Sleepless in Magiville

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The streets of Magiville were mostly empty, with the residents electing to remain close to home if not in their own homes. Seizing the opportunity before, Scootaloo had manifested her wings and started to beat them, to the point they could have been mistaken for the as she stepped on her scooter and started down the road. It didn’t take long for her to get up to speed. She cried out with a “Whoo-hoo!” As she traversed the streets she spotted Granny Smith Apple. The sage waved her left hand with a beaming smile as she tapped the ground with her staff causing the earth to raise and form a ramp. Scootaloo beamed her own smile and gave the sage and matriarch of the Magiville branch (well technically the trunk) of the Apple Clan a thumbs up which the older woman returned. Scootaloo took a breath as she focused on gaining speed. She knew she could do a double flip and could remain airborne for five seconds, but she had been practicing and training. Maybe, just maybe, today she’d pull off a triple and remain airborne for six seconds. She closed her eyes and took a breath as she hit the ramp and launched into the air. She lept off her scooter and leaned forward as her body spun around her waist once, then twice then thrice… wait she was still airborne and had plenty of space to flip fourfold. A quadruple flip! And she was still in the air, it had to be about ten seconds now.

As the young skyborn planted her feet back on her scooter and began to target her descent, she was caught from under her arms with, “Killer moves, kid.” Scootaloo looked over her shoulder as she saw it was Rainbow Dash that was guiding her to the ground and bringing her down safely. “When I was your age, I could barely pull a double.” She then patted Scootaloo on the head, “AJ would kill me if I didn't say what I am about to say, but for the future, you might want to do some recon the day of.” She said as she pointed to where Scootaloo was trajected to land and Scootaloo saw that she would have crashed right into the ground of Sweet Apple Temple.

“Where’s the haystack?” Scootaloo asked as she looked around. Rainbow just shrugged her shoulders before there was a series of small beeps.

Rainbow looked at her left wrist, her eyes widened slightly as she recalled she was short on time, “Shoot!” she all but cursed. “Gotta go. But keep it up kid, and you’ll be a Wonderbolt in no time!” Rainbow then bolted back into the air and flew away.

After Rainbow left, Scootaloo’s mouth hung open for about a minute in awe, “Rainbow Dash said I’ll be a Wonderbolt!” Scootaloo cheered before she picked up her scooter and dashed to the Cutie Mage Crusaders (CMC) clubhouse, which was a hop, skip and jump away from where she was standing.

About half an hour later, “And Rainbow Dash said,” Scootaloo was relaying this morning’s event to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and paused as she cleared her throat and as close as she could get her voice to match Rainbow Dash’s “‘Killer moves, kid!’”. Sweetie and Apple Bloom could only smile, happy for their friends eupariha. “She even said I could become a Wonderbolt too! It’s like she was asking me to be her little sister!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie’s faces soured slightly as they turned to face each other. They each opened their mouths as if to say something in turn, but the words died in their voice boxes. This was not lost on Scootaloo. The skyborn girl sighed, “I know, I know, Rainbow and me don’t know each other that good.”

Sweetie was the first of the other two CMC to speak, “First, it’s ‘Rainbow and I don’t know each other that well’. We’ve been over this at least twenty times!” Sweetie had tried and tried to help her friend with her grammar. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes, clearly she wanted to dismiss Sweetie’s concerns.

Apple Bloom was the next to speak, “And second, yah jumpin’ tah conclusions about Rainbow, Scoots.” the young farming Earthborn pointed out. Scootaloo sighed as she had no means to rebuff or ignore or dismiss that point.

Sweetie turned to face Apple Bloom as the two felt much less forlorn then their friend but still felt bad about Scootaloo not having an older sibling that was actually in her life like them. Sweetie spoke up first, “Aren’t you and AJ going camping on a camping trip this weekend.”

“Yeah, tah Innocence Falls.” Apple Bloom answered. “AJ said this trip would have been Pa and mah if Pa was here, but Ah think Ah can get her tah invite RD.'' Scootaloo raised her head as an open-mouth smile formed on her face. “Ain’t gonna makah any promisahs, Scoots, AJ’s a bit persinkady about family traditions.”

This time it was Sweetie that sighed in slight sorrow. The two turned to the young Magicborn girl as she looked to the floor, “It would be so nice to go, Dad would gladly take me, but Mom’s business keeps them away.”

Scootaloo was the one to speak up to provide some comfort to her friend, “Well, maybe we can convince Rarity?” she asked.

About an hour later, the three girls found themselves in Rarity’s boutique as she handed a package to Brighteyes as the postwoman left. “I am sorry Sweetie Belle, but I am not cut out for camping. And that’s not even addressing that Applejack would be okay with it, as Apple Bloom pointed out this camping trip would have been just Apple Bloom and their late father.” Rarity pointed out with a sigh.

“But what if AJ is okay with it?” Scootaloo asked the question in the trio’s minds.

Rarity didn’t hold back her laughter, which left the three girls bemused. After a solid minute, Rarity collected herself, “If that stuck-in-her-ways traditionalist agrees to Apple Bloom’s request, then I’ll carry all the gear.” she then had another laugh, “But that’s a sucker’s bet.”. The scene changed from Rarity’s shop to one of the less dense and more hospitable parts of the Everfree Forest, “And I’m the sucker.” Rarity said as she wiped her brow before she adjusted the shoulder straps of the gear pack. The pack itself was a hiking backpack pack with three small two persons tents and six one person bedrolls and tools for starting fires along with other small short camping trips.

Walking next to the enchantress was the paladin older sister of Apple Bloom. “Well normally yah’d be right,” the paladin said as she held out a canteen of water for Rarity to drink. Rarity accepted it a little too greedily. “But if Pa was still here and Apple Bloom asked him to invite half of creation…” Applejack trailed off as she took the canteen back and capped it off.

Rarity sighed, “Yes, yes, Bright Mac would augment this trip to fit Apple Bloom’s wants.” Rarity’s tone hinted to her being annoyed about things but with the sweat on her brow it she was exhausted. “I know I asked you a thousand times, but…” Rarity trailed off.

Applejack smiled as she pointed a head of the group of two women and three girls a few meters, “Well, this time it’s actually yes.” Applejack then took the pack off of Rarity’s back, “Ah think yah could use a break.” She then walked to a clearing next to a brook that followed nearby.

Applejack then started to unpack and was joined by Apple Bloom as Sweetie Belle fetched a full canteen to Rarity. Scootaloo looked around trying to find someone. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?” she asked.

Applejack had a soft laugh, “Don’t frit sugarcube, she’ll be here in…” Applejack looked into the sky in the break of the canopy. She raised her left hand with three fingers up and started to count down, “Three, two, one.” She counted down and then pointed to the canopy as Rainbow swooped down and made the pit for the fire, collected three logs for seats and placed them around the fire pit.

“And time!” Rainbow called. “How was that, AJ?” she asked the farmer.

Applejack held out her left hand flat and rocked it back and forth. “The descent was flawless and the seating logs were placed pretty much perfectly,” she complimented. “but the fire pit’s a little shallow and is a little too far from the shore.” The paladin pointed out the shortcomings. Rainbow only silently rolled her eyes at the critiques. This was not lost on Applejack, or Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle. However Rarity was still recovering from carrying the pack all the way to the campsite for the night and thus missed most of it.

As for Scootaloo, during this time she was looking away trying to collect herself. She spoke softly to herself so that only she could hear her voice, “Alright, Scootaloo, just play it cool.”. She took a deep breath and turned back to everyone. She then cleared her throat as she tried to get Rainbow Dash’s attention, “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” She called as she closed the distance between her and Rainbow, “What's up?” she asked.

“Not much, kid.” Rainbow answered as the duo watched as Applejack and Apple Bloom set up the tents. “Looks like you'll be sharing a tent with me, huh?” she asked with a slight elbow to the younger Skyborn.

“Heh” Scootaloo laughed lightly glad to be able to spend that much more time with Rainbow, granted it will be them sleeping but sharing a tent was something, “if that's okay with you.” She collected herself and tried to act cool.

Rainbow rubbed the top of Scootaloo’s head, “Sure!” she declared at first only to stop and look at Scootaloo with slight concern, albeit it was a shallow self-interested concern, “Long as you don't snore.” she stated her condition. “You don't snore, do you?” she asked.

Scootaloo closed her eyes, “Nope. No way. Not me.” she replied, shaking her head with closed eyes as if to compound the negative so that it was clear that she didn’t snore. “Never snored a …” the young monk tailed off as she tried to find the right word. “Night” she settled on, “in my life.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle slightly as she patted Scootaloo on the head again. “Then you and I are gonna get along just fine.” the older elementalist declared. After taking a second to observe what the others were doing. Applejack and Apple Bloom had started to set up the camp for the night as Rarity finally recovered from the trek, with Sweetie Belle looking after her. She then turned back to Scootaloo, “Before AJ starts on about it, can you help get us some wood for the fire?” she asked. Scootaloo didn’t respond as she bolted to the nearby brush looking for dry sticks and tinder. ‘Cool kid’ Rainbow thought to herself.

As the sun was passing the western horizon, the fire was lit and reached the desired height and other factors for the night. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo used the same log, roasting marshmallows. Applejack was giving Rarity a massage, mostly because the enchantress’ back was still sore from the trek and would need to be loosen up for sleeping on the ground tonight. Rainbow looked into the fire for a brief second and a small grin formed on her face. “Okay, everybody get comfortable, 'cause I'm about to tell you the best story you've ever heard.” Rainbow declared as she got up from her log and was hovering the excitement she felt for the story she was about to tell was inescapable.

Scootaloo started to wave her hands, “Is it about the time when Rarity had wings, and then they got ruined, and then you saved her from plummeting to her doom?” the young monk acted out the basics of the story of events of The Young Flyers Competition when Rarity pulled an icarus. Rarity gave an exhausted and frustrated sigh as she bemoaned her plummet.

Rainbow gave a weak laugh as tried to regain some face as the wind was stolen from the sails of her story. “Okay, maybe it's the second best story you've ever heard.” she had to concede. However her confidence returned as she landed and rubbed her hands almost menacingly. “But probably still the scariest.” She then looked at three young girls and allowed her voice to take on a, for lack of a better term, spooky tone, as she asked. “You like scary stories, right?” The three girls gulped and nodded, as any child putting on what they thought was an adult’s face. Rarity and Applejack both could tell that the three girls were acting brave, but Rainbow was oblivious to the subtle clues. The elementalist took her seat and looked up into the sky for a second before she spoke, “It all happened on a night just like this one, in a forest, just like this…”

A couple of hours later, the three girls were holding each other, shaking, trying to hide their terror. Rainbow was finishing her story, “...And then, The Biddy asked,” Rainbow’s voice then began to mimic as best she could the voice of an aged woman far older than Granny Smith. "Who's got my silver shoe?" The three girls loosen their hold slightly as there was a break, a pause full of suspense that lasted nearly a minute. The air was saturated with suspense. Until, “You do!” Rainbow declared as she pointed to the three girls. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both screamed as they each bolted, leaving a trail of smoke in their wake, to their big sisters. Rainbow laughed at the sight, mostly in the carsrus of all effort she put into building up the story to that point.

Scootaloo, unlike her friends, remained on the log and cleared her throat to stifle her own scream. “Something in my throat.” she declared as she shut her eyes to dismiss any notion that she was afraid. “I wasn't scared at all.” She lied, highly convincingly, granted Applejack and Rarity were both holding their sisters and rubbing them backs in an attempt to mimic a material soothing tactic and Rainbow’s eyes were shut as she was still snickering at everything. “Good story.” Scootaloo then finished. It was true, the Biddy of Hayseed Swamp was a good story.

Rainbow finally opened her eyes and hovered over to Scootaloo and rubbed the younger Skyborn’s head. “Knew you wouldn't be scared.” Rainbow complimented her. "The way you jumped that ramp the other day with all those four full flips,” Rainbow then gave an encouraging nudge in the upper arms. "you're like me – fearless." She said while placing a hand on both Scootaloo's shoulder and Rainbow's own chest.

Scootaloo gave a smile at the gesture, “Yeah. Fearless.” she declared before her teeths started to chatter after Rainbow flew to the river to get some water to douse the fire. The hooting of the owls were far from helpful.

Between the two sets of biological sisters, “Don’t worry, Sweetie.” Rarity said before she shut her eyes and her focus gems on her tiara started to glow. “I’m here to keep you safe from that vile croon!” she declared while giving Sweetie a reassuring hug, despite everything, Sweetie was still a little girl.

Between Applejack and Apple Bloom, the paladin managed to pry the frightened younger sister that clung to her waist as the little girl trembled. Applejack pulled a small sword she had on her, leaving her main sword back at Sweet Apple Temple. “Don’t worry, little sis.” she said as she tried to comfort Apple Bloom, “Ah’ll smite any ‘arridan t’at would try anyt’ing.” This brought a comforted smile to the younger farm girl as she hugged her paladin sister a thankful hug.

As the two sets of biological sisters went into their tents, the older sisters kept a watch over anything. Scootaloo shocked her head slightly in … she wasn’t exactly sure...was it disgust that her friends needed such comforting or dismissal of the same notion? Scootaloo didn’t think about it for long as she watched Rainbow put out the fire. However, somewhere in her heart she really wanted something else. But she could only laugh to hide some nervousness. “Haa, that sure was funny, wasn't it?” she asked Rainbow as the elementalist used a stick to mix the water and ash so that the fire was fully out. “Heheh.” the young girl added when she finally got Rainbow’s attention, “How they were all afraid of The Biddy?” she asked, dismissing her friends’ fear that came from the story Rainbow told them. “Heh, but not me, heh!” she added as she got up and tried to be brave in front of the older Skyborn.

Rainbow gave a light snicker as if to confirm to Scootaloo that she believed the girl, “That's because you're tough, just like when I was your age!” She said as she dumped some more water on the ash-based mud to make sure the fire was out. Scootaloo couldn’t help but see that Rainbow was half-hearted, as if she was only doing this because she didn’t want to hear about not properly putting out a fire from Applejack. Once she was done, Rainbow stretched and cracked her neck before rubbing her right shoulder with her left hand. “I'm hitting the sack.” she said before she yawned and turned to the tent the two Skyborn would be sharing, “Come in whenever you feel like it.” she said.

