The Flurrious Crusade
In a dark, gloomy forest stood two brave and daring adventurers, looking around for potential dangers. Both bore manes of purple with streaks of blue, one with a pink coat and blue eyes and the other with an orange coat and violet eyes. The smaller orange adventurer's face quaked with fear as a trio of growling voices rang out from the shadows. The bigger adventurer put her wing around him, standing firm. "Don't be scared, Nova! The great adventurer Flurry is here to protect you!"
"But will it be enough?" One of the growls asked, her raspy voice accompanying her opening purple eyes.
"We creatures of the Everfree Forest're pretty big, ya know." Stated another, opening her golden eyes alongside her drawling voice.
"And don't forget scary!" The third voice added, turning her green eyes to the other two.
"Oh yeah!" The raspy one confirmed. "Suuuuper scary! You'll have to be pretty brave to stand up to us!"
"I am brave!" Flurry declared, spreading her wings. "I'm Flurry Heart! And I'm not afraid of you creatures!"
The glowing eyes all hunched over with wicked smiles. "We'll see about that!" The raspy voice stated. With loud roars, the bodies the eyes belonged to pounced at the adventurers, met with a flash of yellow light.
"Owwwwww…" Scootaloo cried, rubbing her rump with her hoof on the library floor. She, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle all sat similarly, surrounding a ball of yellow magic that covered the tiniest of Alicorns. "Okay, Flurry, you got us!"
The yellow bubble disappeared with an audible pop, forcing a twitch out of many grown-up ears across the room. Flurry Heart jumped out of the remaining sparkles with a cheer, hugging her little cousin close. "Yeah! We did it! We saved the day!"
"Ya sure did, sugarcube." Apple Bloom affirmed. She turned to Sweetie Belle, letting her smile falter just a little. "I just wish it didn't hurt s' dang much."
"Hurt?" Wondered a soprano from behind the foal. "Why would it hurt if you were just playing?"
Flurry turned to the voice’s owner with a wide-eyed grin. “Oh, Mommy! Nova and me were the brave and daring adventurers exploring the Everfree Forest! But there were dangerous creatures that wanted to get us, but I sent ‘em away with my magic shield!”
“Hmmm…” Cadence started, eyeing the situation before her. “And cousin Scootaloo and her friends were playing the dangerous creatures?”
"Yup." Apple Bloom affirmed. "She sure got us good."
"I see…" Cadence's expression grew sterner as she looked at her daughter. "Are you three okay? Did she only use the shield?"
"We're fine, Princess." Sweetie Belle stated, to sing to her hooves and approaching the mare. "We just landed pretty hard when we hit the barrier. No harm done."
Cadence sent the Crusader a soft smile, patting her head. "And I'm glad, but Flurry should've known better."
Flurry tensed up at her mother's statement, shrinking into herself. "But the dangerous creatures…"
"I know it seemed like a dangerous situation, but do you remember what I told you about using defensive magic on other ponies?"
The Alicorn filly's head and ears drooped. "Don't do it unless I gotta…"
"Especially if you're just playing." Cadence finished. "Now you apologize to Cousin Scootaloo and her friends."
The little Princess turned to the older fillies, pawing the floor with her hoof. “I’m sorry for using magic when I wasn’t ‘upposta…”
The Crusaders let out a choked-up coo at the tiny pony's display. Sweetie Belle was the first to step forward, pulling her into a hug and stroking her mane. "Of course it's okay! How could we not forgive someone so adorable?"
"You sure?" Flurry wondered, looking up at the white-coated filly.
"Absolutely, Squirt!" Scootaloo confirmed, tussling the little one's mane. “No harm, no foul.”
Cadence’s sternness faded, causing a laugh to come out as she pulled the fillies close. “Why don’t we all start getting ready. The Summer Sun Celebration is starting soon!” She turned with the foals toward the middle of the room, where Twilight pored over plans with Boltsinger, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.
“Alright, took some doin’, but with help from the family, I got the food taken care of.” Applejack stated, putting a set of papers aside. “Braeburn was more than willin’ ta help out, seein’ as it’s for the Princesses an’ all.”
“Yes, it’s for the Princesses, of course.” Rarity teased, giving the farmer a knowing smile. “Anyway, with Sassy Saddles handling the boutique, I’ll be able to devote my full attention to the decor.”
“And, of course, I’ll be prepping for the Wonderbolts show.” Rainbow added, gesturing proudly to herself. “The ‘Bolts have something pretty awesome planned for everypony.”
“Sounds good to me.” Boltsinger said, taking a closer look at the schedule. “And that means I’ll be able to keep an eye on the foals for the festival.”
“Are you sure you can handle all of them for that long?” Cadence wondered, taking a seat next to her sister-in-law. “I know you’re good with them, but two young Alicorns and the CMC’s? That’s a pretty heavy load.”
“You say that like I’m handling everything by myself.” He replied. He motioned a wing toward the aforementioned Crusaders, giving a confident smirk. “I’ve got the Cutie Mark Crusaders on my side.”
Cadence cast a curious gaze to the fillies. “And you’re sure they can handle things?”
“With a track record like theirs, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.” He assured her, placing a hoof on her shoulder.
Cadence’s gaze shifted between the three little ponies, finding bright eyes and wide smiles staring back at her to the point where she could have sworn she saw halos over their heads. “Well, if you’re that confident…” The girls leaned forward with expectation as the Princess turned to Boltsinger again. “I’m just glad you’re going to be with them. I know how much of a horn-full Flurry can be, especially to those who don’t have a horn for themselves.”
From the other side of the stallion, Twilight let out a laugh. “A horn-full?” She fluttered over the elder Alicorn, scooping Flurry up in her forelegs with an affectionate nuzzle. “How can this little bug be a horn-full?”
Flurry looked forlornly at her aunt. “Little bugs who use magic when they’re not s‘pposta…”
“Oh, I see…” Twilight moved back to the floor, placing the filly on the floor in front of her. “Did the brave and daring adventurers get a little overzealous in their quest?”
