One morning, the sun shone through Sweetie Belle's window, the unicorn filly yawning as she began to awake. After a few moments, she got off of her bed and looked in the mirror in her room.
"Well… another day...hopefully the day," the filly said to herself as she looked at a calendar with a few of the days marked off except two.
Today was one of her last chance to tell her sister about the upcoming singing competition in Canterlot… she really hoped her sister would pay attention to her this time. She really wanted to enter that contest and make her idol proud.
Crossing off today's date on the calendar, Sweetie Belle decided to get cleaned up, mentally preparing herself for today.
---
=a bit later=
"Ok… you can do this… just tell her about it, and hope to Celestia she'll let me enter," Sweetie Belle said to herself, the Unicorn filly halfway down the stairs..
After breathing a bit to calm down, Sweetie walked down the rest of the way to see her sister, who was currently busy making something.
"Morning Rarity… um, I was…"
"Morning Sweetie Belle," Rarity greeted, not turning to face the filly as she was focused on the object she was creating.
"Morning sis… um… I-I wanted to ask you something. Can I...?"
"Yes yes. You can play with your friends today. Now move along. I'm a bit busy at the moment," Rarity waved her off, making Sweetie Belle frown a little.
"But… that's not what I wanted to ask you. I was going to ask..."
"Can it wait until later, Sweetie Belle? I need all my attention on this," Rarity interrupted once more, not noticing Sweetie Belle's eye twitch a bit.
"... Fine… I'll try again later," Sweetie Belle sighed angrily as she walked out the front door.
---
Later, at the clubhouse, the CMC were busy talking about how they'll get their Cutie Marks today… well… most of the CMC as Amethyst was sick at home, and Sweetie Belle was silent, still a bit angry after her failed attempt to talk to her sister this morning.
"A-ano(um)…d-daijoubu(Are you okay), S-Sweetie-chan?" Timid asked, noticing how silent her Unicorn friend was at the moment, "Y-You've been quiet s-since you've arrived."
"Oh… it's nothing, Timid… it's just… ugh! I tried to talk to Rarity about the competition that's going to happen in Canterlot soon, but she ignored me… again!"
"...I'm… I'm sure it wasn't that bad… right?" Dawn asked.
"...Ahem. 'Oh Sweetie Belle, can you please play with your friends today? I'm busy.' 'Oh Sweetie Belle, can you ask me later? I'm busy.' 'Oh Sweetie Belle? Can you make breakfast yourself?! I'm busy!' Busy, busy, busy! That's all she's been lately! BUSY!" Sweetie Belle snapped, her voice squeaking near the end.
"Whoa… sorry. I… I was just asking," Dawn said, slightly nervous at how Sweetie Belle acted just now.
"No… I'm sorry Dawn Star… it's just… ugh! Rarity's been getting on my nerves!" Sweetie Belle snapped once more, "No matter how many times I try to ask her, she's always busy!-!"
"Hey! Sweetie, calm down! Get a grip!" Scootaloo responded, trying to calm the Unicorn filly down.
"...Sorry… I'm just so… grrr!" Sweetie Belle growled, irritated as she banged her head against the wall once "I'm just so angry!"
"Okay, we get it, but no need to chip your horn in the process."
"Yea..uh..maybe a walk might do y'all some good?" Applebloom suggested.
"...Yea… I guess so," Sweetie sighed, walking out of the clubhouse.
"...D-do you thi-think she'll be ok?" Timid asked.
"She just needs to cool down for now, Timid. This is a sorta touchy thing for her," Scootaloo said to the shy filly.
"...How so?" Quirky finally spoke up, tilting her head a bit
"She and her sister get into arguments… a lot. And I mean a lot. Sometimes, they yell at each other so loud, you can heard it throughout Ponyville."
"No kiddin'," Applebloom agreed.
"I… I see…" Dawn noted, sweatdropping a bit.
"Yea. So let her cool off for now," Scootaloo insisted.
"...O-ok. I-if you say so, Sc-Scootaloo-chan," timid nodded slightly, the shy filly still a bit worried about her unicorn friend.
---
Outside, Sweetie Belle walked around Sweet Apple Acres for a while, taking a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down.
She didn't mean to snap at her friends like that, but...well, normally she and her sister would get mad at one another over a few things, but being ignored for quite some time (especially since she tried to ask her sister about the competition), it got her blood boiling.
"Stupid sister. I just want to ask her one thing, and she keeps pushing me away for… whatever's she's working on!" Sweetie mumbled, completely fixated on this thought, "Ugh! I wish she'd just stop for a moment so I could tell her!"
"Well well… troubles at home I see," a voice spoke, making Sweetie Belle turn to see Mischief, the son of Discord resting on a cart while munching on an apple, "Yo."
"What do you want, Mischief?" Sweetie groaned.
"Oh nothing much. I overheard your plight and…well, let's say we're kindred spirits when it comes to siblings," Mischief shrugged, gulping down the core of the apple he was eating as he reappeared next to the unicorn filly.
"Oh yea, that's right… I remember now," Sweetie sighed, recalling Mischief's sister the last time she was in town.
