“…Angel, angel, wherever you are,
Look to the sky and we’ll see the same stars,
Angel, angel, you’re loved and you’re missed,
If I had wings, I’d grant you one last kiss,”
Sweetie Belle was singing passionately into the microphone, all the while smiling in Twilight’s direction. Meanwhile, tears were streaming down Twilight’s face. Her emotions were brought on from a variety of factors: nopony else seemed to know the song, Sweetie Belle had dedicated the song to her, but mostly because it was a song about death. From these three things, Twilight could conclude that Sweetie had written this one herself.
“Innocence ignored, new paths defined,
Angel, angel, you left us all behind,
Life isn’t fair, but neither is death,
Nopony was there to see your last breath,
But, angel, one day…
One daaaaay!”
Sweetie Belle fell into a stunning fermata that caused the crowd to applaud and scream their appreciation. Sweetie Belle finished the note and paused for a moment. Her next words weren’t sung, but spoken in time to the piano.
“One day… I’ll see you again.”
The crowd let out a series of cheers and yells, many of them already requesting different songs. Sweetie Belle put a forehoof to her eyes, and Twilight realized that she’d been crying as well. “Sorry, I just… that song was called “Angel”. It was one of the first songs I wrote when I was still a little blank flank. I’d just lost somepony very close to me - ”
“SING “TRAIN TO CANTERLOT”!” a drunken voice interrupted, prompting the crowd to burst into laughter at the inconsideration. Sweetie Belle smiled sadly, then put on an expression of mock offendedness.
“Aw, c’mon, you don’t wanna hear more of what I wrote when I was little?”
“NO!” The crowd shouted and then immediately laughed.
Sweetie Belle pouted, but her pianist had already begun the introduction to the requested song, causing the crowd to go into hysterics. Sweetie Belle looked back at the black-maned unicorn, and turned her adorable expression on him. “Jaaaazzzyyyy!” she whined, but Jazz Hooves only paused when he’d hit a long note, then gave her a cocky grin before ploughing onward. “Ugh, fiiine. If you guys want this song so badly, you’re gonna have to start it! Ready everypony?!”
“ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR,
WE’RE CANTERLOT BOUND NOW, ALL ABOARD!”
Twilight sniffed and quietly watched as Sweetie Belle joined cheerfully in with the crowd. “I thought it was beautiful…” she murmured, though her thoughts were interrupted by a loud clang and a scent so amazing that she momentarily forgot where she was.
“Here’s your food, ma’am.” Twilight whirled around, her eyes widening as they landed on an absolutely enormous pile of hay fries.
“OhmyCelestiathankyouthankyou,” Twilight managed to get out before diving into the meal. To her hungry body, it was heaven. The nutritional benefits to hay fries were slim to none, but Twilight’s mind was too occupied to care.
She ended up eating the entire plate much too quickly, and her hunger was soon replaced with a dull stomach ache. She suppressed a groan and stole a look at the stage, hoping that Sweetie Belle would keep her promise to take her home early. Now that her belly was filled, she was starting to feel sleepy. Watching the others in the room jumping and dancing and singing and laughing was making her even more tired; she’d never been one for late-night clubbing.
“Whoa, you guys are really good singers!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed into her microphone, causing the crowd to cheer. “I hate to make you stop, but it’s time for my break. Don’t forget about the specials going on tonight! Two dollars off all highballs, and two-for-one jager bombs until twelve!”
Twilight wisely leapt off of her barstool to avoid the massive wave of ponies suddenly coming toward her. She trotted away from the crowd, and curiously looked at the stage. Sweetie Belle seemed to be in an argument with her pianist.
“C’mon Jazzy, I don’t have a choice!” Sweetie Belle whined, her eyes staring pleadingly at Jazz Hooves.
The unicorn pianist, who was ash grey with a black mane and a rather long tail for a stallion, shook his head fervently. “No. No way. I’m not letting you leave early for the third night in a row.”
Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened. “I’m not even drunk this time, though!”
“That’s not the point,” Jazz Hooves groaned, his blue eyes glaring at her through dark-rimmed glasses. “Point is, we need money for rent, and they barely pay anything when it’s only me performing! And rightly so! We’re replaceable, Sweetie, and I’d rather prefer to keep my job!”
Sweetie Belle thrust a hoof in Twilight’s direction, though kept her eyes focused on Jazz Hooves. “She’s all by herself in a scary new world! I’m not making her stay in this stupid place more than she needs to!”
“I’ll take her back home, then. You need to stay here,” Jazz Hooves suggested with a sigh. “You’re the star here, Sweetie, not me.”
Sweetie Belle gaped at him. “No way! I can’t let you do that! Who’s gonna listen to solo vocals?!”
Jazz Hooves chuckled. “You know how to play piano perfectly well, Sweetie Belle.”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “I’m hardly as good as you. That’s, uh, not really the point anyways. Twilight wouldn’t feel comfortable going home with you.”
