• Published 19th Dec 2012
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Clean Slate - Alaborn



I woke up in the hospital. I don’t recall how I got here. I don’t recognize the mare who says she’s family. I don’t even remember my own name.

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Chapter 19: Talent

Clean Slate

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 19: Talent


We stepped off the train in Ponyville, only to be immediately blocked by something pink. “Ohmygosh Scootaloo got her cutie mark and that means we need to throw a cuteceañera and everypony will be there and she can show off her super awesome special talent and there’ll be cake and punch and games....”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash noticed, and interrupted Pinkie Pie. “I think a super awesome filly deserves a party that’s at least 20% cooler.”

“Yeah, nothing cute,” Scootaloo urged.

A quick check around the station found Applejack and Sweetie Belle’s parents. Seeing no other parental figures, Rainbow Dash picked up Scootaloo. “Let’s get you home, squirt. You’ve got some practicing to do!”

Scootaloo smiled as she held on tight. We all waved to each other as we went our separate ways.

“It’s good to see you’re back,” Applejack said. “Didn’t think one of you’d actually get a cutie mark out of it.”

“I know! Isn’t it something?” Apple Bloom said.

“Now, I know it’s not as good of news as earning your cutie mark, but I’ve been talking to Big McIntosh, and we decided that the work you did at the gym really helped you,” Applejack said. “So we’ve put that in the budget for the rest of the year.”

“Thank you!” we both said.

“Best we hurry now. There’s still some sunlight left, and a lot of work to do.”

We both groaned.


Part of the work we had to do involved the family garden. While the ponies working Winter Wrap-Up plowed and planted certain stretches of Sweet Apple Acres, planting some wheat and corn, the garden was left untouched.

“This here garden’s an expression of the Apple family,” Applejack explained. “Part of it’s all about the foods we like. But it’s more than that. It’s personal, an expression of who we are. It’s just an earth pony thing.”

Applejack could be surprisingly wise when talking about the farm. But hearing her words left me feeling hollow inside. The idea that growing things was important to earth ponies is a fact, one of those things I just knew, but I felt like I never once cared about it, until Applejack said it just then.

“Can I plant something?” I blurted.

“Of course, sugarcube. What do you have in mind?”

I just stared at the ground. “I don’t... I’ll need to think about it,” I muttered.

Applejack smiled at me warmly. “Apple Bloom is building another two planting beds. Why don’t you spend some time thinking about what you want to grow? But in the meantime, these daisies and tomatoes aren’t going to plant themselves!”

I nodded and got to work.


Our first free weekend was spent on a meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Of course, the main topic of our club was unchanged. But now that one of our members had earned her cutie mark, we had new tactics to discuss.

“I’m telling you, the key to getting your cutie marks is to go out of town!” Scootaloo asserted. “So what we need to do is find places to go!”

I shook my head. “First, it’s not that practical a suggestion, and second, I think it was more about what you realized than where you were.”

“But leaving Ponyville is sure to help!” she countered.

“Maybe we just need to do the talent show again?” Sweetie Belle suggested. That’s right; Cheerilee talked about it in class. There was a school talent show coming up in about a month.

“That’s a great idea!” Apple Bloom said.

“Again?” I asked. “What did you do last time?”

The clubhouse suddenly fell silent. Eventually, the silence was broken by Apple Bloom. “It wasn’t our special talent,” was all she said. I looked to the others, but they all clammed up as well.

“Okaaaay,” I said slowly.

“I’m sorry, girls, but I want to do my own thing this year,” Scootaloo said.

“You want to show off your scooter moves?” Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo nodded.

“Maybe that’s a good idea,” I said. “Our trip showed us that we don’t all have the exact same special talent, so maybe we could try something we think we each might be good at.”

“If it was that easy, we’d already have our cutie marks,” Apple Bloom said, sighing.

“I’ve got it!” Scootaloo shouted. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Beekeepers!”

At least she didn’t suggest going to Appleloosa to do that.


