1
"Hear ye, hear ye! The meetin' of the Cutie Mark Crusaders is now in session!" the young Apple Bloom announced. "Sweetie Belle, what's on our agenda for today?"
"Well... it's been awhile since we helped a pony get their Cutie Mark," Sweetie Belle replied.
Scootaloo groaned, "But we've already helped everypony get their Cutie Marks."
"I reckon that we could venture out and see who we come across," Apple Bloom suggested. "I heard that a festival is comin' into town!"
"That's a swell idea!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said in unison.
The three ponies gathered together to embark on the day's quest. As they set aside their things and left the treehouse, they expressed their enthusiasm in song.
Got the moves, got the mojo...
No harder working ponies around.
We are a trio, work as a team
It's time to find a pony to help with their dreams!
Everyone stood in silence. "Um, well alright then. I suppose that we should probably get going," suggested Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo. "I mean we did just wasted five minutes with that song."
Apple Bloom nodded her head. "We should probably rethink this in the future. I can't help but think that this is an extremely inefficient use of time."
The three ponies nodded in agreement.
"Alright then!" Apple Bloom stood tall. "Let's go help somepony get their Cutie Mark!"
Ponyville was bustling with commotion. The first annual Cutie Mark Symposium was officially underway. Everyone had shown up to discuss the significance of their unique cutie mark. There were refreshments and party favors courtesy of the town's very own Pinkie Pie, and Twilight herself was designated the night's master of ceremonies.
"Apple Bloom, it looks like everypony already has their Cutie Mark," Scootaloo observed when all of a sudden, Rainbow Dash zipped past the three crusaders.
"Hey guys! Are you here to share your cutie mark tale with the community?" Rainbow Dash smiled at her younger friends. "It's a really good one."
"Yeah—," Apple Bloom hesitated.
"It's a really cool idea if you ask me," Rainbow Dash urged them. "You might even inspire somepony."
"Well Rainbow, we were hoping to find a pony without a cutie mark, but maybe your idea will allow them to find us!" Scootaloo exclaimed. The other two ponies nodded in agreement. From their smiles arose a heightened degree of optimism.
"That's an awesome idea, but I have to fly. All this work isn't going to get done without yours truly," Rainbow Dash sped off in a whirl.
"Come on gang, we've got to find Twilight!" Sweetie Belle chimed in.
The three little ponies took off in a hurry. Princess Luna had set the moon in motion, and the final presentations were taking the stage for the evening. This was the girls' chance to make an impression, and they weren't about to waste it.
"Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight! Princess—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses, guys. What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Twilight said as she flashed the crusaders a warm smile.
"We ran into Rainbow Dash, and she suggested that we share our story," Scootaloo replied.
"Yeah, we're hopin' to help somepony earn their cutie mark!" Apple Bloom chimed in.
"That sounds like a great idea, you guys," Twilight said with a wink. "I'll get the stage ready. You're welcome to go on whenever you'd like!"
As the three little ponies gathered their thoughts, a cool air fell over the stage. Poised, albeit a tad nervous, the little ponies recounted their inspiring tale of uncertainty and perseverance. Everypony smiled along, but there was one pony that stood particularly entranced. A newcomer whom no one had before seen.
The crusaders' performance was met with warm enthusiasm from the crowd, and the applause continued long after they had finished.
"That was incredible!" Sweetie Belle beamed.
"Yeah," Scootaloo agreed. "Do you think that we reached anypony?"
"Oh, I'm sure of it," Sweetie Belle replied. "Did you see everypony watching?"
Apple Bloom smiled along with her two friends before taking a moment to pause, "So, what are we goin' to do now?"
The three little ponies pondered her question silently.
"I guess that we can just wait until somepony comes to us?" Scootaloo suggested. Her friends looked at one another and nodded in agreement.
Fifty-three minutes later...
"Hey gang!" Rainbow Dash flew across the stage carrying a broom and dustpan. "I'm glad that you took my suggestion and decided to share your story tonight. You did a great job, and everypony really enjoyed it."
The younger ponies were hesitant, but in choosing to acknowledge her good intentions, they thanked her anyway.
"Yeah, Rainbow," Scootaloo smiled. "Good call?"
"Don't mention it! Alright you guys, we're cleaning up for the evening. I hope to see you around Ponyville tomorrow. I'm sure that there'll be plenty of ponies that could really use your help!" Rainbow Dash said as she went along removing all of the balloons and streamers.
