New Revelations

by Phantom Shadow

Chapter 19: Fueling the Flames

Okay, Sweetie Belle, you've got this, she thought to herself. Just remember what you have to do and everything will go 'without a hitch', as Rarity would say.

Sweetie Belle gave herself a confident nod as she continued trotting through Ponyville towards Sweet Apple Acres, ready to put her 'perfect plan' into motion. The weather wasn't as frigid as it was the day prior, but it was still rather chilly on this partly cloudy day. As she made her way onto the dirt path leading to the orchard, she stopped in surprise when she saw who she was going to see in front of her, already making her way to town with her head hanging.

"Hi, Apple Bloom!" she called out to her, waving a hoof in the air.

"Hmm?" she responded as she lifted her head. "Oh, hi Sweetie."

Noticing her monotone voice, she tilted her head and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No, ah'm fine, honest."

"Come on, Apple Bloom. I can see something is upsetting you. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Letting out a sigh, she began retelling everything that happened yesterday, starting with Rumble coming over and asking for her help with somepony he liked, and ending with his plan of getting said pony a gift. As she spoke, Sweetie Belle couldn't help but smile a little; she would be able to use what she was just told to her advantage.

"The last thing ah remember was wakin' up in mah room," Apple Bloom finished as she hung her head again. "He was nowhere ta be seen after that."

"Let me guess, you're on your way to see him, right?" Sweetie Belle inquired.

Apple Bloom nodded as she sat on her haunches. "Ah may as well give up," she softly spoke. "What're the chances of the pony he likes being me? It's probably somepony who can stand on her own four hooves without makin' a fool outta herself. Besides, he doesn't even notice me."

"Don't be like that, Apple Bloom," Sweetie reassured. Then, she looked around to make sure nopony was within earshot, leaned in and whispered, "You know, I think you are the pony he likes."

"Yeah, right," she said sarcastically. "How could ya possibly know that?"

Sweetie Belle let out a giggle. "Are you kidding? It's so obvious! I can totally see it in his eyes...his...his big...bold...handsome...lavender eyes..."

Apple Bloom looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she trailed off at the end of her sentence, lost in her thoughts for a moment. Immediately, Sweetie Belle realized what she was doing and snapped herself out by slapping her cheek with a hoof.

Stop that! Sweetie thought to herself as she shook her head. She likes him, not you, so stay focused on getting them together!

"Besides, he did say, 'you of all ponies' would know her, right?" she quickly asked with a sheepish grin. "Who else do you know that he would know that would have a crush on him?"

Apple Bloom looked to the sky as she thought about it. Before she could open her mouth to answer, Sweetie Belle quickly blurted out, "Nopony, that's who! You're the only one, so it's gotta be you!"

"I guess yer right," she replied unsurely. "But, how do ya know he doesn't have any other friends besides you, me, and Scootaloo? How do ya know he doesn't like somepony else in our class, like Twist or Dinky?"

Sweetie was caught off guard for a split second before she came up with a fib. "Well, he definitely talks about you when you're not around. Like when Rarity was foal-sitting him a few days ago, he wouldn't stop talking about you."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "What'd he say? What'd he say?"

"Oh...you know...this and that...all good things," she trailed off in a mumble before piping back up again. "The point is that I think you're the one he has a crush on! If you ask me, I think you're very lucky to have a crush on somepony like him. He's smart and kind...and sweet...and handsome...and...and dreamy..."

You're doing it again! Stop it, she thought as she slapped herself out of her trance again. Quickly, she said "Besides, didn't you say that he gave you a nickname or something?"

Apple Bloom nodded. "Abby."

"See!?" she exclaimed. "It must be true love if he's given you a nickname already!"

"Yeah, ah don't think it works that way..."

"Sure it does!" Sweetie Belle interrupted. "...and I know just what to do to get you two together!"

"Really? What?"

Making sure the coast was clear again, she leaned in and began whispering her plan in Apple Bloom's ear. As she neared the end, Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.

