//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Choosing Fate // by Livi-Love //------------------------------// Applebloom didn’t move, contemplating her next course of action. Show Applejack? Diamond Tiara? Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo? They’d have to see it sooner or later. How long had her cutie mark been there for? It certainly wasn’t on her flank during the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ sleepover the previous night. The Super Awesome Official Cutie Mark Crusaders Sleepover. The event consisted of s’mores, containing blackened-in-places marshmallows, and scary ghost stories until Sweetie Belle stammered that they should do something else. She definitely didn’t own a cutie mark then. The others would have pointed it out. It must have appeared recently... but when? Why? She didn’t do anything that morning other than talk to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, go to Ponyville and chat with Twist. There didn’t seem to be anything she accomplished that warranted a cutie mark. Unless... “Ooooooooh!” Applebloom jumped and whipped around, her mane and tail straightening out for a moment. She let out an involuntary ‘gah!’ as she landed. Her mane flattened around her head and neck once more while her tail curled, the tension leaving it as her body relaxed. It was only Pinkie Pie, her face a mere inch from the filly’s own. Applebloom stepped back and forced herself to smile. “Oh, it’s you, Pinkie Pie.” She wondered Pinkie Pie managed to sneak up on her. The pony stood out against Ponyville’s modest backdrop. A light pink coat. A rose-magenta mane that looked like one of Twilight Sparkle’s attempts at making a bird’s nest. She didn’t hide behind Applebloom and impersonate a statue; she bounced and twitched and blinked her cyan eyes, acting as if she thought Applebloom knew of her presence the entire time. Even now she didn’t keep still, pushing her face forward and grinning. “Of course it’s me! Who else could I be, silly?” She hopped in a circle around Applebloom, who eyed her cautiously. “I mean, I could pretend to be Rarity. Wanna hear?” She cleared her throat and said, “Oh, Applebloom, fancy meeting you here. Isn’t the weather simply diviiiiiine? Raaaainbow Dash has done a fiiiiiine job of clearing the sky today.” Applebloom blinked a few times. Pinkie Pie, unfazed, continued bouncing. “I was on my way to see Twilight when I saw you and thought, ‘hey, that’s Applebloom!’ So I decided to stop and say hello because I like stopping and saying hello to my friends, though that means it always takes ages to get to places because I have so many friends to stop and say hello to. Anyways, then I saw you looking glum and that made me frown, but then I saw your cutie mark and thought,” her eyes bulged out of her face a few times before returning to normal, “that’s so cool, but you’re still sad so it must have been something totally horrible that made you sad when you should be partying.” Applebloom sighed and averted her gaze. “Yeah, you see-” “Are you going to have your cute-ceañera soon? Ooh, it’s going to be a blast! Rarity can make you a really pretty dress and Fluttershy can ask the birdies to sing you a song and I can prepare the food and decorations and Rainbow Dash can do some tricks and-” She stopped, catching sight of Applebloom’s face. Applebloom realised the ends of her mouth had drooped and grinned once more, but it was too late. Pinkie Pie lowered her head and looked Applebloom in the eye. Seeing Pinkie Pie so serious was like watching Rarity roll around in mud. “Hey, there really is something wrong, huh?” she asked quietly. Applebloom opened her mouth, and surprisingly loudly, she moaned, “Oh, Pinkie Pie, ah don’t know if ah want a cutie mark anymore.” She bowed her head. A brief silence followed. “Uh, hello?” Pinkie Pie rapped her gently on the head with her hoof. “Remember that club you started? The Cutie Mark Crusaders? And remember that you spend nearly every waking moment looking for your cutie mark? You’re such a silly filly. How could you forget?” Applebloom gritted her teeth. She liked Pinkie Pie, she really did. She didn’t like it when ponies treated her like a moron, and Pinkie Pie wasn’t the only one guilty of this. Big ponies always treated smaller ones like they couldn’t distinguish fiction from reality, at least in Applebloom’s experience. Did it really look like she was in the mood for ponies pointing out the obvious when more pressing questions were roaming around her head? “Ah didn’t forget.” “Then why are you so sad?” Pinke Pie twisted her neck and looked