Appleblooming

by TheMAM

Rating: teen
Tags: Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo, Slice of Life, Zecora, Sweetie Belle, Sad, Gore, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 3055

The CMC embark on a journey. One of important self-discovery. This tale rhymes the whole way through. Starring Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

Here is a tale of sadness and woe
Featuring the Cutie Mark Crusader trio
Whereupon the three find their special talents
But due to a horrifying happenstance

They find those revelations come at a price
And the end result isn’t always nice
This story is about some of their happiest days
And yet their worst in so many, many ways

Edited by Abcron

Published 2013-11-22 20:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-22 20:40:02 UTC

Chapter 1

The tale starts on a bright and hopeful day
With everypony smiling in every way
Ponyville, a town enriched with friendship
With a cutie mark found on every hip

Three fillies however, sit around with nothing to do
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo
They are the only ones of their class without a talent
So they had joined forces to get right at it

They’ve tried countless times to find their true calling
From washing laundry to playing bowling
From breaking mirrors to ripping paper
And doing homework, though they chose to do it later

From reading stories, to baking cake
From butchering, to swimming a lake
From swinging ropes, to catching a mouse
Heck, they even did unmentionable things in their club house

Time went by, yet nothing was gained
They sunk into despair, feeling embarrassed and ashamed
Pitiful in the eyes of their peers, they hung their heads low
They never expected the process to be so slow

Now, throwing their hopes away under a shady tree
Delusions of grandeur, lost by the three
No thoughts of joy, no thoughts of glee
They bid farewell to dreams they would never see

The thought of the team losing hope fills Scootaloo with rage
She suddenly springs up, ready to re-engage
Her words shatter the mood, like a hammer to glass
“Stop moping about, and get off your ass!”

“Hey!” says Yankee Doodle Donkey
“Oops,” says Scootaloo, “sorry.”
“Scootaloo,” begins Sweetie, “Don’t be so feisty.
“You need to choose your words more nicely”

“No time for words, we need to take action.”
Scootaloo asserts with serious reaction
“Let’s get dangerous and do something new.
“Do tasks that other ponies would never dare do”

“Squishing big bugs? Walking a dark path?
“Giving Rarity’s Opal a bath?”
Spouts Apple Bloom and Sweetie in a word race
Prompting Scootaloo to apply her hoof to her face

“No!” shouts Scoots, “Enough hullabaloo.
“I mean feats that only tales proclaim true!
“From slaying evil dragons to finding hidden treasure.
“Feats that only the bravest can endeavor.”

“Treasure hunters! That’s what we should be!”
Declare Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, while smiling in glee
“Such legends like these, Zecora is sure to know.
“She can give us some advice and tell us where to go.”

Scootaloo likes the suggestion. She likes it a lot.
“With our cute faces, she will be brought.
“When we succeed, we’ll be more famous than ever.
“With our heads up high, we will never say never.”

“A feat like this would leave Ponyville shaking.
“What are we waiting for? Our cutie marks are waiting!”
And now begins their adventure of discovery
A surely most exhilarating journey

Our heroes take off with minds full of wonder
They cannot contain their excitement any longer
Galloping in the meadows, right past the trees
And Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy busy with birds and bees

They arrive at Zecora’s with their hooves a tad sore
They walk up to the residence and knock on the door
Mere minutes after, their impatience proves the better
They barge into the house without invitation or letter

They call out again, yet no sight of the potions master
Zecora isn’t home to give them their answer
Day turns to night, and nothing is achieved
Zecora didn’t come so they decide to leave

They are trotting home sadly with mild disappointment
But they agreed to come back tomorrow for another appointment
Yet on their way home, they hear a strange sound
Something in the bushes with the bark of a hound

Our heroes grow tense and are stricken with shock
They are paralyzed to the point where they can’t even talk
With one leap forward, causing the trio to retreat
A timberwolf appears, eager for pony meat

Eyes glowing, giving piercing stares
Claws sharper than a feral bear’s
And strength as great as Big Mac’s might
Making overall a most frightening sight

The three fillies flee while screaming in terror
Longer and longer! Louder and louder!
It is to no avail! Oh, what dismay!
The nearest pony is miles away!

