Sweeter Sense

Sweetie Belle dragged a chair from the kitchen and positioned it near the window sill, where she would often take a glance out the window for something to peak her interest, rather than waiting for her sister to come home.

 Her eyes trailed off to the train that was leaving Ponyville with her two best friends onboard, abandoning her. She sadly shook her head, I wished they had asked me to come with them.

They haven’t been visiting me since Scootaloo’s change. Now they’re leaving me alone here. Sweetie Belle crossed her forelegs and huffed. This is all her fault.

Sweetie Belle's eyes suddenly widened in shock. It took moments to register what she had just thought and another to snap back into reality. I didn’t mean that! She hopped off her chair and trotted into the other room, where she saw Rarity just entering the house from the front door.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, galloping towards her. Once Sweetie Belle had gotten close enough, she wrapped her forelegs around Rarity and pulled her into a big bone-crushing hug. “I missed you!”

“Sweetie… I...need...to breathe!” Rarity winced, feeling the breath seeping from her lungs.

Sweetie Belle released her sister from the forceful embrace and giggled, “Sorry, Sis. It’s just that I’m so happy you came back!”

Rarity gingerly reached behind herself and rubbed her sore back with her two front hooves. “That’s good to hear, Sweetie Belle, but I can’t always be the only pony you want to see.”

Sweetie Belle arched her eyebrow and tilted her head, “What do you mean, Sis?”

“I mean, why haven’t you gone to see your friends? What about Apple Bloom and Dootaloo.”

“It’s Scootaloo,” she corrected, “and Apple Bloom is too busy helping Scootaloo to come see me.” She sighed, “It feels like they’ve forgotten me.”

Rarity felt her heart cringe at Sweetie Belle’s sadness, so she did what she had always done in situations like this. Rarity wrapped her hooves around Sweetie Belle and hugged her tightly. “It's okay. I’m sure they didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye.”

Sweetie Belle sniffed and wiped the fresh tears that trailed from her eyes. “It’s like I don’t matter to her anymore. It’s always been about Scootaloo!”

Rarity blinked for a couple of seconds before she pulled Sweetie Belle away from the hug and looked into her eyes. “Sweetie, do you… do you have a crush on Apple Bloom?”

Sweetie Belle blushed and frantically shook her head. “No!” she lied, “No, it’s just she spends more time with Scootaloo now and not me!”

Rarity rolled her eyes and giggled. “It sounds like somepony is jealous!” she sang.

“I AM NOT!”

“It’s quite alright, darling. it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Rarity winked at Sweetie Belle and smiled. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Sweetie Belle playfully shoved Rarity off of her. “Shut up!” she said between giggles, “I don’t have a crush on Apple Bloom.” She snorted like a pig, “That’s silly!”

“Whatever you say, darling!” Rarity called out as she trotted into the kitchen, “This mare reads enough romance novels to figure out a blushing filly!”

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes; luckily she had her sister around to make her feel better. When she turned her head to the window, she noticed a blue radiance that dazzled in the backyard.

Sweetie Belle began to trot towards the door that lead to the backyard.“Umm, Rarity!”

“Yes, Sweetie?” She called out from the kitchen, “Is there something wrong?”

“I’m going to go check out that glowing thing in the backyard!” Sweetie Belle said as she closed the door.

“Glowing thing?” Rarity galloped into the living room and noticed her sister had already left the room. She shook her head, “Teenagers...”

The cold air sent a chill down Sweetie Belle’s spine as she trotted closer and closer to the glowing object buried in the ground. What the hay? Who would have buried a glowing thing in Rarity’s backyard?

Curiosity taking the best of her, Sweetie Belle grabbed a shovel with her magic and levitated it near the glowing object. Once Sweetie Belle found the spot where she wanted to start, she raised the shovel high in the air then shot it down into the dirt and began digging.

Digging...

And digging.

And thump!

Her shovel hit its target and Sweetie Belle quickly dropped it, causing the shovel to sag down into the loose dirt. She started to dig with her hooves, and after a few moments, she saw a wooden box-like object. Once she had removed all the dirt that covered it, she determined that it was indeed a brown coffin.

What the hay?! Sweetie Belle turned to the door she came from. “Rarity!” she called out, “Come look at what I found!” She turned her attention back to the coffin that glowed once more. “What is this?”

She jumped into the hole she had dug and placed her hooves on the lid of the coffin. With a couple of small grunts and pulls, she finally opened the coffin and saw what lay within...

A stone shaped as a moon glowed with a brilliant blue light. It was plugged into an equine skeleton’s chest. “Ewww!” Despite her initial disgust, her hoof slowly reached for the moon. It sprung from the chest of the dead pony and began to circle around Sweetie Belle.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle cried to her sister. She tried to run away from the moon, but it blocked her path with some kind of magical field, preventing from getting help from her sister. “Something is happening!”

Sweetie Belle sagged down to the ground and began to cry. “PLEASE, SOMEPONY HELP ME!” she called in between her sobs. The magic began seeping its way down into her brain. Her head fell and smacked against the ground as the magic began to take its toll.

As her eyes slowly drooped down, she reached a hoof towards the door. “Please help me.” she squeaked out, her voice cracked with each syllable, and then her eyes closed completely shut.

Sweetie Belle couldn’t feel or move her body. All she could do is feel a shot of pain coursing through her head.

Sweetie Belle.

Who’s there?

You have awoken me from my long slumber, and I ask why?

Something was glowing in my backyard. So I decided to check it out, and now here I am!

Do you know who I am?

I don’t have the slightest clue.

So this is who I’ve woken up to? How wonderful.

Was that sarcasm?

Tell me something, Sweetie. Are you a thestral?

A what now?

A pegasus hybrid created by Luna’s dark magic. We can hear most things that a normal pony can’t. We can see in the dark, and we’re stronger.

Well, sorry to disappoint,but I’m not a thestral.

I can feel the thestral magic hidden deep inside you.

I’m a unicorn, silly!

Stop toying with me. My senses do not lie.

I’m telling the truth. I. Am. A. Unicorn!

Hmmm, interesting. Do you have relatives that are thestrals?

My parents did talk about my great, great grandfather being one, and a few relatives before him. Why?

Our thestral bloodline travels through the family. Our magic can survive through eons, until we birth a child, and some of our magic travels into the child and it repeats.

So I’m sorta like a thestral?

Yes, but your thestral magic is slowly fading away. I can unlock your full potential, Sweetie Belle. I can temper that latent magic hidden inside you and make it better.

I don’t know... It sounds kinda scary. How do I know can I trust you?

Sweetie Belle, you have my word. It won’t hurt a bit, and the change will make you into a stronger pony. It’ll make you feel like you can take on the world! Just say 'I accept,'and I’ll make you better, more powerful... More like me.

.

...

….

…..

…...

I accept.