The Bad News
Diamond Tiara anxiously paced the school yard waiting for the afternoon bell to ring. Thanks to a certain so-called pal of hers, namely Scootaloo, Diamond was forced to stay home from school today and she was itching for revenge.
Yesterday during lunch, Diamond was debating on starting a food fight and she held a glob of peanut butter in her hoof, poised and ready to fling at the nearest loser she could find. Unfortunately, she chose her attack position in front of the schoolhouse door and she got booted in the back with it by an unaware Scootaloo. The sudden surprise of being hit with the door caused Diamond to carelessly fling the peanut butter away and it soared over her intended target and instead nailed Miss Cheerilee right in the face.
Diamond knew it was useless to hide or try to talk her way out of it because Miss Cheerilee would never believe that it was just an accident. So, she just stood there awaiting her normal punishment of detention. However, Miss Cheerilee was more upset about this than usual and gave Diamond a one-day suspension from school on top of the detention scheduled for the weekend.
This infuriated Diamond, but she couldn't do anything to Scootaloo at this point. Instead she followed Miss Cheerilee to get the note she needed to take home to her uncle. Of course Diamond protested trying to explain, but her uncle wouldn't hear it. He was unhappy with his niece's behavior and told her that she had to stop clowning around in school and start taking things seriously or she'd be held back. He sent her to her room so she could think about what she had done. This is not how a rich filly should be treated, she'd thought angrily to herself as she stormed up the stairs. "It's not fair!" she'd shouted from her bedroom door before she slammed it shut with such force the whole house seemed to shake in her rage.
Diamond Tiara sat down heavily on her bed and grumbled about how stupid and unfair all of this was and that Scootaloo was really going to get it come tomorrow. Although Scootaloo had no clue that Diamond Tiara was standing on the other side of the door and didn't mean to hit her, it still made Diamond Tiara feel good to pass the blame onto somepony other than herself. Logic told her that if she hadn't been trying to start a food fight to begin with this never would have happened, but logic like that didn't work on Diamond Tiara.
The next day was slow and boring and any other filly would have welcomed a day off from school, but Diamond Tiara couldn't enjoy it this time. All that was on her mind was revenge and the only way she knew she could get it and fully satisfy herself was if she creamed Scootaloo after school. It was crude and simple, but very effective. A good pounding is what that goody-goody deserved and it would be enough to appease Diamond Tiara as well.
At about two-thirty Diamond Tiara exited her home and walked quickly to the schoolhouse and she waited there, leaning against a tree, forehooves folded tightly against her chest. The bell finally rang promptly at three o' clock and from outside Diamond Tiara heard Miss Cheerilee say, “Class dismissed,” This was quickly followed by the class erupting in applause, the sound of papers being thrown in the air in celebration before all of her fellow classmates came galloping out the door, with Cheerilee reminding them to do their essays over summer break. For the first time since yesterday, Diamond Tiara actually perked up. She snickered and slapped her hoof into her other hoof a few times and stepped forward, away from the tree, so she could wait for Scootaloo to exit the building. A slow, sinister smirk spread across her face as she spotted her prey and she strode forward to confront her.
Sweetie Belle was at Scootaloo's side as usual and she noticed Diamond Tiara first. "Umm . . . Scootaloo, I think Diamond Tiara's looking for you, and she doesn't look too pleased."
Scootaloo turned and stopped in her tracks as she watched the bully heading her way, scowling. Scootaloo rubbed at her neck and tried her best to smile. "H-hi, Diamond Tiara. Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I had no idea that you–"
"Can it, you flightless chicken! I'm not here to hear any sob story from you. You're going to get it for getting me in trouble with Miss Cheerilee and my uncle!" She then quickly reached forward and grabbed the back of Scootaloo's head and reared her hoof back, ready to strike. Sweetie was about to jump in and try to stop her, but the look on Diamond Tiara's face alone told her that it was best to stay out of it. "Say your prayers, blank flank," Diamond Tiara snarled.
Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the pounding she knew she was going to get when a voice made her jump. "Come on, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, quit playing around with Diamond Tiara. We've got a Crusaders meeting to get to. We don't have all day." It was Apple Bloom coming to get her friends to take them to their clubhouse to have their Cutie Mark Crusaders meeting before she went to the theater for a play rehearsal.
A smile crept across Scootaloo's lips, for she knew she was saved. Apple Bloom may not have been a complete angel, but at that moment she might as well have been. Diamond Tiara was frozen in her tracks, her hoof was still gripping the back of Scootaloo's head and her hoof reared back for a punch, but a goofy look was slowly spreading across her face as she stared at Apple Bloom. Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself. She knew how smitten Diamond Tiara was with Apple Bloom and this was exactly what she needed to keep from getting a beating.
"Come on," Apple Bloom barked. "I don't have time for this!"
"C-coming, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo managed to choke out, then looked to Diamond Tiara. "You don't want to do this, Tiara. Apple Bloom will be late for her play if you beat me up now, and you don't want that, do you? Make her late, I mean."
