It felt odd to be moving into the place where she had practically grown up in.
"If you wish, we can repurpose some of the main floor for your studio instead," Rarity said as they stood inside of a room that had seemed so much larger when Sweetie Belle's greatest worry had been finding a cutie mark.
"It's fine," Sweetie replied, with less certainty than she'd possessed before stepping into her old bedroom. "I'll get a smaller writing desk and, uhh, maybe store some stuff in our bedroom too?" Just being able to say "our bedroom" sent a thrill through her that kept the excited grin on her face from faltering.
Rarity frowned. "Are you certain? It's truly no imposition."
"I'm sure, Rarity. I need this to be where I make my music from now on." Objectively, a guest bedroom above a dress shop was a terrible place for a music studio. But, it was where Sweetie had grown into a mare, and it was a place that represented the roots she needed to return to for the sake of her soul.
"Very well, then." Rarity smiled. "We can go shopping at Quills and Sofas tomorrow."
"Oh, is Davenport still there?" Sweetie asked as she started pulling the soundproofing panels she'd left out in the hallway inside, propping them up against the wall in preparation for when she'd secure them in place. They were always lighter than she expected.
"Most days," Rarity replied. "Despite his Canterlot location flourishing, he prefers to remain in Ponyville."
"I totally get that." Sweetie noted a pile of boxes in one corner of the room and pointed at them. "What are those?"
"Oh, just various knickknacks you've collected over the years that I never knew what to do with." Rarity trotted over and brought a couple of them over to Sweetie. "I suppose now is as good a time as any to sort through them and decide."
She paused to press a kiss against Sweetie's cheek as she set down the boxes.
The box looked to contain an assortment brightly-coloured childhood toys. "Wow, I have played with these since before I went to high school," Sweetie commented as she plucked out some kind of ball attached to a stick by a string.
“I didn’t have the heart to throw them away,” Rarity said. “After you began your career and moved out, I missed you far more than I cared to admit at the time.”
“Aww, love you too, Rarity.” Sweetie set town the toy so she could give her big sister a hug. And then, because she felt like it, she pressed her lips against hers in a passionate but brief kiss before going back to sorting. “Yeah, I don’t think we need these anymore. Not like we can accidentally make a kid who’ll be able to use them.”
“And thank the stars for that,” Rarity said dryly. “Doting on Lil Cheese is quite enough for me, thank you very much.”
Sweetie snorted. "Yeah. Is anyone ever going to tell Pinkie that she shouldn't be feeding them that much sugar?"
"Considering that they're Pinkie's child, I'm not certain that's true," Rarity replied. Her eyes widened as she pointed at another object in the box. "Oh, I remember that microphone!" She picked up the plastic toy and waved it about gleefully. "You used to spend hours performing for your audience of stuffed animals."
Sweetie let out a wistful sigh. "They were a good crowd. Not so great at clapping, though."
"A living audience does have its advantages," Rarity quipped.
"Yeah." Sweetie went quiet for a moment before saying, softly, "I miss it."
Rarity glanced at her with concern. "I can't imagine what it must be like to give up the spotlight. I never could."
"It's better this way," Sweetie said firmly. Despite the sense of loss in her soul, she knew without a doubt that she'd made the right choice. "I have everything I need to be happy right in this room." She reached out and hugged Rarity.
Rarity returned the hug, pulling her in even closer. "That may be so, but I do wish you didn't have to give up something you loved. I can't help but feel responsible, some days."
"Hey, I've still got my music— never giving that up," Sweetie reassured her. "And you know I didn't quit performing because of you. It just wasn't good for me." She tossed the microphone into the "donate" box. "Maybe one day I'll be able to go back to it."
"And I shall support you, no matter what you choose," Rarity promised, sealing her words with a kiss.
"Thanks, Rarity. I love you too." Sweetie returned to digging through the box, setting aside a few mementos from her childhood but mostly throwing out the items that Rarity couldn't bear to. After all, she was back now, and Rarity had no need of such trinkets to remind her of Sweetie. "Oh, wow, what even is this?" She said as she pulled out a... rectangle?... made out of paper mache.
"Oh, I remember that!" Rarity grinned. "You made it in first grade, during arts and crafts. I believe it's supposed to be a wedding ring."
Sweetie squinted really hard at the... thing, that she supposed was (mostly) painted yellow like gold. "Huh." She supposed somepony could put it on their horn, though it definitely wouldn't fit comfortably. "Wow, that's honestly impressively bad."
"It was very darling," Rarity smirked. "You told me you were looking for a dashing colt to propose to with it."
"Pfffft." Sweetie twirled the "ring" around her hoof. "Mares are a lot better, anyways. Learned that one the hard way."
