The Cutie Marks of the Crusaders.
Returning to the boutique, Sweetie Belle was swept up by her parents and hugged tightly.
"Guh! Whats...the reason for...such tight...hugging!", Sweetie Belle struggled.
"Oh, Sweetie!", her mother released her, "The Princesses are having a small theater performance, and any filly or colt can enter to not only meet the princesses, but perform in front of them!"
"Perform...how?", Sweetie Belle turned her head, keepign her eyes on ehr mother.
"Singing, Dancing, a talent show, basically!"
"Oh. In that case, AWES- wait a minute. I don't want to do the talent show, I still don't know my talent!"
"Oh, I'm sure somethign come to you! We've already entered you in, you perform seventh tomorrow!"
Sweetie Belle dead panned, "Really mom..."
Sighing, Sweetie Belle slowly walked past her excited parents and went upstairs, ignoring the laughter from her father, and the squeals from her mother. Though. Where was Rarity? Looking around, Sweetie Belle spotted an open door, and checked inside, and, her sister definitely was in there. Hard at work. On a small dress.
"Oh, don't tell me you're making me a dress!", Sweetie Belle whined.
"Oh, heavens no! I'd never make a surprise dress for you without measurements, fresh knowledge of color, and even askign you what you would prefer! I've learned my lesson when misjudging my own friends."
"Oh, great, for a second there, I thought you were with mom, dad, and the talent show thing."
"Well, I was the one who suggested it."
"What?!"
"Well, seeing as you really wanted your Cutei Mark, I thought I'd try and help."
"But I don't know what my talent is!"
"Why don't you try what you did in that last talent show?"
"Making costumes?"
"No! Singing!", Rarity smiled.
"Huh...Maybe I will!"
Running into her room, the filly disappeared from Rarity's sight, and she let out a breath, turnign to the dress she was making.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, you will look absolutely dashing! Hahah!"
The next day, Sweetie Belle's parent both ran into Sweetie Belle's room, both gigglign and laughing like the night before.
"Come on, Sweetie Belle! Today is a big day!"
Sweetie Belle moaned as she rose, "For you maybe..."
"Oh, don't be so down, Sweetie, your mother has everythign set up, all you have to do is follow her, and perform for the princesses."
"But that's nto the point.", Sweetie Belle jumped from her bed, her hair a mess.
Rarity entered with comb, hairspray, and makeup, all floating behind her. After a few seconds, the her makeup and hair was done.
"Ughck!"
Rubbing off the makeup, Sweetie Belle was looked down upon by her sister, who stared daggers at her.
"I hate makeup!", Sweetie Belle argued.
"Fine! Fine. No makeup."
Leaving the three in the room, Sweetie Belle turned to her parents, both grinning as wide as clowns.
"So, dear. What did you do last night, we heard absolutely nothing, and it has us worried.", her mother asked.
"Oh, I had Rarity put a sound and barricading spell on my door so you two would leave me alone, and so Rarity would stop takign measurements of me for that stupid dress she lied to me about."
"So...what did you do?"
"Had a good night's sleep and played for the rest of the day, why?"
"You didn't do anything else?", her mother's eyes and ears drooped slightly, her smiled gone.
"Not that I can recall. Wait! I did leave once to use the bathroom."
Her parent's who's spirits were brought up and dropped like an anvil, were now without smiles, and kind of worried now.
"But...did you even figure out what you were going to do in the talent show?"
"I dunno what song, but I'm gonna sing! Maybe I'll do the Cutie Mark Crusaders song again!"
Uhm...Well, that was not..particularly...a pleasant song, as it was...", her mother began.
Hurriedly rushing out and back in with a bunch of loose papers, her dad threw them at her.
"Look, just do this song atleast! Please!"
Sweetie Belle looked at the papers.
"I can't even read these!
"Sweetie belle, please!", her mother begged, "Just do this..."
"Fine!", she agreed with a tone of annoyance.
"Oh, thank you! Now we won't be an embara- I mean, we won't be without a good...eh...talent?"
