Chapter 41
The Three Little Fillies and the Big Bad Cutie Mark
“Did... Did we really just see a cutie mark burn right through a pair of pants?” Sweetie Belle asked in a hushed tone.
“Ah... Ah don’t know, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom replied, eyeing the doorway worriedly. “How is that even possible? Aren’t cutie marks just meant ta show the rest of the world what yer special talent is? They don’t have any added effects, do they?” She looked at Sweetie Belle.
“What are you asking me for?” Sweetie Belle asked, scratching her leg and looking back at Applebloom.
“No offense, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom explained, walking over to the bedroom door and pushing it so that it only remained slightly ajar. “But yer the unicorn here.”
“That doesn’t mean that I know anything about cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle replied defensively.
“But aren’t cutie marks magic?” Scootaloo asked, before staring at the broken heart drawing that lay at her hooves.
“Well, yeah,” Sweetie Belle replied. “But that doesn’t mean that I know anything about them like that. My magic hasn’t even come in yet!”
“But you know at least something about magic and cutie marks?” Scootaloo asked, rolling her eyes.
“Only what Rarity has showed me. And that’s not much,” Sweetie Belle confessed. “And as far as cutie marks go? I just know what Cheerilee taught us in school. That they appear when a pony finds out what their special talent is.”
“Which is just as much as any of us know,” Scootaloo replied disappointingly.
“I’m sorry! It’s just that-” Sweetie Belle started glaring at her horn.
Scootaloo put a hoof up at Sweetie Belle to stop her from continuing. “It’s not your fault there, Sweetie Belle. Everypony grows at their own pace.” She fluffed her wings before looking up at the little white unicorn. “We’re just asking.”
“I know, it just-” Sweetie Belle looked at the broken heart that she drew. The drawing seemed to be more menacing and darker than she remembered it. “-I don’t know everything about magical things just because I’m a unicorn.” She pushed it away from her and under the nearby covered dresser.
In the mist of the sheets that covered the furniture, giving the vague outlines that lay beneath them, a question started to form. A question that clung to the air like the faint smell of burning fabric that wafted from under the doorway. A question that was dying to get out, that seemed to be scratching at the doors and windows of the three fillies minds. Finally, Scootaloo found she couldn’t stand the silence from her friends.
“Is it possible to earn a-” She swallowed hard and looked around. “bad mark?”
“Scootaloo!” Applebloom scolded her friend.
“What? I’m just saying,” Scootaloo began as she glared at her own drawing of the broken heart, right Sweetie Belle’s. “I mean old Mare Withersworth said-”
Applebloom rolled her eyes and waved her hoof at her friend dismissively. “The bad mark is just an old pony’s tale there, Scoots.”
Despite that little bit of self reassurance, the yellow filly couldn’t help but get an uneasy feeling from her own very drawing. All the schoolyard mythologies that had grown up about ‘The Bad Mark,’ where numerous and almost always terrifying. Even drawing the, ‘bad mark’ was said to bring about some sort of misfortune.
“What if it’s not just an old pony’s tale?” Sweetie Belle asked as she bit down on her hoof. “What if it’s really real?”
“Ah seriously doubt it’s a real-” Applebloom’s words were cut off as she heard the door behind the three of them creak open.
“Girls?” Heartbreak’s voice made the three fillies jump in fright.
“Just act natural,” Applebloom whispered as she turned around. “Hey, H.B.!”
Heartbreak looked at the three fillies questioningly. “Are you three alright?” The crusaders broke out into wide smiles.
“Uuhm, yeah!” Scootaloo replied. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Well, not to sound like some over protective mother figure,” She tapped on the door opening it further. “But your door was almost closed. Others might not say anything normally, but with my hoof condition? I can’t really open these doors.” Heartbreak tilted her head and blinked at the girls. “Uhm, are you sure you girls are ok? You look kinda... spooked...”
“We’re just fine!” Applebloom replied before giving Heartbreak a concerned look. “Are ya ok there, H.B.?”
Heartbreak eyes darted back and forth as she hung in the doorway. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Uhm,” Sweetie Belle began awkwardly. “It’s because we heard this really weird sound not too long ago. It sounded like a-”
“A screamer bird!” Scootaloo interjected.
“A screamer bird?” Heartbreak asked blinking.
