“I can’t do this at all!”
The trio stopped dead in their tracks. The two fillies in front both frowned, with Scootaloo adding an eye roll, before turning around to face Sweetie. Although the night sky had darkened the surroundings, they could still make out their friend’s panicked face.
“But Sweetie, ya can do it. We’ve been over this already,” said Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle fell onto the ground, hoping to never move from her spot. She could feel her heart pounding away in her chest. “But I-I can’t. There’s gonna be so many ponies looking right at me.”
“And you’ll wow them with your amazing singing,” interrupted Scootaloo, “Come on, just think of all the cool crusades we could go on if you win.”
“But what if all the other ponies are super-good? I’d just look so stupid up on the stage!”
“Ya won’t know until ya try,” said Apple Bloom. She turned to the side and flexed her saddlebag, showing the book sticking out of the pocket. “An’ besides, I doubt any of ‘em know about all the tricks in this book.”
Sweetie’s fearful face relaxed just for a moment as she mulled over her friend’s words. Apple Bloom was right: they had the only book on singing in the town library. That had to have given her some advantage over the competition. Not only that, but they had spent nearly all of their free time in the week prior getting her ready for the contest, drilling every technique into her head, selecting the right song from the list of acceptable music given to her by Miss Cheerilee, and practicing each measure over and over again until it was perfect.
And yet, just as soon as she tried to hope again, images of the stage flashed before Sweetie’s eyes, blinding spotlights in her face, dead silence in the air, and all those eyes staring at her.
“I don’t know if I can,” she finally mumbled.
“Oh, yes you can!” grunted an impatient Scootaloo as she circled behind Sweetie. Gathering her strength, she placed her head on Sweetie’s back, eliciting a squeak from the white filly, and pushed into her friend.
To Sweetie’s dismay, and Scootaloo’s relief, her bottom budged, and she soon found herself being pushed along at far too quickly a pace, almost as quickly as the week of training had gone by. She could hear Apple Bloom letting out a sigh before walking alongside the impromptu train.
“Um, girls? Are we sure we can’t just, you know, find another way to make money?” Sweetie asked.
To this, Scootaloo stopped scooting Sweetie along and lifted her head. “Sweetie, we just spent the last week training you for the contest. Do you really want to just throw all that away?”
Sweetie looked down at the ground and started to mumble. “Um, well maybe not, but–”
“Good, then we’re heading to the contest and winning the prize!” At once, Scootaloo dropped her head back down and redoubled her pushing efforts, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes to center her focus.
“Don’t worry about a thing, Sweetie,” said Apple Bloom with a smile. “We’ll be right there with ya as much as we can.”
“But-but I…” Sweetie tried to speak, but soon gave up as she saw her friend’s smile.
As the Crusaders rounded a corner of a building, Sweetie’s jaw dropped. There it was, right in the middle of the town plaza: A large stage, complete with a red curtain and spotlights, towered over the massive crowd, already buzzing in chit-chat, gathered in front of it. To the side of the stage, a white pony with blue mane was putting the finishing touches on a sound system. While no ponies from out of town were in the crowd, to Sweetie’s large eyes, the entire population of Equestria may as well have been attending.
Drawing closer, Scootaloo slowed down her progress to regain her strength. Feeling this, Sweetie sighed and got up on her hooves, pausing to brush the dirt off her legs. If there was no escape for her, she may as well walk to her fate on her own feet. At the very least, she knew her friend would appreciate not having a sore neck in the morning.
Eventually, the trio reached the edge of the crowd at the same time as a tan pony with graying mane walked up to the stage. The crowd’s collective chatter grew silent as they heard the sound of a microphone being tapped and saw who was behind it.
“Well, I see I’m getting better at getting a crowd’s attention, aren’t I?” said the Mayor, adding a couple chuckles. The audience returned her laugh with some of their own. “Anyways, I want to thank all of you for coming to support Ponyville’s First Annual ‘Sing Your Heart Out’ Fundraiser Singing Contest!”
“Before we begin, I’d like to take this time to give a few more thanks to the ponies who made this event possible. First up is the pony who not only came up with the idea, but also advertised it and elected to serve as one of our judges: Miss Cheerilee!”
The crowd erupted into applause. Though the Crusaders could not see through the wave of ponies, their teacher was sitting behind a table close to the stage. Cheerilee gave a small wave back to the crowd, a small pink blush breaking through her fuchsia coat.