"I'll admit, I do prefer the mare I fell in love with," Rarity replied, staring at the ring.
A pit lodged itself in Sweetie's throat at the longing expression on Rarity's face. "Rarity..."
Rarity shook her head, seemingly trying to knock herself out of her ennui. "It's nothing, Sweetie. Just an old mare reflecting on her life."
Sweetie snorted. "You're not old, Rarity. And it's okay to wish things were different, just like how I wish I could still be living in Manehattan and performing live on stage sometimes. I remember you talking about the perfect wedding when I was a kid."
"Every filly thinks about her perfect wedding." Rarity waved her hoof dismissively. "And then we grow up and accept that some things can never be, but other things can be better than we could possibly imagine. I never knew love could be so wonderful, and I would take a lifetime with you over a thousand perfect weddings."
Tears of joy welled in Sweetie's eyes. "Me too," she whispered, turning away so that Rarity wouldn't see her face. "Oh hey, it's Mr. Scruffles." She pulled out a stuffed giraffe. "I haven't seen him in years."
Things returned to normal afterwards, but their conversations stuck in Sweetie's head as paved the way for her new life.
Sacrifice was a normal part of adulthood, but she wanted to eat her cake as well. And Rarity deserved the world, of course. Was there truly nothing they could do to live their dreams to the fullest?
And would Sweetie truly be content with what she had now?
Absolutely. There was no hesitation about the answer to that last question. But still, she wanted to give Rarity the world, to make up for all she had put her through, and thank her for staying with her in her darkest moments.
And then Sweetie remembered just how many friends she had, and smiled.
"It's not illegal, no."
Sweetie grinned. "Great, that makes things way easier."
Princess Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow. "Easier? What exactly were you planning if there were laws against sisters getting married?"
Sweetie snapped off a sloppy military salute. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Revolutionaries, yay!" she declared proudly, before dissolving into a giggling fit.
Twilight was clearly not amused, unfortunately, as she simply rolled her eyes. "Please don't. I have enough on my plate without having to explain to my friends why I had to lock the three of you in the dungeons."
It was funny. When Sweetie had been a filly, all the adults seemed so big to her. Then, she grew up, and could stand as equals to those she had once looked up to. But Twilight Sparkle had never stopped growing, and even now she towered over her, exuding an even stronger aura of authority that, quite frankly, intimidated Sweetie.
But for Rarity, she'd swallowed her fears and requested an audience with the High Princess. "And what about the other thing I asked you?"
Twilight sighed. "You know you're putting me in a really awkward situation, right?"
Sweetie nodded. "I'm sorry. It's just, you were the only person I could talk to about this."
"Yeah, there's a reason for that," Twilight replied dryly. "Secret marriages are possible, but if you want a record that literally only royalty can access, then it has to be me who conducts the ceremony."
"I kinda figured," Sweetie said. "So, will you do it for us?"
Twilight took a deep breath, pressing her hoof against her chest before exhaling. "What would you do if I said no?"
Sweetie shrugged. "See if I could talk you into it, I guess. There's not much I can offer the High Princess of Equestria, but I could maybe do a charity concert sometime if you need me?"
"I thought you were retired from performing."
"I'm... considering my options," Sweetie said after a moment of thought. "And if it's for charity, I really wouldn't mind, even if you say no to the marriage thing."
"You're a good pony, Sweetie Belle," Twilight replied warmly. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind if you really are comfortable with it. I... I had my doubts about you and Rarity at the start, and I still think what you're doing is dangerous, but it's not my job as princess to meddle in the private affairs of ponies as long as they're not hurting anyone else, and you've been doing much better since you moved to Ponyville.
"That being said, officiating a marriage does come with some responsibility to counsel the prospective couple." Twilight magicked up a dense, technical-looking book and flipped it open. "I'd rather avoid seeing you in any headlines again, unless it's for a good reason."
"I'm not going to say it's your fault for what I did," Sweetie replied, forcing herself to stay calm. "I take full responsibility for all the stunts I pulled. But, I wasn't the worst person in all of that, not by a long shot, and you know that."
Another sigh from Twilight. "There's only so much I can do without becoming a tyrant. Ponies need to learn to stand together, and I'll be ready to help them in any way that's within my purview."
"I... I've thought about doing that," Sweetie said quietly. "Helping ponies come together so that we're not just being picked apart by the bad ones. But, well, you saw what happened to me before, and I can't break Rarity's heart again by becoming that again. Not to mention, I have another life now, and I don't want to lose this one."
"I'm very glad to hear that." Twilight smiled warmly. "You've changed a lot in the past few years, huh?"
"Little bit." Sweetie blushed at the praise, feeling like a filly all over again.
"Well, if Rarity says yes, I'd be happy to help you two out," Twilight replied. "And if there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to come to me."
