//------------------------------// // Sweetie Belle // Story: It All Happened One Morning... // by TiberiusPonificus //------------------------------// Well, that just won the contest for weirdest dream ever. I was almost trampled by these tall creatures that walked on two legs. I couldn't see faces or anything else, just long legs walking dangerously close to me. I woke up with a start. I don't know if I screamed or not. Rarity lecturing me about making noise while she worked was the last thing I needed. I hate how my bed faces the window, since it means the sun's in my face as it rises. I squinted as the light hit my eyes and tried to shield them with my hoof. Except I wasn't using a hoof. It was like...some sort of claw, almost like Spike's, but this had five instead of four. It wasn't scaly, either, but soft, even though it was hairless. I started freaking out. I looked all around this body that was supposed to be mine, but it wasn't the one I had when I went to bed. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Right after I screamed, I heard the sound of hooves galloping towards my room. The door swung open and Rarity practically leaped into my room. At least she looks the same, white coat and all. So is it just me that's different? "Sweetie Belle? Is everything all right? I heard-" Rarity stopped talking the moment she looked at me. "Rarity..." I squeaked out, since I felt like I was gonna cry. "What's wrong with me?" "Well, I would presume nothing, but..." Rarity came closer to get a better look at me. "What happened to you?" "I don't know..." I weakly answered. "I went to bed, and I was still a pony. I wake up, and I'm...this." I spread my forelegs out. "That's it? You weren't messing around with anything you shouldn't have, right?" She asked. "You didn't take anything out of Twilight's library, did you? She keeps those books for a reason, you know." "Nuh-uh!" I shook my head. "I didn't take anything out! She keeps the dangerous stuff in the basement. At least that's what she said." "Sorry. Just looking for an easy answer, that's all," Rarity said with a nervous smile. "Still...this could only be magic at work here. We should have Twilight look at you and see if there's something that can be done." "Okay..." I really couldn't argue that. If there was anypony in Ponyville that knew what might be wrong with me, that somepony would be Twilight. I pushed the blanket off of me and saw that my hind legs had gotten much longer and were more straight than they were before. Instead of hooves, there were other claws that were more long in the middle and had stumpy little talons at the end of them. I didn't know what to make of them, but before I could focus any more on them, I noticed Rarity staring at my hind legs as well. "Hmm..." Rarity had her hoof to her chin, looking all over my new body. She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips. I wasn't sure what she was doing. "Mmmhmm." "Rarity?" I was starting to get nervous. "This body of yours...it isn't hurting you, is it?" She asked. "Um...no," I replied. "Is there any need to rush to Twilight's? I mean...it's so early. She might still be asleep." A smile was coming across her face. Why? "Maybe, but why is that-" I started, but Rarity cut me off. "Then...we should take advantage of this!" Rarity pointed her hoof at me, startling me. "Take advantage? How?" I was getting really nervous. "Oh, Sweetie Belle, just think! This has so much potential! Think of the things I could make for this body!" Rarity had stars in her eyes. I haven't seen her this excited since the last time she had a job in Canterlot. "That's what you're thinking about?!" Here I am, in this weird body of Celestia-knows-what, and she's thinking about dresses?! "Oh, but this opportunity might never come again!" She was practically whining. "We'll go to Twilight's later, I promise! Just PLEASE! Let me make something for you. As your caring sister? Please?" It was the same as any time Rarity would ask me for a favor. If I told her no, she'd give me a guilt trip like nopony else. I really didn't have the time for it. "Fine..." I grumbled. Rarity immediately started giggling and hopping. She was excited, all right. "Come, then! We should get started right away!" Her horn started glowing and I was lifted up off the bed and onto her back. I clutched on to her neck as she raced out of my room and down the stairs. "Rarity! Slow down!" I screamed. The difference between having a coat and not having it was very clear to me then. The air didn't bristle, it glided. It felt so much more sensitive. I shivered a little. If I ever get to change back, I'm never losing my coat, cutie mark chance or not. "Sorry! I'm just so excited," she replied. She stopped at the platform in front of the