//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: CMC Party-Planners // Story: End of the Crusades // by TimeBomb0 //------------------------------// “Sweetie?” “Mmmm...” “I think she’s comin’ to.” “Ugh... huh?” Sweetie’s heavy eyes slowly lifted open to two colorful, blurry shapes. As her eyes focused, the shapes took form of her fellow companions standing beneath the night sky. The high walls of the stage loomed overhead, while something soft laid beneath her. Sweetie rubbed her eyes and shook her head, allowing her vision to be completely restored to normal. “Apple Bloom? Scootaloo?” “Good t’ see yer finally awake,” said Apple Bloom with a smile. “Awake?” Sweetie attempted to sit up and, failing that, reached a hoof into the air. “How long was I out?” “Too long. We thought you’d never wake up.” Scootaloo came to Sweetie’s aid and helped pull her onto her backside. “Ya feel okay?” asked Apple Bloom. “I guess so,” said Sweetie while she rubbed the back of her head. “But wow, I just had a really crazy dream.” To this, Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “A dream?” “Yeah, it was weird. I was singing at the contest, and I was really good at it. By the time I got done singing, everypony was cheering like crazy, and then I got my cutie mark out of nowhere!” Sweetie cracked a smile. “I mean, I might be able to do good at the contest, but a cutie mark in singing? How silly is that?” Her silly subconscious drove Sweetie to giggle, but her laughter and smile trailed off as she looked at her friend’s faces. Rather than joining in on her snickering, they stared at her in the same way they normally did whenever she said something strange. “What?” asked Sweetie. “You don’t think I’m really weird for dreaming that, do you? I mean, I don’t feel as worried about singing as I was when I came here. I could probably do pretty good if I really tried.” “Sweetie,” spoke up Apple Bloom, “that wasn’t a dream.” Now it was Sweetie’s turn to stare at her friends. “Huh?” “Yeah, that all happened just a little while ago.” Scootaloo nodded. “But that can’t be right,” said Sweetie. She looked down at her body. “If I really found my special talent, then my cutie mark would be right... ah!” Just like in her dream, Sweetie’s eyes shot open as they fell upon the very thing she believed to be just a dream. Thanks to a light coming from one of the stage’s spotlights, she could see every part of it. A bell. A curved, purple bell complemented her white coat at the flank and shone in the spotlight. An eighth note with a slightly different purple tint rang from the bell, the round part of the note still in front while the note rose up and away. “Ohmigosh, it’s really there!” shouted Sweetie as she remembered to breathe. “I can’t believe it! I finally have my cutie mark!” “Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down!” Scootaloo grabbed Sweetie by the shoulders. “We don’t want you to pass out again.” “But I finally have my...” Sweetie’s ecstatic grin turned into a confused look. “Wait, pass out?” “Yeah.” Apple Bloom stepped forward. “Ya don’t remember? You were just lookin’ at yer cutie mark when ya first got it for awhile an’ then ya just fell over. We thought somethin’ was wrong with ya, but that lady with the headset checked ya over and said it just happens t’ some ponies on the stage.” “You were out for the rest of the show,” added Scootaloo while she set her hooves back on the ground. “We looked after you the whole time. I can’t even remember a thing about any of the contestants that went on after you.” Scootaloo paused with a snicker. “Except for Snips and Snails. Nobody told them it was a singing contest and not a talent show. They tried to do a magic act!” At this point, Scootaloo’s snicker developed into a full chuckle. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes while Scootaloo continued to laugh for a few more seconds. While her friend had laughed, Sweetie had thought about her “So I really fainted? Aw man, I’m turning into my sister!” Sweetie was only able to mope for a moment before she saw and felt a yellow hoof push up on her chin. Her face soon met with Apple Bloom’s smile. “Hey, cheer up. I betcha lots o’ ponies have done worse than faintin’ when they found their cutie mark. “Yeah, but it would have been nice if you didn’t pass out,” said Scootaloo. “You should’ve seen the look on Diamond Tiara’s face when you were declared the winner. I hope Featherweight got a good picture of that for the Foal Free Press!” “Wait, I