She's A Rebel

by TLC

3. Fashion Statements and Turnstiles

"Sweetie!"

It was nighttime in Manehattan, the vibrations of the bass and drums shook the small club.

"Sweetie Belle!"

Bodies mashing together in crazed motions, legs and heads swinging dangerously close together. Eardrums introduced to near damaging levels of distortion, and ponies throwing caution to the wind as they slammed into one another. A scene that was all brand new to Sweetie Belle.

She stared wide eyed, a look of awe as a local band busted out hard, loud and fast tunes. Music, she had no outside knowledge in, only what she would hear back in Ponyville.

But this was different, much different. The look, the aggression. These weren't sing-alongs by most ponies standards, but when the chorus came whizzing by in the club everyone knew the words. The moment exude a feeling, an emotion everyone shared. A feeling Sweetie wanted.

----

"Sweetie Belle, it's time for school!" Rarity's voice called through the door to Sweetie's room. The slumbering filly flinched in her sleep, tossing and turning in her bed in a last ditch attempt to fall back asleep, but her rising consciousness was winning the fight.

"Mmhlright..." She mumbled, her eyes pinched close from the brightness of the room. Her bedroom window allowing the sun a perfect angle to shoot its rays in helping the filly rise upright in her bed like a flower in the ground. Though this flower's petals have seen better days, knotted and messy after having her scalp forcibly scrubbed minutes after returning. Due to how 'drastic' and 'outrageous' the appearance of her mane and tail was to her sister and even Twilight.

Sweetie Belle scoffed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She got out of bed and stretched her limbs, turning to walk over to her bag. She pulled out a black plastic bag with a illustration of a smiling pony with X's for eyes before leaving her bedroom.

"Morning, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity said, rushing by with mannequins and different color fabrics floating behind her. "Don't take too much time getting ready, you sleeping has cost you some time."

Sweetie grumbled, Rarity hurrying downstairs as the bedridden filly dragged her hooves into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. "Now that I'm safe in here..." She stood in front of the mirror, a grin on her lips as she held the bag. "...let's get ready."

----

Rarity had gotten back to work right as she woke up, one cup of coffee beside her and her glasses on the ridge of her muzzle. Rolls of fabric dolled out sheets in a factory fashion in this fashion factory, Rarity sewing machines lined up beside each other, and a note pad with designs and colors in her hooves.

"Now with just a few gems to the collar on this shirt, it will look positively fabulous with the rest of the suit!" She smiled at her progress. Rarity looked off to the far side of the room to the clock, it reading ten minutes to eight.

"Oh no!" Rarity stopped, turning to the stairs. "Sweetie Belle, you're going to be late!"

"No, I'm not!" Her little sister shouted back. "Scootaloo's giving me a ride!"

Rarity cringed, turning back to her work. "Um, on her scooter? Didn't she crash the last time?" She heard hoof steps coming down the stairs and turned back, only drop everything as Sweetie Belle ascended down the final step.

Her mane was restored to its upright position, save for a pair of curls she allowed to hang around her horn like upside down demon horns. Her eyes were once again lined in black and she wore her leather vest, Rarity could see now it used to have sleeves due to the tears and frays around the shoulders.

Rarity looked down to her hooves, seeing one wrapped in leather straps and buckles while the other fore leg dawn a long black leather brace with little studs lined up in threes.

"Well..." Sweetie smiled, waving a hoof like a magician who presented a trick. "What do you think?"

"W-What do I think?" Rarity near stammered, her eyes shifted up and down at her sister.

"Yeah." Sweetie said, kicking at the floor. "I mean, no matter what you say I'm not changing...but I still wanna know what you think." She turned back to Rarity. "You are a fashionista, right?"

This, caused Rarity to chuckle, the awkwardness leaving her a bit. "Well..." She walked over to get a closer look, eyeing the eye liner. "You certainly did a good job with your make up, but..."

Sweetie frowned. "What?"

Rarity shook her head. "I simply cannot allow you to use this brand. It's too thick and doesn't hi-light your eyes as eye liner is supposed to do." Rarity explained. "It's Liner, makes your eyes pop. And your mane-"

"I'm not changing the color-" Sweetie started, Rarity interrupted.

