The Crusader's Crystal Quest

by norcalforneigh

Rating: everyone
Tags: Tragedy, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 4962

The Crusaders set off for a journey to the Crystal Empire in order to find some advice regarding their cutie marks. Suddenly, their adventure becomes dangerous, and each Crusader must find their own talent in order to protect their friends.

The Crusaders set off for a journey to the Crystal Empire in order to find some advice regarding their cutie marks.
Suddenly, their adventure becomes dangerous, and each Crusader must find their own talent in order to protect each other.

Published 2015-06-14 22:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-06-14 22:50:02 UTC

The Crusader's Crystal Quest

The Crusader’s Crystal Quest

-Prologue-

Apple Bloom lay on her bed, face towards the ceiling. The sound of the wind whipping through the trees outside was the only sound to be heard. Suddenly, a loud banging came to her window. Apple Bloom instantly hid below her covers, seeing the noise as a threat. “Hi, Apple Bloom! Are you ready?” said two familiar filly voices from behind the window. Relieved, Apple Bloom untucked herself, waved to the two friendly figures, and slid out the window.

-Day 1-

“Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Ahm tired of waiting for this darn cutie mark!” Apple Bloom said. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders crowded around a table in their treehouse, sipping on a milkshake that Pinkie Pie had made them about fifteen minutes before.

“We could ask Twilight to help us,” Scootaloo suggested.

Sweetie shook her head. “I don’t know if Twilight would be a help to us. Y’all remember when we asked her last time. All of Ponyville’s foals and fillies caused a ruckus. How about we ask Celestia or Luna?”

Apple Bloom replied, “Nah. Princess Celestia is on her vacation to the Crystal Empire, is working with the pegasi in Cloudsdale on a new rainbow production machine.” Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. “Ah got an idea! We could sneak out at night and catch the night train to the Crystal Empire!” The two other fillies nodded their heads excitedly in approval. “Ah’ll find out when the last train leaves tonight!”

Apple Bloom trotted to the Ponyville Train Station while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went to the market to grab something to eat for lunch. On her way there, she passed by Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Magic. “Hi, Apple Bloom! What brings you to this part of town?”

Apple Bloom, trying to keep her mission a secret, created an alibi off the top of her head. “Ah was just goin’ to the…train station to meet up with…mah sister!”

Twilight shot her a puzzled look. “Apple Bloom, she’s with Braeburn in Appleoosa for the rest of the day,” said Twilight, puzzled. “Plus, Applejack is arriving on the last train to Ponyville today. It’ll be hours to after dusk when she arrives.”

Apple Bloom blushed, realizing her mistake. “‘Ahm just...really excited to see her when she gets back.” Twilight, still puzzled why Apple Bloom would wait such a long time at the station, even after learning that her sister would arrive well after dark, waved to Apple Bloom as she continued her trot.

The sound of the 12 o’clock train sounded off in the distance as Apple Bloom approached the train station. A few business ponies waited on the platform, presumably travelers to Baltimare. She walked up to the schedule board and read it carefully. “Ar’right. The last train gets here at 8:00 o’clock, and leaves…” Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “The last train leaves five minutes after it arrives! That means I have five minutes max to get to the train station!” She face-hoofed and she trotted back to the Crusaders’ treehouse.

“Hiya, Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle said. The orange pegasus and the white unicorn sat around the table that was currently adorned by a bunch of Pony Colas and a bag holding three hayburgers. Apple Bloom pulled a hayburger out of the bag, and the other two did the same.

Sweetie Belle, with her mouth full, began discussing the mission. “Alright, girls! So, let’s plan out how we’re going to pull this all off.” “The last train, along with my sister, gets here at 8:00 tonight. It takes a five minute break, and goes to the Crystal Empire for the night,”

Apple Bloom said. “My big sis’ needs to make sure I go to sleep at bedtime which is, ahronically, at 8:00.”

“Rarity needs to know that I’m in bed, too. My bed time is at 8:00, as well.” Sweetie Belle add.

“I’m helping out Rainbow Dash prepare for the Ponyville Air Racetrack until 7:00. I can take my scooter down to the station and see if I can stall the train conductor. It might buy us a little extra time, Scootaloo suggested.

Apple Bloom finished her hayburger. “Scoots, Sweetie, stop by my window if ahm late.”

