Diamond Tiara’s birthday party was just the way the Rich family liked it: properly segregated.
At the shallow end of their front yard pool, the part closest to the house, the Riches entertained their high-society guests: Fancy Pants, along with some other important ponies who were not Fancy Pants but still more important than most Ponyvillians. At the edge closest to the gates, perfect for a quick mandatory expulsion and at a safe distance from the silverware, the common folk of Ponyville chatted along amongst themselves. Old acquaintances caught up, gossip was shared – the sharing being especially vigorous around a certain white unicorn who made a point of sticking to the corner of the pool – and laughs were had.
Finally, away from the gate, the kids were. DJ-P0N3 had brought some unusual fare, getting some hip-wiggles out of the braver girls and some prances out of the boys, but no actual dancing.
Turns out the kids of Ponyville didn’t get into their proverbial groove much when every song was a classical ballad. Spoiled Rich had promised her daughter there would be at least one song the kids could dance to. There would be, once the important ponies were gone, of course.
But that was a concern for another time. What mattered was how Diamond Tiara could make an impression on the likes of Fancy Pants.
“Oh, yes, my little Diamond is very talented. She ran her school newspaper for a while,” Spoiled Rich said.
Fancy arched an eyebrow. “Oh, that tabloid scandal, you mean? Yes, I heard all about that. Ghastly business, if you ask me, but I suppose children do pull cruel pranks every once in a while.”
Spoiled Rich clenched her jaw. Diamond, standing next to her, winced as if she’d been stabbed. It certainly felt that way.
Fancy Pants, ever the gentlecolt, took notice. “But pray tell, what else has she done? I take it you’re trying to make her live up to the family name, Spoiled?”
Spoiled Rich smiled. “Of course. Why, she’s been getting tutoring for consorting with the nobility.”
“Ah, etiquette lessons, always a boon. What about creative endeavours?”
“C-creative?” Diamond asked with a stammer.
“Yes, creative endeavours. Every lady I know has at least one creative hobby to speak of. The princesses paint, if I’m not mistaken. But no one tries to follow their act, obviously. And every duchess I know dances. So, Diamond, what are you when you are not in school? A dancer?”
Diamond Tiara gulped and looked away. “Umm, no, sir, I’m not a dancer. It’s a long story.”
“Well, plenty of time to be worrying about that, I suppose. Could you excuse me for a minute? Rarity, darling! How are the Princess Dresses selling?”
Spoiled Rich hissed once Fancy’s back was turned. “What did I tell you about your image, Diamond?”
Diamond flinched. “I know, mom, I couldn’t help it. Besides, why do I have to talk to him?”
“Because he’s the most important pony in Canterlot, Diamond. He is the host of all hosts. An invitation from him is worth its weight in gold.”
“I don’t think invitations weigh that much, mom. You’re wearing stuff that’s worth more.”
“Irregardless! He can make or break your social life,” Spoiled Rich threatened. “You wouldn’t be the first pony to be barred for life from any of the big events. So behave like a winner, like you belong.”
Diamond sighed, looking out towards the other kids from her class.
“And stop sighing, for pity’s sake. Now you march over there and impress him. Or better yet, get Rumble to talk to him. It’s high time you cashed that boy in.”
The filly gulped at that. “Mom, Rumble’s busy. He’s talking to his friends.”
“Then go get him. At least he knows his place, and he’ll do what he has to.”
“But-”
“But what?” Rumble asked.
Diamond froze. How long had he been standing there?
“Rumble,” Spoiled greeted with a decidedly fake sweet tone in her voice. “We were just talking about you. Diamond Tiara had the best idea, you’ll love it.”
Rumble quirked an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
“You see that stallion talking to Rarity and-” She gagged. “Big... Macintosh over there?”
Rumble tilted his head to look past the mare. “You mean Fancy Pants? What about him?”
“Well, he’s a very important pony, as you know.”
“And?”
Spoiled Rich leaned in as if she were conspiring to take over the kingdom with the boy. “And, if you were to, oh, I don’t know, walk up to him, talk to him, maybe casually mention you were training to be a Wonderbolt one day, he might get you into contact with somepony… connected.”
Diamond’s heart sank. Was her mom really doing this?
Rumble furrowed his brow. “I don’t follow. He’s talking to Rarity. Why would I bother him? Wouldn’t he get annoyed?”
“Oh, no, he wouldn’t. We were just discussing what Diamond Tiara does in her spare time. And Fancy Pants is a steady patron of the Wonderbolts. A boy like you, dedicated and well groomed, why, he’d treat you the way he treats Rarity: with respect, regardless of your origins. Think about it: you know Rarity’s business started booming once she came into contact with the right ponies. She started with Twilight Sparkle’s dragon, then came Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, and then Sapphire Shores and Fancy Pants. And look at her now. She has her own boutiques spread across Equestria, famous throughout the land.”
“With all due respect, Missus Rich, there’s a difference between the Wonderbolts and a fashion boutique,” Rumble retorted.
“Not in terms of contacts, there isn’t,” Spoiled Rich retorted. “The Wonderbolts are always on the lookout for good opening acts. New stunt flyers, magicians. Fancy Pants can put you there, on the same track as the Wonderbolts. The actual Wonderbolts, the Cloudsdale and Canterlot elite. A little boy like you, managing to perform in a Wonderbolts opening act? Ponies would respect you for that, treat you like the proper young stallion you are. If, of course, you can make him think you are up to the task.”
Rumble mulled it over in his mind. “So… I just talk him, I brag about what I can do, and he’d help me out? Just like that?”
“Just like that. He has a reputation to uphold as well, after all. It makes him look good if he can provide new talent. And you would look very good indeed if you were associated with a fine stallion such as him.”
“What about Diamond?”
The mare chuckled mirthlessly. “I’m sure it would reflect well on my little Diamond if Fancy Pants were to see her consort with a future Wonderbolt such as yourself. Seems like that’s the only way she’s going to get anywhere.”
Diamond bit her lip.
“Okay,” Rumble replied. “I’ll do it. But I’ll have to be subtle about it. It’ll be more natural if I make it look like I have a reason to go over there. Maybe if Diamond Tiara went over to the rest of class?”
“Why?”
“So I’d have a reason to go over there and ask if he knows where she is. It’d work better if you were out of sight, too, Ma’am. If you got him some drinks, that’d let you stop him from getting too sidetracked.”
“Capital idea.” Spoiled Rich turned and shooed her daughter off. “See, Diamond? Rumble knows how to make an impression.”
