Element of Faith

I'm not a thief. Only Fairy Wishes is mine, the rest of Ponyville is Hasbro's. Disclaimer complete.

Today, I had been asked to pick up Sweetie Belle from school. Rarity was working on an important order and simply couldn’t do it herself. She always hated when her sister came to visit so her parents could go traveling. I liked it, it was always nice to see Rarity being civil with her sister.

So I approached the school house as the bell was ringing, I saw the many foals walk out. One was Apple Bloom, she looked upset, and next to her was a pale white  earth pony with a red mane that reminded me of Pinkie Pie and adorable purple glasses.

After I saw them trot by, I saw a familiar white unicorn foal.

Sweetie was as her named implied, sweet, with the most adorable light pink and purple curls. She had bright green eyes which were often lighting up with a new idea for a cutiemark (that whenever she visited involved Rarity’s cloths). She was wearing her white saddlebag with a plain green clasp. When she noticed me waving to her, the filly nearly ran me over.

“Hi Fairy Wishes!” Sweetie Belle greeted, her voice slightly cracking.

“Hello Sweetie Belle.” I said, carefully getting back on my hooves and beginning the trot back. “So, was school okay? Some of the others look upset.”

Sweetie nodded. “Ms. Cheerilee talked to us about cutie marks today.” Was her answer.

“Ah, cutie marks. That explains it.” I said. “Well, did everything else go alright?”

“Mm-hmm. We had a quiz in History and some homework in Math and Science.” Sweetie Belle explained.

“Perfect. You can do that before the Cuteceanera Party this afternoon at Sugarcube Corner.” Rarity had also asked me to take Sweetie Belle to this party, which can’t help make me feel like Rarity is pushing her sister onto me.

“UGH! Do I have to go? Diamond Tiara is gonna laugh about my blank flank if I go!” Sweetie explained.

“No. Maybe you can makes some friends if you go, you never know when you’ll make a good friend.” I explained to the filly who groaned again. Sweetie looked up at me with her green eyes. Oh dear, she really didn’t want to go. “Young Filly, if your about start making excuses I won’t fall for it. Unless you can give me a decent excuse, like Sugarcube Corner is gone or the party was canceled, you are going to that party.”

Sweetie looked down at her hooves, realizing I wasn’t going to let this slide.

Luckily, the Boutique was only another five minutes away.

After dropping Sweetie off I decided to check on Rarity, who was dealing with a client.

This filly had a light pink coat, a purple mane with a white streak and royal blue eyes. Atop her head was a diamond tiara, the same tiara was on her flank as her cutie mark. On the side was a silver filly, with a silvery white mane done in a braid. The second filly had purple eyes, sophisticated blue glasses and a pearl necklace. A silver spoon served as her cutie mark.

“Hello Rarity, is everything alright?” I asked her as she appeared to be showing a dress for one of the fillies.

“Oh yes darling, just putting the final touches on Ms. Diamond Tiara’s dress.” Rarity explained, barely looking up from her sewing table. “You wanted the lacing purple correct?”

“Yes. I also want it a darker shade of pink than my coat. This is my Cuteceanera and I have to look perfect!” The pink filly who I guessed was Diamond Tiara explained.

Oh, this was the filly Sweetie Belle was going on about. I’m sure she wasn’t as bad as Sweetie Belle implied.

Rarity was working on the dress from what I could see and a delightful dress it was. She was in The Zone so I wouldn’t be getting much out of her.

“I’ll be back later to pick up Sweetie Belle. I’ll see you later Rarity.” My friend only gave a mumbled good-bye as I left her shop, making the bell ring.

I was commissioned to make a painting for Mr. Rich of his daughter for her Cuteceanera. He sent me a picture and it was of the same filly in Rarity’s shop. The picture was of her shortly after getting her cutie mark, a large smile of joy was spread across her face as well as on the look of the silver filly behind her.

It shouldn’t be too hard to get the painting done in three hours.

The painting looked nearly finished. I was having some difficulty with the tiara on the head/flank. Yes, I had the layout but I just couldn’t get the colors right. After ten minutes of searching, I mixed some of the leftover paint from the Summer Sun Painting with a light gray. Mixing them created just the color I needed.

