As that bitter-sweet recollection came to a finish, Featherweight sighed and nodded thoughtfully. “I guess you've got a point, Shady,” he murmured. “To be fair, it was more Loco's doing than mine...”
“Yeah, but so what?” insisted Shady Daze. “If it hadn't been for you, Miss Cheerilee probably wouldn't have believed him. You were there – you were living proof of what Diamond Tiara had been up to, and if you hadn't grassed on her, Apple Bloom and her pals would still be up to their necks in it! You take my advice, buddy,” he encouraged, “you just go and talk to that filly. You'd be surprised.” He said no more, but gave a coy wink before trotting away to join Snips and Snails on the other side of the school yard.
Featherweight feebly raised a hoof, almost as if begging for him to come back, but Shady Daze took no notice. Almost at once, the off-white Pegasus felt that same old wave of unease washing over him as he returned his gaze to Apple Bloom, along with a feeling of confusion. Why would Shady Daze just leave him in the lurch like this? Was it something he had said? Or was there another reason?
“Hey, feather brain, what's up? Thinking about that blank-flank peasant filly again?”
Featherweight cringed. He knew that voice all too well.
“Oh, I'm so sorry you can't seem to find yourself a fillyfriend,” taunted Diamond Tiara, her voice heavy with irony as she and her friend Silver Spoon circled the smaller Pegasus colt like vultures around a carcass. “Still, hardly surprising – who would want to make friends with somepony so skinny and weak as you, after all?”
“Yeah, who indeed?” Featherweight wasn't sure, but he could have sworn Silver Spoon sounded rather distracted. Why this was so, he couldn't quite place his hoof on; but the sound of their taunting drowned out the queries that played out in his head.
“Let's face it, no way is that physique good for anything,” went on Diamond Tiara in a pitying tone. “I'm surprised you haven't broken any bones yet – with so little muscle on that frame of yours, how can any...” but she never finished. Without warning, she bumped hard into something standing just to the left of their victim and fell over onto her side, whereupon Silver Spoon stopped too.
Perplexed, Featherweight looked over towards whatever the pink-furred filly had walked into. There stood Locomotion, directing a disapproving glower upon Diamond Tiara as she struggled to her hooves. He didn't even hold out a hoof for her.
Diamond Tiara looked the red-furred colt sharply in the eye. “Do you mind?!” she demanded.
“Yes, I most certainly do mind!” replied Locomotion severely. “I've just about had it with your bullying my friends like this, Diamond Tiara! If it's not about the lack of a Cutie Mark, it's something to do their age, their size, their social standing – and now I find you're making fun of one of the most sensitive ponies in our year for his physique?! Well, let me tell you, Glass Crown, you're in no position to be putting the rest of us down just because you think you're above everypony else – because you're not!”
“What are you talking about?!” snorted Diamond Tiara defensively. “I've got loads more money than you have...”
“There you go again, using mere money as an excuse!” bellowed Locomotion, drowning out Diamond Tiara's protests. “You think being rich entitles you to be a mean old prude when in fact it's making you enemies throughout Ponyville! You don't even realise just how bad a name it's making for your own folks – all because you insist on making others feel bad about themselves and angry with you at the same time! Heck, I'm surprised you haven't made it onto the Mayor's blacklist, to hear what others have been saying about your lamentable attitude!”
Diamond Tiara spluttered indignantly. Never had anypony spoken so rudely of her before! “Well...well, at least I know how to be more popular than you!” she blurted out.
But Locomotion refused to buy it. “Freely translated: 'I have trouble making friends – what are you going to do about it?!'” he retorted mockingly. “Quite frankly, Diamond Tiara, you are the one who needs to do something about it! Take me, for example; I may not be as rich as you, but at least I can afford some manners!”
This struck a raw nerve with Diamond Tiara. “I'll teach you some manners!” she screamed furiously, and threw a vicious punch towards his face – but all she succeeded in doing was bruising her hoof against the forcefield Locomotion had hastily cast around himself.
“Precisely what I should have expected from a filly who refuses to mind her own!” said Locomotion huffily. “I'd think twice before trying that again!”
Diamond Tiara leered at him with a mix of pain and anger in her expression. “You'll be sorry one of these days, Loco!” she snarled.
“Oh, I'm already sorry you turned out to be so selfish and insensitive! Face it, Diamond Tiara, with an attitude like yours, there's no way you're gonna win any favour with the rest of Ponyville – and I reckon I speak for maybe 99% of the population here! Now if you take my advice, you'll kindly buzz off and take your fillyfriend with you!” ordered Locomotion, gesturing towards Silver Spoon as he spoke.
Diamond Tiara opened her mouth to make a rude comeback, but something about what Locomotion had just said quickly wiped out whatever angry dialogue she had thought up, replacing it with a feeling of deep confusion. In the end, all she could manage was a frustrated growl before storming off with Silver Spoon in tow.
Locomotion watched as the two fillies returned to the schoolhouse, breathing deeply to calm himself down before turning his attention to Featherweight. “You okay, Feathers?” he asked gently. “They didn't get too far under your skin, did they?”
“Yeah, they did, rather,” admitted Featherweight sadly. “Still, I had it coming my way anyway, thinking I'd have a chance with her.”
“With whom?” But before Featherweight could reply, Locomotion quickly realised what he was getting at; “Oh, I get it – this is about Apple Bloom, isn't it?”