"Well, now what?" Scootaloo shrugged.
"I reckon that we should just head home," Apple Bloom sighed. "I guess that we didn't reach anypony after all." Disappointed, the three little ponies gathered their things and made their way to the side of the stage.
As the ponies were making their way home, Scootaloo froze, and she felt the hairs on her mane stand up. "Um, guys. Is it just me or are we being followed?"
The three little ponies became startled as they turned around to find another pony standing right behind them and clenching a book. "Hi, I'm Morrigan."
The crusaders took a step back, looked at one another and back at their strange guest. "Um, hi?" the three replied.
"I witnessed your presentation," Morrigan paused. "I believe that your crusade aligns with my current circumstances. For you see, I'm embarrassed to say that after many seasons, I still don't have my cutie mark."
The three crusaders looked at one another as excitement grew in their eyes.
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "You've come to the right place!"
"We'd love to help you get your cutie mark," Apple Bloom said. "But we're just about to head home for the night. How 'bout tomorrow?"
Morrigan stood in silence and stared blankly at the crusaders. She placed her book on the ground and briefly skimmed through some of its pages, clearing her throat as she did so. "Alright," Morrigan replied and quietly turned around and walked in the other direction.
Sweetie Belle looked at her friends, "Um, that was weird."
"Yeah, she seemed kinda strange," Scootaloo commented. "And what was with that book?"
"Well, she seemed nice to me," Apple Bloom replied. "And anyway, we finally have someone to aid in getting their cutie mark!"
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo beamed.
"Alright girls, we've got a big day ahead of us. So let's go home and get a good night's rest," Apple Bloom said as the three crusaders parted ways.
2
The following morning, the crusaders made their way to the treehouse. It was a sunny day, and the trio felt reinvigorated by what they had discovered. As Scootaloo led the others up the ladder, the friends noticed a commotion from within the treehouse.
"What was that?" Apple Bloom blurted out.
"I don't know," Scootaloo replied.
"I'm scared!" Sweetie Belle whimpered.
The three crusaders nervously entered the treehouse. It was dark inside, and the curtains were pulled shut. There was a solitary candle in the corner whose flame still burned while the air smelled richly of formaldehyde.
Sweetie Belle began shaking. "Girls?"
"Is somepony there?" Scootaloo whispered.
"I'm glad to see that the three of you have arrived," Morrigan spoke from somewhere unseen. "I hope that you don't mind, but I arrived a little early. I even took the liberty of making you a gift."
"A gift?" Apple Bloom repeated.
"Yes," Morrigan stammered. "A gift for my new teachers. It's a small token of my appreciation. I hope that you will accept?"
"Uh, thanks," Sweetie Belle approached Morrigan. The room was still dark, and it couldn't be seen what exchanged hooves, but Sweetie Belle now held something soft and warm.
Apple Bloom edged her way to the curtains. "Guys, I'm going to let some light in here." As the light poured into the room, Sweetie Belle let out a scream.
"What happened!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
Apple Bloom spun around. "What's goin' on over there?"
"Take it away! Take it away!" Sweetie Belle continued to scream. "What in Equestria is it?"
"It's a stuffed bunny," Morrigan replied.
"You mean that it was a bunny!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she threw it to the floor. "Is it dead?"
"It was dead when I found it. I practice taxidermy as a hobby, so I had it stuffed," Morrigan's head began to slowly tilt sideways. "Do you like it?"
"Like it? Like it?"
"I guess what Sweetie Belle means to say is that she has never received such a personal gift before?" Apple Bloom chimed in.
"I'm happy to hear it," Morrigan edged her way out of the light. "It certainly suits you."
Sweetie Belle grimaced, "Gee, thanks."
Scootaloo's eyes settle on Sweetie Belle, "Um, are you okay?" Scootaloo asked.
"I think I'm going to be sick..."
"Alright everypony, let's get this thing goin'!" Apple Bloom hollered. "Scootaloo, start the initiation."
Apple Bloom made her way to the podium as Scootaloo escorted Morrigan to the front of the room. "Here ye, here ye. We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Morrigan to join us as a sister, friend, con-fi-dante, ally, bosom buddy, gal pal, compadre, chum of chums..."
