The years past and Applebloom discovered that getting no cutiemark was the least of her problems. How is she dealing with her fate.
Time changes everything. Unless Change itself does not care... The years past and Applebloom discovered that getting no cutiemark was the least of her problems. How is she dealing with her fate. (Now alternate reality thanks to the episode "The Raiders of the lost Cutiemark")
A yellow filly with red mane sat in front of a giant boulder next to the Carousel Boutique. Looking at all the pictures that had been drawn on them. Her big sister and her friends used to call it the Cutiemark Vault. Applebloom looked at it while remembering how it came to be. Tears forming in her orange eyes.
It has been quit a normal day, but she and her friends - Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle - were quit excited. Her cousin Babs Seed had announced that she is comming for a visit. So the three fillies had gathered at the train station of Ponyville, waiting for the train from Manehatten. It eventually arrived. As Babs Seed sat her orange hooves on the plattform the Cutie Mark Crusader rushed to her. It was the first time they saw her since she got her cutiemark. They welcomed her cheerfully and congratulated her. Applebloom remembers the melancholy face of her cousin, as did every word she spoke: "Thanks girls. It´s just that I am not sure what to do with it." Babs Seed blow some air as if she had to blow away hair in her face, but there was none in her sight. Old habits die hard. "I wanted to introduces you to the new leader of the Manehatten Branch of the Cutiemark Crusader. Since I can´t be continue being a Cutiemark Crusader." Only now they had noticed the soft pink pony standing behind her. She was a unicorn with a purple mane. They did not pay the new pony the amount of attention she had deserved. They were reminded what getting a cutiemark meant to the crusaders.
It was Sweetie Belle that broke the looming silence with her squeaking voice: "Follow me." The other fillies looked at her.
"What for?"
"Don´t worry I got this." Sweetie Belle said with the brightest smile on her face as she ran off. Knowing that the others will follow her no matter what.
The milk white unicorn led the cohort to the Carousel Boutique. She looked in the bush under the nearby tree.
"What are you looking..."
"Found it! Scootaloo help me get it out." The fillies put their strength together to roll a humongous boulder out of the bush. "Ladies, may I introduce you to Tom."
"Tom?" Four pair of eyes stared at Sweetie Belle as she stood there posing with a rock.
The awkward moment hold on forever till Applebloom finally asked: "So what do ya want with a rock?"
Only after the question Sweetie Belle realized that nopony was on the same page with her. "Oh... I thought we can draw her cutiemark on it as some sort of memorial for the Cutiemark Crusaders who got their cutiemarks." The pink unicorn whom accompanied Babs Seed offered to put her cutiemark on the stone.
Applebloom touches the brittle colors of the first cutiemark ever that had been put on the stone. Babs Pair of scissors, a tomato cutiemark with a single bit and a bird cutiemark. Three fillies had their cutiemarks at the Manehatten branch already when they started this tradition. As time went by more and more cutiemarks were added to them and a lot of foals around the Ponyville and Manhatten pilgrimaged to Tom. Even none Crusaders wanted to put their marks next to their friends. Soon Applejack and Rarity started to call it the Cutiemark Vault with a smile on their faces as if that name meant something different to them.
The Cutiemark Crusader grew bigger over time, there became a Cloudsdale branch, a Fillydelphia branch and even a Las Pegasus branch of the Cutiemark Crusader. It was out of her hooves and still all this young ponies set their eyes to Ponyville. The Crusaders have replaced the scouts in many towns by now. Quit an accomplishment. A warm lavender wing embraces the small yellow body. "Howdy Twilight."
"How are you Applebloom?"
The yellow filly whipped away the tears. "The vault it´s full. Sevenhundretfourtytwo fillys and colts got their cutiemarks. Tell me Twilight... Why does change hate me?"
The alicorn princess looked at her worried. "You know i have know idea whats wrong with you."
Applebloom escaped the carring wing talked back to the princess. "If ya excuess me Princess. Ah think my niece needs help with her son!" Angry the eternal filly made her way back to Sweet Apple Acers.
