The Apple family is well-known throughout the town of Ponyville for their incredibly vast apple orchards which never yield anything short of a perfect crop. What the family is less known for, however, is the field of bright yellow corn which grows on the far west edge of Sweet Apple Acres. While this crop is much less bountiful than the namesake fruit of the farm, it is no less delicious, a property not lost on one sleek black crow who descended casually into the sea of grain.
As the calculating bird soared low to the ground and began his rigorous examination process of the tall plants, a rather peculiar sight caught his eye: in the midst of the green stalks, a pony made of straw and covered in the distinct blue overalls of a farmer stood motionless, propped up by two thin wooden rods. Curiosity beleaguered the crow into altering his course for a swift landing on the pony's back.
There was no obvious reaction from the creature as the bird made contact. Even when the sharp talons of the crow dug into its shoulder, the creature did not stir. Switching his attention from the body of the horse to the straw hat atop its head, the crow cocked his head in a way that only a bird could manage. Strange, thought Mr. Crow, why would a pony made of hay want a hat made of straw? That’s a bit excessive.
A subtle movement beneath his feet interrupted his thought process, and he looked straight into the face of the strange beast. Before he could identify any signs of movement in the pony’s features, a blur of orange and purple suddenly filled his vision, and he soon found himself staring into a bulging pair of lavender eyes.
“Gotcha!” exclaimed the menace, shocking the crow into letting out a stunned caw. He furiously pecked at his assailant's cheek, hoping it would be enough of an annoyance to drive the unwelcome sight back into hiding.
His theory proved true when the face lurched away from him and grew a pair of orange hooves, which waved frantically his direction. “Gah! Quit it!” shouted the creature he now saw to be a tiny pony. “Whoa!” cried the little filly as she tumbled backwards, apparently having leaned too far back to keep her balance. The crow felt a hearty laugh coming on, but then remembered that crows couldn’t laugh in the first place, and just stared.
Drawing his attention away from the orange filly's comical thrashing was the writhing mass he was suddenly aware had formed beneath his talons. He shot off of the foe-pony just in time to see it crumple into a mangled mess of hay and denim. Within the heap, he identified two puffy pony tails in addition to his attacker's purple one, and wished he could smirk at their exasperated groans.
“Caw!” was sadly all Mr. Crow could say to convey his feelings. Cursing his innately limited ability to express emotion, he finally gave up on the spectacle and flew back in the direction of the corn haven which had been sitting in the back of his mind all along. Those farmers should really think of a way to protect these crops, thought the crow, but the idea was soon lost as he set his focus on a particularly fat cob of the vegetable. Meh, it’s their problem.
***
Scootaloo glared intently at the smudge of black which tainted the surrounding field of yellow before turning her attention back to pulling the straw from her mane. “Well that was a bust.”
Apple Bloom struggled her way out of the disheveled straw pile as she said, “Yeah, I guess we aren't cut out to be Cutie Mark Crusader Scarecrows after all.” She pouted as she set to work untangling her own brilliant red mane.
The tiny white blob known as Sweetie Belle was still fighting with an especially stubborn strip of denim that had gripped her hoof. “Ugh! This is hopeless!” Pulling harder only seemed to strengthen the hold of the clothing monster, but it was all the unicorn could think to do.
“It’s not all that bad, Sweetie Belle,” said Apple Bloom. “You just gotta be patient with it.” She delicately grabbed the offending fabric in her mouth and managed to free her friend from its grasp with just a few gentle tugs.
“Not the fabric,” Sweetie Belle whined, delicately rubbing her newly liberated hoof. “We’ve tried everything to get our cutie marks, and nothing’s worked! What are we doing wrong?”
“We have been on a bit of a losing streak lately,” Scootaloo added, sheepishly shifting her gaze downwards. “Ever since we tried to get our cutie marks in bookkeeping last week, our ideas have been getting lamer and lamer.”
“I still want to know why you thought it would be a good idea to bring a dragon along for that one,” Sweetie Belle said with a reproachful glare.
“Well excuse me for thinking that a library assistant would be good at bookkeeping!” Scootaloo returned with a glare of her own.