"...I'll buy that.", Sweetie Belle said, takign the papers into her mouth.
The door closed behind her as she set up the papers and she heard a mumbled conversation behind the door, both ehr parents, probably arguing.
"What did you give her?"
"I didn't really catch the name, I just pulled it from Rarity's desk. It had sheet music, lyics, everything, atleast by what I saw, running to it."
"Oh, George, I hope it works."
"Glaudia, just have faith in her, this coudl be it!"
"You're so desparate, you're saying nonsense, that last sentence didn't even..."
Glaudia's watch began beeping, stopping ehr in midsentence. Looking at it, she gasped.
"We've gotta leave now!"
Bursting through the door, the two uncorns grabbed Sweetie Belle and ran out the door, the small unicorn still clinging to the papers.
Nearly thrown into the waiting room, Sweetie Belle's name was called almost right after. Picking up the papers with magic, she barely held the four paper stack up high. finishing the last page within the next few seconds, an idea came to her. Running out on stage, the few ponies there were the princesses in the audience, and a small band of upper class ponies which had just finished playing in between the performances.
"Wait! Don't leave yet!", Sweetie Belle ran out, stopping the band. She handed the papers to Octavia, the violist, and smiled.
""I don't quite recognize these words, are they even equestrian?", the grey mare asked.
"I dunno, but they sound cool to me."
Octavia showed it to the three other ponies around her and they all took quick glances at it, shrugging.
"Meh, I've seen harder. Could that flawless, or...maybe a single missed note.", the pianist said.
"Well...good enough for me. We'll do it."
Bringing their instruments back on stage, Octavia and the rest of the quartet set up the sheet music, two switching theirs.
"Oooh. So, it's a song, I'm guessing!", Luna said happily.
"Well, I don't even know what I'm singing, or even sure what they mean, or even if they are real words, but it sounded pretty cool.", Sweetie Belle said happily.
"Well, then. Let's hear it!", Celestia gave the white filly a warm smile.
Clearing her throat, she nodded quickly to the quartet and they began playing a slightly upbeat and old sounding song. for the next half minute or so, Sweetie Belle just stood there, silent, with her eyes closed. Celestia and Luna looked at each otehr with worried faces, then the little filly took a breath as another silent pause took place.
Cara bel, cara mia bella!
Mia bambina, oh ciel!
Ché ella stima!
Ché ella stima!
O cara mia, addio!
La mia bambina cara...
perché non passi lontana?
Sì, lontana da Scienza!
Cara, cara mia bambina...
Ah, mia bella!
Ah, mia cara!
Ah, mia cara!
Ah, mia bambina!
Oh cara, cara mia...
the quartet continued playing, playing a quick, and upbeat-ish tone which lasted for a few more seconds before Sweetie took another deep breath.
Mia cara addio,
cara mia bambina
La cara cara mia...
just halfway through the final words, the quartet all misplayed a note each, then stopped. the Princesses, in shock, only stared.
"What? What's wrong? did I say something wrong?"
"Quite the opposite, little filly.", Celestia smiled.
"But...why does everypony stare at me like I did something wrong?"
Realizing something very possible that could have happened, Sweetie Belle's head turned around to see her flank quick enough to be comical. Seeing the silver bell and notes around it adorning her before, blank flank, she leaped into the air, screaming from happiness. The two princesses, and the onyl audience being there, besides the quartet, both clopped their hooves together in approval.
"I got my Cutie Mark! Yeees!!!"
Luna put her hooves to her mouth and whistled loudly, earning a small chuckled from Sweetie Belle as she realized just how she was reacting. Waving to teh two princesses, she ran tot eh quartet, quickly got the sheet music, and ran off stage to her mother and father, who only stood stiff as stone, staring onto the stage.
Cara Mia Addio
The lyrics after the main part of the song were provided by me, as there was no complete set with the ending lyrics, so I used ear and knowledge to give the last of what was non existent to my search.
No puns or anything teasing relating to clop. Be mature.