Chapter 2
As Star Dust trotted briskly down the paved street with the three fillies, she learned that they had just earned their cutie marks. Apparently, as Sweetie Belle explained, they had gotten their look alike cutie marks by helping the school bully do the right thing.
"Wow," Star Dust marveled. "I've never seen three ponies get the same cutie mark before."
"Yeah… they're pretty great," remarked Scootaloo proudly, even puffing her chest out a little.
Soon their brisk trot turned into a near gallop as the first of many drops of rain began to fall. After about five minutes they came upon the most glorious thing Star had ever seen since her journey through Equestria.
A large crystal castle stood before her. Shaped like a tree, the building had glimmering golden rooftops and beautiful purple walls. And at the very top there was a sparkling star that looked very familiar…
"Come on!" Sweetie Belle shouted over the storm that was gradually picking up. "My sister should be in there right now." They were all soaked to the bone, so Star Dust was more than happy to pick up speed as the three wet fillies continued running as fast as their little legs would take them.
As they neared the castle, it grew larger and larger, and the words the young unicorn had said hit her. Maybe Sweetie Belle's sister was a servant to whatever noble lived in that beautiful palace. Or perhaps the filly's sister was the noble. But how could there be any nobles in a small town like Ponyville? All these thoughts swirled in Star Dust's head when the fillies abruptly stopped in front of the enormous castle.
Applebloom very casually knocked.