Sweetie Belle: Assistant Librarianby GandalfDaGreatChaptersChapter 2Chapter 3IntroductionChapter 2After a long day of helping spike with his chores at the library, it was time for Sweetie Belle to return home. She hoped that her sister would have forgotten about the fight they had had that morning, or at least calmed down since then. Knowing her sister’s dramatic nature and tendency to overreact to things, her hopes weren’t high. As she walked towards the Carousel Boutique, she looked forward to tomorrow when she would not only have another enjoyable day at the library, but she would also get to tell her friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo about her new occupation. “Who knows?” she thought, “it might even help me discover my special talent and get my cutie mark!” with that, she arrived outside of her sister’s shop, and braced herself for the worst as she quietly opened the door and stepped inside. “Oh! Sweetie Belle is that you darling? Oh I’ve been ever so worried! I thought you had run into trouble, perhaps in the Everfree Forest! What if you had been gobbled up by a manticore?” “Sheesh! Calm down Rarity! I’m just fine. Besides, if you thought I was in danger, what are you doing sitting inside? Why didn’t you come looking for me?” “Well, I was just about to of course, but you know, the Everfree Forest; such a dirty, drab sort of place. I had just decided to go out and look for you after all, but I couldn’t find the hat that went with my scarf!” Exasperated, and quite annoyed, Sweetie Belle just managed to stop herself from saying that it was a good thing that she wasn’t in trouble, because if she were, she’d be done for because of Rarity’s craziness. Instead, she simply rolled her eyes, and went upstairs to get ready for dinner. From her room upstairs, Sweetie Belle could hear the sounds of her sister bustling about in the kitchen, and she was beginning to smell the aroma of her cooking. She knew better than to ask to help her sister when she was cooking. She did not want a repeat of the fiasco from last time. Besides, she was tired from her work. She wished that she were better at magic so that she could levitate Twilight’s books rather than carrying them. While she waited for dinner, she decided to practice her magic the way Rarity had shown her. She selected the stuffed animal on her bed to practice on, and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She mentally focused on the tip of her horn, as she had been instructed to do, and then directed the power she found there towards the stuffed animal. Within a few moments, she could feel the magical energy pulsating around her horn. She imagined the magic lifting the animal off of the bed, and sure enough she could feel it struggling to accomplish the task. Eventually, she could feel it rising off of the bed, and cautiously opened one eye then the other. To her delight, her stuffed animal was floating towards the ceiling! She found that she could make it move in any direction she wished. Pleased with her discovery, she continued to experiment. “Sweetie Belle! Dinner is ready!” came Rarity’s voice from downstairs. This interruption caused Sweetie Belle’s concentration to falter, and the stuffed animal fell back onto the bed once again. Tired from her mental exertion, and quite hungry, she left her room and headed down the stairs for dinner. When she arrived in the kitchen, Rarity was busy ladling soup into bowls, the steam causing her hairstyle to droop noticeably. “Ah! Here you are. Could you carry these bowls to the table? Without magic please. I don’t want to clean up any more messes today!” Sweetie Belle said nothing, but carried them to the table, somewhat grudgingly. I wish I were better at magic She thought dejectedly. Sweetie Belle pulled a stool from under the table and sat to eat her soup. A few minutes later, Rarity finally came to eat as well. “So, what were you doing today? I thought you would be playing with your friends, but I couldn’t find you anywhere. I asked Applejack as well, and she said she hadn’t seen you all day.” “I tried to tell you this morning, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were both busy today. Don’t you ever listen to me?” “Well of course I do Sweetie Belle! It’s just that, well, I was very stressed this morning to say the least.” “If you must know, I went to visit Fluttershy, and then I helped Spike organize books down at the library. In fact, I promised I would go back and help again tomorrow.” Blushing the tiniest amount and trying not to sound too interested, Rarity asked, “How is Spike these days?” “Well, when I got there he seemed really overworked. That’s why I tried to help out. He said that with my help, his chores took only half the time that they usually do!” “Well that’s simply marvellous! I’m glad you’ve found something to do!” “Yeah I had fun, but I’m pretty tired. I’m going to bed.” With that, Sweetie Belle pushed in her stool and walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Sh planned to stay awake for a while reading, but once she was in bed she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. With a sigh, she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep. *** The next morning, Sweetie Belle awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing from the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. A warm ray of sunlight from the window gently caressed her bedspread, making it difficult for her to leave its cozy confines. However, she had promised that she would be at the library by eight - o’clock to help Spike with his chores. According to the clock hanging on the wall, it was about seven - thirty. Quickly, Sweetie Belle hopped out of bed, and taking a hair brush from the nightstand, began to attack the multi-colored curls of her mane, which during the night had been thrown into wild disarray. After rushing, she trotted downstairs to the kitchen. To her surprise, her sister was not there, but if she strained her ears, she could hear the muffled mumbling of her sleeping sister from the bedroom. It sounded something like “Ice cream house” but it was all nonsense as usual. She knew that her sister would not want her to use the stove without her supervision, so she fixed herself a bowl of oats and honey. As she ate, she mentally planned out her day. She knew that Spike was counting on her, so she would be at the library until at least three, but this still left plenty of time for other things. She decided that after her work was done she would meet up with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders for the evening. After finishing her breakfast, and cleaning her dish in the sink, she was left with ten minutes. She quickly scribbled a note to Rarity explaining what she was doing, and walked out the door into the warm sunshine. *** The main street of Ponyville is usually alive with the hustle and bustle of ponies going about their daily business, and today was no exception. Sweetie Belle carefully navigated her way through the crush of ponies on either side of the street. She stopped briefly to say hello to Applejack who was setting up the apple stand. “Good morning Applejack!” “Oh, hi there sugarcube. Apple Bloom told me that if I saw you I should give you a message. She says that you should go to the clubhouse this afternoon for a meeting.” “Thanks Applejack! Tell her that I’ll be there for sure. I have to meet Twilight and Spike at the library now. Bye!” With that, Sweetie Belle turned and trotted towards the library. *** She arrived on the doorstep of the Ponyville Library at eight o’clock sharp according to the bells chiming in the tower of the town hall. She knocked on the door, and it was quickly opened by spike. “Hey Sweetie Belle, you ready for some chores?” “Sure Spike! How can I help?” “Well, Twilight is studying pretty hard again today, so rule number one is to stay out of her way. She can get pretty stressed, and we don’t need her bursting into flames. The last time that happened, she nearly burned the whole library down!” “Yikes! sounds pretty dangerous. Anything else I should know before we get started?” “I think that’s it. First, why don’t you help me clean up the kitchen from breakfast?” Happily, Sweetie Belle followed Spike into the kitchen. There she could see the remains of what looked like delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and haycakes. It reminded her of a breakfast she had had with her sister before she was so busy with her fashion business. “Wow Spike, did you cook all of this?” “Well yeah, you might say I’m a bit of a budding chef. There are so many great cookbooks in the library, and Twilight never seemed interested in them. I picked some up, and discovered that I have a real knack for cooking. Not quite as good as Pinkie Pie or Applejack of course, but not too shabby.” As he said this he made a motion as if he were stroking a moustache, though his upper lip was bare as ever. Sweetie Belle found this quite funny, and failed to stifle a giggle. “What’s so funny?” Spike asked. “Oh, I was just picturing you with a moustache. It was so funny!” Spike began to blush ever so slightly. “It’s been a bit of a habit since Twilight gave me a moustache with magic.” Once again, Sweetie Belle burst into a fit of giggles. “Anyway, why don’t I wash the dishes and you can dry them.” “Sounds good.” As they worked, Spike told stories about what his life had been like in Canterlot, before he and Twilight had been sent to Ponyville. In return, Sweetie Belle answered Spike’s questions about her own life, many of which seemed to pertain to Rarity for some reason. She didn’t mind though, as she was always glad of someone to talk to. Rarity was usually too busy with her work to pay her much attention. In what seemed like no time at all, not only had all of the dishes been washed, dried, and put away, but the countertops had been cleaned, the floor was mopped, and the entire kitchen sparkled. “Wow! I had no idea that an assistant could be so helpful!” A resentful sounding hoot came from the corner where Sweetie Belle noticed Owlowicious to be sitting. “Normally cleaning the kitchen takes me a few hours.” Spike stood looking dumbstruck by the sight of the spotless kitchen. “Oh, I’m just glad I could help,” replied Sweetie Belle honestly, “After all, helping you out might just help me find my special talent and earn me my cutie