The scrawny off-white colt responded with a slow nod, a small tear creeping into his eye. “What's the use? Diamond Tiara's right for once – why would Apple Bloom ever like me back?”
“No, Featherweight,” said Locomotion firmly, “Diamond Tiara is never right – not when she's bullying other ponies, at least. Seriously, though, you've got to stop beating yourself up about all this, pal! So maybe Apple Bloom doesn't seem to return your feelings, but that's because you haven't been trying hard enough. Faint hearts never won fair filly, after all.”
“Yeah, but what should I do?” protested Featherweight. “I mean...she may not like me back...”
“Look, the worst case scenario is that she'll say 'That's mighty kind o' y'all ta say so, Featherweight, but Ah'd rather just stick ta bein' friends',” replied Locomotion, putting on his best Apple Bloom impression. “Apple Bloom may be stubborn at times, just like the rest of her family, but you're still a good friend of hers. Besides, you won't know until you test the water.”
“Just what Shady Daze has been telling me,” began Featherweight, “but I don't...”
“And he's absolutely right too,” cut in Locomotion. “I may not have had a fillyfriend to speak of – yet – but even I know that if there's some really nice girl out there who's caught my eye, then I'd have to go and talk to her if I wanted to...you know, hit it off with her. You should do the same.”
Featherweight paused. “Well...I suppose if somepony came with me, I might feel a bit easier about the whole thing.”
“Sorry, Feathers,” said Locomotion, shaking his head. “I know you don't exactly feel comfortable about being alone with Apple Bloom, but it'd make your confession way more meaningful than if somepony else was with you.”
As he finished his sentence, they both heard the school bell signalling the end of recess. The red-furred unicorn colt turned and made his way into the schoolhouse, while Featherweight trailed far behind, still deeply unsure of himself as he mulled over Locomotion and Shady Daze's words. Sure, it was all very well for them to say “Go and talk to Apple Bloom and then you'll know how she feels about you,” but deep down, he still wasn't sure he had the guts. In any event, who was to say she returned his feelings? How did he know she wouldn't harshly turn him down the moment he came out with the truth? And more importantly, how would he be able to cope if that happened?
But those weren't the only things bugging the off-white colt. Even if he did find himself in a relationship with Apple Bloom, he thought, how would they make it work out? As a budding journalist, he had an entire career ahead of him, travelling all around the world to places that most other ponies would only ever have seen in the media; but he wasn't sure he wanted to drag her around with him everywhere he went should she become too attached to Sweet Apple Acres, and neither did he fancy the idea of leaving her all alone here in Ponyville. Neither way would be very fair on her, after all – in fact, as far as he was concerned, it would be downright selfish of him.
Featherweight groaned under his breath as he sat himself down in his usual place at the back of the classroom. All these questions and mental obstacles were making him sick to the stomach with worry, and this in turn left him almost completely unable to concentrate.
“Oh, Apple Bloom,” he murmured sadly, “if only you knew how I feel...”
Even when dawn broke the following day, Featherweight still couldn't stop brooding over Apple Bloom. Normally, he would have tried to take his mind off his worries by drafting out some new article or other for the Foal Free Press; but today being a Saturday, there wouldn't be any point since the school was closed for the weekend. All he could do in the meantime was take a wander through Ponyville in a bid to clear his head.
How long he had been out, he didn't quite know, but after a while, he was beginning to feel a little peckish. Perhaps it was just as well, then, that Sugarcube Corner happened to be close by – perhaps if he bought himself a small chocolate chip cookie or something, he could keep himself going until lunchtime. But just as he was approaching the bakery, he noticed Apple Bloom of all fillies standing nearby, staring into the lobby with a stunned look on her face.
Featherweight raised an eyebrow, wondering what had grabbed her attention. Following her gaze, he noticed a sky blue Pegasus colt of about the same size as him sitting near the window – and next to him was a slightly older white filly with pale blue mane and tail. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but from the looks on their faces and the way they were sharing a strawberry milkshake, they were clearly enjoying each other's company.
After another minute or so, he noticed them slowly leaning in towards each other, closing their eyes in the process. In spite of his confusion, the scrawny off-white colt couldn't help but smile inwardly as he watched the romantic scene unfold in front of him – but his state of awe was suddenly broken by a faint sob. Startled, he looked back towards Apple Bloom, and was most dismayed to see her running away in tears. Only then did it all click into place – that colt they had just seen must have been that Chip Mint pony she had had her eye on all this time!
“Wow,” he remarked under his breath. “So Shady Daze wasn't joking about those two after all.”
He stared solemnly in the direction in which the yellow-furred filly had run off. For a fleeting moment, he was tempted to jump for joy at the realisation that he now had a better chance with her, but this was immediately cast aside by a feeling of deep guilt – here she was, understandably thunderstruck from seeing her crush forming a relationship with a completely different filly, and all he could think about was how this all worked out in his favour? What in the hay kind of friend would be so...heartless?!
But this in turn slowly gave way to an even deeper sense of resolve. So perhaps he had his own feelings to consider, no matter how selfish or inappropriate, but what did he care – all that mattered to him right now was that Apple Bloom was in a right state and needed every little bit of support she could get. With that, he headed for what he thought to be the most likely place she would have gone...