Crusaders, Go!

by Albi

Rating: everyone
Tags: Other, Random, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 5282

Follow the adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they embark on the greatest journey of all: a journey through their imaginations.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie belle, and Scootaloo are always on the look out for ways to get their cutie marks. But like all children, they spend much of their time playing games and having fun as well.
On a particularly slow Saturday the three fillies decide to play a different kind of game; one that will send them to misty jungles, icy mountains, deadly volcanoes and pitch them against mad scientists, vicious dragons and of course, Diamond Tiara herself!
Take a trip into the imaginations of three fillies and watch as they drag the entire town into their new shenanigans.

Published 2013-03-25 08:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-22 06:11:52 UTC

Battle in the Great Orchard

Crusaders, Go!

Battle in the Great Orchard

Within the Apple Family Orchard sat an old tree cradling a small clubhouse. It was modest little thing, brightly colored and decorated with a planter of flowers over the doorway. Although it was a warm spring day, the clubhouse stayed relatively cool thanks to the shade the surrounding apple trees provided.

Inside sat three fillies, looks of pure boredom etched onto their faces. A blank piece of paper sat in the middle of them. Blank, just like their flanks. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, collectively known to all of Ponyville as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, were sprawled out on the floor trying to pick through ideas of how they could obtain their cutie marks.

They had spent hours brainstorming, yet all they could come up with were ideas they had already tried and failed at, or ideas so ridiculous that they were unsure if any of them wanted a cutie mark in that field. Now, they were stuck and boredom had crept onto them, leaving the trio in a comatose-like state.

Scootaloo stared at the white sheet of paper in front of her while she tapped a pencil against her noggin. She groaned in defeat, dropping her head onto the floor. “Can you girls think of anything? ‘Cause I’m bored out of my mind over here.”

Apple Bloom was on her back, counting the nails in the ceiling. “Nope, Ah got nuthin’. “

“Maybe we should take a break from crusading today,” Sweetie Belle offered. “We can’t think of anything worth crusading for, so let’s just do something else.”

“Like what?” Scootaloo grunted.

“Well… we could play a game or something.”

Scootaloo sighed. “Sure, name a game.”

Sweetie Belle was silent for a moment, thinking. “Umm, Candyland?

“Sweetie, that game’s fer babies,” Apple Bloom complained.

“Nu-uh, it says for foals ‘four and up.’ We’re totally four and up!”

Scootaloo raised her head from the floor, and looked at her with furrowed brows.

Sweetie Belle crossed her hooves. “Fine, no Candyland,” she said with a pout. “How about tag, then?”

Scootaloo dragged her body over to where Sweetie Belle sat and tagged her on the shoulder. “Tag, you’re it, no tag backs,” she said in a monotone voice.

“But that means I can only tag Apple Bloom. C’mon, Scootaloo, you’re not even trying.”

Scootaloo’s head thumped against the floor again. “Sorry, I’m just not in the mood for tag.”

Apple bloom rolled over and got up from her position on the floor. “Then what are ya in the mood for?”

“I don’t know. Something exciting and action-y I guess.”

Sweetie Belle mumbled, “That’s what you’re always in the mood for.”

“Well, why don’t we go outside? Maybe a change of scenery will give us ideas or somethin’,” Apple Bloom suggested.

The little orange pegasus grunted in response before picking herself up and trailing along after her friends. They scampered down the ramp of the tree and gathered in a circle. The crisp wind blew through the grove of trees, rustling the leaves and sending stray branches to the ground. Above the fillies’ heads, apple blossoms grew on the trees, releasing a fragrant smell that wafted on the air.

They relished in the fine spring day before Scootaloo decided to break the silence with a loud sigh. “Nope, still bored.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, then started walking around the grove, aimlessly looking for something to entertain them. Her eyes stopped on a decent sized stick and an idea popped into her head. She grabbed the stick in her mouth and twirled around to face Scootaloo, taking a mock fighting stance.

“M’grd!” she yelled with a full mouth.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle twisted their heads. “Wha…?” they asked together.