"Um, Sweetie," she said when she was finished. "No offense, but ah don't think that's gonna work. It seems so...simple!"

"Of course it will work!" Sweetie said excitedly. "When have I ever been wrong?"

"Well, there was that time when..."

"My point exactly! Now come on, let's get started!"

"Wait, what?" Apple Bloom shrieked. "Ya mean ya wanna do this today!?"

Sweetie Belled looked at her in disbelief. "What's wrong? Don't you want to?"

"Well..." she began, rubbing a hoof on the back of the opposing leg. Lowering her head, she said, "To be honest, ah...ah don't think ah'm ready to do it today."

"What? Why not?"

"Firstly, ah was in the middle of somethin', remember?" The question resulted in Sweetie lowering her head in shame. "Secondly, ah'd like to think it over for a while before ah agree ta do it, if that's alright with you."

"Oh," she responded dejectedly. "Okay, then."

Seeing her friend upset made a wave of guilt wash over Apple Bloom, making her look at the ground for a moment in deep thought. Lifting her head, she said, "Tell ya what, ah'll think it over and get back ta ya later. How does that sound?"

Her spirits lifting, Sweetie said, "That sounds great! I'll see you later, then!"

Apple Bloom watched as she began trotting away with a hopeful smile on her face, making her tilt her head. Before she was out of earshot, she called out, "Hey, Sweetie Belle, mind if ah ask ya somethin'?"

Sweetie Belle stopped and looked at her.

"Are ya sure ya know what yer doin'?"

"Sure, I'm sure," she responded confidently. "Don't worry about a thing; I have everything under control."

"It's just that ya seem mighty eager to get us together. Is there any reason why?"

Sweetie forced out a laugh. "Of course not! I just want the two of you to be happy, that's all."

"Alrighty, then. Ah'll see ya later, then."

Waving a hoof, Sweetie Belle began trotting away, a bit faster this time so she wouldn't be questioned anymore. When she was certain she was out of earshot, she let out an audible sigh and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

As she trotted into town, she couldn't help but think to herself, I hope I know what I'm doing.

---

Thunderlane whistled a happy tune to himself as he cooked breakfast for him and Rumble, who was busy putting plates and silverware on the table. After a few moments, he placed a stack of waffles on the table; although they were slightly burnt, past experience told them that they were still edible. As they sat down and prepared to eat, they were taken by surprise when the sound of somepony knocking on the door filled the air.

"Who could that be?" Thunderlane asked as he got up and headed towards the door. When he opened it, he had to do a double take when he saw Rarity standing there with a soft smile on her face.

"Hello, Thundy," she softly said.

"H-Hi," he responded as she stepped out of the room to accompany her. "We seem to be seeing each other a lot lately, huh?"

The two of them shared a quick chuckle.

"I apologize for disturbing you at such an early hour," Rarity said. "But, I wanted to speak to you about something, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind," Thunderlane replied. "What's up?"

"Do you recall our discussion about Rumble having a crush on Sweetie Belle?"

He nodded in response.

"Well, I was wondering if, perchance, I can be of any assistance in his efforts of telling her how he felt," she explained nervously. "They've been getting along so well with each other as of late and I'm sure Rumble could use some assistance...provided he needs it, of course."

Well, this is sudden. I wonder why she's taking an interest in this now, Thunderlane thought before saying, "Well, I'm not really sure. I mean, we have been talking about it and he does want to tell her, but I don't know if he needs any help. So far, the only thing he asked for help with is the gift."

"I see. May I have a word with him on the matter?" she asked.

"Sure, but don't be too surprised if he denies it at first," he chuckled. "It took a while for me to pry it out of him."

The two of them shared a small laugh before they entered the room together. Trotting over to the table, Rarity could have sworn she saw Rumble flinch in his seat, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as his ears fell flat against his head. The look on his face didn't change as she sat down in Thunderlane's seat, resulting in the stallion standing in between them.

Rarity brushed her mane with a hoof and said, "Hello, Rumble."

