To Be Magical

Chapters

Prologue: A Morning Trial
A Friendly Request
A Special Guest
A Silver Lining
Talks Over Tea
First Lesson
Interlude: Progress
Show and Tell
Challenge
Covert
Overload
Reconcile

Prologue: A Morning Trial

To Be Magical
By Lux

Chapter One – Prologue – A Morning Trial

The sun had risen over the town of Ponyville, ushering in a new day. In one particular building, a circular shaped structure near the edge of town that looked like a carousel, a white unicorn filly’s eyes slowly opened as the sunlight streamed through her bedroom window. She stretched and yawned, her body fighting her to go back to sleep for a few precious minutes. Her mind, however, was on a mission, a desire to take advantage of the day starting at that very moment. Finally her body relented and the filly got out of bed, stretching her legs and back out, before quietly opening the door to her room and leaving. She slowly walked down the hall, pausing before a similar door that was closed. Putting her ear to the door, she could hear the gentle soft snoring of her sister on the other side. The filly mused how her older sister always appeared graceful even while asleep, before making her way downstairs.

“Now what should I use,” she said to nopony in particular as she looked about the kitchen. The place, like most of the house and shop, was perfectly clean and organized. In fact the white unicorn could only recall one place that once was much disorganized, her sister’s planning room. She remembered how upset the mare was when she cleaned it, but things turned out fine in the end. Finally she saw it: a vase sitting on the kitchen table with a rose in it. This was to be her object that she would use.

“Alright,” she said getting up on the chair, “Let’s see if this works.”

She concentrated on the vase, visualizing her goal to levitate the vase up in the air, and tried to let the energy flow to her horn to make it possible. After stretching and straining and focusing she looked at the vase and to her surprise it did nothing.

“Awww come on,” she shouted before putting her hooves over her mouth, realizing that her sister was sleeping directly above. To her relief she didn’t hear her stir as she wiped her brow in relief.

“Ok,” she said in a much quieter tone, “Maybe if I put all my energy into this, I can move that vase.”

She focused on the glass item in the center with all her might, gritting her teeth and straining her muscles as if she was trying to move something heavy.

“Come on,” she said as sweat poured down her face, “Move you stupid vase.”

As the filly battled the vase, Rarity slept peacefully in her bed. As she rested, she had the most wonderful of dreams, imagining that she was a world famous fashion designer premiering her latest collection with a herd of models clad in her wears strutting on the runway as a crowd of ponies gazed in amazement. The hypnotic music and stage lights mixed with the flashes of cameras as news reporters clamored for her attention backstage. And then as if her time couldn’t be any better, there she was, Princess Celestia and Luna asking her to be their royal designer! The dream was reaching its apex of happiness when suddenly…

Crash!

The sound awoke Rarity from her sleep, making her sit bolt upright. She tore off her night mask that blocked her eyes and looked about the room trying to find the source of the sound.

“Sweetie Belle,” she said as she got up and headed out of her bedroom, her mind fixated on the worst possible thing that she was being robbed. She looked into her sister’s room and saw to her shock that the filly was not there.

“Oh no,” Rarity said, “This is the worst possible thing! They took Sweetie Belle!”

She ran downstairs, hoping that her sister was there, her mind already pondering the possibility of having to find her friends and go on a search party. Maybe it was the Diamond Dogs seeking revenge or that Sweetie Belle had gone out with her Crusader friends. The possibilities were infinite in her mind, each more dire than the last.

She made her way to the kitchen and saw Sweetie Belle passed out on the floor, an overturned kitchen chair nearby and a shattered vase close by.

“Oh Sweetie Belle,” she said galloping over to her and holding the filly in her forelegs, “Oh, please wake up for me!”

“R…Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said as her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her sister calling.

“Oh Sweetie Belle, thank goodness you’re alright,” Rarity exclaimed as she hugged her sister, “What happened?”

“I… I tried to move the vase with my magic but I guess I passed out,” she said looking around until she saw the shattered vase, “Sorry about the vase.”

“That’s alright darling,” Rarity said, “It doesn’t matter as long as you are safe. But why were you trying to do magic in the morning?”

“I thought that I would surprise you by doing it, so I could show you that I can be just as great at magic as you are.”

“Sweetie darling, you don’t have to prove anything to me. I’ll still love you no matter what. As for your magic, it may take time to develop.”

“Yeah, like my cutie mark,” she said looking at her blank flank with disgust.

“Now don’t get upset about that. I am certain you will find your mark, and your magic really soon. Who knows, maybe the two will be tied together like some unicorns I know like Twilight Sparkle.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up at the thought of being like Twilight, a pony that she admired almost as much as her sister. She was a shining example of a mare with an amazing prowess for magic and who was very smart. To be even a tiny part as magical as Twilight or Rarity would be a dream come true.

“Thanks Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said.

“You’re welcome Sweetie Belle. Now go upstairs and get ready for school. I’ll have breakfast for you when you come down.”

“What about the vase,” Sweetie Belle said looking at the shattered remains.

“You leave that to me. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Now run along.”

“Ok,” Sweetie Belle said as she bounded up the stairs leaving Rarity to clean up the mess. With a sigh the white unicorn mare levitated a small broom and a dustpan and began to sweep up the pieces of glass.

“Oh Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said to herself, “I’m trying to help you with your magic, but I’m not doing a very good job with it. It’s one thing to use it, but it’s another thing entirely to teach it. I think I need some help, and I know just the pony to talk to about this. I hope she’s open to help.”

With a plan in mind she threw away the vase and began to prepare breakfast for her and Sweetie Belle.

Author's Note

I have to say Sweetie Belle is my favorite Crusader. I'm surprised I took so long to create a fanfic with her. Well, this one I had planned for a while so hope it goes well.

A Friendly Request

Chapter 2 – A Friendly Request

“Bye Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said as she left the Carousel Boutique with a saddlebag filled with books and other school supplies.

“By Sweetie Belle,” Rarity replied as she waved to the younger sister from the entrance of the store. She watched as the white unicorn’s body grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared amongst the myriad of other ponies. There was a moment of worry that Sweetie Belle would somehow get hurt or lost along the way but the mare quickly passed off such notion. Gone were the days that her younger sister was a helpless foal, relying on others for help. In fact the more times that she had her sister over, the more Rarity realized how similar Sweetie Belle reminded her of how she was as a filly her age.

“You’re growing up so fast,” Rarity said with a smile as she went back into her store, shutting the door behind her with her magic, “You look so confident with yourself, ready to take on the world and yet there are times that you look so fragile. Oh I do hope that I’m a good sister to you.”

Rarity remembered a time when she had almost taken her sister for granted, seeing her sometimes flighty behavior of more of a nuisance than a joy to be around. Things came to a breaking point where Sweetie Belle virtually disowned her in favor of Applejack whom the filly claimed was a better sister. If it wasn’t for the revelation of what she had done and learning the meaning of compromise from her friend, Rarity’s relationship might have been lost.

After that day, Rarity vowed that she would be a better sister to Sweetie Belle, the kind that Applejack was to Apple Bloom. This meant doing more things that the filly liked and tolerating the times that the white unicorn made a mistake without getting upset. Yet there were certain things that the unicorn mare couldn’t do for her sister. One was helping Sweetie Belle with getting her cutie mark. She knew that her little sister wanted one as getting a cutie mark was a sign of achieving one’s talent and that she was one step closer to being considered a young mare. Rarity had an idea as to what Sweetie’s talent was, her singing, but no matter how hard she tried she could never convince her younger sister that singing was anything but a hobby. The only thing Rarity could do was to encourage her to explore the possibilities of her talent, hoping that she’d discover it soon.

The desire to practice was something that came late for the unicorn filly. Granted Sweetie Belle would ask her about magic like how it worked, which Rarity did the best to explain. Although Rarity was smart, she had trouble telling her something that came natural to her but she tried her best. It seemed after the Sisterhooves Social that Sweetie became more interested in her sister and in unicorn magic. Rarity was a pony that knew her strengths as well as her weaknesses, and soon she would have to seek out help from somepony more gifted in magic and better equipped to explain it.

“Today is that day,” Rarity said as she looked at the kitchen that was now devoid of one vase that was shattered and in the trash, “I’m meeting Twilight today for lunch. Then I can ask her for help. Oh I do hope she can help my sister.”

*****

“Thank you for meeting me for lunch today,” Rarity said between bites of her sandwich as the two sat outside at the café.
“Oh no problem,” Twilight said with a smile, “I’m glad I had time to do so. Things have been busy as a Princess with all the lessons that Princess Celestia has been giving me.”

Rarity remembered that fateful day when her friend became an Alicorn. She recalled a vague memory about her trying to control the weather like Rainbow Dash did and then somehow waking up at her sewing machine with all these horridly sewn dresses that she would never imagine creating. But the biggest surprise came when with a surge of magic her friend Twilight suddenly vanished into thin air, only to appear outside as an Alicorn! Rarity had to admit she felt a little jealous that her friend now had so much power and was able to now fly. The white unicorn remembered what it felt to fly briefly and the wonder that she experienced, but that day ended badly. Her slight jealousy though gave way to happiness for her friend, and she vowed to help Twilight adjust as best as she could to her new body and life.

“I can only imagine how busy you are,” Rarity said, “How are you adjusting?”

“Ok I guess. It still feels strange with wings, especially sleeping. Just when I think I have them under control they pop open when I’m trying to sleep! I have to ask Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy about how to fix them.”

“Oh are you learning how to fly from them as well?”

“Kind of. It’s more like learning how to float for a few seconds and them fall on my face.”

“Oh don’t worry,” Rarity with an assured smile, “I’m sure if anypony can get the hang of it, you can. How’s your magic by the way?”

“Oh Rarity, it’s amazing! You wouldn’t believe the power I feel. All those simple spells I can do with no effort at all and even the hardest spells seem easier. Of course I sometimes get the occasional magical surges. One time I accidentally kind of turned Spike into a dog, although he seemed used to it. Oh I don’t mean to boast about my magic really.”

