Date: 3/14/2026
Location: Ponyville
Objective: N/A
The twenty-four year old mare used to dream that she was in the Wonderbolts, right next to her idol, Rainbow Dash. Sadly, neither pegasai were to live that dream. For some strange reason, Rainbow Dash surprised everypony in Ponyville and left the flight group. She had only participated for half a year.
Scootaloo marched passed the small building with a sign that read, Equestrian Military Enlistment Center. She never imagined herself as a soldier, but it seemed appropriate. She always tried out new things when she was a foal, perhaps that is why she decided to sign up for Princess Celestia's new branch, the Equestrian Marine Corps, four years ago. She, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle became "Crusader squad" with seven other ponies. It was a strange branch, given the latest equipment the Equestrian military had to offer, with kevlar vests made to be as equally effective as the royal guards' armor but was a third of its weight and the radio phones made to keep the squad together when they were a hundred miles apart. But today, Scootaloo wasn't a marine, only a friendly orange pegasus walking through the peaceful town of Ponyville to see her two closest friends.
Although she promised Sweetie Belle and Applebloom she would meet them at the local cafe`, Scootaloo was in no rush. She and when she Saw Rainbow Dash, she decided that a few minutes to talk with her idol wouldn't hurt anypony.
"Hey Rainbow!" Shouted Scootaloo. The sky blule Pegasus just slowly turned her head.
"Hey."
It was an expected answer. Ever since she left the Wonderbolts she's been like this. She was distant now, even to her friends, tired, and edgy.
"So... uh, whats up?" asked Scootaloo.
"Nothing." grunted Rainbow Dash.
"Uh....thats cool....I guess...."
"Not really."
"Well, I just wanted to say hi, since the Crusaders and I are going to be on tour again at the Crystal Empire..."
"Are you now?" Suddenly Rainbow Dash sounded a bit interested in the conversation. "Why is that?"
The orange pegsasus sighed, "Because of the civil war. You know, some of the ponies don't like Cadance ruling and want to be a powerful empire again, and-"
"Yeah, I've heard about the conflict."
"Anyways, there's been some hostile activity lately by the mountain region." continued Scootaloo.
"I see, sounds pretty intense. Why do you think they're settling at the mountains?"
"Dunno." said Scootaloo.
"Huh. Well it was nice talking to you Scootaloo, take care now."
"Thanks Rainbow Dash,"
"And good luck in the mountains, too."
"Thanks. Celestia knows I'll need it."
Scootaloo flew down to the cafe. Thanks to her wings, she was able to reach her friends quickly as if she hadn't stopped to talk with her hero.
"Hey girls," said Scootaloo.
"Howdy Scoots," said Applebloom.
"Where were you?" asked Sweetie Belle casually.
"I was just talking to Rainbow Dash." answered Scootaloo.
The conversation continued from there to what the three had been doing while they were at Ponyville, how Applejack's farm was doing, to Rarity's latest design. Finally, the conversation switched to the most infamous of discussions.
"So did you ever find out what your cutie mark means?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Pfft. I've given up figuring out what it years ago. I'll just be grateful that I have it." said Scootaloo.
She looked at her flank. There were three red dots that formed a triangle. What it meant, Scootaloo had no idea. They appeared on her flank during her first mission as a marine, six years ago.
.
. .
Date: 10/10/ 2020
Location: Gemstone Mountains, Crystal Empire
Objective: Locate PCE spy, call sign Pyrite, and capture him
She was nervous, for both herself and her friends. The thought of being blown out of the sky lingered in her head, as did the thought of capture or death.
The squad was approaching on a large, flying chariot to a compound where a mole for the Ponies' Chrystal Empire, the PCE, as the insurgents called themselves. While the Crystal Earth Ponies and Crystal Pegasie were more than happy to see Princess Cadance govern their kingdom, the Crystal Unicorns, loyalists of King Sombra and the backbone of the original Crystal Empire, weren't willing to abandon the old regime of imperialism.
"Hey, Scoots. You alright?" asked the Staff Sergeant, a brown earth pony with and black mane.
"Yeah, Landslide, I'm fine." She lied.
