“What about the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Sweetie Belle asked aloud as Applebloom, Scootaloo, Spike, and herself all walked towards Lorraine and John’s house.
“But… Spike doesn’t have a Cutie Mark.” Scootaloo countered.
“Yeah, not like I’m gonna get some brand on my ass.” Spike shrugged. “Unless some of Garble’s friends have some scale tattoo ideas.” He chuckled.
“Don’t lay a claw on those scales.” Scootaloo snorted, paused, blushed, and finally shook her head. “Not that you… Ummm… fuck.”
“Are ya talkin’?” Applebloom asked, smirking at the pegasus.
“Shut up ‘bloom.” Scootaloo deadpanned at the earth filly.
“In other news, I honestly cannot wait to have ponies freaky collective growth spurt.” Sweetie said, changing the topic.
“What, so mares don’t assume yer a foal forever?” Applebloom asked.
“Well, duh.” Sweetie rolled her eyes as she knocked on the front door of the house.
The door opened, revealing John. “Girls.” He nodded at them. “Spike.” He nodded at the dragon. “Pizza rolls are in the oven.”
“Good, because we’ve come to take over your house.” Spike said with a nod. “And not for gaming this time.”
“Oh no.” John feigned surprise. “Lorraine, we’re being invaded by midgets!” He raced into the living room, leaving the fillies and dragon to walk in and shut the door.
Lorraine poked her head up from where she sat curled up on the two-seater, a headset hanging round her neck. “Oh, hey, you lot doing okay? I saw what Spoiled’s little brat was doing at the end of the meet and greet yesterday.”
“Fuck her.” Spike said flatly as John busied himself around the kitchen.
“Or, you know, don’t.” Scootaloo said with a snicker.
Spike gagged. “Thank you, angry chicken, for that mental image. Ugh…” He shuddered, dropping his bag as he and the girls sat around the central table.
“Ignore us, we’re just coming up with club ideas.” Applebloom waved a hoof at Lorraine.
Lorraine’s eyes lit up in excitement as she innocently asked “Can I help?”
“Eh… How?” Sweetie asked, pulling out a pad of paper. As she did, John trotted in and set a plate on the table. Said plate was piled with pizza rolls.
“Careful they’re hot.” John warned, only for Spike to grab a couple and pop them into his mouth.
“So says you.” The dragon said while chewing.
“So says the fire-breathing reptile.” Applebloom deadpanned.
“I’m good with names, or you can bounce ideas off me, that’s always fun!” Lorraine explained and quickly put her headset back on for a moment. “I’mma go offline for a bit Luna, friends over, tell Celestia I said hi!”
With that the dragon picked up a black controller and after scrolling through a few menu’s turned off the console she was previously using, placed the controller on the nearby coffee table and walked over to a small stand by the TV to place her headset on it. After checking everything was powered off, the noodle dragon wandered on over to the kitchen, came back out with a plate and put three pizza rolls on her plate and sat down near the teens.
“So, let’s see...” Sweetie chewed on the end of her pen. “For names we had Cutie Crew, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Crusaders of the Lost Mark (blame Scootaloo for that one)... Then of course, we, well Scoots and I, had to be reminded that Spike doesn’t get a Cutie Mark.”
“Unless I talk to Garble about dragon tattoos.” Spike added, eating another roll.
“Who says you have to have a cutie mark to be a part of your club, it’s your club,” Lorraine stated. “In highschool, I started a club with a couple of friends, all we did was pick codenames, I was Wolf. So, if you wanna call yourselves The Cutie Mark Crusaders or something, go for it.”
“So, code names.” Applebloom hummed. “Like… Metal Gear?”
“Metal Gear’s a thing here?” John asked, setting cups down along with a few cans of various sodas.
“Button Mash is a fan, he and I hang out sometimes.” Sweetie said with a shrug. “Needless to say, I made a terrible silent assassin.”
“Never took you for a guns blazing type.” John hummed.
“Hey, if it’s worth killing, it’s worth overkilling.” Sweetie giggled. “Huh, that might be why I like Revengeance so much.”
“I think we got off track.” Spike deadpanned.
“I don’t care, I love Metal Gear!” Lorraine replied with a smile on her face and her tail wagging madly. “I’ve played one, two, three, peace walker, four, ground zero and five…. So good!” she paused. “Granted that was on earth… whelp, I know what I’m doing tomorrow!”
John cleared his throat and took a breath. “Commander.” His voice was now gravelly. “My tummy hurts. I need you to pick me up from school.”
The girls snickered.
“John, no.” Spike face-clawed.
