“Are you done, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked from the Carousel Boutique's main room. Beside her was a big pile of luggage, waiting to be transported.
“Give me just a couple of minutes. I'm almost ready!” Sweetie Belle shouted from her bedroom.
“Come on Sweetie Belle! I don't want to miss the train,” Rarity said, sitting on one of the suitcases on the floor. She waited and waited, but after five minutes she slowly started to lose patience. “How many things could a little filly need? I swear if she–”
“I'm ready!” shouted Sweetie Belle as she slipped in front of Rarity, who squealed in surprise and almost fell off her perch on the suitcase.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity shouted, balancing herself back to a comfortable position. She sighed dramatically, “Don't scare me like that.”
“I'm sorry,” Sweetie Belle said as she giggled. She trotted toward her bedroom and came back with a overloaded and obviously heavy suitcase. “Just a few necessaries.” she said as she placed her suitcase close to Rarity's.
Rarity rolled her eyes and was about to reply when the boutique's bell rang. A light brown stallion with a dark brown mane walked inside the boutique. “Everything ready, miss?” he asked, waiting in the boutique's doorway.
“Yes, of course. These here,” said Rarity, pointing with a hoof toward the mountain of luggage. “Take them to the carriage carefully. And pardon me for making you wait.”
The stallion winced at the sight of the big pile of luggage. He placed several suitcases on his back and left the boutique, heading toward the carriage. It took nearly four trips to load all the luggage onto the carriage. After finally loading the carriage, the girls hopped aboard. Straining mightily against the yoke, the stallion hauled them toward Ponyville train station.
Once they arrived, the girls trotted onto the platform to greet their friends. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo waited patiently to see them off.
“Hey Rarity!” Rainbow Dash shouted waving her hoof in the air. She landed at Twilight's side and waited for Rarity.
“Hello, girls,” said Rarity as she trotted toward her friends, “I'm glad you could come.”
“Hey, Rarity. Sorry that the others couldn't make it, but they're just really busy,” said Twilight.
“Perfectly alright, darling. I know you are busy as well,” said Rarity, smiling at her friends.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle walked toward Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “So... two weeks, eh? Are you sure that you can survive so long without us?” said Scootaloo.
“We're gonna miss ya,” said Apple Bloom.
“I'll miss you too, girls,” Sweetie Belle said. She raised her forelegs and hugged Applebloom. She looked toward Scootaloo, who rolled her eyes, then she opened her right foreleg to give Scootaloo a space within the embrace.
“Oh, no. No hugs,” said Scootaloo as she stayed still, but Sweetie Belle kept her foreleg in the air, waiting for her. After a few seconds Scootaloo sighed, and with a groan she joined her friends' embrace.
After a warm hug, they heard a loud whistle from the train. The sisters reluctantly released their friends and started to board the train.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom shouted after them, “Don't ferget'ta come to mah birthday party!”
Sweetie Belle smiled. “Of course I won't, silly!” she replied, then boarded the train.
“Now, Sweetie Belle, I want you to behave while we are in Canterlot,” said Rarity as she stepped inside the train after Sweetie Belle.
Both walked through the cars looking for seats, passing by several ponies who were traveling to Canterlot. They didn't find any seats in the cars toward the back, so they had to take seats in the second car right behind the engine.
“Why do I have to go too? I'm going to be so bored!” Sweetie Belle complained, taking seat next to the window.
“Come on dear, you know that you had no other choice. Our parents are out of town and the other girls are too busy to take care of you,” said Rarity as she pulled a hairbrush from her saddlebag and brushed Sweetie Belle's mane. Sweetie groaned in exasperation. “Besides, we're only going to be there for two weeks. I'm sure you'll find something to do.”
Sweetie Belle raised a hoof and pushed the hairbrush away. “You say two weeks as if it were a short time,” Sweetie Belle groaned as she glanced toward the window. She watched the landscape pass rapidly by as the train pulled away from Ponyville and from her friends. “How am I supposed to do anything when I don't know anypony in Canterlot?”
