My Little Pony: Guardians of Crystal Growth (Season 1)

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“All ponies of Equestria are now unable to get a cutie mark. Which means, that the Cutie Mark Crusaders have become pointless...”
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“Looks like friendship is still magic here!”
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“Ya can't imagine how glad Big Mac an' I are that ya finally back, Apple Bloom!”
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“That must 'ave been when Granny was still here, ah wish she could see this!”
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“We thought the same of Sweet Apple Acres.....”
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“She hasn't been in Ponyville for six years, imagine that. But today, she will finally return.”
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“Even if Flurry Heart hadn't done this, they'd would still be gone by now.”
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“The varmint's here to ruin even more lives.....”
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Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared at the sight in front of them with eyes full of disdain.

In the distance, the gate of the castle opened and Princess Twilight appeared in the frame. She welcomed her niece with a hug, then Princess Flurry Heart entered the castle, followed by her guard. The gate fell shut behind them.

Apple Bloom huffed. “That pest..... She must 'ave lost her mind to show up 'ere again. But ah can bring back that mind easily.....” Her mouth formed a wicked grin and she began marching towards the castle, her hate-filled eyes locked at the gate. Scootaloo rushed in front of her before she could advance more than a few steps.

“Stay here, Apple Bloom!” she spoke sharply. “Remember what Sweetie Belle said. If you let your anger out on Flurry Heart, you'll only get into trouble.”

Apple Bloom ignored the warning and squirmed to get past her friend, but Scootaloo held her in place with both hooves. She looked past Apple Bloom. “Let's return into town for now, Sweetie. Maybe Applejack or your sister can tell Twilight later why we didn't come. I'm sure she'll understand if we wait with the meeting for a few days.”

Stern-faced, Sweetie Belle nodded. She turned around and began heading back the way they had come from. But just as Scootaloo began to try turning Apple Bloom around, the earth pony mare was hit by a pink blur and shoved away a few yards. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle gasped in shock and turned around to see what their friend got hit by.

Princess Flurry Heart stood leaned over Apple Bloom, pinning her down. She grinned at her widely. “Apple Bloom!” she called out to the mare under her in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, that bore a slight resemblance to the sound of chalk on a blackboard. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle covered their ears for a moment.

“Do you still remember me? It's me, Flurry Heart! I'm so happy I saw you when I looked out of the castle window, I had to come and say hi! How are you doing?” Flurry Heart spoke fast, in a long, seemingly neverending stream of words.

Apple Bloom looked up at the teenage filly with a startled expression, but the hatred remained in her eyes all the same. “Get off me, ya ear-piercin', walkin' disaster!” she hissed.

The grin faded from Flurry Heart's face and a hurt expression took its place. She let go of Apple Bloom and trotted a few steps backwards. Apple Bloom lifted herself off the ground, until she stood tall in front of Flurry Heart. She gave the young princess an intense glare.

Flurry Heart was smiling again now. Her face gave the impression that she was completely oblivious to the feelings the mare had for her. Thrusting herself forward, Flurry Heart grabbed one of Apple Bloom's forehooves in a tempo that left her no chance to react. “I bet you have so much to tell me!” she shouted in excitement. “Come with me!” She shot away and pulled Apple Bloom with her, almost in the same tempo she had nearly crushed her a moment ago.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked after them with strained, nervous faces, each of them one forehoof raised into the air. They set themselves into motion and hurried after Flurry Heart.

Pulling Apple Bloom after her, Flurry Heart burst into the castle. Twilight stood in the hall, watching Flurry Heart come inside and towards her, with a surprised, puzzled expression. “Flurry Heart?” she asked. “Why did you run off so suddenly?”

“I was just catching up with an old friend!” she shouted. Flurry Heart pulled Apple Bloom past her, right into the face of the other princess.

The sudden movement deepened the surprise in Twilight's face, but then a knowing smile appeared on it. “I see. Catching up with a friend is always a good idea. Even though it looks more like you caught a friend there.” She smirked at Flurry Heart.

The younger princess beamed at the joke. Apple Bloom, however, growled.

“And it's just the friend I was waiting for, too! Now I'd only need–”

The gate burst open again and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle appeared in it. They rushed at Apple Bloom's side.

