//------------------------------// // We Wanna Play! // Story: Big Siblings // by Learn for Life //------------------------------// Rumble was beginning to pant, while Thunderlane, in a full-blown sweat, was on the verge of heaving. There were a few other ponies at the park, but not as many as usual this time of day; the cool humid air, mild wind and slowly gathering grey clouds had warned Ponyville of an upcoming storm. This had left the brothers to themselves for a good hour now, doing nothing but playing catch and, on occasion, playing a quick one-on-one tackle game. He took a quick deep breath and swallowed, positioning the ball in front of him again. Thunderlane lifted his head and braced himself for the ball. Rumble turned around and dug his forehooves into the dirt. With another deep breath, he kicked his hindlegs and sent the ball speeding in the opposite direction. It went to Rumble’s right, causing Thunderlane to gallop left and jump just to snag it in a wing, sending him spinning counterclockwise. When he regained his hoofing, he took a moment to catch his breath. “That was great!” Rumble yelled, throwing his hooves up. “I knew you’d catch that.” Thunderlane shook his head and kicked it back. “You bet it was, Rumble.” Rumble didn’t even have to move as the ball went straight into his grasp. “You think I’ll be as good as you one day?” Thunderlane chuckled raspily. “Maybe, Rumble.” He caught another stray hoofball and sighed. “Are you gettin’ tired, buddy?” Rumble shook his head. “Nope, not at all!” His enthusiasm died down a bit. “Are you?” Thunderlane fiddled with the ball. “Nah, I can go for a few more catches.” He set the ball down and glared at Rumble. “Now get ready, ‘cause this one’s goin’ out the park!” Rumble smirked and lowered his body, digging his hooves in. “Ready!” The wind sped up as Thunderlane stared at the ball in front of him. Rumble waited for him to turn around, but he just stood there. Then, suddenly, he kicked the ball straight up and took off to the sky with it. “What are you doing?” Rumble shouted at him. Thunderlane continued flying up with it. Rumble was about ready to take off after him before he saw the ball leave his hooves. It continued going up while Thunderlane began doing an inside loop. “What the--” Rumble started. “Whoa boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!” He scrambled to launch off the ground and flew as fast as he could away from Thunderlane and the ball. He looked back and saw Thunderlane finishing the loop with the ball coming at his level. Rumble frantically flew away from them. A boom! sounded off, and Rumble flipped around to see the ball flying at him. It was moving fast, and he realized a second too late that it was going higher than he was. He reached up for it and it flew right past his hoof, sending him into involuntary backflips. Now dizzy, he heard the whooshing sound becoming quieter, and he sped after the ball. It slowly began creeping downwards while speeding ahead as Rumble inched closer to it. The whistling of the air reached his ears, and he tilted his body to the course of the ball’s path. It ran right through a cloud, and Rumble just barely dodged it. When he saw the individual seams on it, he proceeded to glide on his back, coming ever closer to it. He was just under it, and he stretched his hooves up with a smirk. It drifted downward towards him. “Gotcha.” And then it vanished. “Huh?” He flipped himself over and came to a halt. The ball was no longer on its path; he spun around looking for any sign of it. “Where’d it go?” There was a noise down below, and Rumble looked down to see movement in some bushes next to a tree, and something white disappearing in them. “What the?” He flew down to the bushes and tried peering in to see what it was, but it didn’t move again. All was quiet as Rumble slowly parted them until he saw something. For a moment Rumble just stared at it. He lowered himself in to get a better look at it, but then he noticed something under the object. “There you are!” Rumble reached under the thing and grabbed his hoofball, moving a few sticks in the process. The ball hadn’t been damaged at all, and neither did the white thing. He watched it wave limply in the wind, it being weighed down by something. One of the long thin appendages drifted to Rumble, who swatted it away with a hoof. It rested on the ground. Rumble gasped. It was a head. “Wh-what?” He picked up the other neck and found a head on that as well. He spread the rest of the body out to find two large flimsy wings on the sides. Rumble couldn’t believe his eyes: it was a two-headed bird. “Wow,” Rumble gasped. “A two-headed bird.” Both heads flapped back with the wind. “...And it’s hurt. Oh no.” He began to sweat. “I gotta find help!” Before he could fly off, there was a sound next to him. He jumped as the bushes to his right began to rustle, several grunts being heard from them. The heads flopped back down. Oh no! What if that thing’s a pony, and they think I killed it? I gotta-- suddenly, something broke through and came into vision. Rumble froze in place as the thing shook itself of the leaves and twigs in its mane. It was