"Hey Scootaloo, I was wondering, why don't you have a cutie mark?" asked a white pegasus. Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle glared at him, while Scootaloo looked like she was ready to strangle him. She hated it, how Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were eventually gifted with cutie marks while she remained a blank flank. She never let her jealousy get the best of her, she never lashed out her frustration on her dear friends.
That did not, however, mean she didn't hate it whenever somepony brought up her lack of a cutie mark.
"Touchy subject?" he guessed.
Scootaloo angrily nodded.
"Don't feel bad, Scoots." said a light green unicorn stallion with a olive-green mane, "My older sister, she's twenty-two..." He leaned in as if he was going to whisper, but instead mimicked the hush tone of a whisper so everypony could still hear, "She's still a blank flank, too."
Even Scootaloo couldn't help but snicker. "Damn, Twenty-two? I seriously hope I find my special talent before that age."
"Is that why we became the 'CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MARINE FORCE RECON! YAY!'?" Sweetie Belle imitated the screaming chant that she, Applebloom, and Scootaloo would cheer whenever they tried something new as foals. Applebloom and Scootaloo were cracking up at this point, and some of the other squad mates had chuckled too.
"I don't get it." said the white pegasus.
"Oh sorry, Storm Cloud," said Sweetie Belle, "Its kinda an inside jo-"
"Approaching the drop zone! Thirty seconds!" shouted one of the six pegasai keeping the chariot airborne.
"Alright, You heard the pilot!" shouted Landslide. Pegasai, hold onto any of the non-pegasai squad members while we're dropping!"
The pegasai in the squad consisted of Scootaloo, Storm Cloud, a light blue mare with a purple mane named Morning Breeze, another mare who had pink fur and sky-blue mane named Parasol, and a yellow stallion with a brown mane named Heatwave.
"The rest of you! Carry your spear and your pegasus' spear! Understood?!"
"HOOWAH!" was the response.
"You know the music, Crusader squad! Start dancing!" bellowed Landslide before he was carried off by Storm Cloud. The green unicorn, Green Beret, held onto Heatwave as they jumped out of the chariot. Another unicorn, who had a yellow coat and blue mane with oak colored streaks named Hidden Treasure jumped out with Morning Breeze. Sweetie Belle jumped with Parasol. Only Applebloom and Scootaloo remained in the chariot.
"Ya ready, AB?" asked Scootaloo.
"Ready!" shouted Applebloom.
There landing was rough, and as soon as Applebloom's hoofs stroke the ground both the earth pony and pegasus began to roll on the grass in a painful touchdown.
"You alright, Scoots?" asked Applebloom.
"Fine. Where's my spear?"
Applebloom handed the weapon to Scootaloo.
"Where's the rest of the squad?" asked Applebloom.
"Here!" shouted a familiar voice. The two mares turned to face Green Beret calling them.
.
. .
It became apparent that Scootaloo and Applebloom weren't the only members of the squad that became separated from the group. Shortly after the two mares rendezvoused with the squad on a nearby hill, Morning Breeze and a leaf-and-twig covered Hidden Treasure met up with the squad.
"Hidden Treasure," laughed Heat Wave, "You look like hammered shit!"
"Yeah, well, buck you too, buddy."
"Squad, form up." Commanded Landslide.
The compound was just down the hill, it was a small villa with a large mansion in the center. That was where there objective rested.
"Lets move!" whispered Landslide.
"Roger," answered Storm Cloud, "Moving!"
The rest of the squad obediantly followed, a silent parade moving in the night.
Scootaloo was left with only Sweetie Belle.
"Are you worried?" asked the orange pegasus.
"Of course, this is our first mission." answered the white mare.
"Me too. I'm trying not to let it get to my head though."
"Same here."
"That's good. Moving!"
"Moving!"
.
. .
The Compound was quite, even the hoofsteps of the marines could barely be heard. Despite this, every small noise seemed too loud. The quite hoofsteps felt like the obnoxious march of a parade, and the buzzes of the mosquitos were like growling manticores.
The entrance to the mansion had two guards, both guarding the ends of the large double sided door. Within the mansion there were no doubt several dozens of guards patrolling the area.
"Two guards. Switch em' off?" asked Storm Cloud.
"And enter using the front door? Negative, the open entrance hall would allow the guards to instantly corner us at the doorway."