Using the paint drying spell, I picked the painting up in my magic and carefully began walking towards the Rich Manor.

It was huge. A large front yard with various bushes cut into sculptures, beautiful gardens, a fountain. It looked glorious! The wrought iron gate was opened in a field of dark green magic and a butler named Jeeves guided me to the door so I could deliver the painting.

When I arrived at the office of Mr. Rich, I delightfully gave him the painting and he gave me a two hundred bits! He explained after I asked why so much, that his daughter was very special to him and her happiness meant a lot to him.

So, I accepted the bits and tried to fit them inside my saddlebag without spilling them over as I trotted home. This was surely enough to pay for some paints and food for when Shadow visited next week. And visit he would, for if Pinkie can tell when things fall just from a twitch in her tail then she can tell when a Pinkie Promise is broken and drag Shadow’s plot back here.

But, that was just a back-up plan. I never needed them!

Carefully placing a small amount of the bits in my piggy bank (a gift from when I was younger, never had the heart to break him) and the rest into my bit purse I went on to pick up Sweetie Belle from the Boutique to take her to the party.

When I opened the door at the Boutique, Sweetie immediately came to the door. looking no different than when I dropped her off. Beside her was an orange filly pegasus with a mane cut almost like Rainbow Dash’s, a very dark pink mane and dark purple eyes. And a blank flank.

“Oh, hello. Sweetie Belle who’s this?” I asked, hopeful Sweetie met a friend.

Sweetie gave me a half smile, gestured to the filly.

“My name is Scootaloo, can we get to party? I wanna get this over with.” The orange filly answered.

Yep, this filly was an almost Mini-Rainbow.

“Perfect, we need to get going or we’ll be late. I hear Pinkie worked hard on it.” I explained as the two fillies left the building and we trotted towards Sugarcube Corner.

“Yeah, Pinkie Pie’s parties are the best.” Scootaloo said, sounding only a tinsy bit excited.

I nodded, happy to see at least one of these two was showing joy.

“How did you two meet?” I couldn’t help but ask.

Sweetie turned to Scootaloo then back at me.

“Scootaloo’s in my class. Apparently she didn’t wanna go to the party either but we decided to go together. Strength in numbers I think.” Sweetie explained, her voice cracking here and there. I could see Scootaloo rolling her eyes.

“Oh, how delightful. I’m confident you two will have the best time!” With a slight skip in my step I continued on the way to the party.

When we arrived, it seemed the party had recently begun. Mares, stallions and foals were running all around the bakery that was decorated in balloons and cakes. Looking around I noticed Apple Bloom hiding behind a chocolate pony as Pinkie dropped a hat onto her head.

I turned to the two fillies next to me, both giving the room fearful looks.

“Fillies, try to be social. Wouldn’t be much of a party if everypony hid under tables.” I explained before walking over to Pinkie Pie.

The party pony turned her head to me, giving me a party hat before I could blink.

“Hiya Fairy! What are you doing here? Are you here to try the cupcakes or the scrumptious cake?!” Pinkie cheered. It was at that moment I noticed a tall orange colt take  a large bite out of the cake.

“Uh, no. I came here with Rarity’s sister Sweetie Belle and her friend Scootaloo.” Then I noticed Pokey Pierce popping balloons with his horn.

“Oooh! Thats sounds great! I bet I can throw them a ‘Congratulations On  Being  Friends Party!’” Pinkie gasped. She loved the idea of parties.

I chuckled, “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll love that.” Looking around to see if Sweetie and Scootaloo were having fun, I noticed the punch bowl moving on it’s own. “I’ll be right back. I think the fillies are trying to make a getaway.”

“Okie Dokie Lokie Fairy! See ya later.” Pinkie cheered before walking away, singing lalala.

Carefully trotting to the table, I lifted up one of the sides and was surprised to see Apple Bloom.

“Apple Bloom? What are you doing?” I laughed, crawling under the table with her.

The yellow filly turned to me, then looked out under the table.

