//------------------------------// // The More Things Change // Story: Three Hundred and Fifty // by Void Chicken //------------------------------// The door to Sweetie Belle's room opened. The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon outside, shining its light against the closed curtain. "Sweetie Belle, time to get up!" Twilight's voice was far too cheerful for the time of morning. Sweetie Belle grumbled and rolled over. "Come on, Sweetie Belle, aren't you excited for your first day of school?" She looked at the wall. "No." Twilight took a step closer. "Don't you want to meet new classmates?" "No." "Do... you want to learn about everything we've discovered in the last three centuries?" "No!" "Do you want your bed to remain level?" "No—what?" Sweetie Belle's bed tipped sideways, sending a pile of blankets and a filly to the floor. She flailed around in the mess of fabric before surfacing. "Oh good, you're up!" Twilight smiled. "We're having scrambled eggs and french toast for breakfast. Come pour your juice." Sweetie Belle descended the stairs, yawning and grumbling her whole way down. The smell of eggs and french toast met her at the bottom. She fetched a cup, then plodded to the refrigerator, pulling out the carton of juice. Sweetie attempted to levitate the carton to pour, but she was too tired to do more than sputter some sparks at it. She resorted to using her mouth, then sat down at the table. "Why do I have to go to school anyway?" "To learn like everypony else, of course." Twilight levitated Sweetie's breakfast to the table in front of her. "Aw, isn't there some funny helmet I can put on or a spell you can zap me with to stick all that learning in my head instead?" Sweetie took a bite and began to chew. Twilight sat down with her own breakfast. "No, Sweetie, the only way to get an education is still to go to school. But it'll be a good way to meet foals your age; just keep in mind we'll be heading home soon." Twilight looked down to take a bite. Sweetie Belle shook her head. "If you say so, Twi—I mean Mom." She continued to eat. "If you keep calling me 'Mom,' I'm going to start actually thinking of you as my daughter," Twilight said with a chuckle. Sweetie Belle ate slowly, lost in thought. Eventually, she said softly, "And I'll think of you as my mother." Twilight looked up from her meal. "I'm sorry Sweetie, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" "I said... well... I just want to call you Mom, okay?" Twilight smiled and nodded. "If it'll make you feel better. Now finish eating so you can get ready for school." --- Sweetie Belle's half-lidded eyes watched the clipboard and quill hovering in front of Twilight. "Have you eaten your breakfast?" the mare said. Sweetie sighed. "You saw me eat it, Twi—Mom." Twilight checked a box. "Taken your heart pill?" "Yes, Mom." "Brushed your teeth?" "Yes, Mom." "Combed your mane?" "Yes, Mom." "Packed your lunch?" "Yes, Mom." "Well, I think you're about ready to—oh my gosh, I forgot the time. You spent much longer getting ready than I'd allotted for. I don't think you have enough time to walk to school before it starts." Sweetie turned to the stairs leading to her room and began to prance towards them. "Oh well, I'll just have to skip the first—" Everything became purple. Sweetie Belle then found herself standing outside of a schoolhouse. "Twiiiliiight!" --- Sweetie Belle stood in front of a class of about twenty foals, most of which were unicorns. The teacher, a green unicorn with a light blue mane, addressed the class. "Good morning, everypony! I hope you all have had a fun summer vacation. Most of you had me as your teacher last year, but for those of you who are new, my name is Miss Chalk Dust. I look forward to working with you all." This was met by assorted grumbling and moaning. Chalk Dust went on, "But first, let's all welcome a filly who moved to Canterlot a few months ago. She's an exchange student from Tailvalu, one of Equestria's smaller colonies across the ocean. Let's all give a warm welcome to Sweetie Belle." There was as much of a warm welcome as Sweetie Belle expected from a group of foals on the first day of school. She averted her eyes from the class. "Um, my name is Sweetie Belle, I moved here from where she said to get my heart fixed. My Mom works for the Princess, so I'll be... living here in Canterlot from now on. And... that's all." Sweetie Belle shuffled towards an empty seat and sat down. Miss Dust started, "We'll be starting with history today. Now, I hope you've all read your assignments over the summer. And like I said before you all