Diamond smiled at him as she skulked off. Rumble smiled right back.
Before long, he was alone.
Almost alone.
He breathed out a heavy sigh. “Randall?”
“Yes, Master Rumble?” the butler replied.
“Could you fetch me a saddle, please? Diamond Tiara should still have one in her closet. The blue and silver one.”
“At once, sir, but may I ask what for?”
He looked at Fancy Pants, then to his class, grumbling. “I’m gonna make an impression.”
Sweetie Belle slowly cantered over to her big sister, careful not to interrupt her. After all, Rarity was talking to Fancy Pants again, and she didn’t want to be rude.
But she was staring, and staring was a rude thing to do.
The reason she stared was simple: Fancy Pants was a lot smaller than she’d figured at first. When she’d seen him in Canterlot, he’d appeared gargantuan, colossal, in a word: big. She’d pegged him to be bigger than Big Macintosh. Yet here he was, in the same place as Big Mac, and the size difference vanished, then reversed.
His hooves were not that thick, his frame slightly more slender than that of Big Mac. But that’s not how he’d looked before. There had to be a trick to it. There was something she was missing about Fancy, but what?
“Any luck?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle turned her head to find her friends had snuck up on her.
“Think anypony here is the gal we’re lookin’ for?”
Sweetie Belle sighed. “No. The music is all classic, but nopony’s dancing.”
“I’ll say,” Scootaloo added. “You need lessons to dance to this stuff.”
Sweetie rolled her eyes. “That’s kind of the point, Scootaloo. What do you think? Any pegasi who look like they might be airborne already?”
Scoots shrugged. “Nopony so far.”
“And any unicorns from a fancy family?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Not by the looks of it, no.” Sweetie Belle sighed silently.
Apple Bloom smiled once she saw a pink form mingle with the rest of class. “At least Diamond Tiara’s not with her mom anymore.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a plus.”
“Is that Mister Fancy Pants over there?” Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie Belle turned to where Scootaloo gestured. “Uhuh. I guess Spoiled Rich wanted him to see Diamond Tiara. You know, make some connections.”
“She’s only nine. How does that even work?”
Sweetie Belle bit her lip. “Simple: if Diamond Tiara manages to be a big shot, then her family gets to be big shots, too. If she makes friends with other important kids, then those kids’ parents will hang out with hers. That’s just how high society works.”
Apple Bloom snorted. “Lazy way of gettin’ ahead in life, if you ask me.”
“Maybe, but it works. And Fancy Pants is part of it, even if he is a nice pony.”
“Speaking of nice ponies, where’s Rumble? Wasn’t he around here just a second ago?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I’m not sure. I think I saw him talking to Spoiled Rich.”
“Oh, no, what’s she gotten into his head this time?”
Sweetie’s ears twitched when the music changed. “You hear that?”
“Hear what? The music? It’s the same thing they’ve been playing since the party started.” Scootaloo shrugged.
“No, this is different. I know this.”
The girls turned, as one, towards their class. Rumble, dressed in a fancy-looking blue and silver saddle, walked up to Diamond Tiara and extended his hoof.
“No,” Sweetie Belle said. “No way.”
Diamond looked around furtively, before taking the hoof. The music, a slow, building rhythm, swelled as they took their first steps in perfect synch.
“Is that...”
“That’s the Dance of Falling Leaves,” Sweetie Belle said. “At least the start of it.”
The girls’ heart sank as they realised what was going on.
“But I thought you said Rose Petal was a unicorn?” Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie slapped herself. “I saw a horn, but I never saw her use magic. It must have been a fake horn. Of course. Rose Petal is Diamond Tiara. But then the other girl was...”
As the pair of young ponies danced to an awestruck crowd, the Cutie Mark Crusaders fell silent.
They’d wanted to find a girl like Rumble so he’d have someone to play with.
Apparently they’d been trying to get him to play with himself.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Rumble?” Diamond asked in a whisper as he let her down in a dip. “Everypony’s gonna see.”
“They should,” Rumble replied, letting her back up.
“But what about Fancy Pants? The Wonderbolts? My mom-”
Right on cue, he brusquely pulled her close. “Your mom is trying to get you noticed by making you be around important ponies, around me. This is your party. You should be the centre of attention. You’ve earned it.”
Diamond almost cried at that. “But...”
“Look, you know how to do this. You’ve done it before. You’ve shown your mom, you’ve shown me, you’ve shown Canterlot. Now you can show the ponies that matter. You can do this, you know you can. Are you ready?”
Diamond gulped. “I’m ready. Just, umm...”
“Do it over the pool. I know. I’ve got you, don’t worry.”
“Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked. “Why are you making that face? And why is Fancy Pants smirking like that?”
Sweetie stared on, mouth agape. “They’re really gonna do it. They’re seriously doing this in front of everypony.”
“Doing what? What’s so special about this dance?”
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Why do you think it’s called Dance of the Falling Leaves?”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom turned just in time to see Rumble dip backwards and sit down, with one leg going up. Diamond Tiara went down with him, and stood one leg on his, before getting the other into position.
The strings of the piece gave one big dramatic stroke, and Diamond was off. With a firm thrust of both athletic pegasus legs and Earth pony strength, she was catapulted up.
With a hop and a flourish, Rumble zipped after her, going up in a spiral while she tumbled and spun in mid-air. He passed her by with a gust of wind, blowing her body upward before she’d gotten halfway to the ground.
And he was careful enough to steer her in the breeze so she’d be over water.
Diamond went in freefall again, and Rumble flew down and slowed his wings to do the same. He was under her now, in position to have her stand on his saddle, sit down and do a double whirl with her legs (careful not to kick him in the back of the head, obviously, since he wasn’t wearing a helmet this time).
Just when the two were about to hit the water, another powerful flap of the wings sent them up. Rumble opened his wings to stop his upward momentum, Diamond kept going straight up, tumbling and striking poses like a gymnast in her ascent before gravity took hold again. Rumble flew past with another blast from his wings and grabbed her wrists to throw her up higher still, giving him the time for his own tumbling and posing.
“Whoa,” Scootaloo said. “It’s like a trapeze act without a trapeze.”
“Or a net,” Apple Bloom said. “No wonder Diamond Tiara’s mom likes Rumble so much. He’s makin’ her look like a pro.”