“That’s ok Twilight. I’m really happy for you and your new life. Just remember that whatever happens I’m here for you. We all are.”

“Thanks, but really despite the wings and the magic I’m still the same Twilight,” she said as she watched a pony walking by suddenly upon seeing her give a bow, “despite what other ponies think. How are you doing Rarity?”

“Oh the same thing really. I’ve been working on a few designs for a winter collection, dresses that are warm, comfortable, and are sure to turn heads at any event.”

“That sounds nice,” Twilight said trying to picture the next lovely clothing that her friend would be artfully making.
“Well I’ll be sure to make one for you then, one that’s fit for royalty!”

“Oh you don’t have to do that Rarity. I can’t thank you enough for making my coronation dress.”

“Nonsense dear, it’ll be my pleasure.”

“Thanks Rarity,” Twilight said with a smile at Rarity’s unwavering generosity, “So how is Sweetie Belle?”

“Oh she is doing fine I guess. She still doesn’t have her cutie mark yet, despite how many time she and her Crusader friends try. Part of me thinks that she wants it to be considered a grown up pony while the other reason is that practically everypony else in her class has one! Then there those two bullies that Sweetie Belle tells me about, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. It seems no matter how many times Cheerilee speaks with them or their parents those two are determined to making Sweetie Belle and her friends miserable!”

Twilight could see the frustration on Rarity’s face at the fact that Sweetie Belle was enduring so much misery not having her cutie mark, making her the odd pony out in her class. The purple Alicorn remembered how school was where popularity was as important as math or reading and differences while encouraged was sometimes the target of bullies. She also knew that a cutie mark meant that a pony knew their talent and were one step closer to becoming an adult.

“It must be tough for her to endure those bullies and to not have her mark. I know you wish that there’s a way for her to get her mark quickly, but ponies discover it when they’re ready. Still I hope that she finds her talent soon and I’ll help encourage her to find it.”

“Thanks Twilight. There is something else that I’m concerned about her.”

“What’s that,” Twilight said seeing the concern on her face.

“It’s her magic Twilight. The poor filly has been trying to practice her magic every chance she gets since the Sisterhooves Social. Today I found her passed out in the kitchen with a broken vase next to her. She said she way trying to learn how to levitate it.”

“Oh my,” Twilight said putting her hooves to her mouth in surprise, “That’s bad that she’s trying so hard she’s passing out. Is she having any headaches? I know that when unicorns are her age they can get headaches due to a buildup of magical energy.”

“She’s been having them daily. Oh most of them are minor but there are times that she can barely play or study because of how bad they are! There are times when she’s over at my house that she wakes up screaming at night because of how bad they are! I try to help comfort her and to teacher what I can, but oh Twilight it’s hard for me to explain something that I’ve been doing all my life! I just feel so helpless with her. I’m her big sister, and I’m supposed to be the one teaching her things, but I can’t with this.”

With that Twilight could see tears form in her friend’s eyes due to the frustration of not being to help and watching Sweetie Belle suffer.

“Rarity,” Twilight said putting a reassuring hoof around her friend, “You’re a great sister and I know you’re trying the best you can to help Sweetie Belle. Is there anything that I can do?”

“I don’t want to be a burden to you Twilight,” Rarity said drying her eyes.

“Rarity, you’re my friend and friends help each other. So what do you need?”

“Can you teach Sweetie Belle magic?”

The request was expected but nonetheless surprising to the Alicorn. In an instant Twilight’s mind was filled with a mix of excitement and doubt.

“Rarity, I don’t know if I can do it. I mean, I was just Princess Celestia’s student.I can give lectures about magic, but I don’t know where to start teaching a filly about magic!”

“Twilight, you’re the only one I can think of that is best with teaching Sweetie Belle," Rarity said seeing her friend get that alll too familiar nervous look on her face, "I’m not asking you to teach her full time like Princess Celestia did with you, just a few lessons about the basics, something to get her started. Maybe if she learns magic she’ll get her mark.”

“It’s a big task still. Can I think about it,” Twilight asked.

“Sure,” Rarity replied, “Take all the time you need.”

“Well,” I do plan to visit Sweetie Belle’s school in a few hours,” Twilight said, “After that I’ll let you know tomorrow. How does that sound?”

“That is fine with me,” Rarity said with a smile, “Thanks Twilight.”

“You’re welcome Rarity,” Twilight replied as the two finished their lunch together, a moment of peace and friendship amidst their busy lives.

Author's Note

Funny thing about this story, Twilight is my favorite of the Mane Six while Rarity is my least favorite. Yet for some reason I can write their dialogue just as easy for each pony.

Also, I really tried to pack in the references to other episodes like Sisterhooves Social, Magical Mystery Cure, and even a veiled reference to Equestria Girls. That way this story doesn't remain in a vacuum but can be just a part of the series as the show's episodes.

A Special Guest

Chapter 3 – A Special Guest

“Hey Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle whispered over to her friend as they sat in the classroom together.

“Yeah,” the orange pegasus said as she looked over at her friend.

“Do you know who this special guest is today?”

“There’s a guest coming,” Scootaloo said.

“Of course there is,” Apple Bloom replied, “Didn’t you remember what Cheerilee said yesterday before we left?”

“Of course I did! I was just thinking about something else now.”

“Sure you are,” Apple Bloom said sarcastically to her friend.

“Well what are you then,” Scootaloo objected, “a calendar?”

“Come on you two,” Sweetie Belle said, “Stop arguing. So none of us know who it is, right?”

“Ah’ sure don’t,” Apple Bloom, “Mah sister, brother, an’ Granny Smith are all helpin’ with the apple harvest.”

“I know Rainbow Dash isn’t coming here today as she has to clear away some clouds after the big storm last night,” Scootaloo said.

“Rarity didn’t say anything about coming either,” Sweetie Belle said as she thought about which pony could show up.

Every week their teacher Cheerilee liked to surprise the class with a pony from town dropping by and explaining what they did and allowed the fillies and colts to ask questions within reason. It was a way for the class to learn about the town they lived in and the ponies who called it home. It was also a way to perhaps inspire ponies to use their talents and to those who had yet to find their cutie marks to get one. Of course having a little free time from teaching so Cheerilee could grade papers was an added bonus.

“Alright class,” the earth pony mare said hoping to bring the fillies and colts in front of her to attention, “Yesterday before you all left, I announced that today we would be having a surprise guest visit us today. So today I would like you all to give a big warm welcome to Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up when she heard the announcement. She watched as the lavender Alicorn walked in to thunderous applause. Some ponies took it upon themselves to bow to the Princess just as they would when they saw Luna or Celestia.

“Oh no need to bow everypony,” Twilight said as she took her place in front of class while Cheerilee casually returned to her desk. The Princess waited for the applause to die down before she began a speech that she seemed to been planning for several days revising and rehearsing.

“Good afternoon. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle, but you may call me Twilight Sparkle or just Twilight if you wish. I am a former student of Princess Celestia and the current owner of the Golden Oaks Library here in Ponyville. As you have probably heard, I am one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, specifically the Element of Magic, and as you can tell I am also the new Princess, a roll that I’m still becoming acquainted with. I’m sure that you have questions for me, but I just want to explain a little about what I study and what my talent is. My talent is being able to study and cast different types of magic. Now even though magic is often associated with unicorns like I used to be, I would like to be clear that every pony type has magic. Earth ponies are magically bonded with the land and therefore are strong with farming or creating things. Pegasus ponies are connected to the magic of sky, allowing them to manipulate weather. Unicorns are attuned to the arcane energies of this world, allowing them to perform unique feats. It is part of this magic that drives your talent that you received your cutie mark. My advice to those of you who have found your cutie marks is to continue to practice your talents and see how you can use them in different ways. For those of you who do not have their marks yet, I would encourage you to try out as much as you can and to never give up getting your cutie mark!”

The Alicorn paused as a round of applause erupted among the fillies and colts. In particular, Twilight Sparkle looked over at Sweetie Belle who throughout the short speech was locked on to what she said like it would be some source of inspiration. Sweetie Belle did tense up when Twilight spoke about those ponies who had their cutie marks and those that were still trying to get them like the white unicorn. Even worse was the mentioning of magic which made the filly slide down in her seat a little lower than normal. It was as if that one mentioning of magic and getting a cutie mark reminded the filly of something she didn’t have.

“Thank you Princess… um… I mean Twilight Sparkle,” Cheerilee said, “Now does anypony have questions for our guest?”
“Yes Scootaloo,” Twilight said seeing the orange filly raise her hoof.

“How do you like flying?”

“Oh, flying is amazing but I’m still getting used to learning. I can say that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are helping me with teaching me.”

Twilight could see the satisfied smile on the Pegasus filly’s face, especially hearing that Scootaloo’s friend Rainbow Dash was assisting the Alicorn to learn how to fly. Then another hoof shot up, belonging to another familiar filly, Apple Bloom.
“Hi Twilight. Can you tell me what it’s like bein’ a Princess.”

“Well it certainly is a lot more hard work learning how to be a Princess and trying to help those in Equestria. But I still manage to have time for my friends and to study. I can assure everypony that even though I look differently and may have more responsibilities, I am still the same Twilight Sparkle that ponies know here!”

The lavender Princess expected Sweetie Belle’s hoof to go up after what Rarity mentioned about the filly’s attempts at magic. Although she was never boastful about her talents, Twilight knew that the white unicorn had a unique opportunity to speak to her at this time about magic or anything else that was on Sweetie Belle’s mind that she felt safe to ask in the company of her classmates. Instead, a pink hoof was raised, one that belonged to none other than Diamond Tiara. Twilight knew from Rarity and Applejack how bad the earth pony was in bullying her other classmates including their own sisters and Scootaloo for not having their cutie marks. Even with the times that the filly had been told to stop bullying; Diamond Tiara still appeared to persist. Even so Twilight couldn’t just ignore the filly’s question.

