Rarity and Sweetie Belle: Adventures in Sisterhoodby NovaForce2157ChaptersChapter 1: Sisterly LoveChapter 2: Sweetie Belle's Special TalentChapter 3: Rarity's BreakfastChapter 3.5: ImpactChapter 1: Sisterly LoveChapter 1: Sisterly Love Rarity was working at a break-neck pace, sewing and hemming, adding ribbon and gems, and attaching ribbon and lace. She had to fill this order perfectly, and she only had until tomorrow! Sweetie Belle watched her sister work; the analysing look of a diligent student on her face. Sweetie watched the pure-white unicorn run back and forth, left and right as she rushed to complete her project. She was talking to herself, nearly hyperventilating. "Sis, maybe you should take a break. You don't look very well." "No, I simply can't stop now! If I don't complete this order in time, my reputation would be ruined! And that would be the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" "What do you have left to do?" "I still have to trim the ribbon, bedazzle the collar, and add the fringe!" "That doesn't sound like it would take very long. You should take a break, if not the afternoon off. You can always finish tomorrow." "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. If I overwork myself, my craft might suffer!" "Get out of here, then. Go take a bath or a nap or something." Sweetie Belle pushed her marshmallow sister up the stairs with her head. She knew that Rarity had had a stressful week, and that this order was very important to her. When Rarity reached the top of the stairs, she turned around. "Thank you for looking out for me, Sweetie. I might work myself to death if it weren't for you." With a small smile, she turned and went down the hall to relax. Sweetie Belle looked at her sister's craft. It was pretty, but it was still basic for a Rarity dress. She remembered what still had to be done, and looked at the customer's request. "Hmmm... I bet I could finish this for her. I have the notes and the to-do list..." Her mind was made up. Sweetie snipped and cut. She shaped and trimmed the ribbon to perfection. She bedazzled the collar, carefully placing each gem in exactly the right place. She added fringe and ribbon and lace, and, as her own little touch, she added a light coat of glitter to the cloak. It was perfect. With Rarity's framework, and her vision, Sweetie had made the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Sweetie Belle hid behind some rolls of fabric in the studio room, and waited for Rarity to descend the stairs. Sure enough, her older sister trotted down the staircase, about to return to her craft. Rarity walked with her eyes closed, humming Pinkie's favourite "Smile Smile Smile". When she reached her work area, she opened her eyes. And froze. 'Here it comes' Sweetie thought, almost unable to contain her glee. Rarity panicked. She started hyperventilating, turning back and forth rapidly. She started to twitch. 'This isn't the right reaction.' Sweetie worried. Rarity's pupils shrank to pinpricks. "SWEETIE BELLE!!!" she screamed. Sweetie emerged from her hiding place slowly, trying to hide her eyes behind her cotton candy bangs. "Yes Rarity?" she whimpered. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? IT TOOK ME ALL WEEK TO MAKE THAT DRESS!" "But I-" "THIS ISN'T AT ALL WHAT MY CLIENT ORDERED! A WEEK'S WORTH OF WORK, DOWN THE DRAIN!" "I was just trying to help-" "OUT! JUST GET OUT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Sweetie ran into the kitchen, hid under the sink and cried. 'She's never yelled at me like that before.' Sweetie thought, warm tears streaming down her face. 'I was only trying to help.' 'Maybe she's right.' she thought as a fresh wave of tears engulfed her. 'Maybe I should just leave. She's better off never seeing me again. I'm just a burden for her anyway.' "Sweetie Belle?" a muffled voice asked from the other side of the cabinet. "Are you in there?" "Leave me alone! I'm never coming out!" Sweetie called back. "I want you to come out here with me." Rarity said in a kind voice. "Why?" sniffled the filly. "So I can screw something else up?" "Sweetie Belle." Rarity said, in a tone so tender and sadly longing that it would break any stallion's heart. She opened the cabinet, and gently pulled her sister out. "Sweetie, I can make a new dress. That's my job. I can probably manage to throw something together by tomorrow. It's you that I can't replace." she brushed Sweetie's pink-and-purple mane out of her eyes. Sweetie looked up into her sister's sapphire eyes. She stayed in eye contact for a very long time, and then fell apart. She sobbed into her sister's chest, spilling tears onto her pelt. "You are the best sister I could ever ask for!" she bawled. "I love you so much!" "I love you too Sweetie Belle. You are the greatest little sister in Celestia's kingdom, and a wonderful friend. I love you more than you could possibly imagine. And I will never stop loving you for as long as I live." she embraced her sister tightly, letting her vent her emotions into her