Scootaloo smiled as she looked around, confident that Rainbow seemed to be viewing her favorably. Unlike Rarity and Applejack, she didn’t view Scootaloo as if the younger Skyborn was a little child scared of the monster on her bed. No, Rainbow viewed her as an adult. Just then Scootaloo heard a twig snap and the leaves rustle in the wind. Scootaloo was somewhat shaken by that. She gulped as she tried to collect herself, “It's, it's nothing…” she said to herself trying to calm her nerves. “Just my imagination running wild…” she said to herself as she tried to recall some of the things Cheerliee told them about how the mind works. Namely about how the mind tricks itself in order to keep the entire being alive through the night. Scootaloo then heard branches creaking. Scootaloo tried to take a calming breath, “And that isn't the thundering stomp of The Biddy…”.

However she trailed off as she then heard the howl of a wolf. Scootaloo’s eyes shot wide open and in a flash she had zipped into the tent and shut it. She started to pant slightly as she collected herself. She then turned and saw Rainbow was asleep with her mouth wide open and snoring. Scootaloo squinted at the sight in disbelief concerning both Rainbow’s own snoring and the older Skyborn asking about her snoring, but waved her hand in front of her chest, a silent sign of accepting that Rainbow was not perfect. Scootaloo crawled into her bed-roll and shut her eyes. But just as soon as her eyes closed, Scootaloo heard muttering in the distance.

Scootaloo slowly got out of her bedroll and looked outside the tent. “I-Is anyone out there?” She asked only to be answered with distance foot stamps and branches creaking. Scootaloo slipped out of the tent and looked around the campsite. She then heard the mumbling of an ancient woman. Scootaloo left the site and started to walk into the nearby forest. But the forest was not the lively green it was when she went to sleep. It was now dry and dead, the trees without leaves, the grass brown, etc. Scootaloo spun her head from left to right and right to left. She heard a woman ask, “Who’s got my silver shoe?” The woman sounded like she had twice the liveliness of Granny Smith, but at the same time hinted to have lived at least twice as long as her friend’s grandmother. Scootaloo gasped and started to run. She started at a light pace, but as she heard something like a metal shoe grow closer behind her, the young girl started to quicken her pace to a near sprint until she bumped into something...or rather someone. Scootaloo looked up to see a woman older than the trees of the forest and yet seemed to have a spring in her step that rivaled Scootaloo's own. The woman's right eye was swollen shut showing only her left eye with its red evil iris. Scootaloo gasped and bolted. She ran so fast she felt like she was… she was flying. But she couldn't focus on that. Fear was all she felt, as the woman's words echoed "Who's got my silver shoe?".

Scootaloo found the camp and went into her tent. She saw Rainbow sleeping. The young girl panted as tears of fear clouded her eyes. "Rainbow Dash–?" She cried.

However Rainbow turned to reveal that it was the old woman, the Bibby. "You do!" The hag declared before Scootaloo yelped and the girl found herself back in her bedroll. Scootaloo turned to see Rainbow still sound asleep and snoring. Scootaloo could only nervously hum.

This humming carried on all night and into the wee hours of the morning. Rainbow yawned upon waking up, "What's that noise?" The older Skyborn asked as she rubbed her eyes. "Is there a bug in here?" She asked as she looked around the top of the tent. She signed before she turned to see Scootaloo, the younger Skyborn sitting up with her back turned away. "I dunno about you, but I slept like a baby." Rainbow said as she got out of her bedroll and started to head out of the tent.

"Best night ever." Scootaloo lied. In truth, her nerves were shot, her eyes were bloodshot, and her eyelids black as the night.

Rainbow seemed to be utterly oblivious to the girl’s state, "Glad you're rested up, because we've got a long trek ahead. Totally gonna be worth it when we get to Innocence Falls." As she spoke she exited the tent taking her bedroll with her.

Scootaloo slowly got out of her bedroll. "Yeah... Totally…" she trailed off as her right eyelids twitching due to the lack of sleep and lingering fear from the story and the nightmare.

Hours later as it neared noon, Rarity sat down on a log, her breath shallow as she tried to continue but couldn't carry on, at least not while carrying the backpack with all the gear. She was soaked with her own perspiration. "Sugarcube, this is getting ridiculous." Applejack berated as she handed Rarity the canteen that the paladin carried.

Rarity panted as she accepted the canteen. She then took a massive swig of the water. She gasped in some degree of relief. "Darling, I wagered that if Apple Bloom could convince you to allow Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Dashie and Myself, I'd carry the pack." The enchantress countered.

The paladin groaned, "At this rate it's gonna be dark before we get to the campsite! Just give mah the pack."

Scootaloo's eyes shot wide open. She gasped before she was able to stifle a scream of a question, "Dark?!" Her wings started to even buzz as she took her scooter off her back. "I'll just ride ahead and make sure the path is clear." Her voice almost betrayed her fright. "We don't wanna be out here after dark, right?" She asked too forcefully. However Applejack was solely focused on Rarity, or rather the two continued to argue about the pack and who to carry it. Apple Bloom were silently placing bets on who would win this contest of wills.

Rainbow elected to lean against a nearby tree and stretched her arms with a yawn, “Doesn't matter to me.” she said without a care in the world.

Scootaloo gave a frail titter, “Well, y'know,” she started before she stepped on to her scooter and started off. She hushed her voice as she started to beat her wings. “it's for the scaredy-cats, heheh.” Scootaloo tried to keep her eyes open as she traveled, but she could not focus on anything. After a few seconds she yawned only to just realize that she was about to bump into a tree. After she narrowly avoided it with a gasp, “Don't fall asleep now..” she told herself as she tried to stay awake but her voice trailed off as she struggled to stay awake. “We've got to get to that campsite before dark…” Scootaloo could not keep her eyes open and started to snore as she continued to travel. Either by fate or dumb luck, Scootaloo just pasted a Cragadile and it tried to snap her. The stoney crocodilia missed Scootaloo and growled at his failure. Elsewhere the slumbering Scootaloo passed by a brown bear. The ursine licked its lips and then chomped at her. However the bear missed and grunted in fury as Scootaloo evaded him.

Scootaloo woke as she found that she had gone around in a circle and was heading back to the path but on the opposite side from where she started. She knew that had happened as Rarity’s voice faded in, “... I concede.” the fashionista said, in dictating that she had lost the contest of will with Applejack and the group was heading on.

Scootaloo ended up bumping into Applejack. The girl gasped as she recovered from the impact, which seemed to leave nothing on the older farmer. As everyone turned to face her, “Um... don't come this way!” she said as she pointed behind her, “Take the path!” she almost shouted as she tried to contain herself and throw off the idea of her being scared. After a few seconds of her friends and their sisters looking at her as if she had grown three more heads, “It's, heh, way better than going through the bushes.” she added. Rainbow showed no interest and started ahead. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom shrugged their shoulders and headed. Scootaloo however failed to notice Applejack and Rarity sharing a glance. Rarity started after her sister and Applejack took up the rear. All the while the paladin’s focus was on the young girl.

After a few meters Applejack deliberately stepped on a twig causing it to snap. Scootaloo yelped and all but jumped out of her skin. She was caught by the paladin. “Rainbow’s take on the Biddy of Hayseed Bog get tah yauh last night?” The farmer asked as she placed Scootaloo back to her feet. Scootaloo tried to form an answer but the paladin covered her mouth. “My grandpa once said ‘Bravery ain’t the absence of fear, that’s Stupidity’s domain.’” Scootaloo tilted her head to her right side and squirted both her eyes slightly as she raised the left side of her upper lip. “You're more nervous than a worm in an apple on cider making day.” Applejack said as a matter of fact. Scootaloo’s perplexity remained. Applejack gave a sigh, “Trying to be brave ain’t gonna convince Rainbow to see you like a little sister. If you haven’t noticed, she’s a little dense. You gotta have to spell it out to her.”

Scootaloo’s face shifted as she shut her eyes and started to laugh. “That’s funny AJ.” Scootaloo declared, “You should do a comedy show.”

“Pinkie and Ah do ‘Who’s on first?’ every other Wednesday at the Town Hall ‘Comedy Nights’. Still the best show.” the paladin informed. Scootaloo gave a weak ‘ha-ha’. “Listen, Scoots” Applejack’s voice sounded… maternal, “Adlector: 7:7” The paladin patted Scootaloo on her shoulder and started on the trail.

Scootaloo was confused and stood there and would have remained there but after hearing an owl’s hoot, she bolted after Applejack.

Hours later, as it was getting close to time to set up camp the group arrived near a cave. “Rarity, stay with the girls, RD and Ah will check out that cave.” Applejack said as she took off the backpack and went to the cave.

“Wait, we’re camping there?” Rarity asked a twinge of fear in her voice.

“Pa and Ah, Pa and Big Mac, camped in that cave, but after Pa went to see if anything was using it or used it for a while.” Applejack said as she drew the sword she brought with her. Rainbow shrugged her shoulders as she followed the paladin. After a few minutes the two returned, “All clear, looks like it hasn’t been used since Pa and Mah did.” the paladin informed.

“It ain’t very deep, but it will be dark!” Rainbow added. “Perfect for the story I’ve got for tonight. All we need is a campfire and we’re good to go. Tent’s not needed.” The elementalist couldn’t help but smirk at the story she had planned.

While none of the others seemed to show any terror of the story to come, Scootaloo could barely stop from gulping. “Uh, of course…” her nerves were not shot or frayed, they were atomized. Just then they heard a wolf’s howl. This gave Rarity and Sweetie Belle a clear fright.

“Don’t worry,” Apple Bloom said, “Granny took mah out a couple of months ago to learn why wolves cry and what each one means.” The younger farmgirl stated. Apple Bloom pointed in the direction of the howl. “That little fella just lost. Wait a minute.” Apple Bloom held up her hand and they heard three more howls, but they were farther off and seemed more like becking.

“And that’s some of the others guiding ‘im ‘ome.” Applejack added. “Bloom, yah mind helpin’ me get some firewood.” the older farmer asked the younger. Apple Bloom nodded. The two then left as Scootaloo followed Rainbow along with Rarity and Sweetie Belle, this time Rainbow taking the backpack.

Not long after, as the sun was starting to set, Applejack and Apple Bloom returned with plenty of firewood. The two placed the wood down so that a fire could be made with them. Applejack and Apple Bloom both rubbed their upper arms, “Bbbbrrr! Hoo-wee! It's colder than a timberwolf's toenail. Bbbrr!” the farm girls said in unison, clearly they were close. They turned to each other and laughed.

Rainbow picked up the wood and started to build a fire as Rarity and Sweetie laid out the sleeping rolls. Close enough to the fire to keep warm from the radiated heat once the fire was out but close enough that no ember would cause them to catch fire. Once the fire was lit. Rainbow stood between the entrance and the fire as the two sets of sisters sat together with Scootaloo in the middle opposite of Rainbow. “Now, where was I?” Rainbow asked.

“You haven’t even started anything, Dashie.” Rarity pointed out.

Rainbow was about to counter, “Hey, I have an idea! How about I tell tonight's story?” Scootaloo asked, waving her hand. Rainbow’s ego deflated but she sat down and nodded to Scootaloo so that she could tell her story. Scootaloo cleared her throat. “There once was a really really nice girl who lived in a bright and sunny land, where there are rainbows every day, and lots and lots of happy friends, and–” As Scootaloo began her story, it became clear to the others that they weren’t going to enjoy this. The story was cut short by Rainbow getting back up.

The older Skyborn sign, “Listen Scoots, but a real campfire story needs someone to be shaking at the end.”

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun, by the men who moil for gold;” Rarity spoke as she looked into the flame of the fire. Her focus gem glowed and projected an image of men panning in a river under a sun that seemed out of place, like it was midnight.

“The arctic trails have their secret tales, that would make your blood run cold;” Applejack added as the images morphed to a vase empty by frozen landscape that seemed to be at the top of the world.

Rainbow groaned, “No. We’re not doing The Cremation of Pam Banshee.” Rainbow requested. Rarity and Applejack only glared. “Fine, tomorrow night.” she recanted.

“Cremation?” Scootaloo asked.

“It’s a way to bury someone by first reducing the body to ash.” Rarity informed. This shocked Rainbow, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Rainbow cleared her throat, “Okay, well…” Rainbow cleared her throat so that her voice could take on a spookier tone, “I've been told that these very woods are haunted…” she paused and allowed her voice to trail off letting the terror set in. Scootaloo gulped as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom scrunched a little closer to their respective older sister. “...by The Dullahan!” she declared. “Riding it’s nightmare, this fey gallops only at night looking for little lost children–” She stopped as she looked into the fire. “Fear was dripping from the air…” Scootaloo’s vision shifted to the fire as she started to see the story play out as Rainbow’s voice faded out. As the story reached its end almost two hours later. Rainbow’s voice retained as spooky as it started “...and they were never heard from ever again!”

Sweetie Belle was the one to gasp in fear, “Never?” She asked as she squeezed Rarity’s hand.

Rainbow leaned in closer, staring at her through the fire, “Never.” The fire then sparked and the two younger sisters screamed at first but after a few seconds the two then started to laugh as they were hugged by their sisters. However Scootaloo could only tremble in silence, with no one to hold her in her fear and bring out a laugh.

Rarity shut her eyes as her focus gems on her tiara glowed. “Don’t worry, Sweetie,” she said comfortingly.

“Ya’ll be safe with me, tonight.” Applejack said as she drew her sword before she whispered something on it and the blade started to glow. Everyone then started for their bed rolls, save Scootaloo and Applejack as the paladin started to put out the fire.

“It's not time for bed yet, is it?” Scootaloo asked as she pulled on Applejack’s arm in an attempt to stop her.

“'Fraid so, Scootaloo.” Applejack answered as she yanked her arm free so that she could effectively put out the fire.

“Uh, but we haven't even sung any campfire songs yet!” Scootaloo pointed out.

A distinctive squeak of joy came from Sweetie Belle as she dashed over to be in front of the fire. “You don't have to ask me twice!” The three older girls’ eyes shot wide open. Sweetie cleared her throat and started to sing, however she was out of rhythm and out of tune. “Ninety-nine bottles of cider on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of cider! Take one down-”

Rarity was quick to cover Sweetie Belle's mouth with her magic, “Good night, Sweetie Belle.” She said as rocked Sweetie Belle lawling the younger girl to sleep before taking her sister to her bed roll.

