Sweet Affection: Young Love

by Masterob

School Hijinks

The romance between Rumble and Sweetie Belle had a very successful first day as far as dates go. Both lovers had gone home with a feeling of satisfaction.

Rumble could not wait to tell Thunderlane and his old babysitters about his first date, the four sitting together around the table.

"The arcade was fun, the restaurant was great and the stroll through the park was just perfect," Rumble said. "Sweetie Belle and I really hit it off today, it felt so natural for us."

"That's great bro, I'm happy for you," Thunderlane said, offering a thumbs up.

"I always knew you'd be perfect boyfriend material," Cloudchaser said. "All credit goes to myself and Flitter of course."

"Hey, I attributed too," Thunderlane said. "I taught Rumble all about how to properly woo ladies."

"And we told him to ignore you, since you pretty much suck at wooing," Cloudchaser said, offering a snarky grin to her friend.

Thunderlane furrowed his brow, "Geez, with friends like you, I don't even need enemies."

"It's all about making sure Rumble is set for the future," Cloudchaser said. "Sorry if me or Flitter need to be brutally honest from time to time."

"Wow, what a genuine sounding apology," Thunderlane sarcastically lamented.

"Hey accept it or don't, it doesn't mean much to us," Cloudchaser said.

"Hey, ease up sis, we want to be stern, not mean," Flitter scolded.

"Yeah, you're right, sorry Thunder," Cloudchaser said.

"It's fine," Thunderlane said. "Let's focus on Rumble, this was a big day for him after all."

"I'm gonna have more soon, and I'm super excited," Rumble said. "I can't wait to do more with Sweetie Belle. I just hope I can keep being a good boyfriend to her."

"Treat her well, and you have absolutely nothing to worry about," Flitter said.

"And remember, if you and Sweetie Belle ever want to...you know...get closer," Thunderlane awkwardly said. "Just make sure you're well guarded for that."

"Uh...right, of course," Rumble awkwardly agreed.

"Let's not rush that, they just started dating after all," Cloudchaser said. "But seriously, Rumble, if you get lucky, just remember to be lucky responsibly."

"Ugh, no more talk of this, Rumble's too young for that anyway," Flitter said.

"Tch, yeah, sure he is," Cloudchaser teased.

"Hey, I plan to take it slow," Rumble said. "Right now, I just want to be the best boyfriend possible for Sweetie Belle."

"You'll be fine," Thunderlane said.

"Yeah, I bet you make her as happy as she makes you, and is right now thinking about your next date," Flitter said.

"Yeah, our next date," Rumble said, thinking about that coming day.

Meanwhile in her house, Sweetie Belle unfortunately did not have this luck of supportive siblings when talking to Rarity.

"What exactly happened on that date!?" Rarity asked. "Did he flirt with you? Did he get frisky? I bet he got frisky. Probably mentally undressing you the whole time. That boy only wants one thing, I just know it."

"Ugh, will you give it a rest!?" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Nothing weird happened on the date! We played games, we ate, we went to the park, and we kissed, that's all!"

"Ugh, kissing, why?" Rarity whined. "You're too young for that!"

"Rarity, it's kissing, it's not like I'm sleeping with him," Sweetie Belle said, nearly causing Rarity to faint.

"Where could you have learned such a dirty mindset?" Rarity dreadfully asked.

"Ugh, this is stupid," Sweetie Belle said. "Rarity, I appreciate that you're looking out for me, but Rumble was nothing but nice during our date. You have nothing to worry about!"

"Well if I have nothing to worry about, then you won't mind if I have a word with Rumble, do you?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, please, do so," Sweetie Belle said. "See for yourself that he's a total sweetheart."

"I will see for myself that he is in fact not a sweetheart, and when the time comes, BOOM! I will expose that little runt!" Rarity said.

"You're so full of shit," Sweetie Belle said.

"Watch that mouth of yours!" Rarity scolded.

"Yeah whatever, can I go now?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I don't know why you're freaking out anyway? I bet mom and dad are fine with this."

"Did you tell them?" Rarity asked.

"No, I'm waiting for them to come back from dad's coaching trip," Sweetie Belle said. "But if dad were here, he'd just tell me to be careful with boys but he trusts my judgement."

"Daddy's just too soft sometimes," Rarity said.

