Cutie Mark Crusaders

The Cutie Mark Crusaders (CMC or simply the Crusaders for short) is a club consisting of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, with Babs Seed joining after. Their unity is based on mostly being called "blank flanks", ponies who have not yet gotten their cutie marks. Each of the founding three fillies represents a different race, with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle being an Earth pony, a Pegasus, and a unicorn respectively. Babs Seed, Apple Bloom's cousin from Manehattan, joins them and says she will start a Manehattan branch of the CMC. After getting their Cutie Marks, inspired by Purple Smoke, they decided to help other in getting their Cutie Marks or helping them realize their true meaning. With this change, they also accept Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in their group.

## History

### Founding

The three fillies meet at Diamond Tiara's cute-ceañera and form a bond, as all three don't have their cutie marks yet. Sweetie Belle suggests they found a "secret society". They each propose a name for it and Apple Bloom's suggestion–Cutie Mark Crusaders–is approved by everyone.

### Development

The society is not kept a secret, as the Crusaders later come to sing about it at a talent contest and often shout out the name of their group. The club's purpose is to "work together to find out who we are, and what we're supposed to be", and the Crusaders are very often, if not always, seen engaging in activities in pursuit of their cutie marks.

Applejack passed on her old clubhouse for the Crusaders to use. Initially the clubhouse is dilapidated, but Apple Bloom fully repairs it and the clubhouse becomes their headquarters.

The initiation speech, written by Scootaloo and read out by Sweetie Belle is long and repetitive to the point where Scootaloo herself interrupts it and makes a note to revise it.

### Clubhouse

The Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse, formerly owned by Applejack, is located in a "secluded, private part" of Sweet Apple Acres.

### Inate Talents

The Crusaders demonstrate their talents very clearly. Apple Bloom quickly and masterfully repairs the broken-down tree house that Applejack passes on to the Crusaders (construction), Sweetie Belle effortlessly composes rhymes and music for their "theme song" (singing), and Scootaloo performs spectacular maneuvers on her scooter (scooting). Later, Apple Bloom asks Sweetie Belle to be the singer in their act, but she opts for making the costumes and scenery; she asks Scootaloo to do the choreography, but she opts for singing; and Apple Bloom herself is left with the choreography. They each find their chosen task difficult, and get help from the other Crusader who is skilled at the task.

Later, in *Finding True Talents*, with a little help from Purple Smoke, the three Crusaders start to find their true talents, getting their Cutie Marks: Apple Bloom is able to rebuild the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse after a storm, Scootaloo wins a race organized by Rainbow Dash using her scooter and Sweetie Belle debuts in Melody's play as a lead character and singer. Babs Seed also got her Cutie Mark under unknown circunstances.

### Reformation

As they got their Cutie Marks, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with a little help from Purple Smoke, decide to help others in getting their Cutie Marks or making them realize their true meaning, enlisting also Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.