“She is a pro,” Sweetie Belle said. “She’d have to be. I’m starting to see why she’s so scared of upsetting him, too. Can you imagine if he got distracted and slipped up while they’re doing this?”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “Never mind that. Suppose he gets mad at her once, and he decides to ‘accidentally’ drop her?”
Sweetie’s body shuddered at the very idea.
Then, in time with the music, Diamond plummeted while Rumble hung there.
“Wait, ain’t he-” Apple Bloom started.
“Wait for it...” Sweetie Belle said.
Diamond fell down, still tumbling. From below, the girls could tell she had her eyes closed. They couldn’t blame her.
Diamond straightened out, so her hind hooves would be pointed down. A woosh and a zip later, and she had that sturdy saddle under her hooves again, still with both of them falling.
Another mighty flap of the wings, and they stood still. The water of the pool rippled from the force of the wind, but only the tip of Rumble’s left front hoof pierced the surface. Everything else was rigid in an elegant-looking pose.
“She didn’t fall,” Scootaloo said. “She didn’t even jolt.”
“Perfect landing,” Sweetie Belle added. “Told you they were good.”
Apple Bloom squinted, thinking. “So why wouldn’t they tell us about this?”
“Rumble!” A hissing voice came from behind them as the pair went out of the pool, the only wetness being around Rumble’s hooves. “What do you think you are doing? This is not the conduct of a proper stallion, Rumble; that is the conduct of a common circus monkey. You’re better than that, than them.”
Rumble pouted again, but thankfully the crowd that swarmed to him didn’t notice.
“That was awesome!” Silver Spoon called out as the rest of class swarmed around them. “Nice moves, Rumble. Why didn’t you ever tell us you’re a dancer?”
“Because I’m not a dancer!” He yelled, loud enough to make everyone, even Spoiled Rich, flinch. He turned to face the mare and answer her remarks. “I am an aerial performer, Ma’am. I’m a future Wonderbolt stallion, an acrobat. You know I am. And I’m a rescue flyer. If I want to be any good, I have to be able to do both.” He shook his head with a snort. “I’ve been working hard on my moves. It’s not like dancing for fun, or a circus performance, it’s serious business. And as for my behaviour: you’re right. I am better than some circus monkey performing for just anypony. I only perform to ponies who can afford to see me. But that’s not why I did this in front of them. Some pony’s gotta show these low-level, lower-class ponies how it’s done. You gotta remind’em who’s in charge, and why.”
Diamond winced. Spoiled Rich smirked and skulked off to Fancy Pants before he could come and ask the kids about their performance.
“Wow,” Silver Spoon said. “Umm, okay.”
Sweetie Belle looked to the side, to check if Spoiled Rich was out of earshot. The mare was right back to talking to Fancy Pants, no doubt trying to score points on the back of the kids’ efforts. None of the other adults made a move towards them. “Nice bluff, Rumble.”
“Is she still listening?” he asked.
“Wait, you didn’t mean that?” Scootaloo asked.
“Of course not; I’m not a jerk. But I can’t just go and insult my partner’s mom like that. Sorry if I scared you, everypony. I’ve been trying to get up to Wonderbolts level for a while now. It’s hard to tell what’s right for them and what’s not. Sometimes they act a lot harsher than they are. Even to ponies who don’t deserve it.”
A sigh of relief went through the little herd.
“Gosh, I hope Fancy Pants didn’t get the wrong idea,” Sweetie Belle said.
Rumble shrugged. “If it ever comes up, I can explain myself. Not like the Wonderbolts don’t pull this stuff all the time.”
“Wait, so let me get this straight,” Apple Bloom said. “You two are aerial performers? Both of you?”
“Yup,” Diamond replied. “Rumble does most of the flying, obviously. Usually I wear a horn. My mom thinks it makes me look classy.”
Rumble nodded. “Yeah, and the couple of times we’ve had a crowd, we usually wear masks and disguises, so nopony knows it’s us. It’s a high society thing, long story.”
“So, that’s why you’ve been so highly strung in class.”
Rumble gulped as he suddenly remembered that he’d been standing near the punch bowl, and had in fact forgotten to check if anypony had been thirsty. That sort of oversight could be costly. “Umm, hi, Miss Cheerilee. How long have you been standing there?”
The mare smiled. “Let’s just say I’ll think twice before I call one of your bluffs. Honestly, I’m impressed. Have you two been hiding this all this time?”
“Umm, yes, Ma’am. I just wanted it to be perfect before I showed anypony, is all.”
Sweetie Belle noticed the tremor on the corner of Rumble’s mouth.
“Well, I, for one, am very proud of you, both of you. That was a complicated routine, professional level. Dangerous, too, I imagine.”
Rumble forced out a nervous smile. “Eheh, yeah. It’s good practice for rescue flying. That’s why the Wonderbolts recruited from those classes in the first place. Well, they used to.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes darted from the boy to her teacher. He was getting flustered, but besides that, she could almost swear he was in pain. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” she asked.
“Hmm? No, we’re careful. Diamond Tiara’s got kind of an edge when it comes to aerial stuff, what with Earth pony strength and all,” Rumble replied.
That explained that. Creating the illusion that it was a unicorn doing all those moves, and not an Earth pony tapping into her natural strength, would make it look more impressive. That brought another uncomfortable question to Sweetie Belle’s mind, though.
Was Spoiled Rich ever going to let anypony know Diamond Tiara could do all that or just let Rumble make all the connections and let him hang out to dry if he ever messed up?
“Well, you should be very proud of yourself,” Cheerilee said. “And stop worrying so much about what other ponies think of you, Rumble. There’s nothing wrong with a boy who can move with such grace and elegance.”
Sweetie Belle had to suppress a gasp when she saw his pained reaction to that. It was so subtle, though, a blink and she’d have missed it. Everypony else seemed to.
“Yeah,” Snips said. “I’ve been learning how to do girly manecuts, and I don’t care about how that makes me look.”
“I play plenty of games with girls as the hero,” Button Mash added.
“I’m learning how to make soufflés,” Snails piped up.
Rumble chuckled and turned to the boys of his class. “Thanks, you guys. Guess being a little bit girly isn’t so bad.”
“Exactly, Rumble,” Cheerilee said. “You shouldn’t worry about it. You’ll make a fine Wonderbolt one day, I’m sure.”
Again, Sweetie Belle’s ears twitched.
“Do you think maybe you could teach us how to do that?” Dinky Do asked. “I’ve never seen dancing like that before.”
