Interlude
Sweetie Belle pranced down the street, her candyfloss mane bouncing in the immaculate curls she maintained with the help of her sister. She smiled at every pony she passed, greeting them with her squeaky, adorable voice. Her cream coat shimmered, drawing the coos of older mares and the approving nods of stallions. Sweetie Belle was the kind of filly that they hoped their own foals could model after; a filly that was almost too good to be true.
Certainly she had a clumsy side, but that made her all the more adorable, and her occasional cute misadventures would cause any grown pony to experience heart palpitations. Of course, she occasionally messed up, but it seemed that things always worked out for the best for the tiny unicorn filly. Sweetie Belle’s fumbles were always preciously wonderful, filled with her melodious giggling and bashful blushing.
That was also why Sweetie Belle made everypony feel slightly uncomfortable.
You see, Sweetie was too good to be true, and the mares and stallions of Ponyville recognized it, deep down. She was too cute. Too precious. Every move was calculated for maximum adorableness, and that was… strange.
No filly or colt was like that, really. No child, no matter how well-mannered or carefully raised, was ever quite that perfect.
It had to be an act.
Of course, they would never say that to her. It was whispered that somepony had said it, once, and her tearful wailings had made the pony take it all back on the spot. Sweetie Belle had forgiven the pony, of course, because of course she would. She was so nice, always willing to forgive, her sweet smile like a blessing from Celestia.
Sweetie Belle pranced down the street humming a happy tune, all the way to Carousel Boutique, where she knocked on the door. “Rarity? Mom and Dad sent me to visit you while they watch pro wrestling! They would have let me stay, but they said that The Hock was going to say some bad words to Stone Colt Steve Horsetin, so I had to come here!”
Sweetie Belle waited patiently, before knocking again. “Rarity? I’m coming in! And I’m wiping my hooves on the mat like you asked me!”
Sweetie Belle dutifully wiped her hooves, careful to make them immaculate, before pushing open the door to the Boutique and walking inside. She peered around earnestly. “Rarity?”
There was no reply. Sweetie Belle shuffled her hooves nervously, before trotting upstairs and checking the whole house, calling her big sister’s name. She found neither hide nor long, purple hair of her sister. Sweetie Belle glanced around, standing in the middle of Rarity’s room, the last place she had checked.
Nopony could see her, or hear her. She was totally alone.
Sweetie Belle exhaled, running a hoof through her mane, and flopped over on Rarity’s bed, mussing her coat as she wiggled her hooves around in the air. “Holy manure, I have the whole place to myself! Finally!”
She giggled, and shouted as loudly as she dared, “Buck!”
But nopony heard her, so it was okay.