Episode 1: The Bladers of the Four Seasons
As usual, Manehatten was busy and bustling with many ponies rushing around to take care of their daily jobs. Down the streets walked a group of six ponies. Three of them were older mares, while the other three were young fillies. The group was out on a pleasure trip, mostly to sightsee and enjoy what Manehatten had to offer. In truth, the trip was primarily for the fillies; Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle. The younger sibling were hopping with joy and excitement as they took in the sights and sounds of Manehatten.
"Wow! Look at how HUGE those buildings are!" Scootaloo remarked as she looked up.
"Not even Canterlot is this big!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Ah couldn't ever imagine growing up here," Applebloom said thoughtfully, "I wonder how Babs does it."
Applejack smiled and said, "Well, you and Babs can talk all about it when we visit her."
Rainbow Dash nudged Scootaloo and said, "And then we can check out the Wonderbolt Museum. Sound good to you, Scoots?"
"Awesome!" the orange pegasus exclaimed.
Applebloom was looking around, when something caught her eye. She turned her head sharply to her left and looked down an alley. She could've sworn she saw Babs Seeds run by wearing her Crusader's Cape. Just when she was about to decide that she imagined it, a group of three big colts ran by wearing capes of there own. But what really caught her attention was the symbol on the black capes.
It was the Cutie Mark Crusaders' Symbol in a red circle with a line over it.
"BABS!" Applebloom shouted in fear as she suddenly ran off into the alley way.
"Applebloom! Where are you going? STOP!" Applejack shouted.
But the filly didn't respond. She kept running after the group. This caused the other ponies to follow as well, albeit in confusion.
Applebloom turned a corner and skidded to a hault. The other five ponies caught up to her and looked up to see what had caused Applebloom to run off. Babs Seed was backed up against a wall by the three older colts.
"Alright, Cutie Mark Templar! We got ya cornered! Now give up your stuff and agree to disband the CMC, and we won't beat you up!" one of the black caped bullies threatened.
Babs smirked and said, "Sorry, but I don't deal with ponies who have rowcks for brains. I just let my Autumn Equis do the tawking!" Babs reached beneath her cape and brought her hoof back out with a strange top launching device looped onto it. Her opposite hoof had the device's drawstring wrapped around it.
"Oooh! So you wanna battle! Heh! Okay! Three against one is good with us!" one of the bullies said as they all took out launchers of their own.
"3. . .2. . .1. . .Let it RIP!"
Babs launched her red and orange top, which was promptly surrounded and ground against by three black tops.
"Ha-ha! You're totally screwed!" the leading bully said.
Babs turned and spat at the ground. "Huh! I actually like long battles, but there's no joy in battling clowns like you."
"What!?" the bullies all shouted in offense.
Babs raised her hoof and shouted, "Special Move! Fall's Thundering Hooves!"
Bab's top suddenly began to glow with orange magic. There was a huge burst of orange light as the figure of an orange Earth Pony appeared and towered over everypony.
"What the hay is that?!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo said simultaneously as Sweetie Belle and Rarity looked on blankly.
The three bullies screamed in fear as the pony slammed it's hooves down on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and leaves and knocking them off their hooves. Their tops landed on the ground next to them with the tinkling sound of metal.
"Uuuhwaaaaaaaahh! Let's get out of here!" one of the colts shouted. The three bullies grabbed their tops and fled past the six mares in terror.
The magical leaves slowly faded away along with the orange pony, and the top magically jumped back to Babs' hoof. "Heh. Peace of cake," Babs said as she smiled down at the top in her hoof. She looked up and gasped when she saw the group standing still and looking at her. "Um. . ." Babs said nervously, "Well. . ." Babs' eyes suddenly met Applebloom's. She smiled nervously and waved, "Hey there, cuz!"
"Beyblade!?" the three Cutie Mark Crusaders said at once.
Everypony was gathered together outside the Manehatten CMC clubhouse. It was a Minecraft style structure made from some of Aunt Orange's empty orange crates with a big tarp on top of it acting as a roof. Also outside of the clubhouse were two more ponies in CMC capes. One was a grey colt with braided purple hair and big round glasses, and his name was Specs. The other was a pink filly with long blonde hair down to her fetlocks, and her name was Goldie.
"Uh-huh," Babs said, "It's the next big thing in Manehatten, and the thing about Manehatten is that when somethin's popular here, it's only a matter a time before the rest of Equestria catches on."
"So. . .magical tops you use to fight each other?" Rainbow Dash said suspiciously. She rubbed her chin for a few seconds, then she smiled and cheered, "AWESOME!"
Rarity shook her head, "Now, Rainbow Dash, I think such a practice should be frowned upon."
Applejack thought for a moment, and then said, "Ah'm kinda inclined to agree with ya, Rarity. This whole things looks dangerous."
"You just don't understand," Babs said in a low and surprisingly adult sounding voice.
"Babs?" Applebloom said in curiousity.
"Beyblade isn't just fighting like crazy," Babs continued, "Beyblade is bringing out your inner fighting spirit in battle to show your passion and strength. When two Balders launch their Beys and cheer them on as they clash, it's creates a connection between those Bladers."
"Listen to what the Templar is saying, you all!" Goldie added.
"Indeed! Behold the great Templar's wisdom!" Specs declared.
"Weak Bladers, or Balders who don't really care, are quickly blown away. But when two true Bladers clash, the power of their Beys glows the brightest, and their Blader Spirits in their hearts are made stronger!" Babs concluded. Babs reared onto her hind legs as her CMC cape flew up behind her, revealing her flanks which were hidden until now.
The three fillies gasped.