“Yeah, screamer bird, they’re these weird birds that live out in the Everfree Forest.” Scootaloo explained. “They make a horrible noise that sounds like, well... high pitched screaming.”
“That... That might have been me, girls,” Heartbreak finally admitted rubbing the back of her head. “Rarity was helping me into the pants she made me and well, not only did they rub over my scars wrong, but the inner leg was too tight. It was pinching and chafing in a horribly tight manner.”
“Well, there’s one mystery solved girls,” Applebloom replied.
“Was there another mystery needing to be solved?” Heartbreak asked in a bemused manner.
“Uhm, actually?” Scootaloo began. “I thought I smelled something burning.”
Heartbreak’s eyes went wide for a moment and her ears drooped quickly. “Oh, that. Rarity turned on that old sewing machine? And a part of it was starting to overheat, bad electrical wiring. I was able to unplug it before anything caught fire. But overheating electronics is still something that smells awful.” The three fillies looked at each other questioningly. The tan mare just rolled her eyes and applied her hoof to her face. “Never mind.” She looked around the room awkwardly. “So, I just wanted to make sure that you girls were alright and stuff.”
“Yeah, we’re just peachy!” Scootaloo replied smiling widely and scratching the back of her head.
“Good to hear, Scootaloo...” Heartbreak replied giving the filly a questioning look and she shook her head. “Anyhow, I'm going to clean a little before dinner and you girls are free to stay here and draw. I’m thinking I’m going to start with that bedroom downstairs on the far end of the house. I'm letting you know, just in case you three need anything.”
“Actually, we three were just talkin’ about how we changed our minds about helpin’ ya do some of that cleanin’ there, H.B.!” Applebloom piped up hugging her friends.
“We did?” Scootaloo whispered before Appleboom squeezed her painfully. “Oh yeah! We did.”
Heartbreak cocked her head. “Really? Why the sudden change of heart?”
“Well... it’s just that ya were bein’ so generous in gettin’ us lunch is all.” Applebloom explained waving her hoof. “So we decided that helpin’ ya would be our way of returnin’ the favor!”
“I see what’s going on here...” Heartbreak’s eyes narrowed at the three fillies and they looked at each other nervously. “Girls...” She began.
“Yes, H.B.?” Scootaloo asked swallowing hard.
She sighed and closed her eyes, looking as if she was trying to calm herself down. “You shouldn’t try to make each other feel guilty over what Scootaloo said earlier. Not everyp-p-pony likes to draw.”
Scootaloo tried very hard not to face-hoof, before giving a mock glare at Applebloom. “Yeah! I told you she didn’t think I did anything wrong!”
Heartbreak’s head tilted to her left as she looked at the mess of papers on the floor. “Though I am glad you did do some drawings while I was gone.”
“Ah’m sorry there, Scoots,” Applebloom apologized rubbing the back of her head. “Ah just thought that H.B. took it a bit harder than ah thought. No hard feelins?”
“Ha! No hard feelings,” Scootaloo replied.
Heartbreak’s eyes widened a bit and she smirked at the three while covering her face before coughing. “Right,” her voice squeaked out. “So, I am still going to be downstairs cleaning that room. I would start with the master bedroom, but Rarity is currently using that to make me some more overwear.”
“H.B., we can still help ya if ya want us ta,” Applebloom said looking up at the tan mare.
Heartbreak backed away slightly. “Uhm, only if you three really want to. There’s a lot of dust and cobwebs to get at, and then there’s the sheets... geez, those are going to be a pain to get.”
“All the more reason for you to have some help!” Sweetie Belle said jumping up.
“Alright,” Heartbreak replied smirking. “The first thing you three can do to is put those pencils and papers, along with your drawings, back in my saddlebags.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I said, I’m going to be downstairs starting on that one far bedroom. Still haven’t got a real good look at what’s all in there.”
“We’ll be down there in a bit, H.B!” Applebloom replied cheerfully.
Heartbreak’s questioning look stayed on her face before she shook her head. “Alright, just don’t go rooting around in my saddlebags please.” She said walking out of the doorway and downstairs. “And after we’re done cleaning - We’ll have some dinner.”
The three fillies let out a collective sigh as they heard Heartbreak’s hoof steps reach the bottom of the stairs.