a pony--a unicorn filly, to be precise, with a white coat and a poofy purple-and-pink mane. She looked at Rumble and gasped, and he saw that her eyes were green. For a moment she was motionless. Rumble looked down at her legs and noticed something. “Um, you’re bleeding.” She blinked. “Huh?” She looked at her left foreleg; indeed, there was a small cut. “Oh, boy.” She then looked at the bird and gasped. Her body began trembling as she picked it up with her hooves. “B-b-b-b--” “Please don’t cry!” Rumble stepped closer to her. “I don’t know what happened to it but--” “It’s all your fault!” she yelled, stifling a cry. “Your st-stupid hoofball crashed into our kite and now look at it!” She shoved the bird into his muzzle. “Look at what you’ve done!” There was no stopping it: she was crying. Rumble panicked, looking around for somepony that may hear her. “I’m sorry. Really really sorry about this. I didn’t mean to--” he stopped, realizing something. “It’s just a kite?” Her eyes widened, and she glowered at him. “It’s not just a kite. Me and my big sister made it, and it’s the best kite ever!” She whacked him with the tangled, dangling support sticks. Her voice became quiet, strained by sobs. “And now look at it. It’ll never fly again.” She buried her eyes in the silky skin and cried. He didn’t know what to do. He could’ve just left her there to deal with her own problems, or he could’ve taken her to Thunderlane to see what was wrong. Meanwhile, she continued crying into the breast. Rumble’s attention turned to the hoofball on the ground, and felt guilty. He had to help her. “Don’t worry, I’ll go and get help, okay?” Rumble put a hoof on her shoulder; she looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “I’ll get somepony who can fix this.” She stifled another sob. “My sister... I need to get to my big sister.” Rumble nodded enthusiastically. “Okay! Here, I’ll take you there.” In a split second, he flung the pony onto his back, the kite in her hooves. “Where’s your sister?” She sniffled. “Probably where we were flying the kite.” Rumble was about to inquire further before he noticed a yellow piece of yarn protruding from the sticks; it trailed off from on top of the bushes and went off somewhere else. “Okay, just hang on. Everything’ll be okay. Just wait and see.” With that, Rumble took off with the filly on his back, flying above the bushes before landing on the ground to follow the yarn. The filly continued to cry, although it was more subdued than before; she didn’t yell at him anymore. They walked mostly in silence, passing a pony sitting on a bench and reading a book. Only the wind and the soft sobbing broke the silence. He checked back on the filly, who looked away immediately. Her eyes were becoming red from the crying. Her underside heaved on his back, which was a bit uncomfortable to him. A few moments later he checked back again, only to have her look away again. After two minutes of trotting, they came to a white-coated unicorn mare with dark blue hair in an elegant curve. She was tapping her hoof on the checkered blanket she was on; Rumble’s stomach began to churn. “Is that--” he gulped. “Is that your sister?” She looked up, and her eyes widened. “Yeah, that’s her.” He shifted his body to help her climb off. “Thanks,” she said bitterly. He began walking off when he suddenly heard a loud noise. “Rarity!” Both Rumble and the mare jumped in place, scrambling to their hooves. When they were both in control, the mare glared at the filly. “Sweetie Belle! What have I told you about yelling in public?” She looked at her leg. “You’re bleeding! What happened” Without responding, Sweetie Belle laid the kite in front on Rarity. Rarity stared at it for a moment, and then at Sweetie Belle. “I take it it’s broken?” Sweetie nodded. Rumble stepped forward. “It’s my fault, Miss. I was chasing my hoofball and it crashed into your kite.” He lowered himself, his ears splayed. “I’m really sorry.” The kite was taken into Rarity’s magical grasp, and twisted and turned in front of her. She turned the sticks with her hooves, bringing them closer to her. Rumble, meanwhile, was still crouching down with his eyes closed, awaiting his punishment. After a few moments of this, he felt a hoof raise his chin up. Rarity did the same to Sweetie Belle’s. She smiled at both of them. “Not to worry, dears. I can fix it easily.” They both brightened. “Really?” “It didn’t do anything serious,” she said. “It just knocked the supporting sticks apart. It didn’t break them in half or anything.” She set the kite. “First, though, I’ve got to bandage your cut, Sweetie Belle.” She used her magic to take out a napkin, a spray bottle and a packet of bandages from a basket behind her. “Come here.” Sweetie Belle walked over to her sister, sitting down and holding her leg up like a cat with a sore paw. Rarity wiped the cut and the trail of blood on her leg, then sprayed it, causing the filly to flinch. “Sorry, Sweetie Belle, but I have to disinfect it.” She then procured a bandage from the pack and deftly placed it over the cut, covering it in bright yellow flowers. Sweetie Belle looked down and smiled. Rarity then put those away