You Remind Me Of Somepony...
Hearts and Hooves Day.
Rumble trembled as he held the card in his mouth, sweat trickling from beneath his thick mane. The young colt had been preparing for today for months, but he was still nervous. Why shouldn't he be? He was only going to confess his crush to the most popular filly in the 5th grade, not like it was a big deal or anything.
"Are you gonna stand there all day? Move blank flank!"
Rumble squeaked and dashed into the classroom, cheeks flushing. He looked back at the laughing face of Diamond Tiara, feeling his face turn a shade deeper as he trudged to his desk miserably. Maybe he should just give up, she didn't like him. She always laughed at him, that beautiful, chiming laugh... A dopey grin appeared on his face and he sighed a bit dreamily. From her pale pink coat to her two-toned purple and white mane, she was the most beautiful filly in the world.
Diamond Tiara noticed the dork looking at her again. "Put your eyes somewhere else!" She shouted, making him look away and his cheeks turn as red as apples.
Rumble gulped and got to his hooves, legs shaking. This was it, this was his big moment. All that preparing, all that practicing and all that humiliation was going to be worth it.
Today he was going to win her heart.
Choconator watched her classmates mill about, trading valentines and- DEAR CELESTIA SNAILS STOP EATING SWEETIE BELLE'S FACE. She thought, looking away from the lanky unicorn who obviously didn't know the first thing about kissing. She ran a hoof through her curly pale brown mane, looking at her desk and pretending she was back at home where she didn't have to deal with this.
"C-Choconator?"
The filly looked up, hooves playing with her mane as she looked at the blushing Featherweight. Was this it? Was she going to get a valentine for once? "Yes Featherweight?" She asked curiously, red eyes starting to gleam. Maybe the colts did like her after all!
Featherweight hoofed her the card. "How do you spell 'Scootaloo'?" He asked.
The young filly deflated a bit, but wrote the name down on the card and gave it back. As she watched him walk away, she knew she should've expected that. Everypony, except for the ever oblivious Scootaloo, knew that Featherweight had always had his eyes on her. She rested her chin on her forelegs and sighed, sniffling a bit as tears came to her eyes.
How come nopony likes me?
Rumble stepped over to Diamond Tiara cautiously. She was surrounded by a ring of colts, and he had to wrestle his way through to get to her.
Silver Spoon felt something bump against her and looked at the cowering Rumble with disgust in her eyes. "Hmph! You think a blank flank like you has a chance with Diamond Tiara? As if!" She crowed, pointing and laughing at him.
Rumble whimpered, but moved past her. His ears pressed flat against his skull before he stood up, straightening himself. Be confident Rumble, fillies dig confidence. He told himself. With that in mind, he strut right up to her, chin in the air and eyes gleaming with determination. All the colts looked at him with jealousy, and even hatred in their eyes. He stopped behind her and cleared his throat. "Diamond Tiara?"
Diamond turned around, her ponytail whipping with her and her mane swishing with the movement. Her eyes sparkled as she turned, but that look went flat with a disappointment. "Oh, it's you. Can I help you?" She asked sarcastically.
Rumble's confidence died and he trembled again, cowering. He put the card on his hoof and held it out to her. "I-I-I was wondering if you would be my v-v-v-v-valentine..." He stammered, cheeks flushing once more and turning his pale grey coat pink. He expected either anger or acceptance at his weak offer, he sure didn't expect her to-
"HA!"
Laugh.
Diamond laughed loudly, mockingly and wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "Oh that's funny! Me, be the valentine of a nobody like you? As if! Nopony even knew you until a couple months ago, loser! I would rather pull my mane out, hair by hair, knit it into an ugly sweater and wear it on Picture Day then be caught with you in public! Get lost weirdo and stop wasting my time." She answered cruelly, ripping the valentine away and smashing it to the ground with her hoof.
The tears wouldn't stop. Rumble's ears pressed to his skull and he turned and ran, knocking colts over as he left the classroom. His little wings spread and he lifted into the air, but soon lost control and crashed into a bush. Only when he was sure he was alone did he begin to sob, covering his face with his front hooves and letting the tears flow free.
Choconator watched a small colt run out of class. Was he... Crying? Concern entered her bright eyes and she ran out in time to see him crash into a bush. When the sobbing started, she ran over and pushed hr way through the bush, poking her head out the opposite side. "Are you ok?" She asked worriedly.
Rumble sniffled at looked up to see a filly come out of the bush. He wiped his eyes and sat up, blinking his tears away. "I-I'm fine... I totally wasn't crying or anything." He winced at his obvious lie. Not only was he rejected, now he'd get humiliated by this filly who was barely even half his size! But to his surprise, she just nuzzled his cheeks gently.
"I heard what she said. I don't like her either, she always says how fat and stupid I am."
Rumble looked at the filly in amazement. She was a good head shorter than he was and it'd be a lie to say that she wasn't chubby. He'd seen her in class before, but had never really spoken to her. She spoke of the insults about her figure and intelligence like they were nothing. "S-She called me a loser and a blank flank... And all I asked was for her to be my valentine..." He admitted miserably, eyes welling up again.
Choconator pressed her side against his. "Well she's a stuck up, whiny little brat." She stated bluntly, still smiling reassuringly at him.
He wasn't sure why that terrified him, but it did.
"I'm Choconator, Choconator Sweettooth. But you can call me Choco." She introduced herself.
Rumble smiled back, despite his teary mood. "I'm Rumble Lane. Nice to meet you Choco." He replied, chuckling a bit.
"Tell ya what..."
One again, Choco nuzzled Rumble's cheek,
"I'll be your valentine."
"Dude, are you gonna stare at me all day or what?"
Rumble blinked, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "S-Sorry, I zoned out there." He replied sheepishly, his face blushing.
The filly glared back. "Well if you're gonna apologize, maybe you should get back to apologizing for bowling me over!" She snapped hotly, getting back to her hooves. She was barely up to his neck, which was annoying because she had to look up to scold him. Stupid colt, why'd he have to be so tall?
Rumble didn't remember knocking her over, but decided to go along. Her tomcolt look made him nervous, she didn't look like the kind of pony to tease or annoy. "Y-Yeah, sorry..." He trailed off as he looked at her. Pale brown mane and tail, bobtail and spiky short-cut mane. Deep brown coat, chocolate grid cutie mark and red eyes. Why did she seem so familiar. "You seem kinda familiar, have we met?" He asked.
The filly raised an eyebrow. "I've met a lot of ponies, colt. Not a lot of Godzillas though." She pondered.
"Do you know the name Rumble Lane?"
"Can't say I do."
Rumble looked at her carefully. She was very familiar, he'd seen that color scheme before. But she didn't have the cutie mark and the mane was off. He didn't know how he knew that, he just... Did. He knew who she reminded him of, but he didn't want to just make assumptions. It'd freak her out. "Sorry, you just reminded me of this filly who was my valentine about 5 years ago... She looks a lot like you do. Her name was Choconator, if she your sister or something?" He asked curiously.
The filly's eyes widened. "Did you say Choconator? As in Choconator Sweettooth?" She asked, leaning forwards.
Rumble smiled brightly. "You know her? Awesome!" He exclaimed, broad wings twitching happily.
Her eyes went into a flat look. "I am her." Choconator stated.
"...What."