A few days later, I visited the library after school. It was arguably the most important building in Ponyville now, being the home of a princess, and as a student, it should have been important to me. I felt out of place as I stepped inside, as if this was a step in my education that I wasn’t interested in before.

I scratched my flank as I waited. The bee stings still itched, and the pattern of welts there definitely did not count as a cutie mark.

Finally, Princess Twilight Sparkle walked down the stairs. “Good afternoon, Diamond Tiara,” she greeted me. “Can I help you find a book?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure what I need,” I said. “Applejack said I could grow something in our garden, something that’s important to me, but I don’t know what that would be.”

Twilight Sparkle thought for a moment. “Is there a food you like?”

“Pineapple,” I immediately replied. “But that wouldn’t work.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Earth pony magic has its limits. It can’t make plants grow in winter, for example. And even a pony like Applejack couldn’t make a tropical plant grow in Ponyville’s weather.”

“Maybe I could read about vegetables and flowers until I find one that feels right,” I said.

“Certainly. We have a number of books covering the flora of Equestria.”

“Also, I want to find something to do for the school talent show,” I said.

“If you’re interested in performance, we have a variety of plays, songbooks, and tales,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Or, if you have something else in mind, I can help you with your research.”

Again, I just didn’t know. I didn’t have a plan, like whatever the Cutie Mark Crusaders came up with last time. Wait a minute....

“Twilight, what did the Cutie Mark Crusaders try when they participated in the talent show together?” I asked.

“They did a song,” she replied. “Costumes, dancing, set... it was a whole little production.”

“And it didn’t find them their cutie marks?” I inquired. “I mean, Sweetie Belle has a nice voice.”

“It was actually Scootaloo singing,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Sweetie Belle handled the sets, and Apple Bloom danced.”

Wow. From what I know of my friends, they chose to do the opposite of their talents. It must have been terrible. And that would explain why they didn’t want to talk about it.

“Let me think about the talent show for a while,” I said. “For now, let me take a look at some of your plant books.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled four books off the shelf with her magic. “I think these will provide a good start. If you need any further help, please let me or Spike know.”

I ended up paging through these original books quickly. Nothing really felt right. Maybe I was going about it the wrong way. If I never got my hooves dirty, then it wouldn’t be plants that spoke to me, but what they were used for.

So that’s why I asked to look for books on cooking. Despite my amnesia, I could be fairly certain I ate the products of gardens before. When I got to a cookbook with recipes from Prench cuisine, I felt something. Granted, it might have been my stomach talking, as I was getting hungry, but I got a warm, familiar feeling from reading the recipes and looking at the pictures. I read about a mixture of vegetables called mirepoix, an important base in this cuisine, and I realized I couldn’t prepare it, based on what was currently planted in our garden. And so I knew what I wanted to grow.

I also had some ideas for the school talent show. I returned the cookbooks to the princess. “Could I see some plays and songbooks?” I requested.


After school the next Monday, Applejack was waiting for us. “I think you two are ready to help grow the apples. Follow me,” she ordered.

We followed Applejack into the orchard. It looked so different now. I had only known the orchard in fall and winter. Fall, when the branches were heavy with apples, and winter, when the apple trees joined other plants in dormancy. In spring, the trees were covered with leaves, but no apples. Instead, fragrant blossoms greeted us.

I remembered when Big McIntosh showed me the books. In a normal year, Sweet Apple Acres starts selling apples in April. But none were ready. “How do we grow apples?” I asked.

I think Applejack was surprised by this basic question, but she seemed to remember who was asking it. “Well, Diamond Tiara, if we just let Celestia’s sun do its magic, then we’d have plenty of juicy apples, but not for several more months. That’s why we take care of the orchard. With our earth pony magic, we can have the trees produce fruit all the way till the start of winter.

“Now, mind you, this is only something we do for the mature apple trees. For the trees that are still growing, we need to help them grow. And asking a growing tree to produce fruit can hurt it. You need to listen to the trees. They’ll tell you when they’re ready to produce their own apples.”

