Chapter One: Oh how convenient
“and that’s how jobs and our economy work within a society where ones talent will practialy define their line of work” cheerilee said happily, her chalk drawing lines to figures on the board that related to the lesson.
As she turned around to face the class she faced a scene slightly better than in years past. A good portion of the students were actually paying attention to their work while others slept or doodled idly on their papers and as allways the crusaders were having a glaring match with diamond tiara and silver spoon while alula looked off in blissful nothing. While three of the six held good grades and were practicaly top of the class academicly, the other three were hard pressed getting by and this petty rivalry was getting in the way their work.
But as time and experience from attempting the groups to get along from her cockameny scehemes was that the best you could do is make it so they didn’t physicaly fight eachother and often most of the time when separate from their groups some of them would get along. But when together they would clash and create chaos of their own accord.
Cheerilee stole a glance at the clock to get a hold of her time. Seeing as she had only a few minutes and that the class had been so well behaved today,patricularily a group of 6 girls. She decided to let the class out early.
Everyone began packing up their stuff quietly a few conversations breaking out among the organization of materials and notes. But the most prominent soon made itself clear.
“well hey there BLANK FLANKS, what pointless thing are you going to do today?” called the taunting jibes of diamond tiara.
Applebloom was the first to react, already being packed she turned and faced diamond tiara with a scowl on her face. “what’da you want, you cant even call us blank flanks since we got our cutie marks” she spat the words at her tormentor. Today being a very particularily agitating day for the girl.
Diamond tiara smirked deviously, happy with the reaction she got. “just because you got your cutie marks dosnt mean your still LOOSERS” diamond tiara said teasingly and cruel as usual. Making appleblooms glare all the more hateful.
Diamond tiara began circling applebloom like a wolf waiing for its moment to strike. Apple bloom in response simply sat down and forced herself into complete control for what was coming but did not once break her glare on diamond tiara.
“apple bloom why such the hateful glare? Your face is going to be stuck like that and then you'll be even uglier than before” diamond tiara said giggling into her hand. Applebloom simply continued to glare.
“come now applebloom. To stupid to get the joke?” diamond tiara said mockingly playing on appleblooms will not to respond. It was a game of chess now and diamond tiara had the most pieces and openings.
“or mabey you just lost your sense of humor after your parents died” diamond tiara said skipping the foreplay and getting straightdown to taking appleblooms queen. Applebloom shot up only to be held back by sweetie belle as scootaloo took the field standing between applebloom and diamond tiara glaring diamond tiara down as sweetie belle kept applebloom in check.
“your breaking our deal diamond” scotaloo growled as diamond tiara simply continued smirking obviously pleased with how everything was going.
“I know I am, its just so fun to make fun of you three. A dodo bird, a parentless bumpkin” at the mention of the parent less comment again applebloom tried another make at diamond tiara only to be held back by sweetie belle and her magic. “and of course the class lesbian.” Diamond tiara said resting her eyes on sweetie belle. at the mention of this silver spoon gently rest her hand on diamond tiaras shoulder giving her a slightly worried look. She knew this couldn’t end well if it continued and that diamond tiara was flirting with death.
“diamond mabey its time we left, we don’t want this to go any further” silver spoon suggested.
Diamond tiara remained quiet for a moment before letting out a long dramatic sigh as if she had given up on teaching a flightless bird how to fly. “come on alula,silver spoon lets go” she said with her usual commanding and authorative tone as she walked away. Alulua following behind blissfully off in her own world and silver spoon coming at the end making a slightly apologetic frown as she left and After a few minutes of applebloom venting in her usual way, cursing like a sailor. The crusaders were packed up and leaving the school yard.
“damn that diamond tiara. Why is she allways pickin’ on us?” apple bloom said angrily as she picked up a smooth stone on the path they allways took. Turning it over a few times in her hand before putting it on her pocket.
“I don’t know applebloom” sweetie bell said sadly. “how she acts dosnt make any sense” sweetie belle concluded.
“shes a big fat jerk who life bassicaly revolves around torturing us.” Scootaloo offered angrily making sweetie belle sigh. She couldn’t understand why the two simply couldn’t let go of their anger and she knew that if they continued to talk about it itd only grow worse and she didn’t want another incident so she deicded to change the subject.
“so whats the plan for today?” sweetie belle asked. Making scootaloos eyes shoot open with excitement.
“we could-“
“no!” apple bloom and sweetie belle both said in unison. They knew the look in scootaloos eyes meant that she had some crazy idea that would probably end up hurting them all even if she didn’t mean it to so with a reluctant sigh scotaloo withdrew her idea.
The three walked along for a while quietly thinking about what they could all do. After they all discovered their cutie marks they began having less and less time to spend together as their families wanted them to find jobs that suited their field despite their still relatively young ages.
