//------------------------------// // 21. Call of the Cutie // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// The bell rang as all the little fillies and colts hurried to their desks, but even as the day was just getting started they all had something to talk about when… “Let’s quiet down please,” requested the teacher, Cheerilee, a purple earth pony mare with light green eyes and a mane in two shades of light pink, her cutie-mark three smiling flowers. “We have a very important lesson to get to.” Once the class settled down, she approached an easel, saying, “Thank you” before she pulled a paper out of the way showing various symbols. “Today, we are going to be talking about cutie-marks.” “Boring,” muttered a pink filly while Apple Bloom and Twinken were listening closely. “You can all see my cutie-mark, can’t you?” asked Cheerilee. “Like all ponies, I wasn’t born with a cutie-mark.” She showed a photo of herself as a young filly, and said, “My flank… was blank!” “Aww!” said one of the students (with a lisp). “You were stho preciousth!” Cheerilee giggled but went on. “Then one day, when I was about your age, I woke up to find a cutie-mark had appeared!” She showed another picture of herself (with a questionable sense of style), somepony saying, “Look at her hair!” The class laughed, Cheerilee saying, “I know, but honestly! Lots of ponies wore their manes that way back then. I had decided to become a teacher, the flowers symbolizing my hope that I could make all my future students bloom if I nurtured them with knowledge while the smiles represent the cheer I hoped to bring to my little ponies while they were learning. Now, can anyone tell me when a pony gets his or her cutie-mark?” “Oh, oh!” a little white pony with a frizzly red mane and purple glasses raised her hoof. “When she dithscoversth that thcertain sthomething that makesth her sthpecial!” “That’s right, Twist,” Cheerilee said with a smile. “A cutie-mark appears on a pony’s flank when he or she discovers that certain something that makes them different from every other pony. Discovering what makes you unique doesn’t happen overnight.” All the while, Apple Bloom was taking notes when her neighbor, Diamond Tiara kept giving her ‘psst’s until finally she whispered, “What?!” An earth pony fill with a coat pink and styled mane white or light purple, Diamond Tiara held a note to her, and she realized she wanted her to pass it to her other neighbor, a gray earth pony filly with a silver braided mane and glasses, Silver Spoon. Sighing, she grabbed it when… “Apple Bloom!” She froze and dropped the note, Cheerilee demanding, “Are you passing notes? What could be so important that it couldn’t wait until after class?” But then they noticed, “It’s blank!” Diamond Tiara laughed derisively, saying, “Remind you of anypony?” Apple Bloom looked sadly at her blank flank, when she felt a hoof on her shoulder and she realized it was Twinken, giving her an encouraging smile, and she felt a little better. Once class was over, Apple Bloom stepped out, feeling low, Twinken following her. “Hey Apple Bloom, you okay?” “Mm-hmm,” she muttered. “Hi Apple Bloom and Twinken!” They looked to see Twist come up, asking, “Want some peppermint sticks, I made `em myself!” “No thanks,” Apple Bloom muttered, Twinken silently nodding he’d like one. “I don’t know why we had to sit through a lecture about getting a cutie-mark.” Twinken sighed tiresomely, seeing it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as they walked up, the prissy little diva saying, “I mean, waiting for your cutie-mark is so last week.” The two rotten fillies made sure Apple Bloom saw that they had theirs, and both matched their names. Silver Spoon’s cutie-mark being an ornate spoon while Diamond Tiara sported a tiara on her head that matched her cutie-mark exactly, after ordering one custom-made. “You got yours, I’ve just got mine! We all have them already!” Twinken snorted in annoyance when Diamond Tiara snuffed to his face, “I mean, almost all of us have them already! Don’t worry, you three, you’re still totally invited to my cute-ceanera this weekend.” “It’s going to be amazing,” Silver Spoon added as she and Diamond Tiara circled the other three foals. “It’s a party celebrating me and my fantastic cutie-mark. How can it not