The Unsung

by Eclipse Shine

Chapter 4: Sticks and Stones

Despite being in a hospital bed, Sweetie Belle’s injuries weren’t as severe as the doctors first presumed. She suffered a few minor bruises, more from landing on sticks and stones that were scattered around the perimeters than the actually fight. The worst injury she had was a large scar traversing her rib cage. Although fillies her age healed quickly, Nurse Redheart feared that the scar would never heal. Sweetie Belle would always wear it as a reminder like a cutie mark that she had yet to receive. Whether she wore it with pride or with shame, there was no escaping fate.

Grateful that her sister would soon be back to her usual self, Rarity signed a release form with the promise of contacting the hospital if there were any further issues. Sweetie Belle longed for her own bedroom, her own sanctuary. The sooner the pair would leave the better.

~

Leaving the hospital, two silhouettes trotted against the sunset into their domain. The distant horizon shedding new light on Ponyville. Unlocking the door, Rarity was content to have finally made it home. Knowing that she would have to work in the morrow, she headed directly for bed.

“Goodnight Sweetie Belle!”

“Night sis!”

Sweetie tucked herself in, flinching at the pain that her scar was causing while she tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. She didn’t know what was worse: the irritating sting of the rubbing alcohol used to cleanse her wound or the discomfort in covering it with the once soft sheets that grinded her like sandpaper now, slowly scraping inches off of her until all that was left was sawdust. One thing was certain; sleep would be even more difficult in her current state with insomnia not the only thing keeping her awake.

Sweetie Belle found that struggling was useless and decided to sit up, her mane becoming drenched with sweat. She noticed something in the corner of her eye, a majestic white light beaming through the crystal clear windows parallel to her bed. She got up to investigate, disregarding pain and sagging eyelids that protested against these very actions. Making her way to the windowsill, she finally caught a glimpse of what was causing her almost hypnotic state and it only intensified as she kept on starring at its divine beauty. The moon sat in its throne at the top of the heavens, shining light where no street lanterns could reach, lighting Equestria in the darkest hour. Streets were silent and merchant stands abandoned as the world outside transformed into an immense ghost town. Sweetie Belle wondered if it was the same in Manehattan, if Babs had the same view and the same thoughts. Did the entire world fall asleep at night? She wondered. Luna held her throne but nopony knew its divinity, nopony knew the celestial body for what it was; blinded by Celestia’s sun. The one thing that the day could never offer, the night took for granted. Peace.

Sweetie Belle whistled softly, continuously observing her surroundings; a melody developing in her head that contrasted the beauty of the night. Somehow the moon had given her the will to fall asleep and to forget about past events of her life. A total clarity guided her towards a new dawn.

~

As the morning came and Ponyville woke, the streets have once again been filled by ponies from all corners of the small jovial village. A community of sorts, commuting in even the harshest of times. The stock market suffered, banks went under with a flightless fall and the crime rate skyrocketed all across Equestria. Yet Ponyville seemed unconcerned as if it habited its own little dome, oblivious to the tragedies that surrounded it. Maybe it was for the better, Sweetie Belle didn’t know. Rarity had left the exhausted filly alone as she headed out for work early; leaving her sister to wake on her own terms.

The clock had barely struck twelve by the time she woke, fearing she overslept, she leaped out of bed. Her wounds though left a harsh reminder that she didn’t even need to go to school as they stung her but with less furiosity as the previous night. She was alone; alone to reflect and alone to figure out what she could do while she awaited her sister’s arrival.

Unforgiving, the events of yesterday came back to her, robbing her of her newfound happiness. Why did she attack Diamond Tiara? What was going through her mind?

I mean, I don’t like her but I don’t think that I could imagine causing anypony pain even in my wildest dreams…

But the reality was still there and refused to change despite her greatest efforts. She didn’t know if she should apologize or start running next time she spots the tiara upon that pink filly’s mane. Hopefully, she won’t have to find out anytime soon. The longer that she was off of school, the easier it would be to avoid her. But the thought still bothered her like a vulture plucking at her decaying consciousness.

She swung her sheets onto the ground, careless about the mess she created. Checking her scar, she was astonished that it had already started its long healing process.

Maybe it’s true, maybe fillies do heal quickly.

Making her way to the kitchen, she was greeted by a plate of pancakes that had gone cold from her procrastination. Disregarding the minor inconvenience, Sweetie Belle stuffed them in her mouth; surprised by her own hunger.

If only Rarity made a second serving…

“Darn, we’re out of chocolate milk! Rarity?”

I’m an idiot; of course she isn’t here when I actually need her for something. How ironic…

For a split second, Sweetie Belle made her own designated thinking spot that had once been exclusive to the cutie mark crusader’s cabin alone.

