Hùndùn

by LoZLttP13


I-XI. The Cutie Mark Crusaders

Sweetie Belle stared blankly at the textbook opened before her. She was restlessly swinging her legs under the table she was sitting at as she idly twirled the brush in her hand, fighting against the urge to stand up and walk outside.

There were few things Sweetie hated more than having to do schoolwork over the summer. Of course, her inability to stay focused was the entire reason she was living with her sister and doing homework at that very moment; in order to stay caught up, she was required by Rarity to begin her studies for the school year on the summer before it began. Sweetie was opened to the fourth grade section of her kanji textbook, copying the characters onto a practice sheet to get a head start on them before she resumed her formal studies of them in school.

However, Sweetie would have liked to be doing nearly anything else. Memorizing kanji was incredibly dull work, and she wanted to instead go outside and play with her friends or continue trying to get her Mark with them. It didn't help that it was more than a little humiliating that she did have to have a remedial apprenticeship under her sister; most kids had already gotten their Mark by the time they were nine, and by this age most Elves could also already levitate objects heavier than a couple of kilograms. That Sweetie was nine years old and didn't yet have her Mark or the ability to perform Magic beyond a second-grade level was a source of very deep shame to her, and had gotten her cruelly teased over it quite a bit.

Sweetie wanted desperately to do nothing but study Magic or continue searching for her Special Talent, perhaps at the same time. What held her back from simply getting up from the chair in Rarity's kitchen table and walking away, however, was that Rarity had promised to help her study Magic and find out what held her back from being able to perform it properly. Rarity had also pointed out to her that kanji was useful for studying Magic, as most advanced Rituals made heavy use of Elvish characters. With these facts in mind, Sweetie leaned back, stretched, took a few deep breaths, then leaned back over her practice sheet. She dipped her brush in an open inkwell beside her textbook, then began copying the kanji again, determined to push through this last set.

Rarity had only required Sweetie to copy each character down ten times in two more pages, so with an impressive resilience Sweetie soldiered through her boredom and anxiety and single-mindedly tackled each of the remaining kanji. After making the final stroke of the final repetition of the final character, Sweetie set her brush down and leaned back, sighing relievedly.

After a few moments, Sweetie sat back up, picked up her brush, and began cleaning it against a dirtied rag as she called out, "Rarity! I'm done!"

Rarity, who was pinning a dress together on a mannequin in the shop the next room over, turned with a smile to Sweetie and said, "Good work, Sweetie! Just give me a few moments, and then we can start with your Magic."

Sweetie twisted the lid back onto her inkwell and put her textbook, paper, and brush away as Rarity finished pinning the beginnings of a skirt to the mannequin. After she was done, a bespectacled Rarity went into the kitchen and sat across the table from Sweetie. Sweetie reached into her schoolbag and pulled out her Basic Sorcery, Primary Level textbook and handed it to Rarity.

Sweetie was tremendously excited; she was wondering if Rarity would help her create water, or fire, or aluminum, or telikenetically fling darts at a dartboard today. Conjuring and playing with things magically was by far Sweetie's favorite part of studying Sorcery. "What are we gonna do today, Rarity?" she asked excitedly.

Rarity pushed her red spectacles up her nose as she replied, "Actually, we're not going to do any conjuring or manipulation today. We're going to review theory."

Sweetie's smile faded. "What?! But that's boring!" she protested.

"It might not be as fun as practical sorcery," Rarity conceded, "but it's still the most important part. You're very smart, Sweetie; I don't think that you're slower at learning new spells than your classmates. It seems to me that the problem is that your Chi isn't flowing properly."

Sweetie looked affronted. "My Chi's not flowing properly?! So I am stupid! Or I'm crazy, or-"

"Not necessarily," Rarity said gently. "Chi is affected by a great number of factors. I'm not tremendously powerful magically, either, but does that mean I'm stupid or crazy?"

"Well, no...." Sweetie muttered.

"If you were mad," Rarity continued, "you would have no trouble performing your spells, but their effects would be difficult for you to control. You can control the effects of your spells, but what's difficult for you to do is beginning them. That probably means that your Chi is stable, but obstructed somehow."

Sweetie scoffed. "So I am stupid."