“Hrrrm... Colonel, I’m trying to sneak around, but I’m dummy thicc, and the clap of my ass cheeks keeps alerting the guards.” John said, somehow keeping a straight face.
Lorraine burst out laughing. “God damn it John!”
“Jooooohn! Stahp!” Sweetie planted her face into the table with a thump.
“Okay, okay fine.” John chuckled, his voice returning to normal.
“Ok so, names, what you guys think? Like, don't give a shit about who’s who, just pick something all of you can get behind.” Lorraine suggested.
“I vote Spike is Solid Snake.” Scootaloo said flatly.
“Not all the time.” Spike shrugged.
“Ha! Dick joke.” Applebloom giggled.
Lorraine blinked. “Ooooh, now I get it. Lol.”
Sweetie banged her head on the table. “How about… group names first? Just, first thing that comes into your head.”
“Sorry, ehmmm… Knights of Destiny.” Spike suggested.
“Foals of Fate… wait, tha’s too pony. Children a Fate?” Applebloom offered.
“Are you sure this isn’t a cult you’re planning? Because these sound like cult names.” John said, wandering back to the kitchen as Sweetie lifted her head, rubbed her nose and levitated a soda towards her.
“He’s got a point.” Sweetie noted, popping the top.
“So, dumb idea, but you could start a cult and I could be the thing you worship.” Lorraine said jokingly with a grin. “As for club names, what about The Paladins of Peace?”
Sweetie wrote that down. “Good idea. But… Scions of the Luck Dragon.”
“... No.” Scootaloo said flatly.
“Lorraine’s Angels.” Applebloom said with a snort.
“Fuck no.” Lorraine deadpanned and paused. “Are you taking me seriously about the cult?”
“Tartarus no!” Spike gasped. “I mean, have you seen how bad the movies are?”
“Maybe.” Sweetie said to Lorraine, then she looked at Spike. “Unfortunately. Rarity and I decided to watch the old one for a movie night… It hasn’t aged well.”
“I say fuck it, Paladins of Peace. Or, Peacekeeper Paladins.” Applebloom shrugged.
“So P. O. P. or P. P.” Scootaloo hummed. “I’m more for the first one. Second one could be construed as another dick joke.”
“True.” Spike commented.
“Idea, The Peacewalkers!” Lorraine offered helpfully and ate one of her rolls.
“Oooo! Good one!” Applebloom pointed a hoof at her.
“Dumb suggestion. S.S.P.” John said, returning to sit by the table. He popped a pizza roll in his mouth. “Short for Something Search People. Dumb, but kinda fitting?”
“Eeehhh…” Sweetie’s face screwed up in thought.
“I know, dumb.” John shrugged.
“The Peacewalkers is starting to sound better.” Scootaloo nodded.
“I’d suggest The Sunwalkers, but that would only include Celestia. Mmmmm, Lightwalkers?” Spike tapped a claw to his chin.
“You can shorten it to Peacewalkers, plus it was a metal gear reference,” Lorraine admitted. “And it sounds inclusive enough that anyone could join, so long so they’re not a dick. If I’m starting a cult, it’s gonna be done right…Though if it’s a good cult, would that make it a religion?”
“I’m for Peacewalkers.” Sweetie said. “All for it?”
“Aye.” Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Spike said in unison.
“Great. Peacewalkers it is.” Sweetie nodded and put the name at the top of the pad. “Now… What do we do?”
“Figure what you want the club to be, what kind of message you want to show to everyone or what you guys are going to do.” Lorraine said and shrugged. “I dunno, I’m winging it.”
“Well, maybe do things for fun to see if one of us finds something that makes us happy? Who knows maybe we’ll get a Cutie Mark out of it. And maybe Spike will find something he wants to do too.” Sweetie said as Scootaloo and Applebloom nodded.
“Beyond that, maybe just help out around town. Or, heck, help out stallions that are having a rough time.” Scootaloo offered. “Like a program for stallions... thing.”
“Program?” Lorraine asked.
“Yeah, like helpin’ out stallions who are having a rough time if they’re alone. Like, being pressured into joinin’ a herd or somethin'.” Applebloom said.
“So a support group, that’s a good idea,” Lorraine said. “Pinkie and I are planning a little bake sale and fundraiser for The Running of the Leaves to raise some money to buy an old shop to convert into a… thing, a community center of sorts, wanna help with that?”
“Sure/Yeah!” There was a chorus of nods.
“Cool, right now, we need to spread awareness, Alastor and I have something in the works to get word out but until then, we’re on our own, and The Princesses can only pay us so much before someone kicks up a stink about it.” Lorraine explained. “I’ve been learning how to bake. Pinkie’s been teaching me on weekends so we planned on having a bunch of smaller bake sales leading up to The Running of the Leaves. Maybe your folks could pitch in?”
