Stories of the Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders

by Prince Luna

An Interview With Royalty

---

The Crusaders climbed aboard the train headed towards Canterlot High, but for the first time in a while, they were not going to school on that day. With their press hats on (literally) they were off to visit Princess Cadence and Shining Armor to question them on the disappearance of their son, Regal Crown, for their first and biggest scoop of their new job on the Canterlot High Tribune. Sweetie Belle rested some sheets of paper on the table as the train began to move and chuff its way to the school. She brought out a pen with her magic and rested it between her ear and her hat.

"So crusaders, any idea of what we'll ask the royal couple?" she asked her friends.

"Where in the hoof is Regal Crown?" Scootaloo suggested jokingly.

Nopony laughed, this was a serious matter, "we're not gonna be so blunt," Apple Bloom pointed.

After a pause for thought, Shiner spoke up "why don't we start with asking for their feelings on the matter?"

Sweetie Belle nodded with an approving 'mhm' as she levitated the pen from her ear and wrote on the paper.

"Then we should ask what happened," Scootaloo added.

"Why so quickly?" Apple Bloom had to ask.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "let's be honest, is there anything else you can think to ask besides for their feelings and what happened?"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom objected, then searched her brain for something to retaliate with and sighed, "nah, wait, nothin'."

***

Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders, GO!
We're on an adventure, we're on a quest,
to find out what we do the best.
Our cutie marks are what we seek,
we'll push our selves every day of the week!
Cutie Mark Crusaders! Cutie Mark Crusaders!
Apple Bloom's the handy one,
give her work in a minute it is done.
Sweetie Belle, she just loves to sing,
she wrote this song, it has her ring.
Scootaloo is rad and cool,
try her stunts and you'll look like a fool.
But then Shiner already has his mark but,
he'll help us catch our cutie marks!
Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders!
Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders!
Teenage Cutie Mark Crusa~ders!
There's no limit to what we will try!
No matter how many rules we will defy,
WE WILL GET OUR CUTIE MARKS IN TIME!
Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders!
Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders!
Teenage Cutie Mark Crusaders YEAH!

***

The Crusaders stepped off the train and quickly made their way to the hill that everypony descended to reach the school. Today, however, our four ponies climbed up the hill to make their way to Crystal Courtyard, where Princess Cadence and Shining Armor lived together. The magnificent building stood tall and grand, the crystal-blue stone that formed it shone majestically in the morning sunshine. The Crusaders marveled at the huge pillars before the entrance and the wonderful garden behind them. It was truly a place of much care to detail. They took their first steps through the giant wooden doors. Shiner almost slipped on the polished marble floor, but quickly got a grip of himself. Quickly, the ponies were walking on a soft red carpet as they looked forward to see many sofas, chairs and tables near a quaint little fireplace and in the distance more wooden doors leading to the Courtyard itself. The building was very quiet, but now the Crusaders heard small hoofsteps quickly trotting down a set of stairs. The girls and Shiner smiled at who they saw.

Almost in unison they exclaimed "Princess Cadence!" as they looked upon the beautiful pink winged unicorn pony. Today she had let her mane flow all the way down. She smiled at her bridesmaids and approached them, nuzzling the girls and shaking Shiner's hoof.

"It's so lovely to see you all again," she smiled, "Shining Armor should be here any second."

As if on cue, the large doors that led to the garden opened wide, allowing for more sunshine to flow into the room as they amplified the handsome grace of Shining Armor, wearing the same outfit he wore to his wedding as he trotted in.

"Good morning, reporters," he chuckled, closing the doors behind with shining pink magic.

"Please take a seat," the Princess invited as the Crusaders all plopped themselves on the same large sofa.

"Where should we begin?" Scootaloo whispered. Sweetie Belle put a hoof to her mouth to signal her to be quiet and let her do the introduction.

"Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, my name is Sweetie Belle. I'm here with the Canterlot High Tribune reporters team. This is Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Shiner," she took a breath, "we would like to ask you some questions about the disappearance of your son, the royal Prince Regal Crown."

"Of course," Cadence confirmed, becoming serious.

"First up," Scootaloo barged in to the questioning, "how do you guys feel about your son going missing?"

Shining Armor spoke first. "The obvious answer would be very upset and of course we are." Sweetie Belle used her magic to write his exact words, then looked up and nodded for him to continue.

"There's one thing you should know that would further answer this question, but we think it's best if you ask us more before we tell you," Shining Armor finished.

"So then whadda ya know about why he disappeared?" Apple Bloom asked.

Cadence and Shining Armor frowned and exchanged sad looks, then nodded to one another. Cadence took a deep breath.

"He went away willingly."

There was a deadly silence as Sweetie struggled to write this down over her shock. She urged for Cadence to elaborate with a consoling point of eye contact.

"We had taken our soon away for a short visit at Buckinghamshire Manor; it seemed that we clashed with a residential from your school, actually."

"Yeah, we're going on the same residential in a few days," Shiner explained.

Cadence and Shining Armor gasped, then shared another nod. The air of the room became tense and serious. Sweetie Belle decided to ask one more question.

