Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.
The Last Curtain Call
It was a simple Springtime evening in Ponyville. The sun had just begun to set on the horizon, stars danced behind the clouds and a soft breeze blew throughout the small town. Like the end of all days, businesses were closing up, and of course, Carousel Boutique was one of those shops.
Rarity let out a sigh of relief and flipped the door's sign to mark the store as closed for the day.
She adjusted her glasses, ran a hoof through her mane and smiled tiredly as she looked back and noticed her work. Extravagant gowns of all sorts, halfway done, but still looking full of potential.
A break was well-deserved.
Making her way upstairs to the residential part of her business, Rarity released a deep breath of satisfaction. Another day done, and a new palette of dresses to work on. Work would be itching at her brain all night, but that didn't mean she couldn't wind down in her own way.
She trotted into the kitchen and switched on the stove to start boiling some water for a pot of tea. She never liked unwinding without a nice cup of chamomile - it was always the ultimate relaxer at the end of a stressful day. And so, as she sat down and waited, she levitated over her sketchbook and began idly doodling whatever little visions her creative mind allowed.
Finally, after a hectic day of endless orders, there was a moment of clarity and peacefulness-
-until the slamming of the door was heard. For a minute, Rarity almost thought that she forgot to lock it until a familiar voice began it's usual screeching.
"Rarity!"
Holding back a groan, Rarity placed down her notepad and looked up as she heard the door open up and there, in the hall, stood the pony whom the voice belonged to.
Rarity tried to give a small smile. "Hello there, Sweetie Belle," she said simply.
"That's all you can say?" Sweetie Belle shot back, as her green eyes seemed to flash with mixed emotion for a moment.
Tilting her head to the side in confusion, Rarity hesitated.
"Sweetie, is something wrong?" she asked.
Letting out a loud huff, Sweetie Belle pouted. "Of course something's wrong!" she argued.
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "And... if I may ask, what is it?" she inquired.
A moment of silence passed between the two sisters, only before Sweetie Belle just let out an loud annoyed groan of exasperation and shuffled off to her room, slamming the door behind her. Not soon afterwards, muffled yells were heard.
Curious, Rarity got up from her seat and gingerly crossed the hall, about to press her ear to the door, when it swung open and Sweetie Belle stormed out, with various papers in her mouth. She walked over to the trash can in the kitchen, and tossed the parchment in the bin, then turned back around, went back into her room and once again - slammed the door.
...and the screaming began again.
Rarity winced, stepping away and deciding to give her sister some space to let off steam of whatever it was that made her so upset.
Shaking her head, Rarity went back to her chair and was about to sit back down when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed what exactly it was that Sweetie Belle had thrown out.
It was a vibrant yellow poster, with the title - Marespray - written in a retro rainbow font.
This was one of the many posters that decorated Sweetie Belle's room... why would she trash it?
Another one was a soft blue, the title reading Marema Mia! and the border was decorated with faux lace. In addition to that, there was a few more - the signature black poster with a single rose and white mask for The Pony of the Opera, the elegant underwater look for The Little Mermare, the vintage rough and classy Chicoltgo...
...and of course, the vibrant purple and white Eclipse.
These were all posters of Sweetie Belle's favorite Bridleway musicals - why in the world would she get rid of them? After all, it was a well-known fact that she had big dreams in starring one or all of these shows someday-
-and then, Rarity froze.
She backed away from the can, and made her way back to her sister's bedroom door, now listening into the rant that still hadn't seem to end.
"It's just not fair! She doesn't care about anypony but herself! I never ask much, only simple things like this, but what does she do?! She can't even seem to give me that much satisfaction! All I wanted was to see her there, but nooo, Rarity is much too busy for anypony except her stupid business clients!"
One part of Rarity was furious - what did her sister blame her for this time?!
But then again, the other half felt torn - what had she done to make her little sister so upset?
Rarity hesitated, and lifted her hoof, gently knocking on the door. "Sweetie Belle?" she said cautiously. "What's wrong?"
It was quiet for a second or two, when the door swung open, and there stood Sweetie Belle, frowning as she looked up to her big sister. Tears threatened to trickle out of her pretty jade eyes, and she scowled.
"You promised you would be there!" she spat out. "That's what's wrong! Why didn't you show up?!"
"I beg your pardon?" Rarity replied, with a raised eyebrow.
"See?!" Sweetie Belle snapped. "I knew it! I knew you would forget!"
Rarity's expression fell. She began stammering and fumbling over her words, attempting to find something - anything - to say, but coming up with nothing as she soon found the door slammed in her face. Knocking once more, Rarity tried turning the doorknob - and found it locked - just so she could talk to her sister. Oh, how she wished she knew what was wrong.