"It's not centered." She explained, placing her hooves on Sweetie's head and tilting it forward. "Hmm, I don't know where or who did this but they obviously didn't attend a class or barber training." She took a step back and eyed the rest. "As for everything else...at least it matches, though the leather has scratches and the frays need to be taken care of."

Sweetie stood there in awe. Rarity continued as she walked over to the roll of fabric. "While you're at school, I can see about fetching some proper products to fix your mane. Maybe some decent eye liner, but after school you give that vest to me and I'll tend to the frays." She turned and smiled. "Now run along, I've work to do and you're going to be late."

Sweetie Belle was frozen for a moment, before smiling bright and glomping her sister, wrapping her hooves around her Rarity neck and holding tight. Rarity was taken by surprise, but then happily returned the hug.

"Thank you." Sweetie whispered.

"No need to thank me, Sweetie." Rarity responded, pulling away. "Whatever makes you happy, now please. You can still make it if Scootaloo shows."

As she said that, three quick knocks erupted at the front door. "That's her!" Sweetie said, before turning and hugging her sister again. "Bye, Rarity!"

Sweetie Belle rushed over to the front door and opened it. "Have a good day at school!" Rarity called back, before turning back to her work, a warm smile setting in on her face.

"And that's what matters."

----

Scootaloo was propped up on her scooter, her helmet sliding forward and covering her eyes as she barely clung to consciousness. Sweetie stepped outside and shut the door behind her, waking the pegasus from her light slumber who faced away from her.

"Morning, Scootaloo!" She said, walking over to prod the filly's helmet. "Still tired?"

Scootaloo grumbled. "Eh, maybe a little." She started to turn to Sweetie Belle. "I don't know how you manage to wake up in the-WHA?!"

Sweetie smiled bright at the pegasi's reaction, giggling when her friend almost tripped off her scooter. "Like the look, Scoot?"

Scootaloo eyed her up and down, with her gaze ascending from the straps to the crimson mane, her look changed from startled to impressed. "Like it? You look sick! Did you do this all when you were in Manehattan?"

Sweetie Belle grinned, crossing her hooves. "Yup!"

Scootaloo smirked. "What did your sister think?" In the distance, both fillies heard the school bell ring across town, and Scootaloo hopped back on the scooter. "Ya know what, save it! We have to hurry!"

Sweetie hopped on behind her friend and grabbed Scoot's shoulder. "Right! Let's go!"

The two then sped away from the Carousel Boutique, leaving a dust cloud in a rush to reach the the school fast enough. At least enough so that Miss Cheerlie wouldn't have a cow. As the dust settled, through the front window, Rarity watched with a worrisome expression as her sister and her friend disappeared from sight.

----

"Snips?"

"Here!"

"Twist?" Miss Cheerile read out the student roll call, sitting behind her desk and checking off the names on her list.

"Here!"

"Alright..." She checked off the peppermint filly and looked up to confirm she was present before reading off the next name. "Scootaloo?"

She glanced up once, and then again and spotted one seat empty. "No Scootaloo?"

"She told me that she's pickin' up Sweetie Belle!" Applebloom piped in. "They're probably on their way!"

But Miss Cheerile frowned. "Now Applebloom, I understand what you're doing but if neither Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle are in their seats by the time I start to do roll call, they're tardy." She said, looking back down at the list.

"But, can't we wait at least ten seconds?" Applebloom pouted. "Pleeease?"

"Ugh, nobody cares if those two blank-flanks are tardy or not." A very snobby Diamond Tiara remarked from Applebloom's right. "Just mark them late and get this over with!"

"Yeah!" Silver Spoon added. "I'm not going to have my education tarnished because some ponies can't be bothered to arrive on time."

Miss Cheerile glared, Her inner self wanting to tell those two off not as a teacher. However she knew until the final bell rung and she sat at the front of the class, she was forbidden. She turned to Applebloom. "Ten seconds. Not a second more, alright?"