“–exactly you two,” Twilight completed her sentence. She smiled at the arrivals.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were panting. Scootaloo looked up. “Is everything okay here?!” she asked, frantically.

“Of course,” Twilight said. “What would not be okay?” She gave Flurry Heart a furtive wink.

Apple Bloom acknowledged the gesture with a cold stare. She pulled her hoof out of Flurry Heart's grasp, forcefully, and stomped at the side of her friends, as far away from Flurry Heart as it was possible in the hall of the castle. Flurry looked after her, with a startled, sad look in her eyes.

“If you three would like to talk with Flurry Heart first, I won't mind. We can discuss your journey later. Getting in touch with an old friend is always worth the wait.” Twilight winked at Flurry Heart again.

Flurry's smile returned.

“Won't be necessary!” Apple Bloom erupted, her face grim and hostile.

Twilight pursed her lips and her pupils shrunk. But she quickly returned to her composure. “Very well,” she spoke, kindly. Twilight turned at Flurry Heart. She placed a hoof on her niece's shoulder. “I hope you can excuse us for a few hours, Flurry Heart. Your friends and I need to talk about some important things in the throne room. How about you go and explore Ponyville in the meantime? A few things have changed in the last six years.”

“She ain't a–” From the left, Sweetie Belle kicked Apple Bloom's leg, earning a glare from the earth pony. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo eyed Twilight with sheepish grins, though, she didn't seem to have noticed anything and kept looking at her niece.

Flurry Heart nodded, eyes closed and still wearing her smile. “Will do, Auntie!” she chirped. She reached out and gave Twilight a hug.

“Good,” Twilight said. “I'm sure you can discover a few surprises.” She leaned down and reciprocated the hug.

They remained like this for a few seconds, then Flurry Heart retreated. She trotted for the gate, presenting Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle with a grin as she went past them. The three didn't look at her and kept their gazes fixated on Twilight.

Before Flurry Heart opened the gate, she turned round and waved at her aunt, giggling. She cast a determined glance at the three mares, then went outside, followed by her guard.

The gate snapped shut. Instantly, the expressions of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle eased. Every hostility in Apple Bloom's face fell off.

“Follow me now,” Twilight beckoned them over. “The letters you sent me in the last three years give a lot of reason to worry. There is much we have to discuss.” She turned away from them and headed for a large, double-leaved door. She opened it with her magic and entered the room beyond it with hasty steps; her long, flowy mane trailing behind her.

Wordlessly, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle followed.

Inside the throne room, their view was instantly occupied by the large map in the middle and the seven thrones that were arranged around it. They stopped and their eyes wandered over them.

Twilight trotted around the right side of the table, still with the same, brisk movement. She took seat on her throne. There, she looked at them with a serious, but friendly, expression. “Feel free to sit down on the thrones of your big sisters. The map rarely calls us for a friendship mission these days.”

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle kept staring for a few more moments. Then they slowly began to aim for their sisters' thrones. Reverently, each of them approached the respective throne. Their eyes wide and their mouths gaping, they stroke with their hooves over the armrests. Finally, the three of them sat down hesitantly.

Twilight nodded. “Good. Now we can finally start.” A slight trace of impatience came through her otherwise collected voice. Using her magic, she shut the throne room door. Then she turned at a bulletin board that stood to her right, at the far end of the table. It was densely covered in sheets of paper and about a dozen photographs. Foals could be seen on them, each one staring at their flank with a bitter look on their face. The sheets had little notes stickied to them. “Rainbow Falls”, “Manehattan”, “Fillydelphia”, “Canterlot” and the names of the rest of the towns and cities in Equestria were written on them. Some of the sheets were connected with red threads.

Twilight came right to the point, turning her head away from the board and looking at the other three ponies with a serious face. “As you had to discover during your journey, all of our worries have been confirmed. Not only are the foals of Ponyville unable to get cutie marks, the same problem occurs in all of Equestria.”

“All foals who are ten or younger,” Sweetie Belle added.

Twilight nodded. “All foals who were born ten years ago, when Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow attacked Equestria.” Her voice was shaking for a split-second as she uttered the name of her failed friendship student. “Thousands of foals who have suddenly lost the ability to get a cutie mark.” Twilight leaned back in her throne.