"So where do we go?" asked Morning Breeze.
"Around the corner, look for a back door or cellar entrance of some sort." answered Landslide.
Parasol found a cellar entrance, while Sweetie Belle located a back door.
"Convenient." smiled Landslide. "We can split into two teams. Storm Cloud, take Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Green Beret through the cellar and begin a search and destroy mission. It'll be a lot easier to carry Pyrite out of here if there aren't any guards."
"Roger that," responded Storm Cloud.
"We'll keep in touch using our radios. The rest of you, on me." said Landslide, "We move out. Now."
Storm Cloud's fireteam quietly proceeded to the cellar.
"Green Beret, take point." Commanded Storm Cloud.
"Yes sir." said Green Beret as he entered the cellar.
The room was dark and moist, and was without a soul.
"We're clear." said Green Beret.
As the fire fireteam entered, light invaded the end of the room.
"Hold it! Find cover!" ordered Storm Cloud.
A tired unicorn entered the cellar. He casually walked passed Scootaloo, stopped next to Sweetie Belle, and turned to his left. He scanned the room, but didn't see any of the marines. He was simply checking if in case of his partners were present. Then, Silently and ever so gingerly, he carefully extracted a bottle of grape juice from a cupboard. He took a small sip, carefully scanned the room again, then piggishly proceeded to chug the sweet drink.
He gave out a satisfied sigh, and his eyes trailed to the ground. There was.... something. A purple and pink manifestation of cotton on the ground, resembling a tail. His eyes followed the cotton until he reached where it ended and a white body began. Suddenly before him was a terrified unicorn mare.
"Wha- what?" was all he could ask before a sharp pain stung his back.
.
. .
Scootaloo's heart nearly flatlined when the guard noticed Sweetie Belle's tail. As soon as she became obvious, so would the rest of the squad. The entire team would be compromised.
"Wha....what?" asked the guard, confused. Before he had time to comprehend what was happening, Scootaloo emerged from her hiding space and bucked the guard in the back.
All of a sudden, training turned into instincts as Scootaloo reached one of her forearms around the stallions neck as he stood on his hind legs in pain from the blow to the spine. Scootaloo pulled the guard close to her and tightened her grip. His scream was emitted as a faint whisper as he fell to the ground, dead.
"That was too close," said Sweetie Belle.
"Tell me about it," said Scootaloo, unaware of the faint glow on her hips.
The cellar lead to a bright hall, empty. It must have been the section the guard left in the cellar was watching. There were faint footsteps heard, Storm Cloud assumed that they were close to the entrance hall.
"This is Landslide," said a static- filled voice. "Approaching the objective's room now.
"Roger that." responded Storm Cloud. "Scootaloo, take point."
Scootaloo walked passed Storm Cloud, the radio quietly speaking behind her.
"Room Clear. Objective is not here. We're checking the other rooms now."
The mare gingerly stepped through the hall. Her hoofs made no noise, but her heart bested like a loud drum in anxiety. She could hear the hoofsteps of countless guards, and she could've sworn one pair was getting louder. There was a light-switch beside her. She reached for the switch, allowing the darkness to immerse itself around her.
The hoofsteps were becoming louder.
"Sit back, Scoots. This one's mine." whipsered the voice of Green Beret in her ear.
He approached down the hall, his spear lowered ahead of him. He crouched like an animal about to pounce as he waited for the guard to turn the corner.
The two marines waited. Whether it was for five seconds or five hours Scootaloo did not know. The hoofsteps finally revealed themselves as a brown unicorn guard. He didn't see Scootalo, and he didn't see Green
Beret. Nor did he notice the long spear aimed at his throat. The blade cut through the flesh smoothly and pierced the throat of the pony. He fell clumsily, but the loud thud from the body hitting the floor was prevented by Green Beret gently placing the body on the floor using his magic.
"Clear." said Green Beret.
The entrance hall was large and bright with a colossal lobby and a walkway in the back that lead to two hallways, one of which sheltered the fireteam, and door in the middle. The room was occupied by fifteen PCE guards, all disiplined and devoted to the art of killing. There was no way of sneaking past the them to get into a position that could help the fireteam overwhelm them. No, instead the fireteam would have to begin their fight in the crowded hall, and being trapped in a doorway of death like that could end a fight before it even began.