won, too?” asked Sweetie. “Sure did.” Apple Bloom turned to her side, showing her saddlebags. A large cloth bag stuck out of the opening, almost too big to fit. “I got it from the mayor an’ held onto it for ya.” Sweetie stared in awe at her winnings. “Wow, fifty bits...” she muttered. “I’ve never had that much money before.” Scootaloo looked from Sweetie to the bad of money, then back to Sweetie. “Yeah, just imagine how many crusades that money could fund-ow!” A quick shot to the shoulder put an end to Scootaloo’s comment. While she rubbed the sore spot, Apple Bloom put her hoof back down and stepped forward. “What she meant t’ say is it’s yer money an’ you can do whatever ya want with it.” “Keep it.” Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo adopted the “Sweetie is talking strange again” look. Scootaloo added a double-take and the words, “Wait, what?” “We came here to make money so we could go on more crusades, right?” said Sweetie. “I think Apple Bloom should hold onto it. She knows what crusades we’ll be going on.” “But ya won th’ money all by yourself. You’re th’ one who should say what we would do with it.” said Apple Bloom. Sweetie shook her head. “But I still would’ve been way too scared to even come to the contest if you two weren’t there to help me. We all earned it together, so it should be put to something we all like to do.” Apple Bloom opened her mouth to speak, but paused instead. “I guess that makes sense.” “Wow, thanks a bunch!” Scootaloo beamed. “I don’t know how we can ever repay you.” “You already did,” said Sweetie, wiggling her sides. “You helped me find my cutie mark. I don’t think I could repay you two with all the money in the world!” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ya don’t have t’ worry about that. That’s what bein’ a Cutie Mark Crusader’s all about.” “Y-yeah...” Sweetie looked down toward her flanks again. Apple Bloom’s words lingered in her mind. She thought back to everything that had happened in the last week: The nonstop lessons, the encouraging words, the nightmares of humiliation, the surprise at her own singing, and the excitement of finally gaining her own cutie mark. “Wow, I really do have my cutie mark now,” she said, lifting up her head and smiling brightly. “I can’t wait to show my family! Oh wow, I wonder what Rarity will say?” ********************** “Ugh, it’s hideous!” Rarity could only scowl at the offending sight before her. It was the first thing she had said to break the silence, but it was something she needed to get off her chest. “In all of my years of fashion designing, I have never seen anything this deplorable in my life!” she continued to speak. “You should be ashamed of yourself for even bringing this into the boutique.” Rarity sighed and shook her head. It was hard to be honest sometimes, she had to admit. She had to wonder how Applejack could do this with such ease. Once her moment of silence passed, she found her voice and spoke again. “Quite frankly, I’m glad nopony else saw you on the way back home. I mean, pink sequins on gray? What were you thinking, Rarity?” The offending dress hovered before Rarity, the sequins matching the color of the magical aura surrounding it. Rarity stared at it until her face contorted in disgust. She tossed the dress away, unwilling to look at it any longer. Taking a moment to collect herself, she sighed and turned around. The sight there turned her frown into a little smile. “Well, at least these all turned out rather nicely,” she said, though no one else was in the room to hear her. She couldn’t quite believe it: an entire line of dresses all designed, stitched, and completed by her own hooves within a weekend, laid out on a set of mannequins. “I do believe a little extra celebration is in order for tonight,” she thought. “Maybe I could give myself a congratulatory bubble bath, and a nice hooficure while I’m at it. Oh, I’m already enjoying the sound of that. I could also indulge a few more of those lovely chocolates from Cocoacabana, although the devils will no doubt go straight to my flanks. Oh, I could even…” A deep yawn brought Rarity’s brainstorming to a halt. As the yawn ended, she noticed her eyelids were especially heavy at the moment. She couldn’t deny that her effort to preserve quality and efficiency at the same time had taken its toll on her. She looked at the clock and noticed exactly how many hours – and days – had gone by since she began work on her order. “Or maybe I could turn in for the night and leave the