"Sweetie, just because it's difficult for you to channel your Chi does not automatically mean that you are stupid," Rarity said, kindly but with a tinge of sternness. "I know that Beings often say it does, especially at your age. However, that's a gross oversimplification. What it probably means is that there is something you don't understand, not that there's something you can't understand."

"What's the difference?" Sweetie said. "If I could understand, why don't I already?"

"Everyone has something that they don't understand, Sweetie," Rarity replied. "Even Twilight didn't know how useful friendship was for her before she met us. And I think you and I can agree that Twilight is far from stupid!"

A small smile formed over Sweetie's lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right...."

"So we're just going to go over your knowledge of magical theory until we find out what it is you don't quite grasp." Rarity opened the textbook, licked her finger, and turned to the first page as she said, "Now, let's start at the beginning. Define what Magic is for me, please."

Sweetie gaped at her sister, then groaned, "Come on, sis! Everyone knows that! I'm not five years old!"

"I know you do, Sweetie," Rarity replied calmly. "We're just starting at the very bottom and working our way up so that we can find where the fault in your comprehension is. It can never hurt to brush up on the basics. Please define Magic for me."

Sweetie sighed, then mumblingly recited, "Magic is the most fundamental force in the universe. It is the primal energy from which all things are formed."

"Very good," Rarity said encouragingly. "Now, what are the forms of Magic?"

Sweetie leaned back and turned her head towards the ceiling as she recited, "Magic takes three forms: Mana, Chi, and Ether. Mana is the purest form of Magic, and is nothing more than formless, chaotic energy. Mana makes up the Etherial Plane, a transcendant dimension that pervades and is infused throughout the cosmos. Chi is the life force- and the substance of the Souls- of all living things. Like Mana, Souls and Chi are invisible, and reside in the Etherial Plane. Ether is Magic manifest in the physical world, where it can take the form of matter or energy."

Rarity nodded. "Very good. Now describe the relationship between the three."

Sweetie replied, "When new life is created, Mana is gathered together and transmuted into Chi to form its Soul, which diffuses back into Mana when it dies. Chi manifests itself in the physical world not as physical matter or energy, but as emotions, ideas, and other spiritual energies. When a living thing increases its own well-being, its Soul grows and strengthens so that it is capable of holding more Chi. The art of transmuting Chi into Ether is known as Sorcery, and can be performed only by mystical creatures; such as unicorns, phoenixes, and dragons. The only mystical Beings are Elves and Gods. To transmute Chi into Ether- an act known as a 'spell'- the spellcaster draws upon their energies and channels it into the physical world in the form of supernatural Ether. The supernatural Ether can then be guided into the form of a natural or supernatural substance or energy."

"Very good. What are the disciplines of Sorcery?"

"The three disciplines of Sorcery are Spellcasting, Alchemy, and Rituals, which are all interconnected. Spellcasting- which is the basis of the other two- is nothing more than the basic transmuting of Chi into Ether. Alchemy is the discipline in which substances and energies are combined with the aid of spellcasting to produce more complex substances. To produce the most complex or difficult substances and energies, one must use a Ritual, in which a Ritual Circle is laid down and the spellcaster uses its designs to aid them channel and fashion their Chi into the desired substance or energy. A Ritual Circle can be placed anywhere, so long as it is stable. It can be drawn on a floor, wall, or ceiling, and it is even possible to suspend a Circle in midair. A Ritual Circle can be drawn with anything so long as it is visible and stable for the duration of the desired spell."

Rarity nodded. "Alright, then. It seems you do have the basics mastered. Is there anything you don't quite understand and would like clarified?"

Sweetie looked up again. "Not that I can think of."

"Alright," Rarity said, closing the book. As she folded her spectacles, she said, "That's all for today. You may go visit your friends now."

Sweetie grinned, then shouted, "Yes!" as she pushed her chair away from the table. She hopped off and ran out the door, waving and calling back to her sister, "Bye, Rarity!"

Sweetie ran to the park, where she found her friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waiting for her under a tree. "Hi, guys!" she called to them.

"Where have you been?" Scootaloo said. "We've been waiting forever for you!"

"Sorry, I had to do homework," Sweetie replied.

Sweetie's friends' eyes widened surprisedly. "Ya'll had to do homework?" Apple Bloom said. "What fer?"

"I've fallen so far behind that I have to catch up over the summer," Sweetie grumbled, frowning and crossing her arms. "No wonder I can't get my Mark...."

