Cutie Mark Creatureby HalogenmystChaptersAppearancesConvergenceVarianceEnchantmentAppearancesFluorite Vapor's eyes shot open all at once. Cold sweat slowly ran down his forehead into his stinging eyes. The young stallion's body was paralyzed, only able to blink to clear his eyes, even his chest refused to move, making breathing difficult. Fluorite quickly recognized he was in bed, with his head laying back, giving him a clear view of his room. The room was particularly unextraordinary, with a window to his left and the door to his right. The pale light of the moon crept into the room through the window, illuminating the room with a small turquoise glow, letting Fluorite clearly see the shadow incarnate sneaking past his bedroom door. The figure looked like a pony had been cut out of reality, leaving a void in its wake, however it moved as a full figure, directing its muzzle straight toward Fluorite, if the shadow had eyes, they would be locked on his own. The shadow carefully and soundlessly walked toward Fluorite. Fluorite's mind screamed and raced and gave powerful commands to run, scream, fight, or do anything, yet his body refused to respond. Air became too heavy to move, and Fluorite's breath wedged in his throat, closing it off, leaving him unable to even whimper. The shadow stood directly over Fluorite's still body, as if inspecting it. The moonlight flickered and the shadow turned its attention away for only a moment. Fluorite's eyes tracked where the shadow was looking, but once his eyes left the shadowy body, he felt a jolt of pressure run through his body and a deep screaming rang through his ears. The dark air that had washed through the room suddenly lifted, and Fluorite could hear his own frightened screaming, as his limbs found their strength and reflexively pulled his body into a tightened, fighting stance on his bed. The door burst open to allow an aquamarine mare entrance to the room. Ocean Vapor's horn flickered and the room was lit up, revealing the pale orange earth pony prepared to pounce like a cornered animal. "Sweetie, everything's okay, it's mom... can you hear me?" Ocean said calmly at a very regular pace. She knew better than to make large movements or sounds after one of these episodes. Fluorite's eyes locked in on his mother, standing gently at the end of the room. His attention was torn between deciphering the mare that now stood in his room, getting his heart to work at a regular beat, and checking the room for escape routes. After a few seconds, Fluorite recognized his mother, and her presence settled his nerves quickly, causing his tense limbs to give way and he practically collapsed on his bed. "Mom? It happened again, didn't it?" Tears began to form in Fluorite's eyes, between feeling afraid, feeling helpless, and feeling embarrassed there was no way to stop them. "Ssshhh dear, everything's okay." Ocean said as she carefully ran her hoof through his onyx mane. "You're safe." She held him tightly as tremors ran through his body. Looking over the bed, Ocean noticed a loose clumpof short orange hairs on the sheets. Fluorite Vapor trudged through his morning schedule, the bags under his eyes seemingly pulling his eyelids down with them. Fluorite took his shower half asleep, scrubbing over his body, allowing the hot water to relax his skin. Drying and brushing his coat seemed particularly difficult this morning, as a lot of the hairs seemed to be falling out. Then he saw it. "MOM!" Fluorite shouted as he ran out to find her. Ocean Vapor was enjoying a morning coffee over the newspaper, and turned to see her son, who seemed worried. "What is it?" She asked with concern in her voice. "LOOK!" Fluorite instructed as he turned sideways, to give Ocean a view of his flank. Ocean's eyes widened. Her son had gotten some attention recently for lacking a Cutie Mark at his age. While it hadn't bothered either of them, they often had to consider the question of when or how it would appear, Fluorite was almost an adult now, after all. However, there was now a mark adorning his flank. Despite what would usually be a great cause for celebration, Ocean couldn't tell quite how to react, and upon seeing the face on her son, it seemed she was in good company. The mark was unusual. Cutie Marks would appear as a change in coloration over the top of a pony's coat, but Fluorite's cutie mark was instead an absence of the coat. Hairs had fallen out to reveal a darker skin tone underneath, and the leathery skin appeared to resemble a monstrous face, not unlike a jack-o-lantern carved for Nightmare Night. "Is that your Cutie Mark?" Ocean asked quietly. "I- I guess? I don't know, what do I do?" Fluorite asked with increasing anxiety. His mother quickly embraced her son and calmed him down. "It's okay, don't worry." She said between hushes. "Everything's okay." Fluorite relaxed and looked over his flank. The mark there filled him with anxiety, but his mother's words were encouraging. The mark wasn't causing any trouble, at least. Fluorite thought the mark wasn't causing any trouble, but that was before heading outside. He was used to occasional sneers or jabs at his blank flank when he went about, but the streets of Baltimare had changed overnight. It wasn't hard to notice the ponies on the streets were giving him extra room as he trotted toward work. Those who used to turn their noses upwards looked instead with an uneasy horror as they did double and triple takes at Fluorite's flank. "Well well well, if it 'aint our favorite blank flank!" A voice called over Fluorite's shoulder. The voice belonged to a bulky plum pegasus stallion, who was followed by a rust colored pegasus and a pink unicorn mare. Fluorite sighed and turned around. "Swell, Wine, ...Venus." he said, addressing the unicorn mare with particular distaste. The three ponies forgot their attempts at bullying before Fluorite had even finished addressing them. Shock smeared across their faces, their eyes glued to Fluorite's mark. Each of them worked their mouths as though they were going to say something, but none of them did. "what-" Fluorite started before being cut off by Swell, the plum pegasus. "FREAK!" The three of them ran with shrieks of fear, causing a panic to stir in everypony on the street. Most watched still as the grave, as though if they moved, they would be attacked. Fluorite looked around and back to the mark on his flank. "Great..." Ocean Vapor's dark green aura held a bowl of grapes in the air as she left the kitchen toward her son in the living room. "And they just sent you home?" She asked. Fluorite was hiding his head under a load of pillows until he smelled the grapes approaching. Lifting his head up, he answered. "They said they didn't want me interacting with customers after what happened in the street, and there wasn't anything in the back that needed doing today..." He said, enthusiastically attacking the grapes Ocean brought into the room. "And that's a lie, since the backroom work is never done..." Ocean watched her son, desperately wishing there was something she could do, but the mark on his flank was so alien... A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Coming!" She said as she left the couch. Fluorite sank deeper into the couch, hoping to hide. Ocean opened the door with her magic, revealing a silver griffon on the other side. The griffon had a couple saddlebags and a few letters in claw. "Oh, Gabby! I wasn't expecting you." Said Ocean. "Hey Ms. V." Said the griffon. "Somepony in town needed a package from Luna Bay. I figured I could take my old route again, since I'm in town." "Great, do you think you could ship a pony out? Luna Bay sounds perfect, right in the middle of the water if you don't mind..." Fluorite called from behind the couch in an exhausted tone. "What's with you?" Gabriella asked. Fluorite simply stood up and gave the griffon a good view of his flank. Gabby's eyes shone like the sun and she let out a squeal. "AAAHHH! YOU GOT YOUR CUTIE MARK!" She shouted in total genuine excitement. Fluorite winced. "Yeah, sure... I just wish I didn't..." Gabby's expression turned around and she looked at the young stallion with complete confusion. She looked back at Ocean, who simply shrugged. "Well