The next morning, Pinkie Pie invited everyone to Sugarcube Corner for breakfast, and they gladly accepted. Inside the cozy bakery, the sweet smell of fresh pastries filled the air.
Everyone was happily eating their blueberry-apple pancakes, chatting and laughing—except for WordGirl. She sat quietly, staring off into space, her plate untouched.
"WordGirl?" Pinkie's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her jump slightly. She turned to see Pinkie and the others looking at her with concern.
"Huh?" she mumbled, shaking off her daze.
"You okay? You seem kinda… out of it," Pinkie asked, her usual peppy tone replaced with worry.
WordGirl hesitated, then shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine… just didn’t sleep all that well last night."
"Now that you mention it, I didn’t sleep well either," Martin said, looking over at his brother.
"Yeah, I guess hay doesn't exactly make for a comfortable mattress," Jackie added with a small chuckle.
WordGirl suddenly winced, pressing a hand to her temple as a sharp headache pulsed through her head. "Ugh… my head," she muttered, her face scrunching in discomfort.
"You alright, dear?" Ms. Cake asked, pausing her work to check on her.
WordGirl forced a small smile. "Yeah, it’s just a little headache. Nothing to worry about."
But her friends still looked concerned. Martin leaned in. “Are you sure? If you’re not feeling well, we can take it easy today.”
WordGirl shook her head. "No, really. I just need to walk it off. We’ve got a lot to do."
Even as she said it, the ache lingered, and she knew they weren’t convinced. As she stood up to leave, another throb pulsed in her head. She pushed through it, but deep down, she wondered if something more was going on.
....
Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, Peter and Stewie found themselves surrounded by the Cutie Mark Crusaders—Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. Peter had agreed to keep an eye on them, but he hadn’t expected the flood of questions that would follow.
“Do humans get cutie marks?” Sweetie Belle added. “How do you know what your special talent is?”
“Yeah! And do you have, like, flying cars or laser cannons?” Scootaloo chimed in, her wings buzzing with excitement.
Peter, overwhelmed, held up his hands. “Whoa, slow down, little firecrackers! One at a time!” He scratched his head, trying to keep up. “So, what do you kids do for fun around here?”
Apple Bloom grinned. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We help ponies find their special talents!”
Peter raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re, like… talent scouts? I thought you’d be off huntin’ treasure or fightin’ dragons or something.”
“That’d be awesome, but nah,” Scootaloo sighed. “We mostly help ponies earn their cutie marks.”
Stewie, who had been listening quietly, rolled his eyes. “Ah yes, truly tgonnaing—helping others figure out their life purpose through magical butt tattoos. Riveting.”
Peter crouched down. “So, how do you get these cutie marks? Maybe by doing something fun, like… catching frogs?”
Sweetie Belle giggled. “We already have a treehouse, and catching frogs doesn’t usually help ponies find their special talents.”
“Well, you never know! Maybe I’m a natural-born frog catcher!” Peter said proudly.
Stewie scoffed. “Oh yes, Peter. Clearly, the key to self-discovery lies in amphibians. Genius.”
Apple Bloom, ignoring him, beamed. “It’s all about trying new things until ya find what you’re best at! Maybe you could help us think of some ideas?”
Peter rubbed his chin. “Ooh! What if we start a rock band? I can play air guitar, and Stewie can—”
“Can what, Peter?” Stewie cut in, glaring. “Stand by and admire your total lack of intelligence? I have better things to do.”
Scootaloo nudged him. “Aw, don’t be such a grump, Stewie! You might even get your own cutie mark!”
Stewie folded his arms. “First of all, I’m human. A superior species, I might add. Second, I already know my talent—my genius intellect, obviously.”
Sweetie Belle blinked. “But you don’t have a cutie mark yet, do you?”
Stewie’s face turned red. “Excuse me?! My talent is my intelligence, you tiny, pastel-colored nincompoop! I don't need some foolish symbol to tell me I'm special."
Peter grinned. “Hey, you’re actually pretty good at arts and crafts, Stewie. Maybe that’s your talent!”
Stewie groaned. “Oh yes, Peter. Clearly, my destiny lies in glitter glue and popsicle sticks.”
Sweetie Belle giggled. “What about yougiveGriffin? Do you have a cutie mark?”
Peter smirked and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a mermaid. “Right here! My special talent—making bad decisions and not regretting a single one!”
The Crusaders gasped in awe. “Whoa! That’s awesome!”
Peter puffed out his chest. “See? Told ya I was special.”
Stewie sighed, rubbing his temples. “Yes, Peter. Truly, you’re an inspiration to all ponykind.”
Just as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were getting excited to brainstorm more ideas with Peter, a familiar, smug voice cut through the orchard.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Diamond Tiara taunted, walking toward them with Silver Spoon right behind her. "Looks like the Crusaders have some new friends."
Peter turned and raised an eyebrow. "Who are these two? More crusaders?"
Apple Bloom sighed. "That’s Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They used to bully us, but they’re supposed to be nice now."
"Supposed to be," Stewie muttered. "Clearly, that part didn’t stick."
Diamond Tiara looked Peter up and down with a smirk. "What even are you? Some kind of weird, hairless monkey? And that thing on your arm—" she pointed at his tattoo, "—is that supposed to be a cutie mark? How sad."
Peter glanced at his arm. "Hey, I happen to like my tattoo. Got it after a wild weekend I barely remember. That makes it special."
Silver Spoon snickered. "You don’t even have wings or magic. What can you even do?"
Stewie crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Ah yes, the fine art of taunting—a skill so essential for the survival of adolescent ponies, it seems.”
Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes at him. "And what’s your deal? Oh, wait, I get it. You’re the weird-looking baby who thinks he’s smarter than everyone. Must be rough realizing you’re not that special."
Peter sighed, already annoyed. "Alright, kids, that’s enough. Let’s all just—"
But Diamond Tiara cut him off. "What? Can’t handle a little honesty? Maybe you should just go back to wherever you came from—some dumb planet full of dumb creatures."
