Equestria Girls: Equal Marks (Book 6~Equestria Girls Series)

Chapter 3: Talking With Sugar Belle

Starlight Glimmer looked as Double Diamond was helping The Main Seven. She walked away from them and said to herself, "Well, this will certainly provide a boost to our little community, when the rest of Earth sees that a girl from Canterlot gave up her mark to join us. They'll finally understand, what we're trying to accomplish." She glared.

The Main Seven were all walking together outside of the village. "Welcome." A villager said.

"Welcome." A village girl said.

"Welcome." Someone else said.

"A cutie mark is a representation of someone's unique talents and skills." Sunset Shimmer said. "How is it possible that--"

Sunset was cut off as Rarity gasped in horror.

"What in the name of Earth is..." Rarity pointed with her finger. "THAT!?"

"Welcome." A man wearing a brown cloak said, as he was standing outside his cloak clothing store. He put his hand out. "Care to sample some global fashion? We got cloaks this month." He smiled.

Rarity almost threw up as she was disgusted with seeing the brown-raggedy cloaks as a option for 'fashion'. She stuck her tongue out, and looked the other way.

She turned to look at the cloaks again, but plastered on a nice face. "Ooh! Uh..." she backed away. "Perhaps, another time, good sir? Thank you." She walked away as Sunset walked by her.

"No wonder no one is wearing anything." Rarity whispered to Applejack while her and the rest of her friends were sitting outside at a table at a bakery.

"Really, girls?" Fluttershy said. "They made you things differently than we're used to, but that's no reason to be rude."

"No." Rainbow Dash said to Fluttershy. "The reason to be rude is that they all keep on staring at us." As she said that, the villagers had big smiles on their faces and were staring at them.

"Need something?" Double Diamond asked, as he was at a table across from them.

"Uh..." Sunset said to Double. "No. We're good." She turned to look at her friends at their table. "Fluttershy is right. If we're going to get to the bottom of why the map sent us here."

A waitress came out from behind, as Sunset was still speaking,"We'll need the help of these people."

"I think we ran off to the end of Earth.." Applejack quickly joined the conversation. "before we even knew what that map was."

"If we were at the end of Earth, we would be sitting on a big hay. Hehe." Pinkie Pie said. "Get it?" She made a joke.

"Oh please, Ms. Pie!" Rarity said. "This is hardly the time for jokes. We've come all this way, and for what?"

"Maybe you're right?" Sci-Twi said.

"But we're here now." Sunset put her hand out. "And it sure feels like something is wrong."

"That and two bits, will get you a cup of cider." Applejack said.

The waitress was standing near their table and she finally got the courage to speak up. "Is this a bad time?"

"We shouldn't be bickering like this in front of our new friends," Fluttershy said. "Really, Applejack? You're almost as bad as Rainbow Dash."

"Don't drag me into this!" Rainbow shouted as the villagers stared at them again, like nothing was wrong.

"Is your friendship ending?" The waitress walked up to Rarity.

"Are you crazy!?" Pinkie shouted loudly. "We've never let a disagreement get in the way of FOOD!"

"Okay, well..." the waitress smiled a bit. "My name is Sugar Belle." She introduced herself. She got her notepad and pen out. "What can I bring you? We have muffins."

The Main Seven all looked at each other in an awkward state, not knowing what to do. "Then, I guess we'll take seven muffins." Said Sunset.

"Make that twelve!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Sunset eyed at Pinkie. "Whaaat!? I'm huuungry!~" Pinkie said like she was a child who wanted a snack to eat.

"Come on, girls," Sunset said. "We've got to stick together. It doesn't matter what happened before. We're here now."

"I guess you're right." Applejack said. "And as sooner as we figure out why, the sooner we can go home."

Sugar Belle brought a plate of muffins to the table that they were sitting at. "Forgive me for overhearing. But..just a moment ago, you were disagreeing. And now it sounds like you're agreeing."

"Aw-huh." Applejack nodded her head.

"Well you had such different opinions." Sugar said. "And marks."

"We have different opinions, all the time, darling."  Rarity said.

"But you look like you're friends." Sugar was confused.

"We are friends." Sci-Twi said.

"A simple disagreement wouldn't change that." Sunset said.

Double was in the background watching them. Sugar looked nervous because she knew she was being watched. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I'm just having a hard time understanding."

Her facial expression changed to look serious. "Different talents lead to different opinions, which lead to bitterness and misery."

She then changed to her normal facial expression. "So, why aren't you bitter and--"

"PLEGH!" Pinkie interrupted as she was eating a muffin. She almost puked, because she couldn't stand the awful bitter taste of it. "AUGH!" She stuck her tongue out of her mouth, as a reaction to being grossed out.

It then got very quiet. Sugar, Sunset, Sci-Twi, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack all stared at Pinkie.

Pinkie realized she had made a scene. "Mmm." She faked a grin. "Good." She had muffin crumbs on her teeth. She pretended that she enjoyed eating the muffins.

"It's alright." Sugar said. "I know I'm not a very good baker. At least, I'm not any better than anyone else in the village." She put her head down as she was sad.

Realizing what she had just said, she quickly looked back at Double (who was reading a newspaper as he was spying on her). "Well, I hope you enjoy our little village." She walked away.