The three fillies stared at the piece of paper for a long time, considering how short it was.

Scootaloo broke the silence.  “I thought we were trying for businessmare cutie marks, not apple cutie marks.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah.  But everypony knows you need a business plan, so ah borrowed this from sis so we’d have somethin’ to look off of.  ‘Course ah like apples, but ah wouldn’t want to compete with her, so here.” She crossed out the first word.

Scootaloo nodded.  “Good.  But what's phase one, now?”

“Oh, I know!  Rarity was talking about that!”  Sweetie Belle pranced in place. “She said that ponies starting new businesses need venture capitol.”

Apple Bloom cocked her head.  “All right, ah guess we can try that.”  

“Venture?”  Scootaloo said with a frown.  “You sure you got that right?  Because adventure is way cooler.”

“Hmm. Adventure [i]is[/i] pretty cool. Sweetie Belle?”   Apple Bloom glanced at her, only to get a shrug, so she put in the revision.

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes. “Phase two is a question mark?”  

“Well, we’re good at asking questions,” Scootaloo said. 

“Maybe.”  Sweetie Belle frowned. “But still, that’s not very business-like.”

Apple Bloom turned to her. “What should it be, then?”

“TBD.”  Sweetie Belle said, grinning.  “To be determined.”  

Scootaloo nodded.  “Much more business-y.”

“Alright.” Apple Bloom wrote in the new word.  “Last one - profit.”

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “That one is simple enough.”

Scootaloo grinned.  “Yeah. Let’s do it.”

The three fillies cheered, chorusing: “CMC businessmares go!”


[hr]


“The horror!  The horror!”

Apple Bloom’s ears drooped as she watched their latest prospective customer disappear down the road.  “Well, that’s a bust,” she said, pawing the dirt.

“Yeah, we didn’t even get halfway through the pitch.”

“Still better than Fluttershy,” Scootaloo grumped.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.  “Well o’course - she doesn't like dragons.  But even Twilight stopped listening after we mentioned parasprites.”

Scootaloo stomped her hoof.  “But parasprite wrangling is awesome!  Who doesn’t want excitement?”

Sweetie Belle raised her hoof.  “Um.  Remember, she almost got Ponyville eaten once.”  

“Whatever,” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes.

“Seriously, girls.”  Sweetie Belle started pacing.  “How are we going to get to profit if we can’t get past adventure capitol?  We’re not even at TBD yet.”

“Ah know,” Apple Bloom sighed. “It doesn’t make any sense.  Ponyville’s practically the adventure capitol already.  It shouldn’t take much more.”

Sweetie Belle bit her lip.  “This one might be another bust.”

“Excuse me,” a new voice interjected. 

Apple Bloom looked up to see a unicorn mare and stallion approaching. “Who’re you?”  

“I’m Equity Stake, and this is Secondary Market,” the mare said, smiling just slightly too widely.  “We’re looking for Glib and Glam."

“Glib and Glam?”  Sweetie Belle cocked her head.  “Who are they?  I’ve never heard of them.”  

Secondary snorted.  “Only the leading providers of immersive experiential thrills.  The wider Equestrian market is ripe for disruption, and we’re looking for the next blue ocean.”

Equity kicked him in the shin.  “Ignore him.  They’re travellers.  We’re supposed to meet them at an upscale hotel somewhere near here.”

Apple Bloom gave the pair an odd look.  “Well, ah dunno if y’all are in the right place. Ponyville ain’t anywhere near the ocean.  But if you’re looking for a fancy place to stay, the nearest’d be the currycomb.”

“Excellent,” Secondary said.  “Come, Equity.  We don’t have time if we’re going to get in on the ground floor of the next big wave.”

Equity hesitated.  “You three look like forward looking fillies.  Care to join our focus group as young entrepreneurs?”

The fillies exchanged a look.  “Uh, thanks, but no thanks.”  Apple Bloom said.  “We’ve got capitolin’ to do.”

Equity shrugged.  “Suit yourself,” she said, following Secondary.

Scootaloo shook her head as the two left. “They’re weird.” 

Apple Bloom nodded.  “Yeah.  Who’d want to be on the ground when a wave’s a-comin?”

Two more strange unicorns passed them on the street.  Their coloration nearly matched Apple Bloom’s, though their manes were a little darker. They both wore enormous saddlebags that completely covered their flanks.

“Buck up brother, mine.” The taller of the two spoke in hushed tones. “We’re almost there.  Mustn’t keep the investors waiting.”

“Do those two seem weird to anypony else?” Sweetie Belle said, watching the two leave.

Apple Bloom’s frown deepened.  “Ah dunno, they did sound awfully familiar.”

Scootaloo snorted.  “Still not as weird as the two from before.”

Apple Bloom chuckled.  “Yeah, Celestia only knows what they were trying to get us into.”