Sweetie Belle sat out in the warm midday sun; reading a relatively thick green book, entitled “The Birth of Friendship”, her mind churning with the provoking thoughts the book offered up. Written by a pony named Friendland Scientzche, it fell under a new form of thought called existentialism. Normally she wouldn’t have been so interested in such a boring book of philosophy, but considering it is both a gift from Twilight and surrounding the ideas of looking into oneself, she found herself captivated.
She snapped the book closed, standing up as she struggled to levitate the book into her saddle bag. Her thoughts continued turning over themselves; her own mind beginning to question itself. It felt off putting, but oddly satisfying.
‘Why am I here?’ burned brightly in her mind, as well as a million other questions; all equally competing to be at the forefront of her mind. Her thoughts all ended immediately, her muzzle ramming against the front entrance to Rarity’s Boutique.
“Come in.” Rarity’s singsong voice echoed out through the door. Sweetie chuckled embarrassedly, stepping inside.
“It’s me Rarity,” Sweetie squeaked, closing the door behind her.
“Oh Sweetie Belle, you don’t have to knock.” Rarity smiled warmly, turning away from her latest project to look at her younger sister. “Just excited to get home from school?” She laughed heartily.
“Not exactly.” Sweetie smiled, setting her saddlebag down on the floor. “I was reading this weird book Twilight gave me.”
“Oh, what book is it Dear?” Rarity, trotted away from her work space; motioning for Sweetie Belle to follow her into the kitchen.
“The Birth of Friendship,” Sweetie answered, following her sister closely. She sat down at the dining table, looking over at her sister who already began setting about preparing an after school snack.
“That sounds like quite the read.” Rarity smiled back, turning on the stove. She pulled out a loaf of bread, and with it a block of yellow cheese.
“It’s just...” Sweetie trailed off uncertainly. “It’s just a really insightful book.”
“How so?” She placed a small plate on the counter, adding two pieces of bread and a cheese on top of both of them.
“It’s really making me think,” she said, looking down for a moment. “Hey Rarity?” She looked up at her sister, raising her brow. “Why are we all here? Why am I here?”
“What dear?” Rarity turned around, looking at her sister. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Why am I here?” Her voice raised slightly, shuffling slightly in her seat. “What’s my point for existing?”
“Sweetie Belle…” Rarity trailed off, uncertainly. “Was it the book that got you asking such silly questions?” Rarity chuckled, trying to keep her composure after such a heavy question from Sweetie.
“It was the book.” Sweetie nodded in confirmation. “But why is that question silly?” Her brow raised in mild confusion.
“Well, Sweetie it just isn’t a very pressing question,” Rarity answered uncertainly, trying to think of a proper answer to sate her sisters imposing question.
“But it’s the most pressing question!” Sweetie proclaimed, sitting up slightly. “If we don’t have a point, why are we even here!?”
Rarity sighed heavily, placing a pan on top of the stove, turning the heat up to low. “Sweetie, of course you have a point to be here.” She turned to her sister, smiling lovingly. “You’re going to get your cutie mark and go on to do fantastic things!”
Sweetie sat silently for a moment, mulling over the answer. The same old generic answer she always got, it wasn’t new from the first time she heard it after asking about why she hadn’t gotten her Cutie Mark yet.
“You always say that.” She hopped off the chair, heading out of the kitchen. “Hey Rarity, I’m gonna go visit Twilight, alright?”
“Whatever for dear?” She looked at her sister, taking a step towards her. “You’re not going to ask her another silly question like you did me are you?”
“It’s not a silly question!” Sweetie snapped, quickly drawing back. “I’m not such a little filly Rarity, and I want to talk to a pony who won't treat me like one.”
“I know you’re not a little filly Sweetie-” Rarity began, taking a short step towards Sweetie.
“You don’t act like it,” she spoke heatedly. “You just patronize me like a little filly.”
