Chapter 8: Who's Been the Real Bully?
The eight girls and one dog met up outside human Rarity and Sweetie Belle's house, many of which were confused, except for a few.
"Why are we here?" Rainbow Dash asked, "this is no time to be trying out different outfits, we got to find that pony and get her home before that Dark Soul creep gets her."
"We don't need to search anymore," said Sunset, "for I know where Pony Sweetie Belle is."
"You do? Well then, where is she Sugarcube?" asked Applejack.
"Just listen."
They all went quiet, and very faintly, they heard the voice of Human Sweetie Belle. However, they could also hear her responding back, "now either she's talking to herself, or the Pony Sweetie Belle is in there."
They all went inside and found that the Pony Sweetie Belle was indeed in the living room and talking with Human Sweetie Belle.
"Sweetie Belle, I can't believe you!" snapped Rarity angerily. "We've been searching for days and days for this little filly, yet you had her here the whole time. You could've told us."
"But I..."
"I don't want to hear your excuses. You've been hiding a pony from us, which is wrong since she's a missing pony from Equestria."
Pony Sweetie Belle looked up to her human counterpart, "So you were trying to keep me here."
Human Sweetie Belle's anger finally built to a point where she just couldn't take it anymore. In pure anger, she screamed out; "yes I was hiding her, but that's only because I could never get the message out to you!"
"That's silly, I would..."
"Just shut up and listen! You've done enough talking over the last few days!" Hearing that, Rarity went quiet at once. "I've tried numerous times to tell you that she was here the whole time, but you would either interupte me, or insult me and say that I'm just being silly, or you would ignore me all together. At least Sweetie Belle here was proving to be better company than you ever did!"
"She does have a point Rarity," said Rainbow Dash, but the quick glare from Rarity made Rainbow go silent at once.
"Oh yeah, name a few moments."
"Glady. There was when Sunset told you that the pony version of myself was missing, I tried to tell you, but you ignored me and took off to begin your search. When I tried to talk to Sunset, you insulted me, and I tried many other times to talk to you, but you would interupte me. I often feel like I'm a ghost around you! After a while, I decided enough was enough, so I decided to keep the Pony Sweetie Belle and never get lonely again."
"I thought so," Sunset thought to herself.
"You had plenty of chances to talk to me," Rarity said firmly. "I think you were hiding the pony from us on purpose."
"You're accussing me?! Why should I be surprised? Of course you would say that, after all, the baby sister is always wrong and the big sister is always right. You are the worst big sister ever!"
Now it was Rarity's turn to blow her temper off, "Sweetie Belle, go up to your room and stay up there, we will continue our conversation later."
"Oh really? Or will you ignore me like you've been doing since Christmas? Remember that? I apologized for the mistakes my friends and I made, and you made that promise to me, yet you haven't been living up to it at all! You're worse than the worst, you are awful and terrible."
"NOW SWEETIE BELLE!" Human Rarity shouted with such volume that it made Pony Sweetie Belle shiver.
Human Sweetie Belle let out an angry scream, then stormed up the stairwell to her bedroom. It was soon followed by a loud slam of the door.
"That's not good," muttered Pony Sweetie Belle.
By now, Sunset had heard quite enough, "Rarity, let's go outside and talk for a bit. Princess Twilight, why don't you talk with Sweetie Belle?"
Princess Twilight nodded and walked over to the filly while the two other girls walked out of the living room. Pony Sweetie Belle was surprised, "Twilight? Is that really you?"
"Yeah, it's me Sweetie Belle. I came threw the portal to get you."
Outside the house, unknown to the girls were Dark Soul and Principal Cinch, they were hiding in some bushes and listening to their words thanks to a wireless mircrophone next to the house.
Rarity and Sunset Shimmer walked out onto the front deck, "why are we out here Sunset? We found the pony, we got to take her home."
"Not before you lose that attitude Rarity," Sunset said firmly. "I've noticed the way you've been acting to Sweetie Belle over the last few days, and she is right, you haven't really given her a chance to speak at all. I thought Big Sisters were suppose to listen."
"I'm sorry, of the two of us here, who's been sisters the longest?"
"Granted, you've been a sister much longer than I have. But when I was in Equestria, I listened to Sunny Rays whenever she was talking to me, and if something was bothering her, I would've listened."
"I can listen too."
"Only when you want to."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Well I hate to say it Rarity, but I got the feeling that you really don't like your sister at all. You insulted her when she tried to talk to me like she doesn't have feelings at all. She may be a little kid, but her words are just as important as anyone else's. To put it simply," she continued, "you've been a bully to her."
"A bully? That's stupid, I'm no bully!"
"Really? Ignoring her, insulting her and discounting her words, that seems like the actions of a bully. Granted you don't kick her in the leg like Diamond Tiara did, but you are crossing a fine line there Rarity."
"No," she said while shaking her head, "I can't be."
"You can be, and you are. You may have been sisters longer than I have, but at least I don't make Sunny Rays feel like she's nothing but a burden. I always tell her that she's special. Think on that."
And with that, Sunset walked back into the house, leaving Rarity to do a lot of thinking.
In the bushes, Dark Soul and Cinch smirked with interest, "I think this gives me an idea. They may have the pony for now, but we'll soon turn it to our advantage," snickered Dark Soul. "Oh yes, tonight King Sombra will rule again."
Inside the house, Princess Twilight had just finished telling Pony Sweetie Belle everything that had been going on in Equestria, and even showed her of what Diamond Tiara had found.
"I still can't believe your world's Diamond Tiara would help you," Rainbow Dash said to the Princess. "It doesn't seem like her."
