Chapter One: Sweetie Feels Bored

Sweetie Belle was bored. A half-finished page of homework sat on the kitchen table in front of her, and she absently chewed her pencil, trying to figure out the answer to a math problem that had her well and truly stumped. She wanted to ditch it and go outside, but her sister had insisted that she finish her homework before meeting up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

Just then, Rarity stepped into the room. She was wearing her red sewing glasses, and had a look in her eyes that told Sweetie she was hard at work on some new designs.

"Big sis?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Could you help me with this homework?"

"Sorry, Sweetie, but I'm incredibly busy with this order," Rarity said, already halfway out the kitchen door, a glass of water floating behind her. "I have to finish making twenty new outfits by the end of the week, and so I simply don't have time for anything else!"

Sweetie's face fell. "But Rarity, it's just –"

"No time, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity called from the other room. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough!"

Pouting, Sweetie looked down at the paper again. No matter how many times she read the question, she still couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be asking. She was quickly becoming very frustrated.

"Calm down, Sweetie Belle," she said to herself. "It's just math. Nothing harder than adding two and two. I just have to think, and there'll be nothing I can't do."

The edges of Sweetie's mouth turned up in the beginnings of a smile. "All it is is math and I can do it if I think! Rarity is right, I'll have this finished in a blink."

There was a sudden frantic clopping of hooves against tiles. "What is that heavenly sound?" called Rarity's voice.

Sweetie Belle suddenly found herself staring into her sister's excited blue eyes, confused at how she had slipped into the kitchen again without her noticing. And heavenly sounds? What was she talking about?

"Sweetie, was that you singing?" Rarity asked.

And then Sweetie Belle realised what had happened. Sometimes, when she got bored or frustrated, she'd make up a little song about what she was doing to feel better. She'd done it again, only this time she'd been singing loud enough for her sister to overhear!

Sweetie Belle immediately felt very embarrassed. "Sorry if I was bothering you..." she said meekly.

"Bothering me? Perish the thought, dearest sister!" Rarity cried, speaking in the very silly way she sometimes did. "Sweetie Belle, you have a marvellous singing voice! Has anypony ever told you that?"

"Well, uh, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo..." Sweetie began, but trailed off. She always felt embarrassed when older ponies complimented her like this, even when it was her sister who was doing it.

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, speaking with a commanding tone, "it would simply not do for you to let this voice of yours go unnoticed. Did you know that the Sapphire Shores Singer Search is going to be having auditions right here in Ponyville in less than a week?" Rarity giggled. "Sapphire told me herself."

"No, I didn't, uh, know that, but –"

"You simply must participate, Sweetie! It would make Mother and Father ever so proud!"

"Uh, I guess, but –"

"And me too, Sweetie. I would be honoured to be the sister of a filly – nay, a young lady who shared such a beautiful gift as her lovely voice with the whole of Equestria."

Sweetie's ears perked up. "You would?"

"I would, Sweetie Belle," Rarity told her sister, looking her directly in the eyes.

"Uh, okay then... I guess I can do it."

"Wonderful!" Rarity clapped her hooves. "I'll finish this dress up, and then I'll help you rehearse. It'll be a tight squeeze with all these dresses I have to make, but I simply must make time for my dear sister!"

Sweetie Belle smiled at the thought of getting to spend more time with her sister, and continued smiling until Rarity had left the kitchen. Then she realised that she'd just agreed to sing in public. To strangers. Lots of strangers. Strangers who would be judging her on her singing.

Sweetie gulped.

---

Chapter Two: Sweetie Feels Nervous

"Ah, come on, Sweetie Belle, it won't be that bad!" Apple Bloom said reassuringly.

"Yeah, you'll rock their hooves off!" Scootaloo added. "That awesome singing voice of yours will have the audience clapping so hard everypony'll think there's another cow stampede in town!"

"I don't know... what if I forget my lines?"

Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow at Sweetie Belle. "Come on, when has that ever happened? You never forget the words to the songs we hear you singing."

