After my lunchtime, I got up from my rest on the sofa. I checked my cupboards again and realized I was short of a few items, guess it's shopping time again for me. I grabbed several bits and left the house, I was trotting along through the town until I saw the CMC's with small but heavy looking bags.

"Hi there, you three." I greeted.

"Oh hey Bond!" They all replied.

"What's with the bags?"

"Oh these are our bowling ball bags." Sweetie Belle answered.

"Yeah, we're gonna have a game at the bowling alley." Scootaloo added.

"Wanna come and see us get our cutie marks in bowling?" Applebloom asked.

"I guess so, seeing I have nothing else to do today...except shop but that can wait." I replied.

We walked to Kingpin's Bowling Alley where Applebloom had something to say.

"Today's the day, Cutie Mark Crusaders, ah can just feel it. Today we're gonna get our cutie marks in...bowling!" she stated.

"Woohoo!" Scootaloo cheered as she jumped in the air.

Sweetie Belle cheered as well but she was holding her bowling bag with her teeth, she spat it out, "I mean, yay!"

"Why, after today, we won't be known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders anymore, we'll be...the three strikes!" Applebloom declared

"That makes us sound like we struck out." Scootaloo replied.

"How about the pin twins?"

"But there are three of us." Sweetie protested.

"Okay then, umm...the bowling dolls!"

"Bowling Dolls, that's it!" Sweetie replied.

"Perfect!" Scootaloo added.

"Alrighty then, let's bowl them over."

"Just remember you three." I intervened, "If you don't get your cutie marks in this, don't be too guttered." I then performed a rimshot.

The three fillies groaned at my punchline and we all headed inside the bowling alley. I was guttered myself, I thought I bowled out the perfect punch lane...I mean line. Anyways, I watched them play and to no surprise, they weren't very good at it. Each bowl they threw was more laughable than before, but I laughed on the inside so as not to upset the fillies. After we were done with the game, we left the bowling alley.

"That bowling sure was fun." Sweetie said. "Even though all I got was gutter balls."

"Yeah, at least you were able to keep your bowl in your lane." Scootaloo replied, "I don't think Mr. Kingpin is ever gonna let me play again."

"Yeah, but that was before I reasoned with him, you should be lucky you're friends with an alicorn." I added.

"Hey, maybe I could get my cutiemark in demolition."

Scootaloo and Sweetie giggled about it, I knew they were joking. Besides, I'm the only one who can handle explosives...don't ask.

Meanwhile, Applebloom was being very silent and was looking very low which concerned me and the others.

"Oh come on Applebloom." Scootaloo said.

"I know just what you need to put the bloom back on your apple." Sweetie added. "A treat from Sugarcube Corner will cheer you up."

"That's where I was going to do a bit of sweet shopping." I said.

We went onwards to the sweet shop and Sweetie bought a cupcake for Applebloom to try and cheer her up, but Applebloom's mood didn't change.

"No it won't." she said depressingly.

We then tried other things that would cheer her up, but they were all met with the same response. This wasn't looking good for both us around her and Applebloom herself. After so many attempts, we kinda gave up and watched Applebloom continue to sulk, but she wasn't looking where she was going as we noticed that she was walking into the Everfree Forest.

"Come on Applebloom, it's just a cutiemark." Scootaloo said.

"Or a lack of a cutiemark." Sweetie added.

"Shhh, that's not helping." I said to her.

"Applebloom, where are you going?" Scootaloo called. "Applebloom come back!"

I sighed, "Just let her be, you two. I guess she just needs a bit of space, I'm sure she'll be careful after the last time you lot went in there."

"Don't remind us..." Scootaloo muttered.

"I'd give it some time, I'm sure she'll come back and feel better. Anyways, I've gotta go and do my shopping."

"And we gotta get back to our lessons, it's almost time." Sweetie replied.

"See you later, Bond." Scootaloo added as they galloped back to town and to the filly school.

I walked back into town and resumed my shopping. A use of magic, two bags full of the savoury food and one small bag of peppermint sticks later and it was sunset, I walked back home to drop my shopping and store them away. I still feel blessed to have several thousands of bits and even more so since no other pony (apart from the Mane 6, Spike, The Mayor and Celestia) knows about it, I have no desire of getting robbed of bits. I went into bed seeing there was nothing else for me to do today, but I did wonder if Applebloom was feeling better.

I woke up by the late morning and after I left my home, I saw Applejack and Applebloom, but what Applebloom was doing shocked me...she had three cutiemarks, I'm guessing something happened while she was at the forest.

"What in the heck?!" I exclaimed, walking towards them.

"No time to explain sugarcube." Applejack replied, "We gotta go to Twilight's home for an answer."

"I'll come with you, I have nothing else to do today."

