//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - Kickin' Those Clouds Away! // Story: Find the Music in You // by SterlingC //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle pranced out of her teacher’s tree home. All the way down the grassy hill and along the dirt road, Sweetie Belle hummed to herself the simple, yet catchy tune that she and Fluttershy sang together. All the talk of scales and arpeggios left her jumping and dancing down the hill and into Ponyville as the sun continually rose towards its zenith. The white filly hummed through the song at least three times by the time she got down the hill and into Ponyville. All she could think about was what she learned from her lesson. Whether it be the breathing exercises that made her stomach feel weak for a moment, the thought of possessing a talent as rare as perfect pitch, or even the first lesson she learned in stage fright, she had much to remember and ponder. But the train of thought was soon going to be placed at an abrupt halt. For along the path back to the illustrious Carousel Boutique, was a familiar filly. It was Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle shifted her eyes towards the filly, whose hooves slowly drifted along the grey asphalt and kicked the small stones that rolled because of her kicks. Immediately Sweetie Belle recalled the last time the two fillies chatted. Scootaloo’s shouts of derision and rebuke, her own hardened response that bellowed like a volcanic fire, and the stomping of hooves that pounded the dirt road as she tramped away from her friend’s sight. One could simply say that it was a frustrating day for both sides, but Sweetie Belle felt a sense of guilt trickle up her body like a colony of ants. Sweetie Belle galloped towards the downtrodden filly. She frantically waved her hooves and leapt forward, trying desperately to grab Scootaloo’s attention! “Scootaloo! Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle shouted with all her might! Scootaloo slowly looked up and gasped. “Sweetie Belle! What are you doing here?!” Scootaloo opened her mouth to scream, but was promptly trampled by Sweetie Belle before she could let out another sound! “Scootaloo!! Thanks a lot for giving me the push I needed! I just had my first singing lesson with Fluttershy!” Sweetie Belle held onto Scootaloo more tightly than Twilight would have with her Smarty Pants. Scootaloo felt her back grinding up the grey asphalt, Sweetie Belle continuing to embrace her like she was her favourite toy. “Sweetie… Belle… get off… me…” Scootaloo grunted, the force of her hooves doing little to move herself away from her grasp. Sweetie Belle quickly jumped away from the Pegasus, having heard her muted cries. Sweetie Belle scratched her forehead with a sheepish grin, much to Scootaloo’s chagrin. Sweetie Belle’s grin quickly turned into a light frown, her mind whirring as she remembered why she tackled Scootaloo to the ground. “Sorry Scoots… I saw you drooping about the streets, and I just wanted to say I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday. It wasn’t right of me to get so mad at you. I should have seen that you and Applebloom just wanted to help me with my talents,” apologized Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo wiped the dust off her back, while Sweetie Belle felt her hooves rattle like dancing skeletons in Nightmare Night. A moment of silence quickly descended upon to the two fillies. Both fillies scuffled their feet along the grey asphalt. Scootaloo slowly lifted her right hoof and opened her mouth, now finding the words she wanted to say. “It really hurt when you snapped at me the way you did. It also hurt when you ragged on my singing, especially when you had a beautiful voice that seemed like something you didn’t want to show,” explained the disenchanted filly. Sweetie Belle nodded as Scootaloo explained her feelings. It was unusual for Scootaloo to express her hurt feelings like this, but it felt good to let out all the pent up sadness that clouded her mind the past day. It was as if the clouds were being dispersed by the sun’s rays from above. “I see where you’re coming from. I’m sorry for making fun of your singing too. It’s just that I have a really bad case of stage fright, and you seemed so confident when you sang, even when it could have been better. I can’t do that, especially when I see Rarity constantly being checked on really harshly for everything she does,” replied Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo scratched her head. She recalled the time she turned down the offer to be the lead singer, but she never comprehended just how serious her stage fright was. “I didn’t know any of this Sweetie Belle… I mean, we argued about it yesterday, but I couldn’t believe that it was that serious… I’m sorry for not being more understanding Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo apologized in reply. Sweetie Belle shook her head, her smile beginning to come back on her face. “It’s alright Scootaloo. You only wanted to see me at my best,” Sweetie Belle assured. Slowly, she and Scootaloo trotted towards each other, and exchanged another hug, this time Scootaloo pressing hard on Sweetie Belle’s body. After a few moments on the asphalt, the two fillies let go with giggles on their faces. The fog that clouded their friendship dispersed, the two fillies immediately galloped towards Sweet Apple Acres, eager to tell Applebloom the great news. “You already had yer first singing lesson Sweetie Belle?! Ah thought you didn’t wanna take singin’ lessons ‘cause you were nervous about singin’ in front of Fluttershy!” Applebloom exclaimed, her widened eyes and opened mouth highlighting the surprise that was written all over her face. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo made their journey through the town and had entered the Crusaders’ beloved treehouse where Applebloom looked out the window on her own to admire the view. Now that the other Crusaders arrived, it was up to Sweetie Belle to tell the wonderful news of her first singing lesson! “Yep! Rarity cheered me up yesterday and assured me that singing in front of Fluttershy would go well. And she was right!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “I learned that I have a natural singing voice, that I need to improve my breathing, and that I could have perfect pitch!” Sweetie Belle gleefully cheered. “What’s this ‘ere perfect pitch? I’ve never heard of this ‘ere pitch thingy,” asked Applebloom with a confused look. “Well, music’s got notes to it, and apparently, I can hear the musical notes in everything around me, even with your speaking voice!” Sweetie Belle tried her best to explain. “Like right now, I can hear Gs, Bbs, and other notes as I speak right now!” continued the white filly, this time with a gleeful squee. “Woah… that’s really cool… although I’m wondering why it’s so special,” Applebloom scratched her head. “I mean, it’s not like we’re trying to sing right now right?” continued the confused filly. “Well, Fluttershy told me that it’s really useful for The Pony Tones because they need to be able to match each other’s voices perfectly to sound good!” Sweetie Belle smiled. Applebloom had a good point, but in the musical world, perfect pitch was a rare and celebrated talent. “Well that’s neat! Care to tell us what song Fluttershy taught you today?” Applebloom asked with a puppy face. Sweetie Belle giggled when Applebloom began crawling on the wooden floorboards of the treehouse towards her legs. “Ohh alright… but only for you and Scoots!” complied Sweetie Belle reluctantly. “Yay! We get to hear Sweetie Belle sing again!” Scootaloo and Applebloom jumped in circles inside the treehouse. It took quite some time for Applebloom and Scootaloo to quiet down and sit on place, but the time had come. The two fillies eagerly looked onward at Sweetie Belle, who already felt her body letting out small droplets of sweat. Her eyes began to dilate, and her heartbeat followed suit by accelerating in pace. Sweetie Belle gulped in front of the two fillies. These were her friends! Sweetie Belle felt a fog descend in front of her eyes once again, struggling to even open her mouth. Sweetie Belle slowly took a deep breath. Her body was still shaking, but her heartbeat began to slow. The fogs that slowly descended to her quickly dispersed once again. It was Fluttershy’s first lesson to her: to take a deep breath whenever she felt nervous, and to begin remembering to feel confident in herself. Soon after she took her deep breaths, Sweetie Belle felt the chains on her mouth shatter as she freely opened her mouth! She was ready to sing! She sang the first notes of the scales and arpeggios song that Fluttershy taught her. It felt awkward to sing in front her fellow Crusaders the way she was doing now, but soon after she opened her mouth, several birds of many kinds landed on the wooden planks that outlined the treehouse’s square openings. The birds created a harmonious string of sounds that blended softly and gently with one another, as if the notes were dancing around the treehouse with Sweetie Belle! It was a short song that lasted not longer than a minute or two, but Applebloom and Scootaloo’s exuberant faces said it all. The two fillies were enjoying the mini-show that Sweetie Belle was putting on. Once Sweetie Belle finished singing, the two fillies in the audience wildly clapped and hollered with the chirping birds who were delighted to hear Sweetie Belle sing once again. “That was amazing Sweetie Belle! You’re already learning so much from Fluttershy, and it’s only been a day since your lesson!” Scootaloo cheered with a wide smile! “It sure was Scoots! Yer gonna be a star someday Sweetie Belle!” Applebloom hollered along while the birds gently flew away. “Aww thanks you guys…” blushed the appreciative Sweetie Belle. “I have a lot of breath control work to do, but by the looks of it, I guess I sang really well,” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Sang well?! You got the birds coming back for more! That surely means something!” Scootaloo remarked. “Yeah! At this rate, you’ll be the best singer in all Equestria!” Applebloom pumped her right hoop up in the air and jumped up! “Awww guys… I’m just glad I managed to sing my song in front of you! Slowly but steadily, I’m getting the hang of singing in front of others!” Sweetie Belle weakly smiled. Sure she felt very nervous before she sang, but it was progress well done for her to overcome and kick the clouds of fear away!