For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls
Pony's Log Number 419: It can be tough feeling like your sibling outshines you, but acting out of jealousy is never a good idea...
One day at the Carousel Boutique, Mario and Rarity were hard at work when Sweetie Belle appeared.
"I have to leave for dress rehearsal soon, Rarity and Mario!" said Sweetie Belle, "Is it finished yet?"
"Uh, not quite," said Rarity, who was wearing her red glasses as she pondered at the outfit on her working table, "I still feel it needs a certain je ne sais quoi."
"Agreed Twinsie," said Mario as he adjusted his own working glasses, "This outfit definitely needs something...but just what that could be is the six thousand bit question..."
"Perhaps it needs...appliqués," said Rarity. Sweetie Belle smiled, rushed off, and came back with the items in her fore-legs as she stood on her hind legs.
"Appliqués?" Sweetie Belle offered.
"Maybe some pink rubies?" Mario pondered aloud.
"Rubies?" Sweetie Belle offered as she dropped the appliqués and grabbed a hoof-full of the gems.
"Or sequins," Rarity suggested.
"Sequins!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she rushed over to grab the said items. Rarity and Mario watched the marshmallow filly rush to pick up the items, but when Sweetie Belle came back, she slipped on some of the rubies and appliqués. Sweetie Belle soon slid away and crashed into the nearby wall of the room.
"Oooh, that's gonna leave a bruise," Mario winced. Sweetie Belle was now covered in the spilled sequins and some of them were all over her tongue.
"Sweetie Belle," said Rarity as she used her magic to pick up the items the marshmallow filly had dropped, "I adore having you help me, truly I do, but..." Rarity decided to just leave the statement hanging in the air as it was. She already knew Sweetie Belle could be very useful, but the little filly was still prone to making a mess when she helped out. Even Mario couldn't refute that.
"Guess I got a little carried away," said Sweetie Belle sheepishly, "It's just that I know how important it is for you to finish this wardrobe in time for Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers."
"This is without a doubt our most prestigious order ever," said Rarity with hint of worry in her tone, "After all, Sapphire Shores is the pony of pop, and her Equestria-wide tour launches in Canterlot next week! Which means she must have these outfits by day after tomorrow at the latest!"
"We'll make it, Rarity," said Mario, "I already told Twilight that I might be working very late, possibly all night, to make sure this commission is completed. So your brother is here to help for as long as you need me." Rarity chuckled as the two ponies shared a hug.
"You know, Sweetie Belle, I understand now why you like Mario so much," said Rarity, "he's always there when you need him. I certainly grateful for his friendship."
"Me too," said Sweetie Belle, "He's a big sweetheart. So is Shenran."
"Shenran you say?" Rarity asked curiously.
"Yeah," said Sweetie Belle, "he used to come and visit me when he had free time. Plus he did risk his life to save me from that Timberwolf, which I stand by my story that I did not stray off the main path to Zecora's when it attacked me!"
"Alright, alright," said Rarity, "I only snapped cause I was frightened. I know you can handle yourself down that path and that timberwolf attack was just a stroke of bad timing."
"Thank you," said Sweetie Belle, "But getting back to what I was asking. Is there time?"
"Barely," said Rarity as she walked up to her desk, "But Mario and I work well under pressure. Hmm, as long as we stay calm, we'll be fine." Rarity then used her magic to grab some fabric and scissors while Mario used his own magic to grab another colored fabric and some gems.
"Oh good!" said Sweetie Belle as she rubbed the back of her head, "Then maybe you could check the stitching and finish the buttons on the dresses I made for me, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo? I really want them to look perfect, and...I think I need your expertise."
"My, you've been so much help to me," said Rarity as she continued working, "How could I possibly say no? When do you need them?"
"Tomorrow night," said Sweetie Belle, "For the opening night for our show!" Both Rarity and Mario went rigid, making them drop all the materials in their magic grip.
"Sweetie Belle, didn't I warn you about asking us for this kind of stuff last minute?" Mario asked rather firmly as he looked at her.
"I already made the dresses," Sweetie Belle protested, "I just need some touch-ups is all. Honest!" Mario hummed, but was still feeling a bit annoyed.
"But, Sweetie Belle, darling!" said Rarity as she turned around to face the filly, "I, I'm behind as it is!"
"I understand," said Sweetie Belle quietly and turned to walk sadly away. Rarity just sighed loudly.
"I suppose...if I got a few more ponies to help me," Rarity pondered out loud, "then maybe..."
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you!" said Sweetie Belle excitedly as she held Rarity, "You're the best sister ever! The dresses are right over there!" Mario felt a sense of dread as he looked in the direction Sweetie Belle was pointing her fore-hoof.
"Gah..." said Mario wearily. He knew to expect the outfits to look...amateurish at best, but even he knew Rarity had her work cut out for her. He took notice of the look of dread and horror that was on the marshmallow mare's face as Sweetie Belle just giggled happily with her fore-legs wrapped around the mare.
"I can get started on her outfits of you like," said Mario, "I can multi-task after all."
"Actually, could you round up the others while I get started on her outfits please?" Rarity asked timidly, "she asked my personally to take care of them."
"As you wish," said Mario as he rushed out of the Boutique. He was inwardly hoping things would seem brighter once they were able to get to work...on BOTH projects.
(Main Theme)
Soon the night of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' play had arrived, several ponies were heading to the theater to watch the performance. While the Cutie Mark Crusaders were able to remain calm, their teacher, Cheerilee was starting to panic.
"My goodness, girls, it's time!" said Cheerilee nervously, "And the audience is almost fully seated! Costumes!" The three fillies flinched as she walked out of the dressing room.
"I can't believe Rarity still isn't here with the costumes," said Scootaloo once Cheerilee had disappeared.
"She's been very busy lately!" said Sweetie Belle in her sister's defense as she got into the orange Pegasus's face.
"But how can she still not be here?" Apple Bloom asked, "She's known about this for weeks!" Sweetie Belle then looked away, her eyes shining a bit. Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo knew what that look meant.
"Uh...she's has known about this for weeks, right?" Apple Bloom asked as she and Scootaloo glared at the marshmallow filly. Sweetie Belle just bit her lip and gave them both a nervous look.
"I kept meaning to ask her, I really did," Sweetie Belle blurted out at once, "but I worked so hard on this play. I wrote it especially for the three of us! I directed it, I'm in it, I made the costumes...It's just that this is really my time to shine doing something completely myself, and I really wanted to keep it that way!" Sweetie Belle looked away with a stern look on her face.
"But we wanted everything to be perfect!" Apple Bloom protested, "All our friends came out to see it tonight!" Sweetie Belle kept her back against the yellow filly and said nothing, but felt a little guilty nevertheless.
"Places!" Cheerilee shouted as she appeared out of the blue with a wide smile on her face. The three fillies just shared nervous looks with each other when Rarity burst into the dressing room.
"Oh, I'm here, I'm here!" said Rarity as she brought in the rack with the three fillies' dresses. Sweetie Belle gasped and jumped into the air excitedly.
