“I don't know who she is, or how she is or what, when, or why she is, but as to where she is, it's where we will go.” Sweetie Belle sang. “To the queen, to the queen, let's hope she isn't super, duper mean….”
Her companions groaned, getting annoyed.
“To the queen, to the queen! Let's go to the queen’s place.” Sweetie Belle stopped singing and said, “I'm still working on that last part, but that's the idea so far… Rainbow, you sing the alto part, Rarity, you sing the soprano part, and I'll sing the high soprano part.”
“I don't want to sing at the moment, dear.” Rarity sighed, trying to get a stick out of her mane.
“Yep, nopony’s singing anything, anymore.” Rainbow growled. “Rarity, come on.”
Rarity stopped trying to get the stick out and sighed, “Fine!”
“But we have to do something fun.” Sweetie Belle groaned.
“Actually, we really don't. We can keep walking, in silence!” The bird said. She turned to see Rarity. “Let's go!”
“But this cannot wait!” Rarity cried.
“But we should-” Sweetie Belle was interrupted by Rainbow Dash, “Be glad you're nothing like your sister, kid. She's over dramatic, silly, a bit of a pain.”
“Why, I never-!” Rarity gasped.
“See? Just don't be like that.”
Sweetie Belle looked up, “But… being over dramatic can be fun.”
“Well, the world is a miserable place, Sweetie Belle. Life isn't going to be fun.” Rainbow sighed.
“Then I'll do what I need to do, I guess.” The filly whispered.
“Thanks.” Rainbow replied. “We must get you guys to Chrysalis's so I can wash my hooves clean of this mess. And if you could pick up the pace a bit, that’d be great, okay?” The bird turned and saw the girl was gone. “Uh, where's Sweetie Belle?”
“Oh, she must've wandered off.” Rarity said.
“Ugh!” Rainbow cried.
Sweetie Belle was walking with her baby alligator on her back, “We need to do our part to make the world a better place!” She smiled.
The alligator blinked and she nodded, “Yeah!”
There was a sudden ringing and she looked up to see a small schoolhouse. Sweetie Belle gave a groan, “School? Not today!” She skipped off into the woods.
“Sweetie Belle? Sweetie Belle, where are you?” Rarity called. She glanced in the school house and frowned, “Sweetie Belle?”
“Please take your seats, children.” The teacher said, a pink mare with smiling flowers as a cutie mark. “You’re late. You know the rules- “Once the bell has rung, class has begun.” The students were all animals with clothes on. Rarity felt underdressed.
“Listen, she's not a egghead like you, so, we're just gonna…” Rainbow was interrupted by Rarity crying, “We're not children, I'm a adult! Stop insulting me so! I'm looking for my little sister!”
“Seat, now.” Miss Cheerlie growled.
“Oh, if I must!” Rarity sighed, putting a hoof to her head.
“What are you doing?!” Rainbow hissed as Rarity basically collapsed into a chair.
“I'm being over dramatic, darling.” Rarity huffed.
“Your sister could be in danger out there!” Rainbow growled.
They suddenly heard a knock at the window. They turned to see Sweetie Belle who waved. She looked at the classroom and frowned. The girl turned to see her alligator, laughed, and ran to him.
“Bluebirds have a short life span. You two are literally killing me every moment I’m forced to spend with you!” Rainbow cried, thumping her head on the table.
“Oh goodness, no!” Rarity said, just to spite the bird.
“Young filly, I will not stand for such nonsense in my classroom. I got enough nonsense from that no good, two-timing, low-down handsome stallion of mine.” Miss Cheerlie cried, going to the window. Suddenly, the lights dimmed. “Oh, Big Mac, why did you have to leave me so? And now, with Mrs. Harshwhinny is threatening to close the school, and that wild gorilla on the loose, I just have one thing to say…”
“Oh boy.” Rainbow mumbled.
Miss Cheerlie started, to sing, as the bird knew she would. “A is for the apple that he grew for me, but I found a worm inside. B is for beloved that I…”
While she was singing, Rainbow whispered, “How is this educational?”
“What’s that? Young filly, go to the dunce box.” Cheerilee growled, pointing to it.
“Oh woe is me!” Rarity cried.
“Oh bother.” Rainbow growled. Rarity walked to the dunce box.
