open Cutie Mark Crusade!

[Storm Shine 1,195]

@@Blitz Boom,@@Yoshi89,  

 

The referee-pony began explaining the rules, "Alright everypony, you all need to stay in your lanes and the use of magic or wings is not allowed, anypony who doesn't follow these rules is disqualified."

 

He stepped aside, "Racers ready? Set? GO!"

 

Grey and Scootaloo immediately began running as fast as they could, glancing at each other occasionally with competitive grins as each tried to get ahead of the other.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Storm Shine

[Yoshi89 5,290]

@,@@Blitz Boom,

 

At the signal, Brownie and Sundae did all they could to keep up and surprisingly did quite well. Beats of sweat trickles from their manes as they panted down their respective lane. Running around Manehattan benefited Babs the most as she flashed a comforting smile at her cousin. She and Apple Bloom knew their plights with bullies made all the difference.

 

"Think you can beat me, cousin?" Apple Bloom challenged Babs, thinking she would not back down.

 

"Okay, you're on!" Babs told her indeed. They both kept a steady pace throughout their lanes, ignoring the rest of the competition except for their own.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@@Yoshi89,

@,

 

Blitz kept cheering them all on from the sidelines, even as she couldn't see them anymore. She was considering to just try and manoeuvre through the other ponies watching, but with the weird route that would be, there wouldn't be a chance for her to keep up with the racers. So for now, she just stayed put, tried to follow as many of them as she could with her eyes and looking forward to seeing who would come around to the finish line the first.

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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Apple Bloom and Babs spent half the race looking ahead and the other half looking at each other. Each time one pulled ahead, the other would push herself further to catch up.

 

"I'm...not...backing...down," Babs panted.

 

"Nether...am...I, cuz," Apple Bloom huffed.

 

A bit further behind were Brownie and Sundae, breathing heavily as they continued their canter down the lane. They both squinted their eyes as they tried their darnedest to keep pace with the rest of the foals.

 

"How much further?" Brownie asked his sister.

 

"I don't know," Sundae replied. "Just think about the money."

 

That alone gave Brownie the strength to break into a stronger run.

 

"Hey, wait up!" Sundae exclaimed, pushing herself as well.

[Storm Shine 1,195]

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Pinkie noticed Blitz's predicament, so in one swift movement she scooped Blitz onto her head so she could see the race better.

 

"Y-you won't beat me Grey!" Scootaloo said, not really used to running like this since she tended to use her scooter for long distances.

 

"Ha! I've got this in the bag Scootaloo!" Grey responded, looking only slightly winded.

 

The finish was coming up fast, and both ponies put as much juice as they could into their little hooves. "I win!" They shouted at the same time, crossing the finish line.

 

The referee pony in front of the finish line shook his head. "You both tied." He told them. Their eyes widened as they contemplated this.

 

"Good race Scootaloo." Grey said after a few moments, holding out his hoof.

 

"You too Grey." Scootaloo replied, smiling as she shook the offered hoof.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Storm Shine

[Yoshi89 5,290]

Apple Bloom, Babs Seed and the twins could only watch as Scootaloo and Grey Sky crossed the finish line at the same time. Apple Bloom and her cousin still kept the focus on one another as they both got closer to the finish line. However, neither of them failed to notice Brownie picking up speed with Sundae bringing up the rear. After the four earth foals raced past the finish line, they walked toward Grey and Scootaloo.

 

"You two sure are fast," Sundae complimented them while catching her breath.

 

"Hey, I wonder who placed third," Babs said.

 

"I reckon it was me," Apple Bloom guessed.

 

The referee approached the foals with his clipboard and showed it to everypony in the race. Perhaps the most surprised was indeed the pony who finished in third.

 

"Me?" Brownie said, panting. "I never thought I was that fast."

[Storm Shine 1,195]

@@Yoshi89,@@Blitz Boom,  

 

"Good job everypony!" Storm and Pinkie called as they trotted over, Blitz still being carried on Pinkie's head. "Great race! And nice job placing in third Brownie, guess you're faster than you thought." Storm said with a smile. Pinkie on the other hoof was hoofing out cups of water to the foals. She would've been hoofing out sweets, but after a run like that, she knew they would need some hydration.

