Sweetie Belle needed a drink.

She didn't care if it was the middle of the day. She didn't care that she had a full day's shift to look forward to tomorrow. She didn't care if she was going to regret it in the morning. She needed the sweet, sweet burn of alcohol.

She tilted her head back, ignoring the quizzical look the bartender gave her. Down her throat the drink went, stinging like disinfectant on a skinned knee. Her head swam briefly, her hooves digging into the edge of the bar as she drew in a deep breath.

The Royal Guard?! Of all the places to go, Scootaloo joined the Royal Guard?!

Scootaloo hadn't even had the courtesy to tell her that to her face. Instead, Sweetie had come back from her walk that night to find an empty apartment and loads of empty bottles, and no sign of Scootaloo anywhere. Only a day later, nearly out of her mind with worry, did she find a haphazardly written note in her mailbox in Scootaloo's writing. The scrawl inside told her she'd gone to the Royal Guard and not to worry.

Oh, she was worried alright! She was worried about how she was going to make rent without anypony else around to help!

That coward.

Scootaloo just couldn't deal with it, could she? She couldn't accept that her daredeviling wasn't going anywhere. She couldn't even bother to get off her rump and pitch in every once in a while. And now she'd left Sweetie alone.

Alone! In Canterlot!

She could ask Rarity for help. She knew her sister would drop everything at a moment's notice for her. She'd been thinking a lot about it lately, but in the end she always decided against it. Even now, she wanted to show everypony - show herself - she could stand on her own hooves. Leave the sugary sweetness back in Ponyville where it belonged.

Easier said than done, of course.

"Rough day, huh?"

The voice came from an adjacent seat.

Sweetie turned, meeting the gaze of another unicorn mare. Her coat was a glossy palomino, mane a sultry blonde. She snickered, hoof resting on the top of a highball glass. "I know the feel. I used to think this kind of life was such a drag."

Sweetie offered a small smile. "Yeah," she answered. "I guess it can be a bit of a drag."

The unicorn snorted, waving a dismissive hoof. "I said 'used to'. I don't think that way anymore. What am I, some Ponyville rube? That's not who I am."

Sweetie couldn't help but giggle at that. "That's where I'm from. Ponyville."

"Yeah?" The mare smirked. "Could've guessed." She offered a hoof. "My name's Fortuna."

"Sweetie Belle." She accepted the hoof gratefully. It was warm, the grip of the mare's hoof firm and comforting. "So you live in Canterlot?"

"I do now." Fortuna grinned. It was a warm grin, the kind that exuded confidence and invited others to share along. "I wasn't always like this. You know how it is with small town life. Keeps a pony down, doesn't do a thing for her dreams. But now..." She raised a hoof, gesturing vaguely upwards. "Now I'm living the high life. I'm the sort of pony I’ve always wanted to be. I sing, I dance, ponies love me, and I love them back. What's not to love?"

Sweetie hung onto every word, captivated. In just those few moments, Fortuna had encapsulated everything Sweetie ever had been. Everything she wanted. Everything she was trying to be. She understood.

Fortuna was everything Sweetie had ever wanted to be.

"How'd you get there?" Sweetie asked, voice sounding small and meek beside Fortuna's huskier tone.

"How'd I get here?" Fortuna chuckled. "Boring question. I've got a better one." She put her hoof to her glass, deftly sliding it down the bar in Sweetie's direction. "What're you looking for? What do you want?"

Sweetie caught the glass, ice tinkling against the glass as amber liquid sloshed inside. She looked from the glass back to her new friend, who gestured for her to go on. Sweetie drew the glass to her lips, taking a deep sip before answering. "I want to be big," she answered. "I want to be somepony. I want to sing, and dance, and have ponies love me, and love them back."

Fortuna smirked. "Then come with me," she said, slipping off her seat, tail whisking briefly against Sweetie's cheek. "Let me show you my side of life." She stopped at the door, beckoning for Sweetie to follow.

Sweetie fumbled to toss a few bits on the counter and follow Fortuna out of the bar, into the frigid streets of Canterlot, rubbing her eyes a little in the harsh light of the outdoors. Onwards they walked, Fortuna always a few steps ahead, through the bustling streets.

Fortuna turned abruptly, into an alley. Sweetie only barely caught sight of her tail seemingly disappearing into the ground as she descended a series of steps just hidden from view, into a basement entrance hidden under the street.

Sweetie entered into a darkened space, the only light coming from lanterns hung above. The ground beneath her hooves was lavish carpet, brick walls covered in murals and paintings and banners and all manner of exotic artwork. Ponies sat at tables all around, sipping from glasses, talking amongst themselves. Some sat in corners scribbling furiously in notebooks. A stage stood empty at the far end of the room, a lone microphone upon its stand.

"Like it?"

Fortuna was standing at Sweetie Belle's side, gesturing around the room. "These are my digs. These little underground artist's clubs all over Canterlot. You want to be somepony? You want to be me? You start here." She jabbed her elbow into Sweetie's side, pointing her hoof towards the stage. "Go ahead. Step up."

Sweetie turned in disbelief. "What? Now?"

"Now." Fortuna grinned. "You want to be somepony, don't you? Get up there. Take a chance."

Sweetie bit her lip at the prospect. "I just got here! Nopony's just gonna-"

"Just gonna give you everything on a silver platter," Fortuna finished for her. "So make it happen." Without warning, the other unicorn closed the gap between them, planting a kiss on Sweetie's horn. "For courage."

Whoa.

With a profound shudder, something seemed to emanate from her horn down into every last corner of her body. It was a warm feeling, a courageous feeling, a good feeling.

The same feeling she got at the Ponyville Bridge. The same feeling she got talking to Rumble that day on the train.

She could do this.

Fortuna's eyes were gleaming as she gestured to the stage. "Now go."

Did she have a choice?

Moving past Fortuna, with a steadiness belying the alcohol in her head, she stepped past the seated ponies up onto the stage. She took her place behind the microphone.

Silence. All noise in the club stopped. Sweetie Belle became painfully conscious of dozens of eyes watching her.

She opened her muzzle, and she sang.

Sweetie sang like she had so many times in Ponyville. Just another Show Tunes cover, pouring her heart and soul into every last syllable. Not an instrument to back her up. Just her, and the microphone, and the crowd.

Only halfway through the song did it register that somepony else was singing with her.

She opened eyes, she hadn't realized had been shut, to see a stallion had come on stage. His was a peach-colored coat, his mane a curly ginger. He sang along, standing beside Sweetie Belle at the microphone, harmonizing with every note she sung,

The beautiful spontaneity of it all was enough to bring Sweetie Belle to tears.

And cry she did, tears streaming freely as she sang the final notes to the watching audience, in tune with the stallion's own voice, letting it fade into the rapturous applause and roars of approval from the darkened room.

Swept up by raw impulse and the high of the moment, Sweetie leaned towards her duet partner and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

Applause that had begun to die down roared anew as the stallion, blinking briefly in surprise, took the matter in stride and kissed her back.

From the corner of her eye, somewhere in the crowd, Sweetie saw Fortuna watching, flashing her a grin and an approving nod.

Author's Note

My name is Fortuna, I'm a mare of the light
I'm the one who's gonna help you find yourself
I'm all that you've wanted, I'm the one that you see
In your desperation and your dreams, now