The little yellow body walked back to Sweet Apple Acers. It was hard for Applebloom. Her life has been a mess all the time since her foalhood - a foalhoad that have never ended. She was fourty years old but was still a small filly in body - still a blankflank. Even her niece Blossom, the daugther of Big Mac and Cheerilee, had a young baby pony on her own. The barn has not been the same; Blossom was born, Granny Smith died, Big Mac and Cheerilee moved in together. Blossom got raised, fell in love - multiple times - and got married. Applejack had moved out and started her own business like cousin Braeburn did with Applelosa. Only Applebloom had not moved on in her life.
"Welcome home aunty", the grape color earthpony greets her in the doorway on her way to her baby-colt. Applebloom went directly into the kitchen to prepare the milk for the foal. It maybe strange for outsider to see the filly taking the responsible role, but it was nothing new for Applebloom she had raised Blossom with Cheerilee and her brother. Blossom is still getting used to be a mother. A few minutes later the young mare jumped into the kitchen in panic, only to find the bottle of milk ready on the table. "Thank you aunty. Would not know what to do with out you."
"Where is your husband? Should he not be here to help you with Arkcharm?"
"He is out with daddy in the southfield."
Applebloom trots behind her niece in the living room. On a blanket on the floor was her grand nephew a little unicorn with a meek red coat and orange mane. If it was not for the horn you might have thought it was a baby Big Mac. Applebloom had no choice other than to smile as she saw the little colt, but back in her head she already new what is going to happen. She had gone through it with Blossom and there was no doubt it was going to be the same with Arkcharm. She would be his babysitter, his best friend, then they will go to school...
Applebloom sigh...
School. Stupid law that every blankflank had to go to school. She was older then her teacher... it was a chore before she had already knew the stuff. Now it was just an obligation. She could do so much more if she had not to attempt in there.
Blossom fed the baby. So there was nothing else to do here. Probably I should go back and talk to Twilight - Applebloom thought for a moment, but it was not necessary for her to went back into town. The alicorn had just knocked on the barndoor. The concerned look on Twilight's face hurts Applebloom deep inside.
"I don´t meant to bother you at the cutiemark vault, Applebloom", Princess Twilight talked softly, "You looked so sad. I just wanted to be there for you."
"Twi, let´s go to mah room. Ah don´t wanna talk about that down here."
Appleblooms room was tidy and organized. In a huge office cabinet next to her desk were all the documents, contracts and tax bills stored to run Sweet Apple Acres. Since Applejack was out to claim new land for the Apple family she had taken over the Ponyville business. The wall around the window was plastered with pictures of her friends and the ever-growing Cutiemark Crusaders Community. If it was not for the bed in the corner of the room you would have thought it was an office. Applebloom headed for a small table in the middle of the room with three chairs surrounding it. Twilight took the chair right to her little friend.
"I really don´t want to bother you."
"It´s all right Twilight. Ah was pretty rude back there. Would you be so kind and grap the cider with that magic of yours?"
Two cups and a bottle of hard cider flew to the table. Her room was the only place Applebloom could drink alcohol. She was a filly in body and an adult in mind, she could not be a bad influence to the foals.
"So... What was up with you?"
Applebloom took a sip before she answered: "Pettiness, Twilight! Pure pettiness. See - Ah got an invitation to Scootaloo´s wedding. Ah should be happy for her but all Ah could think about is all the things Ah am missing out."
Twilight smiled at her. "I can give you wings or the ability to walk on clouds so you can partake at her wedding in Cloudsdale."
With a roll of her orange eyes Applebloom replied: "Go figure, that is why Ah was in town."
"oh..."
"Have Ah ever told you how lucky ya are to got an Alicorn at yar age", the filly asked with tears in her eyes, "Ah want to grow. Ah want to find a coltfriend, but Ah am not attractive. Ah am an attraction. Ponies come to see the eternal filly. The original Cutiamark Crusader. If Ah would have been just a little older..." Big tears run down her face. "Why does change hate me..."
The lavender Alicorn Princess shook her head hard. Refuses with every feather in her wings, every hair in her mane, what Applebloom had asked for. "NO APPLEBLOOM! I will not do it!" Big filly eyes looking at her pleading for her wish to come true. Twilight knew this look far to well, but this time there was noway she would give in. "No no no! I will not put an age spell on you! Not again!"
