Cutie Mark Crisscross

by Everyday

Chapter Two

Rainbow Dash was relaxing on a small cloud bed she’d fashioned in a field outside of Ponyville. The rain would need to start a little earlier than originally scheduled, so she had to go all the way out here to enjoy the sun. The extra effort had definitely been worth it, though, as she basked in the sun’s light and soaked up its warmth. She let out a sigh of contentment as she threw her forelimbs behind her head.

“Now this is the life,” she commented.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash recognized the voice of her number-one fan instantly. As much as she enjoyed relaxing, she would always prefer to spend time with her friends. And this was a friend she’d come to see as a little sister. Her smile grew a little wider as she turned over to look down at her.

“Hey, Squirt!” She called down with a wave. “I thought you were—” Her eyes nearly jumped out of her head. She rushed down to Scootaloo in an instant, unable to believe her eyes. But closer inspection only confirmed the impossible. “What happened to your wings?!”

Scootaloo turned to the ground. “Discord turned me into an earth pony,” she said quietly.

“Discord what?!” Rainbow Dash growled as her teeth clenched. She pulled Scootaloo in close and glared in the direction she had come from. “I remember when he took my wings away. Don’t worry, Squirt, I’ll make him give you your wings back—the hard way if I have to.”

Scootaloo looked up at her with eyes filled with admiration. To know that her hero—her big sister—would go to such lengths for her made her little heart swell up in her chest.

“Discord’s gone,” Scootaloo admitted. “He went on vacation, and he won’t be back for a whole week.”

“Vaca—!” As if Rainbow Dash needed more inspiration to be mad at Discord. Her scowl deepened, but despite the fury boiling inside her, she knew she couldn’t pummel him if she couldn’t find him. Getting worked up now wouldn’t help anything. Right now, her little sister needed her. She took a few breaths to calm herself down.

Rainbow Dash wrapped her sister up in her wings to enhance the hug. Scootaloo curled up closer to her in response.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said gently, causing Scootaloo to look up at her. “It’ll be okay.” She gave Scootaloo the most genuine smile she could manage. Comforting other ponies wasn’t exactly her strong suit, but if the smile Scootaloo was giving her was any indication, her efforts were at least helping. An idea suddenly crossed her mind. “You know what? We should do something fun—just you and me.”

“Like what?”

“Well, how ‘bout a race?” Rainbow Dash gently took a step back to gauge her reaction. Scootaloo looked more puzzled than unwilling, so Rainbow Dash continued. “We could run to that tree over there.” She gave a vague tilt of her head, prompting Scootaloo to lean over and look past her. At the very edge of the field was a tree that stood slightly taller than the others. It seemed to be the only tree with any distinguishing features.

Rainbow Dash had always believed that a little physical activity could help anypony get their mind off of their problems. And she figured if she let Scootaloo keep pace with her, it would boost the little filly’s mood and self-esteem.

“So what do you say?” Rainbow asked. “You up for a race?”

Scootaloo looked back and forth between the tree and Rainbow Dash until she slowly started to smile.

“Sure.”

Rainbow Dash positioned herself next to Scootaloo at their imaginary starting line. Scootaloo crouched down low, her determined expression mere inches off the ground. That daredevil glint in her eyes was one that Rainbow Dash knew well. She felt it in her own eyes whenever she was in the zone.

“Ready, Squirt?”

Scootaloo dug her hoof through the ground in response.

“On your mark, get set, go!”

An orange blur blew past Rainbow Dash, stunning her for a second. She charged after her, breaking into a sprint to make up for lost time. Her longer strides allowed her to close the distance between them, and as she caught up to Scootaloo’s side, she eased up to keep pace with her. Scootaloo spared a glance as she entered her field of view.

“Not bad, kid,” Rainbow Dash said between breaths. “Think you can step it up?”

The spark in Scootaloo’s eye shined from the challenge. She propelled herself forward with a powerful leap, and when her hooves struck the ground, she kicked off with enough force to scatter blades of grass and clumps of dirt. The wind roared in her ears as she widened the gap between herself and her sister.

Rainbow Dash smirked. It was an impressive move, but years of racing had taught her a few things. Her eyes narrowed as she lowered her head and tucked her wings in tight. She was streamlined, aerodynamic, and as she poured on the speed, she found herself closing the gap Scootaloo had managed to make.

