The power of Three

They had been walking through the Badlands for hours. Mark took a sip of water whilst checking the map. The trek so far had been quiet as it was somber as the girls were worried about Mark but also finding out that their best friend had caused this whole thing in the first place, they just didn't know where to even start.
Mark broke the silence. "You girls alright over there? I reckon we should walk another hour or so before finding somewhere to camp for the night. You're doing great, let's keep it up okay!" He called out trying to spur them on. He was feeling tired himself but forced it to the back of his mind.
Scootaloo spoke up. "Hey, I'll fly ahead and find a good place for us to camp for the night."

Mark smiled. "Thanks Scootz, but be careful okay, any signs of trouble you come on straight back alright?"
Scootaloo gave him a stern nod and took off into the evening sky.
Mark stayed a few paces behind Applebloom and Sweetie, he thought back to when he had first met the three of them and how they were so loud and full of energy and life, absolutely unstoppable…it hurt him to see them this way now.
He could see the dried yellow pee stains on Sweetie's hind quarters. He kinda felt sorry for her, it had been her innocent naivety that had got them into this mess.
He understood that she had his best intentions however she shouldn't have done what she did and now his life was on the line because of her but he still couldn't hate her for it.
He had real feelings for her before she put the curse on him. If she had only asked him without activating the curse he would have still said yes.
Despite Applebloom walking beside her he could see the reality of how alone she really was, there was a part of him that wanted to just hug her and tell her everything was going to be alright and another part of him that wasn't too happy with her and had a few choice words for her instead.
He found himself gritting his teeth, something he hadn't done since he was at his real home.

Scootaloo flew overhead grinning. "Hey I've found the perfect place...and I think your gunna love it!" She called down.
Mark gave her a thumbs up and she landed beside him giving her wings a rest.
"It's only about an hour away. It's a nice quiet spot beside the river ''
Mark smiled. "Thanks Scoots, you're the best."
She flew up in the sky "What was that? Didn't quite catch that!"
He looked up into the sky at her. "I-I said thank you Scoots!" She grinned. "Annnnnnd...." Mark rubbed his brow smiling. "Annnd your the best!" He called out.
Scooterloo did a back flip before soaring down through the air stopping right in front of his face.
"Yeah I am!" She stated with a wide grin. "C'mon guys follow me it's not far from here!" She said as she took to the skies again.

They came to a wooded glen passing through it with ease before the trees ahead thinned. Mark stopped and gazed at the old cabin looking out over the river and the setting sun. Scootaloo flew down just in time to catch Mark's jaw from hitting the ground.
"I know, I'm the best." She almost whispered booping him on the nose and flying away.

Mark gathered himself. "Okay girls! Set your packs down where you'll be sleeping tonight, then we need water and wood for the fire. So Bloomy, Scoots, work out who does what. I'm going to have a talk with Sweetie."
The girls awwed and groaned.
Mark settled them. "Hey, hey girls! You know back where I'm from, those who did the work around the camp are the ones who receive extra rations annnd I just so happened to have Twilight pick up some sweet treats from Cupcake Corner."
The two fillies faces lit up as they meeped as they got to work.

Mark and Sweetie Belle headed into the cabin setting down their packs. Mark pulled a sheet away uncovering a table and chairs near a window looking onto the river. Sweetie Belle kept her head to the floor moving slowly and heavy knowing what was coming.
Mark watched her as he swept the excess dust away pulling out a chair. She was nervous and scared.
Mark knew that she had already learned her lesson back at Zecora's hut and she'd had a lot of time to think about her actions and the dire consequences that she had brought on herself l, all the way here.
Mark watched her a moment longer as she sat on a chair before ripping the proverbial band aid off.