“Now, where were we? Oh, yes.” The teacher said. “G is for the gentlepony I thought he was, when he first blushed at me…”
Sweetie Belle sat outside with some animals who were skipping school as well and said, “So, my theory is that milk actually comes from cows, regardless of what they teach you in school. But you guys don’t go to school, huh? I’m gonna stick with you guys.” She grinned.
The sweet filly watched them stare and blushed. She then leapt up. “Ooh! Let’s play “Two Old Cat”! Do you guys know how to play “Two Old Cat”?”
The animals blinked and she stood in front of them, “It’s fun, I play it all the time with my kitty at home. I’ll show you.” The filly searched for a old cat and found one. “Here's one old cat!” She cried triumphantly.
The other children started looking and a deer found a old cat. He showed the filly and she smiled, “You found another one! Wait, no… I think that cat is too old.”
The cat meowed and she pet its head, “Sorry kitty. We’ll have to find another old cat.” The filly set out a bowl of milk given to her by a raccoon.
“Hey Sunny, I think there’s one behind you!” She cried. The possum turned and heard raspy breathing. Suddenly, a giant gorilla leapt out.
“Gorilla! Run away!” Sweetie Belle yelled.
“And why, yes ‘Y’, is the question that’s on my mind, Oh why…” Miss. Cheerlie sat on the floor in despair.
“Hey, egghead. This is dreadful.” The bird hissed to Rarity.
“If somepony didn't tell me I was overdramatic, we wouldn't be here.” Rarity huffed.
Rainbow thumped her head down just at the bell toiled.
“Huh? Mealtime already? Well, come along children.” The teacher said, motioning for them to follow.
Sweetie Belle hung for dear life on the bell with her new friends but soon didn't have the strength to hold on any longer.
The gorilla chased the poor children around a tree while Sunny, the possum, attempted to hit it on the head with a stick from the tree. It evently knocked the gorilla out and Sweetie Belle nodded in thanks.
“Mrs. Harshwinny is coming over today, so I want you to be on your best behavior!” Miss Cheerilee rounded the kids up and Rarity went out to find her sister when Sweetie Belle came running in. The filly shoved Rarity in the line and whispered, “I wouldn't go out there!”
“But Sweetie Belle, I am not a child-”
“Come on!”
They entered the meal room and Sweetie Belle sat next to her new friends while Miss Cheerlie played the piano.
Everyone had a plate of plain potatoes and Sweetie Belle looked over at the possum, “This is a lot better than being chased by a gorilla, don't you think?”
She frowned when the possum sighed and the filly tried her potatoes. She gave a gag and nearly spit them out. “They're so bland!” The girl looked around at her sad classmates.
“I'm surprised you're not complaining about your food.” Rainbow growled to Rarity.
“It is rather horrid, isn't it.” The mare sighed.
Sweetie Belle thought of something and ran up to Miss Cheerilee. “May I try something?”
“What is it, dear?” Cheerlie asked. The filly scooted next to her on the bench and played a little tune. “Can you keep that going?”
“Certainly.” Cheerilee smiled, impressed a mere child her age wrote something for the piano that quick. The filly grabbed a jug of molasses that stood on top of the piano and leapt on the stool like it was a stage.
“Oh, potatoes and molasses, if you want some? Oh just ask us!” The girl sang, pouring molasses on the raccoon’s potatoes, “Because they're warm and soft, like puppies in socks, filled with cream and candy rocks! Oh, potatos and molasses, they’re so much sweeter than cutie mark class!” She sang, skipping on the table and giving jugs to her friends. “If your stomach is grumblin’ and your mouth starts mumblin’, there’s only one thing to keep your brain from crumblin’! Oh potatoes and molasses,” The animals and Cheerilee smiled and started to sway as the girl's voice rang through the school. “If you can't see them, put on your glasses!” Rarity clanked a spoon against cups to the music and even Rainbow mustered a smile.
“They’re shiny and large like a fisherman’s barge,” The girl sang, slipping and accidentally flinging a spoonful away. Little did she know, it hit the gorilla that was watching them. “You know you’ve had enough when you start seeing stars! Oh, potatoes and molasses.” The young animals pulled out thier instruments and started to play to the tune. “It’s the only thing left on your task list! They’re short and stout, they’ll make everyone shout! For potatoes… and... molasses.” Sweetie Belle sang, walking on the table. “For potatoes... and –!”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” A voice boomed as the door slammed open. The music halted and Cheerlie gasped, “O-oh! Mrs. Harshwinny, madam!”
