Diamond Tiara frowns as Cozy Glow flies back to her, the curly rolls of the pegasus’ light blue mane shaking back and forth. “You didn’t see any of them?” she demands, incredulous that none of the numerous Apple herd are out and about this beautiful afternoon. Why did she stay late taking care of her School Pony President business and not accompany Pomarbo back home like normal?

“Only Granny in the sorting barn,” Cozy Glow answers, a bit impertinent for Diamond’s liking.

A low growl escapes as Diamond Tiara glares down the boundary between Sweet Apple Acres and the Ponyville Schoolhouse, as if a strong enough look might make somepony appear. Pomarbo wasn’t at the Cider Barn, he wasn’t at the Carrot House, or the main farmhouse! She’s tired of trotting around looking for him. She doesn’t want to start a panic, but if multiple ponies are missing? “Maybe the weather patrol knows?”

A look of exasperation flashes across Cozy Glow’s face, likely at the arduous climb to the sparse and high clouds where the on-duty officers hang out. Nevertheless, she takes off, small pink wings beating hard.

While the pegasus flies up, Diamond Tiara asks Miss Cheerilee. The schoolmare only knows that Lemon and Meringue have notes excusing them from class for a special project, curiously not signed by Pinkie Pie, while Hedge normally goes to the pond to hang out with the ducks. She doubts Hedge knows about Pomarbo’s whereabouts, the filly preferring her solitude much like her dam.

While she puzzles out where to look next, Cozy Glow lands next to her. “They saw Doug and his mares board the Friendship Express to Canterlot, along with Big Mac. Pomarbo went to the arcade. Lemon and Meringue weren’t spotted, but that’s normal. Hedge is at the pond.”

“The arcade?” Diamond Tiara huffs; why is he wasting time at the arcade? Only layabouts and low-status ponies hang out there, little colts and disco jockeys and jam-loving weirdos! She trots off in a tizzy, fully ready to tweak an ear or two. And if he’s lucky, she’ll stop at tweaking ears.

By the time she gets to the grass-roofed bowling alley much of her anger has dissipated, replaced by a cold fury. Unlike most of the other buildings there is a dearth of windows to peer through, all the better to keep the bowlers and other degenerates unaware of how much time and bits they are frittering away. Two large white bowling pins and black bowling balls surround the glass entrance. She doesn’t see him at Saltlick or Double Dragon Ninja Warriors, the outside arcade cabinets. She doesn’t want to go inside and make a scene dragging him out, nor to be exposed to those gimmicky games on the off chance she gets enticed by flashing lights and promises of prizes. At least there is a nearby cafe she can use to stake out the premises. She orders a vanilla milkshake for herself and a strawberry for Cozy Glow before settling down. She can finish her homework before the weekend starts, and her School of Friendship compatriot has some friendship assignments.

After her second milkshake and Cozy Glow’s order of loaded hay fries (they’ll go straight to her rump if she doesn’t fly them off, and not in a good way!) Pomarbo squats down on the steps just outside the Ponyville Arcade, green eyes buried behind brown hooves, his green and red mane mussed and pulled in all directions. His tiny legs shake with rage, breath whistling through clenched teeth.

“There he-” Cozy Glow starts before a pale pink hoof blocks any more from coming out.

“Shh,” Diamond Tiara orders, dropping enough bits to cover both their meals and a generous tip. What could have gotten Po so riled up? She wouldn’t find out by trotting up there. Instead she slinks around to the bushes next to the door, Cozy Glow following close behind. Her frown deepens with every step until she ends up hiding behind the black bowling ball, Cozy Glow peeking out from the white pin.

After about a minute the arcade door swings open. Button Mash steps out, sipping on a large cherry smoothie. He stands for a second, pausing as if deciding what to do, before sitting down next to Pomarbo.

“Thanks for playing,” the brown colt says, the green propeller on his red and white hat whirling around. “They don’t like it if I’m playing back there by myself.” He awkwardly scratches at the back of his head at the long pause after his statement. “I know it was your first time, but…”

“Ya could’ve gone easy on me?” A chuckle escapes Pomarbo’s muzzle, and his dark attitude seems to be lifting. “Nah.” He rubs at his rump. “Ah mean, it hurts, but more ‘cause Ah came out on bottom than ‘cause ya went too hard.”