This was happening far too many times...
"Sweetie Belle, please," she said. "Tell me what's going on."
"Figure it out yourself!" Sweetie Belle called from the other side of the door, her voice cracking.
Releasing a sigh, Rarity shook her head in disbelief.
Wonderful, she thought. What have I done this time?
She walked into the kitchen, and levitated a mug out of the cupboard and onto the counter. She poured her tea and let out a deep breath, thinking hard as she started to stir her drink.
The posters.
"All I wanted was to see her there!" was what Sweetie Belle had said.
For some reason, she also asked about showing up somewhere.
This puzzle seemed a bit hard to decipher at first, but when Rarity looked up and noticed her calender pinned up over by the window, her heart fell into her hooves. There, on today's date, was a little mark drawn. A music note, with a heart, and Sweetie Belle's scrawled yet adorable hoofwriting scribbled out to make a small statement that had two words that made the pieces fall into place with a sickening crack.
Audition - 3:00, it said.
Oh, how could Rarity have forgotten?!
Sweetie Belle had been so ecstatic too...
The day she had come with that notice, practically squealing with joy. The Ponyville Schoolhouse was going to put on a junior production of the hit show Eclipse - Sweetie Belle's absolutely favorite musical - which was the fairytale retelling of Princess Luna's ascension into Nightmare Moon. Sweetie Belle wouldn't stop yammering on and on about it and how excited she was.
And all Rarity had done was smile and nod. She didn't pay attention. She couldn't even remember which role her sister wanted to try out for.
This was just plain irresponsible.
Letting out a shaky breath, Rarity levitated another cup out of the cupboard, and a tray. She poured some tea into the other cup, and placed the two mugs onto the tray. She used her telekinesis to take a small bag of cookies out of a drawer, and put it next to the drinks.
Maybe this would suffice as a bit of a peace offering.
She made her way back to the hall, gently balancing the tray in midair with her magic, and knocked on the door once more.
No response.
"Sweetie Belle?"
Nothing - except a very faint muffled noise.
Rarity pressed her ear to the door and listened carefully. From what she could make out, it almost sounded like...
...crying?
She frowned, and blinked slowly, finding herself sitting on the floor, right beside the door.
Why couldn't she remember something important for her sister? Just for once?
But no, Sweetie Belle had to be correct on the matter. Rarity always seemed to put her business ahead of her little sister - and to be completely fair, it wasn't right at all.
"I'll be right out here, if you want to talk," Rarity muttered.
She leaned up against the wall and breathed deep, closing her eyes, starting to venture through the many passageways and twists and turns of her mind.
Manehatten, she said to herself. The second time I went, I brought Sweetie Belle with me. I took her to a show on Bridleway, and that's when her passion for musicals began.
Rarity could remember that day very easily...
It wasn't that long after her first trip to the city with her friends...
She could recall how much Sweetie Belle's eyes had lit up when she had seen the theater, and when the show began, she looked completely entranced. And Rarity, she loved seeing her little sister so happy, she had somehow scraped up the bits to take Sweetie Belle to a different musical every day they had spent in the city.
(Although, Rarity had to admit, Marema Mia! was a bit scandalous for a filly to see.)
Without a doubt, it was one of the best vacations they had been on.
And it had changed Sweetie Belle's life. Ever since then, she had started reciting show tunes and she practiced her singing more than ever.
Rarity gave a bittersweet smile, and shook her head.
She was a fool.
A click was heard, and as the door lit up with a gentle green glow, it slightly creaked open, alerting Rarity to stand up, and retrieve the tray, carefully stepping into her sister's room... and the sight she saw made her heart shake.
There was Sweetie Belle, sitting on her bed, lightly sniffling and brushing away her tears.
"Ok," she mumbled. "I'm ready to talk now. Are you?"
Rarity bit her lip, trying for a hopeful smile. Instead, she just nodded and stepped closer, seating herself on the bed and gently placing the tray between them both.
She hesitated, and gave a small shrug. "I thought maybe a treat would cheer you up," she said.
Sweetie Belle opened the bag, her expression slightly brightening up as she took out a chocolate chip cookie and bit into it. "I'm sorry, for, y'know, yelling at you like that," she piped up, with a light sigh. "I was just upset."
"You had every right to be," Rarity assured. "I should have been more attentive."
"Yeah, but you're always so busy and-"
"-and you should be one of my top priorities, no exceptions," Rarity continued. "But it's times like this when I'm not a very good sister, am I?"