“But how do I use my magic?” I asked.

Again, Applejack looked at me curiously. “That’s up to you. Magic is just an extension of your will. I’ve never met an earth pony who can’t work with plants, but how each pony does so is a personal choice.” She stopped by one large tree. Applejack placed her ear to the tree, examined its bark, and finally pressed the hooves of her forelegs to the bark. I watched as the petals of the apple blossoms fell to the ground, revealing baby apples. They grew right before my eyes!

“Now, I think you’re ready to try on your own,” Applejack said. She took us to another large tree. Branches had been laid on the ground, forming a square boundary around it. “Now this is Woodrow. He’s a good Red Delicious tree, and will produce one pretty bounty, if you care for him well. And I’m putting him in your exclusive care, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara. Nopony else will touch him all year.”

“Thanks, Applejack,” Apple Bloom said. “Does that include....”

“Yes, that includes applebucking. I think you look ready, Apple Bloom. I’ll be there to watch you, and give you advice.”

“What about this other marked tree?” I asked, pointing to a sapling.

“That’s one of the saplings we planted while you were gone, replacing the ones we lost in that storm last year,” Applejack said. “And just like Woodrow, I’m putting this sapling in your care. Make him grow strong. And you can even name him.”

“Wow! Thanks, Applejack!” Apple Bloom said. I nodded as well.

“Now, do you want to help Woodrow?” Applejack asked.

Apple Bloom nodded eagerly, and bounded over to the majestic apple tree. She reared and placed her hooves on its trunk, moving over the bark in a way that almost looked intimate. Placing one ear to the trunk, she pressed her hooves into two certain points and concentrated. As with Applejack, her efforts accelerated the tree’s cycle, and apples started to develop.

“Now, not too much, Apple Bloom,” Applejack cautioned. “You don’t want to stress the tree, and Diamond Tiara needs a turn, too.”

Apple Bloom stepped back. The tree was there, tiny fruit just visible. I approached and touched the tree.

Solid. Rough texture. I tried moving my hooves, but all I sensed were these physical feelings.

I wasn’t getting anywhere. Stupid tree. Do something!

I stepped back, driven away by bitterness. It reminded me of drinking too strong tea, but then I recognized I wasn’t tasting this bitterness. It was something I felt, my magic sense recognizing the disharmony of my earlier attempt to connect with the tree.

“Let me try that differently,” I said.

I slowly approached. I cautiously returned my hooves to the tree, not feeling anything yet. I placed my ear to the tree.

I’m sorry. I haven’t done this before. All I know is there’s a family that depends on the apples you and your kin produce. And there’s an entire town of ponies hungry for your apples. Won’t you help them out?

I tapped my hooves to the bark and felt a connection. I continued this connection until Apple Bloom placed a hoof on my back.

The apples were now larger.

I felt my own happiness, and the warm smiles of my family. It was a wonderful feeling.

“Now let’s tend to the rest of the orchard,” Applejack said.

Apple Bloom bounded ahead. I lagged behind, catching Applejack’s attention. “I think I know what I want to grow,” I said.

“What is it?” Applejack asked.

“Carrots.”

Applejack froze mid-step. “Come again?”

“I’d like to raise some carrots.”

“Now why’d you want to do that?” Applejack asked.

“I was reading some recipe books, and there were some recipes that seemed familiar. A lot of them start with a base of carrots, celery, and onions. But then I realized there aren’t any carrots in the garden.” I noticed Applejack fanning herself with her hat. “Is that a problem?”

Applejack fidgeted and cleared her throat. “Nothing says you can’t grow carrots, but that’s what our neighbor does. The Carrots grow carrots, and the Apples grow apples, and that’s the way it’s always been. Besides, we’ve got our own family recipes. Pa’s side mixes celery and onions with garlic, while Ma’s likes celery, onions, and tomatoes.”

