As the sun cleared the horizon on Sweet Apple Acres, there lay an old yet well-maintained treehouse with a pair of planked ramps in two tiers leading up to and inside of it. And from the inside came a sound that was all-too-familiar on every weekend morning and weekday afternoon: the sound of a filly's hoof rapping against a wooden podium to call for order.
"Hear ye! Hear ye!" a yellow mare with her hair tied back by a great red bow called out from her position at the back of the clubhouse, as always with her normal bravado. "The newest meetin' of the Cutie Mark Crusaders will now come ta' order! Role call!" She raised a hoof. "Apple Bloom, here!"
In front of her, where two other fillies stood, the one on the right, a white unicorn with naturally curly hair raised her own hoof. "Sweetie Belle, here!"
She continued to hold up her hoof afterward, waiting for the last call. After a moment of silence, she looked to her side. The final filly, an orange pegasus with smaller-than-average wings gave her a deadpan look.
"There's only three of us, you know. Can't we just get to the meet-"
"Say it!" Sweetie cut off with an insistent glare.
With an eye roll, she held up a hoof. "Scootaloo, here."
Putting down her hoof, Apple Bloom beamed at her friends. "Crusaders, ah've got two bits of great news! First, effective yesterday, when we helped Sea Salt realize that his true callin' wasn't in boat sailin' but in soup makin', we've now helped our one hundred and fiftieth pony with their Cutie Mark problem!"
Her friends beamed and jumped in excitement. "Wow, our 150th!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "That's our centennial!"
Scootaloo slowed down in jumping at that. "Um, isn't that for when we hit 100?"
Sweetie slowed as well, "Oh...oh yeah. Then it's our bicentennial!"
"I think that's for 200."
"...Is there even a special name for 150? Like...centandahalfennial?"
"Ahem."
Both looked forward, seeing Apple Bloom staring at them.
"As ah was sayin', ah've got two bits of great news." She smiled again. "The second is that we've hit the big time! Ah got ah letter from Princess Twilight herself askin' us ta' help ah' pony with a Cutie Mark problem!"
Both girls gasped in amazement. "Whoa...really? The princess asked us to help a pony? When she's the Princess of Friendship?"
"Well, Princess Twilight might be good at friendship," Sweetie Belle answered, "but when it comes to Cutie Marks, that's our specialty! But is she really asking us to help?"
Apple Bloom eagerly nodded. "Ah have her letter right here!" She looked down to the podium and began to orate. "'Dear Cutie Mark Crusaders, I have a new friend who is having trouble with her Cutie Mark, and as the girls and I are currently away in Vanhoover to solve a friendship emergency, and I know nopony else better suited to helping other ponies find their true purpose, I am referring her to you. I know you'll be able to help her when she arrives tomorrow morning. Gratefully, Princess Twilight Sparkle. P.S. I should probably warn you in advance that this case will be a little different from what you're normally expecting. This pony has gone a rather long time with a problem with her Cutie Mark, and on seeing her you might be a little shocked as I'm sure some of you have at least seen her before in Canterlot. So be prepared. P.P.S. And it's probably for the best that you don't make a big public display about helping this pony out. P.P.P.S. Oh, I almost forgot! Her name is..."
Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed, but then she shook her head. "Sorry. By the time Twilight got that far she was really scrunchin' the ink. Looks like ah...F...B...somethin'."
The other two CMCs were a bit puzzled by the unusual postscript of the letter, but it mostly just aroused their curiosity. "Who do you think she's talking about?"
Apple Bloom began to step away from the podium. "She said she's gone ah long time with ah Cutie Mark problem. Ya' suppose it might be an older pony? An' one we've met before?"
Sweetie Belle gasped excitedly. "Maybe it's somepony famous! Like Photo Finish or Fleur-de-Lis! Or Sapphire Shores!"
"Or Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo suggested eagerly.
Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at her with a smirk. "...Ah'm pretty sure Rainbow Dash already knows she's meant ta' be ah fast flier."
She shrugged. "You never know."
"What if it's Princess Flurry Heart?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo quirked their eyebrows. "A foal with a Cutie Mark problem?"
"Well, she's already an alicorn. Why not?"
A knocking rapped against the clubhouse door. The three fillies lit up. "That must be her now!"
Apple Bloom went up to answer it, with her two friends falling in behind her. As soon as she reached the door, she took a moment to take a deep breath, then reached out and pushed the edge. As it swung open wide, she began to speak proudly.
"Welcome to the official clubhouse of the Cutie Mark..."
She trailed off. She wasn't looking at a pony's face, but rather a pair of dark-purple colored legs. Slowly, she traced them upward, revealing a unicorn wearing saddlebags covering most of her flanks, but also sporting a reddish, sleek mohawk, a scar across her right eye, and, most importantly, a broken horn.
The CMCs' happy faces drained of color as they found the green, burning eyes of Tempest Shadow looking down on them rather dismissively. Both sides were silent.
The older unicorn's eyebrow raised. "So, you three foals...are the so-called 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'?"
The three were speechless. Their jaws were hanging and their pupils had shrunk into pinpricks. The shadow of the older unicorn not only seemed to hang over them, but her vivid green eyes almost seemed to glow from inside of it as her cold, stoic gaze went over them.
Suddenly, Apple Bloom reached out and seized the door, plastering the most fake smile ever on her face as she did. "'Scuse us ah sec, would ya'?"
A moment later, Tempest's dull look vanished as the door slammed in her face, and the CMCs wheeled to each other in a circle.
"That's...that's...Tempest Shadow!"
"What in Equestria is she doing here?! What does she want with us?"
"Ya'...ya' don't think..."
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at her nervously. "Think what?"
"Ya' don't think this is who Twilight was talkin' 'bout...do ya'?"
All three fillies began to sweat.
"This is an unusual case..."
"And we have seen her in Canterlot..."
"But I'm not a 'little shocked'!" Scootaloo outburst. "I'm a lot shocked! The last time I saw her she had a bunch of white-furred monsters lock us up in cages and enslaved everypony!"
"Not ta' mention she captured all the princesses and had all them airships start destroying Equestria! She's the meanest unicorn ah've ever seen in mah life! She was hurtin' other ponies just for fun!"
Sweetie Belle trembled. "You think...just maybe...she does have a problem with her Cutie Mark? I mean...why else would she be here? She seemed to know to look for us..."
"Are you crazy?!" Scootaloo outburst, quickly quieting down afterward in case she was overheard outside. "I don't want to help her! Not after what she did to us and the rest of Equestria!"
Apple Bloom winced, shaking as well. "Well...none of us wanted ta' help Diamond Tiara either... Except Diamond Tiara was just ah bully doing what her mom said...and Tempest Shadow is ah big scary pony with a broken horn who's mean and cruel and terrifyin' and ruthless and merciless and angry all the time."
Sweetie frowned. "...Anything else we'd like to add to that list?" she sighed. "But...we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders..."
Scootaloo nearly moaned. "And Princess Twilight is asking us to do this..."
Apple Bloom's head sank. "An' ah' reckon if she really was still bad, the other princesses would've locked 'er up in ah dungeon or somethin'..."
The three let out a mutual groan, and exchanged glances as if to ask each other if they really wanted to go through with this. Finally, very reluctantly, they nervously got out of their positions and went to the door. Taking an even deeper breath than before, Apple Bloom reached out to open it again.
"As ah was sayin'..." she began again, far more reluctantly, "welcome to the official clubhouse of the...huh?"
The front step was vacant. Nopony was standing there anymore. The three looked around curiously for a moment, until they spotted her. The unicorn was back on the ground again and slowly walking away.
"Uh...Tempest Shadow?"
"I could hear you easily through that door, you know," she coldly answered, not turning her back or stopping.
The three looked to each other. They winced again, but this time out of shame and embarrassment. Even if this was the last unicorn short of King Sombra that any of them ever cared to meet, they had never turned aside somepony who came to them for help yet. And seeing Tempest react to them the way she had before they even had a chance to try and "fake it"...
A moment later, the three young fillies found themselves, a bit to their own surprise, out of the clubhouse, down the platforms, and after her. "Tempest...Tempest! Wait up!"
She didn't stop or look behind her. However, her pace was slow enough to where the three girls were able to catch up with her, pass her, and insert themselves in her path. As a result, she halted, giving them the same cold stare as before.
"We're sorry. We didn't mean ta' do that back there."
"It's just we weren't expecting to see you of all ponies on our doorstep," Sweetie Belle offered. "We're normally used to dealing with colts and fillies, not full grown mares. And...well...you know...there was..." she trailed off.
The unicorn's face didn't change. "...The fact that I enslaved you and the rest of the ponies of Equestria when I conquered Canterlot?"
Sweetie Belle pursed her lips. "Um...right."
The unicorn slowly closed her eyes, and after a moment let out a long sigh. They opened soon after, but weren't as cold this time.
"So...Tempest," Scootaloo added, trying to sound as casual about saying that name as possible even though she gave a visible shudder just uttering it, "do you...have a problem we can help you with?"
The unicorn hesitated. She seemed a bit reluctant to go forward with this, but finally relented. "First of all, it's not 'Tempest Shadow' anymore. The princess said she'd put my name in the letter."
"Um, she did, but...it got ah' bit smudged. So what is it?"
She frowned, before looking uneasy. She glanced about her, as if making sure no one was looking, and then swished her mouth to one side and mumbled.
"Uh...what was that?"
Baring her teeth a bit, she spoke a bit louder, but still under her breath.
"Did you say...Spinnytop Ferrymist?"
