The last fashion season didn't turn out good for Rarity. The collection she created wasn't received so well like it's normally the case when she has sewn new masterpieces.
Exactly, the audience of the fashion show she had organized to introduce her new collection, was completely unimpressed. Some ponies even criticized some of her design decisions harshly.
Yes, it really didn't turn out good.....
As a consequence, she was in financial trouble now. Only a few ponies bought some of her pieces, barely enough to prevent her from starving.
But now, the money she had was almost gone and the next fashion season was still some months away. Her only hope was to antedate the presentation of her new line and so, she worked twice as hard as usual, allowing herself only a few hours of sleep per day.
She had organized a new fashion show that should go down today and had invited Hoity Toity as well as Sapphire Shores to it, in hope that their high opinions for her designs would have a positive impact on the rest of the audience.
She also made sure to avoid the design decisions that were criticized at her last fashion show and she hoped that her line will impress the critics this time. Rarity sighed and stood up from the chair, she was sitting on now for a few minutes already, buried in thoughts.
The start of the fashion show was only a few hours away and she still had to check some things. She trotted over to the stereo equipment, that she had rented for that day to provide the necessary background music for the fashion show, and turned it on to check if everything worked. The speakers made a crackling sound as she turned it on. "Good, the speakers work properly.", she thought. But, when she started to play the music, nothing happened. She tried it again.
Silence.
Her heart began to race. She switched off the whole unit to try it again. She waited a moment and made a deep breath. Then she switched it on again and tried again to play the music.
Nothing.
Rarity began to panic. Without music, the fashion show would be already a disaster before she even began! And she hadn't the time anymore to organize new equipment or to let it repair by somepony! Her thoughts raced through her head to find a solution for this unexpected problem.
The door bell rang suddenly.
"Hi Rarity, I'm back from school!", Sweetie Belle's soft voice sounded in her ears. Rarity smiled. Sometimes, she thought, life offers you a solution very quick. She trotted over to Sweetie Belle, who had just took off her saddle bag and laid it on the table.
"Sweetie Belle, I need your help with something today."
Sweetie Belle smiled. She was always happy when her big sister allows her to help her with something.
"Sure, what is it?", she asked excited.
"The music player for my fashion show today isn't working anymore! And I can't make a fashion show without music! I need you to sing for me today!"
"Singing? You mean, on the stage? Beside the models?" Sweetie Belle crouched back a little.
"Yes. It's the only way, I can't organize new music equipment anymore before the show starts!"
"But..... I can't.....", Sweetie Belle began, but Rarity interrupted her.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, it's only for one time!"
"But I'm afraid of singing on a stage!" Sweetie Belle crouched back more.
Rarity grabbed her on her shoulders and pulled her closer. "But you're my only hope! My last fashion show was a disaster and when this one turns out as a disaster too, I'm FINISHED!" Sweetie Belle just looked at her with fear and big, watery eyes and doesn't gave a answer. Rarity didn't saw the tears that began to form in her eyes.
"What? Don't you want to help your big sister when she's in need?", Rarity asked her in a harsh and disappointed tone.
"I..... I.....", Sweetie Belle sniffed.
Suddenly, she broke free from Rarity's grasp and ran into the direction of the front door. But Rarity turned round and grabbed her at her tail. "Sweetie Belle, don't dare to go now! I need your help and you know well that you're the only one that can help me now, missy!" She pulled her closer a little, while Sweetie struggled and tried to get her tail free. "I'm your big sister and you have to do what I want!"
"Ow! You hurt me Rarity!", Sweetie Belle cried out in pain.
The outcry of her little sister brought ber back to sanity again. She released her tail. "Oh, Sweetie Belle, I'm so sorry, I didn't know what's gotten into me....." Rarity said rueful.
Sweetie Belle turned round to her. "Why have you done that? Why have you hurt me?" The tears were streaming down her face now, while she tugged her tail protectively between her legs. "I..... I HATE YOU!" With this words, she left Rarity behind her and ran out of the boutique.
She never saw Rarity acting like this before. And Rarity especially never hurted her. Sweetie Belle didn't understand what happened. She only was disappointed of her big sister. And a bit feared.
While she was gallopping away from the boutique, she suddenly heard a voice from the left reaching out to her. "Oh goodness, what happened?"
Sweetie Belle ignored it and just gallopped further. She saw a yellow shadow flying past her through her teary eyes and then, landing in front of her. She couldn't stop anymore and ran into it. She looked up and saw Fluttershy in front of her. Sweetie Belle leaned against her, silently crying.
"What does make you so distraught?", Fluttershy asked worried. Sweetie Belle looked up to her again and rubbed away her tears with one hoof.
"It's because of Rarity.....", she answered. "She.....", Sweetie Belle sobbed. "She attacked me and hurted me! I never saw her like that before! She grabbed my tail and didn't wanted to let me go!" She cried again.
"Oh my, why did she do that?", Fluttershy asked shocked and her expression became more worried.
Sweetie Belle sniffed. "She..... she wanted that I sing for her at her fashion show. She said the music player isn't working anymore and that I'm the only one that can help her." But I just can't sing on a stage! I'm too afraid of it....."
This sounded familiar to the yellow pegasus. "I'm also".
Sweetie Belle looked surprised at her. "What?"
"I'm also afraid of singing on a stage.....", she added with a shy tone in her voice.
Sweetie Belle looked to the ground. "Actually, I want to sing for Rarity. But I can't get rid of my fear.....", she said sadly.
Fluttershy pulled her closer a bit and gave her a hug to comfort her. "I understand.", she said. "Maybe if we go together to her and explain her everything....."
