The Truth About Cutie Marks

by Magic Step

Chapter 1

Nopony ever appreciated the air they breathed until they were suddenly deprived of it.

Apple Bloom was becoming acquainted with that concept firsthoof.

The powerful current slammed her into a rock, and she managed to stick her head above the water long enough to spit out her mouthful of river water and inhale. Then she was off again, flailing downstream.

“Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo called. “Catch the rope!”

Apple Bloom didn’t see any rope, but after a few moments she assumed it wasn’t within reach anymore.

“Sorry, try again!” Scootaloo shouted again. “Above you!”

Apple Bloom pushed off the bottom of the river and managed to propel herself up to catch the rope stretched between the two riverbanks. Scootaloo held one side of the rope, and their friend Sweetie Belle held the other.

After she was hauled to shore, Apple Bloom wrapped up in a towel and shivered while Sweetie Belle rubbed two sticks together with the intention of making a fire. Nothing seemed to be happening on that front.

“Guess we shouldn’t pick a swimming cutie mark,” Apple Bloom sighed.

“I don’t see what the fuss is,” said Sweetie Belle. “Just pick an apple-growing cutie mark like the rest of your family. Pinkie Pie’s story has gotten you all confused.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, fluttering her wings rapidly. “I mean, it was fun to try all these sport-type cutie mark things, but y’know, I’m going to stick with my first idea and be a stunt flyer like Rainbow Dash.” She grinned. “Maybe if I’m lucky, it will come with a bolt like Rainbow’s- and then we’ll be in the Wonderbolts together!” She leapt into the air, squealing.

“I’m just going to go with dressmaking,” Sweetie Belle sighed. “I’d never pass the test for a singing cutie mark. But you’ve been working with apples since you were real little, Apple Bloom- you’ll do just fine.”

“But what if Ah don’t want to be just fine with apples?” Apple Bloom sighed.

***

Applejack raced across the field, smacking an apple tree hard. Apples rained all across the field.

“Hey, Apple Bloom!” she called. “Where are you with those baskets?”

“Wha- oh, sorry Applejack,” Apple Bloom sighed, dragging a heavy bucket of apples towards the tree and halfheartedly kicking some more apples into it.

“Still nervous about picking yer cutie mark?” Applejack asked. “Why? You could just-”

“Ah know, Ah know,” Apple Bloom half-snarled. “Go with apples.”

“Apple Bloom? Something wrong?”

“Well… you know Pinkie Pie, right?”

“She’s another of the bearers of the elements of harmony,” Applejack said. “If Ah didn’t know her, Equestria would still be trapped in night eternal.” She chuckled a bit.

“We-ell, she told me the story of how she got her cutie mark. She said she grew up on a farm, too, a rock farm, and that she thought she’d just work on the farm when she got older too, but then she tried throwing parties and realized she wanted a party-throwing cutie mark. And Ah figured… maybe what Ah want to do is out there, somewhere… waiting for me to discover what it is… but if Ah just pick an apple cutie mark… Ah might miss it.” She sighed.

Applejack didn’t say anything for a while.

“Apple Bloom,” she said, “you’ve heard the story of how Pinkie Pie got her cutie mark, but you don’t know how Ah got mine, at least not as well as you think you do. Once upon a time, Ah was just like you. Ah thought Ah was destined for greater things than just apples. Ah went to live with my aunt and uncle in Manehatten and attended a very prominent school and aimed to be a regular wonder in the business world, but… then… well, one morning, Ah woke up, and there were three apples right on my flank.”

Apple Bloom gasped. “You mean- your cutie mark chose you?”

“Ah know. It’s something special and doesn’t happen often, so Ah figured, if destiny is gonna go out of her way to point me the right direction, who am Ah to argue? So instead being of a business tycoon, Ah’m here where Ah belong, with my family, taking care of our farm. An’ Ah couldn’t be happier.”

“But- but- your cutie mark chose you?” Apple Bloom repeated. “But- but Ah thought only super special ponies, like Twilight, with super special cutie marks, like talent in magic, got chosen by their cutie marks!”

“You thought wrong, AB,” said Applejack, rustling Apple Bloom’s mane. “Ah guess some specialness made its way to little ole’ me. So don’t you worry about a thing. You may think there are great and big and important things you should be doing, but maybe destiny wants you right here at home with the folks who love you doing what you love to do. Now let’s get back to the apples.”

***

“Have you picked your cutie mark, yet?”

“Bug off, Diamond Tiara. Can Ah just get through one day without having to talk with you about my destiny?” Apple Bloom resolved, not for the first time, to try and find a different route to school… one that didn’t lead past Diamond Tiara’s house.

“You only have a few weeks before your cutceanera!” Diamond Tiara’s friend, Silver Spoon, sang.

“You wouldn’t want to be unable to decide, would you?” Diamond Tiara said, nudging Apple Bloom. “You wouldn’t want to be stuck spending an extra year making up your mind, would you?”

Apple Bloom brightened. “Yes! Thank you, Diamond Tiara. That’s exactly what Ah want to do!” She skipped off happily and banged right into Twilight Sparkle.

“Woah, there, little filly!” Twilight said, pushing Apple Bloom aside. “Something exciting happen?”

“Twilight, Ah just figured out what to do about my cutie mark!” Apple Bloom cheered.

“Really? So, what are you going to pick?”

“Nothing! Ah’m gonna spend an extra year as a blank flank!”

Twilight laughed slightly. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Ah always wanted to do it,” Apple Bloom said, “Ah just didn’t know we were allowed to do it before now!”

Twilight’s expression darkened. In an ominous tone, she said, “I wouldn’t want to do that if I were you, Apple Bloom.”

“But Ah can, right?” said Apple Bloom.

“Yes… you can…” Twilight said. “Do you know what it’s like to stay a blank flank, Apple Bloom?”

“Ah figure just the same as normal, huh?”

“No. No, actually, it’s very, very different.” She looked up at the two bossy fillies. “Do you want to explain to her, Miss Tiara?”

“N-no m’am,” Diamond Tiara said, shrinking away.

“All right,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Come on, Apple Bloom. Time for a field trip.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon gasped dramatically.

“You’re not going to take her there, are you?” Silver Spoon cried.

“But she has school!” Diamond Tiara said.

“I’ll explain everything to the teacher,” Twilight Sparkle said. “And to the rest of your family, Apple Bloom… you’ll probably be a while.”

“No she won’t!” Diamond Tiara shrieked, grabbing Apple Bloom and pulling her away. “Apple Bloom is very very sorry and she won’t ever talk about being a blank flank again!”

“Hey!” Apple Bloom said, stumbling out of Diamond Tiara’s grip. “Ah can speak for myself!” She turned to Twilight. “Lead the way!”

She trotted proudly after Twilight, pleased to be receiving special attention from the pony that destiny had proclaimed to be the most important pony in Ponyville. She turned to sneer at the two bullies, who she was sure were just jealous.

What she saw made her hesitate slightly. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon didn’t look envious. They looked genuinely worried.

Apple Bloom put it out of her head and followed Twilight into the Everfree Forest. The sun was blocked by the huge trees, but Twilight lit the way with her horn.

“There,” Twilight said, pointing to a little-used path that branched off the main road. “Do you see her?”

Apple Bloom could just make out a gray pony with a golden mane trotting down the path.

“Follow her and see what you see,” Twilight commanded.

“Wait, aren’t you coming with me Twi? …Twi?”

Twilight had vanished.

Apple Bloom gulped and turned her attention to the trail. Well, Twilight wouldn’t put her in danger would she?

…would she?