“Rarity! Rarity!” I cried out as I ran from my home toward Carousel Boutique. My voice cracked with excitement. I prayed to Celestia that Rarity would already be awake so early in the morning, but that probably wasn’t even necessary. With all the yelling going on, she most definitely was.
I slammed the shoddy front door of the boutique open. With my teeth, I unstrapped the saddlebag and threw it off my back. It fell to the floor and slid along the polished surface until it crashed in the corner.
Bursting into the restoration room like a living cannonball, I accidentally knocked over a couple of Rarity’s dressed ponniquins.
I heard the sound of clopping hooves, descending from the inspiration room. Backtracking to the closest overturned ponnequin, I quickly tried to lift it back up. It was too late.
Rarity let out a shocked and outraged gasp, her eyes fixated themselves on the overturned ponniquins on the floor.
I had hoped to catch her out of her angry phase, but that was no longer an option. Yet, there was still a small chance of getting her attention. From my past experiences, I knew that when I do something that shocks her, she sometimes forgot about the first thing I did that surprised her. If she thought that my announcement was merely half as epic as I thought it was, then that might just be enough, to snap her out of the grumpy mood.
“Rarity, Can you—”
“Sweetie Belle! Those garments have to be finished and delivered this very afternoon. I don’t have time for your shenanigans. If anything distracts me, I might miss another deadline. Is that what you want?”
“I’m not disturbing...”
“Is that so?” She banged a hoof against the floor. “What have I told you about running inside my boutique?”
“You said not to! But I just—”
“And what did you do just now?”
“Well, I ran, but I had to—”
“Let me guess. You had another one of your—brilliant ideas?”
I nodded then immediately braced myself for the expected hornache. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up. To my surprise, the pain never came. I knocked on the bony surface with a hoof. It felt numb to the touch. I smiled at the realization that the horn might have been healing like Apple Bloom had said it would. “Teehee!”
Rarity gazed at me with eyes spread wide. Her eyebrows were lifted higher than I thought possible.
“Oh, um...” My forehead puckered as I tried to remember what I was on about before I got distracted by myself. “I finally figured out how to get a cutie mark!”
“That’s sweet,” she answered with a monotone voice.
“But I’ll need your help with it.”
“That’s unfortunate.” Rarity growled. She turned around and floated up the clothed ponniquins one by one off the floor.
“Don’t you want to know what my cutie mark will be?”
She sighed. “I’m sure it will be just marvelous.”
I smiled. Things were going better than I had expected. She apparently knew what I was going to say before I even said it. In fact, she was sure of it. For a change, it looked as if we were on the same page, so I skipped the explanation of my idea that I had been preparing since I woke up.
“I’m so glad you’re with me on this one. I’ll help you out in return!” I stepped to a strap of clothing on the floor, which had separated itself from the outfit arrangement. It levitated up just when I was about to grab it with my mouth. I jumped up and clenched at it with my teeth, but I missed it again and fell flank first on the floor.
With a hoof in the air, I let her know that I had everything under control and that she should allow me to help her, so she would owe me a favor that I could then immediately call upon to get her to teach me a gem-finding spell, and she’d have to do it even if she wouldn’t feel like it because such were the rules of favor exchanging.
I put down my chatty hoof and positioned myself for another jump at the tricky, floating fabric.
Rarity uttered a loud hiss. When I turned to her I caught the early morning light from the window of the boutique, glistening from her pearly white teeth. Her snout muscles waved in the rhythm of her grinding jaw. Obviously, she was straining herself because of the levitation she was doing. If it was that hard, she could have just used her hooves to help me tidy up the place, or better yet, not get in my way of fixing her mess in the boutique.
I figured that she might have been demonstrating the ways of magic to me. It could have all been a test of my attention span ability. In that case, listening to her, for a change, was the key. I still hoped that the spell for finding gems was easier than that particular levitation. She seemed tense, on a verge of losing control. It was weird because she floated a mere strap.
“Is there a way I can deter you from helping me?” She floated the small piece of fabric on top of the ponnequin and shut off her magic.
I shook my head, showing her that I take my services to her in return for her future teaching of the gem-finding spell, very seriously. And then I nodded because it was so awesome that moving my head around didn’t make my horn pinch anymore.
She glanced across the room, turning her head left and right. “Okay, something for you to play with, something unbreakable. Oh, I know! This one should be sturdy enough.”
A heavy book flew toward me. I caught it by raising both forehooves, but its weight still managed to knock me on my backside.
I found it strange that Rarity’s face seemed a lot more relaxed, despite having levitated a book that was much heavier than that strap that she had floated away from me. Obviously, there must have been different kinds of levitation spells for different items, and floating a book was for some reason easier than floating a piece of cloth.
“Sweetie Belle, how about you go take this book for a walk outside of my boutique?”
“Do you want me to take it to Twilight’s library? It might take me a while to do it, you know? Her castle is way there on the edge of Ponyville.” I pointed a hoof in the direction I thought Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle was. “No, wait...” I pressed my eyebrows together to help me think. “My other left!” I turned around and pointed in the opposite direction.
“I think it might be a bit too early and official opening hours are—oh… Oh!” She grinned. “Yes, Sweetie Belle, why don’t you be a dear, and carry this book all the way to Twilight’s castle. And when, erm, if something unexpected gets in your way, slowly bring it back here. Do you understand what I want you to do?”
I lay the book on a forehoof and read the title engraved in a thick, red cover: A Versatile Horn
She smiled and blushed. “Our horns sure can be used in various different manners.” She bit her lip and looked away, her cheeks turning even more reddish. A moment later she looked back at me “For magic! They are versatile for magic. Yes, that is what I meant.”
Helping her out with a little task such as delivering a book was a small price to pay for earning my cutie mark, by learning the gem-finding spell from her. It might also fix her random angry phase, so I was more than willing to lend her a hoof with the trivial task.
I held my book with a foreleg as I trotted toward the exit. My lips drifted up as I dragged closer the saddlebag from the corner of the hallway. I was glad I had brought it with me. Gem-finding could involve carrying the many treasures that I would find, so I had figured that I better come prepared.
I opened my saddlebag, but the book didn’t fit inside because it was too big. It was also too thick to fit in my mouth, so I just strapped it in the harness. I hoped it wouldn’t fall off on the way to the castle. Well, even if it would, I’d, surely, notice it like I’d notice a boulder being rolled off my back.
Despite its big mass, Rarity seemed to get excited about the tome, for some reason. It was weird because the heavier the books are, the more bored they make you if you read them. The one I carried weighed a lot, which meant it was super draggy. Good thing I didn’t have to read the boredom. I lifted the harness with my mouth and swung the saddlebag onto me. With my teeth, I strapped it around my body.
“Off you go!” Rarity cheered.
Her guideline about not running in the boutique kept me from acting on my urges. I forcefully walked a few steps to get myself outside then leaped forward and plunged into a gallop. Right after, I stopped in my tracks, turned around then walked back to pick up the book that I dropped. I strapped it in again and trotted forward.
I ran through the dusty streets of Ponyville. Shadows of buildings stretched far out because the sun barely peeked from behind the hills at the horizon. A light breeze whistled over the roofs of the buildings. There were fluffy clouds in the sky. It was still too early for the weather patrol to clear the skies.
When I arrived at the door of Friendship Rainbow Kingdom castle, I used all my speed to launch myself at the flat wood, but I just bounced off it. After clambering on my legs, I looked back at the obstacle with half-closed eyes. I had a hunch that the door might have still been locked.
“What in Celestia’s name was that bang?” I heard a voice holler from the inside.
It may have been too early and the castle was still closed. If only I had thought of the possibility of Twilight sleeping before I got there, then it wouldn’t be unexpected. But the fact of the matter was, the locked door caught me by surprise. Rarity had told me to come back if something unexpected got in my way. However, going back without returning the book would mean failing the quest. She wouldn’t like that either. The thought of disappointing Rarity wasn’t a pleasant one. Then, an even worse idea glinted in my mind. If I abandoned the chore, she could make me repeat it, and that would feel like grinding.
I had been so close to getting her to teach me the gem-finding spell. All I had to do was one little thing.
Failing a small task like bringing a book to the library could trigger her really bad. She’d already been in her angry period since my visit in the morning, and a small problem like the one I stumbled upon would surely set her off even more. The complication would infuriate her a whole lot especially because it was small. Those were always the most upsetting for Rarity.
I remembered a time not long ago when I had set up a campfire in her boutique. She’d always had some reservations about camping, but her recent reaction was way overblown. There had seemed to be no end to her rarifying and scolding. She’d kept yelling how the fire was dangerous, which didn’t even make any sense since she had already put it out.
Bringing the book back to the boutique seemed like a similar, if not even smaller, problem than setting a place on fire. My failure could make her really lose it, and she wouldn’t want to teach me the detection spell after that.