mark!” “Maybe, but I don’t see what the big deal is about cutie marks. I mean, it’s just a little picture. Why is it so important?” “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure why they’re so important either. I kind of like the idea that I can be whatever I want to be since I don’t know my special talent yet. I mean, there are so many cool things to try out. One time, Rainbow Dash even tried to help me learn to hang glide! That didn’t turn out so great though.” Sweetie Belle sighed. “If Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren’t so mean to us blank-flanks, I wouldn’t be so worried about my cutie mark.” “Maybe you will get your cutie mark by helping me out, but what would it be? It could be a stack of books, or maybe a feather duster...” “I don’t know, but I probably won’t get it by sitting on my flank talking about it. What’s next on the agenda?” “Since Twilight is using so many of the books for her studying, now would be a good time to dust the bookshelves. I think I have an extra duster lying around. Let me go find it so we can work together.” While Spike was searching for the duster, Sweetie Belle took the opurtunity to do some poking around the library. Until today, she had only ever seen the main room with the bookshelves. She peeked around a dividing wall and saw Twilight in the middle of a large ring comprised of stacks of books. She was feverishly turning this way and that, flipping through pages of many different books, and writing things down in a small notebook she kept by her side. She wondered what she could possibly be studying, but decided against asking because of her frenzied state. “Found it!” yelled Spike from the other room. “Coming!” As the pair dusted the bookshelves, they continued to speculate about what Sweetie Belle’s cutie mark might turn out to be. When they had thoroughly exhausted that topic, they got to discussing what Spike’s cutie mark would be if he were a pony. By the time that the last shelf had been dusted, they felt that they had exhausted all of their options for cutie marks. For their final task of the day, Spike and Sweetie Belle set to work tidying up after Twilight’s studying. Her room looked as if a tornado had ransacked it. piles of books formed a miniature city which was arrayed in a circle around a writing desk littered with papers, quills, and a bottle of ink that looked in imminent danger of spilling. Twilight was laying in the nearby bed, totally exhausted from her studying. “Well, we might as well get started,” Spike said. With that, the filly and the dragon began the tiresome work of organizing. Books were stacked, papers were piled, and the ink bottle was carefully corked. The stacks of books then had to be carried into the main room and shelved. The heavy stacks of books that Spike were able to carry were too much for Sweetie Belle, and silently she cursed her feeble magic. She closed her eyes and focused all of her might on the stack of books, but only managed to knock it over in the process. This startled Twilight out of her nap, who blinked a bleary eye at Sweetie Belle. “Oh hoof,” Groaned Sweetie Belle, “I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was just trying to use magic to lift this stack of books, but my stupid magic never works!” She collapsed to the floor in a sullen heap. Suddenly snapping back to full alertness, Twilight perked up and said “That’s it! To repay you for helping Spike, I can help you practice your magic!” “That sounds like a great idea!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, jumping back up. “When can we start?” “Well I’m pretty tired now, but if you stop by tomorrow, we can get right to work.” “Great! See you tomorrow!” Chapter 3“Scootaloo! Apple Bloom! You aren’t going to believe this!” Sweetie Belle’s voice cracked with excitement as she burst into the clubhouse. The Crusaders’ faces kindled with newfound interest as they looked up from the crossed-out and balled-up sheets of paper that littered the floor. “I was helping out at the library today, and Twilight said that she’s going to teach me to use magic!” “Wow Sweetie Belle, that’s great!” “Yeah! Maybe doing magic will help you to find your cutie mark!” Apple Bloom chimed in. “Maybe it’ll get us all closer to finding our cutie marks!” Scootaloo added. “Maybe, but I wouldn’t get too excited quite yet. It’s probably going to take a pretty long time to get good at it.” With a small sigh, Sweetie Belle walked over to where the other two fillies were sitting amidst various crayons and pencils, with a stack of paper between them. “So what are you girls up to?” “What else? We’re still trying to come up with ways to earn our cutie marks.” “It’s really tricky though. It feels like we’ve tried absolutely everything.” With an exasperated groan, Apple Bloom crumpled up the sheet of paper she was working on and tossed it onto the growing heap. “What have you come up with so far?” “Well, we’ve got airship pilot, pyrotechnician, and train conductor. Only trouble is we just don’t know where to start.” There was a small noise from another balled up sheet of paper landing on the teetering pile. Scootaloo chewed on the eraser of her pencil thoughtfully. “I’m not sure about the other two, but I think I know where you could learn to fly a hot air balloon!” The other crusaders looked at Sweetie Belle quizzically. “Remember the hot air balloon that Pinkie Pie used during the Running of the Leaves? Maybe you could use that.” “Oh yeah! That’s a great idea! Thanks Sweetie Belle! Let’s go ask Pinkie Pie if she can teach us!” “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BALLOONISTS! YAY!” the three fillies shouted in unison. “Let’s go!” “I’m sorry girls, really I am. It’s just that I’m super-duper busy this afternoon! The Cakes and I are catering for a super-special royal birthday party in Canterlot tomorrow! All of the most important ponies in Equestria will be there!” In a more more confidential tone, Pinkie Pie said “I’m even working on some extra-special top-secret new recipes! Maybe if you stop by tomorrow afternoon I can help you girls out. I Pinkie Promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” As she said this she picked up a cupcake from the counter and mushed it on her face. “Mmm!” she squealed in delight as she licked the squashed cupcake from her face. “Thanks Pinkie Pie!” the three called as they pulled on their helmets and loaded into the wagon that trailed behind Scootaloo’s scooter. “See you tomorrow!” they shouted as they zoomed away from Sugarcube Corner, narrowly avoiding several ponies going about their business in the market. “Wow! Apart from parties, Pinkie Pie sure has some awesome other talents!” Apple Bloom’s voice could barely be heard over the rumbling clatter of the scooter over the uneven ground, but the other crusaders agreed with hearty nods. “I guess that just goes to show that even if you have your cutie mark you can still do pretty much anything you want.” The others nodded. “I should probably be getting home girls. I promised Rarity that I’d be home before sunset, and it’s already getting dark.” “Sure thing Sweetie Belle.” And with that Scootaloo veered sharply towards the Carousel Boutique. “Thanks girls! I’ll be at the library tomorrow, but I’ll come visit after that.” “Sounds good! See you tomorrow!” With that the remaining crusaders rumbled off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Now that she thought about it, Sweetie Belle was rather glad she’d be missing flying lessons with Pinkie Pie. She knew how easily distracted Pinkie was, and thought that it might turn into quite a nerve-wracking experience. She opened the door of the boutique to the sounds of her big sister scrambling around in her workroom. Knowing that she hated to be disturbed, Sweetie Belle walked quietly to the kitchen to fix herself a salad for dinner. As she worked to prepare her food, she reflected on how different her life would be once she learned to use magic. No longer would she struggle to wield utensils with her hooves, when she could simply control them effortlessly with her mind. Right on cue as if to illustrate this point, the knife she was using dropped to the floor, and she had to jump back quickly to avoid being cut. She sat down to begin eating her salad as her sister bustled down the stairs levitating a large roll of purple silk in front of her which obstructed her view. “Hey sis,” said Sweetie Belle. Startled, Rarity whirled around to face her, and the fabric she was carrying fell to the floor. “Oh! Sweetie Belle I didn’t hear you come in. You gave me quite a fright! I’ve been so busy with this new project, and it demands my full attention. I feel like I haven’t had any time to talk with you. I certainly don’t want this to turn into another problem like with the Sisterhooves Social.” Rarity said all of this rather fast, as if she had much better things to do, but Sweetie Belle appreciated it nonetheless. “I’m glad you asked,” Sweetie Belle said, some of her earlier excitement returning. “While I was at the library today Twilight said she’d teach me how to use magic! This way I’ll be more helpful in the library, and maybe it’ll even help me get my cutie mark!” “Well that’s excellent Sweetie Belle! You know how busy I am, and that’s why I haven’t been able to teach you any more magic. I’m also glad you’ve found somewhere to stay out of trouble.” As Rarity picked up the roll of fabric she had dropped, she thought to herself “I just hope Twilight knows what she’s getting into...” At seven o’clock the next morning, Sweetie Belle awoke to the smell of her sister’s excellent cooking wafting up the stairs. When she came downstairs she found a steaming stack of pancakes fresh from the pan, and her sister pouring apple juice into a glass. “Good morning Sweetie Belle!” “What’s all this for?” “Well I’ve just been feeling so awful about our argument we had the other day that I decided to make it up to you. I wanted to make you a proper breakfast before you have to leave to go to the library.” “Wow! Thanks sis, but it isn’t really necessary. I know I should’ve asked before I went in your room.” “Oh Sweetie Belle, you’re just saying that. I know that I have been treating you very unfairly. I’ve been letting my work come between us, and I’m very sorry. Perhaps once you learn some magic, I could use your help.” “We’ll see. I’m pretty happy being