"Huh? Why, ummm, no. I mean, I don't care about that . . . I just changed my mind, that's all," Diamond replied calmly and shoved Scootaloo away. She then turned and transfixed her gaze on the beautiful farm filly standing in front of them. She sighed dreamily, making Scootaloo smile more and Sweetie nudged her in the ribs as a sort of congratulations on the save Apple Bloom had unknowingly given to her.
"Well, see you in town tomorrow, Tiara," Scootaloo softly commented and made her way over to Apple Bloom. Diamond Tiara blinked and trotted after her, not willing to let Apple Bloom out of her sight. Scootaloo flinched upon hearing the hooves of Diamond Tiara clopping on the ground behind her. Doing her best to ignore the bully, Scootaloo approached Apple Bloom and the two of them started to walk off, but there was Diamond, grinning stupidly at the two of them.
Apple Bloom frowned and looked at her. "And what do you want?" she grumbled.
"I j-just wanted to say hi, Apple Bloom, and that you look nice today," Diamond Tiara stammered, giving her the best smile she could muster. Sweetie Belle just rolled her eyes and Scootaloo almost gagged seeing how sappy Diamond Tiara became around Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes and regarded Diamond Tiara carefully for a moment, making Diamond shudder. She waited for a smart-ass comment or an insult, as was so common with Apple Bloom. However, much to everypony's shock, especially Scootaloo's, Apple Bloom gave Diamond Tiara a warm smile and gently said, "How nice. Well, hello to you too, Diamond Tiara."
Diamond Tiara blinked. She felt like everything around her stopped, including her heart. Apple Bloom was never nice to her. If Apple Bloom was being nice, Diamond Tiara would have normally assumed it was fake and forced, but not this time. This time it felt sweet and sincere. She swallowed hard and stared at Apple Bloom for what seemed like forever. If only Apple Bloom would give her a chance, then she'd know how great of a pony she really was.
"I'll see you later, Tiara," Apple Bloom said softly, snapping Diamond back to reality. "Say goodbye to your little friend, Scootaloo,"
Diamond Tiara grinned slightly and waved, then watched sadly as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo walked away with an embarrassed Scootaloo hanging her head.
"You really got it bad for her, don't you?" Sweetie asked as she moved to Diamond's side.
"Can it, tubby," Diamond shouted and turned around, almost ready to slug Scootaloo's chubby friend. "I don't know what you're talking about, so just forget it."
"Alright, whatever you say." Sweetie blinked in confusion, wondering why Diamond wouldn't just admit that she liked Apple Bloom. It was nothing bad, but of course Diamond Tiara would make it out to be the end of the world.
Sweetie suddenly jumped upon hearing Apple Bloom bark, "Hey, Sweetie! You comin'? We got rehearsal this afternoon!"
Sweetie simply shook her head and replied, "Sorry, Apple Bloom, but I've got plans this afternoon."
Apple Bloom just rolled her eyes and continued walking with Scootaloo.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle smiled, seeing Spike approaching the schoolhouse. She hopped up and down when she approached Spike. “Hey, Spike!”
The little dragon chuckled and inquired, “You happy to see me, Sweetie Belle?” He spotted Scootaloo and Apple Bloom walking off. “Can I give you a lift home?”
Sweetie Belle nodded her head and said, “Thanks, I'd love to have you walk me home.”
"Great!.” His face brightened up. “Okay, let's go!”
The two of them started walking.
Upon arriving at Carousel Boutique, they went to her bedroom where she collapsed on her bed, sighing in content.
“Will you be all right here by yourself?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I think I'm just going to lay down for a nap or something.”
“All right. I'll see you around, then. I should get back to the library. Have a nice summer break.”
Once Spike had left, she rested her head on her pillow.
It was quiet when Rarity entered the Carousel Boutique. She stopped in the middle of the Boutique, suddenly noticing how silent it was. She listened carefully for any sign of Sweetie Belle's presence. She decided to go ahead and go to Sweetie Belle's bedroom to make sure that her little sister was there.
In spite of her worry over her sister's safety, she walked quite slowly up the stairs and down the hall. Upon reaching Sweetie Belle's bedroom door, she knocked lightly a couple of times and pressed her ear to the door, awaiting an answer from her little sister. She received no response, forcing her to knock yet again, louder this time. Still no response. Finally, she called, "Sweetie Belle? Are you in there?" Hearing no response, she checked to see if the door was unlocked and, upon finding out that it indeed was, wrenched open the door and walked in. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Sweetie in bed, sleeping.
She didn't want to, but she was practically forced to wake her up from her slumber. If Sweetie Belle took a nap during the day, she wouldn't feel like going to bed when she needed to. Walking up to the bed, she lifted a hoof and gently shook Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie? Sweetie Belle, wake up.”
The little filly stirred in her sleep, rolling over onto her other side. She smacked her lips and opened her eyes, jumping up when she saw Rarity looking down at her.
“Sweetie Belle, are you hungry? I could whip us up something real quick, if you'd like.”
“Hmm . . .” Sweetie Belle put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Come to think of it, I am kind of hungry.” She lied back down and threw the covers over her head. “Call me when dinner's ready.”
Rarity walked down to the kitchen.
