Episode 27:
For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls
“I have to leave for dress rehearsal soon, Rarity! Is it finished yet?” Sweetie Belle urgently implored of her sister who is currently examining the costume in question with Ono watching over her work in progress.
“Uh, not quite.” She replied while trying to figure out what it truly needs to feel fitting for her taste. “I still feel it needs a certain je ne sais quoi. Perhaps it needs...” She then smiled. “…appliqués.”
“Appliqués?” She smiled before rushing over and back with said item in her hooves.
“Or sequins.”
Sweetie Belle rushed back and forth with said item.
“Sequins!”
“Careful, Sweetie Belle!” Ono cautioned, although it was a little too late.
In the process she ended up tripping and crashing due to the spilled Applique’s on the ground, getting some sequins on her tongue by accident to which the egret winced at the accidental sight.
Rarity’s relationship with her little sister improved to the point she is able to smile and keep her cool no problem in the face of the little filly’s accidental blundering, so when she moved talk her increasingly anxious sister down, she did so as nicely as she can.
“Sweetie Belle, I adore having you help me, truly I do, but...”
“Guess I got a little carried away.” Sweetie realized what her older sister is trying to say after already getting the message. “It's just that I know how important it is for you and Ono to finish this wardrobe in time for Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers.”
“This is without a doubt my most prestigious order ever. After all, Sapphire Shores is the pony of pop, and her Equestria-wide tour launches in Canterlot next week! Which means she must have these outfits by day after tomorrow at the latest!”
“And also, the very need for perfection and ensuring that everything is all fully sewn together and then set right on schedule for when this deliver is expected out of us.” Ono added with slight emphasis on perfection. Clearly, this is also another big indicator for how much his keen sight has helped Rarity with her inspiration through his time as her assistant. Leading to the kind of praise that would have his keen sight fully acknowledged by every pony more and more with every passing day.
“But is there time?” She hopefully asked to ensure that she is not putting too much pressure on her by asking her of this.
“Barely.” She replied while moving to her sewing table just when Ono pulls up her schedule to make sure. “But I work well under pressure. Hmm, as long as I stay calm, I'll be fine.”
“Oh, good!” Sweetie now felt a little relieved feeling comfortable now with her personal requests for her sister. “Then maybe you could check the stitching and finish the buttons on the dresses I made for me, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo? I really want them to look perfect, and... I think I need your expertise.”
“My, you've been so much help to me. How could I possibly say no?” She replied without second thought while working her magic on her fabric. “When do you need them?”
“Tomorrow night. For the opening night of our show!” She answered to which caught the fashionista completely off-guard and ended up dropping all of her levitated stuff upon hearing it while Ono snapped out of his concerned focus.
“Hapana! Tomorrow night!”
Rarity quickly placed a hoof on his chest and cleared her throat to keep him from spiraling out of control. “I’ll handle this.” She said to him before turning back to her sister. “But, Sweetie Belle, darling! I, I'm behind as it is!” She gently declined.
Sweetie’s ears lowered seeing that she get her hopes up for nothing. “I understand.”
Now Rarity unable to live with the guilt of seeing her little sister sad decided to have some second thoughts, albeit with some much needed compromises.
“I suppose... if I got a few more ponies to help me, then maybe...”
Hearing this sparked her little sister into hugging her around the neck. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you! You're the best sister ever! The dresses are right over there!” She pointed towards said dresses which all look very worn and hoof-made like they are more suited for maid outfits.
As Sweetie giggled while burying her face into her older sister’s neck, Rarity is now visibly struggling with how she is going to manage all of this on a very tight deadline.
“You know we’re going to working up to our eyeballs up until tomorrow for all of this, right?” Ono asked while trying to keep calm under pressure.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded with a forced smile knowing full well at what’s at stake here.
The following night, everypony was gathered in the Ponyville Theater where the school play is set to take place. All of the fillies from school are ready to put on their performance, with all of their costumes on and ready to go. Well…expect for one certain group of fillies…
“My goodness, girls, it's time! And the audience is almost fully seated! Costumes!” Cheerlie told the girls just when Rafiki is overseeing the seating of their guests along with the other students ready to perform.
“I can't believe Rarity still isn't here with the costumes.” Scootaloo anxiously expressed.
“She's been very busy lately!” Sweetie defended.
“But how can she still not be here?” Apple Bloom questioned. “She's known about this for weeks!” Sweetie looked aside at that statement which sparked frowns from her fellow Crusaders. “Uh... she has known about this for weeks, right?”
Sweetie had no choice but to confess. “I kept meaning to ask her, I really did, but I worked so hard on this play. I wrote it especially for the three of us! I directed it, I'm in it, I made the costumes... It's just that this is really my time to shine doing something completely myself, and I really wanted to keep it that way!”
“But we wanted everything to be perfect! All our friends came out to see it tonight!” Apple Bloom stated.
Just then their teachers came in for the final reminder that the three need to be dressed and ready. “Places!”
And just then came the unicorn the fillies have been expecting. “Oh, I'm here, I'm here!“
Seeing this had her little sister gasping in delighted relief. “You made it!”
“Oh, I beg your pardon for cutting it so close…” She began with an apology before levitating the costumes she just redesigned. “…but I made some improvements to your original design, and I had a terrible time with these froofy sleeves.” Sweetie frowned upon getting a close look at them. “It is for the first play you ever wrote, after all, so I made quite certain it came out just so.”
“Places! Hello?” Cheerlie urgently said to the girls one last and final time.