Spike’s assistant. Anyway, thanks for the breakfast sis, but I really have to go. I’ll see you later.” Rarity watched as her younger sister walked out the door and onto the street of Ponyville. As she did, she thought to herself “She really is growing up.” When Sweetie Belle arrived at the library, she heard the sound of raised voices coming from the back. When she went to investigate, she found Pinkie Pie and Twilight arguing. “Pinkie Pie, I barely trust you with my hot air balloon as is, but putting two little fillies in charge frankly sounds like a horrible idea and might even be dangerous! Where did you ever come up with this idea?” “It wasn’t my idea, Twilight! I swear! The Cutie Mark Crusaders came to Sugarcube Corner yesterday especially to ask me about it. I promise it’ll be totally safe!” “I’m really sorry Pinkie, but I just don’t feel comfortable with this idea.” With this statement, Pinkie’s hair seemed to deflate and her ears drooped, but they quickly perked up again when she came up with an idea. “Why don’t you just stop being such a party-pooper-pants and come with us. That way, nothing can possibly go wrong, right? Besides, I Pinkie Promised them that I’d do this with them! Even I can’t break a Pinkie Promise!” “I would, Pinkie, but I’m really busy with my studying. Plus, I promised Sweetie Belle that I would teach her to use magic.” Once again Pinkie looked downcast, but perked up once another idea occurred to her. “Why don’t I ask Rainbow Dash if she can come with us? She could make sure the weather is good and that everything goes a-ok!” “Well, allright. Just promise me that nothing will go wrong.” “I’ll do you one better Twilight! I Pinkie Promise!” as she said this, she pantomimed the required actions. Only then as she gestured wildly did she notice Sweetie Belle standing there. She quickly pivoted around and said “Hey Sweetie Belle! I didn’t see you there!” “Oh, hi Sweetie Belle. Sorry we didn’t notice you. You could’ve said something.” “Sorry Twilight, Pinkie, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just heard raised voices and came to investigate.” said Sweetie Belle “Oh it’s no problem at all.” “Hey what’s all this commotion about?” Spike had just come to the balcony to investigate. When he saw Sweetie Belle standing there his face brightened and he said “Oh boy I’m so glad you’re here! We just got a whole new set of books and I’m going to need lots of help getting them all shelved in the proper places. Do you think you’re up to it?” “I sure am! let’s get started right away!” With that, Sweetie belle raced around to the door and let herself in. Inside she found a large cart piled with books that must’ve just been dropped off. “Whoa! where did all of these books come from?” “Well, since Twilight agreed to teach you magic, she’s really been stressing out about the best way to go about it. Since Princess Celestia runs a school for gifted unicorns, Twilight sent a letter asking for tips, and what she got was a whole cart full of books delivered to the library. All I can say is that the princess sure knows Twilight!” “Wow! She really went to all of this trouble for me?” Sweetie Belle was touched. “Yep, but in return, we gotta put all these books on the shelves. Why don’t you read the titles, I’ll find where they go, and you can bring them to me so I can shelve them?” “Sounds like a plan,” replied Sweetie Belle. To her, the time seemed to fly by because of her excitement to finally learn magic. They had soon finished sorting and shelving, and Sweetie Belle ran up to where she knew Twilight would be. “Wow Sweetie Belle, I didn’t expect you to be finished so soon.” “Well, I was just so excited that I had to finish at top speed!” “As long as you’re finished we might as well get started then.” Sweetie Belle could hardly suppress a squeal of excitement! “The first thing I need to know is whether you’ve done any magic before.” “Rarity taught me how to levitate stuff, but it’s so difficult. I must be doing something wrong, because you and Rarity can do it like it’s nothing!” as she said this, her expression grew downcast and she stomped her hoof on the floor. “I know it can be difficult for you, Rarity told me, but do you think you could show me? This way I can figure out exactly how to help you. I’ve told you the story of how I got my cutie mark right? It seems odd now, but I think I had more trouble with magic than you when I was a filly.” Twilight chuckled to herself when she thought back to the day of the academy entrance exam. “You mean it? If you really think it’ll help, then I guess so.” Sweetie Belle looked around the room for something small to practice on. Her gaze fell on a small ball of parchment in a wastepaper bin. She concentrated all of her mind on the small, insignificant object. As she did so, her horn began to emit a feeble glow and the parchment scrap began to rise from the bin. as it did, Owlowiscious hooted, and Sweetie Belle’s concentration broke. The glow around her horn fizzled out and the scrap of parchment fluttered down to the floor. “That wasn’t too bad, but I think I know how I can make it easier for you,” Twilight said, as she walked over to the stack of books near her desk and began searching them for the relevant passages she had marked with ribbons and random bits of parchment. Once she found the section she was looking for she began to read it aloud. “When a unicorn first learns to use magic, he or she may find it very difficult to perform even simple tasks. This is due to the fact that the magic power that is easily accessible to the beginner is merely the small amount that is leaking from the vast reserve stored within a unicorn’s horn and the connected brain area.” Sweetie Belle looked at Twilight perplexedly. “Basically,” Twilight translated, “Theres a huge amount of magic power in your body, but until you learn to tap into it, you can only use the excess.” Comprehension dawned on Sweetie Belle’s face. “So, how exactly can I tap into this power?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Well, the easiest way is if you let me into your mind, and I can guide you through the whole thing,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “That doesn’t sound too bad. Let’s get started!” “The thing is, sometimes when a filly’s magic is first released it can be somewhat... violent,” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Maybe we should go outside.” Looking a little less eager, but still hopeful, Sweetie Belle followed Twilight out of her room, down the steps and out into the backyard of the library. “This should do,” Twilight said. “Now what I’m going to do is...” but before she could say any more, she was cut off by loud giggling and shrieking. “Hey Sweetie Belle! Look up here!” the other Cutie Mark Crusaders called down to Sweetie Belle. When she looked up, she indeed saw Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waving down at her from the basket beneath the giant pink balloon, and behind them she saw Pinkie Pie looking ready for anything in a leather helmet and a pair of goggles. “This is awesome!” they shouted down in unison. Twilight let out a sigh of relief when she saw the balloon and its occupants to be safely in one piece. “I’m glad you girls are having fun! Though, I would suggest that you turn on the burner and gain some more altitude. You’ll definitely want to be out of our way for a few minutes.” “If you say so Twilight!” called Pinkie Pie, who reached up to pull the cord that controlled the burner. “Might I ask why?” Pinkie had to yell now in order for Twilight to hear her. “It’s a bit tricky to explain, but feel free to stay and watch. Just keep your distance. This could be a bit violent.” Twilight carefully disguised a nervous gulp with a clearing of her throat. “Are you ready Sweetie Belle?” “Uhh, I guess so,” said Sweetie Belle, who was having a much harder time covering up her nervousness. “Well, let’s begin then.” Sweetie Belle was startled, as she could hear Twilight’s voice clearly, but her mouth was not moving any more. “Are you reading my mind?” Sweetie Belle asked aloud. “Something like that. I’m using my magic to see inside your mind, and this will also allow me to control your magic. You can talk to me in the same way. Give it a try!” “Like this? This feels pretty weird.” To her surprise, Twilight smiled and nodded. “If it’s ok with you, I’m going to start the process now. It shouldn’t take long, but it’ll be easier if you just relax.” Sweetie Belle nodded in assent, and closed her eyes in preparation for whatever was coming. Sweetie Belle could feel Twilight’s magic moving around inside her head, stopping occasionally to examine something. Eventually, she seemed to find what she was looking for, and Sweetie Belle could feel the strength of Twilight’s spell increasing. She could also feel an unfamiliar tingling that she could not identify. Sweetie Belle concentrated on it and realized that it must be her own magic power. She opened her eyes to find that her horn was emitting a bright blue pulsating glow, much brighter and more intense than it had ever been before. Suddenly she felt power rushing through her much more intensely than she had ever felt before, and Twilight said “That should do.” Sweetie Belle felt Twilight withdraw from her consciousness, and was amazed that all of the power coursing through her was her own. “How do you feel?” Twilight asked in a slightly concerned tone. “Twilight, it’s wonderful! I feel great!” Sweetie Belle was prancing around in excitement. “I need to find something to practice on quickly. As she said this, a rubber ball hit the ground in front of her and bounced far up into the air again before she could catch it. Too late, Pinkie Pie called down from the balloon, “Look out below! My Pinkie Sense warned me of a ball emergency.” Twilight looked skyward exasperatedly. “What? You didn’t think I would go flying unprepared did you?” Pinkie Pie yelled in a tone of indignation. “Thanks Pinkie Pie! This will be perfect!” Sweetie Belle called up to the floating balloon. She began to concentrate with all of her might on the rubber ball that had come to rest in front of her. She could feel the newly released power coursing through her body and into her horn. To her immense surprise, her horn released a blast of electric blue magic, bright enough to light up every shadow in Ponyville, prompting oohs and