"You made it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"Oh, I beg your pardon for cutting it so close," said Rarity as she presented the modified outfits to the three fillies, "but I made some improvements to your original design, and I had a terrible time with those froofy sleeves. It is for the first play you ever wrote, after all, so I made quite certain it came out just so." Sweetie Belle didn't help but glare at Rarity for her "modifications" to her outfits. Apple Blooms dress was a purple maidens outfit with gold lacing along the sleeves and skirt. Scootaloo's dress was vertical stripped two toned blue princess outfit with a matching light blue puffy hat. Sweetie Belle's dress pink with frilly and lacy grey and white froofy sleeves with a similar styled skirt with a large dark pink ribbon on the back on it. It was then Cheerilee appeared.
"Places!" Cheerilee shouted, "Hello?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo happily get into their costumes while Sweetie Belle just looked at her own costume with a bitter look on her face.
Soon, some fanfare was played and the curtain opened to show Scootaloo and Apple Bloom in costume as they stood on stage. The audience oohed, ahhed, and applauded for the two fillies and their sparkly outfits. Then Sweetie Belle appeared on the other side of the stage in her own spotlight. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged smiles with each other as Sweetie Belle began her speaking part.
"Forsooth and anon," said Sweetie Belle to the two fillies, "I cometh forthwith and posthaste with glad tidings, miladies." Sweetie Belle bowed to the two fillies, who returned the gesture and the play had begun.
By the time the play had finished, the ponies were cheering for them loudly as they made their way off the stage and into the dressing room. The three fillies all had a giddy bounce in their steps.
"Wow! A standin' ovation!" said Apple Bloom.
"I still have goosebumps!" Scootaloo added as she held up her fore-leg.
"This must be like a dream come true for you, huh Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom asked as she got into the filly's face.
"Ooh, can you imagine if this show was how you got your cutie mark?" Scootaloo said excitedly as Sweetie Belle just smiled giddily. Then she made a rather serious face and used the breathing technique she saw Mario use when he felt anxious.
"Let's not get carried away," said Sweetie Belle calmly, "We've got a whole lobby full of friends waiting to shower us with adoration and praise. Try to be gracious." As Sweetie Belle said gracious a sparkly white glittery background appeared behind her.
"Modest," said Scootaloo as she put her fore-hooves together with a pink glittery background appeared behind her.
"Classy," said Apple Bloom with fashion model style smile on her face and a light gray sparkly colored background behind her.
Inside the main lobby of the theater, the ponies who had seen the play were just chatting with each other. Spike was also chatting with Snails since the little dragon had gone to support the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The ponies and Spike were all interrupted when the door from the dressing room burst open. There stood the three fillies each wearing sunglasses like they were now big time celebrities.
"Here we are," Sweetie Belle announced, "the stars of the show!" The other ponies just gave them all blank looks, including Spike.
"You may tell us how much you loved it now," said Apple Bloom.
"Line forms here!" Scootaloo added. Spike was the only one to approach the three fillies.
"Wow, you guys!" said Spike, "I think Mario and your sisters would have loved it!"
"Would have?" said Apple Bloom as she got into Spike's face.
"They're sorry, but they had to go help Rarity get Sapphire Shores' wardrobe ready to take to Canterlot in the morning," Spike explained.
"Even Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked.
"Yeah," Spike answered, "Rarity and Mario fell way behind. Even Mario couldn't pick up the slack on his own."
"Aww," said Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sadly. Spike then lifted Apple Bloom's chin.
"Aw, cheer up," said Spike, "the show was great! I'll get you some punch and Mario did ask me to give you three something for a job well done. Be right back!" Spike then walked away as Sweetie Belle turned to speak to her two friends.
"At least everypony else who was able to stay loved it," said Sweetie Belle. The ponies around the group just looked away and mumbled to each other.
"What did you all like best?" Sweetie Belle asked the crowd. Several ponies just stared at her until Lemon Hearts decided to speak up.
"Oh my, I-I love the dresses," she told Sweetie Belle as the other ponies all smiled and nodded.
"I liked some of those lines you said," said Noteworthy.
"Oh, really?" Sweetie Belle asked eagerly as she got into his face, "Which ones?"
"Uh, I don't really remember," Noteworthy replied as he pushed Sweetie Belle back, "but you were wearing a pink taffeta with lots of chiffon when you said them! Whoo-ee, that outfit was a dazzler!" Sweetie Belle was indignant.
"I like that one almost as much as the one with the lacy trim and all the embroidered cuffs," Lemon Hearts added with a chuckle.
"That was a nice one too!" Noteworthy added. Sweetie Belle growled and gritted her teeth.
"Isn't there anypony here who remembered anything about the play besides the dresses?" Sweetie Belle demanded angrily. The other ponies could only come up with excuses, making Sweetie Belle cheek flare up in fury a she gave a semi-loud grunt of frustration before plopping to the floor with her fore-hooves over her head. It was then Spike returned, carrying in his claws three bouquets of roses. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo took their bouquets excitedly while Sweetie Belle just took hers with a sad expression on her face.
"Look there's a card," said Scootaloo as she grabbed it with her fore-hoof, ""Congratulations on your performance and all your hard work. I'm very proud of you. Love Mario"." Scootaloo giggled to herself as Apple Bloom smiled happily. Sweetie Belle was steaming as she looked at her bouquet.
"What performance? What hard work?!" Sweetie Belle snapped angrily, "All they cared about was the dresses. The one thing I had no part of!" Sweetie Belle threw her bouquet to the floor and ran back into the dressing room. She slammed the door hard, making everypony wince. Spike just sighed.
"Oh Sweetie Belle," said Spike to himself sadly. He wanted to help, but he wasn't sure how.
Back at the Carousel Boutique, the Mane seven were hard at work helping Rarity with the outfits for Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers. Twilight was busy checking a list, Applejack was pushing a rack of the already completed outfits for the backup dancers while Mario was making sure the outfits were durable and that the threading was clean and secure. Pinkie carried a stack of boxes on her back. Rarity, wearing her red glasses, was having Fluttershy model as she got to work assembling the main headdress for Sapphire Shores' outfit. Mario had designed and completed the pieces himself and now it was up to Rarity to assemble the pieces together into the final masterpiece.
"All of this for one headpiece?" Fluttershy asked as Rarity started putting the pieces together.
"Indeed," said Rarity as she continued working, "This marvelous extravagance is the crème de la crème of the entire wardrobe! But alas, without this key hidden stitch, it's just a...I'm trying to think of a nicer way to say "big bummer"."
"Disaster waiting to happen?" Mario suggested.
"Not exactly nicer, but precisely what I was thinking," Rarity replied as she gently set the headdress into a box and closed it. Rarity and Mario sighed with relief as the rest of the Mane seven gathered around her.
"Now perhaps we can all at last take a moment to relax!" said Rarity as she and Mario removed their glasses and set them down. The group was then startled when they heard the sound of a door opening and slamming loudly. They all turned to Sweetie Belle, fuming as she angrily dumped the dresses for her play on the floor.
"Whatever's the matter, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked with concern, "Didn't the play go all right?"
"Not even close," said Sweetie Belle bitterly.
"Oh, dear," said Rarity, "was something amiss with the dresses I made you?"
"No, they were perfect," said Sweetie Belle angrily, "and that was the whole problem!" Rarity looked puzzled and Mario looked concerned.
"Huh?" the rest of the group asked at once as Sweetie Belle continued to glare.