Upstairs, Sweetie Belle lied on her back on her bed, staring at her plushie that she held in her hooves, known as Itty Bitty Kitty, a stuffed cat that Rarity had given her as a birthday present one year. It had originally been Rarity's.
She rolled onto her side and held the stuffed kitten close to her chest, sighing heavily. Even if she and her sister didn't get along quite well, she had to admit to herself that she was looking forward to the fact that she's be staying with Rarity all week next week.
It wasn't long before Sweetie Belle was called down to dinner. Reluctantly, she left her stuffed animal behind and ventured downstairs to the kitchen. Rarity was already seated at the table with her bowl of noodles in front of her. Directly across from her sat Sweetie's own bowl of noodles. The little filly sat down at the table and started eating.
“Did you get home okay?” Rarity asked.
“Mm-hmm,” Sweetie Belle replied, her mouth full of noodles. She imagined that she must have looked kind of silly with several strands of noodles dangling from her lower lip. She slupred them up and swallowed, making Rarity cringe. “What?”
“Really, Sweetie Belle, we need to work on your etiquette.”
Sweetie nodded and attempted to eat the noodles more “ladylike” this time. She cleared her throat upon swallowing and flicked back her mane with a hoof,
Rarity smiled. “You need to get in bed early tonight. Mother and Father will be here tomorrow afternoon to pick you up.”
Once dinner was over, Sweetie went and brushed her teeth. Afterward, she climbed into bed and read a book, waiting for Rarity to come in and wish her good night. Her older sister did so an hour after she had climbed into bed. Sweetie set her book aside on her nightstand and laid down, pulling the covers up to her neck.
“All right,” Rarity said. “Get a good night's sleep.”
Sweetie smiled up at her. “Thanks. Could you give me my doll, please?”
Rarity levitated Itty Bitty Kitty over to her and examined it. “You still have this old thing?”
“But of course.”
Rarity leaned forward and took a whiff, only to jerk her head back in disgust. “Ugh! Good heavens, Sweetie Belle, when was the last time you had this thing washed?”
Sweetie tapped her chin with a hoof in thought. “I can't remember.”
“Well, obviously, it's been a while. This thing is an absolute mess. There's bits of stuffing falling out, the left eye needs to be resewn on. Sometime next week while you're here, I'll set to work on fixing this old thing.” She finally allowed the doll to land in Sweetie's hooves. “Anyway, good night. Sleep tight.” She leaned down and pecked Sweetie on the forehead.
“Don't let the bed bugs bite,” Sweetie finished.
Rarity winced at the silly rhyme and turned without another word to Sweetie, flicking off the light and shutting the door as she exited the room.
Sweetie Belle was up bright and early the following morning. Rarity was seated at the kitchen table, sipping a mug of hot coffee, when Sweetie Belle walked in. The pair said nothing to each other while Sweetie Belle prepared herself a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. It wasn't until Sweetie was seated at the table and eating that Rarity decided to strike up a conversation.
“So, how did you sleep?” Rarity asked.
“Fine,” Sweetie replied, eating a spoonful of cereal. “And you?”
“I slept just swimmingly." As Rarity gently patted her head, she added, “I wish we could go with them. I mean, this is Manehattan we're talking about.”
“Oh, believe me, darling, I wish we could too, but I have orders to fill, and you have an essay to write, remember?”
“Can't you take off for just one week?”
“Sweetie Belle, you know I can't do that. Who would be here to fill the orders? No, I simply cannot allow myself to fall behind. I must stay here and work if I wish to get these orders filled. Besides, we don't have train tickets. They're quite impossible to get on such late notice.”
Sweetie sighed. “Well, I tried,” she muttered.
“Are you all ready to go back to Mother and Father's for the weekend?”
Sweetie nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“You'll be sure to stay in touch, won't you?”
“Of course. Though, maybe it's better if I just stay here?”
“What?! But that would mean that Mother and Father would have completely wasted their time coming down here! Why in Equestria would you want to stay here?!”
“I night as well since I'll just be coming back here on Sunday.”
Rarity beamed and gently patted Sweetie on the head once again. “Nonsense! You need to spend time with Mother and Father before they leave on their vacation, and make sure to be a good filly for Mother and Father. Now go upstairs and brush your teeth. I'll let you know when Father and Mother have arrived. In the meantime, I'll be busy working.”
Sweetie sighed and rolled her eyes, walking out of the kitchen. “When are you not busy working, Rarity?” she wondered out loud. “Don't you ever take a break?”
Later that morning, Rarity walked in Sweetie Belle's room. “Sweetie Belle? Would you mind doing a favor for me?”
The little filly turned her head from her book to look at her older sister. “What?”
“Would you be willing to model a dress for me?” Rarity approached the bed that Sweetie was lying on. “You're the only one small enough to fit in it.”
Sweetie rolled her eyes. “All right.” She set her book aside and followed Rarity. She was perplexed when Rarity led her to Rarity's bedroom instead of downstairs to the inspiration room.
“Lay down here,” Rarity instructed, pointing to a mat resting on the floor.