The two fillies nodded in approval. “Let’s do this!" they all cheered

Applejack got home at about 8:00. Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom had just finished their dinner, and they were already in bed. She went to her sisters room, to make sure she was alright. “Hey, Sugarcube,” said Applejack, seeing that her sister was still wide awake. “Trah’ and get some sleep.”

“Alright, sis,” replied Apple Bloom. Smiling, Applejack wished her sister good night, and carefully shut the door. Minutes later, something banged on her bedroom window. Frightened, Apple Bloom slid under her sheets.

“Hi, Apple Bloom! Are you ready?” said Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Realizing who it was, Apple Bloom quietly opened the window, making sure that Applejack, Big Mac, or even Granny Smith wouldn’t hint at her departure. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo began to break into a canter.

“I talked to the conductor, and I was able to stall the train for five more minutes,” said Scootaloo. “That means the train will depart at 8:10. I already got us tickets, so all we need to do is get on that train!”

“Final boarding call for the last train to the Crystal Empire!” the train conductor exclaimed. The three fillies jumped into the last car just as the train began to pull away from the platform.

Exhausted, they all cheered. “What should we do now?” Sweetie Belle asked.

The conductor, the only other pony on the train besides them and the train engineer, said, “Well, fillies, you have 12 hours to burn. We arrive at the Crystal Empire at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning!”

Apple Bloom heaved a sigh. “Why is the ride so long? I thought we would be there by TONIGHT!”

The conductor sighed, “The engineer up front told us that we have to make a pit stop somewhere. Some gryphons looted some of our coal during the afternoon while we made a stop near Griffonstone. We can’t make it to the Crystal Empire with one tender of coal. Y’all can get some sleep in the sleeper car, two cars from the front.” Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle waved goodbye to the conductor and trotted off towards the front of the train.

-Day 2-

The Crusaders awoke to sound of the train whistle. Sunlight shone through the train’s windows. It was bright outside. A little TOO bright, as all the buildings, except for Princess Cadence’s palace, were composed of the Crystal Empire trademark diamond-cement composite. At last, they were in the Crystal Empire. Everything in the empire was sparkling. The palace, the homes, and the inhabitants glimmered in the sun.

Apple Bloom, rubbing her eyes, said, “Ah guess we slept through our stop at, well, wherever it was.”

The conductor was already outside, loading some baggage into the last car. Speech slurred, he said, “Now you fillies… go along. Have… a nice day.” And at that, he collapsed onto the platform, sleeping.

“Alright…” Scootaloo joked. “He probably didn’t get enough sleep last night.” All the fillies began laughing.

Apple Bloom talked with station manager for a couple minutes to retrieve tickets for their trip home. She came back with the three tickets. “Okay, girls. We have until noon to talk with Celestia and Cadence. They should be on the top floor of the palace, from what ah remember Applejack telling me.”

Sweetie Belle levitated some prepacked hayburgers out of her saddle bags. She handed them to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. They sat down at the nearest table and started eating their breakfast.

“So Apple Bloom, how do we get into the palace anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked before taking a bite into the hayburger.

“Y’know, ah haven’t figured that out yet.” Apple Bloom replied. “Any ideas?” The three fillies started to determine a way they could reach the two princesses in time. “

"We could tell the guards that Twilight sent us.” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“Ah don’t think that would work.” Apple Bloom said.

“What if we sneak into the castle?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nah. Too risky” Apple Bloom replied. They all sighed in and finished up their hayburgers before continuing on the streets of the Crystal Empire.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders trotted down the road that led to the palace. “Maybe if we examine the outside, we’ll find a way to get in!” Apple Bloom suggested.

“Great idea, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo replied. “But what if we don’t get there in time?”

“Don’t worry Scootaloo, we’ll reach the palace in ti-” Apple Bloom was cut off. In front of them stood a pink alicorn and a white alicorn. The fillies looked up at them.

“Apple Bloom?” said a tall, white mare.

“Princess Celestia!” the Crusaders exclaimed. They were overjoyed. The Crusaders could convince the Princesses to let them into the Palace.

“What brings you to the Crystal Empire, fillies?” the other mare asked. It was Princess Cadence, the princess of love.

“Well, we came here so you could help us get our cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Well, that’s great timing, because Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack are visiting as well!” Celestia said. The three fillies’ eyes widened.

