A story from the Waterverse

Apple Bloom has been disconsolate for days on end. Her mind has been stretched to its limits in her efforts to come up with new ideas for discovering her Cutie Mark. No matter how hard she tries, no matter what she does, the Mark simply will not appear.
Apple Bloom knows the value of a Cutie Mark full well. It’s the symbol of one’s purpose, the proof that one’s life has meaning. It’s a symbol of accomplishment, potential, and that –no matter what- a Pony belongs in this world.
So what if one’s Cutie Mark never comes?

A story from the Waterverse

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The Crystal Empire survived the quake, but the city was left in tatters. The Crystal Palace was destroyed. Lives were lost. Hundreds of homes decimated as the earth opened up and swallowed them into the infinite black.
But the ancient empire still lives. Their leaders, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, endured the terrible disaster. The city may be ragged, the hearts of its citizens may be broken, but the power that fuels the Crystal Heart still burns. It breathes. It lives.
And because of that power, the Crystal Empire will rise again.

A new pony has come to Ponyville, a blue-colored pony by the name of Ocean Blue. Though mysterious, he soon finds himself among Twilight and the others, unintentionally becoming a welcome addition to the town. But when Princess Celestia and her sister Luna arrive in response to a letter from Twilight, the mysterious stallion is promptly arrested. The next day, for the first time in over a millennium, a pony will received the death sentence.
Twilight is left stunned and confused. Celestia tells her that Ocean Blue is a villain and must be stopped, but her own experiences don’t add up to what she is told. Can Ocean Blue be trusted? Is he a villain, as Celestia claims, or is Twilight’s own heart telling her the truth?
Equestria’s newest princess faces the hardest choice she has ever made: she can accept Celestia’s word as truth and watch Ocean Blue be killed, or she can risk her crown, her safety, her friends, and the companionship of her oldest teacher… and follow him into the wild.

(Artwork done by the extremely talented Neko-Me of DeviantArt)

Family has an unspoken bond. They support each other through thick and thin. Family celebrates with each other, they grieve with one another. It's the silent rule that the Apples know by heart and never violate.

Apple Bloom knows her future may not stay at Sweet Apple Acres, but she has always been willing to help her family. She may be the youngest, but that never stops her from doing whatever she could. Because they love each other.