Scootaloo grew up to be rambunctious and eager. Sometimes, her parents would have a hard time getting the little filly under control.

Today was Scootaloo's fifth birthday and the little filly was more energetic than usual.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin had invited their friends and their daughters and sons as well. It was a big event according to Rainbow Dash. Everyone had brought Scootaloo gifts.

“Happy birthday, Scootaloo!” a pink mare with an outrageously curly hot pink mane squealed, placing a gift on the counter.

Rainbow Dash's friend, Pinkie Pie, had come with a pretty big gift, wrapped neatly in red-wrapping paper and a white bow.

“And may you have many more to come,” Pinkie Pie's husband, Cheese Sandwich, added.

“Thank you,” Scootaloo said.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle arrived in the doorway. Scootaloo rushed over to give the two fillies a hug. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were Scootaloo's lifelong best friends. They had met when Rainbow Dash had taken Scootaloo over to Applejack’s and Rarity's houses. They had hit it off well as foals and they’ve been the best of friends ever since.

“Happy birthday, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, handing her friend a gift.

Scootaloo gasped in delight, wondering what it could be. She shook the box next to her ear.

“Careful!” Sweetie Belle cried. “It's fragile.”

“What does that mean?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don't know,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “I just hear my Mom say it when she asks me to carry packages up to her bedroom.”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “I thought fragile was what you got when you rubbed two things together.”

As the three fillies continued to chat and laugh together, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were doing the same with their friends and their husbands.

“So, Rarity, Fancy Pants,” Rainbow Dash said. “How's the boutique?”

“Spectacular!” Rarity exclaimed. “However, business has been slow lately. Luckily, our daughter, Sweetie Belle, is around to help out a bit.”

“She can be exceedingly helpful at times,” Fancy Pants added. “But sometimes…”

“She drops a box of gemstones down the stairs,” Rarity finished, recalling last week when that actually happened.

She remembered telling Sweetie Belle that the gemstones were fragile, but Sweetie Belle didn't seem to understand yet.

“So, what's the gift that you bought?” Soarin wondered. “That's some fancy wrapping paper you have on it.”

“Oh, it's just a stuffed animal,” Rarity said. “Sweetie Belle had this one since she was a foal. For some reason, she told me she wanted to give it to Scootaloo.”

“Well, that was nice of her,” Rainbow Dash told them. “I hope Scootaloo likes it.”

“Me too, darling,” Rarity admitted. “Sweetie Belle spent quite a bit of time on a card as well.”

Soarin smiled and clapped his forehooves together to quiet the guests. Gradually, everypony who had come to Scootaloo's party came to a hush. All five of Rainbow Dash's friends were able to make it as well as their husbands and children.

Applejack and her husband, Apple Buck, were the most dependable of the group. Rainbow Dash and Soarin could always count on them to give them an honest opinion. Their daughter, Apple Bloom, was learning to be honest and tell the truth as well.

Fluttershy and Discord were definitely the most bizarre couple in Equestria. Discord was a draconequus, a creature that is a mix of many other creatures. He was not at all what you’d call handsome. Fluttershy seemed to be the exact opposite. She was exceedingly alluring and her voice was enchanting, especially when she lifted it in song. Despite this, Fluttershy and Discord were able to fall deeply in love. They weren't ready for the pressure of a foal yet. For the moment, they just enjoyed being in each other's company.

Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich were an odd couple as well, but Rarity swore it was a match made in heaven. They both loved to plan parties and they became a party planning duo, causing them to fall in love. When they found the time to settle down, they got married and decided to start a family of their own. Their attempts to get Pinkie Pie pregnant were unsuccessful so far, but they weren't about to give up anytime soon.

Rarity and Fancy Pants were definitely the most sophisticated couple of the group. They always knew what to do in a social gathering and had a certain savoir faire in public activities. Their daughter, Sweetie Belle, wasn't prim and proper like her parents, but they supported her nevertheless.

What caught Rainbow Dash's attention most was her best friend, Twilight Sparkle, who came to parties, but always hid in the corner. She was the Princess of Friendship. It was ironic that she tended to isolate herself. She’d either be reading a book, working on brand new spells, or writing in a journal. Twilight loved her friends from the bottom of her heart, but she seemed very introverted when it came to parties or events. She preferred to spend time with her friends in a quieter setting like in the throne room of her Friendship Castle. Twilight had never married, due to not communicating with stallions outside of her family or her best friends husbands.

“It's time to open gifts!” Soarin announced.

Everyone began to cheer, except for Twilight who didn't even look up from her book. She could get very immersed in a great story.

“Um, Twilight?!” Pinkie Pie called.

As if being awoken from a trance, Twilight's head jerked up from her book. “Huh? Sorry, I was in the middle of a really exciting part! I just love this book. Far-off adventures, a normal peasant trying to prove himself to the king…”

“It's okay! That sounds fun!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“Would you like to join us for gifts?” Cheese Sandwich asked.

Twilight smiled warmly. “Well… I want to see Scootaloo open the gift I bought her.”

Twilight placed the book on the table beside her and made her way over to the group.

Soarin picked up the gift that Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich had left on the table earlier.

“Ooh, that's ours!” Pinkie Pie squealed with excitement.

Soarin and Rainbow Dash chuckled softly at Pinkie's eagerness. Scootaloo began to tear open the package.