Fortunately, lady luck decides to be lenient
They find a wagon and scooter, how convenient…
To which Scootaloo recognizes the transportation as her own
Lost when Twilight accidentally zapped it into the unknown

The three fillies clamber on before the wolves attack
Not wanting to become their midnight snack
Thereafter Scootaloo makes sure to accelerate
And they barely miss a dreadful fate

At least that’s what they think at the time
For when everything seems all well and fine
The wooden abomination suddenly catches up
This time with brothers, sisters, and even his pup

Scootaloo tries to lose them, but is not fast enough
The trail they took starts to get rough
Losing the sight of the path needed to get home
They try to escape elsewhere, and randomly roam

The girls race through the forest, but the wolves are quick
They zip across a bridge, but it didn’t do the trick
They jump a river, only to give the wolves a rinse
They rocket up the mountains, then events start to commence

Scootaloo is swift despite facing many difficulties
And the wolves cannot match her Scooter abilities
Sharp rocks and high cliffs are no match for her skills
While the wolves fail to climb, and are lost in the hills

A large rock dislodges and falls down the hill
And the timberwolves lose all their will
To carry on their rabid chase
Fleeing the boulder at a rapid pace

Scootaloo stands at the peak victorious
Acknowledging her accomplishment, impressive and glorious
“You sure are an amazing scooterist!” Apple Bloom remarks from the side
“Yeah… I guess I am!” huffs Scootaloo, chest swelling with pride

Then something catches her attention during her cheer
A flash of light by the side of her rear
What is it? Could it be...
A scooter cutie mark! Finally!

“My cutie mark! My cutie mark!” Scoots exclaims to the girls
Her excitement keeps her running in whirls
The girls cheering without a trace of bereavement
Dance in the ecstasy of Scootaloo’s stellar achievement

Our heroes hug while ever so happy
But Scootaloo finds the moment to be a bit sappy
“Alright, break it up.” says Scootaloo with a modest tone
“Let’s celebrate when we get home.”

So down the hill, the three fillies quickly descend
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are happy for their friend
They feel as though they could kill
Just to tell everypony in Ponyville

With their high altitude they spot home at last
So Scootaloo gets excited and rides extra fast
She speeds like Rainbow Dash down the steep hill
The three fillies are overjoyed… until…

As she grew more fervent, Scootaloo forgot
What Miss Cheerilee told her class to do not:
“Remember class, always be witty.
“Never travel down a steep hill too quickly.”

To everypony’s surprise, Scootaloo’s scooter trips
And they are catapulted into the air, in which they do flips
They fly to a cliff, right off the edge
Sweetie Belle is barely able to grab a ledge

Apple Bloom grabs Sweetie Belle, and is grabbed by Scootaloo
And now the trio is hanging on for dear life without a clue
How to get back up, so they scream and they fuss:
“Help! Help! Somepony help us!”

With tears in their eyes and hearts full of dread
They know that soon they will be dead
At that moment, Scootaloo suddenly has a resolution
“Wait, guys! I have the solution.”

“Sweets, can you climb up with two ponies instead of three?”
“Um… I guess so” Sweetie Belle utters with uncertainty
Scootaloo responds “Then I’ll let go and fly away.
“I’ll then get help, and I won’t delay.”

“No Scootaloo! You can’t fly!”
Cries Apple Bloom, knowing Scootaloo would die
Ignoring her friend, Scoots lets go of Apple Bloom’s tail
She flaps her wings. Now does she fail?

Yes, she does. Scootaloo begins her plummet
She isn’t capable of flight just yet
Young Scootaloo falls to the ground far below
And for miles is heard “SCOOTALOO! NOOOOOO!”

The night turns to day, but instead of sun there is rain
Cutie Mark Crusader Scootaloo did not die in vain
She obtained her cutie mark, but at the ultimate cost.
Was it worth her own life being lost?

