The school bell rang, signaling the start of another day at Ponyville Schoolhouse. Rumble idly drummed his hooves on his desk, only half-listening as Miss Cheerilee stood at the front of the room with her usual warm smile. He was more focused on staring out the window, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky. The weather schedule called for clear skies today, and part of him wished he was up there helping Thunderlane instead of sitting through another morning of lessons.

"Good morning, class!" Cheerilee's voice pulled him back to reality. He quickly straightened up, pretending he had been paying attention the whole time.

"Today, I have some exciting news! The Foal Free Press is looking for new contributors. That means if any of you have an interest in writing, editing, or photography, now's your chance to be part of the school newspaper!"

At the mention of Foal Free Press, there was a quiet murmur across the classroom. Some students perked up with interest, while others barely reacted. Rumble leaned back in his seat and rolled his eyes.

The school newspaper? Seriously?

That sounded like the most boring thing in the world. He had enough writing assignments already, and the last thing he wanted was to spend his free time doing even more work. What was the point, anyway? It wasn't like anypony actually read that thing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Featherweight's hoof shoot up before Cheerilee even finished speaking.

"Oh! Oh! Miss Cheerilee, can I sign up?" Featherweight's wings fluttered excitedly as he grinned from ear to ear.

Cheerilee chuckled. "Of course, Featherweight! I remember you taking wonderful photos for the last edition. I'm sure the newspaper could use a talented photographer like you."

Featherweight beamed, practically bouncing in his seat.

Rumble smirked. Well, that makes sense. Featherweight's obsessed with taking pictures. I bet he sleeps with a camera under his pillow.

Cheerilee continued, "Now, if anypony else is interested, Diamond Tiara—our new editor-in-chief—will be holding a meeting after class to go over the different roles. There are plenty of positions available, so don't be shy!"

Rumble let his head drop onto his desk with a quiet thud. Yeah, that's gonna be a no from me.

Then, he heard a familiar voice from the other side of the room.

"I dunno, girls, this could be fun!"

He lifted his head just enough to see Scootaloo talking to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders, reporters!" Sweetie Belle said, almost singing the last word.

Apple Bloom tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Ah guess we could give it a shot. Maybe we'll get our cutie marks in journalism!"

Scootaloo nodded, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Yeah! Plus, it'd be way cooler than just writing boring old essays for class. We'd get to go around town, interview ponies, maybe even uncover some big mystery!"

Rumble suddenly found himself listening very intently.

He wasn't sure why, but something about the way Scootaloo talked about it made it sound... fun. He could picture it now—running around town, investigating cool stories, maybe even working alongside Scootaloo. Not that he cared about that or anything.

He felt his wings twitch slightly.

Without really thinking, he muttered, "Maybe it wouldn't be that bad..."

Featherweight turned to him, blinking in surprise. "Wait, you're interested?"

Rumble quickly straightened up. "What? No! I mean... I dunno, maybe. It's not like I want to or anything." He coughed awkwardly. "I just think it could be, y'know... not totally boring."

Featherweight tilted his head but didn't question it.

Then Scootaloo turned around, locking eyes with Rumble. "You thinking about signing up too?"

For a split second, Rumble's brain short-circuited.

"I—uh—yeah. Maybe," he said, trying to sound casual. "I mean, why not? It might be cool."

Scootaloo grinned. "Nice! We could use another teammate."

Apple Bloom elbowed her. "We ain't a team, Scoots. We're reporters!"

"Same thing," Scootaloo said, waving a hoof.

Rumble felt his heart skip a beat.

He barely noticed Diamond Tiara smirking from her seat at the front of the classroom, watching everything unfold.

Miss Cheerilee clapped her hooves together. "Wonderful! Looks like we'll have a great team for the Foal Free Press this year. Don't forget, the meeting is after class!"

As the lesson moved on, Rumble rested his chin on his hoof, trying to convince himself that this was just some random decision. It wasn't like he wanted to spend time with Scootaloo. He was just... curious.

Right?

The school day had come and gone, and now a small group of eager foals gathered inside the dimly lit office of the Foal Free Press. The air smelled faintly of ink and old paper, and stacks of past editions were piled high in the corners. The only source of real light came from the single window, which cast long shadows over the room.

