The Play's The Thingby HMXTaylorLeeChaptersAct 1: Setting The StageAct 2: Playing The PartIntermission: Learning The LinesAct 3: Living The RoleAct 1: Setting The StageSweetie Belle didn’t quite know when she started having feelings for her friend, Scootaloo. She had wracked her brain many times to try and find the exact moment, but couldn’t pin it. Although, the word “feelings” was a bit broad, now that she thought about it. In a way, she had feelings for Diamond Tiara too – exclusively negative, but feelings nonetheless. The feelings she had for Scootaloo had always been the complete opposite – happy ones. From the moment that Scootaloo had kindly helped Sweetie Belle recover from the newly cutie-marked emblazoned Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s teasing. “Sweetie Belle? More like…” Silver Spoon’s face screwed up, thinking of an insult to sling at the pure white unicorn backed against the wall of the school house. “Sweetie Blank?” Diamond Tiara suggested, her cornflower blue eyes lighting up as she saw Sweetie Belle flinch as though she had just been whipped. Their shrill laughs echoed across the school yard, drowning out a tiny sob. “It’s not my fault...” Sweetie Belle whined. The two Earth ponies carried on their mirthless conversation, paying no mind to the protests. “Her flank is just so… blank!” “I can barely remember when I was a blank flank, it was such a long time ago…” “Just… leave me alone!” came another plea, falling upon deaf ears. “And you’re sure she’s coming to your party?” Silver Spoon asked with a tone of disgust. “My dad’s a client and friend with her big sister, so yeah, unfortunately.” Diamond Tiara shook her head with an exaggerated sadness. “Well, she and that hick will make us look even more fabulous! How can a blank flank compare with these?” The two ponies pivoted to their sides, pressing their backsides against one another, revealing a duo of elaborate cutie marks along their flanks. A silver spoon for Silver Spoon, and a diamond tiara for Diamond Tiara – fitting, given their names. “I don’t know,” Diamond Tiara pondered aloud, fixing her vivid blue eyes upon Sweetie Belle’s shimmering green ones. “What do you think, blank flank?” Sweetie Belle lowered her head to the ground, pawing at the dirt along the school wall aimlessly. She didn't speak. "Speechless, and who can blame her?" Diamond Tiara laughed falsely. She exchanged a hoof bump with the giggling Silver Spoon, and she and her cohort began to walk back to the playground where the rest of the students were undoubtedly waiting to be graced by their presence. Sweetie Belle sat on her haunches, exhaling deeply with her eyes closed. Her imagination fired up from behind her eyelids, envisioning all sorts of images of her with various cutie marks. One was a half-full beaker, filled with a bright green liquid that matched her eyes. Definitely the mark of a great scientist. Another was a paint brush, leaving an s-shaped trail of paint in the same shade as before. Assuredly, a great artist! The next was a big, bold typewriter, with a multitude of indecipherable text on the page stemming from the device — undoubtedly that of a great writer! For a brief instant, she even saw herself with the same cutie mark as Mayor Mare. Imagine that — Sweetie Belle, the mayor of Ponyville! In all of these images, she saw herself smiling broadly. A far cry from how she felt now. "Don't let them get you down," she heard a voice say from in front of her. Sweetie Belle's eyes fluttered open to see an orange pegasus standing above her, large violet eyes looking at her warmly. Her mane was of a similar, yet slightly brighter hue. Though it seemed disheveled, Sweetie Belle couldn't help but notice the curious curl at the front that made the whole rough-and-tumble appearance seem deliberate. This pony smiled at her, and extended her hoof to Sweetie Belle. "Name's Scootaloo," the pegasus offered. "What's yours?" "...Sweetie Belle." Sweetie Belle answered with caution, wrapping her foreleg around Scootaloo's and lifting herself from her seated position. "Well then, Sweetie Belle, looks like you've got yourself a new friend!" Scootaloo exclaimed with a bold confidence, seemingly not allowing Sweetie Belle a say in the matter. "After all..." She started, turning her body to the side, revealing a set of small feathered wings, and a noticeably blank flank. "Us 'blank flanks' need to stick together, right?" “...Stick together...” Sweetie Belle smiled as she echoed the words softly to the open textbook in front of her. Yes, that meeting was certainly a strong way to make a first impression. That instance fostered those aforementioned feelings – this time, of gratitude, relief, and of course, friendship. So now, Sweetie Belle was cycling through her memories, trying to find where that friendship had blossomed into something more, at least as far as she was concerned. The film reel playing in her mind blurred. They spent so much time together, in school and out of it, that it was impossible to find any one segment that tipped the balance. Now, Sweetie Belle was left to wonder two more questions: Why did she feel such a strange affection for another filly instead of a colt, and why Scootaloo? After all, as one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she spent as much time with Apple Bloom as she did with Scootaloo. First things first – her “attraction” to fillies. Sweetie Belle was reluctant to use the word attraction. From what she had surmised, it wasn’t normal to have romantic feelings for the same gender as yourself. Sweetie Belle still wasn’t sure if she was “that” way, because she didn’t have feelings like that for anypony else – just Scootaloo. So back to where she had just been in her mental outline – Why Scootaloo? The first thing that most ponies tended to notice about others was not the content of their character, but rather their physical appearance. Although Sweetie Belle hadn’t paid too much thought to it beforehoof, Scootaloo certainly didn’t fall short in that regard. Scootaloo was lithe and agile, and she never ceased to impress Sweetie Belle with how fit she was. While Sweetie Belle's sister, Rarity, would probably implore some divine intervention if she discovered that her sister had a crush on somepony who didn't meticulously brush their mane in the morning, Sweetie Belle wouldn't take Scootaloo and her wanton approach to mane styling any other way. Her determined eyes almost always had a confidence and spiritedness within them, the light inside them only faltered when Scootaloo focused on her small, and somewhat ineffectual, wings that kept her grounded. Sweetie Belle wouldn't say so to Scootaloo outright, lest the pegasus vehemently deny it, she thought the wings were utterly charming. Physical traits aside, the content of a pony’s character was more important. The orange pegasus was brash at times, and certainly bursting with confidence and a can-do attitude. This had led to more than their fair share of sure fire schemes to get their cutie marks that had fallen not only short, but oftentimes off of a cliff or tree. Of course, the tough pegasus she was, she laughed it all off. Like her idol Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo was fiercely loyal to her fellow Crusaders. But underneath that wall of strength and stoicism, Scootaloo had proven to be a very sensitive pony. Her insecurities about what she deemed personal failings revealed a much softer and sweeter individual that Sweetie Belle had a burning curiosity to see more of. It was here that Sweetie Belle found herself in a dilemma. Scootaloo had displayed a reluctance to reveal that core, and Sweetie Belle could surmise that on the off chance that if, IF, Scootaloo felt the same about her, she would never say it first. Naturally, Sweetie Belle had already considered that Scootaloo didn’t feel the same way – seemingly over a million times, but at some point, Sweetie Belle would have to tell Scootaloo how she felt. An uncomfortable conversation with her sister over a month ago taught her that she couldn’t simply harbor these feelings forever. “Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked timidly from the open door frame to her sister’s “inspiration room”, where the older unicorn was hunched over a sewing machine. “Hmm?” her sister replied absentmindedly, focused on the dark green fabric sliding underneath the rapidly bouncing needle in front of her. Sweetie Belle could tell that Rarity was pre-occupied, but she stayed the course. “I had a question I wanted to ask you.” “Oh, do go on…” “What should I do if…” “Mhm.” “What should I do if I like somepony?” The sewing machine made a loud whirring sound that choked as the fabric bunched up underneath the needle, bringing the stitching process to a screeching halt. “What?” Rarity pushed the chair out from the table, spinning the rotating seat around to face her younger sister. Sweetie Belle immediately regretted the decision to ask her sister, a bright red blush painting her white face, and making her bright green eyes stand out even more. “I was just wondering what I should do if… I… like… somepony?” Sweetie Belle repeated, her voice fluctuating at the end to form a question. Not just because she wanted to know what to do, but because she suddenly felt as if she had tread on some incredibly thin ice, and that asking such a question with any sort of confidence or knowledge of what it meant was going to be cause her to fall through. Sweetie Belle tried to pass it off as though it was something she heard at school and that she didn’t know what it was she was asking. “Oh, do go on, dear!” Rarity exclaimed, giggling madly. “Oh, this is so exciting! My dear Sweetie Belle has a crush on somepony!” “N-no! I don’t!” Sweetie Belle’s protest fell flat in the wake of her sister’s frenzy. “Who is he? Oh, I bet I know!” “I don’t have a crush on anypony!” “I bet it’s that Pipsqueak – he’s got the most charming accent—” “No, really, I-I-I don’t have a crush!” Sweetie Belle stammered uneasily. “Or maybe that Featherweight! He’s a bit thin, but he’s got such a winning smile—” “Rarity…” “Or that one that plays games all of the time, what’s his name?” “Rarity?” “Well, whoever he is, he’s certainly cute enough. And that hat!” “RARITY!” Rarity snapped out of her bizarre seizure to look at her sister, who didn’t look embarrassed like she had before. Instead, she looked cross. “What is it, Sweetie Belle?” “I – I don’t have a silly crush on some colt, alright? I just want to know what I should do if I ever did. In the future. Not now.” Sweetie Belle added for emphasis. Rarity raised her eyebrow at the filly, studying her for the slightest hint of a fidget or other tell that might suggest she was having the fabric pulled over her eyes. Sweetie Belle was used to this, and was grateful for including the addition of “some colt” that made her statement mostly true. Though her observations evidently hadn’t indicated that Sweetie Belle was being untruthful, Rarity still seemed wary. "Well..." She said uncertainly, the tone of voice still showing some reluctance. "If ever you do find yourselves with feelings like that..." Sweetie Belle inched closer to her, eager to drink whatever advice Rarity spilled forth. "Let them know," she finished. "Really? Just like that?" Sweetie Belle asked with confusion as she stumbled backwards. "Easier said than done, darling, believe me." Rarity whipped her head back, emphasizing the words 'believe me' with exasperation. "But I can hardly think of anything worse than living with feelings of uncertainty like that. Even if they don't feel the same way, at least you'll know for sure." "What if they say no? Won't that be weird?" the filly asked with a panicky tone of voice. "Of course it will!" Rarity exclaimed. "Especially at first. But it's much less, how did you put it, 'weird'? Yes, it's much less weird, and much less painful in the long term than nursing a powerful and unremarked affection for somepony." Sweetie Belle was growing more frantic, this advice spurring her on. "But how do you tell somepony that you 'like' them?" Rarity laughed, and shook her hoof at her younger sister. "Now that... that is the thing, is it not? That all depends on you and the pony you're telling. Despite the impressive amount of books on the subject, there's no one right way to say it. Not — not that I'm an expert on those kinds of books!" The unicorn laughed unusually loudly, Sweetie Belle's raised eyebrow not dissuaded. "Hahaha... well... Anything else you wanted to know?" Rarity asked curiously, making a note of her sister's reaction. "I have to finish this design for Princess Twilight before Spike comes to pick it up later. He's such a gem, he is!" "...No..." Sweetie Belle sighed again, not feeling any more confident about her situation. If telling somepony that you liked them were easy, she wouldn't have asked for help in the first place. The advice seemed redundant. "Well, then I suppose I will get back to — BUTTON MASH! It's Button Mash isn't it?" Rarity shouted, recovering from her pivot back to the machine with an impressive twirl that found her mere inches away from her sister's muzzle. "I-I don't have a crush on anypony!" Sweetie's eyes darted back and forth nervously as she backed out into the upstairs hall. "Aha! I knew it!" Rarity exclaimed with gusto. "I can always tell when you're fibbing, my dear Sweetie Belle!" As Rarity's excited giggles and utterances sounded from down the hall, Sweetie Belle entered the guest room where she slept with only one thought on her mind. I should have said "colt" The shrill cry of the school bell roused Sweetie Belle from her daydreaming, and she found herself staring at the same textbook page she had during the start of the period. Had she really been that lost in thought for so long? Before Sweetie Belle could contemplate just how much her crush on Scootaloo was beginning to affect her basic ability to read, the shuffling of chairs and desks was interrupted by the school teacher's call for attention. "Everypony, everypony!" Cheerilee yelled above the din. "Please, settle down. I have a very exciting announcement I need to make before you are all released for the day." The students groaned collectively, and slowly ambled back into their seats. "First, I have a question," she stated. "By a show of hooves, how many of you have you have different races of ponies as parents? For example, your mommy is an earth pony, and your daddy is a pegasus?" Several hooves raised into the air. "Wonderful! Now, as I'm sure you all remember from last quarter, having different races of ponies as very special someponies was something that was once frowned upon in the very early days of Equestria. Until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna decreed otherwise, it was against the customs and traditions of the early settlers of Equestria to love somepony that was a different type of pony than yourself. Can anypony tell me the name of the holiday celebrating the passing the law allowing interracial marriage?" Nopony raised their hoof. The classmates exchanged nervous glances and whispers. "Anypony? It was just last quarter!" Cheerilee exclaimed with a tone of mock anger. "I'm not entirely surprised. It's hard to remember sometimes that something as basic and important as love could attempt to be stifled with a law. The holiday is called 'The Night of Harmony's Flowers', and we celebrate it every year on June 12th." The nervous whispers grew louder — the mutterings that June 12th was only next week, and that was after summer vacation had started were frequently among the messages passed. "Now, I know what everypony is thinking!" Cheerilee spoke again, louder than the dissonance from her students. "You're thinking 'Why should we care about something during summer that isn't sleeping in or playing the day away'? Well, I'm very excited to announce that, after a conversation with the playwright Mrs. Loving herself, that Ponyville Elementary will be putting on the next performance of her historical re-enactment 'Harmony's Flowers!'" There were a few errant claps around the room, but the air was mostly thick with a tentative silence. Cheerilee didn't look dismayed at all, however. Rather, she looked unsurprised, as though the less than stellar reaction was anticipated. "I'm certain that spending the first precious days of summer setting up and rehearsing a play is not something that everypony here is ecstatic about, so I have created what I consider a fairly creative incentive," she hinted. "I'm sure that none of you are too thrilled about the 10 page essay detailing your summer vacations either, no? Remembering and documenting an entire summers worth of late night sleepovers, trips to the beach, and carefree gallivanting seems pretty time consuming, doesn't it?" Mumbles of agreement sounded throughout the room, some of the more boisterous students making their objections more widely known with exaggerated groans. "So instead... anypony who participates in Ponyville Elementary's production of 'Harmony's Flowers' will not have to do the essay. They will be free to spend the entire two and a half months after the play merrymaking to their heart's content, secure in the knowledge that not a single minute will need to be spent poring over a paper. How does that sound?" The entire classroom exploded into a frenzy of excited cheering. Their quiet disturbed, a nest of birds in one of the schoolyard's trees flew off in a startled hurry. "Then it sounds like we have a show in the works! We can go over the specifics tomorrow, but first, every great play needs at the helm a spirited director. Someone to ensure that the written work of Mrs. Loving is honored. Now, who here among you would like to take the task of directing the tale of the pivotal romance of Star Bright the unicorn and Drift Monsoon the pegasus?" Sweetie Belle's mind went blank for a moment. Somewhere, deep in her subconscious, gears churned within. A love story between a pegasus and a unicorn? That sounded familiar enough, and it was certainly something she could relate to effectively. That tiny voice in her heard that made the connection was strong enough to command her front leg to lift itself above her ears. "Sweetie Belle!" Cheerilee cried out, drawing every single stare of Sweetie Belle's peers towards her. She felt her face grow red, but she didn't lower her hoof. "You're sure you want to direct this play so soon after your last one?" The unicorn vaguely recalled her first attempt at directing, writing, and starring in a play. Were it not for her sister's costumes, it would have been a colossal train wreck. Sweetie Belle was not altogether encouraged by this previous failure, but the little voice in her head that directed her foreleg to raise also was not relenting. Her mouth had gone dry, so she simply nodded. "Excellent!" Her teacher's voice rang over the excited chatter of her peers. "Sweetie Belle, I'll need to speak with you. Everypony else, have a great afternoon, and I'll see you tomorrow!" The shuffling chairs and desks from earlier resumed their dance, and Sweetie Belle's classmates slowly filtered out of the classroom. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both lingered for a moment. "This is going to be so awesome! No lame essay to write!" "Yeah, and our friend's gonna be directin' a play!" "A boring romantic play, blech!" Scootaloo gagged dramatically. "Don't pay her no mind, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom spoke. "We'll meet you at the clubhouse when you're done with Miss Cheerilee, so we can start plannin' what we're gonna do in the play!" Sweetie Belle nodded once more, her mouth still as dry as the San Palomino desert. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged a curious glance between themselves at their friends' markedly less excited reaction. "Alrighty then... see ya soon!" With that, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both scurried out into the hallway, leaving Sweetie Belle alone with her teacher. Sweetie Belle slowly clambered out of her desk and made her way to the desk closest to Cheerilee, who was busy straightening a thick stack of papers that were no doubt the script to the play. What had she gotten herself into? Author's Note An idea that came about while working on my other story. Readers of that one will notice that the very holiday mentioned as the centerpiece here was featured in Scootaloo & The Cabinet of Seers. I'm aiming to keep this relatively shorter and sweeter, but I have a feeling that my inability to streamline anything is going to interfere with that... Act 2: Playing The PartSweetie Belle glanced nervously between what she assumed to be the behemoth of a script and the look of concentration on Miss Cheerilee's face. It was one thing to direct her own three-pony play with a story that she had written, and the dialogue (as much as she tried to sophisticate it with older Equestrian dialects) was easy to memorize - she had penned it! She had seen "Harmony's Flowers" once before when she was younger, and though it was fuzzy, a lot of the sequences she remembered were long and boring exchanges of dialogue. The part that stood out the most to her was the romance, the overcoming of odds for Star Bright and Drift Monsoon to be together. Cheerilee looked up from the papers, and could probably see the trepidation on her face. "Something the matter, Sweetie Belle?" she asked with concern as she placed a quill in a cup on the desk. "Just a little bit nervous, is all. Please tell me that's not the script?" Sweetie Belle pointed to the novel cradled between Cheerilee's hooves. "This is the original 'Harmony's Flowers', yes," Cheerilee admitted. "I'll admit it's a bit on the longer side as far as Bridleway goes, but... have you seen the play?" "Once, yes. I was young... er, when it just came out. I don't remember much about it." "I'm curious then," Cheerilee started. "What made you jump to direct this one so quickly?" Sweetie Belle blushed, rubbing her shoulder and breaking eye contact. "I don't really know. It just kind of spoke to me, that whole love story thing. I think it's sweet." "I agree with you there. Between you and me..." Cheerilee leaned in over the desk, Sweetie Belle following suit. "I cry every time I see it. The ending gets me, every single time!" she whispered excitedly. "Really?" Sweetie Belle held her hooves over her mouth, stifling a giggle. "The ending is my favorite part too! It's the only thing I can remember. The rest of it kind of... blurs together." "I imagine it would. Even for a teacher, some of the more political scenes can get... wearisome." Sweetie Belle breathed a sigh of relief, deflating just a bit in her seat. "So it's not just me, then. Do you really think that the rest of the class can memorize all of that in just under two weeks?" Much to Sweetie Belle's surprise, her teacher shook her head. "It takes professional theater actors almost a month. As much as I love to brag with other teachers at conventions that I have the brightest students in all of Equestria, it's a bit of a reach to expect that." "Oh..." Sweetie Belle frowned. "So how are we going to do the show? Is someone going to hold cue cards from the audience?" "Hahaha! No, I don't think that will be necessary. You said you've seen the play once, correct?" Sweetie Belle nodded her head briskly. "Well, I've seen it many times. And each time, it was just a little bit different. The director adds his or her own personal touches, cutting some things, extending others, to show the audience how they interpret the story." "So that's what the director — me — will be doing?" Sweetie Belle gulped. "Yes. When I spoke to Mrs. Loving about our performance, I made clear that there would likely have to be extensive changes to accommodate the schedule and limited experience of the cast. I've taken the liberty of making some changes to the script already, removing a couple of the monologues and a lot of the tribes leaders arguing semantics — here." Cheerilee reached down into her drawer, and pulled out a (thankfully) much thinner volume of papers that read Harmony's Flowers: Scholastic Adaptation. She held it out for the filly to examine. Sweetie Belle skimmed over it rapidly, focused more on the length of the work rather than the content. "And she was alright with that? Us changing her work and everything?" the unicorn asked her teacher uneasily. Though Sweetie Belle didn't much like her original play A Tale of Three Fillies, she would have been reluctant to allow somepony else to make changes to what she considered her magnum opus. "She was actually really excited about it. She says it's refreshing to see different takes on her book, as long as the overall message comes across," Cheerilee explained. "The overall message..." Sweetie Belle echoed. "What is that, exactly?" "You don't remember?" "Like I said, it's been a while." "Well, perhaps when you read through it, it will come to you again." Cheerilee said thoughtfully. "In any case, I won't hold you here any longer. Please, take that draft with you tonight, and if you see anything you have questions about, or any changes you'd like to make, let me know tomorrow morning." "Alright," Sweetie Belle acknowledged her instructions. "Is it okay if I show this to the girls? I'm sure they'd love to get a chance to get a jump start on it!" "Of course you may! Are they as excited about this as you are?" Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin with her hoof. "Well... I think so. I think they had a lot of fun with my other play, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind doing another one." "Oh yes!" Cheerilee clapped her hooves together. "A Tale of Three Fillies was such a fun three pony play! The beautiful costumes especially, and you girls had such great chemistry together. I'm sure you'd all do a fine job acting together again." "Speaking of which..." Sweetie Belle pondered aloud. "When do we pick the parts?" "We'll have a casting session tomorrow, and you will be in charge of casting." Sweetie Belle gulped audibly again. "Me?" "You are the director, after all," Cheerilee chuckled. "Now, run along! I've got some preparations to make for tomorrow, and I know you've got some things on your plate as well." Sweetie Belle slipped the draft of the script into her saddlebag, and hopped out of the chair. "Okay. Have a good evening, Miss Cheerilee!" she yelled behind as her as she galloped through the door and into the hallway. There were all sorts of prospects running through her mind right now, and she couldn't wait to talk to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo about them. She barely heard her teacher return her courtesy as she leaped over the set of stairs leading from the front doors of the school in a single excited bound. "Giiirls!" The white unicorn filly bolted down the dirt path, making a beeline to the treehouse that was growing steadily larger in her eyes with each hurried step she took. She was gasping for breath, but that didn't stop her from shouting again to prepare the girls for her arrival. "Giiiiiirls!" she yelled again, slowing to a moderate trot at the base of the tree house. From the window, she saw Apple Bloom's bow silhouetted against the awning for a second before vanishing back inside. "Sweetie Belle's here!" Sweetie Belle heard her farmer friend's muffled call from inside as the unicorn climbed the ramp, the announcement followed by an excited exclamation from Scootaloo's voice. The door to the treehouse opened as she scaled the peak, and Sweetie Belle was greeted with a pair of sparkling violet eyes and a wide grin. "Come on, Sweetie Belle! Tell us everything!" Scootaloo ushered Sweetie Belle inside, swiftly closing the door behind her, leaving a sign nailed to door in sloppy hoofwriting with the words Top Secret Cutie Mark Crusader Meeting : Keep Out! flapping against the wood for any would be trespassers to heed. Sweetie Belle uttered a breathless "thank you", and took her seat in her familiar position, a large blue cushion against the wall opposite the door. She wiped her forehead with her hoof, to hopefully remove any sweat from her sprint before it crept into her eyes. Blinking to make sure they were clear, she found herself being stared at by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's eager faces. "So? What's goin' on? You really rushed over — Is everythin' alright?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie Belle nodded, still trying to catch her breath. She wordlessly opened her saddlebag, and extracted the abridged script from within. The unicorn pushed it towards her friends, who snatched it hungrily for examination, and managed to eke out the words "we've got a play to prepare for." Apple Bloom issued a shriek of excitement. Scootaloo's smile widened, but she did her best to keep her cool. "Mah friend, directin' a bridleway production! And we get to help! Just think, we'll get our cutie marks for sure this time!" "We said the same thing last time, Apple Bloom! Even after nailing that crazy script, still no cutie marks." "Things'll be different this time, Scootaloo! I can feel it — our entire class is gonna be participatin'! It's gonna be huge!" "Maybe, maybe not..." Scootaloo said reluctantly, her facade of indifference quickly crumbling as she added "But we're totally gonna get our cutie marks for this!" She and Apple Bloom fell into a fit of giggling and squealing, before Sweetie Belle finally gained enough composure to speak again. "Hold on, girls! If we want to have any hope of getting our cutie marks, we've got a lot of work to do!" she exclaimed dutifully. "Right, right." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded in agreement. "So, what all needs doin'?" "A lot..." Sweetie Belle admitted. "We've got props, costumes, backdrops... and of course there's the rehearsing." "Ah wanna act again!" "Me too! Does this one have any fight scenes? Any stunts?" Scootaloo flipped through the booklet, eyes searching for words indicating action sequences. "I don't think that it does," Sweetie Belle said. "But Miss Cheerilee said that I could change things to make it different." "Ooh! You should totally add a fight scene for me!" Scootaloo dropped the script as she bounced to her haunches, punching at the air in front of her, using her mouth to add sound effects. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but giggle at her friends' frankly adorable enthusiasm. "Now wait just a minute, Scootaloo! We don't even know what parts we're goin' to be playin'! How is Sweetie Belle supposed to add a fight for your character already... matter'a fact, how is the castin' gonna work? Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie Belle glanced nervously between her two friends' eager faces. "Well, Cheerilee told me that there was a casting session tomorrow, and that I'll get to assign the roles..." Sweetie Belle frowned. "Awesome! Pick a cool one for me!" Scootaloo suggested, reaching down and picking the script up again. "Like... ooh! This one. Drift Monsoon — she's a soldier sent on a mission to keep the peace in Equestria! You could totally work a burly brawl in there!" "Actually..." Sweetie Belle chuckled. "She's a he." Scootaloo's did a double take to the character description again, groaning loudly. Apple Bloom was doubled over from laughter on the floor. "And secondly, that's one of the main roles. I have to be fair with the casting. I don't want Cheerilee or the rest of the class to think I'm just putting you girls in the lead because you're my friends," Sweetie Belle sighed. It was a lot easier to cast a play when it was just three ponies. "That makes sense..." Apple Bloom said, conceding the fair point. "Guess we'll just have to earn the parts?" "Looks like it," Sweetie Belle said. "Although..." "Yeah?" Scootaloo's eyes lit up. "Cheerilee did say we had great chemistry together," Sweetie Belle pointed out optimistically. "That might help!". Apple Bloom tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean, 'chemistry'?" "It means," Scootaloo started, reaching over from her side and pulling a very unprepared Sweetie Belle towards her. "Well, take me and Sweetie Belle for example." The side of Sweetie Belle's head came to a halt, resting against the pegasus' warm shoulder. Although Sweetie Belle was yanked in rather suddenly, she felt no desire to pull herself away with any sort of haste. It was... nice. Comfortable. If she could be so bold to use an expression from her sister, it was positively magnificent. She could get used to this, she thought. Her eyes had closed as soon as she felt herself being pulled, and she hadn't yet opened them even after coming to a stop. Sweetie Belle's mind's eye was occupied trying to etch this moment in her memory, her head resting on that delightful pillow of a pegasus' shoulder. Scootaloo's orange fur, though she remembered from their exploits being coarser than her own, was somehow more delightfully soft and inviting than it had been before. Suddenly — "Uh... Sweetie Belle?" The filly's eyes jerked open, Apple Bloom staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Sweetie Belle's white face turned a stark crimson, and the comfortable warmth became unbearable. She pulled her head off of Scootaloo's shoulder, glancing momentarily at the orange ears turned red in embarrassment below her purple mane, Scootaloo's face was still looking away from her. Sweetie Belle tried to pull the rest of herself away, but Scootaloo's foreleg was still wrapped around the unicorn's shoulder. "Sorry!" she squeaked shamefully. "Blood rush — I got dizzy from the running and jerking around and... stuff." Her eyes were firmly planted on the floor. "Right..." Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "So, uh, Scoots, you were saying?" "Oh! Yeah!" Scootaloo shook her head vigorously. "So, chemistry. It means we really get along together. Like, since we're such good friends for real, we can really be comfortable together when we're acting." Sweetie Belle's ears were an inferno as she felt Scootaloo turning her head to look at her. "That's what chemistry is, right, Sweetie Belle?" "...Yeah. Pretty much." Sweetie Belle mumbled, scratching her left foreleg with her right hoof awkwardly. "Well, I say we get to practicin'!" Apple Bloom cried, "If we learn to act how the characters are s'pposed to act, we'll get awesome roles tomorrow for sure!" "And one step closer to earning our cutie marks!" Scootaloo added, throwing her hooves in the air excitedly, releasing Sweetie Belle from her surprisingly firm grip. Sweetie Belle scrambling away as innocuously as she could. "What do you say, Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie Belle looked up again, her green eyes meeting Apple Bloom's orange ones, and Scootaloo's violet ones. They both seemed oblivious to her reaction, which Sweetie Belle was quite thankful for. "Huh?" "We can't rehearse properly without ya!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Yer the director, after all. You'll know exactly what to look for." "Well, I..." "Yeah!" Scootaloo chimed in. "We don't want to get stuck playing a bunch of trees, do we? We can't do this without you!" Sweetie Belle laughed, the nervous attitude seemingly vanished in light of her friends' ever-present enthusiasm and votes of confidence. "Alright! Let's get to work!" She extended her white hoof in front of the other two, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both reached out with a hoof of their own, With all three of their hooves in contact, they inhaled to prepare their familiar "battle cry" that they used so often in the war against their blank flanks. "Cutie Mark Crusader Performers YAY!" "Cutie Mark Crusader Actors YAY!" "Cutie Mark Crusader Thespians YAY!" The chaos of their jumbled cry left all three of the fillies lying in stitches on the treehouse floor. "Settle down, everypony!" Cheerilee called to no avail, her command falling flat against the excited chatter of her students. "I want to paint the backgrounds! And the foregrounds!" "We're on a stage! How can you paint a foreground?" "I don't know, but I just want to paint!" "Your attention, please!" the teacher shouted again. This time, it worked. The entire classroom fell silent, each filly and colt turning to look at the teacher. Some even had their mouths hanging open having been halted mid-conversation. "Now, I'm glad you are all so excited for the play, but we've got to get started right away with assigning each and every one of you something to do." All at once, the classroom exploded into a din again. each and every pony simultaneously announcing what they wanted to do. "Everypony, please!" the mare yelled again. "We've got to focus!" She beckoned to Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, could you come to the front, please?" Sweetie Belle hopped from her desk at her summons, passing by several students as she trotted to the front. She stopped next to her teacher, who continued to speak. "Now, we have our director. But there are several other jobs to do. Painting, costumes, props, and of course, acting." A shrill voice sounded from the left side of the room. "Well, there's one role you don't have to worry about, Miss Cheerilee!" Diamond Tiara said smugly, hopping down from her desk to the front of the room with a large apparatus in a pink satchel on her back. Sweetie Belle watched with a raised eyebrow as the pink earth pony settled next to her, lowering the object from her back and unfolding it - revealing a folding chair with the letters "D.T" on the back in bold font. In between the letters was an illustration of her cutie mark. "Meet your new Star Bright!" she exclaimed, nestling into her chair, wriggling to make herself comfortable. "As much as we appreciate your enthusiasm, Diamond Tiara," Cheerilee said warily. "We'll be holding a casting session in just a bit. We'll find the best pony for each role, including that of Star Bright." "Perfect! I'll get it that way instead," Diamond Tiara resumed, seemingly oblivious to the notion of a casting session. "No offense, but Star Bright is a unicorn," Sweetie Belle told her. "And she has to be romantic." "So we'll slap a fake horn on, duh! And what do you mean by romantic?" A bewildered Diamond Tiara asked. "I'm plenty romantic! Isn't that right?" She turned to ask the rest of her classmates, who stared back in an uncomfortable silence. "Well?" She raised her voice. "Hah, well..." Cheerilee rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I'd say now is a good time to start the casting session, don't you think, Sweetie Belle?" "Mhm!" Sweetie Belle nodded. "Wonderful, let's get started." Cheerilee gestured to her desk. "Everyone who is interested in performing in the play, come up and grab a copy of the script from my desk." Earlier that morning, Sweetie Belle had brought her suggested changes to the script to her teacher for approval. After it was finalized, the teacher used the printing press in the school to make around a dozen copies. A majority of the class filed to the front, the first of the arrivals claiming their copies. "Miss Cheerilee, there's not enough for all of us!" Silver Spoon whined as she arrived to the now-empty desk. "You'll just have to share with somepony else, Silver Spoon," Cheerilee explained, receiving an exasperated sigh in return. "Now, can we arrange the desks to form a circle? Quickly, quickly, everypony!" There was a shuffling and scraping of metal on wood as the students formed an imperfect circle of desks, leaving a wide gap in the center of the room. Each pony in the room took a seat, anxiously awaiting what would come next. Several of the ponies who had scripts were absorbed in them, with their friends squeezing in behind them to read over their shoulders. Though they had gone over it last night, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were both scrunched with Sweetie Belle. "Fantastic! Now, Sweetie Belle will be in charge of the casting process," Cheerilee announced. Several of the students gasped, the loudest of which was of course Diamond Tiara. "Why does she get to choose the parts?" Diamond Tiara asked with a whine. "Because, she's the director. It's her job to make sure that the ponies playing the parts are the best possible for the play," Cheerilee told her. "Now, everypony who wants to help with props and sets, come with me to the stage." As the remainder of the students stepped into the hall, Cheerilee looked back at Sweetie Belle with a grin. "You've got it from here, Sweetie Belle?" "Yes ma'am!" Sweetie Belle raised her hoof with the script in it. "Alright. Good luck, everypony!" Cheerilee closed the door behind her as she went through it. The room grew quiet as every set of eyes turned to face Sweetie Belle, some with curiosity, some with confusion, and some with disdain. "Well..." She cleared her throat, her face growing hot. "I suggest we get started." "And how do you suppose we do that?" Diamond Tiara asked haughtily. "Since you apparently know so much about casting." "Back off!" Scootaloo shot at her. "At least she's directed a play before, so she's got more experience than you!" "A lame three pony play. It would have been horrible if her sister hadn't come through with those costumes." "Horrible? I suppose you think you could have done better?" "Not with her writing it! At least there's hope for this one." "Girls!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "Scootaloo, thank you. Diamond Tiara..." The earth pony glowered at her as Sweetie Belle inhaled deeply. "I understand you might have a problem with me being in charge—" "Tch" "—but, I would appreciate if we could just try and work together for once." "Fine. Whatever." Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "So what do we do?" "Since the play is about Star Bright and Drift Monsoon... we should probably cast them first. So, who wants to be Star Bright?" The fillies in the room exploded at her, and Sweetie Belle was unable to make heads or tails of what anypony was saying. "I want to be Star Bright!" "Let me play her!" "Puh-lease! Obviously, I'm the best choice!" "STOP!" Sweetie Belle shouted, her voice cracking. "Maybe choosing Star Bright is going to be more difficult than I thought... let's get Drift out of the way first instead." A series of disappointed groans and reluctant agreements met her. Sweetie Belle did her best to not appear flustered at their disapproval, and scanned the room for the perfect candidate for Drift Monsoon. Her choices were remarkably limited. Snips and Snails were both males, but neither of them were pegasi, and neither of them struck Sweetie Belle as having the capacity to pull off the role. Pipsqueak might have fared better, but again, he didn't have the wings. That left Featherweight and Rumble, and she couldn't find Featherweight. "Rumble?" Sweetie Belle asked timidly. "Since Drift Monsoon is a male pegasus... and you're a male pegasus... did you want to play him?" Rumble folded his grey forelegs across his chest, and rather crossly replied. "Not really, no." "What? Why not?" "Because, it's so... sappy and lame! And I'd have to kiss somepony, yuck!" "Please, Rumble! You're the only male pegasus we have... except for Featherweight — where is he?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking around again to make sure she hadn't missed him on her initial scan. "He's working on the set. He prefers to be behind the camera, not in front of it," Rumble explained to her. "And no offense, I don't think he'd be too interested in having to kiss one of you either." "Not even... me?" Diamond Tiara fluttered her eyelashes. "Since I'm going to be Star Bright anyways, kissing me won't be a big deal, will it?" Try as he might, Rumble could not disguise his displeasure at the thought of having to share a kiss with Diamond Tiara. "Blah, no way!" "And who says you're going to be playing Star Bright anyways?" one of the classmates piped up. "Yeah! We haven't even tried out yet!" "Duh!" Diamond Tiara fired back, unsure of who it was that she was firing at. "Because Star Bright is a high class noble pony, and I'm about as high class as this crowd is gonna get." "Maybe you should try acting classy sometime then!" "Everypony, QUIET!" This time it was Scootaloo that had spoken up. "If Rumble or Featherweight don't want to play Drift... I will." The classroom fell silent. Scootaloo started to slink down back into her seat, her face roughly the same color as Apple Bloom's mane. "Scootaloo... you're kinda... well, you're kind of a girl," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "So? I act like more of a boy than Rumble and Featherweight do anyways, and it says in the script that 'Drift Monsoon is a drafted soldier in the pegasus army, sent as an ambassador due to his comparably lackluster flight abilities.' Doesn't that remind you of anypony?" Scootaloo flapped her small wings ineffectively. "Umm... I guess you do fit that part at least, but..." "But nothing!" Diamond Tiara interrupted. "You can't play Drift! That means that either Snips or Snails would have to play Star Bright, and I don't want those bozos ruining the show!" "Hey!" Snips and Snails exclaimed simultaneously. "...Well, it doesn't necessarily mean that we'd have to have a male unicorn playing Star Bright. I mean, back in old times, females played EVERY role in theater, even the male ones," Sweetie Belle mused aloud, rubbing her forehead with both hooves. "Are you seriously suggesting that the filly who plays Star Bright would have to kiss her? On the lips? That's so gross!" Silver Spoon exchanged a disgusted look with Diamond Tiara, who returned the grimace. "Have you got a better idea? At least I'm trying to help!" Scootaloo shot back at the two. "As a matter of fact, I do." Diamond Tiara answered scathingly. "Rumble, front and center, NOW." Rumble groaned in protest, but stepped into the center of circle of desks anyways. "I don't want to play Drift, I already told you!" Diamond Tiara made her way to the center of the room next to him, a copy of the script in her mouth. She spat it on the ground, and flipped it open to one of the later pages. "Here, let's act out this scene here," Diamond Tiara commanded, pointing at a set of lines. "I'll be Star, and you'll be Drift. I'm going to prove that we're perfect for the roles!" *** "You have to leave!" Star Bright pleaded to Drift Monsoon. "If they find you here with me, who knows what kind of trouble you'll be in!" "Sounds good to me. See you around." With that, Drift leapt out of the window. *** "No, no, no!" Diamond Tiara cried in frustration. "That wasn't even the line! You aren't even trying!" "Because I don't want to! This is stupid — listen, if Scootaloo wants to play the part, let her!" "I am not, I repeat, NOT, going to pretend to be in love with that blank flank!" "I'm a blank flank!" Rumble turned his side to expose his grey, cutie mark-less flank to Diamond Tiara. "Yeah, w-well, why are you even here if you didn't want to act?" The filly stepped backwards, eyes shifting between the script on the floor and the blank flank in front of her. "I do want to act, I just don't want to be Drift Monsoon. Not after skimming the script, anyways." Rumble explained. "I was actually hoping to play Captain Cumulus." "Before we get too off topic," Sweetie Belle interrupted hastily. "We still need to cast our leads! Now, a lot of you want to play Star Bright, I got that. But first, who wants to play Drift Monsoon?" Nopony around the room stirred, except for Scootaloo immediately to Sweetie Belle's left. Sweetie Belle motioned for her to put her hoof down for the time being. "Anypony?" she asked meekly. Still no response. Her classmates looked back and forth at each other, and Diamond Tiara looked positively frazzled. "Well, without further ado..." Sweetie Belle turned to look at Scootaloo with a grin. "I guess you'll be playing Drift, Scoots!" "Yes!" Scootaloo pumped her hoof in the air excitedly. "No!" Diamond Tiara, on the other hoof, looked positively revolted. "What's your problem, Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle snapped. "This is so lame! You're completely ruining the play with your horrible casting! How am I supposed to light up the stage knowing that I have to kiss Scootaloo? This is a romance — not a horror!" "It's a good thing this ain't the Diamond Tiara show then, isn't it?" Apple Bloom asked coldly. "I can't help it if nopony else wanted to play the part!" Scootaloo defended herself. "I'm just trying to make the play a success!" "Besides," Sweetie Belle joined in. "It's just a silly kiss. What's the big deal?" "If it's just a silly kiss..." Diamond Tiara's face broke into a wide grin. "...then why don't you play Star Bright?" A collective "ooooooh" sounded throughout the room. A challenge had been issued. Sweetie Belle paused, her face quickly growing flush. Since she was the director already, she hadn't even considered taking on the dual role of acting in the play as well. Truthfully, an excuse to kiss her crush, even if Scootaloo thought it entirely platonic, held great appeal to Sweetie Belle. After all, wasn't the reason she signed on to direct the love story between a pegasus and unicorn based partially on her own feelings towards Scootaloo? "I - uh - er..." Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo, who looked just as embarrassed as she did. "Just as I thought. What's the big deal? Pah!" Diamond Tiara guffawed mockingly, the rest of the class giggling along with her. "W-wait!" Sweetie Belle gulped nervously. "W-would that be a problem? I thought that... that some of you wanted to play her." "I wanted to," a bright yellow-orange earth pony named Sunny Daze spoke up. "But... you are a unicorn, like Star Bright is." "Me too," added her friend Peachy Pie, another earth pony. "And Scootaloo — you're nice and everything, but I just... well, you know." Scootaloo nodded bashfully. "You should totally do it!" Rumble exclaimed. "Just to see the look on Diamond Tiara's face!" Diamond Tiara's cry to silence Rumble was drowned out by the cheers from the rest of the class. "So... I guess that means..." Sweetie Belle murmured softly, looking at Scootaloo tentatively. Her pale green eyes met the pegasus' deep violet ones. "It's just a silly kiss, right?" Scootaloo asked as nonchalantly as she could. Sweetie Belle's crimson face nodded. "I think I'm going to throw up," Diamond Tiara uttered as she leaned over her desk, Silver Spoon patting her back while she shook her head sadly. Author's Note Major props to RaylanKrios for his help on this one. The structure drastically changed with his input, and for the better, I should think. It's a lot of fun to write something that's not as serious as Scootaloo & The Cabinet of Seers! Any thoughts, comments, criticisms, let me know below. Intermission: Learning The LinesNow that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were both cast as Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, the atmosphere was a markedly different one than before. There were rumblings of doubt, laughter, curiosity, and at least from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, serious unrest circulating throughout the colts and fillies. Sweetie Belle felt a growing sense of unease now that she was both the director and one of the stars. Though it was purely through happenstance that she wound up being cast as Star Bright, she couldn't help but wonder if the numerous classmates would think badly of her for it — it wasn't like she had planned it! A tiny, ecstatic voice in her head, however, couldn't be happier that things had worked out the way they did. Now she had a perfect excuse to tell Scootaloo exactly how much she meant to her! However, another voice was wondering if finally telling Scootaloo the truth in this form would be as cathartic as she hoped her confession would be, or if it would just make her longing even worse knowing that pouring her heart out to her crush was going to be seen as nothing but a performance. But then there would be that kiss... maybe Scootaloo would feel the honesty behind it, and know that it was all true? Being that Sweetie Belle had never kissed anypony else before, other than her parents, she was more than a little nervous. What if she was bad at it? What if she missed? What if she got so nervous that she threw up all over Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle gasped aloud, shaking her head to silence those horrifying thoughts. She knew that there was only one way to find out what would happen, and that was by actually putting on the play. However, even after her mane stopped shifting from the jerking, the voices didn't stop. She looked away from Scootaloo, who had slunk into her desk with a flushed face muttering silently to herself, and looked around the classroom to see the remainder of her classmates talking among themselves, clearly restless. She began to panic — how long had she been lost in thought? Sweetie Belle both loved and hated that thinking about Scootaloo could do that to her. "Everypony?" she cried, finding herself once again the target of over a dozen pairs of staring eyes. "I know that the casting so far might be a bit..." Sweetie Belle heard a shrill voice utter the word "horrendous", but ignored it. "...Unorthodox," she continued. "But, I think that's one of the things that's going to make Ponyville Elementary's production of "Harmony's Flowers" really stand out!" Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, and stepped out into the circle of desks. "I promise that Scootaloo and I are going to do our best to fit the roles we're playing." Scootaloo offered a smile and an enthusiastic nod. "That said, we still have a lot of really important parts to cast yet, and on top of simply casting the roles well, I want to make sure that the ponies playing them actually want to play them." Sweetie Belle sighed in relief as she heard murmurs of general agreement sounding around her. She noticed Rumble nodding his head profusely. "So, we're going to do things just a little bit differently. Instead of simply listing the parts, and straight up assigning them to everypony, we're going to do a really quick run through of the first act." The aforementioned murmurs of agreement changed back to the familiar rumblings of confusion. "What does that even mean?" "Wait, who's playing who?" "How are we supposed to act without casting?" "This doesn't make any sense!" "Wait, wait, wait!" Sweetie Belle waved her script in the air. "Remember how Rumble and Diamond Tiara came up to act as Drift and Star? It was pretty clear from that performance that Rumble didn't want to play Drift, right?" After a bit of laughter, she carried on with a smile. "So instead, we're going to start from the beginning. As the roles are introduced, anypony who wants to can come up to the center to act it out. That way, all of us, and not just me, can help with the casting process. Does that sound good to everypony?" "And if two ponies want to play the same character?" Unsurprisingly, Silver Spoon was the one to inquire. "Then..." Sweetie Belle scratched her chin "...then they can both try, and we can all put it to a vote to see who did it best." After she and one of her best friends inadvertently wound up as the starring roles, Sweetie Belle wanted to make absolutely sure that the class didn't think she was abusing her power as both play director and casting director to unfairly give her friends the best roles. A voting system seemed like the best way to do it, and judging from the nods encircling her, even the reluctant ones from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, it looked like the right choice. Sweetie Belle exhaled deeply, relieved that she seemed to have quelled that notion of corruption for the time being. With a perk in her step, she trotted back to her desk and the grinning faces of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Nicely handled, director," Apple Bloom whispered as Sweetie Belle climbed into her seat. "Thanks," Sweetie Belle replied as she picked up her copy of the script, opening it to the first page. She cleared her throat, and addressed the rest of the class as authoritatively as she could muster. "So, let's get started! Act 1: Scene 1. The narrator is the first one to speak, so whoever wants to be the narrator, start us off!" *** "It wath a beautiful day in the land of Equethtria. The thun was thining —" *** "Stop!" "What is now, Diamond Tiara?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't we at least have a narrator that can speak properly? I mean, like, no offense, Twist." Diamond Tiara's added rather lamely. "None taken..." Twist said with a frown. "Who are you to say who can and can't narrate?" Rumble fired, coming to Twist's aid. "No, Rumble," Sweetie Belle intervened. "Diamond Tiara's right. It's important that everypony can understand what's going on. Twist, would you mind maybe playing a different role?" "Not at all!" Twist replied cheerfully, diving back into her script, likely to scour for another role she could try for. "Great! Does anypony else want to narrate?" "I'll give it a go," Pipsqueak piped up with his Old Equestrian accent. Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together. "Alright, from the top." *** "It was a beautiful day in Equestria. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and spirits were high. Ponies were enjoying the scenery that their new land provided. However, in the village of Founder's Green, not all was well." *The lights turn on to reveal the exterior of a flower shop, entitled "Founder's Greenery". Outside, a female earth pony and male unicorn are witnessed standing close to each other.* *** "Excellent narration, Pipsqueak! Your accent adds such an old timey... sophistication to it!" Sweetie Belle said, the rest of the class agreeing enthusiastically. Pipsqueak bowed his head. "Why thank you!" "Narrator... Pipsqueak." Sweetie Belle scribbled on her script. "Alright, these two ponies. A female earth pony and a male unicorn. Both fairly minor, but recurring, roles, but who wants to step up and play them?" Snips bounded over his desk to the center of the room, practically tripping over his best friend Snails. "I've so got this!" "Okay. So, the female earth pony? Silver Spoon? Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle asked the two, hoping that suggesting that she wanted their participation would make the duo more cooperative. After all, if the play was to be a success, she'd need everypony involved to be willing to work together. "Psh! As if," Silver Spoon exclaimed with disgust. "She only has like... three lines." There was a scraping of a chair against the floor. Twist had stepped to the center of the room alongside Snips. "Thould be good for me, right?" Sweetie Belle nodded her head, and clapped her hooves to resume the scene. *** The couple nuzzled with each other, and the unicorn used his magic to present a bouquet of flowers to the earth pony. "Oooh! They're tho pretty! Thank you!" The earth pony gave him a swift peck on the cheek. *** The entire class giggled madly, Twist and Snips both blushing profusely with big, silly smiles on their faces. *** "They reminded me of you, of course they're pretty!" The unicorn replied bashfully. "Aww thucks!" The earth pony wrapped him in a hug. "Suddenly," the narration continued. "The owner of the flower shop, Gardenia, emerges from within. She looks upset." *** "Now, It says here that Gardenia is the owner of the flower shop. She's an earth pony, Harmony's mother, and is not fond of ponies being affectionate outside of their race. Cold, callous, and stubborn, and also a major character... Any takers?" Sweetie Belle asked the collective. "Diamond Tiara!" Cried several ponies at once. "This role is perfect for her!" "What are you talking about?" Diamond Tiara shouted incredulously. "I'm not any of those things!" "Of course not," Scootaloo agreed with a nearly undetectable trace of sarcasm. "But are you a good enough actress to pull it off?" "Are you joking? Step aside!" Diamond Tiara pushed backwards to allow herself room to make her way to the center. "Hurry up, let's get on with it." Taking it upon herself, she clapped her hooves together to continue the show. *** "Get that out of here!" Gardenia cried, waving a bouquet of flowers at the two ponies frantically. "Nopony wants to see that kind of behavior in public, especially between... ponies like you two." "Excuse me, ma'am," the unicorn stepped in front of his frightened and embarrassed filly friend. "But what we do together is none of your business!" "It is my business, young man! If I told the noble Baron Brilliance that one of his followers was seen courting a common earth pony, he'd have you exiled! You're lucky I'm in a good mood today!" "E-Exthiled?" The female earth pony asked timidly. "Yes, exiled!" Gardenia answered. "Same for you, missy! If Mayor Marigold found out about your relationship, you'd be ousted from Founder's Green in an instant!" She stomped her hoof on the ground to illustrate. "Now get out of here before I change my mind!" "Fine! Whatever, lady!" The unicorn relented. "Let's just... get out of here..." *The earth pony and unicorn exit the stage* *** "Wow... that was actually really good, Diamond." Scootaloo said, genuinely impressed. "See? Told you I'm great." Diamond Tiara brushed her shoulders casually. "So, can I mark you for Gardenia, then?" Sweetie Belle asked with the tip of a quill in her mouth, hovering above her personal copy of the script. Diamond Tiara uttered a sigh. "Fine, whatever. I don't think anypony else would be half as convincing as me anyways." "Alright, another role down!" Sweetie Belle cried excitedly after she finished writing. It looked like her unusual method of casting was working after all! "Next up, we have Harmony. This is the daughter of Gardenia, a hard working yet inquisitive earth pony who doesn't understand why different races can't be seen together in public showing affection." Sweetie Belle gestured to Apple Bloom. "You said you were interested in this one, right?" "Ah sure did! Does anypony mind if Ah give this role a try?" Nopony spoke up. "They probably don't want to be on stage, pretending to be related to Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo whispered into Sweetie Belle's ear, much to her friend's delight. "Well, let's hop to it!" Apple Bloom bounced next to the seemingly perpetually annoyed looking Diamond Tiara. Snips and Twist had both already retreated to their seats, smiling faces still faintly red. *** "Mama, mama! You'll never believe it — that flower Ah found is starting to bloom!" A voice from inside the flower shop cried. "Harmony? What's going on now?" Gardenia called back inside, setting the bouquet of flowers she had waved at the offensively affectionate ponies neatly down on the ground beneath the window. Harmony burst forth from the door, gently carrying on her back a pot containing a very peculiar looking flower. The flower had a large, bright orange bulb of curled petals like a tiger lily. Yet, the bright white stem bore several thorns, like that of a rose. "Mah flower! It's blooming!" The young earth pony cried happily. "That Flankenenstein looking flower?" Gardenia's nose wrinkled in disgust. "It doesn't look like it to me." Harmony carefully removed the flower from her back, and gazed at it, her enthusiasm quickly fading. "Oh... but it was blooming just a minute ago. It had this beautiful purple floret inside of the orange petals..." Gardenia continued to arrange the bouquets at the storefront, moving the same one to the left and right mere inches to try and get it just right. "It's probably for the best," she said. "I ain't never seen a flower with those kinda colors on a rose stem. It's not natural." "Oh well..." Harmony sighed, looking hopefully at the flower on the ground before changing the subject. "What was all that fuss about earlier?" "That? Oh, I was just doing my part, trying to keep other ponies from getting into trouble." Gardenia answered, finally satisfied with the positioning of the bouquet. "Trouble? From what?" "Who, rather. Mayor Marigold, Baron Brilliance, and Captain Cumulus. The leaders of the pony races here in Founder's Green are none too keen on different types of ponies... intermingling as it were." "Why not? Wasn't Equestria founded because of different ponies becomin' friends?" "Friends maybe, but not romantically involved. We have to work to preserve our purity!" "Purity of what?" "Purity of our earth pony magic! If we had foals that were half earth pony, half unicorn, they wouldn't be half as good at doing either earth pony or unicorn jobs! That's why we have to keep them separate; to preserve our way of life." "Is that true?" "So many questions! The tribes leaders don't agree often, but they agreed on this. It has to be true! Besides, can you imagine... ponies with wings and horns? That's just so... unnatural. Blech!" Gardenia shook her head violently as if to exorcise the image from her mind's eye. "Ah heard from one of the pegasus at school that the new princesses of Equestria have both wings and horns. Least, that's what she told me," Harmony pointed out. "Don't pay her no mind. She's a pegasus. The air is thinner where they live, causes them to think funny." "Ah've heard that one before," Harmony sighed quietly. The lights fade, and the curtain falls. *** Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together, jarringly putting the performance to a halt. While the rest of the class was raptly watching the story unfold in front of them, Sweetie Belle was following the script, determining when the next character would be introduced. "Let me just say, and I think that everypony will agree with me, but I think our casting so far is really good!" She opined, somepony in the class agreeing enough to start a round of applause that everypony joined in on. Sweetie Belle wasn't surprised that Apple Bloom had done well as Harmony — that was the role she practiced in the clubhouse yesterday. Sweetie Belle was, however, surprised at how well Diamond Tiara was doing. Granted, a bigoted and ignorant character wasn't too much of a stretch, but it made Sweetie Belle all the more anxious about herself playing in a starring role. Don't forget, a little voice inside her head piped up. You're just playing an extension of yourself too! A unicorn who loves a pegasus. The applause, and Sweetie Belle's nervousness, died down. With the class seemingly more attentive to her instruction, she continued. "So next, we have two more characters. One is a somewhat minor character, Princess Celestia's Messenger. The other is Mayor Marigold." She flipped back to the front of the script to locate the character descriptions. "It says that Mayor Marigold is the leader of the earth ponies in Founder's Green. She is a longtime friend of Gardenia, and she also shares the same strong opposition about different pony races being romantically involved." Three fillies moved to the center of the classroom when Sweetie Belle finished; Silver Spoon, Tornado Bolt, and Sunny Daze. "Ummm..." Sweetie Belle started slowly. Three ponies for two roles? Or did they all want to play one? "So, which characters did you three want to play?" Tornado Bolt spoke up first. "I was hoping I could be allowed to play Princess Celestia's Messenger. I know in here it says it's a male, but considering..." Sweetie Belle could see Scootaloo grinning sheepishly out of the corner of her eye. "Of course, that's not a problem." Sweetie Belle nodded. "Now, Silver Spoon? Sunny Daze?" "Mayor Marigold," the two earth ponies answered simultaneously. Sweetie Belle gulped. Looks like it would be time to put that voting system to a test. "I think I should play it, since Diamond Tiara and I are like, the best of friends." Silver Spoon pointed her hoof at Diamond Tiara, who reached out and gave her friend a hoof-bump. "Yeah, just like the mayor and Gardenia." "Chemistry will only take you so far! My friend and I won for best dramatic performance at the talent show!" Sunny Daze bragged in retaliation. "Reciting a poem on roller skates isn't like acting like, at all!" Silver Spoon cried. "That's enough, girls!" Sweetie Belle interrupted. "So what's going to happen is, we're going to run through the scene twice, swapping you two out for Mayor Marigold. After we see you perform, everypony will vote for who they think played the part best. That sounds fair, right?" Sunny Daze and Silver Spoon both agreed. "So, Tornado, it looks like you'll be running unopposed for Princess Celestia's Messenger," Sweetie Belle informed the pegasus, receiving an enthusiastic hoof pump in return. "Next up is the narration," Sweetie Belle motioned to Pipsqueak. "Whenever you're ready, take us away." *** "In the City Hall, a distressed Mayor Marigold paces back and forth, accompanied by an pony unfamiliar to the denizens of Founder's Green. This pony is adorned in rather ornate armor, and gives an air of importance. The two are engaged in a heated conversation, and the nature of the argument will soon become clear." "...Who did you say sent you again?" a frazzled Mayor Marigold asked. "Princesses Celestia and Luna of Equestria," the other pony recited. "Celestia, there's that name again... Well, listen here, good madam — I don't see why we need to follow this ridiculous decree. Everything is fine in Founder's Green," Mayor Marigold insisted staunchly. "According to other scouts, merchants, messengers, and former citizens, this village in particular is barely a step up from Equestria prior to it's unification," the messenger pointed out, referencing a hefty roll of parchment. "I can assure you, nothing is further from the truth!" Mayor Marigold waved her hooves frantically. "Pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies all live together in perfect harmony in our lovely little hamlet!" "I've a list of observations that says otherwise..." "No, no! We earth ponies tend to the fields, providing food for everypony. The pegasi, bless them, they alter the weather so that we can grow our food. And the noble unicorns raise and lower the sun each day to provide the warmth and light that everypony needs! See, perfect harmony!" "Actually..." the messenger stopped moving. "Princesses Celestia and Luna raise the sun and moon each day. They've been doing so for the past few months." "BAH! I knew it!" Mayor Marigold exploded, the startled messenger flinching as a result. "Lazy unicorns, taking credit for things they don't even do, I should have known bet—." She froze, her chest wildly heaving in and out. "Ahem, I meant to say, how delightful! I always said those hardworking unicorns could use an extra hoof—" "Case in point," the messenger said coolly with a click of the tongue. "Not that it matters, being that you live in Equestrian borders, you are obligated to follow this decree set forth by our highness, which states that—" "No!" Mayor Marigold burst out again. "Oh haha, I'm sorry. I mean to say that I'm quite aware of what it says. It just so happens that I know a perfect place for them to learn. If it pleases you, would you follow me?" With a wary eye, the messenger lifted her right hoof, crossing it in front of her left, pointing at the the door. "After you." *The duo exit the door, and the lights fade once again* *** Suffice it to say, the ponies in the casting session learned that section of the play very well. Silver Spoon and Sunny Daze performed the scene not just once, but twice, before the rest of the class (Sweetie Belle included) was comfortable in selecting one of them to play the mayor. Tornado Bolt meanwhile, was able to memorize all of her lines as Princess Celestia's Messenger without the script by the fourth take. Once again, Sweetie Belle was ever so grateful that it was down to a vote and not her singular decision, because Sunny Daze looked remarkably disappointed when Silver Spoon barely won out for the role of Mayor Marigold. When Sweetie Belle looked ahead at the next scene, she decided that Silver Spoon was probably for the best anyways. Despite Sunny Daze's claim to the contrary, chemistry was important in acting. *** *The curtain raises, revealing the exterior of the flower shop once again. From the left side of the stage, Mayor Marigold and Princess Celestia's Messenger emerge on stage.