When the wrapping paper was removed, Soarin joked, “It's a box!”

There was a brown box taped shut with duct tape.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “There's something inside of it, silly!”

With a smile, Rainbow Dash went over to help her daughter open the box. Scootaloo gasped in awe when she saw what was inside. It was a poster of the Wonderbolts that Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich had carefully drawn themselves.

“We wanted to get you a real one, but we couldn't find one in stores,” Cheese Sandwich explained. “So, we made an effort to make one ourselves. Now, I know it's not as great as the real poster, but---”

“I love it!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “It looks just like the real one, but with colored pencils!”

Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich smiled at her, relieved that she loved the gift, despite not being able to find an authentic one.

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie and Cheese,” Soarin told them.

“Aww, you're welcome!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Turn it over, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo turned the poster over and saw a note: Never give up. Love, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich.

“Wow,” Scootaloo breathed. She was almost rendered speechless.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said, winking at Pinkie Pie.

“No problem,” Pinkie Pie replied with a grin.

Soarin picked another present from the table, the present with the expensive wrapping paper.

“Scootaloo, that's my gift!” Sweetie Belle told her.

Scootaloo grinned in excitement as she tore open the polished wrapping paper. Sweetie Belle always got her something meaningful. It had always meant something to Sweetie Belle first and that's why her gifts always meant something to Scootaloo.

When Rainbow Dash opened another box sealed shut with tape for Scootaloo, Scootaloo saw a stuffed rabbit. It was the same one Scootaloo saw at Sweetie Belle's multiple times. The same pure white fur and the same blue ribbon tied by its neck. Sweetie Belle had even named her rabbit.

“Y-you’re giving me Bouncy?” Scootaloo stammered.

Sweetie Belle blushed with embarrassment. “Feel free to rename him.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No, we always called him Bouncy. That will always be his name.”

Hugging Bouncy close, Scootaloo smiled. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Sweetie Belle said. “There's a card too.”

Scootaloo looked into the box to find a red envelope sealed shut with a pink heart sticker. On the envelope, Sweetie Belle had wrote:

To: My Bestest Friend, Scootaloo

From: Sweetie Belle

“Mom helped me with spelling,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “I didn't know how to spell friend or dear.”

Scootaloo stifled her laughter and tore open the envelope. In Sweetie Belle's developing horn-writing, she wrote Scootaloo a letter:

Dear Scootaloo,

You are my best friend. I love how you never stop trying. I want you to keep Bouncy for me. When times get hard, Bouncy will never leave you.

Your friend,

Sweetie Belle

Scootaloo felt herself beaming from Sweetie Belle's kind words. She looked at Bouncy with a new admiration. “Thanks for Bouncy, Sweetie Belle.” She hugged the plush rabbit tighter.

“That was very sweet of you, dear,” Rarity told Sweetie Belle.

“Indeed,” Fancy Pants agreed. “We are very proud of you.”

Sweetie Belle giggled from all of the praise she was receiving. She pretended to hide, but she truly beamed from the compliments.

Throughout the day, Scootaloo opened many thoughtful gifts. She got a half-baked pie from Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom was proud that she made it all by herself. Scootaloo had to admit that Apple Bloom was an amazing baker for her age. Fluttershy had made her a hoof-stitched sweater with a bunny on it. Fluttershy’s sewing ability was truly surprising. They weren't sure where she learned to do it. Scootaloo got a replica of a Wonderbolts badge from her parents. She immediately pleaded for her mother to pin it to her.

After opening up all of those amazing birthday gifts, only one remained. It was wrapped in shimmering, royal purple wrapping paper and book-shaped. They already knew exactly who it was from.

“A book?” Scootaloo asked Twilight.

Twilight nodded. “Open it.”

Scootaloo tore open Twilight's gift to witness a carefully crafted, home-made book. Scootaloo gasped and opened the book. Each page was completely blank.

When Scootaloo still looked puzzled, Twilight spoke, “It's a journal. I made it for you myself. I thought you could use it to write your own story.”

Scootaloo hesitated.

“Look on the back,” Twilight told her.

Scootaloo turned the journal over and saw that Twilight had written as well. It read:

Dear Scootaloo,

You are one of the most amazing ponies that I know. I wanted to give you something, so you could document your experiences. When your friends get busier as you grow up, this journal will always be here for you.

Sincerely,

Twilight

Scootaloo looked up at Twilight. “Uh… thanks?”

Rainbow Dash looked a little surprised. “Scootaloo, I know you can be nicer to Twilight than that.”

Scootaloo looked at the ground. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“Sorry, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash whispered.

Twilight smiled. “It's fine. She's still young. One day, she’ll come to appreciate it.”

Rainbow Dash nodded as she turned to the rest of the guests. “Okay, it's time for cake!”

Scootaloo's eyes lit up. “Hooray!”

Soarin and Rainbow Dash made their way over to the cake they bought from Sugarcube Corner and began to cut it into slices.

Once again, Twilight made her way over to the corner she isolated herself in. She opened a spiral notebook and used the magic from her horn to carefully tear out a page. Using a quill she never left home without, she smiled affectionately and began to write:

Dear Spike…

Author's Note

Hey! Constructive criticism on the story is welcome! Thoughts? Comments? Please do give me your honest feedback! I'd love to improve my writing! Thank you so much!