//------------------------------// // Call of the Cutie // Story: A New Hero // by Alex The Lone Wolf //------------------------------// Episode 12 – Call of the Cutie I rose out of bed and walked to bathroom. I turned on the sink and splashed water on my face. I observed myself in the mirror for a moment. After, I wiped my face and closed my eyes for a while. However, I heard knocking at my door which caused me to glance back. I walked over to the door and opened it. "Hey there, Alex." Applejack greeted. "Oh… hey, Applejack… Is something wrong?" I asked. "Oh… well, not really. I wanted to ask for a favor from you, if you're willing to help..." "Um, sure. What is it?" "Do ya mind if ya pick up Applebloom from school? I kinda got my hooves tied up with harvesting apples, Twilight's catching up on her studying, Rainbow is clearing the sky, Rarity is designing new dresses… well you get the idea." "Oh, okay then. I can pick her up from school." "Oh, thank ya greatly, Alex! Is there any way I can repay ya?" "Don't worry about it; you don't need to worry about repaying me, that's what friends are for right?" Applejack smiled. "I guess you're right." I began walking towards the school, smelling the sweets and pastries coming from the shop. It was an average day in Ponyville. Ponies began setting up their carts and stands for the items they were going to sell. I'm guessing Applejack had to harvest apples so she could sell them later on today. I arrived at the school in a short time. There were no ponies outside, so I assumed there was still time left. As I waited, I observed the scenery of the school. The red flag danced with the breeze as a statue of a pony rose proudly above it. They even had a playground with different kind of rides in it. I thought as I waited near the wooden gates. Everything here sure does bring back a lot of memories… Finally, the school bell sang and the little students walked outside the school. Applebloom was the last one to walk out, but she looked sad as she walked out slowly. She was walking with another pony that was talking to her. Another couple of ponies walked near them as they talked about the day. "I don't know why we had to sit through a lecture about getting a cutie mark. I mean, waiting for your cutie mark is sooo last week. You got yours, I just got mine. We all have them already." The light pink pony gasped. "I mean, almost all of us have them already. Don't worry you two; you're still totally invited to my cute-ceañera this weekend." "It's going to be amazing." The grey pony agreed as they walked around Applebloom and her friend...preying on them with their words. "It's a party celebrating me and my fantastic cutie mark. How could it not be?" "Bump! Bump! Sugar-lump, rump!" The two ponies announced in unison, doing their own cheer and laughing. "Gimme a break…" Applebloom muttered. "See you this weekend, blank flanks!" They both said, laughing. I glanced at them, annoyed, as they walked past me, continuing to laugh. This place really DOES bring back memories… Applebloom's friend looked at Applebloom with a frown. "I guess I'll see you later." She walked off as Applebloom look gloomily at the ground. I walked up to her. "Hey… Applebloom." "Alex?" She looked up to me, surprised. "What are you doing here?" "Applejack asked me to pick you up from school." "Oh…" Applejack replied, sadly. As I began walking her to Apple Acres, I asked her about what had just happened. "What were those girls bothering you about?" I asked her. "They were just making me feel bad because I don't have my cutie mark yet…" "Don't worry Applebloom, I know EXACTLY how you feel…" I scoffed and shook my head. "Don't let them make you feel bad about yourself, your cutie mark will come in time… before you know it, you'll have it when you least expect it." Applebloom sighed. "It's not fair! Diamond Tiara invited me to her cute-ceañera, but it's only because she KNOWS I don't have a cutie mark!" She lowered her head. " Everypony is gonna make fun of me…" "Do you really want to go to the party or not, Applebloom?" I asked. "I don't know…" "Well… If you really think you'd have fun at the party, if you had the cutie mark, then you should go anyway, even if you don't have one. You're still young… why rush something just for the benefit that some other pony has instead of you? If you don't go to the party, then they will win. You should go to the party to show them that you're not afraid, that you're not going to let