"More like he's confident in how he raised us and knows his daughters are smart, hence why he and mom give us so much liberty!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Just wait until he actually sees you dating, see if that confidence lasts," Rarity said.

"Wow...you're just so...honestly, I'm done," Sweetie Belle marched off.

"Don't you walk away from me, young lady!" Rarity said.

"You're not mom, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she stormed off.

"Kids these days..." Rarity lamented. "I should contact Twilight and the others, see who's willing to help keep an eye on Sweetie Belle, and that devious little Rumble too."

The following was school, all the kids had returned from their weekend, not too eager to resume school, but at the very least, found enjoyment from hanging out with friends.

Rumble had looked around for his girlfriend in the hallway, finding the girl near her locker. "Sweetie Belle!"

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle turned to see her oncoming boyfriend. "Rumble!"

Rumble greeted her with a kiss, "Hey, how's it going?"

"Eh, same old," Sweetie Belle said.

"How did your sister react to our date?" Rumble asked.

"About as well as you think, I imagine Thunderlane was cool about it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Super cool," Rumble said. "He gave me some tips, which Flitter and Cloudchaser suggested that I ignore."

"Aw, I bet they weren't so bad," Sweetie Belle said. "But you just go with what seems right to you, I trust your judgement."

"I'm glad," Rumble said, rubbing his nose against hers. "Let’s hang out later."

"Totally," Sweetie Belle said. "After school we can-"

"Ahem!" Rarity said, getting their attention. The older woman was tapping her foot, looking very unsatisfied by the sight before her. "These are school hours, save that type of mingling for another time, preferably never."

"Come on, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Now, now, your sister just wants what's best for you, we can talk later," Rumble said.

"...Fine," Sweetie Belle said, making her leave. "I'll see you in class Rumble!"

"See you then," Rumble said, turning around and finding himself face to face with Rarity. "Uh, sup?"

"Listen here, young man," Rarity said, getting in Rumble's face and slightly terrifying the boy. "My little Sweetie Belle has a fine set of school years ahead of her that will venture out into a find adulthood. I do not want you running it with your...your…male hormones!"

"Rarity, with all due respect, I don't think you're giving me or Sweetie Belle enough credit here," Rumble said. "I treat Sweetie Belle with the respect she deserves. I'd like to think I can earn your respect too, if you give me a chance."

"Are you feeling that confident in yourself?" Rarity asked.

"Well, yeah, I am," Rumble said. "I swear I like your sister for being more than just some pretty face. She's a really nice girl, you're clearly a great influence on her."

"Oh no, do not try to butter me up," Rarity said. "I've seen this trick before and it will not work on me."

"What can I do to prove myself then?" Rumble asked. "And don't ask me to break up with her, that's the one thing I refuse to do."

"Well, if you're that confident in yourself, then you wouldn't mind if I sit on your next date, would you?" Rarity asked.

"Uh, sure, I guess," Rumble said.

"Good answer," Rarity said, turning around. "Remember, I will have my eye on you."

Rumble scratched his head in confusion as Rarity walked away. "Man, she's a little scary sometimes."

Suddenly Rainbow Dash appeared beside him, resting her arm on his shoulder, "She is, isn't she?"

"Huh? Where'd you come from?" Rumble asked.

"I just saw Rarity giving you a nice chat," Rainbow Dash said. "Let me guess, she's still peeved about you dating Sweetie Belle?"

"Yeah, and it really bothers me," Rumble said. "I really like Sweetie Belle, and I know I can be a good boyfriend for her. So why doesn't Rarity trust me to date her sister?"

"Rarity's just protective, some siblings are like that, usually when it comes to girls," Rainbow Dash said. "An older brother is very protective his little sister, and a big sister is usually cautious when it comes to her little brother, but sometimes that can go to a little sister too."

"I guess, Flitter's a bit protective, but even she wouldn't act this way toward Sweetie Belle," Rumble said, the boy looking dejected. "It just really bothers me."

"Oh stop worrying so much," Rainbow Dash insisted. "Just tell me this, do you like Sweetie Belle?"

"Yeah, I do, a lot," Rumble said. "I really like Sweetie Belle. It has nothing to do with her looks or her body either. Don't get me wrong, she's very pretty, but it has more to do than just her looks. She has a kind and generous personality, and she's always there for others, especially her friends. Her name literally fits her personality. Sweet like sugar, and she's a Belle, a true beauty. That's really how I feel about her."

Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow in confusion, "Dang kid, you didn't need to get all sappy on me."

"Uh, sorry, I couldn't help it," Rumble said, the boy's face turning red from the awkwardness.

"Eh, it's fine," Rainbow Dash said. "I guess it's nice that you feel this strongly. Any girl would be happy to have a guy who loves them this much. I know that if a guy felt this way about me, he'd be a keeper. Of course I have yet to meet a guy man enough for me but the future is unknown."

"My brother's single," Rumble said.

"Uh...right," Rainbow Dash said, the girl feeling a bit awkward. "I like Thunderlane, but we don't really match too well. He needs a girl more his personality."

"Sure, I guess if you say so," Rumble said.

"Look, focus on you right now," Rainbow Dash said.

"Right, of course," Rumble still seemed worried. "What do I do about Rarity?"

"Be mindful of her feelings, but don't let her walk all over you," Rainbow Dash said, then playfully rubbed Rumble's head. "You got this, dude."

"Thanks Dash," Rumble said, then heard the bell ring. "Crap, we're gonna be late!"

"Catch you later!" Rainbow Dash said, speeding to her class.

"Wow she's fast! She's super human!" Rumble said, then immediately bolted to his own class.

The school day went on, Miss Cheerilee doing her usual lesson.

Apple Bloom paid attention as per normal, Scootaloo looked like she'd rather be anywhere else, Button Mash was secretly playing a game, Tender Taps was tapping his fingers while doodling a picture of Twilight, Dinky was asleep on her desk, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were gossiping in the back, Noi was admiring the flowers outside, Carrot Crunch was trying to understand what was being taught and Lily Longsocks just sat there in quiet.

Rumble and Sweetie Belle were sitting next to each other, secretly passing notes to one another while pretending to take actual notes.

"So if we take the square root and divide that result by three, what answer will we get?" Cheerilee asked, seeing only student raising her hand. "Apple Bloom?"

"The answer is twenty-four!" Apple Bloom said.

"Correct, thank you for paying attention Apple Bloom, if only your CLASSMATES," this startled everyone into focusing. "Would do the same. I would like for someone other than Apple Bloom to answer the next question, at this point she's earned enough class participation credits to last her the next three years."

"It's nothing really," Apple Bloom said. "Ah just want to be good at math, mah family does run a farm."

"Yes, mathematics is important when running a farm, especially when managing finances, something your brother excels at quite excellently in fact," Cheerilee said.

"You mean your boyfriend?" Diamond Tiara teased.

"Watch it young lady, unless you want to clean erasers after class today!" Cheerilee warned. "Now can anyone else try the next question? How about you, Scootaloo?"

"Come on! I wasn't even raising my hand!" Scootaloo complained.

While the two had a back and forth, Rumble quickly passed Sweetie Belle a note, the girl taking a moment to read it, giggling to herself afterwards.

This however caught Cheerilee's attention, "Is there something funny you want to share with the class, Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie Belle froze, nervously looking up at the disappointed Cheerilee, "Uh..."

"Hand it over," Cheerilee said, taking the note from Sweetie Belle. While nervous that Cheerilee would read the note out loud, she was relieved when the teacher simply placed it away in her pocket. "Sweetie Belle, you know better than you engage in this type of behavior in class. I am very disappointed in you."

"Sorry Miss Cheerilee," Sweetie Belle said.

Acting quickly, Rumble came to his girlfriend's aid, "It's my fault Miss Cheerilee. The notes were my idea. If you're going to be at someone, be mad at me."

"I don't want to be mad at either of you, I just want you to behave," Cheerilee said. "I commend you for speaking up and taking responsibility for your actions, but you know these actions have consequences."

"Yes, I know," Rumble said. "I'll take full responsibility."

Cheerilee could tell that Rumble was sincere in what he said, and she did find it admirable that he wanted to take blame off of Sweetie Belle. "I will let you off with a warning, just this once. If you do this again, then it's detention for both of you."

"Yes ma'am!" Rumble and Sweetie Belle said.

"You can have your note back after class, for now it's learning time," Cheerilee said. "Now, who was I calling on to answer the question?"

"Scootaloo, ma'am," Diamond Tiara said, much to the girl's annoyance.