Even though she did what she was asked and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both liked their costumes, Sweetie Belle however had felt overshadowed with what Rarity had done to her costumes. But since it is time for the show to begin and the show must go on, they all proceeded to get dressed so they can all perform with their fellow classmates.
The play went on as planned with the girls ready to perform their part in the play just when the fanfare plays through the theater. When the current opened and the spotlight shined on the stage, everyone was able to marvel at the stunning costumes that Rarity had designed for them.
With the crowd very impressed with what they had saw, Sweetie moved to perform her role.
“Forsooth and anon, I cometh forthwith and posthaste with glad tidings, miladies.”
And after their performance, the crowd was all applauding and cheering for them loudly like it is the best performance they ever saw.
“Wow! A standin' ovation!” Apple Bloom shared as they all exited the stage and made it back to their dressing rooms.
“I still have goosebumps!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“This must be like a dream come true for you, huh, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom said to her equally pleased friend.
“Ooh, can you imagine if this show was how you got your cutie mark?” Scootaloo could already see the very idea coming true on the spot.
“Which do you think you'd get it for? Writing, directing, or acting?” Apple Bloom asked.
As tempting as it is, Sweetie instead took a deep breath before speaking. “Let's not get carried away. We've got a whole lobby full of friends waiting to shower us with adoration and praise. Try to be gracious.”
“Modest.”
“Classy.”
The girls shared just when some of their Pride Lander friends came in.
Mtoto was the first to commend the pony who made this all happen. “Cutie Mark Crusaders! That was amazing!”
“Great play, Sweetie Belle!”
“And great costumes!”
Both Kwato and Kambuni added.
“Aww, thanks! Although I do have to give my sister Rarity credit for actually making these…” She then mimicked her sister’s pose. “…quite inspiring!”
“Well it was still a great play you put up regardless!”
“You’re not the sister of the Guard’s most generous pony for nothing!”
Both Shaukku and Gumba remarked continuing to shower the unicorn with compliments she greatly deserves.
“Speaking of which…” the mongoose remembered. “…we got a party to attend to! Let’s go and enjoy the refreshments!”
“Right behind you!”
“Ooh wait for me!”
The other guys followed after them hoping to really enjoy the good stuff before they run out of it since they now the Cakes along with Pinkie and Bunga have helped lay it all out for them after their play. And knowing how well they make their savory treats it sure is something they don’t want to miss out on.
At the after party, many ponies and Pride Landers were there conversing amongst one another while the parents of the kids of the Lion Guard fan club got congratulate their children on their performance tonight. Just then the Cutie Mark Crusaders came in wearing stylish movie-star sunglasses.
“Here we are, the stars of the show!”
“You may tell us how much you loved it now.”
“Line forms here!”
Although the crowd looked a little more confused and disinterested with their greeting like they’re trying to understand why their acting like big Hollywood stars.
“Wow, you guys! I think your sisters would have loved it!” Spike complimented with a slightly forced smile.
“Would have?” Apple Bloom inquired while tilting up her shades. Their sister’s actually didn’t see them perform tonight?
“They're sorry, but they had to go help Rarity get Sapphire Shores' wardrobe ready to take to Canterlot in the morning.” Spike explained while apologizing on their behalf.
“Even Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo asked as she approached him.
“Yeah. Rarity fell way behind.”
“Aww.” The fillies were now disappointed.
“Aw, cheer up…” Spike encouraged before walking over to where they are serving the refreshments. “…the show was great! I'll get you some punch.”
“At least everypony else who was able to stay loved it.” Sweetie remarked before turning to the many members of the audience eager for some of that glowering compliments she’s been expecting to hear ever since she spent every day building up to this day. “What did you all like best? The writing, the directing, or the acting?”
“Oh my, I- I loved the dresses.” One unicorn with a yellow coat and a ocean blue mane commented to which everyone nodded in agreement.
“I liked some of those lines you said.” Another pony, one with gold eyes and a blue coat and mane commented just for the sake of appeasing her.
Sweetie was very eager to hear more about it quickly catching the pony off-guard when she got up close to him. “Oh, really? Which ones?”
“Uh, I don't really remember…” He admitted while placing a hoof on her to gently assert his personal space to which the filly then frowned in response. “…but you were wearing a pink taffeta dress with lots of chiffon when you said them! Whoo-ee, that outfit was a dazzler!”
“I liked that one almost as much as the one with the lacy trim and all the embroidered cuffs!” The yellow mare remarked while approaching him.
“That was a nice one too!” Thurston the zebra chimed in while joining him and the yellow pony.
Sweetie Belle growled now infuriated to hear that was the only highlight of her hard work. The very highlight to which her older sister did the dazzling touches on.
“Isn't there anypony here who remembers anything about the play besides the dresses?!” She angrily questioned everyone.
Everyone (aside from a few who remained silent out of awkwardness) all responded with flimsy excuses to which proved to be the final nail in the coffin for her who once more growled in frustration before storming off.
“Sweetie Belle…”
“Wait! Come back!”
Ma Tembo and Muhimu called out for her to come back. Sadly, the little unicorn filly was already frustrated enough with what most of the crowd said that she wasn’t in the mood to listen.
“Oh, dear…” Twiga spoke feeling bad for her. “…guess we really should have been paying more attention to the play itself and how Sweetie worked to make this all possible.”
“There, there…” Ma Tembo assured. “…we’ll make sure she understands that.”
“Should we go after her?” Mtoto asked his mom standing right beside him.
“Let’s not.” She advised against it. “We just need to give her some time to cool down and wait until Monday before we can try to talk to her.”
“Okay.”
