Chapters Applebloom trotted down the old dirt path, she cleared away some bushes and came to the clearing of her clubhouse. She thought about how her two other friends had already discovered their talents, and received their cutie marks. As she ascended the steps, she could already hear her 2 friends talking. Applebloom knocked on the pink wooden door in a rhythmic pattern, and the door creaked open. Inside revealed 2 fillies sitting on the floor playing Monopony. "Hey guys. What'cha playin'?" she asked.
"Oh hey Applebloom!" said an orange pegasus with a purple mane, Scootaloo. "We were just playing Monopony while we waited for you!" a white unicorn with a pink and purple mane added, Sweetie Belle. "Yea! We had an awesome idea for Equestria Day!" Scootaloo explained, "We could get our cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle continued.
The yellow filly with a red mane sat down next to her friends. "Alrighty then. What's the plan?" Applebloom asked. The unicorn answered first, "We had an idea of becoming inventors!!!" She began, "Earth ponies and unicorns wanna be up in the clouds like pegasi, right? So we're gonna make a flying machine!" Sweetie Belle explained. "We dunno what we're gonna call it, but it'll be AWESOME!!!" Scootaloo added.
"Ok, cool! We're gonna build some sorta flyin' machine. And ah might be able to get my cutie mark... I'm in!" Applebloom stated. The three stood up and raced to the shed for building scraps. They picked through metal pieces and dug out all sorts of materials, walls of thin metal, bits and scraps lay scattered around the shed, nails, hammers, and screwdrivers.
The friends laid out all the supplies into neat stacks on the floor of their clubhouse. "Alrighty then, what now?" Scootaloo asked, "Well, we gotta organize what we still need into a list, then we can start buildin'!" Applebloom finished. "Ok!" The unicorn squeaked, and raced off, coming back with a scroll of paper and pencil.
After an hour or two, the fillies planned out their idea. "Ok then," Applebloom stated, "We'll need three hammers, three screwdrivers, 150 nails, paint, three paintbrushes, nails..." She continued, "Uh, Applebloom? You said nails twice." Sweetie Belle corrected. "Oh, right." The filly answered, crossing out the second 'nails' on the long list of supplies. "Ok then, three paintbrushes, 20 two-by-fours, an engine, four small pieces of wood, etc!" Applebloom finished.
"And just HOW do you plan on getting all of that stuff?" Scootaloo questioned, "Uh..... I have NO idea!" Applebloom said, stomping her hoof into the dirt.
The three fillies rushed to the barn, and stopped in their tracks in front of Big Macintosh. "Hey big brother!" The earth pony smiled, "We were just wonderin' if uh... You could help us get some supplies that's on this list," she finished. Big Mac set down a bail of hay in his teeth, each of the fillies were smiling as hard as they could. "Eeeeeeyup!" He answered, and trotted over to a small red wagon, and attaching it to Scootaloo's scooter. The pegasus jumped onto her vehicle, and buzzed off, with the other two fillies in the cart.
When the fillies stopped in front of the Hardware Store, the all turned back and saw Big Macintosh trailing behind, giving a small grin. He stopped at Applebloom's hooves, "So, what do ya all have on this little list Applebloom?" Big Mac questioned, "Well, we gotta lotta stuff, so ah'll just let ya look at it for yourself." She answered, handing him the list of supplies. The stallion looked down the list, not saying a word, and not questioning anything.
"Well alrighty than. I guess this'll take a bit a time, but ah'm pretty sure it's possible." The stallion explained. The three friends nodded in agreement, with large smiles on their faces.
The four entered the Hardware Store, and bells hung above the door chimed throughout the store. "So Applebloom, might ah ask ya just what yer buildin'?" Big Mac asked, "Well, it's a long story, but ya see, we're tryin' to get our cutie marks," She stated, "And we wanna build a big flying thing!" The unicorn continued, "Yeah! And we're gonna help unicorns and earth ponies fly like us!!!" The pegasus interrupted, "So we're making a flyin' machine for Equestria day! To celebrate bein' free!" Applebloom finished.
"We'll than... That's a bit much for just three little fillies, don't ya think?" Macintosh asked, "Psssh! Too much?!" Applebloom exclaimed, "This'll be easier than gettin' Bertha the pig to eat 'er dinner!" The yellow filly walked past the other three, exploring the store.
"This place is cool! Big Macintosh? Can we come here more often!? Just to look around!" Applebloom pleaded. "Well that's a strange interest," Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle, "I know right," Sweetie Belle answered. The two followed their fascinated friend around the store. "Oh look! An open-end wrench!" The filly squeaked excitedly. "I guess ah know where ah'm takin' her for her birthday," Macintosh whispered to the other fillies. The three giggled and trailed behind where Applebloom danced.