He took a deep breath. "Sooo..." Sweetybelle interrupted him, holding back her sobs.
"I'm so sorry Mark...I never meant to hurt you...I just hated seeing you sad every day, thinking you'd never find your special somepony and I just didn't have the courage to ask you out so I went to Zecora making an excuse about my estrus and while she was away picking ingredients, I quickly copied what I thought was a love spell! Ohhh Mark I love you! Please I don't want you to die! Please forgive me!" Sweety burst into tears.
Mark held her close. "Ohh Sweety, I know, I know. You're a sweet filly and there's not a bad bone in your body, but please from now on…please just think of the consequences alright?"
She snuggled into him. "I will Mark, I promise I will!" He hugged her running his fingers through her mane.

Mark got a noseful of her dry urine. "Say hows about I get you cleaned up and then we can join the others outside by the fire?" She sniffed a little smile forming through her tears. "Okay then."
Mark got the camp fire started as Scooterloo and Applebloom had brought the supplies back to camp. Once the water boiled he rejoined Sweety inside the cabin. He poured the water into the old tin tub, checking the temperature was just right before picking Sweetie up and putting her in.
She closed her eyes as the warm water consumed her aching muscles. She relaxed into the old tub Mark knelt down softly lapping the water over her with his hand. He looked intently at the unicorn's body from head to hoof.
He sometimes wondered if she was Rarity's daughter rather than sister, they were so much alike not just physically but shared the same mannerisms and such too.
He reached for the soap from her satchel, lathering it up before applying it to her fur he massaged the soap into her soft fur, massaging it into her forelegs then slowly moving to her hind quarters before making her coo as he reached her belly and teats. She opened her eyes and sat up quickly. "I-I don't deserve this!"
She stood rinsing the lather from her body before stepping out of the tub and using a drying spell.
Mark rested his chin on the edge of the tub as she trotted away. His thoughts were a mess. Letting the warm water wash over his hand he found it quite therapeutic as he contemplated the situation.
Mark swirled the water once more before getting up to rejoin the girls outside to start cooking the food.
He brushed the dust from his pants and went outside to find Scootaloo and Applebloom dipping their hooves in the river basking in the last light of the day. He looked around for Sweetie Belle as he followed the cabin toward the rear he found her sitting solemnly resting her fore hooves on her chin.
He left her to her thoughts whenever he saw her like that it was just best to leave her be. He headed over to the fire and started.
'The food will change the mood around here.' He thought to himself.

A short time later.

The food was nearly done and Mark called the three fillies over. "Hey girls! Feeding time!!" He heard the hoofsteps cantering towards him as he dished the food out and sat down either side of him. Applebloom and Scooterloo beamed wide seeing Mark had made their favourite.
They quickly thanked him before scoffing it down realising how hungry they actually were.
By the time they were finished, Sweetie still hadn't joined them as Mark sat back looking at the dying of the light.
"Say girls, take a look at that..." Pointing to the sky on the horizon. "You know what that is?" The girls looked at the evening sky. Scooterloo scratched her head with her hoof. "You silly, that's the sunset."
Mark rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Ughhh. I'm quite aware that it's the sunset, however do you see the colours of the sky where you can't really tell if it's day or night...well that is called Twilight.
The fillies awed at the night sky "I can see where the Princess gets her name from." Applebloom softly said.
Mark smiled at her musings. "Yes, I sometimes wonder if that's why she stands between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna...Okay girls, I'm going to find Sweetie Belle....look I know what she did was wrong but her heart was in the right place. She saw me going through a hard time and she tried to help me.
I know how close you fillies are but please don't punish her…you need to speak to each other and talk things through. That's what the princess of friendship would want you to do right? So please at least for me don't make her suffer anymore. She needs you now more than ever and I need to know that you three will always be friends...no...sisters that's what you are...you are sisters and you need each other."
Mark let his words sink in before continuing. "Whether I live or die tomorrow I do not, I will not be the one who ended the Cutie Mark Crusaders alright? It's going to take all three of you to make up."

