The Cutie Mark Crusaders excitedly trotted away from Fluttershy’s abode, save for Sweetie Belle, who grew more and more anxious about her singing lesson the very next day. During their walk, Applebloom had realized that Big Macintosh skipped out on his chores to rehearse with The Pony Tones and that he wanted to keep the group’s comeback a secret. With her train of thought speeding along, Applebloom waved goodbye to the two crusaders to confirm her suspicions, promising to head back to do some more crusading later in the day.
With Applebloom gone, Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle. The white filly’s face frowned like a wilting flower.
“Sweetie Belle, what’s the matter?” Scootaloo asked with concern for her friend. Sweetie Belle sighed without giving a response. It was going to take a lot more than just asking if she was alright to get her talking.
“Sweetie Belle, are you scared about the lesson tomorrow?” Scootaloo scratched her head. Sweetie Belle gave out an even deeper sigher as the two fillies continued trotting towards Ponyville. Scootaloo’s face frowned deeper and deeper.
“Look Sweetie Belle, I’m really sorry for making fun of you earlier. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad at all! It’s true I’m a terrible singer!” Scootaloo apologized profusely.
“That’s not the point,” the emotionless filly stated. Her face was stone-cold, wiped of all emotion.
“Then what is?! Look, Sweetie Belle, can’t you see that you’re a talented singer?! I’m just saying it’s a shame for it to go to waste!” interjected the Pegasus, waving her hooves in front of her.
“Scootaloo, do you know what it feels like to have thousands of ponies staring at you, scrutinizing you and hounding you for every little mistake you make?! Do you know what it’s like to be placed in the newspaper for what’s called a ‘performance with much left desiring’?! Or to know that your music sales are really slow because everypony thinks you have a clucky voice?!” ranted the squeaking, angry filly. Sweetie Belle let out a series of quick breaths, while Scootaloo froze in place.
A moment of silence descended between the two fillies. The orange Pegasus stared with complete shock on her face, as if she was electrocuted by a quick jolt of lightning. The white unicorn on the other hand withdrew to her downtrodden appearance. She regretted her outburst against Scootaloo, but didn’t want to be forced to talking about her singing again.
“S-Sweetie Belle…” stammered the shocked filly.
“No Scootaloo. Just leave me alone ok? I’m gonna head back to the Carousel Boutique alone,” asserted the demoralised filly. Sweetie Belle trotted down the hill towards Ponyville, leaving Scootaloo to stand in place and reflect on all that transpired.
“Why did my friends have to rope me into this mess anyway? Why did I even agree to have singing lessons in the first place? I can’t even sing comfortably in front of the kindest, shyest mare in Equestria!” Shouted the frustrated filly. Sweetie Belle ran on the dirt pathway down the grassy hill. The filly let out grunts and hisses of anger towards everything she could think of. She started with herself, for singing alone atop the treehouse, unaware of her friends who would listen to her sing. She blamed Applebloom and Scootaloo for coercing her into lessons, and now she blamed Fluttershy for even agreeing to teach her in the first place!
The frustrated filly reached the first set of houses that greeted her to the bustling suburban community. Ponies all around her were chattering among each other. Among the conversations, Sweetie Belle perked her ears upwards, now hearing the phrase “The Pony Tones”. It was as if little demons were dancing around her mind, trying to anger her even more by teasing, mocking her about her inability to sing!
In the midst of all the joy and excitement of a potential comeback by the famed group, the white filly was but a black thunderstorm cloud, ready to strike her lightning upon any unsuspecting pony who dared speak to her. Sweetie Belle continued squeezing herself through the mares and stallions who walked past her. Now, the filly could hear whispers amongst some of the ponies…
“Hey, isn’t that Rarity’s younger sister?! Oh she is so lucky to have such a beautiful singer! I’d die to hear her sing again! Who knows?! Maybe Sweetie Belle could emulate her sister’s success, perhaps even build upon it!” Sweetie Belle loudly groaned upon hearing that particular conversation. Her ears quickly flapped back downward, closing them as tightly as she could.
After a few more minutes of traversing through the town’s streets, Sweetie Belle finally arrived at Carousel Boutique. Her home was a sanctuary, secluded from all the talk of singing and The Pony Tones. Sweetie Belle breathed a long sigh of relief, her hooves outstretched towards the elaborate structure.
“Thank goodness I’m home! Hopefully Rarity isn’t around!” Sweetie Belle chuckled, slowly trotting towards the purple wooden door. Sweetie Belle stopped in front of the door, slowly turned the golden handle to her right, and opened the door into her home.
Sweetie Belle entered her home and took a quick glance of her surroundings. To her surprise the lights were off! Despite the darkness, the mannequins were kept upright, adorning several glittering red and golden dresses with outlines of smiling dragons and elaborate flora. The dresses spooked Sweetie Belle, as they were not dresses she had previously seen! The inquisitive filly then surmised that the new dresses were Rarity’s latest attempts at an oriental theme she struggled to portray!
So perhaps Rarity was indeed home. The one question that still bugged Sweetie Belle was why the boutique was dark to begin with! But that question was soon to be answered!
“Sweetie Darling!” A sisterly voice cried out in greeting! The startled filly instinctively jumped, flicking on the light switch with her right hoof! The room immediately brightened! Sweetie Belle brushed the dust off her body before widening her eyes upon seeing Rarity still wearing her Pony Tones costume!
Upon seeing the costume, Sweetie Belle darted past Rarity, making the purple-maned mare spin wildly and tumble to the ground! Rarity rubbed her head with her right hoof as Sweetie Belle ran up the purple stairs!