“Oh, Sweetie Belle, cheer up. We're going to have a wonderful time together. Just the two of us,” said Rarity stroking Sweetie Belle's mane with a hoof.
“Promise?” Sweetie Belle said, looking up at Rarity with a shine of hope in her eyes.
Rarity flashed a reassuring smile and said, “Of course, Sweetie. There is nothing in Equestria that would prevent me spending time with you.”
“Thank you, sis. You're the best!” said Sweetie Belle as she launched herself toward Rarity in a big, bone crushing hug. Rarity was taken off guard by the hug, but then she smiled and hugged Sweetie Belle back.
After a few seconds, Rarity was the first to leave the embrace. “Now, darling, while we're in–”
“DON'T FORGET TO WRITE!” echoed loudly outside the train, interrupting Rarity.
“What... what was that?” asked Sweetie Belle in confusion.
“That was... Pinkie Pie...”
“Rarity! You promised me that we were going to spend time together!” shouted Sweetie Belle. She was going through a moment of extreme boredom and was lying face up on the bedroom carpet.
Totally focused on her new project, Rarity didn't hear the groans of her sister and it took a second scream by Sweetie Belle to be able to wake her from the trance. “Of course we're going to do something together, just... let me finish this new dress. It's super important,” Rarity said, trying to focus on her work again.
“That's the same thing you said yesterday when we arrived!” With a groan, Sweetie Belle moved both hooves to her face and pulled down her cheeks. “It's so BORING!” she yelled as she threw her forelegs to the side and remained staring at the ceiling.
One minute and Sweetie Belle was still staring at the ceiling. She got on all fours and slowly walked towards the bed, throwing herself on it.
“Sweetie Belle?”
Sweetie Belle raised her head quickly above the bed and looked at her sister. “Are we going to do something together now?”
“Ermm... no...” Rarity said with an awkward giggle, “This... Well, this is going to take longer than I planned. Why don't you go for a walk, and we'll meet together for lunch?”
Sweetie Belle slipped off the bed with a frown. “But you said that we were going to do something together,” she said as she walked towards Rarity.
“I know dear, but this new dress is extremely important. I promise that after lunch we'll go somewhere together.”
Sweetie Belle kept frowning as Rarity forced a smile, but after a few seconds Sweetie Belle sighed. “Fine, but where am I supposed to go? I don't even know Canterlot.”
“I know there are several interesting places around the castle,” Rarity said as she grabbed a hairbrush with her magic and brushed Sweetie Belle's mane. “Just don't go too far from the castle, ok?”
“Right. Well, at least it's better than staying here and doing nothing,” Sweetie Belle said with a little giggle, then she sighed and walked towards the door.
“We'll meet here at twelve,” Rarity said as she followed her sister to the door. “And I know you're a big filly, but keep out of trouble, will you?”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “I'm not with Scootaloo and Applebloom, I think I can keep myself out of trouble,” she said. She grabbed her small saddlebag and left the room.
“And don't talk to strangers!” shouted Rarity seeing her sister leaving the room.
They were staying in one of the rooms of the castle, courtesy of the princesses. The room was on the top of a tower and it took ten minutes for Sweetie Belle to get down all the stairs. Why did she have to pick the highest room? Sweetie Belle thought after reaching the tower's base.
After leaving the castle, Sweetie Belle wandered through the streets of Canterlot looking for something interesting to do. She tried a variety of places, including several stores and even the Royal Library. A museum of ancient Equestrian history managed to hold her interest for a while, but after about half an hour it bored her as well.
After an hour, Sweetie Belle was still wandering aimlessly. She passed in front of the library for the third time and glanced at the clock that was in it. “It's not even 11 o'clock yet!!” she shouted when she saw the time, drawing the eyes of passing ponies. “Agrh! I still have hour before I have to meet with Rarity. What am I supposed to do for all that time?”
