"Alright, Crusaders!" Scootaloo proclaimed as she jumped onto the school picnic table, "Today is the day!"
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Ya say the same thing everyday, Scoots. It's startin' to get old."
"Hey!" Scootaloo exclaimed, her nose scrunching up as she hopped down from the picnic table, "I'm just getting us motivated, is all!"
"Come on, guys," Sweetie Belle said, stepping between the two of them, "let's not fight today, OK?"
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom spared each another glare before turning away and saying simultaneously, "Fine."
"Great!" Sweetie squeaked, "Now, what are we doing today?"
Scootaloo grinned. "I was thinking we could do some rock climbing--"
"No," Apple Bloom said flatly, "We're not doing that again."
"Aw, come on!" Scootaloo whined, "It wasn't that bad! We didn't even climb that high!"
"Yeah, but we still had bruises and scrapes when we fell off," Sweetie Belle told her, "anything else planned?"
Scootaloo grumbled as she crossed her forelegs over her chest while she plopped her bottom onto the ground. "No..."
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom joined Scootaloo on the ground, their forelegs crossed over their chests resolutely. "Hmm..."
After a moment of silence, Apple Bloom shrugged. "Whelp, Ah got nothing. Wanna head to the clubhouse and plan something there?"
Scootaloo sighed as she got up. "I guess. I mean, it's not like we're gonna get anything today."
"Come on, Scoots, ya know Ah didn't mean anything when Ah said ya were repeatin' yerself."
"Yeah, but..." Scootaloo sighed. "But we go crusading everyday and we never get any closer to getting our cutie marks!"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop trying!" Sweetie Belle protested, "There's so many stuff we can do that could be our destinies!"
"Come on, Scoots. Let's head to the clubhouse and maybe we'll find something there," Apple Bloom told her, dragging her friend to her hooves.
Scootaloo sighed. "Fine... Let me get my scooter..."
* * *
Scootaloo groaned. "There's nothing to do..."
Sweetie Belle spared her an annoyed look as she rolled up the map of Ponyville and placed it back on the shelf. "That's the third time you've said that. If you're so bored, then think of something to do!"
"But I don't wanna do anything..." Scootaloo whined as she rolled onto her side, "But I also don't wanna not do anything..."
"That makes no sense," Apple Bloom told her, looking down at her friend on the floor, "You've been griping and complaining since we got here."
"Before that, actually," Sweetie corrected, "What's going on, Scoots?"
Scootaloo groaned once more. "I just want my stinkin' cutie mark, but I don't know what I'm good at!"
"Well, you're really good at riding your scooter," Sweetie commented, "Maybe that has something to do with it?"
Scootaloo pondered it for a moment. "Naaaah, it's probably something else."
"So, what, are ya just gonna lay there and wait for somepony to give ya something to work with?" Apple Bloom asked, a brow arched up in questioning, "It's not like somepony's gonna knock right this second."
As if on cue, a knock resonated on the door. Scootaloo sat up from her spot on the floor and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at the door with bewildered expressions.
"How'd you do that?" Scootaloo questioned.
Apple Bloom gaped at nothing in particular. "Oh my, Lord, I'm a psychic."
"Quick, tell me who's at the door!" Scootaloo exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"Uh..." Apple Bloom put her hooves to her temples as she screwed her eyes shut in concentration. "It's Sapphire Shores and she's here to make ya a back-up dancer for her upcoming tour!"
Scootaloo hurriedly dashed to the door and swung it open. "Hey, Sapphire-- Huh, Rumble? What are you doing here?"
"Aw..."
"Uh, hey, Scootaloo," Rumble said, "Why did you call me Sapphire?"
"Don't ask, it'll only weird you out," Sweetie said from her spot at the craft table.
"Uh, OK, then." Rumble shuffled his hooves awkwardly. "Can I come in?"
"Oh, sure, go ahead." Scootaloo held the door open for him and stepped aside. "What're you doing here?"
"I, uh, came to ask you guys about something," Rumble told her as he walked into the treehouse.
Apple Bloom gasped. "Are ya here to become a Crusader?! Ah knew it!"