ahhs from Pinkie Pie and the fillies watching from their lofty vantage point. The ball shot upwards past the balloon, and punched a hole right through a cloud. Sweetie Belle thought that it sure was a good thing that there wasn’t a Pegasus up there. “I got it, I got it!” Pinkie Pie screamed, and then proceeded to stretch her foreleg out to an impossible length, snagging the ball from the air as it fell back towards the ground. “Wow. Thanks Twilight!” Sweetie Belle positively beamed at Twilight. “I never could’ve done that without you.” “Well it was my pleasure Sweetie Belle. There’s so much I can teach you now, and I can’t wait to get started.” Twilight seemed almost as excited as Sweetie Belle. “It’s getting pretty late though, and Rarity will probably be looking for you. Same time tomorrow?” “You bet! See you then. Thanks again for everything.” She called up to the fillies in the balloon, “I’ll see you girls tomorrow, okay? I’m pretty tired.” “Sure thing. See you,” Called Scootaloo. “Seeya later alligator,” Yelled Apple Bloom. “Silly Apple Bloom. There’s no alligator here!” Giggled Pinkie Pie, “I left Gummy back at sugarcube corner, but I’ll tell him you were thinking of him.” Everypony had a good laugh at this, and soon Pinkie Pie joined in, her raucous giggling drowning out that of the others. As Pinkie Pie and the Crusaders floated away to a nearby field to land, Sweetie Belle thanked Twilight again and again. Twilight brushed off the thanks, and told Sweetie Belle to go home and get some rest. This she did, as she could feel her fatigue beginning to weigh her down as the magic ebbed and receded back into that part of her that she could now control. As she walked through the quiet streets of Ponyville she thought to herself “I really did magic today!” Occupied with that thought, Sweetie Belle mounted the steps of the Carousel Boutique, and made for her bedroom. It had been a long day. Introduction“Sweetie Belle!” "Oh brother, here we go again..." “What have you done to my inspiration room?” Rarity shrieked, as Sweetie Belle walked sulkily into the room, her eyes downcast. The room was indeed in shambles. There were rolls of fabric in a rainbow of hues spread haphazardly across the floor, a small chest full of gems overturned in one corner, and all of Rarity’s design sketches looked as though they had been carried by a tornado. Spools of thread and needles also littered the pile. “I was just trying to...” “I was in the middle of working on my line of Full Spectrum Fashions, and now you’ve gone and messed the room up again!” Rarity snapped. “Sis, I was just trying to practice the levitation spell that Twilight taught me. I thought that if I did it in here, it wouldn’t matter if I dropped anything, because it would be back to the way it was before.” “But why didn’t you ask me first? I could have given you some things to practice with that wouldn’t have interfered with my work.” “Well, I tried to ask, but you said you were far too busy, and that I should find something else to do.” “Sweetie Belle, I do not have the time to argue with you. I have a very important order to finish for Thursday’s fashion show, and now I have to clean up before I can get back to work.” “Could I help?” Sweetie Belle asked eagerly. “No! You’ve done enough damage already! Why don’t you go outside and play with your friends?” Sweetie Belle tried to explain that Scootaloo left two hours ago to cheer on Rainbow Dash in the Wonderbolts tryouts, and that Apple Bloom would be busy helping her brother and sister with the apple harvest, but it was no use. Rarity simply would not listen. She was beginning to turn red and stamp her hooves with impatience. *** Sweetie Belle walked out the door of the Carousel Boutique, and on to the main street of Ponyville. Hmm, she thought to herself, I wonder if any of Rarity’s friends need any help. As she wound her way through the bustle of the street, an idea popped into her head. I know! I’ll go visit Fluttershy! I bet she could use some help tending to all of her cute little critters.With that, she turned, and broke into a quick trot towards Fluttershy’s cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. When Sweetie Belle arrived at Fluttershy’s house, she was met by the apprehensive gazes of hundreds of furry little creatures. Squirrels and birds scolded noisily from the surrounding trees, and a few circling birds of prey swooped in low to get a better look at the newcomer. The wind from their wings ruffled her mane. She walked up the pathway and knocked gently on the door with her hoof. When there was no answer, she knocked a little harder. She waited for a few minutes, but there was still no answer. She thought of calling out for Rarity’s friend, but she didn’t want to scare any of the animals. So, she decided to walk around the house to see if Fluttershy was in the back garden. When she got around to the back, she saw Fluttershy singing in the shade of a large oak tree at the very edge of the garden. Not wanting to startle her, (she knew how sensitive Fluttershy could be) Sweetie Belle quietly called her name. When she got no response, she walked a little closer and tried again, a little louder this time. With a small jump, Fluttershy looked around and saw Sweetie Belle “Oh...um...hello Sweetie Belle,” Fluttershy murmered, “you startled me.” “Hey Fluttershy! Sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to.” Fluttershy whispered something about it not being a problem. “So, what are you doing?” “Well, I was just teaching my song birds a new tune,” replied Fluttershy, gesturing towards the branches of the tree, where Sweetie Belle saw around fifty small birds of every color and shade staring suspiciously back at her. “Is there anything I could do to help?” “Oh I don’t know. My birds are a little shy around strangers.” “Well, maybe if I stay and watch, it will help them get over their stage fright,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Um all right. Why don’t you just stand over there.” Fluttershy indicated a spot a few yards away under an apple tree. “And be sure to stay nice and quiet.” Sweetie Belle walked over to the spot that Fluttershy had suggested, and motioned for her to continue. She got her birds’ attention with a firm “Ahem,” and she counted “One and two and three and four,” and the birds began to sing a melody that Sweetie Belle recognized. As the song progressed, she began to hum along with the tune, and before long, she could not help herself; she burst into boisterous singing. While she did have a beautiful singing voice, she tended to sing rather loudly. Upon hearing her sing, many of the birds were startled out of their concentration, and ten or so flew away. Sweetie Belle didn’t notice, and continued singing. “Excuse me,” Fluttershy mumbled timidly, catching Sweetie Belle’s attention. “Why did you stop? The song isn’t over yet.” “Well, um, the truth is, your singing scared away some of my birds." “Oh my! I am so sorry. I guess I just got a little carried away.” “Oh, that’s quite all right. I’ll just go find them.” “Maybe I could help with that!” Exclaimed Sweetie Belle hopefully. “Well, um.. no need. I know where they like to hide, so it will be easy for me,” replied Fluttershy, not wanting to hurt her feelings by rejecting her outright. The yellow pegasus trotted off into the forest to look for her birds. Sweetie Belle could tell without being told that Fluttershy didn’t really want her help. She decided to walk back to the center of Ponyville. She did so morosely. “Why is it that whenever I try to help somepony, do I always make a mess?” the filly thought glumly. “Hmmm. Maybe nopony needs my help, but I know a dragon who might need some.” and so, Sweetie Belle trotted down the street making for the Ponyville Library. *** Sweetie Belle walked up onto the doorstep of the tree-shaped building, and reached up to knock on the door. As she did so, the heard an enormous crash followed by a muffled cry of pain. She could hear Twilight’s admonishments of her reptilian companion through the wood of the door. “Spike! What have I told you about biting off more than you can chew?” scolded the voice of the purple unicorn. “Gee Twilight, you’re always telling me not to push myself too hard, and yet you are always making such a big mess! There’s no other way I can get all of my chores done!” Spike replied. “Perhaps you need an assistant.” At this, Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up. She thought, “This must be my lucky day!” “I don’t think so. I already have Owlowicious, and he mostly just gets on my nerves.” the baby dragon said. At the mention of his name, a quiet “Who?” “Gahh! There he goes again, acting like he doesn’t know it’s him I’m talking about.” “Spike, he’s only an owl,” Twilight said exasperatedly. “No, I mean a real assistant. Somepony who can really help with your chores.” Sweetie Belle could not stand waiting any longer. She knocked on the door again, louder this time. The voices in the library suddenly fell silent, and she could hear the sound of hooves approaching the door. A moment later, the door swung open, and Sweetie Belle was greeted by a frazzled looking Twilight. “Hey Sweetie Belle, do you need something?” “Well Rarity and I sort of had a fight, and she told me to go outside. My friends are busy today, so I thought I would come visit.” “I see,” replied the purple pony, “Why don’t you come inside?” Sweetie Belle followed Twilight inside. Spike, who was still busy extracting himself from a large pile of books, greeted her with a wave. “I couldn’t help overhearing you two talking before I knocked on the door. I heard that Spike needed an assistant, and I thought that I might be able to help.” Spike looked on the verge of protesting that he didn’t really need any help, when Twilight exclaimed “That sounds great!” You can help with Spike’s chores, and I’ll think of someway to repay you once I am finished studying. I promise it’ll be good.” “Great!” Sweetie Belle blurted with a hop and a smile. Spike looked incredulous, but decided to keep a positive outlook. “Maybe it’ll be nice having an assistant. What’s the worst that could happen?” Spike thought. “Okay Spike, how can I help?” Sweetie Belle inquired eagerly. “Well, first you can help me stack up these books. That will make it easier to sort them out.” “I think they’ll get along quite nicely,” thought Twilight with a smile, as she returned to her studying.