The little Princess averted her eyes. “Yeah…”
Twilight laid on her fetlocks in front of Flurry, putting her head at her eye level. “Well, you know, magic is a very useful tool for a brave adventurer. But it's not the best tool in her arsenal.”
All activity in the room ceased for a moment, with all heads turning to look at the bearer of the Element of Magic. “Really?” Rainbow began.
“This comin’ from the pony who created a failsafe spell ta try ‘n solve all our problems all at once?” Applejack continued.
“And gets so excited about teaching me what she knows she turns me into a Unicorn once a month for magic lessons?” Boltsinger concluded.
Twilight gave her comment section a quick roll of the eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. I have a history of going a little magic-crazy.” She refocused her attention on the pink pony before her. “But that makes me the perfect voice of experience."
"So what does an adventurer need?" Flurry wondered, looking pleadingly up at her Aunty Twily.
"All of the best adventurers only need three things to tackle even the scariest obstacles." She explained, holding up three feathers "And those are her courage…" She pointed her other wing at the first feather, eliciting a smirk from Rainbow Dash. "Her integrity…" With another feather highlighted, Applejack gave a tip of her hat. Finally, she moved to indicate the third. "And her wits!" Rarity flipped her mane with a knowing smile. "Those three tools are key for anypony that wants to be a good adventurer!"
"Like Daring Do?" Flurry asked, letting a sparkle of wonder back into her eyes.
"Your daddy's been reading to you, hasn't he?" Twilight guessed, earning an enthusiastic nod from the filly. "Yes, Bug, exactly like Daring Do!" She planted a kiss on the tip of Flurry’s horn, standing up with a splay of her wings. “Okay, then! Next stop, Canterlot!”
“Awesome!” Boltsinger began. He trotted ahead of the group, taking wing and hovering in place for a moment. "I'm gonna go make sure Starlight and Sunburst are all good before we go. Starlight was… not at her best this morning."
Twilight and Cadence winced, their memories of their own experiences lurking forward from the backs of their minds. They each lifted their respective foals onto their backs, talking in tandem with the Crusaders and their sisters. The trip out of the castle was uneventful, but full of conversation, stopping only briefly to allow Twilight to obtain her baby boy's baby bag. Finally, they made it to the train station, where Cadence took a quick glance at the group. “Okay. Is everypony ready?”
“Nnope!” Called a bellowing baritone from above. Boltsinger came to a landing on the platform, trotting in place and looking anxiously back at the castle. “I can only stay for a little bit. There’s been a bit of a change in plans.”
A wave of concern washed over the Crystal Princess, raising one of her eyebrows along with her question. “What kind of change?”
Scootaloo hopped up to the stallion, excitedly buzzing her wings. "Are we going to fly there?"
"Oh, I wish." He said, tussling her mane. "Unfortunately, Starlight is in a crying magical fit right now and Sunburst is…" He breathed a sigh, looking at the other grown ponies. "Well, whatever it is he's come down with has fire coming out of his horn, so I have to cover for him with Starlight."
"Oh, gosh... That sounds awful!" Twilight stated, stepping up to her spouse. "Do you need any help with Sunburst? I can stay behind if you--"
Boltsinger put his hoof over her mouth, shaking his head. "You have a good time at the Summer Sun Celebration. Spike and Big Mac are taking care of Sunburst, so the situation is handled." He sent the purple Princess a smile, receiving one in return as the gap between their muzzles began to close.
“Ahem!” Cadence started, drawing all eyes her way. Her hoof was raised to her muzzle, with a rather uncertain look plastered on her face. "You know, not every situation here is handled." She motioned to the little pony on her back, then over at Nova. "What about this one? We promised we would take them to the festival."
Another throat cleared, sending the Princess’ eyes downward. Before her stood a smirking Scootaloo, who was quickly joined by her best friends. Apple Bloom stepped to the center, swiping a hoof in front of her. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Princess! We’re on it!”
“Oh you are?” The royal retorted, her uncertainty unwavering.
"Of course!" Sweetie Belle answered, raising her hoof. "We babysit for Nova all the time!"
"Yeah! And Flurry loves playing with her 'Cousin Scoot'!" Scootaloo added, motioning to herself.
"But you're all still foals yourself." Cadence stressed, turning her attention to the older ponies. "I'm sorry, but I just don't feel comfortable letting them go around Canterlot without an older pony to watch them."
Boltsinger breathed a preparatory sigh, slapping his muzzle with his wings and approaching his royal in-law. He brought his hooves up, squishing Cadence's cheeks between then and looking her squarely in the eye. "Cadence, look at it this way. Am I known for my confidence?"
Cadence blinked, unaccustomed to this kind of display. "That's not what we're talking abou--"
"Please answer the question." He interrupted, briefly squeezing a little tighter. "Am I known for my confidence?"
"Well… Not really."
Boltsinger brought his head close enough to where the two nearly made contact. "I have every confidence in the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They can do this." He let go of her face, backing up a ways. "And if they can't, I'll clean every bathroom in your castle without help and without complaining for a week."
“A week, huh?” She repeated. She looked down at the fillies Boltsinger had so much faith in, opting to momentarily set her scrutiny aside. “Well, then, consider today a test of your abilities. I’ll leave Flurry Heart in your care while Twilight and I handle things in the castle. But if you need any help at all, you be sure to let one of us know. And if anything at all goes wrong…” She pointed her gaze and her hoof at Boltsinger, squinting with a scowl. “I’m taking you up on your offer.”
Boltsinger slightly recoiled from the stern gaze. “Well, okay then.” He pulled Scootaloo into a hug, giving her a kiss on the forehead before smiling down at her. “I know you girls can do it. But don’t forget to have fun, okay?”
“We won’t let you down!” The winged Crusader assured, returning the hug with a happy buzz of her wings.
The sights! The sounds! The rides! The games! Flurry Heart’s eyes lit up taking it all in as she stepped off of the train platform. She bounded ahead, unsure of which one of the amazing things she wanted to try first. At last, her eyes fell on a big stuffed snail that hung from a stall, sending a smile onto her face and a flap to her wings as she made her way toward it.