“Ah’m hidin’ from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon! Them fillies makin’ fun a mah blank flank and Ah couldn’t get a cutie mark ‘fore the party! Ah’ll be a laughin’ stock!” Apple Bloom explained. “What are you doin’?”

“I dropped off Rarity’s sister and I’m sure you won’t be a laughing stock.” As I said this, I noticed a dark pink mare drink straight from the punch bowl. Drat, I was hoping to have some punch later.

Apple Bloom shook her head before lifting up the table and began walking towards the door. I had to walk with her.

Once she was close, Apple Bloom and myself made an escape. Apple Bloom ended up walking right into her sister.

“Apple Bloom! You made it! After Ah heard about Twist Ah was afraid ya wouldn’t show up. Sure am glad ya came to yer senses about this cutie mark thing.” Applejack explained, unknowingly pushing her sister away from the door. I meanwhile was searching for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Where could those two fillies have gone?

I looked around all the other tables, only seeing presents or food trays. One had those cupcakes I think Pinkie Pie was talking about.

Trying one with yellow icing, I had the icing first (a foalish habit I never seemed to drop) I found the cupcake was burned underneath. Not wanting to eat a burnt cupcake I carefully placed it into the trash. Looking around again, I noticed a table with more punch (two tables with punch, how nice) that had lost it’s cover and two fillies hid under it.

“Gotcha.” I whispered.

When I began sneaking towards the table, the music suddenly stopped and all heads turned to the record player. I noticed Apple Bloom with a tablecloth next to her. Those two fillies from earlier were standing not too far behind. Both laughing at Apple Bloom. Slowly beginning a chant for blank flanks.

Warning. Vision about to turn Red.

“You got a problem with blank flanks!” Scootaloo’s voice called out.

*gasp*

“I said, You got a problem with blank flanks!” Scootaloo yelled as she and Sweetie Belle came out from underneath the table.

“The problem is, I mean, like she’s totally not special.” The silver filly said.

Warning. Red Vision nearing completion.

If those two prissy fillies keep going, I’m gonna have a repeat of Gilda’s Party.

“No, it means she’s full of potential.” Sweetie Belle explained, she and Scootaloo  standing side-by-side to Apple Bloom.

“It means she could be great at anything. The possibilities are like, endless.” Scootaloo said in a tone similar to Diamond Tiara’s.

“It means she could be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer. She could even be Mayor of Ponyville someday!” Sweetie Belle encouraged Apple Bloom, all three fillies wearing smiles on their faces.

“And she’s not stuck being stuck-up like you two!” Scootaloo joked, causing th nearby fillies and mares to snicker. Myself included. This brought back memories, I’ll have to tell Shadow about it next week.

“Hey! This is my party. Why are you two on her side!” Diamond Tiara yelled.

“Because-” Scootaloo started before she and Sweetie showed off their blank flanks.

“*gasp* You don’t have yer cutie marks either?!” Apple Bloom gasped. “Ah thought Ah was the only one!” Her voice went a little high pitched and cracked.

“We thought we were the only two!” Scootaloo added.

Twilight Sparkle walked up, going Teacher Mode.

“I for one think you are three very lucky filles.” She explained.

“Lucky? How can they be lucky?” Diamond Tiara said as she and her friend made looks of disgust.

Somepony hold me back.

Twilight made a face of confusion before going back to Teacher Mode.

“They still get to experience of discovering who they are and what they’re meant to be.”

“And they got all the time in the world ta do it, not just an afternoon.” Applejack added, ruffling her sister’s mane.

The fillies and colts gathered around the three, all eager to ask about cutiemark to the three fillies.

Sadly, Diamond Tiara began to vent about how great her party was. Oh sweet Celestia I was gonna blow. Before I could begin to yell, both fillies left the party in anger.

This, gave me some time to breath.

Later on, as the party came to a close, I saw the three fillies giving a mighty cheer of Cutie Mark Crusaders!

The memories that came from the party brought me back to the day I met Shadow. It was nice to see foals sticking up for each other, hopefully they won’t get into as much trouble as Shadow and I did.

Did you know that you can get covered in tree sap just by having a snowball fight? I spent a week getting all that sap out of my coat!