some provokes and insults bother you because you still have a whole adventure ahead of you. They may make fun of you… but I promise that every other pony wont." "Thanks Alex…" Applebloom still held her head down. "I guess…" I continued walking Applebloom, changing my expression to a gloomy one. We arrived at Apple Acres to see Applejack kicking trees for the apples to fall down. She heard us walking and turned around. "Howdy, Alex!" Applejack greeted me brightly. "Thanks for bringin' Applebloom home!" She noticed Applebloom's expression. "What's wrong, sugar cube?" "I don't know if I want to go to Diamond Tiara's party…" Applebloom responded softly. "You should! Why wouldn't you?" Applejack asked. Applebloom remained silent for a moment. "…Because I don't have my cutie mark…" "Y'know, I was the last pony in my class to get my cutie mark, and I couldn't be prouder of it. I know my future was to run Sweet Apple Acres, and these bright shiny apples sealed the deal." Applejack gasped. "Come to think of it, Granny Smith was the last one in her class, too. Huh, same as Big Macintosh. What about you, Alex?" I was startled and my eyes shifted sideways. "Um… I don't remember…" "I really don't see how that's supposed to make me feel better." Applebloom responded as she walked over to an apple on the ground and kicked it. "It probably means that being the last one in your class to get a cutie mark runs in the family. ...runs in the family." Her eyes opened wide, as if she discovered something great, instantly changing her mood and releasing a great and wide grin. "Runs in the family! Runs in the family! You've got apples for your cutie mark, Granny Smith has an apple pie, Big Macintosh has an apple half, my unique talent must has som'n to do with apples! Apples apples apples!" Applebloom hopped around excitedly, which eventually caused her to crash into a bucket of apples. " Oops... apples." "I'm just about to go set up a cart in town." Applejack patted the rest of the buckets she had nearby. "I hope I have me a good day of sellin' apples!" "OH!" Applebloom exclaimed. "Can I go with you, please? I might get my cutie mark from helping you!" "Well…" Applejack hesitated. "The more the merrier… right?" Applejack released a nervous smile and laugh. "Well, Alex, me and Applebloom are gonna go sell us some apples, thanks again!" "Yeah… no problem…" I responded. They walked off, carrying the buckets of apples with them. Applebloom stumbled a bit with them, however. I sighed and began walking out of the farm. Fluttershy noticed me as I walked towards her home. "Hi, Alex!" She exclaimed softly and flew towards me. "Hey, Fluttershy…" I replied. Her face changed to a worried one. "Is something wrong…?" She asked. I sighed. "It's just that Applebloom is worried about getting a cutie mark because she is being made fun of by some other ponies at school." "Oh, my. That's horrible!" "I know… but the thing is… that she's letting some ponies ruin her experience of getting a cutie mark… she will never have the excitement when she's doing it for other ponies who are mean to her…" "Oh, Alex… you are absolutely right… It's only the best experience when you discover it yourself…" I sat nearby a tree. Fluttershy followed me and sat down next to me. "I hope she doesn't rush it…" I spoke. "Me too…" Fluttershy responded. There was a moment of silence until Fluttershy spoke again. "Alex…?" "Hm?" "Remember when I asked about your mark?" I was startled. I instantly began feeling hot, and my words felt like they couldn't walk straight out of my mouth. "My mark…?" She nodded her head. "Why did you seem terrified when I asked you?" I stared towards the ground, gloomy. "Because…" I tried to think of the words I should say. "I…" Fluttershy continued to look at me, concerned. "…I don't know… I guess… the story is really pathetic…" "Pathetic? What do you mean? It can't be pathetic…" "Why do you think that…?" "Because…," she looked towards the ground. "Nothing can be pathetic about you, Alex…" I looked towards her, shocked. She continued to rub her hooves together. "Do you think… you'll ever tell me…?" She asked. "Maybe…I mean... it's not like I don't want to tell you... it's just..." I sighed. "... I think I just need some time..." I knew Fluttershy didn't truly understand why I said this... but she seemed as if she didn't want to bother me... so she let it slide. "Oh... it's okay... I understand." It was silent for another moment. "How about we take a walk