"Oh, um, I think maybe I'll go take that moment to relax now," said Fluttershy as she dismissed herself and then gestured for the others to follow.
"Heh, sure do feel like relaxing!" said Rainbow as she hovered beside Fluttershy.
"Right behind ya!" Applejack added as the rest of the group minus Mario headed out with sheepish smiles on their faces. Twilight smiled and then noticed Mario hadn't moved.
"Honey, come on!" said Twilight. Mario snapped out of this thoughts and went to leave.
"No," said Sweetie Belle in a low tone, "I have something to say to him too." Twilight was taken aback and looked at Mario.
"I'll be alright, dear," said Mario gently. Twilight gave him a worried look and then headed out. Sweetie Belle waited until all but Mario and Rarity were in the room.
"How could you?!" Sweetie Belle accused before mimicking the comments of the other ponies, ""Oh, what amazing dresses!", "Oh how I love the dresses!" Ooh, dresses, dresses, dresses, dresses!"
"Oh, so they did like them," said Rarity with a chuckle as she picked up the discarded dresses and hung them up on a nearby rack, "You had me worried, you silly filly!" Mario facehoofed himself.
"Momma mia..." Mario groaned at Rarity's apparent cluelessness.
"Oh quit acting so innocent!" Sweetie Belle snapped, "You saw what Rarity did to my dresses?"
"Of course," said Mario, taken aback by Sweetie Belle's outburst, "I was here when Rarity modified them. She gave it her best that's for sure."
"There! I knew it!" Sweetie Belle interjected at Rarity before stomping away from the older marshmallow pony, "You did this on purpose! Stealing the spotlight like you always do! It's like my fifth birthday party all over again!"
"The...the what now?" said Rarity, looking more puzzled them ever.
"Rarity upstaged you during your fifth birthday party?!" Mario remarked.
"Don't act like you don't remember," Sweetie Belle snapped and ignored Mario's question, "Or are you trying to prove you're a better actress then me too?!"
"Sweetie Belle, calm down," said Mario firmly, "I don't think..."
"And you!" Sweetie Belle snapped, "You just stood there and let her do it! And here I thought you cared about me and helping me succeed! You only care about your twin sister being successful and not me! You only felt sorry for me because I was dumb enough to say I was in love with you! Boy, wasn't that the stupidest thing I've ever done in my entire life!" Mario was speechless.
"Sweetie Belle," said Rarity calmly, "if Mario and I did anything to upset you, then-"
"Admit you made those dresses too good on purpose!" Sweetie Bell demanded as she pointed a fore-hoof at her, "and you told Mario not to get involved!"
"Well, I did tell Mario not to get involved because you asked me specifically to look at your dresses," said Rarity, "I thought they were supposed to be good."
"Yes, good," Sweetie Belle remarked, "now jaw-dropping amazing!"
"I only tried to do what I thought you wanted," said Rarity in her defense.
"Which we thought was to make you look beautiful and be the center of attention," Mario asked, "Why else do you think I sent you those roses for a job well done?"
"Ha!" Sweetie Belle retorted as she left the room and slammed the door, making Rarity and Mario wince.
"I don't understand," said Rarity, "I thought the dresses were exactly what she wanted." Mario just sighed.
"Do you remember when I warned you not to overdo it?" Mario reminded her. Rarity gave him a confused look.
"Yes...I do..." said Rarity slowly, trying to process, "But...why would I hold back? I mean...the whole point of my modifying her outfits was so she and her friends would look amazing. You can never overdo being fabulous."
"What about when the outfit outshines the pony wearing it?" Mario asked her quietly. Rarity blinked and suddenly what had happened made sense.
"Oh dear," said Rarity.
"It's no wonder Sweetie Belle was so upset," said Mario, " According to Sweetie Belle, all the audience cared about was your dresses. They had nothing good to say about her play. They only acknowledged your work and none of hers. Now she's mad at you and she hates me."
"Sweetie Belle doesn't hate you, Mario," said Rarity, "She's just upset because of what happened. You did send the roses didn't you?"
"I said I did, but after what happened, she must have thought I was rubbing in the fact your dresses outshined her," said Mario sadly, "Oooh...what a mess..." Rarity gave him a gentle hug.
"I'll see what I can do about Sweetie Belle," said Rarity, "You just get home and get a good night's sleep. We do have a busy day tomorrow and we need to catch the first train to Canterlot in the morning."
"Okay," said Mario, still feeling rather down, "Just let me double check the stitching on the headdress. We don't want the centerpiece of our work falling apart on us when Sapphire Shores puts it on."
"That would be a living nightmare wouldn't it?" Rarity replied as Mario headed over to the box.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was inside the bedroom Rarity had setup for the little filly to stay overnight when thier parents were...busy, which was most of the year. The marshmallow filly was still fuming as she paced about in front of her bed.
"Ugh, I don't believe it," said Sweetie Belle, "After everything I put up with all week long." She began to imitate Rarity, ""Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's cherry! No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!" For Pete's sake, it's all red!" Sweetie Belle was unaware that Rarity had been listening to her from outside the bedroom door. Opal was also sitting behind Rarity.
"I should probably go talk to her, hm?" Rarity asked the white cat. Opal said nothing.
"At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon?"," Sweetie Belle continued ranting, ""Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"". Rarity winced once again.
"Perhaps waiting would be best," said Rarity before walking away.
Later that night, Sweetie Belle was trying to sleep, but all she could do was toss and turn in her bed. She then tried laying down on her side with an irritated look on her face.
"Ughhh!" Sweetie Belle growled as she buried herself under her blanket.
"Hgh, hgh, hgh!" Sweetie Belle grunted as she punched her pillow. She then faceplanted her pillow and growled again.
"Now I can't even sleep!" Sweetie Belle complained angrily, "Happy now Big Sis?" Sweetie Belle then growled as she jumped off her bed and left her room. She decided to get herself a drink of water before heading back to her room.
"I wish there was a way I could take back all the work I did!" Sweetie Belle said bitterly to herself when she noticed that the door to Rarity's room was left open. She quietly peeked inside to see Rarity fast asleep with her pink sleeping mask over her eyes. She then saw the completed outfits on a rolling clothing rack as well as the brown box. Sweetie Belle used her magic to open the box and looked at the headdress inside before a smirk appeared on her face. Her smirk became more devious by the second when she saw the main stitch in the center of the headpiece. Sweetie Belle then pulled the stitching out of the headdress.
"Even better," said Sweetie Belle with a sinister giggle as she used her magic to close the box. She then climbed into bed and fell asleep, feeling very pleased with herself.
Sweetie Belle was just sleeping peacefully when she was woken up by some muffled chattering and cameras clicking outside her window.
"Now what?" Sweetie Belle growled as she looked out her window. Outside was a large stage that was surrounded by a large audience. It looked to be some sort of award's show and the ponies were cheering as the hosts stood on stage.
"And the winner for the "Best Winner, Director, Actor in an Awesome Play Put on by a Pony and Her Awesome Best Friends goes to..." said one host pony named Éclair Crème. As she made the announcement, the screen was split up to show the four nominees, which one in the bottom right corner was Sweetie Belle.