celebrations until tomorrow,” she concluded. With a tired sigh, she made her way out of her “Flashy Fashions Finished Fast” room and into her bedroom. In her haste to get her order finished, she had neglected to keep the room as orderly as she had preferred. Materials, tools, and dresses littered the floor, nightstand, and bed, visible even in the lonely light of a single lamp. Opalescence quietly slept in the corner, using one of Rarity’s own designs as her bedding. Were she not so tired, Rarity might have marched right up to her cat and yanked her off the dress, but she had more important priorities to attend to. It wasn’t a dress she liked all that much, anyway. Instead, she slouched up to her unmade bed and threw herself on top of it, far too exhausted to worry about her normal bedtime routine. She magically pulled the red, velvety covers up to her neck and nestled herself deeper into the bed. Even if she wanted to stop them, Rarity’s eyelids fell shut right away. She could already feel her mind losing itself to the pleasant numbness of sleep, her thoughts focused on the chocolates and how she could work the calories away while she worked on other dresses. “RARITY, RARITY!” Rarity’s eyes snapped open, the sweet visions of the chocolates vanishing in an instant. She let out a quiet groan as a set of hooves thundered towards her general direction, reminding her of who else had been staying in her home for the last week. Her beauty sleep would have to wait, if only for a few more minutes. “What is it, Swee-oof!” Rarity felt a weight drop hard onto her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. For a brief moment, the thought of putting her younger sister on a diet flashed in her mind. Upon recovering from the shock, she craned her head to find the offending weight. A pair of giddy green eyes and a smile so wide it threatened to fly right off Sweetie’s mouth met her gaze. “I did it! I finally did it!” shouted Sweetie, her voice so high it almost cracked. “It was so cool! I never thought it would happen, but it really did, and it’s really real! This is the best day of my whole life! I can’t wait to show this to mom and dad and Miss Cheerilee and all my other friends at school and even Silver Spoon and Diamumdeermramrb—“ Sweetie’s excited speech became muffled as Rarity grabbed her face from the sides with both hooves, forcing her lips into an odd shape. Taking the hint, she stopped talking. “Sweetie, please!” pleaded Rarity. “One thought at a time. Now what in the world did you do?” “I guh my cyoody muhr!” “Eh, pardon?” Rarity let go of her sister’s face, fixing the temporary speech impediment. The filly’s ecstatic grin returned in a flash. She spun around on the spot and jammed the side of her flank in her sister’s face. “I got my cutie mark!” she squealed. “C-cutie mark?” Rarity leaned back into her pillow and crossed her eyes to get a good look. “Just how in the…” Her words trailed off, leaving Rarity’s mouth to hang in mid-air in awe. Sweetie was not kidding; her cutie mark shined clear as day in the lamp’s light. “It’s really real, too!” said Sweetie. “It’s there on both sides and it came out all on its own!” Rarity shook her head to clear her mind and asked, “But how did you get it?” “It’s for singing! I had to sing for that contest so my friends and I could go on more crusades, and I was really nervous, but once I started, I just felt this really warm feeling in me, and then the crowd went crazy when I finished, and I never felt so excited in my life!” Rarity blinked. “Sweetie, slow down. What contest? What crowd?” “Oh, right.” Sweetie’s bouncing slowed to a stop. “Sorry, I forgot how busy you can get on a deadline.” “Busy doesn’t even begin to describe it,” muttered Rarity. And so, Rarity sat with her body half covered in the blanket as Sweetie explained to her the crusade’s plans for the past week and the events at the contest. Rarity gasped when Sweetie reached the part about her fainting, but the younger sister quickly added a “but I’m okay now!” to the end. “Yeah, it’s so cool, isn’t it?” Sweetie inched her face closer to her sister’s head. “Cool?” Rarity’s brow furrowed. “No, it’s not ‘cool.’” “N-not cool?” Sweetie’s grin faded as she looked at her sister with worry. “No, it’s absolutely, positively, undeniably gorgeous!” “R-really!?” Sweetie’s smile returned as quickly as Rarity’s did, all traces of worry vanishing in an instant. “Why of course, Sweetie,” came Rarity’s reply. “Your cutie mark fits you perfectly. I can’t think