Bored and still searching for something to do, Sweetie Belle kept walking aimlessly trying to make the time pass quickly, but it was useless. There was still a lot of time and the poor filly was already reaching her limit. “This is pointless. I better return to Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said, giving up on finding something to do.
She started her way back when a sound from a few meters ahead caught her attention. She followed the sound to what looked like some kind of theater. It was then that she recognized what it was. Sweetie Belle wasn't an expert in that kind of music, but she recognized the distinctive bass beat of electronic music.
After recognizing the music, she didn't pay much attention to it and kept walking. As she got closer to the front of the theater, the music was becoming clearer. That music style never drew Sweetie Belle's attention. It's not that she didn't like it, but she just never found it interesting enough to listen. But when she walked right in front of the theater she listened something that drew her attention again.
“A violin?” Sweetie Belle asked to nopony in particular. She rubbed her ear with a hoof to make sure that she had heard correctly, but her ears didn't fail her, a violin was playing in harmony with electronic music.
Intrigued by this strange combination, Sweetie Belle walked toward the theater and entered it. Inside, Sweetie Belle could hear very clearly how those two completely different styles joined almost perfectly in harmony. Sweetie Belle walked through a corridor inside the theater in search of the source of the sound.
Sweetie soon found a room from which the music seemed to originate. Poking her head inside, she was bombarded by the heavy electronic bass beat playing alongside with the sweet sound of the violin. A quick look inside the room and Sweetie Belle noticed that was empty, apart from a pair of ponies on stage.
Slowly, Sweetie Belle slipped into the room and found a seat not far from the door. She watched in awe as two ponies standing on stage produced that strange mixture of styles. From where she sat, Sweetie Belle became aware that the two ponies playing on stage were not very big, and if Sweetie Belle had to bet, she would say they were about the same age as her.
“Wow!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed watching the two ponies on stage. One of them, a light grayish blue unicorn filly with a dark blue mane, played the violin in such a way that amazed her. The other one, a unicorn colt with a coat a few shades darker than the filly but with a lighter mane, was manipulating what seemed like a kind of keyboard attached to other equipments with a complex wiring.
Sweetie Belle kept silent while listening to the music that those foals made. She was so focused on the music that she didn't noticed the mare standing at her back. It wasn't until the foals in the stage stopped the music that Sweetie Belle noticed the mare's presence. Sweetie jumped in alarm when the mare shouted, “Well, it seems that we finally found a volunteer!”
With a squeal, Sweetie Belle jumped off the seat and fell to the floor. She tried to stand up quickly but tripped again and went back to the floor.
“Hey, take it easy, kid,” said the mare with a giggle, “we don't want you to get hurt before the interview.” With a hoof, the mare helped Sweetie Belle to get on all fours again.
Sweetie Belle shook off some dust from her coat upon standing, then looked at the mare with a look of bemusement. “Interview?” Sweetie Belle asked, but it seemed that her question went unnoticed as the two foals that were on stage approached them.
“So, this is the new filly interested in joining us,” said the filly. Then, with a beaming smile, she offered her hoof to Sweetie Belle, “Pleasure to meet you, I'm Lovestring.”
Awkwardly, Sweetie Belle returned the gesture, which caused her to grin even more. “...erm, I think it's a misunderstanding. I–”
“She clearly looks like a good candidate,” said the colt looking closely at Sweetie Belle, almost as if analyzing her. Sweetie Belle stepped back a little at the intense stare of the colt, but then he smiled. “Welcome, I'm Solfa... Yeah, I know! my name is awful, just call me Sol.” he said with a laugh.
“I'm glad you came,” said the mare behind Sweetie Belle. Sweetie turned around to examine the mare for the first time. She was a unicorn with a light coat, similar to Rarity, with a mane of two shades of blue. “Well, it's quarter past twelve and we were about to leave.”
Quarter past twelve... It took Sweetie Belle a couple of seconds to realize it. “Rarity!” she shouted and then ran towards the exit, but crashed into the mare.
“Wait a second, kid. Something wrong?” the mare asked when she saw the sudden change in Sweetie Belle's behavior.
