The Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Woodland Adventures

Chapter 3

“Truth-or-dare?” asked Applebloom.

“Yeah! Truth-or-dare!” Sweetie Belle answered. “I’ve never played before and it sounds like fun. What do you think Scootaloo?”

“Eh, that game doesn’t sound all that fun, but I guess I see no harm.”

“Then it’s settled! Let’s go tell everypony about it!” squeaked Sweetie Belle.

“But Ah never agreed to it!” protested Applebloom.

“Two ponies versus one, Applebloom,” replied Scootaloo.

“Besides, it’s going to be so much fun, that you’ll thank me for this, Applebloom. You’ll see.”

Sweetie Belle ran off in excitement. Scootaloo smiled, and then stopped when she realized it could be misinterpreted as a genuine emotion, and went to look for others. Meanwhile, Applebloom muttered ‘fine’ and went off to do the same.

Twilight Sparkle was just telling Cheerilee about the creek nearby, when they were interrupted by a certain pink filly and that filly with the glasses.

“Hello, Diamond Tiara,” Cheerilee waved to them. “And Silverspoon.”

Twilight eyed them suspiciously. She’s seen them only once before, during Diamond’s cute-ceañera and they didn’t exactly make a good impression. To make matters worse, she’s often heard complaints from her friends about how horribly they treated Applebloom and the rest of the Crusaders.

“Can we speak to Twilight?” asked Diamond Tiara. “Alone, if possible.”

Twilight almost had a heart attack right then and there. Why would the most despicable filly here want to talk to her? She’s a princess of friendship, for Celestia’s sake! She felt blood rushing to her head and begun to think of theories as to what Diamond wanted to talk about. A grand total of zero of them made any sense and that made her all the more curious.

“Is Twilight okay?” asked Silverspoon.

“Yes,” replied Cheerilee. “She sometimes zones out.”

Silverspoon glanced at Twilight, nodded, and looked back to Cheerilee.

“Well, Twilight Sparkle. These two fillies would like to talk to you. I’ll be taking my leave.”

Just like that, Cheerilee walked away, leaving the confused princess with the two most spoiled fillies in the forest.

“So, Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon, what do you want to…”

“How did you become a Princess?” asked Diamond Tiara.

Oh, so it’s about that.

“Well, I accidently swapped my friends’ cutie marks.”

“I don’t know about you, Diamond, but I don’t think that’s princess material,” joked Silverspoon.

Diamond Tiara wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Actually, she was starting to fear Twilight and her magic. If she could switch ponies’ cutie marks, she might lose hers to those Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“So, I used the magic of friendship to give them the cutie marks they’re supposed to have, fixed a spell, created new magic, and for my efforts I was promoted to princess.”

Diamond’s fear went away just like that. Twilight was too much of a goody-four horseshoes to actually threaten taking away her cutie mark.

“That doesn’t seem like a whole lot,” said Silverspoon.

“Hey, don’t underestimate what I did. Not even Starswirl the Bearded could fix that spell. I did what he couldn’t do.”

Diamond Tiara spoke up. “If a bookworm like you can become a princess, then it must be easy for someone as perfect as me to become one.”

“I don’t think that’s the way you should interpret my story.”

“Come on, Silverspoon,” said Diamond Tiara. “Let’s bother the blank flanks.”

“You probably shouldn’t… and they left,” Twilight sighed.

Button Mash was trailing behind Cheerilee. He hurt himself again and she needed to administer another bandage.

“Seriously, Button,” sighed Cheerilee. “Why did you think it was a good idea trying to climb a tree? You’re a pony… with hooves.”

“But… but in one of my video games…” protested Button.

“You know, you can’t do everything that you see in your games.”

“Yeah I can!” screamed Button. “I’ll prove it to you!” Button immediately tried to do a double jump, but was caught mid-air by Cheerilee.

“Why’d you stop me?!”

“You were going to hit your nose… again,” answered Cheerilee. “Now hold still and let me put on your bandage.”

Button reluctantly accepted. Rumble trotted over to them.

