Apple Bloom stared at the cutie mark on her flank, just to make sure it wasn't fake.
Eenope.
Apple Bloom had officially earned her cutie mark, at last. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood near her, their jaws dropped in surprise. Apple Bloom had a very special talent as of now! They were both thrilled for her, and a little jealous too!
"Wow!!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, overjoyed. Her horn sparked a little, and she put her hoof up to it. She calmed it down with just a pat. Meanwhile, Scootaloo's wings were flapping with some energy.
"How do you feel, Apple Bloom?" the little orange pegasus asked.
Apple Bloom looked up from her mark slowly, her amber eyes glistening in the light. She now had a purpose, she now had a brand new life.
"Ah am the conqueror," Apple Bloom explained, beginning to pace, "Ah thought that earnin' a cutie mark would be an insurmountable task. Well, it's not."
"Those are some pretty big words..." Sweetie Belle commented, tilting her head in confusion. Had this cutie mark given Apple Bloom a brand new vocabulary, too?
"Well! Now all of those firsts and definite lasts that lay in store for me-"
"Yes?" Scootaloo asked, impatient and confused.
"They're nothin'!" Apple Bloom declared, lifting the hammer she'd earned her mark with off the floor and slamming it down. Her friends jumped at the bang, and then Sweetie Belle squealed.
"How cool!" Scootaloo shouted.
Indeed, Apple Bloom was victorious. And she was going to shove it in everypony's face.
"APPLEJACK!!" Apple Bloom screamed, slamming her hammer down on everything in sight. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle giggled as Appplejack jumped several feet in the air and screamed.
"Rampant rattlesnakes!" she shouted. Her tail lashed around in fright. "Y'all can't do that to me! What on earth is it?"
"Ah got mah cutie mark, Applejack!" Apple Bloom declared, waving her hindquarters around in the air. Applejack shook her head, staring at Apple Bloom's behind, then started to smile a little bit.
"Well, y'all scared the living daylights outta me, but Apple Bloom! Congratulations, lil' sis! What a darn tootin' surprise!"
But Apple Bloom would hear none of that. She and her posse were already heading out the door, no time to acknowledge Applejack. She had to make everyone in Ponyville aware that she had finally earned her mark.
This was the dawning of the age of Apple Bloom. These were the glory days.
Apple Bloom lifted her hammer and began slamming it on the front door of Twilight's library. She heard papers scatter inside, and a scream that sounded like Rarity's. Sweetie Belle, hearing her big sister, sparked again.
"Will you cut that out?" Scootaloo asked, smacking Sweetie Belle.
"Sorry, I just get excited!" Sweetie apologized.
Spike opened the library door slowly, and he looked absolutely exhausted. Dealing with Twilight must be some work, Apple Bloom thought.
"Hi..." Spike murmured.
"MAKE WAY!" Apple Bloom shouted, swinging her hammer around. Spike ducked quickly, even though he was covered in hard scales and wouldn't be hurt by a hammer. The Crusaders invaded the library swiftly, as the griffons had invaded Aquastria and killed all the seaponies, making them obsolete. The crusaders made their way over to Rarity and Twilight, who were shaking and picking up papers frantically.
"Avast ye!" Sweetie Belle screamed.
"Yeah! Apple Bloom got her cutie mark!" Scootaloo chimed in, still absolutely thrilled.
"Goodness!" Rarity cried, sighing, "Did you really need to pound it about so?"
Apple Bloom replied by slamming her hammer down on more and more surfaces. The bookshelves, floors, and even the hardcover books that Twilight owned were soon indented with little circles.
"BANG BANG Apple Bloom's silver hammer went down-" Apple Bloom sang, but was quickly interrupted.
"STOP!" Twilight shouted, swooping in and saving her precious books from the wrath of Apple Bloom's trusty tool.
Apple Bloom promptly turned, the other crusaders following her.
"Wait! Apple Bloom!" Spike shouted after her, chasing her down. She turned, her eyes filled with judgement. She was supreme. Spike looked timid.
"Yes, peasant?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Uh... congratulations on earning your cutie mark! Well, I was just wondering... milkshakes at Sugarcube corner? I've been meaning to catch up."
Apple Bloom nodded, and left in silence. Only Scootaloo seemed to notice Spike fall over, clutching his chest and humming to himself.
"Yes, yes, it is a carpentry cutie mark," Apple Bloom clarified, having another extreme slurp of her strawberry milkshake. Strawberry milkshakes were the best.
"Ah, cool!" Spike said, munching on some gems. Pinkie Pie had brought him some out of courtesy, and he was grateful. Pinkie was always looking out for him, it seemed.
"Now, tell me about your problems."
Spike spat out a tiny shard of sapphire, his eyes widening in fear. Apple Bloom had so bluntly asked him about his problems, he couldn't even believe she'd said so!
"What?!" he coughed.
"All of your problems. I want to know them all!" Apple Bloom declared, and slammed her hoof down on the table. Usually she would have slammed her hammer down, but Pinkie Pie had confiscated it so that she wouldn't disturb other customers. Disturbing customers was Pinkie's job alone.
"Well, uh...I like this filly..." Spike admitted.
"Ooh!" Apple Bloom was now interested. Love definitely interested her. Love was awesome!
"Um... well, you see... there was a time when all on my mind was love. But, now I find that most of the time, love's not enough. In itself, that is,"
Spike was turning red, and he felt like biting on his claws. After all, the filly he liked was Apple Bloom.