The solution to the predicament was simple: begin the fight with an unfair start.
"Beret, Sweetie Belle. You're up."
The horns of the unicorns began to shimmer with faint lights as a small white orb the size of a golf ball began to form in front of them. It gently glided through the room, calmly making it's way to the center of the large room. It's unfamiliarity and grace one the curiosity of the many guards patrolling the room. They peered deeply into the mysterious, delicate ball of light.
When suddenly it violently exploded.
White blindness possessed the confused soldiers as they screamed in there disoriented frenzy. The wails of the stupified ponies was a signal for the marines to strike.
"Go go go!" Screamed Storm Cloud.
A storm of spears cut through the air and pierced the backs of five of the ponies. The remaining hostiles were just recovering from the ambush when the five marines charged into the room.
"Get to cover!" screamed Storm Cloud as the first fires of magic stabbed the air above him.
They were pinned down and scattered across the room, but at least the cover they crouched under was strong, and in the open room they could outmaneuver their magical opponents.
"This is Landslide! We have captured the objective and are exiting the building! We're dealing with some hostile resistance! We should be at your position in ten Mikes!"
Sweetie Belle and Beret were on opposite ends of the entrance hall, both using their magic to retrieve the spears and return them to their allies, and both prayed silent prayers that they weren't shot by the heated magic as their team rearmed.
But no such luck existed in warfare. The guards turned their heads to face the unicorns. Green Beret stubbornly returned fire with his own scorching bolts of energy, while Sweetie Belle continued to carefully moved the spears to return them t her friends. She didn't notice the unicorn flanking her cover to attack her. She didn't realize he was there until the light of his horn was shining against her soft cheeks.
It burnt to look at it, like gazing at a fire for too long. The burning feeling and ominous glow told her that this spell was meant to kill. It was meant to stab, cut, and burn all at once. All she could do was freaze in fear in her last terrifying seconds of her life.
Suddenly Applebloom's spear jammed itself into the guard's side. His concentration broke, his waist bled, and he flew five feat backwards as Sweetie Belle retaliated with her own magic.
"Watch yourself, Sweetie Belle!" warned Applebloom to her childhood friend. The white mare lifted the spear into the air with a faint shimmer of her horn, passing the weapon to Applebloom.
"Got it."
.
. .
The nauseating smell of sweat and blood infected Scootaloo's nostrils. The dead were scattered across the room, and the thought of joining their ranks was disturbing. She peeked out of her cover, threw her spear, and recoiled back behind the coffee table that shielded her from the bolts of energy flying across the room.Safe again. Although, wasn't the safety but an illusion? Her protection was withering away before her eyes, and sooner or later it would be gone.
She looked to her right where a turned over couch sat as dead as the fallen guards, then faced her left to Parasol.
"I need new cover! Can you give suppressing fire?" she screamed.
"I'll see what I can do." said Parasol. The pegasus launched her spear at the unsuspecting guard that had Scootaloo pinned, earning his attention and granting Scootaloo the perfect window of opportunity to move.
"Go! Now!"
Scootaloo felt naked, unprotected, as she ran to cover. She was vulnerable, like a limping deer. The couch all of a sudden seemed too far, and Scootaloo began to wonder why she chose to run to it. Her old cover was safe, and sturdy, and she gave it up for a new one she may not even reach.
Her final breath was one of relief and exhaustion as she slouched against the back sofa, unscathed.
"Watch out! Reinforcements!" Storm Cloud's voice boomed as ten more guards emerged from the halls on the walkways.
Scootaloo felt betrayed, cheated even. Suddenly the cover that protected not only her, but all of the fireteam, had turned into walls that forced them to face the ten extra guards. The battlefield was turned into a targeting range in the blink of an eye. Everything moved slowly, from the charging horns that were beginning to pulse with vibrant colors, the confident grins that began to shape themselves on the faces of the PCE soldiers, to the sudden burst of fire from the center door consuming all but six of the guards, who fell like dolls as Landslide's fireteam emerged from the smoke.
"Clear!" called Heat Wave.
