Chapter 13
The last thing Sweetie Belle remembered was a sweet smell of Twilight's feathers.Note to self: She really must ask her for a shampoo advice. But anyway, she fell into the darkness. She was falling and falling. She could just close her eyes and scream, hopelessly. She couldn't measure time of her fall.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a dark, cloister-like chamber. Perspective of her standing there and screaming for no good reason for Celestia knows how long caused her to blush. Sweetie started to trot around, looking at the long, dark corridor. She was worried about her friends but she also knew that she won't be able to do anything useful if she doesn't know where she is. The corridor was dark, lightened only by rays of weird light coming through several small windows.
Sweetie stopped when she found herself in a little room at the end of the corridor. Besides the entry to the corridor that she just have trotted through, there were only two doors.
Sweetie carefully moved closer to the doors on the left. She knew that she shouldn't just open strangely looking doors after being somehow magically transported to dark and empty cloister. But she didn't have much of a choice. Besides, Sweetie's curiosity always got the better of her. She placed a hoof on the door and pushed it gently.
She looked in the darkness in front of her. It seemed like the door was floating without any physical bonding in the pure night. But then Sweetie Belle saw something. It was a small point of light in the darkness slowly moving towards her. Sweetie screamed in shock when the light suddenly consumed her.
Sweetie opened one eye. She was standing on the... grass ? How in all of Equestria she was standing on the grass ?
When Sweetie looked around with attention, she noticed that the scenery was even more peculiar than she thought at the beginning. There was another Sweetie Belle lying near her. She was sunbathing and slowly sipping the lemonade.
Sweetie Belle looked at her copy.
"Hi there... me. Can you tell me what is going on ? " asked unicorn filly.
Sunbathing Sweetie Belle didn't answered.
"Maybe this is some kind of a vision. Not memory I think. But this is...interesting. I have never seen myself from the outside."wondered Sweetie Belle " Oh, why Twilightisn't here. She would've help me.Dumb magic."
And then she heard somepony else running. Both Sweeties rose their heads. And from then on Sweetie didn't wanted that vision to end. She just started to observe and take in every word. She flowed along with the stream of thoughts and feelings of her another self and their souls were united.
***************
Spike slowed down when he noticed Sweetie Belle sunbathing. He walked to the white unicorn and stared at the ground, visibly nervous. Sweetie looked at young dragon.
"Hi Spike. What brings you here. You want to come and lay down with me? It is such a great day for sunbathing."
Spike didn't answer at first, but then he took a deep breath and exclaimed
"Sweetie Belle, do you want to be my partner for Summer Sun's Celebration Gala ?".
Emerald eyes of young unicorn widened and she enthusiastically shouted: "Yeeeeeesssss!!!!!!"
Looking at Spike, little confused by this sudden outburst, she cleared her throat and spoke in more distinguished manner
"Yes, Spike. I would love to".
Spike smiled and offered his hand to help her arise from the grass
The scene faded and become replaced by another one.
Sweetie Belle and Spike were sitting under the gazebo at Sweet Apple Acres, commonly known as the most perfect spot for the romantic dates in Ponyville. Spike looked at Sweetie Belle, half-asleep on his shoulder. He asked:
"Sweetie Belle, not that I am complaining, but why are you dating me again ? I was fancying your sister for such a long time . Why you still wanted me ? You are really pretty, Sweetie Belle. I bet that you could have any young colt in Ponyville. For example, when I was on a gaming retreat with Rumble and Button Mash, we had a chat and Button told me.."
Spike was gently silenced when Sweetie placed a hoof on his lips.
"Spike, I guess love doesn't need any explanation. And Rarity thing doesn't bother me...anymore. What important is that we are together now". whispered Sweetie Belle.
Spike smiled
"If you say so, Sweetums" he said, gently brushing her mane
Sweetie sighed and purred like a little kitty
(FLASH(of light, not that form EG))
Sweetie Belle was standing on a stage , breathing profoundly to calm herself. She looked at the audience and noticed Spike sitting in front row. She smiled, blushing furiously. It was so nice of him that he took his time to be here with her.
Spike was accompanied by Starlight Glimmer (or, as Scootaloo liked to call her, Aunt Glimglam. That nickname always made Sweetie Belle laugh). Starlight was dressed in a strange red shirt with yellow words : "Marx rules". Starlight once told the Cutie Mark Crusaders about a weird alternate dimension where some creatures called humans were walking on two legs and had a very good taste in ice creams (The truth about alternate universes should remain hidden but Starlight, bold as always, wasn't known for listening to the orders and rules very well).
Starlight told them that the red shirt was a gift from a good friend of hers from that world, Sunset Shimmer. It meant to be a remembrance of a great fighter for equality in that other world. Sunset added certain modification, so Starlight could wear it in pony form. Even that Starlight didn't want others to know about that, those close to her knew, that the idea of equality among ponies still had a special place inside of her hearth.
Even with her friends on the audience, Sweetie was a bit nervous.
Besides her duties as a Cutie Mark Crusader, she was attending to the Equestrian Royal Singing Group of Countess Coloratura for some time now. Countess (or as Sweetie and her friends called her: Rara) was very nice to her and helped her achieve even better singing abilities than those she already possessed. Tonight was the last the day of the series of performances and Rara wanted her to sing the ending song. And there she was standing before a crowd of ponies. Sweetie levitated a glass of water and gently sipped it. Finally, the time has come. She moved closer to the microphone and opened her mouth. But before she was able to sing, there was a loud screamin the audience
"Sweetums!!! Wait!!!" shouted Rarity, making her way to the front row "I made it!!! Here I am, sis. Now let's begin this divine performance."
Sweetie let out a small giggle and started singing:
All my life I wondered
Is there a star above
All my life I wondered
Is in me any love ?