Apple Bloom spit the stick out into her hoof and said, “Let’s have a swordfight! Ya know, pretend we’re swordsmares and use these sticks as weapons, all make-believe like.”

Sweetie’s face brightened. “Hey, that sounds like fun! But, can I be a cool sorceress like Twilight instead?”

“Sure!” Apple Bloom smiled. “You wanna play too, Scootaloo?”

She rubbed the side of her face giving her companions an unsure look. “I don’t know, aren’t we a little old to playing pretend?”

“'Course not, me and Twist used to do it all the time! C’mon, Scoots, give it a chance,” Apple Bloom insisted.

“All right fine,” she said, giving in with a grumpy tone before perking up slightly. “But I get to be a ninja!”

“Deal!” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom agreed.

There was a brief moment of silence before Scootaloo asked, “Soooo, how does this work exactly?”

“It’s easy,” Apple Bloom replied, “just use your imagination!”

(~I~)

Dusk was falling across the Great Orchard, splashes of orange transitioning to purple filling the sky. Three figures moved into the grove from separate paths, the wind flowing softly and sending fresh petals into small eddies before gracefully falling onto what was about to become the battlefield for three of the greatest ponies in history.

From the east came a tall, slim, alabaster unicorn with a pink and purple mane that bounced softly which each graceful step she took. She was adorned in a purple cloak and carried a large staff in her magical grip. She was known throughout Equestria as the greatest magician who had ever lived. She was strong, beautiful and always dressed as fashionably as possible. Her cloak was made out of the finest silk in the land. And it went so well with her eyes! Her name was Sweetum Lovelylocks III.

(~I~)

“Wait, we can make up names too?” Scootaloo asked.

“Of course, silly, it’s make-believe. You can do anything!” Sweetie chirped.

“Oh… cool!”

(~I~)

From the south came a strong-looking earth pony, wearing gold and red armor that matched her coat and mane. On her back was one of the most legendary swords in existence: Equscalibur. She who had fought against hundreds of monsters, stared down a cockatrice and slain countless dragons went by many names, each more terrifying than the last. But the humble mare preferred to go by the name her parents had given to her at birth: Apple Bomb, because she was an explosion of power and righteous fury.

Finally, from the west came a figure almost entirely dressed in black. Only her purple eyes were visible, and they blazed with the hunger for battle! She was a legend only spoken of in whispers. She had single-hoofedly protected the princesses from an army of assassins and vanished before they could thank her. She was the greatest ninja in history, and her name was… was…

(~I~)

“I can’t think of anything cool!” Scootaloo complained.

“Well, ya don’t have to make up a name. Scootaloo’s already a pretty cool name anyways,” Apple Bloom reassured.

“Well… I guess you’re right.”

(~I~)

Her name was The Dark Ninja Scootaloo, a name that struck fear into all evil-doers!

The three mares met in the middle of the grove, carefully watching the others movements. Then without warning, Scootaloo leapt into the air and threw a ninja star at Apple Bomb!

Apple Bomb drew Equscalibur and deflected the projectile towards one of the many trees surrounding them. “Foolish ninja, you think you can beat the mighty Apple Bomb with simple tricks?”

“She might not, but my incredibly powerful magic can take care of you!” Sweetum cried. Raising her staff high, she called down a bolt of lightning to strike Apple Bomb. But the swordsmare was too quick for the magician’s magic. She rolled out of the way just as the barb of electricity hit the ground and left a scorch mark where Apple Bomb had been moments before.

“No mere magic can stop the mighty Apple Bomb! Have a taste of my steel, ye fell villain!” Apple Bomb let loose a battle cry as she charged at the magician, bringing her sword down as she went.

But the intelligent Sweetum anticipated such an attack and teleported to a safe distance away from the warrior, only to be ninja kicked in the back of the head by Scootaloo. Sweetum stumbled forward and cried, “How dare you hurt a lady like me! Eat fireball, you worm!” She spun around and hurled a ball of hot plasma at the dark ninja.

