Title:           Sweetie Belle's Preformance
Author:          Anonymous
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/XBxHJsiw
First Edit:      Thursday 13th of February 2014 04:32:02 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Thursday 13th of February 2014 04:32:02 PM CDT

>You ran the comb through your mane for the 100th time that night
>All while practicing your smile, your seductive bedroom eyes, everything you could think of
>Teeth were clean, lashes straightened, horn polished, mane bouncy and curled where it should be
>Tonight was a special night, everything had to be perfect
>You take a breath through your nose and exhale through your mouth
"Calm down, Sweetiebell, it's just another show. Just keep telling yourself that"
>In truth it was exactly that, just another show, it wasn't about what you were singing
>It was about who was there
>Your sister finally came through with her promise to get a certain special someone to come to one of your shows
>It was a small venue, so that meant a small crowd
>He'd be easy to spot
>Not that one human in a crowd of ponies would be that difficult at all
>You check yourself in the mirror again
>Bounce your hair
>Come on, now you're stalling
>You peek at the clock
>Five minutes till showtime
>Oh boy, there goes your heart
>You close your eyes and count to 10
>This was worse than your first show
>What happened to that young filly who would jump on stage without a care in the world?
>Why ask a question you know the answer to?
>She fell in love, and suddenly she actually did care what other people thinks
>Well, one other people
>Hopefully he notices you, notices that the entire show is just for him
>You take one last look at yourself in the vanity mirror
"Here goes nothing..."
>Every hoofstep feels like an eternity
>From the dressing room to the stage
>If you could even call it a stage, it was more like a raised platform
>With what you knew was a lounge on the other side of the curtain
>A place like this was almost beneath your talent
>Once you discovered your cutie mark, you wanted to do nothing but sing
>You hummed when you ate, blared out off key in the shower, practiced while you helped around Rarity's shop
>All until you got your first real gig, in this very lounge
>That was six months ago, and you were branching into much more complicated stuff
>Rarity swore you could go to Manehattan and star in a show, and kept insisting you came with her to a fashion show to audition
>But you were never really after fame and fortune
>Most singers want everyone to hear there voice
>For you, it was just him
>Since the day you met him you've had a little fantasy of singing a melody that would capture his heart forever
>It was so silly, especially for a grown mare
>But Rarity, despite her being even older, refused to let you dismiss it as a silly dream
>"No no no! You must follow your heart!"
>She said that and put the wheels in motion to set this up
>Sure, there would be a crowd and he might not even know
>But somewhere, somehow, it would work
>You step out from behind the curtain
>The place was quiet, waiting for your introduction, you guess
>But the second you're through
>The entire lounge is dark and empty
>Save Anon, sitting along, at a single table in the middle of the place, his face illuminated by a tiny candle
>In the back you saw Rarity wave before slipping out the door
>She....rented the whole place...?
>You nearly faint>Butterflies dance in your stomach, your throat feels dryer than a desert
>You feel all of your knees buckling
>"Go on"
>His voice keeps you from hitting the cold wood of the makeshift stage
>You don't remember it sounding that wonderful
>He's sitting with a small glass of wine and his typical black suit and red tie
>You can make out his smile
>How much did Rarity tell him, you wonder?
>Taking a shaky breath, you approach the edge of the stage
"Umm....hi?"
>Your voice cracks and you feel your cheeks light on fire
>"Evening, Sweetiebell"
>Oh god he said your name, heart keep beating please
>He sounds so classy
>Your horn sparks a little and you squint your eyes to keep your magic under control
>Ok ok ok come on
"So...how's your night been?"
>"I have to say, full of surprises"
"Yeah...heh, me too!"
>Oh god what are you doing?
>You wanna tell him a knock knock joke too?
>Don't blow this, he wouldn't have come if he wasn't interested
>Right?
>Anon's a nice guy...maybe too nice that he wouldn't say no!
>Wait that doesn't make any sense
>"You want a glass first?"
>You swallow when Anon motions to the second wine glass
"N-no, it's ok, just...one second, kay?"
>He nods
>Alright this is it
>Just....first song that pops in your head
>You close your eyes, tossing your mane slightly
>With a deep breath, and one last nervous look at his handsome face, you let your voice flow
>At first I worried without a band or a crowd, things wouldn't sound right
>But the moment I heard my voice echo in the lounge
>All my nerves calmed and my tummy settled
>Before I knew it, I was trotting with confidence as the lyrics filled the room
>Right to the edge of the stage, where Anon was sitting
>All my practiced motions, the sway of my body, the way I looked to the crowd
>Except it was all for him
>Every note, every word
>It didn't even matter what the song was
>I would have sung the national anthem for him if it made him happy
>My heart was the only thing that never quite calmed down
>Especially when I climbed off the stage at the last verse
>Placed my hooves on his knees
>And held my face level with his
>A wistful smile on my lips as my horn glowed just enough to illuminate us both
>I blinked when the last words left my lips
>He must have recognized the song, and he began to clap
>My cheeks flushed red again and I looked away, slightly embarrassed at how close I had gotten so quickly
>"That was beautiful"
>He was slightly taken aback himself, his voice was barely a whisper
"Th-thank you.."
>I whispered back
>I felt his hand on my hooves
>He looked me right in the eyes and smiled
>I felt all the confidence I had a moment ago drain away
>His hands were so strong...
>"Thanks"
>Oh no I said the last part!
"I...I didn't..."
>He shushes you
>You swallow hard and take a breath, as best as you can
>"I didn't know you felt that way..."
>You nod your head weakly
>You can feel tears begin to well in your eyes
>Here comes the 'I only see you as a fri--
>"I've always kind of liked you too"
>No way...nowaynowaynoway
>Don't squeak, for all that is holy don't squeak
"You...you did?"
>Dammit, why did I squeak the 'did'..
>He heard it too, he chuckled a little
>He must think you're a--
>He squeezed your hoof
>Now you can't remember what you were worried about
>Or when you were born
>"You were the talk of the town when I first arrived here. I went to some of the places you sang to cheer myself up. You have a beautiful voice."
"..you think I do...?"
>"Yea. Rarity was always bragging about how you were going to be this huge star in Manehattan someday so I didn't really introduce myself. I figured you were going to move away soon and didn't wanna...well you know..."
>You can't stop your body from trembling
>He said he liked your voice
>He said he liked YOU
"I...don't want that...I just wanna sing for people that are...special to me.."
>You feel a bit of moisture under your eyes
>This was all too much for you
>No wait
>He's smiling and oh my is he wiping the tear away
>OK, now it's too much for you
>You feel lightheaded again
>"Thank you, then. I'm really glad you think of me that way."
>He slowly sets your hooves back on the floor
>They're tingling where his hands were
>"You want to take a walk? Its a nice night, just the right temperature"
"I'd....like that...a lot"
>"Its a date then"
>Please heart, pleasepleaseplease don't explode
>Not when everything just became perfect!
>He leads the way, opening the door to the lounge and holding it for you
>You swear you see Rarity run off from the doorway
>Oh my silly sister...
>...thank you so much for everything...