Writing is Magic

          “So what’s our plan for this year’s talent show,” Apple Bloom asked her fellow Crusaders in their treehouse.

          “We should do another group act,” Sweetie Belle suggested.

          “Well,” Scootaloo said, glancing back at her Cutie Mark, “I was really thinking of doing my own act showing off some of my tricks. You guys understand, right?”

          The Earth and Unicorn fillies glanced at each other, and then back at their Pegasus friend.

          “Of course we understand,” Apple Bloom nodded, “You’ve found your special talent, and you should be doing everything to work on it.”

          “Hey,” Sweetie exclaimed, “this is the perfect opportunity for Apple Bloom and I to find our own talents. We should each do our own act.”

          “Yeah. That is, if I can think of something.”

          “Well there’s two more weeks until the show, we’re both bound to think up something.”

          The three friends left their clubhouse and went their separate ways to work on their talents.

          …

          A few days later, while I was in the market doing Rarity’s shopping, Sweetie Belle ran right into me, almost causing me to spill the groceries out of my saddlebag.

          “Woah Sweetie,” I said, “where’s the fire?”

          “Sorry Art, but Rarity told me you were here. I’ve been looking all over for you. I was hoping I could ask you for a favor.”

          “What kind of favor?”

          “Could you get Vinyl Scratch to come to Ponyville?”

          “My cousin? Why do you want her here?”

          “Well you know the talent show is coming up, and I have an idea for a song I want to sing, but I need some sort of musical back-up, and Vinyl’s music is perfect.”

          “I guess I could ask, but no promises, OK?”

          “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

          The unicorn filly pranced off, as I stood there wondering what Sweetie had in mind.

          …

          Apple Bloom sat next to the flagpole in the Ponyville schoolyard. Miss Cheerilee, seeing her moping student, trotted over to see what was wrong.

          “You seem down, Apple Bloom,” the teacher observed, “anything you want to talk about?”

          Apple Bloom took a deep breath before answering.

          “There’s less than a week until the talent show, and everypony is working on their acts except for me because I don’t know what my talent is, if I even have a talent. What am I going to do?”

          “First off, of course you have a talent, everypony has a special talent. But I understand. You and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have been working for so long to earn your Cutie Marks and now that Scootaloo has hers, you’re wondering why you haven’t discovered yours yet. But you will.”

          “I know.”

          “You know what,” Cheerilee’s eyes brightened, “I could use your help with something. Would you like to help me finish the stage decorations?”

          The two ponies walked over to the stage where the talent show would be held. There were various materials strewn all about: plywood, cardboard, bows, ribbons, and more.

          “The stage is a mess,” Apple Bloom commented, “where do we even begin?”

          “I was thinking of a simple painted backdrop,” Cheerilee answered, “perhaps something seasonal.”

          “But what if it doesn’t fit? I mean, with so many different acts, what if it doesn’t make sense? Every act should have their own individual background.”

          “That would take a lot of effort. Do you have a plan?”

          “Do I? Of course, leave everything to me.”

          Apple Bloom spent the next week running all over Ponyville working on her creation. She came to Rarity to get more decorations; she had Big Mac haul in a lot more wood, and she drafted Pinkie to help her do the painting and crafting. By the day of the talent show, she was worn-out, but seemed satisfied, though none of us were completely sure what the finished product would look like.

          The night of the talent show, everypony gathered in the schoolyard, where the stage was set-up. The six, Spike, and I got good front-row seats, the best possible view of the action.

          Scootaloo performed first, and wowed the crowd with some impressive scooter tricks. It was so good that Rainbow Dash was almost doing flips in the air.

          I was patiently waiting to see what Sweetie Belle had up her sleeve. I had been able to get Vinyl to come to town, and I knew that they had been practicing something, but no matter how hard I pressed, my cousin would not give away what the song was.

          As the night went along, it was very apparent that all that hard work Apple Bloom did was paying dividends. Each act had a unique and imaginative backdrop which fit with them perfectly.

          Finally, Rarity’s little sister took the stage, the last performance of the evening. The background consisted of a black curtain which had many holes cut in it to resemble stars. In the middle sat the full-length mirror from Rarity’s creation room. I had been wondering where it had disappeared to. Rarity had created an outfit for her sister for the show, a black dress accented by silver, which had the effect of her almost blending into the background. Her mane was tied back, held by a large black bow.

          “This song,” Sweetie Belle began, “goes out to Rarity and Art, and any couple who reflect one another.”

          She pointed off stage to Vinyl, who began spinning a simple, yet strong, beat.

  As the song began, I found myself mesmerized by it almost from the very beginning. Usually, I would be focused on remembering the exact words, but I couldn't get my mind to concentrate long enough to do that. Of course, I could still make out the song's meaning. It told of how great couples seems to reflect each other, as if they are two halves of the same whole.

  By the halfway point of the song, Rarity had her head sitting firmly on my shoulder, her eyes closed, just taking in the melodic, romantic tune that her sister had expertly crafted. I leaned my head over hers in kind, and for the duration of the performance, it was if Sweetie was singing only to us.

          A brief interlude by Vinyl’s beat, and the song was over. The audience erupted in hoof-stomping and whistling. Sweetie Belle almost looked embarrassed as she did a little bow and exited the stage.

          After the show, we met up with the fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. There were congratulations all around, particularly for Sweetie Belle.

          “Well would you look at that,” Rarity said after she had helped her sister out of the dress, “is that what I think it is?”

          We all looked and saw what Rarity was referring to. Sweetie’s flank was no longer blank. On it sat three purple eighth notes, arranged in a pattern much like her sister’s diamonds. Add in the fact that the body of the notes were diamond-shaped and not circles, and the mark looked like a musical version of Rarity’s.

          The three fillies pranced around, overjoyed at another friend earning their mark. Apple Bloom stopped prematurely, the look of realization covering her face.

          “I’m the only one,” she said solemnly.

          “Don’t be silly, sugarcube,” Applejack commented, “The way you created all those backgrounds and such from nothing, that has to be worth something.”

          “You’re right,” the Earth filly perked up, “that’s got to be it.”

          With that statement, a glow appeared near Apple Bloom. When it subsided, we all gasped in excitement. On her flank now rested an artist’s palette, shaped like an apple, with seven color splotches, one for each color of the rainbow.

          The three fillies once again began prancing about in celebration.