We then walked to Twilight's home and told her that Applebloom has more than one cutiemark and she couldn't stop doing those actions.

"Three cutiemarks? Three talents? I've never seen anything like it." Twilight commented. "I was just reading something about unusual equine illnesses. What was it?" Twilight began searching through the shelves of books as I walked towards Applejack.

"What's going on? What's up with Applebloom?" I asked.

"I don't know! She got one more cutie mark and now she can't stop doing neither!" Applejack replied worriedly.

"'Perplexing Pony Plagues', perhaps?" Spike said from the top of a ladder and hopped over to Twilight's back.

"Yes, Spike, you're amazing!" Twilight praised.

"Yes, well, I do have some talents." Spike placed the book on a nearby podium, which Twilight began reading through.

"Hay fever...the trots..." She gasped loudly. "Cutie pox!"

"Cutie pox?" I asked, "That's a new one."

"Cutie pox. This puzzling pony plague afflicted a population of ponies back in the paleopony period!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Heh, say that ten times fast!" Spike joked, pointing his fingers toward the book.

Twilight returned narrowed eyes and bumped him off her back. "Random cutie marks appeared all over the ponies' bodies, causing them to perform all the talents that came with them!"

"Just like me!" Applebloom shouted as she continued to perform the actions of her cutie marks.

"Yes, but what's the cure? What's the cure?" Applejack asked in a demanding tone.

Twilight took another look at her book but opened her mouth in shock. "It says here there's no known cure!"

"No known cure?" The others exclaimed.

"The cause of the breakout was never discovered, and the cutie pox disappeared as mysteriously as they arrived!"

"Oh no!" Applebloom expressed worriedly and suddenly received another cutie mark. "Sacrebleu ! Plus de marques de cutie!" She gasped. "Qu'est-ce c'est? Je parle français?"

Her different language surprised us all.

"My sister's speakin' in fancy!" Applejack exclaimed.

"It's French, Applejack." I corrected.

"Now's not the time for corrections, Bond. She needs help!" Twilight announced.

"Ah know she needs help! We can't just wait for this to go away! We gotta find somepony to mix up a cure! And fast!"

"Tout de suite!"

"Not some pony...some zebra!" Twilight offered.

"Zecora!" Applejack realized. "C'mon! We need to go now!"

Twilight picked up Spike and we all exited and headed to Zecora's, galloping rapidly.

Outside, we continued running until we looked back and noticed Applebloom was trailing behind, struggling with her cutie marks.

"Hurry, hurry!" Applejack shouted.

"Dépêchez-vous!"

Suddenly, another cutie mark appeared behind Applebloom's flank, revealing sculpture tools. She was forced off my back to retrieve the tools and instantly created a perfect statue in the middle of town. Then, she received another cutie mark and she was immediately on top of a roof, cleaning out a chimney. As expected, she helplessly endured another cutie mark to which she began playing an accordion, all while continuing to spin the plates and twirl the hoop, in front of other ponies. Another cutie mark appeared and soon she was whipping a lion as she held a stool in front of her.

"Hang on, where did the lions come from, is that Jumanji guy at it again?" I asked randomly.

Yet another cutie mark was spotted, causing her to run to the park and be victorious against an elderly by playing chess. Right after, she was in front of us, as well as other ponies, fencing with another pony. Twilight and Applejack looked at each other worriedly as Spike was watching Applebloom's struggle while casually eating a bag of popcorn.

"She's cursed!" Lily exclaimed.

Applebloom was tightrope walking on some flags tied by a couple of poles.

"Hexed!" Roseluck added.

Applebloom was now sky flying.

"Enchanted!" Daisy finished.

"No, she's not." Spike assured from a stack of hay with narrowed eyes. The ponies sighed in relief. "She just has some weird mysterious disease with no known cure called-"

I quickly interrupted and cut off his sentence by placing my hoof on his mouth. I looked at the other ponies. "It's nothing."

Spike removed my hoof and looked at me awkwardly. "What do you mean 'nothing'? She has cutie pox."

"Cutie pox?" Everypony screamed and instantly cowered back into their homes.

We were left by ourselves in a silent town as a roll of tumbleweed passed by us. I looked at Spike with a displeased expression.

"What?" He asked.

"I thought I had removed their fear the last time that I visited here." We heard Zecora as she spoke to us. "But, doors are barred and shutters shut, guess I should've stayed inside my hut."

"Zecora!" Twilight shouted. "Apple Bloom has cutie pox!" She pointed to Applebloom who was too busy doing complex math on a chalkboard. "We were just on our way to see if you had a cure!"

"But magically you're here! Was your zebra sense a-tinglin'?" Applejack asked.