"Yes, Scootaloo's next," Cheerilee said. Scootaloo glared at Diamond Tiara, the girl sticking her tongue out. "And then Diamond Tiara can answer the one after that."

"Who me!?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"I'll be sure to remind you, Miss Cheerilee," Scootaloo said, grinning at the rich girl.

"Oooh," Diamond Tiara growled.

Next came gym class, run by Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts Track Team. They were all currently participating on an outdoor field.

"Alright, today we're going to play some dodgeball!" Fleetfoot said.

"I'm sorry, we're what!?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"Sweet, I call the opposite of Diamond Tiara's team!" Scootaloo said.

"Alright, you two can be team captains then," Fleetfoot said.

"...Son of a..." Diamond Tiara lamented.

"Pick your members," Fleetfoot said.

"Sweet, I pick Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo said.

"Hell yeah!" Apple Bloom said, high fiving Scootlaoo.

"Ooooh, fine, I pick Lily Longsocks!" Diamond Tiara said.

"Who me!?" Lily asked.

"Yes you!" Diamond Tiara demanded, the nervous girl making her way over.

"I pick Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo said, bringing the girl over.

"Picking best friends are we? Fine, I pick Silver Spoon!" Diamond Tiara said, her friend coming over.

"Next...Rumble," Scootaloo said.

Diamond Tiara groaned in annoyance. "Dang it, I should have picked him, he's an athlete!" She looked around again, "Uh...I pick Carrot Crunch." "Perfect, he can be a shield, his teeth are already bad enough, not like they can get worse."

"I pick Dinky Doo!" Scootaloo said.

"Sweet!" Dinky said, heading over to her side.

"Uh...Tender Taps!" Diamond Tiara said.

"Wow, me?" Tender Taps asked.

"Yeah, you're fast on your feet!" Diamond Tiara said.

Tender Taps did a quick tap dance routine, "She's not wrong."

"Alright, last two," Fleetfoot said, gesturing to Button Mash and Noi, the latter kneeling over to observe a flower.

"No way I'm getting picked last compared to this flower lover," Button Mash said. "I am totally-"

"I pick Noi," Scootaloo said.

"Hm?" Noi looked up. "Okay."

She merrily skipped over, leaving Button Mash dumbfounded.

"Are you freaking kidding me!?" Button Mash asked in disbelief.

"Ugh, I guess I pick Button Mash then," Diamond Tiara said.

"Wow, I feel soooo honored!" Button Mash sarcastically commented.

"Just get your ass over here," Diamond Tiara demanded as Button Mash marched over.

"Let's try to use some friendlier language here," Fleetfoot scolded as some assistants placed the six dodge balls in the middle of the ground.

In the meantime, at a nearby track, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and their friends were running along with Thunderlane and the twins before taking note of the dodgeball game.

"Whoa, check out Rumble," Cloudchaser said.

"Is that my sister? Playing dodgeball!?" Rarity asked in disbelief. "What moron thought that was a good idea!?"

"I hope things turn out alright," Twilight said.

"They'll be fine...looks like it's a team led by Rumble against a team led by Diamond Tiara," Sunset said.

"Pfft, Rumble's Team so has this," Rainbow Dash said.

"Well with mah sister on the team, yeah they certainly do," Applejack said.

Nearby Spike, who was nearly out of breath, took note of the situation, "Uh...why did you stop running?"

"Free dodgeball game, come join us," Pinkie Pie said.

"Wait, should we be stopping? What if Coach Spitfire sees us?" Flutterhy asked.

"It's cool, she's a pal of mine, she'll give us some leniency," Rainbow Dash said.

Fleetfoot was about to begin the game. "Alright, ready and..." Both teams got ready to move, focused entirely on the balls before them. With that, Fleetfoot blew her whistle. "GO!"

Everyone rushed to grab a ball, three on one side, three on the other. Rumble, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle each had a ball on one side while Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and Button Mash had one on the other.

Rumble had to figure out who to hit and fast, "Button Mash? No, too easy. I need to take out a good player. Besides he has a ball, even he might get lucky."

Tender Taps just maneuvered around, keeping an eye on everyone, "Stay with the rhythm, stay with the rhythm."

"Take this!" Scootaloo tried hitting Tender Taps with a ball, but he did a sidestep and avoided it.

