Cutie Mark Chronicles Redux

by ColtClassic

Rating: everyone
Tags: Cutie Mark Crusaders, Other, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Main 6
Length: 20914

Some years after the show, the Cake twins learn the stories of how the Cutie Mark Crusaders got their Cutie Marks, as well as some surprising facts about their old foalsitter.

The Cake twins are on a mission to get their Cutie Marks, and they're out to get the help of some of the coolest ponies in Ponyville. Unfortunately, they also have to deal with the antics of the lamest pony in Ponyville. It's hard to imagine a pony less cool than the party-obsessed pony whose only ambition in life is to someday take over their parents' bakery.

But as when they unexpectedly run into some very famous ponies and learn a bit about their town's history, they learn that there might be more to their old foalsitter than meets the eye.

Published 2013-01-10 04:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-10 04:30:02 UTC

Cakes

“Okay, wait, so we've got Pinkie working on the cake batter-”

“I'm finished with the batter, Mr. Cake!”

“And Autumn Mist told me that Maplehoof told her that she was at a sleepover with Sundrop and Sundrop had totally gotten her Cutie Mark!”

“No way!”

“-Pinkie's finished with the batter, good, so that can go in the oven when the fritters come out- sugarlump, did you pick up the crystallized honey to sprinkle on those?”

“No dear, you were supposed to buy that last night, weren't you?”

“Which means that well over fifty percent of our class has gotten their Cutie Marks before us!”

“I thought you were going to store this morning!”

“I've got the honey right here, Mr. Cake!”

“That's, um... a whole bunch of ponies!”

“Oh thank Celestia, Pinkie has the honey situation handled, dear! So that means we can start working on the sugared oat cakes, then the almond oat cakes, then the cranberry oatcakes, then the cranberry-almond oatcakes, oh goodness-”

“Which is why I'm proposing a comprehensive ten-step plan to ensure we have our Cutie Marks before school starts again. Phase one requires-”

“Woah, did you draw these blueprints yourself? These are awesome!”

“They're not blueprints, they're schematics.”

“Pumpkin, dear, we really need that counter space right now, if you could move all this to the living room-”

“Are you two talking about getting your Cutie Marks? Awesome! Hey, did I ever tell you the story of how I got my Cutie Mark?”

“Only a bazillion times, Pinkie.”

“The fritters are ready, dear!”

“Sweetie, I really need to you to clean all this up, we have a very busy day today-”

“Daddy, you're messing up my schematics!”

“Hey, neat schematics! But where were you planning on finding a trebuchet?”

“I was hoping you could help me with that, Pinkie. Do you know-”

“Fritters coming through!”

“Hey Dad, how did you get your Cutie Mark?”

“Now isn't a good time, son, your mother and I have a lot on our plates- honeybunch, look out!”

One of Pumpkin Cake's many blueprints had fallen to the linoleum floor, and Mrs. Cake's hoof slipped out from beneath her as she stepped on the smooth laminate. Mr. Cake had already rushed around the kitchen island and was able to catch his wife as she fell, but the tray of fritters she had been carrying on her back was sent hurling. All four members of the Cake family could only gape in horror as the gooey treats flew through the air, ready to rain messy destruction upon the entire kitchen.

A pink blur flashed over the countertop, and before any of the other ponies could so much as blink, Pinkie Pie had expertly caught the errant pastries in a large wooden bowl. The foals cheered and the Cakes sighed with relief as Pinkie set down the bowl with a giggle.

“You alright, Mrs. Cake? You almost landed on you keister there!”

“I'm fine, Pinkie. And thank you for saving the fritters. Honestly, I don't know what we'd do without you.” The matriarch of the small family turned her attention to the two foals perched atop stools behind the counter, who cringed beneath her gaze. “Pound. Pumpkin. You know your father and I have a lot of work to do today. I want you to clean up your... project, and move to the living room. Just stay out of the kitchen for awhile, alright, dearies?”

“Yes, Mom,” the two foals mumbled in unison. After Pumpkin and Pound had cleared away the numerous prints and left for the living room, Pinkie and Mrs. Cake began laying out the fritters once more to prepare them for decoration. The two set quickly to their task and Mr. Cake bustled about, continuing down his lengthy checklist. After a few moments, Mrs. Cake let out a sigh.

“I swear, those two get more rambunctious every day. They're at that age, I suppose.” She lowered her voice, leaning in slightly towards her assistant as they worked. “I have to admit, Pinkie, I worry about them sometimes. It can't be easy for them, growing up with earth pony parents. Carrot and I do our best, Celestia knows, but I can't help but wonder if there's things we just can't do for them. I'm sure Pound's told you that we signed him up for flight camp next summer, and just the other day Pumpkin came to me all in a tizzy about starting magic lessons. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I can keep up with them.” She gave a chuckle as she absentmindedly touched up the glaze on the last in a row of fritters. “Listen to me ramble on. I'm sure they'll be fine. They just picked a bad day to be so decidedly underhoof.”

Pinkie giggled. “It's okay, Mrs. Cakes. I'm just happy that I'm able to help you guys out. As a matter of fact, why don't you let me take Pound and Pumpkin out to play? I'll help them on their Cutie Mark project and get them out of your manes for awhile.”

“I'm sorry, dear, but we need your help in here today. There's just so much to do for the wedding.”

“Actually,” said Mr. Cake, peering over his list with a look of slight shock, “I think we may be ahead of schedule for once. With Pinkie's help we've got the majority of the baked goods out of the ovens, and all that's left is to finish up the decorating and haul everything over to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Really?” Mrs. Cakes took the parchment from her husband and looked it up and down, her brow furrowed with skepticism. When she turned back to Pinkie Pie, the pink mare was grinning widely and almost vibrating with excitement.

“Well... if you make sure to get them back in time to take a bath and put their nice clothes on...”

Pinkie Pie made it from the kitchen to the living room in a single bound. As she slid across the floor, Pumpkin's blueprints were sent flying again and began gently raining down on all three ponies.

“Hey kids, we get to go out and play! Oh boy, this is gonna be so much fun! It's been ages since I got to babysit you guys!”

“We aren't babies!” Pound yelled as he shook his head out from beneath a blueprint. “We don't need a babysitter!”

Pumpkin, however, was wasting no time in neatly rolling up her papers. “Excellent. The sooner we start my brilliant and foolproof plan, the better. Pinkie, do you know anypony who has a trebuchet we could borrow?”

“Hmm... nope! But I bet Apple Bloom would help you build one, and that's a filly that knows a thing or three about getting your Cutie Mark!”

“To Sweet Apple Acres it is, then. Come on, Pound, we've got Cutie Marks to earn!”

They made a procession out the front door of the bakery, Pumpkin leading the way with a determined smile and a confident trot, Pound following with an uncertain flutter of his wings, and Pinkie bringing up the rear with a joyful bounce. Mrs. Cake called after them as they left.

“Have fun dears! And really, Pinkie, thank you so much for all your help. It's good to know that the bakery will be in good hooves when we pass it on to you someday.”

Pinkie was halfway out the door, but turned to look back at the couple in the kitchen. “Me? Run Sugarcube Corner? Oh, wow, I can't believe you'd pick me!”

Mrs. Cake chuckled. “Honestly, Pinkie, who else would we choose?”

“It's just such an honor! Would you really-”

“Pinkie! Our Cutie Marks aren't going to earn themselves!”

“Righto! Sugarcube Corner, you're gonna have to wait! Right now, I have two foals who need my help earning their Cutie Marks!”

Pinkie Pie's giggles and the voices of the foals disappeared down the street, and soon the only sounds in the bakery was the clattering of dishes and the clink of utensils.

Ponyville was not a large town, and the walk from Sugarcube Corner at its center to Sweet Apple Acres at its outskirts was not a particularly long one. But as the trio made their way through the sunny village streets, Pinkie Pie stopped to say hello and chat with every pony she saw that she knew, and as she knew every pony in Ponyville, this resulted in numerous detours and delays. Pound seemed content to follow Pinkie around, a look of glazed boredom settling over his features, but his unicorn sister was growing increasingly agitated.

“Pinkie, the construction of a trebuchet is instrumental to phase one-”

“Howdy Cloudchaser! Great job on the weather today. I guess you chased all those clouds right away! Hee hee!”

“-and if Operation: Cutie Marks is to proceed on schedule-”

“Good morning Carrot Top! You coming to the wedding? I know! It's gonna be a blast!”

“-then I really must insist that-”

“Oh look, it's Rarity! And Sweetie Belle! And OHMYGOSHIT'STWILIGHTSPARKLE!”

The two foals turned their heads, startled by the older mare's outburst. Across the street was a small cafe, and seated at one of the outdoor tables were three unicorns, all waving at them. The two light-coated mares were familiar friends of Pinkie Pie's, but the purple pony seated beside them was a stranger. However, Pumpkin gave out a loud gasp when she registered Pinkie's words and realized who it was. Before she could say anything, though, Pinkie Pie was bounding across the street towards the trio, and Pumpkin rushed after her, a confused Pound following in their wake.

The twins reached the table just in time to witness Pinkie Pie almost bowling Twilight Sparkle over with a maneuver that was halfway between a hug and a tackle. Sweetie Belle gave the two foals a wave and a smile, but couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise in the high-pitched babble Pinkie was currently emitting.

“It's so good to see you Twilight oh my goodness I missed you so much how are you doing in Canterlot these days is teaching at Celestia's awesome school super awesome oh hey Pumpkin and Pound this is one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world, Twilight Sparkle!”

“Um, hi.” Pound sat down nervously at the table, but Pumpkin had stopped in her tracks, and didn't seem capable of much besides staring at the purple unicorn.

Twilight chuckled as she gently disentangled herself from Pinkie Pie's hug. “Are these the Cake twins? Pound and Pumpkin, right? Gosh, you kids have grown so much!”

Rarity tsked as she magically righted the various glasses and plates Pinkie had upended upon crashing into Twilight. “Honestly, Pinkie, you act as if you didn't know she was coming. Did you really think Twilight was going to miss out on the wedding of one of her best friends?”

“Well, no, but I didn't think I would get to see her until the wedding itself, and that's whole HOURS away from now! Whoops, I guess I made a mess of brunch, didn't I? Don't worry, I'll get you guys a new one! Be back in a jiffy!”

She gave Twilight what looked to be another bone-crushing hug, then bounced into the interior of the coffee house. In the awkward silence that settled in her absence, Twilight turned back to Pumpkin, who was still frozen in her tracks.

“Um. Are you alright?”

“You're TWILIGHT SPARKLE.”

Pumpkin had finally found her voice, and she lost her normal composure as her cracking voice attracted the attention of a number of other restaurant patrons. Twilight glanced around nervously.

“Um. Yes?”

“You are. THE. TWILIGHT. SPARKLE.”

Sweetie Belle giggled as she attempted to salvage the remains of her milkshake. “It looks like you have a fan, Twilight.”

“A fan!?” Pumpkin stomped her tiny hooves on the table, her orange mane waving wildly as she bobbed her head in excitement. “You're my hero. No, you're... you're the greatest hero in Equestrian history! We learned all about you in school, remember, Pound?”

“Um. I might have been asleep that day.”

Pumpkin's breathing was getting heavier. “You defeated the demon Discord! You saved the Crystal Empire from the evil King Sombra! You found the Elements of Harmony and beat Nightmare Moon! You're a legend! You're inspirational! You're... you're...” She sputtered, her massive vocabulary for once failing her. “...you're AWESOME.”

Twilight was simultaneously blushing and trying not to laugh, while Rarity rolled her eyes and magically pushed a few disheveled hairs back into her mane.

“You make it all sound so glamorous,” said Rarity. “What I remember from those little 'adventures' was mostly trekking through some dreadful forest or ghastly cave to deal with some ugly brute with no manners and an even worse fashion sense.” She smiled across the table at her old friend. “Still, I have to say that the company was exceptional.”

Twilight returned the smile, then turned back to the young filly currently staring her down. “And if you really know all about me, then you know that I didn't do any of that on my own. My best friends were always with me, and without them I don't think there would have been a single moment of heroics. Including your babysitter Pinkie Pie! I'm sure she's told you all about it.”

The two foals exchanged incredulous glances. Pound scratched the back of his head, while Pumpkin merely raised her eyebrows skeptically.

“Pinkie?” Pound said, “We're talking about the same Pinkie Pie here, right? The kind of crazy pony who can't pay attention to anything for more than five seconds? She's a hero?”