At the front of the room, perched on a desk like she owned the place, Diamond Tiara surveyed her new recruits with a smug smile.

"Alright, listen up!" she snapped, clapping her hooves together to get everypony's attention. "The Foal Free Press isn't some boring old homework assignment. If we want ponies to actually read this thing, we need stories. And not just any stories—good stories. The juiciest stories."

She leaned forward, her sharp blue eyes scanning the room. "That means no lame, boring articles about the weather or what Granny Smith had for breakfast. I'm talking real news. Exciting news. The kind of stuff everypony in Ponyville will be talking about."

Some of the foals exchanged uncertain glances. Rumble, standing near the back with Featherweight and the Crusaders, narrowed his eyes.

I don't like the sound of this…

Diamond Tiara turned her attention to Featherweight, who stood at attention with his trusty camera hanging around his neck.

"As staff photographer, you have one job," she said, pointing a hoof at him. "Document everything. I want pictures of ponies at their best, at their worst, and at their most embarrassing. If something looks even remotely interesting, snap a picture. Got it?"

Featherweight gulped and nodded quickly.

Diamond smirked. "Good."

She hopped off the desk and paced back and forth, letting her words sink in. "Now, I don't care how you get the stories, just as long as you do. Ask questions, listen in on conversations, find the dirt. If it makes ponies gasp, we print it. That's how we sell papers."

Rumble frowned. Something about this whole thing felt wrong. Sure, he hadn't expected the Foal Free Press to be some exciting adventure, but he also hadn't signed up to spy on ponies.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, on the other hoof, were nodding along, their eyes filled with determination.

"Any questions?" Diamond Tiara asked, looking far too pleased with herself.

No one spoke.

"Good. Now get to work!"

The group slowly shuffled out of the office, some looking excited, others unsure.

Rumble waited until they were a little ways down the hall before turning to the Crusaders. "Okay, tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is kinda messed up."

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Messed up? How do ya mean?"

Rumble gestured back toward the office. "You heard Diamond Tiara. She wants juicy stories. That means gossip, embarrassing stuff—things ponies wouldn't want in a newspaper."

Sweetie Belle bit her lip. "Well… maybe, but this is a big chance for us. What if our special talent is journalism? We might not get another shot at this!"

Scootaloo nodded, smirking confidently. "Yeah! And it's just Diamond Tiara. We can handle a little bossiness if it means getting our cutie marks."

Rumble wasn't convinced. "And what if she pushes things too far? What if she wants us to print something that hurts somepony?"

Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively. "Relax, Rumble. We'll be fine. Besides, we'll decide what we write. It's not like Diamond can force us to do anything."

Rumble clenched his jaw. He wanted to believe them. He really did. But something about the way Diamond Tiara had talked back there bothered him.

Still, he could tell the Crusaders were excited. He could see it in the way Sweetie Belle's eyes sparkled with possibility, in Apple Bloom's determined expression, in the way Scootaloo grinned like this was the greatest idea ever.

And he… didn't want to be the one to ruin that.

Especially not for her.

So, instead of arguing, he sighed. "Alright… but I still don't like it."

Apple Bloom nudged him with a grin. "Aw, don't be such a worrywart! This'll be fun!"

Rumble just sighed again and muttered, Yeah… fun.

But deep down, he had a bad feeling about this.

A really bad feeling.

The next day, the Foal Free Press office buzzed with activity as the newly appointed reporters gathered, their first assignments clutched in their hooves. The Crusaders looked particularly excited, their papers stacked neatly as they stood in front of Diamond Tiara's desk, waiting for her to review them.

Rumble, standing slightly behind them, wasn't nearly as enthusiastic. He had spent the entire night thinking about what he had written, and something about it didn't sit right with him.

But it was too late now.

Diamond Tiara sat at the desk like a queen on her throne, lazily tapping a hoof against the wooden surface. Featherweight stood off to the side, camera slung around his neck, observing everything with quiet attentiveness.

"Alright, let's see what you've all got," Diamond said, flipping her mane back as she held out a hoof.

Apple Bloom was the first to step forward. "Ah went 'round town askin' ponies about their best apple recipes!" she said proudly, setting down her story. "Figured it'd be nice to feature some community favorites in the paper!"

Diamond Tiara barely glanced at the paper before tossing it aside. "Boring."

