//------------------------------//
// 10 - Cutie Mark Crusaders 
// Story: Slice of Velvet and Pear 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

The cenera was going smoothly. Foals and grown ponies were talking and laughing.

Two blank ponies huddled under a table. A third, however, did not. Apple Bloom was standing next to Spike. "Ya just wanted ta be friends all that time?!" she exclaimed in clear surprise, half-laughing. "And here ah was makin' a big deal ah nothin'!"

"I've been there," he assured in solidarity. "I called off Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon from poking fun at you like that."

"You're why she let up?!" Apple Bloom slapped her head with a hoof. "Yer just fulla surprises. That explains so much. It don't fix the bigger problem though."

"Huh?"

She turned, displaying her rump. "Still blank. Ah ain't got a clue what ah should be, and just 'bout everypony else already done figured it out! Even if Diamond Tiara isn't makin' fun of me, ah still feel awful."

"You too?" came a small voice. Two figures emerged from the table next to them, revealing Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo had a nervous smile. "When I came here, I thought I'd be all alone, but then I ran into her." She pointed at Sweetie. "Another blank flank!"

"Now three," sang Sweetie, nodding at Apple Bloom. "We don't have to be alone."

"That sounds kinda nice," agreed Apple Bloom. "We can find our cutie marks, together."

"Together!" chimed Scootaloo, pumping a hoof.

Spike inclined his head. "I don't have one either."

"That's why we weren't scared," explained Sweetie. "Even if dragons don't get them, I don't think... You still won't make fun of us for not having one."

"Nah," he assured with a single wave away of the idea. "Gonna make a club?"

"That's a great idea!" Apple Bloom clopped her heads together. "We need a name! Oh! Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

Though it had taken a detour, the stream of life would not be entirely diverted.

"Spike!" Diamond Tiara was approaching with a bit of a frown. "There you are! Come on!" She threw an arm around his neck and hauled him back towards the rest of the party, ignoring the blank flanks in favor of getting him where she wanted him to be.





"Darling." Rarity walked into the library, not looking towards the librarian, but instead at her guest, Moon. "I hear you have an extra ticket to the soirée of the year. I simply must go!"

Moon inclined her head. "My ticket is already in use, for me. Princess Celestia demands my presence." Not that she sounded upset to go. "The extra ticket is Spike's."

"Oh." Her dreams, dashed. Still, nothing saying she couldn't... "So he wasn't ordered. Is he looking forward to it?"

"He had expressed no such feeling."

Twilight suddenly thrust a hoof between the two. "Hold on there!"

Rarity cocked a brow. "Yes, dear?"

"He offered it to me first!" she blurted, a little pink in the cheeks.

"But you did not accept it," noted Moon, inclining her head. "Did you wish to change your mind?"

"That sounds like it's up to him who he wants to give it to." Rarity tossed her mane, fluffing it up gently. "I'll speak to our little dragon." She turned to go, trotting with purpose.

Twilight was left, her hoof out in the air towards Rarity's retreating form until she was out of sight. "Blast it."





"Hey, did'ya hear." Applejack was reared up, her forehooves on a fence, leaning over it. Her mother was on the other side. "Spike has an extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Galla! Just imagine if we sold treats there!"

Pear Butter hiked a brow at her daughter. "Hon, ah love ya, but..."

Applejack wilted. "Is it not a good idea?"

"They're fully catered," reminded Pear Butter, shaking her head. "And full of fancy ponies 'sides that. They won't be wantin' no home cooked apple treats there."

"But fancy ponies have fancy bits, by which ah mean lots of 'em." She pumped a hoof at the imagined amount of bits they'd have.

"Well, sure, but ya gotta have what they want and how they want it." She tapped her chin softly. "Now if ya could get in on the caterin', then Celestia would pay us big. We wouldn't have to sell to the ponies, there, the food would just be there, waitin' for 'em, already paid."

Applejack's eyes grew wide. She would never have thought of that! "Yer a genius! The party's far enough away, maybe if ah offer our services, we could get Apple food on those tables."