"Ahem," Scootaloo cleared her throat. "I thought that you were going to finally get around to revising that?"
"Oh yeah... my bad," Apple Bloom said as she skimmed to the bottom of the page. "Here it is—and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader! You are solemnly sworn in, here on this day, in witness of your fellow sisters, friends, bosom buddies—"
"Congratulations!" Scootaloo interrupted.
"Yeah, what she said," Apple Bloom laughed.
Sweetie Belle stared at the center of the room. "Uh girls, where's Morrigan?"
The three little ponies all looked to where they had last seen their newly initiated member, but she had all but vanished, leaving only her grotesquely labored gift. She left not a trail, and all of the entrances remained undisturbed.
"Did anypony else feel a cold chill all of a sudden?" Scootaloo shuddered.
"I'm still nauseous from that horrible thing that she brought in here," Sweetie Belle gagged.
Apple Bloom rose to Morrigan's defense, "Come on girls, we only just met her. I mean now honestly, how bad could she be?"
3
As the three crusaders made their way across town in search of Morrigan, they passed through Sweet Apple Acres where Big Mac was tending a sickly apple tree.
"Hey Big Mac, are you goin' to be cuttin' down this tree? Sure looks to me that it's rotten!" Apple Bloom commented.
"Yup," Big Mac replied.
"Um, it looks like you forgot your saw."
"Nope."
"What do you mean?"
Big Mac stared long and hard at the tree. "I can't find it."
"You can't find it?"
"Yup."
"Well, how do you plan on cutting the tree down?"
"I don't know."
Big Mac continued to stare at the tree as the crusaders made their way across the orchard. The girls ruminated on what might have happened to Big Mac's saw when all the while a familiar sound could be heard nearby.
"Did you hear that?" Scootaloo whispered.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked around.
"It came from over there!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, and the three friends quickly moved along to the source of the sound. As they cleared the final row of apple trees, they noticed Morrigan near the edge of town standing next to a large elm.
"Morrigan," Apple Bloom called out. "What'cha doin' over thar?"
"I'm cutting down this elm tree," Morrigan replied as she continued to saw away.
"We can see that!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "But why?"
Morrigan paused. As she let the saw rest by her side, she looked toward the top of the tree. "There's a bird's nest. Do you see it? I thought that since, statistically speaking, so few birds make it to adulthood, there might be a dead bird in it. But it's too high for me to be certain."
"So you're going to cut it down?" Scootaloo thought out loud.
Sweetie Belle gagged, "I'm going to be sick, again..."
Morrigan continued sawing at the large elm as it swayed amidst a gust of wind. The three crusaders took a step back.
"That isn't safe," Scootaloo cautioned.
"It's comin' down!" Apple Bloom hollered.
The nest began to stir under the intense commotion, and several small feathered heads bobbed into sight. The tree wavered and teetered away from Morrigan and the crusaders as a sonic rainboom flashed overhead.
"Rainbow Dash!" the crusaders cheered.
The flighty pegasus soared through the tree's branches just in time to rescue the nest from plummeting along with the rest of the tree. The little birds chirped happily while their savior carried them to safety.
"Wow, guys! That was a close one," Rainbow Dash said as she wiped the sweat from her mane. "You should be more careful next time. Somepony could get hurt."
"Yeah Rainbow, you said it! We don't know what we were thinking," Scootaloo said. "We'll totally be safer next time."
"I sure hope so. I mean, you won't always have the one and only Rainbow Dash to save you from your mistakes." Rainbow Dash bowed her head low and gave the crusaders a wink. "Anyway, I was just passing through. Good luck with your logging!"
"Thanks again, Big Mac, for gettin' this big tree outta here," Apple Bloom said. "Much obliged."
Big Mac smiled and nodded as he began carting off the enormous elm, "Yup." As Big Mac disappeared back toward the orchard, the three little ponies dusted themselves off and began looking around for Morrigan.
Apple Bloom scanned the area. "Dang it, did anypony see where she went? She keeps disappearin' on us!"
"Maybe she went into town?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Let's hurry before she gets into any more trouble!" Scootaloo urged as she hopped on her scooter.
In town, Diamond Tiara trotted down the street with a suitcase full of belongings. The crusaders passed her as she stopped to address them.
Sweetie Belle paused, "Did you girls hear that?"
"Hear what?" Scootaloo replied.