Apple Bloom's ears drooped. "But—"

"No buts. Ponies don't wanna read about apples, they wanna read about scandal," Diamond said, rolling her eyes. "Next!"

Sweetie Belle was up next, levitating her story with a hopeful smile. "I wrote about Rarity's new boutique design! She let me interview her and everything! It's about fashion trends, inspirations, and how designing isn't just about making dresses but telling a story with each outfit!"

Diamond took one look at the neat, elegant writing before groaning. "Ugh. Nopony cares about that unless Rarity messed up somehow. Did she ruin somepony's outfit? Have a client storm out in a rage?"

Sweetie Belle blinked. "Um… no?"

"Then it's useless," Diamond said, tossing it onto the rejection pile.

Sweetie Belle looked devastated.

Scootaloo stepped forward next, puffing out her chest. "I wrote about cool new stunt moves the Wonderbolts have been testing out! I even got some info from Rainbow Dash about aerial recovery techniques."

Diamond Tiara yawned dramatically. "Snooze. Unless a Wonderbolt crashed and burned—and I mean literally—it's not worth printing."

Scootaloo's confident stance faltered.

Rumble frowned as he watched his friends shrink under Diamond Tiara's ruthless judgment. Sure, their stories weren't groundbreaking, but did they really deserve to be dismissed so quickly?

Finally, Diamond turned to him. "Alright, what about you?"

Rumble hesitated before stepping forward, setting his paper on the desk. "It's… about Thunderlane."

The Crusaders blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?" Scootaloo asked.

Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Rumble took a deep breath. "I, uh… I overheard Flitter and Cloudchaser talking about him at the market. Flitter was upset because she thinks Thunderlane has been avoiding her. She told Cloudchaser that he used to spend way more time with her before he started dating Applejack, and now it feels like he's pushing her away."

Diamond's eyes lit up. "Ooooh, relationship drama?"

Rumble shifted uncomfortably. "Kinda, yeah. Cloudchaser told Flitter that Thunderlane probably just doesn't know how to tell her things have changed now that he's with Applejack. Flitter said she still cares about him and just wants things to go back to how they were."

Diamond grabbed the paper and scanned it over, her grin widening. Then, for the first time that day, she smiled—a real smile.

"This is perfect," she said. "Finally, something juicy." She turned to the Crusaders and smirked. "This is what I'm talking about. You three should be more like Rumble."

The Crusaders looked at Rumble with wide eyes, but before they could say anything, Diamond clapped her hooves.

"Alright, that's it for today! Everypony else? Step it up!"

The meeting ended abruptly as Diamond strutted out of the room, leaving the Crusaders standing there in stunned silence.

Then, Sweetie Belle turned to Rumble, smiling. "That's awesome, Rumble! Your story's gonna be in the paper!"

Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah! We were all strugglin', and you actually wrote somethin' Diamond liked!"

Scootaloo nudged him playfully. "Guess you're a natural, huh?"

Rumble forced a chuckle. "Uh, yeah… guess so."

But even as his friends congratulated him, he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in his gut.

Because deep down, he knew—he had just made his brother look bad in front of the entire town.

Apple Bloom crouched behind a stack of apple crates at the Ponyville market, ears perked as she scribbled into her notepad.

"I heard Davenport from the quill shop takes naps in the backroom instead of working!" a mare whispered to her friend near the carrot stand.

Apple Bloom grinned. That explains why he's always outta stock on quills!

She scurried over to another stand, pretending to examine the apples, when she caught sight of Mrs. Cake leaning in close to Roseluck.

"I don't mean to gossip," Mrs. Cake said in a hushed tone, "but I swear I saw Mayor Mare getting her mane dyed again. She says it's natural, but I saw the hairdresser leaving her office late last night!"

Apple Bloom gasped softly, quickly scribbling it down. Now that's a story!

Sweetie Belle peeked out from behind a clothing rack in Carousel Boutique, ears burning with anticipation.

Junebug was speaking in a dramatic whisper to one of the clients. "Have you heard that Hoity Toity only pretends to know fashion! He actually has a secret consultant who picks all his designs!"

Sweetie's eyes widened. Scandalous!

As she turned to leave, she caught Rarity muttering to herself. "I do hope nopony finds out that I borrowed Fluttershy's sewing machine… again. She still doesn't know about the last time."