“Not when he’s sick with a cold and sneezes fire every five seconds!”
"How was I supposed to know he was sick?"
"Maybe because Twilight told us he was sick in bed and not to bug him!"
“Hey! I—”
“Girls!” The quarreling duo turned to Apple Bloom with stunned expressions. “All this arguin’ ain’t gonna get us anywhere! So quit all yer shoutin’ an’ help me think!”
“Think about what?” Sweetie Belle asked, completely slipping out of her act of anger.
“Y’all are right that our plans have been a little on the dry side o’ things lately," Apple Bloom said, "so maybe we oughta try thinkin' a little harder about how we can earn our cutie marks.” Focusing her thoughtful gaze on the distant south orchard, Apple Bloom noticed a tiny pinprick of dusty orange wading steadily through the vast sea of greens and reds. A moment later, her lips broke into a knowing smirk. “An’ I think I’ve got an idea.”
“If you’re gonna trick us into helping you with your chores to get our cutie marks again...” Scootaloo eyed her friend dubiously.
“No no,” Apple Bloom said with a wave of her hoof, “this one’s actually a good idea.” She stood tall before both her friends and spoke in the best insightful tone she could muster. “Think about it. What’s the one thing we know about cutie marks that we haven’t tried to use to our advantage yet?”
Arching an eyebrow, Sweetie Belle said, “That we’re supposed to be patient and not try to force them to appear?”
“Heavens no!” Apple Bloom shot the unicorn a quick, stern look. “If ya take a good look at just about anypony alongside their kin, ain’t it obvious that cutie marks sorta run in the family?”
Both other fillies scratched their chins for a moment before nodding. “But we already tried asking our sisters about how they got their cutie marks,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo, “and all that got us was some mushy singing and a bunch of feelings and stuff. We didn't get any closer to getting our cutie marks.”
“Right, because we didn’t do what we shoulda done after we heard all them stories!” Apple Bloom said excitedly, eliciting raised eyebrows and confused stares from the other two crusaders. “Don’tcha get it? I reckon if we do the same sorta stuff our sisters did to get their cutie marks, we might earn ours too!”
Instantly her two friends’ eyes dilated, and they soon found themselves mimicking the earth pony’s ecstatic smile. “I bet you’re right!” squeaked Sweetie Belle. “If we can copy everything our sisters did to earn their cutie marks, we’ll earn our cutie marks for sure!”
“Not to mention that our cutie marks will be just as cool as theirs! Maybe even cooler!” Scootaloo said. The tiny pegasus looked dreamily up into the sky, envisioning what could possibly be cooler than her "big sister’s" cutie mark.
Sweetie Belle's smile suddenly faltered. “But...”
“But what?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Well, if we just copy what our sisters did to earn their cutie marks, don’t you think they might be a little upset about it? I mean, it might make their own cutie marks seem less special.” Sweetie Belle eyed the ground shyly.
Scootaloo frowned at the revelation. “Yeah, you might be right. I’d be pretty upset to find out somepony got a better cutie mark than me just by copying what I did.”
For a moment, their masterful plan seemed to have fallen apart at the seams, but then Apple Bloom’s lips curled up into a wry smile. “Well, we don’t have to let ‘em know that we’re copyin’ ‘em. What they don’t know won’t hurt ‘em, right?”
“Hey, yeah!” Scootaloo said, reinvigorated. “We can just ask them for all the details about how they got their cutie marks, and copy those without actually telling them about it! They’ll never need to know!” This explanation promptly returned the smile to Sweetie Belle’s face as well.
“It’s settled then!” Apple Bloom said, beaming widely. “We’ll split up for the day, ask our sisters for every detail about how they got their cutie marks, copy their stories to a tee, and meet back at the clubhouse once we’ve all got our cutie marks! What could possibly go wrong?”
“You’re a genius, Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle cried. Instinctively, the three enthused ponies jumped high into the air and slammed their front right hooves together triumphantly in the center of their group. As a final touch to set their brilliant plan in motion, they bellowed a glorious war cry which could be heard from as far off as Las Pegasus.
“Yay! Cutie Mark Crusader Sister Sisters!”
