A few weeks after the beautiful Hearth's Warming Day, it was the birthday of a filly. This filly was a red Pegasus with a hot-pink mane and sapphire-blue eyes. Her name was Kaia. Her cousins, PhoenixTDM and Lucas, were throwing her a surprise birthday party for her 8th birthday!
"We forgot the balloons!!!" Lucas shrieked. PhoenixTDM started panicking. She flew out of the house and to the Party Palace. She grabbed a bunch of purple and blue balloons and then paid for them with a few bits. Then she flew at lightning speed out the door.
The siblings worked for two whole hours to get the party set up and perfect. Finally, it was ready. There was color everywhere; so many shades of purple and blue. Then guests started arriving. Kaia's parents had invited her friends over and PhoenixTDM invited Icy Breeze while Lucas invited Violet Sparkle who also brought Star. There were a lot of ponies in the room but Kaia hadn't come yet.
"I'm going to look out the window and see when Kaia and her parents will be here," PhoenixTDM said. "Okay," Lucas agreed. PhoenixTDM flew over to the window and waited. It felt like hours when in reality it was only 10 minutes.
Finally, there was a flash of red turning the corner. It was Kaia flying towards her house! PhoenixTDM turned around, "She's here!" Everypony started running around to find a place to hide. Lucas turned off the light and PhoenixTDM went in front of the door.
Then there was a knock. PhoenixTDM opened the door, making sure she was behind the door. All of a sudden Lucas had turned the lights on and everypony was jumping out of their hiding places and screaming, "SURPRISE!" Kaia yelped, jumping back and then realized it was a surprise party for her! She was so excited.
Kaia and her friends partied all night until it was time to go. "Mom, can I have a sleepover with PhoenixTDM and Lucas, please??" She begged. Her mom couldn't resist her puppy-dog eyes.
"Oh, alright. Since it's your birthday," her mom replied. Kaia, Lucas, and PhoenixTDM were jumping around with excitement.
After Kaia's mom had left, Kaia was watching PhoenixTDM play Minecraft on her computer until it was time to go to sleep. Kaia yawned and fell asleep right on the floor. Then PhoenixTDM went to sleep on her bed.
The next morning PhoenixTDM, Kaia, and Lucas woke up and they were eating waffles when all of a sudden PhoenixTDM and Lucas' cutie marks started glowing.
"What's happening!?" Lucas yelled as he looked at his glowing flank.
"I don't know!" Kaia replied.
"Wait, I think I remembered learning about this in school! When special ponies need to complete friendship quests, their flanks start glowing! We must need to complete a friendship quest!" PhoenixTDM exclaimed. Lucas looked stunned. "Really!?" He yelled.
"Yeah. We have to go to Princess Twilight's castle of friendship to see her map and then go to the place it says so we can solve the friendship problem!" PhoenixTDM explained. Lucas was super excited and he flew out the door. PhoenixTDM turned to Kaia and said, "Bye, Kaia! Tell my mom where Lucas and I went."
"Why can't I come, too?" She asked, sadly.
"Well it's because your cutie mark didn't glow like ours did," PhoenixTDM told her. That didn't seem to solve Kaia's sadness. "But I want to come, too!" She yelled.
"I'm sorry, Kaia, but you didn't get called on this friendship quest. I'm sorry, I have to go. Bye!" PhoenixTDM flew out the door and to the Castle of Friendship.
"Why didn't I get called on the quest!? I should've gone, too! PhoenixTDM, Lucas, and their friends think they're so special. WELL, I'LL SHOW THEM WHO'S SPECIAL!" Kaia yelled.
PhoenixTDM and Lucas' mom heard her yelling. She came downstairs and asked, "What's all the yelling about? Are you okay? And where are PhoenixTDM and Lucas?" Kaia looked up at her and replied, "They're on a friendship quest. Their cutie marks started glowing and... mine didn't."
She hugged Kaia. "It's okay, little one. You don't have to get called on a friendship quest to be special." Kaia smiled and hugged her back, "Thanks, auntie!"
Mom went back upstairs and Kaia was still sad. Then she heard a voice in her head.
"Your auntie is wrong, Kaia! You do need to be called on a friendship quest to be special. You should've been the one to be called on the friendship quest, not stupid little PhoenixTDM and Lucas!"
"Yeah! Wait, who are you?" Kaia asked, looking around. But she didn't see anything. The voice replied, "I am your best friend..." Then a creature appeared in front of her.
"Hello, Kaia. My name is Fruitcake. I can make you special, like your cousins and their friends. They don't deserve to be special, though. You do." Kaia looked up at him. He was a creature who resembled Discord, but he had a blue body and green eyes. His horns were a white goat horn and an orange reformed changeling horn. He had a white mane at the top of his head and he had a dragon and a changeling wing. He had a changeling hoof and a griffon's claw. His back hooves were a blue pony hoof and a lion's paw. He also had a lion's tail.
"Are... Are you a draconequus?" She asked. Fruitcake grinned. "Why yes, yes I am. I used to be very close with Discord, but not anymore, I haven't seen him in eons. But, I can help you be greater than those stupid little spirits of harmony, who think they're so special. We could rule all of Equestria!"
He snapped his claw and Kaia started growing. She became four times her size and she had awesome silver hoof-shoes. She also had grown fangs and a sharp horn.
"Hello, Pony of Destruction," Fruitcake said to her. Kaia grinned. "Now I can destroy the elements of harmony and the stupid spirits of harmony, and I can shatter anything that gets in my way!"
She laughed evilly and headed towards the Castle of Friendship.