The designated tree was quickly approaching. Victory was in sight for Scootaloo, but she could hear Rainbow Dash only a step behind her. Their rapid hoofsteps and her pounding pulse were thundering in her ears. She leapt for the tree, an outstretched hoof reaching for their finish line.

Rainbow Dash lunged forward and sliced through the air with her hoof. Their hooves each struck the bark at the same time. The two ponies collapsed in the shade of the tree, trying to catch their breaths and smiling wide grins to each other. Rainbow Dash had pushed her little sister to greatness, and Scootaloo had tied with her idol.

“Way to go, Squirt,” Rainbow Dash managed to say. “I don’t think you’ve ever gone that fast before—not even on your scooter!”

“Really?” Scootaloo bolted up with bright and shiny eyes.

“Totally! You’re almost as fast as—” she sat up and brought a hoof to her chin, trying to think of a good comparison.

“…Pinkie Pie,” she finished with a shrug.

Scootaloo’s smile faltered a bit as confusion drew across her face. “Really?”

“Trust me, kid,” Rainbow Dash said with a reassuring smile, “that’s saying something.” Rainbow Dash extended a wing over her little sister, and Scootaloo scooted in closer.

Scootaloo enjoyed the light feeling of her sister’s feathers against her body. The almost weightless tickle as they gently caressed her in the breeze brought a content smile to her face.

“Y’know,” Rainbow Dash said suddenly, “for a second there, I thought you might actually beat me.”

Scootaloo perked up as the muscles in her back tightened—a reflex that would normally cause her wings to buzz, but now only served as a reminder of what was missing. Her shoulders slumped as she turned down to the ground. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened in panic.

“Uh, hey, Scootaloo,” she said quickly, “have I ever shown you my favorite sights around Ponyville?”

Scootaloo shook her head.

“Well, hop on, then!” Rainbow Dash lowered herself to the ground and gave Scootaloo a smile she hoped was inviting.

Scootaloo simply stared at her for a moment before she reluctantly clambered onto her back. Once she had a hold around her, Rainbow Dash rocketed into the sky, giving them a spectacular view of the surrounding area.

Scootaloo tried to enjoy the view, but her mind was somewhere else. She kept thinking about the first time they flew together as sisters, about how she buzzed her wings while Rainbow Dash carried her through the air. The muscles of her back flexed at the memory as she pressed her face into her sister’s neck. Rainbow Dash’s mane smelled really nice today.

That must be why Scootaloo was sniffling so much.

---

Applejack stored the apple cart away in the barn and closed the barn doors behind her. It was a shame that she had to close up her stand so early, but as she looked back at Ponyville, it was clear that the rain was about to start.

“Well, at least the weather’s nice here,” she noted with a smile. Indeed, the sun was shining bright and uninhibited over the humble farm, as if blissfully unaware of the rainstorm that was about to plague the neighboring town. Applejack took a moment to admire the sunlight glittering off of the bright apples in her orchard, each one shining like stars against the warm, green leaves. She took in a deep breath and let out a crisp sigh. The bouquet of the farm was sweeter than any perfume. It smelled like trees ready to be bucked, apples ready to be picked, and moist dirt ready to be worked.

And she was ready to dive on in.

“Applejack!”

Well, she thought she was ready, anyway. Applejack turned to the small voice calling for her attention.

“Howdy, Apple Bloo—what in tarnation?!” She ran to meet her younger sister, gawking at the horn that definitely hadn’t been there before. “Why d’ya have a horn?! Where’d it come from? Who did this to ya?” The questions tumbled out of her mouth like apples falling out of a bushel. “…Does it hurt?” She gave it an experimental poke.

“I’m fine, Sis,” Apple Bloom assured her with a roll of her eyes.

Applejack breathed a small sigh of relief. She leaned in toward Apple Bloom to get a closer look at the horn.

“So, how’d this happen, then?” She brought herself back to her full height, raising a suspicious eyebrow at her. “Ya ain’t been messin’ with potions again, have ya?”

“N-No!” Apple Bloom shook her head quickly. “Discord turned me into a unicorn. He did it while we were out Crusadin’.”