“Whoa, there, sugarcube!” Called a notable drawl. Apple Blom jumped forward, clamping her jaw down on the younger filly’s tail. "Don't jus' go runnin' off without us!"
Flurry plopped to the ground, looking back at the yellow-coated Crusader. “But Wammy’s mama is over there! Can we go get it? Can we? Can we? Can we?” She hopped in place, turning around and pointing back at the toy. "Wammy's gotta have her mama!"
“Hmm…” Sweetie started, rubbing her chin as she stepped forward, pushing a stroller full of bags with her magic. "I suppose we could try… It depends on the game." she looked back to the platform, where a pair of orange ponies were making their entrance. "What do you think, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo lifted her little brother up, going into a hover above the rest of the group, holding her other foreleg over her eyes to get a better look at the stall in question. Holding onto the remaining foreleg, Nova looked out at the festival as well. There were so many things around him! Too many things… Sights, sounds, games, rides… It pounded at his head incessantly, sending his hooves to his temples. His breathing quickened as a small cry reached Scootaloo’s ears. “Hold on a sec.” She said. She put both of her forelegs around Nova, turning him toward her and pulling him into an embrace that obscured his vision while she put her hooves over his ears. “It’s okay, little guy. Sissy’s got ya. Everything’s okay…” She stroked the colt’s mane, landing as carefully as she could. She looked over her little brother’s head at Sweetie Belle, giving her a little smile. “I think we can do something about it. Just gotta keep an eye on the little Prince.”
Apple Bloom let go of Flurry's tail, stepping forward with a hoof pump. "Alright! Let's do it!" She raised her hoof high, met with instant bumps from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Let's go get you a Wammy!"
A tapping at her foreleg drew Apple Bloom’s attention back to Flurry Heart, who was looking up at her with her most serious face. “Wammy’s mama.”
Apple Bloom smiled. “Right” She looked forward again, leading the group to the stall. “Wammy’s mama.” She stepped up to the counter, putting some bits up as she peeked over. “We’d like to play, please!”
“Alright, kid. That’s about three games worth.” The proprietor replied, placing three rings on the counter, taking the bits in one swift motion. “Have fun!”
"Wait a sec." She called out, tapping the counter. "What kinda score do we need ta get that big snail?"
"Oh, that one? Just gotta get the highest score you can in one go." The stallion smirked, motioning to a bottle at the very back of the stall. “Best bet’s that one.” He chuckled to himself, placing his payment in a nearby register. “Best of luck.”
“Right!” Apple Bloom picked up the first ring, looking out on several rows of bottles like the one she had been shown. All of them had numbers painted on them, growing in value the further back they were placed. “Just like horseshoes, right?” A smirk creeped onto the farm filly’s face as her vision narrowed. “Easy as a fresh apple pie!” She lowered her hoof, swinging it forward with a practiced grace she’d learned on the farm. The ring sailed from her hoof, moving at a speed that sent it flying over the majority of the targets, bouncing off of the back wall, into a beam in the ceiling, off of the bottle she had aimed for, and finally sailing onto a bottle in the very front row, spinning around the neck before finally coming to rest.
"Just like horseshoes, huh?" Scootaloo teased.
Apple Bloom turned to her friends with lowered ears and a flush on her face. "Well, the horseshoes I'm used to 're a lot heavier than that little thing." She tapped her forehooves together, letting out a nervous laugh. "Guess I don't know my own strength, huh?"
"Maybe strength isn't what you need?" Sweetie Belle suggested, stepping forward. "If I've learned anything from Rarity, it's that these situations call for some finesse! Let me show you." She took the next ring, lifting it with her magic and hanging it from her horn. "You just take your time…" She reared up onto her back legs, waving her head back and forth to start the ring spinning like a loopty hoop around her horn. "Give it a little style, and…" With a flick of her head, the ring flew from her horn, soaring through the air…
Behind her.
The ring fell to the ground, rolling at an angle that sent it to the middle of the walkway. Sweetie Belle rapidly turned around, reaching out for the fallen ring as innumerable hooves unwittingly trampled it into the road. When the dust of the crowd crossing cleared, tiny bits of what was once the ring lay, never to be thrown again. Sweetie Belle looked back to the stall, where the proprietor stared sternly back. “I’m gonna have to dock your score for that one.” He stated, removing the ring that Apple Bloom had thrown. “Sorry.”
The white and yellow Crusaders hung their heads in defeat, turning to Flurry Heart. “Sorry, Flurry.” Apple Bloom said, rubbing her foreleg. “Guess we can’t get Wammy’s mama after all…”
“Don’t we have one more shot, though?” Scootaloo wondered, looking at the one ring still left on the counter.
Sweetie Belle sighed. "Yeah, but we can't possibly make the shot with just one!" She sat down, curling her tail around herself. “Well, what if I…?” She pointed her horn at her hoof.
“Ab-so-lutely not!” Apple Bloom snapped, swiping her hoof. “Usin’ magic in a game like this is just cheatin’, and there ain’t no point in playin’ if yer just gonna cheat!”
“Well then how are we supposed to win it?” The Unicorn stressed.
"Well, who says we have to?" The orange Crusader continued, picking up the ring. "It's just a game. We shouldn’t be afraid to lose!" She held the ring up, looking through it at the ponies with her. “We’ve got one toss left, who wants to give it a try?” Her gaze went from Apple Bloom, who shrugged, then Sweetie Belle, who shook her head vehemently. She turned to the younger foals, where Nova was staring at the ground whilst rocking in place, and little Flurry Heart seemed to rumble with excitement. A smirk graced Scootaloo’s muzzle at the sight, bending down to the tiny Princess’ level. “You wanna give it a go, squirt?”