coat. Sweetie Belle started to calm down, and Rarity kissed her on the forehead twice. Sweetie stretched up and kissed her sister on the cheek so lovingly and tenderly, Rarity herself almost started to cry. After one final squeeze, the older asked the younger: "You did make a beautiful dress, Sweetie. In fact, it may be the prettiest dress I've ever seen. If it's okay with you, I'd like to wear it every once in a while. It's just that the customer wanted something simpler. Would you like to make a new dress with me?" "Are you serious?" Sweetie asked in awe, "Are you sure?" "I'm positive." her sister replied. The two sisters snipped and stitched, cutting fabric and sewing it together. They worked all evening, and all morning Friday to complete the dress. They successfully finished it on time, and the customer, who turned out to be Mrs. Cake, thought it was wonderful. "You should hire her as an assistant!" she said with a wink. "You know, Mrs. Cake..." Rarity said, nuzzling her sister's muzzle with her own as her client left the store "I just might." Chapter 2: Sweetie Belle's Special TalentAWESOME CONTEST TIME!!! I'm no good at songwriting, so PM me some creations of your own. The best lyrics by the end of July will be put in the story, along with YOUR NAME!!! Chapter 2: Sweetie Belle's Special Talent Sweetie Belle watched as her sister examined her newest creation, deciding what colour of ribbon to put on it. "Can I help, sis?" she asked. "No!" Rarity said, perhaps a little too quickly. Sweetie Belle's face sank, her eyes becoming watery. "Oh no no no no no," she said, trying to rectify her hastiness, "I just mean that I don't need help right now. You know I would let you help any other time, but this is an important order, and it must be filled just so. Fancypants will kill me if I don't pick the right shade of yellow out of the seven basic tints. I just need you to stay out of the way for a little while." "Oh. Okay." Sweetie perked up a little, but Rarity could tell that she was disappointed that she couldn't help her big sister. "Actually, Sweetie Belle, there is a way you could help." she said, inspiration striking. "Really?" Sweetie Belle looked almost like a puppy, her eagerness showing in every part of her body. She was practically vibrating. Rarity made a mental note to let Doctor Whooves look into that. "Yes. It's entirely too quiet for me to work. Why don't you sing your big sister a song so she doesn't get bored." Sweetie was filled with mixed emotions. Her big sister was proud enough of her to ask her to sing? Sweetie loved to sing. On the other hoof, Sweetie didn't like to sing in front of people. Rarity was her sister, but she was stills somepony other than the CMC, and she wasn't even quite comfortable singing in front of them. What if Rarity didn't like her song? "Sweetie Belle?" Rarity's voice broke her trance. It was now or never. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, took a breath, and began to sing. "*Enter Awesome Sweetie Belle Song here*" Sweetie ended her song, opened her eyes, and saw Rarity almost in tears. "What's wrong, Rarity? Was it a bad song? Am I not a good singer? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even tried in the first place." Sweetie hung her head, waiting for the inevitable stuttering lie, or something that was supposed to be encouraging but was actually hurtful. Rarity lifted her little sister's head with her hoof. Sweetie Belle was shocked-her big sister was crying, but she was smiling! "Sweetie Belle, you haven't done anything wrong. That was the most beautiful thing that I have ever heard! You certainly have a talent for singing! Did you write that song yourself?" "Y-Yes." Sweetie said, still a little surprised at her sister's reaction. "How long ago?" "Um... Well, I kind of wrote it one word at a time while I was singing it." Sweetie said, not sure if that was an appropriate answer. Rarity held her sister tight. "Luna's stars, Sweetie Belle, you have an amazing talent. I don't think anyone else in Equestria can write and sing like you!" Sweetie Belle's heart swelled with pride. Her big sister thought she had talent! She was so happy; she almost started to cry too. "I love you sis." she said, and she hugged her big sister back. "You know, you should enter the Ponyville talent show." "Oh please, sis. You know how that worked out last time." Sweetie Belle and Rarity were sitting at the kitchen table, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Sweetie had been allowed to help cook this time, but Rarity was careful to select her duties. She was allowed to assemble the sandwiches, but not flip them. She could add the seasonings to the soup, but not stir. Together they had managed to make a meal that hadn't destroyed the whole kitchen. "Yes, but the last time you entered, you entered with your friends, and you all tried to be something you weren't. This time, you'd enter by yourself; doing something you knew you were good at." "I don't know, sis. I'm not really comfortable singing