Closing her eyes in frustration, she spat it out so loud her horn sparked. "Fizzlepop Berrytwist!"
The CMCs stared in surprise for a moment, honestly aghast not only at the outburst but what the name was. Yet that lasted only a moment before the three were amazed. Sweetie Belle's eyes went starry. "That name is the cutest I've ever-"
She cut off as Fizzlepop's piercing green eyes opened and locked on her dangerously.
"I mean...uh, you could have been saddled with worse," she nervously waved off. "But what's your problem?"
Fizzlepop's face softened, turning not only much less stern but almost sad-looking. Looking more ashamed than before, she silently went to her saddlebags and moved them aside from her flank.
The CMCs gasped a bit on what they saw on the other side: nothing.
Fizzlepop's eyes fell. "For years I waited for it to show up, but..." She sighed. "Yet another thing I've wondered if I lost along with my horn. After all, what kind of destiny can a unicorn who can't do magic fulfill? I've honestly wondered after all this time if I can even get one..."
In spite of their earlier fear, the CMCs felt twinges of pity arising inside of them. All three of them, after all, remembered how stressed they had gotten about wondering if they would ever get their Cutie Marks. Yet to go one's whole life and still not have one? They couldn't imagine how devastating that would be.
After a moment, Apple Bloom ventured a small smile. "Ah'm sure that's not the reason," she spoke encouragingly. "You'll still get it."
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle added. "It's just because you've spent so long not doing your real purpose and instead...uh..."
Fizzlepop's eyes narrowed again. "...Enslaving ponies and conquering Equestria?"
"...I was going to say 'pursuing the wrong interests'. But now you're back in Equestria and you've got a lot more chances to do things than just...well...wandering around and being mean."
"And ah'm sure if ya' try new things just like we did, you'll find yer Cutie Mark. Yer just gettin' ah late start is all," Apple Bloom added.
"And trust me," Scootaloo threw in, "if there's anypony who knows that you can get a Cutie Mark even if you can't quite do what 'your kind' is supposed to do, it's me." She accented this with a rapid flutter of her underdeveloped wings while showing off her own Cutie Mark.
Fizzlepop stared back at the three momentarily, before a change came over her. In spite of her still stoic and reserved demeanor, her lips, moving only a little as if they were highly out of practice, curled into just a hint of a smile. While she was still in many ways the imposing and intimidating individual she had been when she arrived, she genuinely looked encouraged to hear that for just a moment.
It faded soon after, however. Her smile turned into a more uneasy frown, and her eyes went to one side as she exhaled. "...I'm not so sure. I used to only worry about my broken horn keeping me from doing things in Equestria. Now...I have new reasons." She sighed again. "But it's not like I have any other choice." She looked back to them. "Alright. Where do we start?"
"Easy!" Apple Bloom answered, getting her more normal enthusiasm back. "We figure out what yer good at and then we get ya' tryin' things ta' see what yer best at!"
"So what are you really, really good at?" Scootaloo asked.
Fizzlepop's look soured. "Commanding legions. Flying airships. Kicking my opponents. Crushing my opponents. Casting my opponents into the air and then throwing them to the ground. Electrifying my opponents. Imprisoning my opponents. Torturing and then imprisoning my opponents. Destroying buildings and ships. Conquering kingdoms. Defeating and capturing princesses."
The three fillies stared wide-eyed and speechless. They swallowed, then looked at each other.
"Uh...girls? Anythin' we can 'work with' from that?"
"I might have a couple ideas..."
Not long after, the four found themselves standing in a short line of other ponies out front at Ponyville General Hospital, waiting for another arrival. Fizzlepop stood straight and tall with eyes out, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood at a distance and Apple Bloom was at her side.
"Now, what ah gather from all of what ya' said is that yer ah tough pony who can keep other ponies safe," she explained. "And ta' me that means you'd be great at bein' ah security pony. An' Ponyville General Hospital always needs ah new security guard fer the night shift, so ah thought you'd give it a try."
Even as she said this, however, she glanced toward the others in the line, and tried to hide a grimace. As soon as Fizzlepop had arrived, one of the ponies trying out for the security guard position took off like a shot as the others fixated on her, and they had been frowning uncomfortably at her ever since. When she stood in line, the one closest to her swapped out with the next one, who then swapped with the one who came after, and this continued several times before the entire group finally stood three pony lengths farther away. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had seen much the same thing, but tried to keep it quiet.
Fizzlepop exhaled, not looking down. "I suppose this is something like being a commander...if being a commander meant I just stood around all day making sure other ponies didn't steal books for patients."
"Uh...heh-heh...yeah. Like two peas in a pod..." Apple Bloom nervously answered, before quickly excusing herself to go stand with the others.
Not long after, two stallions walked out: one in a security guard outfit holding a clipboard in one hoof and another dressed up to look like a "ruffian". Not looking up from it, he began to address the group gathered. "Ok everypony, as part of your application process for this position, I'm going to need to see how you would subdue a prowler. I've gotten Dapper Dan here to play the part of a pony you might find wandering the premises."
The stallion waved with a grin and stood to one side in position.
The first looked over the clipboard. "First up, Moonstone Mustang."
The first applicant in line finally looked away from Fizzlepop and toward Dapper. He walked out to him, and the two took position, playing the roles of security guard and prowler. They went at each other and, at about half speed of real life, Moonstone demonstrated getting around Dapper to try and put him in an arm lock. However, Dapper smirked and was able to slip through his grip, astonishing Moonstone.
"Hmm..." The security pony made a mark on his sheet. "Next up, Nettlekiss."
The second applicant, far more timid, came up and tried out. While she tried to at least put Dapper into a nelson, he was far more evasive for her and managed to slide away before she could even get both hooves on him.
The security pony frowned slightly as he made another mark. And so he continued to work through the list, with each applicant finishing moving a short distance away. Finally, he reached the bottom.
"And finally, Fizzlepop Berrytwi..."
He trailed off as he looked up; his eyes widening at the sight of who was in line. She ignored him as she stepped toward Dapper, whose smile vanished as he immediately began to cower before her. Playing his role looked the furthest thing from his mind as Fizzlepop came to a halt and glared down over him. Her horn emitted a few sparks.
An instant later, the CMCs winced, with Sweetie Belle covering her eyes, as a loud clamor arose from the practice grounds along with a cloud of dust. Sounds of crying out and a noise like a cow moo that they weren't aware ponies could make came from Dapper. When it was finally done, the exasperated and overwhelmed pony was sprawled out with Fizzlepop calmly pinning him down with one hoof while using another to pull back his leg, and he was furiously tapping one hoof down on the ground like a wrestler desperately trying to bow out.
The fillies stared a moment, but then Apple Bloom sheepishly grinned and shrugged. "Well...she did do better than all the others..."
Fizzlepop released Dapper a moment later, who cried out in alarm before running for it, and then looked to the security guard. He stared blankly and open-mouthed back, having not marked anything on his clipboard.
"...Well? Aren't you going to rate me?"
The guard blinked, then shook his head. "Uh...actually, um...as it turns out we're a bit overstaffed as it is and we can't really afford to hire a new guard for the night shift," he answered as he stepped back. "I'm afraid we won't be taking any new applicants at this time."
Turning around, he took off, as the other applicants rapidly did the same.
The CMCs looked to one another regretfully on hearing that.
A bit afterward, the Crusaders had led Fizzlepop toward the agricultural district and the grazing fields, in particular where there were a few herds of sheep. A few shepherd ponies were out with crooks tending to them and leading them to graze or to the streams for a drink. The unicorn seemed fairly unimpressed by the pastoral scene as they walked along, but Sweetie Belle was at her side and speaking encouragingly.
"I was thinking back at the clubhouse... 'Surely a pony who can lead around a whole army of big white yetis can handle a much littler group of smaller, nicer things.' If you're good at leading others, you might be a good shepherd pony."
"Oh, but of course," Fizzlepop answered in a deadpan voice, not looking down. "Ordering minions to smash up cities always made me think of grassy fields and sunny days."
Sweetie Belle sweat a bit at that, and gave a nervous laugh. "Uh...heh-heh, that's funny. Anyway, Woolworth has been looking for an assistant for months, and I thought you might give it a try."
Fizzlepop rolled her eyes a bit, but said no more and kept walking. As for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, they tried to stay optimistic, but looked around as they headed out. There weren't a whole lot of shepherds in Ponyville, but the few that were there had taken up leading their herds away. Another group of cattle that were headed out to start grazing stopped on seeing the broken-horned mare out there, and hurriedly turned and started to head back.
Soon they came up to an older, lightly-colored pony with a white mane as curly and puffy as if it was made of sheep's wool itself, tending to a flock near her and trying to move them on. She looked up on seeing the approaching group and smiled softly at first, as she could only see the younger fillies due to the shape of the hills. She waved a hoof.
"Good morning, Ms. Woolworth!" Sweetie Belle called.
"Oh, hello there, girls," she called back. "You caught me trying to get the ewes from the east field down to the brook. They can be so stubborn some days." She motioned for one to move, which simply looked back at her with an annoyed stare before resuming eating its grass defiantly.
"Well, you're in luck! Because we think we found a pony who can help!"
The shepherd began to look up. "Oh, really? Why, that'd be nice. I've been hoping for months for..."
She trailed off, her face blanching, as the mohawked shadow of Fizzlepop fell over her as a result of crossing the hill and stepping into the path of the sun. The other sheep looked up as well; finding the stony, green-eyed glare of the unicorn looking down on them and gradually descending to their level.