Flurry’s vibration stopped with a wide-eyed gasp. “Can I? Really?” Her big cousin nodded, pushing the ring toward her. “But…” She hung her head, looking away. “I dunno how to play…”
Apple Bloom perked up, sending a smile toward Sweetie Belle. “So? We can help with that.”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle affirmed, stepping up to the filly and putting her hoof around her. “Helping other ponies is what we do, after all.”
Scootaloo pulled Flurry’s foreleg forward, placing the ring in her hoof. “Trust me. By the time we’re done, you’ll be having the time of your life!”
Over the next few minutes, the Cutie Mark Crusaders went into an in-depth lesson on the rules of the game. From Apple Bloom’s horseshoes experience to Sweetie Belle’s ideas for throwing techniques, all while Scootaloo observed the layout, giving the occasional encouraging word. Eventually, Flurry stood on Apple Bloom’s back peeking over with Sweetie Belle propping herself up on the counter for a similar perspective. Scootaloo hovered beside her, with Nova on her back while the long-horned filly zeroed in on her target. “Aim careful…” She muttered to herself, taking as deep a breath as she could manage.
“Take it slow, now.” The golden-eyed Crusader beneath her advised.
“You ready?” Scootaloo asked, bringing herself closer. “You can do this, brave adventurer!”
“Right!” She confirmed. She lowered her hoof carefully, bringing it forward with all of the force a pony her age could manage. “I can do it!”
The ring sailed over the first several rows, seeming to move in slow-motion. Flurry gave her wings a flap, holding her forelegs up as the suspense built. As the ring made its descent, the fillies’ hearts began to race, and their eyes widened with anticipation untill…
DING!
There, on the furthest bottle from the counter with the largest number painted on the side, sat Flurry’s ring. A silence permeated the area as dimples formed, giving way to a cheer. “I DID IT!!!” Flurry cried, raising her hoof triumphantly with the Crusaders quickly following suit. “That means I win, right? I get to get Wammy’s mama?”
The stall’s proprietor let out a boisterous laugh, pounding the counter with his forehoof. “Yeah, little filly, you won. Now which one is this ‘mama’ you wanted?” Rather than reply, Flurry lit her horn, tugging on the stuffed snail toward her. “All right, all right, just gimme a sec.” He undid the binding that kept it in place, letting it fly at the filly, who caught it in a big hug.
“Oh, thank you thank you thank you!!!” She shouted, squeezing the toy.
“It’s nuthin’, sugarcube.” The Earth Pony replied, tussling the tiny Princess’ hair. “But this was all you.” She took a step back, joined by her best friends. “All we did was help out.”
Flurry shook her head, looking up from the plush. “But if you didn’t help, then…”
“Really, it’s no problem!” The Unicorn afformed, pointing her hoof at the image on her flank. “Helping other ponies is what we got our Cutie Marks for, after all.”
“Cutie Marks?” Flury repeated. She moved her new toy to the stroller, stepping up to the older ponies with budding curiosity. “What’s a Cutie Mark?”
The trio exchanged glances for a moment. "Did she just ask what I think she did?" Sweetie Belle started.
"Yeah I think she did!" Apple Bloom continued.
"You know what that means, right?" Scootaloo concluded.
Three grins formed on three muzzles as instinct began to take hold, all Crusaders present taking a deep breath. "WE GET TO TEACH FLURRY ABOUT CUTIE MARKS!!!"
As the echo of their shout faded, Scootaloo leaped forward. “Here, take Nova for a second,” she said, putting her little brother next to his cousin. From there, she took a step back, pointing at her flank. “So Cutie Marks are these pictures we all have on our flanks-”
Apple Bloom stepped in front of her friend, holding up a poignant hoof. “And they tell ya what yer special talent is!”
“But only once you figure it out!” Sweetie Belle added, poking her head up from behind them.
“And how to use it!” the Pegasus pointed out.
“An’ what you wanna do with it!” Apple Bloom stated, looking back at her comrades. “Can’t forget about that.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded. “Right,” the orange filly affirmed. “But figuring out what it is you wanna do is difficult.”
Sweetie Belle raised her forelegs dramatically. “You could try anything for a really long time and still not get it!”
Apple Bloom moved over to her white-coated companion, lowering her hooves. “‘Cause it’s not just what yer good at.” She let out a chuckle, looking at her own Cutie Mark. “I mean, just look at us! We all like helpin’ other ponies with their Cutie Marks so much that it became our Cutie Marks!”
“So we’re always up for helping ponies in need,” Scootaloo finally finished, lifting Flurry's head to look her in the eye. "Especially ponies like you, little cousin."
Flurry’s eyes seemed to glow at the knowledge she had just gained. “So, Cutie Marks are… pictures of things you wanna be when you grow up?”
Sweetie Belle shrugged and nodded. “Something like that.”
“Well then I wanna be an adventurer!” she declared, hopping into a hover. “A brave and daring adventure just like Daring Do! And I’ll always get the treasure and beat the bad guys because I’ll be the good one!” She landed next to Nova, whipping her head around to get a look at her flank. “Did I get it? Do I have my Cutie Mark?”
Apple Bloom laughed, walking up with a shake of her head. “Nope. But that ain’t quite how it works.” She chanced a momentary glance at her own flank, remembering all the times she’d looked back there only to find solid yellow. “Believe me, I know that better than anypony.” She pulled the Alicorn into a hug, holding her close. “But if you really wanna, we can go practice yer adventurin’ skills around town.”
“By playing games?” Flurry guessed, looking at the older pony with a hopeful light in her eyes.
“As many games as you want, sugarcube!”
Flurry Heart sprang into the air, raising her hoof once more. “YES!” She remained airborne for a moment, looking around the festival. As soon as another stall entered her sights, her hoof pointed forward. “Let’s play that one!”
If there was a game at the Summer Sun Celebration to be played, then Flurry Heart saw that it was played. From the strength test, where Apple Bloom’s bucking experience won the day, to an apple bob that served as a snack for the entire group. They ventured into a hall of mirrors, laughing endlessly at the strange shapes their reflections took. They went on to explore the rides, but found themselves pushed back by a larger pony, indicating their inability to ride. With mild pouts on their faces, they continued on their way.
