Apple Bloom still doesn't have her cutie mark. She's not very happy.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders are nearing the end. Well, except for Apple Bloom. Is she EVER going to get her cutie mark? There's only three chapters written so far, so I don't want to give too much away...
“Since the dawn of recorded time, in one town of amazing amazingness, three types of ponies co-exist:”
“We are Earth Ponies!”
“We are Unicorns!”
“We are Pegasi!”
“And in a town where friendship reigns is our home, now welcome to the stadium, the flag of the place we love best!”
“Ponyville forever! YAY!”
Scootlaoo stood, holding her position while trying to get a steady flow of air through her. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stood on top of her, each holding their own pose while the crowd applauded and cheered wildly for them. Keeping a steady breath, Scootaloo eyed her scooter off to her left. Waving Ponyville’s flag proudly, it was almost as if the small scooter was also applauding Scootaloo.
Still standing on the stage, panting heavily, trying to manage both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s weight, Scootaloo gazed at all the cheering fans. This was made possible by her, by her friends, and her family…who were basically her friends, but that didn’t matter! What really mattered is all the love and support that went into perfecting this act! The games could now begin! Well, at least not until the trio removed themselves from the stage first.
Scootaloo released her two friends, giving a huge, happy sigh as she no longer had to hold them. Not that her friends were particularly heavy, it was just quantity over quality. Grabbing her faithful scooter, the trio headed off stage to watch the games while Ms. Harshwhinny announced the events and when breaks and intermissions would take place, and other not-game-related things. Once the trio was alone, Scootaloo grabbed her friends into a tight hug.
“I can’t believe we did that so PERFECTLY!”
“I know! It was so unbelievable! You were amazing too, Scootaloo!”
“Ah couldn’t have said it better mah-self! We make a perfect team! Cutie Mark Crusaders forever!”
Scootaloo looked over at her exhausted scooter. If it could talk, Scootaloo was sure it was tell her how proud it was of her too. She practiced for hours with that scooter, making sure it could tolerate ripping through the fabric of the hoola-hoop, and being able to come to a quick halt so Scootaloo could swing around for her big finish with the other Crusaders. Despite the occasional meltdown where Scootaloo became frustrated over not being able to fly, her scooter was still there, supporting her all the way. It was truly a loyal friend to her, and she couldn’t wait to learn to master more tricks on it.
While Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle fawned over their huge success, Scootaloo suddenly felt something funny. It was a warm; kind of fuzzy feeling…Was she falling in love? No, it couldn’t be something as silly as that. Sure, she loved her friends, just not like that. Suddenly, and idea struck her. Her mastery of her scooter, how it made her feel so free and happy, making her realize anything was possible…She turned around to look at her flank just in time for a flashing light to blind her. The other fillies didn’t escape the blinding, as suddenly they were surrounded by paparazzi taking their photos and congratulating them on a job well done.
After shaking the stars out of their eyes, one of the photographers came up to them and asked if they wanted to see one of the pictures she had taken. Scootaloo didn’t really care much for photos, but of course Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle HAD to look. Just as Scootaloo was turning to head back up to the audience, she heard Sweetie Belle squeak, which was Sweetie-Belle-n for, “OH MY GOSH”.
Scootaloo turned to meet stares from both the photographer and her friends. The photographer had nothing but a sweet smile on her face while Sweetie Belle looked super excited, bouncing up and down. That could really mean anything though as, Sweetie Belle was ALWAYS like that. Apple Bloom on the other hand had an extremely weird expression on her face. She looked almost disgusted, with a twisted, forced smile on her face. It honestly frightened Scootaloo a little.
“So uh, what’s up guys? What’s with the funny looks?”
Sweetie Belle immediately jumped next to Scootaloo’s side and gently pushed her side upwards to show off her flank.
“C’mon, girls! Let’s get our cutie marks in…Well, uh..Sweetie Bell, you can come with me to get a cutie mark in gambling!”
Sweetie Bell rolled her eyes. Ever since Scootaloo got her cutie mark last month, Apple Bloom was completely out of her mind with jealousy.
“Apple Bloom, gambling is illegal for fillies.”
“But what if it’s our destiny! We gotta find out now!”