hey, if you've got Cutie Mark troubles, I know exactly who you need to talk to." Gabby said with a smile. Author's Note Our favorite griffon is here to save the day! and by save the day, I mean drop problems into somepony else's hooves of course. How else? ConvergenceFluorite Vapor couldn't breathe. The slow suffocation woke him with a start, but like so many times before, despite his mind's urging to escape, he laid paralyzed. The train car was dark, with the windows allowing moonlight to filter into the room in a turquoise glow. Fluorite laid on the bench on his back, his head resting just under the window. His eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the train but couldn't because of the living shadow that sat squarely on Fluorite's chest. The figure's muzzle, if it had one, was pressed right up against Fluorite's own. The living darkness seemed to draw his senses into itself, a boundless void acting like a basin drain to Fluorite's entire being. Fluorite's vision blurred and swam about, he could hear a droning buzz in his ears that grew louder and more indistinct as time went on. The world faded into blackness on all sides, as though all of reality was being pulled through a twisting tunnel. A large shadow passed through the train,interrupting the moonlight for only a moment.In that moment, the figure vanished and Fluorite loudly gasped for air, sitting himself upright, back against the wall. Silver moonlight dusted the train car as Fluorite took a couple minutes to catch his breath. "It happened again, didn't it?" Ocean Vapor asked. The Aquamarine unicorn had awoken to find her son staring out the window with harsh, dark bags under his eyes. She silently left and retrieved the train's breakfast before sitting beside her son on the bench. "Yeah." Fluorite said flatly. Ocean looked down toward her simple breakfast and sighed. She wished there was more she could do to help, but it seemed the most she could do was comfort him after the fact. Even now, they were on the train to tackle a different issue entirely. "I hope Gabby knows what she's talking about." Fluorite said with a sigh. Ocean smiled and nodded. Fluorite found himself in a curious situation. A Cutie Mark had appeared on his flank in a most unusual manner, leaving a rather distressing impression behind. Rather than coloration appearing over his coat, the hairs of his pale orange coat fell out revealing dark skin in the shape of a grim smile. Gabriella had suggested that they visit Ponyville to see the "world famous Cutie Mark Crusaders". They were apparent experts when it came to Cutie Marks, and if anypony knew what to make of Fluorite's predicament, it would be them. "You've got to trust Gabby, she's met these ponies personally, she would never lie to you." Ocean said, hoping to reassure Fluorite. "I'm not worried she's lying. I'm worried it doesn't matter..." Fluorite admitted quietly. "What if they discover that I am a freak?" Tears were preparing to escape his eyes. Ocean wrapped an arm over Fluorite's shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "That won't happen. Besides, you'll always be my son." She said with a warm smile. "Thanks mom." Fluorite said, returning the hug and the smile. Fluorite and Ocean Vapor landed at Ponyville Station and stretched their legs. With only saddlebags for luggage, they were able to get into town pretty quickly. Ponyville was a quaint little town. Most of the businesses seemed to run from within ponies' homes, giving it the look and feel of a neighborhood, whether you were technically in a residential zone or not. Fluorite felt a comfortable air about Ponyville. The citizens always had a genuine smile on their faces, and everypony seemed comfortable and satisfied. In Baltimare, most ponies would be on the lookout for somepony to entice or swindle, Fluorite grew to recognize when ponies have some ulterior motive. In Ponyville however, Fluorite couldn't sense anything of the sort anywhere. "I'm going to go check in at the hotel, why don't you find the library and see if we can't find out where these fillies are?" Ocean said. Fluorite nodded and headed deeper into town. Not knowing where to go, he decided asking would be the best way to get there. Fluorite spotted a couple of mares sitting on a bench nearby. One was a mint colored unicorn and the other was a beige earth pony. "Excuse me, could you two give me directions to the library?" Fluorite asked. The two mares looked at each other with slightly confused faces. "Should he go to the actual library?" "Why would we send him there? It wouldn't be of any use." "I know, but..." They stopped their poorly hidden whispers to turn to the young stallion before them. "Why do you need to find the library?" The unicorn asked. "Oh, well, I was looking for some ponies in town, and I thought the library would be a good place to start." Fluorite answered, slightly confused why it mattered. The beige mare spoke up. "Okay, well, we used to have a library, but that's a complicated story. If you're looking for somepony, you need to talk to Pinkie Pie. She knows everypony so well, it's scary." "Oh, well where could I find her?" Fluorite asked. The two mares then gave him easy directions to Sugarcube Corner, where he would find Pinkie Pie. "Thank you both so much." Fluorite said as he began to walk away. Once he was out of earshot the unicorn turned to the other mare. "Pinkie Pie!? Are you crazy? We can only pray he doesn't spread weird rumors." Fluorite Vapor could easily smell the bakery before he could see it. Sugarcube Corner released sweet aromas of vanilla and cinnamon, seemingly drawing ponies in with a palpable force. Upon entering, Fluorite's senses were bombarded with sweeter bouquets of cupcakes and brownies. The walls were decorated with pleasant, invigorating colors, which complemented the happy chatter of customers. "Welcome!" A voice called. Fluorite could tell the voice came from behind the counter, yet the voice's owner stood in front of him so close it startled him. Standing before him was probably a pink pony, but she bobbed up and down so fast her image became blurry and hard to describe. "Hiya my name's Pinkie what's yours I know everypony but I don't know you which must mean you're new I'm so excited to meet you we're going to have a party and you'll get to know everypony in town and we're going to have so much fun I really love making new friends and since you're not my friend right now it makes you the perfect opportunity so how's about we get to know each other I grew up on a rock farm but moved out when I discovered there were places needing parties like Ponyville I love it here and I know you will too because everypony's so nice and friendly here OOH neat Cutie Mark what's-" The bouncing pink piston of a pony continued to prattle on as Fluorite's heart accelerated. He almost forgot all the trouble the mark had caused him back home, and here he was in an unfamiliar town where it would practically be his first impression. Luckily, the crowd on the train was light, so nopony was able to get a good look, but since being in town, it's been on full display. He made a realization. Fluorite's mark had been on full display ever since landing in Ponyville, and everypony in town seemed perfectly fine. He had even spoken to a couple mares who got a good look, and they treated him like a completely normal pony, they were even helpful. All the looks of horror and disgust he received in Baltimare was completely missing here. "Gummy needed some special food after that one but Tank and he get along a lot better now did I tell you about Angel he's a bunny that knows how to party let me tell you I once-" "Pinkie Pie! What did I say about talking to new ponies?" A stern tone came from behind the counter, from a blue mare with a mane that looked like pink frosting spilled over her head. Pinkie Pie froze as though time stood still. Seeming to literally deflate, she turned a forlorn gaze at the ground and responded in a saddened tone. "Practice pronouncing periods..." "That's right, now you give that young stallion a chance to process and run the register." The blue mare instructed. "Yes Mrs. Cake..." Pinkie said as she fell toward the ground and retreated