"Ok ladies, listen up," she announced. "You're going down to the brook. End of discussion. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
The Crusaders and Woolworth stared back a bit blankly, with Scootaloo "face-hooving" at the fact she was actually giving sheep an ultimatum. As for the sheep themselves, most of them looked curiously back at her, but a few frowned. The one Woolworth couldn't move actually squared herself fully at Fizzlepop, opened its mouth wide, and took an especially big mouthful of grass to indicate it wasn't intending to move.
She came to a stop. "Alright then." Her horn began to spark once more. "The hard way."
Snapping her horn out, a bolt of magical electricity lashed out and struck the defiant sheep. The air around her lit up in a brilliant flash, and when it died down the sheep was left with her eyes going in different directions, somewhat smoldering, and wavering on her four hooves. She did so for several seconds, before she managed to plant her feet, shake her head, and regain her bearings. She looked up...and now found Fizzlepop looming over her with her horn sparking for another burst.
Giving out a panicked bleat, the sheep took off for the brook as fast as her legs could carry her. Snapping her gaze out, Fizzlepop leveled her eyes on the rest of the sheep. In an instant, the entire herd had relocated so close to the brook they were practically pushing each other into the water.
The CMCs looked to one another uncertainly, and Sweetie Belle ended up shrugging again. "Well, they...all got down to the water, didn't they?"
Fizzlepop glanced one more time to make sure they were all away, then looked up toward Woolworth. She stared at her uneasily a moment, before beginning to walk forward; taking a wide path around her and toward the brook. She smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry, but...I'm afraid that horn of yours will make...uh...um...a bit too much 'static cling'. You know how bad that is around wool. You simply won't work out around sheep."
An instant later, the older pony somehow took off just as easily as her sheep down to the brook and began to lead them away without watering them.
Fizzlepop's lips curled into a frown. As for the girls, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both slumped in disappointment, while Sweetie Belle looked around the area and saw the fields were now rather barren. That made her far more uneasy than this latest failure had.
A quick clothing change later, and the girls led Fizzlepop out to the Ponyville Fields. Just as they had anticipated for that time of day, ponies from all over were already playing on the different fields. Hoofball was going on at the court, kickball was going on at the diamond, and, at their own destination, a soccer game was going on from the local enthusiasts.
Fizzlepop herself had changed into an old sports jersey to help cover up her "blank flank" as well as to help her fit in better, and the CMCs flanked her on either side as they headed up to the field.
"Ok, what all of your, uh...talents say to me is that you're athletic," Scootaloo addressed as she walked along. "So I think sports would be the best thing for you! Soccer season is right around the corner!"
Fizzlepop kept her eyes forward. "...And the locals let you join in just like that?"
"Sure do! There's no set teams, just ponies having fun!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both smiled in encouragement, even if they were sweating again already on the inside. They had scarcely brought Fizzlepop close enough to the fields to be recognized when the games rapidly began to cease, leaving ponies staring at her. Most of them just glared in wide-eyed surprise and shrank back as soon as it looked like she was getting near them. A few others took up their things, turned, and left at a rapid pace. A few more gave her a frown and a glower; not that she was looking at them to notice. Needless to say, they picked up the pace to get to the field rather quickly.
On reaching it, the two sides were bringing the soccer ball back to the center to get ready for another kickoff, but paused on seeing the incoming group. The eyeballs of the players on teams visibly contracted on seeing her. One of the ponies at the kickoff line withered at her approach, until she was casting her full shadow over her and looking down with a stern glare.
"Mind if I join in?"
The mare swallowed once, and then darted away so fast she left a cloud of dust behind her. Taking that as an affirmative, Fizzlepop stepped forward and took her spot. The pony she faced off against swallowed a lump in his throat and began to cringe.
The CMCs quickly took their places on the side and looked around. They blanched on seeing the players on both teams now trembling, shaking, and unable to take their eyes off of Fizzlepop. Grinning sheepishly themselves, they began to tentatively applaud. "Uh...go Fizzlepop! Yeah! Uh...woo-hoo!"
A unicorn acting as referee looked uneasily a bit longer at this, but then used his horn to bring his whistle to his lips and gave it a blow to start the game.
In an instant, Fizzlepop's hoof was out, under the ball, and knocking it into the air. With an easy effort, she launched herself into the sky after it. She gave a powerful spin, whirling around so fast one could hear her cutting through the air, before she came out and performed a mighty kick with her rear legs.
As if the soccer ball had been fired out of a cannon, it shot in a straight line for the opposing goal. The goalie pony yelped and dove for cover, right as the ball shot past him, ripped instantly through the net, and embedded itself in the ground afterward. A plume of smoke arose from where it landed.
The CMCs were in stunned silence a moment, but then began to prance their hooves in applause. "That...was...awesome!"
"Woo-hoo!"
"Go Fizzlepop!"
She herself landed, and turned her head a bit at her result. "Hmm...kicked a bit too hard. I'll go easier on the next one."
"Um, actually..." the referee pony suddenly spoke up, even as the opposing team began to step back, "uh...we're pretty much done for the day. We were just wrapping up when you came along, so...we'll be excusing ourselves now."
The ponies turned and began to move away, actually trotting this time. The referee turned and joined them. Fizzlepop blinked, then looked behind her. The team she had joined was also beginning to withdraw.
"Oh..uh...look at that. We don't have enough for two teams. I guess that's it for us too."
They took off soon after, moving even faster than the previous group.
Fizzlepop looked back in front of her, but the ponies were already gone. She looked back behind her and saw the same. She was the only one left on the field.
The Crusaders looked up to each other uneasily, then quickly got off of their stands and trotted out to the field. Once again, they formed encouraging smiles.
"Oh...don't worry about soccer, Fizzlepop. There's lots of other sports to try with lots of other..."
She looked around and paused. Every last game court in the field was empty. Nothing but open grounds and sports equipment left behind.
"...ponies." Scootaloo finished lamely.
Fizzlepop's eyes narrowed in a glare. "Perhaps we just arrived when everypony was 'finishing for the day'," she sarcastically muttered before turning and beginning to walk off the field. Sharing another nervous glance with each other, the CMCs followed.
The rest of the day fared no better. Eventually the girls stopped trying to match Fizzlepop to anything that seemed "her" and just tried to do whatever they could. Construction worker, wooden furniture maker, part-time spa pony, even mayoral filing assistant...nothing, nothing, and nothing. Fizzlepop was unsuited to doing anything delicate thanks to her horn keeping her from having fine control, and everything else that was manual she handled in a brutal and physically overwhelming way; such as when she pounded girders into angles with her hooves, or nearly lit the mayor's filing system on fire with sparks from her horn. And the more the girls went about, the more they began to focus on one of Twilight's last postscripts that had told them not to show Fizzlepop around that much. The reactions of citizens of Ponyville to seeing their former conqueror in their midst were little better...and often worse...than their own reactions had been.
By the time afternoon had rolled around and the CMCs had returned to the clubhouse for a lunch break, all three of them were looking rather dismayed. They let out a mutual sigh on walking in.
"Well...today sure was a bust..." Scootaloo groaned.
"I know we had to try ah lot of things ourselves 'fore we found our own Cutie Marks, but...usually ah at least felt hopeful after our tries..." Apple Bloom lamented.
"Maybe she could be a professional crowd-clearer," Sweetie Belle uneasily offered. "I don't know if the rest of you noticed, but...uh...things tend to get kind of 'emptied out' wherever Fizzlepop goes."
"Well, I can't imagine there's too many ponies..." Scootaloo hesitated, making sure Fizzlepop was well behind them this time, before speaking in a near whisper, "...who are happy to see her."
"This woulda been ah' lot easier if Princess Twilight, mah sister, an' the rest of the girls were here..." Apple Bloom whispered back. "What're we gonna do? We can keep tryin' news things, but if everypony keeps actin' the same way..."
She trailed off as she heard the heavy hoofbeats of the older unicorn behind them. Quickly clamming up, the three spun around and plastered smiles on their faces as Fizzlepop walked up, through the door, and to the side of the room. As she began to undo her saddlebags, she didn't look up to them. Nevertheless, she sighed quietly.
"So, ready to give up yet?"
The CMCs glanced at each other nervously, then back to her. She kept taking off her bags.
"You weren't that much farther ahead of me. And you don't whisper as quietly as you think."
Now the three really did look nervous. "Now we never said we were givin' up, Fizzlepop. We've had hard cases before. We've only been tryin' fer this mornin'."
She closed her eyes and exhaled before reaching into her bags and pulling out a container of water. She reached in again soon after and began to pull out berries. "You might as well stop now. This isn't working. I'm..." She hesitated, then frowned again as she pulled out a bag of sugar. "I'm just not suited to be an Equestrian anymore."
"That's not true, Fizzlepop!" Sweetie immediately insisted. "It's just that finding your special talent takes time!"
Her eyes opened but were focused to one side. "I'm older than half of the ponies in Ponyville. How much more 'time' do I need? Or have, for that matter? It's pathetic that I'm even an adult mare needing to ask little fillies how to do something I should have gotten on my own years ago. Besides..." Getting out a cup measurer, she began to scoop from the sugar and put it into the container of water. "You saw how everypony kept looking at me everywhere I went..." Her lips curled a bit. "That's one thing about Equestria I never forgot..." She put the measure aside and began to drop some of the berries in next.
"Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are right. We haven't given up yet," Scootaloo insisted. "It might take a little while longer...or a few more days...or weeks...or months... But we'll do it! We..." She trailed off. By now, both she and the other Crusaders were transfixed on what Fizzlepop had been making while they were talking. "Uh...what are you doing?"