"What happened at Buckinghamshire Manor?" she stood up, "how did Regal Crown disappear?"

Now both the royal couple both stood up and paced around the room and cleared their throats. They looked desperately into each other's eyes, then to the floor.

---

Regal Crown Disappearance song
(to be sung to the tune of 'This Day Aria' from the 'that through any kind of weather' line.)
Character key:
Shining Armor
Cadence
Apple Bloom
Scootaloo
Sweetie Belle
Shiner

He smiled as he faded,
into darkness disintegrated.
It seemed that he was happy after all!
Our son willingly gave in,
what horrible parents we must have been!
What led him to leave both our sides?

A voice called out to us, sounded weak and very rushed,
Regal Crown, he liked the monster's sound.
It said it wanted to be friends, together 'till the end,
our son said yes and now we're in this mess!
Oh the horrors at Buckingham, this really was our last stand!
Oh, Regal Crown, how will we save you?

Oh Crusaders you must go~
To Buckingham, and save us from our woe,
There's no way we can say no,
I say we do it, save the show,
Regal Cro~wn will be~
Saved. We promise.

---

A smile then appeared on both Cadence and Shining Armor's faces and they bowed to the Crusaders.

"Thank you. If you bring him back, we will be forever in your debt," Shining Armor most graciously said.

"We need to tell you something else," Cadence added, "we can't go back there ourselves. Whatever dark creature took Regal Crown cast a spell on the manor and even the county around it. Specifically, the two of us can't even enter the county."

Shining Armor looked to his wife, "Cadence, since we already planned for someone to go and investigate, do you think it would be good to send her to go with the Crusaders? They're just kids after all. They need someone to watch and protect them."

Cadence nodded, then looked to the Crusaders, "I wish you the best of luck at Buckingham. We really can't thank you enough for what you've promised us," she said with a tear.

Shining Armor escorted the four out of the building and thanked them once again. He noted them that before they get on the train to Buckinghamshire, somepony will meet them to accompany them. So, the crusaders headed back to school.

On the train home later that day, Sweetie Belle brought out her notepad to read her notes to the others.

"Okay girls, and Shiner, this is what I've got. Shining Armor and Cadence took Regal Crown for a visit to Buckinghamshire Manor. Whilst there, they saw the students from our school's residential. The last lot of which were sent there last month. Regal Crown went missing three days ago, so that must have been when the couple returned home. We learned that Regal Crown was not only taken away by an evil spirit, he was willing to go with it too and be its 'friend'. Cadence and Shining Armor cannot go back to Buckinghamshire. Something fishy's going on there. The students staying there for a prolonged time and Regal Crown being taken away by a dark...demon...monster thing."

"It sounds really dangerous," Scootaloo noted, "why would they send us to get him back?"

"Because they trust us," Apple Bloom pointed out, "if they believe in us, Ah'm sure we can do it!"

The others nodded, then Shiner put his hoof in the center of the table, "Cutie Mark Crusader Prince Rescuers?"

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS PRINCE RESCUERS!" the four cheered.

The next two days were an organizational struggle for the crusaders. Whilst Apple Bloom had hardly anything to pack, she thought of the equipment she could borrow from the farm that might aid in their rescue of the prince. Sweetie Belle just couldn't fit all her clothes in her case and Scootaloo just jammed her suitcase with loads of pointless things she didn't need anyway. Shiner was fine though; he helped Scootaloo to pack appropriate stuff in the end.
At the beginning of the day before the residential started, Shiner had to quieten down the class for Chemist Carpenter to talk during registration. He levitated a piece of paper with his blue magic.

"Now children, this paper has the groups you'll be in to do activities during the residential. There are four ponies in a group. These will be the same groups that you will share a dorm with too, so pay attention."

The list revealed that boys and girls would not share groups. To cut it short and simple, Shiner's group had: Shiner, Scribble Dibble, Heavy Metal and Stellar Spike.

The crusaders were all put in a group, and their group consisted of: Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and...Diamond Tiara.

Comments

[Ecthelion_Yuda]

I can assume what Shiner is going to say when he gets out of the dorm and chats with the girls again.
Scootaloo: So, how was your night?
Shiner: Fine. The three other guys basically kept to themselves. They really like that Ponyu-gi-oh! thing. you know, that card game from Japony? Heavy Metal and Stellar Spike really do like their music. It was...interesting to say the least.

Great chapter though, the song was very cleverly done and scans well. For someone who doesn't really have much of a musical background, you aren't bad at those little song snippets

[Prince Luna]

1235907 "They also really like something called 'My Little Human'. I thought that was for little mares?"

[Ecthelion_Yuda]

1235911 "Yeah, that Scribble Dibble guy had a bag full of the little figurines. They were nice enough though. Even offered to let me play once or twice."

[Prince Luna]

1235917 "But I did get a lot of glitter on my hooves from some of them. Says he only needs seven more of them to get them all"

[Ecthelion_Yuda]

1235919 "To which the other two yelled 'Gotta catch 'em all!'
Scootaloo: "Wasn't that the tagline from that kids show...Ponymon?"
Applebloom: "Oh yeah! I love that show. My favourite one was Lopony"