//------------------------------// // Sonata Dusk - Sweetie Belle // Story: Bellesitter // by Draxonos135 //------------------------------// Sonata Dusk was feeling good with herself: With her help, Apple Bloom had taken the first in convincing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to forgive her, or at least, Scootaloo was in the process of getting Sweetie belle to forgive her. She hadn't heard from her in a while, but she had hope that once she got an idea on how to get Sweetie to forgive her, she'd take it. Now, the only member of the Canterlot Movie Club left to convince was Sweetie Belle... who was sitting right by Adagio Dazzle's side, watching TV along with the sirens while Adagio brushed her hair. Somehow, despite the girl being right next to her sister, Sonata felt the girl was far more away than that. She also thought "Hey, Adagio-" "Where's Aria, right?" Adagio interjected, looking strictly at the TV. "She's working at the music shop right now, she'll be back by night." "No, I mean, do you think I could spend a little time with Sweetie Belle?" Sonata inquired, tilting her head. "You know, one-on-one?" Sweetie Belle glared at her and hugged Adagio harder. "I don't think she's up for it." "Of course, I should've expected that," Sonata looked back at the TV and leaned back. "She's close to you the most, Adagio. I don't know why, but she is." Adagio frowned and looked at Sweetie Belle, who was paying attention to the TV as she grabbed the final cookie from the table. Seeing the empty table, Adagio got an idea. "Oh, look, we're out of snacks. And we didn't buy any new ones yesterday." Adagio separated from Sweetie Belle, even after the girl tried resisting the separation, and stood up. "Sonata, could we talk for a bit?" Sonata nodded and stood up before she followed Adagio to the kitchen, leaving Sweetie Belle to watch the TV show alone. Once at the kitchen, Adagio pulled Sonata down, and whispered to her ear. "Okay, Sonata, before you ask anything: I'll be the one to go get some more snacks. The thing I want to talk to you about is Sweetie Belle: something's bothering her." "Oh really? Something's bothering her? I'm shaken," Sonata replied, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "No, really, after breaking up with her friends and getting on bad terms with her sister, I never thought there'd be something bothering her right now." "Okay, if you're going to keep talking like that, I'll ask you to stop hanging around with Aria," Adagio sternly stated, going back to a concerned tone as she continued. "Anyway, I'll go get the snacks, and while I'm gone, I want you to try and get Sweetie Belle to tell you what's eating at her mind." Sonata raised an eyebrow. "And I have to do this because... why? I mean, you're pretty smart Adagio, can't you figure out what's bothering on your own?" "Just because I figure it out doesn't mean Sweetie Belle will stop being bothered by it," Adagio frowned and took a deep breath. "If she doesn't get it out of her system, the weight it carries could get heavier and heavier until it starts affecting her mind. And for some reason, I don't think she'll be willing to tell me about it." That statement only further confused Sonata. "Why wouldn't she tell you about it? She trusts you, Adagio. Certainly more than she trusts me." "Sonata, I'm the one who gave her the idea to break up with her friends. If what's bothering her is related to that, or worse, her having second thoughts about it, of course she's not going to tell me!" Adagio lowered her head. "She probably thinks I'm going to get angry at her and yell at her like her sister did when I went to babysit her." Sonata smiled and nodded. "Well, I've lived with you long enough to confirm that that's what you'd do." "Which is why I need you to talk to her," Adagio narrowed her eyes. "She's more likely to tell you about it, since you two aren't nearly as close." Sonata stood up, and saw Sweetie Belle looking worried at the television, convincing her to do as Adagio said. Then again, she was probably going to do it anyway. "Okay, Adagio, I'll do it." Adagio stood up, and grabbed Sonata's hand before she could walk to Sweetie Belle. "Sonata, whatever you do, don't be too rough on Sweetie Belle. There's something bothering her, that much is clear, but if you press her too far you're just going to end up with no information and even more bad blood from her." Sonata took a deep breath and smiled. "Don't worry, Adagio, I know what I need to do." With that said, Adagio left the house, and Sonata walked back to Sweetie Belle, sitting right next to the girl as she glared at her. "So, Adagio's going to go get the snacks, meaning we're both alone for the time being." "Fantastic," Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Just what I needed." Off to a great start, apparently. "So-" "Look, I know what you've been doing: you were there when Apple Bloom gave me the apple pie, and you said yesterday you said you spoke with Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle folded her arms as she narrowed her glare. "While I haven't heard from Scootaloo yet, the fact you saw me and Apple Bloom with a smile made it clear: you had something to do with her giving me the pie." Sonata raised her arms and shook her head. "All I did was give her advice, everything else was done by her-" "If she needed someone else to tell her what to do, then she did nothing! Same thing with Scootaloo; we probably haven't heard from her yet's because she's wasting her time trying to think of a way to trick me into forgiving her!" Sweetie Belle spat. "What you told them... what Adagio told them... it means nothing! They just want me to forgive them and become friends again so they can rope me into another one of their schemes, like always!" Sonata lowered her eyelids. "You don't believe that." "Oh really?" Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "What gives you that impression?" "Because you don't speak like you believe it," Sonata leaned closer to Sweetie Belle, and whispered right next to her ear. "In fact, with the way you're speaking, it sounds like you're lying to yourself. That you're desperately trying to convince yourself that they really haven't learned anything." Sweetie Belle's eyes widened as Sonata leaned back, the siren sporting a smile as the girl looked at her notwith scorn, but with shock. "Did I hit the bullseye?" Sweetie Belle lowered her head and frowned. "If I tell you what I really think, do you promise not to tell Adagio? I feel like she'd get angry at me if she knew." "Of course, kid. My lips are sealed and your secret is safe," Sonata answered with a little smile. At least, until Adagio figures it out on her own. Sweetie Belle lowered her head and twiddled her fingers, avoiding eye contact with Sonata. "I don't know what to think. About Apple Bloom, about Scootaloo, about... my decision to end our friendship. I mean, Apple Bloom's pie was delicious and I felt her words were sincere. And Scootaloo taking so long? That's definitely an improvement; before, she would've gone with the first thing on her mind, no questions asked. The fact she's taking her time... if she's taking her time... shows she's not willing to rush this." "Ending your friendship with them was the right choice: it opened their eyes, and with a little buging, they began to try make up with you," Sonata answered, lowering her head as she took a deep breath. "But you don't know whether to forgive them and become friends again, or just forgive them, right?" "I miss them. I really do: walking together around the streets, sitting down and watching a movie together, and yes, even participating in a scheme or two to become popular, I miss those things," Sweetie Belle paused, and shook her head. "But Anon-A-Miss... they chose to keep it going, while I wanted it to end." Sonata looked at the ceiling. "Huh, I wonder why." Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Apple Bloom said she wanted to make good on her sister's honesty policy, and Scootaloo... she winged it, I guess. I know I should've quit right then and there, but-" "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to finish my sentence: what I meant to say was, why did you want it to stop?" Sonata replied, lowering her head to meet Sweetie Belle's shocked expression. "From what Adagio told me, you and your friends started Anon-A-Miss out of jealousy towards Sunset Shimmer. Jealousy doesn't just vanish into thin air like that, as proven when Anon-A-Miss kept going for a little while longer. But you suddenly wanting it to stop... well, I can't buy that." Sonata leaned closer to Sweetie Belle. "So, what made you want to stop Anon-A-Miss?" Sweetie Belle leaned back, avoiding eye contact with Sonata as she gave her answer. "I caught a glimpse of Sunset Shimmer crying while everybody was angry at her. And that sight... I just didn't want Anon-A-Miss to continue if that was the end result." She's not being honest. Not completely honest, at least. Sonata lowered her eyelids. But even I can see that this is all she'll willingly tell me. If I try to press harder, she's just going to come up with more and more ridiculous answers that will lead nowhere. "A-Anyway!" Sweetie Belle blurted, returning Sonata to reality. "I'm having second thoughts about ending my friendship with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, that's what I'm trying to say. Please don't tell Adagio about this: she told me to end it in the first place... I don't want to think about how she'd react if she knew I was getting second thoughts-" Sonata put a hand on Sweetie Belle's, and brushed it as the girl flinched and looked at the ground, trying to process what was happening. "Didn't I tell you already? Your secret's safe with me." Sweetie Belle raised her head, and saw Sonata sporting a look more serious than she'd expected, given the siren's cheerful attitude a moment ago. "But I can't lie to you: Adagio will ask you what's bothering you eventually. When that time comes, you'll need to get ready to tell her the truth. Understand?" Sweetie Belle wordlessly lowered her head, then her eyelids and nodded, before the pair went back to watching the television. Meanwhile, with Adagio, she walked out of a store with a pair of bags at hand. Okay, I bought enough snacks and food for today and tomorrow... at least, I hope it's enough for Sonata and Sweetie Belle. Adagio frowned at the thought of them together. I just hope they're getting along; I'm not in the mood to find them fighting each other once I get home. "Adagio!" She stopped on her tracks and turned around to see Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Scootaloo approaching her. Of particular notice was Scootaloo, who was holding a movie on her hands. "Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon... and Scootaloo, right?" Adagio raised an eyebrow. "What do you need?" Scootaloo handed Adagio the movie, the siren growing even more confused. "What's this? I mean I know it's a movie, but why do you give it to me?" "Scootaloo wants to know if Sweetie Belle would be willing to have a movie night together with her and Apple Bloom," Silver Spoon explained, pushing Scootaloo slightly forward. "That was one of the most enjoyable things they did when they were together, and she-." Adagio quickly grew enraged at the orange girl and glared at her. "Wanted me to ask Sweetie Belle if she'd like to go, right? What, do you really think that's going to make her happy? Do you think that getting someone else to ask a question you should be asking her yourself is going to help her forgive you?" Scootaloo returned the glare. "I want to know if you think this movie's acceptable, and if you'd be willing to have the movie night on your house." Adagio fell silent, flinching and taking a step back as the girl continued. "Sweetie Belle's living with you right now, I doubt she'll consider going anywhere else while things are still a bit tense. I'll ask her if she wants to do it myself... but I can't do anything without your permission." Adagio took one more glance at the movie, and nodded as she handed it back. "Sure, this movie's acceptable. You can have the movie night at my house." Scootaloo smiled as she took the movie back. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." "Don't tell me you appreciate it, show me you appreciate it," Adagio sternly responded. "Show Sweetie Belle you're really honest about wanting her forgiveness, that's all you have to do." Scootaloo nodded, and left with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who looked at Adagio with a relieved look before they left. With them gone, she took a deep breath and began walking back home, hoping this "movie night" idea wouldn't make things worse in the long run.