"Well," Sweetie Belle hesitated, and noticed her sister giving her a nod to urge her on. "I wouldn't say you're a bad sister at all. You are a good sister, you're just older and busier and stuff, so I can't blame you... but I would kinda like it if you were around more often for things I want to do."
Rarity pursed her lips, and levitated up her cup of tea, taking a sip of it.
"I know," she sighed. "And I have been getting better at it, haven't I?"
Sweetie Belle started to smile a little. "Yeah," she said halfheartedly. "You've been letting me help you a lot, and we go to the city sometimes. I really like that, and it's nice when we draw or have tea parties or play dress-up."
Rarity also felt a bittersweet grin tugging at her lips. "I will admit, it is nice to spend time with you," she admitted. "Almost makes me wish I was your age, so I could have more time for you."
A giggle escaped Sweetie Belle, and her eyes sparkled. "I think I like having a crazy older sister, though... no matter how busy she is," she said.
"Still," Rarity sighed. "I bet your audition was wonderful, wasn't it?"
"Miss Cheerilee liked the song I picked and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo said I was good," Sweetie Belle muttered, as she took out another cookie. "But I didn't get the role I wanted. I'm just part of the choir."
Rarity frowned. "Were you aiming for one of the lead roles?" she asked.
Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yeah, but Archer and Diamond Tiara got them both," she confessed. "I kinda high-tailed it out of there after I heard that."
"That's pure nonsense, I'm sure neither of them could ace the vocals like you do," Rarity said.
"But the upside is, at least I'm an understudy for one of the leads," Sweetie Belle pointed out, with her tone of voice slightly perking up with hopefulness. "So maybe I will get a chance to actually have a part."
"Either way," Rarity declared, taking her sister's hoof into her own and holding on it while giving a small smile. "This is one promise I tend to go through with, no matter what role you have, I'll be there on the day of the show, because I know how much this whole theatre business means to you. I was a fool to not keep mind of today's audition, but I would call this my second chance. And believe me when I say that I cannot wait to see you up on stage."
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, and hesitated. "You really mean that?"
Rarity nodded. "Absolutely," she assured.
Now starting to genuinely grin, Sweetie Belle leaned forward and wrapped her forelegs around her sister, pulling her into a hug.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"Anytime," Rarity sighed.
It was a promise she intended to keep. A promise she vowed to remember this time, because cross her heart, she'd see every single spotlight that her little sister stood under. Sweetie Belle suddenly alarmed the moment of serenity, as she let out a surprised gasp, and dashed off of the bed, rushing over to her drawer. Rarity raised an eyebrow, watching Sweetie Belle rummage through various crumpled papers, until she levitated out a folder.
"Want to help me practice the big numbers?" she asked. "I-if you have the time, that is."
Rarity chuckled, and smiled. "Of course I have enough time," she assured.
Sweetie Belle lit up, and took a record out as well. "Race you to the living room!" she said, running out.
Rarity grinned, speeding after her younger sister. And that evening, Carousel Boutique was echoing with show music, and two marvelous voices singing along to irreplaceable tunes; no grand curtains, stage or spotlights needed.
~ la fin ~
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Whoohoo! Sisters!
Rarity and Sweetie, you say? I'm strapping in for the ride in the name of sisters!
The ending tugged at my heartstrings, good job your highness!
DAWWWWW
This made me smile.
I quite enjoyed this story, I'll admit.
But I can't help but feel that the story would have felt a bit better if you'd elaborated a bit more on why Rarity would have missed the audition. Maybe go a bit more into details on how busy Rarity's been, or how swamped with orders and dresses that need to be made - something to flesh out the reason why Rarity would forget something so important to her sister. We all get carried away with what we're doing and sometimes important things slip through the cracks. Rarity, to me, feels like she wouldn't let something slip through unless she's under a lot of pressure, and I guess I just didn't feel that she was pressured enough to let an audition slip.
Guess I hold Rarity to very high standards (Not that she'd expect anything less)?
But that aside, it was a very enjoyable read!
Stupid question, but why didn't their parents go to the audition? Rarity ISN'T Sweetie Belle's mother.
This could be an episode. Nay, it should be an episode.
Hmm, it's seems like all the heartfelt one shots these days are about Sweetie and Rarity. I'm not complaining though. I love to see how people interpret their relationship. Keep up the good work!
And there we have the reason why I love your stories. Your writing is simply perfect for these kind of stories.
Anytime I see a fic where Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon get picked over one of the CMC, mainly Sweetie Belle, for something like this or similar, I can only imagine their parents paying money for it to happen. And main reason I can see that is because that is the way it works in real life.
Aww, this is why I adore Rarity and Sweetie Belle's relationship. Rarity is far from a perfect sibling, but she does try at least whenever she has to be there for Sweetie. And in the end, she succeeds.
another brilliant story from you, and no, there was never any doubt.