Rumble looked to Diamond Tiara. “What do you say? It’s your party. You wanna lead the dance?”
Diamond rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll show you a quick one, but you’ll have to make it up yourself afterwards.”
As the boys and girls started pairing up, the Cutie Mark Crusaders found themselves flabbergasted.
“Wow,” Apple Bloom said. “That worked out a lot better than anythin’ we could have done.”
“Are you sure?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Scootaloo asked.
“Rumble is what’s wrong. Didn’t you see his face when Cheerilee said he was girly? He’s been getting that a lot lately.”
“So what if he’s a little girly? Everypony’s okay with him bein’ the way he is,” Apple Bloom remarked.
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, not everypony.”
Spoiled Rich was tickled pink when Diamond’s party was over, doubly so when all the less well-off ponies had cleared out. Diamond Tiara, still playing the good hostess, stood at the gates while everyone made their way home.
“Hope you had a good time,” Diamond said as they passed by. “It was great to have you all.”
“Hey, Diamond?”
Diamond ugh-ed. “Look, Sweetie Belle, I know you want to help Rumble and all, but-”
“I know. I understand, really. You sent that letter to Sugarcube Corner, huh?”
Diamond bit her lip and looked around furtively. The only guests left were Fancy Pants, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the Crusaders’ plus ones. All of them still crowded around the unicorn stallion. Rumble was out in the back, getting the saddle off.
“Yeah. We keep that to ourselves. You know, so when the masks come off, we look good already. So I can hang out with the future duchesses and all the other snobs who are into this kind of thing. And then, you know, my mom and dad have an excuse to meet their parents. Get Filthy Rich’s Dirty Deals some bigger business. Or, well, not bigger business, just better-looking business.”
“I kinda figured. And Rumble’s in it for the practice, huh?”
“Yup. Plus, it’s good to make a name for yourself. Gotta start that early, after all.” She cast a glance towards her mother, who was still working on Fancy Pants. At least he seemed impressed.
“You’re gonna be alone for a couple of days now?”
“Yup. My mom’s leaving in two hours, my daddy’s in Phillydelphia already. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just, umm, random idea. A, err, ‘spur of the moment’ kind of thing. I’ll be right back.”
Diamond Tiara furrowed her brow as Sweetie Belle trotted off. The little unicorn got Spoiled Rich’s attention, looked like she asked something, then Spoiled Rich waggled her hoof as if to shoo the girl away, which got her all excited for some reason. She galloped back.
“Your mom’s okay with it. This is gonna be great, I promise.”
“What did you do?” Diamond asked.
“Just trust me. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Diamond glared.
“This time. I know exactly what I’m doing this time. For sure. I promise.”
Rumble stayed quiet as he walked Sweetie Belle home. It was only when he got to her room that he thought he might have cause for concern, or at least a reason to blush.
Red swirls and hearts decorated the walls, and the windows were floor to ceiling, so it was a bright room. The bed was what drew his attention, though: green wood, a pink sheet, even pinker pillowcase, and hearts and swirls all over. On one side of the room, there was a nightstand, on the other was a lifesize mirror.
All in all, the hearts made it look like a girl’s refuge, like he should feel like an intruder of some sort. “So, umm, why did you want me to come again, exactly?”
“I just wanted to talk,” Sweetie replied, hopping on her bed.
He let out a quick and quiet snort, never changing his expression. “About the cutie mark thing?”
“D’err, yeah, of course! I wanted to talk about you getting your cutie mark sometime. Just sit down and I’ll take some notes.” She grabbed a notepad and floated a pencil over, before patting next to her.
He hopped on her bed. “Okay, what do you want to know?”
Sweetie Belle bit her lip, hiding her face behind the notepad. “Do you think maybe the reason you don’t have your cutie mark yet is because you’re not having any fun with, umm, anything?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, it’s just that…” She sighed, and the pencil dropped. “Okay, actually, forget the notepad. The truth is, we’re all kinda worried about you. You’re always talking about your schedules and your reps, you snap at ponies for little things, it’s like something sucked the fun out of you. And, umm, ponies get their cutie marks when they feel good about themselves, when they have fun. So… can you tell me anything about that, maybe?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “What’s there to talk about? I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, I didn’t think I could do it, so I tried quitting. Rainbow Dash told me not to, you and your friends told me not to, so I didn’t. I didn’t quit, I’m still practising, everypony knows my big secret now, they’re all fine with it. What else is there?”
Sweetie Belle winced. “You didn’t answer my question. Do you ever have any fun?”
“I already told you: for me, flying is fun.”
“Is it? It sure doesn’t look like it.”
“What would you know?”
She sighed and lowered her voice to sound as calming as she could. The odd squeak here and there didn’t help. Or maybe it did, she never could get the hang of that. “I know you want to be a Wonderbolt stallion more than anything in the world. I know the only times you smile, the only times you’re happy, is when you’re explaining things, and when ponies listen to you. And I think I’ve figured out how it is that you don’t have your cutie mark yet, even with all the awesome stuff you can do.”
He huffed.
“It’s not the Wonderbolts part you’re worried about, is it? It’s the stallion part.”
He pouted and looked away.
“I don’t know that much about it, I’ll admit. But I might be able to think of something if you just sat down and explained yourself. You keep pushing yourself back and putting yourself down, and that makes it even harder to listen to you. The only reason you pulled that stunt back there is so Diamond Tiara would feel better.”
“So?”
“So, that still doesn’t change anything for you. You can’t keep doing this. Every time somepony tries to do something for you, you end up making it about them instead. That’s fine if you can handle it, but at some point you’re going to have to do something for yourself, won’t you?”
He groaned. “Why? I’m fine. I’m the best flyer in town, I’m one of the best aerial acrobats my age, and everypony is fine with how girly I am. Why would I even care about getting a cutie mark?”
“Well, even if you don’t care about a cutie mark, and I doubt you don’t, you don’t seem to relax, ever. That can’t be healthy.”
Again, Rumble groaned. “Quit beating around the bush. What do you want from me, really?”
“I want to help. I want to talk. You helped out Apple Bloom when she was getting anxious about Scootaloo. I’ve noticed; she’s a lot more careful now when she needs to be, and a lot less the rest of the time.”
Rumble nodded. “Wonderbolts don’t forsake their duty. They set a good example.”
“And Scootaloo would still be grounded if you hadn’t gotten Thunderlane to help.”
He shrugged again. “Anypony could have done that.”
