Belle Crush

by Tiramisu Tales

Got The Best Of Me

“Sugar and spice, And everything nice. That's what little fillies are made of,” Show Tail grumbled as he watched Ponyville from above, using his wings to steer a cloud slowly across the sky. Repeating the poem Pica had taught him was the only thing keeping him calm. There was nothing better to do. Maybe he should just bide his time until the day was over. That seemed like the best idea right now. He could just avoid Sweetie Belle and everypony else in town, he would be golden. Embarrassment and crisis would be averted, and he would go back to his normal life of being berated by his aunt... who seemed to be heading his way. He shook his head, disregarding the shape. It was most likely Cloud Control, right? Yes, it had to be.

“Tails, your tail hangs off this cloud. I could see you from the ground, my darling son. I’ve been looking for you.” The chilling voice was indeed Pica. She sat beside him calmly and began to chew on a clump of cloud as if nothing had happened. He stared up at his guardian, used to her odd habit of eating strange things, unsure of what her motive was this time. Was she here to make another comment on the drum shining on his flank? She smiled, a sickly sweet smile that made her green eyes shine as if she were possessed. He was scared, but running from her would get him nowhere.

“What is it Auntie?”

“There were many points in your life I wished to give you Cutie Pox, in hope that you would become more useful to the world.” Pica took another bite of cloud and laughed a bit at Show Tail scooting away in horror. She extended one of her large wings to pull him close to her, nuzzling his mane. “Oh, but you are growing up into such a handsome young stallion, my son. You won’t be here forever. You’re fifteen and only getting older. You’ll be leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow you will transition from colt to stallion, and learn how to truly fly. I’m so proud of you, my son.” The white mare stared up at the clouds and sun above them, giggling. “What will I do with you? I tried so hard to make you what I saw as perfect. So hard for something that not even the Princesses could have a hoof in.” She tugged him close and tousled his messy mane before starting to tidy it up.

“Auntie, what are you trying to say?” Show Tail whispered under his breath, unsure of why his aunt was suddenly being so kindly.

“Snips and snails and puppy dog tails may be what you are made of, but there is nothing I can do about it. As much as it pains me, I must let you grow up and be your own stallion. I can’t be your mother forever. That’s why I set out to find you.” Pica nipped at his ear and forced out a laugh. “I had to tell you before I changed my mind, before I let myself regret it. You’re my darling son, and I need you to know that I love you, no matter how much I hate to admit it. You’re quite wonderful on your drum, and you sing well too.” She kissed him on the forehead before continuing. “You have great potential. Maybe you’ll show me that music isn’t as useless as I perceived. I had to tell you that. I really had to. You’re going to leave me, and if I let you leave without saying sorry, I could never forgive myself. Having you come back an angry stallion. Unforgivable. It’s my last chance to say sorry.” She craned her neck to look him in the eyes.  “Please forgive your mother, she knows not what she does.”

Show Tail was frozen in place, unsure of what to say. Was she really trying to apologize for her madness? He tried to comprehend it, but he was still in a slight state of shock at the mere mention of Cutie Pox. This mare, the one that was coddling him like a foal, had been a cause of general madness for the past two years of his life. Did she really just expect him to forgive her? He may have been young, but he wasn’t stupid, at least not anymore. He wriggled out of her grasp and shook his mane, allowing it to fall back into its usual bed head. He stood in front of her, wings spread wide as he spoke. If he was on the way to becoming an adult, he should at least  try to do adult things.

“Aunt Pica, I love you, you’re family, but I am not your son. You are not my mother.”

Show Tail cringed as she jumped back. Disgust painted her face and she looked as if she were about to vomit. Show Tail cocked his head to the side, unsure of what to do now. She was now ripping at the cloud, her body starting to lurch as if possessed. She started to retch, shoving her face into the cloud in a vain attempt to control it. Show Tail stepped towards his aunt, completely confused on what to do. He screamed when she suddenly popped up with a wide smile. Pica brushed back her frizzled mane and looked like the epitome of calm.

“Of course you’re my son...” She pet him on the head. “I treat you like one, don’t I? Therefore you have to be. You’re my family. My only child.” She kept her smile even as he shook his head and tried to explain to her that he was in fact her brother’s child and not her own. She stood up and kissed him on the forehead and scoffed. “You’re such a silly foal. My little...” She swallowed hard and looked down at him. “Nephew.” A forced smile to crept onto her face and she exhaled a shaky breath before pulling the colt against her with her wing. “So, tell me about this filly you’re after. I’d like to know if she’s good enough for family.”