***
It took a few exhausting minutes of cantering around the southern fields of Sweet Apple Acres, but Apple Bloom finally managed to locate the pony for whom she’d been searching. Running up to the hard-at-work mare in an excited panic, Apple Bloom called out, “Applejack!”
The earth pony in question turned her head to face the direction from which she’d been called and froze mid-buck. Swiftly lowering her legs and smiling earnestly at her younger sister, Applejack replied, “Hey there Apple Bloom! What’re you all worked up about?”
Apple Bloom came to a steady halt just before ramming headlong into her sister’s chest, and she suddenly felt as if her lungs were nonexistent, and began panting heavily. She tried to force out some semblance of speech, but all that came out was a sickly cough. The last time she’d run so fast for so long was at the recent Apple Family Reunion, and that time had turned out no better.
Eyeing her sister worriedly, Applejack asked, “You okay there Apple Bloom? Need me to fetch ya some water or somethin’?”
All the filly could manage in reply was to hold up a hoof in what she hoped looked like an act of protest. Finally beginning to regain some of her lost breath, Apple Bloom wheezed, “You... cutie mark... how... please...” She tried to use appropriate gesticulations to make her intention known.
Applejack raised an eyebrow at the exhausted little pony. “I thought I already told you how I got my cutie mark. Manehattan, Aunt and Uncle Orange, Sonic Rainboom... remember?”
A few more moments of light panting allowed Apple Bloom to work herself into a more coherent—albeit still fatigued—state. “I know, I know, but I need you to go over all the details carefully. Tell me everythin’ you can think of, an’ don’t miss a beat.”
Applejack raised a hoof to her chin. “Well, I reckon I already told ya pretty much all the important stuff. I needed a change o’ scenery, wanted to see what big city life was like, stayed with some relatives out in Manehattan for a bit, decided I missed my home an’ family, saw that rainbow pointin’ back home, an’ came right back to Ponyville the same mornin’. My cutie mark appeared the instant I got back to our farm. What more d’ya need to know than that?”
Mimicking her sister’s earlier appearance of thought, Apple Bloom looked down in silence for a few seconds. “I suppose there ain’t much more to it than that, now that I think about it. But are ya sure ya ain’t leavin’ out anythin’ important? Like, how long did ya stay in Manehattan? How’d ya get there in the first place? Did ya do anythin’ else while you were away from Ponyville?”
Staring up into the sky, Applejack replied, “Hmm, lemme think. I reckon I was only in Manehattan for about a week, and I got there by way o’ the Friendship Express; that train goes just about anywhere in Equestria, I tell ya! I didn’t actually do all that much in Manehattan. Aunt and Uncle Orange were too nervous to let a little filly like me wander the city on her own, an’ they both had to work most o’ the time, so I spent a lot o’ time hauled up in their house takin’ dialect lessons from that snooty ol’ personal tutor.” Applejack glared harshly at nothing in particular off to her left. “Then we had a big dinner party at the end o’ the week and I left for Ponyville the next mornin’. Other than that, nothin’ really sticks out in my memory.”
At some point during her sister's speech, Apple Bloom had pulled out a pencil and paper and was frantically jotting down every important point she heard. It wasn't until she heard her Applejack ask "Say, why d'ya wanna know all this anyhow?" that she halted her furious scribbling. Looking up, she saw that the mare was wearing her distinctive mask of stern judgement. The filly felt sweat beginning to steadily form on her brow.
Apple Bloom hurriedly shoved the writing equipment back into her saddlebag as she blurted, “Uh, no reason. Thanks!” She turned to leave with a slight grin on her face, but stopped mid-step as a thought struck her. Turning carefully back to face her sibling, she mustered her best innocent tone as she inquired, “Say Applejack, d’ya think Aunt and Uncle Orange would mind if I paid ‘em a visit sometime?”
Applejack's interrogative expression only hardened. “Last I heard they were outta town on business. Why?”
Tiny brow furrowed, Apple Bloom turned her head down and quietly muttered, “Shoot,” before looking back into her sister’s penetrating eyes. “Er, do we have any other family in Manehattan? I, uh, I really wanna check out the city since you made it sound so, y’know, big, and stuff.” She hoped desperately that her face didn't betray her guilt.