All the while, Flurry was going full bore, at least three steps ahead of the rest of the ponies. Nova followed behind his sister, keeping the tip of her tail firmly in his mouth. The Crusaders themselves moved at a slog, barely lifting their hooves with each step. They found their way to an empty table, where Sweetie Belle let out a relieved sigh.
"Finally! A place to sit down!" she said, plodding over to the nearest chair. She climbed up onto the seat, resting her head on the table. "I didn't realize festivals could make you so tired…"
"Pretty sure it ain't the festival," Apple Bloom corrected, joining in the Unicorn's slumping.
Scootaloo nodded, adding her own weight to the table. "Now I see why Bolt and Twilight got that coffee maker." She looked down at the young ones in their care, a smile gracing her face as they hopped around one another. "Babysitting may take a lot out of you, but it sure is worth it."
"Yeah…" the remaining Crusaders simultaneously confirmed.
Meanwhile, Flurry Heart's hopping served a purpose. What they had done so far was already great, but she wanted to really test her courage this time. To that end, she searched and searched for more things to do. The games were fun, but they weren't very daring. The attractions were super neat, but they didn't take much bravery either. No, what she wanted was a ride. Something that somepony her size could get onto and go as high as possible!
And that was precisely what she found.
"Oh! Oh! I wanna go on the ferris wheel!" she declared, spinning around to face her cousin. "Cousin, Scoot! Cousin Scoot! Can we go on the ferris wheel next? I just know I'll show my courage if I go on the ferris wheel!"
Scootaloo weakly raised her hoof. “Yeah, we can ride it. Just give us a couple minutes.”
“YES!” The tiny filly cried. She turned to her younger cousin, putting her hooves on his shoulders. “Come on, Nova! We’re gonna go ride the ferris wheel!” Nova let out a delighted squeal at the notion, putting the tip of Flurry’s tail in his mouth to follow behind as she started toward the ride in question. With every step, excitement bubbled up within the second-smallest Alicorn. She was used to flying, yes, but there was always something special about riding something up like that. Her pace quickened a little as she led her little cousin on, turning a blind eye to the growing number of ponies around them.
Nova, however, was growing nervous. The number of strange ponies around them was only growing, adding voices and hoofsteps as they came. He looked around for anything or anyone familiar, but came up short in every direction. With a small whine, the stopped in his tracks, pulling on flurry’s tail for attention.
Flurry stopped in kind, still transfixed by the ferris wheel ahead. “It’s okay, Nova. We’re gonna have a great time! Right Cousin Scoot?” She turned her head back, looking to the ponies she was certain were behind her.
“Cousin Scoot…?”
Except…
“Cousin Scoot!”
They weren’t.
The corners of Flurry’s mouth fell as low as her ears. She pulled her little cousin close, looking around at the enormous number of ponies that surrounded them. Everywhere she looked there were ponies. So many that they began to blur together. And not a single one among them was somepony she recognized.
“Where are you…?”
A yawn came out of each Crusader’s mouth as the trio sat up. They stretched for a moment, taking a deep breath before at last rising from their seats. “Okay! Let’s get going to the ferris wheel!” Scootaloo announced, hopping into the air with a flap of her wings. “Sorry that took so long, Flurry.” She waited a moment for a response, but nopony seemed to call back. Coming to a landing, she looked around, her face growing more concerned with every turn of her head. “Flurry Heart?” She walked back to the other Crusaders, looking over her shoulders. “Either of you seen Flurry?”
“Naw, I thought she was with you.” Apple Bloom stated.
“She isn’t by the stroller.” Sweetie Belle added. "Neither is Nova."
“Weird." The winged Crusader turned to face the empty space behind her, scanning one more time. "I guess that means we lost them."
Silence took hold for a moment, permeating their ears as they reflected on their conclusion. They looked at one another with shrunken pupils and lowered ears, taking a simultaneous deep breath.
“WE LOST THE FOOOOOALS!!!”
“We gotta go find ‘em!” Apple Bloom started, clutching her head with her hooves.
“Duh! But how?!” squeaked Sweetie Belle, raising a questioning hoof.
“Flurry said something about the ferris wheel!” the Pegasus pointed out, rising back into the air. “I’ll check over there."
"Okay. We'll look around here." the Unicorn confirmed, magically pulling the stroller to her. "Maybe they didn't make it too far? They are pretty little, after all."
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, pointing at the ferris wheel in the distance. "Yeah, they're little. Little Alicorns!" She cantered over to the edge of the crowd, taking one last look back to her friends. "I'll go check a little further in. Let's meet back here in ten minutes, okay?"
"Gotcha!"
The crowds of ponies continued on farther than little Flurry Heart had expected. She had been walking for several minutes now, putting her wing around her younger cousin for safety, and hadn’t seen even a hint of the ponies she knew. But the ferris wheel still looked down on them from above, so she was certain she was going the right way. At the same time, Nova looked around cautiously, finding a wall of colors where once there were ponies, and a torrent of sounds flooding his ears. He lowered his head, hiding under the wing that held him.
The wing tightened its grip, drawing the colt's attention up to the smiling face of his cousin. “It’s okay, Nova. I gotcha." She looked ahead once more, eyeing her goal. “‘Cause I’m a brave and daring adventurer, and they always know the way…”
Knowing where she was going, though, didn't stop little ponies from getting hungry. Flurry's stomach began to rumble, answered in kind by the tiny orange Prince next to her. She stopped to take a look around, hoping there was something nearby that could help with the problem, but all she could see was a veritable forest of legs. Blue legs, pink legs, black legs. All legs she didn't recognize. Even the set of gray legs with brown hooves that seemed to be walking in her direction.
When the legs came to a stop, Flurry looked up to see the rest of this pony. His gray fur was fluffier than anything she’d ever seen on a pony before, and his mane matched his hooves in color. He had bright blue eyes over a big, friendly smile, and his Cutie Mark looked to be a bunch of funny shapes all mushed together into one. "Excuse me," he began in a clear Trottingham accent. "Would I be right in guessing that you're Princess Flurry Heart?"
