Raven Flame dragged a large rectangular box into the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. The box was decorated with red and blue striped wrapping paper and a glinting golden bow-tie sealing the paper together. Pushing it into the corner with another stack of boxes she trotted over towards the record player and made sure it was working properly.
Now convinced that the music had been taken care of, Raven then returned to setting up decorations. Lacing the walls and ceiling with shining silver streamers. She lifted the net that held down the dozens of balloons, letting them fly free to the roof. With the decorations in place she walked towards the window and positioned the rotating mirror she placed outside.
The sunbeams bounced off the mirror and through the open window and caught on the streamers and balloons reflecting the golden light and scattering it throughout the walls in a dazzling display. Raven Flame looked around the room, making sure everything was perfect. She heard the sound of distant chattering coming closer to the tree house.
Quickly Raven Flame turned on the record player and trotted outside, waving at the approaching ponies. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle waved back. Sweetie Belle was levitating a closed bakery box just a few inches away from her as they approached. "Where's Scootaloo?" Raven Flame called out.
"She'll be here in a few minutes, Rainbow Dash wanted tah talk tah her." Applebloom answered back as she walked up the ramp.
"Okay!" Raven Flame hopped back inside excitedly.
The two fillies followed her inside and gawked at the display, "You did all of this?" Sweetie Belle stared as she mentally compared the display to the set she had made the day for the talent show.
"Geez, usually we just have cake until we can't move." Applebloom blinked.
Raven Flame laughed nervously, "I just wanted to make it special."
"Well ah'll say." The two fillies trotted over to the corner and sat down in the chairs next to the small table. Sweetie Belle lifted the box of the lid and checked on its contents making sure it hadn't been damaged on the trip over.
A gray Pegasus with blonde hair landed clumsily into the tree house crashing into the record player. Clutching an envelope in between her teeth she trotted over and dropped it by Raven Flame. Reading the envelope she quickly halted the retreating pony, "Derpy, this is for Pony Joe!"
Derpy looked at the envelope a little confused and then retrieved a stack of envelopes from her mail bag, dropping most of them to the ground. Finally she sorted through them and handed out the proper envelope addressed to Scootaloo. She flew back out the window, knocking her hoof against the mirror as she took off.
Raven Flame re-adjusted the mirror and placed the colorful envelope on top of the boxes. The three fillies tilted their ears when they heard the sound of hoof steps approaching. Quickly they all took places by the door.
Scootaloo walked in, "Guys, I'm…" she stopped midsentence at the scene.
"SURPRISE!" The three fillies shouted, jumping out behind her.
Scootaloo jolted around, "You guys did all this for me?" she asked with a bright smile.
Applebloom shook her head, "Naw. We just got the cake, Raven did everything else."
Scootaloo grinned widely at Raven Flame, making a quiet squeaking noise of excitement, "Thanks guys."
Raven Flame hid away her blushes as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle still weren't aware of the relationship she and Scootaloo had.
Sweetie Belle hovered over one of the presents from the corner and dropped it near Scootaloo, "Happy birthday Scootaloo!"
Scootaloo eyed the bright purple box and tore it open with her teeth, revealing a poorly sewn together pony jacket with only one sleeve. She couldn't help but laugh at Sweetie Belle's creation, "Thanks." She said with a goofy face.
Applebloom eyed the box of cake in the corner of the room, "Yah'll sure yah don't want some cake?" she asked, her mouth watering a little.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "Let's go have some cake then."
Applebloom let out a cheer and dashed over towards the box and pushed open the lid. The cake had already been cut into equal slices back at the bakery. She picked up a piece and moved it towards her mouth and bit down at nothing. "Hey!" she cried out, looking at Scootaloo who had taken her slice.
Scootaloo grinned and stuffed it into her own mouth, chewing as noisily as she could, "I wanted the first piece." She said her mouth still stuffed with the food.
Raven Flame dragged the largest of the boxes with her towards the table and nudged Scootaloo, "Happy birthday."
Scootaloo's eyes widened at the large box. Scraping a hoof at the bow she unraveled it and tore off the layer of paper. Beneath the paper, was yet another layer of paper, which she then tore off as well. After another five layers of wrapping paper an unmarked brown cardboard box was revealed. She pried open the flaps of the box and a wave of packing peanuts poured out.
There was a loud clattering as a shining silver scooter with orange handle grips fell to the ground. Raven Flame smiled, "I thought you'd want a new one, since you lost yours a few months back."
Scootaloo remembered the day where she nearly drowned on her trip Canterlot. The scooter had sunk to the bottom of the pond with everything else and she had no luck finding the place again since. She rubbed her hoof against the cool metal and bounced around joyfully, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squeaked.
Raven Flame's began to giggle and her blushes broke through, "You're welcome."
Scootaloo stopped jumping and turned to her with an almost ravenous look in her eyes. She charged at the giggling Raven Flame and tackled her to the ground, swarming her with kisses. Wrapping her forelegs around the black filly she paused for a moment to peer into her glinting blue eyes before placing one last deep kiss on her lips.
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other awkwardly. Sweetie Belle leaned over to Applebloom, "She must really like that scooter." She whispered. Applebloom responded with a silent nod as she watched.
Raven Flame looked over at the two staring fillies and squirmed herself free of Scootaloo's grasp. She let out a nervous laugh as she tried to think of a way to explain what was going on. Scootaloo noticed the stares as well and she knew there was no point in hiding it any longer, "Me and Raven Flame are sort of… marefriends."
"Ohhh, that makes much more sense." Applebloom said.
"I don't know why you guys didn't just say so." Sweetie Belle said taking a bite of cake.
Raven Flame turned to Scootaloo, "Why didn't we just tell them?" she asked.
Scootaloo shrugged, "I dunno, I just thought they might think it was weird I guess."
"Ah guess yah fergot who mah sister is married too." Applebloom laughed, "Anyway, yah still have more presents!"
Scootaloo unwrapped the remaining presents and piled the assortment of gifts next to her. After the last of the boxes were opened she reached for the single envelope and examined it. She tore open the seal and opened it, a single blue card falling out. She picked it up and read silently.
"Whose it from?" Raven Flame asked peering over Scootaloo's shoulder.
Scootaloo's good mood vanished as she read the card. Though it didn't bare any bad news of any kind, what bothered her was the pony that had sent it. She frowned, closed the card and tossed it into the pile of torn wrapping paper, "It's from my dad."
Author's Notes
Hi! So, obviously Raven Flame and Cutie Mark Crusaders story had the most votes.