Twilight was sporting a growing look of confusion. “Of course. Hasn't she told about all that? I'm not surprised you two don't remember me‒ you were still really young when I moved back to Canterlot‒ but I would have thought Pinkie would have told you some of the stories from those days.”

Pound was shaking his head, but Pumpkin's eyes lit up in realization. “Wait! I remember one story. She used to tell it to us when we were little, about her friends and her going into the Everfree Forest to fight someone she called 'Black Snooty'! That was Nightmare Moon, wasn't it?”

Pounds eyes grew wide. “You mean that really happened? We thought she was just making it up!”

A confident smile had returned to Twilight's face. “I can assure you that every word of it is true.”

“Even the part about the space aliens?”

“Er. Well, she may have embellished it a bit. But Pinkie was by my side when we beat Nightmare Moon. And Discord, and the changelings, and... well, the whole time, really.”

Any protests or queries on the twins' parts were interrupted by Pinkie Pie returning to the table with a tray of identical tall glasses filled with a chocolate-colored, whipped cream topped concoction. “So when I got in there, I realized that I didn't know what everypony had been drinking before ol' Hurricane Pinkie here upset everything, so I thought, 'Well, nopony doesn't like Triple-Chocolate Super-Fudge Milkshakes!', so you know what I went and did?”

Rarity levitated one of the glasses towards her with a skeptical look on her face. “I'm guessing you got us all Triple-Chocolate Super-Fudge Milkshakes.”

“I got you all Triple-Chocolate Super-Fudge Milkshakes!” Pinkie exclaimed triumphantly as Twilight passed two of the drinks to the foals, who accepted them cautiously. Everypony set into the sugary drinks, except for Rarity, who stirred her straw with concern.

“Pinkie, how many calories are in this thing?”

“But that's not the only thought I had!” Pinkie barreled on. “I was thinking about how Pound and Pumpkin here were all crazy about their Cutie Marks, and I was like, who does that remind me of? Duh! Sweetie Belle, you and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had that club back in the day, remember? The Cutie Mark Crusaders! I'll bet you know more than anypony about getting Cutie Marks!”

All heads had turned toward Sweetie Belle, who giggled and ran a hoof along the table. “Oh, I don't know about that. Looking back, I think that club was just about having fun with my friends. When I finally did get my Cutie Mark, it sort of came by surprise, you know?”

“Actually,” said Twilight, “I don't think I ever heard the whole story. I got bits and pieces from Rarity later, but what actually happened that day?”

“Oh, it was the strangest thing,” began Rarity, but she was interrupted by a loud gasp from Pinkie Pie.

“That's another great idea! We can all tell the stories of how we got our Cutie Marks! Pound, Pumpkin, did I ever tell you the story of how I got my Cutie Mark?”

“Like a trillion times, Pinkie!” Pound responded, rolling his eyes. “Rock farm, rainbow explosion, random party, blah blah blah.”

Pumpkin spoke up, seeming to regain her usually control. “Wait, I think it would be quite illuminating to hear Sweetie Belle's story. Learning from others' experiences is an important element of the scientific method.”

The other ponies only blinked awkwardly at this, but Sweetie Belle broke the silence. “So... I should tell my story?”

“Yeah!” cried out Pinkie Pie over the murmur of agreement.

“All right. Well, there was this great big storm, you see...”

How Sweetie Belle Got Her Cutie Mark

For the first time in her life, Sweetie Belle wished she was younger.

If she was younger, all of this would seem exciting. It would just be a sleepover at Rarity's, with all sorts of new ponies to meet. She would play with the babies, and she wouldn't notice the hushed tones of the adults or the worried looks on her parents' faces. She wouldn't follow her sister around, desperate to help, only to be told distractedly to go to bed. Her night would be spent tearing through the house, pestering the grown ups, not huddled next to her sleeping mom, worrying about what would happen next. The rustle of ponies moving about the dark store never stopped, but the clatter of rain against the window panes eventually softened from an angry barrage to a quiet tapping, and the young unicorn was able to drift fitfully off to sleep.

It was already bright out when Sweetie woke up. She pulled herself out of her sleeping bag, her body aching from a night spent on the floor. She yawned loudly and gazed blearily around the shop.

The usually neat storefront was a damp, sprawling mess, the belongings of over a dozen ponies piled between sleeping bags. Most of their owners had left already, but Rarity was talking with the Cakes near the door, and Sweetie Belle could see a light green mane sticking out from beneath a pile of blankets in the corner. She tiptoed as softly as she could past the sleeping pony as she approached her older sister, who was talking with Mrs. Cake.

“...really, if there's anything we can do to repay you-”

“I won't hear of it, at least not until this whole mess is over. Good luck, and... and please, let me know if hear anything. About either of them.”

“Of course. Will, um, she be okay?”

The baker gestured tentatively past Sweetie Belle to the gently snoring pony in the corner. Rarity sighed and furrowed her brow.

“I bandaged her leg last night as best I could, but I'm no doctor. She refused to be taken to the hospital, though. She said it isn't serious enough to take attention from ponies who need it more. I'll try to at least get her to move to my bed when she wakes up.”

The couple nodded uncertainly as they left the boutique. Rarity's horn lit up as she closed the door behind them. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, determined to keep the quaver out of her voice.

“Where are Mom and Dad?”

Rarity started, noticing her younger sister for the first time. She looked more tired than Sweetie Belle had practically ever seen her. Dark bags hung under her bloodshot eyes, and her normally perfect mane was tangled and frayed. Sweetie Belle wondered if she had gotten any sleep at all.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle, you're awake. Mom and Dad have gone home to look at the damage. They weren't able to stop the river from flooding, I'm afraid, so it's a good thing you three came up here. It's such a mess, Ponyville won't be the same for months...” She trailed off, but as Sweetie Belle tried to speak up, Rarity cut her off sharply. “You're to stay here, and that's final. It's still dangerous out there, and I won't have you getting in anypony's way.”

Sweetie Belle snorted indignantly and stomped a hoof. “I just want to help!”

“I know you do, sweetie. Just- here, you can help me by keeping an eye on the twins. The Cakes are trying to salvage whatever they can from the Corner, and they asked me to watch Pound and Pumpkin for them.”

Rarity turned and her magic went to work. The piles of sleeping bags, blankets and suitcases were pushed gently to the sides of the room as she levitated a mop before her and set to cleaning the mud that ponies had tracked in from the storm. Sweetie Belle trotted away from her and approached what she realized was her old crib. Peering into it, she found that the Cakes' young foals were indeed there, asleep beneath an old patterned quilt.

She pressed her face against the wooden bars and sighed. She was jealous of the twins. They didn't have a clue what was happening, or that anything was even wrong. Truth be told, Sweetie Belle was confused too. The last time she had seen her friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had been yesterday afternoon. They were all over at Scootaloo's place, making a go at being Cutie Mark Crusader Field Hockey Players (it was Scootaloo's turn to pick) when Rarity had come galloping down the street. She practically dragged Sweetie Belle away by the ear, and yelled something to the other girls about getting inside right away. When Sweetie Belle asked what the big deal was, Rarity merely pointed her horn at the sky, which was rapidly filling with dark storm clouds. She didn't understand why Rarity was so scared-looking. A little rain never hurt anybody.

But it turned out not to be just a little rain. By the time the storm clouds broke open and the torrent started, powerful winds made walking outside difficult, and stray bolts of lightning had already claimed several of Ponyville's trees. Rarity's Boutique was on relatively high ground, but the flooding river had nearly destroyed many of the buildings in the center of the village. Every able-bodied pony in town was running around frantically, helping others reach safety or pitching in at Ponyville Hospital, all while Sweetie Belle sat in the darkness and fretted.

Even now, all she was apparently good for was looking after some babies. They weren't even doing anything, just lying there-

There was a loud clanging noise, and Sweetie Belle swiveled her head around to see that Rarity had accidentally knocked a sewing machine. Her sister was glancing nervously to the pony rustling beneath her blankets in the corner, but Sweetie Belle's attention was grabbed by the movements coming from the crib. From beneath the quilt poked out two tiny yellow heads. For a split second all they did was blink in confusion, but then their faces scrunched up and for the second time since yesterday Sweetie Belle sensed the onslaught of a tempest. She had no control over her magic yet, but for that brief moment she tried harder than she ever had in her life to make it work, wishing with all her might that she could prevent the inevitable.

It was no use. The stillness of the Boutique was broken by the high-pitched wail of the two infants. Rarity could only gape in horror, frozen in the act of righting the fallen machine. Sweetie Belle made shushing noises and reached out to stroke their manes with her hoof, but the relentless cries continued. How could such small ponies make such a loud noise? She thought her eardrums were going to burst.

“Try this!” Rarity yelled as she levitated a bottle out of a bag at the foot of the crib. Sweetie Belle grabbed the bottle and offered it to the babies with her hooves, but Pound Cake smacked it aside and resumed bawling.

“For the love of Celestia, do something!” Rarity lay on the ground, almost in tears, her hooves covering her ears.

Sweetie Belle's mind raced. She looked around the room for something, anything, but all she could think about was the ear-splitting cries that pounded at her skull. Finally, she turned to the twins and grabbed at the only thing she could think of.

Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed

Sweetie's loud and brassy reimagining of the lullaby was a running joke between her and her friends, but now she sang it as it was meant to be sung for the first time. She didn't know what to expect, but to her surprise the twin foals stopped sobbing almost as soon as the first notes left her mouth. As she entered the second verse, she grew more confident as the two stared at her, yawning between sniffles.

Drifting off to sleep
The exciting day behind you
Drifting off to sleep
Let the joy of dream land find you

Pound and Pumpkin lay their heads down and closed their eyes once more, and Rarity breathed a sigh of relief as she trotted over and used her magic to tuck them in. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. That was quick thinking. And very lovely, I might add.”

“I'll second that!”

The two sisters spun around at the sound of the strange voice. The pony in the corner had risen from her blankets and was sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her unbandaged foreleg even as she smiled across the room at them. Her coat was minty green, and her mane and tail were pale green, almost white. Although her features were weary and her mane frazzled, there was an unmistakable sparkle in her eyes.

“Oh, I'm so sorry they woke you, miss, erm...”

“Heartstrings. Lyra Heartstrings.” Her smile grew into a grin and she held out her wounded leg. “You must be Rarity. I don't think we had time for a proper introduction last night in between you patching up my sorry flank and me passing out on your floor.”

Rarity tsked as she trotted over to examine the leg. “You really should head to the hospital, Miss Heartstrings. The cut in your leg was quite deep. I cleaned it up to the best of my ability, but I'm not a nurse or doctor and I'd hate to see it get infected.”

“Maybe later. I'm sure they have enough on their hooves at the moment.”

“Well, at the very least you should move to my room. I'm sure you'll be able to rest more comfortably there.”

At this Lyra gave a chortle and pulled back her leg. “I've done enough resting today, I think. It looks like half the day is gone. And I was hoping to get a chance to talk to this one.”

She leaned over and peered around Rarity, giving Sweetie Belle a wink and a smirk. This caused Sweetie Belle to give out a squeak and attempt to hide her face behind her tail.

“What's your name, kid?”

“Sweetie Belle,” she replied, barely managing a mumble.

“Cute. She yours?” Lyra asked, turning back towards Rarity.

“Mine? I- oh! No, she's my sister,” replied Rarity, looking as if she was trying to decide whether or not to be offended.

“Oh yeah, now I remember. I think I saw you two at the Sisterhooves Social. Got yourselves plenty dirty, if I recall.”

Rarity huffed. “Yes, well, it was all part of-”

“You've got a pretty sweet set of pipes there, kid.”

With a growing sense of concern, Sweetie Belle examined her hooves and body. She wasn't sure what to make of Lyra, but her sister was looking more and more irritated.

“What are you talking about? I don't have any pipes.”

The green unicorn chuckled. “I mean your voice. You're a pretty good singer. I bet you're popular with the colts.”

“Oh.” Sweetie Belle suddenly found herself fascinated with the floor beneath her front hooves. “I usually don't like to sing in front of other ponies. I only did it now because the babies were crying.”

“Huh.” When Sweetie Belle glanced back up, Lyra was still staring on her, only now she had a frown on her face. Not an angry or upset frown, but more like she was trying to solve a puzzle or a riddle.

“Now really, Miss Heartstrings, I think you ought to get some rest,” failing to hide the frustration in her voice.

“Are you kidding? I'm fit as a fiddle!”

Lyra stood up, wincing as she put weight on her injured leg. Nonetheless, she levitated a saddlebag out from beneath her discarded blankets and began to hobble across the room.