“I would also like to thank our second judge for providing the sound equipment needed for the show: Miss Vinyl Scratch!”
Cheerilee nearly received a wayward hoof to the face from the white pony sitting next to her. Unlike her humble actions, Vinyl waved wildly to the audience and sported a wide grin. Their cheers were part of what she lived for. The paychecks didn’t hurt, either.
The crowd died away as soon as the Mayor continued her speech. “And finally, I want to thank all of our contestants for supporting not only this event but the entire town as well. All proceeds collected from the entry fees will go to repairing the roads in and around Ponyville!” The Mayor’s smile dropped a bit. “And refurbishing the town park. And constructing a new playground for the school. And fixing the leaky roof in my office.” By the time the Mayor had finished her list, her smile had dropped into a frown. Remembering where she was, she quickly put her happy face back on.
“Now without further ado, let us get on with the show!” she declared.
Once more, the audience stomped on the ground in agreement.
“At this time, I would like all participating ponies to make their way backstage so that we may get started. In the meantime, I will go over the rules and judging criteria for this contest.”
Sweetie felt a poke to her side and turned her head back to her head.
“Hey, that’s our cue,” whispered Apple Bloom. “Let’s get a move on.”
“Uh, but what if she gives some really important rule?” asked Sweetie as she quickly glanced from Apple Bloom to the stage and back.
“We’re okay there. I still got the rules from Miss Cheerilee in my saddlebags. Now let’s go!”
Without another word, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo darted off and begun weaving their way around the crowd. Sweetie gulped, and then followed her friends with only one truth on her mind.
Before this night was over, she was going on that stage.
*************************
Apple Bloom’s snout peeked out from the corner of the stage as she got a good look at the audience and the judges. The faces she saw ran the gamut from smiles to bored frowns, and even a couple glares. The judges were looking through their papers and talking amongst each other, sharing the occasional shake of the head for what Apple Bloom assumed to be about one of the weaker entries.
Apple Bloom shuddered a little as she recalled the performances thus far. Sure, there were some good performances here and there, but she could tell when the audience wasn’t impressed. The latest performance in particular garnered the worst reaction yet: Apple Bloom never believed the ponies in Ponyville could jeer so loudly. Not that it wasn’t justified, but still.
Having seen all she could from her angle, Apple Bloom withdrew her head and returned to her friends. Sweetie sat back in a fold-up chair with a cup of water in its holder. She still carried the worried grimace she had since the contest began. Not even the shoulder rub Scootaloo was giving her could break her frown.
“So what’s the deal?” asked Scootaloo as Apple Bloom reached them.
“Well, it looks like they’re almost done cleanin’ all the tomatoes off the stage,” replied Apple Bloom. “Ya know, I really don’t understand why the Flim-Flam Brothers bothered comin’ back an enterin’ the contest. They weren’t exactly nice to the townsfolk last time they were here.”
“I dunno, but you gotta admit their piano rag was a real hoof-tapper.” Scootaloo smiled, but soon stopped when she met with a glare from Apple Bloom. “What?”
Apple Bloom shook her head and decided there were more important things to attend to. “Well, I don’t think they’ll be winnin’ the contest, anyway. Even if the judges really liked ‘em, they can’t exactly come back to get their prize.” She lowered her head and met Sweetie’s eyes, offering a kind smile. “How ya doin’ there? Are ya okay?”
“Um, I’m really, really nervous,” replied Sweetie. Her heart still fluttered away in her chest.
“Well, that’s one less ‘really’ than before,” chimed in Scootaloo. “At least we’re getting somewhere now.”
“But I still don’t know if I can do this, or even win the money for you guys,” said Sweetie.
“I wouldn’t sweat it too much,” said Apple Bloom. “I’ve been watchin’ the audience, and I don’t think they’ve been really wowed by anythin’ yet. Ya still got a really good chance at blowin’ the judges away!”
“No kidding. The competition’s been pretty weak.” Scootaloo grinned again. A moment later, she dropped her grin and stopped massaging Sweetie. “Although I thought Lyra and Bonbon had a pretty cool performance.”
Scootaloo lowered her eyes and found Apple Bloom glaring at her again. “What?” she asked. “I had no idea Bonbon could change her voice and sound like a bunch of different ponies.”
Apple Bloom’s glare didn’t fade in the slightest. Scootaloo stared in confusion before it finally dawned on her just who her praise of other contestants wasn’t helping. “Oh, but you could still beat them easy!” she said to Sweetie with a sheepish smile, renewing her massage.