"Yea...heh. You're lucky you weren't there when me and my sister did a little thing we like to call Food Battle, which tends to get a bit out of hand at times," Mischief added with a slight chuckle, "But anyways… back to the point. I'd like to help you out."
"Really? ...Um… you aren't gonna do anything crazy like switch my sister's brain with Opal's, right?"
"Sweetie Belle honey. Have I ever done that kind of stuff before?" Mischief asked innocently, earning a blank look from Sweetie Belle, "...Don't answer that. So... what do ya want me to do to help you?"
After a bit of thinking, Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and looked back at Mischief.
"If you can, find some way to pull Rarity back from whatever's she's working on. Just… nothing over the top, ok?"
"Really? Something simple? I can make her mane a really barfy green, turn her into a literal marshmallow, make her voice REALLY deep, or.."
"Just try something that won't end up making everyone in Ponyville dead. Probably something like startle her or something. Maybe with a crab"
"...A…crab?"
"Yeah. I don't know why, but my sister really doesn't like crabs," Sweetie Belle stated, tapping her chin a bit in thought.
"...Well…okay. If you say so," Mischief sighed before poofing out of there, "Just be ready when your sister comes running out."
'...Why do I have a bad feeling about this?' Sweetie Belle thought.
---
Back at the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was still busy working on… well, whatever she was working on. She had been working on it for weeks, and she didn't want anypony to see it. But...deep down, she was feeling guilty on ignoring her little sister, brushing her off to the side just so she could work on her little project.
"...No worries. Once this is ready, she'll just lo-" the Unicorn began before someone began knocking on the door, "Hmm? Now who could that be?"
With that, she walked to the door of her store and opened it to reveal… a box?
"...What in Equestria?" Rarity blinked as she bent down to see if there was any tag on it, only to find there wasn't one, "...This is rather odd. hmm...though I can't help but wonder what is inside. ...Couldn't hurt to take a look."
And so, she opened the package before it expelled a pink smog, causing her to close her eyes and cough. When the smog died down, she slowly opened her eyes to see something before her… something rather tall..and it caused her to pale significantly.
---
"...Ok...No noise so far..." the very same guard from a few chapters ago whispered as he quietly tried to finish his now giant house of cards, "Just have to slowly..place...this…"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"...THAT'S IT! I'm taking my vacation early!" the guard snapped, his card house (and most of the windows in Canterlot) having collapsed once more.
---
"What the heck was that?!" Dawn winced as she and the rest of the CMC had their ears covered.
"I don't know! It sounded like a cat chewing on ice while scratching a chalkboard with tin-foil!" Quirky exclaimed, making the others look at her in confusion, "...What?"
"...Did you accidentally drink coffee this morning, Quirky?" Dawn asked, sweatdropping a bit.
"I don't drink coffee."
This made the others simply look at each other, sweatdropping again.
"...Well, it might've actually been Sweetie Belle's sister screaming her lungs out over something scary. That, or it could've been my first op…" Quirky began before Sweetie Belle came into the clubhouse, panting a bit.
"Pl...please tell me you heard that, right?" Sweetie Belle panted, simply earning nods from the other members of the CMC, "I see...Well, if there's anypony I know who could scream like that, it's my.."
"A….ano...ano...m...m...minna(everyone)?" timid spoke up, the shy filly looking out the window, "C...come look at this."
The fillies looked out the window to see a...giant crab attacking Ponyville?! Wait what?!
"I...Is that a...giant crab?!" Dawn gawked, "Th...that should be impossible! Crabs don't grow that big!"
The Crusaders blinked for a moment, before realizing who had done it, with Dawn Star levitating up cards that read, '3', '2', '1'.
"Mischief…" they all sighed.
"Someone mention my name?" Mischief's voice spoke as he appeared in a puff of smoke, wearing a straw hat and hawaiian shirt, "It better be good. I was just…"
"I told you not to go over the top, Mischief!" Sweetie Belle snapped at the dragon.
"Say what now?"
"Look outside!"
Mischief just peeked out the window and saw the crab chasing Rarity.
"...That's not over the top," he defended.
"That's not...THAT'S WAY OVER THE TOP!" Sweetie Belle yelled, her voice sounding really squeaky near the end, Mischief shrinking and looking like he'd be the size of a mouse.
"...So...sorry doesn't cut it this time?
"...Ugh. I'm going to go and stop this…" Sweetie Belle sighed, as she hopped out and managed to actually tackle the crab into some water, causing it to shrink back to normal size.
"Uh… how'd she do that?!" Mischief gawked, wondering how a filly her size would manage to tackle a giant crab.
"Oh. She's been practicing teleporting spells with Twilight," Dawn Star informed.
"...That really doesn't answer my…"
"Then it's magic, silly!" Quirky spoke, making a smile that made a 'Squee' sound.
'Guh! There's that dang 'Squee' again! How….ugh...' Mischief sighed, feeling a headache coming, "I...I need to lay down or something. This is giving me a headache."