Sweetie stared down at the mat, then looked up to say something, only to see Rarity rummaging around in her closet. She did as she was told and waited patiently for something to happen, although she was still confused as to why Rarity had taken her here.
“Ah, found them,” Rarity cried. She levitated a package of diapers and set them beside Sweetie Belle. 'Just hold still and this will be over before you know it.” She must have guessed that Sweetie was going to put up one heck of a fight because she put a hoof on Sweetie's chest, holding her down, while she removed one of the diapers from the pack and began unfolding it.
“Rarity, what the–” Sweetie cried.
Rarity cut her off. “This will just complete the ensemble, dear. Don't worry. You won't be wearing it for long, just for a little while. And then you can take it off as soon as we're done.”
“I still don't understand.”
“Well, you see, a client of mine is wanting me to design some clothes for foals. Hence, why I asked you to model for me. Won't you look so cute?”
Sweetie smacked her hoof away. “No! I don't want to–”
“Sweetie, please, just do this for me. I promise this won't take long.”
Sweetie sighed and folded her hooves. “Fine.” Begrudgingly, she watched as Rarity fastened the diaper on her.
“Now, follow me,” Rarity instructed.
The diaper rustled audibly when Sweete rolled over onto her stomach and got up on her hooves. The thickness of the diaper on her flank made it a little hard to walk, given that the padding was causing her to waddle. Nonetheless, she followed Rarity downstairs to Rarity's work room. There was a frilly pink dress that was levitated over to her and she was instructed to put it on. Rarity helped her do so and once she had done so, Rarity popped something in her mouth. She suckled on it for a few moments before realizing that it was a pacifier. Upon doing so, she immediately spit it out and gagged. “Ugh!” She glared up at her sister. “What are you doing putting a pacifier in my mouth?! Wasn't the diaper humiliating enough?!”
“This is just to complete the look, darling,” Rarity replied, sticking the pacifier back in Sweetie's mouth.
Sweetie sighed and went back to suckling the pacifier. “All right.”
Walking past Carousel Boutique at that moment were none other than Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Featherweight, the latter of which had his camera with him.
Turning to look in one of the windows, Silver Spoon gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. Reaching behind her, she tapped Diamond Tiara. “Hey, Diamond, take a look at this!”
The rich filly walked up beside her best friend and gazed inside the store, only to lose herself in a fit of giggles. “This . . . this is . . . priceless,” she cried, panting while she guffawed. “Poor little Sweetie Belle is wearing a frilly pink dress, a diaper, and sucking on a pacifier.” She laughed. “I didn't know she was into that sort of thing.”
“Hey, Featherweight,” Silver Spoon called. “Get over here and get a few shots of this!”
The little colt did as instructed, snapping pictures of the humiliating scene taking place inside Carousel Boutique while Diamond Tiara and Silve Spoon were having the time of their lives, rolling around on the ground and laughing hysterically.
“You look great,” Rarity said, beaming at her little sister. “My client is going to love this!”
Sweetie Belle, whose face was beet red from embarrassment, was inclined to disagree.
A knock was heard at the door.
“Oh,” Rarity cried. “That must be Mother and Father!”
Sweetie's eyes widened at this revelation. Mother and Father were here already? Oh, no! She couldn't allow them to see her like this. Through the pacifier still in her mouth, she asked, “Can I take this dress off now?”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Rarity replied, heading towards the door. “Thank you again, Sweetie Belle.”
“You're welcome, sis.” She took the time to glance at herself in the mirror. She couldn't help but blush at how babyish she looked, especially with the diaper on and the pacifier in her mouth. She turned around, her rear pointed at the mirror, so that she could see how she looked from behind. She had to admit that she looked positively adorable. She couldn't deny that fact. Her diapered rump looked especially cute.
“Sweetie Belle's just upstairs,” she heard Rarity say. “Let me go get her.”
Hastily, she spit out the pacifier and proceeded to get the dress and diaper off her as fast as possible. This was easier said than done given that she had yet to learn how to learn even the most basic of magic spells. This unfortunately left her with no choice but to use her Hooves and mouth. It took a while, hut she managed to get the diaper and dress off. Upon doing so, she made sure to carefully put the dress back where she'd found it while the diaper and pacifier were left discarded on the floor. She let out a sigh of relief as she headed to the front of Carousel Boutique to greet her mother and father.
Sweetie Belle was somewhat reluctant to leave with her mother and father. Part of her didn't want to leave because she didn't want to be away from Rarity. Nevertheless, after a tearful farewell between the two sisters, the family left the Boutique, leaving Rarity all alone.
Walking back in the Boutique, she suddenly became aware of how eerily quiet the Boutique was without Sweetie Belle around. Walking to the room where she usually worked, she began to miss her little sister's high-pitched laughter, her high, squeaky voice. For how annoying she was, that little filly really did bring an air of life to the Boutique, and Rarity found that she was missing her little sister more than anything else already.
Sunday morning came. Sweetie’s parents’ train was leaving at noon, so they were going to drop Sweetie off at Rarity’s about nine. (They lived a long way from the train station.) Sweetie was already awake when they came to wake her up at seven-thirty.
