Miss Gala

Chapter 4: Stairs of Miss Broadway

The judges checked through the results then nods as Celestia stood up to make an announcement.

"Fillies and gentle-colts, the next 12 contestants to move on..." Celestia said as she reads off the list of who's moving on. "Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, Cheerilee, Mrs. Cake, Feathermay..."

"Yahoo, yeah!" Tough Apple calls from the audience, making Feathermay blush a bit.

"...and of course, the Mane Six themselves."

The audience cheers wildly as the mares moving on, smile happily....all but the Mane Six who gave each other glares. This contest will be theirs sooner or later.

"The next part will be the questions speech one." Megan said to the mares with a nod. "We'd ask ya some questions and based on your responses, we shall see who will move on."

The mares, especially the Mane Six, are a bit impatient, wondering what questions that will be asked. A few minutes seem to gone by as the mares asked what they would do to improve their town, how to help those in need, and what they will be in a few years. Just all those usual questions.

The Mane Six got through that part of the section with no problems. The questions they deal with? They are easy, though the ponies make sure to answer them without causing a fuss that could get the mares disqualified.

Soon the speech part is over as the judges look over the results to see who will advance to the finals. During this time, Pinkamena, wearing a camouflaged cloak to keep herself hidden, sneaks over to her good friend Pinkie.

Pinkamena leans to Pinkie Pie's ear as she whispers, "Changelings are responsible for what is going on. Let's get a trap set."

"One step ahead of you." Pinkie said with a whisper right back. So that's what going on! "I just need help getting it set."

"Ok let do it."

The judges stood up to make the final announcements. Megan was the first to speak, "We have our six finalists...first up....is Applejack."

"Yahoo!" Applejack exclaims, bucking her legs into the air. She made it!

Celestia then spoke up second, "Second up is....Rainbow Dash!"

"Ha! Oh yeah! Looks like you and I are gonna go at it in the big round!" Rainbow exclaims to Applejack, making her frown a bit.

"Well, ain't over until it's over, sugah cube!" Applejack snaps, snorting furiously to her rival.

"Third up....Rarity." Azure said as he reveals the next finalist to move. Rarity squeals a bit, jumping up and down in delight. "Fourth up....Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie laughs madly as she threw various cupcakes into the air, before zipping around and eating them in delight. Twilight begins to look a bit nervous, fearing that she may not make it to the finals.

Megan continues, "Fifth up....Fluttershy."

"Squee." Fluttershy said, making a shy yet happy squee. She didn't think to make it to the finals!

"And lastly....Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said with a smile. Twilight gasps and jumps up and down in delight. She made it, the mare truly made it! The Alicorn was about to hug her friends, but stops, then the princess frown as they look away from one another furiously.

"Congratulations on making it, you six, you earned it." Megan said to the Mane Six as the audience cheers excitedly for them.

"The Mane Six, of course." Spike said with a chuckle while eating some popcorn he found. "I somehow knew this will come down to this."

"To prepare you six for the final challenge to see who will be Miss Gala, we have a special event planned." Azure said sternly as he motions to something that is covered in darkness...until some spotlights appear on it.

A big bunch of stairs is nearby with the Miss Gala Tiara Crown on top. Celestia explains to the final six, "Behold! The Stairs of Miss Broadway! You must make it up the stairs and get the Miss Gala Tiara Crown to be named Miss Gala."

"Simple, but not quite." Megan said to the Mane Six in precaution. "There are setups to cause delay, so a mare has to not only be coming out in beauty & grace, but they need to have the spirit to reach big, they gotta be tough, they gotta be smart, they gotta be doing things unknown to make it through."

"All right, prepare yourselves!"

The Mane Six got into positions, looking at each other with mean glares and determination. They aren't going to let one another beat them! The crown is theirs!

"All right, get set...GO!" Azure calls out as a soldier hits the gong, signaling the final challenge.

The six mares rush up the steps, pushing one another in hopes to make it up there. Suddenly the trap step slides are activates, sliding them back. Rainbow flew up and kicks Fluttershy down as she goes upward.

"Wow! This is turning into something ugly!" Ben exclaims, cringing as some hidden gust fans blow Twilight and Applejack away, messing up with their dresses & manes.

"I know...and it looks like that isn't the half of it." Nyx said worried as Pinkie smirks wickedly, pulling out her pie cannons and opens fire.

"GAH!" Rarity screams as some of the pies hit her. The white unicorn gave an angry glare at Pinkie who sticks her tongue out. "Oh, it is on!"

Rarity screeches as she jumps up and tackles Pinkie, getting into a tussle which knocked the other mares down. Fluttershy got up and moves on, helping as some boomerang high-heel shoes came out, trying to hit her.

"Wow. The heroines of Equestria looks...tense." Megan said in concern as Rarity and Rainbow dodges mechanical hands that try to force them to wear ugly dresses.

Fluttershy saw a hidden trap door that releases traps. She smirks wickedly and communicates with them. Her former friends yelped as the rats attack them.

"Out, out, move, move, move!" Twilight snaps, using her magic to zap the rats while flying upward, pushing Fluttershy aside. Some hidden slime sprays came out and splashes the princess. "Gah!"

"Out o' mah way!" Applejack snorts furiously as she bulldozes her friends down, trying to make it to the top.

"Take this!" Rarity screeches as she knocks down Rainbow and Pinkie, trying to get to the top.

The audience and judges looks alarmed as the Mane Six are violently trying to get to the crown. This is insane! Weren't they good friends the last time that they took! Soon the Miss Gala Tiara Crown is waiting as the mares got to the top at once...and pounce at it.