in front of an audience." "Oh, is that all? Well, we can fix that fairly quick." "Can we?" "Sweetheart, you're talking to the mare that got Fluttershy to be a model." "Oh. I suppose you're right. There's no possible way that I'm a worse case than Fluttershy." Sweetie Belle gulped. Her sister had assembled an audience of herself, the remaining Crusaders, and Fluttershy. She knew that there was no way that anyone here would laugh at her or make fun of her, but she was still nervous. She just didn't do crowds, and if three was company, four was far too many. "Any time you're ready, dear." her sister called. Sweetie took a deep breath, and sang. It was a short song, something she made up when she was very small, but it did the trick. She showed off her vocals for a minute or two, and ended the song. Applause erupted. "A beautiful performance!" shouted Rarity. "That's my girl!" Scootaloo whistled. "That there's the purdiest dern song Ah've herd since Doggy Parton!" Apple Bloom yelled. "Yay!" Fluttershy "shouted". This time it was bigger. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had showed up, bringing Twilight and Pinkie Pie with them. Sweetie wasn't sure if she could sing to the Mane Six and the CMC combined. That was eight people, and four was scary enough. She had gained a little confidence from her first performance, however, and as soon as her sister said "Ready when you are.” she sang. This song was a little more complex. It was something she wrote just one year ago. She had planned on sharing it with the CMC, but their talent-a-thon had been rained out that year. After all, Applejack's treehouse didn't have windows. When she finished, she once again heard the sound of a happy audience. "You got spunk, kid!” Rainbow Dash called from the audience. "Ah haven't herd somethin' like that since Granny Smith was young!" Applejack yelled. Sweetie Belle blushed. Granny Smith's lullabies were legendary. She had heard a recording of Granny singing while baking pies in her youth, and it was stunning. Pinkie Pie didn't say anything, she was taking notes. Scribbling furiously, she was getting ideas for a new song, and Sweetie had given her a lot to write about. "Sweetie Belle, that was amazing." Twilight commented. "Now do you see why I was confused when you told me Scootaloo was singing last year?" "Hey!" "Um... no offence kid." "Yeah, you're probably right." Scootaloo said. And everyone laughed. This was it, the big night. Sweetie Belle was wearing the dress she had finished for Rarity a week ago. She smiled as it reminded her if how much her sister loved her. "It's almost your turn." Rarity said. "Are you ready?" "I-I think so." Sweetie said. Then after hearing the applause for a previous act, she hid behind her sister's legs. "No. No I'm not ready at all." "Come on, Sweetie. You've practiced for this. It'll be easy. You just have to try." "Those are grown ponies, sitting there, judging me." "You go out there, and make those ponies jealous. The only ones judging you are the ones who don't deserve your voice anyway! Your sister and your friends love you very much, and we believe in you! Now go out there and sing." she pushed her sister toward the stage. Sweetie took a deep breath, trotted onto the stage, and gave the performance of her life. As she walked offstage, she hugged her sister tight. "Thanks for the nudge, sis. I don't know if I could have made it through without you." "What are sisters for?" Rarity nuzzled her sister's neck as they embraced. "Sweetie Belle, I think you found your talent." Twilight said. "What?" Sweetie Belle asked, then, processing the words, looked at her flank. It was blank for a moment, and then, in a flash of white light and glitter, a cutie mark appeared. It was a microphone with purple and blue gemstones around it. "Oh thank you sis!" Sweetie redoubled her hold on Rarity. "Why on earth are you thanking me?" her big sister asked. "Because if you hadn't believed in me, and helped me overcome my fear, I never would have found my talent!" She kissed her sister on the cheek, and nuzzled her face against Rarity's. Chapter 3: Rarity's BreakfastChapter 3: Rarity's Breakfast Sweetie Belle was up early. 5:30 a.m., to be exact. Usually Rarity let her sleep until 7. Today, however, was special. Sweetie had woken herself up for a mission: this morning, Sweetie Belle would bring her sister breakfast in bed. The RIGHT way this time. She tiptoed to the kitchen, carefully shutting the door to Rarity's room. She VERY CAREFULLY got the toaster down from its shelf, got a pan out of the cabinet, and retrieved a bowl. She started the oatmeal, reading the instructions carefully. As she started to boil the milk, she spilled too much in, soaking the stovetop. "Darn it. Now I have to clean this mess up." Sweetie Belle whispered angrily. As she mopped up the mess with a towel, she flipped the pot by its handle and spilled warm milk on her head. After taking the pot off of her head, drying up the mess, and re-measuring the milk, Sweetie Belle left