"The Cutie Mark Crusaders huh," I said calmly, "I'm guessing by your name you are looking for your cutie marks." I already knew that, but these three didn't. I was playing along just to be safe.
"Yea, we do awesome stuff to try to earn our cutie marks," piped up Scootaloo.
"But we ain't got em yet." said a defeated Applebloom.
"Don't worry girls, it will come to you naturally one day."
"Thanks Twilight, but ah don't think we'll ever get our cutie marks."
An idea popped into my head at that moment. "Hey Twilight, how about I hang out with the Crusaders today and try to help them figure out their talents?"
"Great idea Dylan!" Exclaimed Twilight. "Maybe you can finally convince them how blind they are to their real talents," she whispered to me, "and end their silly antics."
Wow, never would have believed Twilight thought that way about them. "Ok," I whispered back, "I'll see what I can do."
"Good, now have fun you four."
"And keep watch over mah sis will yah." Added in Applejack.
"Ok, see you all later, and I will Applejack." I said while waving to them goodbye. Turning to the crusaders I saw wonder and curiosity in their eyes. Ugh, here we go again.
"So, what kind ah creature are yah anyhow?" Asked Applebloom.
"Well, I'm what would be called a human." Seeing that each crusader was going to open their mouths I continued, "before you ask, no I am not from Equestria, I came here while dreaming in my own world one night and flip-flop between them when I sleep yada yada."
Seeing as their mouths firmly shut after that I grinned knowing that I had foreseen the overly asked question. "So, what were you all planning to do today anyhow?"
"Well," started Scootaloo, "we were going to try to give applebucking another try, but I wanna learn that thing you were doing earlier. It look pretty cool, though not as cool as Rainbow Dash."
"Oh, you mean my archery?"
"Yea that!"
"I don't know if ponies are even able to do it."
"Well why the hay not?" asked Applebloom.
"Well, maybe it's because we don't have fingers like him or Spike," chimed in Sweetie Bell.
"Oh, ah wasn't thinking about that."
"Well, can you show us again?"
"Sure Scootaloo, do you mind setting up a target for me?"
"No problem!"
Scootaloo zipped over to the nearest apple tree and grabbed an apple from the lowest branch. She zipped over the the dead tree I was shooting at earlier and placed the apple on top. Damn, she could move fast. I positioned myself about a hundred yards away.
"Girls, I would stand behind me in case the arrow goes off corse."
The fillies shuffled behind me peeking around at what i was about to do. I notched an arrow and took aim. Releasing I string, the arrow flew straight and true hitting it's mark dead center.
"Wow," the three fillies behind me said in unison.
"It wasn't that impressive, was it."
"That was awesome!" Scootaloo said. "How'd you hit such a small target from so far way?"
"It was nothing really, I've just been doing this a long time."
"Have yah eva tried hitting ah moving target?" asked Applebloom.
"Yea, I can do that."
As soon as i spoke those words Scootaloo was gone and back in a second with another apple in her hand. Great, now I had to show them this too.
"Ok, I'll do it once, but then we got to work on getting your cutie marks. Unless you decided not to get them at all."
"Oh no, we still want to get our cutie marks," said Sweetie Bell, "but we just want to see your talents first."
"Ok." I better not tell them about my newfound ability with magic.
"Hey Scoots, you better let me throw that apple," said Applebloom, "ah got a better arm than you."
"Fine, here." Scootaloo look a little disappointed, but she saw Applebloom's point.
"Ok, Applebloom, throw when I say go ok."
"Ok!"
I got my arrow notched and ready. "Ok. GO!" Applebloom threw the apple with all her might. Dang, she had an arm that would put a major league baseball outfielder to shame. I kept my sight on the apple, and right when it was about to hit the peak of it's rise I let the arrow lose. The arrow sailed through the air and hit it's target once more, bringing another wow from the three fillies behind me.
"You're really good at that," said Sweetie Bell, "I bet that if you were a pony, your talent would be in archery."
"Or magic if I was a unicorn," I thought to myself.
"Wait here while I retrieve my arrows." I walked over to the dead tree and pulled my two arrows from the apples. I had to walk around a little bit to find the third one, but I eventually found in stuck in the side of an apple tree. I walked back over to the Crusaders to see them huddled up in a circle.
"So, um, what all you all talking 'bout?"
Noticing that I was back their little circle quickly formed into a half-circle with six eyes looking strait at me.
"We decided we're gonna show yah our clubhouse." Said Applebloom.
"Yea, just in case you ever want to find us again." Added Scootaloo.
"We're usually there everyday unless we're out trying to earn our cutie marks." Sweetie Bell ended.
"I'd love to see your clubhouse."
"Ok, follow us then." Said Applebloom.