Sweetie Bell rolled her eyes again. She was not partaking in ANY illegal activity, much less with Apple Bloom. She was quite frankly tired of Apple Bloom’s desperate antics, and just wanted to enjoy her time with her two best friends. Sweetie Bell turned to look at Scootaloo, who was looking horrifyingly dejected. Apple Bloom had not been happy for her at all, and despite Sweetie Bell calling her out on this, she continued to lie though her teeth saying just how happy she was for Scootaloo.
But now the race was on for them to get theirs.
“Apple Bloom, I’m not going. Why don’t you, me, and Scootaloo just go to the Cakes’ and get milkshakes or something? We can have a relaxing night and just hang out like we used to, remember?”
Oh boy. Here we go. Sweetie Belle could see Scootaloo about to approve of her decision, but Apple Bloom was quicker to the remark. They just HAD to get their cutie marks. They just HAD to.
“I know! Guys, there’s a new karaoke place that just opened up in town! Why don’t you two try for a cutie mark in singing?”
Before letting Apple Bloom even open her mouth, Sweetie Belle gave a trademark squeak (Scootaloo would probably translate this to ‘thank you for your wonderful input let’s do this) and grabbed Apple Bloom by the tail, and before she could even protest, Sweetie was dragging Apple Bloom along.
“This day is going to be perfect, the kind of day of which I dreamed since I was smaaaaallll”
Sweetie Belle laughed at how over the top Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were being. Scootaloo was the “evil princess” in the song while Apple Bloom was the “good princess”. This was their favorite song to sing along to, even before the karaoke club opened. They spent almost hours singing this song, each taking turns being the good and evil princess. They had no idea who originally sung the song, but hey, it was catchy as heck!
“MINE! ALL MINE! WAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAA!”
“Alright Sweetie Belle, it’s your turn!” Apple Bloom seemed to lighten up considerable, most likely forgetting the small argument from before, much to Sweetie Bell’s happiness. Flipping through the small book of songs, Sweetie Bell droned out an argument about how nobody acknowledged Scootaloo’s evil laugh. After finally deciding on a lullaby-esque song her mom used to sing to her at night, she selected the track and hopped up on the stage. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo quickly jumped onto the small couches and got comfy. Anytime Sweetie Bell sang, they just wanted to curl up and fall asleep hearing her voice.
Sweetie Bell begun to sing, filling the room with her sweet, gentle voice. She loved to sing for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo and especially loved seeing the relaxed looks on their faces. She knew they loved her singing, and she loved to sing for them. Hitting high notes, low notes, knowing exactly when to decrescendo and hold fermatas, Sweetie Bell, simply put in her own mind, owned this song. It was her personal favorite, and she made sure she knew every inch of this song.
Unknowingly to Sweetie, one of the waitresses who worked at the club came in to slip the kids some drinks. Upon hearing Sweetie’s voice, the waitress could only stand there and enjoy the small filly’s beautiful, crystal voice. She wasn’t the only one drawn in, as soon other ponies were wandering in, even the Mane 6 who was just down the hall, all of them hearing Sweetie Bell’s singing voice. Fluttershy made a very quiet note to herself about how far Sweetie came, remember her musical debut at her cottage. Not many got to hear Sweetie Belle sing (except at the talent show which most like to forget) and now that they did, it was all the more worthwhile.
Sweetie Belle finally noticed her audience. Normally, she would have stopped by now and freaked out over how many ponies were watching her. However, with this song and how Sweetie Bell was just honestly feeling, she really couldn’t care less at the moment. She finished her number, and received nothing but applause. Sweetie Bell felt a strangely familiar warmth rush through her body. This is what I was meant to do. This is my passion. I want to share it with everyone! There was a very small, almost unnoticeable flash of light, missed by all but the Mane 6 and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Even Sweetie failed to notice, as she was too absorbed in her happiness.
“Oh, Sweetie Bell, that was simply fabulous! And I will have to call mother and father and tell them the great news!” Rarity was trying her best to not cry, yet Sweetie couldn’t see why. She didn’t think it was her passion to make ponies cry with her voice. She looked over to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, noticing that Scootaloo wasn’t actually asleep this time, but wide-eyed and smiling wide. Apple Bloom, however, was in fact asleep.