The three former Cutie Mark Crusaders watched the movement without saying a word, their faces dark.

“And I suppose even you couldn't find any causes for this, during the entirety of your journey? Is there any conclusion you have come to?” Twilight's voice sounded slightly desperate. She looked at them expectantly.

All three of them closed their eyes and sighed, shaking their heads simultaneously. Apple Bloom looked at Twilight. “No. We tried everythin' to help them get cutie marks still, but it all failed. Nothin' else was out of the ordinary, either, not anywhere in Equestria.”

Her friends nodded to confirm her words.

Twilight got up from her throne, abruptly, and went over to the board. “Then what is the cause?” she asked, her eyes flitting over it. “I have done my own thoughts and analyses on the problem, every time a new letter of yours arrived..... But nothing I did was leading anywhere.” She frowned, eyes darting over the collected information faster and faster.

“With all of this happening everywhere in Equestria,” Scootaloo chimed in, “it has to be the work of a villain.....”

Twilight shook her head, still looking at the board. She turned around at Scootaloo. “No. Equestria is at peace for ten years now. There wasn't a single attack on the kingdom during this entire time..... For what reason would a villain wait so long without striking?”

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stayed silent as the question lingered in the room. They stared at the princess, helplessly.

Twilight waited for a few seconds before she continued. “Even if Tirek had somehow gotten free again, we would have noticed it. You didn't meet any unicorns without magic, right? Or any ponies without cutie marks who aren't foals?”

Again, all three of them shook their heads.

“Then we have to rule out a villain.....” Twilight faced the board again, continuing to scrutinize it. “There must be an answer here somewhere,” she muttered.

“What about ex-villain?” Scootaloo's voice suddenly rang out while her thoughts raced.

Twilight's eyes widened. She turned around again, fast this time. “Ex-villain? The only one who could.....” Anger appeared on her face. “Discord!” she shouted.

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged sceptical glances.

Nothing stirred. Twilight put her head back. “Discord! Come here this once!”

In a flash, the draconequus appeared above the map. “You called?” he asked, hovering above the map, reading in a book whose cover said “Cutie Marks”, with spectacles on his nose. “Rather rudely,” he added, without looking up from his book.

Twilight came closer and put her forehooves on the table. “I am only going to ask this once..... Are you responsible for it that foals can't get cutie marks anymore?”

“Me?” Discord looked up, startled. “Why would I do such a thing?!” He let the book disappear with an angry snap of his claws.

“Because we all know how much you still love it to cause chaos. With all the things you have done in the past, I am not putting a prank like this past you.” Her eyes drilled into Discord.

The draconequus did likewise. Small drills popped out of thin air mere inches away from Twilight's face. They pinwheeled menacingly. Discord spun around and crossed his arms. Suddenly, his face took on a surprised expression. He turned at Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

“My friends are back!” he spoke enthusiastically. “This calls for a party, don't you think?” He snapped his claws once more and dancing pinatas appeared on the table. “How did you miss me, your honorary Cutie Mark Crusader?” He leaned in close on them and wiggled his eyebrows.

The three of them broke out into laughter.

“Don't try to distract now.....” Twilight addressed him again before any of his friends could answer. “I want to have a clear answer. Did you do it or did you not?” She looked at him sternly.

The dancing pinatas and the drills disappeared. Discord turned around in a furious manner. “Why in all of Equestria would I ever do something like that, Twilight?! Do you really think I would go that far, after all these years of being an ally?!”

“Do you want me to answer that question?” Twilight was wearing a dry expression now.

Discord's face softened and he grinned mischievously. “I mean, of course I could do that, if I wanted,” he said, ignoring Twilight's question.

A snap by his claws let a little filly appear. He cradled her in his arms. The filly pouted at him angrily.

“I can do everything I want,” Discord clarified, lowering his eyelids while he looked down at the filly caringly. “But how could I ever be so cruel and make these cute, little buggers suffer by letting something that important to them disappear?” Using one of his claws, he gently scratched over the filly's belly. “I am not a villain anymore, Twilight,” he added more seriously then.

The expression of the filly looked like she had a different idea about this. “Let me go,” she demanded. “I am in the middle of a test at school!”