"Sweetie Belle!" another host pony named Star Gazer announced. Sweetie Belle silently gasped in shock and smiled. She was shown wearing a dark purple gown that had a large yellow ribbon on the back and was wearing a magenta beaded gold necklace and a gold bracelet on one of her fore-legs. The audience cheered and some cameras took pictures as Sweetie Belle shook hooves with a pony sitting next to her before walking up the stage and accepting her award. She had just given her award a hug when there was a clash of lighting and it started to rain. Sweetie Belle frowned as everypony ran for cover, leaving her alone and soaked.
"Don't go!" Sweetie Belle called out, but nopony listened. She then noticed that her award melted into sticky golden goo that was all over her fore-hooves. She then looked up into the sky to see a giant thundercloud with Rarity's head, laughing evilly at her.
"Stop!" Sweetie Belle shouted, "Why do you have to ruin everything?!" The Rarity cloud growled at her and fired a lightning bolt at her. Sweetie Belle raised a fore-hoof and braced for impact...but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw Mario standing in front her of, using his magic to create a shield to protect her. Sweetie Belle was in shock.
"You leave my best friend alone!" Mario shouted.
"You're supposed to help ME succeed!" the Rarity cloud shouted, "Not her!"
"I want to help both you and Sweetie Belle succeed," said Mario, "But if you can't share me with her, then I'll have no choice but to choose sides! And I choose Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie Belle felt tears stream down her face.
"My Prince...despite how mean I was...he still came to save me..." she squeaked softly as Mario stood in front of her on her hind legs.
(Cue favorite "Kirby Boss Battle" theme, but the Dream Land version is recommended)
The Rarity cloud swooped down at Mario, but he jumped over her easily, even doing a little flip. Rarity cloud then fired a lightning bolt at the ground and chased Mario about. Mario easily just let the cloud chase him, but along the way, he picked up the yellow stars the cloud made on the ground from its lightning strikes. When the Rarity cloud went to take a breather, Mario tossed the yellow stars at as hard as he could. The Rarity cloud yelped as the yellow stars damaged her. She then growled at Mario and shot some lightning around herself to keep Mario away. Then the Rarity cloud got right under him and poured a massive rainstorm on him, making it appear as if the heavy downpour submerged him for several seconds.
"Mario!" Sweetie Belle screamed as the cloud laughed evilly before finally stopping the rain and saw Mario was...gone. And then reappeared beside the cloud unharmed.
"What?!" the Rarity cloud exclaimed when Mario appeared nearby.
"Just missed me that time," said Mario cockily before throwing a few more yellow stars at her. The Rarity cloud snarled as she went from grey to grayish black in color.
"She's really mad now!" Sweetie Belle cried out fearfully.
"I don't care," said Mario, "All I care about is protecting you!" Sweetie Belle blushed as she felt herself cry once more.
"I'm sorry for blaming you!" Sweetie Belle shouted. Mario just smiled to let the filly know that it was alright, making her smile before she screamed when a lightning bolt came right at her. Mario jumped in front of her and created a vacuum with his horn and sucked up the bolt into it. Mario squatted down.
Transformation...Beam Mario!
Mario was now wearing a jesters hat, but unlike his Mirror ability, was in shades of orange and red. He also held a matching colored scepter with an blue bulb on the end of it.
"What?!" the Rarity cloud said in surprise.
"Let's see how you like it!" Mario called out as he held his wand behind his back. His body glowed three times before he launched a large beam at the cloud, frazzling it and leaving it dazed for a bit. Before the Rarity cloud could recover, Mario leaped into the air and fired an electric beam diagonally at the cloud, shocking and damaging it more. Then unleashed a few more electric beams at it by waving his wand at it before making a soft landing below. The Rarity cloud backed up and went to swoop down at Mario as it charged itself with lightning to shock anypony who got too close to it. But Mario was ready, as the Rarity cloud swooped down at him, Mario fired another fully charged beam just as the cloud was inches of shocking him.
CRITICAL STRIKE!
The Rarity cloud backed away, clearly drained before she poofed into thin air. Mario then twirled before Sweetie Belle.
(Cue Victory Fanfare)
Sweetie Belle smiled but then saw the Rarity cloud was back.
"Look out!" Sweetie Belle called out as Mario turned around to see the cloud was about to strike when...
"ENOUGH!" a bold voice shouted. The Rarity cloud whimpered and vanished into thin air as a purple moon appeared in the sky. Then purple moon then changed to reveal Princess Luna herself.
"Princess Luna!" said Sweetie Belle, now dry and out of her gown, as the moon Princess hovered down to her, "It's really you! Or am I dreaming?"
"What do you think?" Princess Luna smiled as she landed before the filly and her nephew. The latter was now back to normal.
"Let me see," said Sweetie Belle, "You and Mario just rescued me from a maniacal laughing Rarity-cloud. Yeah, probably dreaming...would that mean..."
"I'm the real Mario, Sweetie Belle," the Alicorn Prince replied, "and to answer how, Luna lets me assist her in the dream world a few times a month. She enjoys my company and I get to spend time with my Aunt." Sweetie Belle just hummed in understanding.
"Guess asking for your hoof in marriage is out of the question then," Sweetie Belle remarked before looking at him sadly, "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. You're not the one I was angry with." Mario hugged her close and smiled, making Sweetie Belle feel better.
"Mario filled me in on what happened earlier today," Princess Luna replied as she put a fore-hoof under the filly's chin, "I understand what you're going through, Sweetie Belle. I too have a sister who often shines more brightly than me, and with this, I have struggled." Sweetie Belle smiled as Princess Luna and Mario turned to leave and flew away.
"Wait, come back! Luna? Mario?" said Sweetie Belle as the two Alicorns entered a portal and disappeared, "Thanks for what you both did!" The two Alicorns had already disappeared into a portal. Sweetie Belle tried to go after them, but she ran right off the stage and started rolling down a long flight of stairs.
"Help, Luna! Help, Mario! Luuna! Mariooo!" Sweetie Belle cried out as she tumbled down the spirally staircase and soon smacked into the side of the wall. Sweetie Belle soon noticed that she was now hers and Rarity's parents house. She then noticed some other little ponies gathered in the main room with Rarity, except they all were the age of little foals.
"I remember this," said Sweetie Belle, "This is my fifth birthday party!"
"So this was the birthday party you mentioned to me and Rarity earlier," said Mario as they were all inside of Sweetie Belle's bedroom. Young Sweetie Belle was wearing a dress and pink shoes that were much too big for her with a pale pink necklace. She was currently applying a little too much lipstick as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"I decided to make a grand entrance," said Sweetie Belle, "I made myself all beautiful, just like my big sister." Young Sweetie Belle then jumped off her stood and walked forward, only to fall flat on her face. Mario chuckled.
"I can see that you were always really cute," said Mario. Sweetie Belle giggled to herself.
"Finally, I was perfect," Sweetie Belle continued, "and then went to the stairs to enter as the belle of the ball. When I finally came out of my room, I found the party going on without me." Young Sweetie Belle went down the stairs and saw the other foals jumping up and down excitedly around Rarity and a large box filled with goodies.
"And I kept posing at the top of the stairs," said Sweetie Belle as her younger self posed and was ignored, "waiting to be noticed, but all I heard was..."
"These party favors are the coolest!" said Mint Flower as she blew a party buzzer, which made confetti shoot out of it.
"Awesome," said a little colt, "Where did you get these?"