“Yes Diamond Tiara,” Twilight said giving the pink pony a look to remind her to not do anything to the other ponies in class.

“Miss Sparkle,” Diamond Tiara said in the sweetest tone she could muster, “you said that all ponies have magic, right?”

“Yes,” Twilight said unsure what the filly was getting at.

“But, can’t a pony not have any magic? Like can’t there be a case where an earth pony isn’t connected to the land, a Pegasus isn’t connected to the sky, or a unicorn isn’t connected to arcane energy?”

“Not to my knowledge. Everypony has some kind of magic.”

“Well, Princess, I can tell you of one pony who definitely has no magic what so ever,” she said in a smug confident tone, “Isn’t that right, Sweetie Belle?”

Twilight Sparkle stood amazed at the audacity that Diamond Tiara had essentially calling out Sweetie Belle out in front of the entire class. She watched as Sweetie Belle looked up in utter shock as she heard her name called along with the topic of having no magic.

“What are you saying about mah friend,” Apple Bloom said standing up in protest.

“Do I have to spell it out for a farm pony like you,” Diamond said not backing down, “Your fellow blank flank Sweetie Belle can’t perform magic! Why that’s as pitiful as a Pegasus that can’t fly!”

“Hey,” Scootaloo said looking like she was ready to tackle the bully.

“Diamond Tiara,” Twilight said feeling like she needed, “That’s enough! Stop bullying Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh I’m simply telling the truth, Princess,” Diamond Tiara said, “After all you know all about the truth through your studies. All I’m saying is that if I were a blank flank who couldn’t use magic I wouldn’t show my face here in class or anywhere, because doing so would be a disgrace to all unicorns!”

“That’s enough,” Cheerilee said getting up from her desk with a voice that quickly silenced and snickering or mumbling in the class, “Diamond Tiara, you will be staying after class today again. I want you to apologize to Sweetie Belle and her friends right now.”

Diamond Tiara looked at the upset face of Cherrilee and then at the equally angry face that the Princess had before saying half-heartedly, “Sorry Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.”

“Alright class,” Cheerilee said hoping to end the visit of Twilight Sparkle on a positive note, “I want you all to thank Twilight Sparkle for her ability to take time out of her busy schedule and meet with us.”

A round of applause echoed in the classroom, but Sweetie Belle only had her head down, trying to not cry. It was bad enough that Diamond Tiara had insulted her, but what made it worse was that in the white unicorn’s minds she actually believed in the earth pony’s words. Twilight could see the damage that had been done to Sweetie Belle and knew that she had to have a talk with the filly after class. It was time that Sweetie Belle received some much needed help.

Author's Note

Ugh! I was having a bad case of writer's block with this chapter. Hopefully the next ones will be easier to write.

Funny thing, even though I hate Diamond Tiara, I find writing her so easy.

A Silver Lining

Chapter 4 – A Silver Lining

The doors to the school opened up as a herd of fillies and colts of different types, ages, and colors poured out of the class. All were excited to return home, or play with friends. All, that is, except for one pony. Sweetie Belle was the last pony to leave the school, her head down as she tried to hold back the tears. She didn’t want to look at any of her classmates as she left despite the fact that she knew that they were all thinking or maybe talking about what happened in class. Acknowledging them would mean acknowledging what happened and even the slightest note of concern or mentioning of what happened would add to her depressed state that she was in.

“Hey Sweetie Belle,” the familiar voice of Scootaloo said near her. The unicorn turned to the source of the voice to see her friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom standing there.

“Oh hi you two,” she said happy that her friends were there but still depressed as even they brought up the memories of the horrific day.

“Are you ok?” Apple Bloom asked knowing the answer akready.

“Oh, yeah, I’m ok,” Sweetie Belle said although deep down she was not ok, nor did she think that her friends actually thought she was ok either.

“That Diamond Tiara is such a jerk,” Scootaloo said with a growl, “She should be glad that I didn’t pound her.”

“Yeah, and in front of Twilight and Cheerilee too,” Apple Bloom added, “That’s a new low for even her.”

The more they talked about it, the more that Sweetie Belle felt the weight of her sadness add more to her already strained state.

“So are you ready to go,” Scootaloo suddenly said which brought the white unicorn out of her depression.

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle said.

“I said are you ready to go to the clubhouse?” Scootaloo added clearly wanting to get to the task at hand in finding their cutie marks rather than staying around.

“Yeah, we have to think about what else we can do to get our cutie marks,” Apple Bloom added.

Sweetie Belle thought about it for a moment. Part of her wanted to be with her friends, those who were always there for her through good times and bad. But then she knew that if she went with the fellow Crusaders to the clubhouse, they would be talking about Diamond Tiara, and Sweetie Belle couldn’t bear any more hearing about that!

“Actually I think I’m going to home,” Sweetie Belle said to her friends, turning towards her place.

“What?” the two said in surprise at their friend’s decision.

“Sweetie Belle you were all excited earlier on about Crusading afterwards,” Apple Bloom said looking at the unicorn.

“Yeah, why the change?” Apple Bloom said.

“I’m just not up to it right now,” Sweetie Belle responding flatly, "Maybe tomorrow."

“It must have been Diamond Tiara,” Scootaloo said whispering to Apple Bloom.

“Oh,” Apple Bloom said before turning to Sweetie Belle, “You sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“Nah, you two go on without me. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”

The two Crusaders could only shrug as their friend preferred to be alone rather than in the company of the others. The Crusaders had always been an inseparable team, the three doing practically everything together. The only time when they weren’t a group was when they were at home at night or that they were with their friends.

“Alright then,” Apple Bloom said, “Ah’ guess we’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you in school tomorrow,” Scootaloo said as her ears drooped from the fact that she would be without one of her friends.

Sweetie Belle watched as her two friends grew smaller as they walked down the road until they disappeared from view. As the white unicorn turned and made her slow journey home, the memories came back like a tidal wave.

“Why did Diamond Tiara do that,” Sweetie Belle said as tears began to well up in her mind, “I can so do magic. It’s like Twilight said, everypony knows magic! Oh who am I kidding! I can’t do magic! I can’t even lift something with my magic. I’m just a blank flank with no magic and that’s all I’ll ever be!”

With that the filly began to cry uncontrollably, not caring who saw. She then felt a caring hoof placed on her shoulder. She looked up to see Twilight Sparkle looking down on her. She was surprised to see the Princess standing there before her. It was as if she was waiting for the filly to get out of class to talk to her.

“Sweetie Belle, please don’t cry,” Twilight said, “I know how bad you must feel being bullied like that.”

“No, you don’t,” Sweetie Belle replied in a frustrated huff, “You were always good at magic and I can’t do anything with it! And you probably didn’t meet a bully like that when you were in school.”

“Remember when I told you how I got my cutie mark,” Twilight said trying to calm the frustrated filly down.

“Yeah?”

“Well I may have wanted to study magic, but I sure wasn’t the best at it as a filly your age. There were many other ponies who could cast better spells. Even worse, growing up in Canterlot where there are many unicorns meant that fillies and colts would pick on me for not being good at magic. The point is though that even though you feel bad now, things change. They did for me, in a really big way, and they’ll change for you too.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t help me now with not being able to use magic.”

“Well I was talking to your sister today about you and we have come to an agreement. How would you like to learn magic from me?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes immediately brightened up at the words of Twilight Sparkle’s request. It was like a dream, but the filly knew that this wasn’t something she would wake up from as if it never happened. This was really happening to her!

“Y…you mean it? You want to be my magic teacher?”

“Of course I do! Now of course your school work comes first as does anything with Rarity, but I think on the weekends you can come to the library and I will teach you a few things, just to get you started.”

“Like teleporting ?”

“Maybe not that advanced at the start, but so that you’ll be up to the same level of the other unicorns in class.”

“Oh thank you,” Sweetie Belle said giving Twilight a hug, “You won’t regret this I promise.”

“You’re welcome Sweetie Belle. Now I’m sure you want to tell the news to Rarity.”

“Oh yeah,” Sweetie Belle said as she galloped towards the Carousel Boutique, excited to meet Rarity. Twilight merely smiled, wondering how she would teach this filly magic. It was a twist of fate that the lavender Princess, who was taught herself by Princess Celestia, to now teach another pony what she knew. Granted she didn’t see Sweetie Belle as her protégé, but it was nevertheless a great experience to be able to help the filly learn.

Author's Note

So consider this the end of Part 1 where Sweetie Belle gets the chance of a lifetime. Part 2 will be about her training.

Talks Over Tea

Chapter 5 – Talks Over Tea

Sweetie Belle could barely contain herself during the last school days of the week, knowing that the weekend would bring her lessons with Twilight Sparkle. Thankfully most of her classmates had forgotten about the event of the day before, other than the appearance of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Her fellow Crusaders were on guard in case Diamond Tiara would try to bully Sweetie Belle again. Despite their worry, the bully was subdued largely because of Cheerilee speaking with her and most likely to her father. That and the fact that the teacher was watching Diamond Tiara like a hawk prevented the filly from trying anything bad. Sweetie Belle wished that it would stay that way but she knew from experience that it was not so.

Finally the weekend came and Sweetie Belle woke bright and early so she could take full advantage of the time. Part of her wanted to forgo eating or even taking a bath to conserve time, but her parents wouldn’t let her go until she took care of herself first. With everything in order she eagerly hopped down the road, closer to her first lesson.

Meanwhile in the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight was running through the rooms levitating objects from one place to the next. Spike assisted her as much as he could, albeit often having to dodge a low flying book or scroll in the process.

“Ok,” the lavender Alicorn said, “I have the quills, paper, ink, and chalkboard. Spike do you have the books on basic magic?”