Meanwhile at Rarity’s shop, the fashionista is hard at work in ensuring everything is ready and right on schedule for her important order to be completed and as Spike said she currently has the entire Guard’s help in assisting her with that task at hoof. It was definitely something that Ono was very grateful for because like Twilight he does not do well under stress and it was a major burden released from his shoulders.
With him and Twilight going over the former’s checklist, Applejack and Beshte wheeling over the finished dresses, Fuli and Fluttershy helping Rarity ensure that the final fitting is perfect, along with Pinkie, Rainbow, Kion, Kyoga, and Bunga all helping however they can, everything she now under control.
For the final fitting to be done, Rarity had Fuli wear a golden headpiece with Egyptian blue eye on the very head center part accompanied with blue and purple gems on the sides, so she can make the final and necessary touches before packaging it.
While it’s not normally in Fuli’s interests to be wearing dresses (although not to the point of disliking them to Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s extent), she has no problem fitting herself in them if it means helping her friend out with an important deadline. Thankfully, after a long night of doing this, wearing this headpiece will be the last thing she’ll have to try out.
“So, All of this is one headpiece?” Fuli asked Rarity while eyeing said item placed on her head.
“Indeed.“ She confirmed while putting on the stitch-work for it. “This marvelous extravagance is the crème de la crème of the entire wardrobe!” She then eyes the very delicate threading around the eye in the very center. “But alas, without this key hidden stitch, it's just a...”
“Fragile piece of fabric just waiting to fall apart?” Fuli asked to which the unicorn shook her head in response. “No?”
“I'm trying to think of a nicer way to say 'big bummer'.” Regardless, nothing went wrong and she was able to levitate it into its package without incident allowing the unicorn to sigh and wipe the sweat off of her forehead in relief while ditching her sewing glasses. “Now perhaps we can all at last take a moment to relax!” Unfortunately for her, that hopeful relief never got a chance to happen due to the door slamming open by her furious little sister throwing down the costumes she previously re-designed. “Whatever's the matter, Sweetie Belle? Didn't the play go all right?”
“Not even close.” She bitterly replied.
“Oh, dear. Was something amiss with the dresses I made you?”
“No, they were perfect, and that was the whole problem!”
Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all reacted with. “Huh?”
While Beshte, Fuli, and Ono all reacted with. “What?”
“Yeah what they said!” Bunga added.
Seeing the tension between the two siblings, Fluttershy was the first to speak up. “Oh, um, I think maybe I'll go take that moment to relax now.”
Followed by Rainbow Dash. “Heh, sure do feel like relaxing!”
“Right behind ya!” Applejack followed suit after her followed by the rest of the Guard.
“Good idea!”
“Let’s go!”
Along with Beshte and Fuli.
“Better now than never! Besides, I got to get up early so I can join Rarity for her trip to Canterlot.”
“But it’s…”
“Bunga!”
“Sorry! Going!”
Ono and Bunga traded before following after them.
After they left Pinkie happily made her way out without a hint of worry or forced smiling unlike the others leaving Twilight, Kion, and Kyoga the last to follow suit too.
“Should we…?” Kion whisper asked the other two uncertain if they should try to help smooth things over.
“…I think they’ll be fine.” Kyoga shook her head against it, certain it’s just a little squabble before the two move to leave the room.
“Okay.”
Twilight however has a really bad feeling about this even though she moved to be the last pony to leave the room. So instead of leaving the building she gently and quietly close the door after her and kept a single ear up closely against the wall so she can eavesdrop on their conversation.
“How could you?! "Oh, what amazing dresses! Oh, how I love the dresses! Ooh, dresses, dresses, dresses, dresses!" The little filly further and furiously ranted.
Rarity was taken back but confused of what she meant by that until she realized it after a second. “Oh, so they did like them.” She chuckled thinking she was just joking around while moving to neatly place the costumes on their hangers. “You had me worried, you silly filly.”
But she was quickly greeted with the filly getting into her face briefly. “There! I knew it! You did this on purpose! Stealing the spotlight like you always do! It's my fifth birthday party all over again!”
Now Rarity was really confused on caught off-guard by what she is talking about. “The... the what now?”
That comment gave the alicorn outside a clue-in to keying in what she means by that.
“Don't act like you don't remember. Or are you trying to prove you're a better actress than me too?!”
Rarity honestly had no idea what her little sister is so upset over but still moved to try to help make her feel better. “Sweetie Belle, if I did anything to upset you, then—“
“Admit you made those dresses too good on purpose!” She angrily accused instead.
“I thought they were supposed to be good.”
“Yes, good. Not jaw-dropping amazing!”
“I only tried to do what I thought you wanted.”
Sweetie Belle still refused to hear before storming out of the room and slamming the door after her.
Just before Sweetie stormed out to go to her room, Twilight quickly turned herself invisible and flew up to the ceiling leaving nothing but the sound of flapping wings around to which was quickly dismissed as the sound of a nearby bird flying by.
Once she was out of sight, she quickly flew out of the house before making herself visible again. And already, she is already feeling that Sweetie’s going to do something drastic to get back at her for it even when it wasn’t her intent to upstage her at all.
“But what can I do?” Twilight thought to herself of how she can help the filly from potentially falling down the same dark path that she did. “With her mind clouded by anger she won’t listen to a word whether it’s coming from me or any our friend’s because then she’ll think we’re siding with Rarity. It’ll be Mufusa and Scar along with me and Shining Armor, and Celestia and Luna all over again.” But while she thought of her options out loud she ended up having an idea of what the best course of action is before flying away up towards the moon.