Sweetie smirked. Oh, sis, this is too good.

Scootaloo paced near the training fields, ears perked as she watched the weather ponies take breaks near the edge of town.

A pair of weather ponies, Sunshower Raindrops and Open Skies, were talking in hushed voices near a cloud that hovered just low enough for Scootaloo to catch snippets of their conversation.

"Did you hear? Thunderlane totally blew off his morning patrol to visit Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres."

"No way! I thought he was on duty?"

"He was! I covered for him, but if anypony finds out, he's in trouble."

Scootaloo's jaw dropped. Juicy!

Just then, two Wonderbolt cadets landed nearby, shaking out their wings after drills.

"You know that Spitfire uses mane gel to keep her mane looking windblown even when she's not flying?"

"No way, it looks natural!"

"It's all a trick! She even has a backup gel in her locker."

Scootaloo snickered, scribbling it all down. This is gold!

Rumble sighed, sitting on a park bench as his quill hovered over the page. He didn't feel great about all this, but… well, if the Crusaders were doing it, maybe it wasn't so bad?

Nearby, he overheard two stallions chatting.

"I saw Filthy Rich leave Sugarcube Corner with an entire cart of sweets."

"So? He likes desserts."

"Yeah, but he told his wife he was on a diet!"

Rumble blinked. That's… kinda funny, actually.

Then, he caught a voice he recognized—his brother's.

Thunderlane was talking to Soarin. "Okay, okay, I admit it! I told Applejack I like country music, but I really don't get it at all. I just like hearing her talk about it."

Rumble snorted. Ooooh, big bro, that's gonna come back to bite you.

He glanced at his notes and hesitated. This still feels wrong… but everypony else is doing it. Right?

He sighed, closing his notebook and heading back to meet the Crusaders.

The morning sun filtered through the windows of Golden Oak Library, casting a warm glow over the wooden table where Comet Tail and Twilight Sparkle sat. The scent of fresh toast and haybacon lingered in the air, mixing with the distinct aroma of parchment and ink from the countless bookshelves surrounding them.

Twilight chewed thoughtfully on her breakfast, her brows furrowing slightly as she glanced up at her coltfriend. Comet Tail, in contrast, seemed perfectly at ease, flipping through a spellbook with one hoof while idly sipping his tea.

"Hey, Comet," Twilight began, setting down her fork. "Have you heard about the Foal Free Press lately?"

Comet didn't even look up from his book. "Nope. My time in school is way past, Twi. School newspapers aren't exactly in my age range."

Twilight's brow twitched, and she leveled him with a pointed look. "Stop being smug and listen."

That got his attention. He smirked slightly, setting his book aside. "Alright, alright. What's so interesting about a foal-run newspaper?"

Twilight exhaled sharply. "They've got a columnist named Gabby Gums, and she's been writing about ponies all over Ponyville—everypony's private business, spilled for the whole town to read."

Comet raised an eyebrow. "How much private business could a bunch of foals possibly uncover?"

Twilight's magic flared, lifting a copy of the newspaper from the table and dropping it unceremoniously in front of him. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Skeptically, Comet unfolded the paper, scanning the front page. His eyes darted to the first article under Gabby Gums' name.

"Twilight Sparkle: The Princess of Hayburgers?"

He blinked. Oh.

His eyes quickly ran over the text:

"Our very own scholarly unicorn may seem refined, but don't be fooled! Sources have seen her devouring stacks of hayburgers like there's no tomorrow! Is Equestria's next great mage hiding a fast food addiction?"

Comet stiffened. He bit the inside of his cheek, willing himself not to react. Not smart, Comet. Not if you want to live. But despite his best efforts, a tiny, barely audible chuckle escaped his throat.

Twilight's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You have something to say?" she asked, voice deceptively calm.

"No," Comet answered immediately, too quickly. He schooled his face into neutrality and turned the page. "Nothing at all."

Moving on, he skimmed over the other headlines.

"Doctor Whooves: Is Ponyville's Local Genius Actually a Mad Scientist?"
"He says he's just an inventor, but rumors say our mysterious clockmaker is conducting secret experiments in his basement!"

"Braeburn's Double Life?"
"A hardworking apple farmer? Or a stallion with a secret love for ballroom dancing? Our sources say he twirls better than a professional!"

