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Description
Pastel Hue, [link] , as a newborn filly.

For a long time, before she got her cutie mark, she was always depressed. Like she was missing herself, but she didn't know how to find it. She didn't smile, play, or really do much of anything. Her parents, thinking something was wrong with the poor foal would take her to many doctors, psychiatrist, and anyone they thought might be able to help her. After a few years of that, not only had they ran out of money, but also ideas. Her father had to get a new job to try and pay off the small family's debt and bills. His new career had him traveling all across Equestria. Pastel's family traveled along with him, staying wherever they could. Strangely enough this seemed to improve Pastel Hue's condition. She would wander around the campsite/village/building that they where staying at and just look at everything. Soaking it all in. Until one day...

The family had been flying and trekking for hours after the wagon they had been traveling broke down in the middle of nowhere. The carriage horses new of a small village nearby, but it was going to be dark soon, so they all had started walking there. It was dusk when they got there. The village was so small though, that there where no hotels or inns. After all that trouble, there was no place to stay. Deflated, the family was walking through the middle of the village "market", which was deserted by now, when they heard a voice. "Over here", it called. "You look tired, let me show you a place where you can rest for the night." Concerned as to the identity of this voice, Pastel's father stepped forward. "Who are you?" An odd looking pony wearing a hooded cloak and saddle bags stepped out of the shadows of two booths. "Oh, I'm just a cooky old fool that was taking his things back to his home after the market." He replied. "But more importantly than that, I am capable enough of seeing a pony in need." He nodded their way, "If you are willing you may come with me to stay. The night can get pretty nippy here." The Stallion looked back to his wife. With a nod of her head it was decided. "This way then." Smiled the stranger. The herd followed behind him cautiously. After a few twists and turns through the streets they came to a hut on the very edge of the village. Stepping in before them through a tattered cloth door, the old pony dismantled the saddle bags he had been wearing and took out some paintings and set them with a outlandish sized pile of others. He then preceded to whisk over to the hearth in the middle of the dwelling to stoke the fire, over which, there was a large pot of indecipherable smelling stew. "I apologize, I thought I might be having guest tonight, but I didn't envision that it would be so many. It may take a few minutes until the soup is ready." He calmly spoke. Pulling of his hood, revealing a worn, chipped horn. He frowned towards the group of ponies who where still standing outside the door. "I'm not going to eat you, if that's what you are concerned about." Still ill at ease, the carriage horses walked in, followed by Pastel's family. The ponies warmed their hooves by the fire. Soon each of them had a warm bowl of stew each intricately designed bowl was unique. Some had scenes of wildlife and forest painstakingly etched along the outsides. Others had geometric shapes, while still others had floral patterns dancing around the rim. The little filly slurped her soup up hungrily, and preceded to turn the bowl over and over in her hooves. "No Pastel, you might drop this gentleman's pretty bowl." Her mother softly scolded as she took the bowl away. Pastel Hue's tearful gaze pierced her mother's heart, but she didn't want to risk angering the stranger. The mother looked nervously at the old unicorn. "No, no, it is quite all right." He comforted. "I chose one of the sturdier bowls for this precious young filly. Besides," He smiled with a sparkling grin. "It's been a while since someone has so appreciated my work. Why, I would say that she likes it enough to take it home with her!" Both parents looked mortified. "We could never take one of your beautiful pieces!" Her father exclaimed. "Oh, but I insist!" The unicorn answered. "Just look at how much joy it's giving her! Who am I to deprive anypony of such happiness?" Indeed, after looking over at their child, who had gotten a hold of another empty bowl, her complexion did look brighter. *Sigh* "Alright." Her father exhaled. "Anyways, I suggest you all get some rest. You have a ways to travel in the morning." The old pony stood up and turned to the hearth. "I will keep the fire going." Nodding, Pastel Hue's father wearily walked to where his wife and child where now laying on a bed of soft, woven blankets. The carriage ponies had some blankets for them as well. Pastel was the first to go, and in a matter of minutes the warm, safe atmosphere had put them all to sleep.

