Rumble groaned as he was carried through the woods by Berry Pinch, whom he was surprised to find out was actually a lot stronger than she seemed.
“I’m sorry,” she said, stopping for a moment to check that Rumble was okay. “Should I move a bit slower?”
Rumble shook his head. “It’s fine,” he lied, doing his best to smile, despite the aches coursing through his body. “Besides, we need to get back quickly, before it gets dark.”
Berry Pinch nodded, and continued to walk through the woods, though she slowed down anyway whenever she head Rumble groan. The woods were dark, and the wind blowing past the branches made unsettling sounds, so Berry Pinch decided to try to lighten the mood. “So… have you enjoyed the trip so far? I mean, before this happened?”
Rumble looked at Berry Pinch, and saw the frightened look on her face. “Yeah,” he said. “It was really fun, hanging out with you guys… and Junior, too, I guess.”
Berry Pinch giggled. “He’s not that bad,” she said. “At least he didn’t try to erase your memories.”
“I guess,” Rumble said, laughing along with Berry Pinch. “And he’s also like, the one foal in our class that doesn’t insist we’re a coup… le…” Rumble blushed, and turned his face away from Berry Pinch’s.
“Y-Yeah… I’m sorry for that, by the way.”
“No, it’s fine,” Rumble said. “I don’t really mind, that much.”
An uncomfortable silence followed for a few moments, one which neither foal could tolerate for too long, and they both sought to break it at the same time.
“I-” they both said in unison. Laughter followed, and the two had to stop as they broke into uncontrollable fits of giggling. Rumble had to stop first, since it hurt him so bad.
“A-Are you okay?” Berry Pinch asked, still laughing despite her concern.
“Yeah,” Rumble said, though it wasn’t true. But he had finally brought a smile to the filly’s face, and he didn’t want to lose it now. “What were you going to say?”
Berry Pinch calmed down, and caught her breath before speaking. “I just wanted to thank you, for helping me back there. And for all the other stuff you’ve done for me.” The red filly smiled at Rumble and moved in closer towards him. “I mean it. Thanks, Rumble.”
“I-It’s fine,” Rumble said, sweating nervously as he looked into Berry Pinch’s eyes. “… A-Are you okay? You’re shivering.”
Berry Pinch nodded. “Just cold… And… kinda scared…”
Rumble looked up into the sky, and saw that it wouldn’t be long until it would be too dark to keep moving. He also couldn’t deny the pain that he was in, and that he honestly wouldn’t mind taking a break.
“I think we should find somewhere to stop and rest up,” Rumble said, looking around himself. “We need somewhere warm, and somewhere that can protect us from the snow forecast that was scheduled for today.”
Berry Pinch also looked around, and then noticed a very large tree beside them. “Well, we should be able to take cover from the snow under there, right?”
Rumble considered it, and nodded. “I guess it’s our best bet.” He tried to move towards it on his own, but found himself stumbling as he walked. Berry Pinch was by his side in an instant, and helped him over to the tree. “… I hope they find us soon.”
Junior paced backed and forth outside of the cabin where the class was staying, gritting his teeth together in worry. “They’re late… Where could they be? Has something happened to them?”
Archer walked out of the cabin and up to Junior. “They’re still not back yet? Okay, at first I thought they had just lost track of time, but now I’m really beginning to worry…”
“Has Miss Cheerilee noticed yet?” Archer shook her head. “… I’m going to go look for them.”
“You can’t be serious!” Archer shouted. “We should tell Miss Cheerilee! It’s too dangerous for you to go off; what if you get lost, too?”
“There’s no need to worry about me, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend.” Junior turned around and sot Archer a confident smile. “I am well-trained in the arts of tracking and navigation. Anyway, my friends are in trouble, and I want to help them.”
“But-”
“And besides, no matter how dangerous, I have already vowed to do all that I can protect the common citizens of Equestria. And not just from changeling attacks.”
Archer blushed and felt something in her chest after Junior’s last comment, and was unable to say anything as he turned around and began to walk away from the cabin. Eventually, she snapped out of her daze, and frowned at the retreating figure of the Unicorn colt.
‘… That idiot… I’ll give him fifteen minutes, and then I’m telling Miss Cheerilee…’
Berry Pinch shivered as the cold wind blew past her body, and her fur was standing to stand on end. Her stomach moaned from the lack of food it had received lately, and she let out a slight whimper when she thought she could hear the nearby bushes rustling.
“… You okay?” Rumble asked, looking down at the filly with a look of concern. Berry Pinch quickly shook her head, and leaned closer to Rumble.
“I’m scared… What if nopony finds us out here? Will we be able to find our way back, on our own?” Berry Pinch was taken by surprise when she suddenly felt Rumble’s wing extend and wrap itself around her body, and she looked up at the colt with a two large, teary eyes.
“They’ll find us,” he assured her. “And we’ll definitely make out of here. So try and relax… and get some sleep.”
Berry Pinch smiled, and leaned her head against Rumble’s shoulder, nuzzling it as she sought warmth and safety under his wings. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You’re really kind, aren’t you Rumble?”
“W-What do you mean?” Rumble asked with a blush on his face. “I’m just telling the truth, y’know?”
“This isn’t the first time… that you’ve looked out for me. You’re so kind to me, even though I’m a changeling.”
“… It shouldn’t matter what race you are. You’re you, and that’s all that really matters to me.”
“You’re always helping me out, even though I’m just a burden to you.”
“Not true,” Rumble said. “You’re not a burden, Berry Pinch. You’re…”
Berry Pinch looked up at Rumble expectantly as he trailed off. “I’m?”
“… You’re… a very close friend of mine,” he said, wrapping his wing around her tighter. “And, I care about you. A lot. That’s why, I’m always willing to help you whenever you’re in trouble.”