"Made them myself," Rarity answered as she held a sparkly piece of cake, "And of course, you'll all want cake, won't you?" The foals all cheered.
"Who needs a birthday girl when you've got the birthday girl's amazing big sister?" said Plum Star. Young Sweetie Belle sniffled and started to cry as she ran upstairs, back to her bedroom, to cry on her bed.
"Poor thing," said Mario quietly, "Reminds me of my fourth birthday party."
"You mean Princess Cadance upstaged you too?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"She didn't upstage me," said Mario, "But she came up with the idea of throwing me a birthday party to help me make some friends. But all the foals openly admitted during the party that they only showed up because they wanted to see Cadance."
"Did you at least get birthday presents?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Just cards," said Mario in a bored tone, "store bought too. And no bits in them either."
"Wow..." said Sweetie Belle bluntly and in disgust, "Anyway, that's when I learned never to try to shine with my big sister around."
"But perhaps you didn't have the whole story," said Princess Luna.
"I thought you said you understood?" said Sweetie Belle, feeling slightly puzzled until Princess Luna stomped a hoof, "Luna?" Before Sweetie Belle could get a reply, the surroundings shifted a bit and soon she noticed what Luna had done.
"Neat huh?" said Mario, "In the dream world, Princess Luna can alter time."
"Shh!" said Princess Luna firmly, "Sweetie Belle needs to see this." Mario nodded as he and the marshmallow filly watched the scene unfold. They noticed that the foals were sitting about the main room looking very bored and irritated.
"Where's Sweetie Belle?" a little colt asked impatiently.
"I'm sure she'll be along in any moment," said Rarity. It was then another foal named Titania yawned in a bored manner.
"I'm tired of waiting," said Titania, "I say we get out of here before we all keel over from boredom. Who's with me?" The other foals just nodded in reply and followed her as Titania turned to leave.
"Poor Sweetie Belle," said Titania smugly, "Nopony's gonna come to another one of her parties after this fiasco!" Mario snorted.
"You mean Diamond Tiara wasn't the only stuck up filly you had to deal with?" Mario asked Sweetie Belle quietly.
"Afraid not," said Sweetie Belle with an eye roll. Rarity winced fearfully.
"Don't go!" said Rarity as she stood in front of the front door, "You'll miss out on the, uh, party favors!" Rarity then used her magic to bring over a large cardboard box and set it before the group of foals.
"I was going to save them 'til the end, but..." Rarity explained as she passed out a couple of party favors.
"These party favors are the coolest!" said Mint Flower as she blew the party buzzer.
"Awesome," said a little colt, "Where did you get these?"
"Made them myself," said Rarity as she showed them a piece of sparkly pink cake, "And of course, you'll all want cake, won't you?" The foals all cheered.
"Who needs a birthday girl when you've got the birthday girl's amazing big sister," said Plum Star, unaware that young Sweetie Belle heard. Young Sweetie Belle cried and ran back to her bedroom.
"Oh, no-no-no," said Rarity right after Young Sweetie Belle disappeared, "All of these things were Sweetie Belle's idea. I just assisted with the execution." Sweetie Belle was surprised at what had happened.
"I guess Rarity wasn't trying to steal the spotlight," said Sweetie Belle, "She was trying to save my party." Sweetie Belle then turned to see that Mario and Luna had vanished through another portal.
"Luna? Mario?" Sweetie Belle called out as she followed the two alicorns through some sort of cosmos as they both pranced along a path made out of stars and sparkles, "Luna! Mario!" Sweetie Belle then followed the two alicorns down the path. Then Princess Luna leaped off the edge of the path. Mario did a front flip and swam dive as he did the same. Sweetie Belle ran to the edge of the path to watch the two alicorns. But then the path bent downward, sending Sweetie Belle tumbling into some water, where she noticed two things. The first was a collection of dolphins swimming about as some mannequins rose upward. The second was that she could breathe despite being in the water. She then floated gently down next to the two alicorns, now noticing that she was no longer in water at all.
"When you hang out with Princess Luna in the dream world," Mario told her, "You realize that falling is half the fun." Princess Luna chuckled before she turned serious when the area turned into the bedroom of a familiar marshmallow mare. Sweetie Belle was surprised to see Rarity.
"Should I hem the cloaks now or wait until Mario and I are there?" said Rarity to herself as she continued to work alone, "I could hem them now, but I might have to redo them."
"When was this?" Sweetie Belle asked, but didn't get an answer.
"But if I wait until we're in Canterlot to hem them, Sapphire Shores might not get the best first impression," said Rarity in a worried tone.
"Wait," Sweetie Belle realized, "This must've happened earlier tonight!"
"Ooh...Sapphire Shores is such a big star and such a stickler for details," said Rarity as she looked at herself in the mirror, "What if everything's not perfect enough?"
"Funny, I thought I was the only one who got worried about stuff like that," said Sweetie Belle.
"It's the biggest reason why Rarity can come off as such a drama queen sometimes," said Mario, "She has high expectations for herself and her work. Plus she is a perfectionist. Just like me. And if we can't achieve our best...it really hurts our confidence in ourselves. She might try to be put together for you, Sweetie Belle, but inside, she's really nervous. Especially when it comes to you."
"Why me?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Because she doesn't want to let you down," Mario replied, "After all, she does take care of you more than your parents do and she loves you. She really wants to see you have your day to shine in the spotlight even more than you." Sweetie Belle felt pain in her heart as she saw her sister glare at herself in the mirror.
"Oh, buck up, Rarity, stop this foolishness," the marshmallow mare said to herself sternly, "You and Mario have done your best and left nothing to chance! Mario has gone home for the night and all that's needed now is a good night's rest." Rarity then walked away from the mirror, climbed into bed, put on her sleeping mask, turned off the lights to her room, and went to sleep. When the lights to the room went off, the images of the three ponies looked like the negatives of a photo. Sweetie Belle walked up to Princess Luna and Mario.
"I hope everything goes alright for her tomorrow," said Sweetie Belle with a sigh.
"Hm. How curious you should say that," said Princess Luna when a door appeared with a bright light shining inside of it.
"Go," said Princess Luna, "Go see what the future holds if you fail to rein in your worst instincts, as I once did." Sweetie Belle looked fearfully at the door and reached out for Mario's fore-hoof, but to her shock Mario pulled away.
"I'm afraid you must face this alone," said Mario in a soft but serious tone, "I cannot intervene. But just remember that you can always come to me when you wake up." Before Sweetie Belle could retort, the bright light surround them and Sweetie Belle found herself inside the building Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers were rehearsing in. Rarity then set down the box with the headdress inside of it.
"And here it is!" said Rarity as she used her magic to open the box with Mario standing beside her, "The crème de la crème-"
"Noooo!" Sweetie Belle screamed but found her legs were glued to the floor.
"The piece de resistance..." said Rarity as she placed the headset on to Sapphire Shore's head.
"Don't!" Sweetie Belle shouted and gasped. Sapphire Shore's backup dancers oohed in amazement. Then they all gasped in horror as the entire headdress fell apart. Rarity and Mario were in deep shock.
"The headdress!" said Rarity.
"Impossible!" said Mario.
"Looks like I made a mistake here," said Sapphire Shores sternly.