Applejack and Apple Bloom both yawned and stretched, “Good night, y'all.” They said as they headed to their bed rolls.

Rainbow also stretched as she headed to her bed roll, “Sleep tight.”cthe older Skyborn declared.

Scootaloo looked around in a slight panic, “Oh, just one song!” she seemed to plead. “Anyone?” she asked only to hear a whoosh from outside. After a couple of seconds, “How about a dance contest?” she asked, trying to get the others to stay up. “I know you love to cut a rug, so how 'bout we mess up a cave floor?” She asked with a faint degree of desperation in her voice. “I have a brilliant idea! Hide and seek! Who's with me?” she continued to prod.

Rainbow groaned, “Listen Scoots, those are cool and all, but every girl needs her shut-eye and if you try to keep us up, it will be your lunch break on your first day back from this break before we get back. And frankly, I don’t want Cheerilee to chew my ear off because you missed the first period.” Rainbow rolled over in her bed roll.

Reluctantly, Scootaloo got to her bed roll, “Ugh, this is so unfair…” she spoke just above a whisper. She then yawned. “I'm falling asleep…” There was panic in her voice, but her eyes could not hold out as she began to snore. Before Scootaloo could realize she was running, her wings beating in a desperate attempt to pick up speed. She gasped as she panted as she heard the neighing of a horse, but it was demonic. This was followed by a laugh, one that seemed to come right out of the throat. “If The Dullahan catches me, I'm never gonna be heard from again!” she shouted as she tried to speak over her pants and her thumping heart. “And I wanna be heard from!” she screamed before she tripped over a root. “Woah, woaaah! Ugh!” she called and grunted before she looked up to see a horse with a mane of fire with a man on it’s back. But it wasn’t a man really, it was shaped like a man, but was covered in steel armor with no head on his shoulders. In one hand was a head, most likely it’s head and in the other was a whip that looked to be made out of a spine. The horse reared, “It's all over!” Scootaloo realized before she could only cry hysterically. But before the whip could crack and strike Scootaloo, a silver light appeared and in an instant the Dullahan morphed into another being of the night, “Princess Luna?” Scootaloo asked at the site, feeling relief. “But the Dullahan… I thought…” Scootaloo looked around unaware.

Luna had a slight giggle, “A warm welcome to you, young Scootaloo. You are mistaken, but We hope not disappointed.” she said as she handed her left hand out and helped Scootaloo to her feet. Scootaloo gave a sigh of relief. She was about to say that she was glad that it was Luna and not The Dullahan that she met. However another thought crossed her mind. Why would Princess Luna be here in Scootaloo’s dream? Shouldn’t the princess be in Chantalot? This confusion was not lost on Princess Luna. Luna had a slight smile, “You seem to forget that We are the princess of the night.” Princess Luna started to explain away Scootaloo’s unstated but ever present confusion. “Thus among Our duties is to come into the dreams of our subject to help them sleep better as the realm of dreams can be just as real as the waking realm and what happens in the waking realm affects the dream realm and vice versa. The more imaginative the mind the more real the dream feels.” Luna continued.

“So that’s why it feels so real. So my nightmare is over?” Scootaloo asked.

Luna shut her mouth and shook her head. “Not exactly, young Scootaloo.” she answered with great reluctance. “Once We leave you will either wake or your dream will restart unless you address your true fear.”

“But you just destroyed the Dullahan!” Scootaloo countered in protest.

Luna started to float up towards the moon, “The longer you deny it, the worse it will get both in the waking realm and the dream realm.” Scootaloo looked up as Luna seemed to take on elements of both a hare and a bat. “Everybody has fears, Scootaloo. Everybody must face them in their own way.” Luna spoke in a voice that sounded both far away and drifting farther away but will always be close. “But they must be faced, or the nightmares will continue.” Luna continued to speak as her form continued to change as if she was becoming some sort of humanoid rabbit-bat hybrid as she got closer and closer to the moon, “Face your fears!” Luna shouted as she seemed to merge back into the moon.

Scootaloo reached out “–Princess Luna?!” she called out afraid of the absence of the princess. However Scootaloo discovered that she had woken up. She looked around to see Rainbow, Apple Bloom, Applejack, Rarity and Sweetie Belle were both sound asleep. Scootaloo sighed “It was just a dream.” she felt some relief. However she heard water dripping and she screamed and ran out of the cave and into the words. Unbeknownst to her, Rainbow groaned as she woke. “It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream.” She tried to mutter to herself but she could only see the creatures from Rainbow’s stories. Scootaloo continued to run until she tripped and fell rolling down a hill until she managed to grab a root. However the root was over a river. Scootaloo cried as she tried to hold on as much as possible. “Hello?! Is anyone out there?” she asked nervously before her grip falled as she fell into the river. “Heellllp–” Scootaloo cried out before she bobbed under the surface. She gasped as she managed to resurface. She continued to scream until she saw that the river she was failing to stay afloat in became a waterfall.

As she went over the edge and screamed, during her plummet a whoosh flew and caught her. “I gotcha!” Rainbow Dash declared as she brought Scootaloo to safety. As soon as the two were on the ground, “What were you do…” Rainbow started to lecture Scootaloo only to trail off as Scootaloo drove into her lower chest, burying her face into Rainbow’s body… crying, weeping, sobbing. “Um… you’re… okay… there… there…” Rainbow struggled, her words trialling off as she failed to find the right words. “You’re safe now.”

“I just wanted you to hang out with me and see how cool I was so that you would take me under your wing, teach me everything you know, and become like my big sister!” Rainbow barely made those words out from in between Scootaloo’s frightened sobs and breaths to try to hold herself together. After a few seconds Scootaloo was able to actually breathe. “But then you started telling those spooky stories and I got scared.” she could barely say above a whisper. Scootaloo slowly lifted her head to look at Rainbow, her eyes were still full of tears. “I thought I heard The Dullahan so I ran out here by myself, and…” she could no longer hold herself together as the little girl wept as she clung on to Rainbow as tight as she could.

Rainbow was frozen until she finally got it. “Faust, I am dense.” Rainbow whispered as she rubbed Scootaloo’s head and actually hug the girl. After a few seconds of holding Scootaloo, Scootaloo stopped and looked up, this was only a pause not an end. Rainbow leaned down to be closer to Scootaloo’s eye level. “There’s something I need to tell yah, when I first heard those stories I was so scared I wet myself.” Rainbow then gave a weak laugh as she dried the tears out of the corners of Scootaloo’s eyes. “Yeah,” Rainbow confessed. She then stood back up quickly in a panic as if she was afraid to be seen as weak but then stopped as she noticed something, something she couldn’t put a word to, in Scootaloo’s eyes and face. Rainbow then knelt down to face Scootaloo squarely, “It took me a while, but I learned something,” Scootaloo’s eyes looked deep into Rainbow to learn what. “That it’s okay to be afraid, it’s what you do with that fear. Me, I learned how to make myself scarier because those monsters are more afraid of you then you are of them. You just need someone to show you how to scare them back.” Rainbow then smiled, “And that challenge is accepted!” Rainbow declared as she pulled Scootaloo into a hug and got back into the air.

“You mean...” Scootaloo started to ask.

“When I am done with you and you’re my age, you’ll be halfway to be twice the Wonderbolt I’ll be by then!” Scootaloo hugged Rainbow as tight as she could, a massive closed eye closed mouth smile on her face. “As long as you don't go falling into any more rivers in the middle of the night.” She added.

Scootaloo giggled, “Deal, but can have a less scary story tomorrow night.” The two laughed and returned to the cave they were camping that night.

The following day, near noon, the three sets of two neared a small but unmistakable waterfall, Innocence Falls. A few meters away, “I call sister teams! Last one to make it to the falls is a rotten egg!” Sweetie called as she pulled Rarity gently and started to run.

Rarity couldn’t help but giggle at first, “It is so on!” she declared as she and Sweetie started to run. Applejack took off the backpack before she and Apple Bloom took on a runner’s start and then bottled.

Rainbow turned to Scootaloo, “They think they can beat the two of us?” she asked. Scootaloo started to beat her wings before she was lifted up by Rainbow. Rainbow’s hold was just enough to help Scootaloo off of the ground, but Scootaloo wings were what was propelling them. Scootaloo smiled and had her wings beat faster and hard.

That night Scootaloo was again in her dream where Biddy had cornered Scootaloo and asked her, “Who's got my silver shoe?”

Just then Rainbow appeared with a silver shoe in her hands, “Here it is.” she answered and tossed it at the hag. “Now take it and stop all your moaning.”

The Biddy caught it and started to put it on, “Thank you,” she said as the shoe was fully on. Once that happened the Biddy transformed into a silver light and then into Princess Luna, “and have a nice rest of your dream, young Scootaloo.” The Princess of the Night said before she and Scootaloo shared a laugh.

For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils

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Sweetie Belle was standing near the door to one of Rarity’s work rooms in the enchantress’ boutique. “I have to leave for my dress rehearsal soon, Rarity!” Sweetie tried to not shout at her sister like a spoiled child. She knew Rarity was working as fast as she could, but Sweetie was short on time.

Rarity turned from what she was working on to face Sweetie Belle, “I know I promised to help with the costumes for your play.” She said as she lowered her glasses.

Sweetie Belle tried to smile, “I get it, this commission from Sapphire Shores is a big thing and you only have until the day after tomorrow to finish it.” Her voice strained as she tried to not whine or complain. Yet it was clear that she could really use the help Rarity promised.

Rarity sighed as she turned from Sweetie Belle towards half a dozen mannequins, "I still feel it needs a certain je ne sais quoi." She commented as she looked over the commissioned costumes. Sweetie slightly squinted her eyes in confusion over Rarity's word choice. Did Rarity really need to speak Appearench? Wasn't the Princess' Mystican enough? Sweetie asked herself. But she elected to not press the matter, she really wanted to work with Rarity but her older sister was not making things easy. Rarity then spoke, "Perhaps it needs…" She trailed off for a second before finishing her thought, "appliqués."

"Appliqués?" Sweetie asked before she dashed to where Rarity had those components. Sweetie never knew why they were called that, but if that's what Rarity needs.

"Or sequins." Rarity mused aloud as she failed to notice Sweetie had gone to get what Rarity had previously suggested.

"Sequins!" Sweetie cried as she ran to the other side of the room to get some of Rarity's second suggestion only to end up tripping over herself and crashing into one of the cabinets.

This got Rarity's attention as she rushed to Sweetie and helped her back up looking over her to see if Sweetie was injured. After seeing that her sister was unharmed, “Sweetie Belle, I adore having you help me, truly I do, but…” she trailed off as she picked up the items that fell.

Sweetie rubbed her upper left arm with her right hand, “Guess I got a little carried away. It's just that I know how important it is for you to finish this wardrobe in time for Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers..”

Rarity smiled, she knew there was more to Sweetie’s motives, but she couldn’t blame Sweetie for this. Her sister was earnestly trying to help her. “There’s also my promise to help you with your play. I am short on time, but I strive under pressure. So what exactly did you have in mind when I promised to help you with your play?” Rarity asked.

Sweetie smiled as she started to leave the work room, “Just check on the stitching and finish the buttons on the dresses I made for Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and myself.” Rarity smiled as Sweetie exited. While she saw that Sweetie was a songstress, even if Sweetie couldn’t tell right now, she was happy to know that Sweetie was also interested in Rarity’s own skills. “I just want them to look perfect and…” Sweetie’s voice came as she brought in a mobile cloth rack with three.. Rarity was at a loss of words. She’d see Applejack fubble while making more elegant dresses, but even then Applejack was salvageable as they were. Yet Rarity could never articulate what her little sister had sown. “I think I need your expertise.”

Rarity turned her attention from the … dresses... to Sweetie Belle. “So when did you say it was your play?'' Rarity asked, trying to hide the horror and disgust and … and she could not identify what else she felt nor did she want to.

“Tomorrow night.” Sweetie Belle answered with such a large smile on her face. “It’s the opening night!” she added, barely able to contain her excitement of how her play will be received.

Rarity looked at the commissioned order and rubbed her chin, ‘perhaps… but my friends have done so much for me and Applejack and Dashie would have both promised Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to see the play’. Rarity thought. ‘However… I did promise to help Sweetie Belle with the play.’ Rarity took a deep breath, “It’s a tight squeeze, but I can get the dresses ready for the show.” Rarity said.

Sweetie’s smile grew wider as she dove at Rarity, “Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you! You're the best sister ever!” She squeaked and giggled gitty, much like the school girl she was. Rarity only hugged her sister in turn as she tried to figure out how to make the dresses that Sweetie intended to make.

The following night, at the Magiville Town Theatre, backstage, Sweetie Belle paced back and forth as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were at ease. “Where is Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked no one.

Just then Cheerilee walked behind the curtains, “My goodness, girls, it's time!” she informed, She then pointed to beyond the curtains and the currently unseen audience beyond, “And the audience is almost fully seated!” their teacher added before she headed away to let the girls finish their preparations.

Once Cheerliee was gone, “Ah ain't too worried, Rarity, like AJ and Rainbow known about the play for…” Apple Bloom started but stopped as she saw Sweetie Belle rubbing her left arm and giving a nervous smile. “Y'all forgot to tell her until last night.” it wasn’t a question and Sweetie Belle knew it. Apple Bloom grown as she buried her face in her hands, “Ah get that ya were so focused on the writing and the directing.” Apple Bloom then stopped again. “Yah made the dresses didn’t yah.” Sweetie’s nervous smile grew as she showed her upper teeth. Apple Bloom facepalmed herself, “Don’t you remember that talent show fiasco?” Apple Bloom asked hopefully rhetorically.

"But this is my first real chance of doing something really big on my own, and I really want to keep it that way. You know how Rarity is." Sweetie protested as she tried to defend her decision.