“Hey, Button,” Rumble noticed the scene. “Oh, you hurt yourself again?”

“Yes,” Button sniffed.

“Well, I know what would make you feel better!”

“What?” asked Button.

“Sweetie Belle invited us to play Truth-or-Dare tonight.”

“Really?” asked Cheerilee.

“Yes,” answered Rumble. “I don’t think adults can play though.”

Cheerilee’s ears flattened. Did Rumble really think she wanted to play with them? Well, it did seem fun to participate, but there were other reasons why she asked.

“You misinterpret,” commented Cheerilee as she pushes Button off to the side, indicating he was free to go. “I just need somepony to watch over you guys. We need to make sure that no fights break out and nopony gives a dare or a question that’s inappropriate.”

“Well, you should probably ask Sweetie Belle about that. It was her idea.”

Just then, there was a loud clank, like metal on rock, followed by bouts of incessant crying.

“Oh, did Button hurt himself, again?” Cheerilee already knew the answer.

“I’ll go ask Sweetie Belle. You go put Button on a leash,” Rumble joked.

Cheerilee was beginning to actually consider that, but she didn’t bring a leash to the trip.

Applebloom had just finished inviting Berry Pinch, when she literally ran into Princess Erroria.

“Ow! Watch where you’re going, blank flank!” screamed the Princess.

“Oh, hey Princess Erroria,” said Applebloom. “Sorry ‘bout earlier. Look, to make it up to ya, we’ll invite ya…”

“Pass.”

“Well, Ah hadn’t even told ya what it is, yet!”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m not going.”

“We’ll be playin’ Truth-or-Dare. And everypony is invited.”

Princess Erroria paused for a moment and pondered about whether or not she would go. If Diamond Tiara went, that would make the experience all the more thrilling. But, Diamond Tiara attending one of the Cutie Mark Crusader’s childish games is unthinkable. However, if Diamond Tiara were to attend, she could get all sorts of secrets out of her. But, more importantly, was the prospect of Silverspoon. Erroria knew that to get to Diamond Tiara, she would have to make it passed her. She had to make sure that Silver didn’t share her feelings towards Diamond. It seems to her that they should attend the game, but how to convince those two to attend an event with ponies they despise?

“Hey, uh, Princess? You okay?”

The answer to Erroria’s problem became obvious at that moment. She knew exactly what to say to convince the two to attend.

“I’m fine, blank flank,” she retorted. “I think I might accept your offer.”

Applebloom smiled, and then she held her nose in pain, because the sudden movement made her nose hurt worse.

“I said I might,” Erroria said coldly. “I’m not making any guarantees.”

“Thanks! Ah knew ya come around!” Applebloom had no idea why she was so cheery. The pain in her nose didn’t bother her anymore, so she continued to smile. She thought she would’ve preferred her not to attend, but she was glad when she did.

Perhaps she was happy that Princess Erroria was kind enough to forgive her and accept her invitation. Yeah, that must be it.

That evening, the fillies and colts all went into Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s tent to play Truth-or-Dare. It was large enough to house all the students and the adults. Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon accepted Princess Erroria’s invitation, based solely on the opportunity to humiliate the CMC. Button Mash had a little cough, so he and Rumble had to go to bed together. Featherweight walked in, and when he saw the game consisted of entirely fillies, he walked right out. Rarity was asked by Miss Cheerilee to watch the fillies and make sure they’re playing fair and safe.

Cheerilee and the rest of the adults shared some of Berry Punch’s wine in another tent.

“Okay, everypony!” spoke Sweetie Belle. “We’re going to play Truth-or-Dare. Everypony write their names on a slip of paper, fold it, and put it in this bowl. Once that’s done, I’ll take a piece of paper and ask that pony ‘Truth or Dare?’ and we play the game like that. Any questions?”

“Why are we putting our names on paper?” asked Applebloom.

“That’s to make sure nopony has more than one turn.”

“Who’ll be going first?” asked Noi.

“I will,” answered Sweetie Belle. “Besides, whoever is last will get to ask me ‘Truth-or-Dare’, so it’s not like I’m skipping a turn or anything.”