Think…Think…

“Aha!” Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves with excitement. “Sugar Cube Corner has a special Fridays on milkshakes!”

Again, Sweetie was found performing before an audience of none, slightly embarrassed at her own enthusiasm as Opalescence simply stared at her.

“What are you looking at?” She giggled as the annoyed feline left the kitchen, once again giving up on finding any sanity within the Crazy House.

Sweetie Belle scavenged her room and savings for loose bits for a milkshake and found out that that she had more than enough to purchase one. Much more. “Forty one, forty two, forty three…forty four bits!” She exclaimed, trying to figure out what she could do with her newfound fortune.

Four bits should be enough for a chocolate milkshake, especially on a Friday. I’ll just save up the rest for Manehattan. Awesome!

Forty bits aside, Sweetie Belle looked at her clock that silently ticked without judgement.

Two twelve, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom should be out of school by three so that gives me plenty of time to look around town.

“Alright, Opal, I’ll be heading out. Be good!”

Opalescence gave her no satisfactory response to which Sweetie Belle sighed.

Shutting the door behind her, Sweetie Belle wondered through town with a sense of freedom that quickly changed to a sense of hostility.

Why are they all looking at me like that?

For a few moments, she had forgotten her scars, pushing them under her already bulging rug for the time being. But thoughts always deceived her, making her reality into fiction and vice-versa. Feeling uneasy all of a sudden, Sweetie quickened her pace, dogging looks of curiosity that striped her of any dignity she owned in the past. Sugar Cube Corner was just a kilometer from her house but at this time, she felt as if she was trotting an endless mile in the most hostile of towns. Judgement that she had never before witnessed in Ponyville led her to gallop through the narrowing rows of merchant stands that seemed to close in on her little by little.

Finally reaching her destination, Sweetie Belle swung the entrance to Sugar Cube Corner wide open, gasping for oxygen to meet her deprived lungs.

“Ahhhhh! Monster!” Pinkie hid behind her counter to the shock of several customers that starred at her in confusion.

“Pinkie, I’m no monster, silly filly!” Sweetie Belle attempted to break the sound of silence with success as ponies chuckled.

“Oh sorry Sweetie Belle, it’s just that…” Surprisingly, Pinkie Pie had found a bit of self-control to stop her from uttering the next few words that would have damned Sweetie to further shame. “Aw, forget it! How about a cupcake? On the house!”

“Ah, sure, I guess. Thank you Pinkie.”

“Aw, no problem, here you are!” Chocolate cupcake in hooves, Pinkie Pie offered Sweetie Belle a seat in the lounging area of the small pastry shop.

“Thanks Pinkie. Do you know what time it is by any chance?”

“It is…Two thirty three.”

“Alright, thanks. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom should be off school soon. They always come here on Fridays anyways.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie was kind of curious as to why the young filly wasn’t at school with her friends but decided to dismiss her concern. From the looks of it, Sweetie Belle wasn’t ready to talk about her injuries or any other problem that affected her.

~

The clock ticked on and time seemed to quicken its pace as Sweetie Belle took small, careful bites out of her delicacy. Sweetie Belle decided to have a look of her own at the mechanical time-keeper only to discover that it was already past three.

They should be here any time now.

Before having a chance to sit back in her booth, a familiar clinging sound of a bell announced the arrival of her friend. Scootaloo, followed by Apple Bloom scanned the area for familiar faces. Spotting the third crusader they trotted up to meet her.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo called out enthusiastically to alert her friend of her arrival although she was only a few hoofsteps away.

“Oh, hey there Scootaloo; Apple Bloom.” Ponies turned in disapproval at the sudden disturbance within Sugar Cube Corner.

“How are ya?” Apple Bloom uttered quietly to avoid making the same mistake as her fellow crusader.

“I’m fine, have a seat.” Sweetie Belle ushered them towards her lonely booth in the corner of the tiny room.

“Alright, Imma get us some milkshakes. What do y’all want?” Apple Bloom asked casually so that her friends could save a seat for her instead of their booth being robbed by somepony else while they waited patiently in line for their turn.

“Chocolate.”

“Strawberry.”

Passing bits on to Apple Bloom, both fillies sat down, waiting to finally indulge in their reward for their weekly academics.

“Hey, isn’t that the foal from the hospital?” Scootaloo pointed her hoof towards a small brown colt who was counting his bits with a satisfactory grin on his face.

“Oh yeah, that’s Button Mash.”

“Does he go to our school?” Scootaloo continued her interrogation.

“Yup, he sure does.”