Back inside the boutique inside her own room, Sweetie is still fuming over what happened earlier. “Ugh, I don't believe it. After everything I put up with all week long!” She then imitated her own sister’s voice. “Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's cherry! No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!" She then returned to her normal voice before resuming her own self-rant. “For Pete's sake, it's all red!”
Just outside, Rarity has been hearing every word out of her mouth alongside her pet cat. “I should probably go talk to her, hm?”
She moved to do so until she heard her further rant… “At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"
“Perhaps waiting would be best.”
And it probably was for the best for her, although it did little to ease her frustrations since Sweetie’s anger is strong to the point she can’t even sleep peacefully into the night.
“Ughhh! Hgh, hgh, hgh! Nnngh!” She further growled while struggling and failing to get comfortable in her own bed. “Now I can't even sleep! Happy now, big sis?”
Unable to sleep, she moved to go herself some water to drink. Even after drinking it did little cool her anger.
“I wish there was a way I could take back all the work I did!”
Just then she remembered the very delicate headpiece Rarity had just finished hours ago, so that’s where she got her idea of payback. “Even better.“ She giggled sinisterly before sneaking over to open the box so she can pull the single thread holding the headpiece together before closing the box and then snuck away with a sense of satisfaction in her heart.
Hopefully now she can go sleep and be at peace finally, but what she doesn’t know is that the consequences of her sabotage are bigger than she initially thought and she is about to be taught a lesson she’ll never forget.
While Sweetie was trying to get some much needed sleep she couldn’t help but awakening to the sound of ponies chattering outside along with flash photography.
“Now what?” She growled before getting out of her bed and moved towards the bright light coming from her bedroom window.
It was an awards ceremony where there are benches set up for ponies to sit while two handsomely and beautifully dressed ponies approach the podium at the end of the walkway from a stage. Behind them is a large golden statue shaped to look just like Sweetie Belle’s figure.
“Huh?” She thought to herself just when the mare wearing a dark blue and white dress came forward with an announcement to make in regards to a special winner for an upcoming award.
“And the winner of the "Best Writer, Director, Actor in an Awesome Play Put on by a Pony and Her Awesome Best Friends" goes to...”
“Sweetie Belle!” The male pony standing her side finished leading to an uproar of cheers and applause from the crowd.
Sweetie now wearing a fashionable dark purple dress watched on in surprise seeing herself actually win the award before making her way on stage to accept it. It was like a dream come true with all of the praise and flash photography she was getting…
At least until the sound thunder and lightning came followed by a downpour rainstorm forcing everyone to flee the scene to avoid getting wet and melted away Sweetie’s well-earned trophy.
“Don't go!” She pleaded to everyone to no avail. Like her night along with her trophy all got washed up by an unexpected rainstorm accompanied by the evil laughter of Rarity’s face from up high in the clouds. “Stop! Why do you have to ruin everything?!” She angrily shouted in the face of her older sister once more unlike the time she saw her as Nightmare Rarity a while back.
Rarity’s head likewise growled back in her direction shooting a gold flash of lightning right at her sister from her eyes, causing her to hold a hoof up to her face in a futile attempt to shield herself from the fatal blast. Luckily for her, she was protected by a blue and purple shield of magic.
“Enough!” The Princess of Night voiced causing the head of the rainstorm to dissipate into a clear nighttime sky.
When the sky cleared up, all there was left was two ponies who’s shadows were illuminated by the moonlight and their own glowing white eyes. When they emerged as their eyes stopped glowing, Sweetie recognized them when they approached her.
“Princess Luna! Princess Twilight! It's really you! Or am I dreaming?”
“What do you think?” The dark blue coated alicorn asked thinking the answer should be obvious at this point.
“Let me see.” She then thought it over. “You and Twilight just rescued me from a maniacal laughing Rarity-cloud. Yeah, probably dreaming.” Upon seeing Twilight is here alongside Princess Luna she had a question for her too. “Speaking of which, what are you doing here, Twilight? Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”
“Yes, but I’m here for a special reason, Sweetie Belle.” The younger alicorn explained leaving the filly curious of why. “Because I couldn’t help but overhear your frustrations with your older sister from earlier yesterday.” Before Sweetie could get a word, Twilight continued with a raised hoof because she wasn’t done speaking while she approached her and knelled to her eye level. “And believe me when I tell you we understand what you’re going through, Sweetie Belle.”
“Indeed.” Luna nodded in response before moving to do the same while placing a gentle hoof on her chin. “For I too have a sister who often shines more brightly than me, and with this, I have struggled.”
Sweetie smiled before the two alicorns move to fly backwards fading into the moon behind them. “Wait, come back!” She cried and ran after them. “Luna? Twilight? Can you both hear me? Thank you for what you two did!” She then realized from her running across the stage she ended up walking over mid-air above them causing her to tumble down an endless flight of them. “Help, Luna! Twilight! Luuuna! Twiiilllight!”
After tumbling down a seemingly endless flight of stairs, she finally came to a stop when she crashed into a wall of a very familiar place upon looking down the stairs to see a group of fillies all cheering in excitement while gathering in front of Rarity inside the fully decorated living room.
Upon seeing the sight just when both princesses fade into the scene right behind Sweetie Belle was she able to recognize what was going on, or what had happened back then.