of a better design or special talent for you, and I bet mom and dad will say the same exact thing when they come home tomorrow. Why, I could already imagine a good dress to go with your new mark.” Sweetie tried to speak, but with her joy reaching unprecedented levels, she could only muster another excited squeal. “Speaking of dresses, I do believe we need to start getting plans together for your very own Cuteceñera. That means we’ll need to get in touch with—” “Did somepony say Cuteceñera!?” Quick as a flash, a blur of pink popped up between the sisters, bringing a cascade of confetti in her wake. Her sudden appearance caused Sweetie Belle to leap a foot back and Rarity to nearly jump through the canopy of her bed. “P-Pinkie Pie!?” yelled Rarity. “How did you—” Unfortunately for Rarity, Pinkie’s head moved in front of Rarity’s. Sweetie’s attention could now only be directed towards the energetic mare. “First off, allow me to officially congratulate you on discovering your special talent and earning your cutie mark, Sweetie Belle!” said Pinkie. “Uh, thanks?” said Sweetie with an unsure look. “Don’t mention it!” replied Pinkie without missing a beat. “Anyways, I know how much you’ve been wanting your very own cutie mark for a long time, and I also know how not-fun it is to have to wait a really long time to get something, but now that you have one, it means you can celebrate and be super-happy about it, and what better way to celebrate a new cutie mark than with a good old-fashioned super-special Cuteceñera party all for you?” “A Cuteceñera?” Sweetie shook her head. “I don’t know if I want something that big.” “Of course you do, Sweetie! Everypony, and I mean everypony, has a Cuteceñera when they get their cutie mark. It’s a very important part of their life because it means they found what makes them special, and that’s always worth celebrating!” Sweetie looked away for a moment, then returned her gaze to the bright, pink face in front of her. “But since it’s a party for me, can I help with the plans, too?” “Of course you can!” Pinkie rubbed Sweetie’s head. “It’s your special day, after all! Just tell your Auntie Pinkie Pie exactly how you want your party and let her take care of the rest!” She retraced her hoof from Sweetie’s head and offered it to the filly. “So whaddaya say, Sweetie?” Sweetie looked at the hoof in front of her. A few moments passed with Sweetie lost in thought. As she came back out of her thoughts, a smile returned to her face. She pressed her hoof up against Pinkie’s. “Okay, I’ll do it.” “I knew you’d come around!” said Pinkie Pie as she eagerly shook Sweetie’s hoof. “Now all we have to do is figure out what day we can have your party! I just need to check my party list real quick.” Pinkie promptly let go of Sweetie’s hoof, leaving Sweetie to shake up and down for a couple seconds before coming to a stop. She reached behind her back and pulled out a piece of parchment. She let one end of the parchment fall to the ground and roll to the door. “Let’s see here,” said Pinkie, “I have Gummy’s birthday party tomorrow, then the “Pinkie’s birthday party and Gummy’s after-birthday party” combo on the next day, then the party for Pumpkin Cake’s last tooth coming in…” “Pumpkin Cake?” Rarity perked up. “Um, Pinkie Pie…” “And then there’s my ‘Thank goodness it’s only two days ‘til Friday’ party,” continued Pinkie, “then my ‘Congratulations on getting your mail‘ party, my ‘Thank goodness it really is Friday’ party, then I’ll be out of town for a few days for another baking contest, then there’s the party for the end of the baking contest…” Pinkie tossed her list off to the floor and turned her attention back to Sweetie. “So it looks like the soonest we can have your Cuteceñera is about a week from now or so. Will that be okay? I mean, it is quite a while after everypony will see your cutie mark, but nopony can turn down a good party. I know I can’t!” “Pinkie Pie?” said Rarity in a concerned voice. “That’s okay with me.” Sweetie smiled. “Great!” Pinkie beamed at the guarantee of another party. “I’ll make sure to check up on you every now and then so we can make your Cuteceñera the very best it can be!” “PINKIE PIE!” Sweetie jerked away in surprise, but Pinkie turned around with a smile. “Yes, Rarity?” “Aren’t you supposed to be babysitting the Cake Twins this weekend?” said Rarity in a strained tone. “Yup!” replied Pinkie without a single flinch. “Don’t worry about it. I already tucked ‘em in for the night.” “But aren’t you worried that