A New Talent
"Pleeeease, Twilight?"
"I'm sorry, Sweetie, but the answer is no."
Sweetie Belles' lower lip protruded, her eyes widening into viridescent orbs. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, she could convince Twilight Sparkle to change her mind. She possessed a knack for persuasion, and although she didn't exercise it as often as her sister did, it still was a useful tool in a lot of situations. "But whyyyy? I'm doing so well! I think I'm ready!" the filly squeaked, hopping on her hooves as her pitiful whining crescendoed into a shrill wail.
Twilight sighed, fighting the urge to press her hoof firmly to her brow in frustration. Sweetie emulated Rarity, that was for sure. Sweetie Belle was undeniably cute--with her cotton-candy mane and her spirited green eyes--but that was not going to sway Twilights' firm decision. She lived with Spike, after all, and she had trained herself not to cave in when he begged. The filly was going to be given the same treatment.
"Sweetie," Twilight began, trying to prevent her irritation from tainting her comforting tone, "You are doing well. I would even say better than I did at your age!"
Sweeties' tantrum immediately ceased, and she beamed with the intensity of a solar flare. "R-r-really?" she gasped. The boundless, youthful vigor had returned to her scintillating eyes.
"Yes!" assured Twilight. "And you executed the unlocking spell beautifully! You have improved so much since I first began mentoring you." Sweetie Belles' grin widened at the praise.
"But," continued Twilight, causing Sweetie Belle to pout again. So she wasn't going to change her mind. "You still have much to learn. Magic is a very complicated thing, and must be used responsibly. And the book that contains the spells you want to practice is very, very high level sorcery that even I, the Element of Magic, have difficulty performing correctly. Remember when your sister and Rainbow Dash traded cutie marks?"
"Yes," grumbled Sweetie Belle, keeping her narrowed gaze locked on the floor.
"Well, that was because I messed up a spell from that very book, and the consequences of spells cast incorrectly is very s--"
"Yeah, but you were able to fix it!" snapped the Cutie Mark Crusader, her lips curling as she spat. Her eyes ignited with a fury that Twilight had never seen on a filly before, and she instinctively backed away in shock. "You don't believe in me!"
"Sweetie, let me--"
"No!" shrieked Sweetie Bell, irate gooseflesh diffusing along her skin. "You've gotten everything you wanted because of that mistake! You're a princess for...for...for buck's sakes!" Twilight gasped at the profanity, contemplating how to best reassure her, but her mouth was dry with astonishment. "You're royalty because of that book! And I can't even get my cutie mark, it's not fair! If you can fix mistakes and get everything you want, why can't I? You just don't want me becoming better than you!"
"I--"
"I'll prove Diamond Tiara wrong, I'll prove Silver Spoon wrong, and I'll prove you wrong!" Sweetie Belle made a beeline for the exit. Twilight stood dumbfounded as she watched her student leave, her tiny hooves stomping as she stormed off. "You'll see!"
Sweetie Belle had simmered down since vacating the library, but she was still flustered. She passed through many emotions in the hours that followed--rage and disappointment, self-loathing and guilt. Not only was she angry at Twilight, she was angry at herself too.
Everypony always saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders as an endearing trio of fillies working towards a common goal. Sweetie Belle was not oblivious to the 'awws,' and 'look how cute's' they recieved when they were around. Nopony had true faith that they would find their marks. They just used them as a crutch to swoon over the uncertainty of youth. It was synonymous to watching a cat try to bark--it was inspiring to see their determination although you knew that they were never going to reach their unfeasible objective.
It was like they didn't remember what it was like to be a blank flank, to feel hopeless in life. That's all Sweetie Belle felt anymore--a despondency that pulsed beneath her skin with every waking breath. She was merely twisting in the wind, pushing through each day with no talent to her name. No one believed in her. The other Crusaders had given up on themselves, why would they hold out hope for her too? And Twilight--
"That's it!" squeaked the unicorn, an epiphany surging through her melancholy thoughts. Sure, she felt useless, but Twilight Sparkle had something she could use to alleviate her despair. At first she wanted to use the book to make her mentor proud of her growing skill. Now she had an even better idea.
She could steal the book. It would be simple--she would just wait for Pinkie Pie to throw one of her parties. That way, both Rarity and Twilight Sparkle would be out of the picture. Then, she would sneak inside Twilights' home and take what was rightfully hers.
It would solve all of her problems. She could pull off one of those spells--she had already cast intermediate spells with minor difficulty. There was probably even a spell that could help her find her cutie mark! And when she did, Twilights' faith would be restored in her, and the Crusaders would have a newfound hope!
Sweetie Belle grinned, her heart soaring. It was time to find out when she could set this foolproof plan into motion.