Sweetie belle was looking to apprentice under someone with her amazing signing talent and start a crareer. While applebloom was maintaining a business in house design and building contracting. Using mostly family members who would spare the time for the extra money earned and finnaly scotaloo was takin after her mother as a dare devil explorer of toumbs. After a few moments of brain storming applebloom decided to speak up.
“iv’ actually been wantin’ ta’ go to the library and see Princess Twilight and see if she needs some help. Ya know to make up for all the times we ruined the library crusading” applebloom said making scootaloo whine.
“but that sounds booriinnnggg” she complained.
“come on scoots we owe it to twilight. Besides it’s the release of the new daring doo book so rainbow dash will probably be there” applebloom coaxd scootaloo who didn’t hesitate getting excited over the chance of seeing her idol.
“what are we waiting for?! The library is 5 minutes run from here!” scootaloo said jumping up and flying off at full speed as applebloom ran to catch up with her.
“slow down you speed driven maniac!” applebloom yelled after scootaloo as sweetie belle was left to simply watch before teleporting the relatively short distance to the library.
After finding her bearings and ensuring she was in fact in front of the library. Sweetie belle began to wait for her friends.
“will too!”
“will not!”
“will too!!”
“will not!!”
Sweetie belle turned her attention to the coming disturbance and dust cloud coming from the south. Sighing she knew how this would end and began setting up the proper runes needed for what was to come and as soon as she saw her two best friends neck and neck racing she began to count to herself.
“3…2…1…”
“HI SWEEITE!” the two said in unison as they sped past her, unable to slow down in time. Luckily they ran into sweetie belles shield rather than hitting anything else. The two were sucked into the shield like jello and trapped there till sweetie belle turned to them and smiled.
“have fun?” she asked only getting annoyed looks in response.Sweetie belle lowered her shield allowing the two to go to plop to the ground unceremoniously.
“I will NEVER get use to that spell. Allways feel like were stuck in goo or something” scootaloo complained shivering slightly.
“very nice spell swettie belle!” someone said from behind sweetie belle. The crusaders turned to see twilight getting out of her hot air balloon she hadn’t changed much in the years that the crusaders had grown up. Only her status and abilities both magially and as a leader had changed.
“hello princess twilight” the three said bowing to her.
“girls you know you don’t need to bow to me right?” twilight said slightly sad the girls still did it despite being told so many times they didn’t have too.
“yes we just go so use to it and rarity allways told me to behave in front of royalty” sweetie belle explained smiling pleasantly.
“yeah what sweetie said!” scootaloo said eagerly looking around for raindbow dash.
“scoots calm down shes probably in the library” applebloom said sighing a little and shaking her head. Sometimes scootaloo could be way to obsessed.
“rainbow dash? She actually traveled with me to visit your mom on the way to get all the new books and your moms new book scootaloo” twilight explained as a blue blur sped past them into the library.
“rainbow!” scootaloo cheered happily following the rainbow trail of the blur.
“that girl” applebloom said sighing and shaking her head and turning back to twilight. “we came ta see If yall needed any help today. Ya know to make up for all the damage we use to do crusading?” applebloom explained making twilight smile with genuine joy.
“that’s very mature and noble of you girls! Id normally say you don’t have to but today with spike being gone off to canterlot for a while I do need a little help.” Twilight said laughing a little. “can you start with getting those books inside? Then applebloom can you see if anyone needs any help finding books and sweetie belle can you help organize the new books onto the book shelves?” twilight asked making the crusaders snap into a crisp salute.
“cutie mark crusader library volunteers away!” the two yelled eagerly dashing to the hot air balloon and taking the crates of new books into the library where rainbow dash and scootaloo were flying around doing tricks as they unloaded the new books into piles in the empty back room.
As sweetie belle began picking up piles in her magic and walking around putting them on the shelves applebloom began walking around redirecting people to places they were looking for and answering questions to the best of her ability which ended up with her asking sweetie belle or twilight for answers.
As applebloom walked she heard and angry voice yell. “well if you don’t like the design you can find another designer because your impossible!” followed by a snooty high class looking man walking out his head held high and his nose in the air. Applebloom peered into the vaguely clear and now quiet engeineer book section where filthy rich sat at a ccofee table with a drawing in front of him looking rather put off. Applebloom approached with caution knowing very little about the man except his daughter was the spawn of evil that had plagued her life since she was a kid.
“hello mr rich,are you okay? can I help you?” applebloom asked. Flithly let out a long tired sigh but smiled a little warmly in greeting to applebloom.
“hello applebloom,im fine I just need to find another designer for my buisness, so unless you know one im afraid you cant help” filthy rich answered gently.