"A shrill, agitated whining sound..."
The three girls spun around and caught sight of a fuming Diamond Tiara hollering something only vaguely audible. Her clothes and belongings scattered between them.
"She seems really mad," Sweetie Belle observed.
"Hoppin' mad!" Apple Bloom added.
Scootaloo motioned to the other two crusaders, "We should probably give her a hand."
The crusaders trotted with caution toward the infuriated little filly. Her teeth clenched together, Sweetie Belle could almost hear the grinding as she neared.
"How dare you!" Diamond Tiara reamed. "Look at what you did to my things."
"Sorry but we're kinda in a rush," Scootaloo explained. "It was honestly an accident."
"Don't worry, we'll help you cleanup your things," Sweetie Belle said as she handed Diamond Tiara a lonely sock.
"Honestly, is it too much to ask for a little respect? The three of you are almost as bad as that blank flank that accosted me earlier today!" Diamond Tiara scowled.
"Blank flank?" the crusaders repeated.
"Yeah, she had the nerve to snoop around my home while I was packing up my things," she said as she rolled her eyes. "My parents thought it best to fumigate the house today, so we're traveling out to the countryside."
The crusaders all exchanged glances. Whatever reason Morrigan had for lurking about Diamond Tiara's home couldn't be good.
Apple Bloom dropped the neatly hemmed dress that she was holding. "Are you girls thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
The other crusaders nodded in agreement.
"Let's go!"
As the three little ponies sped off, Diamond Tiara was left fuming in anger. "How dare you!"
Suddenly, Scootaloo returned holding a small package. "I believe that this belongs to you?" she said as she handed it over to Diamond Tiara.
Diamond Tiara glanced it over and shook the unfamiliar item. "Um, why is it ticking?" she puzzled, but Scootaloo was already long gone.
-KABOOM!
Covered in ash and soot, Diamond Tiara's mane was singed to its ends and sticking straight up. "Blast you, Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
4
Back at the Diamond family mansion, the crusaders scouted the area in search of Morrigan. There were clearly hoof prints around and nearby, but they stopped short of a trail leading into town.
"I wonder what she was doing?" Scootaloo said as she looked around.
"And furthermore, where did she go?" Sweetie Belle asked.
The house was adorned with a large tent and closed off at every entrance. The crusaders made their way around the building and noticed something peculiar. The hose that normally fed past the tent and delivered insecticides indoors was missing!
"Girls, you don't suppose..." Apple Bloom paused.
"That Morrigan took it?" Scootaloo inferred.
"Why would she take it?! Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
The crusaders followed Morrigan's tracks to where the tank had been. There was an indentation where it sat and was dragged, but then there was nothing...
"This doesn't seem good," Sweetie Belle shuddered.
Scootaloo looked up and around, "This doesn't make any sense, the tracks just disappear!"
"Well, she is a pegasus after all," noted Sweetie Belle. "She probably flew away."
"But the tank was huge!" Scootaloo insisted. "There's no way she could have flown off with it."
Apple Bloom began scuffing the ground with her hoof. As Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo continued to argue, she pulled out a flashlight and decided to inspect the house again. "Girls?"
The other crusaders stopped and looked at her. As the two of them caught up with Apple Bloom, they noticed what she was motioning toward.
"Is that soot?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"It sure looks to be the case!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Does that mean—" but Sweetie Belle was cut off, and Apple Bloom quickly drew the flashlight to her face.
"—Dragons!"
"An' ooh 'ink! Ee 'er a'ow ooh ee ah ear ill oh-ee," Fizzle muttered while holding the hose's release valve in his mouth.
"You bonehead!" Garble barked. "Don't you know that there's poison in there? And besides, I can't understand a word that you're saying."
"I said—" But soon as the words left his mouth, the valve and the hose fell sharply onto Fume's head.
"Owieeee!" Fume howled.
"See?" Garble grumbled. "This is why we usually leave you at home."
"Well, I was just saying that we really lucked out in not eating that weird pony," Fizzle remarked. "I mean if this pays off, we're going to have a whole lot more than one little pony."
Garble leered at Fizzle for a moment as he thought whether or not to conk his dimwitted friend upside the head but soon thought better of it. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point there," he said with a grin. "Soon enough, the three of us are going to be eating like kings."
"I'm really scared!" Sweetie Belle whimpered. "It's going to be dangerous. Don't dragons eat ponies?"
