//------------------------------// // Maybe // Story: Learning to Fly // by ChaosandHarmony //------------------------------// Rumble wanted to be in the Cutie Mark Crusaders? I mean, anypony could see the way he watches us three, but I had always thought of the Crusaders as a sort of non-colt thing. But Rumble... why not? I felt a hoof on each shoulder and realized that I was being pulled into a group huddle. "So, whad'ya think, girls?" Apple Bloom addressed me and Sweetie in a sullen tone, glancing up awkwardly as the little grey colt stared at his book blankly, intent on eavesdropping. Sweetie Belle, dropping her tone to be even quieter than Bloom, whispered "I don't know, a colt? "So what if he's a colt?" I objected, louder than I intended. "He doesn't have a cutie mark, does he?" my voice returned to a whisper. "I don't know, girls." Bloom said, her pink-orange eyes traveling back and forth between her two friends. "How comfortable would it be to have him on our tails while we're crusadin'?" "Maybe we could just make him an honorary member!" Sweetie suggested timidly, eyes like green orbs. "Maybe," I replied thoughtfully, "Or maybe, we could test him." My two friends looked at me uncertainly." "Think about it," I persisted. "He passes, we'll consider it. He fails, he's out of the running for good." "Ya just might be onto somthin' there, Scoots..." Bloom looked at me pensively. Silence gripped us three for a few seconds. "So, what should I tell him?" I asked, filling my voice with innocent curiosity, while secretly, subliminally volunteering myself for the job of announcing our decision to the anxious Rumble. "Tell him," Bloom replied, being the natural leader of the group, "That our answer is maybe." At least "Maybe" was a chance. I turned around to face Rumble, who saw me, jumped and hastily opened his book, reclining and acting as though he had been reasding the whole time. colts. "The answer is maybe." I told him confidently. His purple eyes, I noticed, were perfectly identical to my own, minus the eyelash thing. "But don't get too excited. You have to pass the entrance test first." He looked surprised and curious, but not afraid. "What's the entrance test?" He asked. "That's umm... That's a good question." I said, shifting awkwardly. "We'll need to get back to you on that one. You see, um, there a, um, different entrance test for every pony, yeah, we change it every time so that, um , you know, its...fair?" I looked back at my friends for support. "Yeah, we'll need to, um, yeah." Bloom said nervously. "Yeah." Sweetie Belle agreed. Rumble nodded. "Okay." It was somewhat amusing to see his face grow vibrantly pink from his cheeks to the tips of his pointed ears. "Meet us at the clubhouse, tomorrow at 6:00. We'll have made up, errr, decided by then," Bloom offered. A nod on Rumble's part sealed the deal. ********************************************************************************************************** The next night, as soon as the sun began to melt into the horizon, three young fillies were congregated at the foot of a particular tree in Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I were awaiting the presence of the possible fourth (fifth, counting Babs) member of the Crusaders. "What time is it?" I whined in impatience, poking at the nailed-in bars that functioned as a ladder to the clubhouse. "It's still 6:09." Sweetie replied, levitating a digital wristwatch with her light purple beam of magic. "Where is he already?" I moaned. I woudn't have admitted it, but I was chilled to the bone and ready to get this test over with. It had taken the entirety of yesterday afternoon, a sleepover last night, and today after school to prepare the perfect test of friendship. To see if this Rumble guy was really all that. If he was crusader material. I picked up a little golden horseshoe with one hoof and smiled. If he could pull off this stunt, or at least attempt to, he was definitely the newest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle Scootaloo!" A voice with a southern-sounding accent called to the three anxious fillies. Applejack was leaning out the back door, hollering. "Someone's here to see you!" The door opened and a familiar grey form emerged, making his way rather quickly over to us. "Hey," He said quietly. He glanced briefly and somewhat disapprovingly at the treehouse. "What took you so long?" I asked accusingly. Play it cool, Scoots!My brain urged me. Since when did my brain call me 'Scoots?' "You could have told me the treehouse was in Sweet Apple Acres." He said in his usual quiet calm tone. "Oh right." I could feel my cheeks burning and turned around, acting like I was getting supplies, even though I already had the horseshoe. "So, ya wanna be a crusader, huh?" Apple Bloom said in her demanding, I'm-gonna-break-you voice. "Well, you're gonna have to prove you're Crusader material! Now I don't wanna see any cracking under pressure." I suppressed giggle, thinking of how she says the exact same thing to jars of apple cider during zap apple season. "Okay." Rumble was looking at the ground. Bloom narrowed her eyes. "Follow me if you think you're ready." With that, she turned sharply and set off. *************************************************************************************** "Are you sure this is a good idea?" For the first time tonight, the little grey Pegasus sounded nervous. And for good reason. He and the other three crusaders were standing at the precipice of a small cliff, around four or five mare's-height deep. A rocky ledge descended into the depths of soft darkness. Not that falling would be a problem for a Pegasus like Rumble. Unless he was like me. "Oh, relax, I've done this thousands of time." I bumped into his shoulder playfully and then tossed the horseshoe into the miniature ditch. A rustle broke the natural silence of the Everfree forest. "W-w-what was that?" Stuttered Rumble and Sweetie Belle in unison. "Calm down, you two. Its the Everfree forest, of course there's gonna be a monster or two." Apple Bloom 'reassured' them, smiling wickedly. "So, ya ready?" "Um..." Another rustle caused the fillies to jump again. "I guess...?" Rumble stood at the ledge, backing up and spreading his tiny wings. He ran forward a few steps before flapping his wings and taking off the ground. He was a brilliant flyer, especially for his age. But only for a moment. For the next moment, he nearly fell out of the air as a crazed cry cut through the tense silence with a single word: "Aha!" We turned to see a little earth pony filly looking quite out of her ordinary appearance. It was Diamond Tiara. Her purple mane streaked with white was disheveled beyond repair. Her pupils had shrunk so that they consumed by ocean-blue and a demented smile was plastered onto her face. "I found you and your pathetic little- you know- thingy!" She stammered, cackling in an insane trance. Next to her stood Silver Spoon, her eyes shooting off in random directions so she rather reminded me of Derpy. "Yeah, pathetic!" She repeated. I bit my lip. This was too good. But to my surprise, it was Rumble who spoke up. "Oh no, how did you possibly find us?" He said in a flat, un-amused tone, dripping with sarcasm. Diamond Tiara let out another demented little giggle. "Maybe you didn't notice us following us you Cutie Mark Crybabies!" She and Silver Spoon recited the last 3 words together. "You know, you can't just win at everything because you have a lot of money. There are more important things in life than acting like you're better than everyone and trying to grow up too fast. But don't think I'm gonna curl up in my teeny tiny house and cry with my life savings of $1 just 'cause of your pathetic little filly teasing!" Rumble spat, still hovering in the air with ease. Diamond Tiara stood like a statue unable to move, trapped with a stupefied expression etched across her manicured featured. "Let's get out of her, Silver." Diamond demanded, expecting no objection, when she regained her posture. "These ponies think their better than us because of their pathetic, um, you know, thingies!" She exclaimed in exasperation. Silence. Rumble returned slowly to the ground. Then he looked down at the small glint of gold in the ditch. "Do you still want me to..." he gestured at the horseshoe. "Rumble," Apple Bloom walked up to the colt and put her hoof on his shoulder. "Welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusaders."