//------------------------------//
// Part 3, Chapter 2 - Petite-Soeur 
// Story: Just a Phase 
// by HorseStories 
//------------------------------//

'Miss Rarity? We're ready. You can choose now.'

Rarity glanced over the legion of mares standing in front of her. All of them pale, unhealthy, sallow stick figures. They would be perfect. Now, to detach the wheat from the chaff.

She hesitated slightly, then raised a hoof and began pointing. 'Her, and her, and her and her and her and her. Oh, and her.'

The seven chosen nodded and stepped forward, while the remaining mares gave various sighs of defeat and left.

'All right.' Rarity gave the models in front of her a smile. 'Let's get you all fitted. This is a very ambitious project, and I expect there to be no obstruction. Got it?'

All seven chosen nodded in unison.

'Very good. Head over to tent B and the red unicorn with scarf will take your measurements.'

Rarity watched them leave, and gave a sigh. Fashion was so... boring. When she had been younger, of course, it had given her a sense of duty, of meaning in the world. Important ponies from across Equestria would visit, criticise and critique her work, and she hung onto their every word.

But that was before her success. Before her stardom. Now, ponies meekly agreed with whatever she said. Surrounded by sycophants and yes-mares, Rarity had lost her passion for the craft.

'Miss Rarity?'

The first of the models had returned, clutching a piece of paper in their mouth with a list of measurements.

'Thank you, dear. Let's get you dressed.'

For the next hour, the models were prodded and poked, pushed and pulled, and generally fussed over while Rarity attempted to fit them correctly. Finally, she stepped back, and, wiping the sweat from her brow, surveyed her work.

The colours blended perfectly. The fit was exact. So what was wrong?

Suddenly, Rarity snapped at the model at the end of the row. 'Stop smiling!'

Perfect.





Sweetie Belle sighed, and curled up into a nearby chair. Amethyst's relief at her safe return had quickly turned to panic and rage at the Sweetie Belle's plan.

Amethyst had cried and begged, but Sweetie Belle hadn't relented. Eventually, Amethyst had stormed off into their bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Sweetie hadn't heard a word from her since then.

Sweetie Belle understood - and partly agreed with - Amethyst's point of view. She was taking a huge risk. In her head, a monstrous visage of Rarity cruelly rejecting her, casting her aside and into the heartless hooves of the Equestrian authorities had constructed itself. But somehow, Sweetie Belle knew she was making the right decision. Almost as if she was moving to the end of some great struggle.

The bedroom door creaked open. Amethyst poked her head out. Her mane was frazzled and her eyes were bloodshot. She was shaking, seemingly in anger.

Sweetie rose, but Amethyst waved her off. 'Sit.'

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Amethyst interjected. 'No. Stop it. You're going to listen to me this time.' She breathed out, and began.

'I haven't been honest. I have a... a personal reason why I don't want you to meet your sister.'

Sweetie Belle sensed a change in atmosphere change. A hostile, almost vengeful aura seemed to radiate from Amethyst.

'I told you I was abandoned by my family when I was younger. I suppose it was that or let me be taken away, so I don't blame them that much. But I never mentioned how I got found out.'

'When I was younger, I always knew I was different. I always wanted to talk about it, but I never had a chance. Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to try asking my parents. My older sister was off limits. In fact, I didn't have a chance until I was fourteen.'

'I did a lot of apprentice work - pretty common for a jeweller. One of the ponies I worked under was the exclusive supplier of adornments to a major Equestrian fashion icon. Hoity Toity.'

Sweetie Belle knew the name well. Hoity Toity had been convicted of sodomy and lobotomized.

'So, here I am, this foal, and I'm making rings and necklaces for this superstar. Of course, I'm starstruck. But because I'm just a foal, I guess he lets his guard down. One day, I'm delivering some newly struck rings to his house. Huge mansion, of course, with a separate entrance for manual labourers. And when I come in, he's with this other stallion, getting some serious tongue action. If you know what I mean.'

Amethyst chuckled at the memory. 'He nearly had a heart attack. Began offering me money, land, all sorts, just so I would keep my mouth shut. But I didn't want anything like that. I was too amazed to find somepony just like me. All I wanted, I told him, was someone to talk to about being different. Damn near broke into tears.'

'We kept in touch for a few months. Then, of course, he's busted, his house is raided, and all my letters are discovered. I managed to destroy all of the letters he sent me by the time my house was raided, but it didn't matter. My name and signature was on those letters, and there was enough evidence to convict me a thousand times over.'

'I was never actually charged with 'unnatural relations', since they didn't have any evidence of that. But they wanted me to go into therapy. And if my parents couldn't afford it, I was going to be taken away.'

Sweetie Belle patted Amethyst on the back. 'I'm sorry. I know it hurts. But why-'

'I'll get to that.' Amethyst spat. 'I didn't know how Hoity Toity was caught at first. He was always so careful, I assumed he had it all figured out. But it turned out he didn't slip up. Somepony else found out, and snitched.'

Amethyst looked Sweetie Belle right in the eyes. 'Who do you think would do that? Who would have an interest in eliminating any competition in Canterlot fashion, to corner the market themselves?'

Sweetie Belle knew what was coming next, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

'It was Rarity. Your sister. Hoity Toity's friends told me. Of course, I'm sure she acted like she was doing it to preserve Equestria's dignity, and everypony kissed up to her for it. But not me. I know the truth. I know why she did it.'

'Because of that... bitch... I ended up homeless. I haven't seen my parents in over ten years. I don't even know where they live. They could be dead. Or anything. Don't you get it? She doesn't deserve you, Sweetie Belle! Why should she get to be happy?'

Sweetie Belle was said nothing. Simultaneously, she felt sensations of boiling rage - how dare Amethyst accuse her sister? - and overwhelming pity.

'Amethyst, I-'

'Save it.' Amethyst seemed disinterested now, as if she suddenly had nothing more to say. She paced over to a cabinet in the corner and produced a bottle of wine. 'I can't do this any more, Sweetie Belle. Go and see your sister if you think it'll make you happy. And-'

Amethyst choked.

'-And when... if... you do go... then don't come back. Leave me be.'

'Amethyst?'

Sweetie Belle rose to her hooves. 'We've been together six years. Don't tell me you're going to throw away everything because of something little like this!'

Amethyst shook her head, eyes brimming with tears. Sweetie sighed. 'I can't leave things the way they are. I'm sorry, Amethyst.'

Amethyst nodded. 'Fine. You choose her.'

With that, she swept out of the room and slammed the door behind her.





The next week passed unbearably slowly for Sweetie Belle. Most of her time was spent with Scootaloo, talking about the past and helping her move in. She didn't try to talk Amethyst out of her room. Sweetie figured that made her a gutless coward, but she simply didn't have the strength to face her.

As the day of the show dawned, preparations were drawn. Scootaloo was in fact right - Rarity had been perfectly willing to confer backstage passes to her and her plus-one, 'Sky Star'. Although she couldn't make time in her schedule to meet them beforehand, as Scootaloo had hoped, she would be sending a chariot for the two of them.

'I'll introduce you, then basically get out of your way. I'd, uh, make sure she's sitting down when you explain things to her. Remember how she likes to faint over every little thing? We don't want a concussion on our hooves.'

Before she knew it, Sweetie Belle was standing outside her home. She had considered a wide variety of dresses, flowers and  other gifts before simply settling on a plain black dress. A gift would be far too twisted.

The chariot was driven by a burly stallion wearing the ceremonial armour of the Fillydelphian Town Guard. Sweetie Belle had no idea Rarity had enough influence to order the Town Guard around, but Scootaloo didn't look fazed. He eyed the pair  suspiciously. 'This your place?'

Sweetie Belle nodded. The Royal Guard nodded, then jerked his head towards the chariot. 'Get in.'

The chariot ride was surprisingly smooth, which was a mercy, as Sweetie Belle felt that the slightest jolt would cause her to throw up. Scootaloo made a few feeble attempts at a conversation, but otherwise the journey was spent in silence. Sweetie Belle instead opted to gaze out of the window - which proved to be a mistake.

Rarity was everywhere. Every billboard, every streetlight seemed to have a poster with her big sister's face on it. As they neared the complex where the show was taking place, Sweetie Belle saw a crowd of ponies clustered around a single figure.

She feared the worst, but upon disembarking the chariot, she was relieved to see it wasn't her sister. It was a mare who bore an appearance not dissimilar to that of one of the ponies she had met five years ago at the party Azure had taken her to. Huh. Small world.

Scootaloo looked just as uncomfortable as she did, and made no attempt to disguise it. 'I don't get it. Never did. All this fuss over who's clothes are the fucking prettiest. Let's just find your sister.'

Sweetie Belle shivered slightly and shot her a glare. Scootaloo grimaced. 'Sorry. Didn't mean to be insensitive. We can take as long as you like.'

The complex was just as large on the inside as it appeared to be on the outside. Camera flashes blinded them in every direction as photographers captured everything in their sight, presumably in hopes of seeing somepony famous tripping over or some other equally frivolous tabloid fodder.

Scootaloo took point, leading her along a winding path of stairways and halls, each dripping with gold and gems of every colour, until finally they arrived at an inconspicuous-looking plain door with a single "6019" printed on it. Scootaloo turned to her. 'This is it. You ready?'

Sweetie Belle gave a shaky grin. 'As I'll ever be.'





Rarity had aged well. That was the first thought that Sweetie Belle had when she clapped eyes on her sister for the first time in five years. Emotions boiled and stirred inside her, and she was merciful when Scootaloo spoke up.

'Rarity!'

Rarity turned around, and her perpetually dull eyes seemed to light up slightly at the sight of Scootaloo. 'Darling! Oh, it's been too long, come in, come in!' Her eyes flicked to Sweetie Belle, who braced for the possibility of being found out.

'And this must be your friend... Sky Star? Well, don't just sit in the doorway! Sit down, I... Oh, I suppose neither of you have met Commander Nettlekiss? He was kind enough to provide your chariot for tonight.'

Absurdly, Sweetie Belle realized for the first time that they were not alone. A tall, thin unicorn stallion with a thick grey coat and almost comical moustache was stood beside a faux fireplace, levitating a large glass of whiskey. He waved a dismissive hoof in the air at the comment. 'Think nothing of it. I couldn't allow two young mares to walk the streets of Fillydelphia late at night, could I? Especially ones so close to your dear sister here.'

Sweetie Belle gave a wide and appreciative smile, but deep down she felt nothing but loathing. Commander  Nettlekiss was well known for his vitriolic homophobic prejudices, and arrests had more than doubled during his tenure as Commander of the Town Guard.

Scootaloo cleared her throat, flashing Nettlekiss an equally charming smile. 'Thank you, Commander, we appreciate it. I was wondering if I could have a little time alone with Rarity? It's been so long since we've been able to catch up, and I wouldn't want you left out of the conversation.'

Nettlekiss chucked heartily. 'Very well! I have other business to attend to this evening, so I'll leave you mares be.' Downing his glass in one impressive gulp, he shuddered and set the glass down neatly on top of the mantlepiece. 'Well, till we meet again!'

Sweetie Belle waited until the sound of hoofsteps faded before securely locking and bolting the door. She definitely didn't want intruders this night.

Rarity eyed her with suspicion. 'Excuse me, but I quite like not being trapped in a locked room with a pony whom I, if you'll forgive me for being blunt, don't know.'

Scootaloo opened her mouth as if to speak, but Sweetie Belle beat her to it. 'Rarity, it's... it's me. Sweetie Belle.'

Rarity froze, then shook her head. 'You're not the first mare to try and pull something like that on me. What is it you want, hm? Money? Maybe a modelling career? Oh, or do you want a book deal too?'

Scootaloo began to speak, but Rarity cut her off. 'I don't want to hear it! I know you're the real Scootaloo, but how could you do this to me? If you're in need of money, I would have happily helped, but this is just... sick! Please, just leave before-'

'Fillies don't have "crushes" on fillies. It's not natural, and it's not right.'

Rarity froze at that. Her snow white complexion somehow seemed to pale as Sweetie Belle continued to speak. 'This is just a silly phase you're going through. You are not to talk to anyone about these silly feelings, and you are most certainly not to talk to Apple Bloom about them. You will grow out of this, Sweetie.'

Rarity clutched the side of her chair to steady herself. 'Sweetie Belle?'

Sweetie felt her eyes tear up, even as a smile split her face in two. 'Been a long time, sis.'

Rarity gave a squeak, then promptly fainted.





Rarity didn't take long to come around, but when she did, she was so hysterical Sweetie was worried she was going to faint again. She cried, hugged Sweetie, slapped her, hugged her and cried some more. Sweetie Belle could do nothing but hold on tight to her sister, fearing if she let go she would lose her again forever.

They talked for hours. Sweetie and Rarity talked about their lives, their shared memories. It seemed there was no end to the conversation, the memories. Sweetie Belle felt as if she could live in this moment forever and never grow tired.

Rarity had wandered aimlessly since losing Sweetie Belle. 'When I found that note at the boutique... Oh, Sweetie Belle, I was so distraught. I didn't speak to anypony else for weeks. If it hadn't been for Fluttershy, I don't think I ever would have.'

'Fluttershy?' Sweetie Belle leaned in. 'What did she say to you?'

'She told me about your conversation. About how you were confiding in her, instead - instead of your own sister!' Rarity sighed. 'That's what got me to snap out of it. It's when I saw how self-pitying I was being. I could have done so much to help, but I kept wishing it would just go away.'

'I'm sorry.' For the first time, an air of melancholy surrounded Rarity. 'I - we didn't give you the help you needed. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I daresay you're more generous than I.'

Eventually, the conversation died down, and the two mares found themselves sat in silence opposite each other. Rarity looked better than Sweetie Belle had ever seen her, her face animated and lit up with a glow that somehow made her whole demeanour so much more welcoming.

It was Rarity who first broke the uncomfortable silence. 'Why didn't you come to me sooner?'

'Fillydelphia's a long way from Ponyville. And I didn't exactly have the money to hop on a train.'

Rarity shook her head. 'I meant immediately. Surely you didn't think I would have allowed any of this to happen if I'd known?'

Sweetie Belle fidgeted in her seat. 'I didn't know that. Besides, it wouldn't have been fair for me to get you mixed up in all this. I mean, look at you! You're the fashion superstar you always wanted to be. It wouldn't have been fair for me to take that from you.'

Rarity gazed around the room with distain. 'Please. This industry is soul-crushing. I long for an excuse to burn it all down and take to the wilds.' She cleared her throat. 'I am to assume, then, that you are still, uhm, wearing comfortable horseshoes?'

Sweetie Belle snorted. 'Sweet Celestia, I haven't heard that one in a while. Yeah, I'm still a fillyfooler, if that's what you're asking.'

Rarity's gaze slid towards Scootaloo. 'And...'

'You too? Should I start taking this personally?' Scootaloo shot back. 'I don't like dresses. Doesn't make me a fillyfooler.'

Rarity gave a delicate smile. 'Apologies. This is all somewhat new to me.' Once more, she turned her gaze back to Sweetie Belle, as if unable to believe her sister was really sitting in front of her. 'So. What happens now?'





Nettlekiss hadn't believed it at first. But as the conversation went on, his doubts had been washed away. Rarity, Canterlot darling, not only in contact with her long-lost sibling, but a fillyfooler sympathiser too boot! Leaning against a nearby wall, he considered his options. This was some serious scandal. Play it right, he could make national headlines. He'd be promoted for sure. Maybe even a position to the E.U.P., if he was lucky. To serve the Princesses... It was everything he had ever wanted.

But first, he had to act quickly. He needed more than his word - he needed witnesses. Seizing the nearest Guard, he began barking orders into his muzzle. 'You! I need the stallion who drove the chariot that brought those two mares - the friends of Rarity! You know who he is?' The terrified guard nodded quickly. 'Then fetch him, and don't waste my time!'

Within minutes, the requested guard was brought before him. Nettlekiss eyed him with greed. 'Tell me - what house did you pick that unicorn up from? Actually, never mind. Go there immediately and arrest anypony present on my authority.'

The two guards gave a brisk nod and left, a new spring in their step. Nettlekiss watched them depart with a smug sense of triumph. In a few hours, he'd have all the evidence he needed.





'You can't be serious!'

'Rarity, what choice do I have?'

Rarity faltered. Sweetie Belle pressed on. 'I have to keep a low profile. I almost didn't risk coming out here tonight because I was worried something would happen to one of us. Or to you.'

Rarity sunk into a nearby chair. 'It's just... not fair. To lose you immediately after getting you back...'

'I'm not losing you, Rarity. I'll never let that happen again. We can meet up every so often. Just as long as it's not too often, and we don't-'

'No!' Rarity was distraught. 'I don't want to meet you in private every so often, like you're some fugitive! You're my sister!'

'I am a fugitive, though.'

The words hung in the air. There was something of a deathly finality to them. It was Rarity who spoke next.

'What if you didn't have to be?'





The knock on the door wasn't... right. That was Amethyst's first thought. She didn't have an agreed secret knock with Sweetie Be- Sugar Note. Maybe she was hammered.

Her bleary eyes focused on the clock by her bedside. 2:25 A.M. That had to be a new low. For a moment, Amethyst considered leaving her out there. But even she wasn't that cruel.

As she entered the main shop, the knocking grew in intensity and volume. The transparent glass revealed that the visitor wasn't Sugar Note, as Amethyst had suspected. Instead, it was two burly stallions she didn't recognize. She hesitated, but eventually decided against going back to bed. There was something about the pair that suggested a sense of urgency.

As the door opened, the stallions peered down at her. 'Is your name Amethyst Charm?'

'Yes. Who are you?'

The stallion ignored her. 'I am to understand there is a unicorn here who goes by the name of Sugar Note?'

'Not here right now, but yeah, she lives here. Why? And who are you?'

The other stallion spoke up. 'We're with the town guard. I think it's best you come with us, Amethyst. We have some... questions we'd like to ask you.'