//------------------------------// // A Chance Encounter // Story: The Green Apple // by EncoreTheBatpony //------------------------------// It was well into the morning and Applebloom was still not done cleaning out the pig stalls. Her body was covered in mud and her hair was covered in bits of of hay as she let out a long sigh and wiped sweat from her forehead. "Phewww now I know that my cutie-mark sure aint in cleaning up stalls." She said...with some relief. Two fillies were riding along too Sweet Apple Acres to crusading with Applebloom. Scootaloo was propelling her scooter with her tiny wings, with Sweetie Belle in the back in a wagon zooming toward the barn Everything seemed to be going great until….’WHOOSHHHH’ Scootaloo hit a giant bump in the road and both ponies, scooter, and wagon went zooming through the air in a fashion that would have made a perfect daredevil like stunt for the orange filly. There was a loud crash as they landed on the ground and skidded around in the dirt. Sweetie-belle stood up and wobbled a bit as she tried to get her balance back. “ughhh nice landing Scootaloo.” She said sarcastically as she shook the dirt from her body. “Pfff that is how you land in style.” Scootaloo said with a trademark Rainbow Dash smile. Sweetie-belle simply rolled her eyes and helped her friend out of the ground and trotted over to the barn to look for Applebloom. Applebloom just finished clean the stalls and was just about to rinse off with the hose when she noticed two shapes coming toward the barn. "Sweetie-Belle! Scootaloo!" She said happily as she raced over to her friends The three fillies almost went into a group hug, but Applebloom's dirty coat stop that. "OH my Applebloom, were you playing with the pigs again?" said Sweetie Bell "Why didn't you tell me soon!? I wanted to try for pig wrestlin cutie mark" Scootaloo complained, thinking she missed out on a awesome fun time. "No I had to clean the pig stalls cause I was out in the orchard when it was still dark this morning." Applebloom said. "Why were out so late?" asked Sweetie Belle Applebloom looked back over her shoulder to make sure her older sister was not listening. "Alright, what I am about to tell y'all is super secret. No telling anyone." She took another look around and then whispered "I heard a voice coming from a tree" Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at each other and then burst out laughing and rolling on the ground The filly glared at her friends. "It taint funny. I am being serious. There was a voice coming from a tree in that there orchard." Points out to the orchard with her hoof. "Yeah, a ' talking tree' " Scootaloo said then went back to laughing and holding her gut beginning to hurt with each laugh. "Applebloom" Sweetie Belle said putting a hoof on her shoulder. "That only happens in old ponytales." Scootaloo stopped her laughing and got up off the ground "Yeah, but enough about talking trees, lets get you washed up and get crusading!" But..but..but..." Applebloom sighed, realizing that there was no way that her friends would actually believe her about this, so she simply nodded her head and smiled "Alright give me one quick sec would ya." She then went over to the hose behind the barn and gave herself a good wash with the cold water to get all the muck and mud off of her. After that was done she shook herself dry, after fixing her bow she walked back over to her friends and smiled. "Alright Crusaders. Let's go get our cutie marks." The three fillies then went off to their clubhouse to plan the day ahead Applebloom looked at her two friends and paced back and forth, "Alright today is the day we get out cutie-marks I can feel it. The question is....what have we not tried yet?" Scootaloo raised a hoof "Oh we could try dare devils in stunts?" "No we should try singing. " Sweetie Belle said "No no...we should try singing while doing dare devil stunts. It doubles the chances of both sides." “Good point AB” Scoots said Applebloom smiled "Thank you" The three of them rushed off to attempt this feat. 10 minutes later they were sitting back in the tree house putting bandaids on each other and ice packs on their sore heads, their flanks still blank and empty. "Okay....I now open the floor to new suggestions and ideas" "Is there getting most injuries cutie mark?" asked a bandaid covered Sweetie Belle "No but I think, we could try getting out cutie-marks in doctoring" Scoots said as she pulled out a saw and stethoscope and approached Sweetie-belle "SCOOTALOO!!!" She yells as she rans away from the saw. Scootaloo dropped to the floor and started to laugh. "Hey we could try and get our cutie-marks in being comedians." She said brightly. "Thats a good idea." said Applebloom. Scootaloo smiled "Of course it is. I thought of it." The three of them then ran out of the tree house. One hour later they came back with frowns on their faces and their bodies covered tomatos. First they wanted to test their comedic powers on something simple. They ran over to Fluttershy's house and did a a quick sketch to the animals. When they had finished they waited for a response and they got in the form of red fruits being thrown at them, with the bunny angle leading the attack. "This stinks..." complained Sweetie Belle as she brushed a tomato out of her now less poofy mane. "I know...who would have thought that animals would have such easy access to rotting fruits and actually had the strength to throw them." Apple Bloom stated The fillies just lay in their clubhouse till the sun begins to set. "I got to go girls. See you tomorrow in school?" said Applebloom as she walked to the door. Both fillies waved goodbye to their friend and then scootaloo grinned at Sweetie-Belle. “Come on I will give you a ride back.” She said as she started up her wings. The white unicorn felt her stomach cramp at the thought. “Oh Celestia.” Applebloom walked back to her house through the apple orchard with a sigh. “Another day and still no cutie mark.” She said sadly. "Hi there" said the mask as Applebloom walked past it. She immediately paused and looked around. "Alright who is there? Stop messing around with me. Come on out right now." She said as she stamped her hoof into the ground. "I'm right behind you." She quickly turns around but when she sees now one there she just frowns and looks up in the sky. "Rainbow dash is that you?" She called. “No, down here” The voice said She looked down and for the first time notices the pony face shaped mask just lying on the ground against the tree. “Hi there” The mask said “EEEEEEEEE” Applebloom cried