He watched them pouting with puppy eyes before continuing. "What's done is done, but what you three have is special, like a sacred bond of sisterhood...Sweetie Belle is hurting right now, she knows what she did was wrong and she needs to know that you two are always here for her no matter what. So can I count on you both? Can Sweety count on you both?"
The girls hugged him. "Yes Mark, we promise we'll do our best! Just please don't die!!" They both cried out hugging into him.
He hugged them for a few moments longer before lightening the mood.
"Okay girls, I said earlier that the workers of the camp get a little more food...well here you go."
He opened his satchel exposing two of Mrs Cupps special carrot cakes. The girls leapt up thanking him.
"Okay girls, I'm going to make sure Sweety eats something and then, we'll all hit the hay. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
The girls sat back enjoying their carrot cakes as Mark made a plate of food up for Sweety and headed to the back step where he saw her last. "Heyy....' She wasn't there moping on the step of the cabin. "Hmmm..." Mark thought, wondering where she could be.
"Sweety, Sweetie Belle! Where are you hunny?" He called out.
He had an idea of where she may be and headed inside the cabin and headed for the room that he'd claimed for the night.
He saw her tail sticking out from the other end of the bed. "Watchaa doooin'" He said making her jump.
He placed her plate down on the bedside table. "I brought you some supper my lil sugarcube." He softly said stroking his fingers through her mane before rubbing her furry ear between his finger and thumb.
She smiled and bit her lip.
She always loved the way he did that. As if reading her mind he gently said. "Everypony needs love, John Lennon of Earth…nineteen sixty…ssseven if I recall correctly.
She giggled at him. "What? Who's that?" Mark smiled as he got her talking. "John Lennon, back where I'm from he was one of the greatest singer songwriters who ever lived...I think he would have liked it here."
Sweety looked in wonder as Mark carried on. "He was a man before his time really, always believed in the goodness of humanity, friendship and love...Come to think of it there's a strong possibility he was from here." He smiled to himself. "
Sweety just looked at him listening to his voice watching every move he made praying to all the princesses that she wasn't the pony to kill Mark.
She didn't feel worthy of his time or presence let alone him bringing her food and kindness. All this was because of her and she hated herself for it.

Mark picked her up in his loving arms and just hugged her. She started to weep. "Put me down! I don't deserve this! I'm a terrible pony! Let me go!!"
Mark held her closer and as tight as he could in his weakened arms and kissed her mouth.
She eventually stopped resisting and kissed him back. Thinking what tomorrow might bring, her tears rolled down her face. "I don't want you to die tomorrow Mark. I would go through the rest of my life as a lonely hermit in a cave in the middle of nowhere, somewhere where no pony can find me because I don't deserve anything!"

Mark watched her for a moment and carried her through into the front of the cabin in silence to the window.
"You see over there?" Mark interrupted her.
She looked at him confused a moment "Huh?..." Mark looked out the window.
"You see Sweetie Belle, I might die tomorrow and you might run off to the middle of nowhere and become a hermit, but you're forgetting the one main thing?"
Sweety turned to him "What's that?"
He pointed towards the campfire. "Your sisters out there, who's going to look after them while you're spending your life moping around feeling sorry for yourself? You need them Sweety and they need you more than you know it and it's not going to be easy and it will perhaps take time, but at the end of the day you are and always will be the Cutie Mark Crusaders."
He booped her nose.

"So my Sweet Sweetz, get your supper and go join your sisters out there and make amends...don't just do it for me but do it for yourself."
She hugged him and her belly growled on cue making them giggle before Mark put her down he passed her supper to her.
"Go on, I'll get the beds set up for the night...Ohh I almost forgot..." He reached in his satchel "Got you a little desert." Her eyes lit up and she meeped at the cupcake. "You got my favourite! Oh thank you!"
Mark smiled. "Remember it's desert!" He called out as she cantered out the door.

Mark watched out the window as she returned to the fold giving him a small wave of hope.
He watched as they made a space on the log for her. He watched as they moved close and head hugged as the fire kindled into the night air.

Mark smiled wondering what their future had in store, but he knew one thing for certain, that those three girls would be together forever.