Flurry put her hoof around Nova, stepping back and looking more fully at the stallion. “Yeah, but… Mommy and Daddy say I’m not s’pposta talk with strangers…”
The stallion's smile faltered for but an instant at the statement. "That's, uh... certainly a good practice." He hunched over to look the little Alicorn in the eye. "But you seem a little lost. Would you like some help to find your mum?"
"Mommy's in the castle," she corrected, pointing in the direction she thought the castle was in. "She's helpin' Aunty Twily and the bigger Princesses with the big thing later. We got the Cutie Mark Crusaders taking care of us today." Her ears drooped at the mention of the Crusaders. She looked down, letting a tiny pout onto her face. "I can’t find ‘em, though…”
The stallion cocked his head to the side. “Well then how about we go find them together?”
“But we’re going to the ferris wheel,” she informed him, pointing her free wing at the machine. “I wanted to go on it, and Cousin Scoot said yes. So I’m gonna go there.”
The stallion took a look at the wheel on question, raising a hoof to his muzzle. "I suppose that's a sound plan." He slowly drifted his gaze back... "Are you sure you wouldn't like some help getting--" … finding that the foals were gone. He breathed a heavy sigh, lighting his horn and shooting a magical flare high into the air above him.
The crowd around the ferris wheel was bustling with conversation when Scootaloo landed. She cantered to the ride’s operator, putting her hooves on the console with a look of desperation on her face. "Have you seen a couple little Alicorn foals around here?!"
As soon as the question was uttered, all conversation in the vicinity came to a halt. A pony came up from behind the Pegasus, raising a curious hoof. “You mean the little ones I saw by the food stalls?”
“I saw them by the library!” Another pony added.
“Oh yeah,” yet another pony noted, putting their hoof by their mouth. “I coulda sworn I saw them by the castle gardens!”
“Sounds like they’ve been all over the place!” the ride’s operator commented, looking down at the Crusader. “Unfortunately, here’s the one place we haven’t seen them.”
“Are you sure?” the filly stressed, buzzing her wings into a hover. “Like, really really really sure?”
“Believe me, kid, if I saw a couple tiny Alicorns walking around here, I’d remember.” He assured, pushing her closer to the ground. “Best of luck, though. I’ll let the guards know if I see them.”
A pout made itself evident on Scootaloo’s face, making her annoyance no secret to onlookers. She brought herself back to the ground, letting out a sigh as she touched down. “Thanks. I’ll go check back with my friends.”
The search for the ferris wheel was taking far longer than Flurry would have liked. They had gone to a bunch of places, always following the looming wheel in the distance and the road beneath them. She was having trouble understanding how it was so difficult to find something so big. Ordinarily, she'd have flown straight there, but the little orange colt under her wing made that hard. She pulled her cousin close, moving to the side of the street to look up at the ferris wheel. “Why does Canterlot have to be so windey?” She wondered, bringing her rump to the ground. “Back home there’s a bunch of big streets and lotsa friendly ponies… Here, we just met one pony that wasn’t some kinda scary…” She lowered her head a little, a whine escaping her lips. “I just wanna see Cousin Scoot and Mommy and Aunty Twily and--” Her eyes grew wide. “Wait! That’s it! Aunty Twily!” She looked at her cousin with a smile. “I could do that spell where you just think of a place and then you’re there!” Her horn lit up with excitement, bringing her back to a standing position. She closed her eyes, going through all the places they’d been and where she wanted to go in her head. With a yellow flash, they were by the hall of mirrors. Opening her eyes, she shook her head, vanishing again to appear in the game area. With a furrow of her brow, she concentrated more, finding herself at the entrance to town, followed soon after by the gardens, then the roller coaster, and then the town plaza. She wobbled for a moment, her eyes going into a googly daze until she leaned against a nearby fountain. With panting breaths, she laid down, looking firmly at the cobblestone as Nova toddled up beside her. “Magic… is… hard…” she admitted, looking up at the purple-eyed colt. “Guess I shouldn’t’a done that. Daring adventurers don’t need magic anyways.” She brought her fetlocks forward, resting her head on them. “And little fillies shouldn’t walk away from their big cousins, huh?” Nova simply smiled, moving to sit beside the filly with a light nuzzle against her as he began to watch the crowd.
Sitting around the table once more, the Cutie Mark Crusaders recounted their findings. Sweetie Belle in particular was hunched over a piece of parchment, listing a number of locations. She looked up from her work, downright puzzled. “So you’re saying they’ve been all over Canterlot, except for the one place they wanted to go?”
Scootaloo nodded, falling into a slump on the table. “That’s what it looks like.” Her hooves came to her temples, rubbing them for some semblance of relief. “We really dropped the ball this time…”
Apple Bloom looked tentatively between her two best friends, forming an idea. “Maybe… we should talk to Princess Cadence?”
“NO!!!” the remaining Crusaders shouted, rising to their hooves in defiance.
“Do you have any idea what she would do to us if she found out we lost her daughter?!” Sweetie Belle asked. Before the Earth Pony could open her mouth, the Unicorn’s hoof slammed on the table. “She could throw us in a dungeon!”
Apple Bloom’s eyebrow cocked inquisitively. “Wait, what?”
“Or banish us!” the green-eyed filly continued.
“But--”
“Or throw us in a dungeon wherever she banishes us to!”
“But she said to--”
“We could end up never seeing each other again!”
Apple Bloom scoffed, brushing the statement aside. “Seriously? That’s just silly! Why would she do sumthin’ like that for such a simple mistake?”
“But… She might decide that we’re not good enough to be babysitters,” the Pegasus noted, glancing down at the pendant she wore. “Not to mention, that’s my baby brother out there! And my cousin!” She slammed one hoof into the other, narrowing her eyes. “We have to find them, no matter what the consequences are!" She jumped in top of the table, taking a dynamic pose.