and took out a ball of yarn and some scissors. “Just a second.” She moved the sticks carefully under the body, then took a piece of yarn, cut it, and tied it around them. Tilting it from side to side, then shaking it, Rarity placed the kite down. “There!” Both foals stepped closer to it, Sweetie Belle picking it up. Rumble now saw the heads looking straight out proudly, and now noticed a plastic horn on each of them. The body was now straight as an arrow, and the wings were now spread straight out; each wing had six feathers--two a dark blue, two a light purple, and two a rosy pink--and was lined with small sapphires. The tail was also adorned with three feathers of each color. Rumble jumped when he felt something brush his hoof. He looked down to see the yarn travelling to Rarity, and Rarity rolling it up in a spool. When it was done, she gave it to Sweetie Belle. “Here you go. Good as new.” Rarity looked at Rumble. “We were lucky your hoofball didn’t tear any of the fabric.” He nodded. “Sorry again.” Rarity was about to say something when she was tackled into a hug. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You’re the bestest big sister a pony could ask for!” Sweetie Belle nuzzled her sister’s neck until Rarity began to laugh. “Okay, I’m gonna go play with it now.” Without another word, she took the kite and the spool and ran off. Rumble watched her before he felt a hoof run through his mane. “See, dear? Nothing to fret about. It’s fine.” Rarity went into a picnic basket at her side and pulled out a sandwich. “What’s your name, by the way?” “Rumble.” Rarity held a sandwich in front of him, and he took it into his hooves, taking a seat on the blanket. “Thank you.” “Don’t give him a sandwich!” Sweetie Belle shouted as she ran with the kite flying low to the ground. “He broke our kite!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “I can understand why she’s angry at you; she--we worked on that kite for a week, and she was just angry that it broke.” She lay down and beckoned Rumble to come closer; when he did, she brought him even closer and nestled him against her warm side, caressing his flank with her hindleg. “Still, that’s no excuse for yelling and throwing a fit like she did.” She lifted the sandwich in front of his face. He took a bite and tasted daisies and something sweet. “So how did your ball come to end up so high?” Rumble swallowed. “Well, I was playing with my big brother Thunderlane and he did this very cool trick. He kicked the ball while in the air, and it went right past me. I tried to catch it, but then... you know.” He pointed his hoof at the kite, splaying his ears. “Sorry about that.” He felt a hoof begin stroking his back; he arched up, eyes closing. “It’s all fine now. Your brother sounds like a very strong colt.” Rumble nodded. “Yeah, he’s very strong. He’s a stallion.” Rarity raised a brow. “Oh? Well, dare I say, with how you are, he’s quite the gentlecolt?” “Hey, Rumble!” He turned his head to see Thunderlane flying towards him. “There he is! Hey Thunderlane!” Rarity looked up and blinked. “Oh, of course.” She tensed. Thunderlane landed in front of them. He was panting, and his wings drooped. “Rumble, where have you been?” “I--” “I’ve been worried about you, kid!” “I--” “And where’s the hoofball?” Rumble hid in his hooves and stared at his brother’s glare. He felt the comforting hoof return to his back. “It’s not entirely his fault,” Rarity said. “You see, he was chasing the hoofball you kicked, and it crashed into our kite.” “Wait,” Sweetie yelled from a distance with the kite in the air. “He kicked that ball?” Thunderlane looked at her and grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Er, sorry about that, kid.” Sweetie Belle’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, I’m going to get you back for this, you—” “Ahem,” Rarity sounded. “Would you like to speak up?” It was Sweetie Belle’s turn to sheepishly smile. “Er, no thanks!” She continued to fly the kite. “Hey, you!” “His name’s Rumble.” “Right, Rumble!” Sweetie Belle motioned with her hoof. “Come here. I want to show you some tricks.” Rumble looked up at his brother. “Um, is it okay if I go over there?” Thunderlane nodded. “Yeah, sure.” In a split second Rumble was up and flying away, sandwich in mouth, to the filly. “Hey,” Sweetie Belle began calmly. “I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. If I had known he--” she pointed a hoof at Thunderlane, “was the one that sent the ball into our kite, I would’ve yelled at him instead of you.” Rumble shrugged, taking the sandwich out of his mouth. “It’s all better, though, right?” She smiled. “Yeah.” She extended a hoof out to him, using the other to control the kite. “I’m Sweetie Belle, by the way.” He proceeded the hoofshake. “Nice to meet you.” From across the open field, Rarity and Thunderlane watched the two younger ponies as Sweetie Belle turned the spool one way, sending the kite veering to the left like a diving bird; the sapphires sparkled in the sparse sunlight peeking through the grey clouds. Rarity broke the silence between them. “Your brother’s very polite.” Thunderlane chuckled. “Yeah.” Rarity chuckled