Chapter Ten
A Lost Day
The giggles and bouncing were abound as the girls made their way to the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. They still felt so light even though their hooves were firmly on the ground. The air was filled with awe and thank yous as they bounced around Trinny. She just smiled and was glad that she could lighten their hearts.
"That was so amazing… again," the grin couldn't be removed Scootaloo's face.
Trinny patted her on the head, "It was nothing my dear. There is nothing like feeling of weightlessness to lift the heaviness from one's heart."
"So why didn't you join us?" Sweetie Belle asked sweetly.
"There is too much weighing me down I'm afraid," she sadly smile.
Apple Bloom didn't understand what she meant, "What do you mean Trinny? Is something bothering you?"
She gave a little chuckle, "No… just thinking of my girls… watching you four reminds me of when they were young fillies… we had many good times," she looked to sun the in the sky, "It just seems so long ago…"
They looked to one another. It was strange to see some pony that always seemed to be happy with such a sad look on her face. Though she was smiling, there was still a longing in her eyes. She always had encouraging words to say, but now she was the one that needed the reassurance.
"It's okay Trinny," Sweetie Belle hugged her one leg, "I'm sure that you'll see them soon."
Trinny smiled, "Yes… I'm sure that I will… but I've been gone for so long," she sat down with a heavy sigh as she patted Sweetie Belle on the head, "I just worry that I've been away too long… that they've forgotten me…"
"That's impossible," Babs Seed shook her head, "I could never forget my mom or dad. I know when they see you again they're going to be so happy."
"How old are your kids and how many do you have?" Scootaloo asked.
"I have two daughters," she answered, "They are lovely young mares. They really don't need me anymore, but I do feel guilt to be away as long as I have."
"Why are you traveling?" Apple Bloom asked.
A strange little smiled formed on her face, "I suppose I travel because I'm looking for something that I lost a long time ago…"
"Was it a sock or something?" Scootaloo scratched her head, "I lose those all the time."
"I do too," Sweetie Belle was surprised.
"I swear the washer eats mine," Babs rolled her eyes.
Apple Bloom turned up to Trinny, "What did you lose?"
Trinny thought for a moment, slightly glancing to her flank, "I… It's not important right now," she stood up, "I shouldn't be residing myself in the past. Everything will work out," she assured herself, "Besides, you girls should be thinking about what sort of fun things you can do today," her old cheerful smile appeared once again, "The day is full of possibilities and you should not waste it. I on the other hand," she huffed, "Have some business to attend to in town," she eyed her blanketed back.
"What sort of business?" Babs Seed looked to Trinny's blanket.
She looked around to make sure that no other pony was around, "Keep this between us," she talked quietly, "But do you remember when I said that I went to Saddle Arabia?"
They nodded their head in unison.
"Well… I forgot how easily lighter colored ponies like myself, tend to…," she rolled her eyes with a huff, "burn… I forgot to wear sunscreen… or at least my old blanket… or even rolled in some dust… that would have even helped," she sighed at her painful lesson, "My poor backside is as red as my eyes. I'm hoping that either the spa or there's a book at the library that will have something to soothe my burnt back."
"You poor thing," Sweetie Belle empathized.
A thought came to Apple Bloom, "Why don't you go and see Zecora! She knows all sorts of remedies. I'm sure that she can help with your sunburn. She's got potions for everything."
Trinny smiled, "That's one reason I came to Ponyville… other than to visit my old friends," she added, "But sadly, she has gone back home for the week. I don't think I can wait that long. I'll just go and see about a book or spa treatment," she sighed as she started down the path.
"Wait up," Scootaloo came up behind her, "We'll come with you."
"Yeah. Maybe we can get our Cutie Marks for something Spa or book related," Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Those don't sound like Cutie Marks I would want," Scootaloo pretended to gag.
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, "I guess not…"
"But you never know until you try," Trinny smiled, "As for your offer. I am going to decline. I think… no," she shook her head, "I want you four to have some fun and enjoy the day. Hopefully I can take care of this before Twilight comes to read at the schoolyard."
