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Lazy Day
Scootaloo slogged her way into the treehouse. Thick lines of sweat streaked down her face and her breaths came in sharp, short pants. The sunshine, stretching over everything outside, rammed through the open doorway and illuminated the abode’s interior.
The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders lounged around the clubhouse. Apple Bloom sprawled atop the podium, her front hooves clasping the wood like a life raft. Sweetie Belle slumped upon their empty eating table. Her hoof barely held her head up, and her eyes wavered on the edge of sleep. Only Apple Bloom perked up when Scootaloo staggered in.
“Hey, girls,” Scootaloo said, flopping upon the wooden floor. “Sorry I’m late. I’d have an easier time riding through a furnace than this heat.”
Apple Bloom slid off the podium and stood on her hind legs. “I call this weekly Cutie Mark Crusader meeting to order!” She wiped her brow. “Neither Celestia nor her sun will keep us from getting our cutie marks!”
The other fillies groaned affirmatively.
Apple Bloom shot a look through her notes, the papers flipping through her hooves. “Sweetie Belle, did you have any success with the flamenco dancing tryouts?”
Sweetie shook her head, head still precariously balanced atop her hoof. “Nope. The teacher looked like she wanted to cry when I was done with my audition.”
Apple Bloom cringed. “Well, we can rule that one out. What about you, Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Nothing going. I tried to volunteer at the spa, but Aloe and Lotus Blossom said they only took professionally trained spa-ponies.”
A heavy sigh escaped Apple Bloom. “Things weren’t so hot on my end either. I tried to help Twilight with her book sorting, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of her cataloguing system.”
“So this week has been a total bust,” Sweetie Belle moaned.
“Just like all the other weeks,” Scootaloo said.
A firm look appeared upon Apple Bloom’s face. “Don’t give up, girls! We’ve had slumps before, but we can’t quit now!” She unraveled one of the scrolls in her hooves. The paper rolled past the podium and stopped in front of Scootaloo. “There’s still so much on our latest Cutie Mark Possibilities List we haven’t tried yet.”
Scootaloo yawned and flicked the list away. “Yeah, but the list is getting a lot smaller.”
“I’m with Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle sighed. She laid her head upon the table. “It’s hopeless.”
Apple Bloom’s face grew determined. “I want to make a proposal: Complete suspension of Crusader activities until Ponyville cools down.”
“Seconded,” Scootaloo said.
“Third-ed,” Sweetie Belle grunted.
Apple Bloom smiled. “I’d also like to make another proposal: Mandatory Cutie Mark Crusader Lazy Days.”
Scootaloo perked up. “What?”
“Lazy Days?” Sweetie said, head lifting off the table.
Apple Bloom nodded. “I was just thinking about what we’ve been doing. Every week, we do a dozen activities and come out with nothing but blank flanks and bruises.” She looked to her own yellow flank and shook her head. “It’s something that’d make anypony frustrated. I know we can get our cutie marks, but running ourselves ragged every week is going to get us nowhere.” A small smile filled her face. “So we need cool-down days where we don’t do anything Crusader related. Lazy days where we can just relax and have fun.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other.
“I mean, Rarity does something like that with her friends,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Right!” Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo nodded. “I can go for that. Especially if it means sitting out this heat.”
Apple Bloom raised her hoof. “Proposal passed?”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo raised their hooves. “Passed!” they said in unison.
“So what’re we going to do?” Sweetie said.
Apple Bloom smiled. “For our first official Cutie Mark Crusader Lazy Day, I think we should go with the simplest activity of all: absolutely nothing.” She walked over toward the far window, where the Cutie Mark Crusader Supply Chest sat underneath. She pulled out a trio of pillows. “Otherwise called an afternoon nap.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie smiled. The trio made their way to the far corner nook, which remained untouched by the sun, and laid down.
“This is a great idea, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle said. She snuggled deep into her pillow.
“Definitely,” Scootaloo said, stifling a yawn. “Maybe we’ll think of more Cutie Mark activities to do when we wake up.”
“Maybe,” Apple Bloom sighed. She closed her eyes and smiled. “But that’s for tomorrow.”