"What difference does it make? Ah was born fourty years ago and ya aged ma body additional twenty years and Ah am still a filly! Ma body is sixty, Twilight. Look at it!"
Twilight saw the young filly in front of her not a day older than the first time she met her. "Still, Applebloom , what... what if you are still mortal? What if you are just looking young but are able to die of old age? I can´t risk losing you." Applebloom watched her hooves, her small filly hooves. Hard to believe getting her cutiemark was her biggest problem so long ago.
At first everypony though she was just a late developer - like Scootaloo´s wings - but after some more years it became undeniable. Applebloom had stopped aging. They even tried to forcefully grown her up. Twilight had focused her studies on age spells for many month. But the spell did not work or atleast not in a way satisfying for Applebloom. In the area of the effect has the plants grown and got rotten in matter of minutes. It was such a disappointment that she had not even let them reverse the spell.
"Thanks for ya concern, Twi." The filly hold her head in gloom.
"I wish I could help you more. About the other spells. Be sure you come in time. Cloudsdale is not as near as it looks on the map this time of the year."
They left the barn together and part ways at the door. The princess heading for her castle. The eternal filly for the southfield. Looking how her brother teaches his son- in- law about the farm business.
Eventually she found the elderly Bic Mac, from her perspective time was nice to him. You could see his experience in his face. Every year out in the field has left its mark in his stern look. Yes, he was old, knowing and a true country gentlecolt. Then look at his son-in-law a pale grey unicorn weak in body and mind. His pale green mane was messy from all the hard work. Pathetic, how Blossom could ever fall in love with this stallion was beyond her understanding.
"Mint Condition! Ah don´t care HOW you get the Apples out of those trees!" Applebloom shouted at him: "Use ya magic if ya like but Ah tell ya. The days in the fields are long and nothing is as efficient as a good ol buck to the trunk."
Big Mac let us hear a mighty: "Eeyup."
This city ponies no power and no endurance. Will he ever become Apple-worthy, probably, after all big brother is watching him. She walks up the first best tree and kick it with her hind legs. Every single apple landed in the baskets below the treetop. Applebloom gave Mint Condition a gaze. The most discouraging gaze you can ever receive. The gaze of a foal looking down on you. He knew about her condition, but it was hard to not see a young filly in her. Just like Applebloom never got rid of calling her sister-in-law "Miss" Cheerilee. Cheerilee on the other hoof - she was quite a catch for the Apple-familiy. Strong, honest, intelligent and creative. Right now she was in Manehatten to prolong the advertising contract with the Equestrian Wrestling Entertainment. Almost every contract runs over Big Mac and Cheerilee as negotiators. What company would run business with a small filly... . Applebloom was reminded of one particular company that does...
"Big Mac, has Barnyard Barns tried to contact you?"
"Nope."
The little filly sigh in regret.
Barnyard Barns, the biggest business in Ponyville and surrounding countryside with branches all over Equestria. Applebloom surely did not want to knock at this door, but it was one of Sweet Apple Acres most important treaties. The worst part about it was that SHE knew it as well. Behind a giant elegant desk - that was designed to make any applicant feel inferior - sat the mare in charge of this business. Cold blue eyes stared at the small filly body of the Applefarmer. A smirk around her pink muzzle in strong contrast to her else stern poker face showed that she enjoyed to seeing her prey in front of her. The beauty and the beast in one body - Diamond Tiara.
Contract negotiations with her always feels like a game of chess. They both knew they need each others. Both know that making a one sided arrangement would hurt both of them in the long run. Diamond Tiara would only negotiate with Applebloom about it, just to piss her off. That is what this game is all about, who could win the tug of War in their mind - without letting the rope rip. "Don´t try to leave these terms BLANK, Applebloom. Competition tries to FLANK Barnyard Barns we need to be sure." Diamond Tiara was particular aggressive today, something had happen Applebloom could feel it. Something personal.