“And where exactly are you planning on going?”

“To help with the relief efforts. Half of Ponyville's been trashed by this storm, I'm sure, and everypony's gonna be out there working, and I intend to lend my hooves.” Halfway to the door, she turned to Sweetie Belle. “And I have something special in mind if you want to help out, kid.”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “Wait, you want ME to help?”

Rarity stepped forward, placing herself in front of Sweetie Belle. “I'm afraid not. Sweetie Belle is-”

“I wanna go! C'mon, Rarity, PLEASE?”

“I told Mom and Dad I would look after you, and no offense, Miss Heartstrings, but we've barely even met.”

“You know me, I'm practically your neighbor. We'll be right down the street with half the town. And c'mon, do I look like I'm in any condition to pull off a foalnapping?” Rarity began to protest, but Lyra barreled on. “You look like you've got plenty on your plate, and I promise to look after like she was my own sister.”

Rarity looked between Lyra's determined gazed and Sweetie Belle's puppy dog eyes. Finally she sighed in defeat. “Sweetie Belle, give me your word to be on your best behavior, and I'll let you 'help' Miss Lyra. And I except you to be back here in half an hour.”

“I can! I will! Thank you, Rarity!”

Lyra gave Rarity one last wink as Sweetie Belle followed her out into the village, which Rarity countered with a click of her tongue. “Though what you need Sweetie Belle's help for is beyond me.”

“Um, what do you need my help for?”

The two unicorns had reached the river‒ or at least, as close as Lyra was comfortable getting. Fallen trees and branches had made a wreck of streets and houses all across Ponyville, but by far the worst damage was near the Everfree River. With so little warning beforehand, there had been no time to for the town's residents to gather sandbags and try to hold back the rising water. The torrent had proved too much for the winding river, and although the flood waters had receded, it had left a large chunk of the town in greater disarray than Ponyville had seen since the awakening of Discord. The ground had been transformed into a veritable sea of mud, and the laboring residents of Ponyville had only just begun to clear away the piles of debris. All around them Ponies bustled, hauling branches, searching for lost possessions, or returning cautiously to homes they had fled the night before. A construction crew had already begun work repairing the town's central bridge, which had been largely swept away. Above them, pegasi pulled airborne chariots loaded with supplies from one side of the river to the other, disappearing in and out of the low grey clouds that hung over the town.

Sweetie Belle felt lost in the swell of ponies, noise and commotion. Her odd companion wasn't helping matters. The two of them sat apart from the crowd, side by side in the shadow of a closed flower shop. The green unicorn was absorbed in fiddling with a golden instrument she had pulled from her saddlebags. The faint green glimmer of her horn matched the aura surrounding the harp that closely resembled her Cutie Mark.

“This darn thing better be in tune, for all the grief it caused me to save it.”

“You said we were going to help out down here.”

“Trust me, kid, we are. But first I'm gonna tell you a little bit about myself. I'm from Canterlot originally, but that town always rubbed me the wrong way. Ponies had their noses too high in the air to see where they were going. I flunked out of the music program at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Not for lack of talent, I assure you. Let's just say the professors and I didn't see eye to eye about a lot of things.

“After escaping the tortures of higher education, I decided to hit the road. See what the wide world of Equestria had to offer me. Never made it farther than my first stop, though. I came to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration a couple years back. You know the one I'm talking about.”

Sweetie Belle shuddered. Everypony in Ponyville remembered the terrifying return of Nightmare Moon, even if they wished they didn't.

“But after the dust from all that settled, I found myself reluctant to leave this town. After the party for Celestia's return, I realized there was something special here. A friendliness. A neighborliness. A down-to-earthiness. A... well, this.”

Lyra gestured to the crowd. Sweetie Belle peered out at the ponies around, confused as to what her new friend was talking about. All she could see was a bunch of ponies toiling in the mud, most of whom looked like they were having the worst day of their lives.

“I don't get it.”

“Look, your sister is a bit of a neat freak, right? Likes everything just so. But when a couple dozen of her dirty, disheveled, and recently homeless neighbors‒ myself included‒ showed up at her door in the middle of a storm, she didn't bat an eye before taking them in. That's definitely not something you'd find very much of in Canterlot.

“Anyway, I'm now proud to call myself a resident of Ponyville. I get a few gigs here and there, but say what you will for this town, the classical concert scene isn't exactly thriving out here. So I've learned to make do with the income of a street performer. Which brings us to the task at hoof.”

Sweetie Belle's eyes grew wide as it dawned on her what Lyra was planning.

“That's how you're gonna help? By playing music?”

“No, that's how we're gonna help. I was hoping you'd pitch in on the vocals.”

Sweetie Belle's face turned red, and her mind raced to formulate an escape plan. Her best bet seemed to be to give Lyra an excuse, but all she could think of was “I have to go wash my lizard,” which even she realized didn't make any sense. She considered simply bolting, but a combination of politeness and terror kept her rooted to the spot. She began stammering, and it occurred to her that she may in fact have been tricked.

“I-I-I r-really don't l-like to sing in f-f-front of-”

“I get it, kid. I'm no stranger to stage fright. But believe me when I say you've got something special with that voice of yours. I'm not one to philosophize, but there's something about music. It... uplifts your soul. It's not anything you can put into words. It's something I felt when I first picked my lyre all those years ago, and I bet it's something you feel whenever you sing. And I know for sure,” she made a sweeping gesture to the crowd of haggard ponies, some of whom were already giving them curious looks, “that it's something these ponies need to feel right now.”

A tiny war broke out in Sweetie Belle's head. On the one hoof, she wanted more than anything to help, to not be just some useless filly, to do something, anything, to lift the dark cloud that had settled over everything she knew. On the other hoof, she could already feel her legs tremble at the thought of all those ponies watching her, judging her, yelling at her, telling her she should give up and go home. She wished Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were there. They were both so fearless, so confident. They would tell her...

They would tell her to do it.

She turned to Lyra. She couldn't bring herself to say it, but the other unicorn gave her a knowing grin.

“Do you know The Lost Pegasus?”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “Yeah, I think so. But that song's really, um, old.”

“I know,” Lyra replied as she strummed a chord with her magic, “but old songs stick around for a reason.”

Sweetie Belle had expected Lyra to stand up and make some sort of announcement, but the unicorn merely leaned back against the wall behind her, closed her eyes, and confidently struck the opening notes of the song. Sweetie Belle only had a second to prepare. She stepped forward, and the noise around her began to grow quiet as ponies took notice of them. For a terrifying moment, she didn't think she would be able to do it. Her heart seemed to be pushing up into her throat, and the ground beneath her seemed to be falling away. But then her voice rose up of its own accord, and she managed to sing the first quavering notes.

Oh, once was a lost soul
Wandered earth and sky
In search of the place
Where her true love did lie

As the sound of the music rose, the voices of ponies around them began to die down. After a few moments, the confused and curious face of every pony in the area was on the odd pair of unicorns. Sweetie Belle faltered beneath so many gazes, but pushed onward, miraculously hitting every note with her young voice. The crowd began to gather around them at a short distance as dozens of ponies rested from their work to listen to the impromptu performance. A few voices rose in protest, but they were quickly shushed by their neighbors, some of whom were beginning to smile.

Through the dark of the night
And the heat of the day
Never once did she rest
Never once did she stray

Sweetie Belle's mom had sung the ballad to her when she was younger. It followed a simple melody, but it was one that stuck in your head for hours after hearing it. The story was an old pony tale about a pegasus mare in love with a unicorn prince. His mother couldn't stand the thought of his son marrying a pegasus, so she cursed him with a spell that made him forget her. However, the spell backfired against her‒ the stallion forgot everything about who he was, and wandered into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Sweetie Belle always thought it was a terribly sad story, but as she sang it now, she suddenly understood things she never had about the song. She saw the lost pegasus clearly before her, never giving up, never losing hope, and she felt a soft, joyous spark within her heart.

In a flash, she understood that she could give that to the ponies all around her. All she had to do was raise her voice, bring the emotions that she felt out into the song, and she could share that spark with them. With each verse, her voice grew stronger, her heart grew lighter, and the faces of the ponies around her grew more entranced. Nearly everypony was smiling, and more than one pony had to quickly wipe away a tear. The persistent notes of Lyra's strings pushed her onwards, and by the time she reached the last verse, her voice rang high and clear over the hushed crowd of ponies.

Her mane had turned grey
From the miles she flew
But she whispered “At last
I can lie here with you”

Even before Lyra finished the last notes, the air was filled with the sound of cheers and the stomping of hooves. Sweetie Belle could still feel the weight of the attention she was receiving and the heat in her face, but she also couldn't stop smiling. She felt connected with the other ponies- with her audience‒ in a way she had never thought was possible. Behind her, Lyra was taking a bow, and she fumbled to drop into a curtsey.

The interruption didn't last long. A few ponies walked over to compliment them or offer them bits (which Lyra adamantly refused), but the crowd dispersed as quickly as it formed. Ponies returned to the work at hoof, but Sweetie Belle could see a determination on dozens of faces that she knew hadn't been there before. She also felt, as she looked into the crowd, that she could see her neighbors more clearly now. She realized that she recognized every one of their faces, and that they truly were more than just ponies that happened to live side by side.

“Hey kid, you okay?”

Sweetie Belle started as she realized she hadn't said anything in awhile. In fact, she had been staring off into space. Lyra was giving her a nervous grin.

“Yeah. It's just... woah.”

“I feel ya. Every performance is a kind of like that. But the first time, man, it's something else. Trust me, you'll remember this when you're singing in the future.”

“In the future?”

Lyra's smile grew so wide that it looked like it might fall off her face as she pointed to Sweetie Belle's flank. “Something tells me your singing career's just getting started.”

Cakes

...and there it was!” finished Sweetie Belle, showing off the trio of pink musical notes that formed her Cutie Mark.

The table rattled as the gathered ponies stomped their hooves in applause‒ all except Pound, who gave an exaggerated yawn. This earned him a glare from his twin sister.

“Pound, that was very rude!”

“No offense, Sweetie Belle, but that story was way too girly.”

“I thought it was sweet!”

“That's because you're super girly too.”

“So what?”

“It makes me want to barf!”

“You're so immature!” Pumpkin practically shrieked, swatting at her brother with her hooves.

Sweetie chuckled as she gently pried the two foals apart with her magic. “So you want to hear a Cutie Mark story with a bit more excitement, huh, Pound?”

“Um. Sure? I mean, if I'm gonna be listening to stories, I'd like if there were more, like, explosions and stuff.”

“I don't know about explosions, but have you heard Scootaloo's Cutie Mark story? It's pretty thrilling, if you ask me.”

Pound's ears perked up. “Hey, yeah! Scootaloo has, like, the coolest Cutie Mark ever! I bet that story is totally awesome!”

Pinkie Pie had been absorbed in licking up the last bit of ice cream from the bottom of her shake, but at the mention of Scootaloo pried the glass from her snout. “Ooh! You know where I bet Scootaloo is? Sweet Apple Acres! Which is where I just remembered me and the twins were going before we stopped to say hi to you guys!”

“I think I'm ready to head over,” said Sweetie Belle. “Let's go find Scootaloo! Cutie Mark Crusader storytellers, yay!”

Before the other ponies could figure out what was happening, Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle and Pound Cake were galloping down the road, a cloud of dust rising in their wake. Rarity sighed as she wiped her face with a napkin.

“The boundless energy of youth. And whatever mysterious force drives Pinkie Pie. I suppose we better follow them. Will, erm, will you be okay with the walk, Twilight?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “This thing's carried me halfway across Equestria, Rarity. I think I can handle the road to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Pumpkin gasped and covered her mouth with her hooves as Twilight rounded the table. For the first time she got a good look at the unicorn, and could only now see that Twilight's right front leg was almost entirely missing. Not far down from her shoulder, the leg ended in a stub, which was strapped into a strange, long and thin metal device that bent as Twilight walked. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Pumpkin staring.

“The rewards of Equestria's greatest hero,” Twilight said, smiling sadly as she shook the artificial leg gently.

Pumpkin's face flushed. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to‒ it was rude of me to... how did it happen?”

“It's alright, I'm used to the attention. And it's all part of Scootaloo's story, so we better hurry if we don't want to miss it.”

The three unicorns began trotting briskly down the road, Pumpkin keeping easy pace between the two older ponies. It was a warm and bright late Spring day, and the sounds of Ponyville washed over them as they walked. Many ponies were just starting their lunch breaks, so the streets were filled with the rising sound of the cheerful voices of Ponyville residents walking by. It had been some time since she had last visited, so Twilight was eager to bask in the glow of the small town. But after a few minutes, she turned her attention back to the young unicorn walking beside her.