at Applebloom with her head upside down. “Because what am ah goin’ to do now? Ah have ma cutie mark so ah don’t have to look for ma special somethin’ no more.” A lump formed in Applebloom’s throat but she held whatever tears she had in. “Ah... Ah can’t be a Cutie Mark Crusader now! Ah can’t be friends with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.” Pinkie Pie moved her body so it was in line with her head. She hit the ground with a thud but stood up and acted like nothing happened. In a more serious tone, the she said, “Applebloom, everypony is different. It’d be really lame and boring and so, so dull if we were all the same. One of you were going to get her cutie mark first, and it happened to be you. You weren’t all going to get the same cutie mark in the same thing at the same time.” “But ah didn’t want to be first!” “Well, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s right there. Now, you can choose to be really happy about it.” Pinkie Pie beamed. “Or you can choose to be grumpy about it.” She frowned heavily. This expression vanished nearly instantly, consumed by curiosity. “What’s is it for, anyway?” “Ah’m not sure.” Pinkie Pie’s head twitched before a light bulb appeared over it. “It looks like a knife! Ooh, maybe you are good at cooking after all!” “I wouldn’t be surprised if you got a cutie mark of a knife for being a backstabber!” Applebloom’s stomach dropped and a stutter slipped into her next sentence.“... Ah... Ah did make s’mores last night but...” “I love s’mores! Shall we go make some now? We can serve them at your cute-ceañera.” “Pinkie Pie?” Applebloom gulped. She couldn’t take her eyes off her cutie mark. “Can we... not tell anyone about ma cutie mark yet? Ah want to tell everypony when ah’m ready an’ ah don’t think ah’m ready yet.” “Okie dokie lokie!” promised Pinkie Pie. “My mouth is ziiiiiped.” She mimed zipping her mouth closed. “Thanks, Pinkie Pie. Ah’ll see you later.” “Mm, hm!” went Pinkie Pie, waving as Applebloom scurried off. She mimed trying to unzip her mouth and widened her eyes. “Muh moh.” *** “This ain’t no cutie mark for cookin’,” said Applebloom. She rounded the corner of a costume shore, stopping to study her flank. The grey squiggle looked awfully like something metal and the red thing a part of it. A handle of some sort. “It’s a...” The words didn’t want to escape her mouth but she forced them out regardless. “... cutie mark for backstabbin’.” There were so many things she wanted her cutie mark to be. None of them were remotely similar to the cutie mark she had on her flank. Diamond Tiara was right again. Right about Twist and now right about this. What next, would she be right about leaving behind the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Applebloom shook her head in an attempt to get rid of these thoughts by smashing them into pieces. Something must have went wrong. She was not a backstabber. She was not a bad friend. There had to be a way to fix things. But who would know about cutie marks? And where would she be able to find out about them? First, though, she needed to hide her cutie mark. Applebloom didn’t fancy showing it to all of Ponyville. Living in such a close-knit community meant it would only be a matter of time before somepony told Applejack or one of her friends. What could she use? Her Cutie Mark Crusaders cape? No, that was back at Sweet Apple Acres. Involved a trip across town. Besides, she didn't want to show anyone else her cutie mark, especially her family. Not yet, anyway. Surely there were other options. The Carousel Boutique? There would easily be some material she could use to disguise her cutie mark with, and she wouldn’t have to trek all the way home. Applebloom hadn’t noticed how draining the morning had been until then. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. She felt like she hardly slept the previous night. Rarity would be sure to lend her something, what with her being a nice pony in general and Applebloom being best friends with her sister. The problem lay there. Sweetie Belle, when she wasn’t with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, often ‘helped’ out. Applebloom didn’t want to risk bumping into her. She grimaced, shaking her tail so a few coins fell out. Counting them, she used her mouth to toss them onto her back. Fairly confident she could afford something decent, Applebloom entered the nearby costume store. Fake eyes greeted Applebloom as the door made a bell tinkle. Dotted around the compact store were mannequins that regarded her coolly, some from behind masks and others from beneath sagging