"That's different!" Sweetie squeaked. "You two are my best friends, but if I do this audition I'll have to sing for complete strangers! And they'll look at me with their judging expressions, and their mean eyes, and then I'll get nervous, and forget my lines, and then they'll laugh and – and –"

Sweetie Belle had started breathing very hard by this point, and Apple Bloom had to grab her by the shoulders to keep her from freaking out even more. "Don't talk like that, Sweetie Belle," said Applebloom. "None of that's going to happen."

"But – but –"

Apple Bloom glanced at Scootaloo, and the two shared a grin. "As I was saying, none of that's going to happen, because Scootaloo and I are going to be there in the audience as well... smiling. And when you finish your amazing performance, we're going to stomp our hooves on the ground as hard as we can."

"Really?" Sweetie asked, her spirits already rising.

"Yeah!" added Scootaloo. "Even if you do mess up horribly, at least we'll cheer!"

Sweetie's eyes went wide with horror. Apple Bloom slapped her forehead and glared at Scootaloo. "You're not going to mess up, Sweetie – Scoots is just sayin' things."

"Oh-okay." Sweetie Belle put on a wobbly smile and tried to look happy, but Apple Bloom and Scootaloo weren't fooled. She was still very worried about her audition.



I just don't know what to do! Sweetie Belle thought as she walked through Ponyville. I just know this audition's going to be a disaster, but I can't just back out now! Rarity would be so disappointed.

A few golden and brown leaves floated past her in a gentle breeze, and Sweetie Belle stopped walking and took a few deep breaths. Maybe it won't be so bad, she told herself. I sing all the time without forgetting anything. Just so long as I sing something easy, there's probably no reason why I would mess it up. I can sing songs in my sleep!

Feeling a lot better, Sweetie Belle continued trotting through Ponyville on her way to her parents' house, humming a tune as she went. When she was almost there, she saw Fluttershy coming towards her, her saddlebags heavy with food for all her animals.

"Hi Fluttershy!" Sweetie said.

"Oh, hello Sweetie Belle," replied Fluttershy. "You sound very happy today."

"I am! I'm going to be singing in the auditions for the Sapphire Shores Singer Search next week, and I'm gonna do great!"

"Oh," said Fluttershy, "that sounds very... um... nice. Very nice. It's very courageous of you to want to stand up and sing in front of so many ponies. I know I could never do something like that..."

"It's not that hard," Sweetie replied, waving a hoof as if she really thought it wasn't that hard. "All I need to do is sing! And all my friends will be there."

Fluttershy nodded. "Oh, well, that's good, but I'm sure it still takes a lot of bravery. The last time I had to perform in front of an audience, I got so nervous that I totally lost control of my body and slipped around all over the catwalk. It was a good thing Rarity was there to cheer for me, or I'd never have been able to show my face outside my cottage again!"

Sweetie blinked at Fluttershy, suddenly feeling a lot less confident.

"Oh, but I'm sure that won't happen to you," Fluttershy said quickly.

"Ye... yeah, I'm sure..." Sweetie said, feeling very unsure indeed. "B-bye Fluttershy..."

"Goodbye, Sweetie Belle."

As Fluttershy trotted away to her cottage, Sweetie Belle slowly walked the rest of the way to her house, her eyes fixed on the ground and an awful nervousness tying her stomach in knots.

---

Chapter Three: Sweetie Feels Determined

It was Saturday morning, and Sweetie Belle was pacing around Rarity's kitchen restlessly. She'd already been awake for at least an hour.

Rarity had helped Sweetie practice her singing for the audition late into the previous evening, so she ended up sleeping over at the Boutique. Although Sweetie had almost told Rarity she didn't want to participate many times over the practice, she simply hadn't been able to bring herself to actually say it.

Sweetie Belle hadn't seen much of her sister until this singing competition came up, and despite her nervousness about the audition, she had really enjoyed spending time singing with her sister.

"Try this song, Sweetie," Rarity would say, and then she'd levitate a wordsheet in front of Sweetie's face and play the piano all at once. "Yes, yes, you sing it beautifully!"