Show Tail stared at the mare that he was now leaning against, his heart thumping in his ears. Was she really trying? He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She deserved at least that much. She was family, and you always had to do the best to help your family, no matter how much they needed it. He laughed to himself, taking the opportunity to finally bond with Pica, even a she was adamantly chewing on a chunk of cloud.

“Her name is Sweetie Belle, and she sings like an angel...”

-----
“I should look pretty, right Rarity?”

“Yes Sweetie.”

“What do you think of this dress?”

“Don’t you think that a dress is a bit much? I mean, you don’t want to make it too obvious that he should forgo his supposed crush and pick you.”

Sweetie Belle shot a glare at her older sister as they both rummaged around her room. Rarity’s comment did not make her feel any better. The high from Fall Leaf’s arrival had worn off after breakfast had been cleaned up. In a few short hours she would be meeting up with Show Tail and Scootaloo, and bringing them closer together. She shivered at the thought. Bringing them closer together would be her own personal nightmare.

Sweetie Belle sat back on a pile of clothes, lost in her own imagination. It would be hell. She could see them, soaring above Ponyville, laughing and enjoying themselves. The thought of him happy without her made her face flush with the tell tale sign of emotion. Her jaw tensed up. How could she allow this to happen? She wasn’t supposed to allow them to like each other. She had set her eye on him for so long, and could almost convince herself that he liked her as well. He always did try to stay in her good graces. And the necklace...

“Rarity, when a colt gives you something pretty, what do you think?”

Rarity stopped fishing though the closet to look back at her sister with a raised eyebrow. She smiled at the filly, trying her best to pull upon the knowledge she had on relationships to the forefront of her mind. She petted Sweetie Belle on the head, summoning a brush with her magic. Styling the filly’s mane in a solemn and slow manner, Rarity tried to gather a semblance of what to say. It took her a few more brushes come up with anything at all.

“Well, normally my dear sister, it means that he thinks quite highly of you. It’s not everyday that a stallion takes up his money and treats a filly to something special.” Rarity pulled up Sweetie Belle’s mane into a ponytail for a moment, before shaking her head and deciding against it. She continued to brush without much of an aim. “Think about it Sweetie Belle; He’s just a little foal... He must have spent the very last of his bits on that for you. Now isn’t that special?” Rarity stood up to look her sister over. Her mane gleamed like silk from the brushing, even though it lay as it usually did. She wriggled her nose, looking over her sister, trying to find something to work on. “Oh Sweetie Belle, why are you so pretty? It’s so much harder to improve a pretty picture than something horrendous. Then again, you are my sister... What can you expect?” She gave a barely audible giggle as she set back to work. She had to find a somewhat decent improvement to her sister’s mane. Rarity tapped her hoof to her lips as she pouted slightly. Normally, this process was effortless, something that just came to her. This was her sister, she had to make her fabulous, better than anything else she had ever done. She sighed, trotting around the mess of Sweetie Belle’s room for inspiration.

“Hello, darling. What are you looking for?” Rarity looked up from the pile of clothes she was inspecting and smiled at the stallion at the door.

“Oh nothing, Leaf. Just trying to pretty my little sister up for her big confession. But it’s so hard when she’s already so pretty.” The two laughed and Sweetie Belle responded with sticking out her tongue at the both in aggravation. She didn't need their little comments, she needed to prevent the first love catastrophe of her life. Or at least tolerate it. She ran a mental checklist in her head from all the movies that she had watched with Rarity. There was plenty of ice cream, they had gone out and bought some yesterday. There was also some scant scraps of chocolate, Fall Leaf had brought some with him as a present. Cookies, there were some in her private stash, and Rarity had baked a cheesecake for Fall Leaf herself. There was milk, if she recalled correctly. Sweetie Belle nodded to herself, feeling prepared for the heartbreak. There was plenty to eat, and her sheets were clean. Of course, there was the matter of figuring out what to do if her friends came to visit...

“What do you think of this, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle was drawn out of her own thoughts at Fall Leaf tying the silken white ribbon in her hair. It was a cool and pleasant surprise, and the smiles on the couple’s face made her feel confident about the way she looked. All he had done was tie the ribbon into a simple bow beside one of her ears, and yet she felt amazing. She smiled up at Fall Leaf, a whisper of a thank you coming out.

“Oh darling, she looks lovely, thank you! Now you try to calm her down while I pretty her up.” She kissed the stallion on the cheeks few times before brushing the filly’s tail.