“Is this what I'm paying for?” The older pony growled, pushing her aside.
“W-we were just having fun…” Sweetie Belle whispered, slinking back to her seat.
“Hm, I didn't invest in this school for fun, and singing, and whatever else you were doing!” Mrs. Harshwinny snapped. “I thought we were trying to do important work here: teaching animals to count and spell, do something worthwhile with thier time.”
“But, we are!” Cheerilee cried. “Oh, please, madam, don’t close the school. It won’t happen again.”
“I should say it won’t.” The elder growled. She went around and grabbed every creature’s instruments. “This……this…...and this are all coming with me. Now send them to bed!” The pony snapped.
“You heard her.” Cheerlie sighed. “Off to bed with you.” The children soon undressed and went to bed. Sweetie Belle hugged the baby alligator and sighed, “I just wanted to have fun, change the world, and make it a better place. But I just made everything worse.”
“Okay, Rarity, I’ll admit it- you seem like a drama queen, but you’re not.” Rainbow Dash sighed in defeat.
“Is that so?” Rarity asked.
“Deep down in your heart… you’re a stubborn brat! When are you gonna give this up?” The bird asked
“Maybe never. Maybe I’ll never give this up.” Rarity growled.
“Hmm… yeah!” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Rarity's right- never give up!” She tossed a rope made of sheets that she had made out the window. “Come on, Rarity. Let’s go save the day!”
“Oh, if we must!” Rarity sighed.
Rainbow gave a groan.
The sisters climbed down the rope and ran to the woods. “What's the plan, darling?” Rarity asked
“Oh, I don't know quite yet.” Sweetie Belle blushed.
“Who would’ve thought making a primer school for non talking animals was a bad idea?” They heard somepony sigh. The girls went to a bush, where the sound was coming from. “That mare doesn't know how difficult it is to keep something running. Everything she had went into that dear, dear school. She depended on me to keep it open. And now I’m forced to sell these instruments just to do that.” Ms. Harshwinny grunted. She took off her large overcoat and made a small tent for herself. “All the while that loathsome Big Macintosh is off gallivanting who knows where while I work my tush off! Not to mention that wild gorilla on the loose. If only something would go right for a change.”
The girls watched the mare fall asleep. After a few minutes of snoring, Sweetie Belle whispered, “She's asleep…. Who wants to be evil with me and steal her stuff?”
“What?!” Rainbow and Rarity gasped.
It was morning and Miss Harshwinny awoke. She gasped seeing the isturmints were gone. “What in the Everfree?!” She gasped. She then heard a happy song and came out of the bush. She saw the animals playing for a crowd of ponies and animals alike. Sweetie Belle skipped around, looking as cute as she could to get money, and it definitely worked. The girl ran to a barrel that was already filled with bits and poured more in from her full teapot. “What is all this?”
“It’s a benefit concert for the school.” Rarity smiled, leaning on a tree beside her.
“It's this wonderful?” Cheerlie cried. “All these creatures giving out of the kindness in thier hearts! Unlike my Big Mac.”
“Here it comes.” Rainbow groaned.
Cheerlie almost started to do sing when the gorilla from before leapt out. She gave a cry and the crowd screamed. Sweetie Belle dropped her conductor batton she had been using to lead the band and cried, “It's back!”
“You, do something!” Miss Harshwinny yelled to Rarity.
“I don't know what to do!” Rarity cried. She then rembered the stick in her mane and went to get it, to throw at the beast but her hoof collided with the gorilla. The head popped off and the ponies gasped in horror.
“Big Mac?!” Cheerlie cried.
The stallion got up. “E’yup.”
“Judging by the costume, it looks like you were in the circus.”
The stallion nodded and said, “I'm sorry, Cheerlie. Ah’ just wanted to get you that weddin’ ring ya’ liked.”
The mare and stallion embraced. The crowd cheered and Ms. Harshwinny shed a tear, “I suppose… when you look at it, the world is just as sweet as potatos, and molasses….”
Sweetie Belle gave a tiny grin and started to sing, “Oh potatoes, and molasses, if you want some? Oh just ask us!
While her sister sang, Rarity said, “Should we tell Sweetie Belle it's time to go?”
“Nah, let the kid have her fun.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “Oh, you can take that stick out of your man-.”
“I did that a few minutes ago! It was a horrible feeling to have it in, just dreadful!” Rarity cried. Rainbow gave a tiny smile.