"Oh right," Scootaloo remembered, "What time are we supposed to meet?"
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, "Two o'clock. We better not be late."
"Yeah. I want to know if Cherry Blossom and Pumpkin Seed find this Mare of Destiny," Babs pondered, "I wonder who the Mare of Destiny is anyway."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked to one another with unsure shrugs.
"Trinny, didn't you mention something about the Mare of Destiny the other day?" Apple Bloom went to look to her.
Her stare was met with open space. Trinny had disappeared from sight. She was nowhere to be seen. There weren't even any hoof marks to indicate where she had gone off too.
"She so has to teach me that!" Sweetie Belle bounced up and down, "She has to be the coolest pony ever!"
"Nah, she's the coolest Unicorn ever, but nobody can beat Rainbow Dash at pure awesomeness," Scootaloo defended her idol.
"Even though she left you behind?" Babs Seed reminded her.
"Oh… yeah," she sat down with a heavy sigh.
Apple Bloom shook her head, "Come on girls. Let's not think about that kind of stuff. Trinny tired herself out flying us around and lifting our spirits. Let's do her the favor and try to have some fun today."
They three of them looked to one another and all nodded in agreement.
"Alright then," Apple Bloom stomped her hoof, "Why don't we head to the clubhouse and hold a meeting or something?"
"Yeah. We can brainstorm on how to get our Cutie Marks today," Scootaloo fluttered her wings in excitement.
"And with my Cuz here," Apple Bloom threw her arm around Babs, "We'll come up with tons of great ideas."
Babs Seed's cheeks went red, "I don't know about that, but I'm sure that we all can think of something fun to do."
"Yay!" they high hooved one another.
They ran off down the beaten path to a place that they knew all too well. There was always a pause just before the Cutie Mark Crusaders entered the clubhouse. They would marvel at their handy work. Apple Bloom had done most of the work, but the others made sure to do their part. Painting and moving in important furniture was mostly what they did, but it was all for the Crusaders. Where they once hide alone as Blank Flanks, they now proudly stood as united force to help young fillies and colts to find their hidden gifts. Though it was just the four of them and an old clubhouse, they still felt like they could take on the world.
"Good to see the old clubhouse," Babs Seed sighed with content.
"Yup," Apple Bloom smiled, "It hasn't changed much," she started up the ramp, "But you'll love some of the improvements we've made."
"Yeah," Scootaloo agreed, "We've added some awesome posters and some cool decorations…"
"We've even added some pretty potted plants," Sweetie Belle cheerfully added.
"Because potted plants are so cool," Scootaloo sarcastically rolled her eyes.
"What?" she shrugged her shoulders, "I thought we could get a horticulture Cutie Mark or at least spruce up the place."
"What does horticulture mean?" Babs looked up to her Cuz.
"It's a fancy word for gardening," Apple Bloom explained as she tried to push open the door.
It wouldn't seem to open though. She pushed and pushed, but it just didn't want to budge. She even tried with both hooves; still the door refused to let her in.
"What's wrong Cuz?" Babs Seed came up next to her.
"I don't know," she continued to struggle with the door, "It won't open," she stepped back, "Why don't ya'll give it a try?"
Scootaloo stepped forward to give it a shot. Spitting into her hooves, she placed them firmly against the wooden door and pushed. She fluttered her wings to give her some extra power. It was to no avail; the door wouldn't allow her in. Babs Seed was next. Instead of just pushing, she thought it would be a good idea to get a running start. Going back down the ramp, she scratched the dirt with her hoof and gave a good snort. She flew up the ramp with amazing speed and headed straight for the door. She made a solid hit and the door did seem like it would budge, but still it would not open. Babs had to sit for a moment. Her head was swimming and her shoulder hurt. It wasn't bad though. She was soon up and able to shake it off.
"How about if we try together?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Right…," it seemed so obvious now.