you left them by themselves?” said Rarity. “I got that covered, too. Gummy’s a trained guard gator. Nopony gets past him when he’s on the job!” “That’s not exactly reassuring,” Rarity mumbled under her breath. Pinkie stopped and rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Although now that I think of it, I have the strangest feeling that I’ve forgotten something… ah!” In an instant, Pinkie’s smile dropped away. She clasped her hooves on her head in horror. “Ohmigosh! I forgot to give Pound Cake his blankie out of the dryer! He’ll cry all night if he wakes up without it!” What followed next was a series of actions that neither Rarity nor Sweetie Belle could fully comprehend. A pink blur flew all about them, gesticulating wildly while picking up everything it brought with her. In one breath, Pinkie shouted “Okaywe’llstartplanningthepartyinadayortwocongratulationsonyourcutiemarkSweetiedon’tcallme I’llcallyougottagobye!” before darting out the door, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. Opalescence bolted up in fright as the pink blur blew past her, then shook her head and promptly went back to bed. “Well, now,” said Rarity after a few seconds of silence. “I suppose that’s one thing taken care of.” “I guess so,” replied Sweetie, looking at the open door. An instant later, she turned around to face Rarity with another grin. “Oh wow, I’m gonna have a Cuteceñera! I can’t wait to tell mom and dad when they get hom-mph!” Rarity sprang into action before Sweetie could continue any further and stuffer her hoof in her sister’s mouth. Feeling her fatigue coming back, Rarity leaned toward Sweetie and looked her in the eye. “Yes, Sweetie, I’m quite sure you’re very happy and have a lot of plans for your new cutie mark, but I don’t think it would hurt if we waited until the morning to discuss them, okay?” Unable to reply, Sweetie nodded as much as she could with a hoof in her mouth. Rarity gave a tired smile as she retracted her leg. “Blech!” Sweetie grimaced. “Even your hoof is gross.” Rarity gasped in shock. “It is not!” she replied with a glare, then quickly brought her hoof up to her face. She grimaced a little as she hid her leg under the covers. “Well in any case, I think it’s for the best that we head to bed now. You have school in the morning, after all.” Sweetie opened her mouth to argue, but sighed instead. “Okay,” she said in a deflated tone. Her head drooped as she turned to hop off Rarity’s bed. “Oh, and Sweetie Belle…” “Yes?” Sweetie’s head turned right back to where it was a moment before. Her sister’s eyelids drooped, but she had somehow found the energy to form another smile. “I really am proud of you, you know that?” said Rarity. “And I know mom and dad will be, too.” A warm feeling not unlike the one she had felt on the stage flared up inside Sweetie. The warmth travelled into her limbs, making them wrap tight around her sister’s neck. “Thanks, sis!” Sweetie hugged her sister with all her might. Rarity wrapped her hooves around her sibling and returned the gesture. “You’re welcome.” The sisters embraced for only seconds, but the love they exchanged in that short time could have lasted them a lifetime. Finally, Rarity was the first to break the hug. “Alright, off to bed with you now,” Rarity said as she retracted her hooves. “Okay. Goodnight, Rarity!” Sweetie hopped off the bed with a bright face and made her way to her room. She carried a small spring in her step as she walked out of Rarity’s sight. Rarity let out a sigh. Falling back onto the bed, Rarity turned over and closed her eyes again. Finally, she could get the beauty sleep she so desired, she thought. At least, she did until a grumble from her stomach informed her of another need she had to take care of. She opened her eyes and frowned, but the frown soon became a smile as she thought of a solution to her problem. “On second thought, maybe chocolates before bed aren’t such a bad idea after all.” ********************** A poke to the shoulder stirred Apple Bloom to lift her head from the desk with a groan. Her first sight was of Ms. Cheerilee writing the lessons for today on a chalkboard. Sunlight poured in through the windows, giving the classroom a bright atmosphere. Pausing for a quick yawn, Apple Bloom turned towards Scootaloo, who – thanks to Cheerilee’s latest seating chart – now sat next to her. Hints of redness were present in Apple Bloom’s eyes, with a line traced underneath each one. “What’s wrong?” asked Scootaloo. “Have a rough night of sleep