I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. All rights belong to Hasbro and Lauren Faust.

This is the first fan fiction that I've ever actually written down, so let me know whether it's good enough to continue or not. (If you want to... If anyone even reads this...)

Part 1: A Hard Day's Night

"Let's take it in for the night, girls," pouted the small orange filly as she trotted into the treehouse. Her two friends followed her, with equally disappointed expressions. The trio had made various attempts at gaining their cutie marks, and this day was no different. They had yet again wasted their day performing humorously deranged stunts, but, like any other day, they ended in failure.

"Let's just face it now, we're never gonna get out cutie marks!" Apple Bloom whined, on the verge of giving up.

"Hey, don't say that!" Sweetie Belle lectured, her voice cracking as her voice raised. Though she refused to admit it, she was tempted to give in to failure. Were they acting fickle, or were they simply beginning to embrace a brutal reality? She shook her her head at this ridiculous thought. They were just kids! Their cutie marks would come in time, and they shouldn't fret over such frivolous matters.

Of course, she couldn't say this to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, as they were both too stubborn to listen. "Why don't we take a break for a while?" Sweetie suggested. "We can try again tomorrow, right Scootaloo?"

The filly flipped her fuchsia mane and sighed. "Yeah, I guess," she mumbled. Suddenly, she perked up. "It is getting pretty late, why don't we meet here tomorrow at dawn? I think I might just have an awesome idea, but we can't do it right now."

"Yer not gonna make us do somethin' involving trees, are ya? It took forever for Applejack to get the sap out of mah mane last time..." Apple Bloom stroked her velvet red mane, recalling the various incidents.

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom, we're way past those lame old ideas. This one's going to blow some minds!" Scootaloo exclaimed triumphantly, leaving Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to exchange looks.

"Would ya mind tellin' us what that idea is?" Apple Bloom asked.

Scootlaoo shook her head. "No, not yet. I need to think this through," she explained. "Be here at dawn tomorrow and I'll explain everything!" The two fillies again exchanged questioning glances, but nodded, and with that, they called it a night.

Sweetie Belle wearily made her way through the front door. "Hey, Rarity," the marshmallow hued filly said in a tired but warm voice. She was always excited to see her big sister, no matter how stressful her day had been. Celestia knows how strenuous life could be for a young filly!

"Good evening darling," Rarity replied, slightly turning her head from her work to acknowledge her sister's presence. "Any luck with your cutie marks today?" She asked enthusiastically, though she figured nothing new had happened.

"No," Sweetie sulked, brushing her hoof against the ground. "This is getting so pathetic! When are we going to get them?" She bleakly drooped her head, her vibrant mane covering her face.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity trotted over to her sister, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Don't speak so negatively! You're just fillies, you can't expect to gain your marks over night!"

Sweetie Belle's glistening green eyes met her sister's gaze. "But we've tried everything! And all the colts and fillies in our class have already gotten their marks! What's so wrong with us?" Again, she dropped her head in a disappointed manner.

"Listen to me, Sweetie Belle," Rarity looked at her sister, who refused to look up at her. "Everything takes time! You're just a child right. You have all the time in the world to figure yourselves out! Just look here," She turned her head toward her own flank. "Do you think this just came over night? I stressed over my cutie day and night before the moment finally came. And it took long, but look how happy I am today!"

"But... Well... It's just not the same, I guess. Well, it is... But... I don't know, I guess I don't really want to talk about it anymore." Sweetie Belle had already lifted her gaze up to her sister's cutie mark. She couldn't help but admire how beautiful it truly was. It consisted of three shiny blue gems, representing Rarity's fashionable abilities and nature. "I kind of want to take my mind off of it..."

"Hmmm..." Rarity thought, quietly wishing that she could help her sister further, though she knew she had to drop it for now. "Oooh, I have the most perfect idea, darling," she declared, not realizing that Sweetie Belle had already figured that it had to do with her work. "Why don't you come along and assist me; I've just started to design some dresses for ponies of about your age group. Perhaps it can spark some ideas in that brilliant mind of yours?"

Though Sweetie Belle was actually about to consider her sister's suggestion, she decided against it. There just seemed to be no point in further disheartening her. "Nah, I think I'll just be heading to bed," the filly stated, and she departed to her room.

Rarity couldn't help but feel sorry for her sister. "Oh, I just wish that I could help her further," she thought out loud, and she continued to work on her current creation.

Just as Sweetie was shifting comfortably in her bed, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh darn, I left my saddlebag at the front door..." She groggily climbed out of her covers and headed towards the staircase. Just as she was entering the boutique, she heard a noise.

"Guh!" Rarity, shouted in surprise, as she accidentally pinched her hood in her sewing machine. "For Celestia's sake, son of a - !" CLANG. her tape measure fell to the floor on that last word, yet Sweetie Belle had heard it all. The squeaky little filly stared in awe as she witnessed her sister rubbing her hoof in and over-dramatic fashion. The slight shock had prevented Rarity from noticing her sister quickly running back up the stairs as she quickly picked up the tape measure.

|Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she frantically looked around. "Oh, thankfully Sweetie Belle is in bed... I would have some explaining to do! Forgive me for my foul mouth, Celestia." And she worked vigorously through the progressive night.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle tossed and turned. "Geez..." She mumbled to herself. "I wonder what that meant back there?" She turned onto her side, gently finding her comfort zone, and began to drift off. "Well, I guess I can worry about it in the morning. I've got a big day ahead of me tomorrow." She thought, recalling Scootaloo's excitement over her new plan. She blinked her emerald eyes shut, and entered the dreamy land of Princess Luna's night.