With Apple Bloom at the door, Babs Seed right behind, then Sweetie Belle at the ready and Scootaloo flapping her wings as hard she could, the door didn't stand a chance against their unified might.
"Okay. On three," Apple Bloom braced herself, "One… Two… Three!" she was about to push.
The door suddenly flung open which caused them to fall back in surprise. They landed at the bottom of the ramp in a big heap of fillies. Looking back up, Apple Bloom saw some pony she wasn't expecting.
"Do you mind?" Silver Spoon poked her head out with a huff, "Us Cutie Marked ponies are trying to hold a meeting in here. And you blank flanks are interrupting us with your bothersome knocking," she gave a little snort, "So if you don't mind. Go be blank flanks elsewhere," she slammed the door shut.
"Meeting!?" Apple Bloom pulled herself from under the others, "This ain't your clubhouse!" she stomped her hoof.
The shutters flew open, "It's ours now," Diamond Tiara made her appearance, "Don't you remember?" she gave a laugh, "This clubhouse is too cool for blank flanks like you."
They both started to laugh irritatingly. Closing up the shutters back up, their laughter could still be heard. Looking to one another, the girls weren't sure what to do.
Babs snorted and stomped her hoof, "If you two spoiled brats don't get out of our clubhouse, I'm going to go tell your mommies and daddies!"
The shutters flung open once again. There was a scared look on both of their faces as they looked to one another.
"Please don't tell my daddy!" Diamond Tiara pleaded.
"Yeah!" Silver Spoon shuttered, "We'll get in so much trouble," she started to laugh.
"Huh?" the Crusaders were confused by their reaction.
Scootaloo stepped forward, "What are you two laughing about?"
Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes, "Pfft. You blank flanks don't scare us with your idol threats."
"I'll show you idol threats," Scootaloo fluttered her wings in frustration.
"Hold up there Scootaloo," Apple Bloom stepped on her tail, "If you don't get out of our clubhouse in three seconds, I'll go and get Applejack and Big Mac."
"Ooo… I'm so scared," Diamond Tiara laughed once again, "Oh, we were just coming to play," she put on her saddest face, "Apple Bloom and Babs threatened us and were so mean," she sniffed, "Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle called us names and told me and Silver Spoon to get or else," she wiped a fake tear from her eye, "Please. There's nothing your four can do. Anything you try will just get you into trouble with your mommies and daddies. So long Cutie Mark Cry Babies," she laughed as she slammed the shutters close.
"Yay," Silver Spoon stuck her tongue as she too closed her set of shutters.
The two fillies continued to laugh inside. Their giggly comments filled the air; all were aimed at the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their blank flanks.
With a collective sigh, they knew that they were defeated. Their clubhouse was lost. There was nothing that they could do. Hanging their heads in shame and disappointment, they walked away not knowing what to do. Most of the morning was filled with letdowns and screams. A morning full of ravenous beetles, a selfish mentor and a pretentious fashion diva of a sister. Now there were two mean fillies occupying their only sanctuary from the outside world. It was the one place that they could sit and laugh and not worry about there being nothing on their flanks. It was a place where they could think about who they were and all the possibilities that lay before them. It was the one place that they truly felt open… what it meant to be to be them.
"What are we going to do Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle looked to her.
She sat down with a big sigh, "I don't know. You heard what they said. If we even try to tell some pony, they'll just make it sound like we're the bad ones."
"But we wouldn't do that," Scootaloo complained, "They are always making fun of us and doing mean things. Why doesn't any pony see that?" she sat down in a huff.
"They haven't changed a bit," Babs Seed snorted, "Can't believe that I use to hang with them," she shook her head in disgrace.
"Don't worry about it Cuz," Apple Bloom tried to smile, "We all make mistakes and want to belong…"
"Yeah…," they all sighed as they looked to their flanks.
It was the one thing that they knew made them different. All the other fillies and colts their age had their Cutie Marks. They didn't. They tried so many things and yet had nothing to show for it.
"It was supposed to be a day of possibilities…," Apple Bloom sniffed.