We walked in what in what I presumed was the direction South. After walking a little bit, and stumbling through some bushes, I saw the clubhouse. It was a lot more cool looking in person than threw a television screen. Yet something seemed off. It seemed bigger and had more stuff than when I've seen it on the show. A tire swing hanging from one of the corners, and what looked like a launch pad with rings in a rainbow pattern.
"Hey, Applebloom, how long have you guys had this clubhouse for?"
"Oh, about three years now."
"Wait, it's been three years since you've been trying to get your cutie marks?"
"Well, yeah, ah suppose so."
Ok, that officially blew my mind. The series was only on the air for two years in my world. I have to find out more about this pronto.
"Ok, so I really need to know, how old are all of you."
"Well, I'm ten!" Said Scootaloo.
"I'm also ten." Added Sweetie Bell.
"I'm the oldest at eleven." Ended Applebloom
"Yea, by like, two weeks," said Scootaloo huffing.
"I guessing then that fillies usually get their cutie marks around the age of seven to eight then."
"That's right," answered Sweetie Bell, "but we haven't gotten ours yet. Twilight just says that our we haven't truly discovered our talents but that we have some. I think she's just trying to get our hopes up for nothing." Sweetie Bell deflated a little after she stooped talking, along with the other two Crusaders.
"Man," I thought, "I know what their talents should be just be watching the show. I also know that they never believe that that's their talent if someone tells them." I face palmed from my thoughts on this dilemma, getting the attention of the crusaders.
"What was the facehoof, ah I mean palm, for?" Asked Scootaloo.
"Oh, nothing," I answered smiling, "how about you show me that clubhouse now?"
We walked up into the clubroom and I gasped. It was really organized and spacious on the inside. I didn't even have to duck at all, except when walking through the door.
"So, what's the landing area for?" I asked even though I could guess what it was for.
Scootaloo's eyes got really big and started to sparkle. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell just facehoofed.
"That's for the greatest flyer in all of Equestria!" started a very enthusiastic Scootaloo, "Rainbow the only pegasus to ever to do a sonic rainboom. We hold a Rainbow Dash fan-club here every week just to talk about how awesome she is. Sometimes she drops by to talk to us, and that why the landing is there."
"Ok. So, now that i've seen your clubhouse, what were your plans on getting your cutie marks. Maybe I could help."
Applebloom was the first to speak up. "We were going to help out with the animals over at Fluttershy's and see if we could get a veterinarian cutie marks."
I let out a mental sigh of relief. Thank the gods we're not doing some crazy thing that would of involved some crazy task like sky diving or something. Wait, Fluttershy's, I could test out that spell I was reading about last night.
"Does Fluttershy know about this?"
"Yes, she does," answered Sweetie Bell, "I talked to her about it a few day ago, and she reminded me this morning."
"Ok then. Then how about I show you something else I can do that will knock your manes off?"
I took the six bulging eyes of wonder as a yes. "Ok, let's go outside and we can be at Fluttershy's in a heartbeat."
We walked outside of the clubhouse into a the small clearing before it. "Ok, gather around me." I pictured a mental image of Fluttershy's cottage with the four of us in front of it in my mind before raising my hands. Slowly, a blue energy wrapped around the three fillies and myself. I felt a sudden jolt and opened my eyes. We were outside of Fluttershy's cottage, just as I pictured it.
"Did we just teleport?" asked a dumbfounded Applebloom, "From the farm?"
"Uh, yea, is it that big of a deal? I though Twilight has teleports you guys around before."
"Well, sure she has, but never that far before." Sweetie Bell answered, "I don't think I've seen anypony teleport that far."
"It wasn't all that far, only about a mile or so, right?"
"That was AWESOME!" Scootaloo shouted completely ignoring my question.
"A mile is quick a distance," Sweetie Bell answered me after Scootaloo's interruption, "especially when teleporting four ponies."
"Don't you mean three fillies and a human?" I asked.
"Oh, right."
"Well hello everpony," came a sudden entrance from Fluttershy, "I glad to see that you three made it. Come along now, we have a lot to do."
I let out a little cough to let Fluttershy know that I was there too.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry Dylan. I didn't notice you there."
"It's ok Fluttershy."
"Oh, please don't be mad."
"I'm not mad." Seriously, who could be mad at a face like that.
"Ok then," Fluttershy said finally coming out of her shy shell, "so, what are you doing here anyways?"
"He's here to help us get our cutie marks!" Answered Scootaloo for me. "Now lets go!"
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS VETERINARIANS!" The three fillies said in unison before bolting off to the rear of Fluttershy's cottage.
"Oh, dear, wait for me girls."
"This is going to be a long day."
Several Hours Later
"That, was, um, good girls."
"But we didn't earn our cutie marks." Said a defeat Sweetie Bell.
"Maybe taking care of animals, or wrestling them," I looked strait at Scootaloo on that one, "isn't your thing."