Scootaloo dodged it with a graceful backflip and landed on her back hooves. From behind came Apple Bomb and her heavenly sword. Scootaloo barely had time to turn around before the sword sliced through her and she vanished in a puff of smoke.

“What the…” Apple Bomb stared, confused at the spot where Scootaloo had been moments before.

“Ninja kick to the face!” Scootaloo cried as she dug her hoof into Apple Bomb’s cheek. The earth pony flew across the grove, tumbling head over hooves along the ground until she came to a stop at the base of one of the many apple trees.

Scootaloo then turned her attention to Sweetum who was preparing another spell. The magician launched a ball of energy at her opponent, only for Scootaloo to vanish once more. Suddenly, Sweetum was surrounded by a hundred ninja Scootaloo clones, each of them armed with flaming ninja stars and…

(~I~)

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ah know Ah said you could do anything, but ya still gotta be fair about it.”

“Pfft, fine.”

(~I~)

A single Scootaloo reappeared and threw one flaming ninja star at Sweetum, who raised a pillar of stone to block it before pushing it towards the ninja in an attempt to crush her. Scootaloo ran and leapt forward, using her completely unhindered wings to jump over the stone pillar and position herself to deliver a ninja kick to Sweetum.

“Flying tackle to the face!” Apple Bomb yelled as she slammed into Scootaloo in midair, dragging her to the ground. The two of them wrestled back and forth across the dirt, trying to pin each other while Sweetum dropped ice blocks from the sky only to have them miss.

“Surrender or I will be forced to use my deadliest ninja move on you,” Scootaloo threatened.

“Never!” Apple Bomb cried.

“Then you leave me no choice! Ancient ninja jutsu: Pain of Laughter!” Scootaloo raised her hooves high above her head and brought them down on the defenseless earth pony.

“Nooooooo!” Apple Bomb squealed as Scootaloo began to tickle her into submission.

(~I~)

Apple Bloom roared with laughter as Scootaloo mercilessly tickled her stomach, grinning like a mad mare. “Say the words, say them!”

“N-never, hahahaha,” Apple Bloom chocked out between laughs.

“Oh yeah? Well, perhaps I’ll just need reinforcements.” She turned to the white unicorn standing on the sidelines. “Sweetum, join me and together we’ll stop the earth pony menace!”

Sweetie Belle tapped the stick she had been using as her staff against her chin in mock thought. “Hmmm, what’s in it for me?”

“I’ll give you a cookie.”

“Deal!”

“What?” Apple Bloom cried. “Sw- Sweetie Belle, you c-can’t join her, she’s evil!”

But Sweetie’s mind was already made up as she ran towards her two friends, shouting, “Pony pile!” and jumping on top of both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. All three of them broke out into a chorus of laughter that filled the whole orchard with the sound of merriment. It wasn’t until an older, white-coated unicorn stepped into the clearing that the laughter died away.

Rarity cleared her throat and said, “Sweetie Belle, I’m glad that you’re having fun, but it’s time for supper.”

“Supper?” Sweetie coked her head. “But it’s only…” she looked up at the orange sky and frowned, “Oh.”

“’Oh’ is right; it’s almost dark out, now come along. You can play more tomorrow.”

Sweetie moved from the top of the pony pile, allowing Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to stand up. “Bye girls, see you tomorrow. We should do this more often, it’s really fun!”

Her two friends waved goodbye as Rarity led Sweetie Belle back towards home. Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo with a smug smirk on her face. “See, what did Ah tell ya? Isn’t using yer imagination fun?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess it was pretty fun. Dorky, but fun.” She smiled then looked up at the sky. “But yeah, I should probably get home soon too, or mom’s gonna throw a fit.”

“Come on, Ah’ll walk ya outta the orchard,” Apple Bloom offered. The two of them walked in silence for a little while before Apple Bloom asked, “Sooo, you wanna play again later?”

“Definitely, we can do it again tomorrow!” Scootaloo said, a joyful grin splitting her face before she composed herself, trying to act cool. “I mean, you know… just so my ninja can finish kicking your flank.”

