Disclaimer: I own only the following: Charles.

Chapter 12: Call of the Cutie

On a nice sunny afternoon the school bell rings signaling to get to class. Each of the students were in their assigned seats with cutie marks on each of their flanks weather it be a daisy flower, a silver spoon, or a bow and arrow. Even the teacher has one and each appears when they discover their talents and livings. Some however take awhile to discover.

"Let's quiet down please. We have a very important lesson to get to." the teacher Miss Cherilee ordered. The class obeyed and silenced to hear what the teacher has to teach.

"Thank you. Today we are going to be talking about cutie marks." Cherilee flips a page on an art board stand to show different types of cutie mark symbols and pictures.

"Bo-ring [sigh]" a filly named Diamond Tiara sighed in boredom uninterested since she got her own. A curious Applebloom however was more than intriqued about the symbols and payed attention with a pencil in her mouth so she could write down her notes.

"You can all see my cutie mark, can't you? Like all ponies, I wasn't born with a cutie mark. My flank was blank." Cherilee flips the next page to show herself as a baby.

"Aww...! She's so precious!" a filly with big purple glasses named Twist cooed with a lisp.

"Then one day, when I was about your age, I woke up to find that a cutie mark had appeared." Cherilee flips another page to show her in a 80's disco like outfit this time with her cutie mark in it and braces showing on her teeth also with a very fuzzy mane and tail unlike her appearance now.

"Look at her hair!" one of the classmates pointed and the whole class laughed at the picture.

"Yes I know, but honestly, that's how everypony was wearing their mane back then. I had decided to become a teacher, and the flowers symbolized my hope that I could help my future students bloom if I nurture them with knowledge. The smiles represented the cheer I hope to bring to my little ponies while they were learning. Now, can anyone tell me when a pony gets his or her cutie mark?" Cherilee asked. Twist raised her hoof waving it impatiently.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! When she discovers that certain something that makes her special!" Twist explained.

"That's right, Twist. A cutie mark appears on a pony's flank when he or she finds that certain something that makes them different from every other pony. Discovering what makes you unique isn't something-" while Cherilee teaches Applebloom writes down her notes about what she is learning about cutie marks. She then heard a pssting sound and looked around to see if anyone called her but ignored it and went back to her notes. Then Diamond Tiara comes closer and pssts her. Applebloom ignores her but Tiara does it again this time louder.

"What?" Applebloom asked in frustration turning her attention to Tiara. She then gave out a note in her mouth gesturing to take it. Applebloom looked to her left and sees Silver Spoon Diamond Tiara's best friend gesturing her hoof to pass it over. She didn't want to do it at first but as soon as she grabs it Cherilee didn't take long to notice it.

"Apple Bloom! Are you passing a note?" Cherilee asked sharply.

"Uh I... Um..." Applebloom stuttered to find an answer as she dropped the scrap of paper and Cherilee approaches.

"What could be so important that it couldn't wait until after class?" Cherilee looked down and gasped in surprise and confusion at the paper.

"It's blank." Cherilee said in surprise. Diamond Tiara then started laughing which Applebloom did not find amusing.

"Remind you of anypony? [laughter]" Tiara asked. Applebloom then realized what she meant as she looked at her flank which had nothing but blank on it. Not a cutie mark rested there. The class began laughing along with Tiara and Applebloom cowers in embarrassment unable to take the humiliation of being one of the only blank flanks in the whole school.

Later the afternoon the bell rings signaling that school is over. The fillies began running out of the school happy that the day is finally over except for Applebloom who mopes still embarrassed by the event that happened earlier.

"Want some sweets? I've got some peppermint sticks. I made them myself." Twist offered kindly note that she too is also a blank flank.

Bloom just shook her head. "Mmm-mmm."

Twist continued to coax her as they both stopped. "They'll make you smile."

"No."

She looked back the way she came and saw Diamond and Silver walking along.

"I don't know why we had to sit through a lecture about getting a cutie mark.", Diamond complained. "I mean, waiting for your cutie mark is so last week." They have pulled even with Bloom and Twist and Silver waggled her rump smugly for Bloom to glare at. "You've got yours…" She showed off hers for "…I just got mine." They then walked past… "We all have them already." …before gasping and doubling back. "I mean, almost all of us have them already." The bespectacled white filly glowered silently at the showoff, who circled around with Silver. "Don't worry, you two. You're still totally invited to my cute-ceañera this weekend."

"It's going to be amazing.", Silver said.

"It's a party celebrating me and my fantastic cutie mark. How could it not be?"

The two the proceeded to do a special shake. "Bump," They tapped one front hoof together—Diamond's right, Silver's left—while standing on the opposite hind leg. "Bump," Then, they stood on both hind legs and tapped both front hooves together. "Sugar lump—" Diamond's left hock and Silver's right one touched. "—Rump!" They finished by putting their rumps together so that their cutie marks were framed next to each other.

Their giggles contrasted markedly with Bloom's disgusted expression. "Gimme a break.", she grumbled under her breath as Diamond and Silver walked off.

"See you this weekend…", Silver called, then she and Diamond giggled, "…blank-flanks!" There came more derisive laughter, leaving the pair discomfited.

Bloom returns to her home Sweet Apple Acres trotting back and forth in anger and dissapointment while her older sister Applejack works on collecting applesand putting them into buckets

"It's not fair! It's just not fair!" Applebloom complained frustratedly.

"Don't get your mane in a tangle. You'll get your cutie mark. Everypony gets one eventually." Applejack assured.

"But I don't want one eventually! I want one right now! I can't go to Diamond Tiara's cute-ceañera without one, I just can't!" Applebloom cried.

"'Course you can. Y'know, I was the last pony in my class to get my cutie mark, and I couldn't be prouder of it. I know my future was to run Sweet Apple Acres, and these bright shiny apples sealed the deal. [gasp] Come to think of it, Granny Smith was the last one in her class, too. Huh, same as Big Macintosh." Applejack pointed out.

"I really don't see how that's supposed to make me feel better. It probably means that being the last one in your class to get a cutie mark runs in the family. ...runs in the family. Runs in the family! Runs in the family! You've got apples for your cutie mark, Granny Smith has an apple pie, Big Macintosh has an apple half, my unique talent must has som'n to do with apples! Apples, apples, apples!" Bloom started hopping in excitement until she accidentally landed on a bucket of apples and makes a mess of scattered apples on the ground.

"Oops... apples." Bloom muttered sheepishly. As soon as Applejack gathered enough apples to sell at town she agreed to let Bloom help out as they have their own selling cart near Sugarcube Corner.

She and Apple Bloom each wore a white apron. While the latter had an apple balanced on her head, the former was calling out to the crowd.

"Get your delicious, nutritious apples here!"

"Delicious and nutritious, and so many uses!", Bloom advertized. With a toss of her head, she flipped the apple upward, caught it in her mouth, and started chewing. "You can eat 'em…" She then addressed Golden Harvest and Shoeshine. "…play with 'em…"

Grabbing another one from the nearest tub in her teeth, she threw it into the air and smacked it with a tennis racquet, which wound up a sopping, pulpy mess.

A distant crash came later and a voice yelled, "Hey! Watch it!"

A third apple went airborne and before it landed, Bloom kicked it backward. "…create fine art for your home with 'em…" Ponet, who was about to start painting a picture, had his creativity rudely interrupted when the apple splattered against his canvas. He caught some of the mess on his nose and glared at Bloom when she zipped over. "…you'd have to be crazy not to get a bushel of your very own!"

"Or if you're a carrot farmer.", Shoeshine mumbled, turning to the orange mare.

"Right.", Carrot Top agreed with a slight bitter look as she saw Applejack pull her little sister back by the bow. From her experience, carrots turned bitter when stored with apples. She fancied herself as a rival to Apple family, even though she doesn't earn as much as them. In fact, her farm, Golden Harvests, which she runs together with her father, was a fair distance from theirs.

Applejack laughed apologetically to the crowd. "She's so creative.", she said.

Another light brown colt passes by and Bloom didn't hesitate to try and convince him to buy some of her product.

"Care to buy some apples?"

"Uh, no, thanks."

Bloom popped out from a produce cart to cut him off again. "Why not?"

The Stallion began to back away nervously. "I have plenty at home." He then suddenly bumped into something and he turned around to see Bloom there.

"Are you sure?"

The Stallion walked forward. "Yes, I'm pretty sure." She cut him off yet again and slowly backed him up toward the apple cart.

"You're pretty sure, but you're not absolutely, positively, completely, super-duper sure, are you?"

The Stallion was beginning to sweat buckets before this onslaught. "Uh, if I buy some apples, will you please leave me alone?"

Bloom brightened instantly. "All right!"

After a quick bit of fishing around, he produced several coins, threw them into Applejack's apron pocket, then bolted away with an apple in his teeth.

"You forgot your change!" Applejack called after him.