Swallowing a lump in his throat that happened to have food with it, he replied softly, "H-Hi, Miss Rarity."

"You can call me just 'Rarity', dear," she said with a smile. "I wanted to talk to you about your crush on Sweetie Belle, if that's alright with you."

"WHAT!?" he shouted. Quickly covering his mouth, and mentally cursing himself for yet another outburst, he stammered, "I-I mean, w-what crush? I d-didn't say crush! Who s-said anything about a crush? I don't h-have a crush!"

As she tried to stifle a laugh, Rumble felt his whole world beginning to crumble all around him. It was bad enough I had a crush on Sweetie Belle, he thought as his heart raced. Now Rarity knows and wants to talk about it! What is she going to say? Is she okay with it? What if she's not? Why is this happening to me, and now of all times?

"It's alright, sweetie," she said as she regained her composure. "I know about you and my sister. I must say that the idea of the two of you being together is simply adorable. I have no problems with it, so you don't need to worry."

Seeing his demeanor starting to calm as his cheeks began turning red, Rarity added, "You know, I think she feels the same way about you."

The response caught both Rumble and Thunderlane by surprise, resulting in them asking in unison, "She does?"

"Of course," she fibbed with a smile. "Ever since you moved to Ponyville, Sweetie's taken quite the interest in you. The way she speaks fondly about you, I can see you two have been getting along so well with each other. She's just a little shy about telling you and needs a little bit of help."

Silence followed as Rarity allowed her words to soak in. As Thunderlane patted the blushing colt on the back, as if to say that he was right, Rarity quickly flashed a mischievous smile before putting on her act again.

"Anyway, I wanted to know if there was any way I can help you."

"Help me? What do you mean?"

"Well, Thunderlane tells me that you're making preparations to tell Sweetie Belle how you feel about her, right?" After he nodded, she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, how do you plan on doing so?"

Rumble blushed. "Well, I wanted to get her something...like...a gift...if that's alright with you."

"Oh, of course it's alright. What did you plan on getting her?"

"A piece of jewelry, since I heard she likes them. That's all I've got, though."

"See? I already know how I can assist you in your efforts!" she exclaimed. "Not only do I know the perfect gift you can give, but I know the perfect place where you two can proclaim your love for each other!"

He listened intently as she told him everything he needed to know. Upon hearing the gift and the location, he felt his confidence beginning to strengthen. However, whether or not it would work still lingered in his head, bringing forth a cloud of doubt.

"Oh, wouldn't it be so romantically adorable?" Rarity asked, more to herself than either of them. "It'll be like something out of a love story!"

Rubbing a hoof on top of his other, Rumble asked, "Do you really think this'll work?"

"Of course it will," Rarity boldly said with a wave of a hoof. "No one knows my sister better than me. Trust me, everything will be okay."

"Okay...if you say so. When do you think I should...you know...do this?"

She tapped her chin a few times in thought. "Seeing that the festival is right around the corner, you should definitely do it soon. That way, the two of you will be able to go together."

Lowering both his head and his tone, he asked, "Do you really think she'll go with me?"

Rarity got up and trotted next to Rumble, placing a hoof on his shoulder reassuringly. When he looked up to her, she gave him a smile and replied softly, "I know she will."

Offering her a smile in return, he wrapped his hooves around her in an embrace and said, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, dear," she responded, returning the gesture. After the two of them released, Rarity cleared her throat and asked, "So, when would you like to come by the Boutique and pick up your gift for Sweetie Belle?"

"Can I go after breakfast?" he asked Thunderlane, hope beaming in his eyes.

Seeing the anticipation in his face, he let out a small laugh and said, "Of course you can."

With the arrangements in place, Rarity bid the two brothers farewell as she began heading for the door. However, she was immediately stopped by Thunderlane before she could close the door.

"Hey, Rarity," he said as he stopped the door from being closed all the way.

"Yes?" she inquired.

"I...I just wanted to say 'thank you' for helping Rumble like this. It means a lot, not just to Rumble, but to me as well."

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean, darling?"

