It had been yet another day when the three fillies have failed to earn their cutie marks. "Really, Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo muttered. "You really thought we'd get a trash-collecting cutie mark?"
The white unicorn filly shrugged, her cheeks flushing lightly. "It was worth a try." She replied. Suddenly there was a knock on the clubhouse door.
"Ah got it." Applebloom quickly stated, and quickly trotted over to the door. She tried to open it, but couldn't, and realized she had no fingers. How in Equestria do I pick up things, anyways? "Uh…wait a second, please!" Applebloom called out after an awkward moment of her fumbling with the handle.
"I can help; Twilight just recently taught me some neat spells." Sweetie Belle piped up, and without waiting for a response, she drew in a deep breath. Her horn began to spark, a quivering cyan blue aurora starting to dance around it. The door handle slowly turned, it also bearing Sweetie Belle's blue aurora. The door opened, and a burly, almost menacing-looking creature stepped in. She had huge brown wings, a tan, furry underbelly and back, and white feathers on her chest, head, and neck. She had a sharp beak, long talons on her front feet, and paws on her back feet.
"Who are you?" The three crusaders cried out in unison, not knowing if the strange creature was going to harm them.
The creature chuckled a bit. "I'm Gilda. And I have an idea for you; I heard you were trying to get your cutie marks…"
"Who…what are you, anyways?" Scootaloo snapped impulsively. She regretted her outburst when a low growl formed in Gilda's throat. She hated to admit, but that comment slightly offended her. "Sorry." Scootaloo quickly squeaked, not wanting to get hurt.
"Heh, no problem, kid." Gilda said, shrugging. Irritation prickled inside of her, but she decided to get on the fillys' good sides, not ground them into a pulp. "I'm a Griffon."
"Cool!" Scootaloo exclaimed, smiling widely.
"Well, why were ya here, anyways?" Applebloom asked, curious. Sweetie Belle nodded.
"I just have an idea for your crusading. You know Stinkie- err, Pinkie, Pie?" Gilda quickly asked, and nearly scowled at the name of the pink party pony.
"Yes…why?" Scootaloo asked, eyebrow rising with suspicion. How does this griffon know all these ponies?
"Don't be fooled by her!" Gilda snarled with a tone of seriousness in her voice. "She ruined my life! Ruined my reputation! My mother saw how she had fooled me, and was embarrassed. So guess what? She just flew away, abandoning me! Don't let this happen to you…" Gilda knew this was all a lie, except for Pinkie ruining her reputation.
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom gasped. "W-what do you want us to do?" Sweetie Belle asked, tearing up a bit at the griffon's sad back-story.
"Kill her…." Gilda hissed silently. "Kill her. Make sure no one sees."
The three fillies stood there, dumbfounded. "No! Ah'm not gonna kill Pinkie!" Applebloom shouted, gritting her teeth angrily.
"Me neither!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle cried out in unison, eyes narrowed.
"Wait. Don't you want your cutie marks? Do you want to end up like me, having your whole life destroyed by Pinkie? Also, I noticed the tenseness in your muscles, Scootaloo. It seems like you've been quite stressed and angry lately. It would be a great time to let your anger and stressed feelings pour out. But, do not get caught." Gilda noticed the fillies weren't convinced. Ok, time to do this, griffon style.
Suddenly, Gilda reared up on her hind legs, and delivered a full-blown roar into the three fillies' faces. This left them dazed and stunned, so Gilda quickly swooped down and whispered something in the fillies' ears. "Cutie Mark Crusader Killers…"
The three fillies just sat there for a moment, their eyes blank. Then, they all stood up in unison, and slowly nodded to each other.
"That's a really good idea!" Sweetie Belle cried out happily, and Scootaloo and Applebloom nodded in agreement. Gilda snickered. That change-your-mind trick works! When I read about it on the Ponynet, I thought it was just a rumor! This might get useful!
Gilda smiled with satisfaction. "That's what I thought, girls. Now listen close, this is what you need to do."