“What if he thinks I look silly?” Sweetie Belle said, looking herself over frantically. She may have felt good about her looks, but that was her own thoughts.

“Then he is a damn stupid colt,” Fall Leaf grunted under his breath. Rarity swatted him with her tail, scolding him for his mouth and hissing things about why she liked such an uncouth stallion. “She’s a fussfilly, but she’s my fussfilly. And he’d be damn stupid not to like sucha pretty little filly. You remind me of Rari when she was your age.” He looked up at the mare with a smirk. “Save, you know how to have some fun in the mud.” Rarity swatted him with her tail again, a playful glare upon her face. “Isn't she just a silly little mare? I love her anyway though. Good thing that we have so much in common. Though I dun look it, I actually am a very stylish colt. Blame your sister for getting me into fashion.” Fall Leaf waved a hoof at Rarity as Sweetie Belle laughed. “And well you see, she got that competitiveness from me. I use to challenge her to make things all the time. That’s why little Rari is so amazing.”

“Oh you’re so full of yourself, you know that?” Rarity said under her breath as she continued to brush.

“I hear that the colt gave you that pretty little necklace. Well isn’t that nice? Normally colts only give jewelry to mares that they like, you know.”

“I know.”

“Ya know, I think you know that this colt has a liking for you, and you’re just denying it.” He poked her on the nose. “You’re just being a silly pony now. You know he likes you, don’t you?”

“He can’t, he says that he likes Scootaloo.”

“Sometimes ponies say things so that they don’t look stupid around others. Or so that they don’t feel stupid themselves.” Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to speak and was cut off by the stallion’s hoof being placed near her mouth. “I think you’re doing that now too, but it’s alright, since you’re just a little one. Make sure that you learn to be brave when you need to, alright?” He folded his arms and nodded, grunting in affirmation to make himself look wiser. Sweetie Belle looked the stallion over as if he was an alien and took a moment to think it over.

“Alright Sweetie Belle, I’m all done grooming you up for now. I put a ribbon on your tail as well, and don't get messy. Now you go out and charm that silly colt.” Rarity nudged Fall Leaf with a gentle smile. “Oh look at you, you sound just like a father.”

It didn't take much thought for Sweetie Belle to realize that it was time to leave when Rarity’s face turned three different shades of red at something he had whispered into her ear. Sweetie Belle made a mental note not to ever involve herself into such things. She shivered at the thought, had a horrible flashback to sexual education class, and dashed off to distract herself from the horrors of foal making.

---
“You said you wanted me to be a better guardian.”

“No.”

“Show Tail, get over here.”

“No!”

“Do as I say or there will be repercussions.” Show Tail cringed. Nothing scared him like an irked Pica. He slinked over to the bathroom sink, shrinking away from the white mare. Her eyes shone with malevolent intent and his only reaction was to scream. There was a horrific downside to never combing his mane. It was a tangled knotty mess. Pica dumped some water on his head before working on the golden knots, flinching at every squeal that he made. She didn’t want to do this, but if the colt liked that filly so much, she would be damned before not attempting to help. That had to start with cleaning him up, and with his unkempt mane, it was proving difficult.

“No, my mane can stay the same, auntie. Please don’t let me do this.”

“So you don’t want to get the filly?” She cringed at her statement. His mane being an awkward mess would have no effect upon her feelings, but looking nice might be in his favor. Maybe it would even charm her more, allow him to have the happy ending that she could never reach. So she had to be harsh. Her hooves wrapped around the colt when she finally came out of her own thoughts, scooping him up and dropping him into the bath. Maybe this would be a better idea. Besides, his coat could use the wash. By this point, he had stopped struggling and conceded to his fate of being scrubbed. Pica’s heart began to race as she scrubbed him down. This was... nice. She should have had more moments with him, instead of trying to force herself down his throat. Two years gone and she had never combed his mane, made him breakfast, of even given him the proper congratulation for his cutie mark. Instead she had scoffed and dismissed him as if he were some plague.

Though he was screaming and yelping through every tangle and knot, she had never felt closer to him. He stood his ground against the pain, and even then it was a bonding moment for the two. One that almost brought her to tears. She shook the thought from her head. The both of them didn’t need to cry. She could barely remember the last time she had to help groom somepony. The last times were all blurry memories that she had forced out along with the last shreds of sympathy that were not stained with disgust. The married stallion that had taken that from her... She shook the thought from her head. This was not the time to wallow in the self pity the liar created, but to help the one pony she had vowed to take care of. She was meant to be council, not judge. And as the last knot in his mane slipped out, that’s exactly what she would be.

