//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Home Alone with Sweetiebelle. // by No One and Nobody //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Sweetie Devises a Plan (And Rarity worries about her poor, sweet, defenseless little sister). "Okay," said Harry, drawing a rudimentary sketch in the dirt, "This is the layout of Rarity's boutique based on the plans I saw at town hall." His ears twitched as Marv slurped up the last of his soda. "Anyway..." he continued, ripping the cup from Marv's mouth, "You will enter through the window and sneak round to the front and open the door for me..." A small white figure crept down the side alley and hid behind a dumpster to listen to their conversation. GASSSPP! thought Sweetiebelle, They're planning to commit a burglary. And what's worse, they want to burgle MY HOME! Sweetiebelle's brow furrowed. Burgle? Burglarize? Burgalaroid? Which one is it? "Hey Harry," asked Marv, "What do we do if they get home?" "That's the beauty of it Marv," Harry said, smiling, "They can't come back til that storm clears up. I knew bribing that native medicine-deer would help us." Sweetiebelle gasped. "What was that?" said Harry, jerking his head up from their plan. "Aw it's just your imagination," said Marv. Sweetiebelle slunk away as fast as she possibly could, being careful not to disturb so much as a stone. Once out of the alley, she made a mad dash for the boutique. She ran in and slammed the door shut behind her. "Be calm," she reassured herself, pacing in the kitchen, "You can do this." She looked up with steel in her eyes and said, "This is my home and I'm gonna defend it." "I see," Cadence said, after having heard the entire story from Twilight, "Well I'm not that sure if there's that much we can do." "My poor, sweet, defenseless, little sister!" Rarity sobbed, "I don't know what I'll do if-" "I didn't say there isn't anything we could do," Cadence interrupted, "I can send the mayor a letter to inform her that Sweetiebelle needs a guardian." "How can you send a letter through that storm?" Twilight queried. "I was thinking I could borrow your dragon." "At you service milady," Spike said, bowing low. "Thank you," said Cadence. She levitated a parchment and quill off the table beside her and began to write. Dear Mayor Mare, A strange series of events have left Sweetiebelle, (Rarity's little sister) home alone. I would greatly appreciate if you could send somepony over to Rarity's boutique to look after her and keep her safe. Rarity and her friends will return home on the next train. Love, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (A.K.A. Cadence) XXXOOO "XXXOOO?" Twilight asked. "I'm the Princess of love Twily," Cadence said, "How do you expect me to sign my letters?" Spike rolled the letter up and sent it in a tongue of fire to Ponyville's mayor. Everypony waited with baited breath. After a few moments, Spike belched a letter out. "Ahem," said Twilight. Dear Princese Cadenc, I'm sure the mayoor would have no problem with that. I will give her this letter as son as she returns from her Hearthswarming shoping. Sincerly, The Mayer's Assistant. Twilight's eye twitched slightly as she put the letter down. "How could she misspell Mayor? Twice?" "That letter's riddled with more misspellin's then a convention a filly school dropouts," AJ said, examining the letter. "And YOU would know so much about this because?" Rainbow said, snarkily. "Well it doesn't matter how bad her spelling is," said Cadence, "As long as the mayor gets the letter." "I thought that Proper Grammer had great spelling," Fluttershy said. "Proper took two weeks off to go spend in Manehattan with her mother," Twilight said, "I signed her papers approving it. Mayor Mare must have got a substitute secretary." "Thirty-six bottles of cider on the wall, thirty-six bottles of cider! Take one down, pass it around ya got... uh... T-t-twenty bottles of cider on the walllllllllllll..." The long note was cut short as the Mayor entered the room. "Berry Punch!" she exclaimed, "I thought I told you, no eggnog on office hours!" "Jusssst a nip, Mayor doll, ta ward offffffff... da cold." "This building is magically heated!" "How'm'I ssssupppposssed ta know that when I've been drinkin'?" The mayor rolled her eyes. "Any messages while I was out?" she asked, putting a hoof on her forehead. "Oh a massage? Dat soundssss lovely!! I'lllll make da reservations at da spa!" "ANY MESSAGES!!!!" the Mayor yelled in Berry Punch's beet red face, "M-E-S-S-A-G-E-S!!!" "Dat is correct," Berry Punch said, sloppily clapping her hooves together, "You, (and your twin sister), may proceed to da next level of da spellin' bee!" "Berry Punch!" screamed the Mayor, "Pack your things! You're FIRED! Go home and sober up!" "I'm hired? But you already hired me a week ago." "And it was the biggest mistake I ever made." "Oh you missed your stake! Why didn't you tell me? We'll find that piece'a wood if it's da last's'thing we do!" Mayor Mare grabbed Berry Punch by the scruff of the neck and tossed her out the door. "Why did I ever hire her?" she asked, trotting into her private office, completely overlooking the letter with the gold-embossed symbol of the Crystal Empire that was currently stained by eggnog. Sweetiebelle surveyed her surroundings. "What do I have that can keep them away?" Her eyes scanned the room. Pots and pans, no. Drapes, no. Aha! Sweetiebelle thought as her eyes fell on a dress Rarity had been working on. Not so much the dress as what it was on. Sweetie smiled. Harry and Marv crept through the shadows and approached Rarity's boutique. As they looked around a corner they saw something peculiar. The lights were on in the house and there were ponies moving around inside. "I thought they were in the Crystal Empire," said Marv, "Who are these ponies?" "I don't know," said Harry, "Maybe I got their travel dates mixed up. Or maybe there are some ponies taking care of their house for them." "Then let's go to the next home on your list. Applejack's farm, wasn't it?" "Nah, I didn't look for those plans. The best course of action would be to just wait. Sooner or later, these ponies have to leave or fall asleep." Sweetiebelle sat at a table and observed her work. Pony mannequins moved all over the room, pulled by ropes and machines. Sweetiebelle had realized that they would cast realistic pony silhouettes of the translucent drapes. Sweetiebelle was actually sitting at the table because it was the only place she wouldn't trip over things. Sweetie's ear twitched as she overheard mumbling outside. Dashing over to a window, she listened. It was the ponies from before alright. Applejack's farm? I may be jumping to conclusions but it sounds like they're planning to rob everypony that left for the Crystal Empire! Sweetiebelle swallowed hard. This had just gotten a lot harder. "How am I gonna protect everypony's homes?" she voiced aloud, "Rarity doesn't have THAT many mannequins!" A slow smile crept across her muzzle. If I can't keep them away, she thought, Then I'll just have to booby-trap everypony's homes. Sweetiebelle grabbed hold of some crayons, paper and food. This may take awhile.