The Tainted One

   "I'll be out in a minute!" Sweetie Belle yelled from inside her room. Today, she was going to hang out with her fellow crusaiders. She frantically ran around her room, trying to dry off her wet coat, as she had just finished her shower. Water was puddling all over the floor as she ran by.

   "Cmon, Sweetie Belle, you've been in there forever!" Scootaloo called out. She flapped her tiny, orange wings in impatience, waiting downstairs with Apple Bloom, inside the Carousel Boutique.

   The night before, they had spent some time fishing to see if they could get their cutiemarks but to no avail. They had decided then that they were going to try and get their cutiemarks in several small things, like water polo, or making sandwiches, or bouncing on rigid objects, almost like a certain pink mare with a crazy hairdo. They were so excited for today, they forgot to shower the night before. Apple Bloom took a quick hose shower back at Sweet Apple Acres and Scootaloo filled her bathtub with water, doused herself in soap, and swam around for a but, until she was clean. The only member they were missing now was Sweetie Belle, and she was still running around, dripping water from her bath.

   Rarity entered the room a second later, opening the door,

   "Sweetie Belle, your friends are waiting for you downstairs and your here- aAAHHHHH!" She screamed as she noticed the puddles everywhere on the floor. This made Sweetie Belle stop immediately with a slight screech. It was only then that she noticed she was tired, and breathing heavy. But she was dry.

   "Sweetie Belle! What are you doing? Running around soaked in water is not a proper way to get ready to go out with friends!"

   Sweetie Belle looked at her hooves in guilt. She didn't mean to get water everywhere, she only wanted to get dry.

   "I'm sorry, Rarity. I'll clean this up," she told her big sister, sulking towards some towels. Rarity let out a sigh

   "Oh, go on, Sweetie Belle. Have fun with the crusaders. Don't worry, I'll clean this up," she said more caringly. She picked up the towles on a night stand nearby and began moping up the pools of water.

   "Really? Aw, thanks, big sister!" Sweetie Belle said. She went up and gave Rarity's leg a hug, and said her goodbyes. She hurried downstairs, and met up with the rest of the crew.

   "FINALLY! It took you long enough! Cmon, let's go!" Scootaloo told her. She sped out the front door of the Carousel Boutique.

   "Yeah, Sweetie Belle. We're gunna have fun!" Said Apple Bloom, and she dashed out after Scootaloo, leaving Sweetie Belle by herself.

   The sudden solitude first invaded Sweetie Belle's senses. She never really paid any attention to the insides of the shop, even though she's practically walked 100 miles in and out the boutique. Perhaps one day she could take a moment to really observe her home and take in the beauty of it all. But today is not that day. Today, she was going to have fun with her best friends.

   Today was their day.

   Today was her day.