Sweetie Belle let out a cheer, joining her friend on the would-be pedestal. "Yeah! I bet if we split up and search everywhere, we'll find them in no time!"
Apple Bloom shrugged, following suit. "An' we can at least tell some guards what's goin' on. More hooves make everything easier. Just keep yer eyes an’ ears open, girls!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders gave a simultaneous nod, bumping their hooves together dramatically. “LET’S DO IT!”
Rumbling.
That was what her tummy was doing. It was to be expected. She had been running around everywhere, then walking around, and then all of that magic… This petit pony princess was pretty well pooped. And yet another rumbling told her she wasn't alone. “I betcha Apple Bloom’s got sumthin’ we could eat in the stroller, huh?”
Nova’s stomach rumbled in agreement, but his eyes remained fixed on the crowd. There were as many grown-ups around as there were trees in the woods, but he couldn’t find a single face he recognized. Worse still, the colors began to blur together. It was bright, it was noisy, and the little prince's head was starting to object. He backed up to the point where his rump hit the fountain, dropping to the ground with his forehooves on his head as his breathing quickened.
“What’s wrong, Nova?” Flurry wondered. She stood in front of the colt, looking him over. “Did you lose sumfin?” Nova shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. The pink pony tilted her head, raising a curious hoof. “What’s bugging you so bad? You need a bubble?” She closed her eyes in concentration, sending a little light into her horn. “I think I gots a little magic left…” With an audible pop, a field of yellow magic formed a shield around him. "How's that?"
The orange Alicorn tightened his grip on his noggin, lighting his horn with a shrill whine. Another pop sounded, dispersing the bubble. His whine grew into a cry, sending a pang of feedback into the caster, who reeled back to land firmly on her rump..
“Nova! What was that for?” She got back up, giving him her best scowl. The colt winced, as if the filly’s words had hurt more than just his feelings. Her features soon softened as she stepped toward him, raising a hoof. "Sumfin's really gettin' to you, huh?" She pondered for a moment, looking around at the crowd with a nervous whine of her own. “Um… How ‘bout this?” She pulled at the corners of her mouth, letting her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets in the funniest face she could make. She cycled between silly looks, making noises to match until she found herself out of ideas.
And all Nova did in response was start crying.
"Aw come on, Nova! There's gotta be sumfin'! Is it your ears? Cousin Scoot did a thing with your ears this morning!" She reared up, putting her weight entirely on her hind legs as her forehooves reached forward. She pressed down on her cousin’s ears, doing her best to muffle the noise. For a few moments, the crying seemed to die down, but it didn’t last. Flurry began to wobble, having little experience remaining on her hind legs for so long. With a single backwards teeter, the orange ears flicked open again, and an ear-piercing cry rang out through the plaza. All of the ponies in the vicinity stopped in their tracks, covering their ears as they winced in pain as the littlest princess regained her balance. “I can do this… I’m a brave adventurer…” she told herself, closing her eyes in an attempt to focus. “Come on, Nova… Don’t cry…” Her hind legs started to wobble, giving out under her weight as beads of water formed at the corners of her eyes. “I gotta help you... ‘cause I’m…” She wiped her nose with her hoof, letting out a sniffle. “I’m…” Nova fell completely to the ground, flailing his legs and flaring his wings as his cries only got louder. With her wings falling limp, Flurry Heart’s breathing began staggering. She arched her head back with one deep inhale, finally letting the dam behind her eyes break.
“I’M NOT A BRAVE ADVENTURER!!!” She screamed, falling over in her sobs. “I’m a little filly and I’m scared and I want my mommy and my daddy and Aunty Twily and Cousin Scoo-hoo-hoo-hoot!” She buried her face in her forelegs, her words turning incoherent as she continued.
And as the filly cried, an orange ear twitched. The noise all around them had started to fade, and a sense of calm took hold in the smallest pony in Canterlot. Nova snorted up what had built up in his nose, opening his eyes to find his cousin in a state he’d never seen her before. He toddled up to her, letting out a small coo as his hoof reached her mane. He nudged her a few times, sounding off a little more as she lifted her head to see him. Before she could even open her mouth in response, his tiny forelegs wrapped around her, giving her the biggest hug he could manage. Flurry simply smiled, leaning into the embrace as she snorted up one last sniffle.
"There you are!" cried the most familiar rasp they knew. The foals looked up from their hug to see Scootaloo coming in for a landing beside them.
With eyes both glistening and wide, Flurry dove into the Crusader. "Cousin Scoot!" Her tears flowed forth anew as she put her hooves around her, finding a measure of solace in the big pony's chest. "I was so scared! There were lotsa ponies I didn't know and Nova was crying and I didn't know what to do 'cause I'm not brave like Daring Do…”
“Oh, come on, squirt, even Daring Do gets scared when she’s in danger!” Scootaloo assured, patting the princess’ head.
“Nu-uh. Daring Do doesn’t get scared o’ anything!”
“She does when somepony she cares about is in trouble.” She put her hooves around the pink pony. “I know we were scared. I was about ready to give up hope!” She reached for the orange Alicorn, adding him to the embrace and nuzzling him affectionately. “Until I heard you, little prince!” She pulled them both closer, squeezing as tight as she could. “I’m so glad you’re both safe!”
The embrace continued for another few moments, until a rumble sounded from below. Flurry Heart looked up at her big cousin, the pleading in her eyes more evident than ever.. “Cousin Scoot, I’m hungry...”
“You. Lost. My. Daughter.” Cadence stated, looking sternly at the Crusaders. Night had long since fallen, and the day at the festival had come to a close. The Cutie Mark Crusaders now sat behind the stage upon which the four Alicorn princesses were to perform the ritual raising of the sun. Before them stood Princess Cadence, with her wings flared and wearing a scowl so fierce that it looked almost unnatural on her.
And the Crusaders could do naught but sweat. Scootaloo tugged on her pendant, smiling like she had everything to hide. “So… you heard about that, huh?”