Before Apple Bloom or Scootaloo could counter, Rarity came in, panting, with a mobile cloth rack. “I’m here! I’m here! I’m sorry I’m late!” She spoke louder than she should’ve in an attempt to also catch her breath. Once she collected her breath, “I beg your pardon for cutting it so close, but I made some improvements to your original design,” Rarity pointed to the dresses. All three were gowns consistent with those worn by the upper classes between the late 200’s AC and yearly 500’s AC. One was mostly purple with some gold trimming with a long cone hat and another was two shades of light blue with a tall hat that top formed a ‘v'. ``And I had a terrible time with these froofy sleeves.” Rarity said as she pointed to the third gown, it was pink with some gray trim and white lace. Unlike the other two, it would have been worn by a common girl that was brought into a lady’s service. While Apple Bloom and Scootaloo loved the dresses, Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but feel up staged and what made matters worse, Rarity wasn’t even going to be on the stage at all and Sweetie hadn’t even got on stage yet. “It is for the first play you ever wrote, after all, so I made quite certain it came out just so.” Rarity couldn’t help but to praise her work, and to be just the dresses and her work was praiseworthy.

Cheerilee then came in with a slight panic in her voice, “Places!” She all but shouted.

About fifteen minutes later, the curtains rose showing Scootaloo in the blue gown and Apple Bloom in the purple one off to stage right standing as if they were in discussion. Sweetie was on stage left and could not help but give a massive toothy smile as she heard the applause, the oohs and ahhs from the audience. After a second she started walking towards Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as she spoke the first line, “Forsooth and anon, I cometh forthwith and posthaste with glad tidings, miladies.” Sweetie finished with a bow towards Apple Bloom and Scootaloo before the two nodded. The audience then cheered.

After the play as the CMC entered the backstage dressing room, “Wow!” Apple Bloom could barely contain herself from shouting in joy, “A standin' ovation!” she declared as she managed to calm herself slightly.

Scootaloo rolled up her left sleeve to show her arm was covered with small rises, “I still have goosebumps!” she said as she also rubbed her arms.

The two then turned to Sweetie Belle, “This must be like a dream come true for you, huh, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom asked, with pride in her friend’s accomplishments.

Scootaloo was barely able to stifle a cheer, “Ooh, can you imagine if this show was how you got your aura mark?” she asked hoping that her friend found her calling.

“Which do you think you'd get it for?” Apple Bloom asked sharing in Scootaloo’s hope for Sweetie Belle, “Writing, directing, or acting?” she tried to figure out or rather hoped to have narrowed it down.

Sweetie Belle raised her right hand as she shut her eyes and took a deep breath bringing her hand to her chest. She slowly let it out as she lowered her hand and opened her eyes. She smiled, “Let's not get carried away.” she advised her friends, “We've got a whole lobby full of friends waiting to shower us with adoration and praise.” she said as she nodded her head over her left shoulder towards the audience. She then placed her right hand just over her heart and dipped her head with her eyes shut, “Try to be gracious.”

Scootaloo placed her hands together as if in prayer as she looked towards the heavens, “Modest.”

Apple Bloom lowered her upper eyelids as she lifted her left hand and bent her fingers to point downwards, “Classy.”

After the three had gotten out of their costumes and were in their normal clothes with shaded glasses often worn by actors they joined the audience that stayed for the post-show meet and greet. “Here we are, the stars of the show!” Sweetie Belle declared getting everyone’s attention.

“You may tell us how much you loved it now.” Apple Bloom added, trying to also bask in the attention that was due.

“Line forms here!” Scootaloo completed the trifecta as she pointed to a spot on the floor about a meter in front of the trio.

The first of the audience to come was Spike, Twilight’s dragon and familiar. The little guy had grown since the three’s ill fated attempt to look after him. ‘Cutie Mage Crusade: Dragon Slayers’ was not one of their best ideas, sadly it wasn’t even in the bottom fifty. “Wow, you guys were great!” Spike spoke in Draconic, his throat wasn’t quite large enough yet to also speak in Common, but Twilight has visited the school a few times and has hosted How to Understand Draconic seminars at the Golden Oak Library to help everyone understand what Spike said. “I think your sisters would have loved it!” The dragon added with a smile before he bit into a yellow gemstone he had. The three girls lowered their glasses in disbelief as they looked at one another as if they had the answer to a question. Seeing this Spike spoke up, “Yeah, with the time crunch on Rarity’s commission and her promise to help Sweetie Belle, Rarity needed help to get Sapphire Shores' wardrobe ready for morning.” Spike explained. “I was only able to catch the play because they finished your costume just in time.” Spike pointed out, making Sweetie Belle recall how close to curtain call it was before Rarity arrived. “and I drew the long straw to record the play.” he said as he reached into one of the pockets in the dog vest he wore. He showed a recording gem and replaced it. “They all are sorry.” Spike added, hoping that it would bond whatever wounds the girls had. The girls dipped their heads in defeat and all gave an unmistakably forlorn ‘Aww’. The dragon smiled, “Aw, cheer up, the show was great!” he declared, and brought soft smiles to the girls’ faces. “I'll get you some punch.'' The dragon then dashed over to the punch bowl.

The three turned to face each other and tried to smile. “At least everybody else who was able to stay loved it.” Sweetie Belle argued in an attempt to see the brighter side of things. She then saw a couple speaking. She walked over to them, “What did you all like best? The writing, the directing, or the acting?” She asked with wide eyes.

The two were startled slightly, “Oh my, I-” the woman started only to trail off slightly as she tried to answer the wanting child. “I loved the dresses.” she chose with a nervous smile.

Sweetie Belle started to dip her head, “I liked some of those lines you said.” the man said in an attempt to salvage the child’s psyche, or so he thought.

Sweetie Belle’s excitement shot right up as she stared into the man’s eyes. “Oh, really? Which ones?” she asked.

Realizing too late the mess he got himself in, the man had no choice but to level with Sweetie, “Uh, I don't really remember,” however he couldn’t get his mind off of the dresses, “but you were wearing a pink taffeta dress with lots of chiffon when you said them!” he said noting some of the work that went into the dress. “Whoo-ee, that outfit was a dazzler!” he declared, praising the dress.

The woman then rejoined the talk, “I liked that one almost as much as the one with the lacy trim and all the embroidered cuffs!” she commented on Apple Bloom’s dress.

“That was a nice one too!” the man commented.

Sweetie Belle's face soon rivaled Applejack’s own bemused expression as she looked between the adults. This didn’t last long before she growled childishly. She then walked into the center of the room, “Isn't there anybody here who remembers anything about the play besides the dresses?!” she shouted her rhetorical question. The crowd for the most part didn’t contradict her. Sweetie Belle then stormed out and headed home. She had some words to share with Rarity.

Inside Rarity’s boutique, in her main work room as Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie packed the backup dancers/singers costumes with Twilight verifying that everything was its proper box, Fluttershy was standing still as the living mannequin for the headpiece of Sapphire Shore’s costume as Rarity made the final touches. “Done.” Rarity sighed with relief as Fluttershy was finally able to take the headpiece off.

“All of this is one headpiece?” the druid asked as she handed it to Applejack to place in the final box with the rest of Sapphire Shore’s costume.

Before the paladin could place it in the box, Rarity took it. “Indeed.” she said, looked it over and smiled at her handiwork, “This marvelous extravagance is the crème de la crème of the entire wardrobe!” Her declaration was spot on, as it was the focus piece of the entire order. She then took a cautious breath before she turned it over and pointed to a rather unique stitch in the interior. “But alas, without this key hidden stitch, it's just a…” she trailed off as Applejack took the headpiece and placed it in the box. “I'm trying to think of a nicer way to say 'big bummer'.” she acknowledged her failure to articulate a softer synonym. Having come up with nothing she took a sigh of relief. “Now perhaps we can all at last take a moment to relax.” she declared. Before her friends could move, the door opened and was slammed closed with what felt like enough force to bring the boutique to the ground. Everyone turned to see an annoyed Sweetie Belle. The annoyance that Sweetie expressed was lost on only Rarity. “Whatever's the matter, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked as she walked over to Sweetie. “Didn't the play go all right?”

Sweetie scowled at her older sister, Rarity could not be this dense. “Not even close.”

Rarity brought her right hand to her face, “Oh, dear.” she declared as she became worried. “Was something amiss with the dresses I made you?” she asked.

Sweetie’s scowl only intensified. Rarity has to be doing this on purpose. “No, they were perfect, and that was the whole problem!” Sweetie was barely able to not shout at her sister.

It was clear that the two needed space, so Applejack began to mostly shove everyone else out of the room, “Well look at the time, we bette’ take that break.”

Once she was alone with Rarity, Sweetie let her have it. “How could you?!” she demanded her sister answer for her sin. “"Oh, what amazing dresses! Oh, how I love the dresses! Ooh, dresses, dresses, dresses, dresses!"” Sweetie mocked the praise given after the play and tried her hardest to not explode at Rarity. Sweetie knew was too old to throw a temper tantrum. She paused as she looked at Rarity waiting for the confession.

Rarity placed her right hand over her heart and gave a sigh, as if she was relieved. “Oh, so they did like them.” the… what did Diamond Tiara call her… oh… glorified tailor smiled before chuckling unaware of her transgression. “You had me worried, you silly girl.” She patted Sweetie Belle on the head like she was some pet.

Sweetie swatted the hand away. “There!” she all but shouted as she pointed her right index finger at Rarity casting righteous judgement. “I knew it!” she lowered her hand and threw them both up, “You did this on purpose! Stealing the spotlight like you always do! It's my fifth birthday party all over again!” she was barely able to hold her fury in. Rarity deserved it, but Sweetie was in the right and those in the right chose mercy when possible.

Rarity was taken aback as she squinted her eyes as she tried to follow her sister’s train of thought only to realize Sweetie was not only on a different track but going a different speed. “The…” she tried to form the right question to understand, “the what now?”

“Don't act like you don't remember.” However mercy had its limits and Rarity seemed only capable of pushing Sweetie past it, and if Rarity was going to make Sweetie choose judgement.... Well the seamstress could not only have her cake, but she could eat it too. “Or are you trying to prove you're a better actress than me too?!” The final charge, Sweetie didn’t want to place it, but Rarity couldn’t let the sleeping dog lie.

“Sweetie Belle,” Sweetie was not making any sense, her fifth birthday, stealing spotlights. Rarity tried, but she kept coming up with 5. However she could see one thing, Sweetie seemed upset at her. “if I did anything to upset you, then--” she started

Sweetie was not having any more of Rarity’s feigning ignorance, “Admit you made those dresses too good on purpose!” The heart of the matter was struck. Sweetie was done with Rarity’s game.

This threw Rarity off. She made the dresses as best she could, she wanted her sister’s play to succeed, and she could help with the costume. “I thought they were supposed to be good.” her voice was slightly above mouthing those words.

“Yes, good.” Sweetie admitted, granting a light reprieve before bringing down the hammer, “Not jaw-dropping amazing!”

“I only tried to do what I thought you wanted.” Rarity tried to plead her case.

“Ha!” Sweetie dismissed the plea with her mock laugh as she headed upstairs to her room and slammed the door so hard it sounded as though the building was shifted off its foundations. Inside her room, Sweetie attempted to vent out her ire. “Ugh, I don't believe it. After everything I put up with all week long!” She then started to imitate her sister’s speech, word choice and actions, “"Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's cherry! No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!"”Outside of Sweetie’s room, Rarity was getting ready to knock as she heard Sweetie shout, “For Pete's sake, it's all red!” although it was muffled by the wood of the door.

Rarity turned to Opal, who accompanied her human, “I should probably go talk to her, hm?” she asked. Opal shook her head. The cat seemed to actually read the room.

Just then Sweetie continued, her voice muffled by the door, “At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!".” the girl did her best to impersonate Sapphire Shores, it was horrifyingly good, Rarity had to admit.

Rarity cringed slightly as her sister’s critique found its mark and was driven all the way through. Made all the more powerful because right now Sweetie was mostly shooting in the dark, metaphorically, “Perhaps waiting would be best.” she said to the cat. Opal just looked at Rarity, as if to say, ‘Told yah. Now, I am going to bed.’ before the feline left Rarity. Rarity sighed and walked back to the stairs.

After Rarity returned downstairs, she saw that only Applejack had returned and had sealed all but the box for Sapphire Shores’ costume. “Ah told the girls tah head home,” the paladin informed. “Tomorrow’s Pinkie’s turn to get Sugercube Corner ready for the day. Fluttershy got to take Angel to the vet, darn lagomorph got in a tussle with a jackalope. Twi, God bless her heart, has to explain to the Town Consul why she keeps reorganizing the Golden Oak Library, and Rainbow’s gonna need some time to figure out how to explain to Scootaloo why she missed the play and not have it sound like you or Ah prepped her.” she explained. “So want to talk about it?” Applejack said as she leaned against one of the walls.

“Sweetie thinks I upstaged her with the dresses I fixed, she even said it was like her fifth birthday. What is she talking about?” Rarity asked. Applejack lowered her left eye lid and raised her right eyebrow. Rarity gave a slight laugh of guilt, “Sorry, forgot you weren’t there and she wasn’t friends with Apple Bloom then.” Rarity then cleared her throat.

“Did yah tell her why you givin’ out those party favors?” Applejack asked cutting Rarity off. This surprised Rarity, but then she recalled that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have been spending a lot of time together. So Sweetie might have told Apple Bloom that story and the Apples weren’t known to keep secrets from each other. Once the surprise faded, Rarity’s silence spoke volumes. Applejack huffed sorrowfully before she took a nasal breath and looked Rarity squarely, “Well no point in doin’ it now, yah ain’t that high on her ‘want to talk with’ list. But before yah leave with this,” she pointed to the boxed commission they all slaved over that day and night to finish, “tell her.” Applejack then started out. “Ah hope Granny and Big Mac enjoyed the play” she said more to herself as she too had a sister to explain her absence to and could use something to have taken the sting off.

After she had gone to bed and the night went on, Sweetie Belle tossed and turned in her bed unable to sleep. “Ughhh! Hgh, hgh, hgh! Nnngh!” she grunted pounding her pillow in frustration. She growled, “Now I can't even sleep!” she nearly shouted as she sat up in her bed. “Happy now, big sis?” she wasn’t really asking her sister, but Rarity was the target of her discomfort. She growled and got out of bed. She decided to get a glass of water, maybe she was thirsty. After consuming the beverage in the kitchen, and starting back to her room, “I wish there was a way I could take back all the work I did!” was her midnight prayer as she neared Rarity’s work room, it was unlocked and open. Sweetie could just imagine Rarity in her own bed, with a needlessly fancy eye-cover, and snoring. She snorted in dirigion over how her sister could sleep so peacefully. Sweetie then spotted the box with the head piece and saw that it was still unsealed. “Even better.” Sweetie then began to giggle sinisterly before she sabotaged the stitch at the back of the head piece. She then went back to bed and finally fell asleep. However this was broken by the muttering of people and the flashing of cameras. Sweetie growledm, “Now what?” she asked before she heard people cheering and saw that she was standing on a stage and was dressed in gown as if for an award.