"I know it sounds silly," he chuckled. "But it makes me happy to see Rumble this happy. It's not every day somepony tells him he has a chance at finding a special somepony of his very own."

Her heart began speeding up as his unintentional guilt-trip began sinking in. "Oh, think nothing of it, sweetie. I just...feel it's the right thing to do...for the two of them."

A few moments of silence followed as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Well then," Thunderlane finally said, "I guess I'll see you tonight, then."

"Tonight?" she asked in an unsure tone. Immediately, her thoughts remembered their date that evening and quickly followed it with, "Oh, of course we'll see each other tonight. I just thought that you were accompanying Rumble to the Boutique later, that's all."

"I would, but I have some things to do to prepare for tonight. I hope you don't mind."

Nudging against his neck, she whispered in a sweet voice, "Not at all, dear. I'll see you tonight, Thundy."

Then, the two of them shared a passionate kiss before departing. As Rarity trotted out of the inn, she let out a sigh as she tried wrapping her mind around what she was doing.

Don't think too much into it, she tried to convince herself. You're doing this to help Sweetie, not hurt her. Once she sees how happy she'll be, everything will be okay.

Straightening her posture, she decided to head for the market to finish the shopping she didn't get to do yesterday while she waited for Rumble to accompany her to the Boutique. However, she stopped when she saw Sweetie Belle trotting through town. It was then that she remembered the small errand she had to do to prepare for her evening's plans.

Hmm, I wonder who would be available to foal-sit Sweetie Belle on such short notice, Rarity thought. Seeing a familiar face within the crowd of ponies before her, she smiled to herself. Perfect! I'm sure she won't mind.

---

Some time later, Rumble trotted out of the inn and began making his way to the Carousel Boutique with a small saddlebag on his back. His heart began fluttering as he wrapped his thoughts around the possible gift idea Rarity had in mind. The bits rattling around in his saddlebag, he hoped that the amount he brought with him would be enough to pay for it.

Don't worry about it, he attempted to mentally convince himself. Like Rarity said, nopony knows Sweetie Belle as well as her. I'm sure whatever it is will be-

He stopped in mid-sentence as he tensed up in fear, making him jump behind some barrels that were near him. Holding his breath, he remained completely motionless as he listened to the sound of Apple Bloom's hoof-steps go past him. Looking out of his peripherals, Rumble watched as she trotted down the road, no doubt making her way to the inn to see him.

I hope she's not too upset about yesterday, Rumble thought. Still, I need to get to the Boutique fast! There has to be a way to get there without her seeing me.

Just then, he heard two ponies engaged in a conversation as they trotted in the opposite direction. Although he didn't know who the pink-mane, yellow Pegasus was, he immediately recognized Rarity, who had many filled bags of groceries in her magical grip.

"Thank you so much for watching Sweetie Belle tonight, Fluttershy," she said with a look of relief on her face. "I'll be sure to make it up to you somehow."

"You're very welcome, Rarity," said Fluttershy. "You don't have to do anything. I'm always happy to help a friend in need."

As the two of them wrapped up their conversation with an agreement of a new dress for the festival, they both bid each other farewell as Fluttershy flew off and Rarity trotted away. Quickly, he dashed over to her and stood in a position that was out of Apple Bloom's line of sight.

"Oh," she yelped in surprise. "Hello, Rumble. What are-?"

"Hi, Rarity," he interrupted. "I was just on my way to see you. Need any help with those?"

Without waiting for an answer, he took one of her bags and tucked it into the small bag he was carrying. Thankfully, with the amount of stuff in it, mixed with his short stature, he was able to cover himself without much difficulty.

"Why, thank you, Rumble," Rarity said as she began trotting towards her home. "You're such a gentle-colt."

The two of them trotted in silence after that in a manner that Rarity could best describe as 'odd'; all the while, Rumble kept trotting in a sideways position with the groceries facing her and his body on the opposite side. He stumbled on himself a few times, but managed to get everything to the Carousel Boutique in one piece.