The unicorn paused, a bit off guard by that. She looked down to her mixture, then up to them. "...This?" She sighed. "Doing the one thing that my horn was capable of for so long...and about the only thing that gave me any joy wandering around from one land to another. I discovered it when I was younger while I was getting water from a spring and I thought I'd see if my horn could make it into lemonade for a pick-me-up. I didn't get any lemonade out of it, but...well..."
Rather than explain, Fizzlepop leaned over and aimed her broken horn at the container. Moments later, it began to emit sparks again into it. At once, they had a strange reaction with the mixture. It began to swirl around, slowly at first but then rapidly picking up speed. It seemed to resonate with sparks as well, and picked up in intensity as it kept swirling. After several moments, the girls noticed that the mixture not only blended but began to bubble. Yet it wasn't foaming over, but rather it was as if bubbles were arising from inside of it in tinier amounts, coming right out of the fluid.
Finally, she cut her horn off, and the girls were left staring in open-mouthed awe at the result: a fizzing drink the same color as Fizzlepop's coat. It resembled carbonated drinks they had seen before, only it had a small "head" on it, and as the bubbles popped they gave out small sparkle of light like teeny-tiny fireworks.
She finished it off by producing a straw from her saddlebags, inserting it, and taking a sip. "It's a bit sugary-sweet, but...maybe that's just how ponies are. We all have a sweet tooth..."
By now, the Crusaders were all looking curiously at the fizzling drink that Fizzlepop had made. "Uh...do ya' mind if we have a taste?"
Fizzlepop shrugged. "Be my guest."
The CMCs went for their own cups, came back, and poured out a little into each of their own carefully before they all drank together.
On pulling the cups away, their eyes were wide.
"Fizzlepop...this is amazin'!"
For the first time since she had arrived, Fizzlepop looked up in genuine amazement. "Ex...excuse me?"
The girls were now smiling as they looked at the container of the original mixture in delight. "This is incredible! It's like a soft drink, but I've never had any like it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"There's a burst of sweetness and fruitiness when it fizzles all the way down!" Scootaloo cheered, her wings flittering happily.
"Ah bet there's no other cola like it in all of Equestria!" Apple Bloom added, then suddenly gasped. "Ya' know...ah know there ain't!" She pointed her hoof. "Because only yer horn can make it!"
Fizzlepop was now taken aback. She actually looked uncertain as well as surprised now, pulling back and at a loss for words. There was just a slight reddish tint to her cheeks. "I...uh...I don't...that is..." She paused a moment, then looked up. "You...you really think only my broken horn...can make this?"
"Not only that, I bet everypony in school would want some of this!" Scootaloo added.
"I bet everypony in Ponyville would want some!" Sweetie put in.
"Ah bet every last pony in Equestria would want it!" Apple Bloom concluded. "Fizzlepop, this might be it! This might be yer special talent!"
Fizzlepop was at a loss for words. Her normally cold gaze had turned open and vulnerable, and her jaw hung loose. She uncertainly looked at her own forehead, and down to the container she had made. "After all this time...when I thought I couldn't ever live up to my special talent...you think that it's because of my broken horn I might have my special talent to begin with?" She hesitated, and frowned after a moment, looking back down to the floor. "...That's nonsense. How could a horn that doesn't even work like a normal unicorn's make me stand out?"
"But...didn't that horn make those big fireworks for the Friendship Festival?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"And wasn't it good enough to make you an army commander?" Scootaloo added.
"Didn't Twilight say it was pretty powerful?" Apple Bloom concluded.
Slowly, the frown began to ease as a few traces of hope came over Fizzlepop's face. She actually looked up with a hint of a smile on her face.
"I say we try and work with this," Sweetie Belle stated. "I think this is our best chance at finding Fizzlepop's true purpose."
"We need ta' get this out ta' every pony in town!" Apple Bloom added. "But we need ta' call it somethin'..."
Scootaloo, meanwhile, had snuck in another sip from Fizzlepop's own straw. "Mmm...it's so sweet...and so fizzy...and so fruity..." She lit up. "I got it! We'll call it 'Berrytwist', right after the pony who made it! 'Berrytwist Soda'!"
Apple Bloom tapped her chin. "Hmm...ah do think we should name it somethin' after Fizzlepop." She lit up herself. "How 'bout 'Berrytwist Pop'!"
The pegasus frowned. "I always liked 'soda' better. It's more neat-sounding."
The earth pony frowned back. "Ah like 'pop' better. Pop's easier to remember and ya' don't mess it up with bakin' soda."
"Soda's better!"
"Pop's better!"
"Soda!"
"Pop!"
"Soda!"
"Pop!"
Both were nearly in each other's face at this point, and Sweetie Belle quickly interjected herself between them. "Girls, how about a compromise? Why don't we call it 'Berrytwist Sodapop'?"
The two hesitated, looking away from each other and back to their friend. They thought a moment, but then nodded. "Sounds good..."
"Kinda catchy..."
"Sodapop it is!"
The next day, the Crusaders and their latest client were gathered outside the Castle of Friendship with their official "CMC-Business" wagon being loaded up with a large amount of glass containers and supplies, and especially a lot of narrow-stemmed bottles. The heavier stuff was enveloped in a light purple aura as it was gently set down in the wagon, while the CMCs themselves were loading up much of the rest. A second wagon had been employed that day as well--this one loaded with sugar and berries to the point of overflowing.
As the heavier equipment was lowered, the light purple unicorn responsible cut off the aura from her horn and stood to one side, letting the fillies move in to set down the rest.
"Thanks ah lot fer helpin' us with this stuff, Starlight!" Apple Bloom called out as she passed.
"We knew if there was anypony with a lot of spare bottles lying around, it'd be Twilight!" Sweetie Belle added.
"Oh, no problem," Starlight Glimmer answered with a hoof wave. "I figured Twilight wouldn't mind you borrowing some things from all those old experiments she used to do, especially if it was helping out something friendship-related. She told me to help in any way I could before she left."
She turned away from the girls...and found herself looking almost face-to-face with Fizzlepop, who had her normal stony and stoic expression. She froze in midstep. Her own face blanched a bit, her smile quivering, and beginning to sweat a little.
"So," Fizzlepop stated, "you must be Princess Twilight Sparkle's student."
Starlight swallowed. "Uh, heh...former student. And you must be...Fizzlepop Berrytwist. I, uh...saw you back in Canterlot during, um...uh...you know."
Fizzlepop raised an eyebrow. "Funny. I thought the student of the princess would have been accompanying her, but I don't recall seeing you."
Starlight's mouth swished. "Oh, uh...heh-heh...yeah. Funny story about that..."
The ground shook as three of the armored yetis of the Storm King landed on the ground, surrounding Starlight Glimmer and her starry-capped-wearing friend. Trixie immediately gave a shriek of horror, while Starlight looked around in a panic through the chaos of the attacking monsters, the airships descending on Canterlot, and ponies screaming and fleeing everywhere.
Yet through the din, she managed to catch a glimpse of a rainbow blur coming to a halt and quickly depositing Princess Twilight on the ground near the rest of her friends before they bolted for the bridge out of the city.
"Twilight! Wait up!"
It didn't look like she heard her over the clamor. Gritting her own teeth, she quickly summoned her own horn's power and fired at the nearest yeti, aiming for an opening under the mask. The thing cried out in pain as it was blasted to the ground, and she quickly aimed again to blast its nearest partner. Seizing Trixie by the hoof, she quickly yanked her along as she broke into a run after Twilight. For a moment, it looked as if the two had a clean shot to meet up with her...
When suddenly another one of the yeti goons dropped in front of them, this one armed with a weapon and shield. Starlight and Trixie both ground to a halt in wide-eyed alarm.
Yet after a moment, Trixie tightened up, shoved her hat down on her head, and advanced forward. "Stand back, Starlight! The Great and Powerful Trixie has got this handled!"
That only panicked the light purple unicorn more. "No, wait, Trixie! You haven't practiced with that spell ye-"
Moments later, with some effort and strain, Trixie just managed to fire off a stun beam of her own. It shot through the air, and promptly was intercepted by the goon's shield. A moment later, it ricocheted back, and the last thing Starlight was able to see was it headed right in between her eyes before everything went black.
"Uh..."
As Starlight's eyelids slowly opened, her vision cleared to see a familiar blue unicorn looking over her and blinking.
"...Tr...Trixie?"
"Oh, Starlight! You're finally awake!" She winced immediately as she said that. "I...I mean, of course you're awake! Because...it's not like anything bad would have happened that would have kept you out for a long time, heh-heh..."
Starlight blinked a few times, then began to lean up, realizing not only was she rather stiff but apparently had been put on a makeshift mattress in an alleyway that had been hastily blockaded/disguised on one end with what looked like old barrels, crates, and garbage. She was still sporting a small scorch mark on her forehead, and she shook it and became fully alert.
"What...what happened? No wait, there's no time to explain! We need to get after Twilight!"
Trixie quickly put out a hoof to stop her. "Uh...yeah, about that... Um...the short version is everything's fine now, so don't worry." She grinned.
Starlight stared at it a moment, recognizing that look, and her face sank. "And what's the 'long version'?"
The blue unicorn swallowed a lump. "Um, well...Equestria, uh...kinda sorta got completely conquered and destroyed by the Storm King and everypony in Canterlot got put in chains to slave for him and his minions...except us because I quickly hid you in this alley. Heh, after all these years on the road Trixie has gotten rather good at finding places to crash on the fly." She smiled a bit at this in self-pride, but on seeing Starlight glaring back quickly lost it. "Anyway, Princess Twilight and the girls came back with a bunch of new friends and saved everypony, like, 16 minutes ago so we're all fine now."