left, I'm giving extra credit to anypony who visited one of the war memorials and can turn in an essay about your experience there. "But first, let us have a refresher. Sweetie Belle, I'm not sure how much you've learned in Tailvalu, but I'm sure you can tell us something about President Blackbeak." Sweetie's face blanked. She had never heard that name before in her life. "Um... she was... a president... and uh... I..." A unicorn filly in the back raised her forehoof. Miss Dust looked over to her. "Yes, Pretty Penny?" Pretty Penny stood up. "Mister Blackbeak was the general in charge of the Loyalist forces in the Griffon Civil War. He personally led the charge in the Battle of Bluefeather's Pass, where he routed the rebel forces. And General Blackbeak was later elected as the first president of the re-unified Griffonia." She looked at Sweetie Belle. "Any school-filly knows that." "Thank you, Pretty Penny, although that last part was uncalled for." Sweetie Belle groaned and put her head in her hooves. This was going to be a long day. --- Sweetie sat at the edge of the playground, eating her lunch and gazing up the mountainside at the castle above. Names and events swam around her head. Generals, battles, spell developments, lunar colonization attempts, nations rising and falling. All things that should have happened after she was dead. Which, Sweetie supposed, she technically was. Sweetie Belle closed her eyes. "Friends and family, "Smiles and laughter, "They're so far behind me. "But I'll never forget "The times that we shared, "Since memories are now "As close to my home "As I'll ever get." Sweetie hummed a few more bars before she heard hoofsteps and whispering behind her. "Did you hear that? That was beautiful." "Let's ask her." "Go ask her, then." "I asked the last one; it's your turn." Sweetie opened her eyes and turned to see a new pair of ponies: a unicorn colt and an earth filly. "Ask me what?" The colt approached her. "Well, you see uh, we were just passing by, you know, and we just so happened to overhear—" The filly sighed and pushed her friend out of the way. "What Spot Light is trying to say is that we're forming a foals' theatre group, and we could use a female lead for our musical numbers." She pushed an orange strand of hair out of her face. "And you have an awesome singing voice. I'm Apple Crisp, what's your name?" "Sweetie Belle. But... you want me to sing? Like, in front of a crowd?" She shifted backwards. "I-I couldn't. Wait." She looked at the pale yellow filly. "Your name's Apple Crisp? As in, the Apple Family?" Apple Crisp rolled her dark blue eyes. "Ugh. Yes, I'm an Apple. Yes, I've been inside one of the magiponic bays. No, I don't know how they work. No, I can't get you free food." Sweetie raised a foreleg. "No no no! I didn't mean anything like that. I just... I knew an Apple. She was a very good friend of mine. She's... gone now." She looked down. "Oh. Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Um, see you around then." Apple Crisp turned to leave. Sweetie Belle's eyes stayed on the ground, moving back and forth. She looked up. "Wait. I wouldn't mind hanging out with you sometime. But I'm not saying I'll sing for you, all right?" "Cool, let's meet up after school." She walked away with Spot Light, whom she elbowed in the ribs. "Told you we'd find a singer." "You think so?" he replied. The school bell rang out, summoning the foals back to several more hours of boredom. --- Sweetie Belle left the schoolhouse, feeling stupider than when she had entered. Outside, many of the foals began their walks home, while the more well-to-do had carriages waiting for them on the street. Many foals had parents standing around waiting to pick them up instead. Upon scanning the crowd, Sweetie discovered that she was among them. "Sweetie Belle!" Twilight said, approaching her. "How was your first day of school?" Sweetie gagged. "I have all this new history to learn and it stinks. And now I have to write five hundred words on why Equestria fought in the Griffon Civil War. Hey Mom, do you think you can get me an interview with Princess Celestia? Tonight? I bet I'd get extra credit if I got the answer from her." "I think your teacher would prefer that you use your textbooks." Twilight looked towards the road. "Are you ready to head home?" "Actually, I was going to hang out with a couple of ponies I met at lunch. In fact..." Sweetie looked around. "There they are! Apple Crisp! Over here!" Sweetie waved the filly and colt over. "Mom, this is Apple Crisp and, uh, Spot Light! That was it!" Apple Crisp looked at Twilight. "Hey. You're