Opening the door for him, Rumble placed the bag on the ground and waited for Rarity to come in before quickly slamming it shut, letting out a loud sigh of relief. Before she could say anything, he trotted to the window and looked towards the road, as if he was making sure they weren't followed.

"Rumble, are you alright?" she asked as she picked up the bag he put down via her magic.

"Of course," he said, trotting away from the window. "Now, what was it you wanted me to give to Sweetie Belle?"

"Just a moment, I'll be right back."

She trotted out of the room with her bags in tow as Rumble sat on the closest thing he could; a red couch located near a display stage with mirrors surrounding it. Placing his saddle bag beside him, he pulled out the small bag of bits he had; advanced allowance Thunderlane had loaned him. As he began counting how much he had, he stopped when he heard Rarity's hoof-steps approaching. Looking up, he saw that she was carrying a small, yet long, velvet box in her magic.

"Now, I know it won't look like much, but I assure you that Sweetie Belle is going to love it," she said as she held the box in front of Rumble, prompting him to take it. "I was planning on giving this to her on her birthday, but I think this is a more auspicious occasion."

Slowly, he opened the box and marveled at what was inside, his eyes growing wide as his mouth hung open. "Whoa," he managed to say, tilting the box to look at it in every angle. "Are...those real diamonds?"

"Mm-hmm," she confirmed with a nod.

"What about the emblem?" he asked, pointing at it. "How do you know she'll like it?"

"Well, she doesn't know it, but I happened to hear her sing the last time she had a sleepover with Sco-...I mean, her friends...and she sounded absolutely lovely. I have a feeling that might be where her talent lies, but she's just too shy to perform in front of others to realize it."

"Oh," he said, clearly oblivious to Rarity's slip-up. Putting the small box in his saddlebag, he asked, "How much is it?"

She told him how much it was and he gave her the proper amount of bits for it. Then, he said, "By the way, you know that place you mentioned earlier? Do you think you can show me where it is? I...don't really know my way around town yet."

Using her magic, she levitated a small map of Ponyville and the surrounding area that she used when she needed to go to different sites to dig up gemstones. Opening it, she pointed to a certain spot that was in the outskirts of town. By the looks of it, it appeared to be some kind of field near a place called 'Whitetail Woods'.

"This field is quite the sight to behold," she explained to him. "You'll know it once you see it. Just follow this path until you see the blue flowers along the road. Be sure to follow them once you see them, for they'll lead you right to it. Trust me, there's no better place to pronounce one's love than here. Plus, Sweetie Belle hasn't been there, so it'll definitely add to the wow-factor."

"Thank you, Rarity," said Rumble as he wrapped up the map and put it in his saddlebag. "It really means a lot that you'd help me like this."

"Think nothing of it, darling," she said. "Just keep in mind that timing is the key; one should always wait for the opportune moment, not aimlessly jump in."

"Okay," he said as he headed for the door. "Thanks again!"

"Good luck, Rumble," she called out as he left the building, the door closing in his passing. A moment had passed before she lowered her head in shame and let out a sigh. "We're both going to need it."

With that, she made her way to the kitchen to unpack the groceries, praying as hard as she could that she would be able to control and distinguish the inevitable flames of disaster she was so precariously feeding.

---

The morning slowly crept into afternoon, making the weather feel a little bit warmer than before. In the center of town, beneath the shade of a pony statue that read, "Our Founder", Apple Bloom sat on her haunches while looking at her reflection in the fountain water surrounding it, a defeated look on her face.

"Where could he be?" she asked herself aloud. "Ah went to the inn and he wasn't there. Thunderlane said he would be at the Carousel Boutique, but he's not there either. He's gotta be somewhere; he couldn't have just disappeared in-"

She was interrupted by the sound of somepony dropping a heavy box with a loud thud. Turning her head to look, Apple Bloom watched as a masked unicorn stallion picked up what he dropped and continued trotting away. The moment he was out of her line of sight, she had to do a double take as she watched Rumble trotting his way through town, holding a piece of paper in front of him with a hoof.

