The Cutie Mark Crusaders were hanging out at Sugarcube Corner one fine afternoon, enjoying some refreshing ice-cream after playing in the hot summer sun, as was the norm for these three fillies. And as was the norm for Sweetie Belle, she was sitting quietly as her two friends discussed ideas for acquiring their Cutie Marks. Some say that Sweetie Belle is just very shy, others say that she simply doesn’t know how to pay attention for more than two seconds. Whilst both of these rumours were true, they were not the reason for Sweetie Belle’s silence at the present time. She was merely waiting for something… Some kind of trigger, that would set events in motion.

‘Ah!’ Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened as she saw it. Some ice-cream to the side of Scootaloo’s mouth, already starting to melt and drip down her face.

“Hey, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, catching her friend’s attention. “Y’all have some ice-cream stuck to yer face.”

Scootaloo’s face turned red, and she began to feel the side of her face with her hoof. Unfortunately, it was the wrong side. “I do? Where?”

“Here,” Apple Bloom said, lidding her eyes and leaning forward. She stopped her lips mere centimetres from Scootaloo’s, and stuck out her tongue, licking the ice-cream from the Pegasus filly’s face in a slow, sensual manner. She then pulled her tongue back into her mouth, and swallowed the almost completely melted ice-cream. “There. Now ya look fine.”

“A-Apple Bloom…”

The two fillies stared at each other, their faces completely red and their hearts racing.

“Hey, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, breaking Sweetie Belle from her daydream. “Y’all have some ice-cream stuck to yer face.”

“I do?” Scootaloo asked, feeling one side of her face for the ice-cream, and then the other. She found it, and groaned when she felt her hoof becoming wet. Apple Bloom giggled, and handed her a napkin. “Thanks.” With a few quick wipes, Scootaloo face and hoof were both completely clean. She scrunched the napkin up into a ball, and threw it into a nearby trashcan.

“No prob!” Apple Bloom said. “So, basketball Cutie Mark next?”

“Sure!” Scootaloo responded. Both fillies looked to their friend for final confirmation. Sweetie Belle smiled and nodded.

“Sounds good! But, I’m not very athletic…”

“That’s fine,” Apple Bloom said. “You can pick the next thing. That is, if we’re all still Cutie Mark-less afterwards.”

“Well… okay!”

The friends finished their ice-creams, and then made their to the basketball court on the other side of town.

After acquiring a ball from some of the older ponies, by having Sweetie Belle beg with wide, teary eyes until one of them broke into tears himself, the three fillies spent about ten minutes ‘playing’ basketball. Of course, not knowing the rules of basketball made it rather difficult, so they came up with their own version, whereby one pony would take a shot, and then the next would have to make that same shot, or they get a letter. They called this game ‘PONY’.

Sweetie Belle was exhausted only three minutes in, and decided to opt out of this Cutie Mark. This Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, who, apparently, were quite good at throwing the ball into the hoop over and over again. Because of how long the game had dragged on for, the two decided to add a new rule: the one not firing the shot is allowed to interfere with the shot.

Sweetie Belle giggled as Apple Bloom bucked an apple near Scootaloo just as she fired, causing her to miss. Now Apple Bloom just had to make this final shot, and she would win.

“Alright, here ah go!”

“Hey Apple Bloom.”

“Wha-” Apple Bloom was cut off by Scootaloo suddenly pressing her lips to hers. Apple Bloom dropped the ball, and closed her eyes as she melted into the kiss, her forelegs wrapping around Scootaloo’s neck and her mouth slowly opening-

“She shoots she scores!” Apple Bloom shouted, circling around on the spot as she checked for her basketball Cutie Mark. She found nothing there, and pouted. “Dang it! Ah was sure we would get our Cutie Marks this time!”

“You said that about the last, like, everything that we’ve tried,” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes. “Whatever. Sweetie Belle! Your turn to decide what we do next!”

Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up. She had plenty of time to think whilst she was sitting on the sidelines, and she knew just what she wanted to do next.

“Drawing?” Scootaloo asked. “Seriously?”

“You said I could choose what we do next,” Sweetie Belle said, drooping her ears and pouting as she scuffed the floor with a hoof.

“C’mon, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said. “Let’s at least give a try.”

“Ugh, fine,” Scootaloo said, causing Sweetie Belle to perk up immediately. “But just one picture! Got it?”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded, and then the three fillies gather their drawing supplies and made a start.

Sweetie Belle decided to draw her sister and herself enjoying a nice, relaxing picnic together, with a giant monster in the background devouring Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Apple Bloom decided to draw the apple orchard being attacked by parasprites, with her family defending it.

And Scootaloo was drawing her idol, Rainbow Dash, kicking Nightmare Moon’s back into the moon.

Sweetie Belle finished her own drawing, and looked up to see how her two friends were doing. Apple Bloom’s was coming along nicely… and made Sweetie Belle frown at how much better it was than her own piece. As for Scootaloo’s… it seemed as if the Pegasus filly was having trouble colouring inside the lines, and she was making a lot of other mistakes, possibly because she was drawing too quickly.

“Here,” Apple Bloom said, placing her hoof over Scootaloo’s so that she could guide her. “Take it more slowly. See? Ain’t that better?”

“Wow, you’re right,” Scootaloo said, dropping her pencil and placing her forehooves on Apple Bloom’s shoulders. “Thanks, Bloom.”

“Don’t mention it, Lulu…”

The two inched their faces closer and closer together, closing their eyes and opening their lips as they-

“Here,” Apple Bloom said, placing her hoof over Scootaloo’s so that she could guide her. “Take it more slowly. See? Ain’t that better?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. ‘I-Is this really happening? Right before my eyes?’

“Wow, you’re right,” Scootaloo said. “Thanks, Apple Bloom.” She looked into Apple Bloom’s eyes, and the farm filly stared right back at her.

‘I-It is happening! O-Oh my gosh! This is so great!’

“No problem, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, smiling warmly at her friend, who smiled back as the two continued to gaze into each other’s eyes.

‘I-I think my nose is going to start bleeding.’

“So, you done now?” Apple Bloom asked, to which Scootaloo nodded and pulled up her drawing. “Oh! You, er… You drew Rainbow Dash an’… Is that a Pokémon?”

Scootaloo frowned. “It’s Nightmare Moon!” she shouted.

“Oh! … If you say so.”

Sweetie Belle looked between the two with a look of disbelief on her face. She couldn’t believe it! Things were going so well! In a perfect world, they would be kissing right now, and declaring their love for one another! ‘Y-You can’t just set up a scenario like that, and then continue down the ‘friendship’ path!’

“Sweetie Belle, what’d you draw?” Apple Bloom asked, but she received no answer. Instead, she looked confused as she saw Sweetie Belle’s angry glare pointed her way. “S-Sweetie Belle?”

“GAH! You two are so unfair!” she shouted as she got up and stormed out of the clubhouse.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged confused looks with one another. “D-Did ah say somethin’ wrong?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Oh, you know what? I think it’s her time of the month.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “Ya don’t say. Think we should go after her?”

“Nah. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Later that day, Sweetie Belle entered her room and walked over to her computer, a frown on her face as she recalled the day’s events. ‘So many perfect oppertunities, all missed because my friends are just so stupid!’

With a sigh, Sweetie Belle switched her computer on, and opened up a document entitled ‘Apple Blossom and Scooters’ First Date’, and with a huff, she began typing. ‘Reality sucks.’