hats. Applebloom didn’t keep eye contact with any of them for more than a second or two, passing the racks of colourful ensembles that weren’t elegant enough for the Carousel Boutique. DJ Pon3’s latest record shook the room and Applebloom’s hooves bobbed with the rhythm. She almost hopped across the carmine carpet and the tyrian purple walls pulsed in sync. Distracted by the spots of light that danced around the room, Applebloom bumped into something. She bowed her head, wincing, before raising her chin and saying, “Ah’m sorry...” She stopped. The orange pony in front of her, who Applebloom could swear had not been there when she entered, cocked an eyebrow. That was enough to steal the words out of Applebloom’s mouth. The other features just made it worse. The scraggly blond mane. The white freckles. The too familiar hat. Applebloom absorbed the information and backed away. “Hey, hey!” Applejack spun in a circle, smothered with smoke. Applebloom coughed, shutting her eyes tightly as it knocked on her eyelids. Her intention to escape vanished and she shielded her face by directing it away. “You can open your eyes now.” Applebloom obeyed. Applejack was nowhere in sight. Instead, a moss green unicorn wearing black sunglasses with tinted jade lenses stood before her. She smiled in what was most likely supposed to be a kind manner but it came across as creepy to Applebloom. Applebloom didn’t respond, staring at her. What was the matter with her today? First Pinkie Pie had popped out of nowhere, then Applejack and now this. “Hey, that wasn’t meant to scare you,” the unicorn said in a rough voice. She held out a hoof. Applebloom copied the gesture and the unicorn bumped her hoof against hers. Applebloom breathed out. “The name’s Show Screen; I work here. Well, that was totally obvious. Some ponies call me Jokey but not as often as I’d like.” She laughed. It was surprisingly high pitched. “I saw you heading here and thought I’d surprise you! Applebloom, isn’t it?” “What? Oh, yeah. That’s ma name.” “You sounded like you forgot it for a moment. Sometimes, I get carried away with dressing up as other ponies but I can’t say that I’ve ever forgotten my name! Well, maybe once or twice, but only for a second.” She trotted to the wooden counter at the back of the store, staring. Applebloom remained where she was, wondering whether she should stay or go. Show Screen’s smile dimmed, making her look a lot friendlier. “You’re not still a sour apple about my prank earlier, are you? I promise I won’t do it again. Come on, if you stay there won’t be trouble.” “Ah suppose if ah go there would be double,” said Applebloom, sighing. Show Screen’s grin returned to her face as Applebloom walked over. She bucked, tossing the coins onto the counter. The filly could have sworn she saw Show Screen’s eyes sparkle from behind her sunglasses. “What can ah get with these?” “Ooh.” Show Screen rested her chin on the counter, sticking out her tongue. Then, like a cat spying on a mouse, she swiped the coins. She held them up and listened to them jingle, biting her lower lip. “Quite a few things. Anything in particular?” “Somethin’ that would cover ma body... like a cloak or a cape or somethin.’” “A cloak or a cape or somethin’, huh? I have loads of cloaks or capes or somethin’s. What about this?” suggested Show Screen, pointing at a nearby rack. Her horn glowed scarlet and a rosewood red cape drifted to them. It lay to rest on the counter and Applebloom studied it, lifting up a corner with her hoof. She could feel Show Screen’s eyes on her. “It’s so your colour,” said Show Screen. “But if you want something else, that’s cool. The customer knows best, after all.” Her eyelids fluttered. “It’s fine, really!” Applebloom draped it over her body. Show Screen continued staring at her. Applebloom forced herself to smile, her eyebrows slanting into an upside down V shape. “Thanks.” She twisted her body around, cape fluttering. “Keep the change!” Show Screen watched her hurry out and moaned contentedly, resting her face on her hooves. Then she rolled over, her back on the counter. Her front legs stretched out above her and she arched her back. “I love my job.” The door opened and Show Screen jumped to attention, eager to welcome the potential customer. “How can I help...?” A moss green pony with a scarlet mane smirked. Show Screen blinked, her mouth flailing. She shook her head. “... me?” She took off her sunglasses and wiped them. “Whoa, I knew I shouldn’t have gone to Berry’s place last night. That was some party.” “Oh, Show Screen, don’t tell me you’ve lost your touch?” In a flash of white