Discord frowned. “As you please..... The youth of today, no cutie marks and not the slightest bit appreciative of a good belly rub.” The filly stuck out her tongue and sputtered at him before she disappeared in a flash.

Twilight kept wordlessly glaring at Discord for a few seconds before she finally spoke again. “Fine..... But if it turns out you were lying, I will find a way to turn you back to stone, Discord.”

“Whatever,” Discord rolled his eyes. “Is there anything else you need me for?”

“You may leave,” Twilight groaned.

“Finally!” Without further hesitation, the draconequus disappeared again.

Twilight heaved a deep sigh. “One of these days.....” she muttered.

“So, what are we going to do, Twilight?” Sweetie Belle brought them back on the subject.

Twilight looked up. “We don't have a villain who is responsible. Scientists and doctors are clueless. None of the affected foals are sick in any way. And their magic is okay,” she summed up the situation. “We don't know why this happens. But whatever is causing it, it has to leave traces eventually. All we can do is keeping our eyes and ears open and to monitor Equestria in the best way possible, so we can act once the cause reveals itself.” She brought out a sheet of paper and a quill and began to jot down notes.

The next couple hours went by like a blur for them. Twilight was writing and all of them suggested ways to keep an eye on the situation. The princess paced back and forth between the table and the board while Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle helped forging a strategy. The board became occupied with detailed plans for the positioning of guards, the involvement of the Pillars of Equestria to aid in the effort and even for the help of Discord.

As all of it was done, it was way past noon. Twilight sank back into her throne. She closed her eyes and began to rub her temples with her forehooves, groaning. The aura around her horn disappeared.

“Is this all we can do, Twilight?” Apple Bloom inquired, looking at her. She didn't appear happy and neither did Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle.

Twilight took a few deep breaths. Then she opened her eyes and sat up. “I fear it is..... For now, all we can do is monitoring. If there is anything new, I'll let you know as the first ones.”

The three other mares nodded. Together, they got up from their thrones and made themselves ready to leave. But before they could reach the door or say their goodbyes, sounds were coming from outside. They heard hooves clopping over the crystal floor. A second later, the door sprung open and Flurry Heart entered the throne room. Their faces became weary.

“Aunt Twilight!” Flurry Heart shouted. “Aren't you coming? Rumble has lunch ready and it's already starting to get cold!” The face of the teenage princess was filled with worry.

Twilight gave her niece a smile. “We are on the way, Flurry. We just got done here.”

“We?” Apple Bloom asked, narrowing her eyes. The hostility returned into her face. Scootaloo shot her a warning glance.

“Yes,” Twilight spoke, matter-of-factly. “I was thinking you should stay for lunch before you leave the castle. Coming up with this plan and discussing everything was hard on all of us, you deserve a good meal now.” She looked at them invitingly.

Her suggestion was met with three very deep frowns. “I think–“ Scootaloo began, but then she got interrupted, their stomachs starting to grumble. They looked down and scrunched their faces.

“Should we stay and eat here?” Scootaloo looked at her friends, unhappily. “It's going to be a long trot to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“No,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah rather eat with ma family.” She shot Flurry Heart a deadly glare.

“I wouldn't mind.....” Sweetie Belle confessed, glancing shyly at Apple Bloom.

“And at least Rumble is a really good cook. That should make it worthwhile to eat together, I guess.” Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders.

“Without me then.....” Apple Bloom announced. “Ahm gettin' out of 'ere.” She left the side of her friends.

Flurry Heart approached Apple Bloom again, unexpectedly solving the problem of their disagreement. “But you can't leave!” she shouted. “We haven't seen each other for so long!” She grabbed one of Apple Bloom's hooves, like she did earlier.

Apple Bloom removed it from Flurry Heart's grasp before the teenager could pull her with her again. “What in the name of Celestia is wrong with you?!” She brought her face close to Flurry's.

Flurry Heart responded with a smile, not appearing the slighest bit intimidated. She zipped around Apple Bloom. “Come on, please join!” Despite her plea, Flurry Heart began to push Apple Bloom with her head now, not awaiting an answer. As Apple Bloom attempted to get away, Flurry Heart ignited her horn and wrapped Apple Bloom into a blue aura. “We're going to have so much fun, I promise!” She hovered her helpless captive out of the throne room, wearing an eager grin.

