Rainbow Dash set Scootaloo down gently on the ground in front of Sugarcube Corner before coming to a landing herself. The sun shone high in the sky and although there was the occasional white cloud, the blue sky above was relatively clear.

It was Saturday at noon—lunchtime—so there were a few more ponies than usual walking the streets of Ponyville, looking to conduct business or just get a bite to eat. This was especially true around Sugarcube Corner, which was renowned in town as perhaps the best place to get a tasty lunch, something scrumptious yet nutritious. Plus, you could get dessert afterwards.

"You know what you wanna have, Scoots?" Rainbow asked as she started walking towards the door. Scootaloo followed alongside the mare.

"Hmm, not sure yet. Probably something like breakfast-for-lunch, y'know? Considering I didn't have breakfast and all..."

Rainbow blinked. "You didn't? C'mon, kid, you gotta eat! Three meals a day!"

"I know, I know..."

Rainbow Dash pulled open the door to Sugarcube Corner and held it open, allowing Scootaloo to sneak in before the mare herself went through.

The atmosphere of the place was always welcoming, but on that day it felt especially so; there were so many ponies filling up the booths, eating their lunches. Mrs. Cake smiled and waved from behind the counter. "Hey there, Rainbow! Happy birthday, Scootaloo!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Cake!" Scootaloo replied cheerily, beaming back.

Rainbow's head turned back and forth, surveying the room. "Hey, Mrs. Cake. Have you seen Pinkie?"

"Oh, yes, she's in the back with the other two Crusaders. They're expecting you, you know."

"Heh, thanks. C'mon, squirt." Rainbow navigated leftwards through the maze of ponies that were milling about in the centre of the eatery, Scootaloo following close behind. It wasn't long until they were at the edge of the room and Rainbow once again opened the door in front of them and stood aside to allow Scootaloo entry before walking in herself and closing the door behind them.

They found themselves in one of the small back rooms where Rainbow and her friends would often meet up when Sugarcube Corner was a little too busy for them to feel comfortable. There was a round table in the centre of the room, with two empty seats and three ponies around it: Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom.

"Happy birthday, Scootaloo!" they chorused, Rainbow Dash joining in as well.

"Thank you so much!" Scootaloo sat down in the open seat between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, while Rainbow sat opposite her, next to Pinkie Pie.

"Have you gals figured out what you want yet?" Pinkie Pie asked, leaning in.

"I'll just have a hayburger," Rainbow replied. "Nothing fancy."

"And you, Scootaloo?" Pinkie turned to face the filly. "Don't hold back. It's your special day!"

"Hmm... I could go for pancakes..."

"Are you sure?" Pinkie leaned in closer.

"Well, what I really want is Prench toast, but—"

"But nothing! That's easy! I'll be back in a jiffy," Pinkie said, jumping out of her chair and bouncing in the direction of the kitchen.

"Oh, and could I have razberry syrup on that?" Scootaloo called after her. "It's my birthday, after all!"

"Of course!" Pinkie said loudly from the other room. They could already hear her opening drawers and cabinets, clanging around metal pots and pans and whatnot.

"How was your day so far, Scoots?" Sweetie Belle asked, turning to her friend. "A good birthday?"

"Good? Try the best! Rainbow Dash was super awesome and took me up in the clouds and I'm actually starting to fly."

Rainbow blushed. "Aw, c'mon squirt, that was all you."

"No, really, you're really helping me!" Scootaloo said, smiling as she spoke. "First Rainbow dropped me and it was so scary but fun"—"You hated that part!"—"and then we went up on the clouds and I started being able to glide across them! I bet in no time I'll be flying just like her." Rainbow got redder and redder as Scootaloo went on.

"That sounds fun, Scoots," Apple Bloom said. Her tone was a little less enthusiastic than Sweetie's but she sounded interested all the same. "I'm really glad ya got the chance to do some flyin' with Rainbow."

"Th-thanks, A.B.!" Scootaloo blinked, confused, but decided it was nothing. "Anyway, I'm starved. What're you guys having?"

"You skip breakfast again, Scoots? I'm havin' a hayburger, just like Rainbow."

"And I'm having a salad," Sweetie Belle said. "Rarity's been making a lot of salads recently, and I've been liking them a lot."

"Mmm, awesome," Scootaloo said. She looked at Rainbow Dash, who was staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, Rainbow, do you think we could do some more flying after lunch? I'm really excited to do some more!"

Rainbow immediately perked up to attention. "Oh, yeah, that'd be fun! Let's—" she started, but she stopped mid-sentence at the startled faces of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "Ehem, I mean... maybe we can fit in a little?"

Before Scootaloo could respond, the group was interrupted by Pinkie Pie. "Food's ready!" She was walking on her hindlegs into the room from behind the Cutie Mark Crusaders, balancing five plates on her hooves, her shoulders, and on top of her head, nestled in her mane. "Bon appetit!" One by one, the pink pony dropped the plates in front of the ponies who'd requested them, concluding at her own spot and her own dish which held a stack of nearly a dozen pancakes and a pile of whipped cream at least as tall as the stack beneath it.

All five of them quickly started digging into their food, occasionally pausing to carry on bits and pieces of conversation, although the Crusaders especially kept talking with their mouths full and had to repeat themselves when nopony else could understand. Soon enough, they were all finished with their meals—even Pinkie Pie, who deftly removed the tufts of whipped cream from her face with a single swipe of her tongue.

"So, what now?" Apple Bloom asked. "Do you wanna—?"

She was cut off, however, by an outburst by Scootaloo. "Rainbow, can we go flying some more? Even if just for a little bit?"

"Well, it is your birthday," Rainbow said, twiddling her hooves on the table. She looked up. "I bet we can squeeze in a little more practice before you do other stuff. You wanna go now?"

"Do I?! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" Scootaloo jumped out of her seat; Rainbow Dash followed suit. The filly turned back to the table. "Thank you guys so much for having lunch with me! I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Have fun, Scootaloo!" Pinkie said cheerfully.

"Yeah, hope it's good!" Sweetie Belle said, waving. Apple Bloom nodded. In a moment, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had gone.

"I'm gonna take these dishes to go wash 'em, if you ponies are done," Pinkie said, standing up from her seat as well.

"Yeah, you can take them," Sweetie Belle said, looking at the last few leaves on her plate. "I'm pretty full."

Pinkie walked around the table and hummed as she picked up each plate, putting them into a stack balanced on her head. She walked out of the room and into the kitchen, leaving Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom alone. Sweetie Belle moved one seat to her right so that she sat right next to Apple Bloom. She put a hoof around the filly's shoulders.

"You doing okay, A.B.?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Mmmm," Apple Bloom breathed. "I guess."

"It's not that she doesn't want to hang out with us, she just—"

"I know."

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle looked at her friend.

"I know she's just excited 'bout flyin' with Rainbow Dash. Celestia knows she should be, and I'm happy for her. It's just obvious she don't care all that much about hangin' out with us either."

"Apple Bloom—"

"'Specially not me. C'mon, Sweetie, you know it's true. She don't feel the same way about me. She probably doesn't even like fillies like that."

Sweetie Belle sighed and hugged her friend closer. "I don't know, Apple Bloom. I really don't know. What I do know, though, is that she's our friend and she cares about us. It's her birthday, so let's just let her hang out with Rainbow for now, 'cause she's having a lot of fun. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of her this evening at the party, too, don't you think?"

Apple Bloom turned her head to look at Sweetie. "I hope so, Sweetie. I really do."