The group separated and found all the supplies they needed. "Ah'm so excited! Ah can't wait to build this thing! The hammers! Nails! Screwdrivers! And especially the paint! Oh the paint! Ah love the smell of paint in the mornin'!" Applebloom pranced around in circles, talking to herself eagerly. "Can I hold the bag Big Mac!? Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!?" the filly asked impatiently while exiting the store, "Eeeyup," He answered, passing the bag of supplies to his little sister. "Yay!" Applebloom bounded back to Sweet Apple Acres, shaking a bag of nails and hammers in her jaws.
Scootaloo couldn't even keep up with Applebloom while riding back to the barn. "She sure does seem excited," Sweetie Belle stated while she sat in the cart. "Eeeyup," Big Mac nodded in agreement.
The scooter ran into Sweet Apple Acres' dirt road, slowing it down about to about three miles an hour, Scootaloo flew faster, pushing the cart further down the road. Applebloom was jumping in the same spot, a huge smile on her face as she watched her friends and family approach her.
After a few days of sitting in her room, and planning intensely, Applebloom scheduled a meeting with her friends to see each other at the clearing.
"Whoa..." Scootaloo exclaimed, noticing the yellow filly's mane. "What've you been doing while we were gone?" Sweetie Belle added, "Planning. Just planning, ah've been so excited the last few nights, ah guess ah haven't been worryin' about other stuff," Applebloom explained, jumping around carelessly. "So! You ready to start buildin'?!" The filly asked eagerly. "Yea!" the unicorn squealed, and a small moan escaped Scootaloo's mouth.
"A-Are you sure you can put it back?" Scootaloo asked nervously, "Like mah brother always says: Eeeeyup!" Applebloom answered as she handed the pegasus the bar and handles of her scooter. Scootaloo looked at the pieces with a slight look of terror in her gleaming purple eyes. "Ah don't worry about it, Scoots!" Applebloom exclaimed with a confident smile. "Ah can put them back on in a jiffy!" She said proudly as she rolled the new skateboard under the picnic table.
Big Macintosh trotted into the clearing dragging a cart a two-by-fours. "Oh thanks Big Mac! Ah guess ah might need those," Applebloom giggled to herself, "Eeeyup!" He answered as he left the secret clearing. The next day, they began building.
"Wrench," Applebloom ordered, sticking her hoof out while she laid on her temporary skateboard. "Wrench," Scootaloo handed a wrench to Sweetie Belle who passed it to Applebloom. The yellow filly sighed tiredly. "You g-" WHAM!!! Applebloom tried to sit up and smashed her head against the underside of her creation. "That HAD to hurt," Sweetie Belle stated. Rubbing her forehead, Applebloom smeared oil across her tangled mane and head. "Ah'm gettin' used to it," she groaned. She rolled out from underneath the machine, attempting to sit up again. "What ah was tryin' to say was that this was the wrong wrench. Ah need an pipe wrench not an adjustable wrench," Applebloom sighed.
"Whatever floats your goat," Scootaloo said, handing Sweetie Belle another wrench, "Whatever floats your what?" the unicorn asked confusingly, "Goat, ya know that saying don't ya?" Scootaloo answered, "I know the saying 'Whatever floats your boat ',". Sweetie Belle stated, "Just gimme the darn wrench!" Applebloom screamed. "Oh forget we even had this conversation," Scootaloo finished, Sweetie Belle tossed the wrench to Applebloom, who finally rolled back underneath the machinery.
After a brief meeting in the barn, the three fillies rushed to their construction site, cans of paint and brushes in their jaws. Applebloom entered the clearing first, considering she was the most excited.
"Ah love the smell of paint in the mornin'!" She squealed, bounding over to her covered machine.
Applebloom ripped off the sheet, revealing a great, metal machine.
"Whoa!" the two friends exclaimed in awe.
"Ah finished it last night! I couldn't sleep very well," Applebloom blushed.
"Ah think ah'll call it an air-plane. It sounds nice," she stated.
"It'll be PERFECT for Equestria Day!" Sweetie Belle cried.
The three took a step back, admiring Applebloom's work. Hoofsteps were faintly in the distance, but grew closer to the clearing.
"Well than," A stallion startled the fillies, it was Big Macintosh, his eyes gleaming at the metal plane.
"Who in the name of Equesria built this?" He glanced at Applebloom, who was blushing red hot.