And then Sweetie would smile and sing and enjoy herself and forget all about the audition... for a few minutes.

"I have to tell Rarity that I don't want to do the audition any more," she whispered to herself. "Maybe she'll be sad, but I just don't think I can take it."

Sweetie Belle had barely finished muttering when Rarity burst into the kitchen. A piece of paper was floating in front of her face, held by her magic, and her sleep mask was still over one eye, making her look a little like a very fashionable pirate.

"Sis!" Sweetie squeaked. "There's something –"

"Oh, Sweetie, there's no time!" Rarity wailed, dramatically wiping a hoof across her brow. "I misread the pamphlet Sapphire Shores gave me – the auditions aren't next week, they're right now!"

Sweetie felt like the butterflies in her stomach were flapping so hard they would soon fly away with her. At least if that happened she wouldn't have to worry about any of this stuff anymore.

"But fear not!" Rarity exclaimed, narrowing her eyes in determination. "If we hurry, we can still make it there! Don't worry, Sweetie, your sister Rarity will get you there on time!"

"Um, about that –"

"Oh!" Rarity suddenly rushed out of the kitchen, heading for her workshop. "I almost forgot something!" she called back.

Moments later she returned, her horn glowing. Sweetie gasped as she saw Rarity float something small and shiny into view.

It was a dress. A little silver dress with pink frills that sparkled in the sunlight.

"I thought it would help if you had a beautiful outfit to complement your voice, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, moving the dress towards her.

Sweetie's mouth hung open in shock. The dress was amazing, and Rarity had somehow found the time to make it, even with her busy schedule. There was no way she could back out of doing the audition now.

"Th-thank you, Rarity," she said as she put on the dress. It was very comfortable.

---

Chapter Four: Sweetie Feels Frightened

As Rarity led her sister through the streets of Ponyville, the two of them noticed most of the town was going in the same direction. Sweetie Belle saw a few familiar faces in the crowd, but a lot of unfamiliar ones as well. It looked like ponies from neighbouring towns had travelled to Ponyville just for the show.

The Sapphire Shores Singer Search auditions were being held in the Town Hall – it was to be the first event there since the repairs on the roof finished.

"Ah, here we are," Rarity said cheerfully, smiling at Sweetie Belle before turning to the green unicorn mare at the entrance, who was busy scribbling on a clipboard. "Hello! I've brought Miss Sweetie Belle to audition."

Sweetie glanced up and smiled at the unicorn, but her mind was far away. She and Rarity entered the building and found their way to the backstage area, where a number of other contestants were waiting for their turns. Sweetie Belle barely noticed any of it.

"Sweetie, listen up for your number. It's thirty-three," Rarity said a few moments later. "Remember that: thirty-three."

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"My, my, you've been awfully quiet today," Rarity said. "Saving your voice for the performance? Good idea!"

Just then, a loud announcer pony shouted something. "Thirty-three! Contestant number thirty-three, please come to the stage!"

"That's you!" Rarity exclaimed, shaking with excitement. "You're up, Sweetie Belle! Go on, it's time to show those judges what singing is all about!"

Before Sweetie Belle could think of a last-minute excuse not to go on stage, she felt herself being pushed across the floor by an extremely excited Rarity, and had to start moving her legs so as not to fall over. The stage came closer and closer.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of a crowd of hundreds. Eyes of all colours were focused directly on her. Faces of all colours were turned to her, and none of them seemed to be smiling. She couldn't see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom among all the big, unfamiliar adult ponies.

"Hello, Sweetie Belle," said a pink pegasus mare sitting behind the judges' table, between a brown unicorn stallion and a green earth pony mare. "What are you going to be singing for us today, sweetheart?"

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to tell them, but no words came out. What was she going to sing? She racked her brains, desperately trying to remember what song she had chosen, but it refused to come to her. Think as she might, she couldn't remember a single word, or even the tune of her song!

The crowd stared at her, waiting. The whole room was silent, and Sweetie Belle just knew that if she stood in silence for much longer, they would all start murmuring. Worse still, if she admitted she'd forgotten her song, they might laugh at or boo her!