“Ugh… what could possibly be the matter with Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked herself. “I’d best go see her. I hope she’s alright…” Rarity softly asserted as she got up from the ground. Rarity slowly turned towards the stairs and gently trotted upwards.
Rarity reached the top of the stairs. In front of her was a long hallway with purple doors on each side. Sweetie Belle could have been in any of the rooms; she liked to hide underneath her costumes and fabrics whenever she ran up the stairs in frustration and anger.
“Hmmm…in which of these rooms could you be in darling…?” questioned the musing Rarity. But she didn’t have to think long to receive a clue to her sister’s whereabouts. For she heard a soft whimper that echoed through the long corridor. It was a sound few, if any pony would have heard from such a great distance.
Rarity tip-toed through the long, but bright hallway. She turned her ears intently towards the other end of the hallway. The whimpering grew louder and louder the farther she trotted. Then, at one of the doors to her left, the observant mare heard sounds of sniffling and crying. Rarity stopped in front of the entrance where the sniffling was loudest. This door was unique among the doors on the floor, lavished with a tiled window embedded on its top-half.
“Hmmm… why would she be crying inside my workshop?” pondered Rarity. It was a question she needed to answer to help her younger sister out of her sorrow. With that in mind, Rarity gently opened the door to her room, which let out a loud creak. Rarity stopped short of opening the door and reminded herself,
“Oh, I do need to get this door’s hinges fixed. I hate creaking sounds!” Just then, Rarity heard a soft giggle, promptly followed by another sniffle. The room was once again dark, but Rarity wasn’t deterred. She flicked the switch with her left hoof, illuminating the room and revealing the cowering Sweetie Belle underneath a pink, silk fabric atop a red mattress!
Rarity rushed to Sweetie Belle’s side. She gently lifted the front flap of the pink fabric and huddled inside the fabric. Rarity couldn’t help but give a tear at what she saw. Her younger sister was curled up into a ball, like a turtle who hid underneath its shell. The whimpering filly took no notice of her sister whilst she looked onward with a warm smile.
Rarity gently placed her hoof on Sweetie Belle’s back. There was no violent reaction or snap. Just a whimper that grew softer and softer. Rarity carefully rubbed along her back, sliding her hoof back and forth along her soft, white furs.
“There, there Sweetie Belle… It’s me, Rarity. Everything is going to be a-ok…” assured Rarity. Sweetie Belle gently wiggled in place.
“No it’s not…” replied Sweetie Belle, letting out another sniff.
“Why, whatever happened this morning darling?” Rarity asked. Sweetie Belle wobbled again, as if she was trying to roll herself out of a ditch to no avail.
“I don’t want to sing in front of Fluttershy…” The balled up filly replied. Rarity scratched her head in confusion with her left hoof, still rubbing on Sweetie’s furs.
“Sing? Who in Equestria put you up to something you don’t want to do?” inquired Rarity. Sweetie Belle needed cheering up, but for Rarity to be generous and helpful, she needed to figure out the best advice to give!
“The Crusaders…” Sweetie Belle briefly responded, her tears still dripping from her eyes like rain droplets from the sky.
“Surely, the Crusaders wouldn’t do such a thing unless you were talented at singing Sweetie Belle. And I know you’re very talented at singing! You love to sing in the shower, especially if the song’s from the Pony Tones!” Rarity replied, still stroking Sweetie Belle’s furs. Sweetie Belle let out another sniffle and mumbled to herself.
Silence descended upon the two sisters once again once Sweetie Belle finished mumbling. The filly’s tears began to lessen, but she was still curled up into a ball. Rarity tapped her chin with her hoof, still pondering what to do next. Then, the breakthrough:
“Sweetie Belle… do you have stage fright?” It was a question Rarity knew she needed to ask. Silence continued to hover over the two ponies still tucked underneath the pink, silk fabric.
“Sweetie Belle, I remember the day The Cutie Mark Crusaders were set to play their part in the school’s talent show. It always bothered me to see Scootaloo singing lead when you clearly were the better singer in my eyes!” explained the elder of the two sisters. Sweetie Belle remained in position. Rarity lightly shook her head; it was going to take more than a simple nudge to pop the curled up ball.
“Sweetie Belle, stage fright is very common. Even now, I sometimes get scared about forgetting a line to my part, or singing out of tune with the other singers! It’s nerve-wrecking, and it’s completely understandable. But I don’t want you to hold back on what you love to do. I know you love to sing, and I really do think that you can do amazing things with your voice. With practice and encouragement, I think you’ll become a star,” It was the best Rarity could give when it came to comfort. Rarity crossed her hooves, hoping dearly that her words did something.
Sweetie Belle slowly unfurled from her balled-up position, letting out a weak smile. She outstretched her hooves and jumped to Rarity’s side. The two ponies exchanged a long, warm embrace and snuggled for what seemed an eternity.
“Sweetie Belle… stage fright isn’t something that can be conquered overnight. It will take time, but once you overcome it, you won’t regret it,” assured Rarity as the two sisters continued to snuggle.
“Thanks Rarity… I guess I can try to sing in front of Fluttershy tomorrow. But only if you come along. Is that ok?” Sweetie Belle lightly squeaked.
“Of course darling. Anything to help my sister become the best she can be,” Rarity hugged. Rarity and Sweetie Belle let go of their hugs. The younger sister pointed at Rarity’s costume.
“So you guys really are coming back. I heard you sing earlier today. You guys are amazing,” Sweetie Belle squeed. “Maybe I can sing confidently like you someday,” Sweetie Belle giggled.
“You will dear. You certainly are going in the right direction now,” responded the assuring mare. The two ponies sat on the red mattress as Rarity told the tale of The Pony Tones comeback…