Applebloom yawns and sits up. She gets out of bed and flaps her wings. She walks quietly down the stairs. Suddenly, Applejack pops up.
"Hey, Applebloom! We decided to cook you an appletastic breakfast! Eat up, sugarcube!" greets Applejack. Applebloom sighs. She gobbles up her food and gallops out the door. Applejack runs after her.
"Ya need anythin' else, Sugarcube?" Applejack asks. Applebloom whips around, a scowl on her face.
"I DO NOT NEED ANYTHING! You are SO protective. I would appreciate it if you would just BACK OFF! I hope I NEVER see you AGAIN!" yells Applebloom, stomping her hoof. With that, she flies off, leaving Applejack in the dust.
Tears well up in Applejack's eyes.
"Mah own sista," she says. She runs off, crying.
Applebloom lands outside of Rarity's shop and rings the doorbell with her hoof. Rarity magics open the door.
"Good morning, Applebloom! Sweetie Belle is still asleep. I tried to wake her, but to no avail. Maybe you can manage to wake her," greets Rarity,
"Morning, Rarity. I'll try," replies Applebloom. She flies upstairs and crashes into Sweetie Belle's room. Sweetie Belle sits up, startled. Applebloom shakes her head and stands up.
"C'mon, Sweetie Belle. We need to go check on Scootaloo," says Applebloom. The two crusaders race out of Rarity's shop towards Ponyville Urgent Care.
"Is Scootaloo okay?" bugs Applebloom. Nurse Redheart nods her head and brings the crusaders into the wing. Scootaloo is sitting up in bed.
"Sweetie Belle! Applebloom!" she calls. She jumps off of the bed and hugs her friends.
"Scootaloo, take it easy," says Nurse Redheart as she wraps a bandage around Scootaloo's hoof.
"What happened, Scootaloo?" asks Sweetie Belle.
"Apparently I sleep walked last night and I tripped over something. It's just a tiny sprain, that's all. Nurse Redheart, when can I take this bandage off?" replies Scootaloo.
"Tomorrow. Have fun, cutie mark crusaders!" says Nurse Redheart, "and remember, Scootaloo, no galloping today!" The crusaders fly off.
"Scootaloo, we wished you were with us yesterday! We went to Canterlot and got to see Princess Luna and Princess Celestia!" exclaims Applebloom.
"Princess Luna? Was Nightmare Moon already defeated? Did I actually miss it?" asks Scootaloo.
"Princess Luna is not Nightmare Moon this time," explains Sweetie Belle.
"Oh. Do you guys know where Nightmare Moon is right now?" says Scootaloo.
"No," replies Applebloom. The crusaders land, and Scootaloo rubs her hoof. "Are you okay, Scootaloo?" Scootaloo stands up.
"Yeah, I'm okay. It just hurts a little bit to land, that's all," replies Scootaloo. Applebloom pokes Scootaloo's hoof and Scootaloo winces.
"How about you rest for a little bit, Scootaloo. We all need to be in tip top shape to defeat Nightmare Moon," says Applebloom. Scootaloo plops down on the ground. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchange looks. Scootaloo lays down and falls asleep. Applebloom motions with her hoof to Sweetie Belle to follow her. They walk to a quiet spot next to some trees.
"Sweetie Belle, don't you think that something is wrong with Scootaloo? She's acting differently," says Applebloom.
Sweetie Belle nods her head and replies, "You're right. Scootaloo says that it is just a tiny sprain, but it seems like it is really painful. Also, I have never seen a pony fall asleep that fast before."
"Remember when Scootaloo got attacked by Nightmare Moon? That beam of magic seemed pretty deadly to me. I think it might have something to do with that," suggests Applebloom.
All of the sudden, and ominous creaking sound erupts from behind Sweetie Belle, and a tree starts to come crashing down. Sweetie Belle screams. Applebloom instinctivly lifts up her front hooves and holds up the tree like a weight. A cutie mark of a barbel appears on Applebloom's flank.
Sweetie Belle stops cowering when nothing hits her. She stands up and stares at Applebloom in awe.
"Sweetie Belle! Run! I can't hold this much longer!" grunts Applebloom, sweat streaking down her face. Sweetie Belle gallops away. Applebloom lets go off the tree and runs. The tree lands with a thud.
"Applebloom! Your cutie mark! It's a barbell!" exclaims Sweetie Belle. Applebloom spins around and around, trying to get a glimpse of her cutie mark.