Jazz Hooves snorted. “What am I going to do? Seduce her?”
Sweetie Belle was becoming increasingly flustered. “Your sexuality has nothing to do with this! You’re a stranger to her!”
Twilight approached and cleared her throat loudly, causing two heads to swivel in her direction. “I’m really sorry you two. I didn’t want to be a bother.” She looked guiltily at the ground.
Sweetie Belle quickly shook her head. “Oh, no, no! That’s fine, I’ll just - ”
“I’ll,” Jazz Hooves interrupted, glaring at Sweetie Belle, “take you back to our home. If that’s alright with you, Ms. Twilight?”
Sweetie Belle gave him a pained look. “Jazzy - ”
“That’s fine.” Twilight nodded. “I don’t want you to get in any trouble because of me, Sweetie Belle.”
Sweetie Belle sighed. “If you’re sure, then I guess it’s okay… just for tonight…”
Jazz Hooves gave a relieved smile, but his expression soon hardened. “Right then, make sure you’re watching your drink, don’t take anything from strangers, don’t - ”
Sweetie Belle waved him off. “I’m not a foal; I’ll be fine. You need to take Twilight home.” She turned to Twilight. “Guess I should formally introduce you… this is Jazz Hooves, he plays piano, although you probably already knew that… we went to school together when we were little foals. You can trust him, I promise.”
Jazz Hooves nodded politely at Twilight, then gave Sweetie Belle a hard look. “Don’t you dare come home drunk. I’ll be asleep.” Jazz Hooves gave his final warning, then smiled. “Good luck, Sweetie.”
Sweetie Belle waved as Twilight followed Jazz Hooves out the door. “Right then, it’s not too far from here. Bit small… you can sleep in Sweetie’s room for the night,” he explained as he expertly dodged out of the way of the oncoming crowd. Twilight had to fight to keep up with him.
“I appreciate you taking me back,” Twilight said, her eyes flicking around as ponies dove in and out of bars. “But, I mean, you don’t have to stay with me. I’ll probably just fall asleep, anyways.”
Jazz Hooves chuckled and glanced back. “You’re absolutely right, but Sweetie Belle’s getting what she deserves… maybe next time she’ll think twice before leaving me alone, hm?”
Twilight smiled for a moment, but her expression fell as soon as he turned around again. “She’s really good, though… she seems to know how to work the crowd.”
“Mhmm, a talented actress, among other things.”
Eventually, the pair came across a small, rather run-down looking complex. Jazz Hooves brought out an identification card and swiped it. The door clicked open, and he held it open for Twilight. “We live just up the set of stairs. It’ll be the first door on your right.”
Twilight followed his directions, and waited as he unlocked his apartment and turned on the lights, which flickered briefly before settling into a dull glow.
It was an unimpressive apartment size-wise, and it was apparent that Rarity did not help them with the décor. The gaudy floral wallpaper did not bode well with the brown carpet, and none of the furniture pieces seemed to be from the same set. The entryway led directly into a mid-sized living room that hosted a small kitchen in the corner, and from there it branched off into what Twilight assumed were two bedrooms and a bathroom.
Jazz Hooves closed the door behind them. “It’s not much, but the rent is low. Sweetie’s room is on the far side; feel free to make yourself at home.”
Twilight took a few cautious steps inside. The floor squeaked under her hooves. “Thank you… but if I take Sweetie’s room, where will she sleep?”
“She can take mine. I’ll sleep on the couch.” He trotted to it and patted it with a grin.
Twilight surveyed him skeptically. “I can take the couch, if that would be easier.”
He shook his head. “It’s alright; I’d rather be in front of this old telly all night anyhow.” The television he was referring to was modern by Twilight’s standards. “We don’t sleep normally in this line of work. Now, I know you’ve already eaten… very impressive, by the way. I’ve never seen anypony eat a plate of fries that quickly.” Twilight blushed and shuffled a hoof in embarrassment. “You must be exhausted, at any rate, so just let me know if you need anything.” He curled himself onto the couch, flicked on the television, and sighed in contentment.
“Okay… well, goodnight. And thank you.” Twilight opened the door to Sweetie’s room. It was an okay size, and exceptionally tidy. It was covered in purple and pink, including the bedspread. A small keyboard and a microphone stand were tucked into the corner, and a full-sized mirror covered with hearts and lipstick kisses stood against the dresser.
Twilight curled herself on top of Sweetie’s covers, feeling that going under them would be intrusive, and was asleep within minutes.
…
“JAZZY!”
Twilight jerked awake and blearily looked around herself. It was still dark, but from the faint moonlight Twilight could tell that she was still by herself. There was a loud thud from the other room, and Twilight flipped herself around to stare at the door.