Ignoring the question altogether, Applejack decided it was time for some honest answers. “What’s all this really about Apple Bloom?”
“Uh.” Apple Bloom shifted her panicked eyes around before spotting the opening of her saddlebag, and the corner of math-covered paper which stuck out of it. “I’m, uh, j-just doin’ a project for school. It’s about, um, our family tree. Yeah, an’ I just wanted to get a bit of, uh, hooves-on experience with some of our relatives, y’know?” Satisfied that her fabricated story would hold up, the filly reassumed her hopeful smile.
Applejack's face was still frighteningly serious, but a glint of trust flashed in her eyes and softened her features. “Alrighty then. Other than Babs an’ her family, I don’t recall any other relatives livin’ in that city. It ain’t the best place around for farmin’, y’know?”
A flame of hope ignited in Apple Bloom’s mind at the mention of her cousin, but it was quickly extinguished by her true motives. “Applejack didn’t have anyone her age to hang out with when she was there,” she considered. “I’d probably be better off just visiting some other relatives that I’m not familiar with someplace else. That might work better.” Having reached a decision, the olive filly suddenly became aware of the mare who was still eyeing her curiously. “Okay, thanks Applejack! I gotta get to work on that, um, project.”
Slowly transcending back into her cheery demeanor, Applejack smiled lovingly and replied, “Okay then, see ya for dinner!” With that, the two ponies went in their separate directions: the filly off towards the farmhouse, and the mare back towards a particularly menacing apple tree.
Just as she was about to start her canter again, however, another idea struck Apple Bloom. “Say Applejack," she said, not even turning around, "do we have a map of Equestria lyin’ around anywhere?”
Not averting her attention from her work, Applejack absentmindedly answered, “I think Granny Smith keeps one in the back o’ the barn somewhere." One sturdy buck later, she turned to face her sister's position. "Whad’ya need it... for?” Apparently, Apple Bloom had learned how to teleport, because she had vanished without a trace and left Applejack dumbfounded.
Staring blankly forward, Applejack reminded herself, “I gotta keep an eye on that one." Shrugging, the workhorse turned back to face the south field and suddenly became very aware of the hundreds of unharvested apple trees which stood in her path. Sighing, she wiped her brow with one hoof and lazily trudged back into her working rhythm.
***
Rarity happily waltzed out of her inspiration room at the sound of the front door’s bell being rung. Wednesdays never seemed to be particularly eventful around the boutique, and today had been no exception. Not a single pony had graced her establishment that day, and while she had gladly taken the free time to work on some of her personal designs, a business needed patrons to remain afloat, and she was more than willing to indulge in the opportunity to use her talents to help another pony in the midst of a fashion crisis.
The unicorn began her typical mantra as she rounded the corner into her front room. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique! How may I... oh, it’s just you Sweetie Belle.”
A frown worked its way across the younger unicorn’s face. “Gosh, it’s nice to see you too Rarity.”
“Sorry Sweetie Belle, it’s just that I’ve had a very slow day today and I was hoping for some business to mix things up a bit. Still, it’s nice to see that you’re back.” The fashionista glanced haphazardly out the window and noticed that the sun was barely past its zenith. “Weren’t you busy playing with your friends, though? It’s a little early for you to be back.”
“I’m meeting back up with them later today,” Sweetie Belle replied dismissively, edging closer to her big sister. “And since you’re not too busy, I was wondering if we could talk for a bit about something.” She smiled hopefully as she made her approach.
Rarity returned the expression wholeheartedly. “Certainly!" The two ponies took a seat on the plush purple sofa nearby and face each other sweetly. Rarity was quick to break the silence. "What would you like to talk about? Would you like to know more about fashion? Is your magic finally coming in?” Her eyes suddenly grew aghast and she gave her sister a far more serious look. “Those bullies at school aren’t bothering you again, are they? I already have half a mind to go see Miss Cheerilee and—”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that!” Sweetie Belle reassured, blushing as she waved a hoof frantically. Regaining her sense of composure, Sweetie Belle said, “It’s about cutie marks.”
