//------------------------------//
// Chapter one: the midnight crusade 
// Story: All Hail Princess Fluttershy 
// by ChangelingQueenDragonfly 
//------------------------------//

the Everfree forest
12;00am

"Ah'm so exited!"
"So am I!"
" Shhh!"
"Sorry, Scoots."
"Ah'm sorry."
The small orange Pegasus sighed. "It's fine," she said, "I just don't want to get  caught. We're not allowed to be here this
late."
"Yeah. Ah remember last time we came Here this late. We had to write an apology to Fluttershy for scarin' her." Replied a little
Yellow earth pony with a bow in her mane.
"Yeah. But now we're here for a different reason." Continued a small white unicorn.
These ponies were, of course, the cutie Mark crusaders, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle.
"We're on a crusade!" Began Apple Bloom.
" A mission!" Continued Sweetie Belle.
"To earn our Cutie Marks!" Finished Scootaloo.
" We're.... THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!" Exclaimed all three in unison.
"Shhhh!"
" We're going to get our cutie marks in....PLANT IDENTIFICATION!!!!" Whispered the CMC in unison.

Golden Oaks Library
3:25am

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!"
"Huh?" A green and purple baby dragon Was startled by a scream as he snuck to  The lower library for a late night snack. The
Dragon being spike.
"Hey twilight! ... Twilight! TWILIGHT!!"
"Mumpfha.... What?" Asked a dreary Twilight Sparkle, suddenly woken up by her assistant.
"Did you hear that?"
" hear what?"
"That scream!" Answered Spike. "It sounded like it came from... The Everfree Forest!"
"Spike, it's the middle of the night. Who would be in the Everfree forest at this time?" Asked twilight, before she was promptly 
Answered by a second scream.
"See? There it is again! We should check it out," Said Spike.
"That's why I'm going to the door, Spike," she replied, before continuing, " maybe you  should stay here, in case whoever screamed
comes."
"Gladly," responded spike, who was more Than happy to stay behind.

Carousel Boutique
3:25am

Rarity was woken up by the loud scream As well. However, she just went back to Sleep, thinking that it was part of the very
Strange dream she'd been having.
It wasn't until the second scream that she Decided to check on Sweetie Belle.
"Sweetie Belle, darling, are you alright?"
No response
"Sweetie Belle?"
Still no response. Rarity began to worry.
"I'll check her bed. Surely she'll be there," said Rarity, desperately hoping she'd be There. She was dissapointed.

Sweet Apple Acres
3:25am

Applejack had been awake when she heard the scream. She had overheard Apple Bloom and her friends talking about going to
The Everfree to earn their Cutie Marks, and Didn't like the idea of it.
"Ah hope that ain't Apple Bloom that just Screamed," she said, "but Ah should probably check on her, just in case."
Then the second scream happened.
"Now Ah'm REALLY gonna check on her," Said Applejack worriedly as she went over to Apple Bloom's bed.
And saw it empty.

The Everfree Forest
3:45am

Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight,  Rainbow,and Pinkie all found themselves  at the Entrance to the Everfree Forest.
It hadn't taken long to find the source of The screaming: Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, And Apple bloom.
"And what, exactly, were you three doing?" demanded rarity.
"Trying to get our cutie marks," said Sweetie Belle defeatedly. 
"In what? Screaming!?"
"In plant identification. But we found Something else. Like a temple. It was guarded by some Creature. Said Scootaloo.
"Where?" asked Twilight.
The cmc's only response was " follow us."