The students agreed that this was reasonable. They wrote their names on paper and placed them in a bowl. Sweetie Belle put her hoof in and called out.

“Dinky Doo. Truth or dare?”

“Oh, truth please.”

“Have you ever stayed up all night?” Sweetie Belle asked innocently.

“No,” she answered. Dinky put her hoof into the bowl.

“Princess Erroria?” she called out. “Truth or dare?”

“Hmm… dare.”

“I dare you to read a passage from your diary.”

The princess felt a pang of worry in the back of her neck. Her diary consisted mostly of fantasies of her and Diamond Tiara, most of which were in a sexual nature. Fortunately, she put her hoof to a passage that didn’t involve Diamond in any way.

“Dear Diary, Today’s my cute-ceañera! I’m so excited getting my cutie mark. It’s a pink flower and it looks really cool.”

Oh no. This was about Diamond Tiara.

“You know, I really couldn’t have gotten my cutie mark if it weren’t for that really nice pink filly I met today. She was so nice! I can only hope she gets her cutie mark soon, so we can be friends. Oh, but she’s friends with that other filly and I don’t want to get in the way.”

I hope that I didn’t mention Diamond Tiara by name.

“Anyway, I remember when she went up to me and asked me for my name. I was so happy, seeing somepony with her grace asking me for my name. I tell her it’s Alula and she calls me Erroria and a princess and then starts laughing with her friend! I was so happy that they treated me so well, especially with everypony else being needlessly cruel, saying how weird I sounded, just because I found it hard to speak well.”

Alula looked around at her classmates. They seemed to have faces of bewilderment. She figured it was because they didn’t know her name was Alula.

In reality, they knew the filly in question was Diamond Tiara and they were shocked that Alula would misinterpret her bullying as a gesture of friendship. She decided to continue.

“Anyway, mommy’s calling me, so I have to go now. Kittens.”

Alula sighed. She saw more of those looks from earlier.

“Stop staring at me like that,” she said with disdain. “It makes me feel uncomfortable.”

The ponies continued to stare at her.

“I actually explain more in detail about how I got my cutie mark in the next entry.”

The ponies continued to stare at her.

“Whatever.”

She wandered over to the bowl and pulled out a slip of paper.

Silverspoon.

She silently cheered for herself. What were the possibilities of her pulling Silverspoon out?

“Silverspoon, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

A drop of sweat displaced itself on Alula’s neck. She thought for a bit, and then came to a conclusion. There’d be no possible way for her to ask if she has a crush on Diamond Tiara, especially with Applebloom knowing her secret and all. They’d be suspicious of her. So, she decided to go for a more general question.

“Do you have a crush on any of the fillies in the room?”

The question took Silverspoon by surprise. For a few minutes, she was silent. Then, she glanced at Rarity, who was interested in what she had to say. She mumbled for a bit, before confirming Alula’s suspicion.

“Yes,” she spoke. “I… I’m not telling you who it is, though.”

Diamond Tiara looked at her friend with a bewildered look. She didn’t know her best friend had crushes at all, let alone one for a filly. Once Alula looked at Diamond’s face, she realized what she actually did. Silverspoon didn’t tell her best friend her secret and she had forced her to come out in front of the entire class. They all seemed pretty shocked, though. Except Sweetie Belle, she’s too busy hugging Rarity.

Wait, when did she start hugging Rarity? Alula must not have noticed.

The silence was broken by an orange Pegasus filly.

“So, you’re a fillyfooler?” asked Scootaloo with no regard to Silverspoon’s mental state.

“And what’s wrong with that?” Alula asked.

“I never said there was anything wrong with it,” Scootaloo retorted. “I’m just confirming that’s all. Anyway, Silverspoon has to draw out somepony’s name.”

Silverspoon already dipped her hoof into the bowl and brought out a piece of paper that read “Applebloom”.

“Applebloom, truth or dare?”

“Uh, dare.”

“I dare you to act like an idiot.”