“But nopony did. You’ve helped us out, Rumble, more than you know. And what you did for Diamond Tiara today was really sweet, not to mention brave.”
“It’s nothing. When are you going to get it? Everypony’s okay with me doing all that girly stuff. There’s nothing wrong with being a girly boy, that’s what everypony says.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “I’ll bet they do. I’ll bet you get that a lot.”
“And they’re right. It’s no big deal: everypony is okay with it.”
“No, everypony else is okay with it. But just because they’re okay with that, doesn’t mean you are. You got a problem with girls?”
He gulped, still not looking her in the eyes.
“Well?”
He shook his head, even when she scooted closer to him.
“I promise I’ll listen,” Sweetie Belle said. “If it’s complicated, you can uncomplicate it. I won’t laugh, I promise.”
“Just tell me what you want me to do already. I’ve got places to be.”
“I’m not asking for any favours, Rumble, that’s the whole point. Every time me and my friends have talked to you, it’s been because we wanted something from you.”
“Of course; that’s what friends do.”
“Yes, but that’s not the only thing friends do. Friends don’t make it this one-sided. I’m not okay with that, and neither are Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. I just… could you please look at me when I’m saying this?”
Reluctantly, he turned his head to look her in the eyes, so he’d see the sincerity in them.
“I wanted to do something nice, for you, just like that. Something you didn’t have to do anything for. Something to make it even. Cutie marks are the best way I know, and you’re not going to get your cutie mark if you keep doing what you’re doing, so here we are. But...” She looked away, giving him an excuse to do the same. “If you don’t want to talk about it, if you really need your space, or your reps, I won’t make you stay. You can leave if that makes you happy.”
He let his head hang. “It wouldn’t.”
She smiled and nudged him with her muzzle. “I’m right, aren’t I? You don’t think you’ll never be a Wonderbolt; you think you’ll never be a stallion.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Even so, his wings clenched. “Yes.”
“So what happened to you, Rumble? How did you get like this?”
He looked up and pondered. “I can’t remember. I’ve always wanted to be a Wonderbolt, for as long as I can remember. I saw my brother, I saw those kids practising at the circus course, and I saw those stallions… Big Mac, Shining Armour, Fancy Pants, Soarin, Wind Rider, ponies respect stallions like them. Those guys make a difference, ponies listen to them. They can motivate ponies, inspire ponies. I loved feeling like that, I still do. I want other ponies to feel inspired like that. But the fact is I’m just not like those stallions.”
“Sure you are. Look at what you did for Diamond Tiara, or Scootaloo. You can be motivating or inspiring, you just have to use your voice.”
“What voice? You mean this squeaky thing down my throat? Who’d listen to that?”
“But boys aren’t supposed to-” She fell silent. Something nagged at the back of her head, warning her not to go any further down that train of thought, not if she wanted to avoid offending him. “Oh. Oooh, that’s why.”
Rumble turned his head to face her again, scowling. “Boys aren’t supposed to what? Have deeper voices already? Look different from girls already? Yes, they are, and they do. They all do. Name one boy in our class who’s got a girly voice like mine. Name one boy you would mistake for a girl the first time you saw him. Face it: I’m the only one.”
Button Mash? No, he had a good, strong chin, same as Shady Daze. Featherweight? No, he had a deeper voice already. Pipsqueak had a pretty high-pitched voice, but even he wasn’t that girly, and he was younger to boot. “But that’s no reason to go crazy practising. You can’t force yourself to grow up. Trust me, I’d know.”
“No, but I can force myself to look grown up. I can do things that grownups do, so I get treated like one. I wanted to look like a pony who could dive and catch a pony his size, so I started diving and catching ponies my size. I wanted to look like a pony with seven wingpower, so I went and got seven wingpower. This is what a pony like that looks like. This is what I look like. I don’t need to grow up faster, I just need to grow up one more bit, so I don’t look like a girl anymore. I just… I want to feel like a stallion. I want to do for ponies what my brother can do, what the Wonderbolt stallions can do.”
“Then why start something girly like that dance stuff in the first place?”
“Because I didn’t think it would matter when I started! I had it all thought out, I had a plan. I had a schedule. It didn’t bother me at first, but then Featherweight’s voice changed, and Snips and Snails, everypony in our class. Mine didn’t. I’ve always been girly, but I thought it would pass. I just thought it’d be over one day, you know? Maybe if I trained harder, I’d be leaner, fitter, there’d be more of a difference. I just kept telling myself it was a problem with my routine, with my schedule. I never had the right routine to show off like a stallion would, that’s what I thought. But that wasn’t the real problem. You’re right: I can’t force it. The problem’s with me. The problem’s always been me.”
Sweetie Belle’s heart felt like it broke at that. “And you couldn’t even quit. Nopony would let you.”
He shook his head. “I’m so talented and dedicated, it’d be a waste. That’s what everypony says. And besides, Diamond Tiara’s my friend, I couldn’t leave her hanging, not when we were getting to the advanced stuff. She’s scared of heights, and I’m the only one she can trust. And that class is the only place where I can practise flying like that. There aren’t any teachers who can tell me how to act around important ponies, either, not for regular kids like me. I did that, on purpose. And, you know, my big brother is already on the Weather Patrol. I wanted to do something he didn’t do, so I wouldn’t end up having to stay in his shadow all the time. Turns out it worked. Just not the way I wanted.”
She nodded. “Okay, I get all that. You’re a late bloomer, like Scootaloo, and that hurts. What I don’t get is why.”
“Why what?”
“Why is it so bad that you get confused for a girl? There’s plenty of strong mares around, plenty of Wonderbolt mares. Everypony else is okay with it, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be.”
“You wouldn’t know. No offense, but you’re a girl. No one confuses you for a boy.”
“Scootaloo looks like a boy, she gets that sometimes,” Sweetie argued.
“Sure, but when Scootaloo gets confused for a boy, ponies assume she likes boy stuff. Which, turns out, she does. She likes scootering, bungee jumping, the works. Take one look at her and you can tell.” Rumble argued. “When ponies confuse me for a girl, they assume I like girly stuff, like dresses, and make-up, and… dancing. I don’t. Or they tell me it’s okay to do this or that, because there’s lots of girls like me who do it.”
“Okay, but that’s still pretty tame. Grooming and make-up are pretty close, and so are aerial performance and dancing.”
“It’s not just that, Sweetie Belle, you’re not listening to me. Nopony ever does.”
She nudged him. “So keep going.”