The fifteen-minute ride to Rarity’s house seemed like an eternity. She was anxious beyond belief. She kept fiddling with her hooves and trying to keep from sweating. When they arrived at her boutique, she was almost hyperventilating. She looked at the two-story house where she was going to be spending the summer. Either it was bigger than she thought it was, or her being nervous made it seem enormous. She gulped and got out of the carriage.
She picked her large suitcase out of the trunk and grabbed the backpack that she put her books in. She swung this around her shoulder and took another look up at the boutique. She felt like she was going to strain her neck. She started lugging her suitcase up to the front door.
Sweetie’s mother, Cookie Crumbles, rang the doorbell and Sweetie stood there, waiting for it to open. She went over what she was going to say. She had written a whole speech, to make sure things got off to a good start. “Hi, Rarity. I’m looking forward to spending the summer with you. Thank you in advance for taking care of me while Mom and Dad are gone.” That would be sure to impress Rarity. Things were going to be perfect.
Meanwhile, inside said boutique, resitng in bed with her sleeping mask on, Rarity mumbled in her sleep. “Oh, are those sweet carrot pancakes I smell?” She gasped. “Mmm! How divine!” She smacked her lips. “The aroma . . . spiced warm apple cider.” She sniffed the air. “Ahh, and the smell of . . . smoke. Smoke?!” She sat up in bed and fiddled with her sleeping mask to get it off. Once she had done so, she looked around the room. “Smoke?!” She sniffed the air yet again, just to make sure she was indeed smelling smoke.
Screaming, she frantically tried to get out of bed, tripping over her comforter as she did so. Getting to her hooves, she bolted out the bedroom and down the hallway. She was running so fast that she hadn't bothered to take the stairs one step at a time and thus, ended up plummeting down the flight of stairs until she reached the bottom, landing face-first on the floor. Despite her position, she could tell that this was the area where the smoke was the strongest, thanks in part to her sense of smell, so the source of the smoke had to have been coming somewhere around here.
“Rarity,” a voice cried. “Ugh! You ruined the surprise! I was gonna serve you breakfast in bed!”
Lifting her head, Rarity looked over to the right to see Sweetie Belle standing in the middle of the kitchen with smoke emitting from the stove. She got to her hooves and walked in the kitchen, glaring down at her little sister. “Sweetie Belle! What in Equestria–”
“Well, good mornin', Rarity,” a voice cried.
Rarity jumped and turned, seeing her mother and father standing near the kitchen table. “Father! Mother!”
“I'll have you know that Sweetie Belle here cooked this yummy lookin' breakfast all on her own,” Hondo Flanks, her father, said proudly.
“I figured,” Rarity muttered. She leaned down and examined a glass that looked like it was full of ash or soot or . . . something. She sniffed it, only to realize that it was orange juice. “I didn't know you could burn juice.”
“I've been giving her lessons,” Cookie Crumbles told her. “I wouldn't be surprised if she's got a cuite mark in fancy cooking by the time we get back from our vacation.”
"Vacation?" Rarity questioned. "Is that this week? As in 'starting this very instant' this week?!"
Sweetie placed a bowl of bubbling black goo on the table.
"Let me guess: apple sauce?" Rarity asked.
"Nope," Sweetie replied. "Toast!" She beamed at Rarity and said, "“We're gonna have the bestest time two sisters could ever have,” Sweetie Belle squealed happily, hugging Rarity tightly. “I'm gonna go grab the rest of my stuff from Dad's wagon.” She zoomed out the door, leaving Rarity alone with her parents.
Said unicorn cleared her throat and said, "So, now, when you say 'a week' . . . is that, um, seven whole days?"
"And six nights, I know!" Cookie Crumbles said. "Such a short time to spend with your little sis."
"You gonna eat that?" Hondo Flanks pointed to a burnt crumbled heap on a plate.
Rarity pushed the plate towards him and he seized it as she said, “But I've got such a long to-do list,” Rarity complained. She sighed. “Oh, well. I suppose 'spend time with your sister' will just have to be added to the list.”
“You'll look out for her, won't you?” Cookie Crumbles asked, looking worried.
Rarity nodded her head. “Always, Mother. You have no reason to fear leaving her with me. You can have faith that she'll be safe with me while you're gone.”
Cookie Crumbles smiled and gently nuzzled her oldest daughter tenderly. “Thank you, Rarity. Such a dear.”
Despite how childish and awkward the moment felt to her, Rarity couldn't help but return the nuzzle. The moment was ruined, however, as a loud crash was heard. Both females turned to see Sweetie Belle beaming at them with her luggage in front of her.
"Just a few necessities," she said.
Rarity's long, beautiful mane was cascading down the back of her neck. She had a wonderful smile on her face that made Sweetie want to melt. She gave a proper hello to her mother and father and then looked at Sweetie, smiling congenially.
“Hello, Sweetie Belle. You look very nice today.”
Sweetie smiled sheepishly. She tried to say what she had planned, but the words died in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to say it. So, after a moment's pause, she shakily managed to say, “Thanks.” She mentally kicked herself for being unable to get her nerve up.