“I still want to try my hoof at raising carrots,” I affirm.

“If that’s what you want, then I’ll support you,” Applejack said. “But you’re going to have to buy the seeds from Golden Harvest yourself.”


“So do you think you can do it?”

Apple Bloom assessed the crude drawing Scootaloo spread on the floor of the clubhouse. “So you want a ramp that’s strong enough for your scooter, quick to assemble and disassemble, and able to fit backstage?” she asked. “I think it has to be smaller.”

“But then I can’t do the Suicide Swing!” Scootaloo complained.

“We only have at most five minutes,” I point out. “I don’t know all the details of your routine, but it sounds really long.”

“Maybe,” Scootaloo replied noncommittally. “So, what are you all doing for the talent show?”

“I really can’t think of anything,” Apple Bloom said. “Besides, I’ll be busy with this ramp of yours.”

“Maybe you could see if anypony else needs help with their sets?” I suggested. “Then you’ll have lots of chances to be on a winning team!”

“I don’t think I could handle being on stage,” Sweetie Belle said.

“I’m willing to take that chance,” I said. “I think I’ll try my hoof at singing.”

Apple Bloom looked at me curiously. “You sure?”

“What song?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“‘To Celestia in Heaven’,” I said. “It’s familiar.”

“But that’s a hard song!” Sweetie Belle said.

“I have three weeks to practice,” I said. “But we only have until Tuesday to reserve our slot with Miss Cheerilee. You sure, Sweetie Belle?”

The unicorn filly nodded.

“So what are we going to do today?” Apple Bloom asked.

We all sighed, waiting for inspiration to take over.


At the end of the day Tuesday, I dropped off a paper with Miss Cheerilee to register for the school talent show. Most of the class shared my situation, cutting it close to get our entries in. I was happy Miss Cheerilee now knew my intentions, but there was something more important for today.

This would be our first day harvesting apples by ourselves.

I didn’t count the time we just picked up apples that Rainbow Dash knocked out of the trees. Today, Apple Bloom would be using her own two hooves, and her magic, to fell the apples. I wouldn’t be doing that, given that I was still under doctor’s orders to avoid straining my hind legs.

Still, I wondered. Was the force of the kick the most important feature of applebucking?

I was actually excited as I walked home. We dropped our saddlebags off at the farmhouse and headed straight to Woodrow. As expected, Applejack was waiting for us.

“Are you ready to show what you’re made of, Apple Bloom?” she asked.

“Sure am, sis,” Apple Bloom replied.

Applejack nodded, and Apple Bloom approached Woodrow. She ran one hoof over the tree’s bark, assessing it, before nodding. Meanwhile, Applejack had placed wooden buckets under the tree. Apple Bloom turned, stood on her forelegs, and delivered a swift kick to the Red Delicious tree. Ripe apples fell from the branches into the waiting buckets. I estimated she got between 90% and 95% of the apples.

“Shoot. I was hoping to get them all,” Apple Bloom said.

“Don’t worry, sugarcube. You’ll get there someday,” Applejack said.

Apple Bloom pouted. “But I wanted to get them all!” She stared at the tree, and turned around.

“Wait,” I said. “Let me see if I can help.”

“Now hold on, Diamond Tiara. You can’t go about kicking that tree,” Applejack warned.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to use my hind legs,” I said. As Applejack watched, I stepped up to the tree. I pressed my hoof to it, just like when I was encouraging it to grow.

“Hi,” I thought. “I know I’m not tough like Apple Bloom, but I know her family well. All they want is to make ponies happy. If your fruit was in the basket, then they could sell it, and it would make both them and the pony buying the apple happy!” I rubbed the trunk of the tree. “If you don’t fall, then you’ll probably be eaten by a rabbit. And you can do better than that.”

I stayed in contact with the tree for a little longer, and then hit it with the hoof of my right foreleg. It was more a tap than the ferocious buck delivered by my adoptive sister, but it worked. The tree’s remaining apples fell into the buckets below.