to behind the counter without using her limbs, seeming to slither back like a big, pink,pony-shaped snake. "Oh." Fluorite whispered to himself. "Abnormal is ordinary here." Author's Note Halfway through writing the story and I realized that if anypony didn't know about the Ponyville library, it would be very odd to receive directions to a castle. VarianceFluorite Vapor couldn't exactly remember how he ended up sitting in a booth at a colorful bakery with a sampler platter filled with all sorts of sweets in front of him. He was being talked at by some pink... figure? Supposedly the pony Pinkie Pie, who was supposed to direct him toward the ponies in town known as the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' but instead she had sat him at a table and was probing him for information. "What's your favorite color?" She asked, with a pencil between her teeth and a clipboard in her hooves. "Um, p-purple? I guess, but I-" Fluorite stumbled as he spoke what little he could. "Okay okay..." Pinkie said while scribbling many more notes than seemed necessary. "Favorite style of music?" She asked relentlessly. "I don't know, ambient? Pinkie, I-" Fluorite continued to fail to find any steady position in the conversation. "Ooh, now that's interesting..." She said while scribbling out more notes. Fluorite wondered if she was acting as some kind of psychiatrist now. "Do you prefer free-form parties or purpose driven?" "Pinkie!" Fluorite threw his hooves down on the table between them, making an abrupt crash. A scowl fell over his face, causing Pinkie to visibly shrink away. Fluorite hadn't meant to lose his temper, he could tell the pink pony meant well, but at this point apologizing would be placing the reigns back in Pinkie's hooves, and he had to take this chance while he had it. "I'm looking for the Cutie Mark Crusaders! How do I find them?" A noticeable hush fell over Sugarcube Corner as everypony's attention was drawn straight to Fluorite, and now drawn to his flank. The silence grew more uneasy with every passing second, Fluorite's Cutie Mark was being watched now, and it seemed to be watching everypony right back, making the discomfort all too conspicuous. "There's no need to get pugnacious,you." A voice firmly declared from just behind him. Fluorite turned to see a young mare, no younger than himself. She had a clean white coat and a carefully braided mane of pink and purple brushed to the left side of her horn. Her light green eyes glared down toward Fluorite. "pug- what does that mean?" Fluorite asked, trying to ease the situation down somewhat. The unicorn sighed loudly. "inclined to fight..." "What are you, a d-" Then a bright green aura clasped his lips together so tightly Fluorite thought they were going to be torn off. "Don’t. You. Dare. Finish that sentence." The young mare commanded with authority rivaling the princesses themselves. Fluorite nodded fervently and the grip on his lips was released. Turning away from the blazing anger over his shoulder, Fluorite focused on Pinkie Pie, who sat so incredibly still since flash of anger it was getting a little creepy. "I'm sorry Pinkie. I shouldn't have snapped like that and..." Fluorite said with his eyes aimed downward. Looking up he saw the pink figure sitting across from him, and the same figure beside that one. Pinkie reached over and grabbed the frozen pony and dragged it toward an open spot in the room. She tapped her hoof rhythmically and a trap door opened up from below. Pinkie dropped the frozen figure into the hole, before closing the hatch and returning to her seat across from Fluorite. She looked over the clipboard at the desk and returned her attention to Fluorite. "Okay, another one needs fine-tuning. I should be angry you somehow broke one, but to be fair this kind of testing is necessary. I'll just take your new party dossier downstairs, we can hash out more details later." She said in such a matter-of-fact tone that Fluorite couldn't even find the confusion to ask what she was saying. Fluorite would later walk away from the situation recognizing it all as nonsense, but while Pinkie was there before him, everything she said seemed totally sensible. "Fluorite, this is Sweetie Belle! Sweetie, this is Fluorite Vapor, he's looking for you!" "I noticed." Sweetie gave a deadpan response. "Well, my job here is done, so I'll leave him with you!" Pinkie said enthusiastically. "Your job here is not done, in fact: your break ended five minutes ago, your JOB is waiting for you, Pinkie!" Called the voice from the kitchen. Pinkie's smile slid off her face. "Yes, Mrs. Cake..." Then her body began sliding down her seat until she was out of view. Fluorite looked under the table but she was entirely gone, looking back to Sweetie Belle, she simply shrugged. "Pinkie." She said. Fluorite walked slightly behind Sweetie Belle away from Sugarcube Corner. He saw her Cutie Mark seemed remarkably similar to the badges Gabriella always had on her bags, but Sweetie didn't seem to be in the mood for much conversation. "So, um... You're the 'world famous Cutie Mark Crusaders'?" Fluorite asked. "What? What pony in their right mind told you we were 'world famous'?" Sweetie asked in response. "Well, not a pony really. Her name's Gabriella, she's a griffon." Fluorite responded quietly. "Oh. Her. You know, I shouldn't be surprised." Sweetie responded rather glumly. "um..." Fluorite found it incredibly difficult to dance around a conversation with an unfamiliar pony, but in this dance, his partner was just stomping her hooves. "Is now a bad time? I mean, if there's some kind of appointment process or something, I only heard what Gabby told me, so..." Sweetie Belle simply stared at him through an unchanging, flat expression. "Fluorite, it's been a few years since the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'. We never really disbanded, but we kind of ran out of work. As it turns out, 'satisfied for life' means no repeat customers. It's been a couple months since I've even sat down and talked with the others. We'll help you out, but it's not in our schedule just yet, alright?" "Okay... well I'm staying at the inn, so we've got time." Said Fluorite. Sweetie turned and cast her eyes upward, thinking deliberately. "Okay, tomorrow head over to Sweet Apple Acres. We'll pull a plan together by noon." Sweetie then walked off. Leaving Fluorite basically alone. "Okay, I'll uh... see you then." Fluorite said awkwardly, before trotting to the inn. "Well... it's good nopony minds the mark!" Ocean Vapor said in an attempt to comfort her son after a surprisingly long day. Fluorite practically crashed like a meteor and laid on his bed in an awkward position, but between being tired, being upset, and being stubborn, he remained in that position. "At least I got directions to Sweet Apple Acres, those bench ponies are nice enough..." Fluorite grumbled. "I know Gabby's not lying, but... I was expecting different..." Ocean Vapor ran her hoof through Fluorite's mane. "Everything's okay. It might be tough, but we'll come out of this whole thing better for it." Fluorite sighed. "Yeah, you're right..." "Of course I'm right, I'm always right." Ocean declared. "Being a mom doesn't make you right all the time." Fluorite argued. "Prove it." Ocean countered. Silence responded. "I thought so." Author's Note Surprise! EnchantmentFluorite Vapor could feel a burning sensation wash over his flank. He opened his eyes to see the room of the inn glowing a dim turquoise enough for him to barely see the features of the room,but otherwise radiating an oppressing darkness. He had tossed and turned over the course of the night, leaving him in a twisted position over the top his sheets. He couldn't move, but he could look down at his flank. The mark there taunted him, the burning sensation intensifying. The eyes of the mark squinted slightly and the edges of the mouth quivered as though it was laughing at him. The mark glowed in uneven waves, reminiscent of a fire flowing beneath the skin. Fluorite looked up from the mark to see the shadow figure from before. The figure's muzzle opened with an unsettling audible tearing, revealing an endless hole behind the dark severed web of shade. The shadow enclosed