"Thanks, Twilight, I'll keep that in mind." No way was Sweetie going to go to Twilight for counsel, not when she didn't quite trust her not to go after Rarity for the smallest mistake, but she needed to be polite.
Twilight seemed to sense her position, since her smile faltered and put the book away. "I just want what's best for the both of you. Hopefully you'll be more comfortable with me one day. You're going to be marrying one of my best friends, after all. Have you figured out how you're going to propose yet?"
"Yeah."
Sweetie grinned as she told Twilight.
Twilight smirked in response. "I keep forgetting that you're not that sweet little filly I tutored anymore. I can't believe I didn't realize you were playing me before with that offer."
"I had to grow up fast, but that just means I could catch up to Rarity," Sweetie said smugly.
"Well, looks like you'll have some planning to do," Twilight replied. "And I've got another appointment in a few minutes." She reached over to give Sweetie a quick hug. "Take care of Rarity, please."
"Of course, Princess."
"Do I look okay?" Sweetie asked, shaking her flanks from side to side to get a better look at them in the mirror.
"For the millionth time, ya look amazin'" The eyeroll was audible in Apple Bloom's voice. "Land's sakes, yer being even worse than I was."
"Apple Bloom, you made Sweetie go to that same dress store every day for like two weeks," Scootaloo said, walking past her to nudge Sweetie. "Anyways, you look great. Rarity isn't gonna know what hit her!"
"Thanks girls. And sorry for being so..." Sweetie waved her hoof around in a circular motion. "All of this, I guess."
"It's alright, Sweetie," Apple Bloom said warmly. "It's a big day for ya. We get that."
"You're still gonna knock 'em all dead," Scootaloo assured her. "Just like you always do."
"Just like I always do, yeah." Sweetie took a deep breath. "This isn't my first rodeo, and it won't be my last." Some of her old confidence began to return. She was Sweetie Belle, world-famous pop star, and even if she wasn't the same mare who had performed to crowds of thousands, she still knew how to sing.
But, this was so much more important than all of those other performances combined.
Sweetie shook her head to clear those thoughts. "I've got this."
"Ya sure do," Apple Bloom gave her a quick hug. "We'll be headin' out now, but you'll see us right in the front row, okay?"
Sweetie nodded. "I love you both so much. Just wanted to say that."
"Oh, are we being sappy now?" Scootaloo asked, joining in on the hugging.
"You know me," Sweetie said, fighting back the tears. "I'm always sappy."
Scootaloo smirked. "Yeah, and we love you anyways." She hugged her even more tightly.
"Pardon me, am I interrupting anything?"
The three crusaders looked up to see Rarity standing at the doorway. "We'll let you two talk," Apple Bloom said.
"See you in a bit, Sweetie," Scootaloo added before the two of them made their exit, giving Rarity a quick greeting on their way out.
"Still nervous, my love?" Rarity asked, taking a seat next to Sweetie on the backroom couch.
"Apple Bloom and Scootaloo helped me with some of it, but..." Sweetie trailed off, shame colouring her cheeks red. "It's not just the stage fright I'm scared of."
Rarity nodded sympathetically. "I didn't think so. It's intoxicating, isn't it?"
Sweetie gulped. "Yeah." Standing on stage, being surrounded by adoring fans who would have let her get away with anything... "Stars, it was so hard to let go of it the first time, but I did it for you, Rarity. I did it so that you wouldn't have to see me get destroyed by that world. And now I'm back."
"This time will be different," Rarity promised her, placing a hoof on Sweetie's chest. "You know that, in here. This is only for charity, and the audience here is quite different from your old fare, no?"
"Maybe." Sweetie shook her head. "But what if this is just the first step towards me going regressing?"
"Do you think your friends would allow that?" Rarity asked. "Have faith in them, if not yourself. Just as I will have faith in you." She leaned over to kiss her. "I hope you can find the balance you so deserve, my love."
"Me too. Thanks, Rarity." Sweetie took a deep breath. "Whatever happens, I love you."
"And I could not imagine giving my heart to anyone else." Rarity sensually caressed her cheek one more time before hopping off the couch. "Now, I'll leave you to your warmup exercises. Break a leg, darling!"
Once she was truly alone, Sweetie began to hum to herself, getting her vocal chords ready for her performance. Rarity was right; her friends were right. This time things were different, and as much as a piece of her dark past awaited her beyond those curtains, so too did the light of a future brighter than she could possibly have imagined.
And Sweetie Belle was no coward who would hide from the darkness, not when she had the strength to face it now.
She stepped onto the stage.
And the curtains rose.