“Why did we just agree to that?!” Scootaloo exclaimed in a low voice.
Applebloom chewed on her lower lip. “‘Cause, ah want to get a closer look at that cutie mark,” she finally replied.
“Why would you want to do that?!” Sweetie Belle responded. “If that’s a bad mark, who knows what it can do!”
“Exactly,” Applebloom replied.
“I’m confused,” Sweetie Belle replied, blankly.
“I think I get it,” Scootaloo said looking thoughtful. “This could be our one and only time to actually see what a ‘bad mark’ looks like! What it really does, and maybe how to... uhm... Avoid getting one?”
“That’s what ah was thinkin’ there, Scoots,” Applebloom replied tapping her chin. “But ah want ta be sure that’s what we’ve actually found, just in case. We don’t wanna just go askin’ her about it. So Ah’m thinkin’, we might have ta be a bit sneaky-like about it.”
“Like ninjas?” Scootaloo asked excitedly. “Cause I would totally want to get a ninja cutie mark!” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. Sometimes Scootaloo had her blinders on too tight, only seeing what was in front of her.
“What Applebloom means is... well,” she paused and looked thoughtful.
“She started ta lie really fast,” Applebloom said frowning as she started to pick up the loose pencils and papers. “An' Applejack is always tellin’ me that honesty is the best policy. If we want ta know more about a bad mark? Ah don’t think H.B. is going ta be very forthcomin’ with any answers. Like ah said, we might have ta be sneaky about this.”
Scootaloo opened Heartbreak’s saddle bag and allowed Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to neatly place the papers and pencils there within. “Yeah! Like I said! Ninjas...” She said striking an exaggerated pose.
Applebloom rolled her eyes and smirked at her friend. “Yeah, like ninjas.”
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When you’re bored and have nothing to do, your mind will find something for you to do. Humans are funny like that. Our brains actually need stimulation. In fact, the worst forms of punishment aren’t being stuck with needles, crushed under rocks or slowly drowned.
It’s being left alone.
Stuck in solitary confinement, being deprived of interaction, or even being forced to be alone without anyone or anybody, or in my current situation, anypony or being to talk to.
Standing in the sheet laden room that’s decorated in cobwebs and a thin layer of dust. I’m left to contemplate these things as I assess what needs to be done. I have to think about them, otherwise I will be thinking about... it.
I’ve never thought to cover the branding on my flank. I mean, ponies walk around nearly naked all the time. If I didn’t know about, ‘overwear,’ I would still be assuming that they were always naked. And most all the time, even if they are wearing clothing? They have something to show what their cutie mark is.
I push my hoof against a large sheet that is covering the bed of this room in a vain, hopeful attempt that it will slide off. I sigh because my expectations about it not coming down are met. Alright, let’s try this again. Pulling down a sheet off the bed, I’m greeted with a flouring of dust and small debris. I shake them off along with them the blanket. Looking down, I see that my hat has decided to join the mix.
“Oh well,” I think to myself. “Not like there is anyone here to see my ears.” The coolness from the surrounding air feels good as it runs through my mane. One of the hazards of wearing hats, trapped heat and sweat from daily activities. Another hazard is the fact that if you wear a hat months at a time without washing it? It grows ... funky. Smells vaguely like mushrooms and pool water. Ugh...
“Not going to make that same mistake with this hat,” I mutter out loud. My mind keeps reaching back to what exactly happened not too long ago. Fuck you brain. Seriously, why? Fine, you want to pick apart of what just happened? It’s really easy to understand. I glare at the black broken heart on my ass.
“Really easy to understand. Everything you were fearing about this thing? Most likely true. It’s alive. And it doesn’t want to be covered.” I take a deep breath, recalling exactly what the sensation of the burning felt like. It was a sudden, quick and painful. I was fighting so hard not to scream. I sure that it must have shocked Rarity to see me shrug the whole ordeal off like it was nothing, but on the inside? I was screaming and crying. It feels so fucking unfair that these things keep happening to me. These series of unfortunate events.