The group continued to stare speechless at Applebloom's creation. Their eyes were huge and twinkling, making Applebloom giggle. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle took a few steps forward, but Scootaloo tripped over a hammer laying on the dew-tipped grass. Sweetie Belle laughed, Scootaloo groaned and stood up on her four legs.
"Well what are we waitin' for?!" Applebloom exclaimed eagerly, "Lets start paintin'!"
And with that, each of the four gripped a paintbrush in their teeth, dripping red paint, and began to brush the machine.
"Even strokes everypony," Applebloom mumbled through her brush.
The group nodded in agreement, and spread throughout the perimeter of the plane. Macintosh reached the highest places, including the tail and top of the plane. Sweetie Belle painted the left side, Scootaloo got the right, and Applebloom decorated the front.
The plane was red with Big Macintosh's cutie mark on each wing, the tail, and the propeller in the front of the airplane was lime green. It was supposed to be a two-seater plane, with a large seat in the front for the driver, which would be Big Mac, and Applebloom in a smaller, filly-sized seat, in the back.
"Luckily, ah brought us some fireworks over, for decoration," Applebloom stated.
"Why do we need fireworks again?" Scootaloo questioned.
"Well, ya see, it'll be connected to each of the plane's turbines. Then at nighttime, it'll leave a trail of golden and blue fireworks, for the sun and the moon, wherever it goes!" Applebloom explained eagerly.
"AWESOME!" Sweetie Belle cried, everypony nodded in agreement.
Applebloom smiled and trotted to each wing of the plane, using a hammer and nail, attaching the fireworks to the turbines, then putting extras inside a compartment in the event of the fireworks running out.
"It'll be reloadable, cool!" Scootaloo added, Sweetie Belle nodded, a gleaming smile on her face.
The fillies harnessed Big Macintosh to the wheels of the plane, and rolled it out of the woods. Applebloom left the machine out in the hot sun, waiting for the paint to dry. The group trotted to the kitchen, where Applejack was pulling a tray of hot apple fritters out of the oven.
"Oh hey fillies," Applejack greeted with a friendly smile.
"Hey big sister, what's for lunch?" Applebloom asked, drooling at the aroma floating off of the tray.
"P.B n' J. sandwiches an' apple fritters fresh from the oven!" the mare explained eagerly. "If ya'll are thirsty, there's apple juice an' milk in the fridge!" She added while she trotted out of the kitchen.
The three dug into their sandwiches and chugged down entire glasses of Sweetie Apple Acres Apple Juice. They put their dishes in the sink and walked back to the clubhouse, planning what they would do on Equestria Day.
Two weeks after the group finished their machine, they would have to preform. But until then, Applebloom would have to teach her brother how to drive the airplane.
"So uh... ya use this wheel right here," Applebloom explained, "To steer the airplane, got that?"
"Eeeeyup!"
"Ok then, the gas an' air pedals are down their. Air pedals just slow ya down, kinda for landing. Ya see 'em?" the filly poked the pedals.
"Eeeeyup!" Macintosh answered.
"Good, now there's some rudder pedals down there to change altitude," She added. "Throttle control pedal, there's a lotta pedals..." Big Mac nodded in agreement.
"Alrighty, now. These are the keys for the plane to start," Applebloom tossed a ring of jingling keys to Big Mac, "And ya put 'em in this lock right here," She pointed to the key hole.
"Eeeeyup!" Big Mac answered.
Applebloom continued to explain all sorts of buttons and pedals, Big Mac nodded each time, trying to understand his surroundings. After an hour of explaining, Applebloom climbed into the back seat, handed her brother some goggles, and slapped some on her face as well.
"Alright, ya sure you can do this?" Applebloom asked cautiously.
"Eeeeyup!" He answered, nervously.
Big Mac started the engine, watching and listening to the propellers in front of him gradually beginning to whir. Then slowly pressing down on the different pedals, the plane began to move. Slowly but surely, the machine lifted off it's three feet, rising into the air.
Applebloom sat forward, yelling into her brother's ear, "NOW PULL UP THE WHEELS!" He obeyed her sister's orders, pressing a large blue button, the landing gear slowly tucked itself into the bottom of the plane.
The little filly leaned over the edge, trying to see Ponyville from above.
"YOU'RE DOIN' IT BIG MAC! WE'RE FLYIN'!" Applebloom yelled eagerly.
"EEEEYUP!" Big Macintosh answered loudly.
The two passed over clouds, and Applebloom leaned out to grab the white substance. She giggled and handed it to her brother up front, who laughed heartily.
After a few minutes, the filly checked the fuel: MEDIUM
"ALRIGHT BIG MAC!" She yelled into his ears, "IT'S ABOUT TIME WE LAND!"