about Fluorite, the cavernous maw threatening to swallow him whole, but at the final moment, the fiery light from Fluorite's flank erupted over the living shadows. The sudden brilliance made Fluorite wince, but upon opening his eyes, the room's darkness no longer weighed upon him, the visions were gone, and his body was once again his own. As much as his heartbeat and sweat eagerly pushed him to take action, Fluorite resigned himself to sleep as much as was possible. He was going to be meeting with the Cutie Mark Crusaders tomorrow, and he needed to be as agreeable as possible, the recent lack of sleep has already made him irritable, the most he could do was try to sleep for now. Fluorite walked to Sweet Apple Acres as he was instructed the day before. The sky was covered with a grey blanket of cloud, and the winds were chilly. Autumn had settled comfortably over Ponyville. "I suppose Nightmare Night is just around the corner..." Fluorite mumbled to himself. With the words spilled a barely visible cloud of his breath. "Glad I brought my scarf." He said while bringing the beige length of thick fabric over his chin. Sweet Apple Acres was a pleasant sight. The trees were devoid of their fruits, but the farm still felt full and lively, especially with the Apple family out tending to the land in preparation for the coming winter. Fluorite could see a large red stallion hitched to a cart of barrels moving swiftly from one spot to the next. An orange mare was talking with a yellow one, standing beside one tree that looked rather unhealthy. The orange mare wore a tattered Stetson over her blonde mane. Her physique was strong, suggesting she had been tending to the orchard for most, if not all, of her adult life. The yellow mare had a striking crimson mane pulled up into a bun with a pink ribbon tying it off. Her body revealed the same time and work in physical labor, but her comparatively youthful coat obscured the muscle somewhat. "Ah think it's high time we let this'un go, Bloom." Said the orange mare with a sigh. "Ah see where yer comin' from AJ, but Ah'd say it could turn out another year r' two if we take care." Said the yellow one, inspecting the bark of the tree. "Um-" Fluorite interjected tactlessly. The two mares turned at the sound and saw Fluorite standing before them sheepishly. "Can Ah help you?" Asked the orange one. "Well, I- um... I was told to come here to meet with the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Said Fluorite. He wasn't given much instruction at all, other than going to Sweet Apple Acres. Now that he's here, what was next? "Well, Ah guess that's me then." Said the yellow mare. "Mah name's Apple Bloom, this here's mah older sister Applejack." "Pleased to meet you..." Fluorite said with a small nod of his head. "Likewise, uh..." Applejack stalled. "Oh! Fluorite, Fluorite Vapor!" He said as he dipped his head further to hide the reddening of his cheeks. Apple Bloom spoke again. "Well Fluorite, who told ya to come out here?" Fluorite looked her in the eye. "Sweetie Belle said that you would make a plan by noon? I don't really know if that involves me, but, like, um..." Fluorite's eyes wandered away as he lost his words. Apple Bloom looked first at Fluorite's mark, then nodded to her sister. "Ah guess duty calls." She said with a shrug. "Come on Fluorite, if Sweetie Belle said we'd meet, then we're gonna have to go to the meeting room." "Right!" Fluorite said excitedly, as he followed Apple Bloom away. Fluorite followed Apple Bloom until they reached a dusty treehouse among the less organized trees. The clubhouse was small, decrepit, and unsightly, but Fluorite could easily see that years ago it was a well-loved spot of peace and companionship. "Is that the meeting room?" Fluorite asked. "Well, it used to be." Apple Bloom answered. "Thing hardly fits two of us in there anymore. Can't well be meetin' if we can't breathe. We hadn't really needed to meet since we unpacked it though, all said, it's still the place." "Good, you're here!" Called a familiar voice. Fluorite turned to see Sweetie Belle alongside an unfamiliar pegasus. The young mare had a rich orange coat extending into her sleek feathers. Her wings were large, while most pegasi could pull their wings flush against their body, the tips of her wings extended just a hoof's length above her barrel. Her mane was a brilliant rose hue, and was cut quite short, even shorter than most stallions would cut it, her tail was cut similarly. Her body was refined with athletic polish, and an ethereal beauty flowed from her,focusing like whirlpools into her sharp lavender eyes. Fluorite Vapor could only try his best to not stare. What the hay? Why is she so beautiful? Fluorite couldn't place it. It didn't make sense, he couldn't describe why or how she caught his attention with such power, but he couldn't deny she did. "Fluorite, this is Scootaloo, the third member of our trio. Scootaloo, this is Fluorite... Vapor, right?" Sweetie Belle asked for confirmation. Fluorite could only nod. "Neat, so what's your story?" Scootaloo asked flatly. Fluorite struggled for words, but eventually found his balance as he explained the situation to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He described finding the mark, the trouble it caused him in Baltimare, and how Gabby directed him here.He decided not to go into detail about his sleeping troubles, but told them he would have nightmares, it wasn't really a lie anyway. "Well, Ah can't say Ah've seen a Cutie Mark like that." Apple Bloom admitted. "Ah see why ya took Gabby's advice, but Ah can't say we've got a quick solution." "I've got time." Fluorite stated. "I can't well do much work until I get it figured out anyhow." Can't well? Apple Bloom's relaxed speech is rubbing off on me. "As much as I'd like to say the same, I can't." Scootaloo spoke with a small hitch of anger in her voice. "I've got responsibilities on the weather team, and it's the busiest season for us until the first snowfall. In fact, meeting now is using my lunch hour." A flash of annoyance washed over Sweetie Belle's face before she sighed and closed her eyes. She mumbled something under her breath then spoke aloud. "We've all got responsibilities, but Fluorite's going to be one of them for a while. As Cutie Mark Crusaders, we can't just leave him alone, can we?" "Ah agree, although it's definitely gonna take some time, can't say how much. Might be this won't get figured out by us, but we should do what we can for now." Apple Bloom declared. Scootaloo shook her head lazily. She turned her eyes to meet Fluorite's own. Her gaze was sharp, but the delicate, glassy orbs still looked beautiful to Fluorite, making a confusing mixture of emotion. Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah fine. We'll do what we can, but the four of us meeting all together may have to be on a weekly basis. When we say it's going to take time, we mean it." She confirmed to Fluorite. "Most of our successes took a couple of weeks to sort out, and this one will probably be even harder. Don't come crying to me when it doesn't go as nice as you wanted." "Scootaloo!" The other two young mares shouted. "No, it's okay." Fluorite reassured them. "I get it, this is a strange situation and nopony has any guarantees. The fact that anypony would do anything at all makes me happy. Besides, I like it here in Ponyville... I wouldn't mind sticking around." Fluorite fought back the blush. "Allright then, I've got to get back to the weather team, I'll catch 'yall later." Scootaloo said as she extended her wings. "You should probably meet with Twilight. It's as good a place to start as any." She said over her shoulder. With a heavy swinging motion, Scootaloo's wings kicked her off of the ground, sending dust out in all directions. A few more powerful flaps and she was above the trees, swinging her body towards the town. The motions were fluid and natural, but the power behind every stroke of her wings was awe-inspiring. Fluorite was very bad at not staring. Author's Note Having a headcanon for a fanfiction that you yourself wrote is weird. That said, although they met outside the clubhouse, I never actually declared it. I find it funny to imagine four full grown ponies crammed in the Cutie Mark HQ.