Back with Sweetie Belle, the unicorn filly was panting heavily, the teleportation spell having taken a lot out of her after managing to tackle that crab. She was about to fall to the ground if Rarity hadn't caught her in time.
"R...Rarity?" she muttered.
"Sweetie, darling! Are you ok?!" Rarity asked in concern.
"Y-yes… just really… tired."
"Good… but, I do have one question.." Rarity began as a frown appeared on her face, "What were you thinking taking on that… that… monstrosity by yourself!?"
"I… I…I wanted..to fix the problem… I had Mischief creat-"
"Wait...Mischief was the o-wait a second. You convinced him to sic that thing on me?!"
"Long story… I had to… tell you something… but you were… so… busy…" Sweetie Belle informed.
"...That is true… and I am dreadfully sorry for that. But… there was a reason I was so busy working on it," Rarity informed her little sister, "But… after you've rested up in your room once we return, I'll show you."
"...O-Okay…" Sweetie nodded as the exhaustion caught up with her, the unicorn filly falling asleep as her sister began to carry her home.
"Wait! What about the crab?!" Quirky shouted from the clubhouse.
"Got it covered," Mischief spoke as he snapped his fingers, teleporting the crab back to where ever he got it, "There. Happy?"
"Very," Quirky giggled.
---
Later, back at Rarity and Sweetie's place, the latter had finally woken up as she bagen to walk down stairs, only to see her sister at work...but this time, it looked like she was nearly done.
"...Well… what're you doing, anyway, sis?" Sweetie asked, finally about know what been keeping her sister so busy.
"Hmm?" Rarity blinked as she looked over at Sweetie Belle, "Good… you're awake. Now… as for why I was busy… well, I had bumped into Octavia the other day, and we had a small chat. While we were talking, she mentioned you and the contest that was going to happen in Canterlot in a few weeks."
"Yea… about that… I… I actually want to join that contest," Sweetie Belle spoke, a bit shy about it, "-Miss Octavia heard me singing before, and she was the one that… well… suggested that I'd join it… but… I was nervous at first… and wanted to see if… well… if you'd let me join it."
"...Why Sweetie Belle…Why of course you may participate in it. In fact…" Rarity began as she used her magic on the tarp covering her secret project, "What do you think I've been working on?"
Sweetie Belle blinked at that before Rarity used her magic to remove the tarp, revealing some sort of dress about Sweetie's size, which was colored a light pink and purple with a few diamonds on the skirt on the dress. On the front was a small necklace with a small, gold music note on it.
"...Wow. D-did you really make this for me?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking at the dress with awe.
"Yes…Well, me and Amethyst before the poor dear got sick. But the fact still stands that this dress Sweetie Belle was made for you to wear in the contest," Rarity said with a soft smile, Sweetie Belle smiling in response before she tackled her sister into a hug.
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" the unicorn filly squealed in a mix of excitement and joy, making Rarity smile and return the hug.
"You're welcome dear. Just promise me one thing… make me proud."
"...I will!" Sweetie smiled, shrugging her sister tighter before her eyes widened, "Wait! I need to tell Ms. Octavia you gave me your-!"
"No need, Sweetie Belle," they heard as the two unicorns turned to see the Earth Pony standing by the door, "I've overheard everything."
"Ms. Octavia?! Wh-why're you still here?!"
"I was coming to say goodbye before I headed out to the train station tomorrow, but it appears I'll be leaving sooner than expected," Octavia explained.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, darling," Rarity spoke.
"No no. It is ok. I just needed to know what Sweetie Belle's answer was before I go," Octavia said as she began to turn towards Sweetie Belle, "And I believe she's already given her answer."
"I did? I-I-I mean…I was talking with my sister to see if she would let me go, and… well… ooh~! Yes yes yes! I want to join so bad now!"
"Well then, I'll go on and inform the judges," Octavia informed.
"This is so~ exciting~!" Sweetie Belle squealed in joy, "Ooh! I better go practice! Excuse me!" she quickly said as she bolted up to her room.
"...Aw, Sweetie… she's so happy right now," Rarity smiled, looking over at the stairs before turning back towards Octavia, "I cannot thank you enough for giving my little sister this chance, Octavia."
"No problem. Your sister truly has some talent. Who knows? She might even get something more when she performs then a trophy."
"Hopefully..." Rarity nodded in agreement, giggling a little.
"Well, I'll be seeing you soon, Rarity. Oh, and just saying, I hope you and your apprentice go far," Octavia bid as she took her leave.
"...Thank you, Octavia," Rarity nodded with a soft smile.
---
"Where is it?! Where is it?!" Sweetie Belle screamed as she began to look around her room for something, the unicorn filly stopping before her dresser and opened it before pulling out a set of papers, "Here it is!"
She was really excited. The morning may have been a bit bad, but now she was feeling like she was on top of the world. Not only is she going to be in the contest, but her sister and Amethyst made her a dress just for the occasion. However… there was still open problem… she had to find the perfect song to sing in said contest, which means she'll have a lot of practicing to do. She was thankful she had a small list of song lyrics she wrote when she had the chance.