A moment of silence passed before someone spoke up. “Hey, Apple Bloom?” asked Sweetie.
“What is it, Sweetie?” her friend replied without missing a beat. “Ya need somethin’? More water? Need to warm up yer voice some more? Have to use the restroom?”
Sweetie shook her head. “No, I just wanted to know when it’s my turn to sing.”
“Good question. Lemme check.” Apple Bloom stepped over to the saddlebags lying right next to Sweetie’s chair and grabbed the paper sticking out. “Now let’s see here… it looks like there’s only one pony left in front of ya.”
“Really? Who is it?” asked Scootaloo.
“That would be me.”
The Crusaders turned towards the source of the voice they all knew too well. Diamond Tiara trotted up to the fillies with her head held high, while Silver Spoon followed right behind her, also sharing a smug smirk.
“You know, I’m quite surprised at the three of you,” said Diamond when she reached the trio.
“Surprised? Why?” asked Sweetie.
“Yeah, surprised that you three even bothered to show up,” continued Diamond. “Seriously, when I get done singing, everyone else might as well go home. In fact, I wouldn’t blame you if you just ran along now and saved yourself the embarrassment.”
Sweetie opened her mouth to say something, but Scootaloo cut her off. “No way! Sweetie’s been practicing for this all week. She’s gonna mop the floor with the two of you.”
Diamond retorted with a scoff. “As if! As I recall, she’s not the one who has a spot in the Ponyville Elementary Choir. That honor belongs to yours truly.” Diamond lifted a hoof and pointed it at herself.
“Elementary Choir?” asked Sweetie.
“Yeah, and what we do there is far more helpful than what you might have read out of some musty old book. A week of practice? Try the whole school year!”
“Yeah!” whispered Silver Spoon in a hoarse voice. She then coughed once and rubbed her throat, frowning a little in the process.
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow at the gray filly. “What’s wrong with her?”
Diamond looked behind at her friend. “Oh, right. About that. Unfortunately, Silver here came down with laryngitis yesterday and can barely talk or sing. She’s just here for support.” Diamond turned her nose upwards and smirked. “Not that I still couldn’t win this contest with one hoof tied behind my back.”
Sweetie started to say, “But you don’t use your hooves to—”
“I know what I use my hooves for!” snapped Diamond, stamping her hoof on the ground.
“Excuse me, ladies.”
The standoff came to a halt as a mare in a headset stepped up to the gang of schoolgirls. “The stage is all cleaned off now. We’re ready for you, Miss Tiara,” she said in a nasally voice.
“Perfect. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a contest to win,” said Diamond. With that, she walked off with another poisonous grin and disappeared behind the curtains to the sound of the crowd applauding and the Mayor announcing her name. With no voice of her own, Silver Spoon opted to stick her tongue out at the Crusaders before running to the corner of the stage to watch her friend. The grown mare left to track down the other contestants, leaving the Crusaders by themselves once more.
Apple Bloom shook her head and sighed. “Ya know, Scootaloo, I think ya might be on t’ somethin’ about Diamond havin’ a screw loose.”
“Tell me about it.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “But I’m sure Sweetie will still mop the floor with her, right, Sweetie?” She looked down to her friend with a grin.
“I wanna go home.”
“You-wha!?” Scootaloo’s eyes shot open and Apple Bloom adopted a look of concern.
Sweetie looked down at the floor, her frown growing deeper “She’s right. I don’t stand a chance at winning against her. If I go out there, I’ll make a complete foal of myself, and I’ll never be able to show my face around town again.”
“She was just trying to psyche you out,” said Scootaloo as she leaned over the chair. “Don’t listen to a word she said, Sweetie! We know you can beat her.”
“But she’s in the school choir. She has to be better at singing than me!”
“If she’s so good at singing, then why did she come to the library looking for that book?” Scootaloo pointed to the book lying next to the chair, with Sweetie following her hoof. “I bet there’s loads of stuff in there that she doesn’t know about.”
“B-but what if I mess up?” said Sweetie, eyes filled with worry.
“Sweetie, don’t ya remember what the book told you?” asked Apple Bloom.
Sweetie thought for a moment. “Not to fret over little mistakes and keep going?”