"Wha...new friends? Completely conquered? How long was I out?!"
Trixie swallowed as Starlight got in her face, pressing the question. She nervously grinned again. "...Technically since the sun and moon hasn't moved since the princesses got turned into statues, um...one day...at best?"
Pause, then a more confident smile.
"But you will admit, that stun beam was pretty good for a first timer if it kept you out this long, wasn't it?"
Starlight rolled her eyes in the longest groan she had ever mustered.
Starlight's lips pursed a moment. "Um...I'll tell you about it some other time." She looked back with a smile.
Fizzlepop continued to give her an emotionless stare.
Starlight kept smiling, beginning to quiver a bit. "...So, Twilight told me, you...um...nearly destroyed Equestia! Heh... What a coincidence! I...also nearly destroyed Equestria!"
Fizzlepop's look didn't change. "...And?"
Starlight's smile really quivered now as her eyes drifted to one side. "And...that's probably not a very good thing to find common ground over, so I'm going to stand aside and stop talking now."
She slunk backward just as the CMCs finished with the last load. "That's it, Fizzlepop! We're ready ta' head ta' Ponyville Market!"
Slipping into the wagon harnesses, the girls began to pull the loads along. Fizzlepop moved in to the side of them and followed. As she did, she glanced behind her back toward the Castle of Friendship and Starlight Glimmer as she went inside, then looked back forward.
"So Princess Twilight has a touch of experience dealing with friends who used to be enemies of Equestria?"
The CMCs looked to one another. At once, they all stifled giggles and snickers. Fizzlepop picked up on this and raised an eyebrow to them.
"Uh...heh, just ah mite."
Finding a good spot at Ponyville Market was easy, especially with Apple Bloom leading the way as she had experience with selling apple goods most of the year. Once there, the CMCs went to work setting up a small vendor's tent and then arranging everything. They made sure to put most of the glassware needed outside along with all of the pipes and vats they would need to make a lot of the sodapop at once if needed, and arranged all of the bottles along with some caps for them to sell and pass out. They didn't have time to make labels for everything, but they did go about making a rather large and colorful sign with a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries on it along with great big letters reading: "FIZZLEPOP BERRYTWIST'S BERRYTWIST SODAPOP".
As they finished up, they wiped the sweat from their brows and looked it over. "Great job on picking out the site, Apple Bloom."
"Thanks. It was nothin'. Mah sister showed me how. But...about that name..."
"Relax," Scootaloo smiled with a hoof wave. "It's catchy and colorful. It just sounds cool. It'll get ponies wanting to know what it is. But I still think we should have some ready."
Sweetie Belle shook her head. "Rarity says it's a style called 'craft'. By seeing the sodapop actually being made, it'll enhance it's authentic appearance and stimulate more interest. Or...something like that at least...I think. But are we really charging two bits for each one?"
Apple Bloom smiled back. "That's just ah marketin' gimmick. The sign says two bits, so when we say we're runnin' ah special and sellin' it fer only one bit, everypony'll be all over it. Well, everythin's ready. All we're missin' is the pony who makes it all."
With that, the Crusaders stepped up closer to the vendor's tent and, in particular, the closed flap to the back. "Fizzlepop! It's time!"
A moment of silence. "Are you sure about all this?"
"Of course! It'll be great!"
A second later, and her head poked out reluctantly, almost frowning. "I'm not sure I really care to be wearing...this."
"But it'll add to your presentation! And show you've turned over a new leaf!" Sweetie Belle insisted.
"And it definitely looks better than a bunch of black armor...er, no offense." Scootaloo added.
Fizzlepop frowned and let out a sigh, but finally bit down and pushed aside the flap to walk out.
In what seemed to her to be the most embarrassing thing she had worn in a long time, she was clad in a custom made uniform that featured a white button down shirt, a red and white striped vest, a noticeable red bow tie, and, to top it all off, a paper hat with the name "Fizzlepop" done in Sweetie Belle's own calligraphy. She especially grimaced at the button on her vest highlighting the same berries that were on her sign. Her head stayed somewhat low and her green eyes on the ground as she forced her hooves forward; a part of her seeming to wish she could crawl into the dirt and disappear.
"This is ridiculous... I used to be a commander. Now look at me."
"It'll be fine," Apple Bloom reassured.
"Yeah! As soon as everypony tries your sodapop, you're sure to get your Cutie Mark!" Scootaloo chimed in.
"Now come on! Let's hear that sales pitch!"
Fizzlepop frowned. She looked one way and another, still at the ground, before clenching her teeth and barely looking outward. "Come one. Come all. Try my...sodapop," she muttered quietly, the last part nearly hissed between her teeth. Apparently she had yet to have the name "grow on her".
The CMCs looked around. Even a pony passing two inches from the stall had failed to hear that. They looked back to her uncertainly.
"Um...maybe you should be just a tad, I dunno, louder?"
Fizzlepop groaned, but took in a deep breath. Suddenly, she snapped her head up and pointed her hoof like a sword tip at the stallion who just passed. "You!"
He instantly froze in his tracks and looked back, eyes dilating in horror at who was addressing him.
"Get over here right now and try some of my sodapop!" she coldly commanded. She thought for a moment afterward, then threw in one word more. "...Please!"
The stallion snapped around and ran for the hills, babbling in terror all the way.
Fizzlepop frowned again and slumped where she stood. The Crusaders looked to one another, then back to her.
"You leave the advertising to us. You just focus on making and selling it."
"Step right up, everypony! Taste the magic right in Fizzlepop Berrytwist's Berrytwist Sodapop!" Apple Bloom cheered out in the middle of the road.
"Made with berries and spring water from right here in Ponyville! It's magically delicious!" Sweetie Belle called from her own position a short distance away.
"It's the best magic sodapop in all of Equestria!" Scootaloo added with a jovial cheer.
Sweetie Belle looked to her oddly. "I think it's the only magic sodapop in all of Equestria."
Scootaloo grinned and put a hoof to her mouth as she leaned in. "They don't know that."
Apple Bloom looked around a bit to see how it was working, but frowned at the result. Lots of ponies were noticing the three of them and paying attention to their pitches, but on looking back at the stall, Fizzlepop was merely standing there idly without a single customer. Glancing around a bit more, she finally saw one mare walking along. Quickly, she ran up to her.
"You, ma'am!"
The mare halted, looking around blinking, before looking down to her. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, you ma'am! How would you like to try a great tastin', refreshin' drink at a special of only one bit today?"
She blinked a little, then looked up with a mild smile. "Oh, that sounds nice. Where at, dear?"
She turned and gestured. "Jus' step right up to Fizzlepop Berrytwist's and get the first one today! Made fresh right in front of ya'!"
The mare looked up, and her eyes rested on who was selling it. Her smile disappeared as it looked like her heart caught in her throat. "Um...I'm...I'm sorry, dear. I can't spare the bits today. I have other shopping to do." She turned and quickly began to walk off again.
"No, wait!" Apple Bloom tried to call, but it was too late. The mare was already gone. She turned and looked over to the others.
One stallion was talking with Sweetie Belle. "Sir, do you like soda?"
"Why...yes I do, young filly."
"Do you like berries?"
"Sure do."
"What if I told you there was a drink that combined the taste of berries and the sweetness of soda rolled into an amazing new fizzy-popping drink?"
"Heh, why, I'd sure like to try it."
She gestured behind her. "Well, you can have all you like right over there at Fizzlepop Berrytwist's!"
The stallion looked up, spotted the unicorn at the stand, and immediately his look soured. His eyes visibly narrowed and his jaw set, before he turned away and kept walking.
"Sorry, young filly. On second thought, that's not for me."
Sweetie Belle, rather surprised at the turn, tried to say something, but in the end frowned and resigned herself. Apple Bloom looked uneasy at that, and turned to Scootaloo next who was addressing a trio of colts.
"Hey kids! You like cool things?"
"Yeah!"
"Sure do!"
"You like drinks that are awesome?"
"Uh-huh!"
"You bet!"
"How would you like to say you were the first colts at school to try out a drink that's got the awesomeness of cider without having to wait for apple season, but tickles your nose all the way down in explosions of berry flavor?"
"Whoo-hoo!"
"That'd be great! Where?"
Scootaloo turned around and gestured to the stand. "Just hop right over there and for the measly price of one bit, you can get your sodapop on with a fresh bottle of Berrytwi..."
She trailed off as she looked back to the colts. Two had already vanished. The third stared in abject horror for a moment, before breaking out into loud crying and running off to find his mother.
Apple Bloom winced. She looked back to Fizzlepop, who had seen the last reaction. Her scowl intensified, as she let out a groan and slumped at her stand again. Now rather uneasy herself, she quickly rushed over to Sweetie Belle. On seeing her moving toward her, Scootaloo quickly broke position and ran over as well. Soon they were gathered together in the middle of the road.
"This ain't workin'..."
"Yeah. No one even wants to try it..."
"I bet if they did they'd love it..."
Apple Bloom lit up at that. "Then ah got it! We'll give out some free samples!"
"Hey, yeah!" Scootaloo agreed. "They won't have a chance to get scared of Fizzlepop if they already like what she's selling before they even know she made it!"
"Let's go get some!"
About fifteen minutes later, the CMCs were back at it, and this time sporting trays that had small cups of sodapop samples. Each one gave out fizzing, colorful sparks; a sure eye catcher if nothing else. After giving each other a wink, they spread out once again and resumed.