Rarity then invited them to the living room They sat down in the room near the entryway with three large couches. Sweetie thought it must have been meant to be used for sitting around and talking.
“Again, thank you so much for taking care of Sweetie Belle while we’re gone,” Cookie Crumbles said.
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, Mother," Rarity said. "I’m happy to look after the little darling.”
Sweetie blushed and smiled again.
“You have the address for where we’re going to be, right?” Hondo Flanks asked.
“Yes, yes," Rarity replied. "You’ve made sure that I know your entire itinerary. In my opinion, you've planned this out much too carefully! You need to just do some things on a whim! And don’t worry, Sweetie Belle’s in good hooves with me.”
“We know. But you can understand that we’re a little nervous leaving our girl for three months!”
“Of course I can understand. Speaking of that, though, you should probably get going. You need to get to the train station early. It takes longer to check your baggage.”
“You’re right, you’re right. We shouldn’t drag this out. You have all the information you need and Sweetie Belle’s got everything she’ll need for the summer. But if she realizes she’s forgotten something, you’ve got a key to our house, so you can just go get it.”
Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks headed to the front door. Rarity and Sweetie followed.
“Be good for Rarity, honey. Do whatever she tells you.” Cookie Crumbles bent over and kissed Sweetie on the forehead.
Sweetie was a little embarrassed. “I will, Mom, don’t worry.” Her mother gave her a big hug. It looked like she was more worried about Sweetie being alone than she was.
Hondo Flanks patted Sweetie on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Sweetie. We’ll be back at the end of the summer.”
“I know, Dad. I’ll be fine."
Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks went out to the carriage. Rarity and Sweetie stayed in the doorway. Rarity had her hoof around Sweetie’s shoulder, trying to comfort her. Sweetie guessed that she didn’t know that she didn’t really mind that her parents were leaving. But she didn’t mind Rarity’s hoof around her. Their parents got in the carriage and were off while Rarity and Sweetie waved at them from the doorway. They waved until the carriage had disappeared in the distance.
“Well, why don’t we go back inside, eh, Sweetie Belle?”
“Okay.” She didn’t seem able to talk very loudly to Rarity. She was still nervous.
When Rarity shut the door behind them, she said, “Alright. Before we get settled, are you hungry? Did you eat any breakfast this morning?”
“Not really. I had some orange juice . . ." In truth, she was starving. “I was kinda nervous this morning.”
“I can understand. Have you been away from Mother and Father before?” She misunderstood the cause of nervousness. But that was fine with Sweetie Belle.
“Not really. I stayed with Grandpa and Grandma for a week once, before they died. But that’s it.”
“I see. Well, if you’re hungry, let’s get you some breakfast. Then we’ll get you settled into your room.”
Rarity started leading Sweetie through a room, presumably towards the kitchen. As they entered the kitchen, Rarity said, "Now, let's get that kitchen all cleaned up."
Sweetie wore a confused expression. "Cleaned up? But we haven't even eaten yet."
"Well, now, Sweetie Belle, I appreciate the gesture, but we simply can't eat this breakfast; it's burnt."
Sweetie eyed a plate containing some black mush and said, "It's not that burnt."
Rarity smiled and placed a hood on Sweetie's chest. "Never fear, my dear, I'll get a proper breakfast going."
"Can I help?" Sweetie's face lit up in excitement at the idea.
"Oh, er, of course, er, in one moment, Sweetie Belle. Let me just get things started."
Gradually, as Rarity cooked, Sweetie began to detect a familiar scent in the air. It was very pleasing, but she couldn’t place it quite yet. Rarity seemed to notice Sweetie’s sniffing after a while because she said, “I guessed that you’d be hungry, so I made pancakes.”
So that was what Sweetie was smelling! She recognized it immediately now. Pancakes were one of her favorite foods! She smiled widely as she walked towards the source of the delicious odor. She figured she had better say something. “I really like pancakes.” She felt so stupid afterwards, though.
“Really? Well, that’s lucky. Pancakes are my favorite things to eat for breakfast. I make them quite a bit. Looks like we’ll be having a pretty good time this summer."
Despite the fact that Rarity had cooked her favorite breakfast, Sweetie was still displeased about something, as was evident on her face. "But, Rarity! I thought you said I was gonna help!"
Rarity suddenly frowned. She'd been so busy cooking that she'd completely forgotten about letting Sweetie help her. To save face, she said he hastily, "You are! You... can... put the garnish on the plates."
Sweetie looked down at the counter see some parsley lying there. "You mean this parsley?"
Rarity nodded her head.
Taking said parsley in her mouth, Sweetie approached the table. Being too little to reach the top of said table, she stood on top of a chair and hovered over her plate while Rarity hovered over her.
"Okay, now, easy!" Rarity said. "It has to be just right! No need to rush. No! That's too slow. Careful! Back up! Looking for perfection here . . ."
Unfortunately, Rarity's hovering over her made her only nervous, so nervous that she ended up losing her balance and falling. "Whoa, whoa!"
There was a crash, sending both Yes falling to the floor. The parsley fell from Sweetie's lops and fluttered down onto Sweetie's plate.