“Pfft, what are you talkin’ about. Ah was so gonna win.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

Both of them laughed as they walked out of the forest of apple trees. While the sun set behind them, new adventures were just on the horizon.

Author's Note

If it seems incredibly cheesy, then that means I'm doing my job right.

A Hunting We Will Go

A Hunting We Will Go

It was another warm Spring afternoon, in Ponyville, with Summer slowly making its presence known by the rising temperature.

The heat normally wasn’t a problem for Applejack. She could easily work through it knowing there was a nice tall glass of apple juice waiting for her at the end. She had finished her morning chores around the house and tilled the corn field; now she was working with her brother, Big Mac, on fixing the roof of one of the grain silos. Something she would have preferred to do in peace and quiet. Sweltering, sweaty, slight humid, peace and quiet. Instead she was dealing with:

“Hey, Applejack, do ya want me to hold the ladder?”

“Hey, Applejack, do you think we can get our cutie marks in fixing roofs?”

Hey, Applejack, do you want us to fix the barn door?”

“Wait, haven’t we tried being repair ponies?”

“I dunno, I kinda lost track of everything we have and haven’t tried.”

“Told you we should keep a list.”

Applejack bit down hard on the hammer she had in her mouth, praying to Celestia that she didn’t have to use it for… unintended purposes. Somehow, she had once again been roped into watching the rambunctious trio of cutie mark obsessed fillies. She loved each of them to death, but they had been following and badgering her all morning for things to do. Applejack wasn’t in the mood to see her farm burn down, so she had given them simple tasks to try and keep them busy. Feeding the pigs, watering the plants, bailing hay, most of Apple Bloom’s normal chores. However, since there were three of them, they got things done faster, and came back to bother Applejack for more.

“Hey, big brother,” Apple Bloom called up to Big Macintosh. “Do ya need any help?”

Big Mac stood on another ladder next to Applejack, holding a piece of wood that was waiting to be nailed in. “Eynope.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Scootaloo whined. “There must be something we can do?”

Applejack spat the hammer into her hoof. “Why don’t y’all just go play in yer clubhouse?”

“Because it’s hot in there,” Sweetie Belle said with sad expression. It quickly became an accusatory glare and she pointed a hoof at Scootaloo. “And she spilled juice all over the floor, so there’s ants crawling around.”

Scootaloo buzzed her wings in annoyance. “I thought you said you were over it.”

“I was, until I found ants in my mane!”

“Girls!” Applejack shouted, before they could descend into an argument that would no doubt further Applejack’s desire to knock herself out with the hammer. “Can’t y’all go play somewhere else?”

“But we wanna help, Applejack, we don’t want you to do all the work by yerself,” Apple Bloom said earnestly.

Consarn it! Ah raised her too well! Applejack berated herself. “That’s mighty nice of you young’ns, but me and Big Mac got everything under control, right, Mac?”

“Eeyup.”

“Are you sure there isn’t anything we can do?” Scootaloo asked. “We can milk the cows, or maybe herd the sheep? Oh, oh, how about we go and make you an apple pie for when you’re done?”

“YEAH!” the fillies cheered in unison.

“No!” Applejack said quickly, almost dropping the hammer as an image of a burning kitchen flashed through her head. “Uh, no. Just… sit and behave like good fillies.”

“But, Applejack…” they whined.

Applejack thumped her head against the side of the silo. “Ugh, Y’all really want to help that bad?”

“It might help us find our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom said.

“Fine, ya’ll can help by… uh…” Applejack scanned over the farm, looking for anything that might get the three fillies out of her mane for even a second. “You can uh…” Her eyes flew across the acres, unable to find anything that wouldn’t end in possible disaster, or at least another mess for her to clean up. She spotted the dense thicket of trees on the other side of the farm, near where the Zap Apples grew. An idea began to form into her mind, and a smile tugged at her lips.

“So you squirts really wanna help me, huh?”

They nodded their heads so hard, Applejack thought she heard their brains rattling.

“Well then, have Ah ever told y’all about the… snipe?”

Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side. “The wha?”