AppearancesFluorite Vapor's eyes shot open all at once. Cold sweat slowly ran down his forehead into his stinging eyes. The young stallion's body was paralyzed, only able to blink to clear his eyes, even his chest refused to move, making breathing difficult. Fluorite quickly recognized he was in bed, with his head laying back, giving him a clear view of his room. The room was particularly unextraordinary, with a window to his left and the door to his right. The pale light of the moon crept into the room through the window, illuminating the room with a small turquoise glow, letting Fluorite clearly see the shadow incarnate sneaking past his bedroom door. The figure looked like a pony had been cut out of reality, leaving a void in its wake, however it moved as a full figure, directing its muzzle straight toward Fluorite, if the shadow had eyes, they would be locked on his own. The shadow carefully and soundlessly walked toward Fluorite. Fluorite's mind screamed and raced and gave powerful commands to run, scream, fight, or do anything, yet his body refused to respond. Air became too heavy to move, and Fluorite's breath wedged in his throat, closing it off, leaving him unable to even whimper. The shadow stood directly over Fluorite's still body, as if inspecting it. The moonlight flickered and the shadow turned its attention away for only a moment. Fluorite's eyes tracked where the shadow was looking, but once his eyes left the shadowy body, he felt a jolt of pressure run through his body and a deep screaming rang through his ears. The dark air that had washed through the room suddenly lifted, and Fluorite could hear his own frightened screaming, as his limbs found their strength and reflexively pulled his body into a tightened, fighting stance on his bed. The door burst open to allow an aquamarine mare entrance to the room. Ocean Vapor's horn flickered and the room was lit up, revealing the pale orange earth pony prepared to pounce like a cornered animal. "Sweetie, everything's okay, it's mom... can you hear me?" Ocean said calmly at a very regular pace. She knew better than to make large movements or sounds after one of these episodes. Fluorite's eyes locked in on his mother, standing gently at the end of the room. His attention was torn between deciphering the mare that now stood in his room, getting his heart to work at a regular beat, and checking the room for escape routes. After a few seconds, Fluorite recognized his mother, and her presence settled his nerves quickly, causing his tense limbs to give way and he practically collapsed on his bed. "Mom? It happened again, didn't it?" Tears began to form in Fluorite's eyes, between feeling afraid, feeling helpless, and feeling embarrassed there was no way to stop them. "Ssshhh dear, everything's okay." Ocean said as she carefully ran her hoof through his onyx mane. "You're safe." She held him tightly as tremors ran through his body. Looking over the bed, Ocean noticed a loose clumpof short orange hairs on the sheets. Fluorite Vapor trudged through his morning schedule, the bags under his eyes seemingly pulling his eyelids down with them. Fluorite took his shower half asleep, scrubbing over his body, allowing the hot water to relax his skin. Drying and brushing his coat seemed particularly difficult this morning, as a lot of the hairs seemed to be falling out. Then he saw it. "MOM!" Fluorite shouted as he ran out to find her. Ocean Vapor was enjoying a morning coffee over the newspaper, and turned to see her son, who seemed worried. "What is it?" She asked with concern in her voice. "LOOK!" Fluorite instructed as he turned sideways, to give Ocean a view of his flank. Ocean's eyes widened. Her son had gotten some attention recently for lacking a Cutie Mark at his age. While it hadn't bothered either of them, they often had to consider the question of when or how it would appear, Fluorite was almost an adult now, after all. However, there was now a mark adorning his flank. Despite what would usually be a great cause for celebration, Ocean couldn't tell quite how to react, and upon seeing the face on her son, it seemed she was in good company. The mark was unusual. Cutie Marks would appear as a change in coloration over the top of a pony's coat, but Fluorite's cutie mark was instead an absence of the coat. Hairs had fallen out to reveal a darker skin tone underneath, and the leathery skin appeared to resemble a monstrous face, not unlike a jack-o-lantern carved for Nightmare Night. "Is that your Cutie Mark?" Ocean asked quietly. "I- I guess? I don't know, what do I do?" Fluorite asked with increasing anxiety. His mother quickly embraced her son and calmed him down. "It's okay, don't worry." She said between hushes. "Everything's okay." Fluorite relaxed and looked over his flank. The mark there filled him with anxiety, but his mother's words were encouraging. The mark wasn't causing any trouble, at least. Fluorite thought the mark wasn't causing any trouble, but that was before heading outside. He was used to occasional sneers or jabs at his blank flank when he went about, but the streets of Baltimare had changed overnight. It wasn't hard to notice the ponies on the streets were giving him extra room as he trotted toward work. Those who used to turn their noses upwards looked instead with an uneasy horror as they did double and triple takes at Fluorite's flank. "Well well well, if it 'aint our favorite blank flank!" A voice called over Fluorite's shoulder. The voice belonged to a bulky plum pegasus stallion, who was followed by a rust colored pegasus and a pink unicorn mare. Fluorite sighed and turned around. "Swell, Wine, ...Venus." he said, addressing the unicorn mare with particular distaste. The three ponies forgot their attempts at bullying before Fluorite had even finished addressing them. Shock smeared across their faces, their eyes glued to Fluorite's mark. Each of them worked their mouths as though they were going to say something, but none of them did. "what-" Fluorite started before being cut off by Swell, the plum pegasus. "FREAK!" The three of them ran with shrieks of fear, causing a panic to stir in everypony on the street. Most watched still as the grave, as though if they moved, they would be attacked. Fluorite looked around and back to the mark on his flank. "Great..." Ocean Vapor's dark green aura held a bowl of grapes in the air as she left the kitchen toward her son in the living room. "And they just sent you home?" She asked. Fluorite was hiding his head under a load of pillows until he smelled the grapes approaching. Lifting his head up, he answered. "They said they didn't want me interacting with customers after what happened in the street, and there wasn't anything in the back that needed doing today..." He said, enthusiastically attacking the grapes Ocean brought into the room. "And that's a lie, since the backroom work is never done..." Ocean watched her son, desperately wishing there was something she could do, but the mark on his flank was so alien... A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Coming!" She said as she left the couch. Fluorite sank deeper into the couch, hoping to hide. Ocean opened the door with her magic, revealing a silver griffon on the other side. The griffon had a couple saddlebags and a few letters in claw. "Oh, Gabby! I wasn't expecting you." Said Ocean. "Hey Ms. V." Said the griffon. "Somepony in town needed a package from Luna Bay. I figured I could take my old route again, since I'm in town." "Great, do you think you could ship a pony out? Luna Bay sounds perfect, right in the middle of the water if you don't mind..." Fluorite called from behind the couch in an exhausted tone. "What's with you?" Gabriella asked. Fluorite simply stood up and gave the griffon a good view of his flank. Gabby's eyes shone like the sun and she let out a squeal. "AAAHHH! YOU GOT YOUR CUTIE MARK!" She shouted in total genuine excitement. Fluorite winced. "Yeah, sure... I just wish I didn't..." Gabby's expression turned around and she looked at the young stallion with complete confusion. She looked back at Ocean, who simply shrugged. "Well hey, if you've got Cutie Mark troubles, I know exactly who you need to talk to." Gabby said with a smile. Author's Note Our favorite griffon is here to save the day! and by save the day, I mean drop problems into somepony else's hooves of course. How else?
