Secrets in the Shadows

It’s early morning in Ponyville, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are trudging along the ground as they walk to their school, not so ready for a new year.

“I mean honestly, why do we even NEED to go to school it’s no fun”, Scootaloo moaned trying to be as dramatic as possible.

“Cause we need to get an education, so that when we earn our cutie marks, we can make our special talents even more special”, Apple Bloom said trying to convince Scootaloo to stay on the path they were headed before Scootaloo decides to turn tail and run home.

“Yea but I’m going to be an amazing flyer like Rainbow Dash, I can just learn everything I need to know from her.”

“That’s not what I had in mind”, Apple Bloom grunted, annoyed by her friend’s remark.

Suddenly, the pair hears loud and fast hoofsteps, they turn around to see their friend Sweetie Bell charging at them, she’s beaming as she halts inches from their faces.

“Oh my gosh, guess what my sister told me”, Sweetie Bell said a little out of breathe.

“What?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom said as they raise an eyebrow.

“Rarity said that the Grand Galloping Gala is being held early this year, in fact, it’s this weekend. And Princess Celestia has asked big sister to make her and Princess Luna a dress for the occasion”, her smile widens to the point it seemed her face froze.

“Wow Sweetie Bell, that sounds great, but, how does this affect us?” Apple Bloom asked, a little confused, “you know that we can’t go unless somehow we get invitations, and knowing the Gala it’s really fancy like, it’s not exactly a place for fillies”.

Sweetie Bell smiles even wider, now it seems a little un-proportional with her head. She reaches into her saddle bag, and pulls out three golden invitations saying: “You are formally invited by Princess Celestia to the Grand Galloping Gala: Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell”

Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo where amazed from what is in front of them, finally Scootaloo stammered, ”H-how did you get these?”

“While Rarity was flipping out and already getting to work on the dresses, I snuck Princess Celestia out of the boutique, warning her that she wouldn’t want to go in there if Rarity is on an inspiration rampage, she found what I said to be funny so she took me to get some ice cream, amazed myself from what I heard I followed her to Sugar Cube Corner. There we talked about how we thought the dresses are going to turn out and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She found the idea of a club to earn cutie marks to be cute, so she made invitations for all of us seeing if we can get our cutie marks there”.

“Does your sister know”, Apple Bloom asked, still trying to absorb the moment.

“Yea, she even made dresses for us too.”

“How did she do that so fast?”

“She somehow knew that we would be going to the gala, when we got back, poof, three dresses, one for each of us”

Still amazed by how they got invitations to the biggest party of the year, Scootaloo zipped in between the pair as they screamed to the heavens:

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS PARTY ANIMALS”

“No that’s my job”

The trio turned around to see Pinkie Pie standing behind them, looking serious, “But you can try to get your cutie marks by being party animals.” She smiles and bounces away leaving the three fillies speechless.