Sweetie's week kept getting worse and worse. The bullying at school was so bad, it made Sweetie forget all her happy memories, and brought back the bad ones. The fillies and colts at school snickered at her, but it was only Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who outright made fun of her. They always dissed her, Applebloom, and Scootaloo to Sweetie's face when there weren't any ponies around. The only pony who knew of the bullying was Big Macintosh, and he had enough sense to keep his mouth shut, for Filthy Rich was the pony who brought in most of the Apple's profits. All the other adults saw Diamond and Silver as little angels. Sweetie stayed happy at home though, and so did Rarity. Rarity had been very excited all week, and Sweetie could only ponder why. On a Friday, Rarity finally broke the news to Sweetie Belle at dinner.
"So, Sweetie Belle, I know you've been feeling a lot better since Scootaloo's...... departure from our lives." (She was thinking, Sweetie could take care of herself for a while now, couldn't she? Just like she used to when I went away.) "So, as you know, I have been in a good mood all week, and for a very good reason. I.... am going to design an ENTIRE fashion line for Equestria's top new designer, Fancy Stitches! The reason somepony like HER would want me to design a line is because Photo Finish and Fancy Pants spoke so highly of me at the last art auction in Canter-"
Sweetie Belle tuned her out. Alone? Again? She didn't want to think of that feeling ever again. I'll just say- Sweetie was cut off by Rarity's ramblings. "Of course, it would only be for a week, and this would put my boutique on the map! It would be... hard, I mean, this IS Fancy Stitches we're talking about, but I am just so.... what did Pinkie say...... oh, right. I'm nervouscited." Sweetie Belle couldn't say no now. She didn't want to crush all her sister's hopes and dreams!
"Oh, cool. Yes I'll..... I'll be fine. On my own, alone," Sweetie sighed.
"Wonderful! I'm leaving on Sunday. I better go pack!" Rarity raced upstairs with her horn glowing. Sweetie sighed. Looks like I'm clearing the table, again. After Sweetie finished drying the last plate, she trotted upstairs to her bedroom to get ready for bed. Alone, for a week! It'll be torture! I mean, at least when Rarity IS home, I have a reason to be happy! I'm happy for her, but now...... A week Sweetie, you can do it. You can last a week. Sweetie convinced herself as she hopped into bed. Alone, she muttered before shutting her eyes.
~~~~~~
"Sweetie Belle, I'm leaving!" Rarity called to her little sister. "Don't forget to wash your hooves after every meal!" Sweetie giggled. It was just like her sister to be worried about manners instead of other, more important things. "I'll miss you Sweetie Belle! Be good." With that, Rarity trotted out the door, then happily squealed as she got into the taxi.
She normally wasn't one to gloat, but I'm working for Stitches! I'm working for Stitches! she sang. The taxi driver gave her a funny look, then sighed.
"Why do I always have to get the weird ones?" he growled.
~~~~~~
Sweetie Belle sadly watched her sister go. To her, it wasn't only her sister leaving, but her happiness as well. "Goodbye," she whimpered, although one could not be sure if it was to her sister, or to her happiness.
~~~~~~
Sweetie wasn't looking forward to the next school week. Now that Rarity was gone, there was nothing for Sweetie to be happy for, let alone about. With Rarity there, she put on a smiley face so she didn't dampen her sister's recent happy attitude. She didn't want to bring the weight of sorrow on her only living family. When Sweetie woke up the next morning, she made herself a quick breakfast, brushed her mane and teeth, and threw her saddlebag on top of her as she slammed the door. When she got to school, she quickly looked around, trying to find Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Her eyed widened at the scene she saw. "Move, Fireblaze! That's MY spot you're sitting in!" Diamond Tiara growled.
"No," he replied with some laughing from his friends. Silver Spoon looked as if somepony had risen from the grave, and Diamond was enraged.
"This.Has.Gone.On.To.Long! Get out of my spot! Listen to me, I can RUIN your reputation. Remember," she got up right in his face, "I rule this school."
The colt rolled his dark green eyes and replied sarcastically, "Yes your highness, I will do whatever you want. I serve you, my queen." He bowed down and as quick as a lightning bolt, he brushed his hoof across the grass, and down went Diamond Tiara.