"Woo-hoo!", Bloom whooped. "That's how you sell some apples and get a cutie mark!" These last words puzzled her older sister a fair bit. She turned to see her circling in place, her head cocked back over her shoulder to see if any new decorations have popped up farther back.

"So, what does my cutie mark look like? A shoppin' bag full of apples? A satisfied customer eating an apple?" She stopped after a while, noticing the area to be still blank, and crossed to Berry Punch, who was looking over a tub of apples placed on the ground. "Hmmm…maybe I gotta increase my sales figures first." She looked Berry dead in the eye. "You touch it, you buy it! We take cash or credit."

This declaration came with enough force to push the prospective customer back in a fright. Applejack stepped in, "I'm sorry, ma'am." But the mare already bailed out. "Ma'am!" With a frustrated little sigh, she turned around. "Now, Apple Bloom, you can't just—"

On the end of this, Bloom was emptying a tub of apples into a saddlebag worn by Bon Bon. "That'll be four bits."

The mare glared down at her. "I didn't put those in my bag!"

"Likely story. Four bits, lady!"

Applejack shoved a hoof over her sister's mouth. "Apple Bloom!" She turned to Bon Bon. "I am really, really sorry 'bout that. She's new." She dumped in several apples on the saddlebag not stuffed with apples. "Here. Take these. No charge." Applejack pointed to another load. "And these." Those go in, but Bon Bon still didn't seem satisfied—so Applejack pulled out another tub. "And these."

Applejack called after Bon Bon, "Y'all come back now, you hear?"

Applejack's cart entire inventory was now gone. Apple Bloom was looking at her sister as if not know what she did wrong.

"What?"

"Sorry, little sis, but your apple-sellin' days are over!" Applejack then pulled at Bloom's apron in her teeth and took it off.

"What?! But how else am I gonna get my cutie mark?", she argued as she yanked it back.

"Home!" The older sister stamped a hoof. "Now!" The failed salesfilly spat the apron away with a pout and whine and Applejack gave a sigh. "Listen, sugarcube. I know it's hard to wait for your very own cutie mark, but you just can't force it. Besides, you're not that grown-up just yet. Ain't there other fillies in your class without one?"

"Well…Twist doesn't have hers yet."

"Do you think you'd feel better if you went to the party with her?", Applejack asked.

Bloom gave a smile. "Mmm-hmm."

"Well, there you go! Bet you and Twist. Now run along and find your friend."

Bloom started to hurry off just then, the yellow filly stopped. "You're sure you don't want me to stick around 'til the end of the market?"

"Hey! Who's been usin' my racquet?", a male voice called out. The two turned and observed with worry an earth pony stallion with a light tan coat, dark blue eyes, dark brown hair with mustache and sideburns, a red headband that held his mane back, a blue/white sweatband on one foreleg, yellow-white shorts that hid his tennis ball cutie mark, and prominent tufts of hair on his chest. As it was, he was the owner of the tennis racquet Bloom used a couple of minutes ago and he was not amused.

Applejack answered her sister, "Yeah. I'm sure."

A while later…

Bloom comes to the herb/flower shop which was tended to by Daisy, Rose, and Lily, but they weren't around right now. Bloom trotted to the front door and knocked. Its top half opened and Twist looked out, noticing her classmate after a moment.

"Oh. What's up, Apple Bloom?"

Bloom was occasionally glancing back at her rump as she spoke. "So I was thinkin', maybe we could go to Diamond Tiara's cute-ceañera together. I don't have a cutie mark, you don't have a cutie mark."

Twist was uneasy at this. "Well, um…" She ducked down and hit the latch on the door's lower half. It swung open to expose two things: a suddenly self-satisfied grin, and a mint-condition cutie mark of two crossed candy canes. Bloom stared pop-eyed with a gasp as Twist brightened considerably as she walked past. "Isn't my cutie mark swell? I've always loved making my own savory sweets, but it took me some time to discover that it was my super-special talent. Pretty sweet, huh?"

If Bloom's spirits were low before, they were now perhaps five feet beneath her hooves as she sat on her rump in front of the shop door. "Yeah. Pretty…sweet."

Twist tried to console her friend. "Hey, this doesn't mean we can't go to the cute-ceañera together." It was at that moment that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon crossed behind her. "You're still gonna come to the party, aren't you?"

"Of course she will.", said the pink earth pony filly.

"It's not like being the only pony there without a cutie mark will be, like…" Silver made a contemptuous laugh. "…the most embarrassing thing ever."

Those last five words caused the little filly's cheeks to burn red with shame, and she bit her lower lip to keep from crying as the stuck-up pair's nasty laughter drifted over.