In the morning Pastel's mother stirred stretching her arm out over where Pastel Hue had been sleeping. Gasping, she shot up when she did not feel Pastel's form. Her eyes anxiously scanned the room, only to find nopony there. She burst out the cloth door, it whipping outward from the speed she passed under it with. Panting, she looked left and right before galloping toward the rest of the village. She suddenly stopped mid-stride when something pink caught her eye. Spinning around she saw off in a distant meadow, Pastel and the stranger. Sprinting towards them more of the scene came into view. The stranger was smiling sitting beside Pastel Hue speaking encouraging words, while Pastel was concentrating with a furrowed brow looking to and fro from a purple flower to an easel and canvas that was standing in front of her in the grass."What are you doing with my daughter!?" She yelled as she got within a couple of yards of them. The unicorn looked at her with a glowing smile and a sparkle in his eye. "Look mommy, Mister Keen Eyes is teaching me how to make pretties too!" Pastel Hue Grinned through the paintbrush that was in her mouth. Her mother was taken aback. She looked in awe, not ate the simple rough flower in the middle of the canvas, but at her only child's complexion. She was positively glowing with a wide smile, ear to ear, paint dribbling down her chin. "Do you wanna see it?" She nodded silently, mouth agape. Pastel grinned even bigger and turned back to the painting. Her mother stepped forward, looking between her daughter, the painting, and the old unicorn. "Did you do this all by yourself?" She asked. "Mmhmm, with some help from mister Eyes." Pastel looked back at her mother, but she was crying. "You don't like it." Pastel's face fell as she gazed forlornly down, her eyes loosing their luster once more. "No!" Her mother shrieked, scaring her. Distraught her mom clarified. "I-I mean, no, Dear, I don't like it," She smiled as she tried to hide her tears."I love it. I-It makes me happy." A tear falling from her cheek. Pastel Hue smiled once more, with a look of determination on her face. "Then that makes me happy too! "I would say that we are all happy right now" Keen Eyes said. "Mister Eyes, can you teach me how to make more pretties?" "I would be honored young lady." "Mommy, when is Daddy going to be back from fixing the wagon with the other ponies? I want to show him my flower too!" She asked. The mare looked inquisitively at the stallion. "Well I would say that for them to get down there with the supplies, fix it, and then get back, it will probably be close to sundown Pastel Hue." He looked back at her mother. "I do apologize for not waking you sooner. You looked so tired that I wanted to be able to rest. And Pastel was so enamored by my furnishing that I feared she would rouse you for sure." They both looked back at the filly who was now splashing more color onto the canvas. "I thought she might like to make some herself. She took to it faster than I thought she would." "But how did you get her to come with you, she is usually so timid?" She asked. "She just came naturally." He shrugged. With a final flick of the brush, Pastel Hue gently spat it out onto a pallet of paint. "Now it's all done!" She smiled. Above the flower was now some clouds, along with grass beneath. It was evident that she hadn't had the guidance of the unicorn artist for the additions. They where smeared and wobbly, but still full of just as much life as her flower. "It's beautiful." Her mother stroked her paint stained mane. "Perfectly beautiful."