“Sweetie, I don’t mean to treat you like a foal.” Rarity stumbled over her words slightly, trying to keep a cool head.
“Well you do.” Turning her back to Rarity, she starts out of the room. “I’m going to go visit Twilight.”
“Sweetie wait!” Rarity started after her sister, stopping at the sound of the front door slamming shut. She jumped back slightly, cringing at the sudden sound.
“I’ll come back after I go for a walk.” Sweetie’s voice comes through the door, quickly growing distant as she trotted away. Rarity cringed at the tension lacing Sweetie’s voice.
Sweetie stomped away from the boutique, grumbling angrily under her voice. “Rarity, always treating me like a little filly,” she spoke under her breath, gritting her teeth slightly.
She carried herself along, until the boutique disappeared behind her. Ponyville seemed especially alive today, foals running around playing and ponies going about their daily activities and duties. Sweetie walked along the road, ignoring most of the ponies passing her by. A few looked down at her, but most didn’t spare her much of a glance.
“Sweetie Belle, is everything alright?” A familiar voice called out to her, slowing her to a stop.
“Ms. Cheerilee?” Sweetie looked up to see her teacher, smiling brightly down at her.
“Yeah, everything’s alright.” She looked down for a moment, her eyes easily deceiving her.
“Are you sure?” Cheerilee looked down with mild disbelief, raising a brow. “Is something on your mind?”
“Just…” Sweetie trailed off, kicking a bit of dirt up with her hoof. “I’ve been thinking about some really important questions, and Rarity doesn’t take me seriously enough to help answer them.” She spoke in one extended breath, tossing out some of her frustration with every word.
“I’m sorry to hear that Sweetie,” Cheerilee said earnestly. “Do you want to talk about what’s been on your mind?”
“I dunno.” Her shoulders slumped slightly, head hanging low.
“If you need somepony to talk to, I’m always open.” She smiled brightly, raising Sweetie’s chin slightly. “Maybe it’ll help to get it off your chest.”
“Well, you know that book I’ve been reading in class?” A small blush came to her cheeks, knowing fully well that more than once Cheerilee had to pull her nose out of the pages.
“Yes, the one by Friendland Scientzche.” Cheerilee nodded knowing.
“Yeah, that one, well it’s gotten me thinking the last few days.” She shook her head, trying to quickly pick out one of the questions that she’s been mulling over lately. “What’s the point of living, if it’s all just set up for us?”
“What?” Cheerilee drew back ever so slightly, caught off guard by the peculiar question.
“Everything in our lives are just set up when we’re born.” She shook her head slightly. “Our cutie marks, our livelihoods, and with that everything else.”
“Sweetie, not everything is predestined.” Cheerilee smiled softly. “We get to pick what ponies we let into our lives, and what ponies change us.”
“But we meet ponies because we just happen to intersect, and we can’t stop them from changing us.” She looked up at her teacher. “That hardly even answers my question, that’s just.” She kicks up a cloud of dust, trying to think of what to compare it to. “Like being on a carnival ride, and saying we control it because we can look in different directions.”
“Well, Sweetie you’ll see how much life opens up when you’re older.” She reached a hoof down to Sweetie, placing it on her shoulder. “You’ll get your cutie mark, get the job you want, and you’ll fi-”
“No.” Sweetie interrupted with a grumble just above her breath, her body falling slightly in mild defeat. “I’m sick and tired of every pony talking about my cutie mark, I’m sick of everypony telling me it’ll just get better!” She trotted past Cheerilee. “You’re just like Rarity.”
“Sweetie, wait.” Cheerilee reached out a hoof, as if to pull her back. “I didn’t mean to upset you!.” She started after Sweetie. “I just meant that you’ll figure these things out as you grow older.” She slowed to a stop, looking about for the filly. Several ponies stopped in their tracks, looking at Cheerilee curiously. “Umm, sorry.” A blush came to her face, as she quickly started forward trying to find Sweetie Belle.