“Right here,” Spike said holding a stack of books, ones that were admittedly hard to find among the hundreds of more advanced level of books on magic that were closer to Twilight’s level.

“Thanks Spike. I really couldn’t have set this all up without you.”

“No problem. I can see that you looked a little nervous.”

“Yeah I guess I am,” Twilight said realizing how perceptive the baby dragon was and maybe that her emotions were that apparent, “I know that I’m going to be as good of a teacher as Celestia was to me, but I hope that I can help Sweetie Belle with her magic.”

“You’ll do fine I’m sure,” Spike said, “I mean you’re the smartest pony that I know and then there’s that little thing about being the Element of Magic and becoming a Princess because of your awesome magic!”

“You always know the right thing to say,” Twilight said to Spike, “That’s what makes you so great!”

“Hey, I’m not your number one assistant for nothing,” Spike replied with a grin.

The two suddenly heard a knock on the door to which Twilight immediately went to see who it was.

“Hi Twilight,” Sweetie Belle said an eager smile, “I hope I’m not too late.”

“You’re right on time. Please come on in.”

The filly entered the library as Twilight closed the door. Sweetie Belle, like most ponies, had been to the library before to get books for school projects or for just the pleasure of reading. She liked to learn new things, and with the thousands of books located within the tree she knew she wouldn’t run out of things to discover any time soon. Even if she did, she could count on learning something from Twilight Sparkle who was herself a living breathing store of knowledge. This time though was special from the other visits to the library, those other moments saying hello to Twilight while searching through the shelves for the next book to devour. She was going to have personal lessons from Twilight, a pony that she idolized almost as much as her sister Rarity.

“Thanks gain for teaching me,” the white unicorn said to Twilight, not taking this chance of a lifetime for granted.
“Oh you’re welcome. I’m happy to help you learn magic. Your sister told me about how much you were learning and practicing.”

“Yeah,” she said as her ears dropped, “Although not that well.”

“Sweetie,” Twilight spoke as she looked directly at the filly, “I don’t want you to ever feel that you’re doing something wrong of feel that you are any less than your classmates, ok? You are a smart, kind, and happy filly who deserves to be treated as well as the other ponies. And before you say anything about that day that I was in your class, I saw first hoof what Diamond Tiara did and spoke to her after class, reminding her that I am a Princess and can easily turn her into a slug if she ever bullied you like that again. Of course I wouldn’t that, but that’s our little secret.”

Sweetie Belle smiled thinking that she now had an ally beyond Rarity and her fellow Crusaders. She could picture the look on Diamond Tiara’s face when Twilight spoke to her!

“Alright Twilight, I won’t be hard on myself.”

“Good, now would you like some tea before we start?”

“Aren’t we going to doing spells or something?”

“We are Sweetie Belle, but I think we should talk first about a few things.”

“Ok then,” Sweetie Belle said a little unhappy that Twilight wasn’t going to start teaching her magic right at the start, “I guess I’ll have some tea.”

Twilight gave a nod and then called for Spike.

“Hi Sweetie Belle,” the dragon said, “How’s Rarity?”

“She’s fine thanks for asking.”

“Because if she needs help with anything I can head right over there,” Spike said frantically.

“Well, before you go over there,” Twilight said with a chuckle, “Can you make some tea for the two of us?”

“Right away,” Spike said with a little salute before disappearing in the kitchen.

“What’s up with Spike,” Sweetie Belle said confused, “He acts weird like that every time he’s around Rarity, even when I say her name.”

“I have no idea,” Twilight said feigning ignorance so as to not go into a lengthy explanation of how Spike was madly in love with the filly’s older sister, “Anyway, let’s talk about your magic. I know you have been studying from Rarity. What books are you reading?”

“I don’t remember all of them,” Sweetie Belle said putting a hoof under her chin, “There was one titled I think, Temporal Spatial Distortion and another was Arcane Secrets and Spells. I couldn’t do any of the spells from them though and it was hard to even understand what was written.”

“Sweetie,” the lavender Alicorn said recognizing each title like she read them yesterday, “Those are books with very advanced magic inside. It’s dangerous to try those kinds of magic when you’re starting out. Something can go wrong and you wouldn’t be able fix it. So, promise me that you won’t try out any spells or even read any magic books unless I say they’re ok, alright?”

“Fine,” Sweetie Belle replied as she slumped in her chair, upset that a pony who encouraged other to read was now telling her what she should or shouldn’t study. But she knew Twilight had a plan and the filly was determined to still follow it. Spike then returned from the kitchen carrying a tray containing a teapot, tow tea cups, a chest of different typed of teas, a bowl of lemon wedges, another bowl of sugar, a small bottle of milk, and a plate of yummy looking cookies.

“Thanks Spike,” Twilight said as she levitated the tea set from the dragon and set it on the table, “If you want to go see if Rarity needs help you can.”

“Ok,” Spike said excitedly as without a moment of hesitation left the library. Although Sweetie Belle couldn’t tell for sure, she could have sworn that there were hearts in Spike’s eyes.”

“Now what kind of tea would you like,” Twilight said.

“Um…Rarity usually has Canterlot Breakfast Tea for me.”

“That’s my favorite one,” Twilight said as she selected two tea bags from the chest and placed them in their respective cups before pouring water over them.

“Now while those are steeping, what spells have you been trying?”

“Well beyond those that I now know I wasn’t supposed to try from those books, I tried to levitate things with magic. I tried different things like moving a book, my pillow, and a quill. I even tried to move Opal, but she didn’t like that at all. No matter what I tried though I can get the things to shake slightly but I can’t lift them. It’s like they weigh as much as a pony!

Yesterday, I tried to move a vase that was on Rarity’s table but I passed out and accidentally smashed the vase.”

As the filly spoke, Twilight said nothing, merely listening to everything while she took mental notes. It was clear that the filly’s problem wasn’t due to a lack of trying, and Twilight knew that Rarity of all ponies would be one to encourage Sweetie Belle to try her magic. The fact that her unicorn friend came to her in confidence not knowing how to help Sweetie Belle meant that this was serious.

“Tell me about what happened before you passed out Sweetie.”

“Well, I remember that I was trying really hard to lift that vase, and then I kind of blacked out. Is that something that happens to other unicorns?”

“It does to those who are just staring out, usually when one tries to use too much energy or is overloaded with energy. Their bodies just can’t handle it either way which causes them to pass out.”

“Oh, guess that means that I was using too much energy,” Sweetie said as her ears drooped while she removed the tea bag and added sugar and milk to her tea.

“Could be,” Twilight said as she prepared her own tea, “How about your headaches? Rarity said that you’ve been having them.”

“Yeah, I get them sometimes. Normally they’re ok but sometimes they’re really painful!”

“That’s usually due to a unicorn who has energy pent up inside them and cannot release it with casting spells.”

“Oh,” Sweetie Belle said taking a sip from her tea thinking about what everything meant and how it related to her inability to perform magic.

“Is there anything else you can think of Sweetie Belle about your magic?”

“Not really,” Sweetie Belle said, “Sorry I can’t be of any more help.”

“That’s ok Sweetie Belle,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile, “You gave me some information that I can use for later. Now how about we finish our tea and then we’ll get to practicing. I think I have a few things we can try.”

“Great,” Sweetie Belle said as she enjoyed her tea, looking forward to her lesson.

First Lesson

Chapter 6- First Lesson

With tea finished Twilight cleared an area in the center of the library for training, leaving only a table in the center and some random objects. She thought about having the practicing outside where it would be more opened and less prone to accidents, but seeing that Sweetie Belle didn't have a problem with wild surges in magic, this place would work for now. The filly waited as Twilight moved about, eagerly awaiting what was to happen next.

“Okay,” Twilight said levitating a piece of chalk, “I'm going to take this as simply as possible so that to help you as best as possible. So let’s start with what magic is itself. Now as I said in your class everypony has magic in them, a force that allows us to in some respect slightly change the way the world around us works. For unicorns like you and what I was, we tap into the more mysterious arcane forces, allowing us to move objects, teleport, or transform things into something else to name a few. Now for most unicorns, their talent and what their cutie mark is often relates to their magic. Take for example your sister. Her magical ability to find gems contributed to her talent of creating beautiful things. Now there are some ponies that have a talent but may struggle with how to use it to help other ponies or for a certain career, but in time all unicorns and other pony types find their place.”

“Does this mean that in learning magic I may get my cutie mark,” Sweetie Belle said with a grin.

“While I can’t guarantee anything, but learning more about magic will help you find your talent. Every little bit of learning helps!”

It wasn’t quite exactly what Sweetie Belle wanted to hear, but she still held onto hope that maybe if she learned how to do magic she would succeed. She just nodded to Twilight in recognition of what the lavender Alicorn had to say.

“Now aside from your main magical talent, unicorns also know a hoof full of other spells. These include telekinesis or the moving of objects magically, a light spell, and some shielding spells. So what I am going to do is to help you learn those basic spells and go from there. How does that sound?”

“Great,” Sweetie Belle replied, “I’d love to learn anything I can!”

“Glad to hear that. So now that we covered some basics, I just want to go over a few ground rules. First, as I said, please only read books about magic that I say are okay. If you have any concerns about that, let me know. Next, please only practice spells that we have gone over together. I know you’ll see other unicorns doing different things, but we just want to stick to a few spells at first. That brings me to my next point; my teaching you won’t do anything unless you practice. I know you are doing this already which is great so keep doing that safely and routinely. Above all, and this is the biggest rule, never use your magic to harm others. Magic is a powerful force, and with great power comes great responsibility. So do you understand these rules?”

The white filly’s eyes glazed over for a moment while Twilight read the rules. It wasn't that Sweetie Belle was a rebellious pony, but to her rules were boring, like somepony speaking gibberish. Still she didn't want to seem uninterested so she listened as much as she could.

“I understand them,” the filly replied knowing that like in school following rules was part of the task.