That evening as the sun was setting over the village, carriage wheels where heard spinning softly with the steady rhythm of five sets of hooves atop the dirt road. As the wagon got closer, and expecting trio sat, waiting. One was year worn and wise, Another anxious and hopeful, and the last one was simply- Happy. The dust kicked up from the wagon was starting to dwindle, as the ponies trotted onto the edge of the grassy field. The unicorn had spottedthem ages ago, but for the others, they had just come into view. The mare stood up, her heart lifting even higher than on the joyous plain which it now sat. As soon as the little filly's scanning eye spotted what her mother had seen she let out a squeal of joy. She picked up the painting of a flower and raced off as fast as her legs could carry her. A quarter of the way there, and she didn't see the rock amidst the grass. She tripped, toppled, and rolled, loosing grip of the picture. Shaking the grass out of her mane she hurriedly picked it back up and trotted, carefully, towards the band. The tall stallion had seen the little foal run towards him and trip, but he didn't know who it was. He didn't know anyone in this village, aside from the odd old unicorn. The sun was at Pastel's back, etching her as a silhouette across the pink, red, and orange sky to her father. Then, as they got closer he thought he saw pink tinted strands of hair on the foal, though it was hard to tell with the sun in his eyes. The other two shapes had started to follow the foal's silhouette. He squinted his eyes against the sun. Then, stood frozen for a second as his eyes opened wide. Another second and he bolted for the filly he now knew, leaving the other stallions behind him. He scooped up the trotting filly and embraced her in his arms. then holding her out to get better look at her, a lone tear crept into the strong stallion's eye. She was perfect and beautiful, just as she always was, but her eyes... They where no longer hollow and lonely, but bright, and full of life. "Look at what I made daddy!" She smiled broadly. "It's for you and mommy! Does it make you happy too?" His eyes locked with hers, he replied. "Yes, you make me very happy." "Not me, the pretty. Silly Daddy!" She giggled. "Oh yes, that too." With that he hugged her close. His wife and Keen Eyes had gotten there by then. "Mister Keen Eyes, when you make pretty things, you get to make everyone happy. I want to do that when I grow up too." "You don't have to wait 'till you grow up child. You can make ponies happy right now by showing them the beautiful things that nopony saw before." The mare joined in on the hug. "Why, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you where good at it before, you just didn't know it yet." The old pony smiled melancholy. "Then I'm going to make pretties forever and ever! That way no-one has to be all sad anymore." She exclaimed. With the happy air that surrounded the family, they didn't notice the new mark on the little filly's flank. They where too busy noticing the other new mark. Happiness.

Description
Pastel Hue, [link] , as a newborn filly.

For a long time, before she got her cutie mark, she was always depressed. Like she was missing herself, but she didn't know how to find it. She didn't smile, play, or really do much of anything. Her parents, thinking something was wrong with the poor foal would take her to many doctors, psychiatrist, and anyone they thought might be able to help her. After a few years of that, not only had they ran out of money, but also ideas. Her father had to get a new job to try and pay off the small family's debt and bills. His new career had him traveling all across Equestria. Pastel's family traveled along with him, staying wherever they could. Strangely enough this seemed to improve Pastel Hue's condition. She would wander around the campsite/village/building that they where staying at and just look at everything. Soaking it all in. Until one day...