But. I’m getting sorta used to these ‘events’ happening. The Ides of March left me heartbroken at the beginning of all this when I had my gender switched and told that I was too unstable to live. April showers brought the Creativi-Tea event and a trip into my own mind. May flowers bloomed and back on the farm I learned about the fact that I can’t use my hooves or change my name. And this month has shown me that I can kill some kinds of plants and have a horrible branding that can depress and burn things. These things aren’t escalating as much as building upon each other. Well, at least I hope they aren’t escalating. Celestia wouldn’t allow me to live if they were. But I’m almost expecting things like this. Just one more thing that I have to put up with.
I run my hoof through my mane and take a deep breath before coughing a bit on the dust.
I know I’m taking this in the best stride that I can, but fuck, there is a part of me that wants to go and hide in a small corner and just cry or wants to scream or maybe just wants to curse at the sky and shout profanities at the Nine. And just for good measure? Yell at the empty sky while pretending to unleash my bile and vitriol at Celestia.
“Hey, H.B.!” Appleblooms all too cheerful voice jarrs me out of my thoughts. The three little fillies are standing in the doorway with big smiles and bright eyes. Fuck, there’s a jarring emotional state. Then again? I could use some fucking pony mind bleach here. ... Alright, maybe, ‘fucking,’ wasn’t the best word to use here. But pony mind bleach could be very useful here. “We took care of the pencils and our drawin’s.”
“And now there’s nothing to fear because now we’re here to help you in-” Scootaloo swallows hard and looks around.“-cleaning.” Seriously? A filly like that who has faced some of the more horrifying things in Equestria is afraid of cleaning? Then again? I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s just one more little trope to add to the list of tropes in this world. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle just roll their eyes and give their friend a look.
“So! Where ya want us ta start?” Applebloom asks, plucking my hat from out of the sheets.
I’m not terribly sure I like the idea of ordering the C.M.C. around to do what is obviously my job. Well, it isn’t a job as much as it’s something that I need to get done. Well- Shut up brain!
“H.B.?”
Looking over in the direction of her voice, I get a twitch of, ‘d’aww!’ Applebloom is wearing my hat. It looks weird with the bow in back, but it’s almost fitting considering that her voice actress actually broke a drill sergeant’s cap one time. I think it was one of those... I can’t quite recall.
“You can start by putting that hat back on my head,” I reply, snirking and bowing my head. “I kinda feel wrong without it. And I guess... we’ll start by folding up this sheet?” A moment later I feel it doffed up on my head.
“Not a problem there, H.B.!” Applebloom says in a commanding voice. “Alright girls let’s hop to it!”
I shouldn’t be terribly confused about this. It’s just that I didn’t think that these three would take to helping me clean with such gusto all of a sudden. But on the other hand... They’ve been rather bipolar about it all themselves. Wanting to help me at one moment, moaning and groaning about it the next. But these are three little fillies we are talking about here. Not to mention the C.M.C. They are hyperactive, have short attention spans, and almost always sticking their noses into something they shouldn’t.
My sigh turns into a chuckle as I watch the three of them start to tackle on the mighty sheet monster that lays on the floor.
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Applebloom watched as her friends jumped to attention and attempted fold up the sheet that lay on the floor. Just like she expected, the scene seemed to be providing a perfect distraction. Heartbreak seemed to be fighting an urge to giggle as the two fillies tussled about and tugged, trying to find the best way to fold the sheet up.
“Girls, I really don’t think that’s the way you fold a sheet,” Heartbreak said through a bit of laughter.
“Don’t worry there, H.B.,” Applebloom said walking towards her friends. “Ah’ll get these two ruffians ta behave!” She pulled the sheet off the two feuding fillies before trying to stretch it out on the floor.
Heartbreak rolled her eyes. “Sure you will, Applebloom. While you’re doing that I’m going to pull down a few more sheets. Just... Don’t hurt yourselves.” She quickly turned away while obviously failing to hold in a laugh. Applebloom directed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to either side of the sheet.
“Sure thing, H.B.!” Applebloom replied saluting her.
Heartbreak pulled down a sheet down from the windows before turning and looking at the little filly. As she did so, the sheet came toppling down on her head. In a comical manner, she began to stumble about in an attempt to remove it off her head.
“So?” Scootaloo whispered holding a bit of the sheet in her mouth.
“Ah think what ya heard from Mars was right. H.B. is a sucker for a cute face.” Applebloom muttered.
