Equestria: Underground Assualt

"We've ruined all of our friendships, and we still don't have our cutie marks."
"This is the worst day ever!"
"Oh yeah? Wait till tomorrow. Our most embarassing moments are about to be published for everypony to laugh at!"
"So what do we do?"
"I don't know, but we're not leaving this clubhouse until we think of something!"

'Easier said than done.' Applebloom thought as she paced around the clubhouse. It was hours later and they still didn't have any idea on how to rectify their situation. Although nopony had said anything about it as of yet, it was clear that her two best friends are just as nervous and depressed as she was. Just take a look at them.

Sweetie Belle hadn't left her spot at the window for a couple of hours, but Apple Bloom can tell she was trying to hold back tears. Well, that's what she guessed, judging by the way Sweetie shakes slightly everytime she takes a breath. Once or twice, she turned her head looking like she was going to say something but then changed her mind and looked back out the window.

Scootaloo wasn't that much better herself, staring at the wall in concentration as she desperately racked her brain for anything that can get them out of this mess. On the occasion, Scootaloo could have a great idea during our other Crusading days, where she decided what we'll do to try and find our Cutie Marks. Figures, the first time Apple Bloom chose an idea, she makes all three of them end up being blackmailed.

Apple Bloom, however, coming from the prideful family of the Apples, was trying to assess the situation calmly in her head. But in any way she handles the situation, ends up being in a disaster. Such as the mind of the anxious, it had never occured to her just to apologize to everypony. The Apples had always handled their own problems with nopony's help. But even so, they would know when to ask for it normally.

Sighing, Apple Bloom sat down at the window opposite of Sweetie Belle and sadly looked up at the Celestia's Moon. 'Luna's moon, yah silly filly.' Apple Bloom corrected herself. It was a few months since Luna had returned, and someponies can't shake off the habit of calling Luna's Moon, Celestia's. It should be easier going but that's not the issue at the time being.

'Canterlot,' Apple Bloom thought absently, smiling for the first time that day. 'I've always wanted to go there. All those fancy restaurants, the shows, the Wonderbolts and plus, you can see forever up there! Too bad Applejack don't want me anywhere near them 'Prissy Canterlot Folk.' Sounds like such a nice place to live.'

"Perhaps we can run away." What this statement caused wasn't what Apple Bloom expected.

"WHAT!?" Scootaloo shouted, instantly jumping up, wings spread in agitation. "We can't just run away from our problems, it's not what Rainbow Dash would do!"

"And Rarity would simply worry her head off if I had suddenly disappeared!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "And Applejack would be so angry at you, Apple Bloom!"

"Unless you haven't noticed, everypony in Ponyville hates us!" Apple Bloom couldn't help pointing out. "Even my own brother and sister refused to talk ter their own kin! Namely, me!" That much was true, if you could recall.

"We don't wanna talk to any y'all right now, so take your little gossip column and your embarassing photographs and just go away!"

"Why should we stay in a place where we're hated?" Apple Bloom hung her head as she said this, remembering when they had simply walked through town. Truthfully, the option of running away was looking great right about now. "And you two can't mean ta say ya want ta be embarrassed forever while we are still here, do ya?"

"Well, when you put it like that..." The unicorn trailed off, obviously thinking over what her earth pony friend said. With all that has happened over the course of their short career as journalists, it must be the karma of publishing everypony's secrets (and lies) coming back to them.

"And Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash treated you like my own kin treated me, but worse! Your kind and 'all-knowin' Rainbow had turned on us the instant we were revealed as Gabby Gums!" Scootaloo sighed, hoofing at the ground.

"But...but where should we go? We haven't got any bits to take the train, and if we went on the road, what would we do for food?" Scootaloo asked, looking up at Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom hummed, as she thought it over. "Well, we can just stock up on apples, there's so much ta spare from the farm here. As for the bits, perhaps we can, erm, 'borrow' some from Rarity. Running that boutique, she's not gonna notice if some bits goes missing, right?" Sweetie Belle gasped.

"We can't steal from my sister! Not only is it wrong, it's illegal to take anything from anypony without permission! That goes for the apples too!" Sweetie Belle did have a point there, but what else could they do? Wait around for those pictures to get out? No way Apple Bloom was going to let that happen.

"No pony has to know that we did it. We'll be quick about it and take the train ta... ta somewhere other than here. Scoots, Sweetie, are ya with me on this?"

"Alright, I am so in!" Scootaloo, being a pony of action rather than thought like Sweetie Belle after all, was safely on her side.

"I don't know guys, what if Featherweight is working through the night too? I mean, we'll be wanted ponies if he catches pictures of us doing all those things."

"Everypony has to sleep sometime Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo countered, "besides, it's night time, it'll be hard for anypony to even see us. What do we have to lose?"

"I suppose if you two are going to I'll do it too..."

"Great!" Apple Bloom leapt in the air and immediately began going over the plan. "Now, Sweetie Belle, bein' Rarity's sister, you should know where she keeps all those bits she earns, I'll do the same and scrounge around the farmhouse for anything that we might be able ta use. Scootaloo, using yer scooter, you should be able to get to the train station and back, bringing news of any trains that are cheap; we want ta save all these bits we borrow, okay?

"Right!"

As each of the three fillies ran off to do their jobs, they didn't notice the two hooded figures jumping off of the roof. Chuckling, one of the stallions brought out a large jar full of clear liquid while the other brought out a pair of flintstones.

"Well, since their not going to use this 'clubhouse', we might as well make use of it ourselves."

"It's not often that we find so much valuable firewood either." His companion laughed as he struck the flintstones together, getting a successful spark.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders huh? Let's just do this quickly. We have a train to catch."