Chapter 2After a long day of helping spike with his chores at the library, it was time for Sweetie Belle to return home. She hoped that her sister would have forgotten about the fight they had had that morning, or at least calmed down since then. Knowing her sister’s dramatic nature and tendency to overreact to things, her hopes weren’t high. As she walked towards the Carousel Boutique, she looked forward to tomorrow when she would not only have another enjoyable day at the library, but she would also get to tell her friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo about her new occupation. “Who knows?” she thought, “it might even help me discover my special talent and get my cutie mark!” with that, she arrived outside of her sister’s shop, and braced herself for the worst as she quietly opened the door and stepped inside. “Oh! Sweetie Belle is that you darling? Oh I’ve been ever so worried! I thought you had run into trouble, perhaps in the Everfree Forest! What if you had been gobbled up by a manticore?” “Sheesh! Calm down Rarity! I’m just fine. Besides, if you thought I was in danger, what are you doing sitting inside? Why didn’t you come looking for me?” “Well, I was just about to of course, but you know, the Everfree Forest; such a dirty, drab sort of place. I had just decided to go out and look for you after all, but I couldn’t find the hat that went with my scarf!” Exasperated, and quite annoyed, Sweetie Belle just managed to stop herself from saying that it was a good thing that she wasn’t in trouble, because if she were, she’d be done for because of Rarity’s craziness. Instead, she simply rolled her eyes, and went upstairs to get ready for dinner. From her room upstairs, Sweetie Belle could hear the sounds of her sister bustling about in the kitchen, and she was beginning to smell the aroma of her cooking. She knew better than to ask to help her sister when she was cooking. She did not want a repeat of the fiasco from last time. Besides, she was tired from her work. She wished that she were better at magic so that she could levitate Twilight’s books rather than carrying them. While she waited for dinner, she decided to practice her magic the way Rarity had shown her. She selected the stuffed animal on her bed to practice on, and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She mentally focused on the tip of her horn, as she had been instructed to do, and then directed the power she found there towards the stuffed animal. Within a few moments, she could feel the magical energy pulsating around her horn. She imagined the magic lifting the animal off of the bed, and sure enough she could feel it struggling to accomplish the task. Eventually, she could feel it rising off of the bed, and cautiously opened one eye then the other. To her delight, her stuffed animal was floating towards the ceiling! She found that she could make it move in any direction she wished. Pleased with her discovery, she continued to experiment. “Sweetie Belle! Dinner is ready!” came Rarity’s voice from downstairs. This interruption caused Sweetie Belle’s concentration to falter, and the stuffed animal fell back onto the bed once again. Tired from her mental exertion, and quite hungry, she left her room and headed down the stairs for dinner. When she arrived in the kitchen, Rarity was busy ladling soup into bowls, the steam causing her hairstyle to droop noticeably. “Ah! Here you are. Could you carry these bowls to the table? Without magic please. I don’t want to clean up any more messes today!” Sweetie Belle said nothing, but carried them to the table, somewhat grudgingly. I wish I were better at magic She thought dejectedly. Sweetie Belle pulled a stool from under the table and sat to eat her soup. A few minutes later, Rarity finally came to eat as well. “So, what were you doing today? I thought you would be playing with your friends, but I couldn’t find you anywhere. I asked Applejack as well, and she said she hadn’t seen you all day.” “I tried to tell you this morning, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were both busy today. Don’t you ever listen to me?” “Well of course I do Sweetie Belle! It’s just that, well, I was very stressed this morning to say the least.” “If you must know, I went to visit Fluttershy, and then I helped Spike organize books down at the library. In fact, I promised I would go back and help again tomorrow.” Blushing the tiniest amount and trying not to sound too interested, Rarity asked, “How is Spike these days?” “Well, when I got there he seemed really overworked. That’s why I tried to help out. He said that with my help, his chores took only half the time that they usually do!” “Well that’s simply marvellous! I’m glad you’ve found something to do!” “Yeah I had fun, but I’m pretty tired. I’m going to bed.” With that, Sweetie Belle pushed in her stool and walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Sh planned to stay awake for a while reading, but once she was in bed she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. With a sigh, she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep. *** The next morning, Sweetie Belle awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing from the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. A warm ray of sunlight from the window gently caressed her bedspread, making it difficult for her to leave its cozy confines. However, she had promised that she would be at the library by eight - o’clock to help Spike with his chores. According to the clock hanging on the wall, it was about seven - thirty. Quickly, Sweetie Belle hopped out of bed, and taking a hair brush from the nightstand, began to attack the multi-colored curls of her mane, which during the night had been thrown into wild disarray. After rushing, she trotted downstairs to the kitchen. To her surprise, her sister was not there, but if she strained her ears, she could hear the muffled mumbling of her sleeping sister from the bedroom. It sounded something like “Ice cream house” but it was all nonsense as usual. She knew that her sister would not want her to use the stove without her supervision, so she fixed herself a bowl of oats and honey. As she ate, she mentally planned out her day. She knew that Spike was counting on her, so she would be at the library until at least three, but this still left plenty of time for other things. She decided that after her work was done she would meet up with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders for the evening. After finishing her breakfast, and cleaning her dish in the sink, she was left with ten minutes. She quickly scribbled a note to Rarity explaining what she was doing, and walked out the door into the warm sunshine. *** The main street of Ponyville is usually alive with the hustle and bustle of ponies going about their daily business, and today was no exception. Sweetie Belle carefully navigated her way through the crush of ponies on either side of the street. She stopped briefly to say hello to Applejack who was setting up the apple stand. “Good morning Applejack!” “Oh, hi there sugarcube. Apple Bloom told me that if I saw you I should give you a message. She says that you should go to the clubhouse this afternoon for a meeting.” “Thanks Applejack! Tell her that I’ll be there for sure. I have to meet Twilight and Spike at the library now. Bye!” With that, Sweetie Belle turned and trotted towards the library. *** She arrived on the doorstep of the Ponyville Library at eight o’clock sharp according to the bells chiming in the tower of the town hall. She knocked on the door, and it was quickly opened by spike. “Hey Sweetie Belle, you ready for some chores?” “Sure Spike! How can I help?” “Well, Twilight is studying pretty hard again today, so rule number one is to stay out of her way. She can get pretty stressed, and we don’t need her bursting into flames. The last time that happened, she nearly burned the whole library down!” “Yikes! sounds pretty dangerous. Anything else I should know before we get started?” “I think that’s it. First, why don’t you help me clean up the kitchen from breakfast?” Happily, Sweetie Belle followed Spike into the kitchen. There she could see the remains of what looked like delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and haycakes. It reminded her of a breakfast she had had with her sister before she was so busy with her fashion business. “Wow Spike, did you cook all of this?” “Well yeah, you might say I’m a bit of a budding chef. There are so many great cookbooks in the library, and Twilight never seemed interested in them. I picked some up, and discovered that I have a real knack for cooking. Not quite as good as Pinkie Pie or Applejack of course, but not too shabby.” As he said this he made a motion as if he were stroking a moustache, though his upper lip was bare as ever. Sweetie Belle found this quite funny, and failed to stifle a giggle. “What’s so funny?” Spike asked. “Oh, I was just picturing you with a moustache. It was so funny!” Spike began to blush ever so slightly. “It’s been a bit of a habit since Twilight gave me a moustache with magic.” Once again, Sweetie Belle burst into a fit of giggles. “Anyway, why don’t I wash the dishes and you can dry them.” “Sounds good.” As they worked, Spike told stories about what his life had been like in Canterlot, before he and Twilight had been sent to Ponyville. In return, Sweetie Belle answered Spike’s questions about her own life, many of which seemed to pertain to Rarity for some reason. She didn’t mind though, as she was always glad of someone to talk to. Rarity was usually too busy with her work to pay her much attention. In what seemed like no time at all, not only had all of the dishes been washed, dried, and put away, but the countertops had been cleaned, the floor was mopped, and the entire kitchen sparkled. “Wow! I had no idea that an assistant could be so helpful!” A resentful sounding hoot came from the corner where Sweetie Belle noticed Owlowicious to be sitting. “Normally cleaning the kitchen takes me a few hours.” Spike stood looking dumbstruck by the sight of the spotless kitchen. “Oh, I’m just glad I could help,” replied Sweetie Belle honestly, “After all, helping you out might just help me find my special talent and earn me my cutie mark!” “Maybe, but I don’t see what the big deal