in town?" Fluttershy offered me, managing to form a smile. "Okay." I replied. As Fluttershy and I walked through town, we could hear music blasting from the cake shop. Fluttershy and I noticed Twilight walking out of the shop. "Hey, Twilight…" I greeted as we walked towards her. "Oh, hey you guys." She responded, sounding a bit tired. "What's going on in the shop?" I asked. "Pinkie Pie is hosting a cute-ceañera for a pony that just got her cutie mark." Cute-ceañera? Was that the party Applebloom was talking about? "I see…" I replied. "Is any pony invited?" "Yeah, of course." "Want to go, Fluttershy?" I asked. "Okay." She responded with a smile. Fluttershy and I started making our way towards the door, but we were suddenly interrupted by a yell. "TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!" Spike had come running towards Twilight, carrying a letter in his hand. "Spike? What's up?" "It's a letter from the Princess!" Spike quickly handed the letter to Twilight. Twilight grabbed the letter with her magic. She opened it and began reading it. Her eyes opened wide and looked over to me. "Alex… Princess Celestia wants to see you!" "See me…?" I questioned, shocked. "Yes! The letter states that the Princess requires your presence, and she shall send royal guards to escort you to Canterlot!" "But… I was going to go to the party with Fluttershy…" "It's okay, Alex." I turned to see Fluttershy smiling at me. "I'll be with Twilight, you should go see the Princess, it must be very important." "Are you sure, Fluttershy…?" She nodded. "Mm-hm. You can come see me afterwards and tell me all about it when you come back!" I hesitated for a moment, but when I looked at Fluttershy's face... the light smile she formed... her understanding eyes... they all sent me a message that I should really go see the Princess."Okay…" I looked at Fluttershy for a moment, and then I turned towards Twilight and nodded. "Spike, send a letter to Princess Celestia saying that Alex is ready for his department to Canterlot." Twilight told Spike. "Consider it done!" Spike wrote a few words and then sent the letter. Soon enough, royal guards descended down towards us and landed. They asked for me. "That's me." I stepped forward. "Take a seat, and we shall take you to the Princess." They responded. I obeyed and took a seat in the carriage. I looked over to Fluttershy. She smiled, but looked as if she was holding back sadness. She waved goodbye at me until I was to come back. I waved back as the royal guards began taking me towards Canterlot. I had passed beyond the endless sky and taken to where the Princess resided. "She's waiting for you. " They said as they pointed towards a door. "We'll be outside if you need anything." "Alright, thanks…" A bit nervous, I opened the door and walked inside. The door closed softly behind me. I noticed the Princess nearby the fireplace which was currently lit. She was lying on the ground reading a book. She closed it and looked towards me. I quickly remembered to pay my respects. I nervously bowed, which caused her to chuckle. "Rise, Alex. There is no need for you to be so nervous." I slowly rose. "I'm sorry… I'm just wondering why you wanted to see me personally…" "To hear how you are doing with your friends, of course." She responded as she continued to give her heart warming smile. "My friends?" "Yes, how have you been doing with your friends so far?" I took a seat. "I've been pretty good with them, actually… Ever since I met them… I started having these really great feelings… feelings that I have never felt before…although… I don't know what they are…" "Well, tell me more about these feelings." Princess Celestia grew interested, resting her head anxiously, but calmly, to hear my explanation. "Well… when I'm with my friends, and we are all spending time together, it gives me this… heartwarming feeling… it feels really good and truly warms my heart. But that's not the only feeling…" "Oh? Then what is the other feeling?" My eyes moved around, trying to find the right words. "When I'm around this one certain pony… I feel a bit hot inside… it's almost like the feeling when I'm with all of my friends… but this one is more special… whenever I'm around her… I get this pounding sensation in my heart and it just… well… feels amazing…" I paused for a moment. "I'm sorry… I don't really know how to explain it…" Princess Celestia chuckled. "I see… and what is this pony's name? If I might ask…" I was silent for a