"Oh my gosh! Babs!" Applebloom exclaimed.
"Your Cutie Mark!" Sweetie Belle squealed.
Babs' Cutie Mark was the image of a Bey swirling around in a shower of autumn leaves.
Babs' nodded, "Yeah. . I got it two weeks ago. . .I'm sorry I didn't tell you in my letter. I was afraid that. . .if I got my Cutie Mark. . ." Babs' hung her head sadly, "You guys wouldn't wanna be my friends anymore. . ."
Applebloom quickly ran over to her cousin and hugged her, "It's okay, Babs! We're all gonna get out marks eventually. That shouldn't ever stop us from being friends!"
"That's right! Cutie Mark Crusaders forever!" Scootaloo shouted.
"That's right!" Sweetie Belle said.
Babs smiled an adorable smile. "Aww. Gee. Thanks you guys."
"Well come on! Tell us how you got it!" Applebloom said as she released her cousin.
Babs became excited, "Well, there was a Beyblade tournament in the park to get publicity, 'cause it was a new thing. I got excited for it, so Goldie, Specs, and I all bought some cheap Beys and entered the Tournament. They kinda got knocked out earlier, but I went on and on, knocking other Beys out of the stadium or wearing them down against the walls. Soon, I got to the final round. The pony I was up against was really good, and I just couldn't budge his Bey. But then, as I battled, something, like, burned up inside of me. I thought of all the opponents I beat, and about how I wanted to win for my friends, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And then, all this power flared up, and my Bey like, kinda exploded with light and blew the opponent's Bey, like, a mile away!"
"Wow. . . ." Scootaloo said with wide eyes.
Babs nodded and winked, "Yup. So I won the Tournament, and I got this," Babs motioned to her Cutie Mark.
Specs stepped forward and said, "And from the day forth, it was ordained among our sacred order of the Cutie Mark Crusaders that those within our order who gain their Cutie Marks will be known as the Cutie Mark Templars and act as sages who will lead us into gaining Cutie Marks of out own!"
Goldie tweaked Specs' ear and said with a sigh, "Must you always have to be so dramatic?"
"Well, darn tooting, this Beyblade sounds like a real big deal," Applejack said.
Babs nodded, "You bet. Oh! I almost forget! The surprise I had for you guys!" Babs ran into the club house, and came out after a moment holding a black square box with gold trim.
"During the battle, my Bey actually exploded. I mean, it literally exploded. Luckily, I was able to win a new Bey, the one you saw earlier. Autumn Equis." Babs then smiled and said, "But you know what? I didn't just win one Bey."
Babs opened the box, and orange, white, and pink light flashed out of the box. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom covered their eyes until the light faded. When they looked into the box, they saw three beautiful Beys in three of the four slots.
"These Beys, along with mine, are the Beys of the Four Seasons," Babs said, "You guys are the ones who helped me get over feeling bad about my Blank Flank, and you helped me spread the feeling of Cutie Mark Crusaders, and how ponies without Cutie Marks don't have to be afraid of bullies. I talked with Goldie and Specs about this, and well, we all agree. You three should have the other three."
With wide eyes, the three Crusaders reached out and held the Beys in their hooves.
"Awesome. . ." Scootaloo said.
"They're so beautiful!" Sweetie Belle gushed with her eyes sparkling.
"Babs. . .thank you!" Applebloom said.
Babs smiled cheerfully and said, "Don't thank me. Thank your Beys. They belong with you."
"Huh?" Applebloom asked.
Babs pointed at the Beys and said, "You all picked your Beys without even thinking about it. Right?"
The three fillies looked down at the Beys they had chosen.
"Well. . .yeah. I guess," Scootaloo said.
"That's because the Bey Spirits connected to the Blader they belonged with," Babs explained.
"Uh, sorry Babs, but none of this is making any sense," Rainbow Dash cut in.
Babs shrugged, "I know it sounds weird. But when I battled in that Tournament and got my Cutie Mark, and later when I launched Autumn Equis for the first time, I just felt something strong and amazing inside." Babs took out her Bey and held it in her hoof. "It's like a special connection with the spirit inside the Bey. That's where the power comes from. I guess it all depends on the kind of pony you are."
"Wow. . .it's like. . .your Cutie Mark made you know everything about Beyblade!" Scootaloo said.
Babs nodded, "Uh-huh. And I know that the Beys you picked are perfect matches." Babs pointed at Scootaloo's Bey. "Yours is Summer Phoenix. A fiery Bey that burns like the Sun."
Scootaloo admired the orange Bey and it's red face bolt that depicted the fiery phoenix. It felt warm in her hooves.
"Applebloom, yours is Spring Equis. That Bey has the power of life and nature," Babs said.
Applebloom looked down at the red flower on the face bolt of the pink bey.
"Sweetie Belle, yours is Winter Striker. A winter spirit that has the power of ice and snow that can freeze opponents solid and shatter them with a single charge," Babs declared.
Sweetie Belle was entranced by the Bey in her hooves. It actually felt cool to the touch, and the blue unicorn on the silver Bey's face bolt seemed to stared back at her.
"Can these Beys do that awesome stuff your Bey can do?" Scootaloo asked eagerly.
"Well, yeah, I'm sure they can, but you see, Special Moves are hard to control," Babs explained, "It might be a long time before you can bring one out."
"Well then, let's not waste any time!" Applebloom said as she held up her new Bey, "Let's all have some Bey battles so we can get stronger!"
"Sure thing, cuz! I know a place in the park with plenty of Bey stadiums!" Babs said.
"Then let's go!" Sweetie Belle said.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS LEGENDARY BLADERS! YAY!!"