Rumble shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, no..." He wrapped his tail awkwardly around his blank flank.
Apple Bloom frowned. "Darn. That's two."
"So, anyway, what are you here for?" Sweetie Belle asked, "Don't you usually hang out with Button Mash and Pip in the afternoon?"
Rumble nodded. "Yeah, usually. But, I couldn't talk to them about this..."
Sweetie frowned. "Let me guess: you told them, and they made fun of you for it?"
Rumble blinked. "How'd you know?"
"Lucky guess," Sweetie said with a roll of her eyes, "Button's my friend, but he can be insensitive sometimes."
"Wait, what did he make fun of ya for?" Apple Bloom asked, "What is it?"
Rumble sighed. "It's about my brother, Thunderlane."
"What about him?" Scootaloo asked, "You can tell us, ya know. We won't make fun of you for it."
Rumble looked up with surprised eyes. "Really?"
"Sure," Scootaloo said nonchalantly, "we get made fun of all the time and it's never fun."
"A-Alright..." Rumble sighed. "He's been acting really weird for the past couple of weeks."
"Weird how?" Sweetie questioned, "Just weird or Pinkie weird?"
Rumble shook his head. "Just... weird. He goes places without telling me where and he shows up when I'm supposed to be in bed, sleeping."
"That is weird," Scootaloo said, "Pegasi sleep a lot and he's stayin' out late?"
"That's what's weird to you?" Sweetie arched a questioning brow. "Why?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah, it is. Pegasi don't have the same stamina as Earth Ponies do, so they have to sleep a lot."
"Is that why Rainbow Dash is always napping?" Sweetie asked.
"Yeah," Scootaloo told her, "And we don't have a lot of leg strength, either. Most of our magic lies in our wingpower and weather control."
"Oh..." Sweetie drawled, then asked, "So it's not a good thing that Thunderlane is staying up late?"
"And it's really worrying me," Rumble told them, "whenever he's doing weather work, he's always lazing about and got his head in the clouds. Literally. He got struck by lightning the other day."
Scootaloo frowned. "Man, that's weird. What do you think he's doing?"
"I don't know," Rumble admitted, "And I just want to make sure nothing bad's happening with him."
"Why did you come to us, then?" Sweetie asked, "We don't even know your brother that well!"
"I came because you guys are the only ones who will listen to me. It's just me and Thunderlane, so it's not like I can ask my parents to do something about it."
Scootaloo frowned and nodded in agreement. "He's got a point. Thunderlane's an adult and he isn't gonna listen to what Rumble has to say."
"Hold up a sec," Apple Bloom interjected, "Have ya even talked to yer brother about this?"
"I tried!" Rumble exclaimed, "He just tells me, 'Nothing's going on, Rumble. Now go do your homework and leave me alone.'"
Apple Bloom flinched. "He said that?"
"He might as well have," Rumble muttered.
"Sorry, Rumble. I didn't know that you and yer brother were like that, too."
Everyone turned to look at her. "Huh?"
"I thought you and Applejack were super close!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, "When has she been mean to you like that?"
Apple Bloom shook ehr head. "It's not so much 'mean' as it is 'distant'. Ah didn't tell y'all, but mah sister has been acting mighty strange for the past couple of weeks, too."
"She has?" Rumble arched a brow upwards. "Do you know why?"
"Ah know as much as y'all." Apple Bloom sighed. "She goes out after work and she won't say where. I asked once and she told me to keep my nose out of her apple bushel and leave 'er alone."
"Geez, and I thought my sister was a plot," Sweetie muttered.
"Sweetie Belle! What a thing to say!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"What? She is, sometimes!"
"Guys!" Scootaloo interrupted, "Get back on topic!" She turned to Apple Bloom. "Has your sister been doing anything else weird?"
"Yeah. The other day, she was apple buckin' trees in the orchard," Apple Bloom told her.
"That isn't weird," Sweetie Belle commented.
"She was kickin' on a dead tree," Apple Bloom said with a deadpan expression.
"Oh."
"Yeah, and whenever she walks from tree to tree, she's acting all loopy and she's got 'er head in the clouds. Not literally, though."