Scootaloo looked after them. “I think if I survive this lunch, I'll have to eat two whole trays of muffins at Derpy's house.”

Wordlessly and with a flat flace, Sweetie Belle nodded her agreement. The two mares hung their heads, sighing, then followed Flurry Heart. Twilight left the throne room as the last one. The princess of friendship wore a grin as she shut the door.
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Twilight sat in the dining room of her castle at one end of the long, crystal dining table. To her left, Flurry Heart bit with delight into a hayburger that she kept hovering in front of her. She wore a content smile.

To Twilight's right, Rumble was sitting. The grey pegasus stallion had a plate full of pasta with tomato sauce in front of him, at which he ate away with great appetite. A white chef's hat was still sitting on his head.

Twilight dipped a spoon into a bowl of soup.

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sat at the other end. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle concentrated on their meal, a greenish vegetable stew. Only Apple Bloom couldn't stop herself from glaring at Flurry Heart while she shoved one spoon of stew after another into her mouth.

Next to Twilight, Flurry Heart put down her hayburger and popped some fries into her mouth. Her eyes aimed for the three mares opposite of her. She swallowed and then started talking to them.

“So, how's it going for you these days?” she started the conversation.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at her, then over at Twilight. The princess nodded, wearing a special kind of smile in her face that looked like it would not accept any resistance. They redirected their glances at Flurry Heart.

“We're doing fine,” Scootaloo answered quickly.

“What Scootaloo said,” Sweetie Belle merely confirmed the statement.

Apple Bloom said nothing.

“What were you doing for the last three years? Auntie mentioned it was something important,” Flurry Heart continued.

“Lost our jobs,” Sweetie Belle said between two spoonfuls of stew.

“No cutie marks anymore,” Scootaloo added.

“Oh..... I'm sorry.” Flurry Heart's ears drooped.

There was no response coming from the other side of the table.

But in Flurry Heart's face, a sudden, optimistic expression appeared. She looked enlightened. Flurry cleared her throat. Her horn ignited and she hovered three wrapped gifts out from under the table. One was red, the other purple and the third one was white. All three of the packages were tied with pink ribbons.

“I..... got something for you while I was in town. Some gifts for you.” She let them float over to them, placing the red one at Apple Bloom's side, the purple one at Scootaloo's side and the white one at Sweetie Belle's side.

All three of them stopped chewing at once. They looked at Flurry Heart from sceptical faces. Apple Bloom was the first one to react. She put her spoon down into the bowl with force and thrust at the package with both hooves. Before she could touch the it, though, it shimmered green around the edges and got carried away from her.

Sweetie Belle hovered the package at her side and placed it on top of her own. Then she did the same with Scootaloo's package. “Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said taut.

“You're welcome!” Flurry Heart flashed them a cute smile. Then the smile faltered again and her face expressed uncertainty. “But, uh, you're not going to open them?”

“We'll open them later, at the party,” Scootaloo said, only giving the young princess a short glance.

“Oh, a party?” Flurry's face brightened. “What party? Can I come to?”

“Sorry, no. Invite-only.” Sweetie Belle was the one talking again this time.

“Oh..... Okay. But.....” Flurry Heart gulped a little. “I was wondering, would you like to come to the Crystal Empire with me and become my personal guards?” Now her smile had become shy.

Once more, the three interrupted their eating. This time, their faces were downright deprecatory. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle continued to chew what was in their mouths very slowly.

“WHAT IN TARNATION?!” Apple Bloom exploded at their side.

The filly twitched a little and Twilight looked up.

Apple Bloom pointed a hoof at Flurry Heart, sharply. “How can ya seriously believe that we would want to become the guards of such a–” Her mouth got suddenly blocked by a spoon full of stew that was being shoved into it with green magic.

“What Apple Bloom meant to say was, why do you want us of all ponies as your guards?” Sweetie Belle addressed the offer, more diplomatically.

Flurry Heart fidgeted around. “Well.....” She gave a glance at the guard that stood at the side of the table not far from her, with narrowed eyes. “My parents demand that I have a guard following me around..... but there's nothing a filly like me can do with such a boring, old stallion,” she sneered. The guard shot her a glare in response. “Plus, he hates me.”