"There you are!" Apple Bloom called out to him, making him flinch and turn to face her.

"Oh, hi Abby," he said nervously. "What's up?"

"Don't 'hi' me, mister," she said sternly. "Ah've been lookin' everywhere for ya. Where the hay have ya been?"

He swallowed nervously. "Well, I was just...looking for somewhere...on this map, that's all."

"Uh-huh, sure ya were. Sounds ta me like you've been tryin' ta avoid me."

"No! I wasn't, honest!"

A moment of silence fell upon the two foals as they stared at each other.

"Well," Apple Bloom prompted. "Ah'm waitin'."

"Waiting?" he feigned a smile. "Waiting for what?"

"Don't try and play innocent with me, Rumble. You know what I'm here for, so spill the beans!"

"Yeah...a-about that," Rumble said as he lowered his head. "The thing is, Abby, I...I can't tell you who the pony that I like is...not even give you a hint."

"What!?" she exclaimed disbelievingly. "Why not? You promised you would!"

"I know, I know. It's just that...I can't...I just can't."

Apple Bloom let out a huff as she turned her back on Rumble. Looking to the sky with furrowed eyebrows, she sniffled as tears began pooling in her eyes. Sure, she was angry that he was breaking his promise, but she was more upset at the idea of him liking another pony and not telling her who it was.

"Abby," he said comfortingly. "Please don't be like this. I don't want to break my promise to you, especially since I...you know...like you...but I have to."

The words seemed to echo in her ears, making her heart start to flutter and her anger vanished completely (though her tears didn't). "Did...did ya just say ya...like me?"

Rumble shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Well...yeah, I do. You're...nice to be around and stuff, you know? I really like hanging out with you and don't want to ruin our friendship because of all this."

Then, he took her hooves into his and said, "I'm really, really sorry about this. Please forgive me."

As she looked down at their hooves, a heart-warming feeling began washing over her, making her smile lovingly at him. He smiled back at her, gripping her hooves a little tighter in his. It was in that moment that all the pieces began fitting together, making Apple Bloom's heart pound harder.

"It's alright, Rumble," she said. "I understand completely."

Bringing her into an embrace, he said, "Thanks, Abby."

Hearts danced in her eyes again as she returned the gesture and whispered, "No problem."

When the two of them released each other, Rumble said, "Well, I need to get going. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Apple Bloom waved goodbye as he trotted off, opening the paper again and reading it while trotting. The moment his back was turned, she smiled so hard that she emitted an odd squee noise. Not waiting a moment more, she galloped through town, keeping an eye out for Sweetie Belle.

Ah don't believe it, she thought. Ah just don't believe it! Sweetie Belle was right; it has ta be me he has a crush. He just said he likes me, and the way he looks at me when we touch, it's gotta be me. Besides, why else would he not want to talk to me about it?

The moment her eyes spotted Sweetie Belle, looking at several bouquets of flowers in Roseluck's stand, she skidded to a halt in front of her.

"Hey, Apple Bloom," said Sweetie with a smile.

"Hi," she quickly responded. "Okay, so I've thought about it and I've made up my mind. What's the first thing we have to do for this plan of yours?"

Upon hearing those words, all Sweetie could do was smile in response.

Comments

[PiMan]

Everypony is being reasonable... Except Rarity again...
Also Sweetie is starting to fall down that slippery slope too.

[flame5768]

how stupid are the ponies in this world? i would've seen right through these lies. filthy pony lies. anyways, i think rarity is getting better. slowly, but surely, getting better she really does care about her sisters happiness, and any fool can see that she's happy when near rumble.

[Phantom Shadow]

5986075
You'd be surprised where desperation takes you...
5986340
They're oblivious to the obvious.

[Twi-Fi]

Noooo, Scootabelle forever!

[TheLonelyDraconequus]

...distinguish the inevitable flames of disaster she was so precariously feeding.

1) Extinuguish
2) I love this phrase. I now am looking for a good time to use it.