Captain Applebloom inhaled the salty air as she looked out over the Sparkling Sea, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle awaiting further instructions.
It would just be a few more hours before they reached the legendary Crystal Empire which, despite residing within the icy tundra the city itself was actually quite warm.
But, they weren’t going to the Empire to sightsee.
What lay hidden within was a treasure known as the Crystal Heart. It was believed to hold immense and mysterious magical properties which were granted to whoever came to possess it.
Soon, it would be within their grasp. The Cutie Mark Crusaders would no longer have to succumb to dumb rules like having bedtimes, or having to go to school with big dumb, jerky, meanieheads like Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara.
And no one would ever make fun of them for not having their Cutie Marks yet; in fact they probably wouldn’t even need them anymore after this.
Back in the reality of the schoolyard, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked on in confusion at the way the trio were spending their recess.
“What are they doing?” asked Silver.
“Probably something dumb,” replied Diamond. “Pretending like they’re actually important-it’s so pathetic.”
“Yeah, totally,” Silver agreed.
“We should go join them,” Diamond added.
“But I thought you said what they were doing is dumb?” Silver pointed out, confused.
“Of course it is,” Diamond explained. “But, since we’re special it’s our job to remind them that they aren’t. Try to keep up, Silver Spoon.”
The duo began cantering toward the three fillies, who were standing on a picnic table which they called their ‘ship’.
“What are you doing?” Diamond asked, cocking an eyebrow and feigning interest.
“We’re playing pirates!” Sweetie Belle squeaked excitedly.
Diamond Tiara began circling the picnic table like a shark preparing to attack, while she examined it.
“And this is your ship, I take it?”
“Eeyup!” Applebloom exclaimed, proudly.
“Mind if we join?” Diamond asked, glancing over at Silver Spoon. One could tell that an evil plan was forming in the back of her mind as a malicious grin spread across her face.
“NO WAY!” Scootaloo stomped her hoof on the table adamantly. “You guys are just gonna be a bunch of jerks and try to mess it up!”
Diamond and Silver both gasped, acting like they were offended that one of the Crusaders could think them capable of such a heartless act.
“We would never!” Diamond insisted.
“I don’t believe you,” Scootaloo replied, resting on her flank and crossing her forelegs in front of her chest. “Besides, you need to have at least three members for an official pirate crew.”
Diamond and Scootaloo briefly glared at each other before Diamond Tiara let out a huff and cantered away with Silver Spoon in tow.
“What are we going to do now?” Silver whispered.
“We just need to find a third member for our crew,” Diamond replied, scanning the playground for a worthy candidate.
“What about that wimp, Pipsqueak?” Diamond asked, remembering his pirate costume from Nightmare Night.
Surely he would be desperate for the praise and attention from being seen hanging out with kids as cool and popular as herself and Silver Spoon.
“He’s sick today, remember?” Silver replied. “He didn’t respond this morning when Miss Cheerilee was taking attendance, and I haven’t seen him in his seat all day, either.”
“Great,” Diamond muttered dryly. “Is there anyone else we can get for back up?”
“M-maybe we should just forget about and go play jump rope or something?” Silver asked nervously.
“NO!” Diamond nearly screamed. “I will not be excluded by any activities, on this playground-especially. Not by those Blank Flanks and that flightless freak!”
She stopped when she saw Silver’s frightened expression.
“I-I mean, we are special and we deserve to be treated that way!”
“Well, what about Alula?” Silver Spoon suggested, thoughtfully.
“That girl that gave me a card on Hearts and Hooves Day?” Diamond asked, scrunching up her face. “I don’t know…she’s just so…weird.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure she’ll join…I mean she really does seem to like you,” Silver added.
“Of course she likes me!” Diamond snapped. “Everyone likes me, I’m special!”
“Here she comes,” Silver muttered as the creamy yellow coated Pegasus headed in their direction. She was heading to the jump rope corner by the schoolhouse.
Diamond examined her like a bug under a magnifying glass from her purple mane to her feather Cutie Mark.
The Cutie Mark and her respect for Diamond were definitely two major pluses. As there would be less chance of military insurrection, if Diamond knew that both of her crewmen respected her authority. The fact that all three of them had their Cutie Marks would also help drove the point home of who really ruled the schoolhouse.
“Hey!” Diamond called over to her.
“What’s her name, again?” she whispered to Silver Spoon.
“Alula,” Silver replied, adjusting her glasses.
“Right,” Diamond muttered, before calling out again. “Alula, over here!”
Her ears perked up and there seemed to be genuine shock on the filly’s face when Diamond Tiara herself, was the one calling her over.
Almost as soon as this information registered with her, Alula galloped towards the duo at full speed.
“Y-yes, Diamond Tiara?” she asked timidly.
“You wanna play pirates with us?” Diamond asked coolly.
At hearing these words, Alula’s azure eyes lit up, she gasped with her wings fluttering in excitement.
“I dunno, y’all,” Applebloom muttered after Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had left.
“That seemed pretty mean,” Sweetie Belle agreed to Applebloom’s assessment concerning the way Scootaloo handled the situation.
“Oh come on!” Scootaloo threw her hooves up in exasperation. “Those two are mean to us all the time! Always making fun of us for not having our Cutie Marks…”
“Doesn’t mean we should be mean back,” Sweetie Belle whispered.
“They’ve been making fun of us ever since we first met them!” Scootaloo protested.
“Ah think Sweetie Belle might be right…” Applebloom replied quietly. “If we don’t let them play with us just because of that…wouldn’t that make us as bad as they are?”
Scootaloo merely grumbled something in response.
“I don’t want to fight,” Sweetie added. “Maybe we should just go back to playing pirates…”
At that moment Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Alula all approached the table.
“You’re back?” Scootaloo asked, not only shocked that they bothered to return, but surprised that they actually had a third member in tow.
Scootaloo was about to demand to know what they were doing back, and that they go away. However, the glances from Applebloom and Sweetie Belle caused her to rethink this action.
“I…I guess you can play as long as don’t act like jerk to anyone,” Scootaloo sighed in defeat.
The trio still on the grass exchanged glances, genuinely surprised that the Crusaders were not going to continue fighting against their involvement.
Applebloom gestured from them to come up onto the table. They did as instructed.
Diamond Tiara’s shock got her rethinking her plan about sabotaging the Cutie Mark Crusaders good time and after a few minutes, when she got caught up in the fantasy, she forgot all about it.
They were all laughing and having a good time, but unfortunately, before they knew it the bell rang, signaling the end of recess, and calling them back to class.
Neither crew had been able to find, let alone retrieve the Crystal Heart, but maybe some day that would change…
Author's Note
Tenth story for 'One-Shotober'.
I would also like to thank mikemeiers editing.