Cadence narrowed her eyes. “All of Canterlot heard about it! Or didn’t you know that the guards were searching all over the place?!" She pointed to a pair of armored ponies nearby who nodded in agreement. The Crystal Princess breathed a heavy sigh, letting her features soften. “I explicitly told you to tell me if anything happened. Anything at all.”
“That’s what I said!” Apple Bloom pointed out, raising her hoof. Two pair of eyes immediately fell on the Apple sibling, forcing the filly to flinch. "Well I did."
"And why didn't you?" Cadence inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Beads of sweat rolled down Sweetie Belle's face. Her sister's anger was something she'd dealt with before. All of them, in fact. But the ire of a princess was something new and terrifying. "Well, it was because… because…"
"Because we were afraid!" Scootaloo interjected, jumping to all fours. "Afraid of what you would do, and afraid of what was gonna happen to Flurry and Nova if we didn't find them…"
“I see…” The royal’s wings returned to her sides, but at the same time, her stern features made a return. “I’m glad you were determined to fix your mistake, but I don’t think you’re ready to watch my daughter.”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders simultaneously cringed at the Crystal Princess’ decision, lowering their heads in shame. “We understand…”
“Maybe when you’re older, have more experience, we can try again.” she suggested, kneeling down to the fillies’ level. “What do you think?” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo remained silent, turning away as they stood up and filed out of the room. Cadence stood up, letting loose another sigh as she watched the girls go. She turned her thoughts to the most important girl in her world, unconsciously making her way to the room where she was tucked in. The room was quiet and mostly dark, save for a soft light at the side of the room, and in a bed in the corner lay little Flurry and her even smaller cousin, snug and comfortable after the eventful day. She sat beside the bed with a small smile, gently caressing her filly’s face.
“Mmmm…” Flurry started, stirring from the contact. Her eyes opened slightly, looking up at her mother’s smiling face. “Mommy…?”
“Go back to sleep, sweet Heart.” Cadence advised. “I talked to Cousin Scoot and her friends, and what happened today isn’t gonna happen again.”
Flurry slowly shook her head, putting her hoof on her mommy’s. “Please don’t punish the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Mommy… It was my fault we got lost…”
“No, honey, it wasn’t you--”
“But it was, Mommy! It was!” The little one stressed, sitting up and clutching the large foreleg. “I got excited and we just kept going and going and going and I couldn’t hear Cousin Scoot when she told us to come back!” She fell back to her pillow with a stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. “And the Cutie Mark Crusaders were so ascared of what might happen to us and they didn’t have any fun for the whole rest of the day ‘causea me…”
Cadence’s heart sank at the confession. She thought on what she had said to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and more importantly, how she had felt at the time. “Oh, Flurry…” She bent down, kissing her favorite filly on the forehead. “I’m proud of you. It takes a very brave adventurer to admit when they did something wrong.”
“So you’re not gonna punish the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” the petit princess pleaded.
“No, honey.” she assured, putting her hoof on the tiny cheek. “In fact, I’m going to go talk to them one more time.” She kissed the little Alicorn’s forehead one more time, giving her a smile filled with a mother’s pride. “Now go back to sleep, my brave little adventurer. You’ve earned it.”
Behind a crowd that spanned most of Canterlot sat three dejected fillies. The stage had been set with the traditional decorations, and three Alicorns stood upon it, ready to perform their annual duty. One princess, however, had been the sole occupant of the fillies’ minds in these twilight hours.
Apple Bloom rested her head on her hooves, sending a forlorn look to the stage. “I guess it was fun while it lasted, huh girls?”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle mirrored the Earth Pony’s gesture, breathing twin sighs. “Yeah…”
The Pegasus looked down, lifting her pendant to get a good look at it. “I just wish I knew how to make it up to Princess Cadence…”
“How about babysitting for Flurry next Tuesday?” came a question from behind.
“Uh, how would that work?” Sweetie Belle answered, shrugging her shoulders. “We were just told we couldn’t take care of Flurry!” She turned to the source of the voice... “It’s not like we can just waltz in without permission from the…” finding Cadence smiling back at her. “... Princess?!”
The rest of the Crusaders jumped in place, turning to confirm what their friend had started. Cadence giggled, waving a hoof to the fillies. “Hello, girls.”
“Uh… hey.” Scootaloo said, nervously waving back. “What’s that about babysitting next Tuesday?”
“I mean that I’d like you three to come babysit next Tuesday.” Cadence confirmed, making a slow, tentative approach.
Apple Bloom let out a snort, stomping forward to meet the Alicorn. “But you just said we weren’t ready to take care o’ little Flurry Heart! What’s so diff’rent now?”
The Crystal Princess sheepishly averted her eyes, rubbing a foreleg with her hoof. “A little pony I know told me something about how it all happened, and that put things into perspective for me.” She looked forward again, meeting the gazes of all three of the ponies. “And sometimes I can be a little overprotective where Flurry is concerned.
Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. “A little?”
“More like a lot overprotective!” Scootaloo added, flaring her wings. “Like a rampaging tank!”
Sweetie Belle put a hoof on the orange filly’s shoulder. “But I guess we can’t really blame you. She is your daughter after all.”
“Yes, but that’s no excuse.” Cadence admitted. “Especially considering that you’re not the first ponies to lose track of Flurry at a big festival.” She walked past the Crusaders, sitting between the yellow and white-coated ones to look out at the stage. “And even besides that, it was unfair of me to think of you as incapable. Especially with how much Flurry likes you three.” She leaned forward to rest on her fetlocks, smiling at the sky as it turned orange with her aunt’s magic. “So I’d like to keep trying, if you don’t mind.” She sent them one last warm smile. “What do you say? For Flurry Heart?”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all let out a loud cheer. “FOR FLURRY HEART!” they bumpdd their hooves together, with Cadence adding her hoof to the mix.
Stats
Page generated in 0.019 seconds
Total duration
1,071 users online
1,736,746 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Aww so cute.
I started this chapter but I had to put it down to get some school work done said schoolwork was a grusome wwI movie the rest of this chapter lifted my spirits.