Apple Bloom ran as fast as her short legs could carry her, eyes tightly shut to keep the tears from flowing freely.
She knew that it was wrong, that she had to go back and apologize, that Applejack only wanted to avoid her getting hurt, yet she couldn't. She didn't know why, she simply couldn't.
If her eyes were open and if anypony else was there, he or she might have noticed that there was something wrong with the filly's eyes.
Now, it might sound obvious, but running with your eyes closed in an apple orchard isn't the best of ideas, and in fact Apple Bloom ended up bumping into a tree.
While she massaged her head, she noticed that, despite her full body tackle, none of the apples had fallen from the branches. Sure it was one old and sturdy plant, but no apple fell anyway.
"Dumb tree," she muttered as tears started flowing once again from her now normal-looking eyes.
She sniffed and picked herself up, then turned to go back but stopped in mid step. She casted a spiteful glare to the offending plant.
"Ah won't let a tree defy me!" she said as she positioned herself to buck the plant.
She gave it her best shot, bucking the rough bark with all her strength, yet, again, no apple fell; instead she felt sore from the recoil.
She fell to the ground utterly defeated, tears once again flowing.
"Sis was right, Ah'm not strong enough..." she said sniffling "If only Ah wasn't this weak..."
Then it came. A rush of new energy washed over her, making the numbness fade away and leaving behind a sense of confidence.
She raised, feeling much stronger and sure to obtain the results she desired now.
She positioned herself once again and bucked the tree. This time, only one single apple kept her place in the branches.
---
Sweetie Belle was overjoyed: since she had aced the math test and had helped her friends do so, Rarity had given her permission to go to Sapphire Shores’s concert. The only problem was that her sister herself hated that kind of music, so she had to find somepony to see to her.
And exactly that was the reason behind her knocking at that certain house front door.
"Yes?" asked a unicorn filly with blonde mane and light purple coat opening the door, then, upon spotting her classmate she added "Oh, hello Sweetie Belle!"
"Hi Dinky, is your sister home?" asked Sweetie.
Now, Sparkler was a pretty reserved pony, often out of town for work, but Sweetie knew that they had a thing in common, and it was their love fore Sapphire's music.
---
It took little effort to convince the pink mare, and so, fifteen minutes before the start the two of them where already pretty near the stage.
The concert went on smoothly, with only two fans taken away from the stage by the guardspony. The show was amazingly beautiful, Sapphire herself was absolutely dazzling.
After the concert ended, Sparkler and Sweetie departed for the train station to return Ponyville.
While Canterlot was Equestria capital city and the residence of both princesses, it had its fair share of criminals, and precisely into one of them bumped Sparkler: a nimble but sturdy-looking pegasus stallion with dark brown coat and lime green mane and tail, with a black key for cutie mark.
"Hey, mind you step, gal!" snarled the stallion pushing Sparkler back.
He had a deep voice, as rough as his manners.
"Sparkler, you okay?" asked Sweetie helping her up.
"Yes, thanks Sweetie," she said before referring to the stallion "And you, mister, it's you who rushed out that alley and bumped into me!"
The stallion ignored her and simply walked away.
"Hey, you!" shouted the mare grabbing his tail in her telekinetic grasp and dragging him back "I pretend your excuses!"
The stallion turned around and bashed her with a forehoof, knocking out the poor mare.
"Sparkler was it? I think I'll make some extra bits tonight..." he said wearing a sly grin.
"Sparkler!" shrilled the filly rushing at the fallen mare side.
She had passed out and had a little blood flowing from a cut on her left temple.
Sweetie turned to confront the stallion and, even if she did not have the faintest idea on what he planned, said: "I won't let you touch her!"
"You? Don't make me laugh! You're useless! Get lost!" he said pushing the filly against a wall.
It hurt, and a lot. Sweetie felt tears in her eyes as her vision started to get blurry.
While the stallion ransacked his prey's saddles, the filly tried to focus her magic, but failed as she always did.
Her head started pounding to the rhythm of her heartbeat. She was scared.
She tried once again to focus her magic.
"Please, help me," murmured the filly feeling the little focus she had starting to fade.
Then, like a torrent, energy started to flow through her, washing away the pain and charging her horn. She could feel her magic building up, ready to follow her command.
She grasped the stallion with her newfound telekinesis and lifted him a pair of meters from earth.
Her eyes started resembling those of a reptile as a malevolent grin crept on her face.
"What the - put me down!" he shrieked while aimlessly flailing his hooves around and uselessly beating his wings.
"Are you sure? I thought pegasi liked to fly..."
"Put me down, you little witch!"
For a moment she was tempted to slam him into the road with all her strength, but then she remember her sister telling her that a true lady should always use grace and poise.
"You didn't say please," she commented as her eyes returned to normal "Then it's a no."
And with that she hurled him away, making him fall into a nearby trash can.
She then carefully lifted Sparkler and her things and trotted away.
Unfortunately for her, when Rarity discovered what happened, while being happy that her sister had finally developed her own magic, she forbade her to go anywhere out of Ponyville without her.
---
Girls, I've come back! You won't believe what happened! mentally said Sweetie Belle as she lied down on her bed.
It wasn't exactly late, not far past ten pm, yet it had been a pretty exhausting evening for the unicorn filly.
Ah bet the show was good, but never as good as what Ah did today... answered Apple Bloom in a somewhat blurry tone: she had been asleep for a while, for applebucking is an heavy job, really draining for a filly.
I bet that neither of you did anything as awesome as what I did! stated Scootaloo, her thoughts dripping confidence.
Ah helped my sis applebuckin' !
Uhm, Bloom, you always help your sister... objected Sweetie Belle.
Ah mean Ah helped by buckin' the trees! Ah'm super-strong now, like Applejack! explained Apple Bloom in an excited tone.
Well, that makes it more amazing... admitted the other.
Please, that's nowhere near flying, because today I flew all day, with Rainbow too! It was awesome! exclaimed Scootaloo.
Really? Kudos to you Scoots, now Diamond Tiara will never say yer a chicken again! complimented Apple Bloom.
Flying might beat applebucking, but it's nothing compared to using magic to save Sparkler from a nasty stallion...
You did what?! asked both Sweetie's friend in a disbelieving tone.
And so, the small unicorn and the other two crusaders related each her own story, discovering that they all shared the same energy rush feeling.
Girls, that's incredible! You think that this is Night's doing? asked Scootaloo once they had finished.
That's the only explanation, admitted Sweetie.
Meetin' that djinn was one of the best things ever! cheered Apple Bloom Do ya imagine the possibilities we have now? We can crusade like never before!
Yeah! That's true Bloom! complimented Sweetie Any suggestions?
I have one, girls... said Scootaloo.