Scootaloo ran up to Sweetie Bell, and just like Sweetie had done to her, Scootaloo pressed up on Sweetie Belle’s flank and lifted it in the air. When it finally hit Sweetie Belle, she let out such a high-pitched squeal, she was sure no one even heard it. However, they did all hear the next thing out of her, including Apple Bloom, who had finally woken up upon hearing all the commotion (and Rarity’s dramatic wailing).
“I am sorry, Apple Bloom, I wish there was something I could do for you.”
After learning her lesson from the Cutie Pox, Apple Bloom knew not to push Zecora further. She knew it would accomplish her nothing. Now that both of her friends had their cutie marks, Apple Bloom was on her own. It had been two months since Sweetie Bell had gotten her cutie mark, leaving Apple Bloom to fend for herself. Luckily for her, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were no longer bullies of Apple Bloom, as they had made good friends with Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo on the other hand, had her own new friends to hang out with.
In all fairness, Apple Bloom did push them away. She felt that they were too good for her now. She didn’t want to drag them on her “boring” adventures. After all, they already had their cutie marks, why would they want to watch Apple Bloom fail again and again while she desperately tried to get her cutie mark. Her ‘friends’ tried to be supportive to her, but it never made her feel any better.
“It’s like everypony told you, you just have to find your passion and recognize it.”
“Maybe your destiny is on the Apple Farm? That’s usually where your family gets their cutie marks from.”
“Maybe you already have a cutie mark, but it’s just invisible?”
“You could just be a permanent blank-Ouch! Don’t flick me there!”
Apple Bloom was sick of it all. She just wanted her cutie mark, to know what her great destiny was. She wanted to be an adult, respected and revered by all. Applejack tried to convince Apple Bloom that her blank-flank-ness was a good thing because it gave her more time to figure out how special she was. It just wasn’t good enough anymore.
Some days, Apple Bloom felt like jumping into a well and drowning, or maybe throwing herself under a cart. Every day without her cutie mark felt like complete torture. What’s even in a cutie mark anyways?
Apple Bloom thought back to the day where Pinkie Pie was working on the farm because her cutie mark was switched. What did that have to do with destiny? Just because her sister suddenly had three gems on her butt, that meant she had to spend her days locked inside a building sewing clothes? Wasn’t Rarity’s story about her finding her passion in making fashion? So what did the actual sewing part have to do with that?
And what about Rainbow Dash and Rarity? Rainbow Dash got her cutie mark from her love of racing and speed, so why did this suddenly put Rarity in as the caretaker of weather? Rainbow Dash wound up baby-sitting animals while Fluttershy learned she could communicate with nature and all that inhabited it. So what exactly is a cutie mark? A job identifier, or something that marks your destiny? Even Miss Cheerilee, what did her cutie mark have to do with teaching?
After bidding her only friend good-bye, Apple Bloom quietly left Zecora to her business, and proceeded to talk a walk through Everfree Forest to gather her thoughts up. She felt like she was on a roll with something here.
“What is it, exactly? A Cutie Mark? If you just break it down, it’s just a “cute mark”. But no, everypony has an individual one, to set them apart from the rest. But what runs in that mark? A job? A passion? Ah guess if you truly enjoyed your job and considered it a passion, you were lucky. Otherwise, it was just as useful as branding cattle, just a way to identify you in a crowd.
Looking at the sky, Apple Bloom thought about the Princesses. Were they born with their cutie marks? Born with the duty of raising the sun and moon each night? What about Cadance, the Crystal Princess, born to spread love?
As the sun began to set, and the moon rise, Apple Bloom decided to head home. Angry that today was just another useless day, she arrived home late, apologizing to Granny Smith and Applejack about being home so late. She ate a very quick dinner, and headed up to take a bath before bed.
“Ah just wish…Ah could live in a world without cutie marks. None of this being branded with a job, or even needing to find your ‘destiny.’ Everypony is just the same as everypony else."
Apple Bloom gave a little giggle, tired and worn out from walking around all day. She crawled into her bed and tucked herself in , giving into the quiet of the night.
"Ah betcha I could be a Princess, in a land of no cutie-marks. Shucks, ah bet ah could be such a good ruler, ah could even be a queen! Ah just wish ah could find other ponies who were blank-flanks like me.."
