An orange-and-purple blur raced its way through the city of Ponyville. That blur was none other than Scootaloo Dash, propelled forward on her scooter by her powerful new wings. Scootaloo was pretty much having the best day of her life. First, Cinch had been fired and banned from the orphanage grounds after some Child Services agents caught wind of her cruel and unusual punishments. In an ironic twist, she’d been hit by a taxi no more than five minutes after she’d been thrown out. Then, about an hour later, Rainbow Blaze and Firefly, Rainbow Dash’s Mom and Dad, had adopted her as her daughter, officially making her Rainbow Dash’s little sister. Not long after that, she’d heard that Diamond Tiara had had a nervous breakdown following a batch of horrible nightmares that she’d had last night. The icing on the cake was the discovery of her new-and-improved wings that could easily allow her to keep up with her role model and hero.
Yes, it certainly seemed like Alcor had actually come through for her in the end. And speaking of Alcor, the dream demon put a stop to Scootaloo’s joy ride by simply putting his foot against the front of Scootaloo’s scooter.
“Having fun?” the dream demon asked with a wicked grin on his face.
“Y-yeah,” said Scootaloo nervously.
“Good… that’s good,” said Alcor as he removed his foot from Scootaloo’s scooter. “Now, walk with me. I have a little job for you.”
Scootaloo pulled up alongside Alcor, and together, the two of them made their way down the street.
“You see, Scootaloo, as the founder of my new cult here in Equestria, it’s up to you to help me enlist more ponies into the cult. And to do that, I’ll need more clients. And to get more clients, I’ll need to find out what the deepest, darkest desires of all the ponies here in town,” explained Alcor.
“And how do I go about doing that, exactly?” asked Scootaloo.
“I need you to draw my insignia on the walls on every location here in town that I’ve marked on this map,” said Alcor, handing Scootaloo two pieces of parchment. One of them was a map of Ponyville, with certain locations marked with an X. The second was what was unmistakably Alcor’s insignia, which was a black star with bat wings, underneath of which was a smaller, upside down black star. “I’ll be there to help you keep lookout for any cops or other ponies who might interfere with the plan.”
“And why exactly will I be defacing public property?” asked Scootaloo.
Alcor chuckled. “You see, my dear Scootaloo, I have this ability to use my insignia as a kind of peephole to spy on folks. It makes it easier to find out which chords to pull when I’m trying to strike a bargain with them.”
Scootaloo nodded. “Makes sense. So, when and where do we meet up, master?” she asked.
“Just show up at one of the locations I’ve got marked on the map at sundown. I’ll come find you there, and I’ll bring the supplies you’ll need to leave my mark on this town. Until tonight, Scootaloo, farewell.”
And with that, Alcor snapped his fingers and disappeared in a puff of blue flames, leaving Scootaloo alone with her thoughts.
Well, Scoots, you’re bound by that contract to do as that Alcor guy wants as the founder of his new cult, so there’s no use worrying or complaining about it, thought Scootaloo as she continued down the street. I just hope what I’ve gained will be worth it. A grin spread across Scootaloo’s face. Pfft, what am I thinking? Of course it’ll be worth it. I’ve got everything my heart desires! Well, except for a Cutie Mark, but still, I’ve got it all!
“HEY, SCOOTALOO!”
Scootaloo’s grin grew even wider at the sight of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle running up towards her, both of whom were carrying bowling ball bags. “Hey, girls! What’s up?” Scootaloo
“Sweetie Belle and Ah were just talkin,’ and we’d completely understand it if ya’ll would want to sit this one out, considering the crazy day you’ve had so far, but we were wondering if you’d like to come with us to try an’ get our Cutie Marks in bowling!” said Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo chuckled. “You kiddin’ me? I’d NEVER sit out a Cutie Mark Crusade! I’ll catch up with you girls in a bit, I gotta go grab my bowling ball!”
And with that, Scootaloo sped off to grab her bowling ball from her new home, leaving her friends in the dust.