“Very well,” Twilight said, “now I am going to perform a spell on you to see your magical power. It may feel a little funny, but I promise it will not hurt. Oh, and please hold still while I do this.”

Sweetie Belle nodded and prepared herself for whatever plan Twilight had. The Princess stopped in front of the filly, and bending her head low touched her horn to Sweetie Belle’s. The filly knew why Twilight wanted her to stay still with such a sharp horn hear her face. She watched as the lavender unicorn’s horn had a purple aura around it and felt a tingling sensation move from the white unicorn’s horn down through the rest of her body. It was like the same sensation of having her hoof fall asleep but it was throughout her entire body. Soon the tingling sensation ended as Twilight raised her head.

“Well the good news is that your raw magical power is similar to other unicorns your age, perhaps slightly more,” Twilight replied as she took a few notes on a sheet of paper.

“What are you writing?”

“I'm going to be keeping track of your progress through each session. Today we’re just establishing a few benchmarks to see where you are now and go from there. Don’t worry, I'm not writing anything bad, just some notes to help me help you. Now see those items there on the table?”

Sweetie belle looked at the nearby table and saw that there were three common items, things that she had seen in school and at home. One was an ordinary book, next was an unlit candle used for reading, and the third was a quill.

“Okay, so for now you are going to try to move any of these items if you can, starting with the feather. What I want you to do first is to stop and clear your mind of anything else, focus your intent on moving the feather and then pour your passion into your task as you send out your energy. Whenever you are ready you can begin.”

Sweetie Belle positioned herself in front on the book on the table and tried to clear away every thought, including her own doubts and fears. She then mentally focused on the item and began to imagine the feather floating in the air. She closed her eyes as she poured her energy into the spell, devoting her entire being into the task.

“Sweetie Belle look,” Twilight said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

“What,” the filly said as she opened them while still trying to focus on the task. She gasped as she saw that the quill was floating a few inches off the air! Sure it wasn't anything large or heavy, but it was better than no results like she had countless times before.

“I did it! I did it,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed when suddenly her concentration was diverted just enough to cause the feather to float back to the ground, “Awww come on!”

“That’s okay Sweetie Belle,” Twilight said, “You did great. See, you can use magic like other unicorns. I know it may not seem like much levitating a quill, but this is the first step to your magical progress.”

“So is that going in your notes?”

“That is definitely going there,” the lavender Princess replied with a smile as she took the quill she was writing with from the ink-pot and jotted a few notes, “Now how about we take a little break and next you can try moving the candle.”

“Great,” Sweetie said having a renewed interest in her magic now that she proved herself with Twilight’s help.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Tech Savii for helping edit my fic. It's good to have an extra pair of eyes to read this.

Interlude: Progress

Chapter 7 – Interlude: Progress

The rest of the lesson went without incident as Sweetie Belle practiced her magic under the watchful eyes of Twilight Sparkle. First there was more practice levitating the feather, which Sweetie felt she was able to now with an increasing ease The Twilight even recommended that Sweetie try to write using her telekinesis in her spare time, something that the filly agreed as perhaps it would mean getting her homework done faster.

Next came to moving the candle, something a little heavier to try but nonetheless Sweetie Belle was able to lift it and as a practice of learning finesse to place the candle in its holder and then remove it. Although the filly dropped it a few times at first, she managed to get the hang of it.

“Maybe next time we can try this with the candle lit.” Twilight remarked to which Sweetie Belle beamed that the Princess had enough faith in her abilities to trust her with a potentially dangerous thing. Each new success seemed to boost the filly’s confidence, allowing for her to perform magic without fear of failure. Then the hardest challenge of the day was presented; levitating the book. It wasn’t some small novel that Sweetie Belle would read in her spare time. No, this was a huge book on —as the title read— The History of the Pre-Classical Era of Equestria. This was one book that Sweetie wasn’t sure she was capable of lifting with her hooves and carrying, let alone moving with her magic. After putting her energy into it, she was able to see that the book did indeed levitate off the table. Unfortunately the event was short lived as soon the book fell back on the table with a thud.

“Guess I couldn’t do that today,” Sweetie Belle said as her ears drooped in disapproval.

“You did great!” Princess Twilight Sparkle replied putting a reassuring hoof on the filly’s shoulder, “Do you want to know a secret?”

“What’s that?”

“At first I wasn’t really good with magic myself. I wanted to learn all I could but for some reason I struggled being able to cast a spell. You remembered what happened at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, right?”

“I think I remember. You were taking a test, right? Something to do with a dragon’s egg?”

“Right, I had to hatch a dragon’s egg,” Twilight said eager to see how much Sweetie Belle remembered.

“And then you saw an explosion and your magic suddenly went crazy!”

“That’s one way to describe it,” Twilight said recalling the day that she turned her parents into potted plants and made a dragon oversized.

“So your magic appeared when you saw the explosion? I don’t know how that happened.”

“Well, I’m not sure for sure, but I think that it was because of my friends and I being the Elements of the Harmony. I think that it triggered something within me, showing what I could do.”

“I wish that something like that happened to me, and then I would have known what kind of magic I could do and maybe even get my cutie mark.”

“Well, you are doing fine right now,” Twilight said, “and you made some great progress. But it is getting late and I think we’ve done enough teaching for today.”

“Ok,” Sweetie Belle said, wanting to do more but feeling tired after her practicing, “can I come next week to practice magic?”

“Of course you can,” Twilight said with a smile, “In fact I’m looking forward to it!”

“Great!” Sweetie said as she began to collect her things, putting them in a saddle bag.

“Oh there is one thing that I want to give you before you leave.” Twilight said as she went to a bookshelf and levitated a worn looking book that looked lees like it was old and more like it was well read.

“What is it?”

“It’s my first book about magic that Princess Celestia gave me when she started teaching me, and I want you to have to learn from it.”

“Really?” Sweetie said looking at such an important book.

“Sure. Just take care of it, ok?”

“Oh I will,” the filly replied carefully putting the book in her bag as if it was made of glass, “Thanks for your help Twilight.”

“You’re welcome. In the meantime, try to practice at home or at Rarity’s, okay?”

“Okay!” Sweetie Belle happily said as she skipped out of the library bound for Rarity’s house to tell her about her day with Twilight.

Author's Note

I know, it's a short chapter. Really it's an interlude, the halfway mark of my show. Consider it like the Training Montage of a MLP episode. Thanks to all who have read so far, and stay tuned for the next half of To Be Magical!

Show and Tell

Chapter 8 – Show and Tell

The next school day Sweetie Belle eagerly made her way to school, excited to show off her new magical abilities. Today was Show and Tell day in her class, a fun event where the ponies could tell the class something they learned, did, or owned. It was a way for the ponies to showcase themselves in order for the others to get to know their fellow classmates and perhaps to instill the idea that everypony had things that made them unique. Although Sweetie Belle was not a boasting pony, she did want to show something that she was proud of, something that she was determined to work hard to achieve.

“Hey Sweetie Belle,” a familiar voice came from behind to which the filly turned around to see Apple Bloom and Scootaloo walking behind her, hoping to catch up.

“Oh hi Apple Bloom, hi Scootaloo.”

“How are you doing,” Apple Bloom asked her friend.

“Never been better! How are you?”

“Ah’m doin’ alright,” Apple Bloom said, “But why are you so happy?”

“Yeah, you look like you found a bag of bits under your bed,” Scootaloo replied to the white filly.
Sweetie Belle knew what the two friends were asking; how she could look so sad one day after being teased and now appeared the complete opposite.

“Well, you know how I’ve been practicing with my magic?”

“No Sweetie, don’t get that stuck up little filly Diamond Tiara keep you upset,” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah, she hasn’t said anything to you after school has she,” Scootaloo asked, “Because if she did…”

“No,” Sweetie Belle interrupted her friend to calm her down, “It was nothing like that. I actually can do magic now!”
“Really,” the two Crusaders said in unison of surprise and delight.

“Yeah, I can move all kinds of things now with my magic.”

“That’s amazin’,” Apple Bloom said hugging her, “Ah’m so happy to hear you got a handle on your magic.”

“Me too,” Scootaloo replied also hugging the unicorn, “So, what was the change? You were struggling for a while and now you’re ok.”

“I guess all I needed to do was practice,” Sweetie Belle said not wanting to tell that she had help from Twilight Sparkle after promising the Princess, “and I’m going to show it off during Show and Tell.”

“Cool,” Scootaloo said as the bell rang signaling for the ponies to get into class.

“Well good luck with your magic,” Apple Bloom said to Sweetie as they took their seats.

“Thanks,” Sweetie Belle said as she sat down, barely able to contain herself.

“Alright class,” Miss Cheerilee said trotting into class, “Today we have a couple of things to learn but first does anypony have something for Show and Tell?”

Sweetie Belle’s hoof shot up right when her teacher finished asking.

“Yes, Sweetie Belle,” Cheerilee said looking a little surprised that the filly was eager to participate after being made a fool of the school day before, “please come up and show the class what you have.”

The filly trotted up to the front of the class before facing her classmates and saying, “The thing that I have for Show and Tell today is… well… me. Actually it’s about my magic.”

A snicker was heard from Diamond Tiara who seemed ready to chide the filly, knowing that she would fail. Cheerilee gave the earth pony a stern look before turning toward the unicorn standing near her. The filly was about to leave herself in a vulnerable position, opening herself up to ridicule. But the teacher did not stop her, holding out hope that Sweetie Belle knew what she was doing.

Without another word Sweetie Belle concentrated on a pencil that lay on the desk of a classmate. She remembered what she learned about Intent, Energy, and Passion from Twilight and now was going to apply it. With a flicker of her horn, the pencil floated from the desk and high into the air before she set it carefully down on the desk again. All the while the ponies in class and Cheerilee looked silently on as the filly who couldn’t do magic was now doing so with little effort.