"So close!" Tender Taps taunted, picking up the dodgeball. "Now it's my turn."

Rumble still looked around, using his ball to shield oncoming throws, giving his teammates more of an advantage. "Now's my chance!""

He threw a ball at Diamond Tiara, the girl pulling Carrot Crunch in front of her to take the hit to the stomach. "Hey watch where you're throwing!"

"Carrot Crunch, you're out!" Fleetfoot said as the boy stumbled off the field while holding his stomach. "Also, please don't use your teammates as a shield against their will, that's rude!"

"At least it wasn't his face," Diamond Tiara said.

"One down," Rumble said, picking up a nearby ball. "Who's next?"

"Got you now!" Scootaloo threw a ball, this one hitting Silver Spoon in the sides.

"Silver Spoon, you're out," Fleetfoot said.

"Dang it!" Silver Spoon said, stomping off.

Dinky threw one at Tender Taps, but he again dodged by leaping over the ball. "Almost!"

"Ugh, hold still!" Dinky was about to throw again with another ball, but Diamond Tiara got a cheap shot to her leg.

"You're out Dinky," Fleetfoot said.

"Aw, sorry guys," Dinky said as she left.

"It's fine, we're still willing," Scootaloo said. "Now, who's-"

"Take this!" Tender Taps threw a ball at her stomach.

"Scootaloo's out," Fleetfoot said.

"Yes! I got one!" Tender Taps cheered, then reeled back from Scootaloo's glare.

"You know, it would suck if your leg got broken before your next performance," Scootaloo threatened with a cold glare.

Tender Taps nervously gulped at the tone of Scootaloo's voice. "Uh..."

"Hey, come on Scootaloo, be a better sport," Fleetfoot scolded as Scootaloo left the field. "Alright, keep going!"

While everyone was playing, Noi was admiring a flower, much to Rumble's confusion.

"That girl really loves her plants," He focused on who was left. "Still four, I should go for Tender Taps since he's their best guy right now."

Rumble tried throwing the ball at the dancer, but he swiftly dodged, "Nice try, Rumble!"

"Dang your good," Rumble said.

Rainbow Dash seemed impressed, "Great showing so far."

"Tender Taps is doing pretty dang amazing," Applejack said.

"Sure is," Twilight said, calling to the boy. "Tender Taps! Way to go!"

Tender Taps's ear twitched as he turned to his crush, "Tw-tw-twilight!?"

"Great work!" Twilight called, offering a peace sign.

"Uh...thanks! I won't let you-" Tender Taps took a hit, courtesy of Apple Bloom.

"Got him!" the farmer girl cheered, fist bumping Rumble.

"Tender Taps!" Twilight called, unaware of Sunset's smug grin.

"I'm fine!" Tender Taps insisted.

Fleetfoot turned around, "Shouldn't you all be running!?"

"Taking a break!" Rainbow Dash called.

Fleetfoot shrugged it off, "Whatever, if Spitfire freaks out it's on you."

"Crap...crap," Button Mash wasn't sure what to do, as the numbers dwindled, he was much more vulnerable.

Sweetie Belle threw the ball next, this one nearly hitting Button Mash, though the boy was quick to duck. Upon standing up, he realized he was still in. "My turn!" He rushed to grab a ball and frantically threw it to the other side.

Instead of hitting a player however, the ball crushed a flower that Noi was looking at, the girl looking distraught.

"Dang I missed," Button Mash, threw the ball again. "This time-"

Noi caught the ball in one hand, glaring right at Button Mash as she flung it full speed at the gamer boy, knocking him out of the field, taking everyone by surprise.

"Uh...Button Mash is out," Fleetfoot said.

"Crap!" Diamond turned to Lily and presented her with some dodgeballs. "Unleashed that inner demon!"

"Uh...okay," Lily threw the ball, this one hard enough to hit Apple Bloom in the shoulder, nearly knocking her over.

"Apple Bloom's out," Fleetfoot said.

"Awesome, do it again!" Diamond Tiara said.

Lily thew another, hitting Noi and skidding her back.

"Noi is out," Fleetfoot said.

"Not so tough now, are you flower girl!?" Diamond Tiara taunted, patting Lily's back. "Now keep going!"

While nervous in deciding, Lily looked between Rumble and Sweetie Belle, unsure who to hit first. Taking a chance, she wound up the ball really tight and threw it, the ball going straight to the young fashion lover.