“If that’s the case?” Sweetie Belle pulled her side to meet up with Scootaloo's. “I have an idea. But we’re going to need another sheet.”
“Girls! Help!” Heartbreak finally shouted in a voice that was mixed with both laughter and panic.
“Ah don’t think that’s gonna be a problem, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom replied with a smile on her face. “Follow ma lead.” She walked over to Heartbreak who was still trapped under the sheet and pulled it off the mare in a large arc that caused it to fall upon Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
Heartbreak coughed and wiped her face off before adjusting her hat. “Thank you, Applebloom. I didn’t mean-” She sighed as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started to tussle under the sheet. “Great. Here we go again.” She grimaced as her teeth clattered together as the two fillies pulled the sheet out of her grasp. “Ouch! Darn it, come here you two!”
Applebloom smiled and cautiously walked behind Heartbreak. She craned her head to the side in an attempt to look at the prize before her. “That’s it girls, keep her distracted. Alright, let’s get a good look at-” Just then, a large swath of messy brown flicked and swished over her cutie mark.
“Alright you two,” Heartbreak said catching up with the sheet clad fillies. “Let me get you out of that-” Riiiiiiiiiiiiip! “Darn it...”
“Sorry, H.B!” Heartbreak looked at the origin of the ripping noise only to be greeted oversized green eyes that peered back through roughly torn holes. “It got caught on my horn!” Sweetie Belle looked at the frustration painted on Applebloom’s face as she ducked her head back and forth on either side of Heartbreak’s flanks. She frowned as the tail kept flicking back and forth, thwarting her attempts to study the mark.
“She needs more time!” Sweetie Belle mouthed at Scootaloo. “Are you ready?” A nod was her only response.
“It’s alright girls, it’s only a sheet but really-” Heartbreak jumped back as the sheet monster in front of her began to rise up. “What are you two doing?”
“OoooooooO!” Scootaloo moaned with Sweetie Belle perched on her shoulders. “I am the ghost that lives in this room!”
Heartbreak’s eyebrow quirked as she smirked. “Heh, very funny you two. Come on, I don’t want you getting hurt. Let’s get that-”
“OooooooO!” Sweetie Belle moaned lifting her hooves up. “We’ve come to greet yoooooou! This is oooooour hoooouse!”
Heartbreak started to snicker and chuckle a bit. “Alright, that’s cute, but seriously girls. I know we just got started but the more you play-” She stopped for a moment and looked as if she was going to turn her head back.
“Oooooooo! We see that you have made improooooovements! This pleases us!!” Scootaloo moaned.
Sweetie Belle looked down at her friend. “You made a terrible ghost, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo looked up at her friend and stuck her tongue out. “You try doing something then!”
“Ooooooo! It only pleases ooooone of us!” Sweetie howled. “I for one liked the hooooouse like it was! Toooooniiiight when yooooou are sleeping! We’re going to come and steal yoooour beeeed sheeeeeets!” Heartbreak only responded by laughing.
“That’s not scary!” Scootaloo whispered up at Sweetie Belle.
“Is so! Have you ever tried sleeping without bedsheets?! It feels weird!” Sweetie Belle protested. “You try again!”
“Aaaaand we’ll put bugs and snakes in your bed!!” Scootaloo moaned.
“Scootaloo! That’s just mean,” Sweetie Belle said as she poked her friend.
“Hey! Watch it!” Scootaloo protested while struggling.
“Girls...” Heartbreak said warily as the two began to wobble back towards the bed. “Girls!”
“You watch it!” Sweetie Belle cried back. Suddenly, Scootaloo tripped on the sheet and the two fillies toppled against the bed. Heartbreak rushed up to the bed and looked them over.
“Are you two alright?” She asked between a bit of laughter.
Scootaloo looked at Applebloom who was still ducking and weaving back and forth trying to get a good look at the cutie mark. “Yeah, just fine!”
“Yeah, just fine,” Sweetie Belle remarked rubbing her head. “We had something soft to break our landing.”
“Speak for yourself,” Scootaloo grumbled, picking herself off the ground.
“Applebloom can you-” Heartbreak turned to look at Applebloom who suddenly stopped her behavior. “Uhm... Are you ok?”
