AN: Sorry for not updating for like, a month. I've been really busy. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Let me know what you think!

Twilight Sparkle paced around the Cutie Map, her mind going a hundred miles an hour. Her hooves echoed throughout the empty room, accompanied only by her quiet muttering as she tried her best to keep calm.

"Oh, I hope Princess Celestia gets back to me soon..." Twilight muttered to herself.

She continued pacing, her thoughts whirring, spinning, and growing all the more confusing with every second. The elements, the bearers, the book, and the need for her fellow Princesses' advice were the main thoughts running through her brain. She wondered how they would find the bearers, when they would find them, if the other Princesses knew about the dangers, and finally, she wondered whether or not the elements themselves were safe to use. Equestria was in trouble, no doubt about that. But what exactly was everypony dealing with?

The door then creaked open, and a little purple and green dragon entered the room, clutching a scroll in his claw.

"Twilight!" Said Spike. "You just got a letter!"

"From who?!" Twilight demanded.

"Princess Celestia! It just-"

Spike was cut off when Twilight teleported right next to him from where she previously was. Taking the scroll in her magic's hold she opened up her letter, almost tearing the parchment in her hastiness. Her eyes flew across the letter as she read what Princess Celestia wished to tell her.

"Okay, Princess Celestia says she and the other Princesses with meet with me within the next few days to discuss everything." Twilight sighed.

"Then that's good, right?"

"I'm glad she got back to me quickly, but I just wish we could talk sooner. But royal duties come first."

Twilight frowned at the letter, sighing before rolling it back up and looking at Spike seriously.

"Well, I suppose I should read up on the elements some more. Maybe there was something I missed..."

"Aw come on Twilight, you're gonna drive yourself crazy that way!" Spike exclaimed, throwing his claws up in exasperation. "You really gotta get your muzzle out of that dusty old book!"

"Spike, that 'dusty old book' is not only a history book on the Elements of Wilderness, but it's also a guide to the only way we can defeat King Sombra."

"Okay, okay. I get it Twi. I'm just saying you gotta take a break."

Twilight smiled and nodded at her companion before using her magic to set the letter down on the cutie map table.

"I guess I could go for a hoof burger and hay fries." Said Twilight, finally giving into Spike's advice.

"Oh, could I get some gems?" Spike asked excitedly, licking his lips and looking up at Twilight with puppy-dog eyes. "Please?"

"Oh alright." Twilight giggled, levitating the baby dragon onto her back. "How could I say no to that?"

......

"Can you please tell me what exactly we're doing again?" Whirlwind groaned, lowering her head as she walked. "I'm bored."

"Look, I know research wasn't exactly the first thing you wanted to do today, but we never did it the other day." Said Winter, using her magic to turn a page on the book she was reading as she walked alongside Whirlwind. "Plus it's a topic I really wanna research. I know we learned about it when were fillies, but I don't think we know everything about it."

"Okay, sure, whatever. It's just, you never showed an interest in this before. I mean, cutie marks? Really? I just don't understand why you're suddenly interested in this."

The alicorn looked up from her book to look at her friend seriously. Her eyes were stern, but it was obvious that her hard-set gaze was merely a result of her seriousness.

"All that talk about our cutie marks with Princess Twilight made me think back to the day we got ours." Winter explained, looking her friend in the eyes. "It got me thinking and I guess I'm just curious. Twilight said that there weren't many recorded cases of ponies being lifted into the air when they got their cutie marks."

"Uh..." Whirlwind trailed off, still needing more clarification. "Okay..."

"I just think it's a topic worth exploring a bit more."

"Well, I guess it is uncommon..."

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Don't you think there could be more to it?"

"I guess there could be. But that doesn't mean there is."

"And that's why I'm researching this." Winter told, closing her book and stowing it in her dark blue saddle bag. "Unfortunately since there aren't very many reported cases, that also means there isn't much to read about it either."

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Whirlwind asked.

"Glad you asked. Since I can't really find anything to read on the subject, I figured it would be best to ask somepony who has not only witnessed it, but gone through it themselves."

Whirlwind cocked her head to the side curiously. The purple gray pegasus found herself wondering who in hoof her best friend was talking about. As far as she was concerned, nopony she knew had been lifted into the air upon getting their cutie mark. Well, other than herself and Winter of course.

Winter Frost continued to lead Whirlwind through town and into the rural areas Ponyville. Houses grew smaller in the distance as the pair kept walking. Soon the trees became plentiful and orchards were within their sight.

"Why-" Whirlwind began.

"You'll see." Winter interrupted, straying from the path leading to Sweet Apple Acres and into a vast expanse of apple trees.

The alicorn strode through the trees and up to a treehouse nestled in the strong branches. She then climbed up the green ramp onto the platform while Whirlwind watched her with a confused look.