It was decided. I needed to show Rarity just how useful I could be! Missing out on the one opportunity I’d been given wasn’t an option. I had to prove myself.
Perhaps it was past the opening hours and Twilight just overslept. I may have even been doing her a favor by waking her up. Also, I maybe hadn’t even been that surprised at the locked castle, and the whole event, possibly, didn’t even fall into the category of unexpected somethings. Yeah!
I banged both forehooves against the castle door then sat on my tushie and counted to one.
Some grunting noises came from within. A moment after they started, the murmurs stopped.
I turned around then leaned on both forelegs and forcefully knocked with the hind ones.
From the annoyed murmurs that ensued from within the castle, I concluded that my second technique worked better.
I had once seen Applejack use the same technique on a tree. Apple Bloom had explained to me that it’s called bucking. Somepony might not have thought of using it on the door, but I was smart and knew that wood is wood. If bucking the trees was okay, bucking the door must have been the same kind of okay.
My incredible mental grasp on things sometimes amazed even me. I knew my way of thinking was special because I had also often surprised other ponies with the stuff I came up with. They would usually just silently shake their heads at me, not being able to grasp my smartness.
I hoped Twilight wouldn’t notice the dent in the door, though. It was probably there from before, anyway. I stepped back to it and pressed my ear against the wood. Two separate voices were muffled, but I could still make out the words.
“Come on, Twilight! I got the door last time. It’s your turn now.”
“I was up all night reading on tutorship. I just climbed into bed a few moments ago.”
“And who's to blame for your nightlife? Not me. Why do you always make me take responsibility for your messes? I’m your assistant during the day, and this time around, it’s not even day yet. You’re abusing me and I’m drawing a line here. Until the day begins, you’re on your own.”
“The sun already rose. You can see it above the hills.”
“Thank you for summarizing my point! That’s the gist of what I said! Aahhhh…” he sighed. “Wake me up when the sun is in the zenith. That’s when the day starts for me.”
“Ugh! Fine... I’ll get the door.”
The sound of hoofsteps from within grew louder. Leaning back, I clenched at the book that hung from the straps of my saddlebag. I wanted to make the exchange as quickly as possible, so I could get back to my cutie mark earning. I might even surprise Rarity by returning sooner than she expected me to. I was sure that would impress her, and she could start with the magic training right away.
When I heard the key turning in the lock, I spun around myself faster and faster with the book in my mouth.
Being in the role of a carrier pony, it was important that I give the book in the same condition I had received it. Since that was no longer an option because the book got itself crumpled and dirty on the way, I could at least give the book in the same manner I got it. As soon as the door opened, I let go of the book. It flew right at the lavender pony with floppy eyelids.
“Ouch!” I heard Twilight’s voice from the hallway and then a crash on the floor. She must have caught the book. Yay!
With the quest of bringing the book to Twilight completed, it was time to claim my reward from Rarity at the boutique. “I’m such a good pony.” I turned around and broke into a gallop.
I still had a nagging feeling that I should say something to the librarian princess. While running, I glanced back and yelled. “The book was great!” At least Rarity seemed to have thought so. She wouldn’t have smiled when she picked up the book if it was all drag and no action like most of them were.
“Whaa... You read this? Who in their right mind would give you such a book?”
I was already some distance away from the castle. I had been taught to answer when somepony asks me a question and look them in their eyes while I do, but that would mean I’d have to stop running. If I wanted to impress Rarity by being fast enough, I had to keep running. The possibility of gaining my cutie mark was far more important to me at the time! If I just ran off, it would probably look as if I didn’t hear her, which was exactly what I wanted her to think. To make my crafty scheme foalproof, I yelled into the air, “I’m too far away to hear what you asked!” which wasn’t an answer to her question. That meant I didn’t have to look her in the eyes when I spoke it. My head rose high into the air. I was so smart.
The quest was completed. I just needed to get to Rarity to claim my reward! Again, I passed through the center of Ponyville. I got tired of running, but I pushed on because I was excited. Rarity owed me a favor for the good deed I performed, and I’d make her pay it back. Such are the rules of the sibling relationship, so she’d have to do it.
“Rarity!” I yelled when I approached her home.
“Mission accomplished!” I plunged into the boutique. “Quest completed!”
I ran through the hallway and hopped into her workshop.
“Rarity!” Suddenly I seemed to get stuck in the air. “Ugh! Fickle gravity!” I hovered in the middle of the room with a blue aura curling around me.