…
Later that afternoon, Twilight Sparkle was sitting in her reading chair, reading a book titled Perplexing Pony Plagues. She’d just reached a chapter about an interesting disease called “The Cutie Pox,” a plague that had affected a population of ponies centuries ago. Spike, meanwhile, was doing the dusting, humming merrily to himself. However, both of them stopped what they were doing when they heard the sound of violin music.
Twilight groaned in frustration. “What is that Alcor doing now?!” she said.
“Playing the violin, by the sound of it… and it actually sounds pretty good,” said Spike.
Twilight paused for a moment and listened. The music WAS pretty good, now that she thought about it. Twilight got up and made her way to the guest bedroom, where the music was coming from, with Spike right behind her. Twilight knocked gently before she opened the door. Once she did, she saw Alcor standing there, his eyes closed, a black violin and its bow in his hands, and a smile on his face that was far different from the devious smirk that she’d usually seen him with as he played. The smile on his face was far different than the usual devious smirk she’d seen him wear. This smile was peaceful and content.
Alcor continued playing his violin for what seemed like forever before he finally opened his eyes and looked at Twilight.”Well? What do you think?” asked Alcor.
“Th-that was amazing,” Twilight said. “Where did you learn how to play like that?”
“Well, truth be told, I just picked up the violin for shits and giggles. I used to play the tuba when I was younger and didn’t have my demonic disposition,” said Alcor as his violin disappeared in a trail of black smoke. “These days, it’s the only real way for me to feel almost human again…”
Alcor’s voice trailed off and a sad gaze entered his eyes as he thought back to everyone and everything he’d ever cared about. Mabel and her kids… Grunkle Stan… Great-Uncle Ford… Wendy Corduroy and her kids… his mother… his father…
Alcor forced himself out of his memories. there was no time to think about what he had lost so long ago in Gravity Falls, Oregon. There was only the here, now, and the future. And that future including him starting up his new cult here in Equestria… a cult he didn’t even have a name for yet.
“Well, Twilight, it’s been a fun chat, but if you’ll excuse me, I must be going. See you later,” said Alcor.
“Hey, wait-” said Twilight, but it was too late. Alcor had snapped his fingers and disappeared to go do who-knew-what.
…
As Celestia’s sun slowly sank and night began to take hold, Scootaloo was waiting at one of the locations her new master had specified. However, she was starting to get a little sleepy. More than once, she’d dozed off waiting for Alcor only to get perked up by a loud noise, be a cat yowling or a dog barking.
Such was the case when Scootaloo started to fall asleep for the umpteenth time, only to be woken up by the sound of a vehicle’s engine. Standing bolt upright and looking around, Scootaloo found no sign of the vehicle making the noise. Until, that is, out of seemingly nowhere, a black convertible of some kind with blue flames coming from its tail end appeared, and driving it was none other than Alcor.
“What took you so long?” asked Scootaloo.
“Eh, I just needed to go for a drive, clear my head a bit,” said Alcor, jumping out of his car and causing the blue flames to disappear. “But, enough about me. How was school today?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “It was okay, I guess. Apple Bloom earned her Cutie Mark... two Cutie Marks, actually,” she said.
“Uh-huh. Sure, she earned them. Something tells me she actually tried to take a shortcut, and it’s going to blow up in her face very soon,” said Alcor. “But, enough about that. You ready to get to work?”
Scootaloo nodded. “As ready As I’ll ever be,” she said.
“Good,” said Alcor, pulling a can of what appeared to be spray paint out of his pocket. “See this, Scootaloo?”
“Yeah?” said Scootaloo uncertainly.
“This is my own personal formula of spray paint. It’ll instantly draw up my symbol on any inanimate object the nozzle’s pointed at. The long you spray it, the bigger the symbols gets. It’s not rocket science really, all you really need to do is point and shoot,” explained Alcor, tossing the can to Scootaloo
“Seems easy enough,” said Scootaloo, catching the can as she spoke. “So, where should we put the first symbol up?”
Alcor smiled deviously. “How about on the wall over there?” he said, pointing at a nearby wall that overlooked the road. “It’ll provide a great range of vision for me so I can scope out potential clients.”
Scootaloo looked at the wall with uncertainty. “Are you sure about it? I mean, it looks a little… exposed,” she said.