the milk to boil while she put on the bacon. Bacon proved to be a whole battle itself, leaving her pure-white skin with angry red grease burns. This could be the hardest part. Sweetie couldn't take the moisture out of the bacon, but it still had to be slightly crispy. Rarity liked her bacon just so, and it was a difficult task. By this time, the milk was hot, so Sweetie added the oatmeal and sugar. She also put the bread in the toaster and the eggs in the pan with the bacon grease. Rarity made eggs strangely. First, she poured a bowl of cereal; then she cut up a carrot, and after mixing the two together she somehow had fried eggs. Sweetie Belle preferred to make her eggs the old-fashioned way. She carefully prepared two sunny-side-up eggs, and slid them on to the plate. As she was adding the garnish, she smelled something funny. She looked up to see her toast burning. "Could anything else possibly go wrong?" Sweetie asked no one in particular. She re-made the toast, buttered it, but it on the plate with the bacon and eggs, and chopped strawberries and peaches to put in the oatmeal, badly cutting her hoof in the process. Everything went on the tray with a glass of orange juice, and was set on the table. Sweetie turned around and looked at the mess she had created, and sighed. This was going to take a lot of work. At exactly 7:15, Rarity awoke. She stretched and yawned daintily, opening one eye at a time. Suddenly, she heard a noise from the hallway. "Get out of the way, Opalescence!" Sweetie's voice whispered, followed by some rattling. 'What in the world could that filly be up to?' Rarity thought to herself. Sweetie Bell entered the room with the tray, cautiously setting it down in Rarity's lap. Rarity looked at her little sister. Her mane was tangled, she was covered in burns and bandages, she smelled of Aloe Vera, and she was out of breath and sweaty. Her leg bore a fresh cat scratch. Rarity looked into her eyes, full of admiration and a longing for pride. "Sweetie Belle, this is extremely kind of you! I'm touched. You went to a lot of trouble just for me." Rarity said, truly moved by her sister's actions. "You're worth it, big sis. I love you some much, I just wanted to show you somehow." the burnt-out foal replied, still a touch of energy in her voice. "Would you like to sit on the bed with me?" Rarity offered. "You have no idea." Sweetie said, climbing up next to her sister. "Would you like me to sing to you while you eat?" "That would be wonderful." her sister replied. As her sister sang, she slowed down, stopped and started, and decreased in pitch and volume. Rarity smile down at her battered marshmallow sister. "I take it the kitchen is a mess?" she asked. "Spot-Spotless." her sister yawned, snuggling up against her sister's flank. As Rarity finished her breakfast, she looked at her previously flawless Sweetie, who was sound asleep. She sighed, and scooted down in the bed to snuggle her sister. It looked like a late start for Carousel Boutique. Chapter 3.5: ImpactChapter 3.5: Impact Celestia's week had been so chaotic; you would have thought that Discord had gotten a hold on her day planner. In Fillydelphia, an earthquake had awoken a sleeping Earth dragon. Manehattan had seen a small changeling task force. Canterlot itself was in high distress, as the subjects were on edge with their princess's comings and goings. However, Celestia had rectified all of her problems, and was about to read Rarity's letter. It was Thursday, and the letter was dated last Friday. It HAD been a long time since she had a free moment. Dear Princess Celestia, I've written to you before about the bond of sisters and the importance of compromise, but today I learned another lesson. Nothing, NOTHING is more important than a sister. They are built-in BFFs, and are irreplaceable. If anything happened to Sweetie Belle, I have no idea what I would do. I realized today that I love her more than any other pony, and would do anything for her. A sister is a special gift that is bestowed only upon the luckiest ponies, and should be treated as such. Sincerely, Rarity Celestia finished the letter, rolled it tight, and looked over at Luna, who had fallen asleep on the bed. Her eyes watered, and a tear or two trickled down her cheek. She carefully moved into the bed and and drew her sister close. "Sister, what troubles you?" Luna asked, half-opening an eye. "Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to have you." the sun goddess replied, bringing her sister even closer to her. "Tessa..." Luna's eyes also began to fog up with emotion. "I missed you so much these thousand years." the white alicorn said, crying into her sister's neck. "Tia, I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt anyone!" her purple counterpart sobbed, burying her head in her sister's chest. "Hush, little one." Celestia stroked the starry mane of her sister. "You're the best sister I could ever have asked for." the purple mare said, looking up at her sister. "I love you." She kissed her sister's cheek, snuggling against the white alicorn. The two princesses fell asleep in a tight embrace.