"My grades are fine, and Ah still don't have my Mark," Apple Bloom replied.

"Anyway," Scootaloo said, grinning enormously, "I've got something to show you guys."

"What is it?" Scootaloo's friends asked excitedly.

"Let's go to my house first," Scootaloo replied. "You two got your money, right?"

Apple Bloom nodded, patting her pocket. "Ah've got seven silver pieces this week."

"I was able to get a gold piece from Rarity for giving Opal a bath," Sweetie said. She shivered. "It wasn't worth it. I have fifteen silver pieces in all."

Scootaloo nodded. "Alright. Let's go, then."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders began walking to Scootaloo's house together. They had only gotten out of the park and past a few blocks, however, when they heard a familiar pair of voices from behind a building corner:

"Oh, Gods, did you see Twist's hair? Like, ugh, just give me a bowl to throw up in!"

"Totally! It's always hideous, but today when she passed us, I was like, 'Did a rat sleep in there, or something?'"

"Oh no," Apple Bloom said worriedly. "C'mon, guys, let's-"

"Well, well, well!" the Crusaders heard behind them as they were turning to walk away. "If it isn't the crip, the otaku, and the inbred! Hello, freaks!"

Scootaloo gritted her teeth angrily as she and her friends turned to face their taunters. Standing before them were their haughty, smirking classmates Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Diamond and Silver were highly privileged Human girls. Diamond was a noble; she was the daughter of Filthy Rich, the Baron of Avalon. Silver was the daughter of Silver Platter, the butler to Baron Rich. Silver had been Diamond's companion from birth, and was expected to follow her father's footsteps and serve as Diamond's head stewardess when they were adults.

Diamond was an icily beautiful girl with wavy, lavender, white-streaked hair. She was wearing an ice-blue minidress that matched her eyes, showing off the diamond tiara Mark on her thighs, and on her head was a tiara of a perfect likeness of her Mark.

Silver Spoon was a bespectacled, violet-eyed girl with long, silver hair that was braided over her shoulder. She was wearing a designer t-shirt, jacket, and miniskirt, showing off her Mark of a silver spoon with a heart-inlaid handle.

Both girls were smirking condescendingly at the Crusaders. After Diamond had hurled her insults at them, Silver raised her hand and waved while singing with sickly sweetness, "Hi, Blanks!"

"Leave us alone," Sweetie Belle said, glaring at them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Diamond said with a nasty grin. "Were you freaks on your way to a club meeting? Well, I wouldn't want to keep you three from not getting your Marks!"

Diamond and Silver both laughed, and Apple Bloom clenched her fists and said, "Shut up."

Diamond sneered. "I don't take orders from inbred hicks," she spat. "I'm surprised you only have ten fingers. Tell me, Apple Bloom; who's going to be the lucky girl who marries your hunky brother- you, or Applejack?"

Apple Bloom was deeply flushed. "Shut up, Diamond!" she growled.

"Not that I blame you," Diamond added. She shrugged and said with a nasty, feigned innocence, "I mean, if I had a brother like that...."

Apple Bloom took a step toward Diamond, but Diamond scoffed. "Yeah, go ahead: touch me, Inbred. You just see if your hillbilly family still has work when I tell my dad about it."

Scootaloo took Apple Bloom's arm. "Come on, let's go...." she said softly as she led Apple Bloom away.

Sweetie shot Diamond a spiteful glare as she followed behind her friends. "You're a bitch, Diamond," she growled.

"At least I'm not a freak," Diamond retorted with a sneer. With a small wave, she called after the Crusaders, "Bye, peasants."

Scootaloo kept Apple Bloom walking for a few minutes while Sweetie trailed behind them. Once Scootaloo was satisfied that they were a good distance away from Diamond, she looked at Apple Bloom, whose cheeks were streaked with tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Scootaloo said concernedly.

Apple Bloom sniffed and wiped her nose. "Diamond's not wrong...." she whispered. "Ah am inbred. Ah mean, my parents are cousins-"

"So what?" Scootaloo said. "Who cares that your parents are cousins?"

Apple Bloom blinked and sniffed again.

"Hey, don't worry, Bloom," Scootaloo said, pulling Apple Bloom closer. "We're at my place, so everything's going to be fine."

Apple Bloom looked up. Indeed, they had reached Scootaloo's house.