ConvergenceFluorite Vapor couldn't breathe. The slow suffocation woke him with a start, but like so many times before, despite his mind's urging to escape, he laid paralyzed. The train car was dark, with the windows allowing moonlight to filter into the room in a turquoise glow. Fluorite laid on the bench on his back, his head resting just under the window. His eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the train but couldn't because of the living shadow that sat squarely on Fluorite's chest. The figure's muzzle, if it had one, was pressed right up against Fluorite's own. The living darkness seemed to draw his senses into itself, a boundless void acting like a basin drain to Fluorite's entire being. Fluorite's vision blurred and swam about, he could hear a droning buzz in his ears that grew louder and more indistinct as time went on. The world faded into blackness on all sides, as though all of reality was being pulled through a twisting tunnel. A large shadow passed through the train,interrupting the moonlight for only a moment.In that moment, the figure vanished and Fluorite loudly gasped for air, sitting himself upright, back against the wall. Silver moonlight dusted the train car as Fluorite took a couple minutes to catch his breath. "It happened again, didn't it?" Ocean Vapor asked. The Aquamarine unicorn had awoken to find her son staring out the window with harsh, dark bags under his eyes. She silently left and retrieved the train's breakfast before sitting beside her son on the bench. "Yeah." Fluorite said flatly. Ocean looked down toward her simple breakfast and sighed. She wished there was more she could do to help, but it seemed the most she could do was comfort him after the fact. Even now, they were on the train to tackle a different issue entirely. "I hope Gabby knows what she's talking about." Fluorite said with a sigh. Ocean smiled and nodded. Fluorite found himself in a curious situation. A Cutie Mark had appeared on his flank in a most unusual manner, leaving a rather distressing impression behind. Rather than coloration appearing over his coat, the hairs of his pale orange coat fell out revealing dark skin in the shape of a grim smile. Gabriella had suggested that they visit Ponyville to see the "world famous Cutie Mark Crusaders". They were apparent experts when it came to Cutie Marks, and if anypony knew what to make of Fluorite's predicament, it would be them. "You've got to trust Gabby, she's met these ponies personally, she would never lie to you." Ocean said, hoping to reassure Fluorite. "I'm not worried she's lying. I'm worried it doesn't matter..." Fluorite admitted quietly. "What if they discover that I am a freak?" Tears were preparing to escape his eyes. Ocean wrapped an arm over Fluorite's shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "That won't happen. Besides, you'll always be my son." She said with a warm smile. "Thanks mom." Fluorite said, returning the hug and the smile. Fluorite and Ocean Vapor landed at Ponyville Station and stretched their legs. With only saddlebags for luggage, they were able to get into town pretty quickly. Ponyville was a quaint little town. Most of the businesses seemed to run from within ponies' homes, giving it the look and feel of a neighborhood, whether you were technically in a residential zone or not. Fluorite felt a comfortable air about Ponyville. The citizens always had a genuine smile on their faces, and everypony seemed comfortable and satisfied. In Baltimare, most ponies would be on the lookout for somepony to entice or swindle, Fluorite grew to recognize when ponies have some ulterior motive. In Ponyville however, Fluorite couldn't sense anything of the sort anywhere. "I'm going to go check in at the hotel, why don't you find the library and see if we can't find out where these fillies are?" Ocean said. Fluorite nodded and headed deeper into town. Not knowing where to go, he decided asking would be the best way to get there. Fluorite spotted a couple of mares sitting on a bench nearby. One was a mint colored unicorn and the other was a beige earth pony. "Excuse me, could you two give me directions to the library?" Fluorite asked. The two mares looked at each other with slightly confused faces. "Should he go to the actual library?" "Why would we send him there? It wouldn't be of any use." "I know, but..." They stopped their poorly hidden whispers to turn to the young stallion before them. "Why do you need to find the library?" The unicorn asked. "Oh, well, I was looking for some ponies in town, and I thought the library would be a good place to start." Fluorite answered, slightly confused why it mattered. The beige mare spoke up. "Okay, well, we used to have a library, but that's a complicated story. If you're looking for somepony, you need to talk to Pinkie Pie. She knows everypony so well, it's scary." "Oh, well where could I find her?" Fluorite asked. The two mares then gave him easy directions to Sugarcube Corner, where he would find Pinkie Pie. "Thank you both so much." Fluorite said as he began to walk away. Once he was out of earshot the unicorn turned to the other mare. "Pinkie Pie!? Are you crazy? We can only pray he doesn't spread weird rumors." Fluorite Vapor could easily smell the bakery before he could see it. Sugarcube Corner released sweet aromas of vanilla and cinnamon, seemingly drawing ponies in with a palpable force. Upon entering, Fluorite's senses were bombarded with sweeter bouquets of cupcakes and brownies. The walls were decorated with pleasant, invigorating colors, which complemented the happy chatter of customers. "Welcome!" A voice called. Fluorite could tell the voice came from behind the counter, yet the voice's owner stood in front of him so close it startled him. Standing before him was probably a pink pony, but she bobbed up and down so fast her image became blurry and hard to describe. "Hiya my name's Pinkie what's yours I know everypony but I don't know you which must mean you're new I'm so excited to meet you we're going to have a party and you'll get to know everypony in town and we're going to have so much fun I really love making new friends and since you're not my friend right now it makes you the perfect opportunity so how's about we get to know each other I grew up on a rock farm but moved out when I discovered there were places needing parties like Ponyville I love it here and I know you will too because everypony's so nice and friendly here OOH neat Cutie Mark what's-" The bouncing pink piston of a pony continued to prattle on as Fluorite's heart accelerated. He almost forgot all the trouble the mark had caused him back home, and here he was in an unfamiliar town where it would practically be his first impression. Luckily, the crowd on the train was light, so nopony was able to get a good look, but since being in town, it's been on full display. He made a realization. Fluorite's mark had been on full display ever since landing in Ponyville, and everypony in town seemed perfectly fine. He had even spoken to a couple mares who got a good look, and they treated him like a completely normal pony, they were even helpful. All the looks of horror and disgust he received in Baltimare was completely missing here. "Gummy needed some special food after that one but Tank and he get along a lot better now did I tell you about Angel he's a bunny that knows how to party let me tell you I once-" "Pinkie Pie! What did I say about talking to new ponies?" A stern tone came from behind the counter, from a blue mare with a mane that looked like pink frosting spilled over her head. Pinkie Pie froze as though time stood still. Seeming to literally deflate, she turned a forlorn gaze at the ground and responded in a saddened tone. "Practice pronouncing periods..." "That's right, now you give that young stallion a chance to process and run the register." The blue mare instructed. "Yes Mrs. Cake..." Pinkie said as she fell toward the ground and retreated to behind the counter without using her limbs, seeming to slither back like a big, pink,pony-shaped snake. "Oh." Fluorite whispered to himself. "Abnormal is ordinary here." Author's Note Halfway through writing the story and I realized that if anypony didn't know about the Ponyville library, it would be very odd to receive directions to a castle.