Macintosh listened carefully and gradually pressed harder onto the air pedal, opened the landing gear, and slowly dropped down to earth. They whizzed by trees and bumped back onto ground. The stallion quickly pressed a small black button. "WHOMPH!" The wings turned vertical, slowing the machine down even faster. The braking pedal hit the floor, and the plane was at a stop almost instantly.
"Have you done this before?!" Applebloom asked eagerly, after getting off the machine, "You drove like a pro!" She added.
"Well thanks Applebloom, but ah had no clue what ah really was doin', but ah guess ah'll do exactly that next time," Big Macintosh stated honestly.
The filly shrugged and rushed off to her clubhouse, expecting her two friends to be waiting for her.
After a week of practicing, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Big Macintosh were preparing for their preformance in the night sky. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle wiped down the airplane with rags, giving it a shiny new look. Big Mac was filling the firework supply while Applebloom sat far off in the distance, huddled in a little ball, shaking.
"Is she gonna be ok?" Sweetie Belle whispered.
"Ah hope so, ah think she's just a lil' nervous..." Big Mac answered. Suddenly, the yellow filly rushed up to Macintosh with a worried and angered expression.
"A LITTLE NERVOUS?!" She shouted. "AH'M FREAKIN' OUT!!!" She continued. "WHAT IF THE PLANE CRASHES, WHAT IF THE PRINCESSES DON'T LIKE IT!! WHAT IF SOMEPONY GETS HURT!!! AH'M NOT A LITTLE NERVOUS, AH'M EXTREMELY NERVOUS!!!" She explained worriedly.
"Ok ok calm down Applebloom, I doubt any of that will happen, Big Macintosh has been practicing with you for a week. You'll be fine..." Scootaloo added.
"But.... What if-" Applebloom began, though a grey mare with a white mane and earpiece stopped her.
"You're on in five minutes," The mare stated, then walked away in a serious manner.
Sweetie Belle used her magic and gave the filly a brown paper bag, "Calm yourself down." She said, moving the bag closer to Applebloom.
Applebloom took the bag and threw it to the ground. "Big Mac, we'll need to get in the plane now..." She said in a quiet voice. Big Macintosh nodded and trotted over to the plane, and climbed into the front seat.
The engine gave an abrupt bump and whirred to life, and the propellors on the nose of the plane began to circle. From behind the stage, the four could hear the sound of two sets of hooves, a crowd cheering, and a microphone.
"Good evening fillies and gentlecolts!!!" Princess Celestia boomed. "Tonight we are here to celebrate Equestria day! A day in which 1000 years ago we became a free country!" Princess Luna added. "Though this year, we have received a request from three young fillies!" Celestia continued, waving off stage for the three to step up onto the stage, along with Big Macintosh.
The crowd roared as the four walked out, stinging the groups' ears.
"These four have designed a machine for Equestria day, to represent our freedom," Luna began. "What have you named this flying machine?" She said, tilting the microphone down to the yellow filly's mouth.
"A..... A-" Applebloom stuttered. "an Air..... Plane..." She finished, her eyes grew bigger the longer she stared at the huge crowd.
Celestia put a shoulder on the filly, "So how long did it take you all to build it?" The white princess asked with a bright smile.
Scootaloo stepped forward excitedly, "Actually! Applebloom did it ALL by herself! It only took her a TWO days!!" Luna and Celestia glanced back to each other with wide eyes, Applebloom began to blush a dark red.
"Well that's a very extreme skill." Luna added, Celestia nodded in agreement.
After a long silence, the alicorns began to speak to the crowd. "Fillies and gentlecolts!!! It is time for this group to preform their amazing airplane stunt!"
The princesses stood off to the edge of the stage, in their place stood Sweetie Belle along with Scootaloo, both smiling and glancing at their cutie marks. Applebloom slowly jumped into her machine, with Macintosh sitting up front, revving the engine.
"Ok.... Do ya remember what to do?" Applebloom asked quietly.
"Eeeyup!" Big Mac answered with a gleaming smile.
Applebloom sighed and aligned each firework properly. Applebloom tapped her brother's head, giving him the cue to take off, and also a cue for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. A few buttons later, Sweetie Belle was singing a beautiful melody, and the two siblings were gliding through the sky.
The plane soared, and bright golden and dark blue fireworks streaked the air, leaving a magnificent trail of light in the mid-night sky. As the white unicorn on the ground sang her heart out, the airplane above lit up the world. Applebloom peeked her head out of the side of the machine. The crowd's eyes were twinkling, the filly giggled and looked over at the two royal princesses.