Elsewhere…

Apple Bloom sat glumly by a well amid a cluster of houses in Ponyville, depressed that she is now the only filly in her whole school and town to have a blank flank. Just then, Rainbow Dash poked her head into view from above.

"Whoa.", the pegasus said. "Looks like somepony's got a dark cloud hanging over her head." Indeed, there was a dark cloud directly overhead—a sizable one, to be exact. "Let me do something about that." Rainbow bulldozed it away and descended to the ground. "What's the matter, kid?"

Bloom stood up, sucked in a huge breath, and started to spill her guts, not literally thankfully. "There's a cute-ceañera this afternoon and everypony in my class'll be there and they'll all have their cutie marks and I wanna get my cutie mark but I'm no good at sellin' apples but I really wanna go to the party but how can I go to the party if I don't have my cutie mark which my big sister says I'm gonna get eventually but…" She then went into full whine mode. "…I WANT IT NOOOWWW!"

The pegasus did not even skip a beat in the face of this phonetic onslaught. "Cutie mark? I can get you a cutie mark like that!" At the end of this, she snapped her tail out straight and revealed her own.

"Applejack says these things take time. I have to just wait for it to happen."

"Why wait for something to happen when you can make it happen?"

"But…Applejack says that…"

"Hey, who are you gonna listen to? Applejack, or the pony who was first in her class to get a cutie mark?"

"I always liked flying and all, but I was going nowhere in a hurry. It wasn't until my very first race that I discovered a serious need for speed. And ka-zam!" She showed off her flank and went into a crouch. "This sweet baby appeared as fast as lightning." She then took off, leaving a certain yellow filly to gaze up in admiration.

A while later…

Bloom now wearing a headband with her bow, did push-ups in the grass while Rainbow hovered behind her, having put on a headband and hung a whistle around her neck.

"That's right!", the pegasus was saying. "Stretch out those legs! Gotta be nice and loose! The key here is to try as many things as possible, as quickly as possible. One of 'em is bound to lead to your cutie mark. Are you ready?"

Bloom straightened up and replied, "I'm ready!"

"I said, are you ready?!"

Bloom reared up. "I'm ready!"

"Juggling! Go!"

There was a blow of the whistle, as Bloom stood on one hind leg, juggling several balls from a nearby basket. She did well for a few seconds before losing her balance and belly-flopping into the grass, the balls bouncing off her head and back.

At the end of a cliff…

"Hang gliding! Go!"

Another whistle and Bloom—now sporting an old-style aviator's leather helmet and goggles—started into a sprint with a glider on her back. After several dozen yards however, she tripped and started to tumble head over tail. "Whoa!" She slid to an upside-down stop just short of the cliff, with one corner of the glider hanging over the edge and Rainbow throwing her a slightly disgusted look.

After a lot of failed attempts…

"Karate! Go!"

They were now in a karate dojo, with Rainbow clad in a martial-arts training uniform—and a black belt (unsurprisingly) to boot—and Bloom similarly clad, and without the headband, but with a white belt (naturally).

At the sound of the whistle, Bloom took off with a flying kick, yelling out something appropriate for the martial art. One rear hoof connected squarely with a heavy bag, but it did not move; instead, Bloom's face instantly froze into an expression of incredible silent pain. She hung motionless for a second before thudding to the floor.

In a meadow…

"Kite flying! Go!"

Having ditched their uniforms, and with Bloom back in her blue headband, the latter stood with a with a kite made of leaves lying behind her, its spool of line in her teeth. The two blue older ponies watched from a safe distance.

At the sound of the whistle, The earth pony filly began to gallop, letting the line play out as the kite started to gain altitude. All too soon, though, it took a few deranged loops before nose-diving straight to the ground. The novice kite-flyer watched wide-eyed as all the leaves crumpled off the branch framework.

"Ultra Pony Roller Derby! Go!"

Rainbow stood on a small table on the infield of a roller rink. As the whistle sounded once more, they watched a crash-helmeted Bloom scramble by on skates with three tough-looking fillies in pursuit. She looked fearfully back just in time to see them growl at her, then pitched forward with a scream and tumbled out of control. The other three slammed on the brakes, but too late. There was a collision and the four skaters now lay in a semiconscious tangle at one corner of the rink. Bloom recovered quick, extricated herself, and rolled slowly away, red-faced and grinning as best she can.

Later…

After a lot more activities, the two were now lounging under a tree that was a few feet from Carousel Boutique. While Rainbow was consulting a checklist.