"Roger that," answered Landslide, carrying an unconscious unicorn on his back. He turned on his radio, "This is Crusader squad, we have captured the objective. Meet us at the extraction point."
"Roger that." answered the radio. "Meet at the extraction point in five mikes, over."
"Roger." ended Landslide. "Alright team, we're Oscar Mike."
The night sky was disturbingly peaceful, as if the world didn't care that so many ponies had died that way. Then again, the squad acted no differently. They talked as they did before the mission, acting as if it never happened. It made Scootaloo uncomfortable to see how easy it was for the squad to shrug off death so easily, and by the looks of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, they must have felt the same way. At the same time though, it was reassuring to see her brothers and sisters in arm talk like ponies and laugh like ponies, because thats what they were: ponies.
Ponies, and maybe something greater.
.
. .
The flight back to Canterlot was much livelier then the one to the Crystal empire.
"So Treasure, what are you gonna do when you get to Canterlot?" asked Green Beret.
"I dunno," Hidden Treasure began to muse the question. "Morning Breeze, got any plans tonight?"
"Not with you."
silent laughter filled the compartment.
"What about you, Beret?" asked Hidden Treasure.
"Me? I'm going to hold my sweet wife Blue Wave close to me, eat dinner with my kids. You know, spend time with my family." He began to think for a second, "Maybe I'll pay my sister a visit, too."
"Good idea, maybe I'LL visit your sister too!"
"Oh buck you, Treasure!"
once more, the compartment was filled with laughter.
"I think I'll stay in Canterlot." said Sweetie Belle. "My sister said she would be here to pick up some fabrics. She's supposed to leave tomorrow, so I can go home with her."
"You have a sister, too? How old is she?"
"Keep it in your pants, Treasure." answered Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo leaned towards Applebloom, "Don't let him find out about AJ." she whispered. Applebloom snickered in response.
"So Scootaloo, what are you gonna do?"
"I'm going the Tartarus home!" laughed Scootaloo.
"So you can tell everypony about your cutie mark?" asked Applebloom.
"My what?" She looked at her flank, three red dots were seared into it to form a triangle, "Oh you have got to be freakin' kidding me!"
"What? What's wrong?" asked Applebloom.
"Eighteen years of waiting and I get three freakin' red dots? What the hell! What does that even mean?!"
Landslide was one of the many ponies chuckling at Scootaloo's reaction to her new cutie mark. "Geez. Calm down, Scoots. At least you have one now."
"Still..." eased Scootaloo, "Eighteen years for a freakin' triangle?" she chuckled at her own expense..
.
. .
"I dunno..." mused Scootaloo. "Frankly, I really don't care about what my cutie mark means anymore," admitted Scootaloo.
"Maybe you were destined ta' be a marine the whole time." suggested Applebloom.
"Maybe..." thought Scootaloo, "But why three red dots? Why not, I dunno, the marine logo or spears or something?"
"Ah dunno, ah don't design these cutie marks." answered Applebloom as a cream colored mare brought three cups to the table.
"We ordered for you, Scoots." explained Sweetie Belle, "We thought you'd want some ice tea."
"Thanks," Scootaloo.
"Well," began Applebloom, "To a safe trip to the mountains, and for peace by the time we're done their!" she raised her glass into the air like a flag,
"Cutie Mark Crusaders force recon!" laughed, Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah!"
"I'll drink to that!" laughed Scootaloo.
.
. .
Date: 4/23/2026
Location: Emerald City, near the Sapphire Mountain range
Objective: Maintain peace within the region
Throughout the six years of service the squad had turned into a family, and the members that remained closest to each other was Storm Cloud's fireteam. To Scootaloo, he and Green Beret were her dear older brothers, and Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were her two sisters best friends forever. It made her feel safe walking down Emerald city, knowing that her siblings were at her side to protect her.
"Roger that, Landslide. Proceeding to the market, over." Storm Cloud turned off his radio and faced the rest of the fireteam. "Alright before we meet up with the rest of the squad Landslide wants us to check out the market. There have been reports about suspicious activity there for a few days now."