They were at the foot of a townhouse just north of town hall. The brick structure was tall, narrow, and incredibly charming; each of the windows had a window box bearing vibrant, well-tended flowers of many types. Apple Bloom smiled and deeply inhaled to breathe in the scent of the violets, roses, and lilies filling the air. She loved the smell of flowers; they could always make her feel a little better.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle entered the house. They stepped over a welcoming carpet stretched down the front hall as Scootaloo called out, "I'm home, dad! I brought my friends!"

"Oh, wonderful!" the Crusaders heard an effeminate voice call from the kitchen. "Come in, girls! Make yourselves at home!"

The Crusaders entered the kitchen, where they were greeted by the sight of Stephen Magnet, Scootaloo's adoptive father, who was sitting at the table.

Stephen Magnet was a tall, middle-aged Angel with purple wings and long, bright, orange hair. He also had a very long handlebar mustache and a soul patch, which along with his hair was always slicked and finely groomed. He was a hairdresser by occupation, as signified by the Mark of a pair of black scissors opened over an orange mustache on his shoulders. He was accustomed to wearing heeled boots, tight jeans, and sleeveless button-down shirts. It was widely said that he was the friendliest man you would ever meet, and his neighbors were often taken aback by his sheer adoration for Scootaloo and her friends.

"Hi, Scootaloo!" he said, standing up. "How are you doing, Honey?"

"I'm doing alright, Dad...." Scootaloo replied.

Stephen's eyes fell upon the tearful Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom?" he said concernedly. "Are you alright, Sweetheart?"

"Diamond Tiara was being a bitch to her," Scootaloo said.

"What did she do?" Stephen asked.

"She called her an inbred hick, and said that Big Mac would marry her or her sister."

"Hmph!" Stephen said, folding his arms with a stern glint in his eye. "Well, I'll have none of that! I'm going to be sure her father hears about this. In the meantime, would you like some hot cocoa, Sweetheart?"

Apple Bloom nodded and smiled gratefully. "Yeah, thanks, Steve."

"Oh, no trouble, no trouble!" Stephen replied, walking to his cupboard. "Scootaloo, Honey, would you get the milk from the icebox, please?"

"Sure, Dad," Scootaloo replied, patting Apple Bloom on the shoulder before going to the ice box.

As Stephen pulled down some mugs and a saucepan from the cupboard, he said, "That girl doesn't know a word of what she's saying. There's nothing wrong with you, Apple Bloom! You're a sweet, adorable, normal little girl just like anyone else."

Apple Bloom sniffed. "Thanks, Steve," she said. Often times, she felt as though Stephen wasn't just Scootaloo's dad, but was the closest thing she had for one, as well.

"Would you girls like some, too?" Stephen said to the other two Crusaders.

"Oh, yes, please!" Sweetie replied excitedly.

"Yeah, Dad," Scootaloo said.

"Alright, then!" Stephen cried. "Three mugs of gourmet hot chocolate coming right up!"

The girls laughed as Stephen prepared their hot beverages for them.

Once Stephen finished the Crusaders' hot chocolate, they blew on them and sipped them until their mugs were empty. They felt much better afterward, to which Stephen commented with a wink, "You can always use a little chocolate at times like these. Works every time!"

The girls giggled, then Scootaloo said, "Alright, Crusaders! Let's go to my room!"

The Crusaders ran up the stairs and into Scootaloo's room, which was wholly decorated with Rainbow Dash merchandise; posters, baseball caps, foam fingers, and even Scootaloo's bedspread all had the likeness of Rainbow Dash on them. Scootaloo even had albums full of photos and newspaper clippings of Rainbow's performances at races, martial arts tournaments, and air shows; most of which Rainbow had achieved a very high rank in such as first, second, or third place. Scootaloo's two largest posters- which were hung over her bed- were of Rainbow posing for her championship photos for the World Amateur Kung Fu and the World Kilometer Flight Race tournaments held at the last Olympic Games. Rainbow had not only placed first in both, but had also set a new world record in her flight race that still remained unbroken.

Naturally, Scootaloo was the president of the worldwide Rainbow Dash Fan Club; not only was she a bigger fan of Rainbow than anyone else, but what other fan could boast of having Rainbow as their personal kung fu master?

Scootaloo reached under her bed, pushing several cardboard boxes aside, and said, "Alright. So, how many silver pieces did you two say you got this week?"