Applebloom was just about to do her best impression of Diamond Tiara, but she was interrupted by Silverspoon.

“Congratulations! Not only did you do exactly what I told you to do, but you went above and beyond! I think you might give Snips and Snails a run for their money,” Silverspoon laughed.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders glared at Silverspoon. Rarity spoke up, telling Silverspoon that was uncalled for. Applebloom pulled out a slip of paper, which read…

“Diamond Tiara. Truth or dare?” she smiled.

“Dare.”

“I dare you to compliment me.”

Diamond Tiara sighed.

“Sometimes, you aren’t as annoying as you usually are.”

Figures Diamond would weave an insult into a compliment, but Applebloom still smiled at the situation.

“I’ll get you for this,” said Diamond Tiara. She pulled out a slip of paper. “Scootaloo.”

“Umm… dare?”

“I dare you to do the chicken dance.”

Reluctantly, Scootaloo accepts the dare, but she continued to glare at Diamond Tiara the whole time.

“Noi, truth or dare?”

“I would like you to dare me.”

“Good. Kick Diamond Tiara in her face.”

Rarity spoke up, “Scootaloo, you can’t dare someone into doing anything violent. Sorry, but you’ve just forfeited your turn.”

Scootaloo looked dejected, while Noi pulled out a slip of paper that read “Berry Pinch”.

“You have a choice, Berry Pinch, either pick truth… or dare. Which one?” asked Noi.

“Truth, please,” she answered.

Noi asked, “Have you ever consumed any amount of alcohol before?”

“What’s alcohol?” answered Berry Pinch.

“Figures,” said Noi. “You’re turn, Berry.”

She pulled out a slip of paper. Tornado Bolt looked excited. It was going to be her turn soon! Berry Pinch spoke up.

“I got Piña Colada.”

“Dare,” she smiled.

“I dare you to make a bad pun.”

Piña Colada looked around with an awkward grin. She didn’t know what she was going to do. Then, she genuinely smiled for a bit, until returning to her awkward state of mind.

“Silly filly, I can’t make a bad pun on the spot, so please stop horsing around.” She smiled at the other classmates, who only stared at her. Only three classmates weren’t staring. Tornado Bolt was getting far too excited for her turn to really care about bad puns. Sweetie Belle was too far in the zone to really care that something awkward just happened. And Aura always felt awkward, so this wasn’t anything special, instead, she spent an awful long time looking at the ground.

“Get it? Horsing around?”

“We get it,” answered Applebloom. “I think we all get it.”

Piña Colada drew out a paper that read:

“Aura. Truth or dare?”

The young filly started to hyperventilate and drops of sweat formed on her face. Out of all the fillies in the room, why did it have to be Piña Colada? Mustering up all her courage, she chose dare.

Aura’s pink tormenter stood unnaturally close to her face, gave a smile the devil would hide from, and told her one simple request.

“I dare you to smile.”

“What…”

“Smile, filly.”

Aura’s eyes began to twitch and streams of tears appeared on her cheeks.

“Hey, is she crying?” asked Dinky Doo.

“Smile, filly.” Piña Colada smiled again.

“Ah think she is cryin’,” answered Applebloom.

“Smile, filly.” Aura put her hooves on her head.

“Is something the matter, honey?” asked Rarity.

“Smile, filly.”

To everypony’s surprise, Aura screamed. It wasn’t a particularly loud or thunderous scream, more like a scream filled with desperation. She viciously attacked Piña Colada, kicking her with all four hooves. She even tried to bite her at some point or another.

“Stop it, you two!” yelled Rarity. She pulled them apart. “What’s gotten into you? I’m sure Cheerilee would like to have a nice chat with you, filly. Game over, everypony. Go to bed.”

Rarity dragged Aura out the tent, leaving a slightly bruised Piña Colada left in her wake.

“Come on, everypony,” said Noi. “Let’s go to bed.” She held Piña Colada in her arms and helped her walk out of the tent. The other fillies followed her, save for Sweetie Belle and Tornado Bolt.

After a short delay, Tornado came to a realization that she never got a turn.