“I’ll float you down, Sweetie Belle, but you have to promise me you won’t start running when your hooves touch the ground.” Rarity spoke calmly through her clenched teeth. Her body was all tensed up. I figured that levitating ponies was an even harder spell than levitating a book or piece of cloth. That was probably the reason why she seemed to be exerting herself. All the different kinds of magic levitation spells made little sense to me. It would be so much more logicaler if there was just one spell for levitation.
I was in the speaking mode since I wanted Rarity to set me up on my crusade for magic, so I didn’t really listen to anything she complained about. When she made weird whinnies like that, it usually helped if I nodded at her or said ‘okay’. Her speeches usually hadn’t lasted as long after doing one of those things. “Okay,” I said. And to make sure it stuck, I also nodded.
My hooves touched the floor, but the surrounding aura didn’t dissipate as I expected it to. The pony levitation spell was apparently hard to switch off. Before, I had thought you just had to stop focusing, for the magic to dissipate. The new arcane lessons I was learning got more and more complicated. Why couldn’t things be simple?
I stomped with all four hooves on the floor. “I returned the book, and now you can help me with—”
“Wait, you did what? Are you saying the castle was already opened at this time of the day? Oh dear...”
“I had it opened early.” I thumped myself on the chest with a hoof and lifted my head high. “And I told Twilight that you enjoyed the book very much!”
“Did…. did you just leave my book with her?”
“Mhm!” I nodded maniacally.
She bit her lower lip and opened her eyes wide.
“Oh, and did you know that the castle was still locked when you sent me to return your book?” I half-closed my eyes and gave her a look with just one eye.
“Why, that would be very malevolent of me,” Rarity raised her voice. “How can you even imply such a thing‽”
“Okay then...” Returning the book to Twilight was obviously very important to Rarity, given how much she obsessed about it. Perhaps she was overdue with it and afraid that Twilight might scold her for being tardy. Whatever the case, her extra attention was a good thing because it meant she was that much more impressed with me. I thought that it could even earn me some brownie points. “Anyway, I’ve more than proven that I’m a good pony, and now I’m ready for learning!”
“Learning?” Her eyebrows rose. “Oh yes!” She smiled. “It is, indeed, the time for that.”
I gasped and clapped my forehooves with anticipation.
“Off to school with you,” she cheered.
I frowned and clenched my teeth at the letdown.
Her horn glowed brighter, and the surrounding aura thickened.
It was still too early for school, so she shouldn’t have used that as an excuse. My good deed needed to be repaid, and she could do that by giving me a cutie mark right away! “The school bell isn’t chiming yet!”
“Yes, that’s why you should go now. If you wait for the bell you might be late again.”
She did have a point. The bell rang quite a while before school started, but with my pace of walking, I’d have to take the direct route to school in order to get there in time. Always strolling on the same road was no fun. Usually, I had taken a detour that was more amusing than the dull span of gray pavement. I condensed all my previous thoughts into a single word, “Okay.”
“Splendid, off with you.”
I knew it was important for her to watch me go to school every day, for some reason; however, my cutie mark was even more important. “But what about—”
“—After school!” she interrupted me before I could finish.
My sis, obviously, knew what I was about to ask. She must have known me so well. Even I wasn’t sure what I was going to say because I didn’t voice it yet, but she already knew it with the power of our sisterly bond. That proved that Diamond Tiara had been wrong when she teased me by claiming I was, surely, adopted.
Rarity sighed and pointed a hoof toward the door.
I turned to the exit. “It’s a deal.”
She smiled. The surrounding aura dissipated, but her horn still glowed at the ready.
It clicked in my mind and I knew exactly why she wanted me gone. I wasn’t as dense as Rarity presumed! She was, surely, suffering from the urge to sing to her dresses, again, and she didn’t want me to laugh at her for it, again.
She had tried to convince me multiple times that it’s natural for ponies to sing while they work. Since ponies’ tendency to sing was normal, it supposedly wasn’t okay for me to laugh at her. The singing part was obviously true, but she was wrong about my urge to laugh at her. I knew that it was funny because I had laughed at her for it, and it’s okay to laugh at things which are funny.
“You’re staring into a distance again, Sweetie Belle…” Rarity sighed.
I shook my head. “I’ll come straight to you after school!”
She escorted me out of her boutique. “Don’t rush!”
When I waved her goodbye, the aura around her horn finally faded out.
I looked toward the sound of the school bell, but then something shiny in the distance distracted me.