VarianceFluorite Vapor couldn't exactly remember how he ended up sitting in a booth at a colorful bakery with a sampler platter filled with all sorts of sweets in front of him. He was being talked at by some pink... figure? Supposedly the pony Pinkie Pie, who was supposed to direct him toward the ponies in town known as the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' but instead she had sat him at a table and was probing him for information. "What's your favorite color?" She asked, with a pencil between her teeth and a clipboard in her hooves. "Um, p-purple? I guess, but I-" Fluorite stumbled as he spoke what little he could. "Okay okay..." Pinkie said while scribbling many more notes than seemed necessary. "Favorite style of music?" She asked relentlessly. "I don't know, ambient? Pinkie, I-" Fluorite continued to fail to find any steady position in the conversation. "Ooh, now that's interesting..." She said while scribbling out more notes. Fluorite wondered if she was acting as some kind of psychiatrist now. "Do you prefer free-form parties or purpose driven?" "Pinkie!" Fluorite threw his hooves down on the table between them, making an abrupt crash. A scowl fell over his face, causing Pinkie to visibly shrink away. Fluorite hadn't meant to lose his temper, he could tell the pink pony meant well, but at this point apologizing would be placing the reigns back in Pinkie's hooves, and he had to take this chance while he had it. "I'm looking for the Cutie Mark Crusaders! How do I find them?" A noticeable hush fell over Sugarcube Corner as everypony's attention was drawn straight to Fluorite, and now drawn to his flank. The silence grew more uneasy with every passing second, Fluorite's Cutie Mark was being watched now, and it seemed to be watching everypony right back, making the discomfort all too conspicuous. "There's no need to get pugnacious,you." A voice firmly declared from just behind him. Fluorite turned to see a young mare, no younger than himself. She had a clean white coat and a carefully braided mane of pink and purple brushed to the left side of her horn. Her light green eyes glared down toward Fluorite. "pug- what does that mean?" Fluorite asked, trying to ease the situation down somewhat. The unicorn sighed loudly. "inclined to fight..." "What are you, a d-" Then a bright green aura clasped his lips together so tightly Fluorite thought they were going to be torn off. "Don’t. You. Dare. Finish that sentence." The young mare commanded with authority rivaling the princesses themselves. Fluorite nodded fervently and the grip on his lips was released. Turning away from the blazing anger over his shoulder, Fluorite focused on Pinkie Pie, who sat so incredibly still since flash of anger it was getting a little creepy. "I'm sorry Pinkie. I shouldn't have snapped like that and..." Fluorite said with his eyes aimed downward. Looking up he saw the pink figure sitting across from him, and the same figure beside that one. Pinkie reached over and grabbed the frozen pony and dragged it toward an open spot in the room. She tapped her hoof rhythmically and a trap door opened up from below. Pinkie dropped the frozen figure into the hole, before closing the hatch and returning to her seat across from Fluorite. She looked over the clipboard at the desk and returned her attention to Fluorite. "Okay, another one needs fine-tuning. I should be angry you somehow broke one, but to be fair this kind of testing is necessary. I'll just take your new party dossier downstairs, we can hash out more details later." She said in such a matter-of-fact tone that Fluorite couldn't even find the confusion to ask what she was saying. Fluorite would later walk away from the situation recognizing it all as nonsense, but while Pinkie was there before him, everything she said seemed totally sensible. "Fluorite, this is Sweetie Belle! Sweetie, this is Fluorite Vapor, he's looking for you!" "I noticed." Sweetie gave a deadpan response. "Well, my job here is done, so I'll leave him with you!" Pinkie said enthusiastically. "Your job here is not done, in fact: your break ended five minutes ago, your JOB is waiting for you, Pinkie!" Called the voice from the kitchen. Pinkie's smile slid off her face. "Yes, Mrs. Cake..." Then her body began sliding down her seat until she was out of view. Fluorite looked under the table but she was entirely gone, looking back to Sweetie Belle, she simply shrugged. "Pinkie." She said. Fluorite walked slightly behind Sweetie Belle away from Sugarcube Corner. He saw her Cutie Mark seemed remarkably similar to the badges Gabriella always had on her bags, but Sweetie didn't seem to be in the mood for much conversation. "So, um... You're the 'world famous Cutie Mark Crusaders'?" Fluorite asked. "What? What pony in their right mind told you we were 'world famous'?" Sweetie asked in response. "Well, not a pony really. Her name's Gabriella, she's a griffon." Fluorite responded quietly. "Oh. Her. You know, I shouldn't be surprised." Sweetie responded rather glumly. "um..." Fluorite found it incredibly difficult to dance around a conversation with an unfamiliar pony, but in this dance, his partner was just stomping her hooves. "Is now a bad time? I mean, if there's some kind of appointment process or something, I only heard what Gabby told me, so..." Sweetie Belle simply stared at him through an unchanging, flat expression. "Fluorite, it's been a few years since the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'. We never really disbanded, but we kind of ran out of work. As it turns out, 'satisfied for life' means no repeat customers. It's been a couple months since I've even sat down and talked with the others. We'll help you out, but it's not in our schedule just yet, alright?" "Okay... well I'm staying at the inn, so we've got time." Said Fluorite. Sweetie turned and cast her eyes upward, thinking deliberately. "Okay, tomorrow head over to Sweet Apple Acres. We'll pull a plan together by noon." Sweetie then walked off. Leaving Fluorite basically alone. "Okay, I'll uh... see you then." Fluorite said awkwardly, before trotting to the inn. "Well... it's good nopony minds the mark!" Ocean Vapor said in an attempt to comfort her son after a surprisingly long day. Fluorite practically crashed like a meteor and laid on his bed in an awkward position, but between being tired, being upset, and being stubborn, he remained in that position. "At least I got directions to Sweet Apple Acres, those bench ponies are nice enough..." Fluorite grumbled. "I know Gabby's not lying, but... I was expecting different..." Ocean Vapor ran her hoof through Fluorite's mane. "Everything's okay. It might be tough, but we'll come out of this whole thing better for it." Fluorite sighed. "Yeah, you're right..." "Of course I'm right, I'm always right." Ocean declared. "Being a mom doesn't make you right all the time." Fluorite argued. "Prove it." Ocean countered. Silence responded. "I thought so." Author's Note Surprise!
