Author's Notes:

Well, Mr. Kenshinryu is at it again, giving me ideas to continue a story after an ending. He felt it was unfair that only Applebloom got her cutie mark despite all of them working together, so I figured I'd give at least the Ponyville crusaders theirs. The reason I initially was against it was it would seem too easy if they all got cutie marks in one day. I spread it out for one a day for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, but don't take these chapters too seriously.

In the morning Applejack woke before her sister. She got up, slipping the blanket down, getting to see Apple Bloom’s cutie mark in the light.

“Well, here we go,” she said with a laugh as she shook her sister awake.

Apple Bloom opened one eye before yawning and stretching. “G’morning.”

“Mornin’, Apple Bloom. How ya feelin’?”

“Good. I had a nice sleep.”

“So ya don’t feel any different?”

“Hmm? What’s that ‘posed to mean?” She could see Applejack had this weird grin on her face, like she had a secret she wasn’t sharing.

“Oh, nothin’. Now, c’mon. Let’s go downstairs so ya kin eat some breakfast before ya go ta school. I know yer gonna need a lot of energy today.”

“What’s so dern funny?” asked Apple Bloom as her sister laughed, still with that smirk on her face.

“Oh, you’ll see in a minute.”

“What, did ya prank the food or somethin’?”

“No. Nothin’ like that.”

Apple Bloom felt so confused as she followed after her sister. She felt like she was definitely missing something.

As they entered the kitchen she could see Big Macintosh and Granny Smith there at the table.

“Mornin’, y’all,” said Applejack.

“Good morning, there, youngin’,” said Granny Smith.

“So does anyone see somethin’ different ‘bout lil Apple Bloom here?”

Apple Bloom felt she was about to have the mystery solved, but after looking at her for a few seconds Granny Smith just shook her head and Big Mac said, “Nope.”

She felt Applejack push her until she had rotated ninety degrees. “How ‘bout now?” Applejack asked as she moved out of the way.

Apple Bloom heard both of them gasp. “What? What is it? What’s different?”

“Well, congratulations!” said Granny Smith.

“Eeyup!” said Big Mac.

Apple Bloom felt like she was about to burst. “Congratulations fer WHAT?”

“Why don’t ya look fer yerself?” said Applejack, pushing her head.

Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide, at first unable to process what she was seeing. Was that a… could it possibly be a… a…

“A cutie mark? I… I got a cutie mark!”

“Here it comes.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes were wide with joy, an ecstatic look on her face as she appeared to be about to go on a hyper rampage, but it suddenly faded. She began looking troubled, and then she suddenly burst into tears as she ran from the kitchen before they heard a door slam.

The three of them looked at each other, utterly bewildered by her reaction. “What just happened? I thought she’d be glad she finally achieved something so special. I mean, I know we don’t have the money to throw her a cutecenara but we could always throw a celebration between us.”

“I guess the only thing to do is to go ask her,” responded Granny Smith.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

Applejack went upstairs, knocking on Apple Bloom’s door before opening it, seeing her baby sister bawling on her bed, her head on her hooves.

Sitting on the side of the bed she pulled her sister onto her lap. Apple Bloom threw her hooves around her sister, hanging on for dear life. “Come on now, Apple Bloom. What’s bothering you? You’ve wanted a cutie mark for a long time. Why are ya so upset now after gettin’ it?"

Apple Bloom didn’t respond. She just kept crying, so Applejack hugged her sister and rubbed her back until she began to settle down. “Alright, now. Ya done got yer emotions out. So now let’s talk.” She gently pushed her sister away from her so they could talk face to face.

Apple Bloom wiped her face. “I… I’m scared.”

“Why? Like I tried to ask you before, you’ve been searching for what makes you important for a long time. Why, after you finally got it, are you afraid of your success?”

Apple Bloom looked down at the ground for a little while before muttering, “I’m scared of losing my friends now.”

Applejack looked questioningly down at Apple Bloom. “What makes ya say that?”

“What if they get jealous and don’t want to be my friends anymore? Or what if they don’t want me to be part of the group anymore because I got my cutie mark?”

Applejack shook her head, pulling her sister back towards her. “Come on now, Apple Bloom. That’s just stinkin’ thinkin’. Yer group is the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Wasn’t the whole purpose of creating that group ta work together ta find yer cutie marks? Why, just yesterday you yerself said that yer friendship was worth more than a cutie mark.”

“Exactly! Now I sound like a liar. What if they think I’m just showing off and trying to make them feel bad when I tell them about it?”