“I'm sorry. is just... I didn't realize how late is. I'm supposed to be somewhere else right now,” Sweetie Belle said quickly.
“Aww, really? Can't you stay a little longer? We've got cookies!” said the colt, earning a cold stare from the filly at his side.
“I'm sorry,” Sweetie Belle said, trying to pass by the mare's side, but was blocked by a foreleg.
“Well, at least take one of our brochures,” said the mare levitating a brochure towards Sweetie Belle in a light blue magic. “We're going to be here tomorrow.”
Taking it in her forelegs, Sweetie Belle put it inside her saddlebag. “Umm, thanks,” she said, nodding in appreciation before quickly running out of the room. But just after leaving the room she stopped, then she took one last look back before running out of the theater.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle returned to their room in the castle at sunset, after spending the afternoon together. They spent their time frequenting museums, clothing stores, and fashion shows. It wasn't the most entertaining pastime, but Sweetie Belle was happy to spend time with her sister.
“Well Sweetie, today was fun, but I have to go back to work,” Rarity said as she walked to her drawing board. With her magic, Rarity removed the saddlebag that she was carrying and placed it on one side of the bed, then she accommodated her work table. “Please, don't make a fuss.”
Sweetie Belle, tired after spending the whole day outside, went straight to bed without taking off her little saddlebag. She remained lying in bed for about ten minutes, but after recovering enough strength she realized what it meant to be back to the room, boredom.
“Agrh! I'm bored again!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, pulling down her cheeks with their hooves. She rolled several times on the bed attempting to kill her boredom, but nothing seemed to work.
“Sweetie Belle, please! I'm trying to focus,” Rarity said as she walked to one side of the bed. “And look at the mess you're making.” Rarity levitated Sweetie Belle over the bed with her magic while accommodating the sheets that her little sister messed up.
Sweetie Belle, being so boring, didn't mind being lifted in the air by her sister, she just hung in the air as if nothing had happened. After Rarity settled the bed, with a squeal, Sweetie Belle was placed again on it. “Rarity, I'm bored!” Sweetie Belle shouted.
With a groan, Rarity turned and walked to her desk. “You're always bored.”
“That's not true,” said Sweetie Belle beginning to roll on the bed again, “I only get bored when I'm not doing anything.”
Rarity had a tick in the eye at the sight of Sweetie Belle rolling again on the bed. “Darling, why don't you paint something?” She sighed and continued on her way to the drawing board.
“If there is nothing better to do,” said Sweetie Belle, sitting upright in bed. She left her saddlebag on the bed, slipped out of it and walked to a small table near a window. She opened one of the drawers of the small table and pulled out a sheet of paper. She kept checking inside the drawer looking for a pencil, but found none. “Rarity, there are no pencils!”
Rarity tried to show her best strained smile. “Sweetie, why don't you try looking in your saddlebag?” she said with an eye twitching.
“Oh, right!” Sweetie Belle said, recalling that she put the pencils there last night. She trotted back and jumped on the bed, earning a groan from Rarity. She slipped her hoof inside her saddlebag looking for a pencil to draw with, but she bumped into something different. “Uh, what's this?” she asked, pulling out a sheet of paper from inside.
Carrying the sheet to eye level, Sweetie Belle remembered where she got it. “That music...” she said as she remembered the foals on the stage. She took a quick glance towards Rarity and then began to read, but she suddenly stopped upon reading the first sentence. “Looking for... singer...” she read quietly. Slowly, the thought of her singing alongside that unexpectedly amazing music crossed her mind. She shook her head and continued reading, Looking for singer to the group formed by the musicians Lovestring and Solfa. “Uh, that's all?” She said after read it all. That was all that was in the brochure, besides two dates for auditions.
Sweetie Belle read the brochure three times, then began to check it completely. She laughed at the silly pictures of musical notes that covered most of the brochure, then she began to read it again.
“Singing...” she said as she lay face up on the bed.