"Winter?" Whirlwind prompted. "You're asking are the cutie mark crusaders?"

"Well, yeah. They were lifted into the air when they got their cutie marks." Winter Frost replied. "Besides, they're experts in this sort of thing."

"That's a great idea! I can't believe I didn't see where you were going with this! I mean, they got their cutie marks for helping other ponies with their cutie mark problems for Celestia's sake!"

"Exactly."

Raising her right hoof, Winter knocked on the wooden door of the treehouse. The voices inside quieted as hoofsteps approached the door. A moment later the door swung open to reveal three fillies.

"Hi Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo!" Winter greeted, turning to each of the ponies as she said their names.

"Oh hey there, Winter." Said Apple Bloom with a smile. "What can we do ya for?"

"Is it a cutie mark problem?!" Scootaloo asked excitedly, fluttering her wings so fast they were an orange blur.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a problem." Said Whirlwind. "But we do need some help with cutie marks."

"Well that's what the cutie mark crusaders do best!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed cheerfully as she used her magic to close the clubhouse door behind the two older ponies.

"What do ya need help with?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Well, you three are experts on cutie marks and we were wondering about what it means when a pony is lifted into the air." Winter told.

The three fillies exchanged glances.

"What do ya mean?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"When you three got your cutie marks, everypony says you were lifted into the air. That also happened to Whirlwind and I."

"Sweet Celestia!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, I've never heard of anypony else that's happened to before." Scootaloo nodded.

"Me either." Apple Bloom agreed. "When we got our cutie marks, first there was pink glow that surrounded our hooves when we touched."

"And then it kinda spread and formed a circle around us." Scootaloo explained.

"Next it changed to a different color for each of us when it reached us." Sweet Belle continued.

"Then we were lifted into the air..." Said Scootaloo.

"And there were flashes of light!" Apple Bloom added.

"We floated back down to the ground with our flanks glowing." Sweet Belle described. "Everypony was staring..."

"At first we didn't know what was happened." Apple Bloom told. "But when we looked at our flanks-"

"We saw our cutie marks!" Scootaloo shouted, remembering the day fondly.

"That sounds-" Winter started.

"Familiar." Whirlwind finished.

Winter nodded at Whirlwind. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, thinking back to when they got their own cutie marks.

"When we got our cutie marks it was on the same day, but not at the same time." Said Whirlwind, looking back to the cutie mark crusaders.

"Yes, do you think that makes any difference?" Winter asked as she too turned back to the three fillies.

"Erm..." Apple Bloom muttered while the crusaders looked at each other, silently conversing with their eyes. "I'm sorry... but I don't think we know the answer to that."

"We don't fully understand why it happened that way either." Sweetie Belle admitted sadly.

"Oh..." Winter sighed, deflating.

"But we all got the same cutie mark... Maybe it has something to do with that?" Scootaloo suggested.

"Our destinies are the same, and so, our cutie marks are too." Said Apple bloom, rubbing her chin with her hoof thoughtfully. "Maybe your destines are somehow related?"

"I don't know..." Whirlwind trailed of. "Our cutie marks are totally different."

"But we did get them on the same day." Winter put in.

"Yes, but not at the same time. Our special talents are two totally different things."

"I guess you're right."

After a few moments of somber silence, Apple Bloom spoke up.

"I'm awfully sorry we can't tell ya more." The filly apologized, looking down at the ground sadly, unable to look the older ponies in the eyes. "But if ya have any more questions, let us know."

Whirlwind brightened a little and put her wing around Apple Bloom. Startled slightly by the sudden feeling of feathers, she looked up at Whirlwind.

"Aw don't worry, girls." Whirlwind consoled. "It's alright. Nopony knows everything."

"That's right!" Winter jumped in, smiling at the crusaders. "It's not like the fate of Equestria is at stake and we have to know the answer in order to save the world."

Winter winked before bending down to eye level with the three crusaders.

"Besides, we were just curious anyway." Winter assured. "Thanks for helping us, girls."

Whirlwind took her wing away from Apple Bloom as Winter stood back up and started to walk to the door.

"But we couldn't help you with your cutie mark problem." Sweetie Belle reminded.

"We're the cutie mark crusaders! We gotta be able to help!" Apple Bloom exclaimed desperately.

"But you did." Whirlwind told.

"We did?" Scootaloo said in an unsure tone of voice, raising an eyebrow. "What did we do?"

"Thanks to you three we now know more than we did a little while ago." Whirlwind noted. "And that counts for something."

"Not to mention we have a pretty good guess as to why it happened to us." Winter added.

Whirlwind then walked over to where Winter was standing beside the door and the two flashed the crusaders soft, reassuring smiles before saying goodbye and closing the door.