“So, Pumpkin. I've noticed that you're rather, what's the word, precocious?”

“Enough to know what that word means,” Pumpkin said, smiling and hold her head up proudly.

“Mmhmm. I also noticed that you and your brother were rather, well, skeptical of the fact that Pinkie Pie was my friend.”

“Oh. Well, you know. You're so famous, and awesome, and Pinkie Pie's so, well...”

Pumpkin searched Twilight's face for agreement or recognition, but only got a look of puzzlement in return.

“She's so goofy, Twilight. She tells stupid stories and cheesy jokes all the time, and throws random parties. It just seems strange that somepony as important as you would be friends with somepony like her.”

“Pinkie Pie is important too, you know. Haven't you heard of the Elements of Harmony? She's one of them, you know.”

“She is? Well, I mean, maybe the Elements screwed up. It's hard to picture Pinkie saving Equestria.”

“I think you're being awfully hard on her.”

“Well you don't have to live with her! I mean, when Pound and I were little, we thought Pinkie was hilarious, but the older we get, the more it feels like we're, I don't know, outgrowing her. Like she's the one who's still a foal.”

There was a long, awkward silence, during which Twilight and Rarity shared a worried look and Pumpkin stared at her hooves. Eventually the two older ponies changed the topic of conversation, with Rarity filling Twilight in on the latest gossip of Ponyville, but Pumpkin didn't put much effort into paying attention.

She thought hard about what she had just said. It wasn't anything she had said to anypony before, or even to herself, but she realized it had been growing in the back of her mind for a long time. The perpetually cheerful earth pony had been as much a part of her life as her brother and her parents for as long as she could remember, but lately she found herself being less amused and more annoyed with her old babysitter's antics.

Why should that bother me, though?, she thought. Isn't that what growing up is all about? You change, you grow, you find out who you are, you get a silly picture on your butt to prove it.

It felt strange enough to be walking down the street with Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies. She didn't know how to feel about arguing about Pinkie Pie with her.

Her musings were interrupted when the three ponies crested the top of a hill and Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Pumpkin blinked, trying to make sense of how the farm could have transformed overnight into such a sea of color and activity. Ponies of every breed and color, many with distinctly apple-related Cutie Marks, bustled about the orchard and farm. Bright banners hung from the branches of the trees, and vibrant bouquets of flowers decorated fenceposts, walls and windows. On a hill in the meadow across from the farm a small stage had been erected, and a team of ponies was working to set up a large open air tent in the field below. Swarms of songbirds flew through the air or perched chattering on branches, practicing their music for the upcoming ceremony.

Rarity gave the scene an approving smile, and Twilight couldn't help but laugh out loud. “Oh, wow. The Apples really went all out, didn't they?”

“Well, it is a wedding, darling. The question is, how will we ever find the others in all this crowd?”

Twilight squinted as she searched the grounds. “Isn't that them by the stage over there?” she asked, gesturing across the field with her good hoof.

They indeed found Pinkie, Sweetie Belle and Pound seated the foot of the wooden platform, along with Apple Bloom, who was carefully tying garlands of flowers to the white archway framing the stage. She paused in her work to wave cheerily at the newcomers.

“Twilight! Fancy seein' you round these parts.”

“It's nice to see you too, Apple Bloom. We were just saying how amazing everything looks.”

“Well thank you kindly. Ah wouldn't settle for anything less than the best for that brother of mine, lunkhead though he is.”

“Hey girls!” Pinkie bounced and beamed, greeting them as if she hadn't just seen them minutes ago. “We were just talking to Apple Bloom about trying to find Scootaloo, but then we got sidetracked into talking about other things, including that trebuchet you wanted Pumpkin, and that was what we originally set out to find out about before we got sidetracked by Cutie Mark stories, so then I tried to set things back on track, but I also wanted to keep things on the track with the stories because those are super cool, and, um...” She stared at her hooves, which were frozen mid-gesture. “Wait, I think I'm confused.”

Sweetie Belle chimed in. “Apple Bloom's gonna tell us her Cutie Mark story while we wait for Scootaloo to show up.”

“Yeah, that!”

However, Applebloom's attention had been diverted to the bottom of the hill. She winced even as she smiled, and announced in a loud stage whisper, “Look out, everypony. Incoming bride.”

Fluttershy was a sight to behold as she galloped up the hillside, her wings flared out to either side. Her frantic expression and wild eyes were framed by her billowing white dress, the train of which was being carried by a small entourage of birds trying valiantly to keep the silk out of the dirt. She skidded to a halt at the top of the hill, her breath heaving as she fired off a rapid series of greetings.

“Twilight oh my goodness it's so good to see you, I'm so glad you could make it, Pinkie, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Cake foals, thank you for coming out, RARITY YOU HAVE TO HELP ME IT'S A DISASTER.”

“Fluttershy, darling, whatever is the matter?”

“I'll tell you what's the matter! The wedding is in mere hours and we still need to set up the decorations-”

“That's all nearly finished,” said Apple Bloom, gesturing to the field below.

“-the catering is nowhere to be found-”

“The cakes should be heading over in a bit!” chimed in Pinkie.

“-I look absolutely hideous in my dress-”

“Now that's just preposterous, dear. I designed the thing myself and it's some of my greatest work to date.”

“-and any minute now Big Macintosh is going to realize that he's throwing his life away by marrying a worthless, helpless, spineless pony like myself and walk out on me, and he should do that, I would never blame, but when he does I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself!”

Fluttershy's rant dissolved into wordless sobs as she flung herself to the ground, her hovering attendants fluttering to and fro frantically to protect her dress. The gathered ponies shared awkward glances before Pound spoke up.

“We're hearing Cutie Mark stories. Got any good ones?”

The bride-to-be's tears halted and she sprung back to her hooves. “Stories? I have a story! It's the story of how Fluttershy got so freaked out by her wedding, her head exploded!”

How Apple Bloom Got Her Cutie Mark

The road from Sweet Apple Acres to Fluttershy's cottage had turned into a river of mud. The squelching of Applejack's hooves in the muck and the creaking wheels of the cart she pulled matched the rhythm of the jostling that Apple Bloom felt atop her sister's back. When the mire had proved too difficult for her short legs to traverse, her older sister had grown impatient and insisted on giving Apple Bloom a ride for the short journey. Apple Bloom had complained, of course, but she was secretly both proud and grateful to have an older sister to take care of her. She was also vaguely aware at times that the point of no longer getting ponyback rides from her older sister was coming close. It was nothing that either of them said, but the days where Applejack would scoop Apple Bloom up, throw her on her back, and place her cowboy hat on her head were growing fewer and farther between.

Not that Apple Bloom would think of grabbing AJ's hat at the moment. Her older sister was usually the nicest pony that she knew, but last night's storm had woken up something in Applejack that she almost never saw. Apple Bloom had seen a timber wolf once, lurking at the edge of the farm during Zap Apple season. It had been only for a moment, but the strange creature had turned and looked her in the eye, and its steely gaze had burned itself into the young pony's memory. All morning long, whenever she caught Applejack's eyes, she swore she could see the same expression, and though her sister's anger wasn't directed even remotely at her, she wasn't eager to cause her any more distress.

So they made the journey to the cottage in uneasy silence. As they rounded the bend and the small building came into view, any lingering thought on her relationship with her sister fled Apple Bloom's mind. All of Ponyville was a mess, and Sweet Apple Acres was no exception either, but the small forest clearing that Fluttershy called home looked like a disaster area. Normally full of flowers and small animals, the gardens surrounding the house were now a debris-filled swamp. She could see her older brother making his way through the puddles, treading carefully over the creatures that ran in confusion around his heavy hooves. Fallen branches and upended bushes littered the small hill on which the cottage stood, and the stone path leading up to the door had been all but washed away.

This destruction was a minor footnote, however, to the cottage itself. A large tree had been struck by lightning and fallen through the middle of the small home. Half the building was destroyed, and the contents of the other half had been left to the mercy of the storm. Broken wood and the majority of Fluttershy's soaked possessions were scattered halfway to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

The yellow pegasus herself was sitting at the edge of the stream that wound through the gardens. Apple Bloom thought that she looked more lost than any pony she had ever seen, and although she didn't know what to do or say, her heart went out to her. After a nod from her sister, she jumped of Applejack's back and helped unhitch her from the vehicle. She climbed over the wood heaped in the cart, and watched as her sister and Fluttershy shared a hug.

“I'm awful sorry, sugar.”

“It's... it's alright. It's just things. I've talked to the animals, and I don't think anyone's hurt too bad. I'll feel better when they're all accounted for and back home.”

“Right. Well, we better get workin' so they got a home to come back to. First order of business is rebuilding this here bridge. Then we can get some equipment cross the stream and get that tree out of your house. Sound good?”

Fluttershy nodded, but she was once again staring forlornly at the wreck of her house. Applejack sighed, then kicked at the mud with a scowl on her face.

“What Ah don't get is why you ain't angry at her.”

The pegasus started, then turned to her friend. “Angry? I couldn't be angry. It isn't her fault, after all.”

“'Not her fault'?! How in Celestia's name is this 'not her fault'? Her fault is exactly what this all is!”

“Please don't be mad, Applejack. I don't know exactly what happened, but she was really upset about something, and I could never blame her for anything.” At this point, Apple Bloom thought she could see tears forming at the corners of Fluttershy's eyes. “Besides, they still haven't found her yet. She could... she could be lost... or... or...”

“'Lost.' Skipped town, more like. That'd be just like her, make a mess then leave it for the rest of us to clean up.”

“How can you say that? She's your friend!”

“Not so sure about that any more. At moment Ah feel like if she ever shows her face around Ponyville again, she might just earn herself a kick in the face from yours truly. And that goes double if Pinkie doesn't turn up in one piece.”

Applejack's voice was on the edge of shouting, and Fluttershy looked like she was trying to hide behind her flowing pink hair. As Applejack's last words echoed through the clearing, Apple Bloom could only stare in shock at her sister's outburst. When Fluttershy didn't respond, Applejack sighed and hung her head.

“Ah'm sorry. It's just that everypony's lives have been upturned by this haypickin' storm, and Ah know it's wrong, but it feels like she let us down somehow. Ah don't blame you for stickin' by her side, Ah just wish... Ah just wish she was more deservin' of your friendship.”

Fluttershy's voice was barely above a whisper. “It's okay. You can't help how you feel. Anymore than she can.”

Applejack snorted. “Apple Bloom, why don't you help us unload all this so Ah can head back to the farm for the next load. We need to get to work here.”

As the three of them piled the wood next to the stream, Fluttershy began to fidget nervously. After Applejack was hitched to the cart again, she finally spoke up.

“You don't have to do this, you know. I'm sure there's lots of repairs that need to be done on the farm.”

“It ain't a problem, sugarcube. The farm'll keep. You need somewhere to live. Besides,” she mumbled as she started down the muddy road, “proper friends look out for each other.”

The clattering of the empty cart slowly died down as Applejack disappeared down the road, leaving Apple Bloom and Fluttershy sitting awkwardly with only the chirping of the birds and the gurgle of the stream to fill the silence. Fluttershy was staring at the sky, and Apple Bloom found herself struggling with a strange feeling. She knew that Fluttershy was hurting, and that she wanted to comfort her somehow. But Fluttershy was an Adult, and so despite the pegasus's timid personality, Apple Bloom had an implicit admiration and respect for her. Adults knew what to do. Adults took care of problems. Adults didn't need the help of little foals. The idea that she would be the one to take care of Fluttershy and not the other way around was an unusual revelation, and it made Apple Bloom vaguely uncomfortable.

Fluttershy coughed. “Well, I... I guess I'd better get back to helping the animals.”

Apple Bloom perched herself atop the woodpile and followed Fluttershy with her eyes as she wandered into the swamp mess. The moment to say something had passed, and there was nothing for Apple Bloom to do but watch Fluttershy leave. She was so lost in contemplation that she didn't notice her brother approaching until she heard the loud splashes as he waded through the stream.

“'Morning, Apple Bloom.”

“'Morning, Big Mac.”

“What'cha doin' here?”

“Ah wanted to go find Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but Applejack said she wanted to keep an eye on me, so she made me come with her to help you guys. Ah told her Ah could take care of myself, but she wasn't havin' it.”

“She has the right of it. Ain't safe for little ponies out there right now.”

“Ah ain't a little pony!”