"DT!" screeched Silver Spoon. She rushed to DT's side. "DT? Are....are you dead? DT? DT! Wake up! Please I'll never be popular without you!" Silver clamped a hoof over her mouth, but everypony else had already heard her.
"Really.....?" Fireblaze taunted. "Well, well, well! A wimp without her precious-"
"I'm NOT dead you moron! I just got the wind knocked out of me by........ him." With that, she and her friend flounced off.
"We really got her, Fireblaze! So shouldn't we talk about who we're going to recruit next?" Thunder asked giddily.
"Yup, sure, whatever," Fireblaze responded. He didn't care what his follower had to say, he was watching a dramatic scene unfold in front of him.
"Diamond, leave me alone," Sweetie growled.
"No. I'll have you know, that there, where you're sitting, is my second spot!"
"No it isn't. You've never lost your spot before. Nopony has ever been brave enough to confront you."
"Will you shut up! This is my spot, and you will leave right this minute Sweetie-" Diamond saw a hoof flying at her face. She screeched. "She hit me! She hit me!" All the other ponies gasped. It wasn't surprising she backed down against the Night Rebels, but Sweetie Belle punching her?
"What did my mom put in my drink this morning?" one of the bystanders, Ditzy Do asked her friend, Rosebud.
"I don't know, but it must have been pretty strong for you, for US to be seeing something like this!" Rosebud replied. Sweetie had beat up Diamond pretty good. There was some blood trickling down her mouth that stained her light pink coat. She had a swollen, black and blue eye that was facing the crowd of ponies. Sweetie got up and stared in shock. What had she done? The worst part though wasn't that she had hurt Diamond, it wasn't that she did it intentionally, it was the fact that she had enjoyed it. Sweetie ran off school grounds into the forest nopony ever dared enter for fear of getting lost. Sweetie kept running and running, using her magic to fight off sticks that smacked her in the face. When she reached a clearing, she sat down. As she inspected her body, she noticed many cuts that were now bleeding. Although she thought she deserved them, these cuts were not as satisfying as when she had once cut herself. No, I'm not going back to that, she spat. She sat there for what felt like days (it had only been one hour) when she heard some rustling. It was getting louder. Sweetie looked for a place to hide, but closer inspection led her to the conclusion that she was surrounded by poison ivy, except where the noise was coming from. She scrunched herself into a ball and whimpered until she felt a tap. No, it was more like a light jab, on her shoulder. She uncurled herself, to see the charcoal grey pony Fireblaze looking down at her. He offered a hoof, and she graciously took it. When they were both on their hooves, she asked him a question. "Why?"
"Because, we think you're bold enough. You punched Diamond Tiara, hard. You, Sweetie Belle, have spunk. We, the members of Night Rebel, invite you to join us," he offered solemnly. Sweetie didn't know what to say. She knew that the NR's were NOT a force to be reckoned with. They were a bad group of ponies, and she shouldn't join them. But, this will help you not feel alone! a deep, dark, primitive side of her mind urged.
"You won't feel alone anymore. You'll have a guaranteed spot at our table, friends, secrets. Everything a lonely pony like you could want!" he reasoned. "Plus, no Diamond Tiara to worry about." That got rid of all Sweetie's doubts. With her friends around, she never would have thought about, let alone agreed to join this group. But, that was the past. Her fear of being alone once more clouded her mind. The thick hazy fog made up of her inner protection pushed her common, good judgement farther and farther back in her mind, until it was gone. All Sweetie Belle thought about now was the feeling of being useful, not being bullied anymore! It was just a "yes" away, everything she wanted, dreamed of since Scoot's death. But something was holding her back. Sweetie didn't know what, but the invisible chains wrapped themselves around the fog, trying to be rid of it like it got rid of her sense. The goodness inside her struggled, as did her fear, sorrow, and hopes. It was a battle in her mind, but eventually, she broke free of the chains.
Sweetie stared into Fireblaze's eyes. "I'll do it," she agreed, and with that, the invisible chains were forever gone.