“Are you done crying now?”

“I am not crying.”

“Anymore.” Pica picked up a towel and rubbed him down with care. She had to stop thinking about them. The stallion she had dried off in her own affection, only to find she was washing away her scent from his wife. She cursed her horrible luck and glanced at the cologne in the medicine cabinet. It was the only thing she had left of him. She ripped at the label, stuffing the paper in her mouth. The taste of aged paper was always one of her favorites.

“Auntie, are you upset again?” Pica cringed. Show Tail was too attentive. She splashed some of the cologne on him as a distraction.

“There. Now look at how handsome you are, my dear... nephew. You’ll impress her with your looks alone.”

“My head feels funny.”

“That’s because your mane is combed.” She huffed as she continued to brush, trying to slick down a few  reluctant hairs. “You look wonderful, and if that filly is half as good as you make her out to be, then you do not need to worry. I’m sure she’ll like you.” Pica pat the colt on the head. He was smiling at her for once. Maybe she really could do this parenting thing correctly. After all, that’s what she had wanted all along. Pica leaned forward and kissed Show Tail on the forehead before trapping him in a hug. “Oh I can’t believe that you’re growing up and have this cute little crush and...” The mare rambled on while squeezing him. Why should she hold back her joy? She had been restraining herself to be a prim and proper parent only to find out he hated her for it. Now it was time to be the caretaker she was meant to be, even if he whined.

“Auntie! Let me go! It’s not that big of a deal.”

“When you get older, you’ll understand. Now come along, you should practice what you say to her.”

---
He had never been so happy to be in front of Sugarcube Corner in his life. The now spunk filled Pica had spent her time lecturing him on how to deal with girls. The entire conversation had left him with more questions than answers and a craving for anything to distract him. He shuddered at the memories. At least he had Sweetie Belle now. And she was looking lovelier than usual. Show Tail took a moment to slick back his now neat mane and trot up to her.

“Hello Belle! I hope you weren't waiting too long.” Show Tail said. Sweetie Belle giggled at the very audible crack in his voice.

“No, not at all, Tails.” The first part of her grand plan had arrived. Soon, Scootaloo would fly in and he would confess his love to her. Or at least say he liked her. Her stomach rolled at the thought of the two having their nervous confession. She had to think of an escape plan to give the two privacy. Perhaps dash inside Sugarcube Corner for a snack? She would need it anyway. Rarity had always subjected herself to eating whenever she got in a mood.

She pulled herself away from her thoughts long enough to look him over. A smile etched its way on her face as she tried to hold back her urge to laugh. His mane was brushed back, a welcome change from his usual tattered mop. He looked charming. The work that was put in evident. Somepony had taken the time out to pull out the kinks, making his mane match his tail instead of just using gel like at the Winter Solstice. It shimmered like his impeccable tail, causing her to smile wider.

“Wow Tails, you really groomed yourself for this.”

“Yeah... I had to run out so Pica wouldn’t put a tie on me.” He blew an exasperated raspberry. Like he would let her know that she was the real reason he had cleaned up. “She’s trying really hard to take good care of me now. But she’s been eating paper again.”

“Paper?”

“She has pica, she told me.” Show Tail ran a hoof through his mane and laughed. “Pica isn’t even her real name. It’s Golden Heart.” The pegasus shrugged. “But I don’t want to remember how she tugged at my mane. Do you know when Scootaloo will get here?”

Sweetie Belle knew Scootaloo well enough. She would fly over in a few minutes, wings flared wide and proud like her own signature banner. She would dazzle him with her brash wits, her bravado, her smile and then they would... She shook her head. She had no time to be jealous. She had to put herself aside for her friends. Or at least for Show Tail, no matter how jealous she was. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but laugh at where she was standing.

Some months ago, Show Tail had been let out of his aunt’s home and into the world, and into her world. At this very building, she had developed a flighty crush that she had assumed would go away in time. Through all of the madness that the socially challenged colt had put her through, all she had to show was that crush blossomed into first love. Most ponies would have been delighted at such an outcome. But most ponies did not have to set up their first love with their best friend.

“Scootaloo has arrived!” Scootaloo touched down before them. She flashed a cocky grin and flared her wings proudly. Just as expected. Sweetie Belle could only laugh. Same old Scootaloo, the fabulous daredevil flier that idolized Rainbow Dash. She gave her attention to her best friend. “So what did you want me for Sweetie? I was about to go and...” She paused mid speech to wave at Show Tail. “Hey Tails, you wanna go and practice with me later? We can try some corkscrews.” She waved her hooves in the air to demonstrate.