"Then what is?"
"I don't know, but it's late, and you three should be getting home."
"Do we have too?" Asked Applebloom as she yawned.
"That yawn answers your question. Come along now I'll teleport you all back home."
"Ok." The three said in unison, yet Scootaloo had a weird look on her face.
We said our goodbyes and thanks to Fluttershy for dealing with us. I first teleported to the Boutique to drop off Sweetie bell. As soon as we appeared Rarity ran outside to collect her sister and ask me about my teleportation. I told her it was just another spell I picked up. We said out goodbyes to them before I teleported Applebloom and Scootaloo back to the barn. Applejack was waiting for us and asked us how the animals went. Applebloom answered that it didn't go so well.
As Applebloom and Applejack were talking Scootaloo came up to me and whispered, "can you just teleport me back to the clubhouse?"
"Sure," I whispered back. Now I know why Scootaloo had the weird look on her face before. I decided I would talk to her about it back at the clubhouse.
We said out goodbyes to the apple family and I teleported back to the clubhouse.
"Thanks," Scootaloo said, "I don't want my friends to worry about me."
"What's wrong," I asked even though I knew the answer, "don't want to go home quiet yet?"
"That's just it, I don't have a home to go to."
Bam, it hit me that all those fan-fictions weren't just fully made up. Scootaloo didn't really have a home.
"Were do you sleep at night?"
"In the clubhouse."
"Isn't it cold though?"
"Not really."
"Aren't you lonely?"
"No."
"Really."
"No, I'm not lonely."
"Really Scootaloo, you can't fool me."
"Ok, yes, it is." Scootaloo started to cry.
I sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her next. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry."
"It's ok," she said through her tears.
"Come here." She scooted in closer and I tighten my grip around her. "If you want I can camp out here with you tonight if you want. Keep you some company."
Her eyes sprang open at my offer. "Really?" She asked, "You would do that even though we just met today?"
"Yea, I would," I said looking strait into her eyes letting her know I was serious. "I can't let you stay here by yourself. I just tell Twilight that I'm going to try to help you get a camping cutie mark or something like that."
"YEA!" She seemed a lot happier than just a minute ago.
"I'll be right back ok."
"Ok"
I teleported to the library, scaring Twilight silly that I could. I let her know what was going on and it didn't seem like she suspected a thing. I gathered some clothing, two warm blankets, and some other camping stuff that Twilight provided. I said my goodnight and goodbyes and was back at the clubhouse.
"That was fast," commented Scootaloo on my quick journey.
"I told you, now lets get some sleep. I'm tired."
"Fine by me."
We walked up into the clubhouse. Scootaloo light the lantern that was in the room as I readied the beds.
"Um, if it's ok, can I sleep with you?" Scootaloo asked.
I was taken back by this, "Uh, ok, but why?"
"I haven't fallen asleep for a while know that someone was there with me. I just want to know you won't leave me."
Ok, that melted, broke, and destroyed my heart with sadness I just couldn't say no. "Ok, come on."
Scootaloo climbed into the same bed but under her sheet. I acted as fatherly as possible making it seem a lot less awkward with me. I turned off the lantern and we lied their in darkness. Then it hit me.
"Hey, Scootaloo."
"Yea."
"Is this the reason you follow Rainbow Dash so much. Is that you see your friends with sisters and you want one too?"
There was a brief silence before she answered.
"Yea, I just want to know that I can go to somepony that would comfort me like Rarity to Sweetie Bell, or Applejack to Applebloom."
"You want me to talk to Dash for you tomorrow. Knowing her she might be thrilled to have you.
"Really, you would do that for me?"
"Yea, what are friends for?"
"Thanks Dylan." That was the last thing Scootaloo said before falling asleep.
I stayed up for about another ten minutes or so thinking while feeling the warmth and breathing of the pony beside me. I decided that I would see Dash first thing in the morning and talk to her so I could get back to Scootaloo before the day was out. After my thinking I slowly drifted to sleep, calmed by the regular breathing of Scootaloo. My eyes shut and the world tuned out around me, signaling my return to Earth of the night.
-------------------
Sorry it's later then I posted before. I got caught up on the final part with writer's block so it got to my editor a little later than I hoped. Before anyone asks, no, nothing will happen between Scootaloo and me. I am just acting as the fatherly figure she truly deserves. Yes, I know this chapter might seem a little rushed, but hey, if I really wanted to put everything in that I truly wanted to, it would have been about 4 times in length. It was also cut down because of the later chapter vote, so expect more from the Crusaders later in the story, a lot more.
Once again, even though I now have an editor, and he agreed with the cutting down, I encourage you all to look for any errors we didn't catch. Also, the chapters are getting steady longer if you haven't noticed and I don't think that will change anytime soon. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to comment. I LOVE THE FEEDBACK!