a bit nervously. “Um, would you like to lie down? I have rose-and-daisy sandwiches and iced tea, if you’d like some.” Thunderlane whooped and flopped himself onto the blanket. “Well, thank you very much! I actually wouldn’t mind some iced tea.” He plunged into the basket and pulled out two sandwiches. “Mmph--you wouldn’t believe it, but Rumble can tire a pony out pretty quickly.” He took a big bite of one of the sandwiches. “Huh’s vurry unurgudich.” Rarity forced a chuckle and used a napkin to wipe the food flung from his mouth off her face. “I can relate. Sweetie Belle can sometimes be a hoofful by herself, and don’t even get me started when her friends come over.” Thunderlane laughed. “I bet things get crazy when she has her friends, am I right?” Rarity grimaced and wiped a bit of food from her lips. “Please don’t talk with your mouth full.” His eyes went wide, and he swallowed. “Sorry ‘bout that.” She procured a teacup and a pitcher of iced tea and filled one up for him. He took it and downed it in one gulp. Rarity blinked a few times, and then poured some into three other teacups. “Here, why don’t you just take the pitcher?” Thunderlane chuckled. “Thank you very much.” He ended up polishing off the majority of the drink, leaving a bit at the bottom. They continued in silence, Thunderlane eating three sandwiches while Rarity ate one daintily. Sweetie Belle continued doing dives and loops for Rumble, who watched in amazement and at one point joined the kite in a midair dance. The wind continued to pick up and, in the distance, the rumble of thunder reached their ears. After an hour, the foals ran to the picnic, with the kite safely brought back down, and split the last sandwich. “That was fun,” Sweetie Belle said. “Yeah, it was,” Rumble said back. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves,” Rarity said. They once again heard thunder in the distance. “Well, Sweetie Belle, it sounds like we should be heading home.” “Aw!” both foals sounded. “Yeah, Rumble,” Thunderlane said, getting up and stretching his legs. “It’s about time we start heading home as well. We’ve got a bad storm heading our way, remember?” “Well, yeah, but can’t we play for just a few more minutes?” “No.” "But we're not even tired!" "No," Thunderlane said more harshly. “But—” “Now now,” Rarity interrupted. “We’ve had our fun. Now it’s time to go home.” Sweetie Belle groaned, and then straightened up. Her eyes went round, and a smirk began coming on her face. “Can’t we play a quick game of hide-n’-seek before we go?” Rarity groaned. “Sweetie Belle--" “Please?” Sweetie Belle looked at her sister with pleading eyes that shook with longing. Rumble joined her side. “Can we, please?” The two older ponies looked at each other, and then at the foals. “Oh... alright.” Rarity turned from them. “We’ll count to ten, and then we’ll come looking for you.” “Deal!” Both foals then began running. Thunderlane shook his head. “Foals.” Rarity nodded. “I know.” They both turned around and began to count out loud. “One, two, three--” They heard frantic whispering. “Four, five,--” They were running. “Six, seven, eight, nine--” The bushes rustled. “Ten!” They turned around. “Ready or not, here we come!” They both looked at the bushes, and they were still moving as if they had recently been parted. Thunderlane flew over to them. “Okay, we win. Time to head home, guys.” He parted the bushes. He parted them again. He threw the bushes this way and that, and then plunged into the tree next to them. Rarity began to grow nervous. “Sweetie Belle?” To be safe, she began checking the bushes opposite the field. “Rumble?” Thunderlane shouted. “Come on, Rumble, this isn’t funny.” There was no response. Rarity began cantering, and the galloping along the park’s path, hoping to catch a glimpse of them somewhere; once she reached the edge of the park, she began galloping back. Thunderlane flew high above, hoping to spot them from the sky. The wind died down a bit, but the thunder sounded closer. They met back at the open field. “Find them?” Rarity asked. “No,” Thunderlane replied, concern evident in his voice. “Oh, what are we going to do?” Rarity began pacing. “I’ll go up and check again.” “Excuse me?” Thunderlane had almost taken off when another pony approached them. It had been the mare reading the book earlier. “I couldn’t help but notice you two acting all distraught.” Rarity nodded. “Yes, Colgate, our younger siblings ran off and we can’t find them.” Colgate raised a brow. “You mean Sweetie Belle and Rumble?” They both nodded. “They left.” Both ponies started. “They what!?” “Yeah.” Colgate pointed to the west. “They looked like they were playing a game, and they ran to Sweet Apple Acres.” Rarity groaned. “When I get my hooves on that filly...” she took a deep breath. “Thank you Colgate.” “Happy to help.” With that, Colgate began walking to the other park entrance. Thunderlane flew onto the path. “Come on, then. We gotta find them before the storm hits.” As if adding to the reminder, the sky thundered a bit louder. “Yes, of course,” Rarity hastily replied. They both took off, Thunderlane flying and Rarity galloping, to Sweet Apple Acres.