“Not just that,” replied Apple Bloom. Sweetie turned her head to find her friend’s trademark bow poking up from the side of the chair. The rest of Apple Bloom soon rose over the arm, the music book hanging from between her teeth. The book was open almost at the very end, with the words “Lesson 101” written in big, bold print.
Though she already knew what it said, Sweetie Belle read the underlying text aloud. “Above all else, the most important singing tip is to relax and have fun. Singing is an expression of the heart and soul, and nopony should ever feel embarrassed or ashamed of singing from their heart. Believe in yourself, and your singing will always shine through.”
Believe in yourself…
The three words echoed in Sweetie’s mind. She couldn’t put a hoof on it, but somehow, those words made the butterflies fluttering about restlessly in her belly calm down for just a moment.
“But wait.” Unfortunately, that feeling soon gave way to another panicked though. “Diamond Tiara believes in herself a whole bunch, too.”
Apple Bloom put the book on the ground and lifted her head back up. “I think what it’s tryin’ t’ say is not to worry about anypony else and just sing as good as ya can.”
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo, “and besides, I’ll bet Diamond doesn’t have as much faith in herself as we have in you.”
Sweetie glanced up at her orange-coated friend. “You… really believe in me that much?”
“Sure we do, Sweetie.” Apple Bloom lifted a hoof and laid it on Sweetie’s shoulder. “You’re the best singer we know.”
Sweetie felt her shoulder relaxing a little bit at the spot where Apple Bloom’s hoof touched it. Though rough, the warmth of the firm limb spread throughout her body, easing her tense muscles.
“Okay, I just have one more question,” said Sweetie.
“What is it?” asked Apple Bloom. She saw Scootaloo lean in closer, also curious.
Sweetie looked about for a moment before she found her words. “It’s just that… even if I…”
“Even what?” asked Scootaloo.
“Even if I sing my best,” continued Sweetie as she stared right at her friends, “would you be mad at me if I didn’t win the money for us?”
“Of course not!” replied Apple Bloom without missing a beat. “We’re your best friends, Sweetie. We can’t get mad at ya for tryin’ your best!”
Scootaloo nodded her head a couple times and gave a wide smile. “Don’t worry about us. No matter what happens, you’ll always be a Crusader.”
Another warm feeling radiated through Sweetie’s core, but this one didn’t come from her friend’s hoof. Instead, it came from within, starting deep in her chest and spreading all the way to her face. The warming feeling proved too much for her to contain all at once: Sweetie found her frown drifting upwards, going past the neutral line and ending at a little smile.
“Thanks, guys,” she spoke almost inaudibly.
“Excuse me again, ladies.”
The mare with the headset approached the trio once more. She looked at a paper on a clipboard before lowering it to look at the Crusaders. “Which one of you is Sweetie Belle?” she asked.
“Um, I am.” Sweetie slowly raised a hoof.
“Okay, we need you to go ahead and stand over there so you can go on as soon as the current contestant is done singing.” The mare pointed toward the side entrance to the stage. “Just wait there until you hear your name and the crowd applaud, okay?”
“Okay,” said Sweetie, “but can my friends come with me?”
The organizing pony put a hoof up to her chin and looked away for a moment, then shrugged. “As long as they’re quiet and out of sight, I don’t see why not.”
“Really? Thanks!” Apple Bloom beamed at the mare.
“Don’t mention it. Whoa, hey!”
As the pony spoke, she felt her balance thrown off by two filly-sized blurs rushing past her followed by a third trotting behind them. On unsteady ground, she rocked back and forth until her hooves could find stable footing again. The mare turned around and sighed. “The things I do for a paycheck,” she muttered to herself.
Slowing their gallop down as they arrived at the stage, the Crusaders could hear the music for Diamond’s song coming to an end. A moment of silence followed, only to be quickly replaced by the sound of clapping.
Scootaloo snuck a peak onto the stage for her friends. Diamond Tiara stood behind the microphone with her front hooves joined together. She looked back and forth with glee at the audience applauding her song.
“Thank you so much, Ponyville!” shouted Diamond over the speakers. “Your applause means so much to me! You’re all simply too kind! Don’t forget to tell everypony you know about me! Bye now!” With this, Diamond blew a kiss to the audience, then turned around and made her way off the stage. Entering the side opposite from the Crusaders, Diamond was reunited with Silver Spoon, and the two celebrated with a congratulatory “Bump-bump-sugarlump-rump!”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes as the two fillies walked out of sight, giggling to themselves. “Wow, she’s really serious about that whole plan of hers, huh?”