* "Yes, yes, here we are! The pride and joy of Founder's Green!" Mayor Marigold laughed with a false cheeriness that she had used many times at town hall meetings. "Founder's Greenery," read the messenger. "It's... a flower shop?" "A flower shop? Oh, no, no!" the mayor chuckled as she trotted to the door, knocking on it several times with her hoof. "I would bet that this is the single greatest flower shop in like, all of Equestria!" She reached over to row of flower bouquets beneath the window to the right of the door, and snatched one. "Here, give this a smell. Is it not divine?" Mayor Marigold gave the messenger very little choice in the matter as she stuffed the flora in her muzzle. The messenger rubbed her muzzle with her hoof. "That's er... that's nice." "Wonderful!" Mayor Marigold exclaimed. As the door opened behind her, she quickly tossed the bouquet on the ground towards the others. "Mari!" cried Gardenia from the doorway, Harmony standing by her side. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Mayor Marigold grappled Princess Celestia's Messenger, and thrust her towards a surprised Gardenia. "Whom, actually. You owe it to this mare right here. Harmony, could you give her the royal tour while I explain the situation to your mother?" She asked the bewildered youth. "That won't be an issue will it, ma'am?" "I uh - what?" the confused messenger stammered. "Fantastic! Off you two go!" The mayor called out as Gardenia shoved both the messenger and Harmony back into the store, slamming the door shut behind them. "What in Equestria is going on, Mari?" A shocked Gardenia asked. "We've got trouble, Gardenia," Mayor Marigold explained solemnly. "And it's everything to do with Equestria." "I don't understand. Who is that mare back there?" Gardenia scratched her head. "She's a messenger from Princesses Celestia and Luna, the rulers of Equestria." "I knew I heard that name somewhere before! What do they want?" "Well, apparently," Mayor Marigold cleared her throat. "They don't believe that we are being friendly and respectful to the other races of ponies." "WHAT?" Gardenia looked genuinely shocked. The mayor shook her head. "I know, right? I said the exact same thing." "We've always treated everypony with respect and digni—" Gardenia stopped short as she looked to the window of her store. "What happened with these flowers? Why is this bouquet thrown about on the ground?" Mayor Marigold shuffled uncomfortably. "Oh, uh... That, that messenger—" "Figures. Pegasus brutes," Gardenia said as she set the bouquet back in place. "So why is she even here?" "Well, the princesses decreed that ponies of different races in Founder's Green must work together, to 'learn to appreciate each other' or some nonsense like that," Mayor Marigold explained. "And?" "And... Baron Brilliance insists that all of the unicorn work in Founder's Green requires magic to do. And Captain Cumulus insists that all of the pegasus work requires flight." "You can't be saying what I think you're saying..." Gardenia's eyes widened. "I'm sorry!" "Are you suggesting that I'm going to have a snooty unicorn and a barbaric pegasus working on delicate flowers in my shop? Why would you send them here?" Mayor Marigold scrambled to explain to her increasingly angry friend. "Now look, Gardenia — we're friends! You know I would never send ponies like... like those to come work in your sacred den of flora if I didn't have a choice! My only other alternative would be to have them work on the farms and orchards in town. Now, think about that!" "Oh dear," Gardenia covered her mouth with her hoof in shock. "Unicorns and pegasi working on our food supplies? Surely, we would all starve!" "Or be poisoned. You never know with unicorn magic," Mayor Marigold added. "Indeed," Gardenia nodded solemnly. "I guess I can make that sacrifice then. I'll have them work with Harmony. I've been meaning to take a break anyways." "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Mayor Marigold snatched her friend and squeezed her in a tight hug. Gardenia coughed several times, sucking in as much oxygen as she could. Once she was released, she breathed the question "Okay then... when are they supposed to be coming?" Mayor Marigold whipped out a small notepad. "It says that they are to start in three days time. And their names are... Star Bright and Drift Monsoon." *** Cheerilee's reaction to Sweetie Belle's casting choices were much less negative than Sweetie Belle had feared. Rather than focus on the fact that there were two females playing Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, she simply applauded Sweetie Belle for taking on another role within the play. Sweetie Belle had to ask again, just to be sure. "So, it's not weird or strange or anything that Scootaloo and I are going to be... in love?" the filly asked with trepidation. "I mean, acting like we're in love?" "If you are happy with the casting choices, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee replied plainly. "Then I am happy with the casting choices." All told, it was a very successful first day for the play. Almost all of the roles had been cast, and everypony was having so much fun that they had to be reminded by Cheerilee to stop and eat their lunches. From what Sweetie Belle could see of the backdrops, they were coming across quite nicely, and the flower shop especially was almost exactly how Sweetie Belle had pictured it. At the end of the day, Sweetie Belle's throat was sore, and Sweetie Belle had barely done any acting as Star Bright yet. Being a director for more than three ponies was hard work, and Sweetie Belle suspected this was just the beginning. Still, it would be worth it. Not only to have a successful play under her belt, but also to finally confess to Scootaloo how she really felt. Sweetie Belle loved how Scootaloo had played Drift so far. Arguing with Captain Cumulus about being sent on a lame peacekeeping mission to work at a flower shop, and the genuine sensitivity about her poor flying ability being the deciding factor. Of course, that wouldn't matter. Star Bright would see Drift Monsoon for the wonderful pony he — or she — was, even if those small, adorable wings couldn't quite—. "Alright, everypony!" Cheerilee called from the front of the classroom, snapping Sweetie Belle from yet another Scootaloo induced trance. "Tomorrow morning, I want everypony to meet in the auditorium for homeroom, alright?" Dozens of cries of affirmation returned her answer. "With that, everypony have a great night. You all did a wonderful, wonderful job today!" There was a rush of colts and fillies that sailed past Sweetie Belle as they dashed to the exit of the classroom. In the hallway, Sweetie Belle meandered at a slow pace, stopping at the water fountain to get a much needed drink. Satisfied, she continued to the double doors when suddenly — "Sweetie Belle?" The unicorn turned around, and witnessed Scootaloo jogging towards her from the classroom. "Hey, Scootaloo! What's up?" The pegasus stopped in front of Sweetie Belle, taking a moment to catch her breath from the short sprint. "Just wanted to talk. So, how about that today?" "That what?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "You know..." Scootaloo laughed. "You and me, getting cast as Drift and Star." "Oh yeah, that! Yeah... that's really... really something." "I actually wanted to talk to you about it." "Really?" Sweetie Belle's voice came dangerously close to cracking. "Yeah... about the kiss." Sweetie Belle had to remind herself to breathe. Here she was, talking to her crush about their inevitable kiss. And the best part was that it was Scootaloo that brought it up! Sweetie Belle started to quiver. "Yeah... what about it?" Scootaloo's face was quickly becoming coated in red again. "I was just thinking that maybe - maybe we could..." "Yeah?" Sweetie Belle answered excitedly. "And this is just like... you don't have to..." "Uh-huh?" Sweetie Belle's could feel her own face heating up. "Because I know that the - the k-kiss is like.." Sweetie Belle could hardly contain herself, and just nodded her head quickly. "I was thinking that maybe we could—" "Practice?" Sweetie Belle blurted out, her voice cracking at last. "What?" Scootaloo exclaimed, her face positively doused in crimson. "...Prac-tice....?" Sweetie Belle repeated again, concentrating on trying to read Scootaloo's reaction. "Oh, well," Scootaloo scratched behind her head. "I was actually - I was actually going to suggest that we don't." "Don't? Don't what?" Sweetie Belle fired rapidly. "That we don't, you know... kiss." Though Scootaloo looked as though her face was on fire, Sweetie Belle felt as though someone had thrown her into a vat of icy water. "I um... I don't understand," Sweetie Belle said, her voice's excitement all but drained. "It's not that I think you're gross or lame or ugly or anything like that, okay? Because you're totally not!" "Oh... okay," Sweetie Belle mumbled. "It's just that," Scootaloo stammered. "Well, you saw the reaction in there with even just the thought of two fillies kissing, right?" "Mhm." "I just don't want people to ignore your awesome direction and acting and stuff to focus on a silly kiss, you know? Like Rarity's costumes — it wouldn't be fair to you!" "Yeah... unfair." "Besides, it is just a silly kiss, remember?" "Right," Sweetie Belle grumbled again, fighting with all of her might to keep her eyes from tearing up. "Are..." Scootaloo asked, her face returning to it's normal color. "Are you alright, Sweetie Belle?" "Yup," Sweetie Belle answered blankly. "Just tired. It's been a long day." "I hear that!" Scootaloo laughed in agreement. "Did you maybe want to do some more rehearsal later tonight, maybe after dinner? Apple Bloom and I were thinking about it." "No thanks," Sweetie Belle answered glumly. "I think I'm just going to get some sleep." Scootaloo nodded her head. "That's probably not a bad idea. Get some rest, alright?" Sweetie Belle nodded in return. "Well, see you tomorrow, Sweetie!" Scootaloo ran towards the doors, waving behind her. Sweetie Belle waved back at her. The doors closed with Scootaloo on the other side, and Sweetie Belle finally let loose and began to cry. It was the strangest thing, because they weren't exactly tears of sadness. Sure, she was disappointed that she and Scootaloo were probably never ever going to share a passionate kiss. However, it was the reasons Scootaloo presented that further strengthened the resolve of Sweetie Belle's affections. Scootaloo didn't want Sweetie Belle's play to go from a work of art to a simple showcase of two fillies kissing — just like the costumes from A Tale of Three Fillies, that sort of thing had the potential to distract the audience from everything else that Sweetie Belle had worked hard to accomplish in the play. And then, she and Apple Bloom were going to do some extra rehearsal this evening, all to make her play even better. On top of that, she even took on a role that she knew could be potentially humiliating just for the sake of "making the play a success." How could somepony be so wonderful? She did all of that for her, and Sweetie Belle loved Scootaloo for it so, so, so much! If only Sweetie Belle could show it properly. Author's Note I am so sorry it took so long to get this one up and running. I had an enormously difficult time outlining the "story within a story" piece that I wanted to do, but I think it came out alright. I loved making Gardenia and Mayor Marigold ignorant of their ignorance. So much fun! I'd love to hear what you all thought of this - did the "story within a story" method reveal the plot to the play fairly well? Act 3: Living The Role"You have to leave!" Star Bright pleaded to Drift Monsoon. "If they find you here with me, who knows what kind of trouble you'll be in!" Drift quietly closed the window behind him, catching his breath while doing so. "I'm... I'm already in trouble," he gasped. "My commander, Captain Cumulus, he found about - about us. He called me into his office, told me I was going to be arrested, and I had to fight my way out and - and I don't know what to do!" The pegasus slumped down against the wall. With a gasp, Star hurried towards him, leaning down and offering the frazzled pony a comforting hug, which Drift gratefully accepted. "You're not hurt, are you?" she asked gently. Drift uttered a weak laugh. "Me? Of course not! It takes a lot more than four well-trained pegasi soldiers attacking at once to get me down." Star looked at him suspiciously and smirked. "So how many were there?" "Five," he groaned, stretching his back. "You're a horrible liar, you know," Star said with a grim smile, softly massaging Drift's aching shoulder. "Isn't that a good thing?" "It would be, if we didn't have to keep us a secret," Star sighed. "How did he find out?" "I don't know," Drift shrugged. "I didn't say a word, and the only other pony who knew was Harmony, and she would never-" *the door to Star Bright's room bursts open. Gardenia rushes into the room, accompanied by both Captain Cumulus and Baron Brilliance.* "...It's preposterous, I tell you! Star would never disgrace our family like - oh dear," Baron Brilliance's staunch denial was interrupted at the sight of his youngest daughter in the hooves of a pegasus. "Father!" Star Bright cried, but she didn't budge an inch from where she sat. "I said the same thing about my soldier," Captain Cumulus muttered as eyed the scene with a visible distaste on his face. "Though, I think that 'disgrace' is a strong word. She could do far worse than a proud pegasus soldier." "A noble unicorn like my daughter? I think-" "Will you two shut up?" Gardenia shouted, silencing the two bickering ponies. She looked at Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, nose wrinkled in disgust. "How? Did you really think that you could get away with that... with that kind of behavior right under my muzzle? Did you really think I was that ignorant?" she exclaimed. "I knew that nothing good would come of having these kinds of ponies working together." "These kinds of ponies?" Baron Brilliance's question was met with a raised hoof from Gardenia. "You both know what I mean," she said. "But now, we can finally rid ourselves of this... this cancer! Mayor Marigold has already arranged a sentencing for you two," she directed at the frightened Star and Drift. "Today, right outside of my flower shop, the scene of the crime." "Crime?" Drift yelled. "We haven't done anything wrong!" "At ease, soldier," Captain Cumulus said sternly. "That's for the tribe leaders to decide, isn't it?" "Indeed it is," Baron Brilliance agreed, much to Star's chagrin. "Father, you can't be serious! I'm your daughter-" "No daughter of mine would be seen courting such a neanderthal," Baron Brilliance answered coldly. "Baron..." Captain Cumulus grumbled. "Enough!" Gardenia shouted again, impatient and irritated. "We're going to Founder's Greenery, where everypony in town will be able to witness this atrocity... and then see what happens if they care to test it for themselves. Guards!" The two unicorn bodyguards standing outside the room moved inside through the doorway, but stopped when they saw whose voice had summoned them. They both grumbled back and forth to each other, before one of them leaned towards Baron Brilliance. "Sir?" "Right, right..." Baron Brilliance mumbled. "They won't listen to a common earth pony." "Common?" a clearly insulted Gardenia inquired. "Guards!" the Baron commanded. "Escort these two towards the flower shop at the center of town. And uh..." he started as he grimaced at the sight of his daughter flashing her eyes angrily at him. "Give them some space." *All of the ponies leave the room and proceed down the stairs.* "All right, everypony!" Cheerilee announced from the front of now-empty stage. "This begins our intermission before the third and final act. Feel free to purchase some refreshments in the hallway - all homemade from Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" The couple stood up and waved their hooves modestly, the reputation of their baking prowess earning a polite applause. "The proceeds go directly to funding after school activities, such as tonight's play! The play will resume in ten minutes, so hurry on back!" The sound of dozens of chairs scraping across the auditorium floor masked the schoolteacher's gallop as Cheerilee swiftly made her way backstage. "Everypony, you are doing a wonderful job!" she gushed to her students, many of whom were taking off their costumes temporarily to cool themselves down. Being on a stage in full costume, with both the bright lights beaming down, and the stares of the crowd scorching tended to heat the performers up very quickly. "Even though you only had a week and a half to prepare, you guys are knocking it out of the park! If this opening night is anything to go by, I can see a future in theater for some of you," she added. "Speaking of which, where is the director? Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie Belle stood in front of the mirror, the unicorn in the reflection staring back at her. She was shaking with excitement, extremely glad that all of the rehearsal after school with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had paid off - she had spent much of the time in class overseeing the other performers, pointing out some nuances, and making slight adjustments to the script. So far, the play was going perfectly, with only minor "ums" and "uhs" being uttered as some of the more nervous ponies struggled to remember their lines. Though she and her classmates were equally dreading and looking forward to this evening, fearing that it would be agonizingly slow, it turned out the opposite was true. The night was flying by. For Sweetie Belle, this was nothing new. Over the last week and a half, time had been acting most peculiar for Sweetie Belle. It felt like it was moving either like a breezie on a windless summer day, or like Rainbow Dash racing to the line on the first day of cider season. There weren't any other speeds in between, except for one. Too slow, too fast, and just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon were in Founder's Greenery, bumping muzzles as they dutifully examined the same flower, it was just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon shared each other's lunch, laughing at the ridiculous myths perpetuated about their respective races, it was just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon discovered that they had more in common than either of them thought, both living under an enormous weight from their families, it was just right. And when Star Bright and Drift Monsoon both grasped each other's hooves for the first time and couldn't seem to let go, it was just right. And all of it, as Sweetie Belle reminded herself each day, was just a performance. More and more, she found herself quoting lines of the play in everyday conversation. She often woke up in the morning, her dreams of Star Bright and Drift Monsoon feeling so amazingly real, she felt cheated. But the hardest part, undoubtedly, was keeping her feelings towards Scootaloo a secret when everyday of preparation she found herself having more and more difficulty differentiating between what was the play, and what was real. Perhaps A Tale of Three Fillies wasn't the best way to measure it, but Scootaloo's acting talent surprised Sweetie Belle. Drift seemed just as enamored with Star as Star was with Drift. It all felt so genuine, so undeniably real, that Sweetie Belle was almost happy to accept it. Almost. The play was running for a week, and while Sweetie Belle was glad that she would be able to put an end to that schism, she enjoyed the "relationship" she had with Scootaloo so much that she wished it would go on forever. "...Sweetie Belle? Is everything alright, dear?" "What? Huh?" Sweetie Belle stopped focusing on her reflection, and noticed that Miss Cheerilee had appeared behind her in the mirror. "Are you okay? You seem distracted," the teacher said with a mild frown. "Oh, oh yes," Sweetie Belle spun around in her chair. "Just a lot of stuff on my mind, that's all." "I can imagine," her teacher nodded. "For what it's worth, you're doing a great job. The direction is snappy, humorous and heartfelt, and your acting... well, I actually believe that Star Bright and Drift Monsoon are in love!" In light of her situation, Sweetie Belle simply chuckled. "Heh... thanks." "I just wanted to let you know, in case you had any-" "Miss Cheerilee?" Sweetie Belle blurted. Her teacher didn't seem bothered by the interruption at all. "Yes?" "Do you think that... that I made the right decision?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously. "With what?" "With cutting the kiss." "What do you think?" Cheerilee asked simply. "I... I don't know. I mean, Scoots and I are both fillies, and I would really hate the thought of the entire play being forgotten in light of us kissing. It doesn't seem fair to anypony else," Sweetie Belle admitted. "That seems like a good enough reason to me." "Diamond Tiara didn't think so..." Sweetie Belle grumbled. "She got really angry when me and Scootaloo said we weren't going to. She said if she knew that the kiss wasn't going to be in, that she would have been Star Bright for sure." "I recall she mentioned it to me a few times," Cheerilee laughed, likely remembering when a seething Diamond Tiara accused Sweetie Belle of a conspiracy against her. "But, she didn't raise her hoof to be the director. You did." "So..." "So take pride in your choices, and stick by them. If you feel that's what's best for the play, then cut the kiss out." "But what do you think?" Sweetie Belle asked frantically. "I'm not the director, Sweetie Belle. You are," Cheerilee told her. "Is there anything else?" Sweetie Belle sighed deeply. "No... thanks, Miss Cheerilee." "Of course," Cheerilee nodded as she swiftly walked towards the side-door to the auditorium, passing the rest of the cast and crew in the process. "Break a leg, everypony!" she cheered. Sweetie Belle spun around in the chair, feeling just as uneasy about the situation as before. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't under a significant amount of stress for the past week and a half. Now, with the final act of the play inbound, signalling the beginning of the end to the fairy-tale world of Star Bright and Drift Monsoon that she wished to call hers, she felt positively overwhelmed. She rested her head on the desk in front of her, breathing deeply and slowly. "Sweetie Belle! You ready to go?" That voice. Of course it would be Scootaloo that would come to lift her from this mire. "Uh," Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, lifting her head to look in the mirror, pressing on the ends of her mane that had come undone. "Yeah, Scoots. I'm ready." She hopped out of the chair, about to make her way towards the stage when she saw the eyes of the entire cast gazing upon her. At the front of the pack was Scootaloo, in full costume as a discharged soldier, wearing a broad smile. Her wings flapped a few times excitedly before settling again at her sides. Completely adorable, and utterly contagious. With a gleam in her eye and a brand new grin of her own, Sweetie Belle looked at the clock. One minute to go. The crew had already swapped the backdrop to the flower shop, and the lights were already swapped to the orange bulbs to emulate a sunset in Founder's Green. Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves twice and confidently shouted- "Places, everypony! "And so, with Star Bright and Drift Monsoon discovered by the hateful Gardenia, all three tribe leaders; Mayor Marigold, Baron Brilliance, and Captain Cumulus, have prepared an impromptu sentencing for the pair," the narration says. "Outside of Founder's Greenery, they and the entire town have gathered to bear witness to the trial, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Hope, as we'll soon find out, is a curious thing." "Star Bright and Drift Monsoon," Mayor Marigold shouted from her chair, causing the ears of the two ponies standing before her to fold. "You stand before us today having been found guilty of violating one of the most sacred laws upheld in Founder's Green; partaking in a romantic relationship with a pony of a different race." Both Star and Drift exchanged glances with one another, shaking their heads sadly. "This law is not enforced for no good reason," Captain Cumulus resumed. "It is in place to prevent short-term inefficiencies and the long-term consequence of eventual degradation of all of equine kind. Baron Brilliance, if you could explain the specifics?" The pegasus captain gestured to the crowned unicorn to his right. "Certainly," Baron Brilliance nodded. "It would be the end of all of us!" he shouted, causing several ponies in the audience to shudder. "Imagine a unicorn, given access to boundless magic, but guided by a pegasus' lesser intelligence?" Captain Cumulus cleared his throat audibly, but the Baron paid no mind. "Mistaking the moon for a jawbreaker candy, they would summon it towards them, causing the tides to rise and flood all of the Earth!" Captain Cumulus practically hacked up a lung this time, the crazed banter of Baron Brilliance ceasing. "While that example greatly misrepresents pegasi intelligence... as well as that of unicorn magic, the theory holds true," the pegasus said. "Imagine a weather team of pegasi, their magnificent flight abilities eroding as their families stray and mingle with earth ponies. As the hulking body mass of an earth pony slowly infects the perfectly fit pegasi frame, we'd be left with a bunch of fat, slovenly, and flightless ponies." "This might be hard for you to understand, given your, ahem... nature," Mayor Marigold expelled, "but this is supposed to be a sentencing for these two. The hardy earth ponies have nothing to do with it." "Not surprising," came the voice of Baron Brilliance from across the table. "When have earth ponies ever had anything to do with anything of note?" Mayor Marigold winced as she quite literally bit her tongue. "Perhaps that overly gauche crown upon your head is like, cutting off oxygen to your head, but I would bear in mind where your food comes from and how it is harvested, Baron." "I'm fully aware of how it grows," the Baron shouted. "Sunlight! Sunlight that we unicorns bring everyday!" "The sun would not shine if my pegasi did not keep the skies clear, and the food would not grow if not for the rain that we provide!" Captain Cumulus argued. The trio of tribes leaders began arguing over one another, each citing an increasingly hyperbolic reason why their race was superior and that the others were barely worth mentioning. The crowd watching the gathering continued to grow, and the door the flower shop opened. Careful not to disturb the tribe leaders, the young Harmony quietly closed the door behind her. With the strange orange flower with a white stem resting in a pot on her back, she sauntered up to her mother, Gardenia. "What's goin' on, Mama?" Harmony whispered. "Why are Star and Drift standing in front of everypony? Are they in trouble?" "Oh yes, they are in quite a bit of trouble," Gardenia replied almost cheerfully. "Why?" "Harmony, perhaps if you would listen to what me and the tribes leaders say, you would learn something. There's a reason they say that 'with age comes wisdom', you know," she said with an annoyed tone of voice as she glanced down at her daughter. Gardenia did a double take when she saw the flower on her back. "Honey, why on Earth are you carrying that wretched plant around?" "It's been growin' and bloomin' all week," Harmony explained. "It's gonna fully bloom again real soon, Ah know it." "If you say so, dear- OH! Shh shh shh!" Gardenia shushed her already silent daughter. "They're getting ready for the sentencing!" Mayor Marigold cleared her throat and nestled herself into her chair. Her face was trying so hard to conceal a grin, but despite her best attempts, she couldn't disguise it. "Though we may share discrepancies about each other's races, we leaders of this community all agree on this." Drift Monsoon whispered inaudible reassurances to Star Bright as the unicorn stifled her sobs. "What you have committed is a crime against nature. By even endeavoring to explore a relationship between a unicorn and a pegasus is seen as an act of sabotage and of treason. Had we not intervened, your continued immoral romance and eventual offspring would be ineffective and a mutation of everything the proud pony races stand for. By opting to pursue this relationship, you have opted to pursue diluting the pony races and bringing about the crippling of future generations to come. Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, you are both hereby sentenced to-" "That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" The entire crowd looked around to see where the voice had come from, but they didn't need to look very hard. Behind where Drift and Star were standing, a pony ventured forth from the crowd. He was a light beige earth pony with a bright orange mane, and his cutie mark was that of a neatly wrapped scroll. Slung across his back was another scroll, kept in place by a silver chain that wrapped around his shoulders. "And who are you supposed to be?" Baron Brilliance asked incredulously. "Can't you see that we're busy here?" "My name is Magistrate Warren, from the Royal Court of the Two Sisters," the stallion answered almost mechanically, as though he had uttered his name several dozen times beforehoof. Baron Brilliance turned to face the other two tribal leaders, mouthing the words "royal court of the two sisters" to them, hoping they could enlighten him. He was met with another confused expression from Mayor Marigold, and a shrug from Captain Cumulus. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" Warren asked bafflingly at the sight of their disorientation. "The two Royal Sisters that govern Equestria, the province that you call home?" The three leaders all nodded and mumbled in agreement among themselves. "Celestia is a name that we are familiar with," Mayor Marigold told him. "What exactly is it that she wants this time?" "If you'll indulge me," Warren began. "Around a week and a half ago, one of Celestia's messengers came to this village with a royal decree - one that was forged after multiple complaints of unfair treatment among the different pony races in this town." "Yes, and we have followed that decree!" Mayor Marigold insisted. "Both of the selected candidates have been working and learning the earth pony trades right here at Founder's Greenery!" "Really?" the magistrate raised an eyebrow. "Then what is this going on here?" He waved his outstretched hoof across the whole scene. "A day off!" Captain Cumulus exclaimed, earning wide eyed stares from his two cohorts. "Yes! That's right!" Baron Brilliance added. "We're holding a celebration in their honor, to uhh... celebrate the bond between all of the pony races in our fair village!" Magistrate Warren looked with amusement around him. "It sounded to me like that bond was far from being celebrated," he noted, looking over his shoulder. "Aide Cohen, if you please?" He motioned his head forward. From where the magistrate had come, another pony unfamiliar to the township emerged. This time, it was a unicorn - purplish grey with a pale yellow mane. Upon his flank was a red feathered quill. In a yellow light, an envelope zipped out from the satchel along his side, and the letter within levitated in front of Magistrate Warren. "I have a letter from that messenger, one that describes a time long gone by. It says that the village of Founder's Green still holds true to all of the misconceptions and stereotypes that helped to drive ponies apart before Equestria was founded." "That is a bold faced lie! Why, we -" Mayor Marigold was cut off by a loud cough from Magistrate Warren. "And yet, here you are, sentencing these two ponies to some horrible fate for what you see as an irredeemable crime. For what, loving one another?" he pointed out. "Do you have any idea how genetics work, Mister Warren?" Baron Brilliance inquired angrily. "I know how you think it works, Baron," the magistrate answered with an abrupt sharpness. "What were the words that you used - 'ineffective and mutated'? My mother is an earth pony, my father a pegasus. Tell me, do you think that I am ineffective or a mutation?" None of the tribe leaders spoke. They instead tried to burn a hole through the magistrate with their outraged glares. After several minutes, Mayor Marigold broke the silence. "Magistrate Warren... With all due respect, this law that we are upholding is one that we have practiced for many, many years. There has never been a problem before, no? If ponies didn't like the way we ran things, they were free to leave. And if they chose to break the rules we set forth, we simply sent them on their merry way to do what they wish, or gave them time in to think in adequate confinement," her voice dripped with a tangible smugness. "So, is there a higher law that prevents us from doing so, magistrate?" Magistrate Warren pursed his lips and exhaled deeply. "Not within reason, there isn't, no, but-but how can smothering feelings be considered reasonable?" "They are free to express their feelings to each other," Captain Cumulus explained. "Just not in Founder's Green. Mayor Marigold, would you kindly finish the sentencing?" "With pleasure," Mayor Marigold expelled. "Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, I hereby sentence you to-" "Wait!" "What is it now, magistrate?" Mayor Marigold asked exasperatedly. "I - I think that perhaps, for variety's sake, we might hear from the two ponies on trial," Magistrate Warren gestured to Star Bright and Drift Monsoon. "Maybe they can explain what could have possibly prompted them to break such an old and time honored tradition? How does that sound to everypony?" As the crowd murmured in agreement, Magistrate Warren whispered into his aide's ear. "Cohen, send a letter to the Royal Sisters immediately, informing them of the situation." Aide Cohen nodded, and per his cutie mark, manipulated a red-feathered quill with his magic to furiously scribble on a blank piece of parchment. "Fine, fine!" the mayor cried above the din. "Let's hear what these traitors have to say for themselves." "Right then," Magistrate Warren sighed in relief. "Star Bright, perhaps you'd like to start?" Sweetie Belle looked down at the stage, barely registering that her line had come. It was one of her favorite lines in the entire play, the one where Star Bright confessed her love to Drift Monsoon in front of the entirety of Founder's Green. To be destined by the script of such a wonderful opportunity... Star Bright was a very lucky pony. "Star Bright, perhaps you would like to start?" Sweetie Belle looked up in the face of her classmate portraying the magistrate. He looked uneasy, and nodded his head every so slightly as encouragement. Sweetie Belle looked around at the rest of her classmates, all of them staring at her. She craned her neck over her shoulder, and witnessed the entirety of Ponyville gazing at her curiously. Finally, she turned looked to her immediate right, into the worried face of Scootaloo. If Star Bright can do it... why can't I? "Oh yes," Sweetie Belle said. "I would love to." With deliberation, she rotated herself so that she was facing Scootaloo. Scootaloo no longer appeared worried, but instead wore a friendly smile. "Go for it," the pegasus mouthed silently. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, her mind racing at what seemed to be thousands of miles per hour. She blinked, and she felt everything stop. This was it. "Scootaloo," she said. Everything that had stopped suddenly resumed, and Sweetie Belle became acutely aware of all of it. She could hear the voices of the crowd, all wondering aloud about what was going on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Diamond Tiara cover her face with a hoof in embarrassment, Apple Bloom next to her looking just as confused as the crowd sounded. And immediately in front of her, Scootaloo stood there, mouth agape, but completely silent. Sweetie Belle's eyes looked into Scootaloo's, the unicorn wearing an almost apologetic expression. "Since the day we met, you always made me feel happy. Always. It was your spirit and fearlessness that did it, I think, made me never want to give up even when I was sad, because you never gave up! I've always been able to count on you through thick and thin. Even if your wings can't yet lift yourself up just yet..." Scootaloo's mouth closed at long last, and her face grew red. Still she didn't look away from Sweetie Belle, and didn't say a word. "...It doesn't mean that you can't lift me up. I don't know when it happened, but I just started thinking about you more and more, and I tried so hard to tell myself that everything was the same, and that you were still just my best friend, but... but it wasn't. I finally realized that... that..." Sweetie Belle blinked, and could feel a tear slide down her face. "...That I love you." She finally said it. That pressure that lifted from her chest, however, was quickly replaced by anxiety. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and her ragged breathing, but nothing else. The silence threatened to consume her. "This - this last week and a half, I - I tried so hard to live these two lives. Pretending to love you, and pretending to be your friend, and it was just too much and I couldn't keep doing it, and I had to - I had to tell you, Scootaloo." As soon as the words left her mouth, the silence she tried to stave off returned with full force. She didn't blink, couldn't blink, and the theater became a blur behind her veil of tears. She couldn't make out a single face in the crowd. The only thing she could see was Scootaloo standing before her, utterly still, her expression blank. Sweetie Belle's eyes burned fiercely, and she finally closed her eyes. The teardrop that landed seem to echo throughout the theater. When her eyes opened once more, nothing had changed. Sweetie Belle took one step backwards, her hoof fall bouncing around the room. Step by step, she proceeded towards the edge of the stage, ever more desperate to shield herself from the sea of faces piercing her with their glares. Sweetie Belle turned around, her slow steps evolving into a full on gallop. Just as she was about to exit the stage, she heard a voice. "Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo's voice was the one that shattered the quiet this time. Sweetie Belle stopped moving, and looked back at Scootaloo mournfully from the side of the stage. "Come here," Scootaloo gestured. "Center stage, right next to me." Her face burning red, Sweetie Belle slowly ambled her way towards Scootaloo. She kept her gaze down to the floor, not daring to look at her friend. Scootaloo's orange hooves entered her field of vision, and, acutely aware of the spotlight cast upon her and Scootaloo, she stood still. "Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo started loudly, proudly, her voice washing over the entirety of the auditorium. Sweetie Belle winced at the storm that sure to come next. "You mentioned my wings... my wings that can't, and may not ever, lift me up. Believe it or not, that makes even me want to give up sometimes. That's when I think to myself... I don't need wings to lift me up." Slowly, Sweetie Belle looked up to see her friend. Scootaloo was not angry. She wasn't scared. She was smiling that same friendly smile she always did when Sweetie Belle was feeling down. "That's what I have you for." The unicorn's mouth went dry, and her mind went blank. She felt dizzy, everything going in and out of focus. Scootaloo's voice, however, rang crystal clear in her ears. "And then you go and say I'm fearless? Not even close! I was terrified that telling you how I felt would scare you away. I'm supposed to be the fearless one, but I was the one that was scared. Scared to lose you... because I love you too, Sweetie Belle." Within the spotlight, it was so incredibly bright. Sweetie Belle couldn't see anything beyond that light, but she didn't care to. She looked at Scootaloo in disbelief, her dry mouth having moisture enough to utter; "You mean it?" Scootaloo nodded happily, a glimmer in her eye. "With all of my heart." Sweetie Belle wasn't sure which one of them started to lean in first. Tentatively, they closed in on one another. She could feel the breath from Scootaloo's nostrils upon her own muzzle, and then slowly, their muzzles touched. "What about the play? Sensationalism and all that?" Sweetie Belle whispered. "What kind of romantic play would it be without a kiss?" Scootaloo replied. Neither of them seemed sure of what exactly to do. They tilted their heads, and inched their way closer to each other. With the gap between them practically closed, they both hesitated, just for a moment, and then, with their eyes closed - they pressed their lips together. Sweetie Belle could only hope that Scootaloo enjoyed their kiss as much as she did. Her lips tingled, and the sensation spread across her entire body in waves. It was everything that she could have ever hoped for, and then some. After what seemed an eternity, their lips parted and their eyes opened once more. The theater positively exploded. The applause from the audience was an absolute cacophony, and even on the stage, Sweetie Belle saw her classmates cheering and clapping. To her surprise, even Silver Spoon was grinning and clapping her hooves together, though that soon stopped once Diamond Tiara noticed and gave her friend a quick jab to the ribs. It was the happiest Sweetie Belle felt for as long as she could remember, and judging from the beaming coming from Scootaloo, she'd guess the feeling was mutual. As though they could read each other's thoughts, they both lunged forward in a deep embrace as the crowd roared on. After a minute, or two, or five, Scootaloo whispered into Sweetie Belle's ear. "Don't forget, we've still got a show to do, remember?" They slowly pulled apart, and as their front legs hit the stage, Sweetie Belle nodded. With a quick glance and several more nods to her cast mates on the stage, she raised both of her hooves, and clapped them together twice. "Enough! ENOUGH!" The roar of the joyous crowd finally quieted at the command of a positively livid Mayor Marigold. "What exactly does that prove?" she asked to the crowd. "Just because you think something is good for you doesn't mean that it is!" "We're trying to help you!" Captain Cumulus joined in. "Can't you see that? How else can we preserve the purity of our proud heritage?" As the crowd cried back in protest, a letter emanated from the Aide Cohen's horn in a spiral ray of yellow light. He unfurled the scroll and read it to himself silently. "What were you trying to accomplish, magistrate? We're still the ones with authority here and our ruling is the only one that matters!" Baron Brilliance's face contorted as he screamed at Magistrate Warren. Before he could answer, Magistrate Warren was met with several taps to the shoulder from his aide. The letter floated before his face for a moment, enough so that the magistrate could quickly read through it. "It is," Magistrate Warren called back to the baron. "For now." He gestured to Aide Cohen, pointing his hoof upward and waving it in a circle. With a nod, the unicorn's horn glowed. A beam of yellow light erupted above the crowd, a yellow pulse spreading through the skies above the village. With their attention sufficiently gathered, Magistrate Warren held the letter in front of him, shouting to the now silent crowd "Fillies and Gentlecolts, I hold in my hooves the latest decree from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the 'true' rulers of this land. It says;" Citizens of Founder's Green, It has come to my attention that this town of yours has created several ripples of late regarding relationships between the different races of ponies. Some among you may cite that local law disallows relationships of a romantic nature between different races of ponies. While we are generally glad to allow towns and villages within Equestria to manage themselves as they see fit, this law prompts an immediate intervention. Love is a beautiful thing, in any form it takes. Whether it be between a foal and its family, or two young ponies sharing their first flicker of romance, love is one of the few wondrous gifts that our lives allow. As such, it is considered inequine to even consider stifling this miracle that makes life worth living. Henceforth, on this day June 12, 00AE01, a relationship or union between two ponies, whatever their races may be, is deemed a basic, natural, and irrevocable right to all denizens of Equestria. Any attempt to infringe upon said right will be considered grounds for reprisal. Signed, -Princess Celestia -Princess Luna For the second time that day, the village of Founder's Green was alive with the cheers of it's citizens. Star Bright and Drift Monsoon shared in a loving embrace, while the tribe leaders looked at them with complete and utter disdain. Young Harmony could hardly contain herself, and just before she prepared to jump around in a frenzy she set the flower on her back to the ground. It was then that she noticed - "It bloomed! It bloomed! Look at it, Mama! It bloomed!" Gardenia sat still, growing exponentially more irritated with each cheer that she heard. Not bothering to look at her daughter or the flower, she simply waved her hoof disinterestedly and offered a flat "that's nice." "No, Mama! You didn't even look at it! Look, look!" Gardenia's temper was cut in half several times, and the excited cries from her daughter about that ugly flower, however well-meaning they were, was too much. "I don't care about that stupid thing! It's wrong, it's all wrong! Everything -" She looked hatefully at Star and Drift's celebratory embrace. "-Especially you two!" In a blur, Gardenia had seized the pot from her daughter's grasp, reeled back, and with all of her might, fired it towards the couple like a cannonball. The crowd uttered a collective gasp and fell silent. The flower pot was only inches from Drift Monsoon's face when it was suddenly halted in mid-air, enveloped by a light green glow. Drift opened his eyes and saw the pot floating before him. He heard a humming to his left, and saw the horn upon Star's head glowing a pale emerald green. He reached out, taking hold of the flower as the aura abandoned it. "You're welcome," Star whispered to Drift, receiving a swift kiss upon her cheek in return. The smile quickly vanished as Drift glared at Gardenia. "What was that all about?" He raised the flower pot behind his head, threatening to throw it back at cantankerous earth pony. "Stop!" came the voice of Magistrate Warren from behind Drift. "Don't give them any actual reason to arrest you." Drift felt the plant leave his hooves as it was taken by the magistrate. The stallion examined the flower curiously, unsure of what to make of it. "What a peculiar flower," he started. "I have never seen one such as this before. It's got the petals of a tiger lily, the floret of a sunflower, and the thorny stem of a rose. What a curious mix of different flowers... and the colors... it's familiar, but at the same time, it's quite unique." Magistrate Warren shifted his gaze from the flower in his hooves to the bouncy Harmony next to the embarrassed Gardenia. "Tell me, young..?" "Harmony!" "Miss Harmony. What kind of flower is this?" "Ah'm not sure. Ah found it a while ago, and it just bloomed now..." Harmony turned to Star and Drift. "...Right when they kissed," she finished. The magistrate looked at the flower, to the couple, and then back to the young filly with a smile on his face. "Then, we shall name this flower after it's discoverer. You, miss Harmony." "Really?" Harmony looked joyfully at her mother, who seemed merely irritated. "And this night, this night that allows for all ponies, whether they bear horn, or wings, or nothing but a heart that is capable of loving and being loved, to share in this emotion without fear, shame, or guilt... This night shall be known across all of Equestria as... The entire cast of Ponyville Elementary's very first production of Harmony's Flowers turned to face the audience in the theater, and bellowed as loudly as they could simultaneously - "The Night of Harmony's Flowers!" The lights illuminated the stage, and the entire cast and crew lined up. With a countdown led by the narrator Pipsqueak, they all bowed their heads together as the audience whooped and clapped their hooves enthusiastically. The ponies began filtering off of the stage into the crowd, talking excitedly to their friends and family. All of them, except for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who stood facing one another at center stage once again, dimly aware of the events around them as time passed seemingly in slow motion. Cheerilee clambered onto the stage alongside Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but they didn't seem to notice until she shouted above sound of the crowd. "In addition to co-starring as Star Bright, Sweetie Belle also took the reigns as the director of tonight's play! Another round of applause, everypony!" Scootaloo offered Sweetie Belle her hoof, which the unicorn gladly accepted. As they turned to look into the crowd with joyful grins on their faces, Sweetie Belle leaned in to Scootaloo's ear and whispered. "So... if you felt that way about me..." "Yeah?" "Why did you suggest we didn't kiss? Was it really for the play?" "Actually... I thought I might be really bad at it, or that I'd get so nervous that I'd throw up all over you!" "Heh," Sweetie Belle chuckled. "Don't worry. You were awesome." "SWEETIE BELLE!" Rarity's high-pitched squeal broke the trance the two fillies were in, and Sweetie Belle suddenly found herself gasping for air from a sincere hug that more closely resembled a choke hold. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! That was magnificent - I should have known when you said 'colt' that-" "Rarity?" the filly squeaked. "Oh? Oh, sorry!" Rarity exclaimed as she released her younger sister. "I am just so immensely excited and proud of you! That speech and that kiss was adorable - you two are just a darling couple, even if Scootaloo's mane isn't quite-" "Her mane is perfect," Sweetie Belle insisted defiantly, causing Scootaloo to pat her mane down while blushing profusely. "Yeah... well..." Scootaloo sputtered, desperate to change the subject. "I was totally right about the kiss stealing the show though - it was the first thing that somepony brought up!" Rarity opened her mouth to defend herself, but somepony else did it for her. "It was a pretty awesome kiss, Squirt." Scootaloo deftly mussed her mane again at the sight of Rainbow Dash gliding towards the stage. "Rainbow Dash! You came!" "Of course I did," Rainbow Dash replied with gusto. "I wouldn't miss a chance to see my number one fan in the spotlight!" Scootaloo practically fainted at her idol's acknowledgment. "Sharing the spotlight, you mean," Rarity corrected her with a polite cough. "Yeah, yeah..." "I'm still kinda surprised you came to see it, though," Sweetie Belle giggled. "Scootaloo says you can't stand romantic stuff." Rainbow Dash rubbed behind her neck, laughing nervously, and avoiding eye contact with the three other ponies. "Yeah... well, you know... I uh... I heard there was going to be a fight scene," "How'd I do? Did you like it?" Scootaloo anxiously fished for praise for her performance. "You were amazing! You were all like psh, whoosh, bam! And then bouncing off of that one guard's head, spinning around and fwooosh!" Each one of Rainbow Dash's play-by-play's was illustrated with a series of playful jabs towards the young filly, and Scootaloo laughed giddily as she stood herself up and dodged each one. After a particularly energetic bend and twist, Scootaloo lost her balance and began waving her forelegs back and forth to keep herself upright. Her purple tail caught under her back left hoof, and she started to fall backwards. "Woah-woah-woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-oh!" A pair of white forelegs wrapped themselves underneath the base of Scootaloo's flailing appendages. She felt Sweetie Belle's soft, warm body pressing against hers, pushing the pegasus upright. Scootaloo landed on all fours, and with a crimson glow on her face, she uttered a simple "Thanks." "That's what you've got me for," Sweetie Belle replied. "Sorry about that, kid, I got a little carried away," Rainbow Dash told her sheepishly. "But... you two are pretty cute together." Now both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were stark red, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash shared a laugh together. "So," Sweetie Belle started, clearly unsure of how to continue. "It doesn't bother you that Scootaloo and I are... uh... together?" "Why in Equestria would it?" Rarity cocked her head. "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed enthusiastically. "If you're both happy, what's the problem?" Scootaloo massaged her foreleg, not quite looking at either of the adult mares when she answered. "Some of the other ponies were kinda... they didn't really seem all that supportive." "And who cares what they think?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. "Everypony was cheering you guys on, except for the one that played Gardenia, and if you ask me, she was just jealous!" Sweetie Belle was positively delighted when she heard Cheerilee calling her name. Wasting no time, she frantically pointed her hooves at her teacher waving at her from the row of seats next to the open door. "Miss Cheerilee waving needs to talk gotta go bye," Sweetie Belle babbled as she hopped down from the stage, away from what certain to be a mortifying conversation. She heard Scootaloo utter a similar sentiment, and the frantic scrabble of hooves on the carpet shuffling beside her. "Have fun, you two!" Rarity called out to them. "Don't do anything I woul-OW! Hey!" Rainbow Dash's supportive message, on the other hoof, was cut short. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both took the short time it took to get from the stage to their teacher to catch their breath and cool their heated faces, but it was made difficult thanks to their frenetic giggling at the thought of Diamond Tiara being jealous of them for a change, and for as ridiculous a reason as theirs seemed. They didn't even need to say anything to each other, because they both knew. With one last guffaw to get it out of their system, the young couple stood before Cheerilee and another mare. "Girls! I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, but I just had to congratulate you two again," Cheerilee expressed giddily. "You didn't interrupt anything, Miss Cheerilee," Sweetie Belle told her with a quick swipe across her forehead to wipe the sweat from it. "And thanks. A lot. I think it turned out pretty good." "Sweetie Belle sure did a great job directing, didn't she, Miss Cheerilee?" Scootaloo pressed her teacher for more niceties. "She certainly did," Cheerilee nodded, and stepped aside to reveal the mare standing behind her. "That's why I wanted you to meet Mrs. Loving, the author of the original Harmony's Flowers." Mrs. Loving stepped forward, her pale pink forehoof extending towards a most tongue-tied Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, is it?" she asked with a cheerful voice as Sweetie Belle absentmindedly shook her hoof. "Cheerilee has told me very much about you." "R-really?" the unicorn's voice cracked. "Oh yes," the playwright laughed. "She said that your original play was quite charming. I should like to see it sometime." "Oh no, no, no," Sweetie Belle shook her head rapidly. "I don't mean to be rude, I mean, it's still really a work in progress." Mrs. Loving just laughed again. She seemed like a very cheerful pony, and she didn't really look as old as Sweetie Belle had imagined. "Perhaps you should look for an editor?" The mare suggested, gesturing towards Cheerilee. "She helped me to iron out the kinks of Harmony's Flowers way back when I wrote it." "Really?" Scootaloo's eyes widened. "I might have helped a little bit," Cheerilee bashfully admitted. "I just loved the idea when she told me about it." "She loved it so much that she put together the "Scholastic Edition" before the original had shown up on Bridleway!" Mrs. Loving revealed with another hearty laugh. "I didn't think it would work as a play for younger ponies, but..." Sweetie Belle felt her face growing hot again. "I wanted to thank you, Sweetie Belle," Mrs. Loving's tone changed to a soft, professional tone. "For adapting the play so well, and for sharing the message with all of Ponyville." "The... message?" Sweetie Belle queried weakly, still somewhat in shock after receiving a compliment from such an esteemed writer. "You remember," Cheerilee stated. "The message of the play? The moral of the story?" "Oh yeah! It's that..." "It doesn't matter who you share in love with," Scootaloo interjected. "If you love them, and they love you back, nopony else can tell you otherwise. It doesn't matter if they are a unicorn, a pegasus, an earth pony, or even if they are-" "-the same gender?" Sweetie Belle suggested with a knowing grin. "Right," Scootaloo nodded, returning the wry smile. "All that matters is that you love each other." "I couldn't have put it better myself," Mrs. Loving said definitively, causing both of the fillies to simply paw at the ground embarrassed. "Well, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee said. "I hope you have it in you to turn out another six performances like that for the rest of the week." "Oh yes! Definitely! And the kiss is officially back in!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed confidently, as Scootaloo followed it up with a quick peck on the cheek for emphasis. "Excellent," Cheerilee concluded. "Well, I imagine you two have a lot to talk about. I'll see you both tomorrow night. Once again, congratulations on a job well done, both of you." "Thanks," Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle replied together. As they began to trot out the door, Sweetie Belle turned around and informed her teacher, just to ensure her that she was ready, "I'll stick to the script next time too!" To her surprise, Mrs. Loving beckoned her with her hoof. "I'll be right there, Scoots," Sweetie Belle told her quickly. Scootaloo nodded understandingly. "Don't take too long!" Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, this time prepared to address the author with more than just dumbfounded stare and weak hoofshake. "Yes, ma'am?" "Speaking of script, I have to admit," Mrs. Loving started, her face breaking into a sly grin. "Changing Drift to be a weak flier certainly added some depth to his - her - character." "Oh yeah," Sweetie Belle said, returning the smile. "I thought it might." "Sweetie Belle!" called the distressed voice of her new fillyfriend, Scootaloo. Their friend Apple Bloom had grappled Scootaloo just like Rarity had done to Sweetie Belle only a few minutes ago in the hallway outside of the theater. "When were y'all going to tell me y'all were an item?" "We didn't know - it literally just happened!" the squirming Scootaloo grunted as she tried in vain to escape from Apple Bloom's earth pony strengthened grip. "Ah woulda thrown ya a party or somethin'," Apple Bloom explained. "Or if Ah knew that y'all liked each other, Ah woulda helped move things along faster!" "Bad idea," Scootaloo coughed. "Remember your brother and Miss Cheerilee? Can you please let me go? Sweetie Belle?" "Well, this better not change nothin'. Promise me y'all won't do any crusadin' without me, and Ah will let ya go!" Forgetting to offer a courteous farewell to the bemused Mrs. Loving, Sweetie Belle dashed out of the theater towards her friends. With a gleeful giggle, she tackled Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in a mock attempt to "free" her new fillyfriend. They rolled around on the floor, giggling madly as they came to a halt, splayed out on their backs and breathing heavily, to the amusement of several onlookers. "Don't worry, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle panted. "This doesn't change a thing." "Right," Scootaloo agreed. "After all, us 'blank flanks' need to stick together, right?" Apple Bloom stood up, straightening her bow and brushing away a piece of paper that had stuck to her ribs. She held her hooves out to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They reached up, holding on tightly as Apple Bloom grunted and lifted both of her friends up off the floor. "That's right," she stated while her friends stood upright. "That's absolutely right." The trio turned around and made their way to the double doors leading outside, their stomachs all rumbling after a hard day of rehearsing and acting. Just before they opened the doors to the warm evening air, Apple Bloom stopped and made one more demand. "Ah'm happy y'all are together an everythin', but Ah don't want none of that kissin' or 'couple' stuff around me, okay?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both exchanged an uneasy glance. "Um... we'll try!" "Sweetie Belle had always had feelings for Scootaloo. And all of them were positive. But when she discovered that her friendship was blossoming into something more, she struggled endlessly with how to tell Scootaloo how she felt. When she asked her sister Rarity for advice on what to do, this is what she was told..." *The curtain rises, showcasing a painted backdrop of a beautiful flower, orange and purple, white and pink, towering above the stage. The lights come on, revealing Rarity and Sweetie Belle standing alongside each other on a beautifully polished wooden stage.* "How do you tell somepony that you 'like' them?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously, as Scootaloo walked in from the far right side of the stage, stopping next to Sweetie Belle, and embracing her friend with a gentle hug. As Scootaloo's foreleg pulled away from Sweetie Belle's neck and settled on the stage, they both turned their attention to Rarity. Rarity cleared her throat, and laughed slightly. "Now that... that is the thing, is it not? That all depends on you and the pony you're telling." *The unicorn mare slowly walks backwards, fading into the darkness, and the spotlight focuses on the two fillies. They turn to stare into the crowd, both wearing the faintest of smiles. * "Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had acted as the best of friends for the longest time, both hiding their true feelings for one another. It was a performance for the ages, one that they would both look to and laugh at together as they shared in their happiness. Because their friendship together was a well-practiced performance, it only made sense that it would take another performance to reveal the truth between them. So, that 'thing', that method by which Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could speak honestly of their feelings for one another? For these two fillies..." Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gripped each other's hooves, exchanging one last enchanted look with one another before facing out into the indistinguishable sea of faces. With perfect synchronization, they took a deep breath and cried together; "The Play's The Thing" Author's Note My first completed story. Big thanks to RaylanKrios for all of his invaluable help with pre-reading. If you are interested in more "pony-play-problems" with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, check out The Roles We Play by RaylanKrios. I wrote a companion piece about Diamond Tiara handling the casting process. It can be found here! I hope everyone enjoyed it! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Act 1: Setting The StageSweetie Belle didn’t quite know when she started having feelings for her friend, Scootaloo. She had wracked her brain many times to try and find the exact moment, but couldn’t pin it. Although, the word “feelings” was a bit broad, now that she thought about it. In a way, she had feelings for Diamond Tiara too – exclusively negative, but feelings nonetheless. The feelings she had for Scootaloo had always been the complete opposite – happy ones. From the moment that Scootaloo had kindly helped Sweetie Belle recover from the newly cutie-marked emblazoned Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s teasing. “Sweetie Belle? More like…” Silver Spoon’s face screwed up, thinking of an insult to sling at the pure white unicorn backed against the wall of the school house. “Sweetie Blank?” Diamond Tiara suggested, her cornflower blue eyes lighting up as she saw Sweetie Belle flinch as though she had just been whipped. Their shrill laughs echoed across the school yard, drowning out a tiny sob. “It’s not my fault...” Sweetie Belle whined. The two Earth ponies carried on their mirthless conversation, paying no mind to the protests. “Her flank is just so… blank!” “I can barely remember when I was a blank flank, it was such a long time ago…” “Just… leave me alone!” came another plea, falling upon deaf ears. “And you’re sure she’s coming to your party?” Silver Spoon asked with a tone of disgust. “My dad’s a client and friend with her big sister, so yeah, unfortunately.” Diamond Tiara shook her head with an exaggerated sadness. “Well, she and that hick will make us look even more fabulous! How can a blank flank compare with these?” The two ponies pivoted to their sides, pressing their backsides against one another, revealing a duo of elaborate cutie marks along their flanks. A silver spoon for Silver Spoon, and a diamond tiara for Diamond Tiara – fitting, given their names. “I don’t know,” Diamond Tiara pondered aloud, fixing her vivid blue eyes upon Sweetie Belle’s shimmering green ones. “What do you think, blank flank?” Sweetie Belle lowered her head to the ground, pawing at the dirt along the school wall aimlessly. She didn't speak. "Speechless, and who can blame her?" Diamond Tiara laughed falsely. She exchanged a hoof bump with the giggling Silver Spoon, and she and her cohort began to walk back to the playground where the rest of the students were undoubtedly waiting to be graced by their presence. Sweetie Belle sat on her haunches, exhaling deeply with her eyes closed. Her imagination fired up from behind her eyelids, envisioning all sorts of images of her with various cutie marks. One was a half-full beaker, filled with a bright green liquid that matched her eyes. Definitely the mark of a great scientist. Another was a paint brush, leaving an s-shaped trail of paint in the same shade as before. Assuredly, a great artist! The next was a big, bold typewriter, with a multitude of indecipherable text on the page stemming from the device — undoubtedly that of a great writer! For a brief instant, she even saw herself with the same cutie mark as Mayor Mare. Imagine that — Sweetie Belle, the mayor of Ponyville! In all of these images, she saw herself smiling broadly. A far cry from how she felt now. "Don't let them get you down," she heard a voice say from in front of her. Sweetie Belle's eyes fluttered open to see an orange pegasus standing above her, large violet eyes looking at her warmly. Her mane was of a similar, yet slightly brighter hue. Though it seemed disheveled, Sweetie Belle couldn't help but notice the curious curl at the front that made the whole rough-and-tumble appearance seem deliberate. This pony smiled at her, and extended her hoof to Sweetie Belle. "Name's Scootaloo," the pegasus offered. "What's yours?" "...Sweetie Belle." Sweetie Belle answered with caution, wrapping her foreleg around Scootaloo's and lifting herself from her seated position. "Well then, Sweetie Belle, looks like you've got yourself a new friend!" Scootaloo exclaimed with a bold confidence, seemingly not allowing Sweetie Belle a say in the matter. "After all..." She started, turning her body to the side, revealing a set of small feathered wings, and a noticeably blank flank. "Us 'blank flanks' need to stick together, right?" “...Stick together...” Sweetie Belle smiled as she echoed the words softly to the open textbook in front of her. Yes, that meeting was certainly a strong way to make a first impression. That instance fostered those aforementioned feelings – this time, of gratitude, relief, and of course, friendship. So now, Sweetie Belle was cycling through her memories, trying to find where that friendship had blossomed into something more, at least as far as she was concerned. The film reel playing in her mind blurred. They spent so much time together, in school and out of it, that it was impossible to find any one segment that tipped the balance. Now, Sweetie Belle was left to wonder two more questions: Why did she feel such a strange affection for another filly instead of a colt, and why Scootaloo? After all, as one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she spent as much time with Apple Bloom as she did with Scootaloo. First things first – her “attraction” to fillies. Sweetie Belle was reluctant to use the word attraction. From what she had surmised, it wasn’t normal to have romantic feelings for the same gender as yourself. Sweetie Belle still wasn’t sure if she was “that” way, because she didn’t have feelings like that for anypony else – just Scootaloo. So back to where she had just been in her mental outline – Why Scootaloo? The first thing that most ponies tended to notice about others was not the content of their character, but rather their physical appearance. Although Sweetie Belle hadn’t paid too much thought to it beforehoof, Scootaloo certainly didn’t fall short in that regard. Scootaloo was lithe and agile, and she never ceased to impress Sweetie Belle with how fit she was. While Sweetie Belle's sister, Rarity, would probably implore some divine intervention if she discovered that her sister had a crush on somepony who didn't meticulously brush their mane in the morning, Sweetie Belle wouldn't take Scootaloo and her wanton approach to mane styling any other way. Her determined eyes almost always had a confidence and spiritedness within them, the light inside them only faltered when Scootaloo focused on her small, and somewhat ineffectual, wings that kept her grounded. Sweetie Belle wouldn't say so to Scootaloo outright, lest the pegasus vehemently deny it, she thought the wings were utterly charming. Physical traits aside, the content of a pony’s character was more important. The orange pegasus was brash at times, and certainly bursting with confidence and a can-do attitude. This had led to more than their fair share of sure fire schemes to get their cutie marks that had fallen not only short, but oftentimes off of a cliff or tree. Of course, the tough pegasus she was, she laughed it all off. Like her idol Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo was fiercely loyal to her fellow Crusaders. But underneath that wall of strength and stoicism, Scootaloo had proven to be a very sensitive pony. Her insecurities about what she deemed personal failings revealed a much softer and sweeter individual that Sweetie Belle had a burning curiosity to see more of. It was here that Sweetie Belle found herself in a dilemma. Scootaloo had displayed a reluctance to reveal that core, and Sweetie Belle could surmise that on the off chance that if, IF, Scootaloo felt the same about her, she would never say it first. Naturally, Sweetie Belle had already considered that Scootaloo didn’t feel the same way – seemingly over a million times, but at some point, Sweetie Belle would have to tell Scootaloo how she felt. An uncomfortable conversation with her sister over a month ago taught her that she couldn’t simply harbor these feelings forever. “Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked timidly from the open door frame to her sister’s “inspiration room”, where the older unicorn was hunched over a sewing machine. “Hmm?” her sister replied absentmindedly, focused on the dark green fabric sliding underneath the rapidly bouncing needle in front of her. Sweetie Belle could tell that Rarity was pre-occupied, but she stayed the course. “I had a question I wanted to ask you.” “Oh, do go on…” “What should I do if…” “Mhm.” “What should I do if I like somepony?” The sewing machine made a loud whirring sound that choked as the fabric bunched up underneath the needle, bringing the stitching process to a screeching halt. “What?” Rarity pushed the chair out from the table, spinning the rotating seat around to face her younger sister. Sweetie Belle immediately regretted the decision to ask her sister, a bright red blush painting her white face, and making her bright green eyes stand out even more. “I was just wondering what I should do if… I… like… somepony?” Sweetie Belle repeated, her voice fluctuating at the end to form a question. Not just because she wanted to know what to do, but because she suddenly felt as if she had tread on some incredibly thin ice, and that asking such a question with any sort of confidence or knowledge of what it meant was going to be cause her to fall through. Sweetie Belle tried to pass it off as though it was something she heard at school and that she didn’t know what it was she was asking. “Oh, do go on, dear!” Rarity exclaimed, giggling madly. “Oh, this is so exciting! My dear Sweetie Belle has a crush on somepony!” “N-no! I don’t!” Sweetie Belle’s protest fell flat in the wake of her sister’s frenzy. “Who is he? Oh, I bet I know!” “I don’t have a crush on anypony!” “I bet it’s that Pipsqueak – he’s got the most charming accent—” “No, really, I-I-I don’t have a crush!” Sweetie Belle stammered uneasily. “Or maybe that Featherweight! He’s a bit thin, but he’s got such a winning smile—” “Rarity…” “Or that one that plays games all of the time, what’s his name?” “Rarity?” “Well, whoever he is, he’s certainly cute enough. And that hat!” “RARITY!” Rarity snapped out of her bizarre seizure to look at her sister, who didn’t look embarrassed like she had before. Instead, she looked cross. “What is it, Sweetie Belle?” “I – I don’t have a silly crush on some colt, alright? I just want to know what I should do if I ever did. In the future. Not now.” Sweetie Belle added for emphasis. Rarity raised her eyebrow at the filly, studying her for the slightest hint of a fidget or other tell that might suggest she was having the fabric pulled over her eyes. Sweetie Belle was used to this, and was grateful for including the addition of “some colt” that made her statement mostly true. Though her observations evidently hadn’t indicated that Sweetie Belle was being untruthful, Rarity still seemed wary. "Well..." She said uncertainly, the tone of voice still showing some reluctance. "If ever you do find yourselves with feelings like that..." Sweetie Belle inched closer to her, eager to drink whatever advice Rarity spilled forth. "Let them know," she finished. "Really? Just like that?" Sweetie Belle asked with confusion as she stumbled backwards. "Easier said than done, darling, believe me." Rarity whipped her head back, emphasizing the words 'believe me' with exasperation. "But I can hardly think of anything worse than living with feelings of uncertainty like that. Even if they don't feel the same way, at least you'll know for sure." "What if they say no? Won't that be weird?" the filly asked with a panicky tone of voice. "Of course it will!" Rarity exclaimed. "Especially at first. But it's much less, how did you put it, 'weird'? Yes, it's much less weird, and much less painful in the long term than nursing a powerful and unremarked affection for somepony." Sweetie Belle was growing more frantic, this advice spurring her on. "But how do you tell somepony that you 'like' them?" Rarity laughed, and shook her hoof at her younger sister. "Now that... that is the thing, is it not? That all depends on you and the pony you're telling. Despite the impressive amount of books on the subject, there's no one right way to say it. Not — not that I'm an expert on those kinds of books!" The unicorn laughed unusually loudly, Sweetie Belle's raised eyebrow not dissuaded. "Hahaha... well... Anything else you wanted to know?" Rarity asked curiously, making a note of her sister's reaction. "I have to finish this design for Princess Twilight before Spike comes to pick it up later. He's such a gem, he is!" "...No..." Sweetie Belle sighed again, not feeling any more confident about her situation. If telling somepony that you liked them were easy, she wouldn't have asked for help in the first place. The advice seemed redundant. "Well, then I suppose I will get back to — BUTTON MASH! It's Button Mash isn't it?" Rarity shouted, recovering from her pivot back to the machine with an impressive twirl that found her mere inches away from her sister's muzzle. "I-I don't have a crush on anypony!" Sweetie's eyes darted back and forth nervously as she backed out into the upstairs hall. "Aha! I knew it!" Rarity exclaimed with gusto. "I can always tell when you're fibbing, my dear Sweetie Belle!" As Rarity's excited giggles and utterances sounded from down the hall, Sweetie Belle entered the guest room where she slept with only one thought on her mind. I should have said "colt" The shrill cry of the school bell roused Sweetie Belle from her daydreaming, and she found herself staring at the same textbook page she had during the start of the period. Had she really been that lost in thought for so long? Before Sweetie Belle could contemplate just how much her crush on Scootaloo was beginning to affect her basic ability to read, the shuffling of chairs and desks was interrupted by the school teacher's call for attention. "Everypony, everypony!" Cheerilee yelled above the din. "Please, settle down. I have a very exciting announcement I need to make before you are all released for the day." The students groaned collectively, and slowly ambled back into their seats. "First, I have a question," she stated. "By a show of hooves, how many of you have you have different races of ponies as parents? For example, your mommy is an earth pony, and your daddy is a pegasus?" Several hooves raised into the air. "Wonderful! Now, as I'm sure you all remember from last quarter, having different races of ponies as very special someponies was something that was once frowned upon in the very early days of Equestria. Until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna decreed otherwise, it was against the customs and traditions of the early settlers of Equestria to love somepony that was a different type of pony than yourself. Can anypony tell me the name of the holiday celebrating the passing the law allowing interracial marriage?" Nopony raised their hoof. The classmates exchanged nervous glances and whispers. "Anypony? It was just last quarter!" Cheerilee exclaimed with a tone of mock anger. "I'm not entirely surprised. It's hard to remember sometimes that something as basic and important as love could attempt to be stifled with a law. The holiday is called 'The Night of Harmony's Flowers', and we celebrate it every year on June 12th." The nervous whispers grew louder — the mutterings that June 12th was only next week, and that was after summer vacation had started were frequently among the messages passed. "Now, I know what everypony is thinking!" Cheerilee spoke again, louder than the dissonance from her students. "You're thinking 'Why should we care about something during summer that isn't sleeping in or playing the day away'? Well, I'm very excited to announce that, after a conversation with the playwright Mrs. Loving herself, that Ponyville Elementary will be putting on the next performance of her historical re-enactment 'Harmony's Flowers!'" There were a few errant claps around the room, but the air was mostly thick with a tentative silence. Cheerilee didn't look dismayed at all, however. Rather, she looked unsurprised, as though the less than stellar reaction was anticipated. "I'm certain that spending the first precious days of summer setting up and rehearsing a play is not something that everypony here is ecstatic about, so I have created what I consider a fairly creative incentive," she hinted. "I'm sure that none of you are too thrilled about the 10 page essay detailing your summer vacations either, no? Remembering and documenting an entire summers worth of late night sleepovers, trips to the beach, and carefree gallivanting seems pretty time consuming, doesn't it?" Mumbles of agreement sounded throughout the room, some of the more boisterous students making their objections more widely known with exaggerated groans. "So instead... anypony who participates in Ponyville Elementary's production of 'Harmony's Flowers' will not have to do the essay. They will be free to spend the entire two and a half months after the play merrymaking to their heart's content, secure in the knowledge that not a single minute will need to be spent poring over a paper. How does that sound?" The entire classroom exploded into a frenzy of excited cheering. Their quiet disturbed, a nest of birds in one of the schoolyard's trees flew off in a startled hurry. "Then it sounds like we have a show in the works! We can go over the specifics tomorrow, but first, every great play needs at the helm a spirited director. Someone to ensure that the written work of Mrs. Loving is honored. Now, who here among you would like to take the task of directing the tale of the pivotal romance of Star Bright the unicorn and Drift Monsoon the pegasus?" Sweetie Belle's mind went blank for a moment. Somewhere, deep in her subconscious, gears churned within. A love story between a pegasus and a unicorn? That sounded familiar enough, and it was certainly something she could relate to effectively. That tiny voice in her heard that made the connection was strong enough to command her front leg to lift itself above her ears. "Sweetie Belle!" Cheerilee cried out, drawing every single stare of Sweetie Belle's peers towards her. She felt her face grow red, but she didn't lower her hoof. "You're sure you want to direct this play so soon after your last one?" The unicorn vaguely recalled her first attempt at directing, writing, and starring in a play. Were it not for her sister's costumes, it would have been a colossal train wreck. Sweetie Belle was not altogether encouraged by this previous failure, but the little voice in her head that directed her foreleg to raise also was not relenting. Her mouth had gone dry, so she simply nodded. "Excellent!" Her teacher's voice rang over the excited chatter of her peers. "Sweetie Belle, I'll need to speak with you. Everypony else, have a great afternoon, and I'll see you tomorrow!" The shuffling chairs and desks from earlier resumed their dance, and Sweetie Belle's classmates slowly filtered out of the classroom. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both lingered for a moment. "This is going to be so awesome! No lame essay to write!" "Yeah, and our friend's gonna be directin' a play!" "A boring romantic play, blech!" Scootaloo gagged dramatically. "Don't pay her no mind, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom spoke. "We'll meet you at the clubhouse when you're done with Miss Cheerilee, so we can start plannin' what we're gonna do in the play!" Sweetie Belle nodded once more, her mouth still as dry as the San Palomino desert. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged a curious glance between themselves at their friends' markedly less excited reaction. "Alrighty then... see ya soon!" With that, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both scurried out into the hallway, leaving Sweetie Belle alone with her teacher. Sweetie Belle slowly clambered out of her desk and made her way to the desk closest to Cheerilee, who was busy straightening a thick stack of papers that were no doubt the script to the play. What had she gotten herself into? Author's Note An idea that came about while working on my other story. Readers of that one will notice that the very holiday mentioned as the centerpiece here was featured in Scootaloo & The Cabinet of Seers. I'm aiming to keep this relatively shorter and sweeter, but I have a feeling that my inability to streamline anything is going to interfere with that...
Act 2: Playing The PartSweetie Belle glanced nervously between what she assumed to be the behemoth of a script and the look of concentration on Miss Cheerilee's face. It was one thing to direct her own three-pony play with a story that she had written, and the dialogue (as much as she tried to sophisticate it with older Equestrian dialects) was easy to memorize - she had penned it! She had seen "Harmony's Flowers" once before when she was younger, and though it was fuzzy, a lot of the sequences she remembered were long and boring exchanges of dialogue. The part that stood out the most to her was the romance, the overcoming of odds for Star Bright and Drift Monsoon to be together. Cheerilee looked up from the papers, and could probably see the trepidation on her face. "Something the matter, Sweetie Belle?" she asked with concern as she placed a quill in a cup on the desk. "Just a little bit nervous, is all. Please tell me that's not the script?" Sweetie Belle pointed to the novel cradled between Cheerilee's hooves. "This is the original 'Harmony's Flowers', yes," Cheerilee admitted. "I'll admit it's a bit on the longer side as far as Bridleway goes, but... have you seen the play?" "Once, yes. I was young... er, when it just came out. I don't remember much about it." "I'm curious then," Cheerilee started. "What made you jump to direct this one so quickly?" Sweetie Belle blushed, rubbing her shoulder and breaking eye contact. "I don't really know. It just kind of spoke to me, that whole love story thing. I think it's sweet." "I agree with you there. Between you and me..." Cheerilee leaned in over the desk, Sweetie Belle following suit. "I cry every time I see it. The ending gets me, every single time!" she whispered excitedly. "Really?" Sweetie Belle held her hooves over her mouth, stifling a giggle. "The ending is my favorite part too! It's the only thing I can remember. The rest of it kind of... blurs together." "I imagine it would. Even for a teacher, some of the more political scenes can get... wearisome." Sweetie Belle breathed a sigh of relief, deflating just a bit in her seat. "So it's not just me, then. Do you really think that the rest of the class can memorize all of that in just under two weeks?" Much to Sweetie Belle's surprise, her teacher shook her head. "It takes professional theater actors almost a month. As much as I love to brag with other teachers at conventions that I have the brightest students in all of Equestria, it's a bit of a reach to expect that." "Oh..." Sweetie Belle frowned. "So how are we going to do the show? Is someone going to hold cue cards from the audience?" "Hahaha! No, I don't think that will be necessary. You said you've seen the play once, correct?" Sweetie Belle nodded her head briskly. "Well, I've seen it many times. And each time, it was just a little bit different. The director adds his or her own personal touches, cutting some things, extending others, to show the audience how they interpret the story." "So that's what the director — me — will be doing?" Sweetie Belle gulped. "Yes. When I spoke to Mrs. Loving about our performance, I made clear that there would likely have to be extensive changes to accommodate the schedule and limited experience of the cast. I've taken the liberty of making some changes to the script already, removing a couple of the monologues and a lot of the tribes leaders arguing semantics — here." Cheerilee reached down into her drawer, and pulled out a (thankfully) much thinner volume of papers that read Harmony's Flowers: Scholastic Adaptation. She held it out for the filly to examine. Sweetie Belle skimmed over it rapidly, focused more on the length of the work rather than the content. "And she was alright with that? Us changing her work and everything?" the unicorn asked her teacher uneasily. Though Sweetie Belle didn't much like her original play A Tale of Three Fillies, she would have been reluctant to allow somepony else to make changes to what she considered her magnum opus. "She was actually really excited about it. She says it's refreshing to see different takes on her book, as long as the overall message comes across," Cheerilee explained. "The overall message..." Sweetie Belle echoed. "What is that, exactly?" "You don't remember?" "Like I said, it's been a while." "Well, perhaps when you read through it, it will come to you again." Cheerilee said thoughtfully. "In any case, I won't hold you here any longer. Please, take that draft with you tonight, and if you see anything you have questions about, or any changes you'd like to make, let me know tomorrow morning." "Alright," Sweetie Belle acknowledged her instructions. "Is it okay if I show this to the girls? I'm sure they'd love to get a chance to get a jump start on it!" "Of course you may! Are they as excited about this as you are?" Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin with her hoof. "Well... I think so. I think they had a lot of fun with my other play, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind doing another one." "Oh yes!" Cheerilee clapped her hooves together. "A Tale of Three Fillies was such a fun three pony play! The beautiful costumes especially, and you girls had such great chemistry together. I'm sure you'd all do a fine job acting together again." "Speaking of which..." Sweetie Belle pondered aloud. "When do we pick the parts?" "We'll have a casting session tomorrow, and you will be in charge of casting." Sweetie Belle gulped audibly again. "Me?" "You are the director, after all," Cheerilee chuckled. "Now, run along! I've got some preparations to make for tomorrow, and I know you've got some things on your plate as well." Sweetie Belle slipped the draft of the script into her saddlebag, and hopped out of the chair. "Okay. Have a good evening, Miss Cheerilee!" she yelled behind as her as she galloped through the door and into the hallway. There were all sorts of prospects running through her mind right now, and she couldn't wait to talk to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo about them. She barely heard her teacher return her courtesy as she leaped over the set of stairs leading from the front doors of the school in a single excited bound. "Giiirls!" The white unicorn filly bolted down the dirt path, making a beeline to the treehouse that was growing steadily larger in her eyes with each hurried step she took. She was gasping for breath, but that didn't stop her from shouting again to prepare the girls for her arrival. "Giiiiiirls!" she yelled again, slowing to a moderate trot at the base of the tree house. From the window, she saw Apple Bloom's bow silhouetted against the awning for a second before vanishing back inside. "Sweetie Belle's here!" Sweetie Belle heard her farmer friend's muffled call from inside as the unicorn climbed the ramp, the announcement followed by an excited exclamation from Scootaloo's voice. The door to the treehouse opened as she scaled the peak, and Sweetie Belle was greeted with a pair of sparkling violet eyes and a wide grin. "Come on, Sweetie Belle! Tell us everything!" Scootaloo ushered Sweetie Belle inside, swiftly closing the door behind her, leaving a sign nailed to door in sloppy hoofwriting with the words Top Secret Cutie Mark Crusader Meeting : Keep Out! flapping against the wood for any would be trespassers to heed. Sweetie Belle uttered a breathless "thank you", and took her seat in her familiar position, a large blue cushion against the wall opposite the door. She wiped her forehead with her hoof, to hopefully remove any sweat from her sprint before it crept into her eyes. Blinking to make sure they were clear, she found herself being stared at by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's eager faces. "So? What's goin' on? You really rushed over — Is everythin' alright?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie Belle nodded, still trying to catch her breath. She wordlessly opened her saddlebag, and extracted the abridged script from within. The unicorn pushed it towards her friends, who snatched it hungrily for examination, and managed to eke out the words "we've got a play to prepare for." Apple Bloom issued a shriek of excitement. Scootaloo's smile widened, but she did her best to keep her cool. "Mah friend, directin' a bridleway production! And we get to help! Just think, we'll get our cutie marks for sure this time!" "We said the same thing last time, Apple Bloom! Even after nailing that crazy script, still no cutie marks." "Things'll be different this time, Scootaloo! I can feel it — our entire class is gonna be participatin'! It's gonna be huge!" "Maybe, maybe not..." Scootaloo said reluctantly, her facade of indifference quickly crumbling as she added "But we're totally gonna get our cutie marks for this!" She and Apple Bloom fell into a fit of giggling and squealing, before Sweetie Belle finally gained enough composure to speak again. "Hold on, girls! If we want to have any hope of getting our cutie marks, we've got a lot of work to do!" she exclaimed dutifully. "Right, right." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded in agreement. "So, what all needs doin'?" "A lot..." Sweetie Belle admitted. "We've got props, costumes, backdrops... and of course there's the rehearsing." "Ah wanna act again!" "Me too! Does this one have any fight scenes? Any stunts?" Scootaloo flipped through the booklet, eyes searching for words indicating action sequences. "I don't think that it does," Sweetie Belle said. "But Miss Cheerilee said that I could change things to make it different." "Ooh! You should totally add a fight scene for me!" Scootaloo dropped the script as she bounced to her haunches, punching at the air in front of her, using her mouth to add sound effects. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but giggle at her friends' frankly adorable enthusiasm. "Now wait just a minute, Scootaloo! We don't even know what parts we're goin' to be playin'! How is Sweetie Belle supposed to add a fight for your character already... matter'a fact, how is the castin' gonna work? Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie Belle glanced nervously between her two friends' eager faces. "Well, Cheerilee told me that there was a casting session tomorrow, and that I'll get to assign the roles..." Sweetie Belle frowned. "Awesome! Pick a cool one for me!" Scootaloo suggested, reaching down and picking the script up again. "Like... ooh! This one. Drift Monsoon — she's a soldier sent on a mission to keep the peace in Equestria! You could totally work a burly brawl in there!" "Actually..." Sweetie Belle chuckled. "She's a he." Scootaloo's did a double take to the character description again, groaning loudly. Apple Bloom was doubled over from laughter on the floor. "And secondly, that's one of the main roles. I have to be fair with the casting. I don't want Cheerilee or the rest of the class to think I'm just putting you girls in the lead because you're my friends," Sweetie Belle sighed. It was a lot easier to cast a play when it was just three ponies. "That makes sense..." Apple Bloom said, conceding the fair point. "Guess we'll just have to earn the parts?" "Looks like it," Sweetie Belle said. "Although..." "Yeah?" Scootaloo's eyes lit up. "Cheerilee did say we had great chemistry together," Sweetie Belle pointed out optimistically. "That might help!". Apple Bloom tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean, 'chemistry'?" "It means," Scootaloo started, reaching over from her side and pulling a very unprepared Sweetie Belle towards her. "Well, take me and Sweetie Belle for example." The side of Sweetie Belle's head came to a halt, resting against the pegasus' warm shoulder. Although Sweetie Belle was yanked in rather suddenly, she felt no desire to pull herself away with any sort of haste. It was... nice. Comfortable. If she could be so bold to use an expression from her sister, it was positively magnificent. She could get used to this, she thought. Her eyes had closed as soon as she felt herself being pulled, and she hadn't yet opened them even after coming to a stop. Sweetie Belle's mind's eye was occupied trying to etch this moment in her memory, her head resting on that delightful pillow of a pegasus' shoulder. Scootaloo's orange fur, though she remembered from their exploits being coarser than her own, was somehow more delightfully soft and inviting than it had been before. Suddenly — "Uh... Sweetie Belle?" The filly's eyes jerked open, Apple Bloom staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Sweetie Belle's white face turned a stark crimson, and the comfortable warmth became unbearable. She pulled her head off of Scootaloo's shoulder, glancing momentarily at the orange ears turned red in embarrassment below her purple mane, Scootaloo's face was still looking away from her. Sweetie Belle tried to pull the rest of herself away, but Scootaloo's foreleg was still wrapped around the unicorn's shoulder. "Sorry!" she squeaked shamefully. "Blood rush — I got dizzy from the running and jerking around and... stuff." Her eyes were firmly planted on the floor. "Right..." Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "So, uh, Scoots, you were saying?" "Oh! Yeah!" Scootaloo shook her head vigorously. "So, chemistry. It means we really get along together. Like, since we're such good friends for real, we can really be comfortable together when we're acting." Sweetie Belle's ears were an inferno as she felt Scootaloo turning her head to look at her. "That's what chemistry is, right, Sweetie Belle?" "...Yeah. Pretty much." Sweetie Belle mumbled, scratching her left foreleg with her right hoof awkwardly. "Well, I say we get to practicin'!" Apple Bloom cried, "If we learn to act how the characters are s'pposed to act, we'll get awesome roles tomorrow for sure!" "And one step closer to earning our cutie marks!" Scootaloo added, throwing her hooves in the air excitedly, releasing Sweetie Belle from her surprisingly firm grip. Sweetie Belle scrambling away as innocuously as she could. "What do you say, Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie Belle looked up again, her green eyes meeting Apple Bloom's orange ones, and Scootaloo's violet ones. They both seemed oblivious to her reaction, which Sweetie Belle was quite thankful for. "Huh?" "We can't rehearse properly without ya!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Yer the director, after all. You'll know exactly what to look for." "Well, I..." "Yeah!" Scootaloo chimed in. "We don't want to get stuck playing a bunch of trees, do we? We can't do this without you!" Sweetie Belle laughed, the nervous attitude seemingly vanished in light of her friends' ever-present enthusiasm and votes of confidence. "Alright! Let's get to work!" She extended her white hoof in front of the other two, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both reached out with a hoof of their own, With all three of their hooves in contact, they inhaled to prepare their familiar "battle cry" that they used so often in the war against their blank flanks. "Cutie Mark Crusader Performers YAY!" "Cutie Mark Crusader Actors YAY!" "Cutie Mark Crusader Thespians YAY!" The chaos of their jumbled cry left all three of the fillies lying in stitches on the treehouse floor. "Settle down, everypony!" Cheerilee called to no avail, her command falling flat against the excited chatter of her students. "I want to paint the backgrounds! And the foregrounds!" "We're on a stage! How can you paint a foreground?" "I don't know, but I just want to paint!" "Your attention, please!" the teacher shouted again. This time, it worked. The entire classroom fell silent, each filly and colt turning to look at the teacher. Some even had their mouths hanging open having been halted mid-conversation. "Now, I'm glad you are all so excited for the play, but we've got to get started right away with assigning each and every one of you something to do." All at once, the classroom exploded into a din again. each and every pony simultaneously announcing what they wanted to do. "Everypony, please!" the mare yelled again. "We've got to focus!" She beckoned to Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, could you come to the front, please?" Sweetie Belle hopped from her desk at her summons, passing by several students as she trotted to the front. She stopped next to her teacher, who continued to speak. "Now, we have our director. But there are several other jobs to do. Painting, costumes, props, and of course, acting." A shrill voice sounded from the left side of the room. "Well, there's one role you don't have to worry about, Miss Cheerilee!" Diamond Tiara said smugly, hopping down from her desk to the front of the room with a large apparatus in a pink satchel on her back. Sweetie Belle watched with a raised eyebrow as the pink earth pony settled next to her, lowering the object from her back and unfolding it - revealing a folding chair with the letters "D.T" on the back in bold font. In between the letters was an illustration of her cutie mark. "Meet your new Star Bright!" she exclaimed, nestling into her chair, wriggling to make herself comfortable. "As much as we appreciate your enthusiasm, Diamond Tiara," Cheerilee said warily. "We'll be holding a casting session in just a bit. We'll find the best pony for each role, including that of Star Bright." "Perfect! I'll get it that way instead," Diamond Tiara resumed, seemingly oblivious to the notion of a casting session. "No offense, but Star Bright is a unicorn," Sweetie Belle told her. "And she has to be romantic." "So we'll slap a fake horn on, duh! And what do you mean by romantic?" A bewildered Diamond Tiara asked. "I'm plenty romantic! Isn't that right?" She turned to ask the rest of her classmates, who stared back in an uncomfortable silence. "Well?" She raised her voice. "Hah, well..." Cheerilee rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I'd say now is a good time to start the casting session, don't you think, Sweetie Belle?" "Mhm!" Sweetie Belle nodded. "Wonderful, let's get started." Cheerilee gestured to her desk. "Everyone who is interested in performing in the play, come up and grab a copy of the script from my desk." Earlier that morning, Sweetie Belle had brought her suggested changes to the script to her teacher for approval. After it was finalized, the teacher used the printing press in the school to make around a dozen copies. A majority of the class filed to the front, the first of the arrivals claiming their copies. "Miss Cheerilee, there's not enough for all of us!" Silver Spoon whined as she arrived to the now-empty desk. "You'll just have to share with somepony else, Silver Spoon," Cheerilee explained, receiving an exasperated sigh in return. "Now, can we arrange the desks to form a circle? Quickly, quickly, everypony!" There was a shuffling and scraping of metal on wood as the students formed an imperfect circle of desks, leaving a wide gap in the center of the room. Each pony in the room took a seat, anxiously awaiting what would come next. Several of the ponies who had scripts were absorbed in them, with their friends squeezing in behind them to read over their shoulders. Though they had gone over it last night, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were both scrunched with Sweetie Belle. "Fantastic! Now, Sweetie Belle will be in charge of the casting process," Cheerilee announced. Several of the students gasped, the loudest of which was of course Diamond Tiara. "Why does she get to choose the parts?" Diamond Tiara asked with a whine. "Because, she's the director. It's her job to make sure that the ponies playing the parts are the best possible for the play," Cheerilee told her. "Now, everypony who wants to help with props and sets, come with me to the stage." As the remainder of the students stepped into the hall, Cheerilee looked back at Sweetie Belle with a grin. "You've got it from here, Sweetie Belle?" "Yes ma'am!" Sweetie Belle raised her hoof with the script in it. "Alright. Good luck, everypony!" Cheerilee closed the door behind her as she went through it. The room grew quiet as every set of eyes turned to face Sweetie Belle, some with curiosity, some with confusion, and some with disdain. "Well..." She cleared her throat, her face growing hot. "I suggest we get started." "And how do you suppose we do that?" Diamond Tiara asked haughtily. "Since you apparently know so much about casting." "Back off!" Scootaloo shot at her. "At least she's directed a play before, so she's got more experience than you!" "A lame three pony play. It would have been horrible if her sister hadn't come through with those costumes." "Horrible? I suppose you think you could have done better?" "Not with her writing it! At least there's hope for this one." "Girls!" Sweetie Belle yelled. "Scootaloo, thank you. Diamond Tiara..." The earth pony glowered at her as Sweetie Belle inhaled deeply. "I understand you might have a problem with me being in charge—" "Tch" "—but, I would appreciate if we could just try and work together for once." "Fine. Whatever." Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "So what do we do?" "Since the play is about Star Bright and Drift Monsoon... we should probably cast them first. So, who wants to be Star Bright?" The fillies in the room exploded at her, and Sweetie Belle was unable to make heads or tails of what anypony was saying. "I want to be Star Bright!" "Let me play her!" "Puh-lease! Obviously, I'm the best choice!" "STOP!" Sweetie Belle shouted, her voice cracking. "Maybe choosing Star Bright is going to be more difficult than I thought... let's get Drift out of the way first instead." A series of disappointed groans and reluctant agreements met her. Sweetie Belle did her best to not appear flustered at their disapproval, and scanned the room for the perfect candidate for Drift Monsoon. Her choices were remarkably limited. Snips and Snails were both males, but neither of them were pegasi, and neither of them struck Sweetie Belle as having the capacity to pull off the role. Pipsqueak might have fared better, but again, he didn't have the wings. That left Featherweight and Rumble, and she couldn't find Featherweight. "Rumble?" Sweetie Belle asked timidly. "Since Drift Monsoon is a male pegasus... and you're a male pegasus... did you want to play him?" Rumble folded his grey forelegs across his chest, and rather crossly replied. "Not really, no." "What? Why not?" "Because, it's so... sappy and lame! And I'd have to kiss somepony, yuck!" "Please, Rumble! You're the only male pegasus we have... except for Featherweight — where is he?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking around again to make sure she hadn't missed him on her initial scan. "He's working on the set. He prefers to be behind the camera, not in front of it," Rumble explained to her. "And no offense, I don't think he'd be too interested in having to kiss one of you either." "Not even... me?" Diamond Tiara fluttered her eyelashes. "Since I'm going to be Star Bright anyways, kissing me won't be a big deal, will it?" Try as he might, Rumble could not disguise his displeasure at the thought of having to share a kiss with Diamond Tiara. "Blah, no way!" "And who says you're going to be playing Star Bright anyways?" one of the classmates piped up. "Yeah! We haven't even tried out yet!" "Duh!" Diamond Tiara fired back, unsure of who it was that she was firing at. "Because Star Bright is a high class noble pony, and I'm about as high class as this crowd is gonna get." "Maybe you should try acting classy sometime then!" "Everypony, QUIET!" This time it was Scootaloo that had spoken up. "If Rumble or Featherweight don't want to play Drift... I will." The classroom fell silent. Scootaloo started to slink down back into her seat, her face roughly the same color as Apple Bloom's mane. "Scootaloo... you're kinda... well, you're kind of a girl," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "So? I act like more of a boy than Rumble and Featherweight do anyways, and it says in the script that 'Drift Monsoon is a drafted soldier in the pegasus army, sent as an ambassador due to his comparably lackluster flight abilities.' Doesn't that remind you of anypony?" Scootaloo flapped her small wings ineffectively. "Umm... I guess you do fit that part at least, but..." "But nothing!" Diamond Tiara interrupted. "You can't play Drift! That means that either Snips or Snails would have to play Star Bright, and I don't want those bozos ruining the show!" "Hey!" Snips and Snails exclaimed simultaneously. "...Well, it doesn't necessarily mean that we'd have to have a male unicorn playing Star Bright. I mean, back in old times, females played EVERY role in theater, even the male ones," Sweetie Belle mused aloud, rubbing her forehead with both hooves. "Are you seriously suggesting that the filly who plays Star Bright would have to kiss her? On the lips? That's so gross!" Silver Spoon exchanged a disgusted look with Diamond Tiara, who returned the grimace. "Have you got a better idea? At least I'm trying to help!" Scootaloo shot back at the two. "As a matter of fact, I do." Diamond Tiara answered scathingly. "Rumble, front and center, NOW." Rumble groaned in protest, but stepped into the center of circle of desks anyways. "I don't want to play Drift, I already told you!" Diamond Tiara made her way to the center of the room next to him, a copy of the script in her mouth. She spat it on the ground, and flipped it open to one of the later pages. "Here, let's act out this scene here," Diamond Tiara commanded, pointing at a set of lines. "I'll be Star, and you'll be Drift. I'm going to prove that we're perfect for the roles!" *** "You have to leave!" Star Bright pleaded to Drift Monsoon. "If they find you here with me, who knows what kind of trouble you'll be in!" "Sounds good to me. See you around." With that, Drift leapt out of the window. *** "No, no, no!" Diamond Tiara cried in frustration. "That wasn't even the line! You aren't even trying!" "Because I don't want to! This is stupid — listen, if Scootaloo wants to play the part, let her!" "I am not, I repeat, NOT, going to pretend to be in love with that blank flank!" "I'm a blank flank!" Rumble turned his side to expose his grey, cutie mark-less flank to Diamond Tiara. "Yeah, w-well, why are you even here if you didn't want to act?" The filly stepped backwards, eyes shifting between the script on the floor and the blank flank in front of her. "I do want to act, I just don't want to be Drift Monsoon. Not after skimming the script, anyways." Rumble explained. "I was actually hoping to play Captain Cumulus." "Before we get too off topic," Sweetie Belle interrupted hastily. "We still need to cast our leads! Now, a lot of you want to play Star Bright, I got that. But first, who wants to play Drift Monsoon?" Nopony around the room stirred, except for Scootaloo immediately to Sweetie Belle's left. Sweetie Belle motioned for her to put her hoof down for the time being. "Anypony?" she asked meekly. Still no response. Her classmates looked back and forth at each other, and Diamond Tiara looked positively frazzled. "Well, without further ado..." Sweetie Belle turned to look at Scootaloo with a grin. "I guess you'll be playing Drift, Scoots!" "Yes!" Scootaloo pumped her hoof in the air excitedly. "No!" Diamond Tiara, on the other hoof, looked positively revolted. "What's your problem, Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle snapped. "This is so lame! You're completely ruining the play with your horrible casting! How am I supposed to light up the stage knowing that I have to kiss Scootaloo? This is a romance — not a horror!" "It's a good thing this ain't the Diamond Tiara show then, isn't it?" Apple Bloom asked coldly. "I can't help it if nopony else wanted to play the part!" Scootaloo defended herself. "I'm just trying to make the play a success!" "Besides," Sweetie Belle joined in. "It's just a silly kiss. What's the big deal?" "If it's just a silly kiss..." Diamond Tiara's face broke into a wide grin. "...then why don't you play Star Bright?" A collective "ooooooh" sounded throughout the room. A challenge had been issued. Sweetie Belle paused, her face quickly growing flush. Since she was the director already, she hadn't even considered taking on the dual role of acting in the play as well. Truthfully, an excuse to kiss her crush, even if Scootaloo thought it entirely platonic, held great appeal to Sweetie Belle. After all, wasn't the reason she signed on to direct the love story between a pegasus and unicorn based partially on her own feelings towards Scootaloo? "I - uh - er..." Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo, who looked just as embarrassed as she did. "Just as I thought. What's the big deal? Pah!" Diamond Tiara guffawed mockingly, the rest of the class giggling along with her. "W-wait!" Sweetie Belle gulped nervously. "W-would that be a problem? I thought that... that some of you wanted to play her." "I wanted to," a bright yellow-orange earth pony named Sunny Daze spoke up. "But... you are a unicorn, like Star Bright is." "Me too," added her friend Peachy Pie, another earth pony. "And Scootaloo — you're nice and everything, but I just... well, you know." Scootaloo nodded bashfully. "You should totally do it!" Rumble exclaimed. "Just to see the look on Diamond Tiara's face!" Diamond Tiara's cry to silence Rumble was drowned out by the cheers from the rest of the class. "So... I guess that means..." Sweetie Belle murmured softly, looking at Scootaloo tentatively. Her pale green eyes met the pegasus' deep violet ones. "It's just a silly kiss, right?" Scootaloo asked as nonchalantly as she could. Sweetie Belle's crimson face nodded. "I think I'm going to throw up," Diamond Tiara uttered as she leaned over her desk, Silver Spoon patting her back while she shook her head sadly. Author's Note Major props to RaylanKrios for his help on this one. The structure drastically changed with his input, and for the better, I should think. It's a lot of fun to write something that's not as serious as Scootaloo & The Cabinet of Seers! Any thoughts, comments, criticisms, let me know below.
Intermission: Learning The LinesNow that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were both cast as Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, the atmosphere was a markedly different one than before. There were rumblings of doubt, laughter, curiosity, and at least from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, serious unrest circulating throughout the colts and fillies. Sweetie Belle felt a growing sense of unease now that she was both the director and one of the stars. Though it was purely through happenstance that she wound up being cast as Star Bright, she couldn't help but wonder if the numerous classmates would think badly of her for it — it wasn't like she had planned it! A tiny, ecstatic voice in her head, however, couldn't be happier that things had worked out the way they did. Now she had a perfect excuse to tell Scootaloo exactly how much she meant to her! However, another voice was wondering if finally telling Scootaloo the truth in this form would be as cathartic as she hoped her confession would be, or if it would just make her longing even worse knowing that pouring her heart out to her crush was going to be seen as nothing but a performance. But then there would be that kiss... maybe Scootaloo would feel the honesty behind it, and know that it was all true? Being that Sweetie Belle had never kissed anypony else before, other than her parents, she was more than a little nervous. What if she was bad at it? What if she missed? What if she got so nervous that she threw up all over Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle gasped aloud, shaking her head to silence those horrifying thoughts. She knew that there was only one way to find out what would happen, and that was by actually putting on the play. However, even after her mane stopped shifting from the jerking, the voices didn't stop. She looked away from Scootaloo, who had slunk into her desk with a flushed face muttering silently to herself, and looked around the classroom to see the remainder of her classmates talking among themselves, clearly restless. She began to panic — how long had she been lost in thought? Sweetie Belle both loved and hated that thinking about Scootaloo could do that to her. "Everypony?" she cried, finding herself once again the target of over a dozen pairs of staring eyes. "I know that the casting so far might be a bit..." Sweetie Belle heard a shrill voice utter the word "horrendous", but ignored it. "...Unorthodox," she continued. "But, I think that's one of the things that's going to make Ponyville Elementary's production of "Harmony's Flowers" really stand out!" Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, and stepped out into the circle of desks. "I promise that Scootaloo and I are going to do our best to fit the roles we're playing." Scootaloo offered a smile and an enthusiastic nod. "That said, we still have a lot of really important parts to cast yet, and on top of simply casting the roles well, I want to make sure that the ponies playing them actually want to play them." Sweetie Belle sighed in relief as she heard murmurs of general agreement sounding around her. She noticed Rumble nodding his head profusely. "So, we're going to do things just a little bit differently. Instead of simply listing the parts, and straight up assigning them to everypony, we're going to do a really quick run through of the first act." The aforementioned murmurs of agreement changed back to the familiar rumblings of confusion. "What does that even mean?" "Wait, who's playing who?" "How are we supposed to act without casting?" "This doesn't make any sense!" "Wait, wait, wait!" Sweetie Belle waved her script in the air. "Remember how Rumble and Diamond Tiara came up to act as Drift and Star? It was pretty clear from that performance that Rumble didn't want to play Drift, right?" After a bit of laughter, she carried on with a smile. "So instead, we're going to start from the beginning. As the roles are introduced, anypony who wants to can come up to the center to act it out. That way, all of us, and not just me, can help with the casting process. Does that sound good to everypony?" "And if two ponies want to play the same character?" Unsurprisingly, Silver Spoon was the one to inquire. "Then..." Sweetie Belle scratched her chin "...then they can both try, and we can all put it to a vote to see who did it best." After she and one of her best friends inadvertently wound up as the starring roles, Sweetie Belle wanted to make absolutely sure that the class didn't think she was abusing her power as both play director and casting director to unfairly give her friends the best roles. A voting system seemed like the best way to do it, and judging from the nods encircling her, even the reluctant ones from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, it looked like the right choice. Sweetie Belle exhaled deeply, relieved that she seemed to have quelled that notion of corruption for the time being. With a perk in her step, she trotted back to her desk and the grinning faces of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Nicely handled, director," Apple Bloom whispered as Sweetie Belle climbed into her seat. "Thanks," Sweetie Belle replied as she picked up her copy of the script, opening it to the first page. She cleared her throat, and addressed the rest of the class as authoritatively as she could muster. "So, let's get started! Act 1: Scene 1. The narrator is the first one to speak, so whoever wants to be the narrator, start us off!" *** "It wath a beautiful day in the land of Equethtria. The thun was thining —" *** "Stop!" "What is now, Diamond Tiara?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't we at least have a narrator that can speak properly? I mean, like, no offense, Twist." Diamond Tiara's added rather lamely. "None taken..." Twist said with a frown. "Who are you to say who can and can't narrate?" Rumble fired, coming to Twist's aid. "No, Rumble," Sweetie Belle intervened. "Diamond Tiara's right. It's important that everypony can understand what's going on. Twist, would you mind maybe playing a different role?" "Not at all!" Twist replied cheerfully, diving back into her script, likely to scour for another role she could try for. "Great! Does anypony else want to narrate?" "I'll give it a go," Pipsqueak piped up with his Old Equestrian accent. Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together. "Alright, from the top." *** "It was a beautiful day in Equestria. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and spirits were high. Ponies were enjoying the scenery that their new land provided. However, in the village of Founder's Green, not all was well." *The lights turn on to reveal the exterior of a flower shop, entitled "Founder's Greenery". Outside, a female earth pony and male unicorn are witnessed standing close to each other.* *** "Excellent narration, Pipsqueak! Your accent adds such an old timey... sophistication to it!" Sweetie Belle said, the rest of the class agreeing enthusiastically. Pipsqueak bowed his head. "Why thank you!" "Narrator... Pipsqueak." Sweetie Belle scribbled on her script. "Alright, these two ponies. A female earth pony and a male unicorn. Both fairly minor, but recurring, roles, but who wants to step up and play them?" Snips bounded over his desk to the center of the room, practically tripping over his best friend Snails. "I've so got this!" "Okay. So, the female earth pony? Silver Spoon? Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle asked the two, hoping that suggesting that she wanted their participation would make the duo more cooperative. After all, if the play was to be a success, she'd need everypony involved to be willing to work together. "Psh! As if," Silver Spoon exclaimed with disgust. "She only has like... three lines." There was a scraping of a chair against the floor. Twist had stepped to the center of the room alongside Snips. "Thould be good for me, right?" Sweetie Belle nodded her head, and clapped her hooves to resume the scene. *** The couple nuzzled with each other, and the unicorn used his magic to present a bouquet of flowers to the earth pony. "Oooh! They're tho pretty! Thank you!" The earth pony gave him a swift peck on the cheek. *** The entire class giggled madly, Twist and Snips both blushing profusely with big, silly smiles on their faces. *** "They reminded me of you, of course they're pretty!" The unicorn replied bashfully. "Aww thucks!" The earth pony wrapped him in a hug. "Suddenly," the narration continued. "The owner of the flower shop, Gardenia, emerges from within. She looks upset." *** "Now, It says here that Gardenia is the owner of the flower shop. She's an earth pony, Harmony's mother, and is not fond of ponies being affectionate outside of their race. Cold, callous, and stubborn, and also a major character... Any takers?" Sweetie Belle asked the collective. "Diamond Tiara!" Cried several ponies at once. "This role is perfect for her!" "What are you talking about?" Diamond Tiara shouted incredulously. "I'm not any of those things!" "Of course not," Scootaloo agreed with a nearly undetectable trace of sarcasm. "But are you a good enough actress to pull it off?" "Are you joking? Step aside!" Diamond Tiara pushed backwards to allow herself room to make her way to the center. "Hurry up, let's get on with it." Taking it upon herself, she clapped her hooves together to continue the show. *** "Get that out of here!" Gardenia cried, waving a bouquet of flowers at the two ponies frantically. "Nopony wants to see that kind of behavior in public, especially between... ponies like you two." "Excuse me, ma'am," the unicorn stepped in front of his frightened and embarrassed filly friend. "But what we do together is none of your business!" "It is my business, young man! If I told the noble Baron Brilliance that one of his followers was seen courting a common earth pony, he'd have you exiled! You're lucky I'm in a good mood today!" "E-Exthiled?" The female earth pony asked timidly. "Yes, exiled!" Gardenia answered. "Same for you, missy! If Mayor Marigold found out about your relationship, you'd be ousted from Founder's Green in an instant!" She stomped her hoof on the ground to illustrate. "Now get out of here before I change my mind!" "Fine! Whatever, lady!" The unicorn relented. "Let's just... get out of here..." *The earth pony and unicorn exit the stage* *** "Wow... that was actually really good, Diamond." Scootaloo said, genuinely impressed. "See? Told you I'm great." Diamond Tiara brushed her shoulders casually. "So, can I mark you for Gardenia, then?" Sweetie Belle asked with the tip of a quill in her mouth, hovering above her personal copy of the script. Diamond Tiara uttered a sigh. "Fine, whatever. I don't think anypony else would be half as convincing as me anyways." "Alright, another role down!" Sweetie Belle cried excitedly after she finished writing. It looked like her unusual method of casting was working after all! "Next up, we have Harmony. This is the daughter of Gardenia, a hard working yet inquisitive earth pony who doesn't understand why different races can't be seen together in public showing affection." Sweetie Belle gestured to Apple Bloom. "You said you were interested in this one, right?" "Ah sure did! Does anypony mind if Ah give this role a try?" Nopony spoke up. "They probably don't want to be on stage, pretending to be related to Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo whispered into Sweetie Belle's ear, much to her friend's delight. "Well, let's hop to it!" Apple Bloom bounced next to the seemingly perpetually annoyed looking Diamond Tiara. Snips and Twist had both already retreated to their seats, smiling faces still faintly red. *** "Mama, mama! You'll never believe it — that flower Ah found is starting to bloom!" A voice from inside the flower shop cried. "Harmony? What's going on now?" Gardenia called back inside, setting the bouquet of flowers she had waved at the offensively affectionate ponies neatly down on the ground beneath the window. Harmony burst forth from the door, gently carrying on her back a pot containing a very peculiar looking flower. The flower had a large, bright orange bulb of curled petals like a tiger lily. Yet, the bright white stem bore several thorns, like that of a rose. "Mah flower! It's blooming!" The young earth pony cried happily. "That Flankenenstein looking flower?" Gardenia's nose wrinkled in disgust. "It doesn't look like it to me." Harmony carefully removed the flower from her back, and gazed at it, her enthusiasm quickly fading. "Oh... but it was blooming just a minute ago. It had this beautiful purple floret inside of the orange petals..." Gardenia continued to arrange the bouquets at the storefront, moving the same one to the left and right mere inches to try and get it just right. "It's probably for the best," she said. "I ain't never seen a flower with those kinda colors on a rose stem. It's not natural." "Oh well..." Harmony sighed, looking hopefully at the flower on the ground before changing the subject. "What was all that fuss about earlier?" "That? Oh, I was just doing my part, trying to keep other ponies from getting into trouble." Gardenia answered, finally satisfied with the positioning of the bouquet. "Trouble? From what?" "Who, rather. Mayor Marigold, Baron Brilliance, and Captain Cumulus. The leaders of the pony races here in Founder's Green are none too keen on different types of ponies... intermingling as it were." "Why not? Wasn't Equestria founded because of different ponies becomin' friends?" "Friends maybe, but not romantically involved. We have to work to preserve our purity!" "Purity of what?" "Purity of our earth pony magic! If we had foals that were half earth pony, half unicorn, they wouldn't be half as good at doing either earth pony or unicorn jobs! That's why we have to keep them separate; to preserve our way of life." "Is that true?" "So many questions! The tribes leaders don't agree often, but they agreed on this. It has to be true! Besides, can you imagine... ponies with wings and horns? That's just so... unnatural. Blech!" Gardenia shook her head violently as if to exorcise the image from her mind's eye. "Ah heard from one of the pegasus at school that the new princesses of Equestria have both wings and horns. Least, that's what she told me," Harmony pointed out. "Don't pay her no mind. She's a pegasus. The air is thinner where they live, causes them to think funny." "Ah've heard that one before," Harmony sighed quietly. The lights fade, and the curtain falls. *** Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together, jarringly putting the performance to a halt. While the rest of the class was raptly watching the story unfold in front of them, Sweetie Belle was following the script, determining when the next character would be introduced. "Let me just say, and I think that everypony will agree with me, but I think our casting so far is really good!" She opined, somepony in the class agreeing enough to start a round of applause that everypony joined in on. Sweetie Belle wasn't surprised that Apple Bloom had done well as Harmony — that was the role she practiced in the clubhouse yesterday. Sweetie Belle was, however, surprised at how well Diamond Tiara was doing. Granted, a bigoted and ignorant character wasn't too much of a stretch, but it made Sweetie Belle all the more anxious about herself playing in a starring role. Don't forget, a little voice inside her head piped up. You're just playing an extension of yourself too! A unicorn who loves a pegasus. The applause, and Sweetie Belle's nervousness, died down. With the class seemingly more attentive to her instruction, she continued. "So next, we have two more characters. One is a somewhat minor character, Princess Celestia's Messenger. The other is Mayor Marigold." She flipped back to the front of the script to locate the character descriptions. "It says that Mayor Marigold is the leader of the earth ponies in Founder's Green. She is a longtime friend of Gardenia, and she also shares the same strong opposition about different pony races being romantically involved." Three fillies moved to the center of the classroom when Sweetie Belle finished; Silver Spoon, Tornado Bolt, and Sunny Daze. "Ummm..." Sweetie Belle started slowly. Three ponies for two roles? Or did they all want to play one? "So, which characters did you three want to play?" Tornado Bolt spoke up first. "I was hoping I could be allowed to play Princess Celestia's Messenger. I know in here it says it's a male, but considering..." Sweetie Belle could see Scootaloo grinning sheepishly out of the corner of her eye. "Of course, that's not a problem." Sweetie Belle nodded. "Now, Silver Spoon? Sunny Daze?" "Mayor Marigold," the two earth ponies answered simultaneously. Sweetie Belle gulped. Looks like it would be time to put that voting system to a test. "I think I should play it, since Diamond Tiara and I are like, the best of friends." Silver Spoon pointed her hoof at Diamond Tiara, who reached out and gave her friend a hoof-bump. "Yeah, just like the mayor and Gardenia." "Chemistry will only take you so far! My friend and I won for best dramatic performance at the talent show!" Sunny Daze bragged in retaliation. "Reciting a poem on roller skates isn't like acting like, at all!" Silver Spoon cried. "That's enough, girls!" Sweetie Belle interrupted. "So what's going to happen is, we're going to run through the scene twice, swapping you two out for Mayor Marigold. After we see you perform, everypony will vote for who they think played the part best. That sounds fair, right?" Sunny Daze and Silver Spoon both agreed. "So, Tornado, it looks like you'll be running unopposed for Princess Celestia's Messenger," Sweetie Belle informed the pegasus, receiving an enthusiastic hoof pump in return. "Next up is the narration," Sweetie Belle motioned to Pipsqueak. "Whenever you're ready, take us away." *** "In the City Hall, a distressed Mayor Marigold paces back and forth, accompanied by an pony unfamiliar to the denizens of Founder's Green. This pony is adorned in rather ornate armor, and gives an air of importance. The two are engaged in a heated conversation, and the nature of the argument will soon become clear." "...Who did you say sent you again?" a frazzled Mayor Marigold asked. "Princesses Celestia and Luna of Equestria," the other pony recited. "Celestia, there's that name again... Well, listen here, good madam — I don't see why we need to follow this ridiculous decree. Everything is fine in Founder's Green," Mayor Marigold insisted staunchly. "According to other scouts, merchants, messengers, and former citizens, this village in particular is barely a step up from Equestria prior to it's unification," the messenger pointed out, referencing a hefty roll of parchment. "I can assure you, nothing is further from the truth!" Mayor Marigold waved her hooves frantically. "Pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies all live together in perfect harmony in our lovely little hamlet!" "I've a list of observations that says otherwise..." "No, no! We earth ponies tend to the fields, providing food for everypony. The pegasi, bless them, they alter the weather so that we can grow our food. And the noble unicorns raise and lower the sun each day to provide the warmth and light that everypony needs! See, perfect harmony!" "Actually..." the messenger stopped moving. "Princesses Celestia and Luna raise the sun and moon each day. They've been doing so for the past few months." "BAH! I knew it!" Mayor Marigold exploded, the startled messenger flinching as a result. "Lazy unicorns, taking credit for things they don't even do, I should have known bet—." She froze, her chest wildly heaving in and out. "Ahem, I meant to say, how delightful! I always said those hardworking unicorns could use an extra hoof—" "Case in point," the messenger said coolly with a click of the tongue. "Not that it matters, being that you live in Equestrian borders, you are obligated to follow this decree set forth by our highness, which states that—" "No!" Mayor Marigold burst out again. "Oh haha, I'm sorry. I mean to say that I'm quite aware of what it says. It just so happens that I know a perfect place for them to learn. If it pleases you, would you follow me?" With a wary eye, the messenger lifted her right hoof, crossing it in front of her left, pointing at the the door. "After you." *The duo exit the door, and the lights fade once again* *** Suffice it to say, the ponies in the casting session learned that section of the play very well. Silver Spoon and Sunny Daze performed the scene not just once, but twice, before the rest of the class (Sweetie Belle included) was comfortable in selecting one of them to play the mayor. Tornado Bolt meanwhile, was able to memorize all of her lines as Princess Celestia's Messenger without the script by the fourth take. Once again, Sweetie Belle was ever so grateful that it was down to a vote and not her singular decision, because Sunny Daze looked remarkably disappointed when Silver Spoon barely won out for the role of Mayor Marigold. When Sweetie Belle looked ahead at the next scene, she decided that Silver Spoon was probably for the best anyways. Despite Sunny Daze's claim to the contrary, chemistry was important in acting. *** *The curtain raises, revealing the exterior of the flower shop once again. From the left side of the stage, Mayor Marigold and Princess Celestia's Messenger emerge on stage.