"Cheese Sandwich's Laughter Addiction!"
"Equestria's number one party pony never stops smiling… but is it all just an act? Sources say he has never gone a single day without telling a joke!"

Comet smirked. Okay, that's actually kind of funny.

But then, he turned the page and found something that made his stomach drop.

"Canterlot's Own Comet Tail: Does He Think Ponyville is Beneath Him?"

Comet's smirk vanished.

"Despite living in Ponyville for quite some time, sources say our very own Canterlot-born unicorn still holds the town in low regard! Are Ponyville ponies just not up to his high standards? If only we could hear from him directly—oh wait, we never do! Mysterious and aloof, or just looking down on the rest of us?"

Twilight must have noticed the change in his expression. "So," she said, tone softer now. "Do you understand why this is a problem?"

Comet's jaw clenched. "I don't care what some nosy foals think about me." He set the paper down with an audible thud. "But this… this isn't gossip. This is slander."

Twilight sighed. "I know. But keep reading."

Comet flipped through the next few pages, eyes skimming over the endless stream of sensationalized headlines. Then, he froze.

"Rarity's Secret Diary – Every Juicy Detail EXPOSED!"

His breath hitched as he read the first few lines.

"You think Rarity is the height of sophistication? Well, dear readers, you won't believe what she really thinks! We have exclusive excerpts straight from the pages of her very own diary, filled with confessions that will shock you!"

Comet's grip on the newspaper tightened. "They published somepony's personal diary?"

Twilight nodded grimly. "And who else could've gotten their hooves on it besides her own sister?"

For a moment, Comet was silent. Then, he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "This is bad, Twi."

Twilight met his gaze, her face troubled. "I know."

They both knew this wasn't just harmless gossip anymore. This was something much worse.

The smell of freshly made pancakes and syrup filled the air of Thunderlane's kitchen. It should have been a peaceful morning, just another routine breakfast between brothers. But the atmosphere at the table was anything but comfortable.

Rumble sat across from Thunderlane, poking at his food with his fork. His usually bright eyes were downcast, his wings slightly stiff against his sides. He wasn't hungry. Not really. His older brother, on the other hoof, ate at a steady pace, though his usual relaxed demeanor was missing. Instead, there was a strange tenseness in the way he held himself, the occasional glance he threw at Rumble feeling heavier than usual.

Finally, Thunderlane put his fork down, sighing as he folded his hooves on the table.

"Rumble?"

Rumble's ears twitched at the sound of his name. "Hmm?" he mumbled, keeping his gaze firmly on his half-eaten pancakes.

Thunderlane studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"Do you have anything to tell me?"

Rumble's heart skipped a beat.

He knows. Somehow, he knows.

The colt forced a neutral expression onto his face, though he could feel his stomach twisting. "Nothing off the top of my head."

"Really?" Thunderlane furrowed his brow. "Nothing to do with… writing?"

Rumble gripped his fork a little too tightly.

"Nothing to do with… the school newspaper?"

The room suddenly felt smaller, the weight of his brother's gaze pressing down on him. Rumble swallowed hard.

Thunderlane exhaled through his nose, his voice calm yet firm. "In today's gossip column, 'Gabby Gums' published Rarity's diary." He let that statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "How many ponies do you think have access to it? Definitely not Rarity's parents—they're in Manehattan."

Rumble remained silent, his hooves pressing into his lap.

Thunderlane leaned forward slightly, his voice quieter now. "Why, Rumble?"

Rumble squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. There was no way out of this. No way to dodge the question, no clever excuse that would hold up. He sighed.

"Diamond Tiara, she…" He hesitated, rubbing one of his forelegs with the other. "She had embarrassing photos of us."

Thunderlane's expression darkened.

Rumble swallowed again and continued. "She said if we stopped writing, she'd print them. She threatened to humiliate us." His ears drooped as he let out another sigh. "So we kept writing."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Thunderlane took in what his brother said, his jaw tightening. He didn't yell. He didn't scold him. He just stared for a long, unnerving moment.

Then, after what felt like forever, he finally spoke. "I see…"

Rumble wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse.

They sat in silence, the only sound in the kitchen the distant ticking of the clock.

Thunderlane took a deep breath. "What you and these fillies did was shameful."

Rumble flinched.