“Exposed, exschnosed,” said Alcor dismissively. “It’s not like anyone will actually be able to get the paint off once it’s plastered on there. In fact, they won’t even be able to paint over the mark.”
“Well… if you say so,” said Scootaloo, taking aim with the paint can and pressing down on the nozzle, causing Alcor’s insignia to appear on the wall with a loud splat.
…
As the night carried on and the sun began to rise, Alcor and Scootaloo continued to paint the town black and yellow, with Alcor’s mind powers helping avoid or deflect any police confrontations. Finally, they’d hit everywhere they’d planned on hitting. Not even a moment passed from Alcor warping Scootaloo back to her bedroom before the dream demon was nearly bowled over and kicked in the face by the passing Applejack and Apple Bloom, the latter of whom was tap dancing uncontrollably.
“Ooh, showtime!” said Alcor, and with a snap of his fingers, he teleported back to Twilight’s house. No sooner than he appeared in the dark library than the lights snapped on, revealing a very angry Twilight waiting for him.
“Where have you been all night?! I’ve got more test to conduct on you, and I can’t do them if you go galavanting on your own all night long!” snapped Twilight.
“Oh, don’t you worry yourself, Twi, Scootaloo and I were just… leaving our mark on the world,” said Alcor with a smirk.
Before Twilight could question him further on this, however, Applejack and Apple Bloom burst through the door. “Twilight! Apple Bloom and Ah need yer help! Apple Bloom’s been spouting Cutie Marks like crazy an’ she’s been doin’ the talents that come with ‘em!” shouted Applejack in panic as Apple Bloom tap danced, balanced spinning plates on her muzzle, and spun a metal barrel ring around her waist.
Twilight glared at Alcor. “What did you do to Apple Bloom, mister?!” she demanded.
“I didn’t do anything to Miss Bloom,” replied Alcor indignantly. “This is not what I meant when I said I was making my mark on the world. Perhaps it’s some kind of sickness?”
Twilight frowned. “Well, now that you mention it, I was reading something on unusual Equine illnesses… what was it called?” she muttered, searching through her books.
“Perplexing Pony Plagues, perhaps?” called Spike from a nearby bookshelf, holding onto the book his adoptive sister needed.
“Yes! Spike, you’re amazing!” said Twilight as Spike hopped down off the bookshelf and handed the book to her.
“Yes, well, I do have some talents,” Spike said, pride evident in his voice as Twilight opened the book and began searching.
“Hay fever… The Trotts… ah-ha! Cutie Pox!” said Twilight.
“CUTIE POX!?” exclaimed Apple Bloom and Applejack while Alcor rolled his eyes.
“‘Cutie Pox, this puzzling pony plague affected a population of ponies back in the Paleo-Pony Period,’” Twilight read aloud.
“Heh! Try saying that ten times fast!” snickered Spike, causing Twilight to shoot him a glare while Alcor attempted to do Spike’s challenge.
“Apparently, random Cutie Marks showed up all over the ponies bodies, causing them to perform all of the talents that came with them.
“Just like me!” said Apple Bloom.
“Yes, but what’s the cure?! WHAT’S THE CURE?!” cried Applejack.
Twilight flipped through a few more pages of the book. “It says there’s no known cure,” she said.
“NO KNOWN CURE?!” The Apple sisters cried in shock and horror.
“And before anyone gets any ideas about trying to strike a deal with me to make the disease go away, I’m afraid Cutie Marks aren’t my department… as far as I know, anyway, and I do know lots of things,” said Alcor.
“Thank you for help us rule that out,” Twilight said, irritation in her voice. “Anyway, the book says that the cause of the breakout was never discovered, and the Cutie Pox disappeared as mysteriously as they came.”
Before anyone could say anything further, there was a flash of white light from Apple Bloom’s left arm, where the image of a fleur-de-lis joined the images of a tap dancing shoe, a spinning plate, and a circle similar to the hoop that Apple Bloom was spinning around her waist.
“Sacrebleu! Plus de marques de cutie!” said Apple Bloom, before gasping in shock. “Qu-est-ce c‘est?! Je parle franquis!”