Chapter 1: Sisterly LoveChapter 1: Sisterly Love Rarity was working at a break-neck pace, sewing and hemming, adding ribbon and gems, and attaching ribbon and lace. She had to fill this order perfectly, and she only had until tomorrow! Sweetie Belle watched her sister work; the analysing look of a diligent student on her face. Sweetie watched the pure-white unicorn run back and forth, left and right as she rushed to complete her project. She was talking to herself, nearly hyperventilating. "Sis, maybe you should take a break. You don't look very well." "No, I simply can't stop now! If I don't complete this order in time, my reputation would be ruined! And that would be the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" "What do you have left to do?" "I still have to trim the ribbon, bedazzle the collar, and add the fringe!" "That doesn't sound like it would take very long. You should take a break, if not the afternoon off. You can always finish tomorrow." "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. If I overwork myself, my craft might suffer!" "Get out of here, then. Go take a bath or a nap or something." Sweetie Belle pushed her marshmallow sister up the stairs with her head. She knew that Rarity had had a stressful week, and that this order was very important to her. When Rarity reached the top of the stairs, she turned around. "Thank you for looking out for me, Sweetie. I might work myself to death if it weren't for you." With a small smile, she turned and went down the hall to relax. Sweetie Belle looked at her sister's craft. It was pretty, but it was still basic for a Rarity dress. She remembered what still had to be done, and looked at the customer's request. "Hmmm... I bet I could finish this for her. I have the notes and the to-do list..." Her mind was made up. Sweetie snipped and cut. She shaped and trimmed the ribbon to perfection. She bedazzled the collar, carefully placing each gem in exactly the right place. She added fringe and ribbon and lace, and, as her own little touch, she added a light coat of glitter to the cloak. It was perfect. With Rarity's framework, and her vision, Sweetie had made the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Sweetie Belle hid behind some rolls of fabric in the studio room, and waited for Rarity to descend the stairs. Sure enough, her older sister trotted down the staircase, about to return to her craft. Rarity walked with her eyes closed, humming Pinkie's favourite "Smile Smile Smile". When she reached her work area, she opened her eyes. And froze. 'Here it comes' Sweetie thought, almost unable to contain her glee. Rarity panicked. She started hyperventilating, turning back and forth rapidly. She started to twitch. 'This isn't the right reaction.' Sweetie worried. Rarity's pupils shrank to pinpricks. "SWEETIE BELLE!!!" she screamed. Sweetie emerged from her hiding place slowly, trying to hide her eyes behind her cotton candy bangs. "Yes Rarity?" she whimpered. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? IT TOOK ME ALL WEEK TO MAKE THAT DRESS!" "But I-" "THIS ISN'T AT ALL WHAT MY CLIENT ORDERED! A WEEK'S WORTH OF WORK, DOWN THE DRAIN!" "I was just trying to help-" "OUT! JUST GET OUT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Sweetie ran into the kitchen, hid under the sink and cried. 'She's never yelled at me like that before.' Sweetie thought, warm tears streaming down her face. 'I was only trying to help.' 'Maybe she's right.' she thought as a fresh wave of tears engulfed her. 'Maybe I should just leave. She's better off never seeing me again. I'm just a burden for her anyway.' "Sweetie Belle?" a muffled voice asked from the other side of the cabinet. "Are you in there?" "Leave me alone! I'm never coming out!" Sweetie called back. "I want you to come out here with me." Rarity said in a kind voice. "Why?" sniffled the filly. "So I can screw something else up?" "Sweetie Belle." Rarity said, in a tone so tender and sadly longing that it would break any stallion's heart. She opened the cabinet, and gently pulled her sister out. "Sweetie, I can make a new dress. That's my job. I can probably manage to throw something together by tomorrow. It's you that I can't replace." she brushed Sweetie's pink-and-purple mane out of her eyes. Sweetie looked up into her sister's sapphire eyes. She stayed in eye contact for a very long time, and then fell apart. She sobbed into her sister's chest, spilling tears onto her pelt. "You are the best sister I could ever ask for!" she bawled. "I love you so much!" "I love you too Sweetie Belle. You are the greatest little sister in Celestia's kingdom, and a wonderful friend. I love you more than you could possibly imagine. And I will never stop loving you for as long as I live." she embraced her sister tightly, letting her vent her emotions into her coat. Sweetie Belle started to calm down, and Rarity kissed her on the forehead twice. Sweetie