Crusaders go Crusading

Applebloom awoke to the sounds of roosters crowing outside. It was sunrise, and she had major plans for the today, and considerably, the rest of her life. After preparing herself, she ran out the door to her clubhouse where she would meet Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle to discuss what the Cutie Mark Crusaders would do to earn their cutie marks.

The sun was barely peaking out and no pony was awake yet. She had made certain she woke up earlier when they met each week. Applebloom sat in a corner waiting for the other two ponies. She was starting to fade out when a loud thud. Applebloom gasped and jumped up awake to see Scootaloo rubbing her head at the bottom of the ladder outside.

"You okay, Scootaloo?" Applebloom called down to the orange pegasus.

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on, I'll be up in a minute."

Scootaloo began muttering to herself then put her scooter against the tree and took off her helmet. Not far behind her, Sweetiebelle was running with a satchel in her mouth. Applebloom helped Scootaloo up the ladder and got her settled in one of the light green wooden seats around a circular table.

Applebloom peaked out again to check Sweetiebelle, but caught the glimpse of a shadow growing larger above her. Suddenly, a bag hit her in the head and knocked her to the ground.

"Look out!" Sweetiebelle shouted as she climbed up the ladder.

"Uh, a little too late,"

Scootaloo got out of her chair and lifted the heavy bag off of the yellow earth pony, who then tossed it on the table, causing dozens of papers and diagrams to pour out.

The two ponies sat in their seats as Applebloom took a pedestal in front of the table and began shuffling through mostly-blank papers.

"All right Crusaders, let's take roll!"

"Do we really have to?" Scootaloo objected.

"Sweetiebelle?" Applebloom smirked.

"Here!"

"Scootaloo?"

"Here..." Scootaloo let out a sigh.

"All right, and ah make three! Well, what do we have planned for tod-?"

Before Applebloom could continue, Sweetiebelle began dumping the satchel she she carried with her on the table, letting dozens of papers fall out with hastily scribbled notes and crude drawings.

"Sweetiebelle? You've been busy..." Scootaloo trailed off as Sweetiebelle began to pick specific papers from the pile.

"Can ah have a look through here?" Applebloom began poking through the stack of papers.

"Sure! Just be careful, I've been planning these for a long time."

Applebloom had a worried expression on her face, "Sweetiebelle? What were you thinking with this one?"

The paper had a list of instructions written on it as well as supplies.

Supplies: Parachute, hot air balloon, ball, hoop.

1. Fly up high in a hot air balloon over hoop.

2. Put on parachute.

3. Grab ball.

4. Do a backflip out of it.

5. Pull parachute.

6. Prepare ball.

7. Dunk ball in hoop.

8. Cutie mark?

"Let's try it! With that many things in it, we'd have to get at least one cutie mark!" Scootaloo shouted.

"No, you can only get one, that's not how it works," Sweetiebelle said, disappointingly,

"Yeah? And how would you know?"

Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo then began debating what defines "talent" as Applebloom was shuffling through the papers.

"Definitely too dangerous. Never heard of that. That's illegal. Already done it. Already done it."

One caught her attention, though. It showed three blankets tied to sticks laying in a pile, with two papers stapled behind it.

"Oh! I meant to get rid of that one," Sweetiebelle grabbed the paper.

"Hold on, what's it about?" Scootaloo leaned in to peak at it.

"It sounds kind of silly, but what if we run into the Everfree Forest?"

"But, why?" Applebloom chimed in.

"I don't know, there's a lot we could do. Maybe we could become survival ponies?" Sweetiebelle offered.

"We could help Zecora with alchemy!" Scootaloo piped in.

"Ah don't know..." Applebloom seemed worried.

"What's the matter. scared?" Scootaloo teased.

"Hey! The only chicken here is you!" Applebloom retorted, effectively shutting Scootaloo up.

"Well?" Sweetiebelle broke the silence, "Wanna do it?"

"Sure!" Scootaloo said enthusiastically.

"We'd need a lot of supplies if we wanted to camp out there," Applebloom suggested.

"Well, let's meet back here tomorrow," Sweetiebelle replied.

The ponies all nodded and parted ways. The rest of that day, while she was completing all of her chores with Applejack, Applebloom carried a potato sack with her, picking up a little of everything she could find. Eggs, oats, apples and some assorted flowers.

When Granny Smith called them in for supper, she plopped the bag in some dirt next to the barn. After she ate, it was sunset, and Applebloom went back to fetch the bag, which she hid the in her clubhouse along with a few bottles of milk. She was walking back to her room when Applejack approached her, looking stern,

"Applebloom, what in tarnation have you doing today?" Applejack stopped her in front of her door.

"Gatherin' some things ah'll need for tomorrow, big sis!" Applebloom thought of what to say quickly, trying not to upset her sister.

"And what exactly are ya doin'?"

Applejack was had a stern expression on her face, it was obvious she wouldn't approve of her journey taking place tomorrow, "Uh, goin' on a hike. Nothing dangerous or anything," sweat began dripping down her forehead as she gulped.

"Hm, alright. Be careful, ya hear?"

"Ah will, don't worry."

Applebloom opened the door to her room, and with a heavy sigh, plopped down on her bed, mind racing with what had happened that day, and what the next day will offer.