“What?!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. They heard a train whistle in the distance. “Oh no.”

The train stopped at the Crystal Empire station. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends stepped out of one of the passenger cars. They all took a second to admire the empire, sparkling in the early morning sun.

Applejack yawned. “That was a long rah’d, girls,” she said. “Ah wonder how Bloom is doing back at home. Ah didn’t see her eat breakfast this mornin’.”

Rarity raised a brow. “That’s unusual, dah'ling. I didn’t see Sweetie Belle this morning, either. Her tea was getting cold!”

Rainbow Dash, who began to eavesdrop in on the conversation, said, “I didn’t see Scootaloo this morning. She said that she would help me finish putting up the last cloud hoop for the Ponyville Air Racetrack.”

Twilight began to have a puzzled look on her face. “Apple Bloom bumped into me yesterday. It seemed like she was hiding something. I must go back to Ponyville.”

Applejack put her hoof around Twilight. “Twah’light, it’s alright. Ahm sure that Apple Bloom and the other fillies are alright. You’ve been working hard lately. It’s your vacation!”

“Applejack, you’re right. I have been working too hard on the castle. I should just relax,” said Twilight. “I just hope that the Crusaders are safe and sound back at home.”

The five ponies opened the main doors to the palace. “Princess Celestia! Princess Cadence! Pleeeeease don’t tell the Twilight and them that we’re here!”

The two alicorns gave them a friendly nod. “Your secret is safe with us,” said Cadence. “Just make sure to stay out of their way, and out of their sight.” The three fillies heaved a sigh of relief. This was no vacation for them. No, it was more of an enlightenment trip. They were there for one thing, and one thing only: to receive advice from the princesses on their cutie marks.

“I will talk to you girls in one of the spare rooms. See that one down the hall with the open door?” Princess Celestia pointed towards one of the guest rooms down the hall. The three had no problem understanding which room to meet Princess Celestia in, as the room was the only one with its doors open. “I will welcome the group in, and be with you momentarily.” The three nodded in approval, and galloped off to the room just as the main door opened and a purple alicorn stepped through.

“Good morning, Cadence. Good morning, Celestia,” said the familiar voice.

The conversation between the eight ponies lasted around an hour. Sweetie Belle was playing a game of cards with Apple Bloom. Scootaloo glanced out the window, looking upon the sparkling empire below. Finally, after what had seemed like forever, the tall, blue alicorn stepped through the door. “Okay, girls. What would you like to know?” Celestia said.

Scootaloo was the first to speak. “We want to know how to get our-” She was cut off.

“Celestia! Something’s wrong! The sky has turned green, and our cutie marks are glowing.”

Celestia, being one of the two main princesses of Equestria, was able to swiftly cast an invisibility spell over the three fillies. “Ah, yes. I will be there briefly, Princess Twilight.” As Twilight trotted away, Celestia lifted the spell. “Fillies, I must go,” said Princess Celestia. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the palace.

“Your queen is back!” exclaimed a deep, thundering voice. It was Queen Chrysalis, the queen of the changelings and the thief of love. The palace guards were all surrounded with a green mist. Seconds later, they transformed into their true form: changelings. Twilight quickly took to the air and began casting spells. She tried attacking Chrysalis with the same spell that she had used on Tirek, but Queen Chrysalis quickly countered it with a similar spell. “You are outnumbered. Bow down, and you will be shown mercy!” yelled the queen. Like Twilight, Cadence and Celestia took flight they began casting defense spells. Celestia turned to the other five mares, and they instantly knew what to do. The five broke out into a fight, taking down the changelings, one by one. Little did they know, the Crusaders hid in a guest room, completely defenseless.

Scootaloo peeked out of the door of the guest room. She tried to find a way to escape unseen. Eventually, she spotted a door across the room. “Now!” Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle dashed to the door, hoping that they would be able to make it.

Chrysalis charged up her horn. “Kneel before me!” she demanded. She sent a large, green fireball hurtling toward Cadence and Twilight. The two mares darted toward the side, dodging the attack. As the Crusaders were running toward the door, they noticed that another fireball was speeding towards them. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo froze in shock.