moment. "Fluttershy…" Princess Celestia gave a different kind of smile. "Can you tell me what these feelings are, Princess?" I asked. "I can… but it would be far much more thrilling if you find out for yourself." Princess Celestia spoke as she continued to smile. "I see…" I remembered how it's better not to rush things. "Of course, Princess, you are right." She closed her eyes for a moment, and then reopened them. "Twilight has written to me about how much of a true friend you are." "She has?" I asked, shocked. Princess Celestia nodded, and then continued to speak. "She has explained to me how if you weren't apart of her friendship, it would significantly not be the same." Wow… did she really mean that? "You have amazing friends, Alex. Though they may fight from time to time, it will heal. This friendship will never break, especially with you by their side to help them. I know you have had trouble in the past, but it is gone now. You have friends who care about you and they will always be there for you." I thought about it for a moment and realized the Princess was right. "Of course, Princess." I responded with confidence. She smiled and asked me about another thing. "What about the Grand Galloping Gala? Are you thinking of attending?" "I'm not sure… I don't know too much of formal events like the Grand Galloping Gala…" "You're friends will guide you." Princess Celestia continued to smile. "It will truly be amazing if you and all your friends show up. You all would really make the Grand Galloping Gala the most entertaining night to have!" "Thank you, Princess." I responded. "Maybe I will go." "That's excellent to hear." Princess Celestia said. However, a letter suddenly appeared near her. "Oh, what's this?" She brought the letter closer to her and opened it with her magic. "Dearest Princess Celestia," She began reading out loud. "I am happy to report that one of your youngest subjects has learned a valuable lesson about friendship. Sometimes, the thing you think will cause you to lose friends and feel left out…can actually be the thing that helps you make your closest friends and realize how special you are." She looked at her cutie mark. "Hmm…" "Applebloom… she must have stopped the influence of the other ponies about her cutie mark yet to come…" "And so she has…" Princess Celestia responded, smiling. Time passed as Princess Celestia and I continued to talk. "Princess Celestia?" I asked. "Yes, Alex?" She answered. "There's been something on my mind, which happened not too long ago." "What is it?" Princess Celestia asked, concerned. "I'm sure you've read a letter from Twilight, which was about how true friends separate themselves from fake ones… well… there was this griffon named Gilda and she was being a bully. In the end, when Pinkie Pie threw a party for her, in hopes to improve her attitude, she tried to attack me… but something strange happened…" Princess Celestia continued to listen. "She didn't really get to hurt me because… this bright light filled the room and she was unable to touch me. Afterwards, she fled, but I wondered what had just happened… the beam of light was like the light that we used to defeat Nightmare Moon… but I don't understand… there were no elements of harmony…" "Ah, but there was." Princess Celestia stated, releasing a smile. "Huh?" I questioned. "Alex, do you remember what the 7th element is?" "Yes… a pure heart." "Exactly… that pure heart is your heart; the heart inside you… the element of a pure heart has always been inside you. That's why you didn't have your own artifact for your element, like the necklace. It is your heart. That's how you managed to prevent Gilda from touching you. From what I've heard, she has a heart filled with evil intentions… but your brave and pure heart won the battle against hers. Do you understand what I'm saying?" It had all made sense… "Yes, Princess. I finally understand now…" I placed my hoof on my chest. "I am very grateful… for my heart…" "You're very special and unique, Alex. Nothing or no pony can change that." With that said, Princess Celestia released another heart warming smile. We shared some stories between each other. I told her about the adventures I had with my friends… Soon, I realized it was getting late and that I should probably go. "It's getting late, Princess. I should probably head back to Ponyville now." "Okay then, Alex." Princess Celestia smiled. "It's been great to have you here. Perhaps we could do this another time. If not