“I remember this. This is my fifth birthday party!” She ran up to where her past self is getting herself pampered up for her big day. “I decided to make a grand entrance. I made myself all beautiful, just like my big sister.” She was dressed up in a long blue dress with a pink collar and skirt hanging from the end while wearing pink slippers to go with it. While walking out of her room she ended up falling face-first into the floor before resuming her walk outside of her room. “Finally, I was perfect, and then went to the stairs to enter like the belle of the ball. When I finally came out of my room, I found the party going on without me. And I kept posing at the top of the stairs, waiting to be noticed, but all I heard was...” Her past self moved to pose like she did back then only hear and see instead.
“These party favors are the coolest!” One filly remarked while blowing into a party blower.
“Awesome! Where did you get these?” Another filly added in inquiry.
“Made them myself.” She replied while holding up a slice of cake. “And of course, you'll all want cake, won't you?”
All of the foals cheered hearing this.
“You're the greatest, Rarity!”
“Who needs a birthday girl when you've got the birthday girl's amazing big sister?”
Sadly, Sweetie was left tearing up before retreating to her room so she can cry on her bed.
“That's when I learned 'never try to shine with my big sister around'.” Sweetie shared with the two alicorns standing beside her watching the flashback itself.
“But perhaps you didn't have the whole story.” Luna advised.
“I thought you said you understood?”
“We do but there are some things that have to seen before jumping to conclusions.” Twilight added.
“Like what?”
“Just wait and see?” Twilight turned to Luna who nodded before the latter stomped her hoof on the ground.
“Twilight? Luna?”
Before she knows it she finds herself facing the living room just a minute ago to where the fillies are all bored instead of excited. Since the birthday girl isn’t around, they were instead all resting their hooves and bodies on the table and couch while trying to be patient about it.
“Where's Sweetie Belle?” One the fillies asked.
“I'm sure she'll be along in any moment.” Her older sister assured.
“I'm tired of waiting.” Another pony yawned before leaping off of the couch. “I say we get out of here before we all keel over from boredom. Who's with me?” The others nodded before following suit. “Poor Sweetie Belle. Nopony's gonna come to another one of her parties after this fiasco.”
Rarity seeing this couldn’t see to it that her little sister’s fifth birthday party goes up in smoke so she quickly intercepted them by blocking the front door.
“Don't go! You'll miss out on the, uh, party favors!” She presented said box of items she had already prepared. “I was going to save them 'til the end, but...” She hands them the favors anyways, and it actually perked their interests up a notch by the time Sweetie’s past self approaches the top of the steps.
“These party favors are the coolest!” The first filly remarked.
“Awesome? Where did you get these?” The second filly added.
“Made them myself.” Rarity replied before holding up a slice of cake. “And of course, you'll all want cake, won't you?”
The foals all cheered just when Sweetie’s past self sees what was going on albeit of what she saw.
“Who needs a birthday girl when you've got the birthday girl's amazing big sister?” The third filly commented unknowingly driving Sweetie back to her room in tears.
“Oh, no-no-no.” Rarity quickly corrected. “All of these things were Sweetie Belle's idea. I just assisted with the execution.”
Seeing this had Sweetie realize what was really going on and now feeling pretty regretful with how she handled that back then. “I guess Rarity wasn't trying to steal the spotlight. She was trying to save my party.” She turned to her dream-walking companions but saw they weren’t standing by her side. “Luna? Twilight? Luna! Twilight!” The two had already moved to phase through into the dream realm through the wall.
Sweetie Belle followed after them through a pathway of stars then led them to the edge of a cliff. While both alicorns flew their way down, Sweetie ended up descending into a pool of water. There were dolphins were swimming by along with ponyequins with modeled dresses on them floating upwards.
Clearly, they’re trying to tell her something but what?
The answer to that question was nearing when she descended down to the area of Rarity’s sewing room where the unicorn was hard at work eyeing three familiar dresses.
“Should I hem the cloaks now or wait until I'm there? I could hem them now, but I might have to redo them...” She pondered while going over said dresses in question.
“When was this?” Sweetie asked the two.
They instead remained silent so she can fully find out the answer herself.
“But if I wait until I'm in Canterlot to hem them, Sapphire Shores might not get the best first impression...”
“Wait.” Sweetie realized. “This must've happened earlier tonight!” Twilight nodded in response to confirm she is correct.
“Ooh... Sapphire Shores is such a big star and such a stickler for details. What if everything's not perfect enough?” Past Rarity furthered expressed while Sweetie watches on at the past memory.
“Funny, I thought I was the only one who got worried about stuff like that.” The filly herself commented.
“You’re not the only one.” Twilight whispered to the filly while keeping her eyes on the past memory still playing.
“Oh, buck up, Rarity, stop this foolishness.” Past Rarity resolved. “You've done your best and left nothing to chance! All that's needed now is a good night's rest.”
She moved to settle herself in her bed and placed her sleeping mask before turning out the lights and going to sleep.
Seeing this had her younger sister sighing with sympathy for what she went through just for everything to happen as planned. “I hope everything goes alright for her tomorrow.” She expressed towards both Luna and Twilight.
“Hm. How curious you should say that.” Luna voiced giving her the vibe that should everything go on as is, that it may not. Furthermore, when the door to another vision opening up for the filly to see with Twilight gesturing her head towards the door’s direction ushering her to go through it. “Go. Go see what the future holds if you fail to rein in your worst instincts, as Twilight and I once did.”
Next thing she knows she is shown a visual of the future where Rarity’s greatest work thus far is presented to Sapphire Shores alongside his keen sighted assistant. Yet about to discover the potential consequences of a particular action she took against her while she was asleep.
“And here it is! The crème de la crème--“ Rarity began to which had Sweetie remembering the unstitching job she did just earlier.