"My 'zebra sense' did not bring me round, it was a special flower that I needed found. I thought I picked enough to fix all the potions I had to mix, but after my visit from Applebloom, some had mysteriously left my room." Zecora walked forward to Applebloom. "Applebloom! What do you say? Did this flower just walk away?"

Applebloom looked at her worriedly as she lifted up weights. Another cutie mark appeared on her forehead. "I, um..." She was instantly forced to move to a nearby window and begin washing it with sponges and bucket of soap and water. Ponies inside the home noticed this and covered their faces with hazard masks.

"A cutie pox cure I have forsooth, for healing power is in the seeds of truth." Zecora pulled out some seeds from her bag.

"Well, well then give 'em to her! Quick!" Applejack quickly responded.

"These seeds must be planted in the ground. With the truth, they'll grow, and the cure is found." Zecora explained as she held up the seeds on her tail.

"Come again?" Applejack asked, confused.

"She means that the seeds have to grow into a flower, but only speaking the truth is its nourishment."

Zecora nodded and returned a scolding look towards Applebloom who was too busy struggling with her heavy weight and other movements.

"Well then let's get to it!" Applejack bumped the seeds from Zecora's tail and planted them in the ground.

"Applebloom, you've gotta tell the truth, it's the only way to make the flower grow and to put an end to the cutie pox." I called.

"Wah, ah can't stand it anymore!" Applebloom shouted as she continued spinning. "It's me! Ah admit it! Ah didn't earn my cutie mark! They're all fake!" Her spinning stopped as she plopped back on the floor, but her tapping resumed. Zecora released a grin as we looked at the ground for any changes. There was a twitch. "Ah figured the Heart's Desire would help me get what ah wanted most! So when Zecora left her hut, ah mixed up a special potion and put the rest of the Heart's Desire in it!" The planted seeds moved more, and then finally spurted out from the dirt and evolved into a magnificent flower, causing everypony to awe in amazement.

However, Applebloom quickly dove herself to the flower and ate it in one gulp. She sighed and fell to the floor, relieved. All of her cutie marks began disappearing from her body. She stood up and noticed the changes, smiling afterwards.

"Applebloom!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed nearby as she and Scootaloo ran towards her.

"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ah'm great, and ah've never been happier to be a blank flank. But ah'm awful sorry ah lied, 'specially to you gals. Ah was so desperate for my cutie mark, ah just got carried away." She apologized and walked up to Zecora. "And ah'm really sorry ah snuck those flowers from you, Zecora. Ah wouldn't blame you if you never wanted me to come by again."

"Now, Applebloom," Zecora lifted her head with her hoof. "…do not be silly. You are always welcome, my little filly. With each mistake you learn something new, growing up into a better you."

When we looked to see Zecora, she had mysteriously disappeared.

"What...how the hell did she disappear already?!" I asked which got no reply.

"Applebloom, would you mind writing to Princess Celestia and telling her what you've learned?"

"Ah'd be happy to, Twilight!" Applebloom cheerfully accepted. "Spike?" She called.

Spike immediately ran to her side with a quill and letter in his hand. "Ready!"

"Dear Princess Celestia, waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a short-cut. But this dishonesty never works, because you didn't earn what your heart desired. The only cure is being honest with yourself, and others. And that's something every heart desires." Applebloom presented as her friends smiled at her.

Spike took a deep breath and blew the scroll, sending it to the Princess.

"Ah sure am proud of you, sis." Applejack announced. "Seems like you finally learned the importance of patience."

"Yeah." I added. "You really don't want to rush things through. Ah promise you'll find that cutie mark when the time is right."

"Yup! All good things come to those who wait." Applebloom smiled. "Well, ah've waited long enough."

"Actually, that was way too long." Scootaloo agreed as they ran past us.

"What?" Applejack exclaimed in shock.

"So what are we gonna do today to earn our cutie marks?" Applebloom asked.

"Well, I was thinking, for a pony who's never mixed up a potion before, you sure stirred up something fierce." Scootaloo offered.

"Yeah! So what if your talent is potion making?" Sweetie Belle added.

"Oh my gosh, totally! Let's go talk to Zecora, now!" Applebloom realized and the three of them began running towards the forest.

"Yeah!"

"Woohoo!"

I sighed and shook my head, but at least they were okay.

"So, what now for the rest of the day?" I asked.

"Ah think getting lunch and some rest may be on the list." Applejack replied.

"Good idea, let's get to that right now." Twilight said.

Soon, we had our lunch out at the cafe and it was nice to see things back to normal. Hopefully that also in time, the fillies would learn to be more patient and earning their cutie marks. As we stayed at the cafe for the rest of the lunch hour and talking about what each of them will have a special talent in, we moved on to pets...which got me thinking, why don't I have a pet? Next Chapter: May The Best Pet Win Estimated time remaining: 21 Hours, 49 Minutes