The audience for this concert was somewhat unusual. Working with Twilight, they had made this a purely a charitable event, with half the audience being members of the nobility who had donated large sums of money to be present, or at least their relatives who were fans of Sweetie, and the other half being various children from households all across Canterlot, chosen by a lottery system.
None of that mattered to Sweetie in this moment, though. What mattered were the ponies sitting in the front row, the ones who kept Sweetie anchored to her new life.
Friends. Family. Rarity. She had what she needed already to be happy— this was just a bonus.
But what a bonus it'd be.
"Hey, everyone," Sweetie said into the mic. "It's an honour to be singing in front of all of you. I never thought I'd be standing on stage again, but I have so many people to thank for helping me find myself again, so that I could come back here. This concert goes out to all of them."
In the front row, she saw nothing but smiles and happy tears, which reflected her own.
"Anyways, that's enough of the sappy speeches. Let's get this party started!"
The performance was the easy part, honestly. As it turned out, it was just like riding a bike, and all the practice and experience from the past allowed Sweetie to sing song after song to thunderous applause and the excited cheering of the foals who made quite the ruckus. She didn't mind, though— it was all part of the show, after all.
The energy was infectious, and Sweetie let herself be caught up in it, but it didn't feel addictive this time. It was nice, but there were other things in Sweetie's life besides music and Rarity now, and as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo cheered from their front row seats, Sweetie made sure to dedicate at least one song in the middle of the set to them.
Still, she could feel the nervousness returning as she approached the end of the night. There was still one thing left for her to do, something she'd never done before, and no amount of planning could stop the butterflies in her stomach.
Luckily, she was basically on autopilot as she finished up the last few songs, and before she knew it, it was time.
"Alright, I know it's late, but I wanted to share something special with all of you," Sweetie announced, her heart pounding in her chest. "A new song that I'll be performing for the first time right here for all of you."
The crowd went wild, of course, and Sweetie had to wait for quite a while before the children calmed down enough for her to continue, fixing her eyes on the front row where Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were visibly shaking with excitement.
"This song is actually dedicated to my sister, Rarity." Though caught by surprise, Rarity managed to keep her composure, as Sweetie expected, a slight widening of her eyes the only sign she hadn't been expecting this. "She's been my inspiration for a long time, and the one who helped pull me out of my darkest moments.
"I... I did some things back then that I'm not proud of, but she helped me move on, even though I started some awful rumours about her." No need to mention that some of those rumours were true, of course. "She's taught me so much about forgiveness and generosity and how to be a mare that I could be proud of, and I'm so thankful that she's here with me tonight for this."
She gestured towards her sister, her lover, the light of her life. "And now I'd like to invite her to come on stage with me. I think she deserves at least that much for all my stuff she's had to put up with."
Rarity let out a small gasp, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she knew how to comport herself, of course, and trotted up the stage with all the grace and elegance that Sweetie expected from her. "What are you doing, Sweetie?" she whispered as she walked past her.
"Just showing the world how much I love you, but in a way that won't get us in trouble." When the suspicion didn't leave her eyes, Sweetie added. "Trust me, please."
Rarity's gaze softened as she took the mic. "Well, I can't say I was expecting this, but my darling sister has always been an unpredictable one, ever since she was a filly." There was no hesitation, no signs of deception as she played the crowd as well as Sweetie could. "It's been an honour to see her grow up, and I couldn't be prouder of who she's become."
"Thanks, Rarity," Sweetie said, taking the mic back. "And I hope you like this next song. It's called A Million Years."
The lights dimmed, twin spotlights shining on the two sisters. The first few notes began to play, and then Sweetie sang.
"A thousand days you stood by me
As my heart turned to ice"
She put all of her emotions into her voice, her eyes never leaving Rarities.
"A thousand days you shared your warmth
Until I found my flame"
The love she saw in her lover's eyes was reflected in her heart, and with every word sung her certainty grew.
"A thousand days I’ve had to think
To move beyond my blame"
This was it, this was the moment, and as nervous as Sweetie was, she couldn't possibly back out now, not when she knew that this would make Rarity happy.
"A thousand days I’ve trusted you
I want a million more"
From within her dress, Sweetie pulled out a small jewelry box. It was a gesture that might have looked suspicious, but the chuckles from the audience told her that her gambit had succeeded, even as Rarity's eyes widened and her lips parted in shock at the realization.
After all, only the two of them knew what the mangled, faux-golden paper mache rectangle was supposed to be.
"A million years of happiness
Is what we’d have in store"
Tears flowed freely from Rarity's eyes now as she stared at the ring. The last notes of the song faded out, and Rarity lunged forward to hug Sweetie, a familial gesture that would raise no suspicion, and allow her to whisper her answer in Sweetie's ear to thunderous applause.
"Yes. I would be honoured to be your wife, Sweetie Belle."