be?” Then the two prissy fillies did their own thing, “Bump-bump-sugar lump-rump!” “Gimme a break,” Apple Bloom muttered. “See you this weekend…” Silver Spoon said as she and Diamond Tiara then walked away while laughing “Blank flanks!” “Don’t listen to them, girls,” Twinken urged them, “they’re just spoiled brats!” “Don’t mean they’re not wrong…” Apple Bloom muttered as she walked home. “Apple Bloom…” Twinken sighed, Twist saying, “I’m sure she’ll be ok. Sthee you at the party, Twinken!” As Twist left, Twinken felt like he had to do something. “…and then they walked away, calling us blank flanks!” Twinken complained as he walked in front of the library where Midnight was sitting, reading a book Twilight had given him to study. “Oh Twinken, you shouldn’t let a couple prissy fillies get under your coat,” Midnight said, dividing his attention between his little brother and his studying. “Everypony gets their cutie-mark.” “Says the adult blank flank…” muttered Twinken morosely. “I heard that!” “Sorry, big brother,” Twinken apologized. “But I understand how Apple Bloom feels, I want my cutie-mark to come now!” “Cutie-marks are not chosen, Twink,” Midnight told him, “they are earned. Earned by discovering what your special talent is and how it makes you special. That doesn’t happen at the drop of a hat.” Twinken sighed as he sat next to the bigger unicorn, saying, “I just wish I could get a cutie-mark and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would quit teasing me!” “It wouldn’t matter if you did get a cutie-mark, Twink,” Midnight responded, Twinken looking at him. “Bullies look for any excuse to bully somepony, and if one excuse no longer works, they just look for another. Even after you get your cutie-mark, ponies like Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon, will tease you for some other reason. But in the end, all those hurtful words they used against you are just words! They’ll only hurt you if you let them.” Twinken considered his brother’s words when he got up and said, “Come on, let’s go see Applejack. All of a sudden, I’ve got a craving for apples.” As they walked into the marketplace, they noticed a brown earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie-mark run by, an apple in his mouth. “Looks like business is booming for AJ.” Midnight commented, when they heard somepony shout, “YOU TOUCH IT, YOU BOUGHT IT!” They looked to see Applejack apologizing to a purple mare who suddenly zipped off, looking frightened. Then they noticed Apple Bloom pour a basket of apples into somepony’s shopping bag. “That’ll be four bits.” “I didn’t put those in my bag,” the mare gave her a look. “Likely story,” Apple Bloom said with a raised brow. “Four bits.” “Apple Bloom!” She cringed at the voice as Applejack and Midnight both gave her the stink-eye, Midnight saying, “Please excuse her, miss. You can have those apples free of charge.” “Midnight! Ya cain’t give our products away fer free!” Apple Bloom complained but was silenced by a glare from her sister. “Please excuse her, she’s new,” Applejack said to the mare, who just walked away, taking the apples without so much as a thank you. She then glared at her sister, saying, “Little sis, yer apple sellin’ days are over!” “But how else am Ah gonna get mah cutie-mark?” Apple Bloom whined. “Apple Bloom, I understand how you feel,” Midnight spoke up, “but you can’t force a cutie-mark to appear. You still have some… maturing to do. Besides, I’m sure there are other foals in your class that don’t have their cutie-marks.” “I don’t!” Twinken reminded his friend, hoping it would cheer her up a bit. “And Twist doesn’t either!” “So wouldn’cha feel better goin’ to th’ party with yer friends, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, her sister nodding understandingly. “Well there ya go! Bet you three’ll have a great time together.” “Hey, I bet Rumble would like to go too,” Midnight suggested. “He doesn’t have a cutie-mark either.” “Oh yeah, definitely!” agreed Twinken before he said, “Come on Apple Bloom, let’s go get Twist and Rumble!” “Okay, but Applejack, are ya sure ya don’t want me t’ stick around till th’ end of market?” Apple Bloom asked. “Hey, who was messing with my racket?!” They looked to see somepony holding a racket sticky with bits of apple, Applejack