Applebloom momentarily looked away. “Uhm, yeah! Ah just thought ah saw some cobwebs in yer tail! Don’t wanna get any spiders on ya,” she said with a big smile on her face.
Heartbreak gave her a questioning look. “Yeah...”
“Yeah, with this close to the Everfree Forest, you might have to worry about glass spiders!” Sweetie Belle chirped.
“That’s good to know there, Sweetie Belle.” Heartbreak replied, still looking at Applebloom questioningly.
“And if we find any? We’ll be sure to squash them flat for you!” Scootaloo stomped her hoof down on the bed. Heartbreak turned and gave a rather unhappy look.
“Please don’t kill any spiders you find in my house, Scootaloo,” she said with a stern look. “I happen to like spiders.”
“Oh.” Scootaloo tilted her head.
“If we find any spiders, we’ll put them in a cup and take them outside then?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yes please.” Heartbreak turned around and sighed as she looked at the state of the room. “Also, thanks girls.”
“For what?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“For seeing that I needed a good laugh,” Heartbreak replied with a weak smile. “The little ghost skit was nice. But now that the silliness is over? Let’s get to actually cleaning this room?”
The three fillies looked at each other, big smiles covering their feelings of guilt.
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It doesn’t take us long to get all the sheets off everything in this room. I mean, after the three of them stop with their horseplay. Heh, horseplay.
The room is in a rather decent state after all the sheets are put away. I could have just tossed them into a closet folded up, but Sweetie Belle was insistent on them being put in a dresser drawer. Which if I don’t want to hear complaints from Rarity come later? Most likely a good idea. Though It strikes me odd that despite the house sitting for so long everything seems to be in rather descent condition.
The girls were pretty much getting into everything and opening anything they could. They found the blankets that go to the bed and then helped me make that bed. It was really nice of them, but at the same time, I still felt annoyed that I couldn't just do this on my own. I mean, for fucks sake, it's making a bed!
By the time that’s all done? I’m starting to feel a wee bit tired. I’m not sure if it is some of the stress of the events that happened today or what. But seriously, I need to get into better shape than this. Sweetie Belle seems to want to do some dusting in this room but upon hearing the clock chime half past six? I’m thinking that we should start dinner.
“Alright girls,” I wipe a bit of sweat from my brow. “Let’s say that we start on dinner?” The three look at each other with some form of worried concern.
“Are you sure you don’t want to do some more cleaning? This room is awfully dusty,” Sweetie Belle asks showing off her cute eyes.
“Girls...” I shake my head at this. Great, they must feel guilty about something, but I’m not sure what exactly. “Unless you want to earn your cutie marks in room service? I suggest that we call this one a day. Besides, we don’t have any Lemon Pledge.”
“Huh?” Applebloom asks scratching her head. The looks of confusion on their faces is just priceless.
“Nothing, let’s just go see what Rarity bought at the market,” I reply making my way to the kitchen.
On the table there’s the, ‘bounty’ that Rarity gathered from the market while the girls and I were eating. I wondered what took her so long in actually joining us.
“Let’s see what we got here... Fruit and veggie platter. Carrots, celery, cucumbers, apple slices aaaand a jar of peanut butter,” I glare at the jar of peanut butter. I really don’t have to go into how much I miss my fingers. Fuck it. I’m going to try opening it. I don’t care that my hooves have failed for opening doors, picking things up or practically everything else. I’m going to try it. Watch out! Here I go!
=====================================================================
“Well, that was a total failure...” Applebloom muttered as Heartbreak left the room.
“Seriously?” Scootaloo asked. “You didn’t get a good look at her mark once?”
“Not with her tail swishin’ about an’ coverin’ it all the time!” Applebloom grumbled.
Scootaloo rubbed her temples and threw up her hooves looking mind boggled. “But we were in that room cleaning like forever!”
“We’ll if ya think it was so easy, maybe you should be the one who tries next!” Applebloom griped poking Scootaloo on the chest.
“Girls!” Sweetie Belle put a hoof up to her lips and hushed them. “If we get too loud, she’s going to think that we’re up to something! And aren’t we meant to be ninjas or something like that?”
Applebloom sighed. “Yer right, Sweetie Bell. Ah didn’t mean ta get all upset. It was just so frusteratin’. Ah mean how hard is it ta look at a cutie mark?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and lightly punched her friend on the shoulder. “It’s alright. But I’ll go next and show you how a pro does it!”