The rest of the fireteam followed without answer or question, loyally obeying their superior. The market wasn't dangerous, but it wasn't a surprise that there were so many reports regarding "suspicious behavior". As the marines walked through the streets of venders and consumers, Scootaloo caught over a hundred irritated glances at the local. Once when the fireteam passed a local resteraunt, to ponies spoke on the balcony quietly, paused to watch the marines with disdain, and didn't resume their conversation until the last soldier left their sight. It was the type of gesture that told a pony someone was after them, but there was nothing to prove it. It was no wonder Crusader squad was sent to investigate this place! As safe as the market seemed, nopony could help but distrust it. The setting itself seemed to express hatred, although the citizens here seemed to hide theirs very well.
"Area clear..." said Storm Cloud to his radio before turning it off again. "...More or less."
"I didn't like that place," said Sweetie Belle. "Things seemed so off there. It look liked everypony wanted to kill us."
"Yeah, but that doesn't make them insurgents." said Green Beret.
"There's no way there aren't any PCE members there." said Applebloom.
"Why do you think command keeps stationing troops there?" asked Beret, "We're just waiting for them to slip, give their position away. Then we can kick all their asses."
"Until then," said Storm Cloud, "Its gonna be nothing but days of distrustful staring."
"At least we're out of there now." said Scootaloo.
The walk to the checkpoint was, much to everyponies' gratitude, far calmer than the market. The crystal ponies around the marines were more far more welcoming and friendlier, and it brought a sense of comfort to the soldiers.
Green Beret was flipping threw three small envelopes, just something to do to past the time. The letters brought a week smile to his face as he began to read them.
"Watch'a got there, Beret?" asked Applebloom.
"Oh, nothing. They're letters from my kids." he said.
"This one's from my son Notebook, I think I've told you about him." He pulled out the second letter, "This one's from my daughter Sunflower and from Blue Wave."
He pulled out a third letter, "Look! I even got one from my sister!"
"Your sister, huh? Did she ever get her cutie mark?" asked Applebloom.
"Yeah. She's had it for quite a while now." answered Green Beret.
"Aaaaaaaaw..." said Sweetie Belle. "That's so sweet... I wish my sister would write to me..."
Applebloom chuckled, "Sweetie Belle, your sister doesn't write to you because you can't read!"
"Very funny" said Sweetie Belle, "Laugh it out, when I get home-"
"-You're going to kindergarden." laughed Scootaloo.
"I dunno," added Storm Cloud, "I heard they have entrance exams for kindergarden now, Sweetie Belle might not even-"
BOOM!
There was fire, fire everywhere. Scootaloo felt the ground being yanked from under her hoofs like a carpet. There was an explosion. It was loud, so why couldn't she hear anything? She hit the cold ground, bleeding from scrapes and cuts, pinned under a flipped wagon. Storm Cloud was lying on the ground motionless with a large broken beam of wood nailing him to his spot. There was a deafening ringing in her ears, but it wasn't loud enough to block the distorted voices from around her.
"Capture their wounded!"
Scootaloo saw a group of ponies she didn't know carry off an unconsious Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. They were about to pick up Green Beret when he suddenly surged and released a powerful bolt of lightning right into one of the attacker's face.
Two more fell at Beret's hoofs before the marine was shot in the back. Scootaloo tried to scream at him, but her voice remained noiseless. She tried to move and help her fallen comrade, but her limbs would not obey. She tried to turn her head away, but she couldn't help but watch with her tear filled eyes as a unicorn approached Green Beret, stepped on his throat, and punctured his forehead with a horrible, blood-red beam.
Scootaloo cried at the sight of her fallen brother,
"Beret..." was the last word she croaked before her visioned darkened.
.
. .
Uploading_Data: Crystal Ponies
Information: Like Equestrians there are three types of crystal ponies: Earth (Also known as gem ponies in their culture), pegasie- (called Diamond Wings in the Crystal Empire's culture), and unicorns. However, their society greatly differs from Equestria, as it is the earth ponies who live in the urban society. The pegasie reside in the Crystal Clouds (which could be considered the Crystal Ponies' equivalent to Cloudsdale, where the country's weather is manufactured). The unicorns have immigrated to the cold mountain regions, not wanting to be affiliated with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's rule. The unicorns had affiliated themselves, and still do affiliate themselves, with the fallen King Sombra.