Everything was going well. My friends and I got our cutie marks and made friends with our worst enemies!
Yet I'm heartbroken. Because two ponies weren't there for me. Only Rarity, my big sister, was. Let me start at the beginning...
***
"Oh sugarcube, if Mom and Dad were here, they'd be so proud of ya!" Applejack said to my friend, Apple Bloom. She was being hugged by her Granny Smith and brother, Big Macintosh.
"Oh, thanks Applejack!" Apple Bloom thanked.
"Now go on and party with your pals!"
Apple Bloom rushed off.
My friend Scootaloo lost her parents when she was younger, so only Rainbow Dash was there for her, which made sense.
"I'm so proud of you, little buddy!
"You've taught me a thing or two." Rainbow sang. Scootaloo nuzzled Rainbow.
Then, Rarity sang to me.
"You've inspired everypony around you.
"And you've inspired me too." I blushed and hugged her.
Then, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack began to sing to my friends and I.
"You've made your mark!
"Done Equestria so proud.
"You've made your mark!
"And we're here to sing it loud.
"For the ultimate reward of your cutie mark!"
I hugged Rarity again. "Oh, Rarity! This is the best time of my life! I can't wait for Mom and Dad to arrive! When are they coming? Are they almost here?
Rarity stiffened up and bit her lip. "Um... about that, Sweetie Belle..."
I hopped off of her. Rarity gets like this when she's nervous. "What?"
She sighed. "Mom and Dad aren't going to be here,"
"WHAT?!" I shrieked. I was louder than I thought I was, because everypony at the party stopped what they were doing to look at the scene.
"They aren't coming, Sweetie. Yesterday, when you got your mark, I sent them a letter. They said they couldn't come because they're still busy in Coltifornia."
"What do you mean that they're busy? They're only there for a trip!" My lip was quavering, and I felt a huge lump in my throat.
"Look, Sweetie, I'm sorry, but I don't know what they're doing. They did say that they're excited to see you when they come back. Now come on, let's go to the beverage table. The punch is simply divine!"
But I didn't follow Rarity, Instead, I ran off to the clubhouse.
***
I cried. I cried so much, I thought I would drown myself in my own tears. Why weren't they there? I remember pictures of Rarity's Cuteceanera... they were there for her. So why not me? Oh, I know why. Rarity is the special one. I'm the one that lives in her shadow. They love her more.
I didn't care that I was missing out on the party. My parents, of all ponies, weren't there.
I heard the clubhouse door open. I didn't look up to see who it was, though. Before I could say, "Go away!" I heard their voices. It was Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo.
"Sweetie Belle! You're missing the party! Come on! DJ Pon-3 is about to play some music so we can have a dance contest!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Well, I'm not coming," I turned away from them.
Diamond Tiara put an arm around me. "Where's the shine in your diamond?"
I hugged Diamond and went into a sobbing spree. "My parents weren't here for the Cuteceanera! All because of a stupid trip to Coltifornia!"
Silver Spoon shrugged. "What's so bad about that? Wasn't Rarity there for you?"
Apple Bloom sighed. "Yeah, but I think ya don't get it, Sil. Sure, Rarity was there fer her, but her parents weren't. Her parents, the ones who birthed her. The ones who watched her take her first steps. Heard her first words. I think that's why Sweetie Belle is so upset."
Silver Spoon looked embarrassed. "Oh. I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle."
"Easy for you to say. Your parents were there for you during your Cuteceanera, weren't they?!"
Silver Spoon just looked away.
I stood up angrily. "That's it! None of you know how this feels! None of you! I don't need your fake pity! So leave me alone!" I ran out of the clubhouse, and went off to go home.
***
I live in Carousel Boutique, the shop that Rarity runs. We have an area upstairs that has a kitchen, bedrooms, and extra rooms.
It was completely dark and empty, because Mom and Dad were on their trip and Rarity was still at the party. I guess she hasn't noticed that I was gone yet. Or if she did, she stayed because she thought I would come back eventually. Either way, it didn't matter to me. As long as I had the place to myself, I was fine.
I trotted upstairs and plopped on my bed, sighing, tears stains on my cheeks. I stared at the ceiling, waiting for something. I didn't know what, I was just waiting. Maybe for my parents to make a plot twist and just come all of a sudden. Maybe for Rarity to notice that I'm gone. Maybe for me to fall asleep. I didn't know.
Then, I slowly drifted away to sleep.