“It gets better the more you do it,” Button Mash explains, his smile gradually growing. “You get a feel for what goes where, and after a while it just comes naturally and you can focus on speed.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Pomarbo shakes his head, his mouth hanging open in awe. “Ya moved so fast, Ah could barely keep up. But then, when you went for somewhere they had no place belongin’? Ah would’a sworn up’n down it wouldn’t work, but then ya went and did it!”

“It’s all in the twist,” Button Mash explains, a wise sage to his pupil. “If you go the wrong way, it pops right out. But the correct direction, and…”

“...It just sinks in like it belongs there.” Pomarbo’s tongue lolls out as he grunts. He glances back at the door. “Ah’m feelin’ better, if’n ya wanna go back in an’-”

No way she can let that happen! Diamond Tiara clears her throat as she steps out, smiling with just a hint of condescension. No need to go all out just yet. “Oh, hey Po! Button Mash! Fancy seeing the two of you here.”

“I practically live here,” Button Mash deadpans while Pomarbo returns a confused look.

“What were you two talking about?” Diamond Tiara continues, dreading the answer yet hiding behind an innocent facade. She can see his older sisters’ influence on him, that instinctual drive to try anything, no matter how unlikely, in the hopes of getting his cutie mark. That won’t work at all! If he gets a cutie mark playing arcade games, what would others think? And how will he help support their herd? Or help her rise in the social ranks?

Nevertheless, she fixes Button Mash with a pointed stare. He’s Lemon’s age, old enough to have a reasonable shot at figuring out what he wants to do with his life. He better not answer yes. “Getting your cutie marks?”

Button Mash scoffs, not at all what Diamond Tiara expects, and spits out, “Better not.”

Wait, he doesn’t want a cutie mark in playing silly games? By his own admission, he practically lives here. If that’s not your calling, why would you bother? She takes another look at the colt’s brown flank, her frown briefly beating her self-composure before she gets her face back under control.

Pomarbo tries to cover for the other colt’s lack of tact. “We were playin’ Block Ablater. It’s really fun, an’ Button’s gonna be competin’ at the Games! Ya got these, um, funny-shaped square pieces?” He motions with his hooves, not that it means anything to her. “Except that they’re not squares, there’s all kind of weird shapes like straight pieces, and blocks, and hooks, and-

“-The seven tetrominoes,” Button Mash cuts in to explain as though Pomarbo’s fumbling bothers him. “The seven unique combinations of four contiguous squares with respect to rotation but not reflection: I, J, L, O, S, Z, and T. ”

Diamond Tiara raises an eyebrow at the wordy explanation. Does he think she is actually interested? Although, as one of the many opportunities for Ponyville to win gold at the Equestria Games, she shouldn’t put him down much, if at all. Maybe she should give it a chance? Ugh, Celestia zap her now.

“What he said.” Pomarbo isn’t fazed at all by the interruption. “And you have to figure out where to place them. Ya don’t want gaps, or ya can’t fill in the whole line and clear it. It’s pretty tough doin’ that, even if ya gave me all the time Ah could want!”

“Oh, I can’t imagine why you don’t want a cutie mark there!” Diamond Tiara gives a single haughty laugh, covering her muzzle as though she is embarrassed to be laughing at their plight.

“Ya should join us!” Pomarbo gives her a wide smile that she has far too much difficulty returning. She’ll need to run through her exercises again. “Ah bet ya’d be really good, ‘cause ya’re smart’n ya love thinkin’ ahead!”

Diamond Tiara may recognize when flattery is used on her, as she doles it out all the time, but is it really flattery when it’s true? She giggles, uncovering her muzzle as she glances at Cozy Glow. “Oh, I’d love to. But don’t we need to head to the barns? I’m sure Granny Smith has finished sorting the apples.”

“Oh.” Pomarbo rubs at the back of his mane, suddenly withdrawn. “Um, my dam said she’n uncle Big Mac would be gone, maybe for the whole weekend. An’ we’d need to save those apples in case she weren’t back yet; we might need ‘em to fill the orders.”

Diamond Tiara frowns internally, keeping her smile. The Apples get more bits per bushel making cider, even with Flim Flam’s cut; it would make more sense from a business perspective to prioritize that over just about anything else. Just one more thing to take a look at once Sweet Apple Acres is under new management. Well, depending how they split the orchards, of course; Big MacIntosh likely won’t stay a bachelor forever, much as they joke about him being married to the farm. Eventually somemare will decide his weight is worth the work, and that will be that.

“I see,” she says slowly, allowing a small section of frown to creep through.