“Noooo!” She screamed in vain while stuck to the floor by dream magic along with this memory is something that will happen as it stands.
“The piéce de resistance...”
“Don't!”
All of the backup dancers all awed at the completed work as it is saddled on Sapphire’s head but because of Sweetie’s sabotage it instantly fell apart.
“Hapana!” Ono exclaimed.
“The headdress!” Rarity gasped as Sapphire frowned when even the gold headpieces fell off of her head.
“Looks like I made a mistake here.”
“But, but this is impossible!” Rarity expressed while on her knees holding parts of the fallen apart fabric and unable to comprehend how it happened. “I, I, I checked and rechecked everything! This couldn't have happened!”
Sapphire wasn’t convinced or sympathetic towards her thinking she is really playing a joke on her. “You sure about that, honey?”
“Yes!” Ono desperately exclaimed while eyeing that the stitching that was supposed to hold it together somehow wasn’t done even though he had saw that Rarity did indeed do it the night before.
“Please, you must believe me!” Rarity added.
“Listen to my sister!” Sweetie further voiced even though nopony can hear her.
Alas their pleas fell on deaf ears with the unicorn now met with laughter of ridicule alongside the egret who has now fainted in shock feeling overwhelmed by the sheer embarrassment of what happened and Rarity herself crying in humiliation.
“I don't wanna see any more!” Sweetie screamed before running away from the scene in horror before finding herself running up and sliding down and off of Rarity’s curly mane, just overhead of Ono’s equally large head and into another Rarity’s mouth. Once inside, she ended up grabbing onto the uvula before slipping and falling into the mess of future visions as a result of Rarity and Ono’s fallout.
Next thing she knows she is finding herself seeing more future visions as a result of the consequences of her thread-pulling sabotage.
“Always check and recheck!” Rarity frantically said to herself while driving herself into sewing non-stop with tired eyes and slightly disheveled hair.
“Who all wants to hear a funny story about my ex-costume designer and her partner who is by the way the former Lion Guard’s Keenest of Sight?” Sapphire Shores told the crowd who all laughed when she recalls the memory of the delicate headpiece falling apart that day accompanied with images of the two appearing on the big screen overhead.
“Check, recheck, recheck, then recheck!”
At this point Sweetie can’t take seeing this bad future that is in store for her anymore. “Make it stop! Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, can you hear me?!”
“Make me a dress, Rarity, please?” Future Fluttershy kindly asked of her while knocking on her door.
Rarity answered the door but with only this to say in response to her request. “Go away! You know I don't do that anymore!” She slammed the door before holing herself up back in her frantic spiraling despair leaving Fluttershy shielding herself and curled up out of fear of retribution of her now unstable friend looking on inside the dark room of her out of business shop that now has cobwebs and spiders as she has now given up her life passion.
Along with that Beshte is trying his best efforts in helping Ono through his similar funk. “Ono! Ono! Come on buddy, it was just a bit of bad luck, really!”
“Are you kidding me?!” Ono exclaimed right in his face with tired, twitchy, and frustrated eyes similar to Rarity’s. “You call nearly driving a herd of rhino’s off the cliff without their tickbird’s to guide and being unable to think straight after one bit of bad luck, okay?!”
“No!” Beshte innocently stated to assure that wasn’t his intent when he said it like that to no avail when the egret flew away in a huff. “Ono!”
“Wake me up, Princess Luna, wake me up, wake me uuuup!” Sweetie screamed before finally being able to wake up from what she had just experienced.
She was left deeply gasping and sweating from the nightmare before quickly rushing over to her sister’s room in an attempt to stop this bad future before it happens.
“Rarity?” She gasped when she saw she wasn’t there along with all of her costumes including the headdress. “Oh no! The box is... gone?” All that remained on the floor was leftover pieces from last night’s sewing work. “I'm too late! She left for Canterlot!”
So without second thought she quickly made her way to the train station and then boarded the next train to Canterlot accompanied by her Crusader friends and Lion Guard fan club friends. There, she explained her plan to them all.
“The key is for you two to distract Rarity long enough for me to put the stitch back in without her noticing and the five of you to watch over our progress while keeping Rarity away from me as long as you can.”
“Hopefully we’ll be able to get this done before it’s too late.” Kwato expressed feeling the pressure already.
“If we're not too late already.” Scootaloo corrected.
“Right if we’re not too late.” The zebra then repeated with this correction in light.
“I’d sure hate to say the look on Rarity and Ono’s faces should that happen.” Kambuni expressed already dreading the idea of their friends and idols falling into such despair.
Apple Bloom however had a different mindset heading into Canterlot. Particularly… “Oh, my gosh! I can't believe we're goin' to see Sapphire Shores! I'm such a huge fan! I know all her songs!”
“'Get Your Pony On'!” Scootaloo cited.
“Ooh, that's one of my favorites!” Apple Bloom expressed with glee.
“Mine too.”
“Mine three.”
Both the mongoose and baboon shared likewise.
“Guys!”
“Girls!”
Both Mtoto and Sweetie Belle scolded with the latter having remind them what’s at stake here.
“This isn't a trip to see Sapphire Shores! It's a trip to save my sister from a horrible future!”
“'Serves Her Right'!” Scootaloo stated without second thought leading to Sweetie Belle and Kambuni gasping in horror that she would say that.
“How can you say that?!”
“Rarity doesn't deserve that at all!” Kambuni chastised her friend with equal shock in her tone of voice.
“No, 'Serves Her Right' is another one of Sapphire Shores' songs!” Scootaloo corrected.