“Well, likely story, we ha–” Another spoon got shoved into Apple Bloom's mouth.

“Just continue,” Sweetie Belle said, carefully looking over at Twilight.

“And since I just heard that you have no jobs anymore, I was thinking that maybe you could become my new guards.” Flurry Heart stopped for a moment. She took a deep breath. “You know, because we share a past with each other, so I thought having you as my guards would be better, since I already know you and everything.....” She mustered up another cute smile.

Sweetie Belle put her spoon down. She didn't respond, instead, looked at her friends.

Their faces showed the same, unrelenting expression.

Sweetie Belle got up from her chair. “Sorry, but we have obligations here in Ponyville, so we have to decline your offer.”

To her left and right, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo left their chairs, as well.

“Oh..... W-What obligations?” Flurry Heart asked. Her smile lost a bit of its energy.

“That's private,” Scootaloo said.

“Oh..... Will you think about my offer?” Flurry Heart started another attempt. Her smile was almost gone.

“Maybe,” Sweetie Belle answered. She wrapped the gifts into her magic and floated them alongside her as she trotted at the side of the table towards the exit of the dining room. “But now we have to leave. We don't wanna be late to the party.”

None of the three gave Flurry Heart as much as a glance as they went past her. They only looked at Twilight. “Bye, Twilight!” they shouted at the same time.

Twilight answered their looks. “Bye, you three. I'll still be in Ponyville for a few days until my vacation is over. If you need anything, come by at any time!”

“Okay!” they shouted back into the room, then the door fell shut behind them.

Eyes looking down in sadness and her cheeks pouting, Flurry Heart grabbed the hayburger with her hooves and bit into it weakly.

Twilight looked away from the door and at Flurry Heart. She sighed. “Maybe next time.” She set up a reassuring smile and patted the head of the younger princess.
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Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked morosely at a stack of muffins in front of them. None of them was attempting to eat one. They appeared to be deeply sunken in thoughts.

At their side was Derpy. She looked down on the table plate in sadness. “So, this is what worries you..... That's a dilemma.”

“And the worst thing isn't deciding if we should take that offer, the worst thing is that we're actually thinking about taking it.....” Scootaloo lamented.

Derpy looked up. “Really?”

“Um-hm,” Sweetie Belle confirmed. “Apple Bloom can work on the farm of her family, but there's nothing for me and Scootaloo to do here in Ponyville. If we were her guards, we would have a job again.....”

“Surprisingly, even Apple Bloom agreed,” Scootaloo kept explaining.

The earth pony mare turned away with a stubborn look on her face.

“If only because she wants that we stay together. But we aren't sure how to handle this..... Flurry Heart, she.....” Scootaloo trailed off without finishing.

Derpy reached for the muffin pile. She placed one muffin in front of each of her guests. Then she took another one for herself. “My first muffin didn't look like this,” she spoke slowly. “But I learned and got better at it with time.”

The three of them sat up and looked at the pegasus, puzzled.

“Try it with a little patience,” Derpy advised them. “Nopony is perfect.”

“Are you sure?” Scootaloo asked her.

“Um-hm.” Derpy reassured them. She smiled.

The three looked at their muffins. After a moment, they took them and bit into them.

“Maybe we can try it for a while.....” Scootaloo voiced their thoughts.
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The sun was descending as Sweetie Belle knocked on the gate of Twilight's castle, with Scootaloo at her side. Apple Bloom stayed farther behind them.

The gate opened and Flurry Heart poked her head out. Her face was puzzled and surprised, but only for a moment, then it changed to expectant joy in a heartbeat. “Have you thought about it?” she asked, brimming from excitement.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other. Sweetie Belle looked back at her. “Does your guard offer still exist?” she asked her in a similar taut tone as she did in the dining room a few hours ago.

“Of course it does!” it blurted out of Flurry Heart. She crushed the two of them with a hug. “Also.....” she said, letting go of them again. “You forgot these in front of the gate when you left!” The gifts appeared behind her and she placed them on the stairs in front of them with a sheepish grin.

Their faces turned tired. “I hope this was the right decision,” Scootaloo whispered at Sweetie Belle.