Applejack looked at Twilight in shock. “Mah siter’s speaking in fancy!” she cried.
“Uh, technically, that’s French she speaking, and she said,’ Darn it! More Cutie Marks! What’s this?! I’m speaking French!’” said Alcor.
“Well, whatever she’s speakin,’ we can’t just wait for this to go away!” said Applejack. “We need to find somepony to fix up a cure!”
“Toute de Suite!” cried Apple Bloom.
Twilight thought about it for a moment, before an idea came to her. “Not some pony, some zebra!” she exclaimed.
Applejack gave a triumphant smile. “Zecora!” she said.
“Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let’s go get Zecora and get her to fix up Apple Bloom!” said Alcor.
And with that, Alcor, Spike, Applejack, Twilight, and with great difficulty due to her non-stop tap dancing, Apple Bloom, left the library and headed towards the Everfree Forest, where a zebra by the name of Zecora lived. However, Twilight used her magic to grab a hold of Alcor’s tailcoat and pull him toward her.
“DON’T… think you’ve gotten out of telling me what you were up to last night,” she said, her muzzle right in Alcor’s face.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find out what I was up to soon enough,” said Alcor.
“I’d better, or I promise you, the next test I run on you will be painful,” Twilight told Alcor before letting him go.
“Hurry it up, you three!” Applejack called to Twilight, Alcor, and Apple Bloom, the latter of whom was moving at a snail’s pace due to her tap dancing.
After Twilight gave Alcor a stern glare, the two of them ran past Apple Bloom, who shouted something in French just before a white flash appeared on her left leg, which was obscured by her blue jeans. However, what talent she had just obtained became very obvious when Apple Bloom darted off and crafted a marble statue of a mer-pony. Another flash came soon after, causing Apple Bloom to start sweeping out chimneys. In the space of a half an hour, Apple Bloom had mastered the accordian, tamed a trio of lions that came from who-knows-where, beaten an old stallion at chess, and started fencing with Alcor.
“She’s cursed!” said a nearby mare as Apple Bloom started to tightrope walk across a banner streched between two buildings.
“Hexed!” said a second mare as Apple Bloom started hang gliding.
“Enchanted!” said a third mare.
“No, she’s not,” said Spike, causing the townsfolk to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Yeah, she just has some weird mysterious disease with no known cure called Cutie Pox,” said Alcor.
“CUTIE POX?!” cried the townsfolk, who promptly began to panic, bar their doors, shut their shutters, and generally head for the hills. Within all of fifteen minutes, the whole of Ponyville was a ghost town.
“Nice going, smart guy,” said Spike with an annoyed look on his face.
“Yeah, not the reaction I was expecting,” said Alcor Except it was, he added in his mind.
“I thought I had remove their fear the last time I had visited here,” said a zebra wearing a dirt brown robe and sandals carrying a couple of baskets. “But, doors are barred and shutters shut, guess I should’ve stayed inside my hut.”
“Zecora! Apple Bloom has Cutie Pox!” said Twilight, pointing at Apple Bloom, who was currently working on a complicated math problem. “We were just on our way to see if you had a cure!”
“But, magically, yer here!” said Applejack. “Was yer zebra sense a tinglin?’”
“Actually, that would be a particular web-slinging comic book superhero who has that kind of power,” said Alcor, causing Applejack and Twilight to glare at him. Zecora, meanwhile, looked at Alcor with curiosity.
“Something tells me that to here you are new. Who exactly are you?” asked Zecora.
“Name’s Alcor, Miss Zecora,” said Alcor, tipping his hat.
Zecora nodded as she walked up to Apple Bloom. “It was not my zebra sense that brought me ‘round,” she said. “It was a special flower that I needed found. I thought I had picked enough to fix all the potions I had to mix, but after my visit from Apple Bloom, some had mysteriously left my room.” Zecora then looked Apple Bloom dead in the eye. “Apple Bloom, what do you say? Did this flower just walk away?”
“I’ve actually known flowers to do that after getting an energy drink dumped on them,” said Alcor to no one in particular.