“And the winner of "Best Writer, Director, and Actress" goes to…” a man listed off the words from forward of her on a stage listed off three awards. “Sweetie Belle!” he declared as the spotlight then showed on Sweetie and the crowd started to chatter and cheer for her as recording gems clicked images of her. Sweetie smiled and waved as she went to the end of the stage to give an acceptance speech. Before Sweetie could say a single word lightning cracked as everyone turned to see a storm cloud appeared that slowly in part took the form of Rarity. The people started to panic and flee with many screaming.

As the Rarity-cloud began to rain, “Don't go!” Sweetie pleaded with the crowd, but none heeded her. The only response she got was a evil laugh from the Rarity-cloud. “Stop! Why do you have to ruin everything?!'' She challenged the cloud of her sister. Rarity-cloud growled at this.

Yet before the Rarity-cloud could do anything, “Enough!” Echoed the roaring voice of Princess Luna. The Rarity-cloud whimpered before it was destroyed as Luna floated from the now revealed moon and landed on the stage next to Sweetie Belle.

“Princess Luna!” Sweetie greeted the night’s princess. “It's really you!” she declared before she paused in thought. “Or am I dreaming?” she asked. Luna only lowered both her eyebrows in slight bemusement. “Oh, yeah, you just rescued me from a maniacal laughing Rarity-cloud. So I am dreaming.”

Luna nodded before she spoke, “Older sister that often shines more brightly, We understand the feeling.”

Sweetie didn’t need Luna to expound on it more. The truth of who Nightmare Moon, The Maiden in the Moon were was public knowledge at this point, and thus the past relationship between Luna and Celestia. Luna then started to leave floating back into the moon.

“Wait, come back!” Sweetie pleaded as she started with a slow walk, and quickly picked up her pace as she traversed the stage. “Luna? Can you hear me? Thank you for what you did!” It was then that Sweetie saw that she was standing in the air. “Help, Luna! Luuuna!'' She cried as she fell from the sky down several series of stairs only to end up hitting the railing of the stairs of her old house, when she and Rarity lived with their parents, before their father’s business forced him to travel constantly. As she recovered she saw that she was looking at a gathering of small children between the ages of four and six, with a fifteen year old Rarity as the ‘adult’ in the room. The children were cheering. Sweetie then turned to her left and saw Luna there.

“This is where your mind brought us, Sweetie Belle, where and when are we?” the princess asked.

“This is my fifth birthday party!” Sweetie answered as the memory came. She then turned from the top of the stairs and looked into the room that she and Rarity shared then. There, a five year old Sweetie Belle was trying on one of Rarity's dresses, had put on some of Rarity’s lipstick and was wearing a pair of Rarity’s shoes. Rarity was the prettiest girl Sweetie knew then and always knew how to make an entrance. “I decided to make a grand entrance. I made myself all beautiful, just like my big sister.” Sweetie told Luna as they watched her younger self start her way out, tripping on the large high-heels once, but recovering. The two followed the five-year old Sweetie as she headed to the stairs, “Finally, I was perfect, and then went to the stairs to enter like the belle of the ball. When I finally came out of our room, I found the party going on without me.” Sweetie informed as they witnessed the child almost swarming Rarity, “And I kept posing at the top of the stairs, waiting to be noticed, but all I heard was…” she continued to narrate before she trailed off.

As she trailed off one of the girls invited said, “These party favors are the coolest!” before she blew into a party buzzer, almost right in Rarity’s face. “Awesome!” another child exclaimed, “Where did you get these?” the second child asked. Rarity gave a smile, “Made them myself.” she said. Sweetie didn’t seem to notice, but Rarity’s tone was of an attempt to keep control, she was after all only fifteen and she was the oldest person in the house and there was an army of four, five and six years. “And of course, you'll all want cake, won't you?” she asked, feigning that she was able to handle this, but was just barely able to keep herself together. The children cheered. “You're the greatest, Rarity!” another child shouted. “Who needs a birthday girl when you've got the birthday girl's amazing big sister?” a fourth child asked another.

The five year old Sweetie sniffled before running back to her bedroom to cry, this was the worst birthday ever. As the two observers bore witness, “That's when I learned 'never try to shine with my big sister around'.” Sweetie concluded. She didn’t shed tears, but she was still crying, years later.

Luna nodded, “An understandable conclusion to make,” Luna confessed, for she too felt like she could never shine with Celestia around. However she has learned one can shine in many ways and she also knew that younger sisters often assumed the worst of their older sisters when they only see so much. Presently, Sweetie only knew so much, she needed some perspective. “But perhaps you have jumped to it too soon?” She asked. “One more often than not, does not have the whole story.” She said before she knocked on the wall and the two were back downstairs on the day of Sweetie Belle’s fifth birthday party.

Before Sweetie could say anything, she saw a few of the children on the couch, some on the floor, all of them bored. “Where's Sweetie Belle?” one of the children asked. Rarity seemed calm to the children, but an adult would not be fooled, “I'm sure she'll be along any moment.” she said before she looked up the stairways pleadingly, trying to summon Sweetie Belle. Another child yawned, “I'm tired of waiting.” she said before she got up and started to leave, “I say we get out of here before we all keel over from boredom. Who's with me?” she asked. The children silently agreed with her and they all started out. “Poor Sweetie Belle. Nobody's gonna come to another one of her parties after this fiasco.” Rarity was looking around, desperate to find some way to keep the children there. “Don't go!” she begged. “You'll miss out on the, uh,” she continued to struggle until she spotted the box of party favors she had made, “party favors!” she declared as she levitated the box over and began to hand them out, her composure having returned. “I was going to save them 'til the end, but…” she trailed off. The events played out similarly to Sweetie’s memory until the younger Sweetie Belle left. “Oh, no-no-no.” Rarity countered. “All of these things were Sweetie Belle's idea. I just assisted with the execution.” Rarity gave her most convincing lie ever, all to save her sister’s face.

Sweetie couldn’t help but smile, “I guess Rarity wasn't trying to steal the spotlight.” she soon realized. “She was trying to save my party.” Now with the right perspective, Sweetie found something in her heart, actual forgiveness. She then turned looking to find Luna, failing to see her, “Luna? Luna!” She soon found herself falling into water and was swimming with a pod of dolphins as they squeaked.

Soon Sweetie saw that she was in Rarity’s work room. “Should I hem the cloaks now or wait until I'm there?” Rarity asked as she was looking over each of the items in each of the boxes. “I could hem them now,” Rarity thought aloud, “but I might have to redo them…” she trailed off. Sweetie was about to ask when this was, but she allowed this all to play out. Rarity continued to think, “But if I wait until I'm in Chantalot to hem them, Sapphire Shores might not get the best first impression…” Rarity continued to weigh her options. Sweetie continued to watch. “Ooh... Sapphire Shores is such a big star and such a stickler for details.” Rarity frit. “What if everything's not perfect enough?” she asked. Sweetie’s mouth hung agape as she saw the similarities between herself and Rarity. Rarity then slapped both her checks with the palm of her hands. “Oh, step up, Rarity, stop this foolishness.” She said and took a breath to collect herself. “You've done your best and left nothing to chance!” She said to herself and the resealed all but the box with Sapphire Shore’s own costume. “All that's needed now is a good night's rest.” she said as she turned off the lights and headed to bed.

Sweetie sighed, “I hope everything goes alright for her tomorrow.” she stated.

“Hm.” came the voice of Luna from behind Sweetie Belle. She then turned to her right to see Luna standing right next to her, “How curious you should say that.” That stuck Sweetie far harder than she ever expected. Soon she opened a door and gestured towards it. “Go.” she ordered Sweetie. “Go see what the future holds if you fail to rein in your worst instincts, as We once did.” cautiously Sweetie obeyed and soon found herself at the auditorium where Rarity was going to present the commission to Sapphire Shore.

After Sapphire and her crew had tried on everything, Rarity then reached into the last box. “And here it is! The crème de la crème--” she started.

“Noooo!” Sweetie screamed but could not move.

“The pièce de résistance…” Rarity started as she held out the headpiece.

“Don't!” Sweetie screamed as she continued her struggle, but was rooted in place. The headpiece then fell apart as Sweetie gasped to be followed by Sapphire’s backup dancers also gasping.

Rarity looked at the remains of the headpiece. “The headdress!” Rarity was mortified at the sight.

Sapphire turned away from the sight, “Looks like I made a mistake here.” the singer said and started to lead everyone away.

Rarity was still transfixed on her failed works. “But, but this is impossible! I, I, I checked and rechecked everything! This couldn't have happened!” She pleaded almost too loud, begging Sapphire to remain and to understand.

“You sure about that, honey?” Sapphire asked, her tone clearly mocking. Rarity was left speechless and could only stare blankly at the floor, all her work, in ruin. Sapphire’s backup dances started to laugh with Rarity soon weeping, burying her face into her hair.

“You made your point, Luna!” Sweetie cried and tried to break free of the hold of the dream as Sweetie saw Rarity’s business collapse, the boutique fall apart, and Rarity fall into destitution. “Wake me up, Princess Luna, wake me up, wake me uuuup!” Sweetie Belle pleaded and screamed, only to suddenly gasp awake in her bed. She panted before she rushed out of her room. She threw open the door of Rarity’s room. “Rarity?” she asked before she looked in, only to gasp as she saw that Rarity was gone. Sweetie then ran down stairs to Rarity’s workroom, “Oh no!” she shouted. “I'm too late! She left for Chantalot!” as her own sin came crashing down on her.

After getting herself together and getting her friends, Sweetie was on the first train to the capital she was able to catch. As the train traveled the Starfield Plans, “The key is for you two to distract Rarity long enough for me to put the stitch back in without her noticing.” Sweetie surmised her plan.

“If we're not too late already.” Scootaloo pointed out the glaring hole in Sweetie’s plan.

Apple Bloom was looking out the window, her mind elsewhere as she was focused on the idea of seeing Sapphire Shore, “Oh, my gosh! I can't believe we're goin' to see Sapphire Shores! I'm such a huge fan! I know all her songs!” she declared.

Scootaloo nodded with closed eyes, “Like, 'Get Your-” she started to name one of Sapphire’s songs.

“This isn't a trip to see Sapphire Shores!” Sweetie Belle cut her friend off before she could finish, as if she alone truly appreciated the gravity of the situation. “It's a trip to save my sister from a horrible future!” she tried yet again to make that fact clear to the two.

“'Serves Her Right'!” Scootaloo seemed to ignore Sweetie Belle’s point. As soon as Sweetie Belle gasped in horror, the severity of Scootaloo’s less than stellar time management dawned on her. “It’s another of Sapphire Shores' songs!” she tried to explain.

Sweetie’s face betrayed her confusion. “You seriously didn't know that?” Apple Bloom was not able to understand how Sweetie wouldn’t know any of Sapphire’s songs. “Don't you listen to her music?” she asked.

Sweetie gave a weak smile and trailed before she answered Apple Bloom’s question, “...I prefer show tunes.” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom could only give an ‘Ugh.’ in frustration.

Inside an auditorium in Chantalot, on a stage, Sapphire Shores and half a dozen backup dancers were all in their workout attire and were practicing the choreography for one of her numbers for the show. “Five, six, seven eight, ba-bam!” Sapphire directed, finishing the routine with a shack of the hips and a stomp of the left foot with it in front. And the lights turned off and then back on.

Rarity applauded from the audience seats, “Oh, bravo! Fabulous! Magnifique!” she declared.

“You’re too generous with your praise, Rares.” Sapphire said as the dancers took a moment to take a short water break. The singer then turned back to the backup. “Alright, one more time, from the top.” she declared. “And this time please, let's not embarrass me in front of my favorite designer this time?” she ordered, as she winked to Rarity, before she bobbed her head to recall the beat of the song this routine went with, “And a-one, two, three, four!” she declared as they started.

Outside, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were denied entry by an Earthborn security guard. Given his size, he was likely a former ESM. “But you have to let us in!” Sweetie pleaded. “I'm Sapphire Shores' designer's sister! You have to believe us!”

The guard was a professional and thus was unmoved, “Sorry, but my job is to make sure Sapphire Shores doesn't get interrupted all day.” he said as he looked down at them. “Especially by fans like you, trying to sneak a peak or get within two meters of her.”

“But I'm not a fan!” Sweetie tried to protest, in desperate hope that it would let them in.

Said hope was murdered in less than a second when Apple Blood said “I am!”

Which was then buried two meters deep the following second when Scootaloo said “Me too!”

Sweetie Belle looked at her friends and lowered her upper eyelids, “Not helping.”

Back inside, the backup dancers were all on the floor panting. “Now, that's how I like it!” Sapphire declared and applauded them, “You rocked it, girls! Get some water and be back in ten.” she ordered before she shifted her full focus to Rarity. “Rar-i-ty, come on up here and show me what you brought me. Sapphire wants to see it and to love it!

Yet again outside, the CMC managed to get to the back of the building and make a slight human pyramid for Scootaloo to fly to a window on the second floor and let Sweetie and Apple Bloom in. However, as Scootaloo tried to hover, “Almost…” she strained as her wings beat as hard and as fast as they could, but gave out. They all crashed into the ground with Scootaloo giving an “Oof!”

After getting out of the pile of the CMC, “We've gotta get in there, now!” Sweetie panicked. She started to look around. She spotted the next closest building was a multi floor restaurant and it had a banner that was also connected to the auditorium they were trying to get in. She then looked at Apple Bloom’s bow, that thing had been through effectively seven layers of Hell and it was still flawless. Sweetie couldn’t help but grin as her plan came together.

Back inside, Sapphire’s back up dancers were dressed in the costumes Rarity made, a full body blue suit with golden false skirts and head pieces, a less risqué take on the costumes often seen on certain carnival floats. Sapphire nodded in approval, “Okay then. Liking what I see so far.” she admitted as she also looked at herself in the mirror. Her’s was mostly white but adorned with sapphires and gave the hint of belonging along the coast. However she couldn’t help but notice that she lacked her own headpiece. “So is this the whole shebang?”