"But…" Thunderlane paused for a moment, his tone softening just slightly. "There is a solution to your problem."

Rumble's ears perked up. He sat up straighter, a spark of hope flickering in his chest. "What is it?"

Thunderlane didn't answer immediately. He simply met Rumble's gaze, his expression serious but not unkind.

"You're going to fix this."

The afternoon sun cast a golden glow over Ponyville as the town bustled with its usual daily rhythm. The market square was lively with ponies chatting and trading, foals played near the fountain, and the air carried the warm, comforting scent of fresh-baked goods from Sugarcube Corner.

Rumble sat on a small hill just outside the schoolhouse, the gentle breeze ruffling his mane. He had come here to think, to be alone for a while. Not because he felt unwelcome in town—quite the opposite, actually. Ponies had been surprisingly kind ever since the Foal Free Press scandal had ended.

He still couldn't quite believe how quickly things had changed.

A week ago, everypony had been glaring at him and the Crusaders, whispering behind their backs, furious over what Gabby Gums had written. Now, it was all water under the bridge.

The open letter had changed everything.

They had confessed to everything—how they had written the gossip, how they had been blackmailed into continuing, and how sorry they were for hurting everypony. Cheerilee had stepped in immediately after and confronted Diamond Tiara. Once the truth came out, she had been stripped of her position as editor-in-chief, and the role was given to Featherweight instead.

Rumble smiled a little. He had to admit, Featherweight made a much better chief. The Foal Free Press was no longer a tabloid full of gossip but an actual newspaper with real, meaningful stories. Ponies actually enjoyed reading it, and this time, no pony's personal life was being dragged through the mud.

He sighed, letting himself fall onto his back, staring up at the sky.

It was over. Everything was okay now.

And yet…

Why did he still feel a little uneasy?

Maybe it was guilt. Even though everypony had forgiven them, he couldn't help but feel like he had personally messed up. He had known from the beginning that things were going in a bad direction. He had felt it in his gut the first time Diamond Tiara rejected their innocent stories, and he had definitely felt it when she praised him for getting juicy gossip.

He should have put his hoof down. He should have spoken up. Instead, he had kept quiet—partly because he hadn't wanted to upset his friends.

And if he was being really honest with himself… partly because he hadn't wanted to upset her.

Rumble's ears flicked as he heard approaching hoofsteps. He sat up just in time to see Scootaloo trotting toward him.

"Hey, Rumble."

He blinked, caught off guard. "Uh—hey, Scoots."

She stopped beside him, tilting her head slightly. "You okay? You look kinda serious."

Rumble hesitated before shaking his head, giving a small chuckle. "Nah, I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff."

Scootaloo flopped down next to him, stretching out her wings. "You've been thinking a lot lately."

"Yeah, well, we kinda did a lot of stupid stuff recently."

Scootaloo grinned sheepishly. "Okay, yeah, true." She gave a small laugh before nudging him lightly with her shoulder. "But hey, everypony forgave us. Even Rarity, and she really doesn't let things go."

Rumble sighed but nodded. "Yeah, I know. I guess I just… wish I had stopped it earlier, you know?"

Scootaloo was quiet for a moment before shrugging. "Maybe. But I dunno, I think we all should've stopped it earlier. You're not the only one who messed up." She smirked slightly. "And hey, you did help bring it all down in the end."

That was true. Rumble had been the first one to push for the open letter. He had even been the one to convince the Crusaders that confessing was the only way out.

Maybe he hadn't done the right thing at the start, but in the end, he had done something.

"Anyway," Scootaloo continued, standing up and stretching, "I was heading to the skate park. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom didn't wanna come, so I figured I'd ask you. You in?"

Rumble blinked. "You're asking me?"

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah? You always come with me." She grinned playfully. "Unless you don't wanna go?"

Rumble opened his mouth to reply, but his mind went blank.

He did want to go.

A lot.

Something warm fluttered in his chest. And, much to his annoyance, his wings twitched slightly. He quickly folded them back against his sides.

Scootaloo was looking at him expectantly.

"Uh—yeah, yeah, I'll come," he said, trying to sound casual as he stood up.

Scootaloo smirked. "Knew you would."

She trotted ahead, and Rumble followed, his heart still beating a little faster than usual.

Maybe, just maybe, this whole Gabby Gums thing hadn't been all bad.