Sweetie Belle stopped and looked unnerved. “You’re a pro at looking at cutie marks?”
Scootaloo gacked. “What? No! I mean at being a....” She paused and made a dramatic pose. “Ninja!” Suddenly a frustrated cry came out from the kitchen.
“Giiiiiirls!” Heartbreak’s exhausted voice came. “I need your heeelp!”
“Alright! Let’s do this!” Scootaloo said stretching her limbs and lightly cracking her neck.
“Now!” Heartbreak’s impatient voice called out distressed.
“Comin’ H.B.!” Applebloom called back. She turned and looked at Scootaloo. “Just remember ta make it look like we’re not lookin’, Scoots. We don’t wanna get caught.”
“Pffft! What kind of ninja would I be if I got caught!” Scootaloo replied smirking. “Ninjas never get caught!”
“She’s taking this, ‘ninja’ thing way too seriously,” Sweetie Belle muttered rolling her eyes.
“Tell me about it,” Applebloom said turning into the kitchen.
“Ugh!!” Heartbreak shouted exasperatedly.
“What’s the matter there H.B.?” Applebloom asked before spotting the problem that sat upon the kitchen table.
Heartbreak threw her head back in frustration. “Stupid peanut butter jar!” As she glared at the object of her hatred, her mane formed frazzling curls.
“You’re having trouble with a jar of peanut butter?” Scootaloo asked. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle almost jumped as Heartbreak snorted, her eye twitching slightly. “Oh, right.” The filly chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. “I forgot about your hooves...”
Heartbreak took several deep breaths. “It’s alright, Scootaloo. Every so often I work myself into a tizzy over things like this... I hope you girls didn’t think I was snapping at you or anything. I was just really hoping... Never mind.”
“Don’t ya worry a thing about it there, H.B.!” Applebloom said stepping forward and spitting on her hooves before rubbing them together. “Ah’ll take care of that pesky jar?” She smiled and hopped up onto one of the tables chairs.
Heartbreak sighed looking at her hooves before pushing the jar over. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
“It’d be ma pleasure!” Applebloom said winking at her friends.
“Is there anything that I can do to help?” Sweetie Belle piped up looking at the assortment of fruits and vegetables contained in a round plastic tray.
“Well...” Heartbreak coughed. “If you could get that open? That’d be peachy. We’re going to have pretty much a rather poor meal if you ask me. Really light on... anything. But I guess any food is better than no food. Going to really have to stock up on foodstuffs tomorrow, I guess.”
Scootaloo slowly edged up to Heartbreak’s side hoping she wouldn’t take notice. The mare was watching Sweetie Belle struggling with the plastic cover on the veggy tray, while Applebloom carefully opened the jar of peanut butter. The mare’s flank was almost right in plain view. “Alright, not a sound! Just have to-”
“Scootaloo,” Heartbreak turned sharply.
The little filly jumped and gave Heartbreak a wide smile. “Yes, H.B?”
“You know where the utensils are?” She asked tapping her chin. “We’re going to need a knife to spread the peanut butter.”
“Spread it?” Sweetie Belle asked just as her struggles paid off and the plastic lid popped off.
“Yeah, celery sticks and peanut butter go great together. And apple slices too.” Heartbreak mused.
“Rarity isn’t a fan of peanut butter,” Sweetie Belle said looking over at Scootaloo momentarily. “She says that...” She paused while Scootaloo resumed trying to catch a glance of Heartbreak’s flank. “That it sticks to the roof of her mouth and is terribly fattening.”
“She would say something like that, now wouldn’t she? To which I say,” Heartbreak stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. “Peanut butter is great.” She held up a hoof. “Unless you have allergies. Wait... Do any of you have allergies?”
“None that ah know of,” Applebloom said looking over at Heartbreak. “Huh, there’s this here white paper cover on the jar. Do ya want me ta get that too?”
Heartbreak snorted and looked like she was fighting the urge to say something. “Yes please, Applebloom. Otherwise? It’s going to be very hard to get at the peanut butter."
Scootaloo slowly turned her head back towards the prize of her desire. “That’s right girls. Keep her busy while I take a peek...” Just as she did so, Heartbreak’s tail flipped up to cover the mark.