“JAZZ HOOVES YOU GET OFF OF THIS COUCH RIGHT NOW!” Sweetie Belle’s voice screeched.
There was a drawn-out groan. “Sweetie, you’re drunk.” Jazz Hooves' voice sounded as tired as Twilight felt.
“W-whatever, I wanna sleep on the couch. I wanna be here when Twilight wakes up!” Sweetie’s voice was a bit slurred. “You… you go to bed, you fucking… shit. I’m drunk.”
“Mhmm. Well, you’re home at least. Why do you want to be here when Twilight wakes up, sweetheart?”
“C-cause…” Sweetie hesitated. “I… I forget.”
“Because of your sister, Sweetie?”
“Yeah! I need to take Twilight to see Rarity… do you think… do you think I should warn her cause… cause of…?”
“Let Twilight make her own assumptions, Sweetie. I would warn Rarity, though I doubt you’ll be up to doing that tomorrow morning.”
Sweetie Belle started giggling. “You’re so smart. I’d marry you if you weren’t gay.”
“Mhmm. Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?”
“Um… yes. You’d make a really good husband, I think. Not for me, though.”
“How in Equestria did you make it home… well, no matter, just get some sleep. I’m going to bed. Be quiet as not to wake your friend, though I highly doubt she’s still asleep after all of this.”
“Night Jazzy!” Sweetie Belle chirped as the sound of a creaky door opening and shutting echoed through the apartment.
The house returned to dead silence, and Twilight had no doubts that Sweetie had already fallen asleep. Twilight stared at the ceiling and sighed. She pictured Sweetie Belle in her mind as a tiny, carefree child with so much potential that she had yet to discover.
Twilight never imagined that cute little filly would end up like this. The familiar feeling of guilt flooded through her as she rolled over and tried to get back to sleep.
…
Twilight awoke to several loud knocks. She instinctively started to move toward the door to Sweetie Belle’s bedroom, but she quickly realized that the noise was coming from somewhere else.
“This is the Canterlot Royal Guard. You have twenty seconds to open this door before we take further measures,” a rough, male voice announced.
“Sweetie Belle!” It was Rarity’s voice. Twilight’s heart nearly stopped. “Sweetie Belle, please open the door, this is an emergency!”
Twilight burst out of the room. Sweetie Belle was sitting up on the couch and wincing every time the guards banged on the door. Her mane was a mess and she was squinting toward the door, looking very disoriented by the situation. Jazz Hooves had also peeked his head around his doorframe. His eyes connected briefly with Twilight’s before he walked across the room and opened the door to the apartment.
There were four white royal guards in full armour, two unicorn, two pegasi, and they walked in as soon as the door was opened. Rarity followed them inside, her eyes desperately trying to see around the four stallions in front of her.
“Ma’am, where is your sister?” one of the guards asked.
Rarity’s eyes landed on the couch. “She’s right there… oh, darling, you look awful, I’m so sorry…” The guards moved aside, which allowed Twilight a better look at Rarity. Her mane was shorter, and parted entirely on one side, but it looked dishevelled. Mascara was running down her face, and her eyes were puffy and red.
“S-sis?” Sweetie Belle asked, staring at the newcomers in utter confusion.
“Rarity?” Twilight couldn’t help herself anymore. Rarity’s head whirled around to stare at Twilight, and her mouth dropped open.
“T-Twilight… oh my stars, you boys weren’t lying…”
“Ms. Sparkle,” one of the unicorn guards barked, and Twilight tore her gaze away from Rarity to look at him. “I’m going to have to ask you to come with us.”
Twilight hesitated. Rarity attempted to move closer to her, but the pegasus guards flared their wings and prevented her from moving. “No, please!” Rarity tried to find a way around them, but they held fast. “Please, you don’t understand! Twilight!” she called, her eyes wide and frightened.
“Twilight Sparkle, you have been summoned by Her Highness, Princess Luna. I’m going to have to ask you to follow us,” the other unicorn guard announced.
Twilight took an uncertain step forward. The four guards surveyed her with a hard expression. At the side of the room, Jazz Hooves stood frozen, uncertain on what he should be doing. Rarity had started sobbing, and Sweetie Belle finally stood up. The pegasus guards allowed Sweetie through to comfort her sister, but Rarity was still trying to get to Twilight.
“Twilight!” Rarity cried. “TWILIGHT!”
Twilight turned, but the unicorn guards were quick to block her movement and keep her moving forward.
“Let me through! Please, please don’t leave me!” Rarity begged.
“Rarity, I’ll come back!” Twilight yelled as she was being ushered out the door. “I promise!”
The door slammed shut behind her, and tears were pricking at Twilight’s eyes as well. She stared at the two unicorn guards for further instructions. The guards didn’t say anything, but walked in silence out of the apartment complex. Twilight had no choice but to follow them as they headed back to the castle.