Rarity slumped over and felt her excited expression deflate as she deadpanned, “Ah, I should’ve guessed.”
Apparently unaware of her sister's stark boredom, Sweetie Belle continued unabated. “Specifically, your cutie mark.” She pointed an accusatory hoof at the three offending diamonds. “I wanna know exactly how you got it. Don’t spare any details at all, if you please.” From seemingly nowhere at all, the tiny filly pulled out a pencil, a notepad, and a sharp-looking reporter’s hat which she proceeded to don. Pencil in mouth, she gave her sister a very serious stare and waited patiently for a response.
Rarity just blinked at the unicorn she wasn't entirely convinced she was related to at the present moment. “Why, I believe I already told you that tale. Don’t you recall? You and your friends were searching for Rainbow Dash, and—”
“Yes ma’am, I already know all that,” Sweetie Belle retorted, holding up a steady, halting hoof. “But I need to know the whole story, and the only way I’m gonna get that is if you cooperate. So I’m gonna need you to recite an oath, just so I know you’re telling the truth.”
If Rarity had been confused by her sister’s act before, she was completely lost now. “An oath? Sweetie Belle, I’m your sister! Don’t you trust—”
“Irrelevant!” the foe-journalist snapped, causing the older unicorn to recoil in shock. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, miss. Please just repeat after me." Sweetie Belle crossed one hoof over her heart, pointed another one skyward, and closed her eyes calmly. "I solemnly swear...”
Still seeking an explanation, Rarity desperately inserted, “Sweetie Belle, what is—”
“I solemnly swear...” The filly scrunched her eyebrows harshly over her eyelids.
Rarity rolled her eyes. Halfheartedly mimicking her sister's ridiculous pose, she repeated, “I solemnly swear...”
“...that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so long as I live...” Sweetie Belle made sure to emphasize every word as though she were speaking to a foal.
Rarity quickly copied, “...that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so long as I live. Now can we—”
“...and,” Sweetie Belle sternly interjected, “if I break my oath...”
Putting a hoof to the bridge of her nose, Rarity desperately said, "Sweetie Belle, is this really—"
"Say it," Sweetie Belle interjected, stating it more as a fact than a demand.
Rarity sighed heavily. “...and if I break my oath...”
“...I will be sent...”
Rarity arched an eyebrow and spoke cautiously. “...I will be sent...”
“...to the depths of Tartarus...”
At this, Rarity's eyes screamed open. She fired the tiny reporter a look of shock and disgust. “Sweetie Belle! Watch your tongue! Make no mention of that foul place!”
A frustrated sigh escaped the little white filly as she raised a hoof to the bridge of her muzzle. “Please miss, just say it.”
“I absolutely refuse,” Rarity said pointedly, crossing her hooves and craning her head away.
Sweetie Belle’s eyes suddenly opened very wide, and her voice shifted to a pleading tone as she whined, “Aw, c’mon Rarity! How am I supposed to do my journalist thing when you won’t cooperate?”
The larger unicorn gave her a suspicious, sidelong glance. “I thought you already tried getting your cutie mark in reporting.”
“That was different!” Sweetie Belle defended with a voice crack. “Come on. Please?”
Despite the years she'd had to get used to her sister's mischievous ways, Rarity knew that her Sweetie Belle always had a trump card that she would not hesitate to play. Somehow, the tiny unicorn knew how to perfectly manipulate her facial features in a way that could rival Fluttershy's infamous stare for its ability to break willpower. One day, Rarity was sure that she would become immune to the effects of "The Puppy Dog Eyes". Today, however, was not that day.
Defeated, Rarity groaned, “Oh, very well.”
It took no more than that to perk Sweetie Belle right back up. “Good! Now, let’s try this again." Falling back into her former pose as if nothing at all had happened, Sweetie Belle continued, "Ahem... I will be sent...”
Tone gilded with annoyance, Rarity repeated, “...I will be sent...”
“...to the depths of Tartarus...”
“...to the depths of Tartarus...” The elder sister spat the word like a rotten apple.
“...where I will be eaten alive by a dragon.” A satisfied smirk crossed the filly's face.