“No!” Sweetie Belle yelled. Moments before they were hit, she leaped in front of the fiery projectile. A burst of green light shot from her horn. Suddenly, a bright, emerald-colored bubble formed around the fillies, protecting them from the strike. As the fireball impacted the shield, Sweetie Belle tried her best to sustain the barrier. The fire finally dissolved against the surface of the shield, leaving the three unharmed. They were slightly shaken up, but Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were able to survive thanks to the young unicorn’s spell.

Are you guys alright?” Sweetie asked, exhausted. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded their heads. They quickly recovered from the attack and continued to run to the door.

When the fillies reached the other side of the room, Sweetie Belle tried to push open the door, but it didn’t budge. “It’s locked!” she exclaimed to her friends. Scootaloo turned around, and jumped as she saw another one of Chrysalis’s fireballs hurtling at them.

“Look out!” she yelled at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. She evaded the attack, but the other two did not hear her warning in time. The fireball struck the area in the vicinity of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, sending them flying out of a hole in the wall. Scootaloo ran to the the broken ledge, watching as her friends plummeted to their doom. “No!” she yelled. Without thinking, she jumped off the ledge. As she fell along with her friends, she had suddenly realized what she had done. She tried to flap her wings, but it was to no avail. The three fillies had mere moments before they hit the ground. Scootaloo grabbed ahold of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, closed her eyes, and again tried to take flight. She flapped her wings as hard as she could. Suddenly, she felt a strong breeze. When she opened her eyes, to her surprise, she was soaring right above the streets of the Crystal Empire. A wide grin ran across her face. “I’m doing it, guys! I’m actually doing it! I’m flying!” Scootaloo exclaimed to her friends. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shared looks of amazement as Scootaloo set them down on the ground. It was almost ironic, how such a fascinating moment could occur because of something destructive.

“Now is not the tahm’ to celebrate, y’all. We still gotta get out of here safely.” Their cutie marks didn’t matter anymore. What good would it be to go back into the fight, get a cutie mark for their bravery, and risk death trying? Their one priority was to get out safely. A green light illuminated the palace, and a horrific explosion rippled through the air. As a result of this, a large chunk of the castle fell to the ground, nearly crushing the Crusaders. Realizing how dangerous it was to be in the vicinity of the palace, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo took off in full gallop. They headed for the train station.

“Cadence! Right flank!” shouted Twilight Sparkle. Cadence looked to her right, and blasted a changeling who was darting straight at her. Twilight was no battle commander, but her brother, Shining Armor, had taught her a few things about battle.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” boomed Queen Chrysalis. “You are no match for my changling army. We have become much stronger. I am surprised that you have not done the same.” Princess Celestia flew up and blasted a golden ray at Chrysalis. The changeling queen dodged the attack and struck with her own ray. Celestia fell to the ground after taking a strike to the wing.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight yelled in distress.

Celestia stood up, still slightly weak. “You may have become stronger, but the changelings are still fragile to the power of the light.” she exclaimed. Queen Chrysalis became furious. She charged up her horn and blasted a large, powerful ray of emerald fire at Celestia.

“Look out!” Twilight yelled. Celestia flew up and countered Chrysalis’s attack with a blast of light. The two rulers struggled to sustain their strength.

Chrysalis managed to yell a few words. “Changelings… attack!” Suddenly, the queen’s changelings flew into the broken walls of the palace. The princesses were surrounded. Twilight attacked any and all changelings that approached, blasting any changeling in sight. Cadence defended the other two mares by creating a shield, similar to the one that Sweetie Belle cast minutes earlier, protecting them from most of the barrage. The changelings continued to burst in from every crevice. It seemed like the princesses would finally meet their end.

The Crusaders ran through the chaos, avoiding any danger as best as they could. Apple Bloom could see the train station in the distance. “Over there!” she yelled to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. She pulled out the tickets for their trip home and continued rushing towards the station. When they got there, the could see no conductor in sight. What happened to him? Had he fallen victim to Chrysalis’s changelings? Or had he escaped on another train? It really didn’t matter to the Crusaders. At least there was a train waiting at the station. They jumped aboard the train, and sat down. Nopony was on the train, which meant that they had the whole train for themselves. For a couple minutes, nothing happened. Yes, they could hear explosions in the distance, but the train did not move a single inch.

“What do we do?” questioned Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle shrugged her shoulders, as if knowing that help would come any second. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the train. Smoke began to spill into their passenger car, signifying that one of the train cars must be on fire.