The family had been flying and trekking for hours after the wagon they had been traveling broke down in the middle of nowhere. The carriage horses new of a small village nearby, but it was going to be dark soon, so they all had started walking there. It was dusk when they got there. The village was so small though, that there where no hotels or inns. After all that trouble, there was no place to stay. Deflated, the family was walking through the middle of the village "market", which was deserted by now, when they heard a voice. "Over here", it called. "You look tired, let me show you a place where you can rest for the night." Concerned as to the identity of this voice, Pastel's father stepped forward. "Who are you?" An odd looking pony wearing a hooded cloak and saddle bags stepped out of the shadows of two booths. "Oh, I'm just a cooky old fool that was taking his things back to his home after the market." He replied. "But more importantly than that, I am capable enough of seeing a pony in need." He nodded their way, "If you are willing you may come with me to stay. The night can get pretty nippy here." The Stallion looked back to his wife. With a nod of her head it was decided. "This way then." Smiled the stranger. The herd followed behind him cautiously. After a few twists and turns through the streets they came to a hut on the very edge of the village. Stepping in before them through a tattered cloth door, the old pony dismantled the saddle bags he had been wearing and took out some paintings and set them with a outlandish sized pile of others. He then preceded to whisk over to the hearth in the middle of the dwelling to stoke the fire, over which, there was a large pot of indecipherable smelling stew. "I apologize, I thought I might be having guest tonight, but I didn't envision that it would be so many. It may take a few minutes until the soup is ready." He calmly spoke. Pulling of his hood, revealing a worn, chipped horn. He frowned towards the group of ponies who where still standing outside the door. "I'm not going to eat you, if that's what you are concerned about." Still ill at ease, the carriage horses walked in, followed by Pastel's family. The ponies warmed their hooves by the fire. Soon each of them had a warm bowl of stew each intricately designed bowl was unique. Some had scenes of wildlife and forest painstakingly etched along the outsides. Others had geometric shapes, while still others had floral patterns dancing around the rim. The little filly slurped her soup up hungrily, and preceded to turn the bowl over and over in her hooves. "No Pastel, you might drop this gentleman's pretty bowl." Her mother softly scolded as she took the bowl away. Pastel Hue's tearful gaze pierced her mother's heart, but she didn't want to risk angering the stranger. The mother looked nervously at the old unicorn. "No, no, it is quite all right." He comforted. "I chose one of the sturdier bowls for this precious young filly. Besides," He smiled with a sparkling grin. "It's been a while since someone has so appreciated my work. Why, I would say that she likes it enough to take it home with her!" Both parents looked mortified. "We could never take one of your beautiful pieces!" Her father exclaimed. "Oh, but I insist!" The unicorn answered. "Just look at how much joy it's giving her! Who am I to deprive anypony of such happiness?" Indeed, after looking over at their child, who had gotten a hold of another empty bowl, her complexion did look brighter. *Sigh* "Alright." Her father exhaled. "Anyways, I suggest you all get some rest. You have a ways to travel in the morning." The old pony stood up and turned to the hearth. "I will keep the fire going." Nodding, Pastel Hue's father wearily walked to where his wife and child where now laying on a bed of soft, woven blankets. The carriage ponies had some blankets for them as well. Pastel was the first to go, and in a matter of minutes the warm, safe atmosphere had put them all to sleep.

In the morning Pastel's mother stirred stretching her arm out over where Pastel Hue had been sleeping. Gasping, she shot up when she did not feel Pastel's form. Her eyes anxiously scanned the room, only to find nopony there. She burst out the cloth door, it whipping outward from the speed she passed under it with. Panting, she looked left and right before galloping toward the rest of the village. She suddenly stopped mid-stride when something pink caught her eye. Spinning around she saw off in a distant meadow, Pastel and the stranger. Sprinting towards them more of the scene came into view. The stranger was smiling sitting beside Pastel Hue speaking encouraging words, while Pastel was concentrating with a furrowed brow looking to and fro from a purple flower to an easel and canvas that was standing in front of her in the grass."What are you doing with my daughter!?" She yelled as she got within a couple of yards of them. The unicorn looked at her with a glowing smile and a sparkle in his eye. "Look mommy, Mister Keen Eyes is teaching me how to make pretties too!" Pastel Hue Grinned through the paintbrush that was in her mouth. Her mother was taken aback. She looked in awe, not ate the simple rough flower in the middle of the canvas, but at her only child's complexion. She was positively glowing with a wide smile, ear to ear, paint dribbling down her chin. "Do you wanna see it?" She nodded silently, mouth agape. Pastel grinned even bigger and turned back to the painting. Her mother stepped forward, looking between her daughter, the painting, and the old unicorn. "Did you do this all by yourself?" She asked. "Mmhmm, with some help from mister Eyes." Pastel looked back at her mother, but she was crying. "You don't like it." Pastel's face fell as she gazed forlornly down, her eyes loosing their luster once more. "No!" Her mother shrieked, scaring her. Distraught her mom clarified. "I-I mean, no, Dear, I don't like it," She smiled as she tried to hide her tears."I love it. I-It makes me happy." A tear falling from her cheek. Pastel Hue smiled once more, with a look of determination on her face. "Then that makes me happy too! "I would say that we are all happy right now" Keen Eyes said. "Mister Eyes, can you teach me how to make more pretties?" "I would be honored young lady." "Mommy, when is Daddy going to be back from fixing the wagon with the other ponies? I want to show him my flower too!" She asked. The mare looked inquisitively at the stallion. "Well I would say that for them to get down there with the supplies, fix it, and then get back, it will probably be close to sundown Pastel Hue." He looked back at her mother. "I do apologize for not waking you sooner. You looked so tired that I wanted to be able to rest. And Pastel was so enamored by my furnishing that I feared she would rouse you for sure." They both looked back at the filly who was now splashing more color onto the canvas. "I thought she might like to make some herself. She took to it faster than I thought she would." "But how did you get her to come with you, she is usually so timid?" She asked. "She just came naturally." He shrugged. With a final flick of the brush, Pastel Hue gently spat it out onto a pallet of paint. "Now it's all done!" She smiled. Above the flower was now some clouds, along with grass beneath. It was evident that she hadn't had the guidance of the unicorn artist for the additions. They where smeared and wobbly, but still full of just as much life as her flower. "It's beautiful." Her mother stroked her paint stained mane. "Perfectly beautiful."