 

"Dad! Scootaloo and I tied for first!" Grey shouted happily, running over to the blue stallion. "Great job son!" Storm replied, ruffling his mane. "Before I know it, you'll be breaking the sound barrier." He said, chuckling.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Storm Shine

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@,

@@Yoshi89,

 

Blitz jumped down from Pinkie's head and down to the two winners, getting between them and embracing them in a group hug.

 

"That was Awesome!. Oooh, congratulations on winning, both of you."

 

Then she quickly let go off them and slightly bounced over to Apple Bloom, Babs, Sweetie, Brownie and Sunday.

 

"And you were all Real good too. Very fast with the running and the vroom and the yey.".

 

The logical line of words were starting to go away near the end, but she was just so excited for all of them. Even if the other 5 hadn't won, they sure did a good job after all, and they made it through, which was an important and impressive part. They likely needed a bit of a rest now, but eh, secondary... Or not, depended on if anypony was about to fall down. Hopefully not.

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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"Thanks, Pinkie! Thanks, Storm!" Apple Bloom said. "Guess I got a little competitive."

 

"Hey, don't sweat it," Babs reassured her cousin. "It happens."

 

Brownie was still panting as he shook the hooves of the two winners. "I never thought I had it in me."

 

"Hey, Brownie!" Sundae gasped. "Why don't we take off your number and see if you got your cutie mark? The way you cantered, there's no way you couldn't get one."

 

"Let's all do that!" Apple Bloom suggested. "Okay, everypony, on the count of three, remove your numbers! One...two...three!"

[Storm Shine 1,195]

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 Scootaloo removed her number, frowning in disappointment at the lack of a cutie mark.

 

Storm pulled a piece of paper from his side, "YAY! I got a cutie mark!" Pinkie giggled at him, "Silly Stormy, you already had your cutie mark!" Storm blinked before chuckling, "Oh yeah~... oopsies!"

 

Grey peeled the paper from his side and gasped. "I-I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!" He yelled excitedly, looking at a picture of a checkered racing flag with wings. "Great job Grey!" Scootaloo, Storm, and Pinkie all congratulated in sync.

 

"Guess this means you don't need the CMC anymore, huh?" Scootaloo asked sadly. Grey's eyes widened, "Are you kidding?! Of course I'm gonna stick with yo-er.. With the CMC! Just because I've got my cutie mark now, doesn't mean I can't still help you out and try new stuff in the process!"

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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Apple Bloom, her cousin and the twins trotted over to Grey Sky and ogled at his brand new cutie mark.

 

"You did it!" Sundae exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

 

"Now, let's see if we got ours, sis." Brownie told her.

 

"Okay, Brownie," Sundae said as the two siblings put their hooves on each other's numbers. After a count to three, they ripped them off and saw their still unmarked flanks.

 

"Rats," Brownie exclaimed.

 

"It's okay," Apple Bloom reassured them. "We can always try something else."

Edited April 17, 2015 by Yoshi89

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

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@@Yoshi89,

 

Blitz bounced over and looked down on the cutie mark, just to be sure she saw this right.

 

"Oooh, congratulations! You finally got a cutie mark."

 

Blitz straightened up, jumped backwards and looked up into the air, just to make sure the sky was clear. When she was certain, she started to ruffle under her metallic wings, eventually pulling a stick out she planted into the ground, then went under the other wing for a bit, eventually pulling a rocket the size of a minor bottle out with a big grin, before putting it on the stick.

 

"Always got something, just in case."

 

The tip of her horn grew a small ember, which she used to light the fuse before anypony could stop her. After three seconds, the rocket soared into the air and exploded into a glittery display that, in rough letters, said *Congratulations*.

 

When the race had been brought up she had made sure to grab one of the special things from her crate, just in case somepony of them won. It seemed fitting after Grey got his cutiemark, so there hadn't been a reason to hog that one around anymore.

 

"So, what're we gonna try to get the rest of you cutie marks then? I bet there's something around here we can try."

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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Apple Bloom, her cousin and the twins cheered at Blitz's congratulation message before Brownie gave Grey a brohoof.

 

"You earned it," Brownie told him.

 

"Blitz is right, though," Sundae agreed. "There has to be a way for the rest of us."

