"Ah can't believe this!" cried Apple Bloom, looking back at the dozens of ponies shaking their hooves at the Cutie Mark Crusaders like angry mobs.
"It's not fair!" sobbed Sweetie Belle. "Somepony is out to get us!"
"And it's all because we don't have our cutie marks," snarled Scootaloo.
"What are we gonna do?" asked Sweetie Belle, her voice now shaking with fear.
"We've been chased out of Ponyville and we got nowhere to go!" Apple Bloom added on. "Even our own sisters hate us!"
"I can't believe I was wrong to look up to Rainbow Dash," pouted Scootaloo. "She's such a jerk for not believing us." They all sighed.
"To think," murmured Apple Bloom. "Our day was goin' so well too..."
---
Apple Bloom woke up with a smile on her face. Would today be the lucky day that she and her friends earn their cutie marks? Even if it wasn't, every day they got together and had a blast with each other was what really counted. And today was a bright summer day, a whole free day to hang out with her friends. Apple Bloom charged out of her house and galloped her way across Sweet Apple Acres to meet up with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for another day of crusading. At the same time, Sweetie Belle left her home and into the heart of Ponyville. Scootaloo was already on her scooter, kick-starting her day, and soon the three Cutie Mark Crusaders met up with each other.
"Good morning," they all said to each other at once.
"So, what's it gonna be today?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Will this be the day?" said Scootaloo eagerly. "Will we finally earn our cutie marks?"
"What are we waiting for?" said Sweetie Belle. "Let's get started!" And she began to sing about their plans.
Wake up with the sun, it's a brand new day
We know what we're gonna do today
Though we have a lot of possibilities
We're all going for the very same thing
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined in for the chorus.
We all wanna get our cutie marks today
It's summer, so let's get going right away
We don't know how we'll do it, but we're sticking together
Cause we're Cutie Mark Crusaders, friends forever
C - M - C - F - F
Cutie Mark Crusaders, friends forever
C - M - C - F - F
We're Cutie Mark Crusaders, friends forever
Friends forever
Friends forever
Yay!
---
Meanwhile, at Fluttershy's cottage, Fluttershy had prepared a lovely salad for her pet bunny Angel, except that he was nowhere around for some reason.
"Oh dear," murmured Fluttershy. "It's not like Angel to be late for his mealtime. And I worked so hard to make his favorite dish too. I just hope he appreciates it."
---
The three Cutie Mark Crusaders walked towards the edge of the Everfree Forest, still deciding on the best possible way to obtain their cutie marks.
"So... why are we headed for the Everfree Forest?" asked a slightly nervous Sweetie Belle.
"Well," replied Apple Bloom. "Ah was thinkin' we could ask mah friend Zecora fer advice."
"I doubt she's gonna be of any help," said Scootaloo. "That Heart's Desire overdid it for you, Apple Bloom."
"That was mah fault," said Apple Bloom. "Ah didn't take directions very well. Ah still think Zecora oughta know somethin'."
"Oh? Besides just telling us to be patient?" sneered Scootaloo sarcastically. "For how long? A thousand years?!"
"Why are you acting this way?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I thought you were crazy about getting our cutie marks just a minute ago."
"Well, everypony's been telling us the same thing," answered Scootaloo. "Be patient, wait it out, keep practicing things you're good at... All kinds of stuff that doesn't make any sense. But we've tried practically everything and still no luck!"
"But that's why ah thought Zecora might be of some help," insisted Apple Bloom. While they were talking, pairs of gleaming yellow eyes from the woods spied them and soon their hungry growls were heard by the three young fillies.
"Uh... what was that?" said Sweetie Belle, trembling.
"That sound..." said Apple Bloom. "Ah have a bad feelin' about this... 'cause ah think ah know..." Apple Bloom was correct because at that moment, a pack of vicious Timberwolves ambled out of the woods and growled at their sighted prey. "Timberwolves!" gasped Apple Bloom in horror. The Cutie Mark Crusaders screamed and in a panic ran back to Ponyville with the Timberwolves chasing them.
---
Back at Fluttershy's cottage, Angel finally showed up, but he seemed to be spooked.
"Oh, there you are, Angel," said Fluttershy, relieved that Angel had come back, but Angel frantically tried to get Fluttershy to noticed whatever it was that spooked him. "Oh? Wh-what it is, dear?" So Fluttershy stepped out of her cottage and gasped in fright. She saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders running for their lives in the direction of Ponyville with the pack of Timberwolves chasing them! "Oh no! Timberwolves! And they're headed for Ponyville!" When the three fillies started running through the streets of Ponyville, they started screaming for help, as the Timberwolves hadn't let up an inch.
"Somepony help us!" screamed Sweetie Belle. But the townspeople of Ponyville went into a full panic seeing the relentless Timberwolves rumbling straight into their peaceful town and started running amok frantically. Eventually, the Timberwolves split up and started wreaking havoc all over Ponyville. They tore at the gardens of Daisy, Lily Valley, and Roseluck. They sacked grocery stands. And some even took off in the direction towards Sweet Apple Acres, though Apple Bloom was also headed in that direction first.
"Applejack!" cried Apple Bloom, who bolted to the farm. "Help!" Applejack was quick to respond and of course saw the few Timberwolves headed their way.
"Holy tarnation!" said Applejack. But before she could take action, the loud eardrum-splitting sound of clanging pots was heard, startling the Timberwolves.
"Begone, killer varmints!" It was Granny Smith to the rescue! "It's nowhere near the time of the zap apple harvest! So stay away from mah farm!" Granny Smith kept banging her pan on a cooking pot, eventually frightening away the Timberwolves.
"Ya alright, sugarcube?" asked Applejack, hugging Apple Bloom tight.
"Ah'm fine," said a nerve-wracked Apple Bloom. "But... mah friends..."
"What about them? What happened?"
"Those Timberwolves chased us into Ponyville, and..."
"Timberwolves are in Ponyville?!" A look of terror crossed Applejack's face, but she thought fast. "Big Mac! Get Granny Smith! Pull that wagon! Granny, go fer a ride with Big Mac and get rid of those Timberwolves! Pronto!" The Apple family moved fast. Big Macintosh strapped up to a wagon carrying Granny Smith and her pot and pan in it and rode into Ponyville ready for action.
---
Back in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle and Spike saw the Timberwolves attacking the town from her library home and were horrified.
"We gotta do something, Twilight!" said Spike. But just then, they heard the sound of a pot banging on a pan. It was Big Mac and Granny Smith. Big Mac was riding through Ponyville as Granny Smith used her pan to whack her pot and the resulting sound was enough to drive away all of the Timberwolves back into the forest. After the fiasco, Twilight and Applejack started to inspect the damage done by the Timberwolves. Thankfully, not a single pony got hurt, but tons of property was devastated. The Cutie Mark Crusaders also looked glum.
"Oh my goodness!" said Fluttershy, having flown into Ponyville. She then embraced the three fillies. "My sweet little angels. Are you all right?"
"Yeah," said Scootaloo. "We're fine, Fluttershy. You don't have to be so mushy." Apple Bloom then cautiously approached Applejack.
"Uh... Applejack?" she said. Applejack turned around with a cold gleam of anger in her eyes, as did Twilight. This frightened the three young fillies and Fluttershy, as they did not know why this was. Soon, every denizen in Ponyville were casting angry glares at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, including their own sisters and Rainbow Dash. It was obvious that they were in big trouble, but for what reason they knew not.