Thinking better than to protest a second time, Rarity just huffed and finished, “...where I will be eaten alive by a dragon. Are we done now?”
“With the oath? Yes. Now let me start with my questions.” Sweetie Belle firmly put her little pencil against her notepad and watched Rarity with seeking eyes, keeping one eyebrow just slightly higher than the other. “First, what is your name?”
Rarity slammed a hoof against her face. “Please, just skip to the important parts. Something about my cutie mark, right?”
A frown flashed across Sweetie Belle’s lips. “Alright, fine. First, what made your cutie mark appear?”
Thankful for the legitimate question, Rarity replied, “I was designing costumes for my school play and wasn't happy with how they were turning out. Just as I was about to give up, my unicorn magic activated and dragged me to some giant rock in the middle of nowhere. There was an explosion which caused the rock to crumble and unveil a vast hoard of gemstones. I used the gemstones to improve my costumes considerably, and my cutie mark appeared once I saw how happy everyone was with my designs.”
“Interesting, very interesting,” Sweetie Belle said as she jotted down some notes. “So what caused the unicorn magic to happen?”
Rarity shrugged. “I’m still not entirely sure. Twilight told me that unicorn magic can occasionally be triggered by powerful emotions, so my best guess is that my profound sadness from not being able to design the perfect costumes was the cause.” A faint shine flickered in Rarity's eyes.
Just under her breath, Sweetie Belle mumbled "Not sure I can replicate that part." Nonetheless, she wrote the information down before continuing. “Where did your unicorn magic take you specifically?”
Bringing a hoof to her chin as she tried to recall the memory, Rarity said, “I believe the rock was situated at the far edge of Rambling Rock Ridge. It’s a lovely little outcropping just to the east of Ponyville.”
“Do you think the gemstones that you found had anything to do with your cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle questioned genuinely.
“Yes, of course!” Rarity exclaimed, suddenly enthused. Eyes sparkling and teeth baring, she continued, “Why, I daresay they were the most important factor! They were what allowed me to pursue my life’s calling, and I still use gemstones in a large majority of my projects. Not to mention that my cutie mark is actually a depiction of gems!”
As if suddenly having been struck in the face, Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened and her jaw fell slack. She mirrored her sister's bright-eyed enthusiasm. “Hey, I never thought of that! I guess the gems will be the most important part!” Immediately, Sweetie Belle struck a line across her notepad with vigor.
Rarity cocked her head at the outburst. “‘Will be’? Whatever is that supposed to mean?”
Shifting her eyes nervously, Sweetie Belle sheepishly replied, “Uh, never mind. Next question! Um—”
“Sweetie Belle, don't try to hide things from me. What are you planning?” Rarity forced, not willing to let her suspicions go. She locked her icy stare on the fidgeting unicorn.
“I’ll ask the questions here!” Sweetie Belle shot back angrily. With a dagger-like stare, Rarity sapped Sweetie Belle's bout of nervous anger quickly away. The miniature pony shrunk back into her cushion. “I-I’m sorry, Rarity. I... I didn't mean to yell. I just... it’s a secret, okay?” A desperate plead accompanied her tone.
Rarity’s eyes did not relent. “You really shouldn't be keeping secrets from family, you know.”
The filly hung her head low and sniffled gently. “B-but I’m your sister. Don’t you trust me?”
Stung by the words that had very nearly escaped her own mouth just a few minutes ago, Rarity’s gaze softened just a bit. “Do you promise it isn’t anything you’ll get into any sort of trouble for?”
Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up as she heard her chance for salvation. A sad smile worked its way across her lips as she met her sister's judgmental gaze. “P-promise!”
A warm, sisterly grin crept onto Rarity’s face as she looked into the young pony’s hopeful green eyes. “Okay then, just let me know if you need help with anything.”
Ecstatic was the best word to describe Sweetie Belle’s newfound expression, but even that didn't quite do it justice. A quick hug of reassurance sealed their words. “Thanks Rarity!" the filly cried as she released the grip on her sister. "Now let me see here..." Flipping through her notepad, Sweetie Belle's eyes clicked on the last page. "Ah, just one more question!”
“Go ahead,” Rarity said earnestly.