EnchantmentFluorite Vapor could feel a burning sensation wash over his flank. He opened his eyes to see the room of the inn glowing a dim turquoise enough for him to barely see the features of the room,but otherwise radiating an oppressing darkness. He had tossed and turned over the course of the night, leaving him in a twisted position over the top his sheets. He couldn't move, but he could look down at his flank. The mark there taunted him, the burning sensation intensifying. The eyes of the mark squinted slightly and the edges of the mouth quivered as though it was laughing at him. The mark glowed in uneven waves, reminiscent of a fire flowing beneath the skin. Fluorite looked up from the mark to see the shadow figure from before. The figure's muzzle opened with an unsettling audible tearing, revealing an endless hole behind the dark severed web of shade. The shadow enclosed about Fluorite, the cavernous maw threatening to swallow him whole, but at the final moment, the fiery light from Fluorite's flank erupted over the living shadows. The sudden brilliance made Fluorite wince, but upon opening his eyes, the room's darkness no longer weighed upon him, the visions were gone, and his body was once again his own. As much as his heartbeat and sweat eagerly pushed him to take action, Fluorite resigned himself to sleep as much as was possible. He was going to be meeting with the Cutie Mark Crusaders tomorrow, and he needed to be as agreeable as possible, the recent lack of sleep has already made him irritable, the most he could do was try to sleep for now. Fluorite walked to Sweet Apple Acres as he was instructed the day before. The sky was covered with a grey blanket of cloud, and the winds were chilly. Autumn had settled comfortably over Ponyville. "I suppose Nightmare Night is just around the corner..." Fluorite mumbled to himself. With the words spilled a barely visible cloud of his breath. "Glad I brought my scarf." He said while bringing the beige length of thick fabric over his chin. Sweet Apple Acres was a pleasant sight. The trees were devoid of their fruits, but the farm still felt full and lively, especially with the Apple family out tending to the land in preparation for the coming winter. Fluorite could see a large red stallion hitched to a cart of barrels moving swiftly from one spot to the next. An orange mare was talking with a yellow one, standing beside one tree that looked rather unhealthy. The orange mare wore a tattered Stetson over her blonde mane. Her physique was strong, suggesting she had been tending to the orchard for most, if not all, of her adult life. The yellow mare had a striking crimson mane pulled up into a bun with a pink ribbon tying it off. Her body revealed the same time and work in physical labor, but her comparatively youthful coat obscured the muscle somewhat. "Ah think it's high time we let this'un go, Bloom." Said the orange mare with a sigh. "Ah see where yer comin' from AJ, but Ah'd say it could turn out another year r' two if we take care." Said the yellow one, inspecting the bark of the tree. "Um-" Fluorite interjected tactlessly. The two mares turned at the sound and saw Fluorite standing before them sheepishly. "Can Ah help you?" Asked the orange one. "Well, I- um... I was told to come here to meet with the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Said Fluorite. He wasn't given much instruction at all, other than going to Sweet Apple Acres. Now that he's here, what was next? "Well, Ah guess that's me then." Said the yellow mare. "Mah name's Apple Bloom, this here's mah older sister Applejack." "Pleased to meet you..." Fluorite said with a small nod of his head. "Likewise, uh..." Applejack stalled. "Oh! Fluorite, Fluorite Vapor!" He said as he dipped his head further to hide the reddening of his cheeks. Apple Bloom spoke again. "Well Fluorite, who told ya to come out here?" Fluorite looked her in the eye. "Sweetie Belle said that you would make a plan by noon? I don't really know if that involves me, but, like, um..." Fluorite's eyes wandered away as he lost his words. Apple Bloom looked first at Fluorite's mark, then nodded to her sister. "Ah guess duty calls." She said with a shrug. "Come on Fluorite, if Sweetie Belle said we'd meet, then we're gonna have to go to the meeting room." "Right!" Fluorite said excitedly, as he followed Apple Bloom away. Fluorite followed Apple Bloom until they reached a dusty treehouse among the less organized trees. The clubhouse was small, decrepit, and unsightly, but Fluorite could easily see that years ago it was a well-loved spot of peace and companionship. "Is that the meeting room?" Fluorite asked. "Well, it used to be." Apple Bloom answered. "Thing hardly fits two of us in there anymore. Can't well be meetin' if we can't breathe. We hadn't really needed to meet since we unpacked it though, all said, it's still the place." "Good, you're here!" Called a familiar voice. Fluorite turned to see Sweetie Belle alongside an unfamiliar pegasus. The young mare had a rich orange coat extending into her sleek feathers. Her wings were large, while most pegasi could pull their wings flush against their body, the tips of her wings extended just a hoof's length above her barrel. Her mane was a brilliant rose hue, and was cut quite short, even shorter than most stallions would cut it, her tail was cut similarly. Her body was refined with athletic polish, and an ethereal beauty flowed from her,focusing like whirlpools into her sharp lavender eyes. Fluorite Vapor could only try his best to not stare. What the hay? Why is she so beautiful? Fluorite couldn't place it. It didn't make sense, he couldn't describe why or how she caught his attention with such power, but he couldn't deny she did. "Fluorite, this is Scootaloo, the third member of our trio. Scootaloo, this is Fluorite... Vapor, right?" Sweetie Belle asked for confirmation. Fluorite could only nod. "Neat, so what's your story?" Scootaloo asked flatly. Fluorite struggled for words, but eventually found his balance as he explained the situation to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He described finding the mark, the trouble it caused him in Baltimare, and how Gabby directed him here.He decided not to go into detail about his sleeping troubles, but told them he would have nightmares, it wasn't really a lie anyway. "Well, Ah can't say Ah've seen a Cutie Mark like that." Apple Bloom admitted. "Ah see why ya took Gabby's advice, but Ah can't say we've got a quick solution." "I've got time." Fluorite stated. "I can't well do much work until I get it figured out anyhow." Can't well? Apple Bloom's relaxed speech is rubbing off on me. "As much as I'd like to say the same, I can't." Scootaloo spoke with a small hitch of anger in her voice. "I've got responsibilities on the weather team, and it's the busiest season for us until the first snowfall. In fact, meeting now is using my lunch hour." A flash of annoyance washed over Sweetie Belle's face before she sighed and closed her eyes. She mumbled something under her breath then spoke aloud. "We've all got responsibilities, but Fluorite's going to be one of them for a while. As Cutie Mark Crusaders, we can't just leave him alone, can we?" "Ah agree, although it's definitely gonna take some time, can't say how much. Might be this won't get figured out by us, but we should do what we can for now." Apple Bloom declared. Scootaloo shook her head lazily. She turned her eyes to meet Fluorite's own. Her gaze was sharp, but the delicate, glassy orbs still looked beautiful to Fluorite, making a confusing mixture of emotion. Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah fine. We'll do what we can, but the four of us meeting all together may have to be on a weekly basis. When we say it's going to take time, we mean it." She confirmed to Fluorite. "Most of our successes took a couple of weeks to sort out, and this one will probably be even harder. Don't come crying to me when it doesn't go as nice as you wanted." "Scootaloo!" The other two young mares shouted. "No, it's okay." Fluorite reassured them. "I get it, this is a strange situation and nopony has any guarantees. The fact that anypony would do anything at all makes me happy. Besides, I like it here in Ponyville... I wouldn't mind sticking around." Fluorite fought back the blush. "Allright then, I've got to get back to the weather team, I'll catch 'yall later." Scootaloo said as she extended her wings. "You should probably meet with Twilight. It's as good a place to start as any." She said over her shoulder. With a heavy swinging motion, Scootaloo's wings kicked her off of the ground, sending dust out in all directions. A few more powerful flaps and she was above the trees, swinging her body towards the town. The motions were fluid and natural, but the power behind every stroke of her wings was awe-inspiring. Fluorite was very bad at not staring. Author's Note Having a headcanon for a fanfiction that you yourself wrote is weird. That said, although they met outside the clubhouse, I never actually declared it. I find it funny to imagine four full grown ponies crammed in the Cutie Mark HQ.