or something?” Apple Bloom rubbed some of the sand out of her eyes. “Yeah, kinda-sorta. I was up most of the night workin’ on stuff.” “Stuff? Like what?” “Plans for crusades, of course.” Apple Bloom reached into her saddlebags next to her desk and pulled out an unruly stack of papers. She handed them over to Scootaloo, who then started to thumb through them. The papers were little more than rough crayon doodles of ideas, some littered with half sentences and question marks. “And I thought you said you were running out of ideas for crusades,” commented Scootaloo while she tried to make sense of the plans. “I really was,” said Apple Bloom, “but once I got home after the contest, I just started gettin’ all these new ideas. If Applejack hadn’ta come in an’ taken my crayons away, I probably woulda been up all night drawin’ plans.” “At least we have some ideas on what to do with all that prize money now.” Scootaloo grinned. “I can’t believe I never thought about ‘Cutie Mark Crusader Trapeze Artists’ before. That sounds right up my alley.” Apple Bloom smiled, but then changed to a confused look as she glanced past Scootaloo. “Hey, speakin’ of prize money, where’s Sweetie Belle?” “Huh?” Scootaloo looked over to where her friend normally sat. Sure enough, while their other schoolmates had taken their seats around them, Sweetie’s desk remained bare and empty. “She’s gonna be late fer class if she don’t get here soon. I wonder what’s holdin’ her up?” Apple Bloom’s response was met with a shrug from Scootaloo. “I dunno, maybe she overslept. I know I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I got my cutie mark right before bed.” “Sweetie Belle got her cutie mark?” A filly who sat behind Scootaloo spoke up loud enough for the entire class to hear. The idle chatter of the other ponies died down, and both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom could feel several eyes upon them. “Uhhh…” was all that Apple Bloom could force out. “It’s true!” called out Snips from a couple rows away. “Snails and I were at the contest when it happened!” “Uh, was that supposed to be a surprise?” asked Scootaloo with a sheepish look. Apple Bloom lightly shook her head. “If it was, then I guess the cat’s outta the bag now.” “Did she really get it? That’s so cool!” said one filly. “Yeah, how’d she do it?” Another pony leaned in. “Was it at that singing contest?” “What does it look like?” “What’d she do when she got it?” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at each other with worried looks as the barrage of questions continued. A silent conversation took place between them. Neither of them were exactly sure of how much information they should divulge and how much they should let Sweetie explain for herself. They both knew they just wanted the questions to stop. “All right, all right, settle down everyone!” Luckily for them, Cheerilee’s words soon calmed down the horde of schoolponies. The entire class turned their attention towards their teacher as she stood front and center. “I’m sure Sweetie Belle will be eager to share her cutie mark with everyone when she comes, but we have a busy day of class, so let’s get started right away.” A chorus of disappointed sighs rang through the classroom, but Cheerilee’s face remained upbeat. “Now don’t worry, I’m sure a few reading exercises will get us in the learning spirit. Now if you would get out a piece of paper and write down the sentences on the board…” While most of the class obeyed the teacher and dug for their supplies, Diamond Tiara slouched on her desk with her head resting on her hooves. She huffed aloud, not bothering to listen to her teacher. “Who cares about her cutie mark?” she said while staring into the ground with a grim face. “It’s probably something ugly and dumb, anyway.” “Cutie marks are overrated,” replied Silver Spoon from behind her. Her laryngitis was wearing off, though her voice remained fairly raspy. Diamond Tiara spun around to face her friend. “Tell me about it. Mark my words, no one’s gonna care about her mark or that stupid contest by the end of the day.” Silver Spoon nodded, but did not have time to say anything more. The door in the front of the school building flew open and smacked into the wall, grabbing the attention of everypony inside. Sweetie Belle stood in the doorway, gasping to catch her breath. Her limbs ached from running nonstop from the boutique, and what little time she put into combing her mane was already coming undone. “Sorry… I’m late!” said Sweetie between