"Tried that one…tried that one…tried that one…", the pegasus say. Just then, the sound of young laughter caught Bloom's attention. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon where walking past, the former having a large, wrapped box on her back.

"Your new outfit is like, perfect for the party.", Silver said as Bloom gasped in fright and dove behind a bush.

"I know. It totally shows off my new cutie mark.", Diamond replied as they walked past the tree where she was resting.

"I love being special."

"Can you imagine how embarrassing it must be to be…not special? "

Silver sighed with contempt. "I don't even want to, like, think about it."

Then, as Rainbow continued to check the list, Bloom climbed out of the bush and lamented, "I'm doomed! Doomed! I'll never find somethin' I'm good at!" She then dropped her head with a pathetic little whimper before Pinkie Pie poked in.

"You look like you'd be good at eating cupcakes.", Pinkie suggested.

Bloom gave a smile. "Eatin' cupcakes?"

Rainbow was a mite confused, "Eating cupcakes?"

Pinkie jumped in place and replied in a sing-song manner, "Eating cupcakes!"

As she then hopped away, Bloom turned to the polychromatic-haired pegasus. "I really appreciate all your help, Rainbow Dash." She then slowly backed off "You're a really great coach and I've really learned a lot from you, and I'm sure I could learn a lot more, but…I've got some cupcakes to eat!" She then dashed after Pinkie. "See you at the cute-ceañera! Hold on, Pinkie Pie! I'm comin'!"

As soon as the two made it to the bakery Pinkie prepares to make cupcakes.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this. A cupcake-eating cutie mark, it's sooo obvious. Now, where are those cupcakes? I'm ready t' chow down!" Bloom said excitingly while looking through the cabinets and oven.

"I don't have any cupcakes.", Pinkie said.

"Oh."

Pinkie then gasped sharply as she then went and plunked a chef's hat on Bloom's head. "But you look like you'd be good at helping me make some!"

Bloom sounded uncertain as a light mandolin/tambourine melody began to play. Fast 4, D major. "I guess a "making-cupcakes" cutie mark could work too."

Now Playing: Cupcake Song

All you have to do is take a cup of flour!

Add it to the mix!

Now just take a little something sweet, not sour!

A bit of salt, just a pinch!

Baking these treats is such a cinch!

Add a teaspoon of vanilla!

Add a little more, and you count to four,

And you never get your fill of...

Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty!

Cupcakes! Don't be too hasty!

Cupcakes! Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAKES!

End Song

The kitchen soon becomes a total mess after multiple tries on baking batches of cupcakes. So far each one has been a failure. As the mixer makes a mess of the thickened flour Bloom heads to the oven to get out a finished batch of cupcakes. She then accidentally bumps into a bag of flour and makes a cloudy mess making her cough in the process. As the flour cleared she grabs a mit with her mouth and grabs the tray of burnt cupcakes which was too hot for her to handle.

"Hot, hot, hot!" Bloom shouted in pain and drops the tray sticking her tongue out.

"Oooh, those look much better than the last batch. [chomp] Mmm..." Pinkie started eating the burnt cupcakes and Bloom took a piece to see how she did. After she tasted it she quickly spat it out seeing that another attempt was unsuccessful.

"Ugh! I guess I'm not cut out to be a baker either. [sigh] I just have to face it, I'm gonna have a blank flank forever." Bloom cried in sadness lowering her head.

"What about that?" Pinkie pointed at her flank.

"What about what? Is there something on my flank? Is there, is there, is there?" Bloom asked in excitement spinning around so she can try to see her flank. She sees a bowl and looks at the reflection which shows many images of different cutie marks through a smudge of flour.

"A cutie mark! It's a... a measuring cup? No. A mixin' bowl? No... Are those cupcakes? A tower of cupcakes maybe." Bloom pointed out. Pinkie came over and blowed off the flour from her flank.

"Flour. It's flour! Yay! I guessed it. What game you wanna play next? Please say bingo, please say bingo." Pinkie pleaded cheerfully while Bloom lowers her head in shame.

"Whoa!" They all turned to see Twilight Sparkle and Charles d'Artagnan at the kitchen door. "What's been going on in here?"

Pinkie slid over to her, with a tray of burned cupcakes on her head. "We've been making cupcakes. Want to try one?"

"No, thank you. Not that they don't look…" The unicorn mare forced a grin. "…delicious." Charles "pfft"ed in response.

"Twilight! Charles!", Bloom cried out. "You have to help me!"

"What's the matter?" both unicorns asked.

For the second time, the little pony got a good lungful of air to explain her problem.