“If nopony’s going to make this train move,” Apple Bloom yelled, “then I will!” She began making her way towards the front of the train. “What does she think she’s doing?” Sweetie told Scootaloo.

“Beats me,” Scootaloo replied, and they took off after Apple Bloom.

Celestia and Chrysalis were still locked in battle. Celestia was becoming weaker. It was starting to become obvious that she was falling under Chrysalis’s power. Chrysalis smirked. “Admit it, Princess Celestia. You cannot defy my power. Now, let me control your kingdom, or else you will perish!” Celestia’s hooves dug into the floor as she struggled to oppose Chrysalis’s emerald beam.

“N-never!” she managed to say. Cadence and Twilight stopped fighting and looked behind them.

“Princess!” Twilight yelled. They leaped to Celestia’s side and blasted their own rays at Chrysalis. Their magic conjoined with Celestia’s, forming a stronger beam of light.

“Chrysalis was surprised. “N-no!” she said, afraid. The changelings jumped back in surprise, startled by the light. They fled the room, abandoning their leader. “What are you doing? H-help me!” Chrysalis yelled. Twilight’s horn glowed with rage, ready to send the final blow. “Changelings! Attack the city!” shouted the Queen. Those were Chrysalis’s last words. The changelings all simultaneously turned and charged towards the city as their leader exploded in a sea of purple.

“Do you think she can do it?” said Sweetie Belle to Scootaloo as they jumped from passenger car to passenger car. Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders. Another explosion rocked the train. This time, it was less powerful, but much louder. The two fillies peeked out of one of the train’s shattered windows. Cadence’s palace was in ruins, and hundreds, thousands even, of black specs were flying and jumping from the Palace.

“Changelings!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“Hurry up, slowpoke!” Scootaloo said. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and continued racing towards the front of the train along side her pegasus friend. When they got to the front, the found Apple Bloom fiddling with some controls. The train engineer was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he had fled the area, or was…deceased. “Apple Bloom, do you even know what you’re doing?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, yeah. Mah sister let me spend tah’me with mah cousin, Braeburn for a couple of weeks last summer. He’s a part-tah’me train engineer in Appleoosa. He taught me how to prepare the train for departure, and how to ah’porate the train itself.” She pulled a lever, and the train began to slowly move forward. Apple Bloom pulled another lever and the train began to gain speed rather quickly. In a matter of minutes, the Crystal Empire was far behind them, explosions lighting up the sky like fireworks.

Apple Bloom opened her eyes. She tried to make out what time it was. It about two hours to sundown, from what she guessed. “Sweetie. Scoots. Wake up.”

The drowsy pegasus and unicorn stood up. “Where are we?” Scootaloo asked?

“I don’t know,” Apple Bloom replied. She peeked her head outside to get her bearings once more. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” said exclaimed , jumping up and down.

“What is it? What is it?” asked Scootaloo, pushing Sweetie Belle over in order to get a better view.

“It’s the Canterlot Mountains!” replied Apple Bloom. And sure enough, the purple mountain range, with the royal city that is Canterlot, stood there, as if welcoming the three fillies back home. “Ah think we should prepare for ah’rrival in Ponyville.”

Sweetie Belle put her saddle bags on. Scootaloo finished up her hayburger, which was her third this week. Apple Bloom stood confused at the controls. “Hey, Apple Bloom. Do you even know how to stop this thing?” asked Scootaloo.

“Um, yeah. Ah c-can...well...no,” she replied. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other in shock.

“So, you CAN’T stop this train?!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

“Ah can try. Listen. You know how Braeburn taught me how to operate them trains last year? Well, that was a year ago. This is a newer train, and it doesn’t work the same way as last year’s trains did,” she said with a sigh.

“It’s alright, Apple Bloom. We can always try this red lever,” said Sweetie Belle, her hoof on a red lever that said “PULL ONLY IN EMERGENCY.” Without thinking, Sweetie pulled the lever. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stared at Sweetie Belle with their mouths wide open. Sweetie didn’t really pull the lever. She pulled the lever OFF. This meant that they had no way of stopping. What was even worse was that Sweetie Belle accidentally dropped the broken lever on the ground, and it fell. Out of the train.

The Crusaders’ eyes widened in shocked. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle and gave her a dirty look. Sweetie Belle looked back at them with an awkward, yet apologetic smile. “Oops…,” she said to the two.