“Well, then you can pitch in and do your share of work, like a big pony and an Apple.”

Apple Bloom snorted at Big Mac, who towered over her even from position on top of the woodpile. Most ponies wouldn't be able to tell when Big Mac was joking, but Apple Bloom could see the tiny twitch at the corners of his mouth and the look of quiet triumph in his eyes. As she hopped back to the ground and opened up the toolbox, she heard the low rumble of his chuckle behind her. Despite his teasing, she knew he was right. An Apple's place was with her family.

As they set to work driving posts into the muddy earth, Apple Bloom's mind wandered back to the yellow pegasus whose bridge they were building. She could see Fluttershy flying aimlessly from tree to tree, talking to the birds that hopped restlessly among the branches. Apple Bloom had seen Fluttershy flying many times, and normally the mare flew with a serene beauty, almost floating through the air. But today she seemed heavier, as if merely keeping herself aloft was the most difficult of burdens. After several moments of watching her, a thought burst out of Apple Bloom's mouth before she even had time to think it.

“You should go talk to her.”

Her brother lifted his head from the post he was hammering and stared at her blankly. “Applejack?”

“No. Miss Fluttershy.”

Big Mac followed Apple Bloom's gaze to where the pegasus drifted through the air. “How do you figure?”

“Look at her. She's hurtin', and it ain't just because her house is smashed. Her heart's banged up too, and she needs somepony to help her.”

“You don't think Ah can see that? Ah just don't see how that pony is me.”

“Why wouldn't it be you? When we was all runnin' down to the cellar last night, who ran down the road and fetched and made sure she was safe? Way Ah heard it, she was so scared she could hardly move! If you hadn't taken care of her, she would've been in that cottage when that tree fell and gotten smooshed to bits! Way Ah see, you're her hero. Her knight in shinin' armor, or whatnot.”

“That's different.”

“Why? She needed you then. She needs you now.”

“Ah couldn't do anythin' for her. You know ah ain't good with words.”

Big Mac scraped at the ground with a hoof, and Apple Bloom was struck with the same sense of wonder she had experienced with Fluttershy. It wasn't just the realization that her mountain of a brother, who had seemed so fearless and capable all her life, needed help with something. It was the idea that she could provide that help. She wasn't just a bystander. She wasn't just a foal.

“Big Mac, you're better with words than anypony I know.”

Her brother raised an eyebrow at that, but she pressed on. “It's true! 'Cuz you're always honest, and always speak your heart, and... and you say more with two words than most ponies manage with two dozen. Honest, you do. And you know that if you went over there to be with her, it would mean the world to her.”

Big Mac was gazing in Fluttershy's direction. The pegasus had glanced in their direction, her eyes almost hidden beneath her long pink mane. Apple Bloom could see the gears turning in Big Mac's head. She knew the way his brain worked. Slow but strong, and steady as an oak tree. Finally, he spoke quietly, more to himself than to his sister.

“Ah reckon you might be right.”

His first step was hesitant, but each step he took across the muddy clearing brought more resolve to his posture. When she could hear the murmur of the two ponies' voice, she turned her attention back to the beginnings of the wooden bridge. It looked like she would have to finish it herself.

“Just as well,” she muttered. “He was hammerin' these posts in all wrong. They're too far apart.”

Hauling the planks and holding them in position wasn't easy with her short legs, but by the time Applejack returned with the the cart, Apple Bloom had set up what she felt was a decent framework. She was heavily absorbed in her task, and barely turned to greet her sister. Applejack let out a grunt as she unhitched herself.

“Where's your brother and Fluttershy?”

“Went off. Down the road, Ah think.”

“What for?”

“To talk.”

“Uh huh. And you're workin' on this here bridge.”

“Yep. Built it all by myself.”

Her sister trotted up to join her at the riverbed, and Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah know, ah know. Stop messin' around.”

The expected admonition didn't come. In fact, Applejack seemed thoughtful. Cheerful, even.

“Well go ahead. Tell me that it's no good, that you're gonna have to knock it all down and start over.”

“Looks fine to me. Ah reckon' it'll hold.”

“Wait, really? What makes you so certain?”

Applejack was almost beaming as she reached out and nudged Apple Bloom's flank. “Well, for starters, that.”

Cakes

“And sure as sugar, there it was,” said Apple Bloom, displaying the hammer and wooden apple that made her Cutie Mark.

Once again, the story was received with the appreciative stomping of hooves from most of the small audience and an exasperated sigh from Pound. “That was even girlier than the last one! C'mon, we need to find Scootaloo. She's the coolest pony in Ponyville, her Cutie Mark story has the be more awesome than these!”

Apple Bloom chuckled and shared a wink with Sweetie Belle. “Does all this sound a little familiar to you too?”

“Brings you back, doesn't it? But where is Scootaloo, anyway? Wasn't she going to help you guys with everything?”

“She buzzed over to the train station awhile back. Ah think she's meetin' up with-”

“Everypony, look out!”

They could hear the yells from all the way across the meadow. Two speeding blurs had come into view on the road out of Ponyville, and startled ponies dove out of their way as they barreled toward the farm. The figures resolved into two ponies, both riding dangerously fast on flat wheeled boards. The orange pony riding farther back rode smoothly, steering expertly around the wide curve leading up to the farm. The blue pony in front, on the other hoof, was clearly not in control of the situation. She wobbled and leaned, swinging wildly back and forth across the road all the way up to the farm. Heads turned at the noise, and there was a collective gasp across the entire farm as the unfortunate pony finally crashed into the roadside ditch and was sent flying head over hooves. The group at the hilltop shared winces and groans as they watched the pony, now close enough to be recognized as a rainbow-maned pegasus, faceplant in the grass at the foot of the hill.

The group clambered down the hill to help, with Pinkie Pie and Pound galloping to the front and Pumpkin hanging back to stay with Twilight, who made her way down more slowly due to her leg. The blue pegasus was rising to her feet and brushing off her wings when Scootaloo caught up and expertly turned her board, bringing herself to a halt.

“You know, Rainbow Dash, I know plenty of earth ponies who have no problem with this, and they don't even have wings to help balance.”

“I'll get the hang of it one of these days. Besides, flying's more my style. Hey guys!”

“Dashie!” Pinkie Pie cried out, tackling the pegasus in another of her patented high-speed hugs. Pumpkin had caught up with the group, and stood curiously to the side as everpony exchanged greetings. As Rainbow Dash disentangled herself from Pinkie Pie and gave Twilight Sparkle a much gentler hug, Pumpkin noticed that her brother looked like he might be choking on something.

“Are you okay there?”

Pound's voice cracked as he leaned over to whisper. “Do you know who that is?”

“A very clumsy pony?”

“That's Rainbow Dash.”

This earned nothing but a blank stare from Pumpkin.

“One of the Wonderbolts!”

“That flying team you're always going on about? So you don't know who Twilight Sparkle is, but you freak out over some showpony?”

“SHOWPONY? She's just about the coolest pony in EQUESTRIA!”

Pound's outburst caught the attention of the other ponies, who all turned to stare. Rainbow Dash chuckled as she trotted over to the two foals.

“Holy cow, is this the Cake twins? Pound and Pumpkin, right? Heh, you probably don't remember me, but your aunt Pinkie and I go way back. Name's Rainbow Dash.”

“Very pleased to meet you, Rainbow Dash,” said Pumpkin smartly, relishing the chance to show off her manners. Her brother, on the other, seemed incapable of doing anything other than sitting stock still and twitching an eye.

“Uh. You okay kid?”

“Rainbow Dash knows my name,” he breathed.

“Haha. Um?” Rainbow Dash turned nervously to the other ponies, looking for help. Pinkie bounced to her rescue.

“Hey Pound, you remember why we came out here, right? To hear Scootaloo's Cutie Mark story!”

Scootaloo stepped forward, posing and flipping her hair. “You wanna hear that story huh? Well, okay, but I gotta warn you, it might be just about the awesomest thing you ever‒ oh. Um...”

She was interrupted by a quick nudge from Apple Bloom, and she looked questioningly in Rainbow Dash's direction. Dash, however, just rolled her eyes.

“Geez, I'm fine. I love this story, it really is just about the coolest thing ever.” She sat on the ground between Pound and Pumpkin, and leaned down to Pound, who still looked a little nervous. “Trust me, kid, this Cutie Mark story is only second to my own. You're in for a treat.”

Scootaloo regained her confidence, and began telling her story to the Ponies who were settling in a circle in the grass around her.

“Well, one night, there was this wicked awful storm...”

How Scootaloo Got Her Cutie Mark

When the driving wind became so strong that she had to dismount her scooter and press forward on hoof, it occurred to Scootaloo that maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. After Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had been picked up by their sisters, her mom had given her strict orders not to leave the house while she went next door to help old Miss Bluehoof. She knew that sneaking out would worry her parents, but it couldn't be helped. In her mom's hushed conversation with Applejack, she had heard the names of certain ponies. Ponies who were involved somehow in the storm, ponies who were now missing. One name burned clear in Scootaloo's young mind, and even though she didn't know exactly what was going on, if Rainbow Dash needed her help, then there wasn't any question of whether or not she would be there. It was only now, with the world she knew obscured by sheets of rain, that the idea of her name being spoken of in that way began gnawing on her brain.

Oh well. Too late now.

Her eyes were turned skyward in search of her idol, so Scootaloo didn't notice the beginning of the slope until she was almost tumbling down it. She scrambled to find her footing as she backed away from the edge of disaster. The wind lashed at her mane and her tail, and she shivered as she peered out into the darkness, trying to get her bearings. Opening up before was a large empty space, and she realized she was near the Everfree river. If she listened closely, she could hear the rush of water over the roar of the wind and rain. Squinting her eyes, she peered down the hillside. Under normal circumstances, she would find herself atop a gentle incline leading down to the tranquil stream which split the town. Now mud made the slope treacherous, and the grey, roiling river was overflowing its banks twenty feet below her. She was about to retreat from her precarious position when something else caught her eye.

On the far side of the river, barely visible in the gloom, was the prone figure of a pony lying at the edge of the river. In fact, half the pony's body was submerged beneath the rushing water, and when its position shifted slightly Scootaloo realized with horror that they were mere moments from being swept away.

She looked around in a panic. There was nopony else nearby. There was only the howl of the wind and the dark windows of houses abandoned or battered down for the storm. If she ran for help, it would be too late. She had no idea which direction the nearest bridge was, or how far it was. Her wings unfurled and struggled against the wind. Never had the tiny things felt more useless. She stared at the figure across the river, and her heart reached out in desperation.

And then an insane idea came into her head. She happened to notice a spot where the riverbed reared up. Looking at the way the hill lead down to it, and the way the ground jutted up over the water, a particularly reckless young pegasus might think that nature had provided her with a ramp.

Scootaloo clutched her the handle of her scooter against her chest. It was a crazy idea. She had no idea if she could make it all the way down the hill, much less across the river, which seemed a thousand miles wider than it had last time she had seen it. Her heart beat counted the seconds as the rushed by, and she thought about Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash was a hero. Rainbow Dash was brave. Rainbow Dash wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Somepony needed her help, and in a moment, her decision was made. She set her jaw, tightened her helmet strap, and mounted her scooter. Pushing off, she started down the slope, letting gravity take control...

...and fell off balance as she felt more than heard a loud, splintering crack. She began to fall forward as she realized that the handle of her scooter, which had supported her on countless rides, had snapped at the base. The wooden rod hung in her hooves, and time seemed to freeze. She knew it was all over, that she had failed. She would fall face forward into the muddy hillside, and the pony in the river would be lost. Worse yet, she herself would tumble into the merciless waters and be swept away, never to be seen again. She wasn't a hero. She was just a stupid foal who couldn't fly, much less save somepony's life.

No.

Being a hero meant never giving up. This was her moment, and she wasn't going to let it slip through her hooves. She had to make it across the river.

Instinct propelled her, and she leaned back. Her hooves tightened against the wooden board, and although she wobbled and leaned, she kept her balance. As she began to build up momentum, she tossed the useless handle aside. She crouched down, and threw her forelegs and wings out to balance. The dirt ramp rose up to meet her, and as she approached her destination, the electric rush of adrenaline surged through her. In the months following, when she finally took the air on her young wings, Scootaloo would think back to this moment. When she had crashed to the ground two dozen times in a row, when the task of flight seemed an impossible dream, she would remember careening down that hillside in the wind and rain, only her balance and instincts keeping her on her course, and the breathless exhilaration of speed.