"I got fifteen, and Apple Bloom got seven," Sweetie Belle replied.

"So you've gotten twenty-two silver pieces," Scootaloo said. She smirked as she pulled a wooden box from under her bed. "So, adding twenty-two silver pieces to the money I got this week...." she said, releasing the latch. She then opened the box and turned it to her friends, crying, "We've got three hundred and twelve gold pieces!"

Sweetie and Apple Bloom gasped; in the box, on top of the stack of silver and copper coins they had accumulated, they saw an overturned pouch from which gold pieces were spilling.

"I found sixty-eight gold pieces last night!" Scootaloo cried excitedly.

"How-?" Apple Bloom said astonishedly.

Scootaloo picked up the pouch. "Someone dropped this pouch of gold pieces in a gutter! While I was looking for loose change, I dug it up!"

"That means we can build our treehouse now!" Sweetie Belle squealed.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie cheered excitedly, then Scootaloo said, "Alright, Crusaders. We have three hundred gold pieces now; it's time to pick a tree and make a design."

Burning with enthusiasm, the Cutie Mark Crusaders all ran downstairs and out the door. They sprinted to Sweet Apple Acres, then burst into the barn, where Applejack was milking a cow. "Applejack! Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried.

Applejack looked up, then smiled. "Howdy, girls!" she replied cheerfully. "What can Ah do ya fer?"

"We have three hundred gold pieces!" Apple Bloom cried excitedly. "Can we pick a tree now, please, Sis?"

Applejack blinked surprisedly. "Really...? Already?" she said.

Apple Bloom nodded as the other Crusaders fidgeted behind her.

Applejack smiled. "Well, alright then. Just be sure to tell me which one you pick, and make sure you get help with any dangerous parts."

Apple Bloom squealed. "Thanks, Applejack!" she cried, then she and the other Crusaders sprinted into her orchard.

Once the Crusaders were among Sweet Apple Acres' trees, they began looking over them. Occasionally, Sweetie or Apple Bloom would say to Scootaloo, "How does this one look?" while pointing at one.

Scootaloo invariably said to each one, "Nah, not good enough."

Scootaloo, who had once been a runaway, was extremely adapt and finding dropped coins on the street. She had supplied the vast majority of the fund for the Crusaders' club treehouse, and so the other Crusaders had agreed that she could decide what tree and design they would use, after which all three would share equal ownership over it.

After some time, however, the Crusaders all simultaneously beheld a large, thick apple tree with sprawling branches. Without consulting Scootaloo, Sweetie declared, "This is it."

"Yep," Scootaloo agreed, then the Crusaders climbed up into the tree.

After climbing and exploring it for a few minutes, Apple Bloom shouted, "This tree is perfect!"

"Yeah! This is just the tree for our clubhouse!" Scootaloo replied.

Sweetie was grinning elatedly, but with a sudden realization her smile faded. "So, uh... how are we going to design and build it?" she said.

The other Crusaders' smiles faded, as well. "Oh, yeah...." Scootaloo muttered.

The Crusaders were all silent for a few moments. Suddenly, however, Scootaloo snapped. "I've got it!" she shouted.

The other Crusaders turned to her. "What?" they said in unison.

Scootaloo grinned, pointing at them. "Let's get Spike to help us design and built it!"

Sweetie Belle blushed. "S-Spike?" she stammered. "Why him?"

"We don't know how to design or build a treehouse," Scootaloo replied.

"That don't mean Spike does, either...." Apple Bloom muttered.

"Yeah," Scootaloo said, "but he could figure it out. He's really smart, and he's not afraid to get his hands a little dirty."

Sweetie nervously laughed as she said, "I'm sure we don't need his help!"

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "Ah think Ah could figure it out-"

"None of us is too good at math," Scootaloo interjected. "Spike is. He can levitate really heavy things, too! Come on, why don't you guys want him to help us out? What's the harm in asking?"

After a few moments, Sweetie sighed. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt...." she said softly, still blushing lightly.

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Scootaloo grinned. "Awesome." She gestured forward. "Come on, let's go to the library."

The Crusaders all walked to the Golden Oak Library, where Scootaloo knocked on the door. It was promptly answered by Twilight, who smiled upon seeing them. "Oh, hi, girls!" she said cheerfully. "What do you need?"

"Can we see Spike?" Scootaloo asked.