stretched up and kissed her sister on the cheek so lovingly and tenderly, Rarity herself almost started to cry. After one final squeeze, the older asked the younger: "You did make a beautiful dress, Sweetie. In fact, it may be the prettiest dress I've ever seen. If it's okay with you, I'd like to wear it every once in a while. It's just that the customer wanted something simpler. Would you like to make a new dress with me?" "Are you serious?" Sweetie asked in awe, "Are you sure?" "I'm positive." her sister replied. The two sisters snipped and stitched, cutting fabric and sewing it together. They worked all evening, and all morning Friday to complete the dress. They successfully finished it on time, and the customer, who turned out to be Mrs. Cake, thought it was wonderful. "You should hire her as an assistant!" she said with a wink. "You know, Mrs. Cake..." Rarity said, nuzzling her sister's muzzle with her own as her client left the store "I just might."
Chapter 2: Sweetie Belle's Special TalentAWESOME CONTEST TIME!!! I'm no good at songwriting, so PM me some creations of your own. The best lyrics by the end of July will be put in the story, along with YOUR NAME!!! Chapter 2: Sweetie Belle's Special Talent Sweetie Belle watched as her sister examined her newest creation, deciding what colour of ribbon to put on it. "Can I help, sis?" she asked. "No!" Rarity said, perhaps a little too quickly. Sweetie Belle's face sank, her eyes becoming watery. "Oh no no no no no," she said, trying to rectify her hastiness, "I just mean that I don't need help right now. You know I would let you help any other time, but this is an important order, and it must be filled just so. Fancypants will kill me if I don't pick the right shade of yellow out of the seven basic tints. I just need you to stay out of the way for a little while." "Oh. Okay." Sweetie perked up a little, but Rarity could tell that she was disappointed that she couldn't help her big sister. "Actually, Sweetie Belle, there is a way you could help." she said, inspiration striking. "Really?" Sweetie Belle looked almost like a puppy, her eagerness showing in every part of her body. She was practically vibrating. Rarity made a mental note to let Doctor Whooves look into that. "Yes. It's entirely too quiet for me to work. Why don't you sing your big sister a song so she doesn't get bored." Sweetie was filled with mixed emotions. Her big sister was proud enough of her to ask her to sing? Sweetie loved to sing. On the other hoof, Sweetie didn't like to sing in front of people. Rarity was her sister, but she was stills somepony other than the CMC, and she wasn't even quite comfortable singing in front of them. What if Rarity didn't like her song? "Sweetie Belle?" Rarity's voice broke her trance. It was now or never. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, took a breath, and began to sing. "*Enter Awesome Sweetie Belle Song here*" Sweetie ended her song, opened her eyes, and saw Rarity almost in tears. "What's wrong, Rarity? Was it a bad song? Am I not a good singer? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even tried in the first place." Sweetie hung her head, waiting for the inevitable stuttering lie, or something that was supposed to be encouraging but was actually hurtful. Rarity lifted her little sister's head with her hoof. Sweetie Belle was shocked-her big sister was crying, but she was smiling! "Sweetie Belle, you haven't done anything wrong. That was the most beautiful thing that I have ever heard! You certainly have a talent for singing! Did you write that song yourself?" "Y-Yes." Sweetie said, still a little surprised at her sister's reaction. "How long ago?" "Um... Well, I kind of wrote it one word at a time while I was singing it." Sweetie said, not sure if that was an appropriate answer. Rarity held her sister tight. "Luna's stars, Sweetie Belle, you have an amazing talent. I don't think anyone else in Equestria can write and sing like you!" Sweetie Belle's heart swelled with pride. Her big sister thought she had talent! She was so happy; she almost started to cry too. "I love you sis." she said, and she hugged her big sister back. "You know, you should enter the Ponyville talent show." "Oh please, sis. You know how that worked out last time." Sweetie Belle and Rarity were sitting at the kitchen table, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Sweetie had been allowed to help cook this time, but Rarity was careful to select her duties. She was allowed to assemble the sandwiches, but not flip them. She could add the seasonings to the soup, but not stir. Together they had managed to make a meal that hadn't destroyed the whole kitchen. "Yes, but the last time you entered, you entered with your friends, and you all tried to be something you weren't. This time, you'd enter by yourself; doing something you knew you were good at." "I don't know, sis. I'm not really comfortable singing in front of an audience." "Oh, is that all? Well, we can fix that fairly quick." "Can