“Discord?” Her eyes narrowed as her jaw set. “Why, that no-good, troublemakin’ snake. Where is he? He’s about to get a talkin’-to he’ll never forget.”

“I don’ know where he is,” she reported. “He left for some week-long vacation right after he did this.”

Applejack ground her teeth and stomped a hoof down. Looking out at the farm, the apples didn’t seem as bright as before. The air smelled a little less sweet. A sigh escaped her lips as she lowered her hat. Tracking Discord wasn’t exactly like tracking a lost sheep, and she’d need all the help she could get. “Look, Apple Bloom—we can’t sort this out now, what with the storm comin’ to Ponyville and all. Everypony must be hunkered down by now. Why don’t ya head on inside while I get to work out here?”

“I could help ya, if ya want,” Apple Bloom offered.

“That’s mighty sweet o’ ya, sis,” she said with a smile, “but don’t ya worry none, I—” Her eyes widened as her mouth snapped shut.

Apple Bloom had her horn pointed to the nearest tree, an orange glow flaring out from it. Applejack watched in stunned silence as that same glow surrounded the each of the apples, pulling them loose from the tree and delicately guiding them to the bushels waiting below. The orange light faded from her horn as Apple Bloom wiped her forehead.

“See?” Apple Bloom asked as she turned to her sister. Applejack blinked rapidly, still trying to process what she just witnessed. She managed a small chuckle.

“I guess ya can help me,” she said with another chuckle, “if yer up to it.” A wide smile coupled with an enthusiastic nod from her little sister told Applejack that she was definitely up to it. A smile of pride spread across her own lips.

Without another word, they got straight to work. Even considering how fast Applejack was able to buck the apples free from the trees, Apple Bloom was nearly able to keep pace with her using magic. They made their way through the orchard, filling up countless bushels along the way. As they continued, that famous Apple family pride sparked a competitive spirit to see how quickly they could get the job done. When they reached a suitable stopping point, they looked to each other, both panting with exertion and covered in more than a little sweat. The sight of each other filled them both with laughter they couldn’t contain.

“So,” Apple Bloom began as she gained control of herself, “how’d I do?”

“You were great, Sis!” Applejack beamed with pride. “Horn or no horn, yer an Apple, through and through.”

“There anythin’ else we can do?” It didn’t matter how tired she was feeling. She didn’t want this to stop.

Applejack stopped and thought. With Apple Bloom’s help, she finished the apple-bucking she was planning to do much sooner than expected. She ran through a mental check-list of chores that needed to be done. A glint appeared in her eye as a smile tugged at the side of lip.

“Go find a basket,” she instructed. “Let’s get the bruised apples together for the pigs.”

Apple Bloom dashed off with a smile, dragging a basket over with her teeth. She positioned herself underneath it to balance it on her head, as always, but found her horn getting in the way. She tried to accommodate it by leaning her head forward, but it required her in chin being tucked in far too much to be comfortable. With a frustrated huff, she tried leaning her head back, but this only resulted in the basket taking up her entire field of view. She set the basket down and looked at her horn in annoyance.

“How does Sweetie Belle deal with this thing?” she asked herself quietly.

“Ya ‘bout ready over there?” Applejack called out to her.

“Uh, just a sec!” Apple Bloom answered. Unable to think of anything else, she lit her horn and levitated the basket above her head.

“Ya ready, sis?” Applejack asked as she stepped over to the nearest apple on the ground.

“I guess so.” She couldn’t help the uncertainty in her voice.

Applejack tossed the apple into the air and bucked it in her sister’s direction. The basket moved instinctively and caught the apple with little difficulty.

“Whoo!” Applejack cheered. “Nice catch, Apple Bloom!”

“Y-Yeah,” Apple Bloom chuckled awkwardly and scratched at the back of her head. It didn’t really feel like she was doing anything.

Applejack swatted another apple with her tail, and once more, the basket quickly caught it before drifting back over her head. This time, however, Applejack noticed how troubled her sister looked.

“Somethin’ wrong, sis?”

Apple Bloom looked to her with a sigh. “It’s just—it ain’t all that fun this way.” She looked around at the apples strewn about her. With another flare of her magic, a nearby apple levitated off the ground and into the basket still patiently floating above her before continuing. “I mean, the whole point of us doin’ this together is turnin’ hard work into somethin’ fun.”