A couple of weeks had passed, but Sweetie Belle was still persistent. She even patched things up with Twilight, of whom accepted her back with open arms. Sweetie Belle almost decided to discontinue her plan out of guilt, but thinking of how proud Twilight would be set her back on track. Sweetie Belle wasn't stupid--of course Twilight would be furious and disappointed at first. But once she saw how much her student had grown, their trust in each other would combat even the Apple Sisters'.
Finally, after what felt like centuries for the enlivened filly, Sweetie Belle entered Twilight's home to find her scanning an open scroll. Pinkie Pie was bouncing, the circumference of her jumps circling around the Princess again and again. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but laugh at her boundless energy. "Whatchya got there, Twilight?" she inquired. Something in the back of her mind told her that maybe this was the moment she had been waiting for.
"It's an invitation for my super duper awesome party tonight!" squealed Pinkie, and Sweetie Belle let out a sigh of relief that she hoped wasn't audible. The suspense was finally over. Tonight was going to be the night she got her cutie mark! Sweetie Belle made a mental note to remember the date.
"Cool!" Sweetie Belle interjected. It was the only thing she could think of saying--she had to put up an interested facade somehow.
"Would you like to come too, Sweetie Belle? I don't have an invitation, but the more friends, the better!" Both Twilight and Pinkie turned to the filly, their brows raised in anticipation for her answer.
Sweetie Belle didn't know how to respond--she didn't forsee this happening. She almost accepted the invitation--after all, Pinkies' parties were the best parties-- but she held her tongue for the sake of her dream. It would be cowardly to back out now. The satisfaction of getting her cutie mark and proving herself would trump anything the party had to offer. "Erm, uh, nah, I'll pass," she stammered, offering an exaggerated simper to the pair. "I want to give you guys time together, um, since Twilight has been with me so mu--"
"Really, it would be no trouble at all!" Twilight clapped her hooves, her lips curving into a soft smile. "You could show everypony, including your sister, how you've progressed!"
"Ugh, sometimes I feel like she just wants me around to prove herself," thought Sweetie Belle, but pushed the dark thought away the instant it arose. "No, thank you. I don't think I'm ready yet! Besides, I don't really feel like going. I want to stay here and study some, if that's okay."
"What a responsible choice," Twilight nodded, nuzzling Sweetie Belle in approval. "But when you're done, you can always come to the party. I'm sure Pinkie would be glad to have you. And I think you're ready to show everypony your skills, if you're interested." Twilights' humble tone made Sweetie Belle nod graciously.
"C'mon Twilight, let's go!" Pinkie shrieked in impatience, zooming past the pair and out the door, almost knocking over a fragile vase along the way. It began to spin as if it would fall, and Sweetie Belle rushed over to steady it. When she turned again, Twilight was already walking towards the door.
"Wait, when are you going, Twi?" inquired Sweetie Belle with a perplexed tilt of her head, causing her mane to tumble over her shoulders. She didn't think Twilight would be leaving now. Her heart lurched. She wasn't sure if she was ready to commit to this quite yet. She still needed a few minutes to prepare herself.
"Pinkie Pie is famous for her short-notice parties. It was listed to start within the hour. In five minutes, respectively," she shook her head with a chuckle, preening an unfurled wing before readying herself to leave again. "Oh, Sweetie Belle? Don't forget to lock up if you leave. And you may go upstairs to read, if you wish. The light is way better up there! And don't worry about Spike, he was already at Sugarcube Corner, so I'm sure he'll attend the party. Probably to down a few more doughnuts."
"Thanks, Twilight!" cried Sweetie Belle, grinning as Twilight sauntered out the door, shutting it behind her after waving farewell. The clasp of the door shutting resonated in Sweetie Belle's head, and her smile faltered.
She was alone. She exhaled, her breath coming out in quaking, anxious gasps. She was going to go through with this. No matter what.
It was about fifteen minutes before Sweetie Belle began her search, simply to ensure that Twilight was truly gone. While waiting, she analyzed the lower shelves within her height for any exposed buttons or switches that Twilight could be using to hide a secret compartment, although that yielded no results. "Let's see, if I were a powerful magic book, where would I hide..."
She knew for certain that Twilight wouldn't place the book out in the open. This lead her to search beneath her bed, in her cupboards, and even beneath Spikes' blanket. She found nothing.
Sweetie Belle let out a cry of frustration. It had to be in there somewhere. She pondered her options, staring absentmindedly at the many shelves before her. The spine of a certain book caught her eye, and she pulled it from the shelf with a weak levitation spell, opening its yellowed pages.
This was the very book of which Twilight had taught her the 'come-hither' spell. That was at the beginning of her lessons, but the memory was still there. The recollection was suddenly fresh and vivid, as if the book had renewed her thinking. "That's it," she whispered.
She grunted as she focused all her energy to her horn, sweating from the automatic strain. Once she felt the magic course through her like adrenaline, she chanted, "Come hither, come hither, object that I seek!" A purple spark fizzed and ignited from the tip of her horn, and she squeezed her eyes shut. And once all the power drained from her which signaled that the spell was cast, she opened her eyes again to find that the book was in front of her. Her success caused her to whoop with joy, pumping her hooves to the sky in celebration.