He clenched his eyes shut and sighed. “Suppose ponies confused you for a boy, and every single time they assumed you liked getting dirty, or playing hoofball, or whatever the colts in class do. You wouldn’t like it either.”
“I don’t know. Wouldn’t I? It doesn’t sound that bad to me, and it shouldn’t bother you that much, either. Ponies don’t laugh at girly boys in the first place. They’re fine with it. Why aren’t you? Nopony laughed at Big Macintosh when he wore a dress.”
Rumble gulped. “When Big Macintosh wears a dress, everyone can tell it’s Big Macintosh in a dress. When I wear a dress, everyone thinks I’m a girl wearing a dress.”
“So...”
“It doesn’t matter that ponies don’t laugh at girly boys. I am fine with girly boys, I don’t mind girly stuff. What I mind is being treated like something I’m not. I’m a boy. I was born a boy. I like being a boy. You want to know why I spend that much time, and that much energy, trying to act like a Wonderbolt stallion? Because when ponies look at me, they see a filly. If ponies can’t treat me like a colt, I’ll make them treat me like a stallion. I don’t...” He wiped his eyes.
“What?”
“If you really want to know why it bugs me so much, imagine this. Imagine you had a brother who was already a fine stallion. Ponies call him lazy, but he still does his best. He doesn’t brag, he doesn’t show off, he just does his job, and he does it well. He’s a Wonderbolt stallion. And he’s on speaking terms with some of the best stallions around. Imagine being surrounded by stallions who are better than you. Imagine being reminded every day of how awesome stallions can be, and imagine doing everything you could to be like them. But every time you do, every single time, some pony reminds you not only are you not like them, but you never will be. That’s what it’s like. I’ve seen the best, I know what they can do, I know what they’re like. I know what I want to be like. And no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, ponies still see me as a filly. Do you have any idea what it’s like to know exactly who you want to be like, to do everything right just like them, and still not get the same respect?”
Sweetie Belle’s heart skipped a beat.
You can help by putting the parsley on.
She could almost feel the humiliation of that birthday party again, the thick layer of lipstick, the saggy dress, the shoes that were too big.
I didn’t know you could burn juice.
And Rarity handing out party favours, getting the guests to stay.
That was the last of my gold silk!
She caught herself before that train of thought went off the rails. “No. No, I don’t know what that’s like at all. I mean, I don’t have a brother. But I can imagine that’s pretty harsh. Just one thing, though: Thunderlane is a grownup. So are the Wonderbolt stallions. You’re not going to grow up faster by training.”
“I don’t care. I just want everything to feel right again. And if I have to act like a stallion for that, I will. There’s no way I’m going to grow up as-” He clenched his jaw before he could finish that sentence.
Sweetie Belle felt a familiar pang in her chest at that. “Wait, hold on. You think you’re never going to be a stallion? Ever? Like, medically? Have you talked to a doctor about that?”
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Of course I have. My dance instructor makes her performers get a check-up every once in a while. I… the doctors always tell me it takes time. Thunderlane tells me it takes time, my mom and dad tell me it takes time. So, like any smart pony, I put time in it. I spend as many hours as I can, working hard to look the way I want to.”
“Rumble, that is not how that works! If the doctors say you’re fine, then you’re fine. That’s how it was for Scootaloo, remember?”
Rumble shook his head. “No, it wasn’t, and you know it. Scootaloo hadn’t seen a doctor, ever. I have, lots of times. And they always tell me that I’m a late bloomer. Every check-up, nothing’s changed, still a girly colt this time. And then the next time, and the next. Every morning I wake up thinking maybe something’s changed, maybe I won’t look or sound like a girl anymore. And every morning, it’s the same.” He let out a nervous chuckle. “The only time I’ve managed to make any real change was for tornado duty. I lost my baby fat, I got lean and hard, like a real athlete. And you know what happened? Ponies thought I was a very sporty filly. My muscles are as hard as I can make them, and they’re still squishy. I started hanging out with you girls, and instead of being the boy with three filly friends, I’m the fourth girl in your group.”
That gave Sweetie Belle pause for thought. There she was, with a boy in her room, on her bed with him, even, unabashed, like he was one of the girls. But he was her friend, surely that wasn’t the same thing? “Not to us, you’re not.”
He smiled and nodded. “I know. I like hanging out with you. You girls are fun.”
“Of course,” Sweetie Belle slapped herself. “You feel like a stallion when we ask you for a favour. You only accept because we keep saying we need a boy.”
He nodded. “I like being needed. I like to help. And… if you girls need a boy, I like being that boy.”
“Gosh, Rumble, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it mattered that much. But you’ve got nothing to worry about, look at you! You’re already doing Wonderbolt level moves, you’ve managed to get a reputation in Canterlot. You can afford to take it easy sometimes.”
“No, I can’t. What if my voice is always this squeaky? What if I never get a stallion’s chin, even if I make it to the Wonderbolts?”
That sounded hauntingly familiar. “You’d still be awesome. You’d still be a Wonderbolt, just like your brother.”
“No. I’d be a Wonderbolt, like Rainbow Dash or Spitfire. I’d be a Wonderbolt mare, until I tell everypony otherwise. I want it to stop. I just wanna be a stallion already, like my brother is, like my heroes are. I’ve worked so hard, I deserve it. Don’t I?”
“Yes, I get that. Really. I can imagine that gets on your nerves. But...”
“But?”
“But then why not try to bulk up? You can put on some muscle, if you tried.”
“I already have,” he retorted. “That tornado thing got me to lose some pounds, and I’m already maxed out on wingpower. I’m built like a rescue flyer, like a performer. I look like a pony who can catch and save someone as heavy as he is, because I am that kind of pony. And I still look girly.”
“But you can’t keep this up, Rumble. You’re only going to end up hurting yourself if you don’t learn to have a little bit of fun. Don’t you think maybe getting your cutie mark would help ponies see you as a stallion?”
He looked down at his flank. “If it’s a good one, maybe. But so what? I can’t control when I get my cutie mark. But I can work out, I can watch what I eat.”
“That’s kind of my point. You want to be the best at flying. You do that aerial performing to get better at flying. You don’t do that to relax, you do that with a purpose: to make ponies see you differently, to feel different. Maybe sometimes you fly for fun, but not all the time, not anymore. You’ve gotten so attached to just one goal you can’t do anything that’s not all about that one goal. It wouldn’t matter if it was a stallion thing or not, you’d still be just as uptight about it. I’ll bet you fly on such a tight schedule, you even feel sick when you miss a day.”