"Now yer talkin'." Pear Butter nodded proudly. "Ah'll keep an eye on the farm. You do some negotiatin'."

They met, hooves clashing with a loud clop of solidarity. It sure was nice having enough ponies to make such a trip not leave the farm too many ponies down. Spike would have one less pony aiming to get his ticket.





"That's only the biggest party ever," squealed Pinkie Pie, bouncing up and down with unrestrained joy at the idea. "I've dreamed of going since forever!" She paused to tap her chin. "Well, since I heard about it, which is almost forever?"

"I discovered his weakness," reported Rarity with a confident smile. "He has a love of superhero comic books, and somepony may or may not have gotten quite the collection... waiting for him." A little bribery never hurt nopony!

Rainbow clopped her hooves together. "Readin's for nerds! Spike's an active dragon. I'll show him what's up and he'll be so impressed, that ticket will be mine." She thrust her hoof at her own chest, grinning.

Fluttershy mussed her mane. "I'd really... like to see all those animals... but none of us are going to get it." All the other mares looked to her. "He's, um, at a party right now. We can't just interrupt."

That line of logic got to Pinkie easily. "Oh gosh, you're right! We'll have to wait until it's done."

The mares shared a nod of solidarity. Rainbow buffed her chest with a hoof. "You know, it will be me going to the Grand Galloping Galla."

"What was that?" Carrot Top leaned her head over. "Somepony has a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala?!" The secret was becoming less of a secret by the moment.





"Was your schooling successful?" Moon's magic wrapped around Spike, lifting him. "I do not understand what I did not provide as your instructor. Was I an unsatisfactory teacher?"

"What? No." Spike gently patted along the side of her neck in a slow stroke. "You're  my big sister and super awesome teacher."

"If I am so awesome--" One of her ears turned towards him as she walked ahead. "--why do you need another?"

Spike let out an unsure hum of a noise. "Well, just because a book is good, the greatest even, doesn't mean you won't, um... ever read another book."

Things went quiet a moment, the two moving along, Spike mounted on Moon's back as they headed into the thick of town, where others waited for them. "There he is!" came a cry. Several pointing hooves were thrust at him as others rushed over without taking the time to bother.

"I'll save you!" Rainbow arrived in a streak, reaching to snatch Spike off of Moon's back.

She vanished, taking him with her in a short hop several feet to the left. "What's going on?" She demanded, her brows falling into a worried expression. "Spike, did you anger them?"

"I didn't mean to!" He clung to her mane as a familiar face came closer. "Oh, hey Rarity. Any idea why--"

"Hello, darling," she greeted, pushing over his question. "They're just worked up over that little ticket of yours." She batted her lashes. "I just came to trade for it, like a grown pony. I have a great big box of the original run of the Power Ponies with your name written alllll over it." She leaned in, lashes fluttering.

"Nothin' doin'!" Rainbow darted over with a scowl. "She may have comic books, but I have adventure! I'll show you things you hardly even thought of."

"That sounds dangerous," decided Moon for Spike, vanishing only to appear another few feet away. She wasn't trained enough in teleportation to do much further away easily. "This is becoming overwhelming." More ponies were closing, quickly, and her breath hastened with it. She was learning to make friends, dealing with crowds of agitated ponies went right past her point of comfort, or even tolerance. "Spike, please make them stop."

Spike stood up on his shaking platform of a mount. "Please, everypony, just--"

He didn't get to finish, suddenly grabbed and tossed into the air, bouncing up and down on a fabric as ponies propelled him upwards with grand cheers. He spotted Pinkie singing a cheerful song about how she'd go to the gala and he would help and they'd be best friends forever, but his attention was mostly on Moondancer, who looked like she was about to cry.

"Stop it!" He thumped against the fabric, sent into the air. "Stop!" He was coming back down and aligned himself so his claws hit first. Instead of bouncing, he dug into it on impact, scrambling free and on to Moon Dancer.

Moon's eyes went wide and she gasped, vanishing in the same breath, leaving the crowd behind as she spirited herself and Spike away.

