//------------------------------//
// A Cloudsdale Story 
// Story: Crusader's Quest in Cloudsdale 
// by BoredWriter 
//------------------------------//

	
"Hey! Get Back here!" Starlight teleports infront of the CMCs, running around Twilight's Castle.

"Aaaaaah!" The CMCs hide in a closet. Starlight opens the closet "PLEASE DONT TAKE OUR CUTIEMARKS AND REPLACE THEM WITH EQUAL SIGNS!"

"You mean like this?" Starlight starts to pull their cutie marks off.

"EEEEEEEK! Yes like that!" Sweetie Belle sobs uncontrollably. Starlight makes a nervous expression and puts their Cutie-Marks back on.

Rainbow Dash flies up to Starlight angrily "What did I tell you about using spells on your friends?"

Starlight rolls her eyes and sits at the reading table annoyed. The CMC follow Rainbow Dash out of the closet and sit around the table.

"When I said tell us a scary story, I didn't mean one about you"

Applebloom looks sad "What made you do such horrible things to ponies?"

Starlight sighs "Short version. I lost a friend to a Cutie-Mark. Atleast I have him back now"

Rainbow makes an annoyed expression "I lost a friend to a cutie mark too. Atleast I didn't force an entire village to give up theirs"

"You did?" The CMC exclaim together "How?"

"Let me tell you a story: After I got my cutie mark, my Dad Rainbow Blaze invited my cousin Cirrus Storm for the first time. Unfortunately my Aunt Hail Storm and Uncle Rainbow Trail couldn't come because they were about to have another baby pony. Cirrus really wanted a cutie mark like mine, so we competed in racing, clearing clouds, and did aerial tricks together at Flight Camp. Sometimes we hung out together at the Wonderbolts Academy and watched them practice".

Scootaloo exclaims "Cirrus was just like you? That's a cool friend to have!"

Rainbow sighs "Ehhh... not skill wise however. Every time we raced, I always won, and she became more and more frustrated. After winning 58 times in a row, Cirrus almost beat me... then crashed into a cloud. After claiming my 59th win, I helped her out of the cloud and she got her cutie-mark".

Scootaloo claps "Wow! 59 wins in a row?"

Applebloom asks "What kind of Cutie Mark was it?"

"A storm cloud" Rainbow points to her flank. "The opposite of mine"

Sweetie Belle squints "If yours cutie marks are the opposite and you got it from winning, doesn't that mean her cutie mark is from... losing?"

"That's what I always thought it was. After Cirrus got her cutie mark, she started refusing to hang out with me, and would read books all day. It was fun while it lasted".

Applebloom looks sad "Did you ever ask why?"

"She never wanted to talk about it. After I moved to Ponyville I never saw her again" Rainbow gets out of her chair "But I have new friends now, hey Rarity!"


Rarity runs into the castle excited, followed by the rest of the Mane 6. "Trenderhoof agreed to write about my boutique in Manehattan!"

Pinkie jumps up "And then we're going to the club house!"

"Thats awesome! Are we all going now?"

Rarity nods "The train is going in 15 minutes"

Applejack and Fluttershy walk up to Rarity "I'm sorry to disappoint y'all, but me and Fluttershy were planning on visiting Cloudsdale"

Rarity puts her hoof around Fluttershy "No it's okay, you don't have to come with us, we understand. But... what for?"

Applejack points to a crate of baked goods behind her "I was going to sell baked goods at the Cloudsdale Food Fair, Twilight is setting up a Hot Air Balloon to transport the crate up there"

Fluttershy holds up a letter "And my brother sent me a letter. He invited me and my parents to see his new home and job. I'm so proud of him. Also Zephyr is wondering if Rainbow Dash would come too"

Rainbow looks nervous "Eh.. heh heh... achoo! I have a bad case of Disco Fever and really need to go to the club house in Manehattan with everypony else. Maybe next time"

Applejack makes a grateful gesture "Thanks for understanding Rarity. Now uh, Starlight, can you use that spell that lets me walk on clouds? Twilight's busy"

Starlight flips through a spell book, then fires a spell at Applejack "Thanks Starlight! Magic isn't bad as long as you aren't enslaving ponies to do your bidding". Applejack pushes the crate of apples outside "Is the balloon ready?"

Starlight walks back to the table with the CMCs and takes out a book. Belle turns to the other CMCs with a sad expression "That story Rainbow Dash told us... Cirrus must feel really bad about her cutie mark if she refused to hang out with Rainbow Dash ever since"

Apple Bloom turns to Sweetie Belle "We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and that's a cutie mark problem if I've ever seen one. I really wish we could help"

Scootaloo exclaims "Maybe we can! We could find Cirrus and talk to her about her cutie mark problem, Rainbow Dash would be really proud of us!"

Sweetie Belle argues "But Cirrus lives in Cloudsdale, where Rainbow Dash grew up. How are we supposed to get up there?"

Starlight lowers her book "If I help you guys, think Twilight would be impressed?"

The CMCs turn to Starlight "You can?"

"I can use the same spell so you can walk on clouds too" Starlight casts the cloud walking spell on them.

"Great! Thanks Starlight! Let's go Crusaders!" The CMCs get off the couch and run to the door  "To the Hot Air Balloon with Applejack!"


As they run out the castle, they find abandoned ropes then look up to see the Hot Air Balloon already taking off, tied to the crate of baked goods.

"Awww!" the CMCs return to the castle pouting. 

"I used that spell dozens of times, did it not work?"

"Applejack left without us!"

Starlight pouts as well "Geez, Twilight would have been proud of me for helping you with your own problems"

Scootaloo makes a sinister grin "I don't suppose you have any spells would let us fly up there, would you?"