The Crooked Adventures Of The Cutie Mark Crusaders

"Uh, Applebloom?"

"Yes, sister?"

"Why are y'all standin' there? There's 'bout to be a storm!"

"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We need to take every oppurtunity!"

"How is waitin' for a storm to brew gonna earn you a cutie mark?"

"We might get a 'Standin' In The Rain' cutie mark!"

"Standin' in the rain?"

"Uh-huh."

Applejack stared blankly at her sister and her friends, then sighed. "Come on, Applebloom, you'll get sick in the rain."

But the three little fillies stood their ground as raindrops started falling around them. Soon, the sky had darkened and most of Ponyville had retreated to their warm houses.

Applejack switched back and forth from Applebloom and her friends to the massive thunderhead forming over the fields. "Fer the last time, get inside! Standing in a thunderstorm won't get ya anywhere!"

"This is for us, sis." All three fillies shook their heads in agreement. Applejack lowered her head and sighed again. She closed the door to the house and disappeared into it. Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle, Sweetie Belle looked at Applebloom, and Applebloom was looking at the clouds.

"I think your sister's mad," Sweetie Belle whispered, leaning over.

"She won't be mad once she sees our cutie marks!" Applebloom replied.

"What would a 'Standing In The Rain' Cutie Mark even look like?" Scootaloo chimed in. All three of them began thinking what it would look like.

"Probably be a pony standing under a cloud," said Applebloom.

"Would that pony have a cutie mark?" said Sweetie Belle.

"Of course she'd have a cutie mark. That pony'd be me."

"But if you had a cutie mark of yourself having a cutie mark of yourself, wouldn't that just go on forever?" Scootaloo rejoined the conversation.

"Well, uh..." Applebloom tried to think about. "I guess it could be like that."

"Rarity's not gonna be happy when she finds out we were in the rain," said Sweetie Belle.

The air became thick with silence as each filly looked at each other. They didn't even notice when the thunder and lightning began.

The wind grew stronger and pulled on their manes. Applebloom tried to shout to the others, but the wind's howling drowned it out. A massive whirlwind brought the Crusaders off of their hooves. Applebloom was the first to realize what was happening.

"Tornado!" she screamed, but to no avail. They were already trapped in it's swirling power, helplessly stuck in the air. Applebloom heard the door burst open and Applejack shout "Applebloom, no!" It was too late. The sheer force of the wind knocked all three unconcious, one after the other.