The two looked shocked, dumbfounded, and amazed all tied into one. They couldn't believe it. One little filly. She didn't even have a cutie mark. Who outsmarted an adult pony by building something almost impossible. Princess Luna was swaying to the beat of Sweetie Belle's dazzling voice, though her eyes were locked on the flying earth ponies. Celestia was also staring at the couple in the sky, it was beautiful.
Every single pony not only in the crowd, but in town, were staring at the gorgeous machine. Windows were cracked open, with ponies and fillies watching the sky in amazement, everything was so graceful.
"Ok Mac, time to land!" Applebloom shouted nervously.
"Eeeyup!" The red stallion pushed a few more buttons, brought out the landing gear, and began to slow.
Slowly but surely, the plane gradually neared the ground. With a slight bump, the two earth ponies landed. Applebloom took the fireworks off, and her brother finally turned the machine off. The propellors stopped circling their axis, the engine made no sound, and there was no more whirring.
Everypony was silent. Dead silent. Even the princesses. Applebloom and Big Macintosh jumped out of the plane and slowly walked over to the princesses, who were staring at them in delight.
"Please tell me again," Luna began, "Who constructed this excellent machine?"
The yellow filly blushed, and shyly approached the princesses. Applebloom looked at both of them nervously.
"Yes..... Ma'am?" The filly asked quietly.
"Uh..." Luna tried to say, though Celestia stepped in, "What is your... Favorite thing to do young filly?" The white alicorn said with a weak smile.
"Build stuff..."
Luna pitched in, "And... What do you think you're good at?"
"Building stuff..." Applebloom said weakly.
And with that, the little filly felt a small burst inside of her. It spread throughout her entire body. From the tip of her tail to the end her muzzle. The burst gave her a start, making her jump a foot in the air. The princesses laughed at the filly's reaction.
Applebloom quickly looked at her flank. A white beam of light shone where her flank was. After a moment, the small, bright light dimmed, revealing a grid with an apple imprinted inside of it. A hammer and saw lay crossing over the apple.
It was Applebloom's cutie mark.
She couldn't believe it. She couldn't look away from the beauty on her flank. Applebloom stood completely still, staring directly at her cutie mark. She had done it. Applebloom had completed her life goal. The longer she stared, the wider her smile grew.
Suddenly, a loud and familiar voice broke the silence. Cheering and stomping, an orange earth pony plowed through the crowd to the front. Applejack was cheering for her little sister who had just earned her cutie mark. The filly's name was shouted over and over, and a small tear streamed down Applebloom's cheek.
"So what are we gonna do now Applebloom?" the pegasus asked as she stopped in front of the bounding filly, brushing up a cloud of dirt. "Well, were gonna get buildin' this thing! It's the best part of it all! And the most fun!" She answered eagerly. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo moaned, "That doesn't sound to fun ," Sweetie Belle complained, "It just sounds like more work , "Scootaloo added.
The yellow filly ignored her friends and raced off, the other two shrugged and trailed behind her. Applebloom darted though thick brush, and slowed as she entered a large clearing. With only a small picnic table, it was well-kept and tidy. "Whoa," Scootaloo exclaimed, taking in the view, "This place is gorgeous! "Sweetie Belle squealed, "This is mah secret clearing," Applebloom explained, "Ah come here if ah wanna be alone or somethin'," She continued, "But... don't tell anypony about it." The filly pleaded, "My family don't even know about it," She finished.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle trotted around the clearing with wide eyes, taking in their beautiful surroundings. Meanwhile, Applebloom scooted the picnic table off to the side, and laid out the bag of supplies onto the tabletop. "So Applebloom," Sweetie Belle started, "How'd you even find this place?" She asked with curious eyes.
"Well, ah was just explorin' Sweet Apple Acres several months ago, and ah came to this really, really, really pretty place! And nothin' was wrong with it, not a single weed even! So ah built mahself a picnic table out here, so if ah wanted to be alone, ah'd just come sit at mah table. And it's really far away from the barn, so nopony could find it." Applebloom explain proudly.
"Wow Applebloom," Scootaloo stated, "That must have taken forever! You have some dedication for a filly like yourself," Applebloom blushed, "Not some dedication, a lotta dedication!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Well thanks guys, that means a lot to me," Applebloom said shyly.
After a few minutes of talking, the group decided on a plan, including Scootaloo's scooter, the clearing, and Big Mac. The pegasus rushed off to get her vehicle, and Sweetie Belle raced after Big Mac, and during that time, Applebloom drew out a blueprint. The clearing would be Applebloom's construction site temporarily.
After the friends returned with Big Mac and a scooter, Applebloom explained what was going to happen next.