Using magic made what would normally be cumbersome, into little more than a slight inconvenience. Apple Bloom could see it was more efficient for her to do this on her own. She didn’t want Applejack to tire herself out any more than she already had.

“I-I can handle it, Sis.” The smile she gave Applejack wasn’t nearly as convincing as she wanted it to be.

Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She watched as Apple Bloom levitated more apples into her basket.

“Ya sure ya don’t want any help?” she offered.

“I’m fine,” Apple Bloom said quietly. “You can head on inside if ya want.”

Applejack watched her sister collect apples in silence, worry pulling her gaze toward the ground.

---

Rarity glared at the sky from underneath a storefront canopy, silently scorning the raindrops that were keeping her stranded.

“Ooh, curse that Rainbow Dash,” she muttered to herself. “She assured me that the rain wouldn’t start until this afternoon.”

All she needed to do was step into town for a moment and pick up a few supplies before this nasty rainstorm caused everything to close down. She had picked up the last item on her list when she found the storm had started in full force. The world seemed to be particularly determined to taunt her today, because she could just see the Carousel Boutique around the corner of another building. She looked back to her cart, and more precisely, the umbrella resting on the top. Rarity had always possessed the foresight to take precautions, especially in matters that might jeopardize her beautiful mane and coat. What she did not possess, however, was a covered wagon, a fact that she was beginning to regret. Her umbrella was certainly of suitable size to protect her purchases, but it would mean leaving herself exposed to the rain. Her lower lip was not appreciating how hard she was biting down on it.

“Oh, what am I to do?” she asked herself, turning back and forth between her cart and the rain.

“Hi, Rarity!” a voice sang out.

Rarity naturally recognized the voice of her younger sister in an instant. The direction that it came from, however, gave her cause for concern. She hesitantly turned her head back up.

Framed in the sunlight pouring through a small hole in the clouds was Sweetie Belle’s carefree smile.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity said, utterly scandalized. “What are you doing up there?”

“Discord turned me into a pegasus,” she called back down.

“Well, have him change you back right now.”

“I can’t!” she continued. “He’s on vacation!”

“Vacation?” The scandal returned to her voice.

“He won’t be back for a week.”

Rarity shook her head with a quiet sigh before speaking up again. “Well, at least come down from there. I’m getting tired of yelling at you.”

“Never stopped you before…” she muttered into the cloud.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” she called down sweetly.

“Then get down here, already.”

“But I can help!”

“Honestly, Sweetie Belle, I don’t see how—”

Sweetie Belle was off with a dash, kicking and using her body to cut through the clouds as quickly as she could.

“—oh, my.”

Rarity looked out in amazement at the sight before her. Sunlight was pouring through the rift in the clouds that Sweetie Belle had made, illuminating an arcing path that led all the way to the Carousel Boutique. Rarity watched with eyes wide as her sister gently came in for a landing in front of her. Sweetie Belle tucked her wings in tight and looked up at her, wearing the proudest little smile.

“So?” she asked after a moment. “What do you think?”

Rarity was struck with the painful realization that she had been letting her mouth hang open in a very unladylike fashion. She quickly clapped her mouth shut and found her voice.

“My word, Sweetie Belle!” she beamed. “That was simply marvelous!”

Sweetie Belle’s grin grew wider than she would’ve thought possible. “Really?!”

“Absolutely!” Rarity looked back at her umbrella, picking it up in her magical aura before smiling back at her sister. “I suppose I won’t be needing this, now will I?”

Sweetie Belle giggled as Rarity placed the umbrella back on her cart. They walked down the path Sweetie Belle had made, enjoying the sunlight despite the pouring rain only inches away.

“Thank you very much, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said with a warm smile. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Sweetie Belle could only barely contain her giddiness. She finally did it. She finally got praise from her big sister.

Rarity opened the door to the Carousel Boutique to let Sweetie Belle rush in before pulling the cart inside.

“What were you doing outside, anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked with a tilt of her head.

“Oh, just picking up a few essentials—rolls of fabric, spools of thread and the like.” Rarity’s horn glowed a soft blue as she levitated the contents of her cart into the air. With light tilts and turns of her head, she directed each item to its proper place. Umbrella for the umbrella stand. Threads on the shelf, by color and amount remaining.