Rarity smiled as she went to the last box, “Actually, I saved the best for last!” she said as she closed her eyes, “And here it is!” she started to open the box, but stopped as the window to her left shattered as Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came crashing in.

Before Rarity could even register what just happened, Sweetie Belle pulled a cherry red ribbon from one of her dress pockets and stole the box, with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo following her as if nothing happened. “You gotta see this with the cinnamon ribbon! You'll love it!” Sweetie shouted before she was gone.

“Sweetie Belle?!” Rarity shouted, still very much confused. However she was able to collect herself faster than anyone else in the room. “Just a moment! My sister has a flair for the dramatics.” she said and ran after the three. Sapphire looked to her backup dancers and they just shrugged their shoulders. This was Sapphire’s idea, she was the boss, she would get the credit, but she was also due the blame.

Sweetie’s friends managed to throw Rarity off as the younger Magicborn was able to find a door and a room to work in. She gave a huff of relief. “Busy morning?” Sweetie looked up to see Princess Luna. “You’re very much in the waking world. We just figured you could a little more assistance, but the kind We can offer when awake.”

Sweetie sighed as she fell to her knees, “...I wish none of this ever happened…” she was on the verge of tears. She looked to the Princess of the Dreamscape, “What am I gonna do?” pleading for guidance. Luna opened one of hands, in it was a spindle of thread and a needle. Sweetie looked at the offering as soon it clicked, “I can even improve it!'' She cheered and took the needle and thread and started to remake the stitch she pulled out, with a new take. Luna couldn’t help but beam.

After Sweetie finished and was about to place it back into the box, when the door opened with a kick. Rarity had Apple Bloom’s right ear in her left hand and Scootaloo’s left ear in the right hand. Rarity took as deep and calming a breath as she could. “I would like to know what in the wide, wide realm of Mystica this stunt of yours is all about, and I want to know now!” she ordered as she tried to maintain some composer, however she was closer to her wits ends than not. “Do you have any idea how important this job is to me?” she asked electing to get to the point.

“Actually, I do.” Sweetie answered as she took a step from the box. This disarmed Rarity, causing her to release her hold on the other CMC present. Sweetie dipped her head in shame, “I was upset at you for stealing the spotlight from me at the play, so I pulled out the center stitch to the headpiece so it would fall apart.” she confessed. Seeing Rarity agape, Sweetie got ahead of her sister’s question, “But then I realized I didn't want your future to be ruined forever and ever, so I came back to change it before it was too late!” she said as she opened the box. “So... “ she reached in and pulled out the modified headpiece, “here it is. It's all fixed. Please forgive me.” Rarity’s rage was gone, but she only expressed bewilderment. “Trust me. Sapphire Shores is gonna love it.” Sweetie smiled. Rarity sighed and placed the headpiece back in the box. She didn’t want to, Sweetie could tell, but Rarity was going to go out on that limb.

After getting back to the stage, as the building’s maintenance staff cleaned up and fixed the window, Sapphire was scowling at the sheepish sisters. “Rarity, this isn't going to work out.” Sapphire’s tone was professional, level and rational. “You don't get to my level of success without learning to read the signs, and this situation has bad luck written all over it.'' She expressed her reasons for ending her contract with Rarity.

“I understand completely,” Rarity nodded, she was a business woman too, and deals fell through all the time. “But before any decisions are made, please try the headdress.” she asked. Sapphire nodded and accepted it. “I know it’s not the big blue eye for the forehead you ordered.” Rarity admitted.

“But take a real close look at the stitching.” Sweetie said as she held up a mirror.

Sapphire covered her mouth, but her beaming smile was unmistakable as she saw the outline of a swimming dolphin instead of the blue eye. “You are amazing Rarity,”

“Actually, it was Sweetie Belle’s idea.” Rarity confessed as she smiled at her sister.

Sapphire nodded, “I don’t know how you knew, Sweetie Belle, but you discovered my lucky animal. They always swim with me in my dreams before any of my successes.” She then hugged the two. “Well looks like we’re going to be renewing the contract.” Sapphire then turned to her dancers, “Alright girls, let’s get back to work.”

As Sapphire and her backup dancers started to do the routine in the costume, Rarity turned to Sweetie Belle. As if she sensed the question, “It just came to me in a dream.” She informed her sister. Sweetie then took an apologetic sigh, “I'm sorry I got jealous about those dresses. I know now that you were only trying to help.”

“It’s alright Sweetie, you tried to move Heaven and Earth to rectify your actions.” Rarity forgave Sweetie, “There is something I need to tell you about your fifth birthday-”

“You were just trying to save my party, thank you.” Sweetie once again got ahead of her sister.

Rarity smiled, “But I did miss your play. Is there a chance AJ, Dashie and I could catch an encore?” she asked.

Sweetie shook her head, “I don’t think the play went all that well. To be honest, I have to admit the costumes were the best part.” Sweetie acknowledged. Rarity only hugged her sister before Sweetie returned it. “Well, Spike did record it, will that be enough?”

“Certainly.” Rarity answered as the two remained in their embrace.

The following night, in The Golden Oak Library, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Twilight and Pinkie watched the recording of Sweetie Belle's play Spike made. After watching it, “Sweetie Belle really has an act for words.” Rarity said as she dapped the corners of her eyes. “It was as if she wanted to sing so many of her lines. I could feel the passion.”

“Scoots’ got some acting chops.” Rainbow added, “She was so fluid in her movements, it was like she was the Baroness.”

Everyone turned to Applejack, the paladin was left in tears and her voice stuck in her throat. It didn’t take her friends much to conclude why Applejack didn’t say anything. They were words for Apples alone. But her smile betrayed the joy she felt.

Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy could only look at each other befuddled, How could they see anything beyond the dresses? the three asked each other in their minds.

Bloom And Gloom

View Online

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were gathered in their club house. “Hear ye, hear ye! This meeting of the Cutie Mage Crusaders is now in session!” Apple Bloom announced from the small podium in the club house. “Who wants to do roll-call?” she asked Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. There was a solid fifteen seconds of silence between the young farmer’s friends as they looked at each other before they turned back to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom gave a weak laugh before she cleared her throat. “Ah got this letter from Babs Seed.” Apple Bloom then showed the letter she received from her cousin from Manahatten. “She writes sayin' she's got her aura mark!” she declared before she actually let go of the letter for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to take and read.

“What?!” the two asked in utter disbelief before they each could actually look at that letter.

“She says it's a pair of scissors!” Apple Bloom added while her friends read the letter barely able to contain her excitement.

Sweetie and Scoots were still at lost about all they have learned, “So... she's good at cutting stuff?” Scootaloo tried to come up with an explanation.

“Of course!” Sweetie Belle all but gasped in joy, “She was always fussing with her bangs!” as if she was the one with the epiphany. “I'll bet she grows up to be a celebrity stylist!” Sweetie could not contain her excitement for Babs and her possible career ahead of her.

While Apple Bloom was deep down happy for her cousin, her mind began to wonder, “But if she spends all her time cuttin' hair, who's gonna run the Manahattan CMCs?” she asked a load as things started to come to light.

Scootaloo looked the ceiling as she held her chin, “Well, not Babs.” she answered, failing to see that Apple Bloom’s question was not one to be answered. “She can't be a Cutie Mage Crusader if she's already got her aura mark.” she continued not noticing Apple Bloom face go slightly pale.

Apple Bloom lowered herself, looking at the floor. “I guess you're right.” she mused.

Sweetie also failed to see her friend’s concern as she spoke up, “I'm glad she's happy, but I sure wouldn't want to be up to my neck in hair all day.” the Magicborn confessed her own dislike. “Can you imagine getting stuck with an aura mark you didn't like?” Scootaloo looked off trying to ponder the point, like how Rainbow Dash would struggle with a serious math problem. Sweetie sighed softly before she turned to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom shook her head and Sweetie noticed the forming of tears in the corner of her eyes. Sweetie smiled as she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Don't worry, Apple Bloom.” she tried to assure the apple farmer, “Most of your family has apple-related aura marks. I bet yours will be, too. And what's not to like about apples?” she asked rhetorically to help her friend through this funk.

“There's the core, and sour apples, and rotten apples, and apples with worms in them—” Scootaloo started to list off only to stop as she saw Sweetie give a bemused frown that was in the running against Applejack’s. “What?” she asked Sweetie still failing to understand the situation.

Sweetie point to Apple Bloom who was now in the fetal position, shacking as if she lost most of her body heat. “Not helping.” Sweetie stated.

The night had come and Apple Bloom and Applejack were in the former’s bedroom as the younger farmer was getting ready for bed. Well Applejack was getting Apple Bloom, the younger Earthborn had gone from one panic to another since she returned home and finally seemed to calm down. “I guess I just spent so much time worryin' about how to get an aura mark, I never even thought about what would happen after.” Apple Bloom admitted before she got into bed. “There's just so many things I never considered.” she almost bit down on her hand in an almost vain attempt to compose herself.

Applejack kept a smile as she pulled the sheets aside for her sister. “I'm sure there are, but you don't need to—” however she was cut off.

“What if I finally get my aura mark and I don't like it?” Apple Bloom asked her sister, “What if I get my aura mark and nobody likes me?” she didn’t allow Applejack a chance to answer.

Applejack opened her mouth and started to answer, “Well, that's just ridicu—” the paladin tried but was again denied the option to take Apple Bloom’s fear and throw them in rubbish heap where they belonged.

“What if the Crusaders drift apart?” she asked. Before Applejack could get a word in edgewise, “I mean, we won't really be the Cutie Mage Crusaders anymore!” she declared before she gasped in terror and grapped Applejack’s arms, “What if it's not an apple?! Will I have to move out?! Where will I live?!” the younger farmgirl shook her sister as her fear reached the point of critical mass.

There were two ways to resolve this, the paladin knew once she had recovered from her sister shaking her. A smack across the face would sober the girl up and get her to stop panicking long enough to hear Applejack’s answer. However Applejack needed Apple Bloom to not just hear the words spoken, but to actually listen to her. She hummed softly and she rubbed Apple Bloom's head as she sat down on the bed and looked Apple Bloom in the eye, “All right, that's enough, Sugarcube.” she stated with a maternal authority, strong enough to be gentle. “Those are way too many questions to answer all in one night.” she added as she started to pod Apple Bloom to lay down. Before the girl could protest, Applejack covered her sister’s mouth. “And nobody's gonna make ya move out.” Apple Bloom looked up to her sister pleadingly, hoping it was true. Applejack shook her head and kissed Apple Bloom on the forehead. “Yah can bet yahr bottom bit on it. Now get some sleep.” she ordered as she tucked Apple Bloom in. “Yah'll see. Everything will be better in the mornin'.” Applejack then started to hum slightly, it was soft and comforting, for Applejack was channeling their late mother, Buttercup, and started to sing, “Hush now, little sister
You're loved by all you know
You'll never lose their friendship
No matter where you go
There ain't no call to worry
So don't you cry or fret
An aura mark won't change you
No matter what you get.” As she sang, Apple Bloom started to drift towards sleep, all the while Applejack backed towards the door and as she finished and turned off the lights of the room and softly shut the door.

Apple Bloom yawned, “No matter what I get.” she sang softly to herself as she shut her eyes and yielded to sleep. Before Apple Bloom knew it, one of the roosters started to crow, waking the young farmgirl up. Apple Bloom stretched with a “Hoo-ee!” she declared feeling rested. “AJ was right, nothin' like a good night's sleep!'' She agreed with her sister before she started to get dressed. “Breakfast!” came Applejack’s voice, muffled by the rest of the house. Apple Bloom finished dressing and bolted down the stairs. After jumping to skip the last three steps, Apple Bloom stood in the doorway into the kitchen and dining room. “You were right, AJ! I feel much better!” Apple Bloom said as she ran over to her sister at the stove making pancakes, bacon and eggs and hugged her, “I don't know what I was so worried about last night!” She then started to the table to join Granny Smith and Big Mac, as they waited for the meal.

Applejack smiled as she placed the meal on to four plates, making sure it was what each needed until the next meal. “See, now what did I tell you?” She asked. As she walked to the table and placed everyone’s meal in front of them, “A good night's sleep'll fix just about an—” she trial off as she saw something on Apple Bloom’s back before she sat down. “Well, no wonder you were so worked up!” Applejack said as she moved Apple Bloom’s chair back, silently telling her to get up. Applejack then rushed to get something. Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny were all confused until AJ returned and gave Apple Bloom a mirror as she angled another so the if Apple Bloom looked into the one she had she could see what was on her back. “Looks like somebody got her aura mark!” Applejack declared.

Apple Bloom gasped as she saw the image, it was a canister with pump and spray with an apple in a bubble. “I can't believe it!” she could barely control her excitement, “I got my aura mark!” she shouted as she hugged Applejack. “I got my aura mark!” she shouted, shaking the house as she ran and hugged each of her family. “I got my aura mark!” Apple Bloom stopped and was about to head out the door. “Wait 'til I tell the others that my aura mark is a... a... “ she trailed off as the mark had moved to hover in front of her and stopped as she tried to understand what it was. “What is it?” she ended up asking. AJ, Big Mac and Granny Smith all looked at each other before they shrugged their shoulders, showing that they too didn’t know what it meant.

Just then the front door opened and a man dressed in a gas mask and a strange pump-like contraption with what looked like an empty glass storage tank on his back. “I know what it means!'' The man’s voice was muffled by the mask before he took a deep breath before he finally removed it, revealing that while he had more spring in his step than Granny Smith, he also had a decade of life on her. “It means I can retire!” he didn’t quite explain before he laughed. It was then that Apple Bloom saw that he had the same mark, minus the apple.

About two hours later, the man and Apple Bloom were walking in the grounds and farmland of Sweet Apple Temple. “Infestations?” she asked, as she seemed to sum up all the man said. “You mean like parasprites?” she asked.

The man snorted, “An infant with a trombone can get rid of those cotton balls.” he said dismissively. He then shook his head. “I'm talking about the serious stuff!” he said as he looked around the temple grounds before he leaned down to look Apple Bloom in the eyes, “You ever hear of... twittermites?” he asked. Just before Apple Bloom heard the sound of lightning crack.

“Twittermites?” the farm girl asked in slight bewilderment. She knew the name from somewhere or she thought she did, but could connect it with anything.