deadpanning, “Pretty sure.” “Let’s git!” Apple Bloom suggested to Twinken and the two foals did just that, their older siblings laughing. “Thanks fer helpin' out there, Midnight,” Applejack thanked, “Ah was a lil’ afraid Ah might end up arguing wit’ tha’ filly.” “Well, Twinken was feeling kind of the same way,” Midnight replied. “Maybe going to that party together will help those two with their little insecurities.” The weekend came but Twinken, Apple Bloom, even Rumble were scarce all day. Midnight was talking through town when he saw Thunderlane moving a cloud. “Hey Thunder, got a minute?” he called to him. The dark gray pegasus flew down, saying, “What’s up, Night?” “Have you seen the foals? Apple Bloom and Twinken have both been a little down lately about their classmate’s cute-ceanera and both were insecure about going without their cutie-marks. I was wondering if you or Rumble had seen them.” “Uh, I think they were hanging out with Dash,” Thunderlane pondered, “Y’know, Rarity’s little sister, Sweetie Belle, mentioned a similar problem.” “Maybe Sweetie Belle will know,” Midnight suggested, “Are you going to that party?” “Wish I could but I got some work to take care of,” Thunderlane said with a shrug. “Say hi to Rarity for me, huh?” “Okay, later!” Midnight said as Thunderlane flew back up. Finding Carousel Boutique was never a problem – it was one of the fanciest-looking buildings in all of Ponyville, with the pastel color-scheme, a design surrounding the upper part of the building that resembled an actual carousel, and the princess-steeple-like top with a little red flag blowing in the breeze. Midnight knocked on the royal purple door and was answered by Rarity, “Ah, Midnight ol’ chap, come in, darling!” Midnight actually liked the interior, finding it more appealing than the exterior. Though he didn’t dare say so to the fashionista; far be it from him to question her tastes, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and whatnot. “So, dear, what can I do for you?” “Actually, Rarity, I was wondering if you or your little sister Sweetie Belle had seen Apple Bloom or Twinken or even Rumble. They’re kinda high-strung about going to some filly’s cute-ceanera without their own cutie-marks.” “Oh, I was afraid of that,” Rarity rubbed her chin in consideration. “Sweetie Belle and her friends Scootaloo and Button Mash were all complaining of something similar. Or rather Sweetie and Scootaloo complained, Button was just tagging along, the little dear.” “Well, do you know where they are? I’d like to make sure Bloom and Twink are alright.” “Well, I’m not sure if they do,” Rarity considered, “I’ve never seen them spending time together. Sweetie!” “Coming…” answered a weary voice, and Sweetie Belle appeared from the next room. “Oh, hi Midnight.” “Sweetie, dear, aren’t you going to the party?” Rarity asked. “I don’t wanna…” Sweetie shifted her stance, looking self-conscious about her cutie-mark. Rarity was about to say something when Midnight whispered, “Lemme try!” “Say Sweetie Belle, would you feel better about going with another pony who doesn’t have his cutie-mark yet?” he asked, making sure his blank flank was noticeable. Sweetie Belle eyed him, still looking uncomfortable, when she asked, “Only if Button and Scootaloo will come…” “Of course, darling,” Rarity agreed. The two unicorns were soon escorting three foals to the cute-ceanera. Scootaloo was a little pegasus filly with an orange coat and purple mane in a rather coltish style while Button Mash was the earth pony colt Midnight had seen with Sweetie Belle at Sugarcube Corner the day he became Twinken’s big brother (and he couldn’t forget a colt that screamed his head off after a nasty case of brain-freeze). As they walked, Midnight asked Rarity, “So tell me, Rares, anything exciting happening lately?” “Well… I have been considering the upcoming gala,” she answered, “particularly what we’re going to wear.” “Whattya mean?” “Oh Midnight! Certainly you understand, the Grand Galloping Gala is only the most celebrated of social-gatherings in all of Equestria, of course we’re going to want to look our best!” “Heh, of course,” Midnight chuckled understandingly. “Though I suppose you’ll look your best in something you make yourself.” “Would you expect anything less?” Rarity chuckled