//------------------------------// // Day 1: Hardly Working // Story: Cutie Bloom // by Black Kyurem //------------------------------// ~ Day 1 ~ "Feelings? I don't care about feelings!" Apple Bloom arrived at school one morning and saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon waiting at the front door. She remembered that for the most part, it would be another tormenting day of enduring painful teasing simply because she had not yet acquired her cutie mark. Despite her friendship with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo helping her stand through thick and thin, her level of depression had still been steadily increasing over time. The rich duo showed no signs of budging, so Apple Bloom decided to face them and get the worst of it over with. "Well, if it isn't Apple Blank," sneered Diamond Tiara, immensely enjoying herself tormenting the little filly. Apple Bloom snorted. "You leave her alone!" Scootaloo suddenly appeared, trying to stare Diamond Tiara down backed up by Sweetie Belle. "You think you're so special, Cutie Mark Losers," said Diamond Tiara. "But all you ever do is cause mayhem in Ponyville! Honestly, I'm surprised the Mayor hasn't signed any eviction orders! Bunch of blank flanks!" "Why do you always have to be so mean?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking slightly hurt, but doing her best not to show it openly. "Because you're just a bunch of foals," Diamond Tiara jeered. "Real fillies and colts have cutie marks. Blank flanks have yet to grow out of their diapers!" She and Silver Spoon entered the schoolhouse laughing. The Cutie Mark Crusaders did seem deeply offended by Diamond Tiara's hurtful statement. To top things always seeming to be bad for Apple Bloom, her seat was in between those of Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. But when the school fillies took their seats, Sweetie Belle started whispering to Apple Bloom. "Hey, Apple Bloom," she said, keeping her voice low to avoid the two rich fillies hearing in on her. "Do you think we should tell Miss Cheerilee on them?" "I say we don't need to," said Scootaloo with pride. "One day, we'll earn our cutie marks and show them someday!" "I don't know," muttered Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom didn't say anything. She had in fact been tormented by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon longer than Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, even before they met. Later on, the school day was over and as the bell rang, the fillies quickly left the schoolhouse. But Apple Bloom didn't even budge just yet. And of course, Cheerilee took notice. "Apple Bloom?" she said. Apple Bloom just sat in her seat as Cheerilee came to her. "Apple Bloom? Is something wrong?" Apple Bloom looked up and saw Cheerilee looked slightly concerned seeing the downtrodden look on her sad little filly face. "Ah just wish ah had mah cutie mark," Apple Bloom mumbled. "Ah feel like ah'm left out from everypony else." "Apple Bloom, are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon bothering you again?" "Maybe." "Don't worry," said Cheerilee. "I'll talk to them. And I'm sure you're not the only filly in Ponyville who doesn't have a cutie mark. Every pony gets theirs eventually." "Yeah, that's what they all say," said Apple Bloom, leaving her seat and trudging out of the schoolhouse. "But eventually never seems to come for me." Cheerilee watched with concern as Apple Bloom left. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were waiting for Apple Bloom. "Hey, Apple Bloom!" said Scootaloo. "Ready for some more crusading? I think today's our lucky day!" "Ah'm sorry," moaned Apple Bloom. "Ah don't feel like it." Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo just watched Apple Bloom walk on by. They then looked at each other worriedly. Apple Bloom trudged all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres. But once her house was in sight, she suddenly broke into a full gallop, letting out a few tears from her eyes. She was then seen in her room, curled up on her bed and sobbing into her pillow. Applejack soon found her. "Apple Bloom? What's wrong, sugar cube?" She came over and sat down on the bed next to her. "It's nothin' you can help me with," Apple Bloom wept. "Just leave me alone!" "Now, what in Equestria's hayseeds would make ya think ah can't help ya?" asked Applejack, smiling assuredly at her. Apple Bloom didn't answer. "This is about your cutie mark, isn't it?" Applejack then asked. "Come on, Apple Bloom. Perk up. You'll get your cutie mark eventually. Ya just have to-" "No, ah won't!" bellowed Apple Bloom. "Ah'll never ever get mah cutie mark! Mah only special talent is bein' a blank flank for the rest of mah life!" And she cried harder than ever. Applejack just looked a bit exasperated, but wasn't about to give up. "Ah wouldn't doubt yourself like that if ah were you," said Applejack. "Sometimes we don't even know our special talents ourselves and we have to dig a little deeper to find out what they are. Ya know what I think? Ah think you and your friends have been tryin' too hard to find the same special talent. Y'all should try branchin' out a bit. Come with me. Ah wanna show ya somethin'." Applejack led Apple Bloom to the clubhouse that the Cutie Mark Crusaders currently used. Applejack had stuck a notice flyer on the door for them to see. "Check it out! Ponyville is hostin' an arts and crafts fair to kick off the summer season! Apple Bloom, ah think you should at least take part in it. Ah'm willing to bet my hoof that this may just be your callin'. If ah remember correctly, ya fixed this tacky ol' clubhouse all by yourself. Don't ya think that's something special?" Apple Bloom just let out a huge sigh. "Ah'll think about it," she said, and turned around to go back home. Applejack now looked puzzled and concerned. "Look, Apple Bloom," she said, walking alongside her little sister. "Ah can tell there's somethin' botherin' ya. Ah'd very much appreciate it if ya told me." "Maybe ah don't deserve a cutie mark." "What makes ya say that?" "All mah friends and ah ever did was cause mischief all over Ponyville. We've been to a lot of places and some ponies still hate us." "So ya made dozens of mistakes," said Applejack. "What are y'all worried about? We all make tons of mistakes. Ah made mistakes all the time when ah first started workin' on the farm and ah was a little filly. But Big Macintosh was always there to back me up. Look sis, ah've already forgiven you for all of your mistakes. Ya don't have to worry about that. Ah know you're still a good little filly at heart. Big Macintosh knows it too." She sighed. "Ah know... we shoulda forgiven you sooner. Ah know you never really mean to bring harm and mah friends and ah shoulda been less uptight. Tell me somethin'. Is it Diamond Tiara? She's the one who made you bring Ponyville to its knees, right?" Apple Bloom said nothing. "Apple Bloom, please!" begged Applejack. "Ah want ya to tell me if something's wrong! Ah might able to help ya." But Apple Bloom's self-depression was slowly starting to eat her alive and doubt had been building up from all the times Diamond Tiara was wicked to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and had succeeded in turning Ponyville against them. She collapsed on the soft grass, curled up into a ball and cried. "Oh, Apple Bloom," moaned Applejack. She got her sobbing sister on her back and carried her the rest of the way home. And that night, Apple Bloom cried herself to sleep with Applejack listening outside her door.