Chapter 1: The Beginning
"Hey Applebloom, check it out!"
Applebloom stopped in her tracks as Scootaloo called out to her from a few yards away, right next to the school building. Class was almost starting, but, after mulling it over, she decided to go see what all the fuss was about.
As she squirmed through a crowd of maybe twenty other foals, she gasped.
Sweetie Belle had gotten her Cutie Mark.
The white coated filly was prancing around, squeeing with delight. On her flank was a purple quarter note with a black microphone behind it. Sweetie turned to Applebloom, her lips grinning ear to ear.
"Can you believe it?!" she yelped.
"What's your Cutie Mark mean?" Applebloom asked, completely oblivious about music notes (She is in kindergarten, after all).
Sweetie looked to her flank, then back to Applebloom. "It means that I can sing!"
"How'd ya get it, then?" the cream colored filly asked, now more curious than ever.
Sweetie Belle's face turned into an unsure look as she tried to recall the events that lead to her Cutie Mark. Finally, she had a look as if she had a revelation. "Well, it was last night, and I was singing to myself..."
Late last night, in Sweetie Belle's room, Sweetie jumped into her bed and got under the covers. Like she usually did, she started humming to herself so she could get to sleep better.
Rarity entered the room to turn out the lights when she heard Sweetie humming. "My word," she whispered, "how fascinating!
She trotted over to Sweetie Belle's bed and sat down next to her. "Sweetie? Sweetie darling?"
"Huh?" she murmured, since she was almost asleep and didn't want to be bothered.
"Do you know how you've been trying to get your Cutie Mark, dear?"
"Yeah!" Sweetie perked up as she heard the words 'Cutie Mark'.
"You're an awfully great singer, Sweetie. Your humming alone, oh, it's marvelous!" Rarity mused.
Sweetie blushed. "Y-you really think I can get my Cutie Mark by singing?"
"Of course dear." She stood up and trotted out of the room with a wink to Sweetie. As she left, Rarity murmured, "She can sing, yet she never tidies up her bed."
"So I kept singing through the night, and that's how I got my Cutie Mark!" Sweetie squeed yet again.
"Wow Sweetie, that's..." Applebloom couldn't find the word.
"I know!" she yelled, not caring that Applebloom couldn't finish. "I'll see you guys later!" She bounced off like Pinkie would have done.
"Isn't that awesome, Applebloom?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's... uh... great..." she replied deflatedly.
Scootaloo was concerned. "What's wrong?"
"If Sweetie Belle got 'er Cutie Mark, what 'bout us? What's 'bout ta Cutie Mark Crusaders?" There was nothing more fearful to the filly than the Cutie Mark Crusaders breaking apart. Nothing. She knew the three of them had to disband at one time, but she never figured it would only be one of them getting their Cutie Mark.
Genuine concern was etched on Scootaloo's face. "Cheer up Applebloom. We're still apart of the Cutie Mark Crusaders."
"But Ah want all of us to be apart of it..." Applebloom sighed.
Scootaloo opened her mouth, but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. Scootaloo just wasn't the type to give well meaning advice. With a dejected sigh, she turned around and headed into the school building. "Just..." She sighed once again as she turned to the almost crying filly. "It's time for class, Applebloom..."
Ringalingling~
The bell rang. Class was over, and every bolted for the exit, happy that they could enjoy the weekend. As Sweetie bounced to the exit, still hyper over getting her Cutie Mark, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood in front of her, making the white foal stop in her tracks.
"What'cha guys want?" she asked in a bubbly tone.
Diamond Tiara merely scoffed. "You may not be a blank flank anymore, but at least we can make fun of your..."
"Yeah! Your..." Silver Spoon repeated.
Diamond elbowed Silver Spoon in the sides. "Psst! Think of something to make fun of her for!"
She nodded. "We can totally make fun of your mane! It's so stupid how it's purple and white!" Silver stuck her tongue out, and promptly got a bonk on the head.
"You idiot!" Diamond Tiara hissed. "My mane's purple and white!"
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes and said, "Well, it's dumb how your mane's kinda wavy!"
The spoiled filly groaned in disgust. "MY mane's wavy! Get it right you dummy!"
"Oh, I wasn't talking about Sweetie Belle," Silver Spoon smirked.
Diamond just rolled her eyes... until she really realized what Silver really said. What followed was a wave of Angrish, in which, afterwards, Diamond stomped out of the room in frustration. Silver Spoon gave a nod to Sweetie Belle, as if to say Good for you, and followed after Diamond Tiara.
Sweetie smiled. My cutie mark and Diamond Tiara having nothing to make fun of me for? This really is the best day ever!
Home.
Or, what qualified as home to the little orange filly: Their treehouse. Scootaloo never really had a home; She and her parents were dirt poor, and her mom and dad were called to Fillydelphia for family matters. There wasn't enough money to bring Scootaloo along with them, so they left her with Rainbow Dash. It's not like Scootaloo didn't like staying at Rainbow's, but it was hard getting up to the cloud house with her deficient wings. So she settled on staying in the treehouse!
Once she enter, a wave of uneasiness rushed on her. That never happened before. The treehouse was always comfortable, a place where she, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle could relax and have a good time. There was always a comforting vibe there.
But that was no longer the case.
Scootaloo sighed as she positioned herself in the beanbag chair so she could sleep. With Sweetie Belle most likely leaving the group, everything was rapidly becoming terrible.
As the orange filly looked around the treehouse, she had only one thought before drifting to sleep: Maybe this tree house really is a "Total Lost Cause"...