"But, but this is impossible," said Rarity as she sat on her hind knees and held the pieces of the headdress with her fore-hooves. Mario just looked at the mess completely speechless, "I, I, I checked and rechecked everything! This couldn't have happened!"
"You sure about that, honey?" Sapphire Shores asked skeptically.
"Yes," Mario said in her defense, "I even checked to make sure every stitch was secure myself."
"Looks like Rarity put her trust in the wrong pony," said Sapphire Shores darkly as Mario looked shocked as Rarity glared at him sternly.
"No! I would never do that!" said Mario in his defense.
"I checked everything after he looked at it," said Rarity, "Please, you must believe me!"
"Listen to my sister!" Sweetie Belle shouted, "Mario didn't ruin the headdress! Honest!" Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers just laughed. Soon the room began to spin around Sweetie Belle, frightening the poor filly as she tried to run, but soon found herself running across the top of Rarity's mane as she cried loudly. Sweetie Belle fell off the edge of her mane and soon found Rarity crying in front of her. Then she fell right inside Rarity's mouth and screamed as she grabbed into Rarity's tonsil but was soon falling endlessly.
"I don't wanna see anymore!" Sweetie Belle cried out as she looked and saw the front door to the boutique.
"Get out!" Rarity shouted from inside.
"Rarity, please I...YAH!" Mario tried to defend himself but the door opened and Mario was thrown out of the Boutique and he crashed into a nearby garbage can. He then winced when he saw the rest of the Mane seven giving him death glares.
"I didn't sabotage Rarity!" Mario cried out in tears.
Soon, Rarity was wearing her work glasses and a measuring tape around her neck.
"Always check and recheck!" she told herself as she examined her work. Her work room was now covered in cobwebs.
Then Sweetie Belle saw Mario walking down the streets of Ponyville. Everywhere he turned, ponies were turning their backs on him bitterly. He even visited a few stands, Sugarcube Corner, the School, and the Ponyville Hospital. Apparently, after being fired by Rarity, nopony trusted him or his help and turned him away every time.
Next, Sapphire Shores appeared in stage with a picture of Rarity with a stunned look on her face.
"Who all wants to hear a funny story about my ex-costume designer?" Sapphire Shores asked as the ponies in the audience laughed.
"That's nothing!" said Twilight as she hovered nearby the other end of the stage with a picture of Mario with a stunned look on his face, "How about a funny story about my ex-husband?" The ponies laughed harder. Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Nooooooo!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
Back the boutique...
"Check, recheck, recheck, then recheck!" Rarity shouted frantically.
Sweetie Belle felt her heartbreak as she saw Mario, now with a messy mane and tail and a five o'clock shadow on his face, was extending a mug begging passerbys for money, but nopony paid him any attention. His stomach then growled viciously, making him wince and clutch it with a fore-hoof.
"Make it stop!" Sweetie Belle cried out, "Princess Luna, can you hear me?!"
Then she saw Fluttershy approach the Boutique.
"Make me a dress, Rarity, please?" Fluttershy asked outside the door.
"Go away!" said Rarity with the look of a mare gone mad, "You know I don't do that anymore thanks to your EX-brother!" Rarity then slammed the door, making Fluttershy wince as well as duck and cover. Inside, the main room was in complete shambles with spiders creating cobwebs everywhere. Rarity sat in the middle of the floor, curled up in a little ball and having a nervous breakdown.
Sweetie Belle then saw Mario, now sitting inside of a worn cardboard box. His coat and mane were grayed out, a small unruly beard on his muzzle, and flies were buzzing around him to show he hadn't bathed in weeks. It was then a black rain boot smacked his face and he caught it.
"FOOD!" Mario exclaimed as he laughed manically and tore off a piece of it with his teeth to eat it. Sweetie Belle had seen enough.
"Wake me up, Princess Luna," Sweetie Belle shouted desperately, "Wake me up, wake me uuuup!"
Sweetie Belle gasped as she finally woke up. She panted a bit to calm herself before she leaped out of bed and ran as fast as she could to Rarity's room. She wasted no time bursting open the bedroom door.
"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle gasped, but saw that the outfits and the box with the headdress inside were not there, "Oh no! The box is...gone? I'm too late!"
"She and Mario left for Canterlot!" Sweetie Belle screamed in horror.
Sweetie Belle wasted no time getting rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to help and they were soon riding a fast train heading for Canterlot.
"The key is for you two to distract Rarity and Mario long enough for me to put the stitch back in without her noticing," Sweetie Belle explained to Apple Bloom while Scootaloo walked over to the two fillies.
"If we're not too late already," Scootaloo pointed out as she climbed into the seat next to Apple Bloom.
"Oh, my gosh!" said Apple Bloom giddily, "I can't believe we're goin' to see Sapphire Shores! I'm such a huge fan! I know all her songs!"
""Get Your Pony On"!" said Scootaloo.
"Ooh, that's one of my favorites!" said Apple Bloom as she and Scootaloo smiled excitedly to each other.
"This isn't a trip to see Sapphire Shores!" said Sweetie Belle sternly, "It's a trip to save my sister and Mario from a horrible future!"
""Serves Her Right"!" said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle gasped.
"How can you say that?!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, "Rarity doesn't deserve that at all!"
"No, "Serves Her Right" is another one of Sapphire Shores' songs!" said Scootaloo with an eye roll as Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
"You seriously didn't know that?" Apple Bloom asked in a rather annoyed tone, "Don't you listen to her music?"
"...I prefer show tunes," said Sweetie Belle sheepishly with a cute smile on her face.
"Ugh," said Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as the later stuck her tongue out in disgust.
"Hey! That song we sang at Mario and Twilight's wedding reception was a show tune thank you very much!" Sweetie Belle reminded them.
"Really?" said Apple Bloom in surprise.
"Seriously?" said Scootaloo in the same tone. The two fillies just shrugged their shoulders cluelessly. Sweetie Belle just groaned and rolled her eyes at them.
In Canterlot at a special building, Sapphire Shores and her back up dancers were in workout attire as they practiced for the show.
"Five, six, seven eight, ba-bam!" said Sapphire Shores boldly.
"Oh, bravo! Fabulous! Magnifique!" said Rarity as she and Mario sat before the pop superstar, applauding her.
"One more time from the top," said Sapphire Shores to her back up dancers, "Let's not embarrass me in front of my favorite designers this time!" She then gave Rarity and Mario a wink, making the two ponies smile as they stood up and watched Sapphire Shores lead the group again, "And a-one, two, three, four!"
"I'm glad despite my ascension to Alicorn Prince that she still treats me like a regular pony," said Mario.
"Could just mean she expects even more from you," Rarity pointed out.
"Thanks for adding to the butterflies already inside my stomach," Mario remarked as Rarity chuckled and gave him a one fore-leg hug.
Outside the building, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were trying to speak to one of the security guard ponies.
"But you have to let us in!" Sweetie Belle pleaded as the security guard seemed to ignore her, "I'm Sapphire Shores' designer's little sister! You have to believe us!" The security guard finally spoke up.
"Kid, the only thing I have to do is make sure Sapphire Shores doesn't get interrupted all day by fans like you," said the security guard as he stuck a fore-hoof into Sweetie Belle's face.
"But I'm not a fan!" Sweetie Belle protested.