“… How much?2 she asked, confusing the colt. “How much… do you care for me?”
“… I…”
“Am I a friend?”
“You’re…”
Berry Pinch leaned up, and looked directly into Rumble’s eyes. “Am I… more than a friend to you?”
Rumble swallowed the lump in his throat, and narrowed his eyes as he returned Berry Pinch’s gaze. He had a strong look of determination in his eyes. ‘This is it… I’m gonna say it…’ “Berry Pinch. Actually, I think I-”
“HEY! YOU GUYS!” The two foals jumped in surprise when a flashlight was suddenly shone on them, and they looked towards the source of the light to find a white Unicorn colt running towards them. “You’re okay! Thank Celestia!” Junior grabbed his two friends, and pulled them into a big, strong hug.
“J-Junior?!” Berry Pinch asked as she blushed from the sudden hold.
“CAN’T. BREATH!” Rumble shouted, half out of desperation for air, and half out of annoyance for the sudden interruption.
“You’re safe! I’m so glad! Mon amis!”
“Junior, we’re thankful that you saved us,” Berry Pinch said. ‘Though you could have come a little bit later, y’know?’ “But, don’t you think we should be heading back now?”
Junior gasped, and suddenly released his two friends. “Yes, quite right! The others are sure to be worried about you, if they’ve noticed that you’re gone yet!”
“You mean they hadn’t noticed earlier?” Rumble asked.
“I told everypony that you two were tired after a long day of activities, and were sleeping in your room until dinner,” Junior explained. “I didn’t want to cause any of them to worry just yet.”
“I see,” Rumble said.
“Well then,” Junior continued, “Let’s be on our way! Stay close to me. I have a photographic memory of our way back!”
The other two nodded, and began to move again, before Rumble winced in pain and fell to one knee. Berry Pinch quickly rushed to his side, and wrapped his foreleg around her neck again. “Are you okay?” Rumble asked.
“I’m fine,” Berry pinch said, carrying Rumble along as she follow Junior. He offered to carry him instead, but she declined, insisting that she was fine on her own. Truthfully, though, she was still very tired from earlier, and her hunger wasn’t helping either. But, she wanted to be close to Rumble, and to finally be of some help to him. Even if it was only for a short while.
Upon their return to the cabin, Cheerilee, who had been informed by Archer of the three foals just moments before they had returned, was absolutely livid with the three for causing her so much trouble. But, she was also thankful to find that all three were safe and sound. After a stern scolding, she gave the three foals the meals that they had missed during dinner, and ordered them to go straight to bed as soon as they had finished eating.
They all had plans to play around with the other students after dinner, but they didn’t want to cross Cheerilee when she was already angry, so they all reluctantly accepted.
As they were eating, Berry Pinch leaned closer to Rumble, to speak to him quietly. “Hey, about earlier… what was it you were about to say?”
Rumble took a moment to register her question, and then gulped (and almost choked on his food), as he realised that she was talking about. “O-Oh… that…”
“Yeah. That,” Berry Pinch said, moving even closer to the Pegasus colt. “Well? What was it? Something about what I am to you, right?”
“R-Right,” Rumble said, looking around nervously, and then lowering his head to whisper to Berry Pinch. “Actually, the truth is… I think I… kinda… like you…” The last two words were so quiet, he was sure she wouldn’t have heard them, and was preparing himself to repeat them. However, the filly responded before he could, murmuring something that Rumble couldn’t make out. “I’m… sorry?”
“… You too,” she said, bringing a confused look to Rumble’s face. “I… like you, too…” He heard that, and almost immediately, his face turned red and he turned his attention away from the filly.
“I-Is that so?”
Berry Pinch only nodded her head timidly, and the two sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, before Berry Pinch decided to take the initiative.
Rumble flinched when he felt a hoof rub against his own, and looked down to see Berry Pinch connecting her forehoof with his. He smiled, and accepted the hoofhold, bringing a smile to Berry Pinch’s face, too. “But, you can’t tell Crunch Berry, okay?” he said, shuddering as the thought crossed his mind.
Berry Pinch giggled. “I’ll try, Rumble.”
Sitting not too far away from them, Junior was happily wolfing down his meal with much energy. Archer approached him, shuffling her hooves nervously on the floor as she neared the eating colt. “Um… Junior?”
Junior paused his eating for a moment, and looked up at the blue filly. “Oh, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend! Listen, no hard feelings about telling Miss Cheerilee! You did the right thing, really.”
Archer wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed at the way he had addressed her, or happy that he wasn’t holding a grudge against her for getting him into trouble. “Listen, I just wanted to thank you. You know, for saving my friends…”
Junior stood up, and shot the filly a proud smile. “No, no! There is no need to thank me, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend! It is simply what anypony in my position would have done.”
Archer rolled her eyes. “Most ponies would have fetched an adult.” She then sighed, and looked over at the other two behind Junior… who she noticed were rather close to each other. “… Hey, let’s go sit over there for a bit,” she said.
“Huh, why?” Junior asked. “I’m almost finished, and then I have to return to my room.”
“Well, just slow down for a bit! I want to talk to you.”
“What about?”
Archer thought for a second. “… Tell me about all this ‘changeling hunter’ business. I’m very concerned about the possibility of a changeling in Ponyville.”
Junior suddenly smiled widely, and used his magic to levitate his plate and cutlery into the air. “Oh, I see! Well, if it’s knowledge about changelings, you’ve come to the right pony!”
Archer smiled as she accompanied Junior to another table in the room, and then shot one final glance towards Rumble and Berry Pinch. ‘I’ll give you two some alone time… if you offer me the same courtesy.’ With a smile on her face, Archer sat down at one of the table in the room, and motioned for Junior to sit next to her.