mirrors and lifted me to the platform. "Let's get your measurements first! No doubt this new body of yours has new dimensions we need to account for!" "Okay..." I tried standing, but with my hind legs now being longer than my forelegs, I had to rest them on my knees so I wouldn't look silly. "Hmm...that doesn't look quite right," Rarity said. "Try standing on your hind hooves...if you can still call those hooves..." "Okay, but it's gonna look stupid..." Trying to keep my balance, I tried putting my hooves on the ground. That just made my flank rise up in the air above my head. "Oh, dear. That looks worse..." "Toldja!" I'm sure I was blushing. Rarity rubbed her chin. "Call me crazy, but why don't we try standing on only your hind hooves? Like Spike does?" "Won't I fall over?" I asked. "I'll help you so you don't." Rarity trotted in front of me and stood there, ready to support me. "Go ahead." "Right!" Slowly, I placed one foreleg on Rarity's back before putting the other one on. I took a deep breath and pushed off her back, freeing my forelegs and leaving me standing on my hind legs. "Woah!" I nearly fell over backward, but Rarity grabbed me with her magic. That was scary, but at least I felt better. And what a view. Seeing the boutique from this high was weird, but really neat. Is this what it's like to be a pegasus? My new hooves were long enough so that I didn't have to use my forelegs. Standing up straight like this felt much better, at least in this body. It felt...like I'm supposed to stand like this. "There. That looks much better," Rarity said with a smile. "How do you feel?" "Scared. But kind of excited, too," I answered. "Excellent," my sister giggled. "You stay right there. I'll go get the measuring tape." She trotted off towards the stairs, a slight spring to her steps. With myself alone in the room, I decided to look up and take in the new view. Without even thinking about it, I was using the claws on my hind legs to turn around. A "Wow..." escaped my lips, just seeing how different everything looked being this tall. This had to be how Rarity saw things. I looked back down and saw that I was now facing the mirror, but what I saw in it was so unbelievable, I jumped a little. I finally had a good look at my new body. I've never seen anything like this before. My eyes and mane were still the same colors as before. That must be how Rarity recognized me. My nose was so tiny, I had to cross my eyes just to see it! My ears were now at the side of my head and completely round. Instead of my white coat, everything from my face to the claws on my hind legs was this weird peach-ish color. I've never seen a pony without their coat before, so I wonder if this it looks like underneath. I should tell Applebloom and Scootaloo and see if they want to find out. Ahh! That's right! I forgot about them in all this craziness! What would they think if they saw me like this?! I hope they won't be too freaked out, but I'm too scared to go outside looking like some freaky thing! Looking at the mirror, I wondered if a cutie mark would still appear on my flank if I got it. That's when I realized my tail was gone! A thought came to mind, and I parted my mane to see if my horn was still there. It wasn't. Everything that made me a unicorn, a pony, was gone. I tried not to be too upset about it. It's not like I could use magic that well anyway. Still, I really felt like I wanted to cry. "Got it!" Rarity's sing-song voice caught my attention. The roll of tape floated above her head as she skipped into the room. She stopped when she saw me. I must have looked upset. "Everything okay, Sweetie Belle?" "Um...yeah," I said meekly. "I'm okay." "Oh...I'm sorry. You must be so scared..." Rarity came up to me and nuzzled her face into my chest. It felt soft and made me remember the good feeling whenever her or Mom would nuzzle me like that. "It's just...I don't look at all like a pony," I said. "My horn's gone, my tail's gone, I can't stand on four legs anymore, and I'm still a blank flank..." "But you're still Sweetie Belle, my adorable little sister," Rarity replied. "Even looking like this, you still look as cute as ever." "Really? You think so?" I looked back at the mirror. "Of course! I know so!" "You think...you think Button Mash would still like me like this?" I asked, holding myself nervously. "Are you kidding? He'd be the envy of every colt in school to have a girl like you at his side!" Rarity smirked and nudged me with her hoof. "I am...still a girl, aren't I?" That idea didn't hit me until now. What if a pony isn't all I stopped being?! "Now you're sounding silly," Rarity scoffed, looking at the mirror along with me. "You may not be the same species, but your age and gender are still very apparent. And it'll look even better with