Meanwhile, high in the sky, Nightmare Moon glares down at the crusaders.
"That should've killed them," she whispers. She flies off, plotting ways to destroy the crusaders.
"SCOOTALOO! WAKE UP!" yells Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo jolts awake and sits up, startled.
"Look at my cutie mark!" says Applebloom. Scootaloo yawns and trudges over to Applebloom. Her eyes light up when the cutie mark comes into her field of vision.
"Cool! A strength cutie mark!" exclaims Scootaloo. She flies into the air and does a flip, wincing when she lands. "How did you get it?"
"A tree fell on us, and I decided to try and hold it up," explains Applebloom.
"Applebloom, you should go show Applejack! She'll be so proud!" suggests Sweetie Belle.
Applebloom thinks for a moment, then replies, "I think I will. I'll be right back. You guys stay here." She takes off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Scootaloo falls on the ground, exhausted.
"I'm just going to take a little nap," announces Scootaloo. She falls asleep. Sweetie Belle looks at Scootaloo worridly. Oh Celestia, PLEASE let Scootaloo be okay.
Applebloom trots into the house.
"Hey, Applejack!" she calls. Applejack ignores her. "Applejack? Is something wrong?" Applejack begins to walk away. "APPLEJACK! I'm sorry about what I said earlier today. I didn't mean it!"
Just ignore her, thinks Applejack.
Tears come to Applebloom's eyes. She turns around and flies off, crying.
Ah shoulda just forgiven her. She's mah sista, afta all, thinks Applejack. She falls to the floor, sobbing.
Applebloom lands next to Sweetie Belle, tears streaming down her face.
"Applebloom, what's wrong?" asks Sweetie Belle.
"I told Applejack that I never wanted to see her again this morning. I apologized, but she won't talk to me. My own sister. I really regret it," confides Applebloom. She sobs loudly. Sweetie Belle places her hoof on Applebloom's shoulder.
"It'll be okay, Applebloom. She'll forgive you sooner or later," consoles Sweetie Belle. Applebloom sniffs and looks up at Sweetie Belle.
"I hope so," replies Applebloom. The two crusaders hug each other.
Scootaloo rubs her head and sits up.
"What did I miss?" she asks. Sweetie Belle looks at her.
"Scootaloo, are you SURE you're okay?" asks Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo shakes her head vigorously and replies, "I'm POSITIVE that I'm okay." Sweetie Belle sighs and shakes her head.
A dark shadow passes over the crusaders. They look up and see the dark, glowing eyes of Nightmare Moon. She laughs ominously.
"Scootaloo is right. I think she's okay - NOT!" Nightmare Moon laughs again. "You are in no shape to fight me. Come on, just fight me! I haven't got all day!"
"I have to do this," says Scootaloo firmly. Sweetie Belle gasps.
"But you can't! You're hurt!" she says.
"I have to, Sweetie Belle," replies Scootaloo. She takes off and flies at Nightmare Moon, her necklace glowing. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom brace themselves.
A beam of magic shoots out of Scootaloo's necklace and hits Nightmare Moon in the side.
"OW!" she yells. Scootaloo flies higher and higher into the sky until she stops. Now, for my grand finale. She dives towards the ground with tremendous speed. Suddenly, a sonic rainboom occurs. Scootaloo puts her front hooves out and slams right into Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon screams as she crashes into a cliff. Scootaloo pulls up at the right moment and avoids the cliff altogether. She lands on three legs next to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.
"Come on, you guys! Use your elements and we can finish her off for good!" screams Scootaloo. But Sweetie Belle and Applebloom remain frozen in place, their mouths wide open. Scootaloo slaps her forehead with her hoof.
Nightmare Moon collects herself and walks unsteadily towards the crusaders.
"This is not over. I am not defeated yet!" gloats Nightmare Moon. She laughs and flies off. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom finally come to their senses.
"Scootaloo, that was AMAZING! A sonic rainboom! And you even got your cutie mark! A blue lightning bolt!" exclaims Applebloom. Scootaloo turns around to look at her flank and smiles.
"Awesome!" she exclaims. Then Scootaloo rips the wrapping off of her ankle. "And I feel so much better now! I guess a fight with Nightmare Moon was just what the doctor ordered."
"You should go show your parents. We're going home now to rest up for tomorrow. Bye, Scootaloo!" says Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom fly off.
Scootaloo looks down at the ground. They don't know that I have no family.