It only took Apple Bloom a moment before she targeted another unicorn. She moved over to her at once.
"Hello ma'am! Would you care for ah free sample of Berrytwist Sodapop? Best new drink ta' hit Equestria?"
The mare looked over and smiled in delight at the sparkling cola. "Oh, don't mind if I do!" Her horn lit up one of the cups, brought it to her lips, and drank it down. Apple Bloom smiled wider on seeing her eyes light up and her smile widen. She actually licked her lips after she was done. "Wow...that certainly was different, but it was great! Berrytwist Sodapop, you call it? Where can I buy some?"
Apple Bloom was nearly grinning by now. "Why, right over there! As much as you like!"
She gestured to the tent. The unicorn looked out to it, seeing the tent, but especially seeing the purple unicorn leaning over on her own stand in boredom with her head propped up by one hoof.
As soon as she saw her, her face changed. The smile and happy look vanished. It was replaced by a more stern expression as she crumpled up the cup with her horn and hovered it toward the nearest wastebasket. "Thank you, but...it has sort of a...bad aftertaste. I don't think I like it after all."
Apple Bloom's look turned to hurt. "But...but ya' said it was great! Maybe ya' just need another taste...?"
The mare ignored her and kept walking. Slumping, Apple Bloom wallowed in her failure a moment, before taking in a deep breath and heading out to try and find a different pony.
Unfortunately, she had no more luck, and neither did her friends.
"What do you think?"
"Wow, this stuff is amazing!"
"It'd be great to serve at Golden Harvest's birthday party!"
"Well, then you can get all you want right over there!"
"...On second thought, I'm not sure this 'fizzy-popping' thing is safe."
"Yeah, pretty sure Golden Harvest doesn't like fireworks."
"Did you like that?"
"Yeah, yeah! Mom, can we get some to take home!"
"Heh, alright. Maybe a couple bottles. Where can I buy it?"
"That stand right over there!"
"You...you mean...from...from her?"
"Actually, I think that's a bit too much sugar for my filly. Not interested."
This went on for another 30 minutes, during which time not so much as one pony went up to buy anything from the vendor's tent. Finally, after Apple Bloom gave out her last sample without any success, she looked back to the tent. Fizzlepop was watching her, and as she watched the latest pony walk away without any other word, she rolled her eyes, sighed, and finally pushed herself off of the stand, turned around, and walked back into the vendor's tent. Apple Bloom winced. She looked to her friends, but they had given away their own samples and seen the same thing. Soon after, they rushed in to one another to talk again.
"It's no use, Apple Bloom. I couldn't get one pony to go over to buy anything."
"Me neither. They all kept having excuses..."
Scootaloo frowned. "You mean made excuses. Everypony loved it until they saw who had made it..."
The CMCs looked back to the vendor's tent. Fizzlepop was back inside by now, but even with her out of the way, they began to notice something else. The other nearest vendors were eyeing her tent uneasily and rapidly packing up their own wares, clearly meaning to either leave or relocate. Not only that, but on looking around, they noticed that ponies were actually walking the long way around so that they wouldn't have to cross in front of her tent anymore.
"Um, girls? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Yeah... They're all avoiding Fizzlepop's tent...on purpose!"
Apple Bloom looked at this a bit more, but then frowned. "Well, that ain't fair! An' ah'm tired of it!"
She looked around a bit, and finally spotted somepony. A mare with her filly looking over bags of oats across from Fizzlepop's stand. She frowned. "You!"
The mare looked up in alarm at the shout, as did several other surrounding ponies, and turned to her. "Wha...wha...me?"
"Yeah!" She began to walk up to the mare. "Ya' told me ya' liked the sodapop when ah gave ya' ah sample! Ya' said it was the best drink ya' ever tried! But when ah showed ya' who made it, ya' said ya' hated it! You were lyin', weren't ya'?"
The mare looked a bit nervous to be put on the spot, especially since other ponies were looking at her. "Well...well, no, that's not it! I...I really didn't care for it after I thought about it..."
"And ya' always say something is 'the best thing ya' ever tried' before decidin' ya' hate it a few seconds later?"
She began to grimace nervously. "Well...uh..."
"You were lyin'!" The filly turned on the rest of the ponies around her, shouting even louder. "Ya' were all lyin'! Ya' all loved that sodapop until ya' found out Fizzlepop made it! It's not that ya' didn't like the drink! Ya' didn't like Fizzlepop! Admit it!"
This portion of the market had gone quiet. The stallions and mares looked at each other tensely for a few seconds. All of them seemed uneasy about answering the accusations, but now Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had joined Apple Bloom with their stern glares and had made enough of a scene to demand an answer.
Finally, the first mare looked around, closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and opened them again. When she did, her face was far firmer.
"Alright...I admit it! I don't like her, and I don't want her in this town! Nopony does!"
The former stern glares on the CMCs' faces instantly disappeared. They looked up in alarm. "Wh...what?"
Yet the change was instantaneous. Now that it was out, the faces of other stallions and mares rapidly began to change to hostile as well.
"And why should we?" another stallion outburst angrily. "She ruined the Friendship Festival, she kidnapped the princesses and stole their magic, she put us all in chains, and she tried to destroy Equestria!"
"She made us give personal massages to all of her brutes!" Lotus Blossom cried from over at a scented oil stand she was patronizing. "Aloe's back is still hurting from them using her as a footstool!"
"She made Lyra and I work all day dragging caged ponies around!" Bon Bon shouted from another side. "And because they kept Luna from raising the moon, that means we never got any break at all!"
"My whole class went to Canterlot on a field trip to see Songbird Serenade!" Ruby Pinch huffed. "Instead we spent three days cramped in a cage with no hay or water!"
A chorus of angry mutters came over the crowd in assent. The CMCs looked to one another uneasily, having not expected this kind of reaction.
"But...but she saved Princess Twilight in the end." Apple Bloom much more meekly answered. "The princesses forgave her. She even helped fix everything..."
"You think that makes up for what she did to everypony?" A mare lashed back, causing the girls to wince.
"She fixed everything that she broke in the first place!" Another mare cried.
"She saved the princess...after putting her in danger to begin with!" Another stallion shouted.
"Look at her! Look how she glares at everypony!"
"How she talks like she's always angry!"
"How she always shoots sparks out of her broken horn whenever she's upset!"
"You think somepony like that really wants to live like the rest of Equestria? You think she's going to want to make friends with anypony? After everything she did?"
The angry murmurs only continued to build from there, as did the angry looks of the ponies around the Crusaders. The fillies were at a loss for words. They looked around them almost horrified. As bad as what Fizzlepop had done was, they couldn't believe the reactions from the rest of the townsfolk. That they were not only clinging to their dislike of her but actually defending and intensifying it. They had meant to point out the flaw in their thinking, but they were only getting angrier now and more against Fizzlepop than before. They winced and looked to one another, wondering if they had just made a disaster out of everything.
Yet before the angry murmurs could grow any louder, a single voice cut through and reduced everypony to silence.
A cold, joyless laugh.
Even hearing it was enough to make the CMCs go still, unsettling as it was. Yet what really made them go rigid was on realizing where it came from: the vendor's tent. As for the crowd, they remained silent, and the anger they had before was replaced by terror. Most of them hadn't been aware she was even still in the area, let alone could be in auditory range.
The flap opened in a snap. Fizzlepop Berrytwist, having lost her hat and tie, began to slowly and methodically walk out; the same look on her face as when she was still working for the Storm King. A thin smile was on her lips as she finished her dark chuckling.
"Sorry," she said in a cold voice that was anything but sorrowful, "I just couldn't help but be amused at how all of you seem to keep thinking my ears can't hear through tent flaps and wooden doors."
She reached her stand, and with a nimble move jumped right over it and landed on the other side. The nearest stallions and mares immediately shrank back like she would bite them. The CMCs looked at her nervously. Apple Bloom began to raise a hoof. "Uh...F...Fiz..."
The smile turned into a scowl. "Well now...this is something I remember all too well from my 'first run' as an Equestrian," she hissed slowly as she kept approaching, causing the crowd to wither and shrink more from her as she came on them. "You ponies...after all these years you're still the same. Always going on about parties and sunshine and friendship. Laughing and playing and being happy. All until the day..."
She suddenly snapped her head forward, letting her horn spark. Several ponies cried out and shrank back further.
"...somepony comes along who's different. Who doesn't fit your little shapes you made for earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. Who makes you 'uncomfortable'. Who wasn't born and raised as a happy little party-loving ball of joy. Then...it's a different story, isn't it?"
She wheeled her head to one side, letting out more sparks and causing more cries.
"Then friendship doesn't 'come so easy', does it?"
She wheeled her head to another side.
"Then you start thinking about how you're supposed to go about your happy little lives if you have to see that 'little misfit' every day, don't you?"
She craned her head to the sky and made an exaggerated moan.
"'Oh, everything was so great and so wonderful and so magical before that pony had to come to our happy little perfect town! Oh, woe is us! What in Celestia's name have we ever done to deserve having that scarred, ugly, scowling, rude ex-unicorn come into our lives?'"
Now the Crusaders were really trembling. "Fiz...Fizzlepop..." Scootaloo began to say. "Please..."
She didn't listen to them as she wheeled her head back down and glared at the group around her.
"Well guess what, my little ponies. I'm going to do you all a favor. Honestly, I don't know what got into me that made me think for one second that I wanted to be anything like the rest of you, but I wouldn't stay in your town if you got down on your knees and begged me to."
She wheeled around in a snap, turning her back on them.
"Have fun with your little games and parties."