Sweetie Belle watched with rapt attention at the ease and precision with which Rarity used her magic. It wasn’t merely levitating and moving objects. She added a breath of elegance to the task. They danced and glided through the air before gently landing exactly where they were meant to be.

Rarity spoke casually as her purchases continued floating around the room. “I have a few orders that I need to get done, and this rainstorm should allow me to work uninterrupted.”

Sweetie Belle turned to the ground. “Oh. I guess I should wait in the other room so you can work, huh?”

“I—” Rarity stopped and looked at her younger sister. Sweetie Belle lightly kicked the ground while she waited for a response. Rarity’s eyes softened with a smile. “I was actually hoping you would keep me company, if you’d like.”

Sweetie Belle perked up instantly. “Really?!” Her wings flapped in excitement.

“Of course!” Rarity answered. “Now, if I can just find my pincushion, we can get started. I could’ve sworn I left it right here.” She looked back and forth across her work table.

“I got it!” Sweetie Belle zoomed past Rarity as she flew to one of the upper shelves. She picked up the pincushion and drifted back down to a wide-eyed Rarity. She held it out to her big sister with a smile spread across her face.

“Hmm,” Rarity said quietly, looking back and forth between Sweetie Belle and the shelf. “Opalescence must have moved it while I was out.” She levitated the pincushion out of Sweetie Belle’s hoof and onto the table. “Thank you again, Sweetie Belle. You’ve been quite the little helper today.”

Sweetie Belle giggled at Rarity’s praise and stepped off to the side to give her sister room to work. Rarity donned her red reading glasses and smiled to her sister. A smile and a wave from Sweetie Belle told her that she could begin.

Rarity levitated a roll of ruby cloth and spread it across her table. With another flare from her horn, a pair of scissors levitated over to the cloth and began snipping away with speed and precision. Occasionally, she would ask Sweetie Belle to fetch her something from the shelves, if only to keep her from getting bored. Sweetie Belle always responded with enthusiasm, flying up to the shelf to get the item before presenting it to her sister with a smile. Rarity thanked her each time and returned her smile. Work was progressing well, and for once having Sweetie Belle around wasn’t so bad.

As Sweetie Belle continued to watch her sister work, a thought began to develop until she finally spoke up about it.

“Rarity?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

“How did you get so good at magic?”

Rarity stopped suddenly and turned to her sister with a curious expression. “I suppose it came out of necessity.” She levitated a spool of thread and a needle, holding them up for Sweetie Belle to see. A strand of thread unraveled itself from the spool and shot itself through the eye of the needle. It then tied itself securely, ready for use. “It’s nearly impossible to do such things with one’s hooves. I realized early on that if I was serious about becoming a fashionista that I’d need to become skilled with magic.” She set the needle and thread back down on the table. “After enough time and practice, it became second nature, I suppose. Why do you ask?”

Sweetie Belle sighed lightly. “I don’t know. I just—” She looked back at Rarity as she struggled to form words. “I always wanted to be like you, Rarity, and you make it look so easy, but whenever I try to use magic, I can’t get it to work.” She crumpled to the ground, her wings lying flat next to her. “All I do is mess things up.”

Rarity walked over to Sweetie Belle and sat down with her. “That’s not true, Sweetie Belle,” she said gently. “You’ve been a tremendous help to me today, but it’s not because of these wings.” She softly brushed her hoof along Sweetie Belle’s wing. “It’s because you are so eager to be helpful. You’ve always been that way. I’ve never met another pony who can match your charitable nature.”

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and leaned against her sister. “You really think so?”

“I truly do.” Rarity curled into her younger sister as she closed her eyes. She thought about how there was still more work waiting to be done.

But being with her sister felt more important.

Comments

[PresentPerfect]

This story totally needs a cover, and this was sadly all I could find.

[Silver_Spark]

Da feelz!

[BookReader_]

One thing i've noticed is that at first, the Crusaders seem to be having fun with their switched races, but as the chapter goes on, they realize that they love their original abilities more than the new ones. Scootaloo misses flapping her wings like if she was flying, Sweetie Belle is still interested in magic, and Apple Bloom feels like it's just wrong to not work hard to achive your goals, just relying on magic to do tasks; she even feels kind of guilty. I like this type of writing! It gives really good depth to the characters.