He grumbled. “Have you been talking to my mom?”
“I don’t need to. My big sister is just like that. Thing is, she still treats herself to days at the spa when she’s done a good job. Or she goes out to enjoy herself. Everything you’re doing right now, every bit of flying, every second in school, even the dancing, none of that is fun. It’s all with a purpose, and that means it’s work. Real stallions do work, but they take breaks when they need to. You don’t. So, if you don’t mind me saying so, maybe you wanna try finding something to enjoy. Something that’s not competitive, maybe. Something you don’t have to be good at, or better yet, something you can’t be good at. You know, maybe you could make some friends over that, and you’d have someone to compare to.”
“What friends? There’s no other pony in town like me.”
“I know. Except Diamond Tiara, sort of. That’s, umm, that’s the other part of why I asked you over. Me and the girls, mostly me, we tried to find somepony else who was into the whole dedicated practice thing. That’s why that whole mess with Zippy happened. I saw Rose Petal and Willow Bark in Canterlot. And I thought Zippy was you.”
“So you mistook me for a girl. Thanks for proving my point.”
She chuckled nervously. “Eheh, yeah, just once. But, in my defence, you were covered up. I thought maybe if I got you and that girl together, it’d be good for you. So I asked Missus Swirl and one thing led to another. I’m really sorry, I should have told you.”
He blushed. “You talked to Missus Swirl about me? What did she say?”
“She spoke very highly of you, both of you. But she did mention you were a little too, umm, highly strung.”
He nodded. “Uhuh. So, what, you want me to get a different hobby now, stop flying so much and then I’ll lighten up and get my cutie mark?”
“No. I’d tell you to just lighten up, but… if it was that easy, you’d have done that already. I really wanted to help you get a cutie mark, Rumble, honest. But the truth is, I don’t think there’s anything I can say, or any other pony, that’d get through to you. I think you do have to work it out on your own. I can tell you to get a hobby, but I can’t pick one for you. And I don’t want you to stop flying so much. If you’re really that dedicated, and if you can keep yourself safe, then I don’t have any business telling you to stop. It’s just the hours you’re not flying that I might look into.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being honest. And not talking down to me.”
“Any time.”
They sat back and looked at each other in Sweetie’s mirror.
“It’s strange, you know,” Sweetie Belle said.
“What?”
“Next to Scootaloo or Apple Bloom, you do look kind of girly. No offence.”
“None taken.”
She shuffled even closer to him, to the point their faces touched, so she could compare more easily. “But next to me, next to a girly girl, you look like a proper stallion. I guess that’s why you like Diamond Tiara, too, huh? She makes you look more boyish.”
He perked up at that. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. But that’s only because I’m not wearing my costume. Like I said, you’d never know I was a boy if I wore a dress. Not like the other colts in school.”
Sweetie gasped. “That’s it!” She jumped and rushed to her dresser. “Lie back, I have an idea.”
“What? Why? Whoa!” Before he could react, a magical pull flung him backwards. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t worry, I can make a real stallion out of you right here and now.” She rummaged through her stuff and hopped over to straddle him.
“What the-hey, don’t-” He wriggled under her weight, but she pushed him down.
“Hold still, this’ll only take a second. It’ll feel a little wet at first, but… there.” Sweetie got off of him and pushed him upright.
“What was that for?” He rubbed his chest, still confused at what she’d done.
“Just look in the mirror.”
He looked and had to suppress a gasp. Even without Sweetie Belle next to him, the difference was staggering. “I’m… I’m a stallion? How?”
She went to her drawer again and got a piece of cloth to wrap around his neck. “A little bit of gel on your chest, and some styling into peaks, makes it look fuzzier and less girly smooth. And if you wear a scarf, you can look really masculine, just like Big Mac.”
“I’ve already tried dressing up, Sweetie Belle. Last Nightmare Night, everypony thought I was dressed up as Fleetfoot.” He gagged.
“Maybe, but that was a Wonderbolts costume.”
“Huh?” He squinted, confused.
“A skintight costume, like what you wear when you perform,” Sweetie explained. “You don’t have the size or the angles of a stallion yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fake it. Here. It’s only a hanky, but just try it.”
Rumble didn’t object as the piece of cloth was wrapped around his neck. He did remark on it once it was done, though. With the artificially fuzzed up chest covered, he looked like a proper Canterlot lady. “See? Just makes me look girly.”
“Do you always wear it like that?”
“I don’t usually wear anything, but yes. That’s how they wear it in Canterlot, that’s how I learned. Same with bow ties.”
“And who taught you how to wear those?”
“I saw a couple girls explain it, in the dressing rooms. What does that matter?”
She nudged him again. “See, that’s your problem. This is how girls wear scarves: tight around the neck.”
“And you’d know, how?”
“I saw it in a picture, Apple Bloom showed me. Look, girls wear it like this to look slender, but boys wear stuff on their neck more loosely, like this.” Another tug of magic, and the hanky spread out. She gave him a gentle rub around his collarbone. “Leave your throat exposed, and a little bit of your chest covered. That makes your neck look bigger, and your shoulders look broader. Big Macintosh looks bigger around the neck because he wears a collar, and Fancy Pants wears his tuxedo to look bigger, too.”
Rumble tilted his head. “Huh. I never thought about that.”
“See? All the girls you hang out with only know how girls pretty up, because they’re just that: pretty girls. None of the boys around town know how groom or accessorise at all. The only boy in town who does that is you, and nopony taught you. But my sister does this sort of thing all the time. It’s just like you said: sometimes it’s the little things that trip you up. And sometimes a different perspective helps.”
“Like Scootaloo and Thunderlane?”
“Exactly. Or me and you.” She shrugged and smiled. “I know this doesn’t fix everything, but… you already act like a proper stallion, you really do.” She gestured to the scarf. “It doesn’t take much to make you look like a proper stallion. Ponies would recognise you for the boy you are if you made just a tiny little adjustment. But more importantly…” She winced in sympathy. “Maybe if you started seeing yourself as one, you’d feel like one, too.”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
“And don’t forget that you can talk to ponies, okay? Even if it’s not me or the girls, there’s still Rainbow Dash and Miss Cheerilee.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her.
“Or, you know, ponies who wouldn’t mess it up. Big Macintosh would probably understand. So would Rarity.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks. And I’ll take your Cutie Mark Crusader advice and see if maybe I can’t find anything else to do for fun. Just for fun. On my own. When I’m not doing my reps.”