Twilight nodded. "Sure," she said, stepping aside to let them in.

Once the Crusaders were in the library, Scootaloo called up into Twilight and Spike's room, "Hey, Spike!"

In a few moments, Spike walked out, holding a Steam manga volume in his hand. He grinned upon seeing the Crusaders. "Oh! Hi, guys!" he said cheerfully.

"Hi, Spike...." Sweetie said, nervously looking away from him.

"Howdy, Spike!" Apple Bloom cried.

Spike descended the stairs, saying, "What do you girls need?"

"Do you think you could help us design and build our treehouse?" Scootaloo said.

Spike looked at her surprisedly. "Build a treehouse? Do you have the money to do that?"

"Yep!" Scootaloo replied with a smirk. "We've got three hundred gold pieces!"

Spike's eyes widened. "Three hundred, huh? Wow."

"So, can you do it?" Scootaloo asked.

After a moment, Spike smiled again. "Sure. As long as Twilight doesn't need me for anything," he said, turning to his mentor.

Twilight shook her head. "After your work's done, you can help them," she said.

Spike turned back to the Crusaders. "Alright," he said. "So, where's the tree?"

"It's at Sweet Apple Acres," Apple Bloom said. "Come on."

The Crusaders returned to their chosen tree with Spike, who brought measuring tape with him to measure the size of the tree. After he had determined the diameter of the branches as well as their distance from each other, he said, "Alright. So, do you guys know how you want to design it?"

"Actually," Scootaloo said, stepping forward, "I'm in charge of that."

"Alright," Spike replied. "So, you've got some parchment and a pen?"

Scootaloo looked surprisedly at him. "R-really?" she said. "You don't need to look up how to design it or anything?"

"I don't think so," Spike replied. "I've taken an advanced woodworking course in Olympus."

Scootaloo nodded, smiling. "Alright. Just let me grab some parchment and a pen," she said, running towards Apple Bloom's house. In a few minutes she returned with them, then she and Spike sat on the ground with the parchment between them as the Crusaders watched them.

"So, how big would you like it to be?" Spike said.

"Uh...." Scootaloo said uncertainly. She then stood up and walked to the tree, saying, "Well, I'd like it to be square." She then gestured into the air in one place, then walked past the tree and gestured in the air at another place. "And I'd like it to be about that big," she said.

Spike nodded, scratching on the paper. "So about four square meters...." he muttered. Once he had drawn and labeled a square on the paper, he turned back to Scootaloo and asked, "Do you want it tall enough that just you three can be in it, or do you want it tall enough for anyone to come in?"

"Anyone," Scootaloo immediately replied.

Nodding, Spike said, "About two and a half meters of wall and a half-meter tall roof, then...." as he drew and labeled more lines onto the parchment.

Spike then asked Scootaloo, "How many windows would you like?"

"Two on each side," Scootaloo replied.

After Spike made note of this last request, he rapidly sketched a scale drawing of the treehouse and its supports. After sketching a staircase up to its door, he sat up and began sliding his fingers over the air, his brow furrowed with concentration. The Crusaders all watched this with fascination; they knew that he was making calculations by sliding the beads of an imaginary abacus. Only those very skilled at sorobans, such as Spike or Twilight, were capable of doing this, and the Crusaders greatly admired that they were able to.

Spike wrote a number on the parchment, then began another calculation on his imaginary soroban. After doing this and writing the results a few more times, he added together his numbers and said, "Alright; this treehouse is going to cost about three hundred two gold pieces for the lumber, and another two gold pieces for the nails and screws."

Scootaloo nodded. "We can afford that."

"Alright," Spike said, standing up. "Apple Bloom, go ask your brother if he can come with us to the lumber mill to haul the wood. We'll bring it to the barn, then we'll start on it tomorrow."

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "What?!" she cried indignantly. "Why can't we start it today?!"

Spike pointed at the sun, which was halfway down to the west horizon. "By the time we're done hauling the wood, it'll almost be nightfall," he said. "Don't worry, though; we'll get started on it first thing after lunch tomorrow."

Scootaloo groaned, "Fine...."

"How long should it take?" Apple Bloom asked.

Spike looked down at his parchment, furrowing his eyebrows. "Oh, about three days, if all four of us work together on it," he answered.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Alright. I'll go tell my brother to hitch up the cart, then."