The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders lounged around the clubhouse. Apple Bloom sprawled atop the podium, her front hooves clasping the wood like a life raft. Sweetie Belle slumped upon their empty eating table. Her hoof barely held her head up, and her eyes wavered on the edge of sleep. Only Apple Bloom perked up when Scootaloo staggered in.
“Hey, girls,” Scootaloo said, flopping upon the wooden floor. “Sorry I’m late. I’d have an easier time riding through a furnace than this heat.”
Apple Bloom slid off the podium and stood on her hind legs. “I call this weekly Cutie Mark Crusader meeting to order!” She wiped her brow. “Neither Celestia nor her sun will keep us from getting our cutie marks!”
The other fillies groaned affirmatively.
Apple Bloom shot a look through her notes, the papers flipping through her hooves. “Sweetie Belle, did you have any success with the flamenco dancing tryouts?”
Sweetie shook her head, head still precariously balanced atop her hoof. “Nope. The teacher looked like she wanted to cry when I was done with my audition.”
Apple Bloom cringed. “Well, we can rule that one out. What about you, Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Nothing going. I tried to volunteer at the spa, but Aloe and Lotus Blossom said they only took professionally trained spa-ponies.”
A heavy sigh escaped Apple Bloom. “Things weren’t so hot on my end either. I tried to help Twilight with her book sorting, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of her cataloguing system.”
“So this week has been a total bust,” Sweetie Belle moaned.
“Just like all the other weeks,” Scootaloo said.
A firm look appeared upon Apple Bloom’s face. “Don’t give up, girls! We’ve had slumps before, but we can’t quit now!” She unraveled one of the scrolls in her hooves. The paper rolled past the podium and stopped in front of Scootaloo. “There’s still so much on our latest Cutie Mark Possibilities List we haven’t tried yet.”
Scootaloo yawned and flicked the list away. “Yeah, but the list is getting a lot smaller.”
“I’m with Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle sighed. She laid her head upon the table. “It’s hopeless.”
Apple Bloom’s face grew determined. “I want to make a proposal: Complete suspension of Crusader activities until Ponyville cools down.”
“Seconded,” Scootaloo said.
“Third-ed,” Sweetie Belle grunted.
Apple Bloom smiled. “I’d also like to make another proposal: Mandatory Cutie Mark Crusader Lazy Days.”
Scootaloo perked up. “What?”
“Lazy Days?” Sweetie said, head lifting off the table.
Apple Bloom nodded. “I was just thinking about what we’ve been doing. Every week, we do a dozen activities and come out with nothing but blank flanks and bruises.” She looked to her own yellow flank and shook her head. “It’s something that’d make anypony frustrated. I know we can get our cutie marks, but running ourselves ragged every week is going to get us nowhere.” A small smile filled her face. “So we need cool-down days where we don’t do anything Crusader related. Lazy days where we can just relax and have fun.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other.
“I mean, Rarity does something like that with her friends,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Right!” Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo nodded. “I can go for that. Especially if it means sitting out this heat.”
Apple Bloom raised her hoof. “Proposal passed?”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo raised their hooves. “Passed!” they said in unison.
“So what’re we going to do?” Sweetie said.
Apple Bloom smiled. “For our first official Cutie Mark Crusader Lazy Day, I think we should go with the simplest activity of all: absolutely nothing.” She walked over toward the far window, where the Cutie Mark Crusader Supply Chest sat underneath. She pulled out a trio of pillows. “Otherwise called an afternoon nap.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie smiled. The trio made their way to the far corner nook, which remained untouched by the sun, and laid down.
“This is a great idea, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle said. She snuggled deep into her pillow.
“Definitely,” Scootaloo said, stifling a yawn. “Maybe we’ll think of more Cutie Mark activities to do when we wake up.”
“Maybe,” Apple Bloom sighed. She closed her eyes and smiled. “But that’s for tomorrow.”
Liked this one's focus on Apple Bloom's character. She was the main spearheader of the CMC, and seeing how she handled these moments of despair is neat. Sometimes a nap is needed before you make a big decision.