//------------------------------//
// The C.M.C. 
// Story: Saint Beast: From Pony to Dragon to Pony Again 
// by Setten Sun 
//------------------------------//

	When they finally stopped running, they were surrounded by apple trees. One of the tree's had a small building within its branches. Nothing fancy, it was merely a two roomed structure one on top the other. The three fillies started up the ramp that connected to the house, with Saint right behind them. "So, why did you literally drag me here for?" questioned Saint.
When they finally made it to the top, the three turned back to Saint and said "Welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusaders club house!" as the kicked opened the door. to reveal a room with a table, a hanging light in a corner, a map? if you could call it that, and a rug.
"The what?" asked Saint, totally lost.
Apple Stated "It's a club devoted to helping ponies find their cutie marks."
". . . what's a cutie mark?" questioned Saint still lost.
"What" the three scream in unison "You don't know what cutie marks are?" 
"O, wait" said Sweetie not even a second later, "You were raised by a dragon right? So I guess dragons wouldn't teach you about them." This shocked the other two, since they had no idea where Saint called home before coming to Ponyville. "A cutie mark is a mark a pony gets when he or she finds what their best at."
"More importantly" Scoots butted in "You were razed by a dragon?" Saint nodded. "What are dragons like? I thought they eat ponies, not raised them? Does that mean when you said you were taught by experts you meant Dragons taught you?"
Saint answered "I was raised by the Red flight" not wanting to tell them his biological parents were murdered by the one he calls mom he continued "after my parents died in the wilderness, my mother came and rescued me from the same fate. Normally a dragon will not take in anything that is not their own kind. Since at the time I was an infant, she took pity on me. As for the teachers yes they were dragons as well." The tree looked at him wanting him to continue, but he thought he told them plenty already "So you bright me here for...?" Snapping out of their trances, the three move around the room as Saint watched them.
"Allow me to show you just some of the highlights of our clubhouse" said Apple, "should you choose to join us." The three moved to a wall with a poster on it that had the three fillies faces on it. "This is where we do our role call." As Scoots put a checkmark by each of their faces. Then they quickly moved to the table, which is only about four steps away. "This is where we eat our lunch." Both Sweetie and Scoots start to pretend to eat for a moment.
'Are they always like this' Saint thought.
Sweetie ran under the light and stood on the small rug as Apple continued "Sometimes we stand here and think of great ideas." on queue Scoots taped the light, turning it on, as she hug down from an upper floor. They stopped and looked at Saint expectantly. 
After giving the three a couple of seconds to see if they were going to do something else. When they didn't he commented, "Well I did come here to learn about being a pony, so the best way is to have others that will help me. So I would like to..." Before he could finish the three hugged him as they welcomed him to the Crusaders. This made Saint freeze in place, something the three didn't miss.
"Not use to physical contact are ya?" Asked Apple.
"No I bet you he's bad with fillies." jokes Scoots
"Come on you two, stop picking on him." Sweetie demanded as she stopped her hug and started to pull the other two off him. Allowing Saint to relax.
When he composed himself he added "I may not be use to physical contact the way you are, I am use to physical contact in a fight!" he shouted as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. Sweetie moved in front of him.
"We need to initiate him into the club still." she cried.
In an instant the inside of the clubhouse changed, a red banned hung from the ceiling with a blue symbol of a pony with a cape on. Apple stood in the left corner of the room, Sweetie in the center behind a wooden podium, and Scoots was playing some drums. All three had red capes on and each cape had the same blue symbol. 
"We, the Cutie Make Crusaders, elect Saint Beast to join us as a full member, confidant, pal, and bff,.." Sweetie looks over at Scoots "Scoots I thought you revised this?"
"I did" she retorted "I guess it's still a bit wordy." 
Sweetie started to go though the paper saying a word every now and again "Asomtastic...defender...upright...here we go! Saint Beast do you solemnly ware to these bylaws?"
'How can I know what I'm saying yes to" he thought. "I do?"
"Yay!" the screamed once again as the hugged him. making him go stiff again. "O, sorry." They said as they let him go.
"All right Crusaders, who haves an idea for today?" asked Apple. Sweetie piped in and told the group that her sister needed some help, modeling a new foals line, and Sweetie volunteered the C.M.C. to help her. "But what about Saint, we can't expect him to dress in filly clothing." That is when Sweetie explained that Rarity also wanted the Crusaders to find a colt to join them for the photo shoot. 
"Cutie Mark Crusaders fashion models!" yelled the three fillies . Then the three looked at Saint and Scoots asked him why he didn't yell with them.
"How was I to know what you would say?" Saint retorted.
"Saint" Sweetie said in a worried voice, "are you saying that you had no idea what we were going to say?"
Saint looking completely baffled states "You understand that we are not one pony right?"
"Well how else can you sing with everypony else?" the three questioned.