 

"There's just one problem," Apple Bloom announced.

 

"What would that be, cousin?" Babs asked.

 

"Who'd be up for crusading at night?" Apple Bloom asked. She pointed to the direction of the sun which indeed started to set. Babs, Brownie and Sundae watched the brilliant display of colors before turning to the adults in the group.

 

"More importantly, where are we going to spend the night?" Babs asked Storm and Pinkie.

[Storm Shine 1,195]

@@Yoshi89, @@Blitz Boom,

 

Storm and Pinkie paused to think about this problem, "Well my house is a bit too... Cloudy for most of you." Storm said thoughtfully. "And Sugarcube Corner doesn't have enough room." Pinkie added. They then looked at each other with matching grins before turning back to the gathered foals.

 

"Who'd be up for a camp-out?" They asked happily.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

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@@Yoshi89,

 

Blitz looked towards the crusaders after Pinkie and Storm asked them if they'd be willing to go for a camp-out.

 

Crusading at night hadn't sounded like a weird idea for her, as she was often awake until the sun rose again, and the lack of space mentioned afterwards didn't really bother Blitz, as she had thought about going home and tinkering with a few things anyway until they woke up, which meant there would have been that much less space to find. But if they were going to go for a camp-out, she should stick around, tinker with a bit of the things in her crate and listen in instead. Could be all sorts of things to hear there, and depending on where it would be, she wouldn't get bored if it ended up with her unable to sleep and wanting to work until the arly hours.

 

But eh, had to see what the crusaders would say. Them that needed to be sure where to rest on this trip, not her, so to her it made more sense that they decided, and then she just tagged along or went home for a few hours, depending on what would happen.

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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Among the foals in the crowd excited about camping out were the Manehattanites. Babs, Brownie and Sundae jumped up and down, cheering.

 

"This going to be so exciting!" Sundae shouted. "I've never gone camping before."

 

"Oh, you're gonna have lots of fun, Sundae!" Apple Bloom said. "We're gonna build some tents and make a campfire. We'll can roast marshmallows, sing and tell ghost stories!"

 

"All right!/Oh no!" Sundae and Brownie yelled at the same time. "I love/hate ghost stories!"

 

"Then it's settled," Babs said. "Tonight we'll get our ghost story-telling cutie marks!"

 

"You betcha!" Apple Bloom gave a hoof's up.

 

Sundae squeed while Brownie swallowed hard.

[Storm Shine 1,195]

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Storm and Pinkie chuckled/giggled respectively at the excited foals. "I'm going to go grab some camping supplies" Storm said, flying off. "Hope you kids like Hot Chocolate and Smores!"

 

Grey ran over to join the rest of the CMC, "Did you hear that!? Dad said we get hot chocolate AND smores!" He exclaimed excitedly.

 

Scootaloo pumped a hoof into the air, "Alright!" She yelled with a grin, "This is gonna be awesome!"

 

"I can't wait to try some smores!" Sweetie Belle added happily, "Rarity NEVER lets me eat those! She says they're too messy..."

 

Pinkie giggled, "I won't tell her if you don't!" She told Sweetie with a smile, making a zipper motion over her muzzle.

 

(Can't believe I almost forgot about Sweetie Belle...)

Edited April 21, 2015 by Storm Shine

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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"S'mores?" Brownie lowered his brow and scratched his head. "What's a 's'mores'?"

 

"Oh, Brownie, you city slicker, you," Apple Bloom chuckled, making Brownie blush a bit. "Y'all haven't lived until you've tried s'mores! We'll show you, your sister and Babs the fine art of s'mores making." She then turned to Pinkie Pie, Storm and the other two crusaders. "Time's a wastin'! Let's get start roastin' some marshmallows!"

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@,

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Blitz clapped her hooves along the others when it seemed like they got all excited over the camp out. It was good they were too, and who knew? Perhaps Babs was right and somepony would get their cutie mark from telling ghost stories.

 

Considering the response Brownie had gotten when he asked what S'mores was, she wasn't going to admit she had no idea what it was either. Guess she'd find out eventually, although...

 

"I sorta need to go for a little. Few things to do at home, but I can be back in like... An hour? Yeah, and hour, that sounds about right."

