Hell's Belles

by Silent Whisper

Monochromatic is gonna BAN me from her server for making this a B plot

It took all of the guts I had to return to the shop before opening hours. Most of my guts were currently distracted with pancake-related shenanigans, but the few that weren’t busy were roiling in trepidation as I approached Carousel Boutique. Sis might still be previously occupied, after all.

Well, if she was, I couldn’t hear it from outside the Boutique, so I took a deep breath and concentrated on unlocking one of the windows. One of my ears flicked towards the street as I jiggled the latch. Nopony was around, so it wasn’t as though I could be accused of letting other ponies witness two Elements of Harmony hanging out in the same space together. Ponies would talk, after all, and some of their rumors might be accurate. Celestia forbid.

A satisfying click announced my success as I awkwardly inched my way through the window, neatly landing in something wet. I looked down, dreading the worst. A few soapy-and-soaking dishes stared back up at me, leaving neat little rings of suds around my hooves. It was my turn to do them. Right.

Well, wasn’t the fate of Equestria more important than dish duty? I’d covered for Rarity when she’d gone off to the four corners of the known world (and a few additional corners I’m sure she made up) for Magical Element Stuff That Is No Concern Of Yours, Sweetie Belle. She could handle them this once, right?

I gently closed the window behind me, only remembering to yank my tail inside at the last moment. Nopony was in the kitchen, which was good, because that meant nopony witnessed me overbalance and topple head-over-hooves onto the floor with a damp splat.

All in all, not my worst attempt to sneak in unnoticed. I wiped my hooves on a dish towel before pressing against the wall, flicking one ear upstairs. There was a tense silence, broken by a relieving lack of sounds no sister should hear. It sounded like a quiet conversation, coming from the top of the stairs.

I sighed and shuffled my way across the carpet, pausing only to scoop up my saddlebags from their spot in the middle of the floor. The good news was that it was just a conversation, but the bad news was that, unless Rarity had befriended a ghost or something similarly ridiculous, Twilight Sparkle was probably still there.

It would make blackmailing Rarity that much more difficult if I had to risk getting a friendship lesson on the way. Friendship lessons usually meant an extra half hour, potentially a song, and way more attention than I could afford.

I paused mid-step, one hoof hovering over the first stair as a thought hit me. Blackmailing one pony or the other was too risky, because it’d mean the other would spring to their rescue, but what if I tried to blackmail both of them at once?

As far as plans went, it made about as much sense as everything else in Ponyville: absolutely none but still somehow worth a shot. I reached the landing and paraded into my sister’s room with all the confidence of somepony who hadn’t seen her sister dressing up the ruler of Equestria in things she’d consider “too unladylike to sell in her shop.”

“I have a request to make,” I announced, averting my eyes from anywhere they could potentially be cuddling a bit too close for comfort. Considering one had wings, both had horns, and Rarity had creativity down to a science that Twilight would be happy to lecture my ears off about, there wasn’t any area I could rule out, but after some frantic darting about my gaze landed on the two mares curled up on Rarity’s bed. Thankfully, they just seemed to be reading a book together.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle,” began Rarity, but then paused, a puzzled frown slowly overtaking her expression. Apparently, even her extensive etiquette training hadn’t quite prepared her for dealing with this exact level of familial awkwardness.

“It’s... good to see you?” Tried Twilight, stretching a wing stiffly. “Sorry about earlier, we’re just a bit worried about ponies seeing us together, and you gave us a bit of a startle and-”

“You don’t need to apologize, dearest!” Rarity admonished gently, before turning to fix me with a glare I knew all too well. “Sweetie Belle, you know we’d prefer if you don’t bother us while we’re spending time together.” She gave a weak laugh. “Just like I know you prefer that I don’t bother you when the other Crusaders are visiting.”

Guilt redirection was not what I needed. I tried again. “I live here too, you know. It’s not my fault I walked in on you two… doing… uck, I don’t want to think about it. I was actually hoping that I might be able to get a few Grand Galloping Gala tickets. Is it too late to, ah…”

“Really, Sweetie Belle? The tickets have been sold out for over a year! Ever since Photo Finish announced that chaotic disruption was in and calm, orderly events were out of style, we’ve been falling over ourselves to coordinate enough room for all the ponies already attending the Gala!” Rarity took a breath and fanned herself with a bookmark. “Why, Twilight and I have had to open up most of the castle itself just to have enough room for the guests!”

Twilight shrugged and turned a page absentmindedly, leaning against my sister’s withers. “It’s true. This has been about the only time we’ve gotten to relax in between getting everything ready and Rarity’s Get-It-Before-The-Gala lineup. It is good to see you, of course, but as it stands we’ve only got a couple of hours left before I need to be back in Canterlot and Rarity’s got to get the last of her last-minute orders sent to each of her businesses.”

I scowled and scuffed my hoof against the plush carpet, which, predictably, had far less effect than my dramatic moment required. “You threw me out of the house. Nopony would’ve noticed if you’d just told me to go to my room, but you tossed me into the street! A whole bunch of ponies probably saw me leave. I’m just asking for a favor in return for not making a scene then.”

Twilight blinked. Rarity’s jaw dropped slightly, but I wasn’t done. I turned to the curled-up Princess as the reality of the situation slowly dawned on my sister. “I’m sure you’ve got two measly extra tickets somewhere, right? You’re the Princess of Friendship! I’d be out of both of your manes if you’d just let me go, and you wouldn’t have to worry about me complaining to Spike or anypony else about how you let my sister chuck me out the door like a day-old bag of turnips!”

“Sweetie Belle,” sputtered Rarity. “You can’t-”

I decided to use the ace up my sleeve. “I can. If you don’t, I’ll tell Mom that you threw me out the front door because you’re spending time with your secret marefriend. And I’m sure she’d have plenty of questions about that.”

If she could’ve, I bet Rarity would’ve paled at the thought. Our mother was well-meaning, but had a fantastic habit of getting into our personal business the moment anypony’d so much as hint something interesting was going on.

Twilight, however, still looked on the fence about it, so I decided to sweeten the deal. “I’ll even make sure Rarity’s orders get delivered before the Gala, so she can spend a bit more time with you, and I’ll stay over at a friend’s house so you two can do whatever you want without having to worry that I’ll walk in!”

Rarity looked at Twilight. Twilight looked at Rarity. A wordless conversation passed between the two, the sort that only lovers and siblings on the brink of murder could have. After a couple of tense moments passed, the Princess of Friendship let out a defeated sigh. Her horn sparked, and for a second I thought she’d banish me to Tartarus for daring to blackmail the ruler of Equestria, but just as I was wondering if my saddlebags would come with me, a scroll appeared in front of my hooves.

“Did you need a personalized invitation, or will just the tickets work?” Twilight as Rarity brushed a hoof against her mane consolingly.

“That’s perfect, thanks!” I chirped, tucking the scroll into my bag as I started to back out of the room.

“Oh, and Sweetie Belle?” Called Rarity, a tired crease to her brow as she tucked herself against her marefriend. “The boxes are downstairs. Do make sure they go to the correct boutique, alright? I’ll be up here, and if you have any questions, I’d appreciate it if you bother literally anypony else, alright darling?”

I rolled my eyes. Mission accomplished. “Anything you say, sis. Enjoy your break!”

My good mood lasted all the way until I reached the bottom of the stairs.

Comments

[FridayPie]

10447952
Awww

[PrinceOfDarkness]

10447952
dude the story name reminds me of the rock band AC/DC