~~~~~~
Sweetie slept well that night. Without all her chains, the ones that held her back from happiness, she had no regrets. The next day, she met Fireblaze outside the classroom, but not before running into Diamond Tiara. "Well, well, well! Look who we have here! Little Miss Thinks-She's-A-Fighter! Ha! You're so weak, you don't even have your cutie mark," she taunted. Before she could get out another one of her 'lame taunts' (according to Fireblaze) she was pushed from behind. "Hey!" she screeched, but silenced herself when she saw Fireblaze's face.
"Don't bother her. At all," he spat. Diamond nodded her head until Sweetie was sure she had turned into a bobblehead. She walked away with Fireblaze and he said, "See?" She nodded. "Now, before your test, you should meet everypony else." He and Sweetie walked up to a group of ponies. "Sweetie, this is Thunder, Moonwhisper, and Koly." Sweetie Belle looked at all of them. Thunder looked big and mean, the kind of pony she avo- used to avoid. He had a short, fiery red mane, just like his attitude.
"Hey," he grunted. Sweetie then looked to the next pony. Moonwhisper stood tall, as if trying to impress Sweetie Belle. Her royal blue mane swished in the wind. Her royal blue eyes were glued to Sweetie. She nodded, and Sweetie took that as a sign to move on the the last pony. Koly was the least threatening looking of the bunch. She was a bit smaller than everypony else, and she looked like a ray of sunshine, not a Night Rebel.
Fireblaze read her mind once more and said, "Koly is one of the most talented unicorns I have ever met. She knows most, if not all, the kinds of magic that Princess Twilight Sparkle knew at her age." Sweetie almost gasped. This was one talented unicorn! "Now, for your test," Fireblaze said, his voice like ice. "You must cut school today and do everything we tell you. If you do it without fail, you're in. Remember, whatever trouble you get into, it is your problem. Don't drag the entire group down with you." He gave her an icy glare. "If you do, you're out in the cold once more." Sweetie could only nod her head. She flt as if every part of her body was frozen. "Time to go," Fireblaze said as he and everypony else slipped into the shadows of the trees.
~~~~~~
Now, I want you to steal that apple from that vendor. Fire's words repeated in Sweetie's head over and over. She stealthily made her way over to the stand, planning her crime. Luckily, the pony wasn't anypony she knew, so she wouldn't recognize her. Walk over, take an apple from the back of the cart, walk away as if nothing happened into the alley down the street, and present the apple. Sweetie thought. Her plan was foolproof, hopefully. One valuable thing Fireblaze had taught her was to never gallop away like a scared filly. Why would anypony but a criminal run away from the crime scene? Sweetie carefully surrounded the ripest, reddest apple on the cart with her magic. She floated it from the cart to her and tucked it into her saddlebags. She didn't look around, not wanting to seem like a thief, but she couldn't help it. She swiveled her head around to find nopony looking at her. She sighed and walked away. When she entered the alley, she looked behind herself one more time before dropping the apple at Fireblaze's hooves.
"Good job. Now for the next part of your test," the leader praised. He rose to his hooves. "You will spray paint that fence over there." Sweetie accepted the cans he held out with no hesitation. She looked around her, then trotted to the fence. The closest pony was right down the street, and he wasn't looking at her. She quickly shook the purple paint can, and opened the lid with a pop. She sprayed random messages on the fence, then scurried away. When she arrived at the alley, Fireblaze nodded. "You have passed part one by demonstrating that you can remain calm during an act. You passed part two by showing that you can be brave when you committed an act of crime in front of other ponies. Now, for part three." Fireblaze explained the plan to her. She nodded, taking it all in. Unlike her other tests, this one was to be completed at night with everypony in the group. Sweetie's part was the most dangerous, but she had to prove herself.
"Ready," she stated fiercely, with determination in her eyes. She would prove that she was worth something. She would prove that she was a different filly now, a strong one. Not the weakling from right after Scootaloo's death. She didn't want to admit it, but the biggest reason she was ready, was that she couldn't be rid of her feelings on her own.
Fireblaze
Thunder
Moonwhisper
Koly
You're welcome! :)