"Tiara's cute-ceañera's today and everypony in my class will be there and they all have cutie marks and I want to get my cutie mark but I'm no good at selling apples or hang-gliding or making cupcakes, but I wanna go to the party but how can I go to the party if I don't have my cutie mark, which Pinkie Pie says I can't just make appear, but I need it to appear, RIIIGHT NOW!", Bloom finished.

Like Rainbow, Twilight and Charles had managed to hold their ground and their composure. "Uh…I don't follow. How can we help you?" Twilight asked confusingly."You can use your magic to make my cutie mark appear!"

"Oh, no, Apple Bloom. A cutie mark is something that a pony has to discover for herself."

"Please, Twilight. Just try."

"I'm sorry, but—"

Bloom started to fidget, grabbing Twilight's chest. "Oh, please, please, please, please, please!"

Left with no choice, Twilight conceded, "All right, all right!"

Bloom backed up. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The multi-talented unicorn then fired up her horn and hit the right spot with a blast. A cart filled with apples appeared. "YES! I knew you could do…" Her tone changed as she saw it vanish. "…it."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But I told you—"

"Try again, try again!"

With the classic sigh that was the precursor of an "I told you so", Twilight followed orders. This time, she conjured up a kite mark, which also faded out. This was followed by three cupcakes, a teddy bear, a tricycle, and so on. Bloom was gradually showing increasing dejection as flash after flash hit her with increasing speed. The final failed attempt was a trio of footballs, after which she voiced a little gasp and Twilight lifted her head clear.

"Told you that not even magic can make a cutie mark appear before its time."

Suddenly, Charles had an idea as he lighted up. "Oh wait! There is another way!"

"Really?!", asked the two females.

"But you'll eventually have to try and actually live up to it or explain why it has changed after you really get your cutie mark."

"Why?", Bloom wanted to know.

"Two words. Flank stickers."

At this, Twilight frowned. "Those things?"

"Uh-huh. Along with some hair dye, special body paint, and even fake eyelashes, I use flank stickers to disguise myself when shrouding myself in clothes isn't enough."

"May I see one?", Bloom asked. "Please, please, please!"

"Unfortunately, I don't have any." This set Bloom's spirits down.

"Then why did you even bring it up if you don't have them?", Twilight scolded.

"It was only until all this cutie mark-thing did I remember them. And that I'll need to get more from the Canterlot black market."

"You go to the black market?!"

"Sometimes. I keep away from the very shady ones though."

"It's hopeless. Hopeless!", Bloom lamented, interrupting their argument as she walked slowly to the shop floor, Charles following her. "I just won't go to the party. I can't go! Everyone will just laugh at me and make fun of me and call me names. It will be the worst night of my life."

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as all that.", Twilight assured, putting her argument with Charles behind her for the moment.

"I'm sure it will be now that you said that.", her bodyguard snarked.

"Forget it.", said Bloom. "There's no way I'm goin' to that…" She stopped short upon seeing the shop floor filled with mares and fillies, presents and sweets stacked up on the tables, and the whole place tricked out for a soiree. She gave a hard gulp. "…party?"

Charles took the time to analyze his surroundings after remembering the event taking place here. He heard music and happy chatter. He then heard the sound of somepony spitting out something, then turned to see that one of them had tried Apple Bloom's failed cupcakes. He turned another way and saw Diamond Tiara strutting her stuff, wearing an outfit that consisting of a white-polka-dotted pink saddle with blue and pink edging and a frilly white collar, which ironically covered her cutie mark. Silver Spoon, who was alongside, wore a pink/blue saddle with yellow/light-green edging and a blue collar accentuated by a yellow flower. He could even see Twist getting into the spirit, leaving Bloom to sit by a chocolate filly sculpture, which she hid behind.

"How could I have forgotten the time?", she lamented as Charles stood right next. "How could I have forgotten Pinkie Pie was hostin' the party? How could I have forgotten it was at Sugarcube Corner?"

Pinkie popped in and set a party hat on their heads. "Don't forget your party hat…Forgetty Forgetterson!" She then hopped away as Bloom took off her hat.

The yellow filly then zipped from a sculpture to hide behind a cake. "I have to get out of here before anypony sees me."

As a couple of late arrivals strolled in, Snails walked over to the cake and took a huge bite, making a big enough hole to leave Bloom in view…as well as get a reprimand from Diamond.

"Hey!", she yelled as she get into his face. "It's my cute-ceañera! I'm supposed to get the first bite of cake!"

