//------------------------------// // 6. Royal Visit (FINISHED & Unedited) // Story: Harmony of the Heart // by Archivist Nightwatch //------------------------------// “NNOOOOOO I DON'T WANT TO BE A PRINCESS!!” Sweetie Belle shot up the stairs and into the bathroom of the library. Leaving a shocked group of ponies sitting there watching the stairs. “Twilight?” “Yes Princess?” “Do you have any idea what just happened?” “No Princess. I don't.” Rarity sat there with her mouth hanging open her eyes literally bugging out of her head before she whipped around and hit the floor in a deep bow. “Please forgive my sister Your Highness. I have no idea what came over her.” She pleaded with the Alicorn of the Sun. While expecting a reply from Princess Celestia, Rarity instead got a reply from Princess Luna. “He he. Normally I am the ones the ponies run away from as fast as they can. Personally I find it a little refreshing having it happen to my sister instead of me.” Celestia turned and gave Luna a flat stare. “What? Its true.” Giving a slight eye roll Celestia started climbing the stairs. “One moment everyone. I will go see what the trouble is and attempt to wrangle her back downstairs.” With the assurance given Celestia approached the bathroom door. Bringing her voice down low and with the most reassuring tone she could Celestia spoke through the door. “Sweetie Belle can I speak with you please?” Starting with a small whimper she got the OK to enter. Sweetie Belle was hidden in the shower with the curtain closed. Slowly Celestia approached the young filly and sat on the small rug just outside of the shower. “Sweetie Belle, why did you suddenly scream when you saw us?” Sweetie sat there chewing on her bottom lip slowly thinking of how she wanted to respond. Slowly she spoke, “I thought you were gonna take me to Canterlot to be a princess.” “Now Sweetie Belle I wouldn't take you and force you to be a princess. First of all I wouldn't do something like that without your permission and second I believe that you think just because Spike is going to be a prince soon you will to. I hate to put it this way but you wouldn't be a princess until you married him.” Sweetie looked up slightly confused before asking, “Wait Spike is going to be a prince?” Celestia looked at the small filly with confusion. “Well yes why else would you think you would be a princess? I mean unless your a member of the Noble Family you would have to be an Alicorn to be a princess and last time I checked you didn't have wings.” Sweetie stared at the ground with what Celestia thought was remorse until Sweetie Belle looked up. The look in her eyes displayed a range of emotions. The most prominent was anxiety while below that was fear and was that humor? Celestia couldn't understand why Sweetie Belle thought something about that was funny. Until Sweetie spoke next then she understood. “If I show you a secret will you keep it for a little bit?” Sweetie asked the Alicorn of the Sun. “Of coarse. Now how did that go... ah yes. Cross my heart and hope to fly, Stick a Cupcake in my eye... though to tell the truth I would rather eat it.” Celestia stated with a small giggle from both of them. “OK. You know how Spike is now all long and looks different?” Celestia nodded to the fillies question. “Well he wasn't the only one that looks a bit different after last night.” Celestia looked at the filly with a bit of confusion. She wasn't sure what Sweetie meant by that statement until Sweetie reached down and unbuttoned her cloak. As it slipped to the ground Celestia's eyes grew to dinner plate proportions... well for about 5 seconds before they slowly rolled into the back of her head and she fell over backward into a dead faint. Sweetie Belle quickly leaped out of the shower and began to poke Celestia trying to get her to wake up. “Princess? Hey Princess. Are you OK?” She asked still trying to wake her. Knowing that the Princess was out like a light she only had one option. Using her magic she turned on the shower and collected a ball of water about the size of an average ponies head and levitated it over the Princess. With a quick release the magic holding the ice cold water completely soaked Celestia, who bolted up screeching like she had been stabbed in the rump with a sewing needle. “Oh I just had the weirdest dream...”Celestia trailed off as she looked down at the young alicorn. “OK... so maybe it wasn't a dream. Might I ask when this occurred?” Sweetie Belle looked at her hooves while pawing at the ground timidly before answering. “It happened last night when I found Spike depressed about being turned down by my sister. I felt so bad that I wanted to cheer him up, so I sang him a song from deep in my heart.” Sweeties face started to glow red as she continued her story of what occurred the previous night. Celestia's face held what most would considered the best poker face in existence as she listened to the touching story all the while looking over the young alicorn. She made note of the Cutie Mark now adorning the young fillies flank and mentally started trying to decipher what the small bell and notes meant. “Your wondering what my Cutie Mark means don't you?” Celestia blinked. Maybe her poker face could use a little work. Though it hadn't failed her before so she was slightly confused as to how the young alicorn was able to figure her out. “Its emotions.” Celestia blinked at the answer the filly gave. “Princess Cadance is the Princess of Love, she has total control over all aspects of love. I on the other hoof can hear the emotions a pony is experiencing. Like now I can hear your emotions raging in your soul. You are scared by what a new Alicorn means, you are curious as to what I mean by hearing the emotions, your a little agitated that you can't get a word in edgewise, sorry by the way, and your if I am not mistaken a little excited that there is another alicorn.” Sweetie looked up into Celestia's face with a gaze that seemed to stretch through Celestia and into her very being. Personally it crept out Celestia a little bit but she kept her silence and motioned for Sweetie to continue her explanation. Sweeties eyes slowly focused back on Celestia and she continued on. “Now I told you I could HEAR emotions and that is exactly what I do. I always could but I wasn't able to put it into words or understand what the song meant.” “Now let me explain each pony's soul sings a song to the world, this song is unique for everypony but changed constantly with what the pony is currently feeling. The tempo and tune changes slightly whenever anypony's emotions change.” Sweetie blushed and ducked her head a little before continuing. “I still don't understand it all yet and can't do it reliably without focusing on the pony for a while but this is what I was able to sort it out since I woke up this morning and had to walk through town.” Sweetie finished with a nervous grin. Celestia stared down at the little filly in admiration. She had in the less than a days time gone through more than most ponies have in their lives, the exception being 6 ponies and 1 dragon currently living in this town and 2 alicorns other than herself living in Canterlot. This little filly had in less that 24 hours gotten her Cutie Mark, Ascended into Alicornhood, gotten a colt friend, and had learned how to use a part of her Alicorn domain. She also felt slightly sad at what she had to do. Looking down at the small filly she said one small sentence that would forever change Sweetie's life. “I am sorry my little princess.”