Suddenly, a thought came to Sweetie Belle and she interrupted her. "Or, we sing! We could try to overcome our fear together!"
While Sweetie Belle felt that she could overcome her fear when Fluttershy would sing with her, Fluttershy wasn't so sure about that. "I don't think that's a good idea....."
"It is! We just need something to give you more confidence! And I know who can help us!" Without awaiting an answer of Fluttershy, she grabbed her hoof and raced away with her. Her destination was the hut of Zecora in the Everfree Forest. When they reached it, Sweetie stormed inside and told her for what they are there.
"Zecora! We need a potion from you!" Zecora looked surprised at her. She hadn't expected such a sudden visit.
"A potion is it you need? For what deed?", she asked.
"It's..... I just don't think I could sing in front of an audience.", Fluttershy answered for her.
"And me too!", Sweetie Belle added. "But if you give Fluttershy a potion that can help her, we can sing together at Rarity's fashion show!"
Zecora frowned a little. She told them that she had indeed a potion that could help them. A potion that can suppress the nervousness of the pony that drinks it. But the potion was a new creation of her and she still was in her testing phase. But Sweetie Belle was persistent and after some argumentations, she managed it to convince Zecora to give them something of her potion. Sweetie Belle gave the bottle to Fluttershy. "When you drink it, you will have more confidence! Then we can sing together!"
Fluttershy hesitated. "But..... how should this help me to overcome my fear, when I can only do it thanks to the effect of this potion?"
"Maybe you don't need it anymore after your first performance! When you sing today, you maybe get used to it and then you can sing also without the potion!"
"Do you really think so?"
Sweetie Belle nodded excited. Fluttershy gave in and drank the potion.The effect came quicker than she expected. She suddenly felt strong and like she could do everything! "I..... I feel better now!", she said surprised and with an unusual confidence in her voice. "Come on, let's go to Rarity!", she said cheerfully. This time, it was her turn to grab Sweetie Belle's hoof and to race away with her.
When they arrived at the boutique, they were greeted by a desperated and crying Rarity. Rarity still felt guilty for what she did earlier today and was sunk down on the table. She didn't pay attention to the ringing door bell. Her thoughts just circled around the question how she could do that to her beloved little sister. Suddenly, two small, white hooves clasped around her neck and hugged her from behind. "Hi!", Sweetie Belle said happy.
Rarity looked up. "Oh, Sweetie Belle!" She snatched behind her and pulled Sweetie Belle into her arms. "I'm so terribly sorry!", she said sobbing. "I don't understand how this could happen to me! I don't wanted to hurt you!"
"It's okay, I know that!", Sweetie Belle answered softly. She snuggled her head in her chest. "And I can sing for you now! Fluttershy says she will sing together with me! If she helps me, I can do it! Is it okay when Fluttershy sings too?"
Rarity looked to Fluttershy, surprised to see the yellow pegasus here. "Fluttershy? But she has a problem with singing on a stage too!"
"Not at the moment!", Fluttershy said cheerfully. "Zecora gave me a potion that suppresses my nervousness, I can sing on a stage now!" Fluttershy was happy. She enjoyed this unknown feeling of big confidence.
Rarity was still not sure about this potion, but she agreed. "Okay, then let's do it! We have to hurry! The fashion show will begin in less than an hour!"
Sweetie Belle and Fluttershy helped Rarity with the last preparations for the show. They just got ready with everything as the first guests appeared. Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle stood behind the stage curtain, ready for it to accompany the fashion show with their singing. Rarity stepped over to them. "Only five more minutes! Is everypony ready?", she asked nervously.
"I'm ready! Woohoo!", Fluttershy answered, with the exact opposite of feelings than Rarity. Unfortunately, Sweetie Belle couldn't share this confidence anymore. She thought that she would be able to sing together with Fluttershy, but now, so short before their performance, her fear became too big again. She looked at Rarity, both with nervousness and guilt visible in her expression.
"Sweetie Belle, dear, what is wrong?", Rarity asked with a sense of foreboding.
"I..... I think I can't sing!"
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, we already had that! Please don't bring me into trouble! You can't blow everything now!"
Fluttershy stepped over. "That's not the right way, Rarity! Try it with a little bit more kindness!" She turned to Sweetie Belle. "I know how hard it is to sing on a stage, but together we can make it!" She gave her a comforting hug. "I know you can do it!" She let her go and looked asking to Rarity.
"What? Oh, sure!", Rarity answered a little bit slow. "I'm also sure you can make it, Sweetie. You are such a good singer, they all will be impressed by your voice!"
"Do you really think so?", Sweetie Belle asked hesitantly.
"I'm sure! Everypony will love your singing!" She gave her a hug too. "Now go out and show them what you've got!"
This had finally the necessary effect on Sweetie Belle. "Ok, I will try it!" She answered the hug. Then, she and Fluttershy got outside. The show began.
Sweetie Belle was hesitantly first, but then, when Fluttershy began to sing, she joined in, and with every line she sang it became easier for her. At the end of the show, the audience did not only applaud for the models, but also gave them an extra applause for their singing.
Behind the curtain again, Rarity came over to them and told them that she show was a complete success. Everypony liked her new collection and she told Sweetie Belle how everypony praised her singing. And she also thanked Fluttershy. "You really have proven true kindness today! I should have acted like this to Sweetie Belle before, then everything would have been easier! And your singing was praised too, you sung magnificent!"
Fluttershy smiled at her.
Later that day, Fluttershy was at home again, she looked on a little microphone, a present from Sweetie Belle. She smiled and then turned away to go to bed. She couldn't see anymore that the microphone suddenly glowed in the colors of the rainbow.....