Rarity smiled. "Not . . . bad," she said.
There was a little breakfast nook to the side next to the kitchen. It contained a round table, surrounded on three sides by big windows looking out onto her deck and her backyard. On top of the table was a huge pile of pancakes and maple syrup. Sweetie was salivating at the sight of it.
“Here, have a seat.” Sweetie started to get her food, but Rarity interrupted her. “Don't worry about it, I’ll get it for you.” She put some pancakes on a plate for Sweetie and then set it in front of her along with a jug of maple syrup. “In case you want some more,” she said. “But be careful, you don't want to get any on your nice fur. You look very nice with your fur so well-groomed, Sweetie Belle.”
Sweetie blushed noticeably and grinned. “Thank you.” With that, she started eating. Rarity sat down opposite her and took some pancakes for herself. Sweetie was torn between concentrating on eating her food and simply gazing at Rarity in adoration. She was very careful not to get any syrup on herself, though. Rarity started talking to her, and she was only able to answer in one or two words. She still wasn’t quite comfortable. When she realized she wasn’t going to be able to get much conversation out of Sweetie at the moment, she started telling Sweetie about how her fashion career was going.
After a while, they had both eaten their fill of pancakes. “Thanks, Rarity, that was great.” Sweetie said quietly. Then, without warning, she burped, making her feel extremely embarrassed. “Excuse me!”
“That’s okay, Sweetie Belle. How about we get you settled in? Follow me and I’ll show you to your room.”
Again, they started trekking around the house. They went back to the entryway to get Sweetie’s bags, and then they went upstairs. Rarity was ahead of her.
They walked around upstairs for awhile, then Rarity opened a door to what Sweetie assumed would be her bedroom for the next few months. But when she looked in, it didn't look like any bedroom she knew. It was huge! The room looked like it was as big as their parents' house! She stood in the doorway, open-mouthed. There was a huge, king-size bed in the room. She also saw that it had a bathroom attached to it. There's no way this can be my room, she thought.
“Is this my room?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yes, it is, Sweetie Belle. It’s right across the hall from mine. I hope you like it. It’s the second-biggest room in the house. I save it for special guests, and you are pretty special, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie blushed again. “Well, I’ll give you some time to get settled. If you have any questions, I’ll be right across the hall. Oh, and one more thing; for the next three months, welcome home.” She leaned down and kissed Sweetie’s cheek. Sweetie blushed bright crimson and grinned sheepishly.
“Thank you.” Rarity walked out, leaving Sweetie alone with her stuff and a gigantic room where she would be residing for the next three months. This is amazing, she thought. But she was resolved to get things ready in her room as quickly as possible so she could spend some time with Rarity, so she set about setting out all her toiletries and organizing her books. She finished by setting her stuffed doll on the bed. She'd need some bravery to start acting normal around Rarity, she decided. She paused to look at herself in the mirror. She smiled at her reflection. She was looking pretty good, even though her mane was still a little too long. Then she went across the hall into Rarity’s room. She entered to see Rarity sitting at a desk doing some writing. She smiled as she saw Sweetie come in.
“I see you’ve gotten settled in. Feeling more comfortable now?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“That’s good, but don’t worry. I still think you’re cute.” Sweetie blushed again. “So you’re certain you're all settled in?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Rarity looked at the clock. “Well, it took you a while to get your room in order. How do you feel about some lunch?”
Sweetie subconsciously started running her hooves through her mane. “Yeah, that would fine. I’m kinda hungry.”
“Alright, Sweetie Belle, follow me.”
They walked back downstairs and stopped in a room with a couch. She told Sweetie to sit down. Sweetie smiled at her. “I’ll be right back.”
As Rarity left, Sweetie was suddenly overwhelmed with how great her summer was going to be. Rarity was being so nice to her, and the house was amazing. Her room was gigantic. She started feeling a little more relaxed.
In a matter of minutes, Rarity came back and sat down next to Sweetie and handed her a plate with some chips and a sandwich on it. Sweetie noticed that the crusts were cut off. She looked at Rarity a little puzzled, but Rarity just smiled and gave Sweetie a soda. Sweetie thanked her and started to eat. They sat there while Sweetie ate her sandwich. It was really good. Rarity was kinda treating her like a little kid, but Sweetie didn’t really mind. Any attention coming from Rarity was okay by her.
Once Sweetie had finished her food. she gathered a little courage and said, “Thank you, Rarity. That was great.”
“I’m glad you liked it, Sweetie Belle.”
“Why don’t you go change into your pajamas?”
"Cool! But what about dinner?”
“I ordered a pizza.”
“Awesome!”
“Normally, I would have made one, but I didn’t have the time this afternoon.”
“That’s fine, I’ll go change.” Sweetie went back up to her room and dug her flannel pajamas out of her drawer and then set about taking care of her mane. She combed it a couple of times, as well as her tail quite a few times. In the end, she looked pretty good again. She walked downstairs and Rarity was sitting on the big couch. She smiled when Sweetie came down.
“Hi, Sweetie Belle. Cute pajamas.”
In spite of herself, Sweetie blushed. “Thank you.”