“What about you, Scootaloo?” Heartbreak asked looking down.
“Huh?!” Scootaloo yelped nearly jumping away.
Heartbreak reacted by looking at her tail. “What? Is there an actual spider in my tail!?” She began to hoof around through the mess of brown hair.
“I thought you liked spiders,” Sweetie Belle said attempting to get the mare’s attention again.
“I do like spiders,” Heartbreak replied attempting to straighten her tail. “But there is a difference between looking at them and having them on you. Huh. Looks like I’m clean. So, Scoots,” She paused. “You don’t mind if I call you, ‘Scoots,’ do you?”
“I don’t see why not! All my friends do!” Scootaloo took a deep breath. “Geez, that was a close one. Calm down, it’s only been a few minutes! There’s plenty of time to get a good look!” A ripple of emotion waved across Heartbreak’s face and she coughed.
“Somethin’ wrong there, H.B.?” Applebloom asked pulling the cover off the peanut butter.
“Huh? What?” Heartbreak rubbed her eyes. “Nope, just fine. Had some dust in my eyes. Right, like I was asking. You don’t have any allergies, do you, Scoots?”
“Uhm,” Scootaloo blinked. “What the hay is that about?” She shrugged and pretended to look thoughtful. “None that I know of.”
“What about you, H.B.?” Sweetie Belle asked tapping on Heartbreak’s shoulder. “Do you have any allergies?”
“Glad to know it. Mind getting that knife?” Heartbreak turned back to Sweetie Belle. “Hmmm, I can only think of one allergy. Kind of serious, and kind of not. It’s one of those allergies that I never really got checked out. It’s actually nut based.”
“Yeah, no problem!” Scootaloo replied zipping to the drawer and pulling out a butter knife.
“Really?!” Applebloom said covering the peanut butter jar with her hoof.
“Thank you, Scoots. Oh, don’t worry. It’s not peanut based. It’s actually sunflower seeds. Really weird too seeing that sunflower oil is like in most everything.” Heartbreak said dismissively.
“It is?” Sweetie Belle asked raising her eyebrows at Scootaloo.
“Yeah. I don’t have any problems with the oil, just the whole kernels.” Heartbreak answered. “The only reason I actually know about this allergy is because there was this one time I was given a whole salad by somep-p-pony and it was practically nothing but sunflower kernels. Took a few bites of that and my nose started to itch.”
“Just an itchy nose?” Applebloom inquired pulling her hoof away from the jar. She sniffed the air and smelled the distinct aroma of peanut butter. Peanut butter that was now covering her fetlock.
Scootaloo snuck over to Heartbreak’s other side and eased her way next to Sweetie Belle, her eyes glancing down. “Alright, let’s try this again! You can do it Scoots! You are a ninja! You are a-” Suddenly Heartbreak’s tail flopped over her mark again. “What?! Seriously!”
Heartbreak’s ears drooped more under her hat. “Well... First there was the itchy nose. Then there was the sneezing. Really bad sneezing. And then it was followed by something you girls would find just gross...”
“And what was that?” Scootaloo asked, pretending to be part of the conversation.
“I'm not sure I should tell you girls,” Heartbreak replied giving a look of disgust. “Oh! And plates. We need plates. You girls found some plates when you were messing around my kitchen earlier, right?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Good, Scoots, you mind getting those as well... please?”
“Uhm, sure...” The young pegasi zipped over to a cabinet and pulled out a few plates. “And you don’t have to worry about grossing us out! We’re young fillies,” she replied waving her hoof dismissively. “We’ve dealt with all sorts of disturbing, gross and nasty things! Right, girls?”
“Well, I guess it would be a good idea to tell you three, just in case it happens again. Can’t be too careful right?” Heartbreak watched the two others nod their heads in agreement. “Right, well, I was sneezing so hard it seems, that there was blood in my mucus.” The three fillies looked rather horrified for a moment.
“Blood?!” Sweetie Belle asked squirming and making a disgusted face.
“Hey, you three wanted to know,” Heartbreak replied. “It wasn’t horrible blood... but it was still disturbing that it was there.” She rubbed her ankle awkwardly. “So! How about we make supper for you all! Who wants to spread the peanut butter?”