the Princess's new High Magician, aren't you? Didn't know you had a kid. Nice to meet you." Spot Light bowed and avoided Twilight's gaze. "P-pleasure to meet you... M-M-Magician Sparkle," he stuttered. Twilight grinned and raised a hoof. "You don't have to act like that or anything. Outside of the castle, I'm just Sweetie Belle's mother." She tousled Sweetie's mane. Sweetie disengaged from Twilight's hoof. "Anyways, I'm going to have fun with Apple Crisp and Spot Light for the afternoon." "I suppose if I'm going to be a responsible mother, I should ask where you're going to be." Apple Crisp tossed her head towards downtown. "We're just heading to the C. About four blocks east from here. I'm going to show Sweetie Belle around the place, see if she's interested in joining up with the Proper Pony Performers. Working title." "That sounds like a great idea, Sweetie Belle. It'll be great for you to be able to play with foals your own age again. I'll come by at sunset if you're not home by then. I don't want you to be wandering Canterlot alone at night." "Yes, Mom. Come on, Apple Crisp and Spot Light, let's go see what you wanted to show me." The three foals ran off. Twilight looked towards the school house. "I wonder if I should study a little history myself. Or would that risk a paradox when I got back?" She scratched her chin. --- A few minutes' walk brought the trio to the complex. When they rounded the corner, Sweetie Belle froze. There were many brick buildings around the complex, some with chimneys, most without. All had windows of varying sizes. Some were small, others very large. Stone pathways ran between them, with neatly-trimmed grass filling out the area. To one side, the fields for various sports sat, with foals using one to play some game. On the other was a simple, yet sizable playground. On the far end, Sweetie could see something mechanical, although she couldn't identify it at that distance. But what captivated her was the sign at the front. It was of a blue shield with a yellow silhouette of a filly superimposed on it. The text underneath read: "The Cutie Mark Crusaders". Sweetie just stared at the sign, at the logo she herself had designed centuries before. "It's... it's..." Apple Crisp walked in front of the sign. "What, you've never heard of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? They're this big organization that's all over Equestria. They set up complexes like this one, filled with all sorts of stuff. If a foal thinks she can find her special talent, the Crusaders are there to help. Like the science building over there." She pointed at a modestly-sized building with multiple chimneys and small windows. "Most foals don't have access to microscopes and potions and fancy magic crystals and unicorn amulets; just can't afford that stuff, you know? So somepony comes here, gets to use the Crusaders' equipment, and maybe she gets to walk away with a cutie mark in science." Sweetie looked at the buildings, mouth agape while Apple Crisp went on: "There's the science building, the art building, the carpentry building, the mechanic building—they have an old train back there—the hoofball field, the big pool... But the place I want to show you is the theatre." Apple Crisp and Spot Light led Sweetie Belle past the buildings. Sweetie looked around in wonder at what her club had created. Foals fresh out of school filtered into the buildings to seek their talents. The trio approached an open area with a small amphitheatre at one end. Sweetie walked on autopilot, marvelling at the complex. Soon, they reached the building attached to the theatre. Sweetie Belle stood just outside the doorway. She placed her hoof on the brickwork, feeling its texture. "Hey Sweetie Belle!" Apple Crisp called from within. "You coming?" Sweetie snapped out of her reverie. "Huh? Oh, yeah!" She trotted inside, where she found a small congregation of foals and one grown mare. "Girls, guys, this is Sweetie Belle. She's considering becoming our female lead singer. Great set of pipes on her. Sweetie Belle, this is Miss Wingnut," Apple Crisp said, motioning to the adult. "She keeps us out of trouble and handles all the boring grown-up stuff. I'm the director, naturally. Spot Light is our lighting colt—he does amazing things with color..." Apple Crisp went around, introducing the rest of the cast. At the end of the introductions, Wingnut kneeled in front of Sweetie. "Hello, Sweetie Belle. You're interested in becoming a singer?' Sweetie Belle looked around. "Well... Apple Crisp overheard me singing and wanted me to come by. I don't know if I want to sing for anypony though." Wingnut smiled. "I'm pretty familiar with Apple Crisp's recruitment style. But she knows what she's doing most of the time. If she doesn't get her cutie mark in directing, she could well get it for talent scouting. Do you mind letting me hear? How about letting us hear a few lines?" Wingnut picked up a sheet of paper from a nearby table and set it down in front of Sweetie Belle. "I guess I could try..." Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. "Hold it!" Apple Crisp shouted. She pointed at her friend. "Spot Light! Give me a lavender!" Spot Light nodded and trotted to the table, where he procured a pegasus amulet. He took to the air, flying up towards the rafters. His horn flared and the curtains closed, sending the room into darkness. A beam shone down from the colt's horn onto Sweetie Belle, illuminating her in a soft pool of light. Sweetie Belle stood in the glow, her mind catching up to what had just happened. "Um..." "It's all right," Wingnut's voice said, just beyond the edge of the darkness. "She likes to do that. Just go ahead and sing." Sweetie Belle read the page, swallowed, then cleared her throat again. "Everything..." Her voice faltered. She took a breath. "Everything changes, old things are gone, "As much as we may try, time always marches on." "Lights up!" Apple Crisp commanded. The dark curtains opened, again flooding the room with light. She turned to the assembled cast. "You hear that? Beautiful! We've got to get some of that on the stage!" The crowd murmured general sounds of approval, interspersed with light applause. Sweetie Belle turned red. "That was very nice, Sweetie Belle," Wingnut told her. "You have a lovely voice." Apple Crisp pranced over to Sweetie Belle and hooked her foreleg around the unicorn's neck. "Lemme show ya the script we got going. It's called The Hybrids. It's about this powerful unicorn and her friend who find themselves turning into these vicious monsters and have to find a way to undo their curse before it's too late..." --- Twilight Sparkle wandered through the Cutie Mark Crusaders complex after dark. Soft lights on the sides of the buildings lit up the path. Coming to another intersection, Twilight looked left and right. "I wish Apple Crisp had told me where in this place she had taken Sweetie Belle. Knowing her, she could have gone looking for her cutie mark anywhere in here." Twilight scratched her chin. "Wait... didn't she say something about performing? I should look for any performance arts buildings." Fifteen minutes more of searching brought Twilight to a door. She slowly opened it and stuck her head in. "Pardon me, but I'm looking for my daughter, Sweetie Belle. Has she come in here?" A mare walked up to her. "Sweetie Belle? Yes, she's here." She called into the room, "Sweetie Belle, your mother's here! I'm Miss Wingnut, by the way, one of the Crusaders' volunteers." "Twilight Sparkle. It's a pleasure to meet you. If you can indulge my curiosity, I'd like to know more about the Cutie Mark Crusaders; for instance, how they are funded." "Of course. The Crusaders run mainly on volunteer effort and donations of money and equipment, mostly from alumni, but the government gives them subsidies and tax breaks as well. For instance, I grew up in a rather poor part of Canterlot. If it hadn't been for the Crusaders, I might never have discovered my talent was crafting machinery." She indicated her flank, which bore two interlocking gears. "So I give back by helping the next generation find theirs. My first love is my machines, but plays have always held a soft spot for me, so I signed up to oversee these little rascals." Twilight looked at Wingnut. "So ponies find their talents with the Crusaders, then when they grow up they help the organization that helped them. Sweetie Belle must be so proud!" "Speaking of..." Wingnut turned back towards the room. "Sweetie Belle! Your mother's been waiting for you!" Sweetie Belle walked up to the two mares. "I heard you the first time; I was getting out of that costume. Hi, Mom. Here already?" "It's time for you to be headed home. You have homework, if I remember correctly. But the sooner you finish with it, the sooner we can have some more practice with your magic." Twilight smiled. Sweetie Belle thought about what would happen if she said no. "Oh, all right." She began to walk outside. Apple Crisp ran up behind her. "Hey Sweetie Belle! You coming back tomorrow?" Sweetie Belle looked into Apple Crisp's eyes, then up at the building and around at the Cutie Mark Crusaders' complex. "Yeah, I think I will."