breaths. “My… sister and I overslept. We both had a… long night, and I forgot… to set my alarm. Please don’t be too mad.” Once she had gotten enough air in her lungs, Sweetie lifted her head. The entire class, students and teacher alike, stared at her with wide eyes. Their focused gaze reminded Sweetie of the previous night. She shifted nervously on her legs. “Uh, you’re not all really mad at me, are you?” she asked. The next thing Sweetie knew, she was back outside, surrounded by her classmates. Some offered her congratulations while others asked a seemingly never-ending series of questions. She caught a flash of the camera in the corner of her eye, no doubt from Featherweight, she assumed. She could also spot her friends on the outside of the circle trying to force themselves to the center. Despite the chorus of loud voices directed towards her, Sweetie became lost in her mind. Her classmates were cheering at her… no, cheering for her. She could feel the tingly warmth from last night growing within her once more. “All right, that’s enough, everyone!” yelled Cheerilee from the door. The mob of schoolponies stopped dead in their tracks. Cheerilee maneuvered her way to the crowd and added, “We don’t need to badger Sweetie like this. Let’s all get back inside so she can have a chance to tell us all about her new cutie mark.” Without another word, the class trotted back into the school, leaving Cheerilee and the Crusaders by themselves. Apple Bloom, Sweetie, and Scootaloo all glanced at each other, then turned to make their way inside. “Oh, I almost forgot!” The trio stopped in their tracks and turned around. Cheerilee lowered her stare down to Sweetie and gave her a smile. “Say Sweetie, I forgot to mention this last night, but I just wanted to let you know that the Ponyville Elementary Choir is having its first meeting after school,” said Cheerilee. “Really?” Sweetie replied. “That’s cool. I bet the choir will sound great this year. I can’t wait to go see their first show.” Cheerilee leaned closer to Sweetie. “That’s exactly why I wanted to talk to you. Sweetie Belle, would you like to join the Ponyville Elementary Choir this year?” Sweetie’s eyes grew wider. She gasped and felt her heart skip a beat. “You… the choir… want me?” “I think you’d make a great addition.” Cheerilee nodded. “You really think so?” Sweetie’s voice cracked as she hopped up and down. “Of course I’ll come! I’d love to sing for the choir!” “That’s wonderful news, Sweetie,” said Cheerilee. She stifled the urge to giggle at Sweetie’s newfound excitement. “I’m going to go inside and get the class back in order now. You can wait out here for a minute to get yourself ready to talk about your cutie mark if you’d like.” “Okay!” replied the bouncing Sweetie. As Cheerilee stepped back inside the schoolroom, Sweetie’s hopping spree came to a halt. She turned to face her friends, who stared at her with smiles. Sweetie had a feeling they were genuine smiles too, not the usual smiles Rarity had taught them to hide their lack of interest in something. “Wow, it’s like everythin’s just goin’ yer way now,” said Apple Bloom. “No kidding,” said Scootaloo, “and all just from singing really well at a contest, too. Who would’ve thought Diamond Tiara’s plan had any merit after all?” “I know. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life,” said Sweetie. “I hope you two get your cutie marks real soon. This is crazy!” Scootaloo nodded. “That’s the plan for today. Once we’re out of school, we’re definitely putting that money to good use.” At the mention of Scootaloo’s plan, Sweetie looked down at the ground. “Yeah. I wish I could join you two to help you out.” “Well, why can’t ya?” said Apple Bloom, cocking her head. “I’m sure the choir meetin’ won’t take that long.” “It’s not just that, though. My parents are coming home from vacation tonight and I want to show them my new cutie mark.” Sweetie let out a sigh. “Sorry, girls.” “Eh, no worries,” said a shrugging Scootaloo. “I’d probably be busy showing off my cutie mark to everyone else if I had mine, too.” “Yeah, we know ya mean well.” Apple Bloom nodded. Sweetie lifted her head back up, having found her smile once more. “Thank you. So does this mean we can still be friends?” “Why would it mean we can’t be friends?” asked Apple Bloom. “Yer still Sweetie Belle, cutie mark or not.” Scootaloo did her best to contain a chuckle at her friend’s sincere questions. “We’re best friends forever, Sweetie. Why would a cutie mark ever drive us apart?”