The life of mine, the love inside my hearth
Blooming in my soul, it will play it's part
As sun always rises, I'll shine in the sky
To be a guidance to those who long and cry
There was a time when I lost my way
There was a time when I missed the day
I have to face sadness, fearful and alone
Solitude was slowly turning me to stone
The life of mine, the love inside my heart
Blooming in my soul, it will play it's part
As sun always rises, I'll shine in the sky
To be a guidance to those who long and cry
Till I saw the light and I found my heart
And then I got my very fresh start
I found my star to guide my way
And for my happiness I cannot repay
The life of mine, the love inside my heart
Blooming in my soul, it will play it's part
As sun always rises, I'll shine in the sky
To be a guidance to those who long and cry
Not alone until the end of time
With the true love enchanted in rhyme
With company to end of the world
So my hearth will not be cold.....
There was a moment of silence and audience exploded with fanfares and applause. Spike winked to Sweetie Belle and showed her thumbs up. Rarity was sobbing into a napkin. Sweetie smiled and...
(FLASH)
"Are you sure about this ?" asked Princess Celestia, looking at Spike and Sweetie Belle " You are both fully aware of the risk of that kind of interference ?"
"Yes Princess " the unicorn and the dragon said in unison.
"Very well. Sweetie Belle, I need you to come here and lay on your back. Do not move" answered the sun princess.
She lowered her horn and touched Sweetie's belly, which shortly after was consumed in magical, golden aura. There was a flash of golden light and Celestia turned back to Spike.
"It is done. You may now enjoy the blessing of being parents..."
(FLASH)
"Careful, Clarity. Do not fall" Sweetie Belle gently moved little filly unicorn with swirly purple and green mane away from the edge. Little pink unicorn giggled and produced a spark of green magic that ignited the table cloth. Sweetie screamed and quickly lifted her daughter in the air.
" I’ve got this, Sweetie." Spike rushed to the rescue from the corner of the room. He grabbed the second unicorn filly and smiled to her " So what, Twilight Ruby ? Wanna help daddy saving the day?"
Twilight Ruby was a white pony with spiky mane in a colours of purple and red. Her deep green eyes with vertical pupils lightened up when she looked at her dad. She quickly jumped in flames and shortly after, the smoke and burnt table cloth was the only sight of disaster.
Sweetie Belle looked at Spike.
"How many times it has to happen before you buy a cloth made from something not as flammable as this ?" asked Sweetie with a playful grin.
Spike winked to her and they both started laughing...and... laughing...laughing...
**********************
Sweetie Belle closed the door. She was speechless and she was all shaky. But the tears flowing down her face was a tears ofhappiness. Sweetie felt lighter than ever before.
She turned to face the dark corridor and shouted in the darkness
"True love doesn't need any explanation. Maybe it was because he is so caring and sweet. He was, and is, so loyal and persistent that I feel safe with him. I just love Spike. I know it maybe weird. And I know it may not be good, logical choice. So guess what: I don't care anymore. I only wish the best for him. Oh sis, what are you doing with him...with us?" Sweetie's voice broke.
She looked at the mirror placed between the pair of the doors. But instead of her reflection she saw...Spike and Rarity kissing each other. Sweetie Belle frowned in a second and came closer to the mirror, her lips slowly stretching in a malevolent grin
"Oh, I see. Once again you are doing this to me "She twisted her head and looked at the kissing couple " Oh, Rarity, Rarity, Rarity. If you can just once...only once see something beyond yourself ? Can you?!!! "
Sweetie Belle started shouting at the mirror.
"I cannot believe how such a self absorbed mare became an Element of Generosity. Why can't you just tell him how you really feel ? I see that you don't return his feelings. So why I can't be happy ? Why I can't have him to myself ? I was trying... trying so hard that it hurt.... to be a good sister" Sweetie's scream was so loud that echoed in all cloister. Unicorn's eyes and horn were glowing, emanating green light. With each breath she exhaled a green mist.
"And this is where I get it... my reward... BUT IT IS NOT RIGHT !!!!!!!!! IT IS NOT FAIR !!!!!!!! WHERE IS MY LOVE ?????!!!!!!!"
Sweetie Belle moved towards reflection and passed through it ,grabbing Rarity and moving her away from Spike
"I AM SO SICK OF WAITING!!! IF YOU WILL TAKE WHAT'S WORTHY IN MY LIFE, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE A PART OF IT. BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sweetie watched as Rarity, Spike and reality over them started to break and crack. Finally it shattered, exploded in a blast of a green aura...
*****************
Sweetie Belle stood in front of the remainings of the mirror. Around her was a circle of half-melted stone, licked by green flames.
Sweetie's smile faded as she slowly looked at her partial reflection in a broken mirror
"Oh...Oh.....Oh no.... no ....no" whispered little filly " I... I ....have gone too far... oooooohhh" Sweetie sighed, falling swiftly to the floor.
She was laying there, Celestia knows how long. Then she managed to rise her head
"For the sake of the love inside my heart... the love I feel towards both of you: my big sister and my gentledragon, I am going to leave the things the way they are. I love you so much that I only wish both of you could be happy. I may always feel sorry for what I have missed but it doesn't matter as long as I see you full with hope and light. With envy and hatred instead of love and understanding... I don't know what I can become. You are my light, nothing else matters"
Sweetie made an effort to stand on her hooves. She pointed her horn at the fractured glass and focused. She didn't know what she was doing but she just gave up to it. The fragments glimmered in green light, danced in the air and reconnected. In front of her was now a stain glass mirror showing Rarity and Spike kissing and with words "Love for eternity" on the top.
Sweetie didn't know that she is capable of such magical feat. But after everything she experienced, she wasn't in mood to question it.
Suddenly, she felt somepony's presence behind her
She turned around and...