“At least she looks really sure of herself,” said Sweetie.
“They always look really sure of themselves, though,” said Apple Bloom, shaking her head.
As the Crusaders fell silent, so too did the audience. The trio looked around their part of the stage, each carrying an unsure look. Their attention soon turned to a new voice speaking through the sound system.
“And now,” said the Mayor from her microphone at the judges’ seat, “for our next contestant, we have another filly who is currently attending Ponyville Elementary School. Please put your hooves together for Sweetie Belle!”
The crowd obliged the mayor’s request and began applauding.
Sweetie felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of her name. She gulped just loud enough for only herself to hear.
“Ya ready to sing your heart out?” Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder and smiled.
“Um, well, I—ack!”
Right as Sweetie opened her mouth wide enough, she felt a harsh liquid coat its insides, forcing her to cough.
“Now she’s ready!” said Scootaloo, holding onto a spray bottle.
“Uh, thanks?” said Sweetie once her coughing fit subsided.
“Don’t mention it.” Scootaloo put away the bottle and trotted behind Sweetie. “Now get going, that’s your cue!”
Scootaloo did not even wait for Sweetie to move on her own. Instead, she gathered her strength and gave Sweetie a shove from behind. Not expecting the push, Sweetie stumbled out of the side entrance and onto the stage itself.
There they were: the audience Sweetie Belle had unpleasant dreams about for a whole week now stood before her. Their applause had quieted down since she was forced from behind the stage, save for a few remaining clopping hooves. Regardless of whether they were still applauding or not, the audience all had their eyes for her and her alone.
Sweetie could do nothing but stare back at the many-eyed monster that was the crowd, her own eyes opened wide in fear. She could see plenty of ponies she knew within the mass, from the grown-ups she would often pass in the streets to some of her own classmates. The only ponies she couldn’t see were her own family, but she knew they wouldn’t be here. Rarity had a massive order for several hoof-stitched dresses thrust upon her the other day, and their parents would not be back from their vacation until tomorrow. If she could have sighed at that moment, she would have; at least she could still have a home to go back to if she messed up too much.
Slowly, she forced her quivering limbs up to the microphone and looked over at the judge’s table. Cheerilee and Mayor Mare were at their seats, offering her encouraging smiles. Vinyl Scratch, however, was nowhere to be seen. Sweetie gulped quietly, as she knew that pony’s absence could mean only one thing.
Sure enough, her fears became justified a moment later as she heard the sound of a pre-recorded piano playing a song through the speakers. It wasn’t just any song, either: it was her song, the one she was going to sing in front of all of Ponyville.
Taking what little remaining time she had left, Sweetie shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Okay, how does the first part go, again? she thought to herself. She raced through her mind, looking for the words that would make sure the song didn’t crash and burn right away. Images of reading the sheet music and practicing the song over and over again in the clubhouse flashed in her mind’s eye. Sweetie knew she had to have memories of the song in her somewhere. Her friends had spent far too much time helping her rehearse for her to not know the song front and back.
In fact, her friends had spent nearly all of their free time in the last week making sure she had the best possible chance of winning. Sweetie let herself smile a little bit. She could almost feel herself right back at the clubhouse as Apple Bloom offered her another piece of advice out of the book while Scootaloo tried to play the song on her piano so she could keep up with Sweetie’s progress.
“When I was just a little filly, I asked my mother, what will I be…”
Sweetie gasped on the inside. She hadn’t been thinking of the lyrics in advance; they had come to her as if they were no different from walking or breathing. She wanted to know how that had happened, but they still kept coming, and she couldn’t stop to think about it now. Instead, she continued to let her mind and heart sing the piece her friends had picked out for her.
Her friends had made sure to find her the best song they could find. The piece they chose, straight from Vinyl’s own record store, was a few paces slower than the average song. Aside from the soft piano and occasional woodwind and auxiliary instrument, Sweetie’s part was the star role. The lyrics she sang to the crowd spun a theme of hopefulness, of looking towards the future with a smile, of gazing up at the night sky in quiet tranquility, of the quiet moments that come after the excitement of discovering oneself.
As she sang, Sweetie realized that she wasn’t focusing on the techniques she had read from the book, either. They too came to her at the exact moment they were needed. All that she could focus on was being right back in the clubhouse and seeing her friend’s smiling faces as they encouraged her to keep trying, to do the best she could, and to give this measure one more shot before she had to go home for the day.