“And now I will move a book,” Sweetie Belle announced as she then focused on a spare reading textbook that was on the teacher’s big desk that dominated the front of the class. It was a tougher challenge but something that filly had faith in that she could do. She concentrated on the book as is shakily lifted off the desk. While still hovering, Sweetie Belle opened it up and flipped to the page that they left off before and set it down on the podium for the teacher.

“That’s all I can do for now,” Sweetie Belle said with a little bow, “So that’s what I have to show today.”

The class broke into a happy uproar as they stomped their hooves and cheered. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were the loudest to congratulate their friend. Even Cheerilee applauded the filly for her efforts and for showing her courage to the class. The only one not excited was Diamond Tiara who grumbled as it was one less thing to make fun of the filly for. As she returned to her seat, Sweetie Belle had a renewed sense of pride in her ability.

Author's Note

Ugh! I don't know what it is, but I've been in a creative slump. I thought this story would be wrapped up by now but apparently not. Hopefully the last couple of chapters will be smoother.

Challenge

Chapter 9 – Challenge

The rest of the day in school went without much fanfare. It was still the same routine of lessons, projects, and a few quizzes thrown into the mix. But something did change. Sweetie Belle felt an overwhelming sense of confidence of what she had done in class during Show and Tell. She had proven to herself, Miss Cheerilee, her friends, and all the other classmates that she wasn’t some silly blank flank who couldn’t do magic. She was now powerful and important, and she liked that feeling. The fact that Diamond Tiara didn’t say a word to her other than a grumble every time the white unicorn looked at the pony was an added bonus. Sweetie wasn’t a pony to gloat on any of her skills though and just kept the feelings of success to herself letting her new success with magic speak for itself.

During recess though, her classmates who saw what she had done in the morning asked Sweetie Belle to perform a few more magic tricks which the white unicorn was happy to do so. She began to try and juggle a few small items like some stones and leaves. She even played with a red ball along with some other foals, using her telekinesis to move. All the while Diamond Tiara looked like a tea kettle ready to explode. How could a worthless blank flank filly get the best of her? Then the spoiled pink earth pony got an idea to try and make Sweetie Belle the failure again.

At last the school day ended as the three Cutie Mark Crusaders made their way out of the school. Sweetie Belle was absolutely beaming with pride at the reception her class gave her. Gone were the days that she felt like this insignificant pony. She was now powerful and that power felt good. Deep in her mind, she felt a growing urge to do more than just practice her telekinesis that she wanted to learn more spells. She knew what Twilight Sparkle said about not learning the more advanced spells without the Princess’s permission and that being a good spell caster required practice of the basic. Yet that small voice that wanted to learn and do more wasn’t easily silenced and actually the more she did the louder it grew.

“That was so awesome,” Scootaloo said speaking to the white unicorn.

“Yeah, Ah’m really happy for you,” Apple Bloom replied, “You really gave quite a show for the class. Why, even Miss Cheerilee was amazed!”

“Thanks girls,” Sweetie said feeling even happier that her friends acknowledged her progress, “I’m a little tired after doing all that magic, but I’ll be better with practice.”

“So what’s next?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yeah, what new spells are you going to learn?” Scootaloo replied.

“Gee I don’t know,” Sweetie said thinking about where she wanted to do. The desire to try another spell grew stronger in her mind, driven by that one word: more.

“Congratulations Sweetie Belle,” a familiar voice was heard behind the three. The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned to see Diamond Tiara standing there smiling like a cat that ate a canary.

“What do you want?” Apple Bloom said defending her friend and fellow Crusader.

“Yeah, if you think you’re going to upset Sweetie Belle again you got another thing coming,” Scootaloo said, ready for a fight with the proud pink earth pony.

“Well, if you two lame brain ponies must know, I’m not trying to upset her. In fact I came over to congratulate Sweetie Belle.”
“For what?” the white unicorn said, confused that her archrival was being somehow nice, or at least nicer than normal.

“For your magic of course,” Diamond said, “I didn’t think you had it in you but you were inspired by what I said a few days ago and learned magic. You should be thanking me for that.”

“Inspired,” Scootaloo said angrily, “You made fun of her in front of the whole class!”

“Yeah, why should she thank you?” Apple Bloom replied.

“I wasn’t talking to you was I,” Diamond Tiara growled at the two other Crusaders before adjusting her face into the sweet smile, “In any case, you proved me wrong Sweetie. In fact you have done something that I will never be able to do. So, congratulations again.”

“So you came here to actually congratulate me?” Sweetie Belle asked utterly confused as she turned to her friends to see if she really was hearing what they heard. The other two fillies seemed just as confused as the unicorn, but at least Sweetie wasn’t imagining it.

“Ugh, you still think this is a lie,” Diamond said wondering how a pony could be so dense, “Listen to me, I am congratulating you Sweetie belle. Don’t read into this like one of your books you always are seen with your nose in.”

The stuck up filly paused slightly before saying, “There is something else I wanted to ask you though.”

“What’s that?” Sweetie Belle said nervously as her friends stood by her hoping that the filly wasn’t opening herself up to more bullying.

“What spell are you planning on doing next?” Diamond Tiara said, “You know, with your magic? I heard you and your friends talking about it as you left the school. Inquiring minds must know.”

Sweetie Belle paused to analyze the question. There didn’t seem to be any malice involved, just a simple question that was on the white filly’s mind as was on the other Crusaders. Finally she replied saying, “Gee I don’t know. I’ve only been practicing for a while.”

“Let me give you a little free advice, and don’t say that I never helped you,” Diamond Tiara said, “If there’s one thing I know, it’s about trends. I’m sure you know what those are since your sister is Rarity, right?”

“Of course I do,” Sweetie Belle said, “It’s when something is really popular for a short time and then becomes unpopular when something else becomes popular. Rarity always is checking new trends and talking about making new fashions to start a trend or fit with a current trend.”

“Good,” Diamond Tiara said, “I can see your sister taught you well. But trends don’t just deal with fashion or some lame toy. It can deal with ponies too, especially their skills.”

“What do you mean by ponies being trends?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Well, take your sister,” Diamond Tiara said, “If she did the same fashion every time without changing not only her clothes would be out of style, but she wouldn’t be popular anymore. Trends are all about survival of the fittest, like what we learned in class from Miss Cheerilee. If a pony doesn’t adapt and do something new they aren’t considered popular anymore. You, Sweetie Belle, are a trend right now.”

“Me?” the filly squeaked.

“Yes, you are,” the pink pony said with a smile, “Your magic act made you popular today, but what about the next day, next week, or the next month? The fact is every unicorn I know about knows telekinesis. So right now you may amaze the class, but soon they will see you as just another unicorn in the herd doing the same thing. That is, of course, unless you learn another spell. Not just any spell, but one that will dazzle anypony for a long time, one that can’t be matched, not even by Princess Twilight Sparkle. So think hard about that spell Sweetie. Otherwise you’ll be back to where you started as an unpopular filly. You don't want to be that again, do you?”

Sweetie Belle stood silently taking in all that the pony said. She knew not to trust the bully, not after the countless things that she did to her and her friends. But there was something about what the earth pony said that made sense, and as much as her brain tried to disprove Diamond’s logic, it was as solid as a rock. Her desire to never be just another filly lost in the herd further fueled that inner desire to want to learn and do more, growing stronger than even Twilight’s advice on sticking to the basics.

“What’s the big idea?” Scootaloo said interrupting Sweetie’s thoughts.

“Yeah, why are you saying such mean things to Sweetie?” Apple Bloom asked.

“For your information, I’m not saying this to be mean,” Diamond said growing tired of having the goody four-hooves Crusaders come to the unicorn’s aid, “I’m merely stating a fact. After all you three were talking about it, and I wanted to add in my two bits. Of course you know that I’m right. The facts don’t lie. So again Sweetie Belle think about what you want to do to be a popular pony. See you three tomorrow.”

With a smile the pink earth pony trotted home, leaving the three ponies to wonder what happened.

“She was telling the truth from what I heard,” Scootaloo said, “I know Rainbow Dash is always trying new tricks to show how cool she is.”

“As much as Ah’ hate to agree with her, Diamond Tiara’s sounds right about trends and things,” Apple Bloom said, “Of course Ah’ don’t really follow the trends of fancy ponies, an’ neither does my sister or my brother.”

“Well I sense a trap,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s a trap?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah,” the orange filly replied, “Think about it, if you don’t do a new spell, that that’ll give Diamond Tiara what she needs to bully you again!”

“You’re right Scoots,” Apple Bloom replied, “Ah guess you’re between a rock and a hard place Sweetie. What are you going to do?”

Sweetie Belle realized that her success was not without the consequence that she had to do something different, something better than just a simple display of telekinesis. She had to learn something new, even if it meant going against Twilight’s wishes.

“I’m going to learn something else girls,” Sweetie finally said, “I, don’t know what, but I’m sure I’ll figure out something. I have to get home right away though!”

“Awwww…” Scootaloo complained, “I thought that we were going to go Crusading today!”

“Come on Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said giving the orange Pegasus a glare, “Sweetie Belle needs to learn more magic. She can Crusade with us later.”

“Sorry girls for not being able to go with you,” Sweetie Belle said upset that she was exchanging her time with her friends for practicing magic.

“That’s ok,” Apple Bloom, “Ah’ bet we’ll be crusading in no time with us!”

“Yeah,” the orange filly said, “We’ll see you some other time.”

“Sure I will,” Sweetie Belle said feeling a little better, “Well I have to get going now, so see you tomorrow then.”

“Bye,” the two friends and fellow Crusaders replied as they watched Sweetie Belle leave the school yard. The white unicorn was now on a mission to learn a new spell, one that was forbidden by Twilight to know. She knew what she had to do in order to keep her popularity and to fuel her growing need for more knowledge and power, and there wasn’t anypony who was going to stop her.