Twilight looked up from her reading as a bright flash caught her attention. "Moon Dancer, Spike? Are you two alright?" She approached her friends cautiously, both smoldering with the singed bits that came from a teleport extended too far for a unicorn's practice level. "Don't move."

Spike did move, sliding off Moondancer only to hug her left front leg. "It's alright."

Moon took a slow shuddering breath, glancing around. Only two creatures present, Spike, and Twilight. Both friends, both known quantities. Both people she could trust. She let herself sag, which turned into a collapse, crashing to her belly with a wheeze of a whinny. "I was so scared," she admitted in a small voice.

Twilight brought over a rag, glowing with her magic as she got to cleaning off her friends of the ashy residue. "You could have hurt yourselves. What happened that made you do such a dangerous thing? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you got away from whatever scared you so badly."

Moon snatched Spike with the same leg he had been hugging a moment before. "The ponies, all of them. They came for us, angry... They wanted Spike's ticket, I think. They were attacking him, and I couldn't help. I felt so..."

"They weren't attacking me," cut in Spike. "But it all happened so fast, and it really shook up Moon Dancer."

"I thought you were going to die!" she half-shrieked before she squeezed her eyes shut, tears dripping free. "I'm so glad you're alright."

Spike shut up, instead hugging her firmly.

Twilight inclined her head to the left and right, trying to piece together what had happened. She turned, leaving the rag in Spike's hand as she trotted to the window. Her magic grabbed the 'open' sign and flipped it to 'closed'. "No other ponies are allowed in today. Go ahead and relax. Nopony will ask about any tickets." Even herself, she quietly added, the idea of pushing for it after that display just crushed under the mental image of Moon Dancer's tears. 

Though maybe she should have accepted it. If she had been holding the ticket, they wouldn't have gone after Spike, and hurt Moon Dancer. Twilight rubbed one leg with the other hoof, beating herself up a little. "I'm going to see Applejack. I'll lock the door behind me. You two alright for now?"

"We'll be alright," promised Spike with a smile. "I'll have some dinner ready, for both of you."

"You are a delight." She smooched the top of his head. "But I'll be alright." A little smirk touched her lips. "I doubt the Apples will even let me go home without food. It's a good habit. Take care of Moon..." She felt a pang of guilt, leaving a child to watch over their caretaker. "I'll be back."

She emerged from the library to see groups of ponies wandering around, unusually active. "Twilight!" Rainbow darted in at her. "Did you see Spike?"

Twilight frowned at her friend. "He's consoling Moon Dancer, who you drove to tears."

"Wha? I did not!" She threw her fore hooves wide. "I wasn't even talking to her."

"No, you were attacking her little brother, and she got really scared," chastised Twilight, speaking in fully angry matron mode. "So Spike isn't interested in talking to anypony right now, and neither is she. And if you are listening at all, you'll leave them both alone right now!"

As Twilight trotted away with a huff, Rainbow was left to rub behind her head. "Huh..." That did not go according to her plans... "Sorry." Not that Twilight, or Spike, or Moon was there to say it to. She went over to the door of the library and clopped it once. "Hey, Spike? Sorry about that." She didn't wait for an answer, flying off with a rainbow streak.





"We messed up." Rainbow hovered in the air, her hooves dangling.

Fluttershy shook her head, a sad expression worn. "I didn't even get my chance." But she had planned to, and she knew it, and the guilt was shared. "Poor Moon Dancer."

Rarity filed at one of her hooves idly. "I didn't think I had been that scary. I just asked little Spikey Wikey a simple question."

Pinkie threw her hooves up. "Yeah, but you were part of a big crowd and Moon was all 'ahhhhh!' and then she vanished." She sank miserably. "We were all part of the problem."

Fluttershy perked up. "I'm going to talk to her." The others looked at her. "Not about the ticket... I know what she felt, and I feel completely awful..." She wouldn't want that kind of social anxiety thrown on her. "I just want to make sure she's alright." She started off towards the library.

Pinkie watched her go before bouncing up to her hooves. "I'm gonna make a big apology cake for both of them!" she cried with a smile, pronking away, confident in her method of putting things to right.