"Morrigan is our responsibility now," Apple Bloom said sternly. "We have to do this, Sweetie Belle."
"How?" urged Scootaloo. "We really don't know anything about her. What if she's up to no good?"
"I suppose that we should start by looking for dragons?" suggested Scootaloo.
"Dragons!" Sweetie Belle shrieked. "Now we're looking for dragons? I think that this is way more than we can handle."
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
"You might be right..." Scootaloo paused. "Perhaps it's time that we got a little assistance."
5
In town, Fume began trailing the tubes in and out of alleyways. The evening dusk created shadows in which he took to hiding.
"Tra la la la la," Pinkie Pie skipped happily along. "Late, late, it's getting late. Time to choose something to bake~"
Fume froze as Pinkie Pie neared. As Pinkie drew closer, beads of sweat grew on his forehead and quickly evaporated. Fume became nervous and let out a little puff of smoke.
Pinkie Pie stopped in her tracks. Her eyes squinted and slowly darted from side to side as she sniffed the air. "I smell... smoke."
Fume cowered in fear of discovery.
"That's it!" Pinkie Pie announced. "You think that you can outwit me! I'm the queen of intuition, and I have you right where I want you."
Fume's eyes grew wide, and the little dragon began to shake.
With her nose held high, Pinkie Pie was high on the trail. "Waitasecond-that's it!"
Fume gasped and quickly covered his mouth.
"Smokey maple bacon cupcakes!" Pinkie Pie squealed in delight. "I better rush home and get them started," she exclaimed as she dashed away.
Fume's eyes rolled backwards, and the dragon feinted over a mess of tubes.
As Rainbow Dash was getting ready to settle down and call it a night, the crusaders rushed urgently to where her cloud hovered.
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo shouted. "Can we talk to you?"
"Hey guys, you know that I'm always happy to chat," Rainbow glanced at the sun," but it's getting kind of late."
"We need help!" Sweetie Belle blurted out.
"At this hour?" Rainbow grew concerned. "Is something the matter?"
Scootaloo stepped forward, "We found dragons."
"Dragons! Here in Ponyville?" Rainbow Dash paused to consider the circumstances. "Does anyone else know? We should probably tell Twilight..."
"NO!" the three ponies shouted in unison.
"Well... we're not actually sure at the moment," Apple Bloom admitted.
Rainbow Dash looked at the crusaders with skepticism. "Well, I'll come with you, but if anything comes up, we need to let Twilight know immediately."
"Yes yes, absolutely!" Sweetie Belle agreed.
"But we have to get moving quickly," Scootaloo urged and began to tug at Rainbow Dash's wing.
"Alright, alright!" Rainbow Dash yawned. "I suppose that we should get going before I lose another night's sleep."
"It's so quiet!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed "Don't you think so, Scootaloo?"
"Yeah Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo replied "I've never seen it so quiet."
Apple Bloom's eyes grew wide. "This is exciting! We've never been out this late."
Rainbow Dash glanced sternly at the three younger ponies. "Well, I'm glad to see that the three of you are enjoying yourselves."
"We're so sorry, Rainbow dash," Apple Bloom apologized.
"Yeah Rainbow," Scootaloo added. "We're sorry for keeping you out so late."
"—What was that?!" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Everypony, get behind me!" Rainbow Dash urged as she took the defensive. "Look ahead..."
As the four ponies stood in the middle of Ponyville's empty town square, the walkway began to tremble as stones came loose. Rainbow Dash braced herself and prepared to defend the girls as a single scaly claw emerged from the ground.
"There!" Fume blurted out with a resounding sense of satisfaction. "The hoses are all in place. I guess that we just have to wait for Morrigan's signa—"
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "What business does a dragon like you have being in Ponyville?"
"Yeah!" the crusaders shouted in unison.
Fume stood nervously as he glanced around for his friends. The gangly dragon suddenly felt helpless as Rainbow Dash approached him. "Well..." he paused. "It's a nice night, and I felt like taking a stroll?"
"We're not buying it," Rainbow smirked. "Right gang?"
The crusaders cheered, "Right!"
Just as the girls began to close in on their inept and otherwise ineffectual suspect, a piercing flash of light rendered everyone momentarily dazed.
"Is everypony alright?!" Apple Bloom called out.