"Man, why are they acting weird?" Scootaloo asked, "And why just them? Is it connected somehow?"
Sweetie Belle gasped. "What if it's some huge conspiracy and everypony's been affected and we just haven't noticed yet?" She gasped again. "What if it's happening to us?"
Sweetie stared at Apple Bloom, who leaned back as Sweetie leaned in. After a moment of scrutinization on Sweetie's part, Apple Bloom shoved her away.
"Ain't nothing going on like a conspiracy, Sweetie Belle! Maybe it's nothin'."
Scootaloo spared her an unsure look. "I dunno. It's kinda weird that they both are acting like this, isn't it?"
"What are you saying?" Rumble questioned, "That Thunderlane and Applejack are acting weird because of something even weirder?"
"Precisely!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she got up from the floor, "Do you know what this means?"
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged a bright look with Sweetie Belle and they all grinned crazily.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders: Investigators!" They exclaimed, their hooves connecting in a epic high hoof.
Scootaloo pointed a hoof to the door. "To the scooter!"
Rumble spared the group of girls an unsure look. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here in the first place..."
* * *
"This is boring..." Sweetie Belle commented flatly.
Apple Bloom turned to look at her, then flinched as the bushes branch jabbed her side while she did. "We're keeping watch for AJ. Yer gonna have to get over yer boredom."
Sweetie groaned. "I bet Scoots and Rumble aren't bored with watching Thunderlane. He gets to fly around, so they're constantly moving!"
Apple Bloom grinned. "I thought ya were gonna say something about them bein' alone together."
"That, too." Sweetie shared her smile. "They totally like each other."
"No doubt. I swear, Rumble was a little too cozy with Scoots on the scooter."
"'Oh, let me help you drive, Scoots. We'll get around faster if we're bother flapping our wings.'" Sweetie Belle changed her voice to a lower octave, her eyes shining in a clueless manner as she held her face up with her hooves.
Apple Bloom snickered. "It's a good thing Rumble knows how to fly, though. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to catch up to Thunderlane."
"Shh!" Sweetie Belle said suddenly, her eyes widening, "I see Applejack!"
Apple Bloom gasped and she ducked into the bush further. She peered through the leaves and she watched as her older sister trotted into the orchard, that same goofy smile on her face that she had on for the past couple of weeks. Apple Bloom frowned as she remembered Applejack snapping at her for asking why she had been so happy and shook her head to rid herself of the thought.
"Wow, she looks really happy," Sweetie Belle said.
"Yeah," Apple Bloom said curtly, "she really does."
Sweetie Belle arched a brow up in confusion. "How come she isn't apple bucking any trees? She's just standing there."
Apple Bloom shrugged. "Dunno. She looks like she's waitin'."
"Waiting for what?" Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie Belle squealed, to which Apple Bloom immediately smacked her hoof over her mouth. "Scoots! Yer supposed to be with Rumble."
"I'm right here," Rumble said.
"Oh," Apple Bloom said, "Yer supposed to be followin' Thunderlane!"
"We are!" Scootaloo whispered, "Just look!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle turned to look at where Applejack was standing. Their jaws dropped as they saw that Thunderlane was there with her.
"What's he doin' here?" Apple Bloom whispered to Scootaloo.
Scootaloo shrugged. "Dunno. He was flyin' super fast, though. Rumble and I nearly lost him on the way here."
Rumble nodded as he furrowed his brows. "Why do you think they're here together?"
"Shh, be quiet!" Sweetie Belle hissed, "I'm trying to listen!"
"Did anypony follow you?" Applejack asked, her eyes flicking left to right.
"I don't think so," Thunderlane told her.
Applejack frowned. "Ya think or ya know?"
Thunderlane returned her frown. "Alright, fine, I know nopony followed me. Happy?"
Applejack grinned. "Eeyup."
Without warning, she leaned in and kissed Thunderlane, whose face went bright red and wings spread out to their full length.
Apple Bloom's jaw dropped, as did everyone else's.
"So..." Scootaloo said, her gaze going over to Apple Bloom, "They're..."
"Dating?" Sweetie Belle finished, "Yep."