With a single powerful leap, she lunged out of the street, for the vendor tent line, and burst into a gallop.
Everypony was petrified; too scared and nervous to even move after that. Only three fillies managed to snap out of it in just a few moments.
"Fizzlepop!"
"Wait up!"
"Don't go!"
Yet it was too late. By the time they even moved to call out, the tip of her reddish mane was already vanishing. More fearful than ever now, the three looked anxiously at one another again; wondering if there was any chance of saving this case at all now.
"Fizzlepop!"
"Fizzlepop!"
A short while later, the Crusaders found themselves vainly trying to follow the older unicorn's trail. She was far faster and stronger than them, they knew, and even if they were adult ponies they'd probably never be able to keep up with her. The fear was on all of their minds that she had packed up and left Ponyville...perhaps even Equestria at this point. It filled them with anxiety as they desperately searched, hoping to catch some sign of her. The thought of failing to help a pony was bad enough, but the truth was after hearing her tirade back in the market what they were really worried about was Fizzlepop herself. If she ran off now, then it might be forever. She might give up on friendship once again or, barring that, at least give up on ever living in Equestria again.
The girls feared the worst for some time on finding no trace, but finally they got a desperate idea. It was a longshot, but Fizzlepop had left her saddlebags back at the clubhouse. Maybe she went back to get them. Having no other choice, they headed there together.
On approach, they grew fearful again. The clubhouse door was wide open. They approached it, dreading she had already come and gone. Yet as they drew near, they came to a halt.
A short distance away, facing the woods of Sweet Apple Acres, stood a purple unicorn. She had lost her uniform and put her saddlebags back on, but she was standing there not moving.
Slowing down, for fear she'd run again, the Crusaders slowly and tentatively stepped forward after her. Luckily she didn't move at all. When they came within a short distance behind her, they halted.
She was silent momentarily.
The sound of a sigh broke the silence.
"I never should have come here. I never should have bothered asking for your help. This was a waste of time. I don't belong here and I never did."
The girls looked anxiously at her. "That's not true. You're a pony like us-"
"But I'm not like you," she cut off. "None of you ever turned your back on your homeland. None of you ever spent years wandering from one nation to another where no one cares about friendship or magic and just cares about what you can do for them or you're nothing. None of you ever became so desperate to get something back you couldn't have that you betrayed everything you ever stood for. Those ponies were right. Everything they said about me was true. I've spent most of my life doing terrible things to others--ponies or otherwise. I can't just put on a cute uniform, walk up to a market, and hope that I'll be something different." Her voice began to tense, growing in volume. "I've been alone all these years, and I deserve to stay alone. I'm not an Equestrian. I'm not even a unicorn. I'm...I'm..."
Sparks began to shoot from her horn again, as she suddenly wheeled around and glared at the girls.
"I'm a...freak."
The girls shrank back, but only a little. Their faces turned sad instead, and soon they leaned back.
"Fizzlepop...we know what you said back there wasn't true. We know you really want to live here in Equestria."
She frowned. "And just how do you know all that?"
"...Because you're crying."
She sneered, raising a hoof to her own cheek. "That's ridiculous. I've dealt with things far worse than a crowd of angry ponies. And I don't get emotional over such silly..."
She trailed off as she pulled arm back. Her jaw loosened.
Tears moistened the tip of her hoof.
For a short while, she was silent, staring back at those. Yet in the end, her face broke. At once, she was vulnerable again, and as her head bowed she slumped back to the ground and sat there.
After a moment, the CMCs moved forward again. One by one, they sat on either side of her and looked to her own sad expression. She cried no more, but her look was hopeless and defeated as she stared at the ground.
"Fizzlepop..." Apple Bloom asked after a time, "why did you ask us to help you with your Cutie Mark?"
She frowned and looked to the side. "Isn't it obvious? You said it yourself. I want to live in Equestria."
"...Is that all?"
She hesitated. Her jaws stayed tight a moment. Finally, they loosened as she sighed again.
"No. I don't want to just live in Equestria. I want to be an Equestrian. I want to be like the rest of you; always enjoying sunny days, making friends everywhere I go..." She paused. "...Even just having fun at parties. But I can't. No matter where I go, I'm always going to be 'Tempest Shadow'. I'll never be free of that. Even if I found somepony who didn't know who I was already, between my scar and my horn, they'd never accept me." She sighed. "I thought growing up things would be different...but every day is going to be just like when my friends abandoned me. Worse than that."
The CMCs were quiet a moment. "But...if that's all true...then why did we become your friends?"
Fizzlepop hesitated. She looked up slightly. "You three are my friends?"
"Of course we are." Apple Bloom added with a small, encouraging smile.
"...Even after everything I did? After you said you didn't want to help me?"
"That was before we knew you, Fizzlepop," Sweetie Belle answered. "But we know you now. We know you've changed. We know you want to find the place you fit in. And we know even if you don't always show it on the outside you want to be a good pony on the inside."
"It's just that other ponies don't understand," Scootaloo added. "They don't know you like we do. They don't know that all you want to do is help Equestria just like everypony else."
"Why don't you let other ponies know ya' feel that way? 'Stead of always goin' 'round all quiet and gruff-like?"
Fizzlepop hesitated, her eyes going a bit lower. "I...I..."
She paused, then closed her eyes.
"I guess, deep down inside, I'm scared. Scared I'll get hurt just like I did when I was younger. That if I let anypony in, they'll just let me down..." She swallowed. "...and then they'll hurt me again."
"And...bein' alone is better?"
Fizzlepop was quiet for a very long time, never opening her eyes.
"...No. No...it's not."
She felt a tap on her leg. She opened her eyes, and found Scootaloo smiling at her.
"You're one of the toughest, strongest ponies I know, Fizzlepop. I don't think a pony like you needs to be scared of something like that."
"If you really want other ponies to see you as another pony, then you have to tell them," Sweetie Belle added with another smile. "You have to let them know that you've really changed. That 'Tempest Shadow' is gone forever."
Fizzlepop still looked uneasy. "...And if they still see me the same way?"
"Then we won't," Apple Bloom reassured. "Neither will Princess Twilight or mah sister or Rarity or Rainbow Dash or the rest of the girls. You'll have us no matter what, and we'll always want you here in Equestria. But ya' gotta try." She leaned in a bit more.
"Ah don't wanna sound rude...but ah think you know already that runnin' away from what's botherin' ya' doesn't really help, does it?"
Fizzlepop looked back at the three smiling fillies for a moment. After a short time, she smiled a bit. Very faintly, as if she didn't know how to do it genuinely, she made just a tiny laugh. The CMCs lit up to hear it. To hear her genuinely laugh for the first time was a delightful sound.
"I suppose it doesn't."
The market had gradually calmed down after the earlier outburst. While some ponies were still walking around rather nervously, the climate had cooled considerably and most ponies were going back to their previous buying and selling. The tent that had been set up remained untouched, and while some ponies had gradually wandered closer most kept their distance.
The tent flap suddenly opened, and out walked the three Crusaders. Moving back out into the street, they lined up before they called out.
"Can we have everypony's attention, please?"
The crowd did slow and looked back to them, although on seeing who it was and knowing what had happened earlier most of them began to look hesitant, uneasy, or a mixture of both. Everypony seemed a little fearful about what would happen next and a few moved to take off the first chance they could. However, the girls didn't wait long.
"Ah hate to interrupt everypony again, but this is the last time, we promise," Apple Bloom announced. "Ah friend of ours wants ta' say one last thing ta' everypony before she leaves Ponyville."
Standing aside, they let the tent flap open again. Clothed again in her full outfit, although keeping her head lower this time and her look softer, out came Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Rather than leap over the stand this time, she much more mildly walked around and came out to the road.
Everypony began to look frightened or upset. Some started to back off and shield themselves. A couple on the fringes did run off, while everypony else braced themselves for the worst. The broken-horned unicorn moved out until she was in the position where the CMCs had been. She paused once there, looking behind her. The girls motioned onward, indicating for her to go. Taking in a deep breath, she turned back to the crowd.
"Listen up, everypony," she called out, "I'm only going to say this once."
She paused again, taking in another inhale as the rest of the crowd waited anxiously.
"I'm...sorry."
A good amount of the anxiety dissipated. Surprise replaced it.
"I'm sorry for outbursting at you all earlier, and I'm sorry for everything else. Raiding Canterlot, attacking Equestria, capturing the princesses and everything I did to everypony else...I'm sorry for all of it. I know that doesn't make it right. I know there are some things where an apology won't cut it. I know I did a lot of terrible things to most of you ponies here, and no amount of regret will ever undo that. I'll never be able to make up for all of the things I did."
She swallowed, her cold face gone and actually looking penitent. She turned and gestured back to her stand.
"Least of all, this...this whole...'Berrytwist Sodapop'. That's not going to make anything better either. But before I leave Ponyville, I want you all to know I was lying when I said I didn't want to be anything like you. The truth is...I wish I was more like all of you. I wish I could live out my true calling here in Equestria and use it to bring harmony to everypony. I had that chance once, and I let what happened to me destroy any faith in friendship I once had. I let my accident..." She ruefully stared at her own forehead. "...decide for me what kind of pony I was going to be. And I missed out on so much because of it.
"What I have now...this little stand and this sodapop...this is all I can give to Equestria that comes from genuine harmony." She looked behind her again, smiling at the CMCs. "From genuine friendship. I don't know if it's my purpose, but it's a way I can help Equestria and make ponies like all of you happy. It's all I can do to try and make up for everything I've done. It's all I can do to show everypony I want to be an Equestrian. And if it's not enough..."
