning a deadpanned look from his brother. "Way to be an idiot, bro," Thunderlane mentally insulted. "And like I said the other day, hope that my anger isn't aimed at you!" Sweetie Belle said. "Because unfortunately for you, it is!" "Let's give these two some room," Flitter said, getting everyone away from each other. "And Rumble, good luck. You're brave but nothing's scarier than an angry girl." "She's not wrong, squirt," Sunset said. "Good luck." "Just be reasonable, Sweetie Belle," Twilight said. The two were left in each other's solitude, Rumble still feeling awkward and Sweetie Belle still feeling mad. "Wow, really had you worried, didn't I?" Rumble asked. "Well yeah, I don't want you getting hurt," Sweetie Belle said. "What you did just now was really stupid, what were you thinking?" "I...can't say," Rumble admitted. "Were you trying to look cool or something?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Kind of," Rumble said. "You seemed so disappointed about the kites that I had to get them down. And you seemed so worried when I got stuck that I just tried to downplay the situation." "I understand that but..." Sweetie Belle sighed in annoyance. "Just don't do that again. If our kites get stuck, we can call for help, or get new ones. Kites are replaceable, you're not." "Sorry, I thought I looked cool doing what I did, but I guess I was being dumb," Rumble admitted. Sweetie Belle groaned in annoyance, "Why do you think you need to look cool for me? To get my attention? You already have my attention." "I just want to be worthy of that attention," Rumble said. "I really think you're amazing Sweetie Belle, and I want you to feel the same way about me." "I do though," Sweetie Belle said. "Listen, you're a nice boy, always have been. You helped Scootaloo when she got hurt, you helped me out a bit at the sports store and shared your passions, you let us come to your house, you took us swimming. I even told you about how insecure I feel about my weight and you made me feel like I didn't need to feel that way. If you can look past me being a little chubby, I can see you for the sweet guy that you are." "I...still don't think you look chubby though," Rumble said. "See, you're a sweet guy, the type of guy I want to spend more time with..." Sweetie Belle said, the girl heavily blushing. "I like you Rumble, I like you a lot." "...I like you a lot too Sweetie Belle, I...I want to spend more time with you, and I really wanna take you on a nice date," Rumble said. "More than that, I want to take you on many nice dates, I want us to be together." "Together?" Sweetie Belle asked, her face turning red. "Sweetie Belle," Rumble took the girl by her hand, looking deep into her eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Those words echoed hard through Sweetie Belle's head, a large smile beaming across her face. "Rumble..." She feverishly nodded. "Of course I will! It's what I've been waiting so long for!" "Really?" Rumble asked. "Duh, that's why I spent time with you, I wanted us to get together," Sweetie Belle said. "Besides, you complimented my butt, you made it really obvious you were attracted to me." Rumble awkwardly turned away, "Geez, that again? I feel so dumb for saying that." "It was weird but I don't mind," Sweetie Belle said. "It's normal. Just as long as you like the rest of me." 'I do, I really do," Rumble said, gently caressing Sweetie Belle's cheek. "You are so precious to me." "Aw, my Rumbly-Wumbly," Sweetie Belle said. The two then leaned in and shared a kiss with one another, the world immediately stopping for a brief moment. Right now, this was about them, it was about Rumble and Sweetie Belle. The boy hugged the girl close, keeping the kiss locked tightly, not wanting to let go. Rumble finally had Sweetie Belle, and vowed not to let anything come between them. "Aw..." Flitter gushed, holding her hands to her cheeks as her eyes sparkled. "That's my bro," Thunderlane said, holding out a thumbs up. "It's about dang time," Apple Bloom said. "Go! Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo cheered. "Lucky guy," Silverstream said. "Aw, I wanted to kiss him," Cozy Glow said. "I know how you feel, but it's not meant to be," Diamond Tiara said, placing her arm around Cozy Glow. "That's adorable, I'm so happy for Rumble and Sweetie Belle," Twilight said as she and her friends admired the situation. Tender Taps joined in the appreciation, standing close to Twight, hoping to share this moment with her one day. Unfortunately, there was one who had yet to see this, but within seconds, had the closest view to it all. Rarity had gotten up, and the first thing she saw was Rumble kissing Sweetie Belle, and she was not too pleased about it. "Ahem!" Rarity got their attention. "Sweetie Belle, let's go home." "Uh, alright," Sweetie Belle said, turning to her newfound boyfriend. "Call me later, Rumble." "You got it," Rumble said. "Now young lady, move it!" Rarity ordered. "Alright, geez," Sweetie Belle said, walking off. "Bossy." "As for you young man," Rarity turned to Rumble. "Don't get any funny ideas with my sister. She is a virtue of true innocence, and I will not let anyone taint it, especially not a teen boy like yourself!" Rumble looked confused for a moment, and a bit intimidated. "Uh...alright? I guess. If you're worried about me dating Sweetie Belle, I promise to be really good to her. I'll treat her just right, like a good boyfriend should." "Ugh, don't use such a strong word," Rarity said. "And don't assume you'll be dating her." "But...she said she wanted to," Rumble said. "Well I forbid it, she's not ready for dating!" Rarity said. "Like I said, don't get any funny ideas! I better not catch you two together again!" Rumble couldn't believe his ears, glancing in confusion as Rarity walked off. This wasn't just awkward for him, but also his brother and friends, Sweetie Belle's friends and Rarity's friends. "Good grief," Applejack said. "Uh...did I do something bad?" Rumble asked. "I didn't think she'd be upset about me dating Sweetie Belle." "It's fine Rumble, she's just being overprotective," Twilight said. "We'll talk some sense into her, right now you should head home." "Okay..." Rumble said. "Hey, Rumble," Apple Bloom said, getting his attention. "Don't give up, you and Sweetie Belle will get together." "Yeah, we know you'd be perfect for her, Rarity would have to be a fool not to see that," Scootaloo said. "Thanks girls," Rumble said. Thunderlane shrugged this off, "Let's just head home for now, we'll talk about this when we get back." "And anything else you have in mind, Rumble," Cloudchaser said. Before long, everyone else started to head home, Twilight being the only one remaining, and thinking this over. "Maybe I should have Cadance talk to Rarity, she's an expert on this subject," Twilight said. "I just hope true love wasn't destroyed the second it came to form." Twilight too went home, having quite a bit to think over.