"Can you believe it? We finally got our Cutie Marks!" Apple Bloom announced to her friends, her flank in the air.
"And we became friends Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo added.
"Which means, that Silver Spoon will probably be our friend too." Sweetie Belle said. "We have everything we've wanted: our Marks and respect from Diamond Tiara. What more could be out there for us?"
"I don't know, but I think we should update our list." Apple Bloom said looking at the wall behind her. "I mean, we've got our marks, so maybe we should have a map like Princess Twilight. What do y'all think?"
Upon turning around, she noticed that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had gone off somewhere. She looked out the clubhouse window, but couldn't find anypony outside. "Hey, were are you gals?" Apple Bloom kept looking around for them, but still couldn't find them. So, she ran all the way to the schoolyard only to find her new friend sitting on the stairs.
"Apple Bloom, what brings you here?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Oh hey, Diamond Tiara. Listen, I know this may sound crazy, but I've misplaced Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. do ya know they are?" Apple Bloom asked, looking everywhere for them.
"Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? I haven't seen them ever since the photo shoot." Diamond Tiara replied.
As Apple Bloom was about to leave, she heard something. "Apple Bloom, wait up!" It was Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle running towards her. "Why did you leave us back at the clubhouse? Are you trying to get rid of us or something?"
"Oh sorry gals, I thought you two left so I went to look for you."
As the conversation continued, Diamond Tiara looked in confusion. Through her eyes, Apple Bloom stood alone but she knew what she was going through. Poor Apple Bloom, she still doesn't know the truth about Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Why hasn't her sister told her anything?
"Let's go back to the clubhouse and figure what we should do next." Sweetie Belle said as she grabbed Apple Bloom's hoof. "We should probably get working on that map."
The trio walked towards the clubhouse as the sun started to set. Time passed, and the winds grew stronger; clouds formed and darkness surrounded the Apple Farm. Sweetie Belle guided Apple Bloom up the stairs, but Scootaloo was nowhere to be found. Apple Bloom looked around for Scootaloo, but couldn't find her and Sweetie Belle started to fade as well. "What's wrong Bloom, you're looking a bit funny?"
"Where did Scootaloo go off to? It's not like Rainbow Dash is anywhere to be found."
"Hey, Apple Bloom what's going on?" Silver Spoon asked Apple Bloom.
"Oh hey Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle and I are gonna work on making a map for the Crusaders."
"You and Sweetie Belle? Oh right, Rarity's little sister. How could I forget?"
Skies grew darker and darker, and Apple Bloom turned around to her clubhouse. Sweetie Belle was gone though, causing Apple Bloom to go into a state of panic. Silver Spoon raced over to her and escorted her onto the nearby bench. Poor Bloom, she was shaking and almost on the verge of tears. "Everything is alright Apple Bloom." Silver Spoon comforted her.
"This was the bench that Sweetie Belle dusted off y'know?" Apple Bloom said, broken. "Where is she? Where's Sweetie Belle?"
Silver Spoon knew the truth, but she still couldn't tell her. Who knew that after Apple Bloom helped Diamond Tiara better understand her mark, she'd face the challenge of understanding herself. Time passed on the bench, and Diamond Tiara came into view and sat next to the two.
"So how is she doing?" Diamond Tiara asked. "I know I'm strong as a diamond, but everypony is fragile. Apple Bloom is on a whole, 'nother level though."
"She's trying to cope right now, but it seems like her mark is showing her the truth." Silver Spoon replied. "Even though her mark represents the supposed colors of her friends, it still represents who she is. She helped Troubleshoes figure out who he was, she helped Zecora get welcomed into Ponyville, she tried to wave the flag for Ponyville at the Games, but she did all that with the thought of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. If anypony can get her through it, it's those two"
"But they aren't even real." Diamond Tiara interrupted. "How can those two aid her right now?"
"There's a way; if you can be reformed, then those two can help Apple Bloom."
***
The storm stayed in the sky, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara went home but they left Apple Bloom in the clubhouse. Apple Bloom woke up, to find herself alone in the clubhouse. The chart of all the attempts she made to get her mark was still on the wall, but there were no Rainbow Dash posters. "Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? Were are y'all?" Just then, it clicked. "You two, never were real. I created you so that way I could cope with being blank.
"We're sorry." Scootaloo said. "But we did help you get to this point, so are job is technically complete."
"Besides, we were made from two actual ponies who are your friends now." Sweetie Belle said.
"Why is my mark causing this right now though?" Apple Bloom asked.
"It's like everypony said, when we get our mark we may question who we are or what we're supposed to do. But, you know what you need to do and it's because of us." Scootaloo reassured her.
"It won't be goodbye forever though, we'll still be with you. Just, not as often." Sweetie Belle added.
Apple Bloom couldn't focus on anything. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were a part of her imagination, but they were standing and talking to her right now. Were they real, or was her entire world false? Did she really have a sister, or was Twilight not a princess? She listened to her fellow Crusaders, but she started to blur the two into the nothingness they came from.
"You have your mark because you're tied to us, but that shouldn't confuse you." Sweetie Belle said. "We love you as our friend, and that is actually coming from us and not from you."
"Yeah, besides," Scootaloo entered the conversation. "We're not going to leave you in life, we'll still have some connection to you."
Apple Bloom started to calm down, who knew that her imagination would help her out of this confusion. She no longer feared the end of her friends, but welcomed the future of the Crusaders. She understood that her mark showed her the truth, but the Crusaders will always remain in her. "Thank you gals so much, you've helped me understand my mark. I always thought that I'd understand my mark after that dream, but even I was vulnerable to the confusion."
The other two Crusaders started to glow, almost become transparent. Actually, that's what was happening. Their mission was complete, the last Crusader mission was helping out the founder; who'd a thunk it. "Wait, where are y'all goin'?"
"Didn't you hear Scootaloo? Our job is complete, we helped you get your mark; our time is up." Sweetie Belle said. "Goodbye Apple Bloom, the real Crusade is about to begin.
They disappeared, just like that. No trace of them, but Apple Bloom wanted to find them still. She understood, but didn't want to let go of them just yet. "Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Were are you!?"
"Apple Bloom calm down." Diamond Tiara called to her.
It was over. The crusaders were no more. Apple Bloom, not saying anything, walked out towards the school. Nobody around, it was just her alone. Tears that she withheld now flowed endlessly on the grass beside the schoolhouse. All her memories of her friends, were just images of an ideal life. Her two best friends, gone with the wind. Rarity's little sister and Rainbow Dash's number one fan were just fantasies, but she did have real friends beside them. The whole school was an extension of her family, but she didn't know how to approach them; how to tell them that she learned that she was crazy in their eyes.
Little Apple Bloom walked down the main road, only to be met with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
"Hey Bloom, we just wanted to ask if you wanted to come with us and find Rainbow Dash." Silver Spoon asked. "The wonderbolts are doing something special and she's a part of it."
"Maybe we can get some new clothes for the afterparty on the way there." Diamond Tiara brought up.
"I sware, you just like to gaze at Rarity's creations all day."
"And you just want to gawk at Rainbow Dash's 'awesomeness'."
Besides, we were made from two actual ponies who are your friends now. It made sense to her, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's origins were right in front of her. As Apple Bloom caught up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, she heard a lighter voice sing out to the sunset.
"We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we will never stop the journey. And we're gona sing our song out loud. You're never alone Apple Bloom."