is about cutie marks. I mean, it’s just a little picture. Why is it so important?” “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure why they’re so important either. I kind of like the idea that I can be whatever I want to be since I don’t know my special talent yet. I mean, there are so many cool things to try out. One time, Rainbow Dash even tried to help me learn to hang glide! That didn’t turn out so great though.” Sweetie Belle sighed. “If Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren’t so mean to us blank-flanks, I wouldn’t be so worried about my cutie mark.” “Maybe you will get your cutie mark by helping me out, but what would it be? It could be a stack of books, or maybe a feather duster...” “I don’t know, but I probably won’t get it by sitting on my flank talking about it. What’s next on the agenda?” “Since Twilight is using so many of the books for her studying, now would be a good time to dust the bookshelves. I think I have an extra duster lying around. Let me go find it so we can work together.” While Spike was searching for the duster, Sweetie Belle took the opurtunity to do some poking around the library. Until today, she had only ever seen the main room with the bookshelves. She peeked around a dividing wall and saw Twilight in the middle of a large ring comprised of stacks of books. She was feverishly turning this way and that, flipping through pages of many different books, and writing things down in a small notebook she kept by her side. She wondered what she could possibly be studying, but decided against asking because of her frenzied state. “Found it!” yelled Spike from the other room. “Coming!” As the pair dusted the bookshelves, they continued to speculate about what Sweetie Belle’s cutie mark might turn out to be. When they had thoroughly exhausted that topic, they got to discussing what Spike’s cutie mark would be if he were a pony. By the time that the last shelf had been dusted, they felt that they had exhausted all of their options for cutie marks. For their final task of the day, Spike and Sweetie Belle set to work tidying up after Twilight’s studying. Her room looked as if a tornado had ransacked it. piles of books formed a miniature city which was arrayed in a circle around a writing desk littered with papers, quills, and a bottle of ink that looked in imminent danger of spilling. Twilight was laying in the nearby bed, totally exhausted from her studying. “Well, we might as well get started,” Spike said. With that, the filly and the dragon began the tiresome work of organizing. Books were stacked, papers were piled, and the ink bottle was carefully corked. The stacks of books then had to be carried into the main room and shelved. The heavy stacks of books that Spike were able to carry were too much for Sweetie Belle, and silently she cursed her feeble magic. She closed her eyes and focused all of her might on the stack of books, but only managed to knock it over in the process. This startled Twilight out of her nap, who blinked a bleary eye at Sweetie Belle. “Oh hoof,” Groaned Sweetie Belle, “I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was just trying to use magic to lift this stack of books, but my stupid magic never works!” She collapsed to the floor in a sullen heap. Suddenly snapping back to full alertness, Twilight perked up and said “That’s it! To repay you for helping Spike, I can help you practice your magic!” “That sounds like a great idea!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, jumping back up. “When can we start?” “Well I’m pretty tired now, but if you stop by tomorrow, we can get right to work.” “Great! See you tomorrow!”
Chapter 3“Scootaloo! Apple Bloom! You aren’t going to believe this!” Sweetie Belle’s voice cracked with excitement as she burst into the clubhouse. The Crusaders’ faces kindled with newfound interest as they looked up from the crossed-out and balled-up sheets of paper that littered the floor. “I was helping out at the library today, and Twilight said that she’s going to teach me to use magic!” “Wow Sweetie Belle, that’s great!” “Yeah! Maybe doing magic will help you to find your cutie mark!” Apple Bloom chimed in. “Maybe it’ll get us all closer to finding our cutie marks!” Scootaloo added. “Maybe, but I wouldn’t get too excited quite yet. It’s probably going to take a pretty long time to get good at it.” With a small sigh, Sweetie Belle walked over to where the other two fillies were sitting amidst various crayons and pencils, with a stack of paper between them. “So what are you girls up to?” “What else? We’re still trying to come up with ways to earn our cutie marks.” “It’s really tricky though. It feels like we’ve tried absolutely everything.” With an exasperated groan, Apple Bloom crumpled up the sheet of paper she was working on and tossed it onto the growing heap. “What have you come up with so far?” “Well, we’ve got airship pilot, pyrotechnician, and train conductor. Only trouble is we just don’t know where to start.” There was a small noise from another balled up sheet of paper landing on the teetering pile. Scootaloo chewed on the eraser of her pencil thoughtfully. “I’m not sure about the other two, but I think I know where you could learn to fly a hot air balloon!” The other crusaders looked at Sweetie Belle quizzically. “Remember the hot air balloon that Pinkie Pie used during the Running of the Leaves? Maybe you could use that.” “Oh yeah! That’s a great idea! Thanks Sweetie Belle! Let’s go ask Pinkie Pie if she can teach us!” “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BALLOONISTS! YAY!” the three fillies shouted in unison. “Let’s go!” “I’m sorry girls, really I am. It’s just that I’m super-duper busy this afternoon! The Cakes and I are catering for a super-special royal birthday party in Canterlot tomorrow! All of the most important ponies in Equestria will be there!” In a more more confidential tone, Pinkie Pie said “I’m even working on some extra-special top-secret new recipes! Maybe if you stop by tomorrow afternoon I can help you girls out. I Pinkie Promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” As she said this she picked up a cupcake from the counter and mushed it on her face. “Mmm!” she squealed in delight as she licked the squashed cupcake from her face. “Thanks Pinkie Pie!” the three called as they pulled on their helmets and loaded into the wagon that trailed behind Scootaloo’s scooter. “See you tomorrow!” they shouted as they zoomed away from Sugarcube Corner, narrowly avoiding several ponies going about their business in the market. “Wow! Apart from parties, Pinkie Pie sure has some awesome other talents!” Apple Bloom’s voice could barely be heard over the rumbling clatter of the scooter over the uneven ground, but the other crusaders agreed with hearty nods. “I guess that just goes to show that even if you have your cutie mark you can still do pretty much anything you want.” The others nodded. “I should probably be getting home girls. I promised Rarity that I’d be home before sunset, and it’s already getting dark.” “Sure thing Sweetie Belle.” And with that Scootaloo veered sharply towards the Carousel Boutique. “Thanks girls! I’ll be at the library tomorrow, but I’ll come visit after that.” “Sounds good! See you tomorrow!” With that the remaining crusaders rumbled off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Now that she thought about it, Sweetie Belle was rather glad she’d be missing flying lessons with Pinkie Pie. She knew how easily distracted Pinkie was, and thought that it might turn into quite a nerve-wracking experience. She opened the door of the boutique to the sounds of her big sister scrambling around in her workroom. Knowing that she hated to be disturbed, Sweetie Belle walked quietly to the kitchen to fix herself a salad for dinner. As she worked to prepare her food, she reflected on how different her life would be once she learned to use magic. No longer would she struggle to wield utensils with her hooves, when she could simply control them effortlessly with her mind. Right on cue as if to illustrate this point, the knife she was using dropped to the floor, and she had to jump back quickly to avoid being cut. She sat down to begin eating her salad as her sister bustled down the stairs levitating a large roll of purple silk in front of her which obstructed her view. “Hey sis,” said Sweetie Belle. Startled, Rarity whirled around to face her, and the fabric she was carrying fell to the floor. “Oh! Sweetie Belle I didn’t hear you come in. You gave me quite a fright! I’ve been so busy with this new project, and it demands my full attention. I feel like I haven’t had any time to talk with you. I certainly don’t want this to turn into another problem like with the Sisterhooves Social.” Rarity said all of this rather fast, as if she had much better things to do, but Sweetie Belle appreciated it nonetheless. “I’m glad you asked,” Sweetie Belle said, some of her earlier excitement returning. “While I was at the library today Twilight said she’d teach me how to use magic! This way I’ll be more helpful in the library, and maybe it’ll even help me get my cutie mark!” “Well that’s excellent Sweetie Belle! You know how busy I am, and that’s why I haven’t been able to teach you any more magic. I’m also glad you’ve found somewhere to stay out of trouble.” As Rarity picked up the roll of fabric she had dropped, she thought to herself “I just hope Twilight knows what she’s getting into...” At seven o’clock the next morning, Sweetie Belle awoke to the smell of her sister’s excellent cooking wafting up the stairs. When she came downstairs she found a steaming stack of pancakes fresh from the pan, and her sister pouring apple juice into a glass. “Good morning Sweetie Belle!” “What’s all this for?” “Well I’ve just been feeling so awful about our argument we had the other day that I decided to make it up to you. I wanted to make you a proper breakfast before you have to leave to go to the library.” “Wow! Thanks sis, but it isn’t really necessary. I know I should’ve asked before I went in your room.” “Oh Sweetie Belle, you’re just saying that. I know that I have been treating you very unfairly. I’ve been letting my work come between us, and I’m very sorry. Perhaps once you learn some magic, I could use your help.” “We’ll see. I’m pretty happy being Spike’s assistant. Anyway, thanks for the