And then she was flying for real. Her broken scooter and her rocketed off the small rise, and then there was only air between her and the Everfree. She hung motionless above the world for a breathless second, then gravity claimed her once more. Her board finally fell from beneath her hooves, and although she was moving quickly towards the far bank, it wasn't nearly fast enough. In desperation, she spread out her wings to their fullest extent. She didn't fly so much as glide, jerking in the wind, and finally landing with a jolt in the mud and grass.

Scootaloo wanted nothing more than to lie on the ground and let her spinning brain catch up to the world, but her job wasn't over. Rising shakily to her hooves, she turned to find the pony lying a few feet away, its head and forelegs already sliding down the bank. As she stepped over, she barely registered the purple coat and mane of Twilight Sparkle underneath a layer of mud and water. There was no time to wonder what had happened to her, no time to think about the redness that covered one of the unicorn's legs. Twilight's eyes were closed, but when Scootaloo shoved her head under her uninjured shoulder, she could feel the unicorn breathing.

The world swam around her, and it was all she could do to focus on her task. Supporting Twilight's body with her own, Scootaloo began pushing harder than she ever had in her life. Inch by slow inch, she dragged the larger pony out of the river. When she looked back and saw Twilight's rear legs dragging furrows in the mud, her strength finally gave out. She fell to the ground, panting. Looking up, she saw the blur of figures in the distance, and her voice rose in a croak.

“Somepony help!”

The rest was a haze. She remembered being carried, and the hospital, and her crying parents, and underneath it all a steely feeling of pride. The exact moment was something she would never be able to place. She never even saw it until she woke up the next morning. But for years afterward, an old hospital form had a spot on the wall above her bed next to her Wonderbolts posters. The wrinkled paper recorded the condition in which the patient had been received, and also gave a physical description‒ her build, the color of her coat and mane, and her Cutie Mark.

Cakes

“And that,” finished Scootaloo, “was how I saved Twilight's life, earned my Cutie Mark, and invented Scootalooboarding, all at the same time.”

There was a round of applause, punctuated by cheers from Pinkie Pie and the foals. Apple Bloom, however, cleared her throat as she tried not to grin.

“Wait, Ah thought it was called 'skateboarding'.”

“What? No, it's Scootalooboarding.”

“I've heard it called 'scootboarding,” chimed in Sweetie Belle.

“That's just stupid!”

“They're calling it 'ponyboarding' in Canterlot,” Twilight added helpfully.

“I invented it! I get to say what's it's called!” Scootaloo insisted, gesturing to the picture of a “Scootalooboard” on her flank.

The group fell into a fit of giggles as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom began to bicker about the name of Scootaloo's new sport. Pumpkin found herself once again falling into the background a little, watching the group of old friends as they teased and joked with each other. It was still so strange to see Pinkie Pie, a pony she had known all her life, talking with famous ponies like Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash like it was nothing. And the Cutie Mark stories she had heard hadn't been what she had expected. They were exciting, sure. But she envisioned the moment she got her Cutie Mark as something momentous, something life changing. The way the old Crusaders told it, they had gotten their Cutie Marks just by being the ponies that they always were. Was it really that simple?

Her reflection, along with the chatter of the group, was brought to an abrupt halt by a voice behind Pumpkin. Rainbow Dash broke from her conversation with Pound to find herself face to face with Applejack.

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh. Uh, hey Applejack.”

“Good to see you could make it,” said the farmpony, sporting a decidedly neutral expression. “Fluttershy's askin' to see you.”

“Ok. I guess I better, uh, go see her then. She's, uh...”

“In the kitchen, with Rarity.”

“Right. Uh, see you guys around.”

There was a long, chilly silence as Rainbow Dash trotted off in the direction of the farmhouse. Applejack watched her retreat for a moment, but when she turned back to the group, her expression had softened considerably.

“Land's sake, it good to see you, Twilight. How's the big city treatin' you?”

Twilight chuckled nervously, but she stepped forward to embrace Applejack all the same. “It's terribly exciting, though of course I still miss Ponyville. Do you think we could find someplace to sit and talk?”

“'Course we can. The rest of you want to sit for a spell? Ah think we've got this weddin' just about set up.”

“Actually,” chirped Pinkie, “I better get these two back to Sugarcube Corner. We have to get you guys all smartened up for the wedding!”

Pound groaned. “Aw man, do we have to? I hate my suit, it's so itchy.”

“It was very nice to meet you, Ms. Sparkle,” Pumpkin said in her best grown-up voice. She felt an enormous burst of pride when the older unicorn smiled down at her, but it was tempered by the confusion she felt surrounding everything she had seen and heard that afternoon. By the time everpony had said their goodbyes and the three of them were on their way back home, she was already deep in thought once more.

As the sun set and the shadows began to stretch across the fields outside of Ponyville, a chorus of crickets filled the summer air with their song. But the music they made was insignificant next to the noise that came from the pavilion set up across from Sweet Apple Acres, where the wedding reception was well underway. Lightning-bug lanterns hung from the canvas roof, casting warm light on the eating, drinking, and dancing ponies. In the center of the dance floor Fluttershy and Big Macintosh moved in slow circles, both looking extremely tired but extremely content. At one table Twilight Sparkle chatted with Princess Cadance, who had indeed arrived with more than enough time to perform her duties as Master of Ceremonies. In another corner Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat talking together, the stories they had told that day evidently sparking a long series of fond memories of their days as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

And at a table close enough for their parents to watch over them but far enough away to appear cool, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake sat arguing.

“Just go up and ask her if you want it that bad!”

“I can't do that! She's Rainbow Dash. If I just walk up to her and am like 'Hey Rainbow Dash, can I have your autograph?' she'll think I'm some crazy fan!”

“You are a crazy fan.”

“I'm not crazy! And would you just walk up to Twilight or whatever and ask for her autograph?”

“I don't want Twilight Sparkle's autograph, that's just tacky.”

“Oh admit it, you think it would be totally cool.”

“I mean, sure, if I happened to have my copy of 'The Legend of Starswirl the Bearded' on my (which, incidentally, I do) and she happened to have a quill on her (and I have spare one in case she doesn't) and I happened to bump into her on the dance floor, then maybe-”

“Hey kids!”

Pound nearly choked on his water when Rainbow Dash landed next to their table. She pulled a sheet of parchment out from under her wing and dropped on the table in front of Pound with a grin.

“Pinkie Pie said you might like this.”

Pound's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he unfurled the scroll. On it was a photo of Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolts uniform, and in one corner was her messy scrawl of a signature. Pound coughed as he scooped it up and hugged it close to his body.

“Yeah. It's cool. Whatever,” he said, his voice cracking noticeably.

“Pinkie Pie asked you to do it?” asked Pumpkin.

“Yeah, but don't tell her I told you. I think she was trying to be sneaky.”

“It's so weird that you're friends with her,” said Pound.

“Why is that weird? Pinkie's pretty much the coolest pony I know,” Rainbow responded as she took a seat next to the foals.

“Are you kidding?” asked Pound. “Pinkie's pretty much the lamest pony ever!”

“Woah, what? I thought you two grew up with Pinkie!”

“Well, yes,” said Pumpkin, “and it's not that we don't like her, it's just that she's, well...”

“A total lame-o?” offered Pound.

“Pound!”

“It's true! C'mon, Rainbow Dash, look at her and look at you. You're a Wonderbolt, and all she cares about is throwing parties and working at our parent's dumb bakery!”

Rainbow Dash was just staring at them with a thoughtful frown on her face. Pumpkin fidgeted nervously, but Pound stared back defiantly. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth once, closed it again, and then sighed.

“You know, I gathered that you two heard a couple stories today. About something that happened back in the day. I think I'd like to tell you guys my own story.”

Pound's ears perked up. “About how you got your Cutie Mark?”

Dash chuckled. “If you're that big a fan of me, you already know that one. They make me trot it out at pretty much every interview. Nah, this is the story of the time I tried out for the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh. Well, I know that one too! A blizzard had rolled in and they were going to call it off, but you went right up to Spitfire and you said-”

“Not that story. This is the story of the first time I tried out for the Wonderbolts.”

The Time Rainbow Dash Tried Out For The Wonderbolts

Rainbow Dash was alone in a sea of clouds. The last remaining members of the weather patrol had gone to ground a while ago. A number of them had braved the rising winds to try and talk down their boss, but they had all fled before her snarls and threats. Through her rage, the oddly calm thought surfaced that she was probably their former boss at this point. She didn't see Madam Mayor or the Department of Weather letting her keep her post after this stunt. She also didn't care right now.

A wall of grey clouds filled her vision. Her wings beat hard as she sped towards it, faster and faster. At the last possible moment, she twisted her body so that her rear legs were leading. She closed her eyes as she felt herself sinking into the cloud mass. It wasn't the same as bucking a tree; clouds had their own peculiar feel, a sort of soft resistance. If it had been one of the small, white clouds she normally dealt with, it would have burst with the force of her hooves. The dense storm clouds, on the other hand, knew to push back. Her momentum carried her deep into the cloud, stretching the material further and further until it could compress no more. The cloud snapped back, and she was propelled on a new trajectory, riding on the wave of a flash of lightning and the roar of thunder towards another collision

It was a deeply satisfying experience, but the relentless sounds of the wind and thunder couldn't drown out the turmoil in her head. Her heart felled like a tight iron ball in her chest, and she couldn't decide if she wanted to scream or sob. Instead, she settled for ricocheting between the ever darkening clouds, trying to lose herself in the reckless flight.

Legs out. Wings tucked in. A moment of resistance. The rush of speed, and yet another crack of thunder.

Of course, it wasn't enough. The entire sequence of events ran again and again in mind. The nervousness she felt at her audition, coupled with the thrill and the certainty that she had nailed it. The three days of anticipation, unable to sleep as she waiting for that wonderful moment when her future would begin. And then it all came crashing down. She must have read the letter a thousand times, trying to make sense of it, trying to wake up from what seemed like a bad dream.

Dear Miss Dash,

We regret to inform you that you were not selected for recruitment into the Royal Wonderbolts for the upcoming season. This decision was not easy to make, as you were one of many outstanding applicants. Although our recruiting officers were impressed with your performance at the audition, as well as your exemplary achievements at last year's Wonderbolt Academy sessions, a survey of your record raised a number of concerns. The rather lengthy series of disciplinary incidents at your job as Head of the Weather Patrol of Ponyville and at Flight School, especially the occasion of your expulsion thereof, has led us to the conclusion that you are not at the current time ready for the rigor required for a member of Her Majesty's Royal Wonderbolts. We encourage you to return for future selections, when you have perhaps demonstrated a greater sense of commitment. In any case, we wish you luck in all of your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Her Majesty's Royal Wonderbolts

Tucked beneath this was a short, hoofwritten note.

Sorry kiddo. Wasn't my call. -Spitfire

Rainbow Dash corkscrewed as she burst through a stray bit of grey cloud, and a few strands of the fluffy material trailed behind her. She barely took notice. Spitfire's note in particular had burned itself into her mind.

“'Sorry kiddo',” she growled to herself. “I guess saving a pony's life isn't enough to get them to pull a few strings for you, huh?”

Another mass of stormclouds rose up before her. It was an impressive piece of work. She had let loose Ponyville's entire supply of clouds for the next two months for her improvised storm. In addition to probably losing her job, she realized she was almost certainly going to have to reimburse the Mayor's office for replacing them. Just another thing she didn't give a pile of hayseed about right now.

“Sure, hang out with us at the Gala, come to our little training camp, jump through all our hoops, let us dangle the prize in front of your snout, but when it comes time to grab it, 'Whoops! Sorry, kiddo!'”

Legs out, stretch, snap, BOOM.

She could barely tell which way was up until she came out from beneath the blanket of clouds. It couldn't be later than mid afternoon, but Ponyville looked almost as dark as night. As she leveled out over the town, she could she ponies running up and down the streets. She didn't bother trying to identify any of them, and snorted at their panic. So a few heads would get wet. What did it matter? Her dreams were crushed, and none of them could possibly understand. She veered and up and returned to the storm.

The sound of the wind was nothing compared to the pounding of her heart in her ears. The arcs of lightning around her were a million miles away. She didn't want to think about the storm around her. She didn't want to think about the Wonderbolts or the audition or her job or the future. She didn't want to think about anything at all, so she pushed her legs forward for another kicking launch.

Only this time, the clouds snapped back much more powerfully than she had anticipated. In the split second of contact, she could feel the power of the clouds through her hooves. She spun, tumbling head over hooves, and struggled to right herself. Once she was steady, she found herself really looking at the storm she had created for the first time in hours.