"It's too bright!" Sweetie Belle hollered. "I can't see!"
"Neither can we," Apple Bloom chided. "Now come on and follow my voice!"
"Are you okay?" Sweetie Belle said as she clung on to her dear friend. "I'm so glad I found you. Where's Scootaloo?"
"Wait," Apple Bloom paused, "She's not with you?"
"Scootaloo!" they yelled.
"Hey girls, here I am!" Scootaloo hollered. "What was that?"
As the source of the light began to fade a commotion could be heard overhead. The girls looked to Fume, but he was already gone. He had awaited Morrigan's signal, and it was too late for the girls to turn back.
Two more dragons began hovering overhead while Fume disappeared down a back alley. As the crusaders recovered their bearings, Garble and Fizzle descended upon them.
"Let us go!" the crusaders yelled.
"You cute little ponies aren't so tough now," Garble sneered. "Where's your precious Twilight Sparkle to save you this time?"
"Rainbow!" Sweetie Belle hollered.
"Where did she go?" Scootaloo asked.
"Time to face facts," Garble smiled as he handed Fizzle some rope.
"Yeah," Fizzle repeated, "Facts."
Garble glared at his partner. "As I was saying, you're going to have to face facts. And the facts are that you're all alone."
"Yeah," Fizzle repeated again, "Alone."
"Will you knock it off already!" Garble barked. "I don't need you repeating me all the time." Garble reached out and grabbed Fizzle by the tail.
"Hey!" Fizzle screamed. "Let go."
As Fizzle struggled to shake Garble's grasp, he stumbled backward and fell into the hole that Fume had crawled out of, all while dragging Garble down with him.
"Alright guys!" Fume announced as he flew around the corner. "Let's begin the countdown. Ten..."
"We have to get outta these ropes," Apple Bloom whispered.
"Nine..." Fume continued.
"I think I can cut us loose," Scootaloo smiled.
"Hey!" Sweetie Belle perked up, "It's working!"
"Six..." Fume paused. "Three?"
"Hey! Don't you know how to count?" Apple Bloom mocked.
"Yeah!" Scootaloo replied.
"Leave me alone!" Fume bellowed. "Can't you see that I'm under a lot of pressure. Where was I?"
"Ten?" Apple Bloom knowingly suggested.
"Right," Fume paused. "Hey! That's not right—"
"How about eight-teen?" Sweetie Belle laughed.
"Stop that!" Fume whined. "Aw, heck-ZERO."
"Oh no!" Scootaloo screamed.
"I can't look!" Sweetie Belle hollered.
Fume leaned in hard on the handle operating the gas main. As the pressure in the chamber decreased, the hoses grew taut, and everyone went silent.
Scootaloo picked herself up. "Is it over?"
Sweetie Belle stood, shaking.
Fume puzzled over the valve for a moment before returning to the hole from which he first appeared. As the dragon stuck his head down in, he heard a strange sound.
"Do you hear that?" Apple Bloom listened. "It almost sounds like—"
"A tea kettle?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
But a moment later Garble and Fizzle joined Fume as the were rocketed into the sky by an enormous amount of gaseous pressure. Thanks to Fume, the hoses leading through town had failed to live up to Morrigan's schematic, and the gas had all been centralized in the town center where all the hoses just happened to meet.
"I guess that takes care of that," Apple Bloom announced confidently.
"I suppose it does," Sweetie Belle agreed.
Scootaloo looked around. "What about Morrigan?"
The crusaders all looked at one another and unanimously agreed, "Twilight's problem!" Feeling satisfied with the general outcome, the three ponies all made their way home for the evening. But as Scootaloo parted ways with her friends, a strange sensation fell over her, a feeling that something had been forgotten. The feeling was brief, however, and soon passed before she marched on, cheerfully optimistic for the day that lay ahead.
Epilogue
Elsewhere in Equestria...
Morrigan sat atop a hill overlooking the kingdom. Despite having discovered dragons to be wholly unreliable and utterly incompetent, her efforts to collect the most desirable specimen had paid off. Sitting next to her lay a burlap sack filled with what remained of the hose and her precious formaldehyde. But there was also something else. Something warm. Something breathing.
A smile slowly crept across her face as the wind blew her tail away from her side. A sinister marking now adorned her, much to her satisfaction. For you see, she had finally achieved her purpose. She had finally obtained her cutie mark.