“I’ve never seen him before yesterday…Wait, he’s a blankflank?!”

“You’re a blankflank too Scootaloo, don’t get too excited.” Sweetie Belle chuckled as her friend blushed with embarrassment. “Hey Button, over here!”

Button Mash trotted towards the fillies that summoned him.

“I’m just about to get a milkshake; I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.” He declared, about to turn his back on them.

“Apple Bloom’s still in line, she can get one for you if you give her the bits.” Scootaloo insisted, pointing towards her fellow crusader.

“Alright, I’ll be back right away!” Button Mash sped towards Apple Bloom and trotted back towards the fillies.

“What did you get?” Scootaloo asked curiously.

“Chocolate.”

“Chocolate is my favorite!” Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves in excitement.

“Sit down, there’s plenty of room.” Scootaloo offered, pounding a cushion to direct him towards it.

“Okay, thank you.” Button Mash smiled, taken by surprise by the kindness of these ponies that he just met a day ago. The memories took him back to that day, the galloping, and the sheer horror of finding both ponies on the blood-stained soil. Quickly dismissing them, he sat down, still shivering as if he had woken up from the wickedest nightmare of his life.

“So you don’t have your cutie mark yet?” Scootaloo observed, trying her best not to scare the small colt off.

“No…No, I don’t.” Button Mash stared at the detail of the carved wooden table before him, trying to push the subject aside by creating his own reality.

“It’s okay, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Scootaloo attempted to cheer him up as Apple Bloom arrived with four huge milkshakes on a tray.

“Pinkie doesn’t even trust us with glass anymore.” She giggled, placing the plastic cups in front of their rightful owner.

Can we blame her, after last incident with glass cups? Guess we aren’t cut out to be cutie mark crusader dishwashers either...

“Thanks!” Three ponies spoke in unison as a fourth one sat next to Sweetie Belle.

“Button Mash, can ah propose somethin’?” Apple Bloom faced the colt who was already gulping down his sweet beverage.

“What?” He replied shyly. He wasn’t used to being surrounded by so many fillies at a time and found it somewhat uncomfortable.

“Would you like to be a cutie mark crusader?”

“A cutie mark what?” Button Mash’s eyes widened with surprise.

“A cutie mark crusader. We are a group a ponies that try to earn our cutie marks by performin’ different tasks. Shorta like a club that helps ya find your special talent.”

“I…I don’t know.” Button Mash was quite hesitant about the proposition. He just met these fillies yesterday and they already wanted him to join a gang of some sorts.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. Pwease?” Apple Bloom’s puppy dog eyes never betrayed her and proved successful once again as the colt gave in.

“Fine.”

“Yay!” Three fillies clapped hooves as it was Button Mash’s turn to blush in slight embarrassment.

“Alright, we’ll go to the clubhouse as soon as we’ve finished these delicious shakes. Pinkie Pie never ceases to amaze!” Scootaloo gulped down the remnants of her drink and jumped up from her seat; sugar rush doing its job.

~

“Ah believe you’ve already met our clubhouse?” Apple Bloom opened up the creaking door that desperately needed an oil treatment, leading them into their shared sanctuary.

“This is where we get ideas for earning our cutie marks and hang out. There’s lots of room for a fourth crusader.” Sweetie Belle smiled as she caught the stunned look on the colt’s face.” I need to get back home soon before Rarity finds out that I’ve gone missing. She should be back from her meeting soon.”

“That’s fine, Sweetie Belle. We’ll keep the ceremony short an sweet.” Apple Bloom directed Button Mash to the center of the clubhouse.

“Ceremony?” Button Mash whispered in awe. These fillies really have everything figured out.

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and started her speech, reminding herself not to drag it on like last time; when Babs first joined them.

“We the cutie mark crusaders, elect Button Mash as our brother, friend, ally, chum of chums…blah, blah, blah…and fellow cutie mark crusader…Hey, Scootaloo, weren’t you going to shorten this speech?!”

“Whoops.” Scootaloo giggled while Button Mash anticipated his integration within the group.

“Welcome to the club!” Sweetie Belle yelled at last as Apple Bloom presented Button Mash with a cape of his own.

“Th…Thank you, I don’t know what to say. I’m really honored to be a part of this wonderful group. It’s good to see ponies that are nice these days.” Button Mash was on the verge of tears as he spoke these words.

“Aw, you’re gonna make us all cry now…” Apple Bloom wrapped her forehooves around the grateful colt, joined by Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The cutie mark crusader’s Ponyville division now counted four members.

“Remember Button: Once a crusader, always a crusader.” Sweetie Belle was proud to finally see their little group grow in numbers and wished that this happiness would last forever.