This special something interupted the business talk all of the sudden. "Applebloom!" The applefarmer was not prepared for the sudden hug. All she could see was the rose gold afro mane her face was burried in. The brilliant white hooves loosen their grip around her neck. Golden eyes full of joy and a smile brighter than Pinkie Pies greeted Applebloom new regain line of sight. "I got my cutiemark!" The little pegasus swung herself up in the air. Posing like a model to show off her flank to her. A dark storm cloud stood out in comparison to her brilliant white coat. Out of the cloud fell golden bits like a rainshower.
Diamond Tiaras face was a battlefield of emotions while she tried to keep her business face. "Great Goldrain. Now you have showed her, so you don´t have to go to the CMC meeting later."
Dismay showed in the fillys face as she landed on the floor: "But I WILL go. All my friends are there. I want to help them get their cutiemarks!"
It causes Diamond physical pain to say the following sentences: "Fine, you can. Now please leave your mother and her business associate alone will you."
Cheerfully Goldrain left the room waving Applebloom good bye: "See you later, Applebloom."
Diamond Tiara´s mask had fallen once the door was closed. All the pain and saddness were displayed in the wide open of her eyes. "Ya have a wonderful daughter, Diamond."
"Tell me how you do it..."
Applebloom was confused: "Ah am sorry, but Ah don´t know what ya mean."
"When she got her cutiemark the first thing she wanted to do is showing it to YOU! Why does my daughter love you more than me?"
The Rich Mansion, this giant, magnificent, beautiful, but cold building. Filthy Rich had spent his entire life to shape this place into a paradise. A place with no burden, no worries, no needs. In this place little Applebloom had found a worried mother longing for the love of her own daugther. Vulnerable and soft - and this mother was Diamond Tiara. The bane of her life, her figurative dragon to slay had turned into a loving and caring mother. That was hard to process for Applebloom and still - somehow - she had find the right words to comfort her. Live had moved on for Diamond Tiara as well. Only Applebloom was still the same since their foalhood. The yellow filly took a stroll through Ponyville to get her mind right. This was too big of a change to swallow. How did she miss this side of her all those years.
"Hey ol´ pal! How ya beeeen!" It was Discord trying extra hard to surpass the southern dialect as he shouted for Appleblooms attention. The draconequus - a creature with the head of a horse with deer and antelope antler, a slick snake like body, a bat wing and a pegasus wing. He also had an eagle claw and a lion paw for hands and dragon and a goat leg. Overall a very chaotic appearance, what is fitting for the spirit of Chaos that he embodies. - The draconequus had a picnic on top of the local bakery with a old but quirky as ever pink pony, whom drank choclate milk out of a cottoncandy-cloud. As Applebloom did not react to him, Discord stretched in upper body down to her. "Wash ya doing?" Holding a plate in his pawn while flushing it with a towel. Up on the roof you could hear Pinkie Pie giggle.
Applebloom noticed him and said: "Just thinking."
She did not stop in her track. Discord on the other hand zoomed back like rubber band, up to the roof where he still sat on his stool - floating over the roof tiles. A bewildered look on his face he spoke more to himself than anypony else: "That´s odd."
Pinkie Pie lied down on the roof holding a donut made out of smaller dounuts in her hoof as she responsed: "Yup, normaly she begs to age her up, make a mare out of her and you response that you can´t do it and she is like, how can you not do it, you can turn the entire world upsidedown."
"Exactly."
"You think she noticed?"
Discord took a bite from the applepie - that he just made appear in his claw - with full mouth he said: "Would not count on that."
"Do you want to go after her?"
Discord shook his head: "Nah... I know where to find her later. Let´s talk about you becoming a draconequus. Because you would make a wonderful chaos creature."
The town bell rang four times all over Ponyville colts and fillies ran towards Sweet Apple Acers. Currently the Cutiemark Crusader of this town had fourteen blankflanks of different age but at the meetings where easily twenty or more foals. Depending how many still have friends in the Cutiemark Crusaders. But today the was something different that stopped the foals in their track and made them back away from the club house.
It was Applebloom carring a banner strapped to her back while playing cymbals with her forelegs slowly approaching the town instead. On the banner was written in bright, colored letters "Cutiemark Vault". Catching every foal before they reached the headquarter took some effort but it was worth it .