“But, um, ya’re still welcome to come over, if’n ya want.” Pomarbo offers her a hopeful grin. “Ah don’t think Granny’ll say nothin’, an’ it’ll just be you, me’n Hedge.”

Diamond Tiara blinks. While this won’t be the first time she’s slept over at the Apple’s, this is the first time Pomarbo has asked without specific (and sometimes repeated) prompting. “That would be lovely,” she says, throwing in a hint of a curtsy and wink. Have to encourage them whenever they do anything right; like her sire says, small bits invested now will pay large dividends later. “I guess we can stay here.”

As soon as the door to the bowling alley opens every one of her senses comes under assault: the flashing lights of the games, the striking of pins on the lanes, the smell and taste of cheap oil-and-salt amusement food permeating the air. Even the polished hardwood floor feels off as she trots inside, Pomarbo holding the door open. She follows an impatient and hurrying Button Mash to the back, hoping in vain there might be an out-of-the-way spot she can relax, but Pomarbo quickly returns to her side and practically pushes her in front of the game. Well, if he insists, she’ll give the game a try. Again, building up that account so he’ll do the things she wants to do.

The Block Ablater cabinet looks much like the other games, a blocky purple box taller than she can stretch. She can reach the controls - on the left, four buttons in a diamond pattern that she can completely cover with one hoof, three on the right - by standing on her hind legs, an unflattering position if there ever was one. Pomarbo and Button Mash use step stools to reach, and she’s glad to be spared that humiliation. Pomarbo pulls his stool away from the machine and sits on it a little ways back. She wryly notes the slot where you put bits hangs open, not requiring them to actually insert anything to play.

The game itself looks mildly interesting, at best. Button Mash explains as he stands up next to her, “You send junk to the other pony by clearing lines, the more the better. The four buttons on the left move your piece around: left goes left, right goes right, down drop it faster, up hard drops, if you press all four it hard drops but you can still rotate. Right rotates clockwise, left counterclockwise, up holds the piece or swaps for your held piece. Ready?” He doesn’t wait for her to answer, just flicks a little switch twice and stretches to press two buttons near the top, starting up a two player game.

Clearing lines? Hard drop? The whole ‘teach me how to play’ trope would go a lot better if it was, you know, Pomarbo showing her the ropes. All he needs to do is get behind her, almost like he’s mounting her, and guide her hooves to where she needs to go. And then, as she gets a bit more confident, he would slide down her barrel, and… Well. That would be much better. She glances back to get him a coquettish wink and flick of her mane, inviting him over, but he seems oblivious. As always. Figures.

The game starts, showing five pieces on the right while a square piece begins falling on her side of the board. She taps to one side experimentally, finding it takes just the slightest touch to get it to move. And, if she holds it, after a brief delay it quickly shifts all the way across. She tries pressing up, and the piece jumps to the bottom with a happy *schew!* sound, the next piece coming from the top while the pieces on the right shift up. Okay, she can make sense of this. It’s like she’s commanding the ponies underneath her, just like her cutie mark wants! She moves the ‘j’ piece that comes to the right, testing out what rotating it looks like. It spins about, and she places it on its side next to the ‘o’ with another happy *schew!*. Not bad!

She places another piece, and another, the grin on her muzzle slowly widening. This is pretty fun! And then she fills the bottom row, and half the blocks disappear on her with an almost insulting *puh*. She frowns, having expected more.

Then the *puh* sound repeats. And repeats, again and again and again. Her eyes widen as the bottom of her field pushes up with a line of gray with every block she places, and then another, and two more, even when she manages to clear a line more just come and come, until her side is nothing but ugly gray blocks.

“What was that?” Pomarbo asks Button Mash, Diamond Tiara slightly miffed. Cozy Glow seems just as lost.

“Four wide,” Button Mash explains as though either word means anything. She glances at his side of the field, the game not having cleared everything yet, and he has two short towers on either side of an open middle. “It lets you get an absurd combo, but is weak to a D-T or a PC setup since it takes so long to build and relies on height. I need to practice it more, I’m still pretty slow.”

Slow?! “That was slow?” They barely played for thirty seconds! Did he have to go all out?

“Yeah.” Button Mash shrugs. “And it’s not like I’m going to slow down for a noob.”

Diamond Tiara grits her teeth as she readies herself for the next game. She doesn’t know what that word means, but she hates being called it.

Next Chapter: Ch. 153 - Brawn, Part Two Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 49 Minutes