The Cutie Mark Crusaders Get Lost in North Carolina

by totallynotabrony

Chapter 1

The terminal was busy as always. While most of the traffic traveling through the doorways between worlds was government business, there were some civilians on vacation as well. Tourism to Equestria was rapidly becoming a booming industry.
Applejack waited patiently near the doorway to Ponyville. She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that it was just about time for her visitors to arrive.
The pony had been living and working on Earth for a few months. Her talent with finding the truth had led to a job with the Equestrian Royal Intelligence Service. She'd been sent to liaise with US military security groups. It was not her idea of engaging work, but somepony had to do it.
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was the largest Marine Corps base on the east coast of the United States. While there wasn’t very much else in the area aside from the city of Jacksonville to the north, it had become an important hub for dimensional travel. Applejack's job was to work with the marines and sailors who administered to the base's doorway hub. The military people she had been introduced to were mostly a likeable bunch, despite their excessive profanity. Applejack had learned how to work with them, and was on good terms with most.
The mare tipped her hat back and took a few steps toward the doorway as it energized to allow passage. A filly wearing a pink bow stepped through. It was her sister, Apple Bloom. There were two others with her, her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
The three of them showed their passports to the security agent and then walked over to meet Applejack.
“Hey AJ!” called Apple Bloom. The two of them shared a hug.
“It’s good to see ya, sis,” said Applejack. “You too, girls.”
The other two fillies smiled. “This is going to be so awesome!” said Scootaloo.
“Yeah,” agreed Sweetie Belle. “Whenever I’ve been to Earth before, Rarity just wanted to go shopping or something.”
“Well, Ah’ve got the day off today,” said Applejack. “We can have some fun.” She led the three younger ponies out of the building.
Fences surrounded the base, the fenceposts mostly planted in sand that blew in off the coast. Coniferous trees grew in clumps, occasionally reaching dozens of feet high. The brush had been cleared from around the gates to give the appearance of neatness.
Beside the base's main entrance, the red, white, and blue flags of the United States and North Carolina fluttered in the breeze next to the red Marine Corps flag. The four ponies passed through the security checkpoint and entered Jacksonville.
Human architecture was markedly different than anything ponies built. All the buildings in this part of Earth were rather drab and utilitarian. Not a bad place to live, just not much to look at.
The apartment that Applejack had rented was not far, only a few minutes’ walk past the base perimeter. It was a relatively modern building and boasted keycard locks that were easier for a pony to use than metal keys.
Applejack swiped her card to open the door and directed the fillies to where they would be staying. The couch had a hideable bed built into it, and it was large enough to accomodate the three of them.
The apartment had been rented fully furnished, and Applejack had no reason to add much. She was planning to move back to Equestria as soon as her duty assignment at Lejeune was up. Except for a small picture of her stallionfriend, there were few personal touches.
“What is there to do around here?” asked Apple Bloom, sitting down on the couch with her friends.
Applejack sat with them. “Well, there’s a couple of parks around here, and there’s a beach. If you want, we could go to a movie theater.”
The three young ponies began talking amongst themselves to decide what to do. Much of the conversation centered around what might earn them their cutie marks, the symbol that displayed a pony’s unique talent. None of the young fillies had them yet, and the three had taken to calling themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders in their quest to acquire their marks.
The telephone rang. Applejack glanced at the clock, which read a few minutes past ten in the morning. Perhaps it was the parents of Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle calling to make sure they’d arrived all right. The telephone system had only recently been extended to Ponyville. The concept of dial tones and electronic keying were confusing to many ponies, to say nothing of fax machines.
The mare got up and balanced the phone receiver awkwardly with her hooves. Someday, she hoped a telephone made specifically for ponies would be designed.
“Hello?” Applejack frowned. “When?” She listened. “Well, that sounds just terrible.”