"Miss Sweetie Belle, is there something wrong?" asked the stern-looking brown stallion judge.

"Yes!" shouted a voice. Sweetie clapped her hooves over her snout before realising that it wasn't her voice.

It was Apple Bloom's.

Sweetie spun around to see Apple Bloom and Scootaloo standing behind her on the stage, huffing and puffing from running, but also smiling.

"Fillies and gentlecolts!" Scootaloo shouted into the audience. "My name's Scootaloo, she's Sweetie Belle and she's Apple Bloom! And together we are..."

Apple Bloom nudged Sweetie Belle, and the three of them shouted, "THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!"

"Sorry we were late, everypony," Apple Bloom said, grabbing a microphone. "But we're all here now, and we're going to sing 'We Are the Cutie Mark Crusaders'."

With that, Scootaloo took the microphone from Apple Bloom and launched into the song the three Crusaders had sung at their school talent show. Apple Bloom started dancing like she was fighting with the air, and only fell on her face once the entire time.

Feeling relieved that the audience wasn't staring only at her anymore, Sweetie Belle recovered her voice, and, just because she felt like singing, sung along with Scootaloo. She didn't have a microphone, though, so it was very soft.

At the end of their performance, the girls held each others' hooves and bowed to the audience, who clapped and cheered and laughed for them. The laughter was the loudest, but as Apple Bloom was quick to remind Sweetie, "It's our comedy act! Laughin' is a good thing!"

The laughter and applause was so loud that none of the three Crusaders even noticed the scowls on the judges' faces as they left the stage, smiling and chatting. The green earth pony judge started waving a hoof for them to come back, but gave up as soon as she realised they weren't going to look back at her.

---

Chapter Five: Sweetie Feels Just Fine

As Sweetie Belle and her two best friends arrived backstage, Rarity galloped up to them, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sweetie! What – what happened there?"

"We made the whole town laugh with our amazing comedy act!" Scootaloo said, looking very proud of herself.

"But... but what about your audition?" Rarity asked. "It surely won't count now!"

Sweetie whispered something to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, and the two of them nodded and trotted off, leaving her and Rarity. "Sis," Sweetie began, "when I got up on stage, I froze up and forgot all of my lines! Everypony was staring at me, and I just didn't know what to do! I was so scared, but then my friends came and saved me!"

Rarity's forehead scrunched as she thought about what Sweetie had told her. "So... you're happy that they ruined your audition?"

"My friends didn't ruin it!" Sweetie said, giggling. "They made it better!"

Rarity laid a hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "Sweetie Belle, I very much doubt that you're going to make it to the next round of the contest now. Doesn't that upset you?"

Sweetie just shrugged. "There's always next time. I don't think I was ready to sing in front of all those ponies anyway. Besides, I... Rarity, I only wanted to audition in the first place so we could spend time together, and so you'd be proud of me!"

Rarity was silent for a while. "Sweetie Belle," she said eventually, "do you know I'll always be proud of you, singing or no singing? Because I will. I promise."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course. Please don't feel like you have to do things to impress me – you should do them because you want to. Now come get a hug!" Rarity stretched out her forelegs and pulled her sister into an embrace.

Sweetie smiled and hugged her sister back.

"I think you should write a letter to Princess Celestia about all this," Rarity said, patting her head as the hug ended. "It seems you've learnt some important things about friendship."

Sweetie Belle was about to reply when Scootaloo and Apple Bloom came running up to her with enormous grins on their faces. "Looking around this audition thing just gave me a great idea," Scootaloo said. "We should hold our own singing competition! We can be..."

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER TALENT AGENTS!" all three of them yelled at once.

As Sweetie Belle ran off with her friends to go try to discover their cutie marks, she heard Rarity call, "Don't forget about the letter!" She promised herself she wouldn't, but it could definitely wait until later. After all, there was crusading to do!



Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learnt that even though sometimes we get into scary situations that don't seem to have a way out, as long as a pony has good friends, she can always count on them to help her out and make whatever seems scary turn out not to be.

Your loyal subject,
Sweetie Belle