Without hesitating, she opened the cover. Sweetie Belle tried keeping her jaw taut, but she knew that staring upon Starswirls' own spellbook warranted her the right to gape. She found herself engrossed in all the small details as she flipped through--right down to the gorgeous calligraphy. The true weight of what she was doing washed over her in harsh wave. Was this truly the right--
All guilty thoughts were pushed aside as she stumbled upon what she had sought for so long. All the agonizing nights, all the searching, and all the pain...the solution was in front of her, written in black, ancient ink. She shivered as she read the words aloud in a hushed whisper, "To Gain A Cutie Mark."
"Ensure nopony is around when casting this spell," Sweetie Belle continued, sweeping her eyes casually around the room. "Yup, nopony!" She giggled in childish glee before continuing to read.
"Concentrate all of your magical energy to your horn. You can tell when all the magic is focused when a ray of purple light creates a dome around you. When surrounded by this dome, chant, 'Find me by my spiral spire, give to me my hearts desire, a cutie mark is what I seek, may the universe smile upon me!' When finished, look on your flank, and your mark shall appear."
Sweetie Belle paused, inhaling as deep as she could. The air felt unusually fresh on her parched tongue. She could go through with this. This sounded so easy. She could do it. For once in her life, she was capable of something.
Her eyelids fell as she focused her intent. She gathered all sources of strength she could from within her tiny body, and quivered as she felt it palpitate through her body--the energy flowed from her hooves, to her chest, and finally to her horn. All of her muscles tensed, and she gave an anguished cry. She felt a migraine budding in the back of her skull. The agony, which had been throbbing in a low rhythm, suddenly burst, rotting her from the inside. All Sweetie Belle felt was pain, pain that she couldn't stop. She numbly realized she was screaming as she collapsed.
The torture subsided as soon as she hit the floor. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed something rippling around her like myodesopsia, flashing a creamy lavender, and then dulling into an indiscernible cupola again.
It was the dome. She had done it.
"Only one more part, Sweetie, then you will have your mark," she thought, shaking her head in jubilant disbelief. Within the hour, she would no longer be a blank flank! She savored the beauty of the moment as she chanted, "Find me by my spiral spire, give to me my hearts desire, a cutie mark is what I seek, may the universe smile--"
"SWEETIE BELLE, NO!"
Sweetie Belle whirled around at the interruption to see a familar purple alicorn before her. It was Twilight Sparkle. She mouthed an apology, her heart plummeting to her hooves. She couldn't stop now, she had gone too far. She soothed herself by acknowledging the fact that Twilight was a captive audience. Now she could truly see how powerful she really was.
"May the universe smile upon me."
When that statement fell from Sweetie Belle's lips, Twilight fell to the floor with a dull thud. At first, Sweetie Belle chalked it up to shock, and she held her head in shame. "T...Twilight?" The alicorns' head jerked up violently. Her eyes dulled into a silky mauve--losing all the gleam that indicated that there was emotion, all the sparkle that indicated that she was alive. Her mouth opened wider and wider, and Sweetie Belle heard a sickening pop as her jaw snapped and the bone splintered. A yellow, pus-like fluid geysered from the wound, and Twilight's tongue, with no jaw to contain it, dangled freely. It made wet slapping noises as she tried to scream, but the only thing that came to fruition was a low gargle.
Sweetie Belle pounded against the dome, but it kept her ensnared in its walls. She could do nothing but stand paralyzed as Twilight was gored by an unseen force before her.
Twilight flopped onto her side in a vile mixture of her own bile, blood, and bone. She convulsed, her wings flapping helplessly as her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. She was in too much pain to act upon this rush of adrenaline, and instead of assisting her, it forced her to remain conscious throughout the whole ordeal. One by one her bones snapped, her foreleg severing entirely from her body. The undead nerves still caused the bloody, disembodied stump of a limb to twitch.
After one final, swine-like shriek, Twilight Sparkle lay still, her lifeless eyes reflecting stars that Sweetie Belle, still in the mortal coil, could not see.
Sweetie Belle sobbed and heaved paranoid, panicked breaths. Her feverish gasps intensified as she stared at the mangled carcass of what once was her mentor, her princess, her friend. Her pupils shrunk into fearful pinpricks as she noticed something she failed to notice as Twilight suffered--her flank was blank.
With horror, she turned to look at her own flank, and screamed at the sight.
On her hip, she now wore what once belonged to Twilight--a pink star spangled with five white sparks.
Author's Note
Well, she gained a cutie mark, the book didn't specify which one!
Written on a rather boring night, please excuse the quality. This takes place after Twilight becomes a princess, but while the library is still intact. Thanks for reading! 