“Rarity would love to help.” Sweetie nodded.
“Ah could see if Big Mac and Granny are available.” Applebloom said with a hum.
“I should be able to get a hold of my aunts, beyond that, it’s just me. Sorry.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Parents are in Zebrica filming a nature documentary.”
“I’ve seen you around town on a scooter, you could hand out flyers?” Lorraine suggested. “Honestly, we just need help advertising and maybe some variety in what we’re selling, everything else is sorted.”
“That I can do.” Scootaloo pointed at Lorraine. “I could also put up flyers on the boards around town.”
“Good idea, oh and Spike, Twilight asked me to remind you to not add gems to whatever you end up donating.” Lorraine said as she looked over the smaller dragon.
“I’d only make some gem cookies for myself and other dragons, that includes you.” Spike said with a chuckle.
“It’s Twilight, I caught her worrying about whether she could borrow books from the library even though she works there,” the noodle dragon replied. “I think she was invested in the latest Daring Doo book or something.”
“It’s Twilight, if she’s ever not worrying about something inconsequential, she’s a changeling. Sorry.” Spike said, looking at John.
“Oh no, no offense taken. I agree, in fact.” John nodded at the dragon. “Though that does remind me that I should probably work on my changelingness at some point.”
“Eh, you can do it later,” Lorraine shrugged. “I don’t mind if Twilight is a worrywort, God knows I worry over the dumbest shit too.”
“This is true. Also, hooray for procrastination. We should celebrate procrastinating later.” John said with a smile.
“Oh, you need to keep him.” Sweetie said with a smirk, pointing at John.
“Of course I’m gonna fuckin’ keep him, have you seen him? He’s awesome!” Lorraine replied.
“I have seen him. Though he’s easy to miss sometimes.” Scootaloo said. “I mean, he’s almost our height.”
“Oh, ha ha. Yes, I know I’m short.” John rolled his eyes.
“Huh. Dumb and inappropriate thought.” Sweetie Belle said aloud.
“Please don’.” Applebloom sighed.
Spike glanced at Sweetie Belle in confusion.
“What?” Lorraine asked. “What is it?”
“Is he packing? I mean, does it scale with his size or is he secretly hung?” Sweetie asked, causing the smol bug to lean away. His slightly sparkly wings buzzed in surprise.
“... Not what I was expecting but I dunno and I wouldn’t tell ya even if I did.” the noodle dragon replied nonchalantly.
“Fair enough.” Sweetie shrugged.
“Dammit Sweetie.” Applebloom groaned, rolling her eyes.
“I was expecting something different, but… I’m actually not surprised at this point.” Spike said blandly.
“So, if we even have a track to get back to at this point, what are we on?” Scootaloo asked.
“Well, we kinda got some stuff started, and covered, and we’re gonna be helping Lorraine.” Sweetie said looking at her pad. “I dunno.” She shrugged.
“Lorraine, what were you playing with Luna before we got here?” Spike asked.
“Nothing actually, we were just talking. I was reading Teen Titans fan-fiction.” Lorraine replied.
“Lemme guess, more Gabriel x reader, fix-it fan fiction?” Spike raised a brow.
“Yes.” John answered for her.
“Ah’m so lost.” Applebloom blinked.
“We now need a comic reading day.” Sweetie said, patting Applebloom on the shoulder.
“Heck if ya have any, Ah wouldn’t mind spendin’ the day readin’ with ya.” Applebloom shrugged.
“That sounds nice.” Sweetie smiled at her.
“I’ve got a collection of them that are appropriate for you guys, just don’t damage them,” Lorraine offered happily. “Also, lemme know if any of you want to get into writing fan-fiction or something…”
“I’m putting that down.” Sweetie said, writing on the pad. “A writing day also sounds like fun.”
“Sweetie likes plans almost as much as Twilight does.” Spike said with a nod.
“I like to have things organized, so sue me.” Sweetie rolled her eyes.
“Nothing wrong with a good plan,” Lorraine said and wolfed down the remainder of her pizza rolls. “I’ll dig out my comics and manga collection, Spike, explain the genres to the girls for me would ya? I’ve got superhero, murder mystery, shounen, shojou and a couple of enchanted comics.”
The noodle dragon left her plate on the table and plodded off towards her room. John immediately took the plate into the kitchen and started rinsing it off.
“Absolutely.” Spike cleared his throat. “So, girls. Actually Applebloom, we have the basics like fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, adventure, romance…”