Applejack slid down the ladder, the grin on her face becoming wider. “The snipe! About the size of one of you three, with black feathers and a long beak, and quieter than a field mouse.”

“So what about it?” Scootaloo asked with a skeptical look.

“Well, Ah need some brave little ponies to go find it and catch it. The little varmints been stealin’ apples from the trees. Ah bet y’all can get a cutie mark in snipe huntin’!”

“Oooh,” Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened in amazement. “I wonder what that would look like?”

“Wait a minute,” Apple Bloom held out a hoof. “Applejack, are you tellin’ the truth?” She eyed her sister suspiciously.

“‘Course Ah am,” Applejack said with an honest smile. “Ya don’t trust yer big sister?”

Apple Bloom sucked on her teeth for a minute. “Well… Ah guess Ah do trust you. So, where does this snipe thingy live?”

“In those trees over there.” Applejack pointed.

Sweetie jumped up and said, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go snipe hunting!”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at each other and shrugged, before all three of them shouted. “Cutie Mark Crusader, Snipe Hunters YAY!”

Applejack watched them take off, letting out a sigh of relief as they went.

Big Mac made a disapproving noise with his throat. “A.J, you and Ah both know—

“Ah know what Ah saw Big Mac,” Applejack said, narrowing her eyes at the horizon. “Ah know what Ah saw.”

(~I~)

The barn door creaked open, as three tiny ponies pressed their way inside, ignoring the smell of moldy hay and pig slop.

“Do you think Applejack was telling the truth?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Ah don’t know, but this could be fun anyway. Besides, what if she is tellin’ the truth? If we catch this thing, we could finally get our cutie marks, and a pet!” She trotted over to a small shed tucked away in a corner, and rumaged around until she found three conveniently placed bug catching nets. She tossed one to both of her friends.

“Let’s go, Crusaders! We got huntin’ to do!”

The bright sunlight of the cloudless afternoon did not deter them in the slightest. The three fillies charged towards the tall cluster of trees, nets in mouths.

They arrived at the edge of the woods, their sprint declining into quiet prowls as the eased themselves into the treeline.

Scootaloo spat out her net. “This is so cool,” she said in an excited whisper. “We can be just like those wilderness explorers who live out in the forest…”

(~I~)

Hunt for the legendary snipe, day five.

Still no sign of it. Not even footprints. Do they have feet? Maybe they have claws? Anyway, we haven’t seen anything. Water and food are running low, so is morality—

“I think you mean ‘morale,’ Explorer Sweetie Belle corrected.

“Hey, who’s writing in the journal here?” Explorer Scootaloo snapped.

Morale was running low. If we don’t find the snipe fast, we might have to give up and go home. The berries growing on the trees around here taste awful.

(~I~)

“Aw, c’mon, Scootaloo, they ain’t so bad,” Apple Bloom said with a mouthful of berries.

“Says you. They smell like month old hay fries and taste even worse.”

“And how do you know what month old hay fries taste like?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Scootaloo opted not to answer.

(~I~)

The three explorers existed their tent, entering the small clearing they had made for camp in the thick forest. It consisted only of the triangular tent they shared and the campfire in the center.

Dressed in their explorer vests and pith hats on their heads, the brave adventurers grabbed the nets sitting by the entrance and marched once more into the eaves of the dark forest.

The scent of damp foliage immediately assaulted their nostrils as they entered the savage underbrush. Thick, green moss hung from the tall, ancient trees, while vines hung low, trying to hinder the advance of the fearless explorers. The forest glowed in many shades of greens, decorated with bright flowers, still wet with dew that sparkled in the light of the sun. A myriad of animal cries came from deeper within, proof that the forest was teeming with life.

Fearless Scootaloo led them down a previously traversed path, her sharp eyes taking in all of the scenery, in case she had missed something from their earlier explorations. She continued leading her friends along the trampled grass until she heard Sweetie Belle stumble and fall to the ground with an, “oof.”

Scootaloo turned around and saw Sweetie behind Apple Bloom, looking disgruntled. “What happened?” Scootaloo asked.