Apple Bloom and Rumble remained silent as they continued to gape at what they were seeing, their eyes wide and their pupils thin pinpricks.
Applejack pulled away. "Sorry about keepin' things secret between us. Ah'm not big on PDA."
Thunderlane chuckled. "Neither am I. Besides, the guys at work would give me a hard time."
"Yer tellin' me," Applejack said with a roll of her eyes, "when Ah was younger, Ah had a huge crush on Caramel in school and when Ah told Big Mac, he laughed harder than he had ever laughed."
Thunderlane laughed. "Same here. Only thing is, she found out and made me be a living ponyquin for about a month."
Applejack arched a brow. "Was this crush Rarity, by any chance?"
Thunderlane's eyes widened. "I mean, uh... I love you?"
Applejack chuckled. "Ah'm just teasin' ya. Ah know how Rares can be with stallions, Laney."
"Laney?" Rumble repeated.
"Ew..." Sweetie Belle drawled out, "gross."
"Yer tellin' me," Apple Bloom said in a flat, icy tone.
"Why did they keep this from us?" Rumble whispered, his voice shaking from anger, "And why all the sneaking around?"
"Ah don't know," Apple Bloom whispered, "But all Ah know is that Applejack's got anything comin' if she thinks Ah'm doin' chores for her this afternoon."
"Did ya hear somethin'?" Applejack asked, her gaze going to the bush where they were hiding.
Thunderlane pricked his ears upwards and turned to look at the bush. "Is somepony there?"
"Shh, be quiet!" Scootaloo hissed.
"We can hear y'all!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Shoot!" Scootaloo hissed.
"Way to go, Scoots," Sweetie Belle said sarcastically.
"Show yourselves!" Thunderlane said, standing next to Applejack protectively.
Apple Bloom tasted copper when she bit her tongue. Since when did he get so protective of her sister? And what gave him the right to be?
"Come on, now!" Applejack ordered, "We know yer there!"
With the rigidness of a statue, Apple Bloom climbed out of the bush, her mouth set in a hard frown. Her eyes narrowed as she got a better look at the scene before her. Thunderlane's hoof was on Applejack's shoulder, she realized, and it didn't look like she minded it one bit.
"Apple Bloom?" Applejack blurted out.
"What're you doin' here?" Thunderlane questioned.
"Ah live here, in case ya forgot, Laney," Apple Bloom hissed icily.
Thunderlane flinched, but Applejack didn't. "Hey, now, don't be like that."
"Like what?" Apple Bloom snapped, "Mad? All 'cause yer dating Thunderlane?"
"Maybe I should leave," Thunderlane said, prepping his wings for takeoff.
"No, stay," Apple Bloom heard Rumble say, followed by the bush rustling, "I wanna hear this."
"Rumble?" Thunderlane blurted out, "You're here, too?"
"So are we," Sweetie Belle said as she climbed out with Scootaloo behind her.
"We were wondering why you guys were being all weird," Scootaloo admitted, "I guess now we know."
"Why?" Apple Bloom questioned, "Why did you keep it a secret?"
Applejack frowned. "Ah was worried you'd be upset. Looks like Ah was right."
"Ah'm only upset because ya kept it from me!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"What about me, Lane?" Rumble shouted with her, "Why didn't you tell me, either?"
Thunderlane was obviously pained. "I didn't want to upset you."
"Well, it's too late for that!" Apple Bloom shouted at him.
"Hey, don't talk to him like that!" Applejack ordered.
"Why should I listen to what you have to say?" Apple Bloom shot back, "You kept this from me, AJ!"
Applejack flinched. "AB--"
"Yer always talkin' about bein' honest with ponies and tellin' the truth, and ya can't even do it yerself!" Apple Bloom's eyes were wet now. "Ah'm yer sister! We're supposed to honest with each other!"
"Apple Bloom..." Applejack struggled to find the words to say. "Ah never meant to hurt yer feelings."
"Too late for that," she told her, "Ah'm goin' to the house."
"Apple Bloom, please--"
"Why don't you keep yer nose out of my apple bushel and leave me alone?!" Apple Bloom shouted as she ran off, "Maybe then you'll understand how it feels!"