we?" "Sweetheart, you're talking to the mare that got Fluttershy to be a model." "Oh. I suppose you're right. There's no possible way that I'm a worse case than Fluttershy." Sweetie Belle gulped. Her sister had assembled an audience of herself, the remaining Crusaders, and Fluttershy. She knew that there was no way that anyone here would laugh at her or make fun of her, but she was still nervous. She just didn't do crowds, and if three was company, four was far too many. "Any time you're ready, dear." her sister called. Sweetie took a deep breath, and sang. It was a short song, something she made up when she was very small, but it did the trick. She showed off her vocals for a minute or two, and ended the song. Applause erupted. "A beautiful performance!" shouted Rarity. "That's my girl!" Scootaloo whistled. "That there's the purdiest dern song Ah've herd since Doggy Parton!" Apple Bloom yelled. "Yay!" Fluttershy "shouted". This time it was bigger. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had showed up, bringing Twilight and Pinkie Pie with them. Sweetie wasn't sure if she could sing to the Mane Six and the CMC combined. That was eight people, and four was scary enough. She had gained a little confidence from her first performance, however, and as soon as her sister said "Ready when you are.” she sang. This song was a little more complex. It was something she wrote just one year ago. She had planned on sharing it with the CMC, but their talent-a-thon had been rained out that year. After all, Applejack's treehouse didn't have windows. When she finished, she once again heard the sound of a happy audience. "You got spunk, kid!” Rainbow Dash called from the audience. "Ah haven't herd somethin' like that since Granny Smith was young!" Applejack yelled. Sweetie Belle blushed. Granny Smith's lullabies were legendary. She had heard a recording of Granny singing while baking pies in her youth, and it was stunning. Pinkie Pie didn't say anything, she was taking notes. Scribbling furiously, she was getting ideas for a new song, and Sweetie had given her a lot to write about. "Sweetie Belle, that was amazing." Twilight commented. "Now do you see why I was confused when you told me Scootaloo was singing last year?" "Hey!" "Um... no offence kid." "Yeah, you're probably right." Scootaloo said. And everyone laughed. This was it, the big night. Sweetie Belle was wearing the dress she had finished for Rarity a week ago. She smiled as it reminded her if how much her sister loved her. "It's almost your turn." Rarity said. "Are you ready?" "I-I think so." Sweetie said. Then after hearing the applause for a previous act, she hid behind her sister's legs. "No. No I'm not ready at all." "Come on, Sweetie. You've practiced for this. It'll be easy. You just have to try." "Those are grown ponies, sitting there, judging me." "You go out there, and make those ponies jealous. The only ones judging you are the ones who don't deserve your voice anyway! Your sister and your friends love you very much, and we believe in you! Now go out there and sing." she pushed her sister toward the stage. Sweetie took a deep breath, trotted onto the stage, and gave the performance of her life. As she walked offstage, she hugged her sister tight. "Thanks for the nudge, sis. I don't know if I could have made it through without you." "What are sisters for?" Rarity nuzzled her sister's neck as they embraced. "Sweetie Belle, I think you found your talent." Twilight said. "What?" Sweetie Belle asked, then, processing the words, looked at her flank. It was blank for a moment, and then, in a flash of white light and glitter, a cutie mark appeared. It was a microphone with purple and blue gemstones around it. "Oh thank you sis!" Sweetie redoubled her hold on Rarity. "Why on earth are you thanking me?" her big sister asked. "Because if you hadn't believed in me, and helped me overcome my fear, I never would have found my talent!" She kissed her sister on the cheek, and nuzzled her face against Rarity's.
Chapter 3: Rarity's BreakfastChapter 3: Rarity's Breakfast Sweetie Belle was up early. 5:30 a.m., to be exact. Usually Rarity let her sleep until 7. Today, however, was special. Sweetie had woken herself up for a mission: this morning, Sweetie Belle would bring her sister breakfast in bed. The RIGHT way this time. She tiptoed to the kitchen, carefully shutting the door to Rarity's room. She VERY CAREFULLY got the toaster down from its shelf, got a pan out of the cabinet, and retrieved a bowl. She started the oatmeal, reading the instructions carefully. As she started to boil the milk, she spilled too much in, soaking the stovetop. "Darn it. Now I have to clean this mess up." Sweetie Belle whispered angrily. As she mopped up the mess with a towel, she flipped the pot by its handle and spilled warm milk on her head. After taking the pot off of her head, drying up the mess, and re-measuring the milk, Sweetie Belle left the milk to boil while she put on the bacon. Bacon proved to be a whole battle itself, leaving