She smiled at him. “Let me know what it is when you find it, and I’ll join you.”
He looked her in the eyes and blushed, confused.
“You know, just for fun. And research for other cutie mark problems. Obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“Oh, and speaking of fun, I had another idea for Diamond Tiara’s birthday present, and I was wondering if you wanted to join in.”
“What is it?”
“Just a sleepover and a movie night. Me, Diamond, some friends. Mostly girls, but one other boy.”
“Oh, okay. Anypony I know?”
“Spike!”
The dragon came waddling towards the entrance. “What is it, Twilight?”
“They’re here. Did you get the snacks?”
Spike counted the first load of snacks on his fingers. “Err, the nachos are done, the cheese is in the oven, popcorn is popping, hot pockets are defrosting. Hey, girls.”
“Hi, Spike,” the girls said in unison.
“Hey, Rumble,” Spike greeted.
The boy’s ears twitched. “Hey, Spike.”
“Everypony bring their sleeping bags?” Twilight asked.
As one, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Rumble, held up their bags, containing peejays and sleeping bags.
“Good. It was a little bit short notice, but I have a wonderful evening planned.”
“Umm, what exactly do you have planned?” Rumble asked.
“Movie night,” Spike replied. “We turned one of the castle halls into a cinema room when Tirek wrecked the one downtown. Now that they’ve fixed it, it’s a private movie theatre.”
The herd of kids walked on, Rumble still in pondering mode. “So… we’re just going to watch movies? Just that?”
“Yup, just that. It’s Pirates of the Merry Bean: six hours of non-stop swashbuckling and black magic and undead. What, you don’t like movies?”
“I don’t usually watch movies,” Rumble replied. “Kinda busy, you know? Flying and all.”
Spike nodded. “Oh, yeah, me too. There’s always stuff to do around here.”
“Make sure you check on dinner, Spike. You don’t want a repeat of last time you had to rush a defrosting.”
Without another word, the dragon was off.
The rest of the herd got out their sleeping bags and took position in the move room, Twilight behind them. Spike brought in plates of nachos, chips, popcorn, the works.
“What’s that smell?” Rumble asked, curling his nose. “Smells plastic-y.”
Spike quickly dashed off to close a door in the back. “That is the smell of a well-kept collection.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “He likes to keep his comic book collection in bags. It’s a good way to keep them in mint condition, but the plastic can get a bit smelly sometimes. Not to mention the ink on the fresh copies.”
Rumble tilted his head. “Comic book collection?”
“Yeah. You don’t have any comics?” Spike asked.
“Well, no. I mean, it’s not like there’s any competition for it, right?”
Spike shrugged. “Comics aren’t for competing; they’re for reading. And to brag about owning. Did you know there’s only three issues of the Power Ponies with a misprint on the cover?”
“Err… no? I guess that must be rare, then, huh?”
“I’ll say,” Spike replied. “You gotta go all the way to Canterlot to get the good foreign comics, but trying to catch a train in this town is a nightmare. I mean, seriously, why do I need to show my ID every single time?! Rainbow Dash flies into five buildings after a night out and nopony bats an eye, but I burn down one train cart-”
“Spike, what did I tell you about your train rant?” Twilight asked.
“Don’t bother other ponies with it; it’s not their fault,” he droned.
“I thought Canterlot was pretty close to Ponyville?” Rumble asked.
“Yes, but it’s still too far for a baby dragon to walk,” Twilight said as she set up the projector. “And it’s definitely too far to walk alone. So that leaves the train, but you have to plan ahead for that, and Sir Dragon doesn’t always manage that.”
Spike almost choked on a popcorn kernel then. “Hey, it’s not my fault your magic missile muffin misfired.”
“So why not just fly to Canterlot?” Rumble asked.
“Ixnay on the ying-flay, Rumble,” Sweetie Belle whispered.
Spike shrugged awkwardly. “I haven’t grown wings yet. I’m not even sure if I’ll ever grow any.”
“Can’t somepony else fly you, then?" the colt argued. "It’s only a short flight.”
“Yeah, but Twilight doesn’t usually have twenty minutes to spare to fly me that far.”
Rumble quirked an eyebrow. “Twenty minutes? Canterlot’s, like, five minutes away.”
Spike shook his head. “Nuh-uh. It’s twenty minutes, with me on her back.”
“Five minutes,” Rumble insisted. “With Diamond Tiara on mine.”
Spike’s eyes narrowed. “Prove it.”
Twilight had the oddest sense of déjà vu then. She quickly checked where her umbrella was, just in case. “Boys, no. There will be no proving tonight, nor any challenges, gauntlets, or duels.”
The two boys still glared at each other.
“And no bets, either!”
“Aww,” the boys whined.
“Really, you two, you can save that for tomorrow. Tonight is just a movie night. Which reminds me: happy birthday, Diamond Tiara. I had a present ready around here somewhere...”
“Let’s take care of that after the Kraken shows up, okay, Twilight? Now come on, it’s showtime!” Spike called out and flopped on some cushions that had suspicious dragonscale-shaped indentations in them.
Rumble settled in. A movie night wasn’t his cup of tea, but he’d never tried it before, he might as well. Thunderlane knew where he was. He didn’t ponder it long, since he was distracted by a warmth on his flanks. Sweetie Belle was nestled in close against him.
“You don’t mind if I stay close, do you? It’s got monsters, and I always get scared when monsters show up,” she whispered. “And Scootaloo just makes it worse.”
He unfurled a wing over her back. “I don’t mind. That’s what Wonderbolts are for.”
“Thanks. But you don’t need to act like a Wonderbolt now. It’s a movie night. You can relax.”
As Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon got settled in, Spike got everyone what they wanted like a good host - including some carrots for the health freak colt to munch on - and flopped back onto his seat. With a flash of unicorn magic and the whirr of a projector, the movie started to play. Rumble let out a content sigh and smiled when the room went dark.
“Yeah. It’s just a movie.”
To his side, Spike was already sitting comfortably, with his snacks, enjoying a treat well earned. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were huddled together like he and Sweetie Belle were, while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were already making bets about who’d jump first.
No pressure, no performance.
Or rather, somepony else doing the performing, and performing something he wouldn’t have to repeat later.
He let his body unwind against Sweetie Belle’s and kept her close with his wing, smiling as the lights dimmed and the movie started. “I think I can relax to this.”
The end.