"I am!" Apple Bloom shouted.
"Me too!" Scootaloo added excitedly.
"Not helping!" Sweetie Belle remarked as she gave the two fillies death glares.
Back inside, Sapphire Shores made her final pose as her back up dancers looked very sweaty and exhausted.
"Now, that's how I like it!" Sapphire Shores said, very pleased with their efforts, "You rocked it, girls! Get some water and be back in ten." The backup dancers then walk away.
"Rar-i-ty, Mar-i-o," said Sapphire Shores, "come on up here and show me what you brought me. Sapphire wants to see it and love it."
"Show time," said Mario to himself as he and Rarity walked up to the stage as the latter used her magic to bring the rack of outfits up with them.
Outside, the three fillies were standing on top of each other trying to get inside the building above through a second floor window. Scootaloo then jumped up and flapped her wings to try and hover.
"Almost..." Scootaloo strained when she wore out her wings and crashed onto the other two fillies, "Oof!"
"We've gotta get in there, now!" Sweetie Belle shouted from the bottom of the pile. She then noticed a flag banner hanging across the building they needed to get in and the adjacent building. She smirked as she got an idea.
Inside, the backup dancers were admiring their new outfits while Sapphire Shores was admiring her own.
"Okay then," she replied, "Liking what I see so far. So is this the whole shebang?"
"Actually, we saved the best for last!" said Rarity as Mario nodded in agreement.
Outside, Apple Bloom secured her tail onto the rope of the flag banner above her.
Inside, Rarity and Mario walked up to the box with the headdress inside of it.
Outside, Apple Bloom held out a fore-leg, which Scootaloo grabbed, followed by Sweetie Belle grabbing Scootaloo around her stomach.
Inside, Rarity opened the box with the headdress inside.
Outside, the three fillies rode down the flag banner like a zip line and screamed.
"And here it is!" said Rarity.
"The crème de la crème," Mario added, "the centerpiece of the entire outfit!" As the two ponies spoke, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom smacked into the window. When Sweetie Belle smacked into it, the window spin about quickly, sending Sweetie Belle flying in so fast one would have thought she had been shot out of Pinkie's party cannon. Sweetie Belle remembered that Mario had taught her how to curl up into a ball and did so just as...
BONK!
... she crashed into the back of Mario's head, knocking him out as he face planted the floor.
(Lose a life fanfare)
Sweetie Belle was able to land perfectly on her hooves and rushed for the box just as Mario plopped to the floor.
"You gotta see this with the cinnamon ribbon!" said Sweetie Belle aloud as she scooped the box onto her back and ran off, "You'll love it!"
"Sweetie Belle?!" Rarity exclaimed in shock.
"You know her?" Sapphire Shores asked bluntly.
"Uh..." Rarity laughed nervously before composing herself, "Ahem. Just a moment! Come on...Mario?!" Rarity then noticed that Mario was out cold, "Oh...uhh...never mind." Rarity could revive Mario later. Right now she had a little sister to catch.
Sweetie Belle quickly rushed to a nearby door and let Apple Bloom and Scootaloo inside. The three exchanged smiles with each other when Rarity skidded to a stop and stood before them. The three fillies flinched and made a run for it as Rarity gave chase after them. Just as they reached a staircase leading downstairs, Sweetie Belle bucked the box to Scootaloo. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle headed past the stairs as Scootaloo put the box on the railing, jumped on top of it and rode down the railing. Rarity gasped as she chased after the orange filly. Just as Scootaloo reached the bottom of the stairs, the box bounced into the air and she was sent crashing into something off screen. Apple Bloom rushed under the box, caught it on her back, and ran off with it. Rarity then ran after her. Apple Bloom and Rarity were one floor above near a balcony railing as Sweetie Belle ran past them below in the opposite direction. Apple Bloom then tossed the box to Sweetie Belle below. Rarity put her fore-legs on the balcony railing and gritted her teeth in frustration as Sweetie Belle ran off. Sweetie Belle then found an empty room, ran inside, and slammed the door closed with her hind legs. As Sweetie Belle tried to catch her breath, she noticed that the room wasn't empty after all. There before her was Princess Luna!
"Oh, good!" said Sweetie Belle as she breathed a heavily sigh of relief and sat down, "This is just a dream!"
"Actually, no," Princess Luna corrected, "This is very much real." Sweetie Belle looked worried with her jaw slightly opened. Then she sighed as she put her fore-hooves on the box.
"Oh, Luna," said Sweetie Belle sadly, "...I wish none of this ever happened...What am I gonna do? I knocked Mario out when I was trying to get the headdress so I couldn't get his help and now Rarity is looking for me!"
"Let's begin with this," said Princess Luna as she used her magic to grab spool of pink thread as she put the thread into a sewing needle and gave it to the filly, "And I think I know how you can even improve it." The two ponies quickly got to work and then Sweetie Belle put the box on her back and walked out to find Rarity. To her luck, Rarity was just turning a corner and saw the marshmallow filly.
"I would like to know what in the wide, wide realm of Equestria this stunt of yours is all about, and I want to know now, especially since you knocked Mario out!" Rarity demanded angrily, "Do you have any idea how important this job is me and Mario?"
"Actually, I do," Sweetie Belle answered, surprising Rarity, "I was upset at you for stealing the spotlight from me at the play, so I pulled out the center stitch to the headpiece so it would fall apart."
"What?!" Rarity gasped.
"But then I realized I didn't want your future to be ruined forever and ever, and I didn't want Mario to get blamed for what I did," Sweetie Belle explained, "so I came back to change it before it was too late! So...here it is. It's all fixed. Please forgive me." Rarity just glared at her before opening the box and examining the change.
"Wait...what is this?" said Rarity.
"Trust me," said Sweetie Belle, "Sapphire Shores is gonna love it." The two sisters exchanged smiles with each other before heading back into the main room. Sweetie Belle then revived Mario with a green and white mushroom and apologized for crashing into his head. As Mario held an ice pack to help settle the headache he still had from the impact, Sapphire Shores was not very pleased with what she had seen.
"Rarity, Mario, this isn't going to work out," said Sapphire Shores, "You don't get to my level of success without learning to read the signs, and this situation has bad luck written all over it."
"I promise you'll absolutely adore the headdress as soon as you see it," said Rarity as she used her magic to set the headdress on Sapphire Shores' head and then used her magic to hold up a mirror for the pop star to examine it.
"My, it is attractive, but..." Sapphire Shores pondered aloud.
"Look at the stitching, real close," said Sweetie Belle. Sapphire Shores look up at the main stitch and noticed that the thread was in the shape of a familiar aquatic mammal.
"Well, I'll be," said Sapphire Shores, "It's a dolphin! That's my lucky animal! They swim with me in my dreams."
"Wherever did you come up with the idea for a dolphin?" Rarity asked Sweetie Belle curiously.
"Oh, it just came to me...in a dream," said Sweetie Belle as she looked at the door. There was Princess Luna peeking in. She gave Sweetie Belle a smile and nod, which the marshmallow filly returned the gesture. Somehow Rarity never noticed Princess Luna, yet Mario did and gave her a wink before the moon princess disappeared.
"I'm sorry I got jealous about those dresses," Sweetie Belle told Rarity, "I know now you were only trying to help."