Applebloom looked at the drawing in front of filthy rich and took the seat on the opposite side of the table. The drawing was of a massive house and the backround looked like somewhere between sweet apple acres and the richer part of town and as applebloom looked at the design she couldn’t help but grimace. “The entire design is way to overxtravegant for the area it is in. it seemed like it would belong to a rich man who was overly full of himself and even if the person wanted it like this it just don’t look right with these rows of pillars” out of nature applebloom had picked up the pencil next to the drawing and removed the pillars and a few of the over extensive details and looked at the general gist of the drawing. It was titled “Rich’s Contracting company” with this in mind she began to change the drawing, barely paying attention to filthy rich.
“applebloom.”
Applebloom ignored the call of her name, to focused in her work to hear it.
“applebloom..” filthy tried again to the same result.
After a second failed attempt he simply let applebloom finis her work before trying to gain her attention.
“applebloom” filthy said after applebloom set the pencil down. At the call of her name applebloom looked up.
“yes mr rich?” applebloom asked.
“where did you learn to do THAT?” filthy rich asked pointing to the newly renovated drawing that applebloom had drawn.
Applebloom looked at the drawing and smiled nervously scratching the back of her head.
“this? Sorry mr rich I just saw some things in my head and started drawing I guess, I mean ever since I got my cutie mark in building design and engineering I guess it just comes naturally.” Applebloom said laughing nervously. “its not my best work but I like what I do” she said looking at the picture.
“applebloom are you currently working for anyone?” mr rich asked calmly.
“well I maintain my own company at the moment its kinda small and I get odd jobs every now and then but it works. Why mr rich?” applebloom asked curiously.
“because the drawing you just made was a work of art and I want you to be my new go to building design engineer.” Filthy rich explained calmly and cassualy as if talking about the weather. But applebloom could tell he was genuine about his offer.
This would be the first solid,steady, well paying job applebloom would have. She could already imagine living her life doing what she loved, doing what she was born to do and making a good profit out of it too. The equestrian dream. “of course mr rich!” she shouted eagerly making filthy rich laugh a little.
“good good. Then your going to need to meet your business manager, she will run the logistic and money flow of the entire business and shes the best I have. So lets meet..oh say tomorrow at sugar cube corner at noon or so?” filthy rich explained standin up to leave.
“of course mr rich!” applebloom said happily. “ill be there definatly!”
Filthy rich gave a hearty laugh and began to leave. He stopped before he exited and turned to applebloom with a gentle smile. “ive heard good things about your work ethic from diamond tiara so please try and live up to the reputation.” With that he disappeared around a corner and soon out of the library leaving a stunned applebloom.
“diamond tiara said I have a good work ethic? Her? Of all people?” applebloom said to herself before focusing back on her task at hand.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In another part of the library sweetie belle was singing softly to herself as she organized books upon the shelves.
‘the stars lean down to kiss you, and I lie awake and miss you, pour me another dose of atmosphere. Cause ill doze off safe and soundly. But ill miss your arms around me. id send a postcard to you dear cause I wish you were here’
Sweetie belle cringed slightly. “that was horrible, how could I ever get an apprenticeship with a mistake like that!” sweetie belle said glumly distraught by the smallest most unrecognizeable transition in pitch as she went to the next verse of the song. She wasn’t ussualy this self destructive, well not in public. Ussualy she would distract herself with something or the other or simply day dream to keep her mind occupied and away from her mistakes.
“it wasn’t that bad deary, in fact it was quite beautiful” a voice said to sweetie belles side. Sweetie belle jumped slightly in surprise, she turned to see silver spoons mom standing there smiling pleasantly, next to her was silver spoon who regarded sweetie belle with indifferent eyes.
“im so sorry you had to hear that.” Sweetie belle said quietly and downtraught that of all the people in the world who could have heard her. It had to be silver spoon and her mother. It was bad enough silver spoon had heard it. but silver spoons mom was the icing on her misery cake. To have messed up in front of such an elite musician was a blasphemy.
“oh but darling it was beautiful! you really shouldnt be so hard on yourself!” silverspoons mother said happily and reassuringly.
Sweetie belle looked down slightly emberassed and mumbled an apology even still. Not convinced her mistake was nothing more than the tragic end of this world. But as she looked at silver spoons mom smiling genuinely she couldn’t help but belive that mabey it wasn’t that bad. That was till she saw silver spoons uncaring and indifference.
“you know its strange. I was JUST talking to silver spoon about me needing to find an apprentice. That was RIGHT before I heard you” silver spoons mother said happily. “now that I think of it you said you were looking for an apprenticeship right?”