“I just caught myself on this dumb vine,” Sweetie said, brushing the vine off. At the feel of her hoof, the vine began to move.

“That’s not a vine,” Apple Bloom said with a slight tremor in her voice. She began taking quick steps backwards towards Scootaloo. “That’s a snake!”

The large, green, venomous, Python raised its head from the bushes. It’s red eyes pierced the fillies bravado, leaving them trembling in fear, while it’s forked tongue darted in and out of its mouth in a sinister hello.

“SNAKE!” the fillies chorused, breaking into a mad sprint, and quickly putting a large distance in between them and their vicious predator.

(~I~)

The girls screamed as they ran deeper into the thicket, leaving the tiny garden snake behind, tilting its head in confusion, before slithering back under the bush it had been sleeping in.

(~I~)

For minutes, the trio ran through the forest, Scootaloo slapping away branches that would come back and hit Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle in the face. They finally came to rest within a small clearing, similar to the one their campsite had been in. They all collapsed to the ground, their lungs desperate for air.

Sweetie looked back and asked, “Do you think it followed us?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Snakes can’t run that fast.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Snakes can’t run at all!”

“Ya know what Ah meant!”

Scootaloo got up and dusted herself off. “Anyway, even if had come after us, I could have handled it, no problem.”

“Oh yeah?” Apple Bloom smirked. “Then why were you runnin’ so fast, screamin’ like a chicken?”

“I was not screaming, I was… was letting out a battle cry… to warn it of what would happen if it followed us.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Anyways” Sweetie said, adjusting her crooked hat. “All of our ‘battle cries’ probably scared the snipe off. We’re never gonna find it now.”

“Don’t be too sure of that,” Apple Bloom said, pointing at a spot on the ground. “Look at that.”

The other two gathered around her and examined the pair of avian claw prints marked into the dirt. They made a trail and wandered off into the brush. Giving each other wide grins, the girls followed the prints deeper into the forest.

They walked for a few minutes before coming to the edge of a large ravine. The gap was as long as it was wide, stretching at least a hundred feet. The footprints ended near the edge of the cliff.

Apple Bloom looked over into the deep gorge. “Ah sure hope the snipe knew how to fly.” She took a step back, feeling a rush of vertigo.

“I hope so too,” Sweetie said. “But how are we supposed to get across?”

Scootaloo smirked and pulled out a long length of rope from her bag. “Don’t worry, I got this!” Twirling the rope over her head, she tossed it up to a low hanging branch that sat almost directly over the middle of the ravine. “Hang on, Crusaders!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle grabbed on to Scootaloo, as she pulled on the rope making sure it was secured before running and leaping off the cliff. The ponies sailed through the air, their screams caught between adrenaline filled joy and mortal terror. As the rope reached its apex, the girls jumped off, landing safe and sound on the other side.

“Oh yeah!” Scootaloo punched the air. “That was awesome!”

Apple Bloom looked at the ravine, then gave Scootaloo a curious look. “Wait a sec, you’re a pegasus. Why didn’t you just a fly us across?”

(~I~)

Scootaloo gave her a deadpan expression, the small stream babbling behind her. Instead of answering, Scootaloo continued to march ahead, leaving the other two standing in honest curiosity.

“What, Ah was just askin’.” Apple Bloom shrugged.

(~I~)

The sun was beginning its descent, painting the sky in beautiful colors of blue, pink and orange. The Crusaders were hot on the trail of the snipe, following the footprints that had continued on the other side of the bottomless ravine.

They were crouched low, nets in their mouths, ears up, knowing that they were drawing closer to their elusive prey. A bush near them rustled, and a noise similar to a clicking beak could be heard. The Crusaders nodded at each other, taking up different positions around the bush, prepared to pounce on their target.

The bush rustled again, and Scootaloo sprung into action, leaping into the air, brandishing her net above her head, followed quickly by her two fellow explorers. Unfortunately for Scootaloo, Apple Bloom had jumped forward from her position at about the same height, causing the two to ram heads and fall backwards.