Hours of weeping, tons of regret
“It’s all our fault.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle bet
In desperation and confusion, they think of what to say
To everypony in town about what had transpired that day

They put aside thoughts of the future, and gather their might
They know Scootaloo would want them to do what is right
They decide to end their disastrous quest that day
And bring Scootaloo back to Ponyville to stay

They descend the mountain to find Scootaloo quite dead
She lay squished in a pool of muddy red
They take her to the wagon and set her down
And the trio makes their way back to town

Chapter 2

The next day comes, albeit one quite unusual
For the ponies of the town gather for a funeral
Every pony of earth, horn, and wing
Wearing mostly modest clothing

To honor the passing of a young Pegasus
One whom everypony will surely miss
Scootaloo, an angel who couldn’t fly
Whose passing causes the entire town to cry

Mr. Waddle, the funeral pony, says “If you may,
“Does anypony have any kind words to say?”
Nopony had anything to say, nopony
It was to be the quietest funeral in pony history

Out of the blue, everypony is struck with awe while
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle solemnly march down the aisle
Sporting dresses of silk crafted by Rarity
Both radiating auras of intense beauty

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle reach the podium
And prepare to sing a requiem
One Sweetie Belle composed just for this purpose
The two sang with elegance gratuitous

No One Like Scootaloo
(Your endeavor and
Thrill of adventure
Granted us the
time of our lives

Your dreams really
Did come true
And we’ll keep on searching
With the thought of you

Dear filly
Dry your eyes Sweetie
She’s happy
Let her go

We hate to keep the Cutie Mark Crusaders ununited but we
Can’t stay away, we can’t fight it so we’ll
Never not remember that you don’t have to spread your wings to fly
You could still soar high

Always mind we’ll find no one like Scootaloo
We wish nothing but the best for our cutie marks too
We won’t forget you, we’ll say
The Cutie Mark Crusaders prevail

Sometimes the search gets fun
And sometimes the search turns grey
Sometimes the search gets fun
And sometimes the search turns grey)

The two fillies sing their little hearts out
And everypony is touched by what they sing about
After it ends, there are neither stomps nor cheers
The audience merely breaks out in tears

Most are crying, few felt strong
Derpy is asking what went wrong
Even the Mane 6 hold no tears back
Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack

Twilight and Rarity, have the desire
To hide their tears behind their funeral attire
However, the veils that hide their eyes
Do not block out their audible cries

And Rainbow Dash, let’s not forget
She seems to be the one most upset
After all, Scootaloo was her number one fan
She makes no effort to hide the tears as they ran

The two fillies witness all these sensations
The song exceeded even their expectations
Most eyes are on Sweetie Belle
It isn’t really that hard to tell

Such delicacy, such chemistry
Backed up by a beautiful melody
Apple Bloom says faintly, “You have the voice of an angel.”
“Well… I guess it was ok.” Sweetie replies faintly as well

But right after that thought comes to mind
A small glow erupts from her behind
The two fillies cannot believe what they see
A microphone on a star is what the cutie mark be

Sweetie Belle is shocked, mixed emotions are felt
Her heart suddenly starts to melt
She is glad she got her cutie mark that moment
But why did it have to be at this very event?

To think that she gains her cutie mark next to
The coffin of her best friend Scootaloo
She feels as though it is all some cruel jest
That her happiest day is her saddest

Goodbyes are exchanged, it is time to go
Everypony leaves in utmost woe
But the two fillies stay to say one more farewell
Though they didn’t have much else to tell

So they just sat there by the tombstone
Where all they do is sob and moan
And their final goodbye is somber but true
“Goodbye Scootaloo, we’ll sure miss you.”