The man stood erect again as he looked around before he showed the canister that was on his back and revealed that it wasn’t empty, but almost full to the brim with extremely large flying mites that all gave off electrical charges. “Loimómancers like you and me are the only things keeping these live wires from destroying half of Mystica!”

“Loimómancers?” Apple Bloom asked, as she tried to follow along, not familiar with the term.

The old loimómancer continued, “It's no easy trade!” He didn't deny the difficulty of the occupation. He looked at his old hands, covered with calluses, burns, bruises, etc. “Even the best of us yearns for the day they can move on to greener pastures.” he confessed his needed relief. “Oh, now that you're here to take over, my day has finally come!” His joy was not hidden, but it was not glee at Apple Bloom picking things up where he left, but finally being able to put down his burden.

“Take over?” Once again Apple Bloom questioned the old man.

The old loimómancer squinted his eyes at Apple Bloom, unsure why she was having such a hard time getting these simple but important details. “You're gonna need to stop repeating what I say and pay attention if you want to learn anything.” He critiqued the new loimómancer. Apple Bloom gave an apologetic smile. The old man smiled, accepting, “Don’t worry about it, this is rarely what one was expectin' for an aura mark.” His understanding was very assuring. “Also,” he helped Apple Bloom put on the same gear he had to collect twittermites, “with an aura mark like that I'm sure you've got the touch.” he declared. Apple Bloom opened her mouth to ask what he meant, mainly by repeating the last two words he said. However she stopped herself. This was not a battle to fight. The man then held out the full canister, “Now comes your real lesson” he informed Apple Bloom as he started to twist the top off. “You're gonna need to be quick.” he stopped with the lip still on, but would soon be off, “Once these things get out, it can get pretty shocking.” he said as he took off the top before the mites exited the canister and started buzzing while remaining in a condensed swarm.

As Apple Bloom tried to follow what the old man just said, she failed to notice how the twittermites seemed to be forming a cloud just over her shoulder, “Wait, what do you mean?” she asked before she was zapped by the discharge of electricity from the pest. “Ow!” she shouted and rubbed her shoulder as she recovered from the shock.

The older loimómancer shook his head, “That” he answered, he then pointed to the swarm as it broke into smaller clusters and started to drift from each other in a slowly but clearly growing circle. “And the further apart they spread, the more powerful these jolts will get!” he informed.

Apple Bloom looked around her, watching the swarm grow farther and farther apart. “What do I do?!” a slight panic in her question.

“Call 'em and suck them in, of course.” the old man answered as he was walking backwards, exiting the area of effect of the twittermites’ shock. Once there he reached into his cart and pulled out a device that replayed recorded music. “Remember…” He trial off as he started it. And along with the first line sang, “You got the touch…” (Stan Bush’s The Touch plays)

Apple Bloom took the nozzle and pointed it out, “Twittermites!” she called before she whistle. However this only encouraged the nearest group to her to try to zap her. She yelped as she dodged it just in the nick of time. She wanted to growl but instead took a deep breath and shut her eyes for a second. She then opened them as a grin formed on her lips. She then called out “Twittermites!” And then opened the nozzle vacuuming the nearest cluster. She continued to do this vacuuming one cluster after another dodging their attempts to zap her with easy. As the song neared it end, “Bugbugbugbugbugbugbug!” she repeat as there was only one twittermite left. It looked around and was about to fly away before Apple Bloom opened the nozzle and it was vacuumed in, rejoining its swarm. Apple Bloom then spun the nozzle around and slid it into its holster in the contraption on her back just as the song finished. She couldn’t help but beam.

However before she say anything, “Well, looks like you're all set.” can the voice of her short-timed mentor. He had left everything in the cart, save for a set of shades and was walking away. “Drop me a note sometime at the Piney Shade Retirement Community.” He said as he continued to walk away.

Apple Bloom looked at the man, the cart he just left and her new equipment, “Now, hold on!” she called out as she struggled to take her ear off. “I'm sure this job is really important, but…” she trailed off as she finally got it off, “I don't think I wanna call bugs for the rest of my life.” she said once freed. However it was only then that she saw that the man was gone. “Hey, where'd he go?” she asked, hoping for someone to answer.

“Well, well, well!” came the familiar voice of Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom turned to see walking towards her, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Diamond did a quick look around the scene and smirked, “Look at the new bug-mage!” she announced mockingly.

Apple Bloom wanted to clench her fists and knock every tooth out of Diamond’s mouth… and more. But she shut her eyes and raised her head, having her nose up at Diamond. A suggestion made by Rarity when dealing with DT and SS. “It's loimómancer,” she said in her best attempt of a properly educated voice, as if she was above all this but Diamond lacked the knowledge to identify certain things and it fell on her to educate the philistine.

Diamond and Silver looked at each other and snorted. Sweetie Belle had at best a 50% chance to pull that off, and Apple Bloom was no Sweetie Belle, which Apple Bloom learned when Silver Spoon picked up the full canister of twittermites and declared, “Whatever!” she then throw it into the air, “It’s still ew!” Apple Bloom barely caught it before it hit the ground.

“I might've known you'd end up with the worst aura mark ever!” Diamond declared. Apple Bloom gritted her teeth trying to not lash out and do something that she would regret when talking to her family. Diamond and Silver both had a short laugh at her aura mark, her clear anger and her inability to do anything (or so they saw).Once they were done, Silver Spoon spoke as she patted Apple Bloom on the shoulder, like Sweetie or Scootaloo would when they saw Apple Bloom was down, “Look on the bright side,” the secondary bully started, “Whenever you need a friend, you can just go out and catch one!” she declared just as Diamond placed her left hand to the side of her mouth and called out, “Heeere, friendfriendfriendfriendfrieeend!” in the same rapid pace Apple Bloom had earlier called ‘bug’ to the last twittermite she caught. “Here, bug! Here, bug!” Silver added as she left Apple Bloom and walked over to a lone flower with a lady bug on it. “Will you be my friend, bug?” she asked. “Because nobody else will!” The two then renewed their laughter.

Apple Bloom looked at her mark, the canister and the two, “GET HUSHED!” she cursed as she threw the canister and ran away not looking were she was going. And while Diamond and Silver continued to laugh, they all failed to see the crack in the vessel holding the mites and even more so failed to see it grow.

Apple Bloom found herself in the Everfree Forest. She stopped running and sighed to herself, “I hate to think that Diamond Tiara is right,” she said before she looked that aura mark, still hovering over her chest, waiting for something of hers to have it embroidered, “but…” she trailed off as she was trying to find the words. “this aura mark sure isn't what I was hoping for.” she confessed. “Why should you have to keep it, then?” came a voice from the shadows. It sounded familiar but the farmgirl couldn’t place it. Also the voice’s sudden ‘appearance’ threw her off. “Who's there?! What do you mean?!” she demanded to know. “If your aura mark bothers you so much, get rid of it!” the voice replied. Apple Bloom scowled as she tried to find the source, “Well, if you know how to wave a hand and erase a terrible aura mark, you go right ahead!” it wasn’t an order, no one has the power to just erase an Aura Mark. The voice spoke softly, like a servant to a master when given an order that took no effort to complete, “As easily said as done.” The wind then blew and Apple Bloom shut her eyes until it passed. Once it did she say that the aura mark she woke to was gone, as if it was never there. “Huh. Now that is some serious magic.” After she turned herself around, Apple Bloom skipped home with her eyes closed, however along the way she was knocked to the ground and was barely able to roll out of the way as people ran past her. “Hey!” she shouted at those that almost trampled her. However as more and more people ran past her, “Where's everybody goin'?!” she asked. However, no one answered. Apple Bloom then, staying out of the mob’s way, managed to get into town as people were grabbing the essentials (family photos, infant’s favorite toy, etc.). She then saw the mayor and her staff getting copies of the town archives loaded on a cart and were itching to get going. “Mayor! What's goin' on?!” Apple Bloom asked.

The mayor turned to Apple Bloom, “Apple Bloom, you've got to get your family out of town! NOW!” she ordered as she helped load the last of the town records.

Apple Bloom then heard a burst of electricity to her right. There over one of the houses, the twittermites were swarming, buzzing and charging for their next strike. Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped for half a second. However the young loimómancer pulled herself together and rushed over to the old man’s cart and suited up to start collecting twittermites. “Twittermites!” she called as she neared a group only for it to float away. “Here, bugbugbugbugbugbug!” she called as she ran after them only to get zapped. She tried again and was zapped for her troubles. After a total of a baker’s dozen times, Apple Bloom was on the ground, it was charred and so were her clothes. “Come on, here!” she shouted as a small swarm of the mites flew off.

“Apple Bloom!'' came Applejack’s voice as the paladin, Big Mac and Granny Smith ran up to the youngest Apple. “What in tarnation are you doin'?!” AJ asked as Big Mac helped Apple Bloom to her feet. “And where's your aura mark?” the paladin questioned as she looked for it.

Apple Bloom dipped her head ashamed of herself as she realized that she failed, “It vanished.” Apple Bloom lied, “But I still gotta try to stop the infestation!” she declared as she tried to get past her family.

“Are you crazy?!” Applejack asked as she grabbed Apple Bloom in a huglike hold, “Even if you had it now, we’d need an experienced loimómancer, with decades on the job to handle this.” Applejack then picked her sister up and started to run, “Now we gotta skedaddle!”.

Apple Bloom knew it would hurt, but she had to do something. With one well placed knee into AJ’s ribs, the paladin had to go to her knees. “But I've gotta do somethin'!” Apple Bloom shouted as she ran towards their farm and temple. Apple Bloom could hear Applejack trying to yell to stop her, but she wouldn’t be stopped. Being a loimómancer might not be glamorous, but it was a needed job and she had the touch. Or rather she used to. Once she got to ten meters of the temple grounds she saw the twittermites swarm so large and spread out that it was almost over the whole sky. Then came the bolt. The discharge was so great that it destroyed the temple proper, the farmhouse where they lived and the barn.

Apple Bloom’s jaw hung open as she dropped to her knees, just then she saw a small cloud of the twittermites near her. Too late she tried to move and was shocked.

“Aaaaaaahhh!” Apple Bloom screamed only to find herself awake just as a rooster crowed. She looked around and saw that she was back in her bed. “Whoo-ee.” she said as she wiped her forehead in relief, “That's what I call a nightmare.” she said before she went over to her dresser to start getting ready for the day, “It seemed so real.” she mused.

“Breakfast!” came Applejack’s voice muffled from downstairs.

Apple Bloom dashed to get dressed and then bounded down the stairs “Applejack!” Apple Bloom called out as she landed and headed to the kitchen, “You are not gonna believe the dream I just had!” she continued before she entered the kitchen/dining room. She took a breath, “I guess I needed more sleep than I thought!” she said as she stepped in.

Applejack turned from the stove to address her sister, “See, now what did Ah tell yah?” Applejack much like how she asked Apple Bloom in her dream. Before Apple Bloom could respond to what her sister said, which didn’t seem to fit as a response to what Apple Bloom just said. “A good night's sleep'll fix just about—” she then gasped in shock. She tried to covered the smile on her mouth. “Well, no wonder you were so worked up!” she declared. Before Apple Bloom could ask. “Looks like somebody got her aura mark!” the paladin announced.

Apple Bloom was about to question before she looked down and saw hovering in front of her chest a potion vial with an apple in the bubble like bottom. She couldn’t help but beam. “Potion making!” she declared coming to the conclusion of what her talent was. “Now that's more like it!” she shouted as she jumped into the air and thrusted her right fist into the air. Applejack, Big Mac and Granny Smith were confused at what Apple Bloom just said. Before they could ask, Apple Bloom had quickly brewed an answer, “Zecora's lessons finally paid off!” Apple Bloom gave.

Applejack walked up and patted her sister on the shoulder, “Ah expect yah want to run off to tell your friends all about your new aura mark.” Applejack said and turned back to the table. “But before you go, don’t forget your breakfast and make sure you do all your…” Applejack only then saw that the youngest Apple was gone. She trailed off as she realized that Apple Bloom was gone. “Chores...?” she continued in a question, only for Big Mac and Granny to snicker at Applejack’s confusion.

At the CMC clubhouse, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were playing horseshoes. Sweetie had just missed… barely. Scootaloo was aiming and just before she threw, Apple Bloom opened the door with a “Whooo!”

Scootaloo dropped the shoe as she and Sweetie turned to see Apple Bloom leaning against the wall, coyly covering her chest. “Why all the excitement?” Scootaloo asked, a little perplexed at her friend’s action. “Yeah, what's going on?” Sweetie asked as well, both seeming to feel some form of excitement from the farmer.

“Oh, nothin'...” Apple Bloom replied coyly before she removed her arms. “except this brand new aura mark!” she answered showing the aura mark she woke up to.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stepped closer in awe at what they saw. “That's amazing!” Scootaloo praised her friend. “Wow!” Sweetie added, unable to get over her amazement.

“I know!” Apple Bloom all but shouted in her cheer about this.

Scootaloo then slapped Apple Bloom on her back in cheer, “That's so cool!”

Apple Bloom, as much as she wanted to feel good, she couldn’t help but feel some sort of guilt because her friends might not have their own, “I don't suppose either of you got yours?” she asked not sure if this guilt was placed.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle first looked down to the floor, “Nope.” Scootaloo said first as she turned away. Sweetie Belle rubbed her left upper arm with her right hand. “Me neither…” she trailed off.

Apple Bloom dipped her head in sorrow, “I know it's silly,” she said as she rubbed the back of her head with her right hand. “but I'd always hoped we'd get our aura marks together.” She voiced her dream. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both nodded. They clearly wanted to be happy for Apple Bloom, but… Apple Bloom then had an idea, “I know!” she declared before she went to the podium in the clubhouse, picked up the gable and knocked it thrice. “Let's call this meeting to order!” she proclaimed. “I'm sure the three of us can figure out how to get two more aura marks.” The idea was simple. She had hers now, and with it possibly some perspective to help her friends find theirs. However Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked from Apple Bloom to each other, then to the floor and cycled through twice more. “Well what?” Apple Bloom asked as she realized her friends weren’t sure what to say or maybe how to say it. Then she saw the letter Babs wrote her on the floor and Scootaloo’s statement about Babs no longer being a CMC. “Oh, yeah…” she trailed off. ‘Just like Babs Seed’ she thought. After a second she stepped down and walked towards one of the corners, “Well, I could just sit quietly in the corner 'til you two figure out what you're gonna do…” she trailed off as her friend’s nervousness started to overwhelm her.