* "Yes, yes, here we are! The pride and joy of Founder's Green!" Mayor Marigold laughed with a false cheeriness that she had used many times at town hall meetings. "Founder's Greenery," read the messenger. "It's... a flower shop?" "A flower shop? Oh, no, no!" the mayor chuckled as she trotted to the door, knocking on it several times with her hoof. "I would bet that this is the single greatest flower shop in like, all of Equestria!" She reached over to row of flower bouquets beneath the window to the right of the door, and snatched one. "Here, give this a smell. Is it not divine?" Mayor Marigold gave the messenger very little choice in the matter as she stuffed the flora in her muzzle. The messenger rubbed her muzzle with her hoof. "That's er... that's nice." "Wonderful!" Mayor Marigold exclaimed. As the door opened behind her, she quickly tossed the bouquet on the ground towards the others. "Mari!" cried Gardenia from the doorway, Harmony standing by her side. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Mayor Marigold grappled Princess Celestia's Messenger, and thrust her towards a surprised Gardenia. "Whom, actually. You owe it to this mare right here. Harmony, could you give her the royal tour while I explain the situation to your mother?" She asked the bewildered youth. "That won't be an issue will it, ma'am?" "I uh - what?" the confused messenger stammered. "Fantastic! Off you two go!" The mayor called out as Gardenia shoved both the messenger and Harmony back into the store, slamming the door shut behind them. "What in Equestria is going on, Mari?" A shocked Gardenia asked. "We've got trouble, Gardenia," Mayor Marigold explained solemnly. "And it's everything to do with Equestria." "I don't understand. Who is that mare back there?" Gardenia scratched her head. "She's a messenger from Princesses Celestia and Luna, the rulers of Equestria." "I knew I heard that name somewhere before! What do they want?" "Well, apparently," Mayor Marigold cleared her throat. "They don't believe that we are being friendly and respectful to the other races of ponies." "WHAT?" Gardenia looked genuinely shocked. The mayor shook her head. "I know, right? I said the exact same thing." "We've always treated everypony with respect and digni—" Gardenia stopped short as she looked to the window of her store. "What happened with these flowers? Why is this bouquet thrown about on the ground?" Mayor Marigold shuffled uncomfortably. "Oh, uh... That, that messenger—" "Figures. Pegasus brutes," Gardenia said as she set the bouquet back in place. "So why is she even here?" "Well, the princesses decreed that ponies of different races in Founder's Green must work together, to 'learn to appreciate each other' or some nonsense like that," Mayor Marigold explained. "And?" "And... Baron Brilliance insists that all of the unicorn work in Founder's Green requires magic to do. And Captain Cumulus insists that all of the pegasus work requires flight." "You can't be saying what I think you're saying..." Gardenia's eyes widened. "I'm sorry!" "Are you suggesting that I'm going to have a snooty unicorn and a barbaric pegasus working on delicate flowers in my shop? Why would you send them here?" Mayor Marigold scrambled to explain to her increasingly angry friend. "Now look, Gardenia — we're friends! You know I would never send ponies like... like those to come work in your sacred den of flora if I didn't have a choice! My only other alternative would be to have them work on the farms and orchards in town. Now, think about that!" "Oh dear," Gardenia covered her mouth with her hoof in shock. "Unicorns and pegasi working on our food supplies? Surely, we would all starve!" "Or be poisoned. You never know with unicorn magic," Mayor Marigold added. "Indeed," Gardenia nodded solemnly. "I guess I can make that sacrifice then. I'll have them work with Harmony. I've been meaning to take a break anyways." "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Mayor Marigold snatched her friend and squeezed her in a tight hug. Gardenia coughed several times, sucking in as much oxygen as she could. Once she was released, she breathed the question "Okay then... when are they supposed to be coming?" Mayor Marigold whipped out a small notepad. "It says that they are to start in three days time. And their names are... Star Bright and Drift Monsoon." *** Cheerilee's reaction to Sweetie Belle's casting choices were much less negative than Sweetie Belle had feared. Rather than focus on the fact that there were two females playing Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, she simply applauded Sweetie Belle for taking on another role within the play. Sweetie Belle had to ask again, just to be sure. "So, it's not weird or strange or anything that Scootaloo and I are going to be... in love?" the filly asked with trepidation. "I mean, acting like we're in love?" "If you are happy with the casting choices, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee replied plainly. "Then I am happy with the casting choices." All told, it was a very successful first day for the play. Almost all of the roles had been cast, and everypony was having so much fun that they had to be reminded by Cheerilee to stop and eat their lunches. From what Sweetie Belle could see of the backdrops, they were coming across quite nicely, and the flower shop especially was almost exactly how Sweetie Belle had pictured it. At the end of the day, Sweetie Belle's throat was sore, and Sweetie Belle had barely done any acting as Star Bright yet. Being a director for more than three ponies was hard work, and Sweetie Belle suspected this was just the beginning. Still, it would be worth it. Not only to have a successful play under her belt, but also to finally confess to Scootaloo how she really felt. Sweetie Belle loved how Scootaloo had played Drift so far. Arguing with Captain Cumulus about being sent on a lame peacekeeping mission to work at a flower shop, and the genuine sensitivity about her poor flying ability being the deciding factor. Of course, that wouldn't matter. Star Bright would see Drift Monsoon for the wonderful pony he — or she — was, even if those small, adorable wings couldn't quite—. "Alright, everypony!" Cheerilee called from the front of the classroom, snapping Sweetie Belle from yet another Scootaloo induced trance. "Tomorrow morning, I want everypony to meet in the auditorium for homeroom, alright?" Dozens of cries of affirmation returned her answer. "With that, everypony have a great night. You all did a wonderful, wonderful job today!" There was a rush of colts and fillies that sailed past Sweetie Belle as they dashed to the exit of the classroom. In the hallway, Sweetie Belle meandered at a slow pace, stopping at the water fountain to get a much needed drink. Satisfied, she continued to the double doors when suddenly — "Sweetie Belle?" The unicorn turned around, and witnessed Scootaloo jogging towards her from the classroom. "Hey, Scootaloo! What's up?" The pegasus stopped in front of Sweetie Belle, taking a moment to catch her breath from the short sprint. "Just wanted to talk. So, how about that today?" "That what?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "You know..." Scootaloo laughed. "You and me, getting cast as Drift and Star." "Oh yeah, that! Yeah... that's really... really something." "I actually wanted to talk to you about it." "Really?" Sweetie Belle's voice came dangerously close to cracking. "Yeah... about the kiss." Sweetie Belle had to remind herself to breathe. Here she was, talking to her crush about their inevitable kiss. And the best part was that it was Scootaloo that brought it up! Sweetie Belle started to quiver. "Yeah... what about it?" Scootaloo's face was quickly becoming coated in red again. "I was just thinking that maybe - maybe we could..." "Yeah?" Sweetie Belle answered excitedly. "And this is just like... you don't have to..." "Uh-huh?" Sweetie Belle's could feel her own face heating up. "Because I know that the - the k-kiss is like.." Sweetie Belle could hardly contain herself, and just nodded her head quickly. "I was thinking that maybe we could—" "Practice?" Sweetie Belle blurted out, her voice cracking at last. "What?" Scootaloo exclaimed, her face positively doused in crimson. "...Prac-tice....?" Sweetie Belle repeated again, concentrating on trying to read Scootaloo's reaction. "Oh, well," Scootaloo scratched behind her head. "I was actually - I was actually going to suggest that we don't." "Don't? Don't what?" Sweetie Belle fired rapidly. "That we don't, you know... kiss." Though Scootaloo looked as though her face was on fire, Sweetie Belle felt as though someone had thrown her into a vat of icy water. "I um... I don't understand," Sweetie Belle said, her voice's excitement all but drained. "It's not that I think you're gross or lame or ugly or anything like that, okay? Because you're totally not!" "Oh... okay," Sweetie Belle mumbled. "It's just that," Scootaloo stammered. "Well, you saw the reaction in there with even just the thought of two fillies kissing, right?" "Mhm." "I just don't want people to ignore your awesome direction and acting and stuff to focus on a silly kiss, you know? Like Rarity's costumes — it wouldn't be fair to you!" "Yeah... unfair." "Besides, it is just a silly kiss, remember?" "Right," Sweetie Belle grumbled again, fighting with all of her might to keep her eyes from tearing up. "Are..." Scootaloo asked, her face returning to it's normal color. "Are you alright, Sweetie Belle?" "Yup," Sweetie Belle answered blankly. "Just tired. It's been a long day." "I hear that!" Scootaloo laughed in agreement. "Did you maybe want to do some more rehearsal later tonight, maybe after dinner? Apple Bloom and I were thinking about it." "No thanks," Sweetie Belle answered glumly. "I think I'm just going to get some sleep." Scootaloo nodded her head. "That's probably not a bad idea. Get some rest, alright?" Sweetie Belle nodded in return. "Well, see you tomorrow, Sweetie!" Scootaloo ran towards the doors, waving behind her. Sweetie Belle waved back at her. The doors closed with Scootaloo on the other side, and Sweetie Belle finally let loose and began to cry. It was the strangest thing, because they weren't exactly tears of sadness. Sure, she was disappointed that she and Scootaloo were probably never ever going to share a passionate kiss. However, it was the reasons Scootaloo presented that further strengthened the resolve of Sweetie Belle's affections. Scootaloo didn't want Sweetie Belle's play to go from a work of art to a simple showcase of two fillies kissing — just like the costumes from A Tale of Three Fillies, that sort of thing had the potential to distract the audience from everything else that Sweetie Belle had worked hard to accomplish in the play. And then, she and Apple Bloom were going to do some extra rehearsal this evening, all to make her play even better. On top of that, she even took on a role that she knew could be potentially humiliating just for the sake of "making the play a success." How could somepony be so wonderful? She did all of that for her, and Sweetie Belle loved Scootaloo for it so, so, so much! If only Sweetie Belle could show it properly. Author's Note I am so sorry it took so long to get this one up and running. I had an enormously difficult time outlining the "story within a story" piece that I wanted to do, but I think it came out alright. I loved making Gardenia and Mayor Marigold ignorant of their ignorance. So much fun! I'd love to hear what you all thought of this - did the "story within a story" method reveal the plot to the play fairly well?
Act 3: Living The Role"You have to leave!" Star Bright pleaded to Drift Monsoon. "If they find you here with me, who knows what kind of trouble you'll be in!" Drift quietly closed the window behind him, catching his breath while doing so. "I'm... I'm already in trouble," he gasped. "My commander, Captain Cumulus, he found about - about us. He called me into his office, told me I was going to be arrested, and I had to fight my way out and - and I don't know what to do!" The pegasus slumped down against the wall. With a gasp, Star hurried towards him, leaning down and offering the frazzled pony a comforting hug, which Drift gratefully accepted. "You're not hurt, are you?" she asked gently. Drift uttered a weak laugh. "Me? Of course not! It takes a lot more than four well-trained pegasi soldiers attacking at once to get me down." Star looked at him suspiciously and smirked. "So how many were there?" "Five," he groaned, stretching his back. "You're a horrible liar, you know," Star said with a grim smile, softly massaging Drift's aching shoulder. "Isn't that a good thing?" "It would be, if we didn't have to keep us a secret," Star sighed. "How did he find out?" "I don't know," Drift shrugged. "I didn't say a word, and the only other pony who knew was Harmony, and she would never-" *the door to Star Bright's room bursts open. Gardenia rushes into the room, accompanied by both Captain Cumulus and Baron Brilliance.* "...It's preposterous, I tell you! Star would never disgrace our family like - oh dear," Baron Brilliance's staunch denial was interrupted at the sight of his youngest daughter in the hooves of a pegasus. "Father!" Star Bright cried, but she didn't budge an inch from where she sat. "I said the same thing about my soldier," Captain Cumulus muttered as eyed the scene with a visible distaste on his face. "Though, I think that 'disgrace' is a strong word. She could do far worse than a proud pegasus soldier." "A noble unicorn like my daughter? I think-" "Will you two shut up?" Gardenia shouted, silencing the two bickering ponies. She looked at Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, nose wrinkled in disgust. "How? Did you really think that you could get away with that... with that kind of behavior right under my muzzle? Did you really think I was that ignorant?" she exclaimed. "I knew that nothing good would come of having these kinds of ponies working together." "These kinds of ponies?" Baron Brilliance's question was met with a raised hoof from Gardenia. "You both know what I mean," she said. "But now, we can finally rid ourselves of this... this cancer! Mayor Marigold has already arranged a sentencing for you two," she directed at the frightened Star and Drift. "Today, right outside of my flower shop, the scene of the crime." "Crime?" Drift yelled. "We haven't done anything wrong!" "At ease, soldier," Captain Cumulus said sternly. "That's for the tribe leaders to decide, isn't it?" "Indeed it is," Baron Brilliance agreed, much to Star's chagrin. "Father, you can't be serious! I'm your daughter-" "No daughter of mine would be seen courting such a neanderthal," Baron Brilliance answered coldly. "Baron..." Captain Cumulus grumbled. "Enough!" Gardenia shouted again, impatient and irritated. "We're going to Founder's Greenery, where everypony in town will be able to witness this atrocity... and then see what happens if they care to test it for themselves. Guards!" The two unicorn bodyguards standing outside the room moved inside through the doorway, but stopped when they saw whose voice had summoned them. They both grumbled back and forth to each other, before one of them leaned towards Baron Brilliance. "Sir?" "Right, right..." Baron Brilliance mumbled. "They won't listen to a common earth pony." "Common?" a clearly insulted Gardenia inquired. "Guards!" the Baron commanded. "Escort these two towards the flower shop at the center of town. And uh..." he started as he grimaced at the sight of his daughter flashing her eyes angrily at him. "Give them some space." *All of the ponies leave the room and proceed down the stairs.* "All right, everypony!" Cheerilee announced from the front of now-empty stage. "This begins our intermission before the third and final act. Feel free to purchase some refreshments in the hallway - all homemade from Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" The couple stood up and waved their hooves modestly, the reputation of their baking prowess earning a polite applause. "The proceeds go directly to funding after school activities, such as tonight's play! The play will resume in ten minutes, so hurry on back!" The sound of dozens of chairs scraping across the auditorium floor masked the schoolteacher's gallop as Cheerilee swiftly made her way backstage. "Everypony, you are doing a wonderful job!" she gushed to her students, many of whom were taking off their costumes temporarily to cool themselves down. Being on a stage in full costume, with both the bright lights beaming down, and the stares of the crowd scorching tended to heat the performers up very quickly. "Even though you only had a week and a half to prepare, you guys are knocking it out of the park! If this opening night is anything to go by, I can see a future in theater for some of you," she added. "Speaking of which, where is the director? Sweetie Belle?" Sweetie Belle stood in front of the mirror, the unicorn in the reflection staring back at her. She was shaking with excitement, extremely glad that all of the rehearsal after school with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had paid off - she had spent much of the time in class overseeing the other performers, pointing out some nuances, and making slight adjustments to the script. So far, the play was going perfectly, with only minor "ums" and "uhs" being uttered as some of the more nervous ponies struggled to remember their lines. Though she and her classmates were equally dreading and looking forward to this evening, fearing that it would be agonizingly slow, it turned out the opposite was true. The night was flying by. For Sweetie Belle, this was nothing new. Over the last week and a half, time had been acting most peculiar for Sweetie Belle. It felt like it was moving either like a breezie on a windless summer day, or like Rainbow Dash racing to the line on the first day of cider season. There weren't any other speeds in between, except for one. Too slow, too fast, and just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon were in Founder's Greenery, bumping muzzles as they dutifully examined the same flower, it was just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon shared each other's lunch, laughing at the ridiculous myths perpetuated about their respective races, it was just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon discovered that they had more in common than either of them thought, both living under an enormous weight from their families, it was just right. And when Star Bright and Drift Monsoon both grasped each other's hooves for the first time and couldn't seem to let go, it was just right. And all of it, as Sweetie Belle reminded herself each day, was just a performance. More and more, she found herself quoting lines of the play in everyday conversation. She often woke up in the morning, her dreams of Star Bright and Drift Monsoon feeling so amazingly real, she felt cheated. But the hardest part, undoubtedly, was keeping her feelings towards Scootaloo a secret when everyday of preparation she found herself having more and more difficulty differentiating between what was the play, and what was real. Perhaps A Tale of Three Fillies wasn't the best way to measure it, but Scootaloo's acting talent surprised Sweetie Belle. Drift seemed just as enamored with Star as Star was with Drift. It all felt so genuine, so undeniably real, that Sweetie Belle was almost happy to accept it. Almost. The play was running for a week, and while Sweetie Belle was glad that she would be able to put an end to that schism, she enjoyed the "relationship" she had with Scootaloo so much that she wished it would go on forever. "...Sweetie Belle? Is everything alright, dear?" "What? Huh?" Sweetie Belle stopped focusing on her reflection, and noticed that Miss Cheerilee had appeared behind her in the mirror. "Are you okay? You seem distracted," the teacher said with a mild frown. "Oh, oh yes," Sweetie Belle spun around in her chair. "Just a lot of stuff on my mind, that's all." "I can imagine," her teacher nodded. "For what it's worth, you're doing a great job. The direction is snappy, humorous and heartfelt, and your acting... well, I actually believe that Star Bright and Drift Monsoon are in love!" In light of her situation, Sweetie Belle simply chuckled. "Heh... thanks." "I just wanted to let you know, in case you had any-" "Miss Cheerilee?" Sweetie Belle blurted. Her teacher didn't seem bothered by the interruption at all. "Yes?" "Do you think that... that I made the right decision?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously. "With what?" "With cutting the kiss." "What do you think?" Cheerilee asked simply. "I... I don't know. I mean, Scoots and I are both fillies, and I would really hate the thought of the entire play being forgotten in light of us kissing. It doesn't seem fair to anypony else," Sweetie Belle admitted. "That seems like a good enough reason to me." "Diamond Tiara didn't think so..." Sweetie Belle grumbled. "She got really angry when me and Scootaloo said we weren't going to. She said if she knew that the kiss wasn't going to be in, that she would have been Star Bright for sure." "I recall she mentioned it to me a few times," Cheerilee laughed, likely remembering when a seething Diamond Tiara accused Sweetie Belle of a conspiracy against her. "But, she didn't raise her hoof to be the director. You did." "So..." "So take pride in your choices, and stick by them. If you feel that's what's best for the play, then cut the kiss out." "But what do you think?" Sweetie Belle asked frantically. "I'm not the director, Sweetie Belle. You are," Cheerilee told her. "Is there anything else?" Sweetie Belle sighed deeply. "No... thanks, Miss Cheerilee." "Of course," Cheerilee nodded as she swiftly walked towards the side-door to the auditorium, passing the rest of the cast and crew in the process. "Break a leg, everypony!" she cheered. Sweetie Belle spun around in the chair, feeling just as uneasy about the situation as before. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't under a significant amount of stress for the past week and a half. Now, with the final act of the play inbound, signalling the beginning of the end to the fairy-tale world of Star Bright and Drift Monsoon that she wished to call hers, she felt positively overwhelmed. She rested her head on the desk in front of her, breathing deeply and slowly. "Sweetie Belle! You ready to go?" That voice. Of course it would be Scootaloo that would come to lift her from this mire. "Uh," Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, lifting her head to look in the mirror, pressing on the ends of her mane that had come undone. "Yeah, Scoots. I'm ready." She hopped out of the chair, about to make her way towards the stage when she saw the eyes of the entire cast gazing upon her. At the front of the pack was Scootaloo, in full costume as a discharged soldier, wearing a broad smile. Her wings flapped a few times excitedly before settling again at her sides. Completely adorable, and utterly contagious. With a gleam in her eye and a brand new grin of her own, Sweetie Belle looked at the clock. One minute to go. The crew had already swapped the backdrop to the flower shop, and the lights were already swapped to the orange bulbs to emulate a sunset in Founder's Green. Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves twice and confidently shouted- "Places, everypony! "And so, with Star Bright and Drift Monsoon discovered by the hateful Gardenia, all three tribe leaders; Mayor Marigold, Baron Brilliance, and Captain Cumulus, have prepared an impromptu sentencing for the pair," the narration says. "Outside of Founder's Greenery, they and the entire town have gathered to bear witness to the trial, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Hope, as we'll soon find out, is a curious thing." "Star Bright and Drift Monsoon," Mayor Marigold shouted from her chair, causing the ears of the two ponies standing before her to fold. "You stand before us today having been found guilty of violating one of the most sacred laws upheld in Founder's Green; partaking in a romantic relationship with a pony of a different race." Both Star and Drift exchanged glances with one another, shaking their heads sadly. "This law is not enforced for no good reason," Captain Cumulus resumed. "It is in place to prevent short-term inefficiencies and the long-term consequence of eventual degradation of all of equine kind. Baron Brilliance, if you could explain the specifics?" The pegasus captain gestured to the crowned unicorn to his right. "Certainly," Baron Brilliance nodded. "It would be the end of all of us!" he shouted, causing several ponies in the audience to shudder. "Imagine a unicorn, given access to boundless magic, but guided by a pegasus' lesser intelligence?" Captain Cumulus cleared his throat audibly, but the Baron paid no mind. "Mistaking the moon for a jawbreaker candy, they would summon it towards them, causing the tides to rise and flood all of the Earth!" Captain Cumulus practically hacked up a lung this time, the crazed banter of Baron Brilliance ceasing. "While that example greatly misrepresents pegasi intelligence... as well as that of unicorn magic, the theory holds true," the pegasus said. "Imagine a weather team of pegasi, their magnificent flight abilities eroding as their families stray and mingle with earth ponies. As the hulking body mass of an earth pony slowly infects the perfectly fit pegasi frame, we'd be left with a bunch of fat, slovenly, and flightless ponies." "This might be hard for you to understand, given your, ahem... nature," Mayor Marigold expelled, "but this is supposed to be a sentencing for these two. The hardy earth ponies have nothing to do with it." "Not surprising," came the voice of Baron Brilliance from across the table. "When have earth ponies ever had anything to do with anything of note?" Mayor Marigold winced as she quite literally bit her tongue. "Perhaps that overly gauche crown upon your head is like, cutting off oxygen to your head, but I would bear in mind where your food comes from and how it is harvested, Baron." "I'm fully aware of how it grows," the Baron shouted. "Sunlight! Sunlight that we unicorns bring everyday!" "The sun would not shine if my pegasi did not keep the skies clear, and the food would not grow if not for the rain that we provide!" Captain Cumulus argued. The trio of tribes leaders began arguing over one another, each citing an increasingly hyperbolic reason why their race was superior and that the others were barely worth mentioning. The crowd watching the gathering continued to grow, and the door the flower shop opened. Careful not to disturb the tribe leaders, the young Harmony quietly closed the door behind her. With the strange orange flower with a white stem resting in a pot on her back, she sauntered up to her mother, Gardenia. "What's goin' on, Mama?" Harmony whispered. "Why are Star and Drift standing in front of everypony? Are they in trouble?" "Oh yes, they are in quite a bit of trouble," Gardenia replied almost cheerfully. "Why?" "Harmony, perhaps if you would listen to what me and the tribes leaders say, you would learn something. There's a reason they say that 'with age comes wisdom', you know," she said with an annoyed tone of voice as she glanced down at her daughter. Gardenia did a double take when she saw the flower on her back. "Honey, why on Earth are you carrying that wretched plant around?" "It's been growin' and bloomin' all week," Harmony explained. "It's gonna fully bloom again real soon, Ah know it." "If you say so, dear- OH! Shh shh shh!" Gardenia shushed her already silent daughter. "They're getting ready for the sentencing!" Mayor Marigold cleared her throat and nestled herself into her chair. Her face was trying so hard to conceal a grin, but despite her best attempts, she couldn't disguise it. "Though we may share discrepancies about each other's races, we leaders of this community all agree on this." Drift Monsoon whispered inaudible reassurances to Star Bright as the unicorn stifled her sobs. "What you have committed is a crime against nature. By even endeavoring to explore a relationship between a unicorn and a pegasus is seen as an act of sabotage and of treason. Had we not intervened, your continued immoral romance and eventual offspring would be ineffective and a mutation of everything the proud pony races stand for. By opting to pursue this relationship, you have opted to pursue diluting the pony races and bringing about the crippling of future generations to come. Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, you are both hereby sentenced to-" "That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" The entire crowd looked around to see where the voice had come from, but they didn't need to look very hard. Behind where Drift and Star were standing, a pony ventured forth from the crowd. He was a light beige earth pony with a bright orange mane, and his cutie mark was that of a neatly wrapped scroll. Slung across his back was another scroll, kept in place by a silver chain that wrapped around his shoulders. "And who are you supposed to be?" Baron Brilliance asked incredulously. "Can't you see that we're busy here?" "My name is Magistrate Warren, from the Royal Court of the Two Sisters," the stallion answered almost mechanically, as though he had uttered his name several dozen times beforehoof. Baron Brilliance turned to face the other two tribal leaders, mouthing the words "royal court of the two sisters" to them, hoping they could enlighten him. He was met with another confused expression from Mayor Marigold, and a shrug from Captain Cumulus. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" Warren asked bafflingly at the sight of their disorientation. "The two Royal Sisters that govern Equestria, the province that you call home?" The three leaders all nodded and mumbled in agreement among themselves. "Celestia is a name that we are familiar with," Mayor Marigold told him. "What exactly is it that she wants this time?" "If you'll indulge me," Warren began. "Around a week and a half ago, one of Celestia's messengers came to this village with a royal decree - one that was forged after multiple complaints of unfair treatment among the different pony races in this town." "Yes, and we have followed that decree!" Mayor Marigold insisted. "Both of the selected candidates have been working and learning the earth pony trades right here at Founder's Greenery!" "Really?" the magistrate raised an eyebrow. "Then what is this going on here?" He waved his outstretched hoof across the whole scene. "A day off!" Captain Cumulus exclaimed, earning wide eyed stares from his two cohorts. "Yes! That's right!" Baron Brilliance added. "We're holding a celebration in their honor, to uhh... celebrate the bond between all of the pony races in our fair village!" Magistrate Warren looked with amusement around him. "It sounded to me like that bond was far from being celebrated," he noted, looking over his shoulder. "Aide Cohen, if you please?" He motioned his head forward. From where the magistrate had come, another pony unfamiliar to the township emerged. This time, it was a unicorn - purplish grey with a pale yellow mane. Upon his flank was a red feathered quill. In a yellow light, an envelope zipped out from the satchel along his side, and the letter within levitated in front of Magistrate Warren. "I have a letter from that messenger, one that describes a time long gone by. It says that the village of Founder's Green still holds true to all of the misconceptions and stereotypes that helped to drive ponies apart before Equestria was founded." "That is a bold faced lie! Why, we -" Mayor Marigold was cut off by a loud cough from Magistrate Warren. "And yet, here you are, sentencing these two ponies to some horrible fate for what you see as an irredeemable crime. For what, loving one another?" he pointed out. "Do you have any idea how genetics work, Mister Warren?" Baron Brilliance inquired angrily. "I know how you think it works, Baron," the magistrate answered with an abrupt sharpness. "What were the words that you used - 'ineffective and mutated'? My mother is an earth pony, my father a pegasus. Tell me, do you think that I am ineffective or a mutation?" None of the tribe leaders spoke. They instead tried to burn a hole through the magistrate with their outraged glares. After several minutes, Mayor Marigold broke the silence. "Magistrate Warren... With all due respect, this law that we are upholding is one that we have practiced for many, many years. There has never been a problem before, no? If ponies didn't like the way we ran things, they were free to leave. And if they chose to break the rules we set forth, we simply sent them on their merry way to do what they wish, or gave them time in to think in adequate confinement," her voice dripped with a tangible smugness. "So, is there a higher law that prevents us from doing so, magistrate?" Magistrate Warren pursed his lips and exhaled deeply. "Not within reason, there isn't, no, but-but how can smothering feelings be considered reasonable?" "They are free to express their feelings to each other," Captain Cumulus explained. "Just not in Founder's Green. Mayor Marigold, would you kindly finish the sentencing?" "With pleasure," Mayor Marigold expelled. "Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, I hereby sentence you to-" "Wait!" "What is it now, magistrate?" Mayor Marigold asked exasperatedly. "I - I think that perhaps, for variety's sake, we might hear from the two ponies on trial," Magistrate Warren gestured to Star Bright and Drift Monsoon. "Maybe they can explain what could have possibly prompted them to break such an old and time honored tradition? How does that sound to everypony?" As the crowd murmured in agreement, Magistrate Warren whispered into his aide's ear. "Cohen, send a letter to the Royal Sisters immediately, informing them of the situation." Aide Cohen nodded, and per his cutie mark, manipulated a red-feathered quill with his magic to furiously scribble on a blank piece of parchment. "Fine, fine!" the mayor cried above the din. "Let's hear what these traitors have to say for themselves." "Right then," Magistrate Warren sighed in relief. "Star Bright, perhaps you'd like to start?" Sweetie Belle looked down at the stage, barely registering that her line had come. It was one of her favorite lines in the entire play, the one where Star Bright confessed her love to Drift Monsoon in front of the entirety of Founder's Green. To be destined by the script of such a wonderful opportunity... Star Bright was a very lucky pony. "Star Bright, perhaps you would like to start?" Sweetie Belle looked up in the face of her classmate portraying the magistrate. He looked uneasy, and nodded his head every so slightly as encouragement. Sweetie Belle looked around at the rest of her classmates, all of them staring at her. She craned her neck over her shoulder, and witnessed the entirety of Ponyville gazing at her curiously. Finally, she turned looked to her immediate right, into the worried face of Scootaloo. If Star Bright can do it... why can't I? "Oh yes," Sweetie Belle said. "I would love to." With deliberation, she rotated herself so that she was facing Scootaloo. Scootaloo no longer appeared worried, but instead wore a friendly smile. "Go for it," the pegasus mouthed silently. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, her mind racing at what seemed to be thousands of miles per hour. She blinked, and she felt everything stop. This was it. "Scootaloo," she said. Everything that had stopped suddenly resumed, and Sweetie Belle became acutely aware of all of it. She could hear the voices of the crowd, all wondering aloud about what was going on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Diamond Tiara cover her face with a hoof in embarrassment, Apple Bloom next to her looking just as confused as the crowd sounded. And immediately in front of her, Scootaloo stood there, mouth agape, but completely silent. Sweetie Belle's eyes looked into Scootaloo's, the unicorn wearing an almost apologetic expression. "Since the day we met, you always made me feel happy. Always. It was your spirit and fearlessness that did it, I think, made me never want to give up even when I was sad, because you never gave up! I've always been able to count on you through thick and thin. Even if your wings can't yet lift yourself up just yet..." Scootaloo's mouth closed at long last, and her face grew red. Still she didn't look away from Sweetie Belle, and didn't say a word. "...It doesn't mean that you can't lift me up. I don't know when it happened, but I just started thinking about you more and more, and I tried so hard to tell myself that everything was the same, and that you were still just my best friend, but... but it wasn't. I finally realized that... that..." Sweetie Belle blinked, and could feel a tear slide down her face. "...That I love you." She finally said it. That pressure that lifted from her chest, however, was quickly replaced by anxiety. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and her ragged breathing, but nothing else. The silence threatened to consume her. "This - this last week and a half, I - I tried so hard to live these two lives. Pretending to love you, and pretending to be your friend, and it was just too much and I couldn't keep doing it, and I had to - I had to tell you, Scootaloo." As soon as the words left her mouth, the silence she tried to stave off returned with full force. She didn't blink, couldn't blink, and the theater became a blur behind her veil of tears. She couldn't make out a single face in the crowd. The only thing she could see was Scootaloo standing before her, utterly still, her expression blank. Sweetie Belle's eyes burned fiercely, and she finally closed her eyes. The teardrop that landed seem to echo throughout the theater. When her eyes opened once more, nothing had changed. Sweetie Belle took one step backwards, her hoof fall bouncing around the room. Step by step, she proceeded towards the edge of the stage, ever more desperate to shield herself from the sea of faces piercing her with their glares. Sweetie Belle turned around, her slow steps evolving into a full on gallop. Just as she was about to exit the stage, she heard a voice. "Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo's voice was the one that shattered the quiet this time. Sweetie Belle stopped moving, and looked back at Scootaloo mournfully from the side of the stage. "Come here," Scootaloo gestured. "Center stage, right next to me." Her face burning red, Sweetie Belle slowly ambled her way towards Scootaloo. She kept her gaze down to the floor, not daring to look at her friend. Scootaloo's orange hooves entered her field of vision, and, acutely aware of the spotlight cast upon her and Scootaloo, she stood still. "Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo started loudly, proudly, her voice washing over the entirety of the auditorium. Sweetie Belle winced at the storm that sure to come next. "You mentioned my wings... my wings that can't, and may not ever, lift me up. Believe it or not, that makes even me want to give up sometimes. That's when I think to myself... I don't need wings to lift me up." Slowly, Sweetie Belle looked up to see her friend. Scootaloo was not angry. She wasn't scared. She was smiling that same friendly smile she always did when Sweetie Belle was feeling down. "That's what I have you for." The unicorn's mouth went dry, and her mind went blank. She felt dizzy, everything going in and out of focus. Scootaloo's voice, however, rang crystal clear in her ears. "And then you go and say I'm fearless? Not even close! I was terrified that telling you how I felt would scare you away. I'm supposed to be the fearless one, but I was the one that was scared. Scared to lose you... because I love you too, Sweetie Belle." Within the spotlight, it was so incredibly bright. Sweetie Belle couldn't see anything beyond that light, but she didn't care to. She looked at Scootaloo in disbelief, her dry mouth having moisture enough to utter; "You mean it?" Scootaloo nodded happily, a glimmer in her eye. "With all of my heart." Sweetie Belle wasn't sure which one of them started to lean in first. Tentatively, they closed in on one another. She could feel the breath from Scootaloo's nostrils upon her own muzzle, and then slowly, their muzzles touched. "What about the play? Sensationalism and all that?" Sweetie Belle whispered. "What kind of romantic play would it be without a kiss?" Scootaloo replied. Neither of them seemed sure of what exactly to do. They tilted their heads, and inched their way closer to each other. With the gap between them practically closed, they both hesitated, just for a moment, and then, with their eyes closed - they pressed their lips together. Sweetie Belle could only hope that Scootaloo enjoyed their kiss as much as she did. Her lips tingled, and the sensation spread across her entire body in waves. It was everything that she could have ever hoped for, and then some. After what seemed an eternity, their lips parted and their eyes opened once more. The theater positively exploded. The applause from the audience was an absolute cacophony, and even on the stage, Sweetie Belle saw her classmates cheering and clapping. To her surprise, even Silver Spoon was grinning and clapping her hooves together, though that soon stopped once Diamond Tiara noticed and gave her friend a quick jab to the ribs. It was the happiest Sweetie Belle felt for as long as she could remember, and judging from the beaming coming from Scootaloo, she'd guess the feeling was mutual. As though they could read each other's thoughts, they both lunged forward in a deep embrace as the crowd roared on. After a minute, or two, or five, Scootaloo whispered into Sweetie Belle's ear. "Don't forget, we've still got a show to do, remember?" They slowly pulled apart, and as their front legs hit the stage, Sweetie Belle nodded. With a quick glance and several more nods to her cast mates on the stage, she raised both of her hooves, and clapped them together twice. "Enough! ENOUGH!" The roar of the joyous crowd finally quieted at the command of a positively livid Mayor Marigold. "What exactly does that prove?" she asked to the crowd. "Just because you think something is good for you doesn't mean that it is!" "We're trying to help you!" Captain Cumulus joined in. "Can't you see that? How else can we preserve the purity of our proud heritage?" As the crowd cried back in protest, a letter emanated from the Aide Cohen's horn in a spiral ray of yellow light. He unfurled the scroll and read it to himself silently. "What were you trying to accomplish, magistrate? We're still the ones with authority here and our ruling is the only one that matters!" Baron Brilliance's face contorted as he screamed at Magistrate Warren. Before he could answer, Magistrate Warren was met with several taps to the shoulder from his aide. The letter floated before his face for a moment, enough so that the magistrate could quickly read through it. "It is," Magistrate Warren called back to the baron. "For now." He gestured to Aide Cohen, pointing his hoof upward and waving it in a circle. With a nod, the unicorn's horn glowed. A beam of yellow light erupted above the crowd, a yellow pulse spreading through the skies above the village. With their attention sufficiently gathered, Magistrate Warren held the letter in front of him, shouting to the now silent crowd "Fillies and Gentlecolts, I hold in my hooves the latest decree from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the 'true' rulers of this land. It says;" Citizens of Founder's Green, It has come to my attention that this town of yours has created several ripples of late regarding relationships between the different races of ponies. Some among you may cite that local law disallows relationships of a romantic nature between different races of ponies. While we are generally glad to allow towns and villages within Equestria to manage themselves as they see fit, this law prompts an immediate intervention. Love is a beautiful thing, in any form it takes. Whether it be between a foal and its family, or two young ponies sharing their first flicker of romance, love is one of the few wondrous gifts that our lives allow. As such, it is considered inequine to even consider stifling this miracle that makes life worth living. Henceforth, on this day June 12, 00AE01, a relationship or union between two ponies, whatever their races may be, is deemed a basic, natural, and irrevocable right to all denizens of Equestria. Any attempt to infringe upon said right will be considered grounds for reprisal. Signed, -Princess Celestia -Princess Luna For the second time that day, the village of Founder's Green was alive with the cheers of it's citizens. Star Bright and Drift Monsoon shared in a loving embrace, while the tribe leaders looked at them with complete and utter disdain. Young Harmony could hardly contain herself, and just before she prepared to jump around in a frenzy she set the flower on her back to the ground. It was then that she noticed - "It bloomed! It bloomed! Look at it, Mama! It bloomed!" Gardenia sat still, growing exponentially more irritated with each cheer that she heard. Not bothering to look at her daughter or the flower, she simply waved her hoof disinterestedly and offered a flat "that's nice." "No, Mama! You didn't even look at it! Look, look!" Gardenia's temper was cut in half several times, and the excited cries from her daughter about that ugly flower, however well-meaning they were, was too much. "I don't care about that stupid thing! It's wrong, it's all wrong! Everything -" She looked hatefully at Star and Drift's celebratory embrace. "-Especially you two!" In a blur, Gardenia had seized the pot from her daughter's grasp, reeled back, and with all of her might, fired it towards the couple like a cannonball. The crowd uttered a collective gasp and fell silent. The flower pot was only inches from Drift Monsoon's face when it was suddenly halted in mid-air, enveloped by a light green glow. Drift opened his eyes and saw the pot floating before him. He heard a humming to his left, and saw the horn upon Star's head glowing a pale emerald green. He reached out, taking hold of the flower as the aura abandoned it. "You're welcome," Star whispered to Drift, receiving a swift kiss upon her cheek in return. The smile quickly vanished as Drift glared at Gardenia. "What was that all about?" He raised the flower pot behind his head, threatening to throw it back at cantankerous earth pony. "Stop!" came the voice of Magistrate Warren from behind Drift. "Don't give them any actual reason to arrest you." Drift felt the plant leave his hooves as it was taken by the magistrate. The stallion examined the flower curiously, unsure of what to make of it. "What a peculiar flower," he started. "I have never seen one such as this before. It's got the petals of a tiger lily, the floret of a sunflower, and the thorny stem of a rose. What a curious mix of different flowers... and the colors... it's familiar, but at the same time, it's quite unique." Magistrate Warren shifted his gaze from the flower in his hooves to the bouncy Harmony next to the embarrassed Gardenia. "Tell me, young..?" "Harmony!" "Miss Harmony. What kind of flower is this?" "Ah'm not sure. Ah found it a while ago, and it just bloomed now..." Harmony turned to Star and Drift. "...Right when they kissed," she finished. The magistrate looked at the flower, to the couple, and then back to the young filly with a smile on his face. "Then, we shall name this flower after it's discoverer. You, miss Harmony." "Really?" Harmony looked joyfully at her mother, who seemed merely irritated. "And this night, this night that allows for all ponies, whether they bear horn, or wings, or nothing but a heart that is capable of loving and being loved, to share in this emotion without fear, shame, or guilt... This night shall be known across all of Equestria as... The entire cast of Ponyville Elementary's very first production of Harmony's Flowers turned to face the audience in the theater, and bellowed as loudly as they could simultaneously - "The Night of Harmony's Flowers!" The lights illuminated the stage, and the entire cast and crew lined up. With a countdown led by the narrator Pipsqueak, they all bowed their heads together as the audience whooped and clapped their hooves enthusiastically. The ponies began filtering off of the stage into the crowd, talking excitedly to their friends and family. All of them, except for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who stood facing one another at center stage once again, dimly aware of the events around them as time passed seemingly in slow motion. Cheerilee clambered onto the stage alongside Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but they didn't seem to notice until she shouted above sound of the crowd. "In addition to co-starring as Star Bright, Sweetie Belle also took the reigns as the director of tonight's play! Another round of applause, everypony!" Scootaloo offered Sweetie Belle her hoof, which the unicorn gladly accepted. As they turned to look into the crowd with joyful grins on their faces, Sweetie Belle leaned in to Scootaloo's ear and whispered. "So... if you felt that way about me..." "Yeah?" "Why did you suggest we didn't kiss? Was it really for the play?" "Actually... I thought I might be really bad at it, or that I'd get so nervous that I'd throw up all over you!" "Heh," Sweetie Belle chuckled. "Don't worry. You were awesome." "SWEETIE BELLE!" Rarity's high-pitched squeal broke the trance the two fillies were in, and Sweetie Belle suddenly found herself gasping for air from a sincere hug that more closely resembled a choke hold. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! That was magnificent - I should have known when you said 'colt' that-" "Rarity?" the filly squeaked. "Oh? Oh, sorry!" Rarity exclaimed as she released her younger sister. "I am just so immensely excited and proud of you! That speech and that kiss was adorable - you two are just a darling couple, even if Scootaloo's mane isn't quite-" "Her mane is perfect," Sweetie Belle insisted defiantly, causing Scootaloo to pat her mane down while blushing profusely. "Yeah... well..." Scootaloo sputtered, desperate to change the subject. "I was totally right about the kiss stealing the show though - it was the first thing that somepony brought up!" Rarity opened her mouth to defend herself, but somepony else did it for her. "It was a pretty awesome kiss, Squirt." Scootaloo deftly mussed her mane again at the sight of Rainbow Dash gliding towards the stage. "Rainbow Dash! You came!" "Of course I did," Rainbow Dash replied with gusto. "I wouldn't miss a chance to see my number one fan in the spotlight!" Scootaloo practically fainted at her idol's acknowledgment. "Sharing the spotlight, you mean," Rarity corrected her with a polite cough. "Yeah, yeah..." "I'm still kinda surprised you came to see it, though," Sweetie Belle giggled. "Scootaloo says you can't stand romantic stuff." Rainbow Dash rubbed behind her neck, laughing nervously, and avoiding eye contact with the three other ponies. "Yeah... well, you know... I uh... I heard there was going to be a fight scene," "How'd I do? Did you like it?" Scootaloo anxiously fished for praise for her performance. "You were amazing! You were all like psh, whoosh, bam! And then bouncing off of that one guard's head, spinning around and fwooosh!" Each one of Rainbow Dash's play-by-play's was illustrated with a series of playful jabs towards the young filly, and Scootaloo laughed giddily as she stood herself up and dodged each one. After a particularly energetic bend and twist, Scootaloo lost her balance and began waving her forelegs back and forth to keep herself upright. Her purple tail caught under her back left hoof, and she started to fall backwards. "Woah-woah-woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-oh!" A pair of white forelegs wrapped themselves underneath the base of Scootaloo's flailing appendages. She felt Sweetie Belle's soft, warm body pressing against hers, pushing the pegasus upright. Scootaloo landed on all fours, and with a crimson glow on her face, she uttered a simple "Thanks." "That's what you've got me for," Sweetie Belle replied. "Sorry about that, kid, I got a little carried away," Rainbow Dash told her sheepishly. "But... you two are pretty cute together." Now both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were stark red, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash shared a laugh together. "So," Sweetie Belle started, clearly unsure of how to continue. "It doesn't bother you that Scootaloo and I are... uh... together?" "Why in Equestria would it?" Rarity cocked her head. "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed enthusiastically. "If you're both happy, what's the problem?" Scootaloo massaged her foreleg, not quite looking at either of the adult mares when she answered. "Some of the other ponies were kinda... they didn't really seem all that supportive." "And who cares what they think?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. "Everypony was cheering you guys on, except for the one that played Gardenia, and if you ask me, she was just jealous!" Sweetie Belle was positively delighted when she heard Cheerilee calling her name. Wasting no time, she frantically pointed her hooves at her teacher waving at her from the row of seats next to the open door. "Miss Cheerilee waving needs to talk gotta go bye," Sweetie Belle babbled as she hopped down from the stage, away from what certain to be a mortifying conversation. She heard Scootaloo utter a similar sentiment, and the frantic scrabble of hooves on the carpet shuffling beside her. "Have fun, you two!" Rarity called out to them. "Don't do anything I woul-OW! Hey!" Rainbow Dash's supportive message, on the other hoof, was cut short. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both took the short time it took to get from the stage to their teacher to catch their breath and cool their heated faces, but it was made difficult thanks to their frenetic giggling at the thought of Diamond Tiara being jealous of them for a change, and for as ridiculous a reason as theirs seemed. They didn't even need to say anything to each other, because they both knew. With one last guffaw to get it out of their system, the young couple stood before Cheerilee and another mare. "Girls! I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, but I just had to congratulate you two again," Cheerilee expressed giddily. "You didn't interrupt anything, Miss Cheerilee," Sweetie Belle told her with a quick swipe across her forehead to wipe the sweat from it. "And thanks. A lot. I think it turned out pretty good." "Sweetie Belle sure did a great job directing, didn't she, Miss Cheerilee?" Scootaloo pressed her teacher for more niceties. "She certainly did," Cheerilee nodded, and stepped aside to reveal the mare standing behind her. "That's why I wanted you to meet Mrs. Loving, the author of the original Harmony's Flowers." Mrs. Loving stepped forward, her pale pink forehoof extending towards a most tongue-tied Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, is it?" she asked with a cheerful voice as Sweetie Belle absentmindedly shook her hoof. "Cheerilee has told me very much about you." "R-really?" the unicorn's voice cracked. "Oh yes," the playwright laughed. "She said that your original play was quite charming. I should like to see it sometime." "Oh no, no, no," Sweetie Belle shook her head rapidly. "I don't mean to be rude, I mean, it's still really a work in progress." Mrs. Loving just laughed again. She seemed like a very cheerful pony, and she didn't really look as old as Sweetie Belle had imagined. "Perhaps you should look for an editor?" The mare suggested, gesturing towards Cheerilee. "She helped me to iron out the kinks of Harmony's Flowers way back when I wrote it." "Really?" Scootaloo's eyes widened. "I might have helped a little bit," Cheerilee bashfully admitted. "I just loved the idea when she told me about it." "She loved it so much that she put together the "Scholastic Edition" before the original had shown up on Bridleway!" Mrs. Loving revealed with another hearty laugh. "I didn't think it would work as a play for younger ponies, but..." Sweetie Belle felt her face growing hot again. "I wanted to thank you, Sweetie Belle," Mrs. Loving's tone changed to a soft, professional tone. "For adapting the play so well, and for sharing the message with all of Ponyville." "The... message?" Sweetie Belle queried weakly, still somewhat in shock after receiving a compliment from such an esteemed writer. "You remember," Cheerilee stated. "The message of the play? The moral of the story?" "Oh yeah! It's that..." "It doesn't matter who you share in love with," Scootaloo interjected. "If you love them, and they love you back, nopony else can tell you otherwise. It doesn't matter if they are a unicorn, a pegasus, an earth pony, or even if they are-" "-the same gender?" Sweetie Belle suggested with a knowing grin. "Right," Scootaloo nodded, returning the wry smile. "All that matters is that you love each other." "I couldn't have put it better myself," Mrs. Loving said definitively, causing both of the fillies to simply paw at the ground embarrassed. "Well, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee said. "I hope you have it in you to turn out another six performances like that for the rest of the week." "Oh yes! Definitely! And the kiss is officially back in!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed confidently, as Scootaloo followed it up with a quick peck on the cheek for emphasis. "Excellent," Cheerilee concluded. "Well, I imagine you two have a lot to talk about. I'll see you both tomorrow night. Once again, congratulations on a job well done, both of you." "Thanks," Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle replied together. As they began to trot out the door, Sweetie Belle turned around and informed her teacher, just to ensure her that she was ready, "I'll stick to the script next time too!" To her surprise, Mrs. Loving beckoned her with her hoof. "I'll be right there, Scoots," Sweetie Belle told her quickly. Scootaloo nodded understandingly. "Don't take too long!" Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, this time prepared to address the author with more than just dumbfounded stare and weak hoofshake. "Yes, ma'am?" "Speaking of script, I have to admit," Mrs. Loving started, her face breaking into a sly grin. "Changing Drift to be a weak flier certainly added some depth to his - her - character." "Oh yeah," Sweetie Belle said, returning the smile. "I thought it might." "Sweetie Belle!" called the distressed voice of her new fillyfriend, Scootaloo. Their friend Apple Bloom had grappled Scootaloo just like Rarity had done to Sweetie Belle only a few minutes ago in the hallway outside of the theater. "When were y'all going to tell me y'all were an item?" "We didn't know - it literally just happened!" the squirming Scootaloo grunted as she tried in vain to escape from Apple Bloom's earth pony strengthened grip. "Ah woulda thrown ya a party or somethin'," Apple Bloom explained. "Or if Ah knew that y'all liked each other, Ah woulda helped move things along faster!" "Bad idea," Scootaloo coughed. "Remember your brother and Miss Cheerilee? Can you please let me go? Sweetie Belle?" "Well, this better not change nothin'. Promise me y'all won't do any crusadin' without me, and Ah will let ya go!" Forgetting to offer a courteous farewell to the bemused Mrs. Loving, Sweetie Belle dashed out of the theater towards her friends. With a gleeful giggle, she tackled Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in a mock attempt to "free" her new fillyfriend. They rolled around on the floor, giggling madly as they came to a halt, splayed out on their backs and breathing heavily, to the amusement of several onlookers. "Don't worry, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle panted. "This doesn't change a thing." "Right," Scootaloo agreed. "After all, us 'blank flanks' need to stick together, right?" Apple Bloom stood up, straightening her bow and brushing away a piece of paper that had stuck to her ribs. She held her hooves out to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They reached up, holding on tightly as Apple Bloom grunted and lifted both of her friends up off the floor. "That's right," she stated while her friends stood upright. "That's absolutely right." The trio turned around and made their way to the double doors leading outside, their stomachs all rumbling after a hard day of rehearsing and acting. Just before they opened the doors to the warm evening air, Apple Bloom stopped and made one more demand. "Ah'm happy y'all are together an everythin', but Ah don't want none of that kissin' or 'couple' stuff around me, okay?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both exchanged an uneasy glance. "Um... we'll try!" "Sweetie Belle had always had feelings for Scootaloo. And all of them were positive. But when she discovered that her friendship was blossoming into something more, she struggled endlessly with how to tell Scootaloo how she felt. When she asked her sister Rarity for advice on what to do, this is what she was told..." *The curtain rises, showcasing a painted backdrop of a beautiful flower, orange and purple, white and pink, towering above the stage. The lights come on, revealing Rarity and Sweetie Belle standing alongside each other on a beautifully polished wooden stage.* "How do you tell somepony that you 'like' them?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously, as Scootaloo walked in from the far right side of the stage, stopping next to Sweetie Belle, and embracing her friend with a gentle hug. As Scootaloo's foreleg pulled away from Sweetie Belle's neck and settled on the stage, they both turned their attention to Rarity. Rarity cleared her throat, and laughed slightly. "Now that... that is the thing, is it not? That all depends on you and the pony you're telling." *The unicorn mare slowly walks backwards, fading into the darkness, and the spotlight focuses on the two fillies. They turn to stare into the crowd, both wearing the faintest of smiles. * "Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had acted as the best of friends for the longest time, both hiding their true feelings for one another. It was a performance for the ages, one that they would both look to and laugh at together as they shared in their happiness. Because their friendship together was a well-practiced performance, it only made sense that it would take another performance to reveal the truth between them. So, that 'thing', that method by which Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could speak honestly of their feelings for one another? For these two fillies..." Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gripped each other's hooves, exchanging one last enchanted look with one another before facing out into the indistinguishable sea of faces. With perfect synchronization, they took a deep breath and cried together; "The Play's The Thing" Author's Note My first completed story. Big thanks to RaylanKrios for all of his invaluable help with pre-reading. If you are interested in more "pony-play-problems" with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, check out The Roles We Play by RaylanKrios. I wrote a companion piece about Diamond Tiara handling the casting process. It can be found here! I hope everyone enjoyed it! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