Applebloom cheered, turning to smirk at Diamond and Silver who returned it with a grimace. The foals and Miss Cheerile all stared up at the clock above the doorway, watching as it ticked down from ten seconds, to nine seconds. And then eight, seven, six...

"Face it, Appleblank!" Diamond teased. "They're toast!"

"3...2..." Applebloom counted.

That's when the front door blew opened and a white and orange blur shot into the class room, knocking over half of the front row of desks. All the students, save for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, cheered as Scootaloo stood up from the wreckage with hooves above her head. Applebloom hopped out of her chair and rushed over to hug her friend.

"You made it!" Applebloom said. "AH did what ya said, and it worked!"

Scootaloo sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of her head. "Heh, well what did I tell ya? Ten seconds flat."

Applebloom pulled away to meet Sweetie Belle. "And it's good tah have ya back, Sweetie Be-HOLY APPLESAUCE!"

The classroom went silent as Sweetie Belle stood up from the floor, eyes all wide as spotlights as she were on a stage for all to see.

She straightened her Mohawk and smiled. "H-Hi, Applebloom."

Comments

[heptaPon]

Again, you got me hooked. Especially with that Nirvana reference.
Just one little thing, though:

"While your at school,

"What did you're sister think?"

Exchange the your and you're in those two, and we're good.

[TheGreatEater]

Rarity could see now it used to have sleeves due to the tares and frays around the shoulders.

tears
________

"I mean, no matter what you say I'm not chaning...but I still wanna know what you think."

changing
__________

She said, looking back down at the list.

move this up to the previous line.
_________

So Sweetie's tail matches her mane? And what did she do to her tail? That was never covered in the Cover Art or description of Sweets in chapter 1. Nonetheless cute chapter.

[OmniFox]

Baby dragon's bad girl.

[TLC]

5323179 Again, thank you. The tail is just not as curly as it usually is in the show, no real big change other than the color. I will try to be more clear about that in future chapters

[Fossil-Dragon-Messiah]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRGbsEhkaWc The theme for rebel sweetie X spike

[Mad Maudlin]

Well, if you want this Sweetie/Spike ship going, he's going to need a motorcycle soon. Or some kind of cycle. As well as a leather jacket of his own and possibly the power to turn on jukeboxes by hitting them.

[TheGreatEater]

5323540

Sweet, and you're welcome. It's nice to see that at least Twi, Spike, Rares, and Scoots are cool with her new look. As well as Rarity stepping up to help her out.

[ChaseArni]

I'm enjoying this so far, but I really hope you don't stick Applebloom (or the other Apples) into the traditionalist role her family usually gets lumped into. I know there has to be someone who is close to Sweetie who isn't okay with it, or else there isn't any decent conflict, but in situations like these it's almost always one of the apples who has to do it.

I'm curious to see if it's just her looks that have been affected by her trip, or her personality as well. It's only been one day, and it's her first 24 hours back, so there hasn't been time to develop that too far. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

[Aliester]

I really like this story thus far, and I am certainly looking forward to the next chapter!

[RoseOf1000Thorns]

5319072 Lol.

[Xexilf]

only drop everything as Sweetie Belle ascended down the final step.

Is there a reason for this strange wording?

If not, "descended" (moving downwards) would seem to be what your looking for, ascended generally means moving upwards, so "ascended down" is like "going up down" the final step.

[Bluecatcinema]

Can't wait to see what the rest of the class (and Cheerilee) think of Sweetie's new look...

[Hillbe]

The classes reaction is going to be pricless

[Frizzy]

Calling it now: "Cutie Mark Crusaders Punk Band! Yay!"

5325034 Why did you post Metal on a punk story?

[Aliester]

5354002 Why not? Others have embedded videos of classic rock songs, so why can't I embed one for metal? Also, Punks aren't the only group of people that wear studded leather, sleeveless jackets, and have this anti-government sort of rebel mentality. Metal-heads are like this, too.

That's sort of why I figured the story was less about a genre of music/a certain group of people, and more about the social ostracism both groups (Both punks and metal-heads) had to put up with when shunned by polite society for their interests and eccentric taste in fashion. It's less about the music, and more about the slice of life value of being a black-sheep for expressing yourself as Sweetie's doing here.