It's, with the apostrophe, is the contraction of "it is."
Its, without the apostrophe, is the possessive pronoun. Possessive pronouns (his, hers, theirs, yours, its) never get apostrophes before the S.
Also, on your dialogue tags? It's best to use the basic "said", "asked", and "replied" as often as possible, and avoid using "fancier" attributions like "argued", "inquired", "piped up", "assured", etc. The "basic three" are effectively "invisible" to a reader, and they won't notice you using them – but they will notice it when an author is clearly going out of their way to avoid using them by constantly reaching for the thesaurus.
Plus, those fancier words will lose their impact if they're used too much or too often. Think of them as spices; a dash or two adds flavor to the dish, but add too many of them, or use too much, and it becomes unpalatable. So, keep them in your back pocket, and only use them sparingly, when you really need to convey a very specific tone of voice.
Aside from those, though: Cute story!
5440730
The prevailing fanon seems to be that Pearl and Magnum are pretty much parents in absentia and don't actually spend a lot of time with their daughters. The fact that Sweetie Belle has her own room at Rarity's boutique and (at least as far as I can remember) has never been shown to actually go home to or spend any time at their parents' house, certainly seems to support the fanon theory that their parents have more or less handed off the job of actually raising Sweetie Belle to Rarity. (The fact that Sweetie Belle gets so easily upset whenever Rarity gets wrapped up in other things and doesn't have time for her, also lends some credence to this theory; she desperately craves from her big sister the attention and approval she's not getting from her parents.) At the very least, there's nothing in the show canon which proves otherwise...
I hope you don't mind me making a little suggestion, but this sentence is kind of awkward:
I just wanted to suggest you change it to:
"A music note, with a heart, and Sweetie Belle's scrawled yet adorable hoofwriting scribbled out to make a small, two-word statement that made the pieces fall into place with a sickening crack."
It flows better that way. Just a tip, to help you improve and get better
This was wonderful! It was in-character and truly something I could see happening at any time in the show. You portrayed the bond as sisters beautifully. Great work!
This is awesome. I want a sequel.
A better alternative to "go through with" would be "keep".
Small errors aside, this is a great story with beautifully in-character interactions between Sweetie and Rarity. Have a like and a fave, your highness.
Before I read this, I have to say THAT CHAPTER TITLE.
Wicked is the best.
Now on to reading!
Oh...so super adorable! I love the sister dynamic between these two and you nailed it! The little musical references were fun too (being a big theatre nerd myself, haha!) and both Rarity and Sweetie Belle were very in character! Great job, favoriting for sure.
Accepted into the Sibling Story Stockpile.
.
Nice job here. I liked this story
Dear 'The Princess Rarity',
A faggot came along and disliked your story.
Shall I terminate him or her with extreme prejudice?
Also, your avatar doesn't look like Rarity...
Anyways, please advise, over.
Yours Sincerely,
UniqueSKD, and his friend/OC, Unique the Anthro-Pegasus (the most awesome nutty pony dude ever! His words, not mine.)
5441411 You have to wonder where the hell their parents keep going, don't you?
Now this one really made me smile. It would have been nice to see evidence of why Rarity would have missed something so important to Sweetie Belle, but all in all, I think this was handled very well. I love stories that flesh out the dynamics between the Crusaders and their sisters.
Yeah, Sweetie would be a better fit for the lead role but Diamond has something she doesn't. Wealth and influence. Right amount of pressure here, and a few greased hooves there and there is very little you can't get.
Most underrated sibs ever.
Also Wicked is literally the best thing to ever exist. Ever.
Imagine...Rarity doesn't go to her musical.
Sweetie Belle: OH COME ON!!!!!!
Then Rarity would win Worst Sister of the Year Award.
Not top bad, but a tad dramatic for me. Excellent job with the writing though
Nice little piece of sister drama. I like the act of tea as a peace offering
Good work!
DJRD
AS a story, I like this. It's rather cute, it's written well-enough to tug at a few strings. However, I'm kind of looking for more context here. Why is it that Rarity forgot about that? The impression I got from the beginning wasn't that she was terribly busy. It made me tick a bit. Maybe she just forgot, but that doesn't sound too much like her... Still, it works with established characterization and many d'awws were had. Points for you.
5441411 Actually, the scenes in the bedroom in One Bad Apple are at Sweetie's parents, as is the float. Magnum can be seen fishing in the very same pond. So, Rarity might have a room for her, but they're not living together all the time, at least...
Damn heartshot.
It's too much!