Rarity huffed softly, though it turned into a sigh about midway. "I will say sorry. I really didn't mean to startle the poor mare." She turned to the other ponies within earshot. "That goes for the rest of you. I know we all wanted something quite badly, but that doesn't excuse our uncouth behavior. Poor thing's new in town and we've shoved our hooves right into our mouths."





Spike tilted his head faintly. Had  he heard something? There it was again, a little scratching maybe? He approached the door and cracked it open a little. A yellow pegasus was there, looking uncertain. "Um... hi?"

"Hello, Spike," greeted Fluttershy. "Is Moon Dancer up for a visitor? I was hoping... to talk to her."

Spike glanced left and right. "Um..." He looked over his shoulder at something inside, then back at Fluttershy. "What about?"

"Not about any tickets," she started, ears sagging. "I want... to tell her she's not alone."

Spike let the door open a little. "Alone?"

"Oh, yes... I know how she felt." She placed a hoof on her chest. "I've been... there... and it's not fun, not even a little. Not... even a little."

Spike backed out of the way and Fluttershy slipped in, kicking the door gently shut behind her. "Thank you. I... am sorry."

"You weren't even there," he noted with confusion.

"I was waiting for you," she admitted. "But then everything went wrong, and now I feel just awful. My ticket isn't that important..." She reached out and put a hoof on his shoulder. "You should just keep the ticket, and have fun with it."

Spike smiled faintly, but was already turning away. "Moon," he called out. "Fluttershy is here."

Peeking out from under her blanket, Moon reached for her glasses. "Fluttershy? Did I forget a club meeting?"

Fluttershy gently nuzzled the door open. "No, I'm here for you, not any books," she assured.

Moon shrank back a little, though her glasses were back in place. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Heavens, no," Flutter assured. "I'm the one that did something wrong, and you got hurt."

"You were involved?"

Spike chuckled, not alone in not even realizing Fluttershy had been involved.

Fluttershy shot him a look that got him to quiet up. "I was involved, and I am so sorry. As your friend, it was wrong of me. As someone else that... has that kind of anxiety, it was... thoughtless and just... I was just mean." She shook her head more firmly. "And I am here to say that, and to say sorry. I will not do that again."

Moondancer's blanket fell around her in a ring of crumpled cloth. "I am confused," she admitted. "But thank you."

"It can feel like everything is closing in." Fluttershy approached as she thought back. "Like there are eyes on you from every angle, judging... And what do you do? You don't know, do you? You just want them... want them to stop, to go away."

"Yes," admitted Moon with a little shiver. "You've experienced that? I thought that was something only I felt?" She tilted her head to the left. "Though, thinking back, this is entirely logical. I'm off my game..."

"Don't beat yourself up." Fluttershy sat down near Moon, not touching. "I was 'off my game' too, imagining all those exotic animals in one place, waiting to meet me." She smiled a little, thinking of it. "While it would be nice, hurting another, well, shy pony like that... not worth it."

Moon quirked a little smile, pushing up her glasses with a hoof. "Thank you. I hadn't realized you were... like me." She turned that hoof on herself. "I'm normally alright, until too many ponies are being loud and want my attention. I just... thought they wanted to hurt me, or Spike, and I locked up. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't understand what they were saying, it was like a... big roar, echoing in my head, and I couldn't understand it, any of it. I just wanted to get away."

"Oh. My... I can imagine that." Fluttershy softly nodded, her specific social anxiety slightly different, but close enough to be a brother or sister. "In the future, you are always welcome to come to me, if you're feeling overwhelmed."

Moon snorted softly. "Even if I hide under your bed?"

"Especially then," assured Fluttershy. "I will not let any other pony close until you feel better."

"What is yours like?" Moon reached to set a hoof on Fluttershy's side. "If you want to share."

"Oh, well... mine..." She rubbed her cheek with a hoof, thinking on it. "I feel like I'm being judged. The more ponies are watching, the... worse it feels, like all their eyes are boring right through me, judging everything I do, and they don't like it, and they think I'm doing it really badly, and they're all gonna laugh at me and make fun of me and--"

She didn't get to finish, being hugged instead. Fluttershy was breathing hard, working herself into a panic, but Moon had embraced her, and the two calmed down, together. "I'm... sorry, got a little carried away."