“Nice job, Diamond Tiara,” Applejack said.

“Well, what do you know? You can negotiate with trees,” I replied.


The discovery that I had some talent with earth pony magic was warmly received. It wasn’t good enough to get a cutie mark, but between the two of us, Apple Bloom and I could kick all the apples out of an apple tree. Someday, Apple Bloom would be as good as Applejack, no longer needing me, but until then, we made a perfect team.

We didn’t spend every afternoon in the orchard. Applejack made sure we had some time for the school talent show. Most of that time was spent outside Scootaloo’s house, where Apple Bloom built the young daredevil’s ramps while I practiced my song.

“La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la,” I sang, covering the scales. I felt my voice crack as I reached the high note on the scale. That was a problem, since the highest note in my song was another half octave higher.

Apple Bloom spit the hammer out of her mouth. “Still having problems?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “And I have a time reserved to practice on the stage. I think I need Sweetie Belle’s help.”

“She’s probably free,” Apple Bloom said, running her hooves over the ramp.

“You want to join me?” I asked.

“Sure,” she replied. “Snips and Snails asked if I could help them with their set, so I can do that at the same time.”

“Really? Because I have something else I’d like to do,” I said. I walked over to Apple Bloom and whispered in her ear.

Apple Bloom beamed. “That’s a great idea!”


“No, no, no. Try it again,” Sweetie Belle demanded.

I shuffled the sheet music on the podium in front of me. “And her glorious bright flare!” I sang, my voice breaking as I tried to reach the high note.

It was a week before the talent show, and I wasn’t doing well. “It’s no good. Maybe if we shifted it to a lower key?” I said.

“You’re having a hard enough time reaching the low notes as is,” Sweetie Belle replied. “Are you sure you don’t want to sing a different song?”

“But this is a classic song that everypony knows. And everypony knows what it’s like to fudge the high notes,” I countered.

“Sure, but is that going to win you this competition?”

I shook my head. “Probably not, but I don’t mind if I don’t win.” I paused, shuffling my hooves on the stage. “Can you show me how it’s done? Maybe that would help me sing.”

Sweetie Belle turned the podium around and cleared her throat. I don’t think she needed the sheet music, because she closed her eyes as she began to sing. The difference between her voice and mine was night and day.

As her clear soprano filled the stage, I glanced behind me and motioned to Apple Bloom. She nodded, and disappeared behind stage.

Sweetie Belle finished singing, leaving the stage in silence. “You should be singing in the talent show,” I said.

“Oh, I couldn’t sing in front of all those ponies,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“But they sure seemed to enjoy it,” I said, waving out past the stage.

While Sweetie Belle had been singing, Apple Bloom had raised the curtains. In the audience were most of the foals from our class. Some were waiting their turn to practice today, while others had been invited there by me, Apple Bloom, or Scootaloo, promising an excellent show. In either case, the foals stomped their hooves in applause.

Sweetie Belle smiled, ecstatic over the reaction to her singing. “Don’t you want to make everypony as happy as them?” I said.

Sweetie Belle nodded, but then turned away. “But I missed my chance to sign up,” she muttered.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “When I signed up, I asked Miss Cheerilee to set aside two slots, one for you, and one for me. You can have this song.” I reached into my saddlebags, and pulled out pages from a play. “This is going to be my performance. I think I can practice backstage. Why don’t you give the song another try?”

I patted Sweetie Belle on the withers and walked off stage. I met Apple Bloom and Scootaloo there. “I have a good feeling about this,” I said.

Apple Bloom nodded. “If she can do this, she’s going to get her cutie mark for sure!”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo said. “And she won’t even have to go to Canterlot to get it!”


Sweetie Belle paced backstage nervously, fidgeting in her formal gown. It was the night of the talent show, and the number of ponies capable of lending her moral support right now was almost nil. Her parents and sister were in the crowd, waiting for her performance. Scootaloo was somewhere outside, warming up on her scooter. Apple Bloom was darting from one group to another, working on last-minute adjustments to sets and props.