light, Show Screen’s doppelganger was replaced by Princess Celestia. The white alicorn stood over her, a smile present on her lips. Her hair blew in a non-existent wind, its multitude of colours shimmying, and her mere presence stole the life from the outfits surrounding her. Show Screen flushed, whacking her head against the carpet as she bent her knees. “Your- your royal highness! Why, I didn’t know you were coming... I might have cleaned up the place... or at least prepared a surprise for your arrival! What brings you to Ponyville?” Celestia opened her mouth. “Oh, right! Your assistant, Twilight Sparkle! Can’t you find her? Isn’t she in that library of hers, reading books? She was always reading books at school. She’d even read them under the table at lunch! My favourite study buddy of all time.” “She wouldn’t be the Twilight we know and cherish if she didn’t, but no. I have come here for you specifically.” Show Screen failed to not look smug. “When it comes to costumes and disguises, not many ponies rival your talent. Nightmare Night was never dull with you in charge of the festivities when you lived in Canterlot.” “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” said Show Screen, drawing her cornflower blue cape to one side to reveal her cutie mark. A white masquerade mask. "Canterlot was fun and all, but this town is far less uptight." She inclined her head to one side, eyes narrowed. “But I don’t think you’ve come to pay compliments!” Celestia nodded once. “I was meditating when I felt a... disturbance.” “Like what happened with Nightmare Moon?” queried Show Screen. “And Discord?” Celestia didn’t answer at first. “It's too early to say. I have spoken to my sister about it and she told me she felt it too. I'm rarely wrong about these things as is she. Show Screen, you know all the ponies in this town, correct?” “I pride myself on it,” said Show Screen, her smugness on the brink of returning. Her face fell when she caught sight of Celestia’s expression. “I have a costume for each pony. Pinkie Pie always alerts me when a new pony arrives. I wouldn’t be half as good at my job if wasn't for her. I've been here for a few weeks and I can already recite nearly everypony's name. Want me to do it now?” “No, that won't be necessary," Celestia told her. "I need you to be on the lookout. Whatever this feeling is, I do not wish for it to get out of hand. You, as a master of disguises, should be able to spot any impostors.” Show Screen saluted. “I’ll close my store for the day and get right to work. For royal duties! For the sake of ponykind! Are you going to tell Twilight? Because if you’re busy, I totally can.” “... Not yet,” said Celestia. “I would like to find this entity with as little publicity as possible. I have more than enough power to deal with it- the only obstacle I face is locating the source. It might not even be anything worth worrying about. My presence may be enough to deter whatever it is." "Right you are, Princess. You're really, really strong." "Also,” Celestia hesitated, ”as much as Twilight means well, she isn’t exactly the most... well, she’s not the best at keeping secrets and she can get worried quite easily. Her and her friends have done so much already.” Show Screen snorted. “Good point. Twilight is like the smartest pony I know... I mean, behind you, of course, but come on. I remember when somepony begged her to not tell he cheated on his assignment and soon the whole school found out about it. Who would confide something they want to keep secret in Twilight?” *** “Twilight!” Applebloom stormed into the library, hoofsteps loud and uneven on the wooden floor. She skidded to a stop, a bright yellow speck amongst the dull bookcases that swamped the library. “Can ah confide somethin’ in you?” A book soared past and nearly crashed into her head. Applebloom ducked at the right time and watched it whizz to the other side of the room where Twilight was standing behind a desk. The mulberry unicorn blinked a few times, ignoring the book now in front of her. “Applebloom, you look exhausted!” she said, rounding her desk as she approached. “Are you okay?” Spike, at the top of a ladder leaning against a bookcase, remarked, “Maybe it’s from all that running she did earlier? Remember, when she almost knocked you over and stuff?” “Spike,” scolded Twilight. Her expression softened at Applebloom’s anxious one. “Of course you can confide in me. What’s troubling you?” It was time to see whether being the youngest in her family would come in handy. She breathed in the scent of ink and paper. “You’re really smart,” started Applebloom. Twilight