"You don't have to apologize." Moon drew back a little. "We're both a little broken... but at least we're broken in the same kinda way. It's nice."

"It is nice," agreed Fluttershy with a little smile. "I won't laugh at you if you don't laugh at me."

"A promise is made." Moon offered a hoof, and they met with a soft clop. "Spike?" A distant shout was heard. "Please make some dinner for Fluttershy too, she's joining us."

"You feel better?" His head poked right into the room. "That's great! I'm on the case!" And off he went at a scamper, glad things were improving.





"She's gone?" Twilight leaned against the door frame, looking at Pear Butter.

Pear shook her head. "I'm real sorry, sugarcube, but she done galloped off t'Canterlot."

"Canterlot?!" Twilight recoiled with shock. "I thought she hated it there!"

"And she still does." Pear nodded softly. "But she went to talk business, fer the farm. She's gonna ask the princess if we can't help cater fer 'em. I'm a might bit proud of her. Now, she ain't here, but ah am. What's on yer mind?"

Twilight considered the mother of her best friend. She knew Pear Butter quite well, and... "Well, I almost messed up, but a pony got hurt anyway, and it's still kinda my fault."

"That sounds like a big helping of trouble on a weak pony's back. Rewind a little and play that back for me nice and slow." She waved Twilight in, closing the door behind her. "What happened?"

"Moon Dancer and Spike got tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala," Twilight started.

"I heard 'bout that. Talked Applejack out of trying to get a ticket."

Twilight smirked at that. "Thank you for doing that. Word got out that Spike had a ticket and he and Moon Dancer were ambushed by ponies trying to ask for it."

Pear whistled softly. "Sounds a bit hectic, but how'd a pony get hurt in that? Did one of 'em try to nab it? Right un-neighborly of 'em."

"No! No, thank Celestia." Twilight hopped up onto a chair and sat on it. "They scared Moon Dancer badly. She's not... good with crowds, and there was this crowd, being very loud, and very demanding. She panicked, and if I had just taken the ticket, when Spike first offered it, we could have avoided this whole thing." She drove a hoof down with a loud clop. "I caused this."

"Now that ain't how this works." She gently wrapped an arm around Twilight, rearing up to stand beside her as she did it. "You didn't make all those other ponies misbehave, and we can't change the past." She took a slow breath herself. "You know I'd want to, if I could... but we have to live with what we got, and try to make the future better."

Twilight shrank, though Pear didn't let her get away. "I'm being thoughtless again. If any pony knows about wanting to change something that happened..."

"That jus' makes me a great pony to talk to about this, ah reckon." She touched her nose into Twilight's cheek. "Now stop beatin' yourself up like that. Ah doubt Moon'd want to see that. Ah know Spike don't want that. They both love you, as friends. Ya didn't mean fer that to happen, and it wasn't even your choice that did it. Ponies aughta feel bad for themselves."

"You are too kind." Twilight returned the gesture, nose to Pear's cheek, nuzzling into the warm fur. "The Apples are lucky to have you."

"Your mom'd get jealous if she heard you say that," taunted Pear Butter with a wicked smile. "Now come on. Granny done made some of her cobbler and ah dare say it's one of her best!"

Twilight brightened at the idea. "That sounds lovely. Is she around to thank?"

"She's an older pony, she's already done gone to sleep, bless her bones." Pear fell back to all fours. "But that don't stop me from passing on your good words. So turn yourself to the table and prepare to be treated like the honorary little filly you are."

Twilight giggled at that. She was a grown pony, not a filly. Still, once in a while, it didn't hurt to surrender to the attentions of someone who cared about her. "Thank you. After this, I should hurry back, make sure Spike and Moon are alright."

"They're tougher than they look." She got a plate ready, balanced on her back as she approached. "Ah bet they've worked through it all by now. They're wonderin' where ya done went off to. Pity on 'em, they missed out on a treat." With a tilt, the plate slid into position in front of Twilight.