Sweetie Belle shot Show Tail a glare. He stepped back, looking the filly over in fear. He knew what that glare meant. He was supposed to confess to Scootaloo, at least in her mind. Biting his lip was the only thing he could do at the moment. He was stuck, between the babbling of Scootaloo and the heavy glare of Sweetie Belle, he could only hope that some brilliant idea would strike him. Maybe the world would implode, or by chance some horrible event would come in and allow him to escape. But the sky remained blue, the sun shined, and the birds chirped. There would be no heaven sent blessing to save him.

“Scootaloo, Show Tail has something he wants to tell you.” Sweetie Belle wanted to get this over with. The nervous colt was tripping over his words allowing the feeling to seep into her bones. This was taking too long for her tastes. She thought this would be easy, that an overeager colt like Show Tail would simply blurt out his feelings.

“Oh Show Tail!” Scootaloo’s cry interrupted Sweetie Belle’s thoughts. Had Scootaloo already put the parts together? “You have a crush on me, don’t you? Almost all the pegasus colts do. I can’t believe you actually confessed to me! Though I can’t blame you for having a crush on me.” Scootaloo smirked at her company. She looked even more confident, the look in her eyes filled with impatience at the ‘Yes’ that had not come out.

“I don’t like you, I like Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle froze up. Did he just say what she thought he just say? No. Impossible. She had to have been daydreaming, caught in her own imagination trying to distract her from the two getting along. She turned her head, a lock of her mane flopping down to attempt blocking her vision. And yet, she could see that Show Tail snorted as he gave the filly a dull look.

“What? How can you not like me? Every pegasus colt likes me, most of them, I’m sure. Some of the fillies too. How can you not?” Show Tail scoffed at Scootaloo’s words.

“You’re really cocky, single-minded, you’re really brash, and you can’t sing. Not everypony is going to like you, you’re not better than everypony else. I tried to like you, but Sweetie Belle was just more fun than you ever were!” Show Tail hissed out. “You’re a good friend Scoots, but I really like Sweetie Belle. She can make music with me and sing with me. And she sings really well. And I can make songs just for her.” He shyly smiled at Sweetie Belle. All he had to do now was hope. Hope that she would accept his feelings and possibly like him back, as small as that hope was. He hoped that his antics with his close friend had possibly charmed her over. Everything he was saying swirled about in Sweetie Belle’s brain, along with the angry protests of Scootaloo.

“Wha... What? No!” Scootaloo sputtered, her face flushing. How dare he say that to her? “I hate you! You’re a stupid jerk that doesn't know awesome when he sees it!” She stomped her hoof into the dirt, snarling out every syllable like a mad pony. She was always the one that turned ponies down. No pony was a fast flier like her, they couldn't keep up with her. That’s why they loved her, chased after her. He was supposed to be just like those other colts that were all so sweet to her. They loved and adored her and she challenged them to become better, and left the colts uninterested in her favor and friendship alone. But Show Tail befriending her without the hope of charming her was something she could not comprehend. Worse, she had lost to Sweetie Belle.  Sweetie Belle, of all ponies! They may have been best friends, but there was no way that Sweetie Belle was overall more awesome than she was!  “I’m leaving!”  She spread her wings with a nasty scowl and took off.

“Did she really just leave?” Sweetie Belle managed to dig up the courage to speak, turning her attention to Show Tail. He shrugged and patted her on the shoulder. There was nothing more to be said about Scootaloo. Making a note to talk to her later, Sweetie Belle turned to the colt beside her. “Do you really like me, Tails?” Sweetie Belle said. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She smiled at his wide golden eyes paired with the lip he chewed on for his life. He would have to speak eventually.

“Ah well... yes. I do like you Sweetie Belle. A lot.” He puffed up his cheeks if only to let out a sigh of exasperation. “I’ve liked you a really long time, and uh... you’re really cool?” Rubbing the back of his head with his hoof, another shaky sigh escaped. “I don’t know how to do this. Can you tell me?”

“Well... in the movies, they kiss.” Sweetie Belle squeezed her eyes shut, sure that her face was a blazing shade of red.  She mentally slapped herself for even saying that. The very idea...  No, it was time to be brave, for once in her life. This allowed her the strength to rocket forward and crash her lips into his. It was a moment of blurry madness, the jingle of her bell and his surprised grunt the only thing she could hear. When Sweetie Belle stepped back and got a full view of the dreamy look on his face, she lay another kiss on his cheek. “That’s how you do it.”