“The pizza should be here any minute.” Right after she said this, the doorbell rang. As soon as she retrieved the pizza, Rarity brought out some plates and simply set the box on the coffee table.
Sweetie sat back and relaxed while she ate the pizza.
By the end of the time they had finished the pizza, Sweetie realized she was feeling kind of tired. She yawned, and Rarity had her lay her head on her lap, so Sweetie lied on her lap while Rarity stroked her mane.
She must have dozed off a little, because suddenly Rarity was looking down at her. “Did you have a nice little nap? You’re adorable when you’re sleeping, you know.”
While things between Sweetie Belle and Rarity were off to a great start, things between them quickly became rocky. It seemed to Sweetie Belle that she couldn't do anything without her older sister getting onto her. She had tried cleaning up Rarity's inspiration room only for Rarity to yell at her for doing so. She had tried drawing Rarity a picture, only for the mare to throw a fit about the fact that Sweetie had used all of the baby blue sapphires, which, according to Rarity, were very rare. It had finally escalated to a huge argument between the two when Sweetie had asked Rarity if she'd be interested in taking part in the Sisterhooves Social, with both of them agreeing that neither one of them needed a sister before Sweetie had stormed off and gone to Sweet Apple Acres to spend the day with Applejack and Apple Bloom.
Rarity, having calmed down and seen the picture that Sweetie Belle had drawn for her, realized her mistake and finally found Sweetie at Sweet Apple Acres, roasting marshmallows with Applejack and her younger sister. Rarity had tried her hardest to reconcile with Sweetie Belle, but her efforts proved to be in vain. Sweetie insisted that Applejack be her new older sister, officially emancipating herself from Rarity's guardianship. It was only after a heartfelt talk with Applejack that Rarity finally decided to take part in the “uncouth” activity known as the Sisterhooves Social.
Once she had finally reconciled with Sweetie Belle, it had been a fun day for both of them. They had baked a pie togeter, played in the rain, and done a number of other things like braiding each other's manes.
Now Rarity walked in the room that Sweetie Belle was in, her mane adorned in a series of small bows. Sweetie's was as well, but not as many. Eyeing Spike sitting a couple of feet away from Sweetie Belle, quill and parchment at the ready, she cleared her throat and said, “Very well, then. What should we write to the Princess?”
“I'll start,” Sweetie Belle offered. She turned to glance at her reflection in the mirror behind her, beaming. “Having a sister is just about the bestest thing in the world, but it sure isn't the easiest.”
Rarity walked up and stood beside her, appearing in the mirror as well. “I agree that being sisters is a wonderful thing, but it takes teamwork. Sometimes it's about compromising. Sometimes it's about accepting each other's differences. But mostly it's about having fun together, even if it means getting your hooves a little bit dirty.”
“A lot dirty,” Sweetie Belle corrected.
“A little bit dirty,” Rarity argued.
“A lot dirty.”
“A little bit dirty!”
Fearing that an argument was about to ensue, Spike approached them.
“A lo–”
“Hold it, hold it,” Spike cried, getting in between them. “How about 'a medium amount of dirty, not too little, not too much, just right?'”
Sweetie Belle and Rarity looked at each other before smiling and cryig in unison, “Deal!” They broke out into a fit of laughter that was only broken by a knock at the door.
“I'll get it,” Rarity offered. She walked out of the room and to the front door. Opening it, she saw a couple of the Princess' royal guards standing on her doorstep. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. What can I do for you today?”
“Miss Rarity?” one of the guards asked.
Rarity nodded. “Yes, that's me.”
“I'm afraid we have some terrible news, ma'am.”
"“What's going on, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, appearing beside her older sister along with Spike.
Based on their gloomy expressions, Rarity guessed that the “terrible news” had something to do with her parents. Turning, she levitated a sack of bits over to Spike. “Here, Spike. Why don't you go to Sugarcube Corner and treat yourself to some sweets?”
“Sure,” Spike cried, grabbing the sack and running off.
Rarity sighed in relief and turned back to the guards. “Now you can tell me. Is it about my parents?” She prayed to Celestia that it wasn't.
The guards nodded.
“Oh,” Rarity said, raising an eyebrow. “And what about them?”
“They're . . .” The guard swallowed hard. “They're . . . dead, ma'am.”
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Ooh, shall we see if this is interesting? Yes. (haven't read yet)
Hm, interesting. But it seems like some of the details for Diamond Tiara could've been cut. I know in some of the revised drafts going on under Smity, Diamond was going to play a bigger role and have family issues. That doesn't quite seem to be the case here.
Pizza? Now that's not something I'd think I'd hear Rarity say...
.
Oh no...
.
No no no no no...
.
Please please no...
.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
!!!
9088189 Well, please give me your thoughts once you have.
9088342 Oh, no, given that he and I are collaborating on this together,
they're there, but they will come up later on in the story, just not right now.
9088497 I'm sorry.
9088572
.
No worries
9089229 *passes box of tissues*
9089229 *passes box of tissues*
9089363
.
Thank you
9089376 You're welcome.
9089619
poor rarity and sweetie belle