It was nice I suppose, for an Everyone rated story. It had some good thought behind it.
...And then the sequel where Rarity once again forgets to go, and then Sweetie Bell defaults to her backup plan and replaces her with AJ.
Kidding!
Great job
As a fan of Broadway musicals, I really enjoyed the references:)
OK lets cover this now normally i don't have anything against cheerilee, but choosing DT as a lead was simply bribery. so deadpool well be beating her to death with a sack of hammers.
deadpool: tallyho! *deadpool heads off with his sack of hammers*
a few questions, curious did anything happen too the lead pony she was understudying preferably daimond tiara? she didn't happen to ge swept up in a whirlwind and land in a shipping crate for neighpon where she was pushed down a flight of stairs? cause that would be horrible and totaly coincidental....
anway seriously, how did the play go? did sweetie get the part next time?
"loud" starts with a consonant so the correct word to use here would be "a".
...and when the time came, Rarity didn't show up...again. Sorry, but she has a bad track record, and honestly, I don't think she'd gunna get better. Call me a cynic, but Rarity does this kinda thing alot, and moreover, all it'll take is one order of dresses and Sweetie is gunna be tossed to the side again. It's part of Rarity's character in many interpretations, and feels just the same ho-hum here. Don't get me wrong, I like the heartwarming moment...but often for a mare like her? They are moments forgotten until it's far too late.
Still, good work, and thanks for writing.
When the curtain's call
Is the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl...
NOW I CAN'T GET WICKED SONGS OUT OF MY HEAD DEAR GOD WHYYYYYYYYYY THEY ARE SO GOOD AND AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
5441948 And the "tend" should most likely be "intend".
5440992
It was an episode called "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils".
Let's recap. All this is in both the episode and this story.
Sweetie Belle is in a performance.
Rarity doesn't recall/know the time of said performance and forgets it.
Sweets gets mad at her sister for her lack of success.
Rarity was trying to relax after working hard as Sweets burst in the door, furious at her sister.
Rarity couldn't see anything from Sweet's point of view and they argue, particularly about how Rarity is to blame.
Sweets storms off in anger.
Sweets inner monologues/cries or whatever behind closed doors.
This repels Rarity from wanting to comfort Sweetie at first.
Both mentions "show tunes" as being something Sweetie likes.
So this is where the two change as this story here ends quickly, cutting to a swift reconciliation. But it's still the same when they do finally get along, Sweets sees some value in Rarity again while hoping to improve herself rather than to blame her sister all the time.
So yeah, this story really copies Dave Polsky's work. Sure a few details are different but that not as important as the main concept here and how the story flows. There is nothing really unique here to say. I don't want to be harsh but that's the truth that I can see. Maybe others don't see it. Maybe the author can come and defend their work to me.
As I see it as a copy, I have no choice but to give it a 1/10.
5446317 Yes, that too.
5446484 Perhaps her highness was inspired by that episode to write this?
Ah yes, I know the feeling too well. You make a promise and you accidentally forget. It sucks.
5444143
...are we sure of that? I don't recall seeing anything in either of those episodes that explicitly establishes that room as being in her parents' house, as opposed to the Boutique...
5446484
Mate... the major plot point here is that in the episode, Rarity's dresses steal her spotlight. In this story, Rarity not being involved at all was the issue.
I'm sorry, but you've not done your research.
5446757 Pretty sure, yes. Her father is seen fishing in front of that house, there is a zoom to one of the windows and it's the exact same place we see in the flashback from "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls".
I, for one, enjoyed this story quite a bit. I normally don't catch witty references in fanfiction, so I am glad that I understood the (obvious :P) one in the chapter title.
You are awarded five best-sister-rarities out of five possible best-sister-rarities.
As a fan of Broadway and the musical that Eclipse is inspired by (Wicked, I presume, due to the chapter title), I quite enjoyed the little references to them! Unfortunately, I don't ever get the chance to see these shows except for when they come out on DVD, Netflix, or the soundtracks just came out(I listened to If/Then a thousand times and I still want to see it because seriously, I love Idina Menzel to bits). I can understand what it's like not to have people show up to things you think are important and I also know what it's like to be entranced by musicals and things you can be passionate about in general. Well done, Princess~
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/09/61/1c/09611ca1469c1852cb3d7b4b2dc69c50.jpg
I sincerely hope that Diamond Tiara is Glinda/Celestia/Whoever fits the role in the play and that Sweetie is actually Elphaba/Luna. I can see her playing her due to her understanding of the Princess with her being a young sibling and having met her herself. Of course, that's up to you!
I can't believe such a simple story could be so amazing! Well done!
I'm totally jealous of you for being able to write so well!