//------------------------------// // The Tale of The CMC // Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Tales From The Stallion Six // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// "Are you really sure about this Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously. She and her two friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were currently positioned high above the ground. Along with their friend Rumble, they were attempting to earn their cutie marks in zip-lining. Soarin had told them that this would be an ideal spot to try it. "Of course I'm sure. You all agreed to this." Scootaloo replied "Besides, don't you wanna get your cutie mark so Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon will stop teasing you?" Sweetie Belle didn't answer. She knew how much Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon enjoyed picking on ponies who didn't have their cutie marks. That was the whole reason she, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom (along with Rumble) had decided to form their own secret club called The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Their goal, was to get their cutie marks, no matter what it might take. Scootaloo had appointed herself leader, much to the objections of Rumble, who thought Scootaloo was too reckless. Considering what the pegasus filly usually came up with, Sweetie Belle was starting to think that perhaps Rumble was right. "Hey? You gonna answer my question?!" Scootaloo asked impatiently "We don't have all day you know." "I just don't think this is a good idea." Sweetie Belle spoke up. "Yeah, I've never even heard of a pony getting a zip-lining cutie mark before." Rumble added. "All the more reason for us to try." Apple Bloom stated "Besides, we've got all the proper safety gear. We'll be fine." "I couldn't have put it better myself Apple Bloom." Scootaloo replied "Now then Rumble, why don't you go first?" "What?! Why me?!" Rumble asked anxiously. "So we know it's safe." Scootaloo explained. "Oh no, I'm not going first this time. Not after what happened with Pinkie's party cannon!" Rumble protested. "I said I was sorry." Scootaloo apologized "How many times are you gonna keep bringing that up?" "Stop arguing you two!" Apple Bloom interrupted "All this quarrling isn't gonna get us our cutie marks." Rumble sighed "Fine, I'll go first. But I won't like it. And next time, you girls have to go first." "Yeah, yeah. Now go!" Scootaloo encouraged, and pushed Rumble across the zip-line a little to get him started. To Rumble's surprise, the zip-line held up as he zoomed across the tree tops. The wind whistling in his ears, providing a relaxing Spring breeze that carried the scent of fresh pollen into the air. But before he made it all the way across, Scootaloo decided that it was safe enough for her, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle to zip across as well. That's when the trouble began. The zip-line couldn't take the weight of four ponies, and it began to sag. The poles that held the four young ponies in place began to overheat, eventually burning through the rope. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Rumble, all came tumbling down. A few seconds was all it took for their unexpected free-fall to end. "Is everyone alright?" Sweetie Belle asked, as she stood up. She was covered in pine needles and tree sap from head to hooves, but otherwise she was unharmed. "I think so." Rumble replied. "Same here." Apple Bloom added "Did we get our cutie marks?" Each of the four ponies checked their flanks, hoping to find a cutie mark. But they found nothing. "Tree sap and pine needles, but no cutie marks." Scootaloo complained "Guess it's back to the drawing board again." "You know something, call me crazy, but a lot of our 'bright ideas' for cutie marks have ended up as busts." Rumble said with a sigh, then he added "And strangely enough, they also seem to end with us cover in sap." "I've noticed the same thing." Apple Bloom replied "This seems to be a pattern for us for some reason. At this rate, we're never gonna get our cutie marks." "We can't think like that." Sweetie Belle said firmly "Rarity always says that you never get anywhere in life by giving up. You just have to keep trying until you succeed." "That's some pretty sound logic there Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom stated. "So, got anymore 'bright ideas' Scootaloo?" Rumble asked. "Sure I do!" Scootaloo said eagerly "Do you know where I can find a cannon at this hour?" "Couldn't you just use Pinkie's party cannon again?" Apple Bloom asked. "After what happened last time, I don't think Pinkie Pie's ever going to let me near that thing ever again." Scootaloo explained "I told her was an accident. I don't know why she had to get so bent out of shape." "Probably because it took her months to repair it." Rumble said, remembering that dreadful accident with it "I never should've let you talk me into being the test subject. I told you it wasn't for launching ponies, but you wouldn't listen!" "Oh yeah? Well you're the one who dragged me to those ballet lessons because you said they'd make me better at balancing." Scootaloo argued back "I hated every second of them. I am so glad Rainbow Dash wasn't around to see me in a tutu or I would've died of embarassment." "That would've served you for the time when you gave me the feather flu and I had to stay in bed all day!" Rumble complained. "I told you, it wasn't me, it was Featherweight!" Scootaloo protested "He's always getting sick!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle began to worry, they didn't like where this was going. "That's enough guys." Sweetie Belle said, her words fell on deaf ears. "What about the time you made me take the fall for giving Diamond Tiara a swirly?!" Rumble argued "You were the one who did it!" "It was your idea, and you could've talked me out of it!" Scootaloo argued back. "Guys." Sweetie Belle said again, a little louder. Once again however, she was ignored. "Don't forget about the time when we were at Fluttershy's cottage, and you cheated at hide and go seek by hiding in the chimney!" Rumble argued. "Well, you found me anyway didn't you?" Scootaloo asked. "Only because you had to use the bathroom!" Rumble argued. "I couldn't help it! You try holding it in for over an hour and tell me how that feels!" Scootaloo complained "Besides, I was gonna come out eventually." "GUYS!" Apple Bloom shouted. That was enough to get the attention of both Rumble, and Scootaloo. "That's enough! All this arguing does is waste time that we could spend doing more important things!" "Like washing off this sticky sap." Sweetie Belle suggested. "Sorry." Scootaloo and Rumble apologized. They promptly joined both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and forgot about their arguement. "Hey, I just thought of a great idea." Rumble said, when the four ponies had cleaned themselves up. "What is it?" his fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders asked. "I was just thinking, this town is full of ponies who already have their cutie marks." Rumble explained "So, why don't we ask them how they got their cutie marks? Maybe we'll learn something that can help us on our crusades." "Sounds good enough to me." Apple Bloom said with a smile. "And me." Sweetie Belle added. "Me three!" Scootaloo replied "And we can start with the most awesome pony of all!" "Applejack or Big Macintosh?" Apple Bloom asked. "Rarity?" Sweetie Belle suggested. "My big brother?" Rumble considered. "Oh come on, it's like you haven't even met me!" Scootaloo complained "You know who I'm talking about, Rainbow Dash!" "Why am I not surprised?" Rumble asked. "Do you even know where she is?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo. "Well actually, no." Scootaloo admitted "Does anypony any have ideas?" "Why don't we ask my big brother?" Rumble suggested "Thunderlane and Miss. Rainbow Dash are on the same weather team. He should have a good idea of where she is." "I guess that's a start." Scootaloo said with a shrug, and went to retrieve her scooter "Now come on guys, let's get a move on. The sooner we find Thunderlane, the sooner we find Rainbow Dash, and the sooner we hear her story!"