They trot back home, feeling sour
During this most unhappy hour
And take note, during their all-time low
That the Cutie Mark Crusaders are now a duo

Sweetie Belle meets Apple Bloom the very next day
At the family barn, right next to the hay
Having no interest in their club house anymore
To have fun is what they went there for

No. No more fun, those days are over
For now, they cry on each others’ shoulder
They simply lie around weeping and sniffling
And aside from that, decide not to do anything

Why have fun when something is missing
A Pegasus to bring thrill into everything
A spirited gal to make you giggle
Every time you’re down or in a pickle

As time passes, they start to see
No more purpose to the CMC
To say that it was all just to get cutie marks isn’t the truth
The whole point of it was so that they could enjoy their youth

It was about having a good time, having fun
Joyfully frolicking with your friends in the sun
Playing games, seeing who would have won
Being together till the day was done

The two never realized that until now
Getting over it, they don’t know how
They then deem there no meaning in their meeting
And so bid farewell until their next greeting

Apple Bloom takes a walk through the market past stands
Selling many products of various brands
Foods and sweets as plenty as can be
Nevertheless, Apple Bloom isn’t hungry

She then notices a passing neighbor
Of which, to her, is no stranger
With no more rings around her neck
Zecora passes by, looking like heck

Her mane in ruins, as if trimmed by a barber
With a lawnmower and a flamethrower
Cuts on her body, leaking blood
Contaminated and caked with mud

So weak, she can barely walk
Grateful she can even talk
But with the view of Apple Bloom below her chin
For the little filly, she cracks a small grin

Suddenly, Zecora feels a small chill
As she sees Apple Bloom standing perfectly still
The filly is beaming an uncomfortable stare
Immediately recognized as an angry glare

Apple Bloom, with rage in her eyes
Takes Zecora by surprise
When she lets out a yell as sharp as a pin,
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!!”

She charges at Zecora and begins an assault,
“IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!”
Zecora stands shocked with her mouth wide open
As Apple Bloom throws hooves at her shin

“Apple Bloom! Stop! Enough! Please!
“You seem not at all at ease.
“Desist young one, is there anything-“
“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!” Apple Bloom screams, interrupting

“We were at your house, but ya’ll weren’t there!
“Where were you? Where? Where?!
“We tried looking! We tried finding our way!
“We were in danger with no safe place to stay!

“We were alone! We were in danger!
“Ya’ll could have been a game changer!
“We just buried Scootaloo,
“And she’s now dead! BECAUSE OF YOU!

“Scootaloo’s dead!” wails Apple Bloom
Her judgment is cloudy due to her gloom
Nothing else is there to be said
Zecora stands still with a very light head

Zecora does not know how to react
Having trouble comprehending the fact
That the young filly Scootaloo had died
Under normal circumstances she would have cried

But she knows not to cry so willy-nilly
Particularly when dealing with an enraged filly
Especially after having gone through some hard stuff
She is quickly fed up and yells, “Apple Bloom, ENOUGH!”

She restrains Apple Bloom’s hooves with her own
She then calms down and changes her tone
“Apple Bloom, you must comprehend,
“Please hear my tale to the very end”

“I was in quite a pinch, and now I’m very tired
“I do not have knowledge of what has transpired.
“Please, let us go somewhere private.
“Back at my domain, where it is quiet."

Apple Bloom lets her hooves fall to the dirt
To Zecora’s leg, she hadn’t caused much hurt
Yet she refuses to communicate, stubborn in this case
Until she takes a look around the marketplace

Everypony is staring from every store
Appalled at Apple Bloom’s behavior
Everypony watching from around the bends
Some are even of her classmate friends

Including Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon
She knew for sure they would laugh at her soon
But they appear sad, mostly understanding
They know better not to mock someone’s passing

Apple Bloom had later confessed
To having felt scared, humiliated, and embarrassed
Without hesitation, she follows her
Not wanting to linger a second longer

They safely make it to Zecora’s den
Whereupon Zecora immediately says then
“Please my child, don’t hesitate
“Tell me what happened up to this date”

Apple Bloom sits as still as a statue
Still blaming Zecora for what happened to Scootaloo
Her mannerism is far from grand
But Zecora does not reprimand

Apple Bloom then catches sight of a collection of mirrors
And upon seeing her reflection, her stubbornness withers
Her expression turns to horror after what she sees
The expression prior giving her the heebie-jeebies

Seeing Zecora looking sorry for everything
Apple Bloom apologizes for the way she is acting
She approaches Zecora and gives her a hug
And both let their tears cascade on the rug

Apple Bloom finally calms down
Having put aside her indecorous frown
And over a bowl of oats and barley
To Zecora she recounts her story