“No no no! My Coronation dress is all wrong.” Sweetie moaned as her sister rolled her eyes. Rarity was having none of Sweetie’s attitude, she knew better than to listen to her sister when she was like this. Besides, Sweetie had no fashion sense.
“There, finished.” Rarity nodded as she stepped away from Sweetie belle, who looked it over and shook her head.
“I’ve told you Rarity, this is all wrong! Where are the balloons and streamers? Know what, I think I’ll just go bare. After all, best Princess should be seen in all her splendour.” Sweetie carefully took the dress off, memorising where she threw it so she could steal it for a future loop, and tilted her chin up as she stood proudly.
“But Sweetie Belle…” Rarity bit her lip, unsure if she had the authority to order her sister to wear it. However, as Princess Celestia entered, it seemed she did not.
“I agree, your form is too small to properly show your features off in that dress.” Celestia smiled softly, and Sweetie beamed even more. Sweetie bowed slightly to her sister, and ‘slowly’ followed after Celestia as she turned to leave.
“Say Princess Celestia, why does your letter contain glowy symbols?” Sweetie tilted her head as Celestia paused for a moment. Both turned to look out the window as she replied.
“Oh, that’s right, you don’t know the decoder spell. You’ll find my sister uses a similar spell. I’ll write down both for you, so you can read them at a later date. But remember to get pictures, or I’ll never forgive you.” Celestia winked, and Sweetie giggled.
“Also, please call me Celestia. Someone in your position should not be calling me Princess, as we are on equal footing after this.” Celestia smiled warmly and Sweetie shook her head.
“I’m sorry but I don’t feel right calling you that.” Sweetie looked up at the unreadable expression on Celestia’s face. After a moment, she lowered her head, and looked Sweetie in the eyes.
“Right or not, I must ask you a second time. Please, honor us with the knowledge somepony out there will call us not by our title, but by our name. Even my sister normally calls me simply sister, as I do. If you still insist, I will accept it. However I felt it was worth a second try.” Celestia bowed her head slightly, then raised it to look outside.
“But, to call you so improperly, is that really okay?” Sweetie hesitated, biting her lip as she glanced to and fro. Celestia gently lowered a wing, and brought the filly closer with a gentle nudge of the wing.
“Would you prefer I call you Sweetie Belle, or Sweetie?” Celestia smiled knowingly down at the filly.
“Well, Sweetie,” she admitted. Celestia nodded once, and raised her head once move, saying nothing.
“I’ll try...But no promises...Celestia.” Sweetie forced herself to not say the title, giving a shudder. It felt wrong doing so, but Celestia’s smile lessened the blow.
“That is all I ask,” responded Celestia, smiling toward the sky.
Sweetie sat down as a hair stylist fussed with her hair, trying to get her curls perfect. Pulling out the letter Celestia had written herself, Sweetie decided it was time to begin reading all the juicy secrets all the adults had. Sweetie smiled, she would need them for the next loop after all. First up, Sweetie cast the spell to translate Celestia’s letter, and watched as characters shifted around the page, forming words. Nodding once, much to the chagrin of the stylist, Sweetie began to read.
‘Again with the sanity thing.’ Sweetie sighed and folded the letter, putting it back in her saddlebags. Checking over the stylist's work, Sweetie realised she looked exactly the same.
“Thank you, it looks lovely.” Sweetie stood up and left, leaving her irritated mumblings until she was out of earshot. An hour wasted just to look exactly the same. What a waste of time.
“There you are Sweetie, there is one last thing we need to instruct you on.” Celestia walked over, Pinkie Pie bouncing behind her. Sweetie tilted her head, but said nothing.
“Right! Princess here wanted me to teach you how to start a Heart Song.” Pinkie Pie giggled, leading both Celestia and Sweetie belle toward the throne room.
“A Heart Song?” Sweetie tilted her head, seeing Celestia’s knowing smile.
“Oh! Right, silly me. A Heart Song is a song that comes from in here, that causes everypony to spring into song.” Pinkie Pie touched her chest and beamed a grinning smile. Sweetie tilted her head, a Heart Song? It sounded useful, and related to her talents. Sweetie discarded her hesitation, and smiled.
“Alright! How do I start one?” Sweetie’s ear flickered, sensing something in the air. Pinkie giggled and brought Sweetie into a hug as she pointed to Celestia, slowly bobbing up and down.
“Now Sweetie listen closely,
For the wisdom I implore.
No party’s quite complete,
Without a song I quite adore.”
Pinkie Pie stood on two hooves, and began to danced around the room with Sweetie straining to keep up. However, Sweetie felt the throb of magic in the room, and activated the spell she had learned when getting her Cutie Mark. To her amazement, the magic was coming from Pinkie Pie’s heart, and being pumped straight to her mouth.
“For a Heart Song is unique,
From start until its finish.
Not one song is similar,
And they never seem to diminish.”
Sweetie watched the notes swirl around her, and glanced down. The magic was slowly coursing through her body as well. Sweetie felt a smile on her face, and ceased her spell. So this was a Heart Song. Sweetie knew learning to create these would be an amazing help to her goal once she got out of this loop. The goal that was centered around the meaning of her Mark. Opening her mouth, Sweetie sung the next verse, not knowing how words were forming, but knowing where they came from.
“I see this magic is quite fine,
It swells through me now like fire.
I wish I’d known of this Heart Song earlier,
For it helps with what I aspire.”
Sweetie flipped into the air, buzzing her wings as she let Pinkie Pie catch her and flip her into the air once more.
“That’s it my dear Sweetie,
A song without compare.
A Heart Song helps ponies see,
Their heart’s lonely prayer.”
Sweetie felt the magic taking her over slowly wind to a close, and landed, beaming at Pinkie Pie. This would be something she would be using during her life after the loop, that was certain. Being able to help ponies hear the song in their hearts, it was her destiny. And Pinkie Pie had just given the tools to do so.
“Thank you Pinkie Pie.” Sweetie smiled as the party pony saluted, and bounced away to get ready for the coronation. Celestia approached, and smiled softly.
“You want me to perform a Heart Song at the coronation don’t you?” Sweetie smiled knowingly as Celestia’s smile transformed into the same.
“Indeed, my little Alicorn.”