breakfast sis, but I really have to go. I’ll see you later.” Rarity watched as her younger sister walked out the door and onto the street of Ponyville. As she did, she thought to herself “She really is growing up.” When Sweetie Belle arrived at the library, she heard the sound of raised voices coming from the back. When she went to investigate, she found Pinkie Pie and Twilight arguing. “Pinkie Pie, I barely trust you with my hot air balloon as is, but putting two little fillies in charge frankly sounds like a horrible idea and might even be dangerous! Where did you ever come up with this idea?” “It wasn’t my idea, Twilight! I swear! The Cutie Mark Crusaders came to Sugarcube Corner yesterday especially to ask me about it. I promise it’ll be totally safe!” “I’m really sorry Pinkie, but I just don’t feel comfortable with this idea.” With this statement, Pinkie’s hair seemed to deflate and her ears drooped, but they quickly perked up again when she came up with an idea. “Why don’t you just stop being such a party-pooper-pants and come with us. That way, nothing can possibly go wrong, right? Besides, I Pinkie Promised them that I’d do this with them! Even I can’t break a Pinkie Promise!” “I would, Pinkie, but I’m really busy with my studying. Plus, I promised Sweetie Belle that I would teach her to use magic.” Once again Pinkie looked downcast, but perked up once another idea occurred to her. “Why don’t I ask Rainbow Dash if she can come with us? She could make sure the weather is good and that everything goes a-ok!” “Well, allright. Just promise me that nothing will go wrong.” “I’ll do you one better Twilight! I Pinkie Promise!” as she said this, she pantomimed the required actions. Only then as she gestured wildly did she notice Sweetie Belle standing there. She quickly pivoted around and said “Hey Sweetie Belle! I didn’t see you there!” “Oh, hi Sweetie Belle. Sorry we didn’t notice you. You could’ve said something.” “Sorry Twilight, Pinkie, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just heard raised voices and came to investigate.” said Sweetie Belle “Oh it’s no problem at all.” “Hey what’s all this commotion about?” Spike had just come to the balcony to investigate. When he saw Sweetie Belle standing there his face brightened and he said “Oh boy I’m so glad you’re here! We just got a whole new set of books and I’m going to need lots of help getting them all shelved in the proper places. Do you think you’re up to it?” “I sure am! let’s get started right away!” With that, Sweetie belle raced around to the door and let herself in. Inside she found a large cart piled with books that must’ve just been dropped off. “Whoa! where did all of these books come from?” “Well, since Twilight agreed to teach you magic, she’s really been stressing out about the best way to go about it. Since Princess Celestia runs a school for gifted unicorns, Twilight sent a letter asking for tips, and what she got was a whole cart full of books delivered to the library. All I can say is that the princess sure knows Twilight!” “Wow! She really went to all of this trouble for me?” Sweetie Belle was touched. “Yep, but in return, we gotta put all these books on the shelves. Why don’t you read the titles, I’ll find where they go, and you can bring them to me so I can shelve them?” “Sounds like a plan,” replied Sweetie Belle. To her, the time seemed to fly by because of her excitement to finally learn magic. They had soon finished sorting and shelving, and Sweetie Belle ran up to where she knew Twilight would be. “Wow Sweetie Belle, I didn’t expect you to be finished so soon.” “Well, I was just so excited that I had to finish at top speed!” “As long as you’re finished we might as well get started then.” Sweetie Belle could hardly suppress a squeal of excitement! “The first thing I need to know is whether you’ve done any magic before.” “Rarity taught me how to levitate stuff, but it’s so difficult. I must be doing something wrong, because you and Rarity can do it like it’s nothing!” as she said this, her expression grew downcast and she stomped her hoof on the floor. “I know it can be difficult for you, Rarity told me, but do you think you could show me? This way I can figure out exactly how to help you. I’ve told you the story of how I got my cutie mark right? It seems odd now, but I think I had more trouble with magic than you when I was a filly.” Twilight chuckled to herself when she thought back to the day of the academy entrance exam. “You mean it? If you really think it’ll help, then I guess so.” Sweetie Belle looked around the room for something small to practice on. Her gaze fell on a small ball of parchment in a wastepaper bin. She concentrated all of her mind on the small, insignificant object. As she did so, her horn began to emit a feeble glow and the parchment scrap began to rise from the bin. as it did, Owlowiscious hooted, and Sweetie Belle’s concentration broke. The glow around her horn fizzled out and the scrap of parchment fluttered down to the floor. “That wasn’t too bad, but I think I know how I can make it easier for you,” Twilight said, as she walked over to the stack of books near her desk and began searching them for the relevant passages she had marked with ribbons and random bits of parchment. Once she found the section she was looking for she began to read it aloud. “When a unicorn first learns to use magic, he or she may find it very difficult to perform even simple tasks. This is due to the fact that the magic power that is easily accessible to the beginner is merely the small amount that is leaking from the vast reserve stored within a unicorn’s horn and the connected brain area.” Sweetie Belle looked at Twilight perplexedly. “Basically,” Twilight translated, “Theres a huge amount of magic power in your body, but until you learn to tap into it, you can only use the excess.” Comprehension dawned on Sweetie Belle’s face. “So, how exactly can I tap into this power?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Well, the easiest way is if you let me into your mind, and I can guide you through the whole thing,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “That doesn’t sound too bad. Let’s get started!” “The thing is, sometimes when a filly’s magic is first released it can be somewhat... violent,” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Maybe we should go outside.” Looking a little less eager, but still hopeful, Sweetie Belle followed Twilight out of her room, down the steps and out into the backyard of the library. “This should do,” Twilight said. “Now what I’m going to do is...” but before she could say any more, she was cut off by loud giggling and shrieking. “Hey Sweetie Belle! Look up here!” the other Cutie Mark Crusaders called down to Sweetie Belle. When she looked up, she indeed saw Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waving down at her from the basket beneath the giant pink balloon, and behind them she saw Pinkie Pie looking ready for anything in a leather helmet and a pair of goggles. “This is awesome!” they shouted down in unison. Twilight let out a sigh of relief when she saw the balloon and its occupants to be safely in one piece. “I’m glad you girls are having fun! Though, I would suggest that you turn on the burner and gain some more altitude. You’ll definitely want to be out of our way for a few minutes.” “If you say so Twilight!” called Pinkie Pie, who reached up to pull the cord that controlled the burner. “Might I ask why?” Pinkie had to yell now in order for Twilight to hear her. “It’s a bit tricky to explain, but feel free to stay and watch. Just keep your distance. This could be a bit violent.” Twilight carefully disguised a nervous gulp with a clearing of her throat. “Are you ready Sweetie Belle?” “Uhh, I guess so,” said Sweetie Belle, who was having a much harder time covering up her nervousness. “Well, let’s begin then.” Sweetie Belle was startled, as she could hear Twilight’s voice clearly, but her mouth was not moving any more. “Are you reading my mind?” Sweetie Belle asked aloud. “Something like that. I’m using my magic to see inside your mind, and this will also allow me to control your magic. You can talk to me in the same way. Give it a try!” “Like this? This feels pretty weird.” To her surprise, Twilight smiled and nodded. “If it’s ok with you, I’m going to start the process now. It shouldn’t take long, but it’ll be easier if you just relax.” Sweetie Belle nodded in assent, and closed her eyes in preparation for whatever was coming. Sweetie Belle could feel Twilight’s magic moving around inside her head, stopping occasionally to examine something. Eventually, she seemed to find what she was looking for, and Sweetie Belle could feel the strength of Twilight’s spell increasing. She could also feel an unfamiliar tingling that she could not identify. Sweetie Belle concentrated on it and realized that it must be her own magic power. She opened her eyes to find that her horn was emitting a bright blue pulsating glow, much brighter and more intense than it had ever been before. Suddenly she felt power rushing through her much more intensely than she had ever felt before, and Twilight said “That should do.” Sweetie Belle felt Twilight withdraw from her consciousness, and was amazed that all of the power coursing through her was her own. “How do you feel?” Twilight asked in a slightly concerned tone. “Twilight, it’s wonderful! I feel great!” Sweetie Belle was prancing around in excitement. “I need to find something to practice on quickly. As she said this, a rubber ball hit the ground in front of her and bounced far up into the air again before she could catch it. Too late, Pinkie Pie called down from the balloon, “Look out below! My Pinkie Sense warned me of a ball emergency.” Twilight looked skyward exasperatedly. “What? You didn’t think I would go flying unprepared did you?” Pinkie Pie yelled in a tone of indignation. “Thanks Pinkie Pie! This will be perfect!” Sweetie Belle called up to the floating balloon. She began to concentrate with all of her might on the rubber ball that had come to rest in front of her. She could feel the newly released power coursing through her body and into her horn. To her immense surprise, her horn released a blast of electric blue magic, bright enough to light up every shadow in Ponyville, prompting oohs and ahhs from Pinkie Pie and the fillies watching