***
I woke up in the morning with two faces staring at me in awe. Two unicorns, one with a pink coat and a purple mane in a fancy updo, and one with a white coat and simple brown mane. Mom and Dad. The last two ponies I wanted to see.
"We hear that our little bell has rang her way to earning her mark!" Mom said excitedly.
"Come on, let's see it!" Dad reached for the covers on me. I tugged on them tighter. They would've had plenty of time to see it at the party.
Dad used his magic to yank them off. He gasped. "We always thought you had a great voice. Now look at your flank!"
Mom sniffled. "Oh, dearie, we're so proud of you!" She reached in for a hug, but I pulled away. "Sweetie Belle! Whatever is the matter with you?"
I glared at them, and didn't say a word.
Dad towered down on me. "Sweetie Belle, you tell us what is bugging you right now!"
I stood up and balled my hooves into fists. "YOU WANT TO KNOW?! WELL, FINE!" I jumped off my bed and landed on the floor on my hooves with a loud thud. "YOU DIDN'T COME TO MY CUTECEANERA! BUT YOU WERE THERE FOR RARITY'S, WEREN'T YOU?! YOU LOVE HER MORE THAN ME!"
My parents looked alarmed, then Mom entered the conversation. "Honey, Coltifornia was very busy. We were busy, and..."
"Yeah, you were so busy. FOR A TRIP!"
"Honey, we went sightseeing and lost track of time. We're so sorry."
Tears streamed down my face. "How would you lose track of time when it came to your daughter?"
Dad reached out to touch me. "Sweetie..."
But I had zipped away as soon as he began to say the word.
***
I just ran. Not to anywhere in particular. I was just running. Where? An abandoned part of Ponyville, maybe. Or the Everfree Forest. Now that I think about it, maybe I could sneak onto a train to somewhere like, I don't know. Coltada? Mareico? Anywhere else that isn't Equestria. Eh, probably not. But that doesn't mean I won't stop running.
I ran faster than I ever had before. If I had sprinted that fast at school, all the colts would've worshiped the ground I walked on. Well, more like ran on.
I also ignored all the jeers coming from other ponies. "Hey, kid, slow down!" "You're going to hurt yourself!" "Hey, trot a little slower, why don't ya?"
But then I heard, "Watch out for the bulldozer!"
Wait, what?! Bulldozer?!
The last thing I saw was a gigantic vehicle - seriously, huger than 50 trains put together - running me over.
***
Two weeks later...
I woke up in a hospital bed, faces looking at me frantically. I looked at the faces, from left to right: Scootaloo, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, a bunch of nurses, a stallion I didn't recognize, Rarity, and... Mom and Dad.
"She's awake!" one of the nurses said happily. Everypony cheered, and Rarity hugged me.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle... we thought you were gone!" my sister sobbed.
"Sweetie Belle!" my friends cried. They held up gift baskets. Silver Spoon got me a small tea party set, Diamond Tiara gave me a few dolls, and my gifts from Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were a water gun from Scoots and a few books from AB.
"Thank you, guys!" I exclaimed.
The unknown stallion looked at me guiltily. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I should've been more careful where I was going, even though it was a construction zone. I was trying to brake, though, honestly."
"It's okay, sir. I shouldn't have been running around like a mad mare." I sighed.
I turned to my parents. Mom was crying, and Dad was looking at me, disbelief written all over his face. "What happened?" I asked them.
"You should ask the nurses that," Dad said, and grabbed me in an embrace. Mom was still sobbing hysterically.
Nurse Redheart looked at me. "Well, when the bulldozer ran you over, you blacked out. Mr. Strongbones called 911 when he saw he had hit a little filly. You had also dislocated your right leg and both forelegs. We gave you a shot that numbed you just in case you woke up during the surgery we had to do, but you didn't. It lasted a few days, and you were in a coma for another few days after the surgery. You just now woke up."
I looked up at Mom and Dad. "I can't believe I caused all of this because of a party. I'm so sorry."
Mom grabbed me and hugged me so tight that I thought I would stop breathing. "No, we're sorry that we didn't come to your party!" She cried harder, and her tears ran down my back.
Rarity stepped forward. "We're going to host another Cuteceanera, and Mom and Dad will be a part of it, Sweetie."
I gasped and lunged to my parents. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you!"
Mom and Dad beamed. "We love you too, Sweetie!"
Author's Note
Ugh! This episode came out months ago, but I just now finish it! So sorry!
I got this idea from Rainbow FlutterDash, when she mentioned Sweetie's canon-confirmed parents not being at the Cuteceanera. Thanks, RFD!
Please give me constructive criticism! Thanks!