The mass of clouds had grown into an angry mountain, its roiling peaks surrounding her for as far as the eye could see. Lightning jumped between clouds a shade of grey so dark it was almost black. She wasn't an expert on the theoretical side of weather formation, but she guessed that the sheer mass of clouds she had released, coupled with the relentless and aimless bucking she had been applying, had awoken something more than an everyday summer storm. This was a beast, and it was about to descend on the town she loved.

None of this was exactly spelled out in her conscious thoughts. Instead, it was encapsulated in the two words that escaped her mouth in a terrified whisper.

“Oh, ponyfeathers.”

Rainbow Dash beat her wings hard and threw herself into the storm. Her flight was as frantic as it had been moments before, but now it was imbued with a sense of urgent purpose. She racked her brain as she weaved between the towering columns of cloud, searching desperately for a weak spot in the chaotic mess. There had to be a way to defuse the storm. There had to be a way to undo the effort she had so mindlessly put forth. She wasn't cut out for the Wonderbolts, but she was still Rainbow Dash. Years of experience kicking clouds couldn't fail her now

But as the minutes ticked by and the sky around her grew darker and darker, those same years of experience told that it was hopeless. If she had her whole flight crew up her, then maybe then could disperse some of the clouds and at least soften the blow. But she had scared them all off.

Just another stupid mistake.

Just another failure.

Just another blunder by good ol' Rainbow Crash.

“Dashie! Hey, Dashie!”

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up, and her wings flared out and broke her speed. A familiar voice was calling out to her through the storm, and Rainbow's heart dropped into her stomach. She prayed that it was a trick of the wind. Of all the ponies she was putting into danger with her stupid tantrum, she thought, the last one who should be up here in the worst of it was the owner of that voice.

When she was finally able to bring herself to turn around, the first thing that greeted her face was a cold splash of water. The rain was starting to come loose from the clouds, and she was running out of time. Blinking away the water in her eyes, she found herself confronted with a scene as absurd as it was frightening.

Twilight Sparkle's hot air balloon hung in the air before her, the air bag shaking and the basket swaying wildly in the wind. The device seemed unbearably fragile to Dash, but not as fragile as the sole occupant. She could just make out Pinkie Pie's bright pink face as the earth pony waved cheerfully at her, seemingly oblivious to the storm around her.

As she sped toward the balloon, she cursed the storm, she cursed Pinkie's foolhardiness, and most of all she cursed her own stupid flank.

“Hi Rainbow Dash! Listen, um, this storm is cool and all, but down on the ground they're starting to get real worried, and-”

“Pinkie, you've gotta get out of here! It isn't safe!”

“Which is why I came up here to get you, silly!”

Dash was hovering right in front of the pink earth mare, but it was getting hard to see her in the growing darkness and the increasing rainfall. She was struggling to keep herself from being blown away in the wind, and every jolt of the balloon's basket made her heart race in response.

“Look, this whole stupid thing is my fault, so I have to try and fix it, okay? But there's nothing you can do, so just get back to ground and find shelter!”

Pinkie Pie's eternal smile wavered, but her eyes had a determined glint.

“I'm not going down without you, Dashie.”

“Pinkie, don't make me-”

There was a deafening CRACK, and for a split second the world was lost in a flash of brilliant white light.

Slowly and painfully, Rainbow Dash's senses returned to her. The world around her faded back into view, and a high pitched ringing replaced the silence in her ears. For a moment she couldn't figure out what was going, then she realized that she was still in the storm. Lightning had struck, and instinct had somehow kept her wings beating and her body aloft.

The same couldn't be said of Pinkie and the balloon. Far below her, and rapidly vanishing, the bright purple bag had deflated and was trailing smoke as it fell.

“No,” she whispered as she dove. “No, no, no, no, no.”

By now, Rainbow Dash was soaked. The wind pulled at her in every direction, and the whole world was reduced to the beating of her wings and the desperate need to save her friend. As she caught up to the balloon, which was being blown sideways by the wind as fast it was falling, she found Pinkie Pie hanging for dear life to the side of the flailing basket. The mare's normal curly mane and tail were plastered flat by the rain, but she somehow managed to give her pegasus friend a goofy grin.

“Pinkie Pie! I've got you! Just hold on!”

“Rainbow, I think we need to have a talk. Is something bothering you?”

“This isn't the time, Pinkie! Grab my hooves!”

“I know things might seem like a mess right now, but you have to keep your chin up and a smile on your face! Do you know why?”

“I... why?”

“Because I believe in you!”

With this, the pink mare flung herself, legs outstretched, up from the falling balloon and towards her friend. Rainbow Dash's stomach lurched as she saw Pinkie falling through space, but she gave her body one final desperate push and managed to grasp the other pony in her forelegs.

The added weight immediately spent her spiraling out of control. She closed her eyes and flapped her wings, but she was at the mercy of the wind, which flung her about violently, preventing her from righting herself. Instead she held as tight as she could to Pinkie Pie and did her best to slow their inevitable descent. She couldn't tell how long their fall lasted, but the seconds stretched out to hours for her exhausted body and failing mind. Eventually the sensation of the wind and rain was replaced by a scraping pain across her entire body, then a bone-shattering tremor, and finally a numb darkness.

The first sensation that Rainbow Dash was aware of was a sharp pain in her left wing. When she tried to move it, a spike of pain shot down the entire appendage. It was futile anyway‒ the whole thing was tightly bound to her body. As she drifted up from the foggy black sea of unconsciousness, this was the only fact that her mind was able to process for a long while. Eventually, the pain in her wing was joined by a general ache throughout her entire body, the weight of which threatened to pull her back down into the darkness. With a momentous effort, though, she managed to pry open one of her eyes. What greeted this effort was a blurry sea of pink and a high pitched giggle.

“Oh, goodie, you're awake!”

With a groan, Dash snapped her eye back shut. Unconsciousness was definitely the better option right now. Unfortunately, whatever she was lying on was rocky and wet, and now that she her injuries had made themselves known, they were doing their best to prevent her retreat into sleep. The constant nudging of Pinkie Pie's snout in her side wasn't helping matters. She sighed, opened her eyes once more, and dragged herself up to a sitting position.

She found herself in a dim forest clearing. The earthy smell of wet leaves filled the air, and although the thick canopy blocked most of the sun, she figured it must be late morning or early afternoon. Memories of the audition, the letter and storm welled up in her mind, and her breath caught in her throat. For a moment, all she could do was contemplate her gloomy surroundings.

“Pinkie Pie, where are we?”

She could barely manage to speak above a whisper, and the trees and undergrowth seemed to swallow the sound. Even the bright chirp of her companion's voice seemed muted by the wall of vegetation. The pink earth pony's normally bright coat was covered in dirt and her mane and tail were in a state of disarray, but she seemed uninjured and her manner was her usual bubbly perkiness.

“I think we're in the Everfree Forest. We've gotta get moving if we're gonna get out of her before dark, especially since I think we're gonna have to walk.”

Pinkie was gesturing to Rainbow Dash's side, and her gaze slowly followed the direction of her friend's hoof to see what she was talking about. Her brain was in a haze, and trying to figure out what was going on was like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle in the dark with her hooves tied behind her back. She realized that her wing was tied to her side with a length of purple fabric.

“I think it's broken. The balloon crashed a ways off, and I tore some of it up the help set your wing! You wouldn't believe how hard that stuff is to rip with your teeth, by the way, or how awful it tastes. Yeuck. Anyways, I heard that was what you were supposed to do for a broken wing, so I did it, but I'm not a doctor, so I don't know if I did it right or what, which is why we have to get back to Ponyville lickety-split!”

Rainbow Dash was looking at her friend again. She was smiling. She was always smiling. It was a smile that she saw every day, and it never failed to lift her spirits. But the memories of the past few days, coupled with the thought of what she had done to Ponyville, proved too much even for that steadfast grin. When she didn't get a response, Pinkie spoke up.

“So... let's get going! Up and at'em!”

Dash felt her legs give out. The front half of her body came to rest in the leaves and mud of the forest floor. Her eyes closed once more.

“I'm not going back, Pinkie.”

“What do you mean? We certainly can't go forward, that would just bring us deeper into the forest! Although I'm not entirely sure which way we do need to go, but I think we can figure it out from the sun or something.”

“I'm not going anywhere. Just... just go back without me. Tell them that I didn't make it.”

There was silence. Eventually she heard the sounds of Pinkie's hooves as the mare trotted off. She expected to hear them fade away, but the sounds of the other pony moving about the clearing persisted. Several times they disappeared into the forest, only to return a few moments later. Rainbow Dash didn't have the energy to try and figure it all out, and after awhile, she finally fell back into slumber.

This time, as Rainbow Dash slept, she dreamed as well. She soared endlessly above strange landscapes, the air chill around her. The sun rose and set, and she flew beneath cloudy skies and clear, star-filled nights. The land beneath was an endless patchwork of colors (all the colors of her mane, she thought), but although her wings ached, she knew she couldn't land. She flew on and on until the world turned grey around her, and just when the fog grew too thick for her to see, she awoke with a start.

Night had fallen, and the dark forest closed in around her. The ground she lay on was still cold and damp, but a crackling campfire greeted her when she opened her eyes. The heat gave momentary comfort, but this was quickly squashed by the reminder of her failure in the form of a twinge of pain in her broken wing. She lifted her head to look around, and found Pinkie lying asleep next to her, close but not touching. For a while, she was content to lay still and listen to the rise and fall of her friend's breath. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but it seemed like hours to Dash. The normally hyperactive mare was so peaceful in sleep, and it helped her forget about her troubles. Finally, though, Rainbow Dash nudged her gently in the side. With a snort and a yawn, Pinkie rose to her hooves, and Dash found herself staring once again into those bright blue eyes.

“Oopsies! Didn't mean to fall asleep there. Oh wow, it's dark. I think we're gonna have to wait until morning to start walking back. That's okay though, I guess. Did you have a good sleep?”

“Pinkie.” Dash's voice was flat, and sounded strange in her own ears. “Why are you still here?”

“Why wouldn't I still be here? I can't go back until you go back, and you decided to take another nap, so I made a fire so you wouldn't get cold while you slept, and I guess rubbing those sticks together wore me out because I fell asleep too, and now it's dark and-”

“Pinkie, I told you. I'm not going back.”

“Okay, yes, you did say that. But that's also the stupidest thing I've ever heard, and believe me, I've heard a lot of stupid things. Like this one time, I was at the oatmeal factory, and this mare came up to me-”

“Pinkie!”

“Right. The point is, it doesn't make sense for you not to go back to Ponyville, because then you would just be stuck out here in the forest, and what would you even do out here?”

“Lie down. Sleep.” Dash lay her head in her hooves and closed her eyes, signaling her intent to do just that. “Sleep and never wake up.”

Pinkie's voice was quieter now. “Why would you say something like that?”

“Are you kidding? You saw what happened back there. That big crazy storm must've wrecked half of Ponyville, and it's all my fault. I got angry, and lost control, and now who knows if anypony got hurt, or... or worse. Nopony's gonna want to talk to me. Nopony's gonna want to see me.” She struggled even now to hold back her tears. “They're right, too.”

“Okay, first off? That last part isn't true. I'm sure some ponies might be a teensy bit upset with you, but your friends all love you, and they'll forgive you. And really, practically every pony in town is your friend. You're Rainbow Dash! Who doesn't love Rainbow Dash? Nopony, that's who! And secondly, everypony makes mistakes, but you're not gonna fix them by lying around moping in the middle of the forest. Ponyville needs your help more than ever, so I'm certainly not gonna let you lie here much longer.” Pinkie paused for a deep breath. “And thirdly, you haven't even told me why you were so mad in the first place, and you're gonna have to do that if I'm gonna help you.”

“You can't help, Pinkie. It was the Wonderbolts. They turned me down.”

“Oh no!” Rainbow could hear the scuffle as Pinkie Pie lay down again next to her. “I'm so sorry to hear that.”

An edge of anger entered Dash's voice. “Not as sorry as I was.”

“But why wouldn't they? You're bestest, most stupendous flier I've ever seen!”

Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open and her good wing flared out, the other pushing painfully against its bindings. “Apparently not! Apparently I'm nothing but a great big screw-up! I failed the Wonderbolts, I failed Ponyville, and now I'm just done!” The echoes of her outburst rang through the air, and she let her wing fall to the ground. “I'm just done. Some Element of Loyalty I turned out to be.”