The yellow filly took advantage of the distraction to get away from the table and onto another one, with Charles providing himself as cover. Next, she dove behind a bunch of balloons, but then a dancing Pokey Pierce started to pop them with his horn. She quickly made a break for it and began to work her way in between tables and guests, eventually reaching one with punch bowl.

"Okay, Apple Bloom.", she told herself as she saw the open exit door ahead. "Almost there." Lifting the table on her back, she tiptoed gingerly down the home stretch, stopping twice so as not to draw attention while Charles walked with it. On the second stop, he greeted Berry Punch, who looked around and ignored him before slurping directly from the bowl, ignoring the provided cups.

Charles could only give a confused look as the table soon moved again and approached the doormat. Bloom then emerged and happily headed out, with Charles following, only for them to run flat into Applejack.

"Apple Bloom! You made it!", she cheered as she walked in, pushing Bloom back, forcing Charles to follow. "After I heard about Twist, I was afraid you wouldn't show up. Sure am glad you came to your senses about this whole cutie mark thing." All the while, she hasn't noticed her sister's profuse sweating and scrabbling to get past her and out the door. "These things happen when these things are supposed to happen. Tryin' to rush it'll just drive you crazy." She finally stopped. "I'll let you be. Looks like your friends want to talk to you."

"Which friends?", asked Charles as she and he walked off, then turned to see Diamond and Silver, who were clearly relishing the moment. Charles then turned to the farmpony and said, "Seriously? You think those two are her friends?"

"Why wouldn't they be?", Applejack asked as her little sister yanked the cloth off another table holding a punch bowl, then knot it into a makeshift dress.

"Listen to the conversation carefully." He turned his and her head to the three earth pony fillies as they began to converse. "Observe the tone of the voices of your sister's 'friends'. Do they sound even the slightest bit friendly to you? Hmm?" He made sure to say his words slow and clear to make certain he's got the message across.

"Are they that different from those in Canterlot and all those other places you've been?"

"Very."

Just then, they saw Bloom saunter away from whom Applejack called her friends, only to have her "dress" get snagged on one of the nails of the floorboards, After a moment's straining against the snag, she ripped free of it and toppled forward headfirst. Instead of going out the door, though, she banged into a table next to it that held a manually-cranked phonograph. The loud scratch of the needle being knocked off the record elicited a gasp from the rest of the crowd, followed by stunned silence as a smirking Diamond and Silver zip over as they saw Bloom's blank hide, out there for all to see.

The two "friends" began to laugh as Bloom pulled a face that showed that she was screwed.

"Oh, wow, that is an amazing cutie mark.", Silver mocked before laughing again.

"Nice try…", teased Diamond before being joined in by her friend. "…blank flank!"

As she found herself on the receiving end of more mockery and a soft chant of "blank flank", Charles gave an "What did I tell you?" look at Applejack.

Suddenly, a brash young female voice spoke up. "You got a problem with blank flanks?", it said.

There were stunned gasps from the entire crowd, two of whom backed away to expose a pair of fillies hiding under a table behind them.

The speaker was an orange pegasus with a deep pink, unruly mane/tail and vivid violet eyes. Her companion was a unicorn, nearly the same gray-tinged white color as Rarity, light green eyes and a curly mane/tail in pastel pink and violet. Both were roughly Bloom's age.

"I said, you got a problem with blank flanks?", repeated the pegasus filly.

"The problem is, I mean, she's, like, totally not special.", Silver replied.

The unicorn filly's voice carried a higher pitch than her companion, but her vexation gave it the same edge. "No…" The two then trotted to stand in so that Bloom was now in between them. "…it means she's full of potential."

"It means she could be great at anything.", said the pegasus. "The possibilities are, like, endless." The last words were said mockingly in valley girl style.

For some reason, Charles could see the crowd was dumbstruck. "She could be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer. She could even be Mayor of Ponyville someday!"

"And she's not stuck being stuck-up like you two." Said two took this very badly, but the rest of the bunch got a good laugh out of it.

"Hey! This is my party.", retorted Diamond. "Why are you two on her side?

"Because…" The two then presented their profiles, rump to rump, revealing themselves as "blank-flanks" as well.

Bloom gasped at the sight—or lack of one, in this case. "You don't have your cutie marks either? I thought I was the only one!"

"We thought we were the only two.", said the pegasus as Charles then saw Twilight walk up.

"I, for one, think you are three very lucky fillies.", his charge said.

"Lucky?", Diamond gasped in a disrespectful manner as Silver let her tongue hang out in disgust. "How can they be lucky?"