"Apple Bloom, wait!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. She turned back to Applejack. "I'll go talk to her."
She dashed after Apple Bloom, though she was lacking in speed.
Rumble let out a loud huff. "I'm going home. I don't wanna hear anymore."
"Rumble--" Thunderlane tried to say.
But, Rumble had already spread his wings and took off, a light gray streak following after him.
"Rumble!" Scootaloo shouted. She sighed and trotted back to the bush, where she pulled out her scooter and helmet. "Tell Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom their helmets and wagon are in the bush. I'll go talk to Rumble."
Without another word, she clasped on her helmet and took off at a breakneck speed after Rumble, who was already fading Thunderlane and Applejack's sights.
Applejack sighed. "We shouldn't have kept it a secret, huh?"
Thunderlane shook his head. "We really shouldn't have. I'm gonna head home and wait until Rumble gets there. He may be fast, but I'm faster."
Applejack nodded. "Ah'm gonna see how Apple Bloom's doing. Get home alright, OK?"
"OK." Thunderlane paused. "I love you."
Applejack smiled at him. "Ah love you, too."
* * *
"Apple Bloom, open up!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, her hoof banging against the door, "You can't stay in there forever!"
"Leave me alone!" Apple Bloom cried, "Ah don't wanna talk!"
"Bloom, ya gotta come out of there sooner or later! What if you have to pee?"
Apple Bloom was silent for a moment. "Dang it, Sweetie Belle!"
Sweetie Belle grinned. "Now we play the waiting game."
"Ah'll just go in the flower vase, then!"
Sweetie Belle gasped. "Oh my, gosh, that's so gross!"
"Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie turned to see Applejack. "AJ, hurry! Apple Bloom's gonna pee in a flower vase!"
Applejack was so unprepared for that statement, she couldn't help but blurt out, "What?"
"Leave me alone, ya guys!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, "Ah'm not comin' out!"
"AB, look, Ah'm sorry Ah kept Thunderlane a secret from ya," Applejack said as she trotted over to the door, "it was dumb and Ah shouldn't have done it."
"But then why did you?" Apple Bloom shot back, "What did I do to make you not want to share with me?"
Applejack sighed. "Ah don't know. It was stupid not to, though. Ah guess Ah was scared you'd be mad."
"Ah'm only mad because ya kept it a secret," Apple Bloom said softly, "we're sisters. We're supposed to be honest with each other."
Applejack smiled nostalgically. "Ma used to tell me that whenever me and Big Mac got into stupid fights like this one..."
Apple Bloom was silent for a moment. "That's the first time ya ever mentioned Ma."
Applejack frowned. "Ah guess Ah've been keepin' more to mahself than Ah thought."
"...AJ?" Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah?"
The door opened, revealing a teary eyed Apple Bloom. "What were they like?"
Applejack blinked in surprise. Then, she smiled. "Ah guess it's time to tell ya."
* * *
Sweetie Belle sighed as she trotted the path to town alone, her eyes going to the setting sun. "Looks like crusading is gonna have to wait for another day."
'Oh, well,' she thought, 'at least I won't have to worry about Apple Bloom and Applejack fighting anymore.' She paused. 'I don't know about Rumble and Thunderlane, though.'
She turned a corner in the path, then brightened when she saw the familiar buildings off in the distance. With a canter in her step, she hurried into town, her eyes scouring the scene.
'I wonder if Scoots ever caught up to Rumble...?' Sweetie thought, her gaze going over the town. She froze when she caught sight of Scootaloo's scooter outside Sugarcube Corner.
'What's she doing in there?' Sweetie trotted over to the window of the shop. She gaped when she caught sight of Rumble and Scootaloo sitting together in a booth, both laughing and talking about something Sweetie wasn't able to hear. While it was clear that Rumble had been crying before, he didn't appear to be anywhere near doing so then.
"Huh," she said out loud, "I guess that's that, then."
Sweetie's eyes travelled to the milkshakes they were drinking, a familiar colt she often spent time drinking milkshakes with popping into her mind.
She shrugged. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to pay Button a visit. Besides, it's been a while since I've played any Minecraft."
And with that, she trotted off, content with knowing everything was alright.