her pure-white skin with angry red grease burns. This could be the hardest part. Sweetie couldn't take the moisture out of the bacon, but it still had to be slightly crispy. Rarity liked her bacon just so, and it was a difficult task. By this time, the milk was hot, so Sweetie added the oatmeal and sugar. She also put the bread in the toaster and the eggs in the pan with the bacon grease. Rarity made eggs strangely. First, she poured a bowl of cereal; then she cut up a carrot, and after mixing the two together she somehow had fried eggs. Sweetie Belle preferred to make her eggs the old-fashioned way. She carefully prepared two sunny-side-up eggs, and slid them on to the plate. As she was adding the garnish, she smelled something funny. She looked up to see her toast burning. "Could anything else possibly go wrong?" Sweetie asked no one in particular. She re-made the toast, buttered it, but it on the plate with the bacon and eggs, and chopped strawberries and peaches to put in the oatmeal, badly cutting her hoof in the process. Everything went on the tray with a glass of orange juice, and was set on the table. Sweetie turned around and looked at the mess she had created, and sighed. This was going to take a lot of work. At exactly 7:15, Rarity awoke. She stretched and yawned daintily, opening one eye at a time. Suddenly, she heard a noise from the hallway. "Get out of the way, Opalescence!" Sweetie's voice whispered, followed by some rattling. 'What in the world could that filly be up to?' Rarity thought to herself. Sweetie Bell entered the room with the tray, cautiously setting it down in Rarity's lap. Rarity looked at her little sister. Her mane was tangled, she was covered in burns and bandages, she smelled of Aloe Vera, and she was out of breath and sweaty. Her leg bore a fresh cat scratch. Rarity looked into her eyes, full of admiration and a longing for pride. "Sweetie Belle, this is extremely kind of you! I'm touched. You went to a lot of trouble just for me." Rarity said, truly moved by her sister's actions. "You're worth it, big sis. I love you some much, I just wanted to show you somehow." the burnt-out foal replied, still a touch of energy in her voice. "Would you like to sit on the bed with me?" Rarity offered. "You have no idea." Sweetie said, climbing up next to her sister. "Would you like me to sing to you while you eat?" "That would be wonderful." her sister replied. As her sister sang, she slowed down, stopped and started, and decreased in pitch and volume. Rarity smile down at her battered marshmallow sister. "I take it the kitchen is a mess?" she asked. "Spot-Spotless." her sister yawned, snuggling up against her sister's flank. As Rarity finished her breakfast, she looked at her previously flawless Sweetie, who was sound asleep. She sighed, and scooted down in the bed to snuggle her sister. It looked like a late start for Carousel Boutique.
Chapter 3.5: ImpactChapter 3.5: Impact Celestia's week had been so chaotic; you would have thought that Discord had gotten a hold on her day planner. In Fillydelphia, an earthquake had awoken a sleeping Earth dragon. Manehattan had seen a small changeling task force. Canterlot itself was in high distress, as the subjects were on edge with their princess's comings and goings. However, Celestia had rectified all of her problems, and was about to read Rarity's letter. It was Thursday, and the letter was dated last Friday. It HAD been a long time since she had a free moment. Dear Princess Celestia, I've written to you before about the bond of sisters and the importance of compromise, but today I learned another lesson. Nothing, NOTHING is more important than a sister. They are built-in BFFs, and are irreplaceable. If anything happened to Sweetie Belle, I have no idea what I would do. I realized today that I love her more than any other pony, and would do anything for her. A sister is a special gift that is bestowed only upon the luckiest ponies, and should be treated as such. Sincerely, Rarity Celestia finished the letter, rolled it tight, and looked over at Luna, who had fallen asleep on the bed. Her eyes watered, and a tear or two trickled down her cheek. She carefully moved into the bed and and drew her sister close. "Sister, what troubles you?" Luna asked, half-opening an eye. "Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to have you." the sun goddess replied, bringing her sister even closer to her. "Tessa..." Luna's eyes also began to fog up with emotion. "I missed you so much these thousand years." the white alicorn said, crying into her sister's neck. "Tia, I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt anyone!" her purple counterpart sobbed, burying her head in her sister's chest. "Hush, little one." Celestia stroked the starry mane of her sister. "You're the best sister I could ever have asked for." the purple mare said, looking up at her sister. "I love you." She kissed her sister's cheek, snuggling against the white alicorn. The two princesses fell asleep in a tight embrace.