All the young ponies and some folk whom have seen their pilgrimage have gathered around the giant boulder with the pictograms of former Cutiemark Crusaders. Goldrain flew around the stone to find a place for her cutiemark. But there was none. "I am sorry, Goldrain", Applebloom said, "There is no place left on this one. We have to get a new stone and paint it on it later." The white pegasus looked a little sad but gave a nod.
"What do you mean there is no room for another Cutiemark?"
Everypony was able to hear the sound of sudden change. * Snap * The Cutiemark Vault got lifted from the ground. Discord appeared out of thin air and pointed at the bottom of the rock. "Here seems to be plenty."
The audience gasp: "Discord." The small pegasus grabbed the brush to paint her cutiemark on the rock. In the audience was Diamond Tiara silently thanking Discord.
Applebloom complained about his action. Receiving suprised gazed from the crowd. "Stop it Discord. Ya and Ah know that ya can´t let the vault float. So some of the marks are destined to not been seen!"
"Oh goody, Applebloom. You think i am not aware of it." With a snap of his paw a second clean version of the boulder appeared. The only picture on it was the one Goldrain just had drawn. The rocks set down on the grass.
Applebloom stood in front of the Cutiemark Vault(s) and began her speach: "My fellow Cutiemark Crusaders today we meet to celebrate that, Goldrain, got her..." Discord listens up, the gears in his head start turning. Gold... Gold... of course. How did he not thought of that? "... we will be there for you. Where ever you might go..." With a flash Discord was by Appleblooms side. Took her under his arm.
"We go, mate." In another flash they had disappear.
"INTRUDERS!!!" - "Get the princess." Panic was all around Applebloom even before she was able to recognized where they were. The Royal Guards were surprised by the sudden flash of light. "It´s Discord! He betrays us!" One of the guards shouted. Suddenly all the guard are covered in jello.
"Please, be quit I just want to show my friend something."
Applebloom look around. This was a small garden, round in shape and surrounded by a single high wall with a curved staircase. Alongside the wall were white rose bushes. Soft grass under their hooves. In the middle of all this - the center of the garden stands - a single tree. It was an appletree. Its leaves was red even though it was summer. The apples in it were golden.
This was Princess Celestias golden appletree!
"Discord! What are we doing here?"
The Chaos God plucked a single apple from the tree and show it to Applebloom. "Do you know what this is?"
"A golden apple."
"Well, that is obvious. No Applebloom... may I introduce you to you." He threw the Apple to her.
"Me?"
Discord summoned a book and put glasses on: "According to legends; whom ever eats an golden apple becomes immortal and stops aging."
"Great so ya are telling me..." Appleblooms eyes first widen, but then narrow to an angry gaze: "Ah swear if this has been all a joke by ya, Ah find a way to stomp ya out of existence!!!"
Discord got airborne and laughing his lungs out. "You are as oblivious as Twilight. Priceless." He took the Apple from the ground. "My little price apple. Since when are legends to one hundred percent true? Only immortals can eat them." He took a bite and continued: "Long ago when Celestia was young there was a filly who could not get older. She and Sunbutt were close friends but eventually the filly died. She was not immortal after all. Years later this tree begun to grow from her grave. You Applebloom are a seed of a golden appletree."
Applebloom looked at Discord and the tree behind him. That was her? A Tree? What? "Discord... Ah don´t know what this is suppose to mean... Ah... Ah wanna go back. Ah have to proceed with the oration. Everypony is waiting."
Discord had a bewildered look on his face and ask: "Proceed? Help me, Applebloom. What was the meaning of that word again?"
"Continue! Moving on!"
Discord ate the rest of the golden apple with a smirked on his lips. After that he slowly repeating her words: "Proceed? Continue? Moving on? Are those word a pony says that has done nothing for more then twenty years."
Applebloom got angry at Discord: "Ah don´t have time for ya poking in ma wounds! Ah have to keep the farm running! Ah have to... to plan for the Crusaders..."
Discord boops her nose. "And don´t forget teaching a stupid stallion. Helping Blossom with her foal. My... my... my. You ponies... so on the nose!" Applebloom gave him a soft smile.
"You know I am not allowed to change ponies life's permanently but how about, we shock Scootaloo with an Alicorn update at her wedding?"
