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// The Test:The mark of Courage 
// Story: E.S.D.E.:Year One 
// by Chaotic Flier 
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        Pinkie stood there with the door open waiting for one of them to walk into the door but it seemed like a push is necessary. “You know you girls don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Pinkie said walking behind the six girls. “But I want you too,” with that the girls felt an invisible force push them into the door. “Good luck girls you're gonna need it.”





        With a groan Apple Bloom sat up and looked around finding she was in a forest of some sorts. Climbing to her feet she looked around for the other girls only seeing talls dark bushes and strange plants littering the surrounding area but no sign of the other girls. “Well it seems like this is a solo test I guess that means I am on my own for this test,” she said aloud to herself.

        Walking through the woods she started thinking about what this test could be possibly survival or tracking either way she will do her best to pass. Then she heard a spine chilling laugh coming from the southern part of the forest. “Well something tells me that laugh has something to do with this so called test,” Apple Bloom said to herself as she followed the sound until she found a clearing.

        “Alright I am here now tell me what the test is?” she said to the laughing voice which at this point stopped laughing.

        “Are ya sure yer ready for the test?” The voice asked in a familiar southern accent.

        “Applejack is that you?” Apple Bloom asked with a smile at the thought Applejack might be here. But her hope faded when a orange cloud that seems to have a mind of it’s own forms together to make a small girl with pale orange skin with mist like red-orange hair that flows in the wind. “Who are you and why did you sound like Applejack?”

        The orange girl blinked her glowing orange eyes before she answered with a rougher version of Apple Bloom’s own voice. “I am Corr the being of Fear who will administer the test,” she introduced herself with a bow.

        “What is the test and where are the others?” Apple Bloom demanded but Corr simply laughed at her demands.

        “To answer both your questions you are supposed to defeat them to get out of here a simple test if you ask me,” Corr said with a smile before she snapped her fingers summoning the other girls to her side. The girls now doned orange body armor and brandished their weapons their eyes showed hatred.

“No,” was all Apple Bloom could say before the others attacked. Ducking just in time to avoid Silver’s hammer and delivering a swift punch to Silver’s  stomach sending her flying into Sweetie Belle, but this left Apple Bloom open to a kick to the face from Diamond which flung her back into Scootaloo who proceeded to grab her and slam her into the dirt. Quickly recovering from attack she drew her shield and sword and prepared for the next assault but they just stood there. “What is going on?” She asked Corr angrily.

“Oh this is the second part of the test you must choose who you will fight to the death against for you to pass the test,” Corr stated in a sadistic tone with a smile that sent a shiver down her spine. 

Who should i choose definitely not Sweetie and Scoots, that leaves Diamond, Silver and Twist but they don’t deserve to die  either. AHHH Why is this test so hard, Apple Bloom thought in despair but then she noticed something. Her grip tightened around her sword hilt and lifted it pointing it directly at Corr, “I choose you.” 

“Wrong choice!” She exclaimed forming a magical pike and threw it at the Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom acted quickly by throwing herself into the path of the pike raising her shield to block it only for the pike to go straight through her shield and into her chest. Coughing up blood she dropped her sword, grabbed the pike and pulled it out of her chest, she then tried to stand up but collapsed on the forest floor too weak to stand.

Then a shadow stood above her looking up she saw Corr standing above her “Now tell me why did you throw yourself into the path of that pike?” She asked looking menacingly at Apple Bloom as she crouched down so she could hear her.

“To...Sa...save..my team,” She said through strained breath.

“You threw yourself in front of a pike without any fear of injury or death to save your team,” Corr smiled a friendly smile and placed her hand on Apple Bloom, “you want to know some good news you passed the trial of courage something no one has ever done before.” Her body turned to mist and fused itself with Apple Bloom healing her wounds but caused her to pass out.





When Apple Bloom awoken she found herself in the hallway with the door to the testing arena that she was just in with Pinkie standing over her with a bright happy smile. “Wow you sure finished your test quickly and passed that is awesome!” Pinkie exclaimed while picking up Apple Bloom and giving her a hug.

“Wait how do you know I passed I didn’t tell you I did?” AB asked when Pinkie let her go.

“Well you do have the Element of Courage around your neck silly,” Pinkie answered with a dopey grin.

“THE ELEMENT OF WHAT?!” AB exclaimed before looking down to see a bright red-orange gem around her neck shaped like a shield attached to a thin silver necklace. 

“I will explain further when the others are done with their trials,” Pinkie answered as she sat down on the floor next to Apple Bloom and began whistling a happy little tune as she waited for the other;s to finish their tests. Apple Bloom stared at her strange teacher and sighed before she leaned against the wall to wait for the others.