Covert

Chapter 10 – Covert

Sweetie Belle trotted down the road, making a necessary detour before heading home. The hulking form of the Golden Oaks Library appeared as she rounded the corner, her one target in sights. There was something she needed from within the tree library, something forbidden to her but now was so important the white filly was willing to break all promises and rules to get. The closer she reached the place the more her worry rose inside her that she would be found out. It would be bad enough for Rarity or the other Elements of Harmony to be there in or around the library asking her questions. Meeting Princcess Twilight there, however, would be the death knell to her plans, destroying it the instant that the two ponies made contact. There was no way that Twilight would approve what she was doing as it went against the entire purpose of her lessons with the filly. The irony that at first Sweetie wanted the attention and guidance from the Alicorn and now didn’t want to see Twilight in her own house was not lost on the filly as she carefully opened the door.

The library was quiet, not a pony in sight. She carefully looked up the stairs to the second floor to see if Twilight was in her study area, but to her relief the princess was nowhere to be seen. The filly knew that it could be anytime that Twilight would return, so she had to work quickly.

“Now where is that book,” Sweetie Belle said softly as she scanned the towering shelves, looking not for just any tome but one in particular. Finally her eyes settled on an old familiar looking book that she knew to be the Book of Advanced Spells. Carefully the filly worked the book from its home with her magic, pulling it ever closer to the edge.

“Come on, come on,” she said as victory was so close yet so far. Suddenly the book tipped over and fell from its high perch. Sweetie squeaked and jumped out of the way before it hit the ground where she once stood with a thud.

“Phew! That was a close one. “

“Who’s there?” a familiar voice called out, “Twilight is that you?”

Sweetie quickly levitated the book and put it into her saddle bag, just in time for Spike to appear from the kitchen. The filly could only hope that the baby dragon didn’t see what she was doing.

“Oh hi Sweetie Belle,” the dragon said nervously, “Um… how are you doing?”

“Great Spike,” Sweetie Belle said as she breathed a sigh of relief that her secret was safe, “How are you?”

“Oh I’m fine. You’re probably looking for Twilight, right?”

“Um… yeah,” Sweetie said.

“Well, she’s out with her friends actually. Is there anything I can help you with? I know this library like the back of my hand!”

“Oh, no, I just came over to say that I’m really doing well with my magic and to thank her that’s all.”

“Congratulations then! You have a great teacher with Twilight. She’s like the best at magic. I’ll definitely pass the message along that you were here.”

“Yeah I know,” Sweetie said as the guilt started to boil over, “but thanks for that.”

“Oh and Sweetie?”

“Yes Spike?”

“Can you tell Rarity that I said hello, not if you’re busy of course but whenever you see her again.”

“Um… sure,” Sweetie said, “Anyway I have to get home.”

“Oh, ok. Bye Sweetie.”

“Bye Spike,” the filly replied as she trotted out the door, “What’s with that dragon and my sister? It’s like he’s … nah, that’s just silly!”

The plan had worked as Sweetie Belle returned home with her prized Book of Advanced Spells. It was a hollow victory though as the white unicorn realized that she was going against Twilight’s promise to not practice things that the Princess didn’t authorize. She was basically slapping away a helping hoof, one who was trying to help her improve her magic. Yet Sweetie’s desire to never again be seen as a target to be bullied and as somepony important filled her mind, pushing away all other thoughts and doubts into the background.

“I have to do this. I’m not going to be known as some loser pony anymore!”

She opened the book and flipped through the pages, looking for a good spell to use. With each page she turned and each spell she read she became more and more frustrated as they were way beyond her ability. What she needed was a spell to increase her ability, allowing her to perform any other spell that she saw fit. Finally her eyes settled on a certain spell as a smile went across her face.

“Power Augmentation Spell,” she read, “That’s exactly what I need! Wait until the foals in school see what I can do with this!”

That night she dreamed of performing epic spell feats in the castle in Canterlot. All the Princesses were there as well as her sister, parents and classmates. All were pleased with her abilities, but none was most excited than her teacher Twilight who beamed at the progress the filly made. This was what Sweetie Belle wanted, to be accepted and be seen as a great pony. Tomorrow would be the day that she would prove herself to Twilight, Cheerilee, and anypony else.

Author's Note

Just a few chapters left before this fic wraps up. Things are going to get interesting now that we're at the height of the action.

Overload

Chapter 11 – Overload

The next day Sweetie Belle went to school with the Book of Advanced Spells in her saddlebags. The filly was nervous to attempt such an advanced spell as the Power Augmentation Spell, partly because she had no idea what the spell would do to her. Sure the unicorn was smart enough to know that Augmentation meant to increase, her friends and fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders would attest that Sweetie Belle was a walking dictionary. But the question that lingered in her mind as she walked to school was how much exactly her power would increase. Still, having more magic was good in her mind, as that was her initial goal: to learn more about magic. Why, this spell might work so well that Sweetie could skip the basic lessons from Twilight and go straight to the more advanced things!

Twilight, that name that stuck in her head. In reality Sweetie wasn’t as scared much about what the spell would do to her as how the lavender Alicorn would react. Sweetie had gone against her teacher’s instructions and took a forbidden book without asking first. She wondered what the consequences were for disobeying a Princess.

“What if I get banished, or locked in a dungeon, or banished and locked in a dungeon?”

She began to fret as her mind swirled with possible punishments. Finally a silver lining appeared in her otherwise darkened thoughts.

“Ok, all I have to do is take the book back to the library after school. Then Twilight won’t know the book is missing. Everything will be fine then.”

“Won’t know what is missing?” a familiar voice called.

Sweetie Belle turned to see Twilight Sparkle walking up to the filly! What if she knew that the spell book was missing? What if she came to punish her? No, she couldn’t show her guilt, not when she was so close to her goal.

“Oh, Twilight,” Sweetie Belle said trying to remain calm when inside she was afraid, “How are you doing?”

“Great Sweetie. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine, just going to school.”

“Great. I heard that you went to the library to see me yesterday to tell me about your progress with your magic. I was actually out with my friends, but I’m glad to hear that you’re doing well with your practicing.”

“Thanks,” Sweetie said hoping the issue with what Twilight heard her say was over.

“So you said something about a book that is missing from the library?”

“Oh,” Sweetie said trying to create a lie on the spot, “It was a Daring Do book that I borrowed. I think it’s a little overdue and I hope that you wouldn’t worry that it was missing.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile, “In fact if you have it with you now I’d be happy to take it with me.”

“No,” Sweetie said abruptly that took Twilight off her guard a little, “I mean, I have it at home.”

“I see,” Twilight said confused at the sudden outburst, “Well, you best be getting to school then.”

“Ok, bye Twilight.”

“Bye Sweetie Belle,” Twilight said as the filly galloped away to school, leaving the Alicorn to wonder what was going on.
As the white filly approached school, she began to worry more, not because of her recent interaction with Twilight and the fact that she flat out lied to her. The new worry was that she wouldn’t be able to perform the spell if the class asked for it. She remembered what Diamond Tiara said about popularity how ponies will expect her to do something more amazing than what she did for show and tell. What if she failed? She would be the laughing stock at school, back to being the loser blank flank that couldn’t perform magic. She wasn’t going back to that, as that was the old Sweetie Belle. She had to show her new side as there was no going back.

The school day went without much fanfare with its usual lessons and projects. Still the white unicorn could see that the ponies were looking for her to do something, anything magical. Even her friends were ready to cheer her on! Diamond Tiara merely had a devilish grin, one which Sweetie knew was not because the stuck up filly wanted her to succeed but to fail, opening her up to being bullied yet again. Well Sweetie was determined to show her and anypony else that dared to make fun of her again!

At recess a crowd gathered, waiting for the unicorn to perform her latest spell. There was no escaping the class now. Sweetie had to act.

“So, what spell are you going to show?” a colt asked.

“Yeah, have you learned something new?” a filly replied in the crowd.

“Well Sweetie,” Diamond Tiara chuckled, “Looks like you have quite a crowd here. Wouldn’t want to disappoint your audience now, would you?”

“Don’t listen to her,” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah, show her what you can do,” Scootaloo said defiantly.

“OK, here it goes,” Sweetie said as she pulled out the Book of Advanced Spells from her saddlebag and levitating it in front of her opened it to the right page. She then began to concentrate with all her might pouring her intent, passion, and energy into this one spell. Suddenly a bright green aura appeared around her for a few seconds, making the filly’s body tingle. Then in a flash the aura was gone, leaving Swetie Belle stunned.

“That was the new spell you were going to show?” Diamond said her words dripping with venom, “Just some stupid light show? Wow Sweetie, you really proved today that you are the worst unicorn in all of Equestria!”

“How did it not work?” Sweetie said to the point of tears, knowing that she was the center of attention but not in the way she wanted to be, “I did everything this book said! I…”

Her speech was suddenly cut off when suddenly she felt a surge of energy flow through her body. The crow around her gasped as the filly began to float into the air, stopping just above the crowd. Before Sweetie could react, her eyes turned completely green as a shield of green energy enveloped the unicorn. Soon green bolts of energy crackled from the sphere, threatening to strike anything or anypony. Diamond Tiara was the first to try and ruin when a green bolt struck the filly, transforming her into a dog in a poof of smoke! Upon seeing this, the other ponies ran away, desperately trying to get away from the out of control filly. The two Crusaders hid behind a tree hoping to be safe. A bolt of energy hit the tree, turning it into a bale of hay, causing Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to run for a new cover. Another bolt struck the swing set, turning it into a giant spider! All the while Sweetie Belle floated in the air unaware of what was happening and unable to control it.

Meanwhile…

“So you say that Sweetie Belle is doing well with her magic?” Rarity said to her friend Twilight.
“That’s what she said. She just needed to believe in herself that’s all. I had to just give her a little guidance and encouragement.”