a nice dress! Now, hold still, if you would." The tape unraveled itself and started moving around my barrel. I could feel it even more without my coat, but she didn't pull it too tight, thankfully. Along with the tape, Rarity also had a pencil and a notepad held up with her magic. She nodded and scribbled numbers down. She did the same with my forelegs, my hind legs, my head, and around my flank. "Are we done yet?" I asked. "I'm getting hungry..." My body looked different, but my stomach was still in the same place. It still worked, too, since I could feel it rumbling. "Almost, dear," Rarity said. "I believe I have all the measurements. I would just like to get a sketch of your new shape down, since I don't have any mannequins for this kind of body...yet." "I wish you'd stop talking like this is permanent..." It really wasn't helping. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, darling," she replied. "I'm trying to make the most out of this situation. If you're stuck like this for even a few days, it would be a good idea for you to at least look nice." "I think wearing one of your dresses would just make me stand out more," I said. "I'm weird-looking enough as it is..." "Oh, hush. Even if you don't like it, I see it as a chance to branch out. Challenge myself. If I can make this work, I just might start doing commissions for not just ponies, but to the other denizens of Equestria as well!" Rarity spoke with such determination, I couldn't really say anything bad about it. "If you say so..." I looked down at my bottom claws as they moved close together. Rarity put a hoof to my chest, and I looked up to see an honest smile on her face. "You're being a big help to me, Sweetie Belle," she said softly. "No matter what you look like, you're still my sister, and I still love you." She gave me a kiss on my forehead, which seemed strange without her having to bend her head down to do it. "Now, if you would..." After having to stand still for a minute or two while Rarity sketched me, she walked over to the kitchen and lifted an apple from the bowl on the table. She threw it over to me, and I caught it in my claws like it was nothing. They were really good at gripping stuff. "Woah..." I could only say that at what I just did. "See? You're adjusting already," Rarity said. "I'm going to see what I can make with these dimensions. You can stay with me in my room if the company would make you feel better." "I'd like that..." I said and followed her up the stairs, holding onto her back so I wouldn't fall over. Holding onto the apple with these claws felt so different. I could hold it in one of them, rather than trying to keep it on one hoof or holding it between two hooves. My mouth still worked the same, except I had to bring the apple closer to take a bite. Things still tasted the same too, which was a huge relief to me. If I couldn't eat the same things in this body, I'd go crazy. "Interesting," I heard Rarity say from her desk. "What's interesting?" I asked, mouth full of apple. "Well, I thought I'd take a look at your measurements as a pony to compare," she explained, "and the proportions are actually not far off from the measurements that I took just now." "What's that mean?" "It means that you're still you, just as I thought. All that's changed is what creature you are. I think Twilight would be interested to see this." She turned back towards me and reared her head back in surprise. "Ah! I know you're still adjusting, Sweetie Belle, but you can at least try to eat with a little more decorum." I didn't notice, but I was eating pretty messily. Guess I was hungrier than I thought. "Oh. Sorry." "Let me get that for you," Rarity said and lifted a tissue from the box on her nightstand. She always said it was important to keep clean. "There. That was actually much easier to clean than usual. This body may be different but it has its advantages." After I was done eating, I laid on Rarity's bed while she worked. I don't really care about wearing a dress, but she looks so happy about making one for me, I can't really say no. Maybe a cloak would be better. Something to cover my whole body, and I could just bend down and pretend I was sick. I felt so scared of what other ponies might say if they saw me. They might be so afraid of me, I couldn't live in Ponyville anymore. I'd hate to make Rarity leave town if it came to that. Before any more sad thoughts could come to mind, the phone ringing made me jump and sit straight up. "Relax. It's only the phone." Rarity walked over to the phone on her nightstand and lifted it with her horn. "Hello, Carousel Boutique....oh, hello, Rainbow Dash. Strange of you to call me. Normally, you'd just fly over here...Slow down, darling. I can't make out what you're saying... ... ...WHAT?!"