“You seriously didn't know that? Don't you listen to her music?!” The farm filly questioned her unicorn friend.
“...I prefer show tunes.” Sweetie sheepishly admitted.
“Ugh.” Both Crusaders groaned in response.
Clearly, they’re going to have to get her more accustomed to her music one day.
Elsewhere, Sapphire Shores and crew are all performing their rehearsal routine in front of both Rarity and Ono with all of their new costumes right beside them.
“Five, six, seven eight, ba-bam!” Sapphire sang just when the routine came to an end.
“Oh, bravo! Fabulous! Magnifique!” Rarity clapped thoroughly impressed.
“Yeah!” Ono agreed. “Incroyable! Etonnant! Epoustouflante!”
Feeling very pleased with their compliments and praise turned to her backup dancers ready to give them another showing of their performance.
“One more time, from the top.” She then gently implored of that. “Let's not embarrass me in front of my favorite designer this time?” She turns back to the two with a wink. “And a-one, two, three, four!”
Just outside of the building is a large gray-coated stallion guarding the front entrance. He has a blue mustache, currently wearing a formal bouncer outfit, a white shirt with a blue tie, black jacket, along with black sunglasses and a single earbud in his right ear so he can listen music from.
“But you have to let us in! I'm Sapphire Shores' designer's sister! You have to believe us!” The little unicorn pleaded.
As much as he hears her out, he still is obliged to do his job. “Kid, the only thing I have to do is make sure Sapphire Shores doesn't get interrupted all day by fans like you.”
“But I'm not a fan!” Sweetie innocently protested.
“Neither are any of us!” Mtoto added while he, Kwato, and Kambuni shake their heads alongside him.
The others however blindly stated.
“I am!”
“Me too!”
“Me three!”
“Me four!”
“Not helping!” Sweetie scolded with gritted teeth along with the guard’s heavy glare.
By then, the performance inside had came to an end leaving the backup dancers panting from exhaustion of their hard work in pleasing Sapphire who likewise is indeed very pleased with their execution this time around.
“Now, that's how I like it! You rocked it, girls!” She complimented. “Get some water and be back in ten.” They all move to do so while still panting before turning back to their guests. “Rar-i-ty, O-n-o, come on up here and show me what you brought me. Sapphire wants to see it and to love it!”
Back outside, the kids have all moved to try to get in through the side window by forming a tower to get themselves up there. With the Pride Lander’s help they were able to manage to get most of the crew inside. All expect for the Cutie Mark Crusaders with Scootaloo just barely reaching the open window just ahead of him.
“Almost...”
She tried flapping her little wings to try to reach the window with no luck causing the three fillies and elephant holding them up to come down crashing on top of each other.
“We've gotta get in there, now!” Sweetie stated urgently while the kids already inside quickly move to create a distraction to keep Ono away from Sapphire Shores and Rarity.
“How?” Mtoto asked. “The window’s too high for us to reach it with us alone!”
“Maybe so…” Sweetie agreed before eyeing the rope of banners with flags just above them before smiling back at her friends. “…but there is another way just within our reach.”
Back inside, Ono heard something from the nearby windows but before he could get a closer look, Gumba quickly tapped him on the forehead to get his attention. He turned and was left surprised with his sudden appearance before he jumped onto him to force down to the ground where Shauku caught and hoisted him away from the scene without another sound.
With no one else in the room wise to what had just happened, Sapphire Shores continued seeing and admiring Rarity and Ono’s presented work for her backup singers.
“Okay then. Liking what I see so far. So is this the whole shebang?”
“Actually, I saved the best for last!” Rarity shared.
“And it is set to be the most stunning piece of work so far!” Ono added just when the fashionista moved to retrieve the fragile headpiece.
Just outside, both Apple Bloom and Mtoto worked together to form one big body while hanging onto the rope by using their trunk and tail planning to perform a zip-line ride inside.
“Hang on!” Mtoto warned the girls as they both climbed onto his body just when Rarity opens the box inside.
“And here it is!”
At that moment the four zip-lined their way towards the window while screaming. In the process they all hit the window with Mtoto’s weight accidentally cracking the glass upon impact and luckily managing to force Sweetie Belle inside allowing her to intercept the boxed headpiece away from her sister before she could even touch it.
“You gotta see this with the cinnamon ribbon! You'll love it!” Sweetie exclaimed while running off ahead.
“Sweetie Belle?!” Rarity exclaimed in surprise upon seeing her here.
“You know her?” Sapphire asked.
“Uh...” She laughed nervously in response before politely excusing herself to save face. “Ahem. Just a moment!”
By the time she turned the corner and found her sister, she had just let the rest of her friends inside the back door and left with no time to chat before they all sprinted away with the grown up unicorn in pursuit of the headdress.
Upon seeing that she is gaining them, Sweetie tossed the box to Scootaloo who likewise tossed it to Mtoto who quickly slid his way down the nearby set of stairs before bouncing the box to Apple Bloom while he crashed into the nearby wall. Apple Bloom moved to run as long as she can before tossing back down to Sweetie Belle just before Rarity could reach the box. At this point Rarity was now increasingly agitated with this keep away game against with her career on the line before moving to try to pursue her and get that headpiece back.
By then, Sweetie Belle found an open room for her to retreat to while closing the door after her to ensure that her older sister didn’t spot her running in there and at least long enough so she can do the re-stitching job. But to her surprise she wasn’t alone since she found herself face to face with both Princess Luna and Princess Twilight standing before both smiling very proudly at taking the right course of action.
“Oh, good! This is just a dream!” Sweetie expressed out loud thinking this is the case.