“Well, technically the clubhouse is for Crusaders only.” Sweetie argued as she and Scootaloo walked towards the door.

“Oh. Right. I guess I should just come back later, then...?” she asked as she stepped down from the podium and started out of the clubhouse.

Just as Apple Bloom was about to step over the threshold of the clubhouse, “Why?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I mean, you can't come in then either.” she added to her arguement. Before Apple Bloom could counter, not that she was able to form a counter arguement, “Rules are rules.” Sweetie declared. As Apple Bloom’s heart broke as she stepped back wards, “I don't even think we're still supposed to be friends.” Scootaloo said before the door was slammed in Apple Bloom’s face.

“What?!” Apple Bloom asked in confusion of being kicked out as it dawned on her that it was her clubhouse on her family’s property before she found herself in the Everfree Forest like when she ran away from Diamond and Silver’s bullying. “Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Come on, girls, this isn't funny!” She called out to her friends as she looked around for them, at a loss of what was going on. “More trouble with aura marks?” came the voice she heard before. Apple Bloom still couldn’t place the voice but she didn’t care. “No!” she tried to counter. However her resolve failed swiftly, “I mean, w— yeah, I mean…” she trailed off as she admitted that the voice was right, “Well, I got mine, but my friends didn't get theirs, and now there's all kinds of trouble!” she said to the voice, admitting her problem. The voice hummed for a second, “Sounds to me like aura marks and trouble are two peas in the same pod.” the voice surmised. Apple Bloom couldn’t disagree. “I guess so…” she trailed off as she tried to find a solution to her problem, “I mean, if I was a blank again, there wouldn't be a problem!” she concluded. “Your wish is my command.” the voice replied before it summoned a wind and blew the aura mark away.

Apple Bloom returned to the club house and began to clean it up. As she threw one of the boards to the ground, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had arrived at the temple and farm grounds and were approaching the club house, “Hey, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo elected to start the conversation. “Why'd you want to meet here?” having chosen to ask why the summons for her and Sweetie to that location.

Apple Bloom then jumped to the ground, “Well, us blanks have to meet somewhere!” the farm girl declared as she showed that her aura mark was gone.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and gave nervous smiles, “Um, actually, Apple Bloom, we…” Scootaloo trailed off, unsure of what to say. “Both sort of got our aura marks.” Sweetie took over from her Skyborn friend.

Apple Bloom eyes widen, “You did?!” She asked utterly in disbelief, “What are they?” she asked as she looked from one of her friends to the other. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other with slight frowns before each showed hers by turning around to show Apple Bloom their backs. Scootaloo’s aura mark was a butterfly with two small flowers. Sweetie Belle's was a pink heart with what looked like parts of some sort of musical notation but was horizontal when it normally would be vertical. After the two turned back to face Apple Bloom, “How did you get them?” she asked.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo then both shut their eyes and lifted their chins, as if to have their noses up towards Apple Bloom. “Oh, we don't have time to go into all that.” Scootaloo retorted. This was not an unfair response, Apple Bloom had herself didn’t tell her friends how she woke to her aura mark. “And we certainly don't have time to hang out at an old clubhouse.” Sweetie Belle added. This struck Apple Bloom at odd. Sweetie loved the club house. “Yeah, we've got responsibilities now.” Scootaloo continued. These aura marks must have really changed her friends, Scootaloo was … well a slacker. “But maybe we'll see you later.” Sweetie Belle spoke up as she and Scootaloo turned away from Apple Bloom and started to walk away. The words Sweeties used hinted to soften a blow, but how she said them only cut deeper. “Much later.” Apple Bloom had to count on Scootaloo to be as subtle as Rainbow during Cider Season.

Apple Bloom was flabbergasted and stood frozen for a second. Once she snapped out of her funk, “Wait!” she shouted as she tried to run after the two only to trip on one of the boards she threw earlier. “Hold on!” she called as she got back to her feet and brush herself off. “I can get my aura mark back, I think! Rrgh! I mean, I got it once, right?” she called as her mind was also running, and tripping over itself. “Oh, just wait a second!” she called only to take one step to find herself as old as Granny Smith looking at the graves of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They read, ‘Best Friends Forever, Didn’t know Apple Bloom.’. “Nooooooooooo!” Apple Bloom screamed herself awake, yet again finding herself in her bed as a rooster crowed. She pulled her comforter close to her and felt her forehead. It didn’t feel warm. As she removed her hand, “What in Mystica's goin' on?!” she asked before she started out of bed.

“Breakfast!” came Applejack’s muffled voice from down stairs.

Apple Bloom got out of bed keeping her bedgown on and pulled the comforter tighter against herself, “I'm not so sure sleep is the cure-all Applejack thinks it is” she mused aloud before she headed downstairs. She didn’t run down and slowly walked into the kitchen as Applejack was placing the last of the plates on the table, Big Mac and Granny Smith waiting. “Uh... Applejack?” she asked, her unease couldn’t be hid. “I know you said sleep is supposed to make me feel better, but I'm pretty sure it's makin' me feel worse.” she declared as she walked towards the table.

Applejack was at the sink putting the cookware in so that they could soak in soapy water while everyone ate. “See, now what did I tell you? A good night's sleep'll fix— Well, no wonder you were so worked up…” Applejack said almost exactly like she did in Apple Bloom’s dream and dream in a dream. Apple Bloom’s jaw just dropped open. AJ could be dense at times, but she was not Rainbow Dash. Yet before Apple Bloom said anything. “Weeeell, what do we have here?” Granny Smith as she and Big Mac got up and joined Applejack as they looked at Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom looked down at her chest and saw what looked like a dolphin with a derpy eyes and water coming out of its blowhole. Soon all the lights went out only to be replaced with a spotlight on Apple Bloom. Big Mac, normally a man of one word, spoke and seemed to answer the question of what Apple Bloom aura mark was. “Ah don’t know what it is, but Ah can tell yah what it ain't. It ain't no apple.” the towering cleric declared. “Nnope!” Granny compounded the negative. As Apple Bloom was still lost at what was happening, Applejack then spoke, but it was Big Mac’s voice coming out of her mouth, “And we don't have room for non-apples.” the paladin declared. Big Mac then affirmed, but in Applejack’s voice with a “Nnope.” Then Granny Smith rejoined, but she spoke with Big Mac’s voice, “Time for you to mosey on. You can't stay here.” she then place a stick with a small bundle tied to one end. Before Apple Bloom was granted the chance to protest, Big Mac spoke again, this time in his voice, “Oh, and you're gonna have to change your name.” Granny and Applejack nodded. “I think just 'Bloom' has a nice ring to it, don't you, Applejack?” he mused and asked. Applejack stood next to the back door and gave a “Eeyup!” as she opened the door, revealing something like a black hole.

Apple Bloom didn’t know why, but she alone was sucked into the void. “Noooooooooo!” she screamed only to find herself yet again in her bedroom, this time she had fallen on to the floor with a thump. “Ugh!” she groaned before she looked out of the window and saw Pinkie Pie in her chicken Nightmare Night costume crowing like a rooster. “That is the most normal thing Ah’ve seen since AJ tucked me in.” she stated. After a second of that letting that statement sit, she sighed, “this is getting ridiculous.” she said as she covered her face. She could use a good cry now. However she stopped as it crossed her might that she might have another aura mark. As she looked down at her chest and then dashed to the mirrors in her room. After several seconds of looking herself over and finding no aura mark, she jumped in the air with a joyous, “Whoo-ee!” as she landed she started to get her clothes for the day, “I never thought I'd be so happy to not get an aura mark.” Just as she said that an aura mark appeared. “What the?!” She then turned and saw a different one, and she continued to look from and turn until she had seen a dozen aura marks. Just then she heard some strange music as the new aura marks circled around her and spun faster and faster. After three seconds of this she swatted the giving a frustrated grunt. “I don't wanna see another aura mark as long as I live!” she screamed as she started to run only to find herself yet again in the Everfree Forest. “Back so soon?” asked the voice that had removed the aura mark about the job she didn’t want, and then the one that ‘ended’ her friendship. Apple Bloom wanted to growl, “All right, whoever you are!” she shouted to the voice, “I dunno what spell you went and cast on me, but Ah want it to stop right now!” she demanded of the voice. “I didn't cast a spell on you or anybody else.” the voice replied as if wounded by Apple Bloom’s words. “I only did what you wanted.” she countered. Apple Bloom growled with a “Rrrgh!” at that answer before she questioned farther, “Why would I want you to torment me with nightmares?!” she demanded the voice to answer. “You didn't want to catch bugs, and I helped.” the voice pointed out as if it was circling Apple Bloom, calling her to answer to her own actions, or rather her wants. “You didn't want to lose friends, and I helped.” the voice continued pointing out that it only did what Apple Bloom literally asked of it. “If there's a problem with your family, I'm sure I can help with that too.” the voice compounded, addressing the last of Apple Bloom’s dissatisfaction with her aura mark, the one that it didn’t change. However Apple Bloom had enough of this. She turned away from the source of the voice and started to run, “I don't want your help! Just get away from me!” she shouted back, not looking where she was going.

“Oh, Apple Bloom,” came a regal voice. Apple Bloom stopped running and turned around toto see Princess Luna step out from the forest's shadows. “you can't get away from your own shadow.” the princess said as before she cast a little more light on the situation.

Apple Bloom was confused, “Princess Luna?!'' She identified the princess and was confused by Luna’s question statement. “My shadow? What do you mean?” she continued to ask until she followed the light that Luna conjured and saw how it cleared much, revealing that the being that lurked in the darkness was just an extension of her own shadow. “It's just me?” she asked as she tried to understand what was going on. “You mean I've been doin' all this to myself?” she asked as she managed to connect a few of the dots and started to see the outline. Luna shut her eyes and nodded. Apple Bloom saw that nod many times, everyone in her family gave it when Apple Bloom didn’t completely get it, but she understood enough for now. “If I've been dreamin' this whole time, why don't I just wake up?” she asked.

Luna gave a soft smile, as one that had walked the path Apple Bloom now travels, “Sometimes we can worry about a thing so much, the fear can make us feel we're trapped in a nightmare.” Apple Bloom knew that what Luna said was also true in the waking world, especially knowing that Luna was once Nightmare Moon. However this was not Luna’s time as the princess looked to Apple Bloom with a raised eye brow, “We don't suppose there's anything you're particularly afraid of, is there?” she asked.

Apple Bloom sighed, “Ah've been pretty worried about gettin' my aura mark.” she come to realize.

Luna nodded, “Often we think our worries are on many things, but those that pause often find that they and everyone they see are simply worrying about who they are.” Luna placed her hand over her own embroidered aura mark. “An aura mark is just that, a symbol of who one is.” She then looked up to the now vacant moon, “Often when ones false to accept that, they find that their life is a bad dream.” Apple Bloom was hearing what Luna said, but that was only part of her concerns. Luna continued, “Granted, even if you like who you are, others might not.” she informed Apple Bloom that the coin had another side. “Yet those that matter will love you all the same, no matter what your aura mark is.” Luna seemed to tear up slightly, as if she recalled a happy memory.

Apple Bloom smiled in relief, and started to laugh at herself as she shook her head looking to the ground, “That’s so simple. How’d I miss it?” She asked nobody before she returned her gaze to Luna, “I must be the only person in the universe this worried about her aura mark.” she concluded.

Luna giggled, "Oh, We wouldn't say that." Luna said as she tapped her foot on the ground and the two were soon became a hallway impossibly long with uncountable doors on the left and right. Apple Bloom then saw the two doors, they each had the logo of the Cutie Mage Crusaders. She walked to them and was about to open one when Luna placed her hand on the door. "Sorry, but We can't let you go into the dreams of others." Luna told her. Apple Bloom pouted, but Luna was unmoved. The princess of the night did smile, "But you would be surprised by the degree of Reality that Dreams reveal."

Apple Bloom's mind started to wonder, 'Why would Princess Luna show her these two doors with the logo of the C.M.C. and why would Luna not allow her to see inside and yet… Then it all clicked, "Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are havin' the same nightmares too."

Luna nodded, "You are a clever girl, Apple Bloom." The princess informed and patted Apple Bloom on the head. “Your day will come, and you will each have an Aura mark that will each fit you to a T. We know.”

But unlike what Apple Bloom thought, the princess headed to a different door, this one had the exact rendering of a pair of scissors that Babs wrote was her Aura Mark and it was almost oozing out blackness.

Before Luna opened the door, “Babs’ been having nightmares too?” Luna only nodded. “But…” Apple Bloom started but trailed off as something else dawned on her. “Babs’ just got her aura mark and we bonded over not having one each.” Apple Bloom was starting to piece it together. “She’s afraid she won’t be a Crusader anymore and we won’t be friends either.” Luna turned to face Apple Bloom, smiled and tapped the right side of her nose with her right index finger. “Maybe Ah should write her back and let know that she’s still a Crusader and my friend. She is my cousin after all.” Apple Bloom smiled at her maturity. Only to recall something else. “After Ah wake up. Heha.”.

“Good Idea.” Luna said as she conjured a door under Apple Bloom and used her magic to open it.

Apple Bloom almost screamed, but ended up just gasping as she rocked forward and was sitting up in her bed. She then saw the earliest rays of the sun’s light and soon heard a rooster crow. She sighed.

Down stairs, Applejack was making pancakes as she was singing softly, “There ain't no call to worry
So don't you cry or fret.” while Big Mac and Granny were at the table ready to eat.

Apple Bloom then stepped in, dressed in her overalls and ready for the day ahead and finished the song, with her own twist, “An aura mark won't change me
No matter what I get.”
“Told yah a good night's sleep would help yah feel better” Applejack asked as she placed Apple Bloom’s and her plates on the table.

Apple Bloom nodded as she took her seat. “I just wish it hadn't been so exhaustin'” she jested confusing Big Mac and Granny Smith as she dug into her breakfast. Applejack only shook her head and took her seat.

My Little Mages: The Cutie Mage Crusader Dream Trilogy

by Foxhelm

Sleepless in Magiville

For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils

Bloom And Gloom