Other memories of her spending time with the Crusaders entered Sweetie’s mind. She was no longer at the clubhouse, but outside in a bright, sunny day, as they took the afternoon by storm. One moment, she was helping them row their kayak down the local river, her body shivering from the cold water splashing her. A second later, and she was struggling to pull herself free from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo after their attempt at cooking taffy in Sugarcube Corner produced explosive and sticky results.
As each memory of her misadventures as a Cutie Mark Crusader passed before Sweetie’s eyes, she felt a warm glow spread from deep within her chest. The butterflies in her belly grew quieter with each passing wave.
“…Whatever will be, will be.”
It was over. Before Sweetie knew it, her part in the song had come to an end. The piano continued on without her, its tempo growing slower with each passing note before finally ending on a soft-yet-bright chord. The final notes lingered in the cool night air for several seconds.
Then there was silence. Dead silence. Sweetie kept her eyes shut as much as she possibly could. Try as she might, Sweetie couldn’t remember a thing about the song she had just sung. All she could recall were those memories of past crusades and the warm feelings they stirred inside her. However, those feelings were already giving way to the doubts of before, the rampant butterflies, and the fluttering heart. She was at the mercy of the audience, and not even her best friends could save her if the crowd thought she wasn’t good enough.
Then the audience cheered.
Sweetie peaked one eye open, doubting her ears. Hooves stomped, smiles broke out, and almost everypony in the audience cheered wildly at her. Even the judges offered her genuine, bright smiles and sincere applause.
The thunderous cheering forced Sweetie’s ears back and both of her eyes open. Like a deer caught in a chariot’s lights, Sweetie stared at her newly-gained admirers with her mouth agape. She wanted to shake her head in disbelief, but couldn’t bring her muscles to carry out the action.
As the crowd praised her singing, Sweetie felt the warmth from before growing within her again. Her dropped jaw slowly lifted itself off the floor of the stage while the warming, tingly sensation spread through her body. She felt her heart beating away in her chest again, but for entirely different reasons. Her mouth curled up from a frown into a neutral look, then into a bright smile.
She had done it. Not only had she sung her heart out in front of a big crowd, but they loved her for it. This thought alone sent another warm wave from head to tail, leaving her body feeling tingly all over. Her friends had been right; all she had to do was believe she could do it. Everything else came naturally to her.
Giving an earnest bow and a quick wave, Sweetie Belle turned around and skipped back behind the stage, feeling light as a feather. Rounding the corner, she was met with the wide grins of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
“That crowd’s going nuts!” said Scootaloo. “I even saw Silver Spoon trying to cheer for you. You should’ve seen the look on Diamond’s face!”
“That was amazin’!” said Apple Bloom. “I knew you had it in ya!”
“I know!” said Sweetie. She bounced on her hooves in glee, her body unable to contain all of its excitement. “I had no idea I could sing so well!”
“It’s just like the book said,” said Apple Bloom. “All ya had to do was believe ya could do it.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I can thank you two enough. That was so much fun!” yelled Sweetie. “I’m so excited right now! This is the most fun I’ve had in a really long time! I can’t wait to try this again!”
Scootaloo lifted an eyebrow and a hoof. “Try again? But there’s no way you can lose with the audience cheering like that!”
“I mean I can’t wait to try singing at another concert just for fun,” said Sweetie. “My whole body’s really tingly really now, and it feels great! I really like feeling like this! I just wanna keep going on stages and singing and learning more about how to sing and getting help from you guys and…” Sweetie’s grin dropped. “Um, why are you staring at me like that?”
While she spoke, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s smiles had faded into wide-open looks of shock. They had broken eye contact with Sweetie, looking off to just past her head.
“What’s wrong?” Sweetie asked. “You don’t think I’m being silly, are you?”
“S-Sweetie…” Apple Bloom finally spoke up.
“What? What’s with you guys?” Sweetie asked with a voice filled with worry.
Scootaloo lifted up a shaking limb and slowly pointed it at her friend. “Y-your flank…”
“My flank?” Sweetie turned to look. “Oh no, I didn’t have dirt on something on it when I sang, did… I…”
Sweetie’s breath caught in her throat, ending her question with a gasp. Her eyes and mouth opened wider than ever at the sight. It was there. After countless attempts and endless nights of wondering, it was right on her flank, shining in the reflections of the spotlights. It was… it was…