Scootaloo exploded in a rage. “Sweetie Belle, what did you do?! Now we have no way of stopping this thi-” Apple Bloom interrupted her.

“Scoots! Calm down! Maybe if we focus, we’ll fah’nd a way.” Scootaloo took a deep breath to let it all out.

“Alright, fine. What do we do, Apple Bloom?” Apple Bloom sat down, thinking of a plan.

Sweetie Belle looked out of of the window, and a victorious grin spread across her face. She turned towards Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “I can see Ponyville! We’re home”

Apple Bloom stood up. “We’re not quite there, Sweetie Belle. This train shows no sign of slowing down. Ah have a plan, though. The train is almost out of fuel, and our fuel supply should run out before we reach Ponyville. What we can is use up all but a little bit of fuel. When we get to Ponyville, I’ll put us in reverse, and hopefully that will slow us down. There’s a slim chance that it will work, but it'll save both us and the train.”

Ponyville was quickly approaching. Apple Bloom had a hoof on the reverse lever. “Ready, Apple Bloom?” Sweetie said? Apple Bloom nodded her head.

Scootaloo started the countdown. “Alright. Hit it in 3…” The train was approaching the station at a tremendous speed. “2…” Everything outside the train was blurry due to the sheer velocity of the locomotive. “1.” Apple Bloom clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and pulled the lever downwards to the ‘REVERSE’ position. A deafening sound filled the air as the locomotive attempted to spin its twheels backwards. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo put their hooves over their ears. As if through a miracle, the train grinded to a halt. Smoke clouds began to billow up from below the train as a result of the friction between the wheels and the track. Apple Bloom, however did not cover her ears. She couldn’t. As soon as she hit the lever, she was thrown against the train’s control module, and was knocked unconscious.

Princess Twilight and her friends arrived in Ponyville that evening. Their train pulled up to the station well after dark. They grabbed their luggage and went their separate ways, ready to grab a good night’s sleep for another adventure filled day. They were all dusty, dirty, and tired from their fight with Chrysalis and the changlings. Tomorrow, they were off to the Crystal Empire, again, to aid in recovery efforts.

Applejack opened the door to her humble abode. The only light that was lit was the kitchen light, illuminating the dinner table. A bowl of Granny’s baked beans were set on the table for Applejack to eat. Before she sat down to eat, she went to check on Apple Bloom. She slowly opened her door, careful not to make any sound. Apple Bloom was sound asleep. Applejack leaned over to kiss her sister. “Goodnight, sugarcube. Sweet dreams.” She closed the door slowly, and a smile of joy spread across her face. Unbeknownst to her, a sticky note was posted on the inside face of the door. It read:

Meet us @ CMC Treehouse, 10:00AM.
-SB and Scoots

The next morning, Apple Bloom rushed to the treehouse. When she opened the door, she was in shock. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo finally got their cutie marks! 'What happened last night?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Scoots and I carried you home," Sweetie Belle replied. "It's a long story." Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo laughed, remembering how Apple Bloom snored on while they were carrying her home."

Suddenly, with a flash of gold, Princess Celestia appeared out of thin air. “You have completed your first quest, my Cutie Mark Crusaders. You will face challenges in the future, some which be more difficult than the quest that you completed yesterday. You have received your cutie marks overnight, and your actions during the Crystal Empire quest determined what they are. Sweetie Belle, you have received a sword as a cutie mark in order to symbolize your bravery. This is because you selflessly protected your friends with the defense bubble spell. Scootaloo, you took it up to yourself to fly, which you have never done before, in order to keep your friends from getting hurt. Your cutie mark is a cloud, signifying bravery and taking flight. And Apple Bloom. Go ahead. Look at your cutie mark.” Apple Bloom looked back at her flank. It was a zap apple. Confused, she asked Princess Celestia to explain it. “Apple Bloom, you surpassed the test with flying colors. You already know that zap apples are created with lightening. The zap apple represents a good mind and quick thinking.” Apple Bloom smiled with glee. ‘My little ponies, you have a long journey ahead of all of you. Even though you have your cutie marks, you are still the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Follow your destiny, and shine.” With a smile, she disappeared.

“So, Apple Bloom. What’s next," asked Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

“Our destiny,” she replied.

Author's Note

SHS Fanfic Contest Hype!