Sweetie belle hesitated shyly. “y-yeah… rarity wanted me to find someone to apprentice under and get my career started.”sweetie admitted making silver spoons mom smile.
“well then it seems or goals are in line!” silver spoons mom said cheerily clapping her hands together like a young school filly. “ill have a contract drawn up! Lets meet…oh say tomorrow at sugar cube corner?” silver spoons mother asked with a smile.
Sweetie belle couldn’t belive what she head heard, an offer to be trained by one of the most elite musicians in all of equestria. This was something she couldn’t refuse.
“o-of course mrs spoon!”sweetie belle said happily, her mood lifted high above the skys. But even then she had doubts.
“well than me and spoony will see you tomorrow!” silver spoons mom said taking her leave, leaving silver spoon and sweetie belle alone.
Sweetie belle smiled a little at silver spoon, mabey today was going just perfect enough that she..
“I don’t care what my mom says, your still no where close to perfect and you still have an annoying voice. We still cant be friends.” silver spoon said softly, quietly making sweetie belle drawn to each word. A dead silence hung over them and sweetie belle did her best to hold back tears as silver spoon walked away. When she was gone sweetie belle collapsed to the floor in sobs. No matter how good things had gotten they still weren’t right in the eyes of the only pony who mattered to her.
=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=
ELSEWHERE IN THE LIBRARY!
“HEY! dont put that there!” rainbow dash exclaimed sharply.
“wow ive never seen you so wet before dashy!” scotaloo responded as she wiped her face with a towel.
“well this is all your fault, now finish up!” rainbow dash ordered scotaloo who happily went along and continued her work.
“whats happening in here?!” twilight asked stunned as she walked in to the storage room of the library.
“scootaloo read a book” rainbow dash yelled in response from breneathe a pile of wet books.
“specificaly, the aquious de enchantment. i now know how to summon rain clouds!” scotaloo said excited as she put the numerous books up on the higher shelves making sure they were dried off thoroughly before putting them away.
twilight sighed heavily looking at the duo as they flew around and couldnt help but smile a little. with scotaloos mom gone so often it was good to see rainbow dash always helping her out and being there for her. satisfied with everything twilight went back upstairs to spend some time with her travelling magician before her next show. trusting rainbowdash and scotaloo to to handle everything.
a mistake she would soon regret.
“hey dashie! watch this!” scotaloo said happily as she finished rearranging some of the old torn up and discarded books into small cirles, some held up by other books to various heights. folding her wings back scotaloo took a running start jumping through the first hoop before rolling and pushing off and an angle shooting through the second hoop and unfurling her wings enough to turn her the directions he needed to move through the next. she went through 20 loops ending in one with going directly up.
“great job squirt. but it could be about 20% cooler!” rainbow dash teased happy with scotaloos preformance. scotaloo knew she was joking and smiled at the praise completely distracted from roof above her. by the time she came back to reality she noticed the roof was only a few seconds away from her face. she felt soft arms grab her by her waist and yank her down before she could impact and let out a sigh of relife as her feet touched the ground.
“you really should be more careful” the pegasus who had grabbed her said with a giggle. scotaloo immideatly recognized the slightly beige skin and purple hair as belonging to alulula.
“oh hey alulua!” scotaloo said happily. happy to see her old sparring partner from when her mom made her take self defense classes. freeing herself from alulas hold she quickly threw a playful punch. her hand being caught and her entire body being thrown into a series of bookshelves behind alula who blinked when she noticed what she did.
“SORRY SCOTALOO!” she said apologeticly hovering over to the tan pegasus who simply smiled a little.
“still got it alula!” scotaloo said estaticly used to being thrown every which way by alula.
“WHAT THE HAY!? I JUST CLEANED THOSE UP TOO!” applebloom yelled frustrated causin alulua to blush.
“oh my” she mummbled quietly lowerin herself down to scotaloo and helping her up. “im sorry to have gotten you in trouble. mabey we can meet up tommorow at sugar cube corner cause i probaly should go before i get you in more trouble.” alula said quickly hoveirng once more and flying out of the library before scotaloo could answer.
“WHAT THE HAY SCOTALOO WHAT COULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN DOING THAT CAUSED THIS?!” applebloom said as she walked up to scotaloo allready seething.
“alula.” scotaloo said simply all the anger evaporating from appleblooms eyes.
“oh that makes sense ah guess.” applebloom said turning to leave. “clean this up since you were stupid enough to cause alula to throw you” applebloom said returning to her earlier duties.
scotaloo groaned and layed in the books for a short while before getting up and putting the shelves back up mummbling under her breathe the entire time. but underneathe her annoyance a part of her was happy. tommorow she could finnaly hang out with alula in what seemed liked forever.
tommorow was going to be an interesting day.