“What’s your favourite colour?”
Taken aback, Rarity stammered, “Uh, purple, I suppose. Royal purple, to be exact.”
Penciling in her final note, Sweetie Belle threw her reporter gear into her nearby saddlebag and smiled thankfully at the mare across from her. “Thank you very much for your time ma’am. Have a lovely day!” She giddily stood up and bounced for the door, but stopped suddenly as a thought crossed her mind.
Turning back to her big sister who has just begun her way out of the room herself, Sweetie Belle inquired, “One last thing, Rarity. When you go searching for gems nowadays, where do you usually go?”
Rarity chuckled lightly at the question. “Funnily enough, I go to the same location where I found the first ones: Rambling Rock Ridge. It’s quite the little diamond mine!”
“Great, thanks!” With an even larger spring in her step, the unicorn filly lifted her saddlebag onto her back and ran for the door, giggling.
Noticing the sudden and rambunctious departure, Rarity asked, “Sweetie Belle? Where are you off to?”
Already halfway across the threshold, Sweetie Belle froze and remained silent for a few seconds, looking at the ground carefully. Rarity raised a hoof to begin towards the petrified filly, but a squeaky voice cut her off mid-step. “Just, um, going to play with my friends again at Sweet Apple Acres. Yeah, that’s it! Er, we might be out awhile, so don’t wait up. Bye!” Before the larger unicorn could form any sort of retort, the door swung shut and she was left to her own devices once again.
Wrinkling her brow, Rarity walked to the window and watched as Sweetie Belle ran in precisely the opposite direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Shaking her head steadily, the shopkeeper twisted the sign which hung in her window so that it read "Closed" from the outside. Sighing, she proceeded towards her kitchen. Perhaps there will be some excitement today after all, she thought as she trotted over to the rack where her own saddlebag hung.
***
“Hey Rainbow Dash!”
The call for her attention would’ve usually annoyed Rainbow Dash greatly—especially since she was just about to slip into her mid-afternoon nap—but she definitely recognized the voice which carried the outcry, and decided to let this one slide. Poking her head over the pony-sized tuft of cloud which served as her makeshift bed confirmed her suspicions: a tiny blur of orange and purple was sprinting along the ground towards her position.
“Hey squirt,” she addressed, “how’d you know where to find me?”
Scootaloo came to a halt a few feet from where the shadow of the cloud and pony combination stood on the ground. Excitedly, she answered, “Because it’s exactly 1:09 p.m., and that’s when you’re in the middle of your mid-afternoon nap which is always about fifty feet outside of Ponyville’s northwestern exit!” She beamed up at her idol.
All the polychromatic mare could do was stare. Wow, she thought, either this kid’s way too obsessed with me, or I’m way too predictable. Probably both, actually. Shrugging the thought off and uttering a lackadaisical, “Whatever,” she lazily soared down to ground level so she could address the filly at a comfortable talking distance. She hovered in the air and leaned back proudly, a crooked grin plastered across her face. “So whad’ya need, Scoots? Finally starting to get good at flying and need some tips from the most awesome pegasus in Equestria? Or do you just wanna hang? I’m fine either way.”
“Actually, I just wanna hear the story of how you got your cutie mark! Don’t skimp out on any details; I’m sure it’ll be way more inspirational if I know exactly how it all happened.” With no confirmation whatsoever from the cyan pony, Scootaloo sat herself down on her haunches and opened up her ears intently.
While Rainbow wasn't always the most astute pony in town, she knew full well that she’d already told Scootaloo the story of how she earned her cutie mark at least once before. She was, however, always looking for ponies to relay her sheer awesomeness to, and the one pony who was always keen on listening was sitting before her right now, demanding that she do exactly that. Opportunities like this don’t come up every day, and Rainbow wasn’t about to pass it up.
“Alright, that’s cool I guess,” Rainbow said nonchalantly. “It all started with some bullies who were picking on Fluttershy back at flight camp...”