Pinkie had a look Rainbow rarely saw to her. It was a quiet, thoughtful look. It was driving Dash a little crazy, so she refocused her gaze to the hypnotic dancing of the fire. But Pinkie Pie spoke, and in a much softer tone than her usual bright chirp.

“You know, Rarity told me something kinda funny awhile back. Remember when Spike grew into that big nasty beast of a dragon, and we all thought he was gonna wreck Ponyville and smoosh Rarity, but then he remembered when he gave her that gem, and he shrunk back down to little Spikey-wikey? After that, she told me she had learned something about what being 'the Element of Generosity' really meant.”

Rainbow Dash was only half listening. She didn't understand why Pinkie couldn't just accept that it was over, that she was giving up. She only felt sorry for the other mare. She wished that Pinkie would be angry with her, would yell at her and leave her alone and forget about her. Still, she managed a listless response.

“What did she learn.”

“Well, do you know why I'm the Element of Laughter?”

“...no, Pinkie. Why are you the Element of Laughter?”

“It's because I know the best knock-knock joke in the world!”

“Um. What?”

“Oh man, you've never heard the best knock-knock joke in the world? It's the best!” Pinkie Pie was giggling at this point. “Okay, you start.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Fine. Knock knock.”

“Who's there?”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, and the seconds ticked by as her brain struggled to catch up. The realization rose up ponderously, and her despondency was forgotten as she turned to glare angrily at Pinkie Pie, who was now grinning maniacally back at her.

“Pinkie, that's-”

And suddenly, Dash was lost. The chuckles rose uncontrollably from her chest, and before she knew it she was prone on the ground, tears finally falling from her eyes as she rolled in fits of laughter. It took several long minutes before she caught her breath.

“That's- now that's the stupidest thing I've ever h-heard.” She let out a sound that was halfway between a cough and a giggle. “Celestia, I can't believe I f-fell for that.”

She rose and sat up, futilely rubbing the dirt from her fur. Pinkie Pie was just smiling gently, the firelight playing with her features.

“But. Um. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothing, really. Just that you're so certain that your friends are all gonna turn their backs on you, except then what am I doing here?”

That was a good question, Rainbow thought. But Pinkie Pie seemed so certain, so calm, so confident that she was where she needed to be, that suddenly Rainbow Dash realized she could believe it too. A fog seemed to lift from around her mind, and she knew that she had to return to Ponyville. If not for herself, then for Pinkie. She shifted uncomfortably.

“I'm scared,” she admitted.

“I know. But you gotta giggle at the ghosties, remember? Just gotta giggle-” Pinkie Pie was cut off by her own lengthy yawn.

“Listen, Pinkie, why don't you go to sleep? I'll keep watch, I'm all rested up. And then we'll get up early and figure out our way back to Ponyville.”

Pinkie Pie smiled sleepily. “Okie-dokie, Dash.” She lay her head in her hooves, smiling even as her breathing became heavy and even. “You're a good friend.”

Rainbow Dash gazed into the fire once more. “You too, Pinkie.”

Cakes

This time, there was no applause. By the end of her story, Rainbow Dash seemed to have forgotten that the foals, or for that matter the world around her, even existed. She was left staring in thought at the tablecloth, while the foals looked at each other in confusion and the noise of the party continued around them.

“So what's the point?” asked Pound.

Rainbow Dash started, and turned to look him in the eyes. “The point is that throwing that tantrum and making that storm was the stupidest thing I've ever done. It was thoughtless, and reckless, and dangerous. It's something I still kick myself over, and it took a long time for the wounds to heal. Some of them... some of them still haven't.

“But Pinkie Pie was right there, by my side, the whole time. She stopped me from being an even bigger idiot than I was already being, and she forgave without even having to think about it. I wasn't because she was dumb, or naive, or didn't know any better. It was just because she was Pinkie Pie. I can't tell you kids what to think about her, but I hope you give her a little more credit in the future. Because if it weren't for her, I don't think I'd be here today.”

With that, Rainbow Dash stood up and returned to the party. Pound looked back and forth between his newly acquired poster and his retreating idol, and then turned to his sister, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

“What was that all about?”

Pumpkin couldn't think of anything to say, so she merely shrugged. Pound rolled his eyes in response.

“Whatever. I'm gonna go ask Mom and Dad if I can have some more punch.”

The rest of the evening drifted by in a haze of music, dancing and sugary treats. For awhile, the twins were excited at being allowed to stay up so late; their parents seemed too caught up in the fun to pay attention to such everyday concepts as “bedtime”. However, Pumpkin quickly found her energy running out, and it was with a barely-concealed yawn that she eventually found her way over to Pinkie Pie. Her babysitter was sitting at a table with the Crusaders, who were listening to Apple Bloom's cousin Babs tell what sounded like the end of her own Cutie Mark story.

“...and as they lock the hoofcuffs on the dirtbag, the Chief of Police turns to me and says, 'As embarrassing as it is to admit it, we couldn't have caught him without you, kid.' And I felt just so awful proud of myself, and then, wouldn't you know it,” she gestured to the image of a magnifying glass on her flank, “I've graduated from 'Babs Seed, Cutie Mark Crusader' to 'Babs Seed, brilliant detective'!”

The small group stomped their hooves in applause. “You know, I had to solve a mystery once, too!” said Pinkie. “There was this train, you see, and a cake‒ maybe the greatest cake you ever saw! And it was called‒ oh, hey, Pumpkin!”

Pumpkin's attempted greeting quickly turned into another jaw-cracking yawn. Pinkie Pie scooped a foreleg around her and laughed.

“Whoopsies, looks like it's time to get little ponies home to bed.”

“Not yet,” protested Pumpkin. “First I want to hear the story of how you got your Cutie Mark.”

“That old story? But I thought you've heard that story, what was it, a bazillion times?”

Pumpkin shrugged. “I want to hear it again.”

Pinkie gave Pumpkin a confused smile. Pumpkin stared back, and she couldn't tell if there was something different about Pinkie Pie, or something different about herself. But behind the pink pony's grin, Pumpkin could see something new. Except it had always been there, really. It was that certain twinkle that she always been certain was something unbelievably foalish, but which she was beginning to suspect was actually very grown-up. Or something like that.

As Pinkie began the familiar tale, Pumpkin closed her eyes and leaned into Pinkie's side, the older mare's leg still draped comfortingly around her.

“Well, my sisters and I were raised on rock farm outside of Ponyville. We spent our days working the fields. There was no talking. There was no smiling. There were only rocks...”

-

It took a few moments for Rainbow Dash's eyes to adjust to the darkness. With each step, the noise of the party grew softer as she retreated across the road. It was hardly Applebucking Season, and the farm's signature fruit had yet to make an appearance on the branches of the many trees. Still, as she climbed over the fence and into the orchard, Rainbow Dash swore she could smell the sweet scent of crisp, juicy apples. Maybe it was her imagination getting away with her, but she savored the sensation nonetheless.

She had forgotten how many more stars there were out here in Ponyville. On the rare occasion she had the time or inclination to stargaze in Cloudsdale, the bright city lights drowned out most of the night sky. In the country, though, every last touch of Luna's hoofwork could be appreciated effortlessly.

Her eyes were not trained skyward for long, though. Peering between the tree trunks, she found the silhouette of the pony she was looking for, the pony she had watched duck out from the music and lights and dancing moments before. In the starlight everything looked dark and grey, but the shape of her hat gave Applejack away. The farmpony sat at the base of one of her beloved trees, and as Rainbow Dash approached, she could see the glint of her eyes following her every move. She breathed in deep, steeling herself.

“Hey AJ.”

There was a long silence.

“Howdy, Rainbow.”

“That was awesome. The ceremony, I mean. I know you worked real hard to help put it together, and it was, um, beautiful. And stuff. And the reception was real top notch. I'm not just saying that. I've been to a lot of these kind of events, with, you know, the Wonderbolts. And even compared to all the hoity-toity Canterlot shindigs I've been to, this was really, um, awesome. Better, even. Those Canterlot ponies don't know a thing about partying.”

Her vision had adjusted completely, and Rainbow Dash could make out Applejack's features now. What she couldn't make out was what lay behind the orange pony's neutral expression.

“Reckon so. As you said, a lot of hard work went into it.”

“So. Um. What are you doing over here, anyway?”

Applejack gave a soft sigh. “Just takin' it in. Getting ready to adjust to some change in mah life. I'm sure you know the feelin'.”

Rainbow attempted a weak chuckle. “Heh, yeah. Still, I'm sure it will be great having Fluttershy around the farm, even when she is being a sappy lovebird.”

“She ain't movin' in. Big Macintosh is movin' to her place. Gonna start up a ranch.”

“Oh. Um. What is Sweet Apple Acres gonna do?”

“Same thing it always does. Get by. He's gonna try and stop by a few times a week to help out with chores, but he's gonna be a bit busy gettin' his new life started. Don't blame him or nothin', it's how life goes. Ponies move on, things change, and you do your best to get by.”

Rainbow Dash chewed her lip. Applejack was evidently in a somber mood, and she didn't know if this was the right time for what she was attempting. What she did know was that it had been a long road to this day. When she had walked out of the forest that day with Pinkie Pie, she had been at rock bottom. She had devoted every minute of every day to climbing back up, first by working to rebuild Ponyville, and then to rebuild her friendships. Some of them took days, others months, but one by one they had given her the love and forgiveness that even she felt at times she might not deserve.

All except one. Applejack had stopped yelling at Dash every time they talked, but the earth mare's stony silence was even harder to bear. There was a rift between them, and even if it took the rest of her life, Dash was going to cross it.

Of course, you had to start things simple.

“So I was wondering if you still had that horseshoe set.”

At last the earth pony betrayed some expression, squinting her eyes at the pegasus.

“Y'all are telling me you wandered over here to ask me to skip out on mah brother's weddin' party. To play a game of horseshoes with you. In the middle of the night.”

“Um. Yes?”

The silence that followed seemed to be the longest in Dash's life, and it set her nerves on fire more than any audition or performance. Applejack merely stared at her, and though it should have been impossible in the poor light of the stars and moon, Rainbow Dash would have sworn she could see her own reflection in the other mare's green eyes.

Then, by what Rainbow could only assume was the grace of Celestia herself, Applejack began to giggle.

“It has been awhile, hasn't it? Shoot, Ah guess Ah'm game. If y'all promise not to cheat.”

Rainbow Dash let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in as she followed Applejack toward the barn.

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

Author's Note

So this is my first pony fic, hopeful of many to come. I hope you enjoyed reading it! I'm new to this whole writing thing, but this seemed to go well and I have more ideas coming down the line, so if you like this, stay tuned.

I'd also like to thank Nonagon, Boomstick and Fiddy for proofreading this for me, you were all a great help.

Lastly, I wasn't too certain about what tags to use; practically all of them seemed halfway applicable while not being quite accurate. If anyone thinks I've picked misleadingly, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

How Fluttershy Got So Freaked Out By Her Wedding Her Head Exploded

Once upon a time, Fluttershy got so freaked out by her wedding, her head exploded. The End.

Cakes

“That wasn't a very good story,” said Pumpkin flatly.

“I don't know, at least it had an explosion,” countered Pound.

Rarity gently wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy's shoulders. “Fluttershy, dear, it's normal to be nervous on your big day, but you're getting yourself worked up over literally nothing. Now why don't I take you inside the Apple's house and fix you a nice cup of tea and we can have a little chat.”

“Right. House. Tea. Chat. I can do that,” said Fluttershy, still slightly hyperventilating.

As Rarity turned to lead Fluttershy down the hill, the pegasus suddenly ran to Twilight and embraced her. “It really is so good to see you, Twilight. We'll have time to talk later and you can tell all about how things are going in Canterlot.”

“It's good to see you too, Fluttershy. I wouldn't miss this for all the bits in Equestria,” Twilight responded as she returned the hug.

“Feeling better already?” asked Rarity hopefully as Fluttershy followed her toward the farmhouse.

“BETTER?! How could I possibly be feeling better?! I just got word that Princess Cadence's chariot was delayed, which for all we could mean another changeling invasion underway! Can you picture that, Rarity? A changeling invasion at my wedding! What if Big Mac is a changeling?! What if I'M a changeling? What if...”

Fluttershy's voice trailed off as she and Rarity descended the hill, leaving most of the ponies remaining in a fit of giggles. As everpony caught their breaths, Apple Bloom cleared her throat and captured their attention once again.

“Anyway, the story of how Ah got my Cutie Mark. As chance would have it, it has more than a little to do with this here weddin'. It was the day after what must've been the worst storm in Ponyville history...”