Apple Bloom, meanwhile, struggled with answering the question as she lifted a barbell that only a strongman could lift. However, Apple Bloom’s answer would be delayed by the appearnace of another Cutie Mark that made her go and wash the windows of a nearby house, causing the resisdents inside to don nuclear fallout gear.
“A Cutie Pox cure I have forsooth,” said Zecora, turning back to face Applejack, Twilight, and Alcor and pulling out a few sparkling seeds. “For healing power is in The Seeds of Truth.”
“Well then, give ‘em to her! Quick!” said Applejack.
“These seeds must be planted in the ground. With the truth, they’ll grow and the cure is found,” explained Zecora.
Applejack, Twilight, and Alcor all looked at each other and shrugged. “Come again?” said Applejack.
“The seeds do hold the cure, but one must speak words true and pure,” said Zecora, glaring at Apple Bloom.
“Well, let’s get to it, then!” said Applejack, snatching the seeds from Zecora and planting them into the ground. “There, they’re planted. NOW SOMEPONY, TELL THE TRUTH!”
“Oh, if only we had somepony in the immediate area who was supposed to embody all things honest and true!” said Alcor, causing Twilight, Zecora, and Applejack to glare at him. “What?”
No one said a single word, and all the while Apple Bloom continued to suffer from the Cutie Pox,
“SOMEPONY! ANYPONY!”
Pinkie Pie, who was watching from the doorway of Sugarcube Corner, started to look very nervous, before she finally blurted out. “Yesterday I told Mrs. Cake I only ate two corn cakes, but I really ate three!”
Twilight and Applejack looked hopefully at the buried seeds, while Alcor simply rolled his eyes. Nothing happened.
“Okay, six! I ate six corn cakes!” yelled Pinkie.
Again, nothing happened with the seeds, and Apple Bloom started doing a Tazmanian Devil-like tornado spin.
“OH, MAKE IT STOP!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!” wailed Pinkie, falling to the ground in tears.
“Oh, Ah can’t stand it anymore! It’s me! Ah admit it! Ah didn’t earn my Cutie Mark! They’re all fake!” yelled Apple Bloom who promptly stopped spinning, fell flat on her face, and resumed tap dancing.
Applejack and Twilight looked at the seeds again, and this time the seeds had sprouted a little.
“Ah figured the Heart’s Desire would help me get what Ah wanted most, so when Zecora left her hut, Ah mixed dup a special potion and put the rest of the Heart’s Desire in it!” cried Apple Bloom.
With Apple Bloom’s confession finished,, the seeds grew into a beautiful white flower that made everyone present ooh and ahh. Apple Bloom gobbled up the flower like it was the plant was going out of style. With the plant devoured, Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief as, with the sound of popping bubbles, each and every one of the false Cutie Marks disappeared.
“Apple Bloom, are you okay?’’ asked Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as they ran over to Apple Bloom.
“Ah’m fine, and Ah’ve been been happier to be a Blank. But, I’m awfully sorry Ah lied, especially to you gals,’’ said Apple Bloom as she walked up to Zecora. “An’ Ah’m awfully sorry Ah snuck those flowers from ya, Zecora. Why, I wouldn’t blame ya if ya never wanted me to come by again.”
“Now, Apple Bloom, don’t be silly, you are always welcome my little filly,” said Zecora. “With each mistake, you learn something new, growing up into a better you.”
“Say, Apple Bloom, would you mind writing to Princess Celestia and telling her what you’ve learned?” asked Twilight.
“Sure!” said Apple Bloom.
Spike came running up to Apple Bloom with a quill and parchment, ready to write a letter.
…
Twilight and Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle as the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran off into the Everfree Forest to look for Zecora.
“And now that THAT’S taken care of…” said Twilight, turning towards Alcor, who was trying to sneak off. “Care to share about your nighttime escapade?”
“Eh… um… you see…” said Alcor, tugging at his collar nervously.
“Hey! Who put this weird Cutie Mark on my wall?! And why… errggh… won’t it… grrr… come off?!”
Twilight glared daggers at Alcor, who shrugged and chuckled nervously.