soon, then we shall meet in the Grand Galloping Gala, that is, if you'll be attending." I thought for a moment… about Princess Celestia… my friends… and Fluttershy. "I'm pretty sure I'll be there…" I responded. "Wonderful news. Until then, I cannot wait. The royal guards shall take you back to Ponyville. I will see you soon. Goodnight, Alex." "Goodnight… Princess Celestia." She presented one last heart filled smile. The royal guards began escorting me back to Ponyville. As I gently sat in the carriage, I observed the star-filled sky along with the full moon, which released my inner being... When I arrived, I quickly remembered to see Fluttershy and tell her what happened. I raced over to Fluttershy's home. On the way, I noticed that she was sitting on top of the cliff where the ocean lay below. She was playing with a flower as I began walking towards her. "Fluttershy…" I called her. I startled her, but she became happy when she saw me. "Alex, you came!" "Of course," I said as I finished walking up to her and took a seat next to her. "I felt bad enough for ditching you at the party, so I wanted to come as soon as possible." "Oh, Alex." She responded. "You didn't ditch me… you just had to go because the Princess summoned you." "Still…" I shook my head lightly. "Anyways, how was the party?" "It was great. Applebloom learned that it wasn't bad to not have her cutie mark yet." "How so?" "A couple of ponies had been teasing her... but she stood up for herself, asking how it could be bad by not having a cutie mark as early as them. She mentioned something about..." She paused for a moment to remember what Applebloom had said. "...how it's better to find her cutie mark because she wants to do it for herself... and not for any other pony that found their cutie mark, because they wanted to fit in a crowd... and then, another couple of ponies joined her and agreed with her. It turns out the ponies that stood up for Applebloom didn't have their cuties marks either… they explained how great it is to still not have your cutie mark… because you can be great at anything..." "That's really fantastic." I responded... greatly proud of Applebloom... I guess I had actually made a difference with my reasoning... Fluttershy nodded. "They became friends, and now they are going to find out what their special talent is, together." "I'm proud of them." I looked up at the sky. Fluttershy smiled. "How was your visit to the Princess?" She asked. I thought for a moment. "Princess Celestia wanted to know how I was with you girls. You know… about our friendship…" Fluttershy continued to listen to me, attentively. "She explained how wonderful it is for me to have a friendship with you girls… then she received a letter from Twilight, which explained how the outcome with Applebloom was. I was relieved to hear it. I also asked some questions I was curious about. Afterwards, we shared stories until it was getting late. Before I left, she told me she hoped to see me at the Grand Galloping Gala." "That's good to hear." Fluttershy responded, softly. "Will you be going to the Grand Galloping Gala?" She asked. I thought about my talk with Princess Celestia as Fluttershy awaited my answer. "Yeah… I'm pretty sure I'll go." Fluttershy smiled softly, but brightly. "That's great! Because I…" She had paused and looked away. "What is it?" I asked. Her eyes shifted towards me and I could see her blush. "I'll tell you another time." She formed a light smile. "Okay…" Regardless, I still wondered what she wanted to say. Silence had filled the breeze, but it was a gentle and admirable silence. "I guess I better be going home now…" Fluttershy spoke. We both stood up and looked at each other. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Fluttershy." I responded. She nodded. "Thanks…Alex." "Huh…?" "For coming to me." She giggled a little. "Oh… It's no problem at all." She hugged me for a moment. "Goodnight, Alex." She said. "Goodnight, Fluttershy…" I responded, and she began heading towards her house. She had left me with the special feeling I had talked about with Princess Celestia. A little while afterwards, I headed home. When I arrived, I had opened the door and closed it slowly. I gently walked up the stairs to my bedroom while I carefully maneuvered in the dark. When I felt my bed, I quietly slipped in and stared at the dark ceiling, savoring the special feeling as much as I could before I closed my eyes and fell asleep, awaiting the next day with Fluttershy.