Her words had caught the attention of the Crusaders, and they listened to her side of the conversation quietly. To make sure she was understood, Applejack’s “telephone voice" was a little more polished than her usual drawl.
“But it’s my day off! My sister and her friends are here.” Applejack glanced at the three fillies. “No, not really.” She paused. “Well... I reckon I can if it’s that important. Yes, sir, I’ll be there.”
Putting down the phone, Applejack turned to the Crusaders. “Ah’m mighty sorry, girls, but somethin’ just came up.”
“Do you have to go to work, sis?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Yes, it’s an emergency. Ah wish y’all didn’t have to go back so soon. Ah'll take you to the terminal.”
“We can stay here,” said Sweetie Belle.
Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “And do what, exactly?”
“We could watch TV,” said Scootaloo.
“I have a deck of cards,” added Sweetie Belle.
It didn’t look like the older pony fully trusted the Crusaders, but relented. “All right, but don’t get into no trouble, y’hear? Ah’ll be back as soon as Ah can.” She adjusted her hat and went out the door.
“I wonder what happened?” said Sweetie Belle. “I bet it was important.”
“Maybe she’ll tell us later,” said Apple Bloom. “It didn’t sound good.”
“I know!” said Scootaloo. “We should do something nice for Applejack! It sounded like she was going to be having a bad day at work.”
“But what can we do?” asked Apple Bloom.
“We could paint her a picture,” suggested Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle glanced down at the apartment’s carpet with concern. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Besides, does Applejack even have art supplies?”
The three of them thought silently for a moment. “How about we make her dinner?” proposed Apple Bloom.
“That could work,” said Scootaloo. “Something simple, though.” The Crusaders had already tried their luck at getting cooking cutie marks. They’d ended up producing messes and charcoal instead of food.
“I wonder what Applejack has in the refrigerator?” said Sweetie Belle. The three fillies scampered into the kitchen. On the outside of the fridge there was a long list of food to buy stuck to the metal with a magnet. There wasn't much to eat inside. Scootaloo propelled herself up to the cabinets and found them mostly bare.
“Darn it!” said Apple Bloom. “Ah thought that was a good idea, too.”
“Hey, my sister gave me some local cash!” said Sweetie Belle. “She said it was always good to have spending money, just in case. We could go shopping.” She trotted over to where her saddle bags had been dropped and pulled out a green bill. On the front was a portrait of a man identified only as “Franklin.”
“But where can we buy food?” questioned Scootaloo.
The three of them looked at the closed front door of the apartment. Applejack had told them not to get into trouble, but…she hadn’t said anything about staying indoors.
As if they had choreographed the movement, the Crusaders sprang into action. Apple Bloom collected a spare keycard that was lying on the kitchen counter. Sweetie Belle stuffed the money back into her bags and slung them on her back. Scootaloo got the door open and the three of them rushed out.
The midmorning sun shone brightly as the three fillies trotted away from the front door of the building. A place to obtain food was not immediately obvious.
“Should we split up?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Ah don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Apple Bloom. “Besides, you’ve got the money.”
“How about we ask him?” said Scootaloo, indicating a nearby gardener.
The man’s work clothes were covered in dirt, despite the early hour. He was on his knees in a flowerbed, and appeared to be hard at work.
“Pardon us, sir,” said Sweetie Belle. The man turned his head, surprised to see three young ponies. While the doorways between worlds had been active for a few years, visitors from Equestria were still a relatively rare sight.
“Yes?”
“Can you tell us where we can get some groceries?” asked Scootaloo.
“Well, there’s a Wal-Mart and a Food Lion over yonder.” He pointed.
“Thanks!” said Apple Bloom.
“No problem.”
The Crusaders walked in the direction the man had indicated.
"He talked kind of funny," said Scootaloo.
"Ah didn't notice anythin'." replied Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle looked thoughtful. “What’s a Wal-Mart?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Scootaloo. “I’ve never heard of a Food Lion, either. I wonder what he’s like?”
Apple bloom frowned. “Ah didn’t think the animals here on Earth were sent—senti—”
“Smart,” suggested Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo smiled. “Well, girls, I guess we’re about to find out! Let’s go!”