“Well I’m glad that things are working out for my sister.”

“Yeah, so am I,” Twilight said as if her mind was on something else.

“Twilight, is there something wrong? You seem like something is on your mind.”

“It’s just that Sweetie Belle seemed… off.”

“Off? Like she is ill?”

“No… just like she’s hiding something from me.”

“Whatever could she be hiding from you?”

It didn’t take long to answer that question as the two mares heard screams coming from the school. The two immediately made their way to the area where they saw Sweetie Belle suspended in a ball of energy, firing green energy beams randomly.

“Oh my gosh, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity exclaimed, “What’s happening to her?”

Twilight then spotted the Book of Advanced Spells lying on the ground below the floating filly and quickly used her magic to diagnose the magic that the filly cast.

“She cast an Augmentation Spell on her. It’s used to temporarily increase the power of a unicorn’s magic.”

“How long does it last?”

“Several hours,” Twilight replied, thinking about what to do next.

“Oh dear!” Rarity said, “We can’t have her like that for several hours. That would be the worst possible thing!”
“Rarity, I’m going to try my Fail Safe Spell. That should nullify that Augmentation spell.”

“Oh do be careful Twilight. I don’t know what I’d do if poor Sweetie was hurt.”

“Don’t worry she’ll be fine,” Twilight said as she concentrated on the spell. A purple ball of energy formed around the Alicorn and then suddenly expanded, washing over the area like a wave. Everything that was transformed by Sweetie’s magic was restored, including Diamond Tiara who stood wondering what happened. Twilight’s magic then collided with the green bubble around Sweetie Belle, shattering like it was made of glass. The filly’s eyes returned to normal as she felt like she was falling, unable to do anything. Just when Sweetie felt like this was the end for her, she felt her body slow then stop inches above the ground. The last thing she remembered was seeing Rarity with her horn glowing, obviously using her telekinesis to catch the filly in time.

Then everything faded into blackness…

Author's Note

Deus ex Machina for the win!

The following was inspired by the Twilight's back story in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, just slightly different for Sweetie Belle, and from Stephen King's Carrie.

One more chapter to go all! Thanks for reading so far!

Reconcile

Chapter 12 – Reconcile

Sweetie awoke after what felt like an eternity asleep. Immediately when she opened her eyes she knew that she was not at home, at school, or even Rarity’s house. The bed she was laying on and the room she was in was very strange, almost unsettling. As the unicorn tried to sit up, she noticed how she felt very weak, like the energy had been drained from her body. There was also a dull pain in her head, as if she suffered from a headache like before when she couldn’t do any spells.

Finally managing to sit up using her pillows and back of the bed as support, it was clear that she was in what looked like some hospital room. She wondered how she got here or why. The more she tried to think, the more her brain seemed to be shrouded in a fog, unable to make sense of anything.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In stepped Rarity who seeing that her sister was awake quickly galloped over and gave her a hug.

“Oh Sweetie Belle! I’m so glad you’re ok. I’ve been worried sick since you were in the hospital.”

“What happened? The last thing I remember was going to school and … oh my gosh! The spell! Is everypony ok? Am I ok?”
“Calm down Sweetie,” Rarity said as the filly fretted, “Everypony is ok. Twilight used a Fail Safe Spell to cancel out the one you used. It fixed everything but you lost consciousness. I quickly brought you here right after. The doctor said that you just overused your magic which is why you feel so weak. So, you’re going to have to stay overnight and not do magic for a day or so, just to be sure but I’m certain you’ll be back to normal as soon as possible.”

The white mare’s face turned from happiness that her sister was ok, to one of confusion.

“Why did you attempt such an advanced spell Sweetie?”

“That’s something I’d like to know,” a familiar voice spoke. Sweetie didn’t take long to realize that it was Princess Twilight Sparkle who was also coming to visit her. As she stepped into the room, the filly could see that Twilight’s face bore a myriad of emotions from concern to anger, to even confusion. Sweetie Belle just wished she could teleport away from this place, free from what she knew would be the inevitable criticism and scolding from her sister and teacher. She knew though that she couldn’t run anymore. She lied enough and trying to escape from this would damage things even further. It was time to face the music.

“Oh Twilight,” Rarity said seeing her friend, “The doctor said that Sweetie Belle is going to be ok. She just has to rest and not do magic for a little. Isn't it wonderful?”

“So I heard from the doctor. But now I need to talk to Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh, well if you want me to step out of the room I can.”

“No, Rarity, I think you should be here for this,” Twilight said before turning to Sweetie Belle, “Now Sweetie Belle, I’m not going to get mad, even though I have every right to do so. I just want the truth. No more lies, Sweetie Belle. Why did you attempt such a spell that I told you not to do from a book I told you not to even read?”

Sweetie looked at Twilight’s face, then her sister who seemed equally interested in what the filly had to say, then back to Twilight. She could feel the sadness welling up inside her, reaching their breaking point until finally spilling over.

“Ok,” she exclaimed, “After I learned magic that day from you Twilight, I wanted to show my class that I wasn’t some dumb blank flank that couldn’t do magic anymore. So I showed them a couple of things with my telekinesis and they were all happy and it felt good, really good. But then Diamond Tiara told me that every unicorn can levitate things and if I wanted to be popular I’d have to do something even more amazing. I just did want to be bullied anymore, and I liked that ponies liked me, so I went to the library and too the Book of Advanced Spells. I then saw the Power Augmentation Spell and decided that it could make my spells better. I didn’t know how bad it was going to be. I’m really, really sorry! I’m sorry for lying and using that spell. I just wanted to be magical and have others see that I am!”

With that the emotions inside her boiled over as the filly broke down into tears. Now there were no more lies, but the damage was done already. Now the filly could only wait and see what would happen next.

“Sweetie,” Rarity said, “Do you really feel that way about your classmates, that they wouldn’t like you unless you did some big magic?”

“I guess so,” Sweetie said through her crying, “Oh, I don’t know what to think?”

“How did your class treat you before you started learning from Twilight?” Rarity said calmly.

“Ok I guess. They only laughed at me when Diamond made fun of me.”

“See? They do like you Sweetie. You don’t need magic to prove how good you are, because they see that already. And as for what Diamond Tiara said, well, she was setting you up hoping that you’d fail. When I get my hooves on that little brat I’ll…”

“Rarity, I’ll talk to Diamond after this., don’t worry,” she said to her upset friend before turning to Sweetie Belle, “Sweetie, remember what I told you about magic during our lesson?”

“That to cast a spell you need the intent, energy, and passion?”

“Yes, and what else?”

“That with great power comes great responsibility?”

“Exactly! You remember Trixie, right?”

“Wasn’t she that boasting pony who thought she was better that anypony else?”

“Well, she was so unsure about how others would think of her magic that she tried to prove herself by putting on a big show and putting down others. Being magical means not using it to boast, especially when using a spell that is harmful.

Remember when Trixie tried to tame that Ursa Minor?”

“That was scary,” Sweetie said recalling how the creature terrorized the town.

“Right, she did this to prove to everypony how great and powerful she was but at the cost of risking the lives of other ponies.”

“Guess I’m like Trixie then,” Sweetie said looking away.

“Sweetie, you aren’t Trixie, and even Trixie learned not to be so boastful with her magic. I know you were excited to show your class what you can do, but magic is more than a show. The best ponies use their talents while being humble about it. But you know what upsets me as much as the fact that you cast that spell?”

“What?” the white filly asked.

“That you broke your promise to not read any spell book other than the ones I told you to. I know rules may seem boring, but they’re for your own good. I knew if you tried to use an advanced spell and succeeded you weren’t ready to control it. You’re luck you or anypony else weren’t hurt. Your actions have consequences Sweetie Belle, and not just magic. Being magical is not just to have the ability to use magic but to know when to and not to do so and knowing how your magic will impact youself and others.”

“Guess I really messed things up then,” Sweetie said.

“Well you will have to answer for your actions, especially with Cheerilee and your other classmates, but you are lucky that this is the only thing you can do. So Sweetie, will you not lie to me, Rarity, your parents, or anypony else again and will you listen to what others have to say even if you’re not happy about it?”

“Yes,” Sweetie said feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders, “Guess this means no more magic studies with you then.”
“Well since you apologized and promised to tell the truth and listen, I Princess Twilight Sparkle do decree that you Sweetie Belle will be my permanent student.”

“You mean it?” Sweetie Belle said surprised.

“Yes, you want to learn more right?”

“Definitely!”

“Well once you’ve recovered we’ll talk about when we can meet next. Now I think that there are some friends that want to see you.”

The door suddenly burst open as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo appeared, galloping to their friend’s bed and giving the white unicorn a hug.

“How are you feelin’ Sweetie,” Apple Bloom said.

“I’m great girls. How about the others in class? What are they saying?”

“They thought that spell you did was amazing,” Scootaloo said, “They’re all waiting for you to come back to school as soon as you can. You’re going to do something neat like that again, right?”

“I think I’m going to stick to the basics for now,” Sweetie said looking over at Rarity and Twilight who smiled, “But I’m glad to see you two. I think everything’s going to be alright.”

The three embraced as Twilight and Rarity looked on, happy that Sweetie Belle learned her lessons and that things turned out right in the end. There was no doubt that Sweetie Belle was on her way to learning what it meant to be magical.

Meanwhile...

"But daddy," Diamond whined in her bathroom, looking at the bathroom that had a foul smelling green liquid mixed in with the water.

"Diamond, this bath is for your own good. I know that this isn't the best smelling stuff, but it's the only thing that I could find that could treat having fleas. Honestly I never heard of a pony that had fleas before."

"Where did you get this stuff from anyway?"

"From Fluttershy. She said it works well on her pets when they have fleas."

With that Diamond Tiara made a high pitched whining noise as she reluctantly took her flea bath.

Then End!
Thanks for Reading!

Author's Note

Thanks for reading all!