She sighed and bowed her head.
"...I understand. I just wanted everypony to know the truth of why I'm doing this. That for the first time in years, I feel like I'm doing something that might be the 'right thing'. And I'm sorry for one last thing..." She began to turn away. "For...taking up your time."
The ponies in the market had eased by now. Their own faces had changed, and they too looked about or to the ground. They had expected a lot of things from that, especially another biting accusation of hypocrisy. Yet it was only when the scarred unicorn apologized to them that they began to truly feel remorse about some of the things they had said earlier, as well as many of their actions. The crowd was silent as they watched her slowly walk back to her stand for the last time. The three fillies gave her weak smiles as she walked, but inwardly they were clearly downcast as she had decided to leave after all. Every hoofbeat she made could be heard.
Finally, one of the mares, looking around considerably, finally forced herself to take a step forward. "Um...uh...Temp...I mean...Fizzlepop?"
She halted. After a moment, she looked back over her shoulder.
The mare continued to look around a moment before forcing herself to speak. "That...sample I tried was pretty good." She reached into her own saddlebags and fished out a bit with a weak smile. "Any...chance I could get one fresh...before you go?"
The CMCs looked up a bit hopefully at that, then back to Fizzlepop. She held for a few seconds, not clear if she would take the offer. Finally, however, she straightened up again. Without another word, she slowly got behind her stand. Once there, she went to work. She got out the proper measurement of berries, sugar, and water, let them go into the assembly for one pony, and then held her broken horn to it. A moment later, sparks shot out, making some in the crowd gasp and recoil, some nearly breaking, but they all held their ground. Soon, the fizz began to form in the drink, and it ran out and collected in one bottle.
The crowd was amazed at the sight. Silently, expressionlessly, Fizzlepop used the capper to put a top on it, and then held out a hoof to the mare. She blinked a few times before she finally remembered herself, handing over the bit. Once that was done, Fizzlepop passed over the bottle.
The mare accepted it and stood there silently a moment. She looked to Fizzlepop, then back to the sodapop. She hesitated, but then took a deep breath, reached out, and opened it. Tiny firework bursts immediately came out of the stem as the cola began to fizz inside its bottle. A few ponies gasped, a bit stunned that she would drink it clearly after seeing how it had been made. But most of them watched intently. A moment later, she held it up and, after one last hesitation, she took a sip. Soon after, she took a swallow, and then after that a long drink. Once she was done, she let out a loud exhale of refreshment, then looked back to Fizzlepop.
She smiled a bit more again.
"Thanks. It was...delicious."
Fizzlepop blinked once, slowly, but then gave a short nod.
The Crusaders looked about anxiously, wondering if that would be all. The crowd stayed silent and motionless. Fizzlepop waited, but then began to turn back for the tent flap.
"Um...could...could I get one too?"
She stopped, and her jaw actually loosened, as if she hadn't been expecting that. Looking back, she saw a nervous colt stepped forward, waving his bit in the air for her to take. She actually stared at him a moment in a touch of disbelief, not moving. However, she repeated her work. In went the berries, the sugar, and the water, off went her magic...this time only a few ponies even recoiling, and none gasping...and out came another bottle. The colt more readily gave her the bit, took the sodapop, opened it, and took a drink.
He smiled a bit more readily. "That really is good. Thanks, um...Ms. Fizzlepop."
The CMCs could hear it. There was actually a sound catching in the mare's throat when she heard her own name echoed back to her by a stranger.
"Uh...uh...I'd like one too!"
"Me too!"
"Could you maybe make me one?"
Looking stunned, almost astonished, Fizzlepop looked up to see three more ponies coming at once up to her. Her pupils had shrunk. Her mouth was hanging so much her teeth were showing. The CMCs slowly began to light up on seeing it.
"...Yes. Yes, of...of course."
She put in enough berries, sugar, and water for three this time. Once again she went through the process. This time, no one shied away from her magic. In fact, two or three ponies actually marveled to see it a third time. Three more bottles came out, and three more bits were put in front of her. They were immediately opened and drunk simultaneously.
"Thanks!"
"Thank you!"
"It was great!"
Slowly, the corners of Fizzlepop's face began to turn up.
"You're...welcome."
"I'll take one!"
"Me too!"
"Can I get in on the next batch!"
"I'd like two! I want to take one home!"
"Any way I can get a six pack?"
"Can I get this one chilled?"
Soon, the crowd was coming in on Fizzlepop. She was almost overwhelmed. She could barely even move when she saw them coming up to her, waving their bits, and even smiling at her. Like she didn't know what to say or do. Or how to even believe her eyes.
The smile on her face slowly grew, and before she knew it she was quickly making as much sodapop as she could. She loaded the machine up to maximum, and when her horn went off this time, and she saw colts and fillies actually running up to watch it as it went to work, she actually began to laugh in a mixture of disbelief and joy. Nearby, the CMCs grinned from ear to ear excitedly.
As she began to fill up one bottle after another and the space around them lit up with the tiny sparkling fizzy-pops, speechless at the sight of the ponies actually smiling at her, actually happy to see her performing her magic in front of them, she almost couldn't look away...
Until she saw a flash on the edge of her vision.
Losing her smile, she turned instinctively in confusion to her own flank. The CMCs, catching the same flash, quickly looked up and lifted themselves over the stand to look inside. They gasped at what they saw.
On Fizzlepop's flank was a picture of one of her own sodapop bottles, with berries framed behind it and sparkling fizz coming out of the top.
"Girls...do you see that?"
"I don't believe it... She just invented Berrytwist Sodapop!"
"And that's what her Cutie Mark ended up being! That's amazing!"
The girls looked up and grinned at Fizzlepop. She was still amazed at the sight herself for a moment longer, her face a mixture of astonishment, disbelief, shock, and amazement. Thoughts of her life away from Equestria as well as a "blank flank" ran through her head, only to finally see it form after all this time. But slowly, the smile returned, much larger than before. She laughed louder. It was a very strange-sounding tone, like that from a pony who had long since forgotten what her own laugh sounded like or even how to do it properly. And yet, there was a beauty to it.
A beauty that spread across her face as she turned back to the device and kept working on serving the thirsty ponies.
When the sun began to set and all of the vendor's tents packed up, Fizzlepop did the same. It took quite a bit of time to take everything down and load it up, but she had the girls helping her out. Even without them, though, she had a new life and spring in her step. She was still very much a tall, dark, and somber individual, and it would take years, if ever, for that to fully go away. Nevertheless, as she went about working today and even at the end, there were times the Crusaders looked at her and couldn't see any difference between her and the rest of the residents of Ponyville--horn or no horn.
"You really want to leave so soon?" Scootaloo asked as the last of it was put up. "You can stay in Ponyville longer, if you want." She smiled. "We'd sure love more of that Berrytwist Sodapop."
Fizzlepop smiled and snickered a bit again. She was getting better at it. "Staying in town a few days sounds a lot better now than it did a little while ago...but I'm afraid I can't. I can't keep taking all of Princess Twilight's glassware, and now..." She looked to a rather swollen sack in the back of the wagon. "I've got plenty of bits to go have my own made. With labels, this time." She smirked a bit more, shaking her head. "It's so funny. I spent most of my life as the fearsome, terrifying, intimidating Commander Tempest Shadow. Now here I am with my calling being selling magic sodapop. But...to be honest, it's all I've been able to think of since it started selling. I'm already wondering if I can make some kinds with orange instead. Or lemon and lime. Maybe even spiced cherry..."
Sweetie Belle smiled back. "I think that last one is totally you."
She smiled a bit more. "But the best thing of all is my horn has the only magic that can do it. So...I guess you could say I could be 'saddled with worse'." She actually winked on saying that. "One last thing..."
She turned back to the cart, reached in the back, and pulled out a case and set it on the CMCs' own wagon. They lit up on seeing it was filled with bottles of Berrytwist Sodapop.
"One for each of you, one for the princess, one for her friends and dragon, and even one for her favorite student. Next time I'm in town, I'll make it for them fresh."
The girls looked back up with a smile. "Thanks a bunch, Fizzlepop!"
"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you...and apologizing as well. When I heard Princess Twilight was sending me to three little fillies, I almost thought she was mocking me to be honest. I didn't know how you three could possibly help." She snickered again. "I should be getting used to being wrong about Equestria at this point. For once, this is something I don't mind having been wrong about."
Apple Bloom snickered a little herself. "Well, let's just say we don't mind bein' wrong on our own first impression too, an' leave it at that."
"Come back soon! I'm going to try all of your flavors when you do!" Scootaloo cheered.
Fizzlepop gave one last chuckle, and then finally a nod of thanks to the girls. After that, she moved back to the front of the wagon, slipped into the harness, and began to pull it along. The wheels began turning, and soon she and her load were off and headed down the road. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were left watching her as she walked along. They waited until she had gone all the way over the first hill before they turned, harnessed themselves to their own wagon, and began to head back.
"Ah guess we get ta' tell Twilight now all about it. You know, ah think it's kinda weird."
"What do you mean?"
"Twilight was the first pony to see that Fizzlepop had a good side deep down inside her, and she was the one who thought we'd be able ta' help her more than her and her friends too."
Sweetie Belle thought about that. "Hmm...you know, that's a good point."
"Ya' know...ya' think maybe most 'rough' ponies got a sweet spot inside of 'em? Ya' just gotta be the right pony ta' find it?"
"Hey, if they all end up being as tasty as hers was," Scootaloo laughed, "then I hope we keep end up being the right ponies for a long time!"
The three friends shared a laugh, and picked up into a trot down the road.