"Actually it is like her, she's my friend after all," said Pony Sweetie Belle.
"What a world you must live in. Well now that we have you, let's get you back to Equestria."
Rainbow Dash started making her way to the door, but was stopped as someone pulled on her pony tail. She looked back and saw that it was Applejack, "sorry Sugarcube, but we can't do that right now. It'll be too dangerous."
"Applejack's right," nodded Sunset, "we'll have to wait till it's dark, otherwise we will get spotted and that's the last thing we need."
"Especially with that fool Dark Soul looking around the ctiy."
"That's right AJ. Oh and Sweetie Belle, I'm Sunset Shimmer, it's nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise," smiled the filly. She then sighed and looked down to the floor, "I do miss Equestria though, and all my friends, and even my sister Rarie-Roo."
"Rarie-Roo?" Fluttershy asked as Rarity walked back into the house.
"Yeah, that was an old nickname I used to call her when I was younger. It did sound silly I'll admit, but she didn't mind it at all, she would just smile and carry on like normal."
Human Rarity listened to that bit and sighed, "Sweetie Belle used to call me that too, but then I..." She gasped. "Sunset's right, I have been a bully to her, all her life, I am so stupid." She walked back outside to cry in peace and quiet, leaving the other girls and one dog to talk with Pony Sweetie Belle.
The day wore on, and both Dark Soul and Principal Cinch were getting impatient. The Principal moreso than Dark Soul, "oh sure, wait till it's dark. My legs are falling asleep out here."
"Will you just shut up already?!" Dark Soul snapped.
At last, it was getting dark. The duo could see the group walk out of the house with the little red wagon, and clearly both could see something hidden under the blanket.
"Why don't we just take her now?"
"Because I need a little something to make sure nothing can stop us. Just get to the school, and don't let that pony go threw the portal under any circumstances."
"Fine," she grumbled and walked away.
Dark Soul watched the group leave, then finally came out of the bushes and walked over to the house. He rang the doorbell and waited. Moments later, human Sweetie Belle came to the door.
"Yes?"
"Oh sorry, is this a bad time? I'm just collecting donations for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program."
"Really?" Human Sweetie Belle could see both hands had nothing in them, and the pockets didn't look full, "well I'd like to give you money, but I don't have anything right now. You can try my sister though, I'm sure she's got enough money to spare."
"Well anything else will do."
"I'm sorry, but I got nothing." Human Sweetie Belle was now starting to get nervous.
"Oh but you do dear child, you got excatly what I'm looking for."
The group soon arrived outside the school. No lights were on in the building, and very few vehicles rolled by them. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were keeping a lookout for trouble while human Twilight went off to get a mirror for Pony Sweetie Belle. Rarity stood close by and stayed silent. Sunset Shimmer meanwhile was writing to Spike and letting him the good news.
"Just think Sweetie Belle, soon you'll be home again," smiled Princess Twilight.
"It will be great to go home again," she smiled. "Though I can't help but feel sorry for this world's Sweetie Belle. She meant no harm you know."
"Yeah I know, and because she was looking after you, I'm enterily grateful for what she's done."
"So am I, but still, I wish she had come out to say good-bye."
They both looked to Human Rarity, but she still said nothing.
Human Twilight soon returned with Spike the Dog and a little mirror. She handed it to Pony Sweetie Belle. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie started shaking, "I got a bad feeling."
"Pinkie, you always have a bad feeling about something," said Rainbow Dash.
"Well she has a good reason to have a bad feeling," said another voice.
They all looked to see Principal Cinch standing just down the sidewalk. Somehow she managed to sneak up on them. Pony Sweetie Belle hid behind Princess Twilight. As for the Princess, she would've hid her face, but it was too late to do so.
"What do you want Principal Cinch?" Rainbow Dash asked angerily, "shouldn't you be at home thinking of ways to make your school a miserable place? Uh, no offense Twilight, I know that was your school."
"None taken," said Human Twilight.
"Not quite," said the Principal. "A friend of mine and I are here for something that could help him bring his master here."
"You're working for Dark Soul?" gasped Sunset Shimmer. "I thought you were foolish when you got Twilight to 'Unleash the Magic' during the Friendship Games, but you're crossing the line here. King Sombra will hurt everyone, including you and your students."
"Again, not true. As per our agreement, my school will be left untouched, but yours will not be so lucky."
"Well you're too late," said Princess Twilight. "Sweetie Belle's going home, and I'll make sure the portal is shut down so Dark Soul can't come back to Equestria again."
Principal Cinch just snickered, "so there are two Twilight Sparkles, that's quite interesting, only this one has more confidence than the weakling that left my school."
"Just shut up and give up," snapped Applejack, "you're not going to win. The portal will soon open, and you can't follow her."
"We won't need to," said another voice. Principal Cinch stepped aside as Dark Soul came walking up. "Hand over the pony now."
"And if we refuse?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Dark Soul smirked, "should you refuse, then I'll harm this one instead!" He pulled on a rope and appearing from behind his back was the human Sweetie Belle, all tied up.
"Sweetie Belle!" cried Rarity. "You harm one hair on her..."
"Oh so you do care. That's funny, cause from what we've been hearing, you don't care about your sister one bit. If that's true, then you can let the pony go back to Equestria and you'll never see this little burden again."
"Don't you dare hurt her!" snapped Princess Twilight.
"Then give me the pony. It's your choice. Who will it be? The human version? Or the pony version?" And he cackled with laughter, leaving the girls, one dog and one pony shaking with fear.