That evening as the sun was setting over the village, carriage wheels where heard spinning softly with the steady rhythm of five sets of hooves atop the dirt road. As the wagon got closer, and expecting trio sat, waiting. One was year worn and wise, Another anxious and hopeful, and the last one was simply- Happy. The dust kicked up from the wagon was starting to dwindle, as the ponies trotted onto the edge of the grassy field. The unicorn had spottedthem ages ago, but for the others, they had just come into view. The mare stood up, her heart lifting even higher than on the joyous plain which it now sat. As soon as the little filly's scanning eye spotted what her mother had seen she let out a squeal of joy. She picked up the painting of a flower and raced off as fast as her legs could carry her. A quarter of the way there, and she didn't see the rock amidst the grass. She tripped, toppled, and rolled, loosing grip of the picture. Shaking the grass out of her mane she hurriedly picked it back up and trotted, carefully, towards the band. The tall stallion had seen the little foal run towards him and trip, but he didn't know who it was. He didn't know anyone in this village, aside from the odd old unicorn. The sun was at Pastel's back, etching her as a silhouette across the pink, red, and orange sky to her father. Then, as they got closer he thought he saw pink tinted strands of hair on the foal, though it was hard to tell with the sun in his eyes. The other two shapes had started to follow the foal's silhouette. He squinted his eyes against the sun. Then, stood frozen for a second as his eyes opened wide. Another second and he bolted for the filly he now knew, leaving the other stallions behind him. He scooped up the trotting filly and embraced her in his arms. then holding her out to get better look at her, a lone tear crept into the strong stallion's eye. She was perfect and beautiful, just as she always was, but her eyes... They where no longer hollow and lonely, but bright, and full of life. "Look at what I made daddy!" She smiled broadly. "It's for you and mommy! Does it make you happy too?" His eyes locked with hers, he replied. "Yes, you make me very happy." "Not me, the pretty. Silly Daddy!" She giggled. "Oh yes, that too." With that he hugged her close. His wife and Keen Eyes had gotten there by then. "Mister Keen Eyes, when you make pretty things, you get to make everyone happy. I want to do that when I grow up too." "You don't have to wait 'till you grow up child. You can make ponies happy right now by showing them the beautiful things that nopony saw before." The mare joined in on the hug. "Why, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you where good at it before, you just didn't know it yet." The old pony smiled melancholy. "Then I'm going to make pretties forever and ever! That way no-one has to be all sad anymore." She exclaimed. With the happy air that surrounded the family, they didn't notice the new mark on the little filly's flank. They where too busy noticing the other new mark. Happiness.