"Sing?" Saint thought out aloud," O, do you mean war chants? Well those are ancient scripts so every drake know them. Besides they are used at ceremonies." Deciding to change the topic Saint added "Should we not get going?" Realizing how much time they already spent the fillies grabbed Saint and dragged him once again behind the wagon as they sped off though the orchard. 
To say Scoots driving was reckless would be an understatement. Narrowly avoiding random ponies, mostly thanks to the ponies jumping out of the way. Other times, she takes jumps off of random things that can't hold their combined weight, breaking them in the process. 
When they stopped, they were now in front of a strange building that looked like it had a curricle on top of it. The fillies quickly ran inside wile Saint tried to get his head on straight after the last house he was flung into. Once he could see straight he opened the door and walked inside.
The bell on top the door signaled his entrance and he heard a voice say "And this must be the colt that is helping me next weekend. I am ever so glad you are here, my names Rarity." As he looked in the direction of the sound he saw a mare that is as white as snow, and she had a strange looking purple main.
The three fillies were nowhere in sight, 'they must be in a different room.' After remembering what Rarity said Saint asked "What do you mean weekend? I thought this was a one day thing, by the way Apple made it sound."
"O, no no no no, today is only the fitting. You know to make sure you look your best darling, nothing more. Now come along." She walked to a pedestal with a reflective surface next to it.
"What's that?" Saint asked pointing to the mirror.
Rarity looked at where he pointed and asked in a concerned voice "Do you mean the mirror?"
'Alright so that's a mirror.' Saint thought then asked the question that has been raking at his mind "What's modeling?" 
Rarity threw one hoof to her head as she fainted back words onto a coach she pulled to herself, using magic, uttering the words "What's modeling?"
She laid their out cold when sweetie and the other two walked in. Sweetie had on a bright blue cape with matching leg bindings, Apple had a ruby and diamond bow with a matching dress that stopped halfway down her legs, finally it looked like Scootaloo had taken most of her clothing off leaving only her amethyst wing coverings. "Rarity how much" then she saw her sister on the couch, "ok, I give, what did you say?" Saint explained that all he did was ask a question. "I see, well I think we have a few minutes before she wakes back up."
Scoots took this opportunity to pry into Saint's past some more "Where does your mom live Saint?"
"The lava fields of Blood Gorge" he replied.
"What's it like there?" she asked.
"Hot...there are lava fields every were. Now tell me about your families?"
"Ok, my family" Scootaloo started
"O, O the Apples are great!" Apple Bloom butted in, "Let's see now, there's my big sis Applejack. She is the best sister anypony could ask for, she's kind, caring, and strong. She's also extremely reliable too. Then there is my big bro, Big Mac! Stronger than any stallion I ever seen. He doesn't talk much but that's just how he is ya know. Then finally there is Granny Smith, my grandma. She knows everything about anything."
Confused Saint asked "What about your mother or father?" Apple looked a bit down at this statement, but before he could apologize Rarity woke back up.
"Alright" Rarity explained "all you will have to do is stand while a few ponies take pictures of you."
"That's all"
"Well you will be dressed up."
"Dressed up?"
"Please tell me you are joking darling." Saint shook his head. "Were you raised by dragons, honestly you sound like you are not a civilized pony."
"Are you making fun of my mother?" with more than a bit of anger behind his words.
"I would never" She shot back a bit offended "I just" Just then Sweetie moved to her sister and whispered into her ear. her ace turned a tad paler...if that's possible. "O, I am sorry, I didn't know you were raised by a dragon. Dressing, alright when a pony wants to look better they will put on clothing. They do this for many different reasons such as fashion, or trying to catch the eye of a cretin somepony."
After a few seconds saint piped in "That is beyond my comprehension, covering up one's own scale...I mean, coat, is the ultimate sign of disgrace. Well except if it's to blend you into your surroundings." Rarity moved Saint back to the platform. 'Ponies do this' he thought as he looked at the other crusaders.
The next thing he saw was a lot of fabric flying at him. He stood still, with his eyes closed, as Rarity muttered to herself "Nope, nope, just a tweak here, a quick stitch here and voila." He opened his eyes and looked at his reflection. his once purple coat was now covered in a black cape with red outlined flames."Alright try to flap your wings, I need to see if I have given you enough room to fly." 
Saint gave a small flap of his wings, creating a gale in the small room turning Rarity's once perfectly styled mane into a afro as her fake eyelashes went flying. She simply froze, her eye's going wide. 
"Um Saint" sweetie squeaked "I think we should call it a day. I need to get Rarity back from her...episode. Scootaloo do you think you can help me?" Scootaloo nodded "Apple Bloom, I'll let you bring Saint back to Twilights."
"I recon I can do that." She replied as she move closer to Saint. "Come on Saint lets go, before Rarity comes to. I bet she will be madder then Applejack was when I borrowed her hat." She ran out the door with Saint right behind her.
They ran a short distance until Saint asked "Is Twilights not the other way?"
"It is." She answered "But I thought since you are new and all to the club, that I would let you buck a few apples to see if your talent is with apples. I'm just ganna need to tell my sis."
"Um...ok just lead the way"