Peachy walked down the path that led straight to the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, where Applejack and her large family lived and worked. She knew from experience that she could turn to the left at any moment and wonder right to the front door of the Cutie Mark Crusader's tree house. Applejack had led her to the clubhouse the previous day, but they arrived to find that the Crusaders had already moved on to their next idea.
The clubhouse in question was noisy as she approached the stairway, which meant that the three fillies had yet to notice her arrival. She approached the door and knocked softly, clearly disrupting whatever the three were talking about.
"Who is it?" came from inside.
"Um...Peachy Keen," she nervously said, "I'm here to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders."
The door quickly opened and three fillies stood in front of her. Each of them were young and stood there gasping at her as she looked at them. She guessed that they were shocked at seeing an adult without a cutie mark.
"Wow," the white unicorn filly said, "I didn't know there were adults who didn't have their cutie marks. So Miss Peachy Keen, you want to join the Crusaders and earn your Cutie Mark?"
"Yeah," Peachy answered, "I'm guessing your Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle?"
"Yeah, how did you know that?" the filly asked.
"I met your sisters a while ago," Peachy said, "Applejack and Rarity are the nicest sisters I have ever seen. But we digress, you were saying about the Crusaders?"
"Yeah, these are my friends Applebloom and Scootaloo," Sweetie said, "Let's skip the welcome greeting and go crusading. We had plans on visiting the fancy restaurant Midsummer Retreat and trying our hooves at delivering food to tables. Before that we were planning on rock climbing and other activities."
"Well what are we waiting for?" Peachy asked, "Let's start crusading."
In her mind she had pictured climbing up the side of the mountain with pickaxes and climbing gear, but she was very disappointed. Climbing up the side of a small cliff with just a rope securing them together. She could have sworn that the crusaders had already done that and were trying stuff again. Peachy didn't really mind, as long as she tried to get her cutie mark and theirs she would try anything.
Stupid customers saying that their food was too tender and taking it out on me, Salad thought as she returned the order to the kitchen, Faust almighty, sometimes I really hate this job.
The customers that visited the Midsummer Retreat were always rich and famous. Ponies reserved their seats ahead of when they would visit so they didn't have to wait in line. Despite being located in Ponyville they were visited by famous ponies known throughout ponyland, with the exception being royalty. Midsummer Retreat also had a thing for allowing fillies to come in and help around in any way so that they might find their Cutie Marks. And as Salad emerged from the kitchen she saw three fillies and an adult earth pony waiting, each of them missing their Cutie Marks.
"Welcome to Midsummer Retreat," she said, approaching the group, "I'm Salad Top and I'm guessing you four are here for our special program?"
"We are," Scootaloo said, "Cutie Mark Crusaders Restaurant Helpers at your service."
Salad resisted the urge to laugh as she smiled at the group. "Just one moment," she said, "I'll get the manager and he'll point you in the right direction."
That was the truth. The manager wanted all those who came for the Cutie Mark program to be reported to him so he could put them where he believed they could be of great help. It was almost like he was trying to get free labor at the expense of them earning their marks, but he was trying to help the society out. So Salad quickly trotted to the manager's room and quickly informed him of the group, which made him spring out of his chair and rush to his new guests.
An adult without a Cutie Mark, she thought, Interesting. She must be one of the four who came to Ponyville yesterday. She has to be friends with that unicorn whose training under Twilight right now. All I have to do is follow them and...oh dang it, I've got another order to complete.
As Salad moved a tray of food out to the designated table she got a glimpse of the four she had just met, and nearly dropped the tray. The fillies were running around with empty plates, crashing into each other as the adult tried to quell their chaos. She was unsuccessful as Discord appeared out of nowhere to add to the chaos, making the fillies run around with lightning clouds following them. Salad sighed and presented the tray to the ponies she had been walking towards, trying to ignore the mayhem happening behind her.
"It does me good to help others find their destinies," the manager said to another table, "but there are times where it can get out of hoof. And the Spirit of Chaos adding to the mess isn't helping very much."
"Fine you stubborn old pony," Discord said, snapping his fingers and the room retuning to normal, "I'll leave and have some small fun elsewhere."
After Discord vanished the fillies and Peachy tried again, this time not dropping the trays and shattering the plates that rested on them. Salad and the manager were impressed, but to the dismay of the four nothing appeared on their flanks. The manager cheered the fillies up as Salad returned to the employee room to clear her head.
I need to follow them and see if that mare is friends with that stallion, she thought, but I can't leave until my lunch break and that isn't for another hour. I guess I'll have to involve one of my followers to resolve this matter. Number 067, do you hear me?
Yes my Queen, a voice spoke in her head, I can hear you. What will you have me do?
I need you to follow a group that is going to be leaving the Midsummer Retreat soon, Salad thought back, three fillies and a adult mare, each with no Cutie Mark. I need you to follow the adult mare and find out if she's friends with that unicorn stallion I saw earlier.
I will do as you command, the voice replied, quickly fading from her head.
Salad smirked and got up, passing by the storage room and realizing something. "Ah dang it," she said, the chiefs looking at her, "We're out of tomatoes. Guess I'll go buy some more."
Peachy and the Crusaders walked down the street, each of them thinking about what they could do to earn their Cutie Marks. Sure there were a ton of ideas that they could do, but the fact was they needed a lot of materials to do each one and they weren't sure what they should do first.
"Um...excuse me?" a voice behind them said, "Are you one of the four new arrivals?"
The four turned around and found an adult earth pony standing behind them. Her coat was a bright lime green color and her mane was a pale yellow. On her flank was a Cutie Mark that looked like a rose with petals surrounding it. From what Peachy saw it seemed that the mare was nice and a little shy, just like Fluttershy was.
"Yeah, I am," Peachy said, extending a hoof to the mare, "The names Peachy Keen. My friends are around, somewhere. What's your name?"
"Rose Petal," the mare answered immediately, shaking her hoof, "I grow roses. Maybe I can help you four earn your Cutie Marks in gardening."
"Ah, that sounds lame," Scootaloo said, "Can't we try something dangerous?"
"Now Scoots, this mare is willing to help us," Sweetie said, "We should take her up on her offer and see what happens."
"Fine," Scootaloo sighed, "We'll try our hooves at gardening for once."
"Follow me then," Rose said, turning towards a house with a bunch of roses, "I may live near the center of the town, but its always a good idea to help others learn their destinies."
As they entered the house Peachy got the sense that somepony was watching them and turned around, quickly noticing the mare from the restaurant walk on by. She seemed to be buying tomatoes, so Peachy turned around and followed the others into the house. She was unaware of the mare turning around and watching them enter the house before turning to buy the tomatoes. Maybe Peachy was imagining things, but the feeling of being watched never did go away as the door closed behind her.