I might not be the best pony to do this, but I had to help. “How are you feeling, Sweetie Belle?” I asked.

“Like my stomach’s trying to crawl up my throat,” she answered. “I don’t think I can do this.”

I looked her in the eye. “I know you can do this, Sweetie Belle. If you get nervous, close your eyes, and pretend you’re back at the lodge, singing karaoke. Think about your friends. Think about the song. Think about what it means to you. If you do that, you will succeed.”

“Sweetie Belle! You’re up next!” Cheerilee called, causing the white filly to become even paler. I gave her a reassuring hug and nudged her forward.

I hid and watched as Sweetie Belle stepped towards the stage. Miss Cheerilee announces that Sweetie Belle would be singing a favorite song. My friend stared at the crowd, unmoving. But then Cheerilee started playing the piano, and Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and focused. On cue, she began to sing. She was pitch perfect, effortlessly hitting the high notes of the “And her glorious bright flare / Illuminating the air” line.

And then she started the second verse. That seemed to catch most of the audience and Cheerilee by surprise, since the first verse is by far the most commonly sung, but our teacher recovered, continuing to play. Now, Sweetie Belle had her eyes open, and she was smiling at the crowd, connecting with everypony from the front row to the edge of the crowd. The joy on her face grew as she nailed the third and fourth verses as well.

And finally, Sweetie Belle let the last note go. The last hit string in the piano stopped vibrating. Only then did the rumbling sound of thundering hooves fill the stage.

I couldn’t help but smile. I could have stood there forever. But then Cheerilee brought me back to reality. “You’re next,” she said.

Cheerilee headed back to the stage. “And now, Diamond Tiara will present a dramatic reading.”

I stepped onto the stage. I felt the warmth of the spotlight on me. I cleared my throat quietly, and then spoke. “Friends, Roamans, countrymares, lend me your ears....”


“Attention, everypony, it’s time to announce the results for this year’s talent show,” Cheerilee said. Once the crowd settled, she continued. “The award for best athletic performance goes to Scootaloo, for her display of scooter tricks.”

We all congratulated Scootaloo for winning one of the prizes. Of course, she rode her scooter onto stage to pick up her medal.

“The award for best magic show goes to Berry Pinch, for her performance, In A Pinch.” The filly received a lot of cheers from the crowd.

“Best comedy performance goes to Snips and Snails, for their show, The Magic and Mystery of Trixie Lulamoon.” Their performance had been a disaster, and while the duo was disappointed to not receive the magic award, they were happy to get a medal.

“And finally, the award for best dramatic performance goes to....”

I don’t know if our teacher was dragging this out, or if time decided to slow down of its own accord. I thought I did fairly well, but I hesitated a bit too much with some of my lines. Maybe if I had spent this whole time practicing my speech, rather than practicing the song I hoped Sweetie Belle would sing, I could have done a better....

“Sweetie Belle, for her rendition of To Celestia In Heaven!”

I smiled as my friend claimed her prize. The rest of us rushed the stage, ready to celebrate with her. I remembered a lot of screaming and jumping around, which stopped when Sweetie Belle’s eyes opened wide. She turned and lifted the edge of her gown, revealing something new on her flank, a purple quaver over a pink heart.

Immediately, Apple Bloom and I checked our own flanks. Sadly, they remained blank. No stagehand cutie mark for Apple Bloom. No drama cutie mark for me.

But I wasn’t going to let that get me down. I had watched Apple Bloom prove herself to be almost as good at her older and more experienced sister at tending to the orchard. I had discovered enough of a talent with agriculture that I no longer feared being a burden on the farm. Sweetie Belle may be the pony celebrating discovering her special talent tonight, but with so many successes, it was only a matter of time until Apple Bloom and I followed her.

Author's Note:

Next time: the Cutie Mark Crusaders become a danger to all of Equestria! Anything for a cutie mark, right?