Applejack had to fight not to laugh. Her sister was being a bit ridiculous. “Apple Bloom, yer friends will only feel joy fer ya gettin’ yer cutie mark. I know that for a fact. Do ya know how I know?”

“How?”

“Do you remember what happened when ya got the cutie pox? Yer friends were totally supportive of you, even after it started getting worse. If ya feel bad about gettin’ yer cutie mark first, then direct yer energy away from moping and redirect it towards continuing to help your friends.

“Take a look at yer cutie mark again, and think about what it represents. It wasn’t there when ya came home from playin’ with yer friends, but it was there when you went to bed. So what was it on your mind before you went to sleep?”

Apple Bloom tried to remember. “I… I was thinkin’ of how I had helped Babs overcome her fears, and about how I wanted ta always protect and help my friends no matter what.” She looked towards the mark on her flank, just staring at it for a while. An apple tree, protecting others from the heat of the sun; ponies eating of the fruit she produced, keeping them happy and healthy and providing nourishment. “I… I see it. I’m someone that others kin depend on.”

“There ya go. That’s better. Now take what ya learned and teach yer friends the best way you can. From what ya told me yesterday it was yer leadership that helped inspire everyone when they were ready to quit, and yer plans that allowed ya ta come back from a hopeless game ta win.”

“That’s right. I’m a little different than yesterday, but I’m not so different Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle won’t like me anymore.”

Apple Bloom hopped off her bed, jumping in the air. “I got a cutie mark! Woohoo!” She rushed out of the room bouncing like a rabbit.

Applejack smiled. “I guess here it comes for real.” As she went downstairs she saw what she had initially expected: Apple Bloom was bouncing off the walls in excitement, struggling to stay still long enough to eat some breakfast and clearly impatient to run off to school to show her friends.

When she arrived at school she sought out Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Hey, guys!”

The two of them turned towards her. “Hey. Apple Bloom,” said Scootaloo. “How was your night?”

“Just great. I have a surprise for you.”

“Cool! What is it?”

Apple Bloom turned to the side, and the two of them gasped, their faces lighting up. “You got your cutie mark!”

Sweetie Belle asked, “It’s real this time, right?”

“Yep!” Apple Bloom responded. “It’s not the cutie pox this time.”

“When did you get it?”

“According to Applejack it was right before I went to sleep. I was just thinking of how much I loved you guys and wanted to always protect you. I didn’t know I had it until I woke up and she told me.”

“So what does it mean?” Scootaloo asked, studying it. “I know it has to do with apples, since you have an apple tree and all your family has apple related cutie marks. Are you a farmer now?”

“Applejack said the tree is supposed to represent me protecting others from the things that can harm them. So I’m the one that helps provide shade in the hot sun, or the one who stands between you and a bully.”

“Ooh!” cried out Sweetie Belle. “I like that. It sounds a lot like you.”

Apple Bloom let out a little sigh. “I’m sorry, you guys.”

“Hmm? Why are you sorry?”

“When I saw I got my cutie mark I was afraid… well, I thought you wouldn’t like me anymore. I thought you would find it an insult after all we went through yesterday.”

“Nah!” said Scootaloo, giving her a playful shove. “We’d only find it an insult if you became like Diamond Tiara and thought you were too good for us now that you got your cutie mark.”

“Of course I don’t feel like that.”

“Then there’s no problem,” said Sweetie Belle. “It just means that me and Scootaloo need to work even harder so our trio remains a trio.”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom said excitedly.

As she sat down at her seat she saw Diamond Tiara look at her out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t say anything.

“So you feel special now that you went to Manehatten?” Diamond Tiara whispered. “I hope you brought back something worthwhile with you so you’ll be less of a loser.” She was still sore at Apple Bloom for her behavior the day before.

“Yep!” Apple Bloom said, turning to her. “A much stronger friendship with the friends I already have, along with some new friends.”

“Hmph! Like it matters. You’re still a talentless blank fla-” Diamond Tiara stopped as she saw the mark on Apple Bloom, blinking a few times as she tried to process a retort.

“Before you ask, it’s real this time. The mark itself doesn’t really mean anything as much as the meaning BEHIND getting it. This cutie mark is a result of my bond with my friends and my desire to protect them. I don’t need to brag and show off my cutie mark like you. I only want to brag about my friends and show them off.”

Diamond Tiara was at a loss for words for one of the few times in her life. This was twice now that Apple Bloom had stumped her, and she did it in such a polite and disarming way.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle each looked at Apple Bloom with big smiles, having overheard what she was saying. The two of them felt honored that their friend wanted to show them off.