confidently in return. “After all, I must look my best for the gala… if only to catch the attention of the most dreamiest stallion in all of Equestria!” “Whoozat?” Midnight asked. “Why, none other than Princess Celestia’s nephew, Prince Blueblood!” Rarity swooned, Midnight having to support her as she swayed in reverie. “The most handsome, the most eligible stallion in Canterlot! I can just imagine it… our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt! Our courtship would be magnificent-” “Okay, okay!” Midnight groaned, “Save it for the gala! I’m sorry I asked…” But inside Midnight was chuckling although for some reason, the gala and the name Blueblood were buzzing with some feeling if significance. Why does the name Blueblood sound… Whatever, if it’s important I’ll remember it later. As they arrived at the party, they were met with party-music and noise-makers being blown in their faces, Pinkie popping out nowhere (as she does). “Hi Rarity, Midnight! Welcome to the party!” “Go have fun, kids,” Midnight gestured to the foals and they scurried out into the festive fray. “Oh wait! Don’t forget your party hats!” Pinkie hurried after them, the two unicorns laughing. “Hey Midnight, Rarity!” They looked to see, “Twilight! You’re here too, huh?” Midnight went over, levitating a cupcake to her. “Ha-ha, thanks,” she said as she took a bite. After swallowing, she asked, “Have you seen Apple Bloom? She was just here a minute ago.” “So she did come?” Midnight asked, looking around. The place was packed so he could only see a few ponies he knew. “Do you know if Twinken or Rumble are here?” “I’m not sure,” Twilight replied, “but just now Apple bloom begged me to use my magic for a cutie-mark. I tried but nothing worked, as I knew it would. I only hope she’ll be okay.” “Well, maybe she’ll feel better seeing an adult blank flank at this party,” Midnight sighed, “maybe draw the unwanted attention from her to me.” “That’s so sweet of you, Midnight,” Twilight said, giving him a nuzzle, and Midnight suddenly felt warm. *POP POP* They looked towards the counter and saw another blue unicorn with a safety pin cutie-mark, dancing, his horn having apparently popped some balloons. “Heh-heh, looks like that guy’s getting into the music.” Midnight commented. “Was that Apple Bloom I just saw?” Twilight asked. “I’m gonna go find her,” Midnight said, “maybe I can cheer her up a bit.” “Okay, enjoy the party.” Midnight was peering around, wondering, Where did that filly get to? For that matter, where’s Twinken? Then he noticed a purple tail trailing from behind the counter. Going over, he saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo hiding. “Now what’re you two fillies doing back here?” “Get down!” “Yipe!” The two had forced Midnight down behind the counter with them and peered over the countertop, looking around nervously. Midnight joined them, whispering, “What’re we hiding for?” “So nopony sees our blank flanks,” Sweetie Belle whispered back. “Especially Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!” “We don’t wanna get picked on for our blank flanks,” Scootaloo added. Midnight raised his brow when something caught his eye and he smiled. “Button Mash doesn’t seem to care,” he pointed out, and the girls saw Button Mash talking with Rumble, the both of them laughing. “In fact, he’s looks like he’s enjoying himself with Rumble over there.” “But… they don’t have cutie-marks,” Scootaloo insisted. “I don’t have a cutie-mark either,” Midnight reminded them, “Is it really that big of a deal?” The two fillies considered when they heard… “Wow, that is an amazing cutie-mark!” They looked to see Apple Bloom in the middle of the party, Diamond Tiara and Silver spoon leering at her. “Nice try…” Diamond Tiara sneered as she and her best friend said, “Blank Flank!” Seeing them mock the little farmer filly, who was clearly on the verge of tears, Midnight’s big brother instincts kicked in, as he got up and he walked over, saying, “Excuse me now, but is there a problem here?” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon gaped at him in confusion but then their eyes fell upon his flank and Silver Spoon said, “Wait, is he what I think he is…!?” “Well lookit that!” Diamond Tiara mocked to Apple Bloom, “At least there’s a bigger loser than you in the room!” Midnight’s eyes narrowed at the two bratty fillies but then he put on a polite smile as he asked, “Well then tell me, young filly, what does your cutie-mark symbolize?” “Hmph!” Diamond Tiara smirked, saying, “Well obviously it show that I’m a princess!” “Really?” Midnight said sarcastically, making a show of looking at Diamond Tiara, much to her chagrin. “What’re you looking at?” “What I’m not looking at is no horn, no wings…” Midnight droned before saying, “Because clearly you are not a princess. That title belongs to Princess Celestia. She is wise and benevolent, and kind to all ponies. She treats ponies of all shapes and sizes with equality, with respect and humility, and she doesn't go flaunting her titles or even her cutie-mark in others’ faces like a certain couple spoiled brats who strut around acting like everypony else is beneath them.” The whole party had turned silent, all eyes on Midnight, who held a stone-faced gaze at the two prissy fillies, Diamond Tiara standing there speechless, unable to find a comeback. Midnight decided to keep going by asking Silver Spoon, “And what does your cutie-mark represent?” “Well, uh… I… don’t remember how I…” Silver Spoon hesitated. “You don’t even know why you have it,” Midnight deadpanned. “So one last question, for the both of you: Who is honestly worse off, ponies who go their whole lives without cutie-marks, or the ones with cutie-marks they don’t even know what makes them special in the first place? Because, honestly, I’d like to know what my cutie-mark represents rather than have one I can’t make sense of.” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood there, looking like their brains were broken, as Midnight said, “Well, it seems you two have something to consider. Nice party, by the way!” He trotted away, and suddenly all the other ponies were cheering him. He shook his mane, feeling quite proud of himself for putting a couple schoolyard bullies in their places as he stepped out for some air. Midnight wound up sitting on a park bench, taking in the day when he heard, “Big brother!” He turned and was surprised to see Twinken, along with Rumble, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash, and Scootaloo, along with Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity. “That was so cool!” Twinken said as he hopped up to hug Midnight, who chuckled as he returned the embrace. “Thanks for standing up for me!” Apple Bloom beamed at him. “You were awesome,” Scootaloo complimented, Button Mash and Rumble both saying, “So cool!” “It was a very nice thing you did for them, Midnight,” Twilight said, “and I think Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon won’t be teasing anypony for a while.” “Thank ya kindly for standin’ up for Apple Bloom, Midnight,” Applejack thanked. “Hey, Apples stick together, am I right?” Midnight asked, and Applejack smiled. Oh, Midnight, you were so brilliant,” Rarity swooned, “and I think these little ponies learned a little something.” “We sure did!” Twinken said, Apple Bloom saying, “We’re gonna find our cutie-marks t’gether!” “Totally!” Scootaloo agreed, Rumble adding, “I’m in!” “Count us in too!” Sweetie Belle volunteered, Button Mash shrugging, “If Sweetie’s for it, so am I!” “But we’ll need a name for this group!” Apple Bloom insisted. “The Cutie-Mark Six?” Scootaloo suggested. “The Destiny Seekers?” Button offered, “What? I got it from a game!” “How about…” the foals looked to Midnight, who was musing, “the Cutie-Mark Crusaders?” “That’s perfect!” Rumble cheered. “Midnight, will you join too?” Twinken asked. Midnight said, “Well… we’ll see.” That means ‘no’, Twinken sulked when Scootaloo suggested, Let’s head back to the party to celebrate!” As the older ponies watched the little ones hurry back, Twilight already had a letter in mind. Later that day, Princess Celestia was happy to receive another letter from her faithful student. “‘Dearest Princess Celestia, I am happy to report that one of your youngest subjects has learned a valuable lesson about friendship. Sometimes, the thing you think will cause you to lose friends and feel left out can actually be the thing that helps you make your closest friends and realize how special you are. Hmm...” She looked at her own cutie-mark, symbolized as a stylized sun and smiled.