Twilight gave a mild look of disgust, then game a smile. "They still get to experience the thrill of discovering who they are, and what they're meant to be."

Applejack then walked over, accompanied by Charles. "And they've got all the time in the world to figure it out, not just an afternoon."

"And you better watch your tongue.", the bodyguard stated as he gave a stern look. "You do know who you're taking to, right?" He raised an eyebrow at the end of this. Already, Bloom found herself the center of attention from several others in her age group.

"Wow, Apple Bloom! I wish I could be a scientist.", one said.

"Do you really think you could be Mayor?", said another.

"Maybe I got my cutie mark too soon.", spoke a third.

It then soon became prevalent that the focus of the crowd has shifted away from Diamond and onto the trio. The two fillies with the overstuffed egos found themselves standing alone with Charles still staring down at them.

"Hey, what's everypony doing?", Diamond was complaining, looking past the mare-faced stallion. "This is my party. Everypony's supposed to be paying attention to me!"

"Whatever.", Silver said, trying to save face, and apparently ignoring Charles in front of them "We still think you're losers—right, Diamond Tiara?" She then started into their special shake routine from before, but quickly lost steam as she noticed that Diamond was having no part of it. "Bump, bump, sugar…lump…"

"Not now, Silver Spoon."

"You do know I'm standing right here, right?", Charles said, but they ignored him and clomped away. "Huh… why do some ponies do that sometimes with me around?"

He turned back to the trio of blank-flanks. "Name's Scootaloo.", he heard the pegasus introduce herself.

"And I'm Sweetie Belle.", said the unicorn.

"Apple Bloom.", the yellow earth pony filly stated.

Charles turned a while to see Diamond and Silver now up on the stairs and watching the proceedings with no enjoyment whatsoever while The music and the festivities resume.

"This song is so super!", Twist was saying as she jumped up and down.

Charles grumbled as he 'picked up' a cup and got some punch, watching the other guests enjoy themselves. As he eyes his two friends clinking cups of punch held in their teeth and drink a toast, he grumbled again from the farmpony's obliviousness to the fact that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were bullies.

He then walked over to the table where the three new friends were gathered, bypassing Snails taking a bite of a properly prepared cupcake.

"So I was thinkin'.", Bloom was saying as the stallion stood behind them in a watchful manner. "Now that we're friends…I mean, we are friends, right?"

"How could we not be? We're totally alike.", said Scootaloo, seemingly cool with the adult pony in their view. "We don't have cutie marks, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon drive us crazy—"

"Totally crazy!", Sweetie corrected and they all laughed at the end of that.

"Well, now that we're friends, what if the three of us work together to find out who we are and what we're supposed to be?"

"Ooh, ooh! We could form our own secret society!", Sweetie suggested.

Secret society, my flank., Charles thought to himself. More like a simple group and nothing else.

"I'm liking this idea!", Scootaloo agreed.

"A secret society! Yeah!", Bloom was game for this. "We'll need a name for it, though."

"The Cutie Mark Three?", suggested Scootaloo.

"The Cute-tastically Fantastics?" Sweetie.

"How about…the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Bloom.

Scootaloo agreed with this. "It's perfect!"

So did Sweetie. "This is gonna be so great!"

"We're gonna be unstoppable!", Bloom said.

Using her nose, Scootaloo retrieved a cupcake from the nearest counter and deposited it on the table. "What do you say we celebrate with some of these delicious cupcakes?" Before she could dig in though, Bloom hurriedly stopped her from doing so.

"Not the cupcakes! Trust me."

"Seriously.", agreed Charles. "She tried baking some an hour ago. The results were…something only Pinkie Pie can appreciate."

"Let's see if there are any cookies!", Sweetie suggested two seconds after he was done talking.

Bloom agreed, "Yeah!"

And so did Scootaloo. "Come on!"

As they headed across the room, Charles stood as watched as the newly minted Crusaders had their fun. Scootaloo had a cookie in her teeth and flipped it upward, intending to catch it upon landing, only for it to land on her forehead and break. The other two laughed at the sight, and she shakes herself clean and offered a sheepish smile.

As they began to dance around, soon joined by Twist, the mare-faced stallion thought, This'll make for a good friendship report. I better tell Twilight later.

"Dearest Princess Celestia: I am happy to report that one of your youngest subjects has learned a valuable lesson about friendship. Sometimes, the thing you think will cause you to lose friends and feel left out can actually be the thing that helps you make your closest friends and realize how special you are."

Next Chapter: Chapter 13: Fall Weather Friends Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 10 Minutes