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Day 1: Hardly Working1,411 words
Day 2: Blank Flank Forever2,134 words
Day 3: Out of Ponyville2,267 words
Day 4: Adventures in Apple Loosa2,123 words
Day 5: Pitiless Ponyville2,373 words
Day 6: Not So Friends2,133 words
Day 7: Applejack Goes Bananas1,376 words
Day 8: Hope3,032 words
Day 9: Smiling Princess7,317 words
Day 10: Apple Bloom's Destiny2,152 words

Day 10: Apple Bloom's Destiny

~ Day 10 ~

"I'm gonna show Ponyville what I'm made of!"

Apple Bloom woke up with a start. In all that had happened, the arts and crafts fair had completely slipped her mind!

"Oh mah gosh!" she said. "Ah completely forgot about the arts and crafts fair! Ah hope ah didn't miss it!" She hurried downstairs and out of the house where she found Applejack hard at work with her apple-bucking rear hooves. "Applejack! Ah just remembered! What about the arts and crafts fair?"

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom," said Applejack. "You didn't miss it. It's today! But ya still got time!"

"Today?!" said Apple Bloom, surprised. "Oh mah gosh! What should I do? What should I present?"

"You can use some old barn parts round the back. Ah reckon you can build somethin' with yer own two hooves."

"Me?"

"Of course, Apple Bloom. You have a knack for buildin' and fixin' things. It's always been you. Ya just never knew it." Meanwhile, at the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was putting the finishing touches on a dress coated with sparkling rainbow colored gems.

"You're entering the arts and crafts fair, too?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Oh, but of course, Sweetie Belle," replied Rarity. "It's another chance for me to show off my dazzling prowess as a fashionista. Just look at this gorgeous masterpiece! Using gems of specific colors, I whipped up this 'rainbow dress' just for the arts and crafts fair! I can't wait to wear it for display!"

"You do know Apple Bloom's entering the fair too, right?"

"Yes, I know that, dear. But I mustn't miss this golden opportunity. Such is the life of a fashionista after all." And at the Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie had only just finished her own entry for the arts and crafts fair.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked the Cakes. "It's an exact replica of Sugarcube Corner, only this time... it's edible!"

"Oh, Pinkie," said Cup Cake delightfully. "Some days you outdo yourself with your baked goods."

"One bite will surely put smiles on anypony who tries it! And I just love to make smiles!" Just then, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, the little foals of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, showed up and reached out to try and nibble on Pinkie's confectionery. "Hey! Hooves off!" Pinkie grabbed hold of both foals in her hooves. "This is for display at the fair. Wait till later and then you can eat it!"

"I wouldn't let our kids eat that," advised Carrot Cake. "It looks far too sweet for them to handle. Trust me, Pinkie. The last thing you'd want is to babysit them when they're on a sugar rush." Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom was just finishing up her own entry. Applejack came to check up on her.

"Howdy, Apple Bloom," she said. "So, what'd you decide on..." She then gasped in amazement at what she saw. "Mah word! That's... that's amazin'! You built this out of old barn parts we didn't need anymore?"

"Yep," said Apple Bloom proudly. "Ah guess ah do have a thing for buildin' stuff."

"Glad you decided to enter. Ah really think this is gonna pay off."

"Then ah'm gonna show Ponyville what ah'm made of!"

Soon the arts and crafts fair began and several ponies were presenting their entries. Mayor Mare and other town officials were looking at the entries and taking down notes.

"I still think you let your stomach do the talking," said Rarity to Pinkie Pie upon seeing her edible model of Sugarcube Corner. "How do you think sweets are considered art?"

"It's the art of design!" insisted Pinkie. "But I'm still totally blown away at your dress! Fashion really is your passion!"

"It's my pride," beamed Rarity, revealed to be wearing the dress. Twilight Sparkle and Spike soon arrived at the fair.

"Hey, Twilight," asked Spike. "How come you didn't enter?"

"Spike, you know me," said Twilight. "Arts and crafts aren't really my thing so much as books.

"So what would you do if you had entered? Make something out of all the books you read?" Spike was of course joking around, but Twilight just gave a dull stare. That's when Apple Bloom and Applejack came in, bringing in a wagon carrying something covered up by a sheet.

"Ah, this must be our last minute entry," said Mayor Mare. "Now then, Apple Bloom, let's see what you've brought today." Apple Bloom nodded and removed the sheet to reveal...

"This here's a model replica of the town of Ponyville!" said Apple Bloom. The Mayor was astounded and Twilight was surprised.

"She did all that by herself?!" said Spike.

"Check it out!" said Applejack. "She put in everything! The Sugarcube Corner, the Golden Oaks Library, the Carousel Boutique and the town hall. She even made the barn from Sweet Apple Acres!"

"I must say this is spectacular!" said the Mayor. But just then, there were excited cheers coming from other ponies in Ponyville. It wasn't about Apple Bloom's model because they were all chanting, "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo was at the crowd's front and center, staring with excitement and amazement. Twilight and her friends came to see what everypony was buzzing about, and what they saw surprised them to their cores. There stood Rainbow Dash in a Wonderbolt's uniform! She was now an official member of the Wonderbolts, the most talented flyers in all of Equestria.