Every pony yells as the contestants and the crown fell off the top of the staircase, landing on the stage floor. The Mane Six yells, fighting each other as they try to get the crown...but where is it?

"Why Mayor Mare, it looks like you have the Miss Gala Crown!" Celestia stated off in who has the crown, a non-contestant.

"Oh my!" Mayor Mare blushed in feeling rather stump that she's got the crown; makes her think she won.

"She's got the crown!" Twilight pointed out in who has the crown.

"AFTER IT!" Pinkie Pie yelled out in what she & the others gotta do.

"Oh my!" Mayor Mare suddenly sees things differently, she has the crown alright, but now six contestants want it too!

Then without warning, the Mane Six ATTACKED the mayor as they were forming a cloud in trying to get their hooves on the crown. Some heads were popping in & out as the mares were fighting to seize the crown.

"What is the meaning of this?" Azure Phoenix snapped off to say to approach the mares, trying to put an end to this insanity.

"Kapowvhmm....POWWW!" Then Pinkie's party cannon stuck out of the fighting cloud that impacted Azure Phoenix, sending him straight towards.... "GOOOOONG!" Right into a gong bell that made him wobble a bit before he fell on the ground.

"Azure....are you alright?" Celestia asked off to approach to see if the stallion was alright.

"Ah, Celestia, you’re just in time for Jasmine Tea in the Land Of Ma." Azure Phoenix spoke off in looking somewhat dizzy & dazed in having illusionary thoughts from being hit on the head by that gong bell pretty hard.

Rainbow flew after the rolling crown but Applejack knocks her down, trying to chase it via lasso. But Twilight uses her magic to levitate it over to her, but Fluttershy quickly summoned some birds who flew past it. Each time, the mares yelps in surprise and annoyance over this.

"Spike, Phobos! Help me get that crown and all my gems are ours!" Rarity calls out to the two Dragons in the audience.

"Hey, who am I to say no to that?" Phobos ask with a smirk as he and Spike left their seats to get to the stage.

"Guys, stop it, enough!" Nyx exclaims as she and Ben rushes over to put an end to this. Spike and Phobos tries to get the crown, but it kept slipping away from them.

"Twilight, girls, come on!" Ben calls out to the girls frantically. "This insanity hjas..."

"Kapowwfruvhmmm...." Then without warning, Pinkie Pie shot herself out of her cannon, catching Rarity off guard to where as she ran, the pink pony snatched the crown.

"The CROWN!" The Mane Five shouted in seeing the pink pony snatched it away.

"WAH-HOOO! I GOT IT! I GOT IT!" Pinkie Pie cheered in having obtain the crown, that means she wins, she won, she...

"KLUNKPOWFRUPHVMMM...." But then everyone cringed & yelped from when something ended up smacking right through & into a nearby wall, which in turn, was....yelp, you guess it...Pinkie Pie's front side made a huge hole imprint in where she was half stuck.

"Ooooooohhh...." Spike cringed from seeing the sight of that.

"She got it alright." Phobos responded off in seeing what Pinkie Pie got was something alright; but...not in that way.

Then without warning, the crack to the wall caused a large bell to come loose as it was falling near...Celestia's spot.

"Mom! Lookout!" Ben called out to warn his mother of what was coming at her.

"Hugh?" Celestia looked up in time, but...not quick enough before... "DUUUUUNNNGGMMMM...." The entire large bell fell right over Celestia's entire body as she heard the noise from....within. "GAAAAAUUAAAAAHHHH!" Celestia's screams from within the bell could signal that she was suffering from the loudness.

"Quick, someone get her out?" Nyx asked off as they had to quickly get her grandmother out of there.

The unicorns, even the horrified Twilight and Rarity, quickly got to work on using the magic to remove bell off of Celestia. The princess is okay but that event got her a bit dazed.

"Uuuuagh....ugh!" Now Celestia was seen falling to be unconscious after that loud encounter of a big bell of the closes kind.

Megan shakes her head, frowning as the woman turns to the Mane Six, the ones responsible for this. The Mag'ne scolds, "Well, I hope you're happy with yourselves. You let something like a crown hurt Celestia and Azure."

"Right, you're letting something ridiculous like a crown ruined your friendship!" Ben scolds as everyone moans for their loving care for Celestia. "I mean, really? What happened to playing for fun? Have you forgotten that?!"

"If being Miss Gala means something more than friendship, then none of you deserve it! You should be ashamed of acting like barbarians! Honestly!"

The Mane Six looks down, feeling ashamed of themselves. They were so determined, mad even, to win the Miss Gala contest that the mares even thrown something like friendship aside for it. The six feel like foals right about now. Everyone, almost all of them, continues moaning for their fallen ruler of Equestira.

"How lovely, what sweet, sweet, love you all have." Spoke a voice from above, as everyone turn to se some bat-like figures seen flapping off & surrounding everyone.

"The Changelings!" Twilight gasped off in seeing who was here.

"I could not ask for a better & more loving meal than this...the moanful emotions of loving a dear princess that's out cold!" Queen Chrysalis exclaimed to say this slyly in seeing how the group have made all this extra love for a single pony rose...the flavor. "It's time my servants....with Celestia & Azure Phoenix out of the way...time...to dine!" She issued this off evilly in seeing that this was a chance, to enjoy a meal setup just for them.

Then without warning, the Changelings suddenly become very active in launching themselves off to attack the innocent ponies to absorb their love from them. The Mane Six stare in shock of what was going on, with both Azure Phoenix & Celestia out cold...now they have a bigger problem to deal with....stopping hungry Changelings from feasting on their love! But question remains, can they get along long enough to do it?