The next thirty minutes went by without either pony really noticing. Rainbow was more than happy to embellish her story as much as possible with appropriate aerial maneuvers to add dramatic effect, and Scootaloo just stared in awe as the story she’d committed to memory unfolded before her eyes. At some point the filly had reminded herself to pull out a pencil and paper to jot down some notes, which the storyteller completely failed to notice as she recounted the details of exactly how fast she’d been going in order to achieve her infamous Sonic Rainboom.
“...and then, wham!" Rainbow crashed to the ground with a resounding thud. "I landed right back at flight camp—not exhausted at all, of course—and soaked in all the cheers of the other fillies and colts. I think even some of the instructors were cheering me on. It was awesome!” An unmistakable glint twinkled in Rainbow’s eyes as she looked nostalgically into the blue yonder. Realizing that all the exciting bits of the story were over, she decided to add some quick details to close things up. “Later on I got scolded by the coach for knocking somepony down to the ground, which I guess was Fluttershy." A subtle hesitance had worked its way into her voice, but it was quickly shattered. "But hey, it all worked out! We both got our cutie marks, and nopony was hurt. End of story.” She crossed her forehooves triumphantly, completely neglecting the memory of how one of the bullies she had raced wound up in a neck brace for the next month.
Scootaloo rapidly finished scrawling down a few last words on her notepad before she grinned widely up at the pegasus and exclaimed, “Wow, awesome! So you got your cutie mark all because you wanted to defend Fluttershy’s honor, and that led you to discovering your special talent?”
“Yep, that’s pretty much it. Oh, and don’t forget the part where I broke the sound barrier.” Rainbow smirked cockily at herself.
“How could I forget?” Scootaloo marked, furiously looking over her list of notes as she did.
Curious at the filly’s actions, Rainbow stepped forward to look at the paper. “So, what were you writing?”
“Bullies... hmm...” the orange pegasus muttered, barely audibly. Suddenly noticing that she’d been asked a question, Scootaloo nervously stared back at her sister figure. “Oh! Uh, I was just... taking notes, for the, er, novel I’m working on.”
“A novel?" Rainbow repeated, wide-eyed. "Cool!” An instant later, Rainbow suddenly became aware of how excited she’d sounded over the prospect of writing a book. She began rubbing a dismissive hoof against her chest, hoping that apathy could salvage her coolness. “I mean, uh, sounds interesting. What’s it called?”
Scootaloo’s eyes darted around frantically, eventually locking on her saddlebag. “It’s called, um, The Life and Times of Rainbow Dash. It’s a biography.” She smiled awkwardly, eyes still quaking slightly.
“Really, you’re writing a book about me?” the mare inquired in a half-flattered, half-awed tone.
“Of course! You’re only the most awesome pony ever, not to mention my sis... er, i-inspiration! How could I not write a book about you?”
“Hmm, I guess that makes sense,” Rainbow said, nodding approvingly. “I actually tried to get a book written about me once, but my ghostwriter quit on me for some reason. Then I tried writing one myself, but Twilight told me it looked like a schoolfilly’s bad short story. But she can’t complain about yours, ‘cause you are a schoolfilly!” The rainbow-maned pegasus beamed at her own reasoning.
“Exactly!” agreed Scootaloo, too nervous about the situation to give the response much thought. “So I’ll, uh, just come back later and—” The filly’s rapidly shifting eyes suddenly locked their gaze straight forward, and a wide smile soon adorned her face. “That’s it!”
Utterly perplexed at the turn of events, Rainbow raised an eyebrow oddly. “What’s what?”
“Oh, uh, nothing. I’ll talk to you later Rainbow Dash! Thanks for the story!” Before Rainbow could react, the purple-maned creature charged off in the direction from which she’d come—namely Ponyville.
All Rainbow could think to call out before the filly became out of earshot was “Wait! Where are you going?”
Despite the dramatically increased distance, Scootaloo shouted a single, excited word in reply: “Manehattan!”
Even more befuddled by the reply than she’d been by the need for the question, Rainbow scratched her head reflexively. “Manehattan? That’s all the way across Equestria! What the hay would she be doing there?”
Gazing at the ever-distant orange dot, then back up at the long-forgotten cloud above her head which beckoned her to dreamland, Rainbow sighed heavily and hunched her shoulders. I’m not gonna get to have my nap today, am I?