blushed. “Well, I like to think I am.” “Yeah. You’re one of the smartest ponies ah know. Like when we first met Zecora, you an’ ah were the only ones that thought she wasn’t all that bad.” Twilight’s eyes flickered and she laughed. “Yeah... that’s right.” “You must have met an awful lot of different ponies, what with bein’ the Princess’ student an’ all. An’ all those ponies must have different cutie marks,” said Applebloom. “Ah have some questions about them an’ thought, no, knew you’d be able to answer them.” Twilight grinned. “Well, I’ll see what I can answer. Ask away.” Applebloom took a deep breath. “Are there such thin’s as bad cutie marks?” The silence that settled between the pair did nothing to reassure Applebloom, and she half-expected Twilight to rip off her cape to reveal her cutie mark. She could see the events that would unfold. Spike dropping books, barricading her. Twilight writing to Princess Celestia, requesting she send her to where all bad ponies went. Scootaloo sometimes joked that bad ponies were sent to the moon, but it didn’t sound so funny now. Twilight’s eye twitched as she looked down at Applebloom, who considered bolting out of the library before she could be found out. Spike watched the pair, as confused as Applebloom. “What did you say?” Twilight finally said. Applebloom blushed. “Ah asked if it’s possible to get bad cutie marks.” “How... Why would you want to know that?” said Twilight, sounding suspicious. Applebloom’s legs wobbled. She knew it wasn’t a particularly innocent question from her perspective, but Twilight hadn’t sussed her out yet... right? Sternly, Twilight continued, “I hope you’re not thinking about trying to get one.” “So it is possible!” “Cutie marks reflect what somepony is,” explained Twilight, beginning to pace. “Take mine for example.” She halted so Applebloom could get a good view of it. “I am studious and from a young age, was intent on learning new spells. My cutie mark shows this; my special talent is magic. But look at this... the main star has five white stars around it. Each one symbolises one of my friends. I had always assumed it to be a random number but it isn’t.” “Uh... no offence, Twilight, but what does this have to do with bad cutie marks?” “Cutie marks show what kind of pony you are, even if you don’t totally understand what it means when you first get it. You aren’t a bad pony so you’re not going to get a cutie mark for something bad.” “But what if you did get a cutie mark for bein’ bad? Does that mean you’re goin’ to be a bad pony?” Twilight was flustered. “Applebloom, why do you-?” “Please, Twilight.” She sighed. “I don’t think there is such a thing as a completely bad pony. They may have some characteristics they shouldn’t be proud of, but...” “But if they had one, would they be bad for the rest of their life?” “Theoretically... yes.” “An’ there’s no way to change it?” “You can’t change your cutie mark. Your cutie mark is predetermined when you’re born.” She narrowed her eyes at Applebloom. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” “Uh, nope!” Applebloom began to back away. “Ah was... Ah was just curious, that’s all! Ah’m gonna go an’, uh,” desperation made something in her brain whirl, “tell Scootaloo that we ain’t gonna get cutie marks for bad thin’s. See, we were bein’ superheroes an’ Scootaloo wanted us to try an’ be villains. That’s why ah’m wearin’ this cape.” Twilight narrowed her eyes. Applebloom started to sweat. “Oh, that’s what’s worrying you.” Twilight giggled, rolling her eyes. “Why didn’t you just say so? No, you’re not going to get cutie marks for getting into mischief.” “Ah thought so... just makin’ sure. Ah’ll be sure to tell Scootaloo,” said Applebloom. “Applejack nags me enough, you know? Ah don’t want her havin’ any more reasons to. Thanks, Twilight! I better hurry before Scootaloo does somethin’ bad!” “It was no problem. Be caref-” Applebloom closed the door behind her and exhaled loudly. Biting her lower lip, she looked at the bit of cape covering her cutie mark. Twilight confirmed her worries- she was destined for bad things. Her hoof crept towards it. Maybe it disappeared. Perhaps she imagined it. And so had Pinkie Pie. Show Screen paid it no comments, and none of the other residents of Ponyville stopped to talk about it with her. She could feel the smoothness of the velvet material on her hoof. It would only take a moment. Then she could check whether she had just been- “Applebloom!” The cape fell a short distance, returning to her flank. Applebloom looked up and caught sight of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.