“I got it, I got it!” Sweetie Belle cried. She had, smartly, delayed her reaction time, knowing the outcome of all three of them rushing together would probably just lead to a headache. So far, her strategy had never failed.

Her feeling of excitement quickly turned into confusion, then into disappointment, as she examined the creature under her net. It was white and feathered, and looked rather pudgy, like it had been over eating. It clucked its yellow beak in confusion and shook its head, the red crown on top wobbling slightly.

“Awww, you’re not a snipe.”

(~I~)

Sweetie Belle pulled the net out of the bush, the chicken still inside, clucking away. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were rubbing their heads, trying to alleviate their headaches. They looked up and let out disgruntled moans at the sight of the chicken.

“Don’t tell me that’s what we’ve been following this whole time,” Scootaloo whined.

Sweetie nodded and sighed. “I guess one of Fluttershy’s chickens got loose again.” She leaned in and looked closer at the fowl. “In fact, I’m pretty sure this is Elizabeak.”

Scootaloo slapped her forehead, instantly regretting it. “We can’t get our cutie marks in chicken hunting, we already tried that!” she whined, rubbing her bruise.

The three of them let out a collective sigh before Apple Bloom spoke up. “Well, Ah reckon we oughta give Elizabeak back to Fluttershy. She’s probably worried sick.”

The Crusaders nodded in agreement, and Apple Bloom took Elizabeak out from under the net and onto her back. The chicken mindlessly clucked.

(~I~)

The Sacred Meadow was a literal Eden for all manner of creatures, big and small. Deep green trees swayed in the gentle wind, sending the smell of sweet honey wafting into the air. Petals from every type of flower imaginable drifted down into the stream that ran under the bridge connecting the dirt road up to the ancient shrine sitting at the top of the hill.

Birds sang all around the explorers, as the trio crossed over the bridge, drawing closer to the sacred place. Small woodland creatures scurried about, as happy as could be, chittering and squeaking as they watched the ponies go by.

Apple Bloom approached the shrine first. The old building was covered in moss and small animal dwellings. She raised a hoof and knocked on the old oak door, hearing it echo deep within the sacred shrine. After a few short moments, the door slowly opened up, revealing a beautiful, young pegasus with butter yellow fur and a cascade of mane colored a brilliant shade of pink. A circlet of flowers sat in her hair, and a dress of the finest leaves covered her.

Priestess Fluttershy spoke and a soft, melodic voice. “O, brave adventurers, I thank thee for returning my lost companion to me, safe and without harm.”

(~I~)

“Oh my goodness, Elizabeak! Girls wherever did you find her? I was looking all over!” Fluttershy, absent of her circlet and robes, picked Elizabeak off of Apple Blooms back and cradled the chicken in her hooves.

“We discovered her deep inside the woods, while we were hunting for the mysterious snipe, Priestess,” Sweetie explained.

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “Priestess…?”

“Oops, sorry, Fluttershy,” Sweetie giggled. “We were playing a game. But, we found her near the apple orchard while we were playing. We knew you were probably worried about her.”

Fluttershy beamed at them. “Well, thank you for bringing her back to me, it was very responsible of you girls. In fact, I think you should be rewarded. Would you like to help make some cookies?”

Sweetie and Scootaloo began jumping up and down at the idea of freshly baked sweets, however, Apple Bloom looked absolutely sick at the prospect.

Scootaloo stopped her bouncing. “What, Apple Bloom? You don’t want cookies?”

“It’s not that,” she moaned. “Ah just think you might’ve been right about those berries.” Her face turned green and she held a hoof to her mouth.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy said softly, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo failed to control their mirth.

(~I~)

The small, black bird waddled along the path, picking up fallen berries with its long beak. They happen to be its favorite next to the apples that fell from the nearby trees. It stopped walking and examined a hoofprint that had been left in the ground. One of the ponies that lived nearby had been through here. It clicked its beak in disappointment. They seemed to always come around when it wasn’t at home.

It hopped out of the bushes and began making its way to the farmhouse in the not too far distance. Maybe the kind old pony had left out some apple pie again. It always liked her the most.

Author's Note

The nonsense continues!