 

She wasn't trying to ditch them, but she had recalled something in her hut she needed to handle, and she could bring a few, non-too-noisy things with her back to work on during the night when the others were asleep. There was something that bombs had distracted her from that she could handle in that time frame then, and who knew? Perhaps if she hurried, she could be back in less time. A half hour perhaps, if she was lucky.

[Storm Shine 1,195]

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Storm quickly began setting up the camp site, rolling some rocks over to make a fire pit and some scattered and dead logs to make seats. He then brought some kindling and larger wood pieces from the forest area nearby. "Alrighty, now that the campsite is mostly set up... I have two choices for sleeping for you foals." Storm began, turning to face the kids. "I have several tents of various sizes, so if anypony's uncomfortable with bunking, or is uncomfortable with bunking with more than one pony, I have some foal-sized single and double tents." He told them with a smile. "On the other hoof, I could set up a large tent and we could all have a sort of CMC sleepover party in there when it's time for bed."

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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"Okay, Blitz," Babs said, waving at her as she left. "We'll be here waiting for you."

 

"All right!" Sundae squealed at Storm's idea. "A sleepover! That makes it even better!"

 

"Much as I like the big tent," Apple Bloom said, "how about we separate? Colts with Storm on one side, fillies with Pinkie on the other. I don't want one of our crusaders and her coltfriend gettin' too comfortable." She slitted her eyes toward Grey Sky and Scootaloo with a chuckle.

 

"Does that mean we can still do camping things as a group?" Brownie asked.
 

"Of course, Brownie!" Apple Bloom barked, giving him a nudge. "We can stay up real late if we wanna. That's the beauty of camping."

Edited April 23, 2015 by Yoshi89

[Storm Shine 1,195]

@@Yoshi89,@@Blitz Boom,

 

Storm nodded, "That sounds like a great idea Apple Bloom!" He said, quickly setting up two large tents and slapping a small label of 'Fillies' on the right and 'Colts' for the one on the left. Pinkie giggled, "Good thinking Stormy! Now we won't get confused as to which tent is whose!"

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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"Wow!" Babs remarked as Storm applied the tents' finishing touches. "You sure are fast, Storm. How about me, Brownie and Sundae unload our gear, first?"

 

With that, she and Sundae walked over to the fillies' tent and started unloading their saddlebags.

 

"Good thing we both brought sleeping bags," Sundae told Babs. "I knew we were going to be staying over in Ponyville but I never thought we'd be camping. It sounds like a lot of fun!"

 

Brownie carried his saddlebag over to the colts' tent and also started unpacking. Once he rolled out his sleeping bag, he poked his head out of the tent and watched scanned through the rest of the group. He sighed heavily and tapped Grey Sky on the shoulder.

 

"Hey, Grey," Brownie whispered, hoping nopony else heard him. "Can you keep a secret?"

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Grey raised a brow in surprise at the sudden question, but nodded "Yeah, I can keep a secret." He whispered back with a smile, "Dad and Pinkie always tell me that telling a friend's secret is one of the fastest ways to lose their trust forever. So I can definitely keep a secret! Don't wanna lose an awesome friend like you after all." Gray elaborated, patting Brownie on the back. "Besides, colors and colts like us should stick together, we're outnumbered here." He joked, poking a bit of fun at the 'Gray and Brown' of their names and the fact that there were more fillies than colts camping.

[Yoshi89 5,290]

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Brownie smiled, feeling a lot more at ease when Grey opened up to him. He was grateful that they could be friends, despite Grey being a little older than he was and already having his cutie mark.

 

"I gotta admit, you're awesome, too." Brownie told him. "I think it's cool to have a name related to the sky. All I get is ponies telling me I'm so cute they could eat me up because my name can be a color and a food. I know how you feel about being a colt. Our Manehattan club has a lot of fillies, and I wouldn't be surprised if they like having me around because I'm a colt."

 

Brownie chuckled at his own anecdote but stopped when he realized he was getting off track. "Anyway," he continued, pulling Grey closer with his foreleg, "about my secret. I'm excited about eating s'mores, singing and sleeping in a tent but to tell you the truth..." Brownie checked the fillies' tent from where he was standing to see his sister and Babs chatting. "Grey, I'm not looking forward to telling stories because I'm afraid of ghosts!"