How Bright the Moon Shines

1

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, lumberjacks!"  Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle said in unison.  They smiled at each other.  The three of them were just outside the Everfree forest.

        "Girls, I know this time we'll get our Cutie Marks!"  Apple Bloom said, looking at her friends, the axes she had brought sitting in front of them.  Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

        "What do you think Scootaloo?"  Apple Bloom asked.  She didn't reply.  The orange Pegasus was just looking up at the sky.

        "Um... Scootaloo?"  Sweetie Belle asked uncertainly, shuffling her hooves.  "Are you ok?"

        Scootaloo blinked.  "Uh... what? Yea. Sorry."  She was awkwardly tilting her head to one side, and didn't straiten up.

        Apple Bloom frowned, looking sadly at her friend.  "You know, if they hurt too much, I-I mean, you know, if your sca-"

Scootaloo turned  away from them, her ears flat against her orange head.  "No. I'm fine.  Lets just do this if we're going too at all."  She turned back to glare at Apple Bloom. There was a moment of silence between the three friends.

       Apple Bloom mentally kicked herself for bringing up the topic.  Scootaloo was very private about the scars on her face and neck.  One scar on her face went through her right eye, making it look foggy and blind like it was.  She wouldn't say where she got them, but Apple Bloom was sure it was something about Rainbow Dash.  Ever since she had started teaching Scootaloo to fly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's friend had come back from Cloudsdale every day with a new bruise or cut.  One day she just came down with those scars, obviously made earlier that day by somepony.  The lines were to strait and deep to be an accident, and they weren't infected or anything. They still bothered her every once and a while.

        "So..."  Apple Bloom looked up from her thoughts to see Sweetie Belle looking at the two of them.  "Are we going to do this or what, girls?"

Scootaloo shook her head slowly, careful not to hurt herself.  "Maybe another time."  She flew off into the sky, quickly becoming nothing more than an orange dot in the distance.

        Apple Bloom sighed.  Ever since her flight training had started, Scootaloo spent less and less of her time with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.   She had also become much more mean and secretive, lashing out whenever someone mentioned her training or scars.  Apple Bloom wasn't sure what Rainbow was teaching her, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

        Sweetie Belle cleared her throat.  Apple Bloom turned to look at her white unicorn friend.  "Uh, I just remembered Rarity wanted to show me... something. I've got to go.  Bye Apple Bloom!"  She raced off.

Apple Bloom watched her go, an annoyed look on her face.  She then looked into the forest.  If neither of her friends wanted to hang out with her, maybe Zecora would.  She kind of knew the way to her hut, and if she got lost Zecora would find her quickly.  At least Zecora would listen to her and care.

It didn't take long for her to get lost.  Everything looked exactly the same!  After what seemed like hours, Apple Bloom decided to just wait and see if Zecora would walk this way.  "Zecora! Are you around here? It's Apple Bloom!" She called.  There was no answer.  Apple Bloom shivered.  She had never been in the forest alone for very long, and it was starting to get cold.  She looked up.  Through the thick foliage, she could just barely see the sky slowly getting darker.  She started to get nervous.  She heard a twig crack behind her.  "H-hello?"  She whispered. "Zecora?"  She heard a Timberwolf howl from somewhere.  Apple Bloom started to get scared.  She could hear her heart beating against her chest, and her breathing quickened.

"H-hello? Is anypony  there!"  She cried, starting to feel light-headed, her orange eyes wide with fear.  Suddenly she heard steps behind her, gradually becoming louder.  And they definitely weren't made by hooves.  She spun around, to scared to think of anything to do to protect herself.  She fell to the ground, curling up into a ball.  Her eyes squeezed shut as the steps turned into a run, getting closer and closer until she could almost hear the animal's breath puffing out, when suddenly...  BANG.  The steps stopped.  BANG.  Apple Bloom opened one eye.  The noise was coming from her left.  BANG.  Whatever was running towards her started heading towards the sound, getting farther and farther away.

Apple Bloom heard more steps, sounding more like hooves now, and looked up through half-closed eyes to see a blue unicorn looking down at her.  She looked tired and scared, just like Apple Bloom felt.  But Apple Bloom hardly noticed as a black wave covered her vision and she passed out.

Apple Bloom opened her eyes, then quickly closed them as bright light blinded her momentarily.  She moaned and turned her head to the side to block out the light, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

        "Big Mac! She's awake!"  Apple Bloom heard a familiar voice say.  She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light.  When she could open them all the way, she saw Applejack happily looking down at her.  She looked around and saw she was in a hospital, laying in a bed.  She sat up.  Her entire family was gathered around her bed.  She smiled as she saw Sweetie Belle, but that turned into a frown when she didn't see Scootaloo's orange body.  "Where's Scootaloo?"  She mumbled, looking at all her family members.

Applejack looked at her with pity.  "She couldn't make it, sugercube.  She said she had important business with Rainbow Dash."

        Apple Bloom sighed, then noticed a blue unicorn about her age in a bed next to her staring at her.  "Uh... hi."  Apple Bloom said, staring back.

        Applejack chuckled. "That's Lunar Song, Apple Bloom.  She saved you from a timberwolf in the forest, then dragged you out."  Applejack said.

        Apple Bloom blinked.  "Really?'

Applejack smiled.  "Yea."

"I've never seen her before."

"She just moved in."

"Oh."

Applejack looked over at Lunar.  "Well, because she doesn't have a place to stay, she's going to stay with us for a while."

        Apple Bloom looked at her too.  "That sounds great!  I'm sure we'll be awesome friends!"  She did think it was a little awkward to have another friend with a Cutie Mark, and just hoped Lunar wouldn't turn into a bully like Babs did.  Apple Bloom shivered at the thought.  Well, She thought. At least we have one more story on how to get a Cutie Mark.  It wasn't exactly an amazingconcept, but she could live with it.

"Oh, and one more thing Apple Bloom."  Applejack said with big smile.

        Apple Bloom looked up at her big sister, a confused look on her face.  "What?"

"Lunar said she would love to join this 'Cutie Mark Crusader' group you always talk about."