"No!" Rumble called.

"GAH!" Sweetie Belle braced for impact, but nothing happened. She heard a hit, but it wasn't her. She looked up to see that Rumble had taken the hit for her, the force of the impact knocking him to the ground, leaving him dazed and confused. "Rumble!?"

"Whoa"! Fleetfoot went to check on the boy alongside the rest of his team. Thunderlane, Flitter and Cloudchaser went to check on him too, along with Twilight and her friends, seeing that not only did he have a black eye and some swelling, but he was bleeding from his mouth, having accidentally bitten his lip. "Looks like you need a nurse."

"Whoa, you feeling okay, bro?" Thunderlane asked, holding up a pair of fingers. "Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Rectangle," Rumble replied.

"Okay, Rumble, that's a shape," Scootaloo said. "Dang though, your face got fucked up pretty badly."

"Scootaloo!" Twilight scolded. "You could have worded that better!"

Lily had also gotten a look at Rumble, remorse filling her being, "I'm so sorry Rumble! I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's fine...it's just a scratch," a woozy Rumble insisted as Thunderlane helped him up.

"It's fine kid, accidents happen," Thunderlane reassured Lily. "My brother's tough, he'll be fine."

"Hey, seriously! What about me!?" Button Mash shouted.

"What about you!? Loser!" Scootaloo said.

"Scootaloo!" Twilight scolded.

"Geez, some of these kids and how freely they talk," Fleetfoot said. "Where the hell could they have learned something like that?"

Twilight glared at Fleetfoot for her comment, "Total mystery."

"Rumble!" Sweetie Belle said, checking his face.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, why so sad? It's just a bruise," Rumble reassured, still dazed. "At least it didn't affect your pretty face."

"Heh, even dazed my little brother is into you," Thunderlane said, assisting Rumble. "I'll take him to see Nurse Redheart."

"Wait, who wins?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"No one, I'm calling it," Fleetfoot said.

"Bogus, I still had two members left!" Diamond Tiara said. "Technically speaking, my team won!"

"Ugh, fine, your team wins," Scootaloo said. "Stop whining already."

Diamond Tiara pouted as Rumble was led away by Thunderlane and Fleetfoot.

Seeing Rumble having taken that hit for Sweetie Belle did make Rarity wonder about the boy, mixed feelings running through her mind.

"Well, pretty chivalrous of him to take that hit, wouldn't you say?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I suppose so, then again he could have been showing off too, so there's that," Rarity said.

"Seriously? He did something nice for me, just admit that he's a good boyfriend," Sweetie Belle said.

"I will reserve my judgement when the time comes, for now I will give him the benefit of the doubt," Rarity said.

Sweetie Belle shrugged it off, "I suppose it's better than nothing. I'm gonna go check on him."

As she walked off, Rainbow Dash took the moment to talk to Rarity, "Just so you know, he really does like her. He said some pretty sappy stuff about her, enough to make me gag."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rarity said as she left.

Twilight felt confident that Rarity would change her mind, meanwhile she wanted to check on Tender Taps, ensure the boy was alright, "Hey, sorry I distracted you."

"Huh!?" Tender Taps saw that Twilight was close to him, the boy steaming from her presence. "Uh...yeah, totally. It's fine, you could never distract me, not in a bad way at least."

"Good grief..." Sunset lamented.

Lily was being consoled by Pinkie Pie, feeling a little better after the older girl told a joke, just as Fluttershy was checking on Button Mash, the boy grateful for her Kindness while Applejack showed Noi some prettier flowers to maintain her positive mood. Things were a little better in the aftermath.

Outside the nurse's office, Sweetie Belle was waiting just as Rumble stepped out. The boy had an ice pack to calm the swelling, but seeing his girlfriend was enough to make the pain die down.

"Hey, I'm back Sweetie Belle," Rumble greeted.

"Hello Rumble," Sweetie Belle embraced Rumble, locking him into a kiss. "My hero."

"Heh, just call me your Brave, Chivalrous Knight," Rumble joked, then locked into another kiss with Sweetie Belle, the two enjoying their bond with one another.

It was another hectic day, but another chance for Rumble to prove his love for Sweetie Belle. One more test laid ahead for him, one Rumble was determined to get through as perfectly as possible.