"What do you think, girls?" said Rainbow Dash proudly, removing her goggles and hood to show on her face how proud she was with herself. Twilight recollected herself first.

"Well, I must say the outfit looks good on you, Rainbow," she said. "But dare I ask how you were able to get on the team?"

"I talked with Spitfire and Princess Celestia last night. Spitfire told me that I had a lot of guts coming forward and telling everypony in Ponyville my personal problems and fears. And when the princess acknowledged me as the best flyer in Equestria, Spitfire knew she had a new Wonderbolt cadet on her hooves. I got signed up in a jiffy!"

"This is so cool, Rainbow Dash!" squealed Scootaloo, rushing up to Rainbow and hugging her around her shoulders. "Now I know you're the most awesome Pegasus in Ponyville! I'm gonna bring your fan club back!" Rainbow Dash chuckled modestly as she got hugs from Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack.

"Congrats, sugar cube!" said Applejack.

"Yeah. I'm not a failure anymore. I never was." Much later, back with the arts and crafts fair, it was time for the fair judges to reach their final decision on the awards. Apple Bloom's family was present to see how well Apple Bloom's model would be amongst the others. The other two Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon, and even Diamond Tiara were present with Apple Bloom.

"And now, it is time to hand out our prize medals to the designers of our top models," the Mayor announced.

"Who do you think's gonna win?" Spike asked Twilight.

"I'm not sure," replied Twilight. "Let's just wait and see.

"In third place, our bronze medal winner goes to... Pinkie Pie and her delectable model of Sugarcube Corner!" Satisfied with her medal, Pinkie Pie then proceed to eat her own creation, which made her friends and some other ponies laugh. "In second place," the Mayor continued. "The silver medal winner and runner-up goes to... Rarity!" Rarity's jaw dropped.

"Well, I thought my dress would have been worth the gold!" she said.

"Come on, big sister," said Sweetie Belle. "A prize is a prize!"

"Oh, I suppose you're right." Rarity and Sweetie Belle hugged.

"And now, the grand prize winner to take home the gold medal for this year's arts and crafts fair goes to... Apple Bloom, for her exact replica model of Ponyville!" There were excited cheers all around. Even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon cheered for Apple Bloom, as the Mayor herself placed the gold medal around Apple Bloom's neck. "Congratulations, Apple Bloom and thank you everypony who participated! Our arts and crafts fair this year has once again been a success!"

"There's no doubt in mah mind," said Apple Bloom, looking at her medal proudly. "This is truly mah special talent." Just then, her flank started to glow and she gasped. Her cutie mark then appeared right on her flank. It was a beautiful blossom. "Mah cutie mark!" she squealed. "Ah finally got my cutie mark! This is the happiest day in mah life!" Apple Bloom bounced around excitedly.

"Well done, Apple Bloom," said Zecora, suddenly appearing as if out of nowhere. "You found out who you are. With your special talent, you will go very far."

"That blossom sure is somethin' special," said Applejack. "It means you can take somethin' that's old and worn down and turn it into somethin' else that's new. The blossom blooms with life and that's what ya have in you."

"Congratulations, Apple Bloom," said Silver Spoon.

"Eeyup," agreed Big Macintosh. "We're proud of you!"

"Ah guess this means everypony in the Apple family has cutie marks now," said Apple Bloom.

"Sure does," agreed Applejack. "Looks like all your endeavors finally paid off." This had been a truly great day for Apple Bloom. The last six days had proven to be rough for her, but in the end, she had finally discovered her special talent. All five fillies, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara, got into a big group hug, laughing with joy. New friendships between them had been born.

---

"Let's party!" shouted Pinkie, firing off her party cannon inside the Sugarcube Corner, where Apple Bloom's very own cute-ceañera had started. Many of Apple Bloom's friends and others had attended, including Zecora, Cheerilee, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Twist, Snips, Snails, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and of course Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Spike, and Twilight and her friends. Rainbow Dash was still in her Wonderbolts uniform, probably milking her own fulfillment for all it was worth. Spike and the fillies were dancing around, including even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Pinkie Pie then sang a short song.

It's a happy day in Ponyville
When dreams come true

Applejack watched her little sister beam and smiled warmheartedly, seeing as the little filly went from missing for several days to becoming the happiest filly in Ponyville.

"Dear Princess Celestia..." narrated Applejack. "Again, thank you so much for bringing Apple Bloom home and also for teaching all of us a valuable lesson we'll never forget. And I learned this. Sometimes there are problems that nopony can overcome on their own, no matter what their age or how smart they are, and the best thing we can do for that somepony is always be there to help them out and be more supportive towards them. When Apple Bloom ran away, I learned it was because nopony was paying much attention to her own personal problems and she felt useless. But I think the worst of her troubles now are over, as the fillies who once picked on her so much are now her new friends. I'm proud of my little sister, and I'm writing to you from her very own cute-ceañera. And she's the happiest little filly in Ponyville today! It just goes to show that even a little bit of friendship goes a long way." Apple Bloom then showed off her cutie mark up close one last time.

THE END