"Oh, Sweetie, I forgive you!" said Rarity, "But Mario and I never did get to see your play. any chance we could catch an encore performance?"
"Uh, I don't think the play went all that good," said Sweetie Belle, blushing slightly from embarrassment, "To be honest, the costumes were the best part."
"Awww!" said Rarity as the two shared a loving hug.
At last, Mario and Rarity's commission to Sapphire Shores was complete. Rarity was glad that things had been settled between her and Sweetie Belle as she chatted with Sapphire Shores. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were more than ecstatic to meet Sapphire Shores in person and get her autograph. Mario's headache finally cleared once he was able to eat one of his refreshing herbs. He was glad things had turned out when he noticed that Sweetie Belle was sitting away from the group looking rather glum.
"What's got you so sad, Sweetie Belle?" said Mario as he sat next to her. Sweetie Belle just looked at her sadly.
"I just wonder if I'll ever get my moment in the spotlight," said Sweetie Belle, "I know Rarity was never trying to steal it, but it doesn't change the fact that she does shine brighter than I do."
"Sweetie Belle..." said Mario gently.
"I don't even know what I'm good at or what my special talent is," Sweetie Belle continued as she looked at her blank flank, "Rarity can do so many things! She's a well-known fashion designer. She's the Element of Generosity. A hero who has helped save Equestria. She's beautiful. Everypony knows who she is. She's a somebody. Me? I'm just a nobody and it stinks! I'm not special..."
"You are special," said Mario, "and you're beautiful in your own right."
"Thanks, but let's face it," said Sweetie Belle sadly, "I'll never be successful like Rarity."
"Ahh, I see," said Mario, "You feel like you'll never be as successful as Rarity because she's accomplished so much. She'll be remembered. And you want to be remembered for your own achievements." Sweetie Belle nodded.
"It be nice to be remembered for something amazing like my sister," said Sweetie Belle, "I had hoped that play would have been just that. They even gave us a standing ovation. I was so excited to finally be the center of attention for my hard work and not because I knew somepony important. Then I ask everypony what they liked...(sniff)...all they could say was the dresses. Everything I worked so hard on...didn't even matter... (sniff) The dresses was all they paid attention to..." Sweetie Belle began to cry as Mario held her close.
"I know you only meant to help," Sweetie Belle sobbed, "but when I got your roses. I felt like you were laughing at me. That's why I was so angry. I thought you cared about Rarity more than me."
"Hey, just because you're younger than Rarity doesn't mean that you're not as important to me," said Mario, "I love you and your sister the same. Just like I love you just as much as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo."
"I know," said Sweetie Belle, "I guess I just wish you weren't married and I was a little older. I'll never find a colt or stallion who will treats me like you do."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short," said Mario, "I'm sure you will someday, but don't worry too much about that. I mean...are you into any colts in your class?" Sweetie Belle made a face.
"Uh...ew, like no!" said Sweetie Belle in disgust. The two ponies laughed as Sweetie Belle wiped her eyes.
"Thanks for hearing me out," said Sweetie Belle, "and again, I'm sorry I bumped your head so hard. I just wanted to stop Rarity before she put the headdress on Sapphire Shores so I could fix the stitch I had removed. When I went into that door in my dream, she blamed you for the headdress falling apart and nopony wanted to trust you with helping them or be your friend."
"Talk about a nightmare," said Mario quietly, not wanting to admit that scenario was one of his biggest fears. But...that's another story. Sweetie Belle gasped.
"I just realized that I nearly acted just like Diamond Tiara," said Sweetie Belle, "I wanted to set up my sister up to fail just to make myself feel better. I don't get how Diamond Tiara gets any enjoyment in doing that to others. I feel so awful inside! If I have to sabotage my own sister just to have my moment in the spotlight, I'd rather never have the spotlight at all." Mario chuckled.
"That is what makes you different from her, Sweetie Belle," said Mario, "You understand that now that you don't have to hurt others in order to get attention. Your time to shine will come. In fact, you actually did have a moment in the spotlight."
"When?" said Sweetie Belle, looking rather puzzled.
"That's an easy answer, hon," said Sapphire Shores, who had been listening in on the conversation, "I seem to recall you putting on quite a performance at the after-party for Princess Twilight and Prince Mario's wedding and coronation." Sweetie Belle blushed when she realized what the pop star was talking about.
"Y-y-you saw me sing for them?!" Sweetie Belle spluttered.
"Of course," said Rarity, "She's been wondering who the filly was who sang that song ever since. I told her that you wrote the lyrics and the music composition yourself." Sweetie Belle was speechless.
"A song of that caliber should not go unnoticed," said Sapphire Shores, "How would you like to have that song heard all over Equestria?" Sweetie Belle smiled excitedly, as well as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who had appeared out of nowhere.
In just a week, Sapphire Shores helped get the song, "Jump Up, Pony Star" published with all credit for the song going to Sweetie Belle. The pop star pony even sang the number herself during her concert tour. The song instantly became a huge hit and, surprisingly for Sweetie Belle, it was the version she had recorded that became the most popular. Music shops all over Equestria had backorders from ponies who wanted to own a copy of Sweetie Belle's single. Radio stations were playing the song at least a couple of times a day as ponies enjoyed the song to their hearts content. Fluttershy was dancing with the animals at her cottage, Pinkie was dancing as she did her baking, and Spike was dancing as he did his chores, using a broom as a dance partner.
At the Carousel Boutique, Mario and Rarity were listening to their own personal record of the song as they did their work. The music player was the brought to an abrupt stop when somepony slammed the door. The two ponies turned to see Sweetie Belle wearing a trench coat, a large hat and dark sunglasses.
"Ugh, when will I ever learn?" the filly lamented as she removed her disguise, "Be careful what you wish for!"
"Being famous is getting a little overbearing for you, darling?" Rarity asked sympathetically.
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders are tired of trying to hide me from the fan ponies all the time," Sweetie Belle remarked, "I don't even know what a hiding cutie mark would look like! It's the Twilight Time incident all over again, except this time I did everything right!" Rarity chuckled and gave her little sister a hug.
"Don't worry dear," said Rarity, "Things will die down in time. At least you got your moment in the spotlight. Everypony loves your single."
"Yeah, I've noticed," said Sweetie Belle with an exhausted sigh, "I think from now on I'll just let you have the spotlight, Rarity. Being the center of attention is way too exhausting." Mario and Rarity watched Sweetie Belle head to her bedroom. Mario and Rarity chuckled to each other.
They both knew this was all part of growing up.
At least it was for anypony living in Equestria.
Hope you all enjoyed the alternate ending and the bonus battle in this episode. I thought it would be a nice touch that Sweetie Belle did have her moment in the spotlight after all the went through.
"Jump up, Pony Star" is just a pony version of "Jump Up, Super Star". I still hope to hear somepony make a music video of Sweetie Belle singing this someday. I don't have the computer program to do it myself...
Upon uploading this chapter, it has been a whole year since I published this story. Thank you all for the support! It's give me the motivation to keep writing. Soon Season 4 will be complete and then it's on to Season 5 and beyond! If I can finish season 7, I'll be including the movie. :)
Next Time, Applejack's honesty will be put the test. especially when Granny Smith wants to make a big splash in Equestria.
Peace Pony Fans!