Twilight giggled in response. “Oh Sweetie Belle, you sure are a silly filly.” She then adopted a slightly more serious expression when she added. “But all joking aside, you are actually not dreaming this.”
“This is very much real.” Luna added.
Sweetie sighed heavily at the emotional pain she has caused herself and her sister. “Oh, Luna, Twilight... I wish none of this ever happened...What am I gonna do?”
“Believe me when I tell you from my time following Scar’s paw prints that I too wish the same thing.” Twilight sympathized with the distraught filly. “But aside from that, all we can do now is move forward and be the better ponies inside by beginning with this.” She then levitated a needle and a spool of pink thread for her to work with.
“And I think I know how you can even improve it.” Luna added while she used her magic to open the box and carefully levitate the headpiece in place so Sweetie can make the necessary stitching to ensure that it won’t fall apart.
Once the job was done, the headdress was placed back inside it’s box with the unicorn moving to exit the room. At that moment, a now irritated Rarity managed to spot her just as she turned the corner and is now expecting a very good explanation for her behavior.
“I would like to know what in the wide, wide realm of Equestria this stunt of yours is all about, and I want to know now!” She sternly demanded. “Do you have any idea how important this job is to me?”
She sure is expecting a good explanation for this, and Sweetie wasted no time in giving her exactly that. “Actually, I do.” Rarity was surprised to hear that come out of her mouth. “I was upset at you for stealing the spotlight from me at the play, so I pulled out the center stitch to the headpiece so it would fall apart.”
Rarity could not believe her ears. “What?!”
“But then I realized I didn't want your future to be ruined forever and ever, so I came back to change it before it was too late!” She further explained when Rarity glares at her once more. “So... here it is. It's all fixed.” She moved to bump the box off of her back and onto the ground in front of her older sister. “Please forgive me.” She pleaded with a nervous grin and lowered ears.
Rarity moved to examine the headdress before noticing one outstanding feature on it that caught her attention. “Wait... what is this?”
“Trust me. Sapphire Shores is gonna love it.“ Sweetie assured her sister who placed it back inside the box clearly trusting her judgement before making their way back over to said pony who is now frowning on the chaos that had just transpired along with Ono’s who stink eye is directed the Lion Guard fan club for literally bird-napping him and keeping him away from Sapphire Shores.
Once this is all over, he’ll make sure to give the kids a good chewing out for their behavior.
“Rarity, this isn't going to work out. You don't get to my level of success without learning to read the signs, and this situation has bad luck written all over it.” Sapphire expressed her displeasure of the distraction her sister had created.
“I promise you'll absolutely adore the headdress as soon as you see it.” Rarity quickly reassured before levitating her crowning work of art onto her head along with levitating a mirror in front of her so she can see her own reflection.
After a few seconds, Sapphire started to change her tone. “My, it is attractive, but...”
“Look at the stitching, real close.” Sweetie pointed her in the direction of where the designated sapphire blue eye is. In its place was a pink-outlined dolphin shape.
“What the…” Ono began before being cut off by the sound of a dolphin making noise which was really Shauku and Gumba accidentally turning on the radio uttering that noise at that moment.
“Sorry!” They both stated before he turned his attention back to the changed detail Sweetie made while fixing the headdress.
“Well, I'll be. It's a dolphin! That's my lucky animal! They swim with me in my dreams.” Sapphire expressed now mildly impressed.
“Wherever did you come up with the idea for a dolphin?” Rarity curiously asked her younger sister.
“Oh, it just came to me... in a dream.” Sweetie said with a slight shrug before glancing at both Twilight and Luna watching on just outside of the room. During that brief moment the three exchange small nods before the young filly turned back to her sister in shame for what almost happened because of her blind moment of anger. “I'm sorry I got jealous about those dresses. I know now that you were only trying to help.”
With everything all working out in the end, Rarity accepted her apology. “Oh, Sweetie, I forgive you! But I never did get to see your play. Any chance I could catch an encore performance?”
“Uh, I don't think the play went all that good.” Sweetie admitted with a slight blush. “To be honest, the costumes were the best part.”
Rarity was very touched before the two sisters share a heartwarming hug together. “Awww!”
All while both Twilight and Luna watch on from just outside where they both feel satisfied with ensuring a stable sibling bond with small smiles feeling very proud of the filly for having just learned a very valuable lesson.
“Glad to hear…” Twilight whispered in the two sister’s direction before she and Luna moved to walk out through the back door and on back towards the Canterlot Castle on hoof.
“And a good thing you came to me about this right away.” Luna commended the younger alicorn while walking side by side through the town’s streets.
“Well, it was the least I could do.” She replied trying not to think too much about it. “Better that seeing that she goes through the same experience I did.”
“I know this is hard for you, Twilight Sparkle but rest assure you that will rise stronger than before and emerge as a better pony in the end.” The night monarch assured. “And together we will end this nightmare we both created and ensure that Scar is forever condemned for his crimes against us.”
“But how?” Twilight felt tempted to ask still unsure if that’s even possible.
“Soon you will find the answer you are deeply searching for as much as I am. Soon.” She gently advised as they continued their walk back over to the castle unaware that Scar himself is secretly monitoring them while at the same time doing the same for the other princesses. The two princesses were both meeting with delegates in separate kingdoms. With his eyes locked on more on the Princess of Love’s kingdom, he is set to ensure that more of his enemies are further cornered in the heart of Equestria. All he needs now is one more thing which requires all four alicorns to unknowingly play along with one more plan before he enacts it…