from their lofty vantage point. The ball shot upwards past the balloon, and punched a hole right through a cloud. Sweetie Belle thought that it sure was a good thing that there wasn’t a Pegasus up there. “I got it, I got it!” Pinkie Pie screamed, and then proceeded to stretch her foreleg out to an impossible length, snagging the ball from the air as it fell back towards the ground. “Wow. Thanks Twilight!” Sweetie Belle positively beamed at Twilight. “I never could’ve done that without you.” “Well it was my pleasure Sweetie Belle. There’s so much I can teach you now, and I can’t wait to get started.” Twilight seemed almost as excited as Sweetie Belle. “It’s getting pretty late though, and Rarity will probably be looking for you. Same time tomorrow?” “You bet! See you then. Thanks again for everything.” She called up to the fillies in the balloon, “I’ll see you girls tomorrow, okay? I’m pretty tired.” “Sure thing. See you,” Called Scootaloo. “Seeya later alligator,” Yelled Apple Bloom. “Silly Apple Bloom. There’s no alligator here!” Giggled Pinkie Pie, “I left Gummy back at sugarcube corner, but I’ll tell him you were thinking of him.” Everypony had a good laugh at this, and soon Pinkie Pie joined in, her raucous giggling drowning out that of the others. As Pinkie Pie and the Crusaders floated away to a nearby field to land, Sweetie Belle thanked Twilight again and again. Twilight brushed off the thanks, and told Sweetie Belle to go home and get some rest. This she did, as she could feel her fatigue beginning to weigh her down as the magic ebbed and receded back into that part of her that she could now control. As she walked through the quiet streets of Ponyville she thought to herself “I really did magic today!” Occupied with that thought, Sweetie Belle mounted the steps of the Carousel Boutique, and made for her bedroom. It had been a long day.
Introduction“Sweetie Belle!” "Oh brother, here we go again..." “What have you done to my inspiration room?” Rarity shrieked, as Sweetie Belle walked sulkily into the room, her eyes downcast. The room was indeed in shambles. There were rolls of fabric in a rainbow of hues spread haphazardly across the floor, a small chest full of gems overturned in one corner, and all of Rarity’s design sketches looked as though they had been carried by a tornado. Spools of thread and needles also littered the pile. “I was just trying to...” “I was in the middle of working on my line of Full Spectrum Fashions, and now you’ve gone and messed the room up again!” Rarity snapped. “Sis, I was just trying to practice the levitation spell that Twilight taught me. I thought that if I did it in here, it wouldn’t matter if I dropped anything, because it would be back to the way it was before.” “But why didn’t you ask me first? I could have given you some things to practice with that wouldn’t have interfered with my work.” “Well, I tried to ask, but you said you were far too busy, and that I should find something else to do.” “Sweetie Belle, I do not have the time to argue with you. I have a very important order to finish for Thursday’s fashion show, and now I have to clean up before I can get back to work.” “Could I help?” Sweetie Belle asked eagerly. “No! You’ve done enough damage already! Why don’t you go outside and play with your friends?” Sweetie Belle tried to explain that Scootaloo left two hours ago to cheer on Rainbow Dash in the Wonderbolts tryouts, and that Apple Bloom would be busy helping her brother and sister with the apple harvest, but it was no use. Rarity simply would not listen. She was beginning to turn red and stamp her hooves with impatience. *** Sweetie Belle walked out the door of the Carousel Boutique, and on to the main street of Ponyville. Hmm, she thought to herself, I wonder if any of Rarity’s friends need any help. As she wound her way through the bustle of the street, an idea popped into her head. I know! I’ll go visit Fluttershy! I bet she could use some help tending to all of her cute little critters.With that, she turned, and broke into a quick trot towards Fluttershy’s cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. When Sweetie Belle arrived at Fluttershy’s house, she was met by the apprehensive gazes of hundreds of furry little creatures. Squirrels and birds scolded noisily from the surrounding trees, and a few circling birds of prey swooped in low to get a better look at the newcomer. The wind from their wings ruffled her mane. She walked up the pathway and knocked gently on the door with her hoof. When there was no answer, she knocked a little harder. She waited for a few minutes, but there was still no answer. She thought of calling out for Rarity’s friend, but she didn’t want to scare any of the animals. So, she decided to walk around the house to see if Fluttershy was in the back garden. When she got around to the back, she saw Fluttershy singing in the shade of a large oak tree at the very edge of the garden. Not wanting to startle her, (she knew how sensitive Fluttershy could be) Sweetie Belle quietly called her name. When she got no response, she walked a little closer and tried again, a little louder this time. With a small jump, Fluttershy looked around and saw Sweetie Belle “Oh...um...hello Sweetie Belle,” Fluttershy murmered, “you startled me.” “Hey Fluttershy! Sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to.” Fluttershy whispered something about it not being a problem. “So, what are you doing?” “Well, I was just teaching my song birds a new tune,” replied Fluttershy, gesturing towards the branches of the tree, where Sweetie Belle saw around fifty small birds of every color and shade staring suspiciously back at her. “Is there anything I could do to help?” “Oh I don’t know. My birds are a little shy around strangers.” “Well, maybe if I stay and watch, it will help them get over their stage fright,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Um all right. Why don’t you just stand over there.” Fluttershy indicated a spot a few yards away under an apple tree. “And be sure to stay nice and quiet.” Sweetie Belle walked over to the spot that Fluttershy had suggested, and motioned for her to continue. She got her birds’ attention with a firm “Ahem,” and she counted “One and two and three and four,” and the birds began to sing a melody that Sweetie Belle recognized. As the song progressed, she began to hum along with the tune, and before long, she could not help herself; she burst into boisterous singing. While she did have a beautiful singing voice, she tended to sing rather loudly. Upon hearing her sing, many of the birds were startled out of their concentration, and ten or so flew away. Sweetie Belle didn’t notice, and continued singing. “Excuse me,” Fluttershy mumbled timidly, catching Sweetie Belle’s attention. “Why did you stop? The song isn’t over yet.” “Well, um, the truth is, your singing scared away some of my birds." “Oh my! I am so sorry. I guess I just got a little carried away.” “Oh, that’s quite all right. I’ll just go find them.” “Maybe I could help with that!” Exclaimed Sweetie Belle hopefully. “Well, um.. no need. I know where they like to hide, so it will be easy for me,” replied Fluttershy, not wanting to hurt her feelings by rejecting her outright. The yellow pegasus trotted off into the forest to look for her birds. Sweetie Belle could tell without being told that Fluttershy didn’t really want her help. She decided to walk back to the center of Ponyville. She did so morosely. “Why is it that whenever I try to help somepony, do I always make a mess?” the filly thought glumly. “Hmmm. Maybe nopony needs my help, but I know a dragon who might need some.” and so, Sweetie Belle trotted down the street making for the Ponyville Library. *** Sweetie Belle walked up onto the doorstep of the tree-shaped building, and reached up to knock on the door. As she did so, the heard an enormous crash followed by a muffled cry of pain. She could hear Twilight’s admonishments of her reptilian companion through the wood of the door. “Spike! What have I told you about biting off more than you can chew?” scolded the voice of the purple unicorn. “Gee Twilight, you’re always telling me not to push myself too hard, and yet you are always making such a big mess! There’s no other way I can get all of my chores done!” Spike replied. “Perhaps you need an assistant.” At this, Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up. She thought, “This must be my lucky day!” “I don’t think so. I already have Owlowicious, and he mostly just gets on my nerves.” the baby dragon said. At the mention of his name, a quiet “Who?” “Gahh! There he goes again, acting like he doesn’t know it’s him I’m talking about.” “Spike, he’s only an owl,” Twilight said exasperatedly. “No, I mean a real assistant. Somepony who can really help with your chores.” Sweetie Belle could not stand waiting any longer. She knocked on the door again, louder this time. The voices in the library suddenly fell silent, and she could hear the sound of hooves approaching the door. A moment later, the door swung open, and Sweetie Belle was greeted by a frazzled looking Twilight. “Hey Sweetie Belle, do you need something?” “Well Rarity and I sort of had a fight, and she told me to go outside. My friends are busy today, so I thought I would come visit.” “I see,” replied the purple pony, “Why don’t you come inside?” Sweetie Belle followed Twilight inside. Spike, who was still busy extracting himself from a large pile of books, greeted her with a wave. “I couldn’t help overhearing you two talking before I knocked on the door. I heard that Spike needed an assistant, and I thought that I might be able to help.” Spike looked on the verge of protesting that he didn’t really need any help, when Twilight exclaimed “That sounds great!” You can help with Spike’s chores, and I’ll think of someway to repay you once I am finished studying. I promise it’ll be good.” “Great!” Sweetie Belle blurted with a hop and a smile. Spike looked incredulous, but decided to keep a positive outlook. “Maybe it’ll be nice having an assistant. What’s the worst that could happen?” Spike thought. “Okay Spike, how can I help?” Sweetie Belle inquired eagerly. “Well, first you can help me stack up these books. That will make it easier to sort them out.” “I think they’ll get along quite nicely,” thought Twilight with a smile, as she returned to her studying.
