I was born on the outskirts of Canterlot in a humble cottage with no pony but my own mother and father to witness my quiet entrance into life.
I had my mother's dark grey mane, silver coat and horn, and had my father's un-controllable hair and soft yellowed eyes.
I was quite the strange sight, really, my small head holding up a poofy and frizzy mane, my eyes softly glowing yellow in the small amount of light, but that's how I was born. And regardless, like most, my parents were dazzled by the existence of their parenthood.
When I was just a young filly, my father, a young pegasi, would always tuck me in; and tell the "Dazzling" story of my naming.
"The young mare, Kanade Noté, your dear mother, looked down at the new filly, you, with tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she quickly shot her head up to look at me, your father; Independent Gold..." My father always liked to refer to both the name and family position of characters as he told stories. "Stunning Pegasus, Yours truly!" He carried out the vowels in "Yours" for a slightly long time and said "truly" with a wink- then would continue on. "Oh, my did, she ever startle me! Breaking the precious silence we had had during the few minutes after your birth, "I have faith!" she exclaimed out of the blue..."
"Faith in what?" My young voice would interrupt curiously, piping up.
He would reply with a soft chuckle. "Oh, I remember it more clearly than i do yesterday! Your mother paused, looked at you again, and returned to stare at me with the following explanation: "I don't know why, or how, but I have faith in my child! Without reason, but she is mine, and she will do great things!" Heh. "Empty Faith..." I replied quietly.'"Yes." She whispered back, closing her eyes. "I have faith without reason, without explanation- empty faith, because her greatness is written in the future. Her name shall be heard... It just is. I know it."
At this point, he would yawn, and ruffle my mane. Ditching the style of story-telling he had used through-out the tale, he would say simply: "And that's how your name came to be: Empty Faith."
He would get off my bed and quietly trot to the end of my room, and flick the light off with his hoof. A shadowy silhouette, he would disappear into the hallway without another word, letting the outside light poor into my room.
Despite the fact I had heard the tale nearly every night, I would always, without thought, interrupt the story- "Faith in what?" I didn't understand why I would always ask at the time, but I do now- I didn't know what there was to have faith in. I had average grades in school, looked a bit homely, failed miserable with magic... There was nothing to be hopeful for.
Empty Faith- Faith without reason, or Faith that's not there?