Apple Bloom and Scootaloo tilted their heads at the sparkly flyer.
“‘Little Miss Canterlot’?” they read together. The two looked up to see Sweetie Belle vigorously nodding her head.
“It’s this big pageant they hold in the city,” she said. “I really, really wanna do it this year.”
Apple Bloom studied her curiously. “I didn’t know you were still into pageants.”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed. “What’s so special about this one?”
Sweetie Belle’s shoulders slumped as she let out a dejected sigh. They just didn’t get it.
“I’m gonna be sixteen next year,” she explained. “That’s the age-limit pretty much everywhere, and Little Miss Canterlot is basically the end of pageant season. This might be the last pageant I can be in!”
Scootaloo leaned over to Apple Bloom. “There’s a pageant season?” she whispered.
“Mmm-mnh-mnh,” she answered with a shrug.
“This is really important to me,” Sweetie Belle continued, “but I can’t do it without my best friends there. Please tell me you’ll come.” She clasped her hands together and leaned in close to them. “Please?”
“Of course we’ll be there,” Apple Bloom said, throwing an arm over her shoulder. “Ya know we’d do anythin’ for ya, right?”
Sweetie Belle tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Really?”
“Totally!” Scootaloo took her place on the opposite side. “Never actually seen you in a pageant before. I bet you’ll be awesome!”
“Thanks, girls.” Sweetie Belle stretched her arms out and squeezed them in a hug. “You two are the best. And, um, I might need your help with something else…”
“Rarity…?” Sweetie Belle’s voice trembled with nerves, despite her friends’ comforting presence. “Could you—could you help me with something?”
“What is it, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity said impatiently, too engrossed in her current project to look up.
“I-I wanna compete in a pageant,” she practically whispered. “Little Miss Canterlot.”
Rarity’s head shot up and she finally turned to look at her. “Sweetie Belle, I thought you were done with pageants. Why, it’s been years.”
“I know, but—” Sweetie Belle faltered. “You get it, right? You used to do pageants.”
“Well, certainly,” Rarity admitted. “But that was ages ago, while I was still a child. I dropped out of the pageant circuit the moment I realized fashion was my true calling.”
Scootaloo leaned over to Apple Bloom. “There’s a pageant circuit?”
“Mmm-mnh-mnh.”
“Please, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You used to win the pageants you were in. I just… I think it’d be nice if I could win one, too.”
“Whoa, whoa!” Apple Bloom piped up. “Now hold on a second.”
Scootaloo stepped up next to her. “Sweetie Belle, you never won a pageant?”
Sweetie Belle looked down at her feet, tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear. “No,” she admitted. “Some pageants list the runners-up, and I’ve gotten that a few times, but I’ve never actually won before.”
“Well that settles it, then!” Apple Bloom said.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed. “We gotta help her win this one!”
All three of them turned their eyes to Rarity, waiting for her response.
“…Very well, then,” she said, straightening up. “I shall offer you my assistance.” She was nearly toppled by Sweetie Belle’s hug around her waist.
“Oh, thank you, Rarity!” she said happily. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Don’t thank you me just yet,” Rarity said, carefully freeing herself from the embrace. “We have a lot of work to do.”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo craned their necks and stood on their toes, all in an effort to find their seats among the sea of audience members shifting around to find their own. The two managed to get seated just before the houselights dimmed and a spotlight illuminated the stage.
A well-dressed man with long silver hair done in elaborate curls and loops took center stage. He lowered his purple sunglasses and smiled to the audience.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am your master of ceremonies, Hoity Toity," he said, arms spread wide, "and welcome to this year's Little Miss Canterlot pageant!" He paused to soak up the ensuing applause. "Our lovely young contestants will participate in three events: Poise, Interview, and—my personal favorite—the Talent portion!"
"'Poise'?" Scootaloo asked.
"Pretty sure it means walkin' all fancy-like," Apple Bloom said.
"What, like, with books on their heads?"
Her eyes narrowed in thought. "I don't think so..."
"Ah! Ah! Ow!"
"Hold still, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said as she stood over her and continued pulling a brush through her hair.
Sweetie Belle dutifully stiffened but still winced as Rarity carried on with her work. After what felt like agonizingly too long for Sweetie Belle, Rarity decided she was satisfied with her hair. She quickly picked up a pair of heels and slipped them onto her little sister’s feet.
Sweetie Belle rose from her seat and nearly fell on her face. She carefully wobbled back to her full height.
"Oh, honestly," Rarity said, rolling her eyes. "They're only four inches."
"Four?!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "I usually wear twos!"
A derisive giggle filled the air and the two turned to sound.
"Diamond Tiara?!" Sweetie Belle said. She looked back and forth between her and her mother, Spoiled Rich. "You're here, too?"
"Yeah," Diamond Tiara said, as if it were obvious. "In fact, I'm going to be one of the few girls to ever win Little Miss Canterlot three times in her pageant career when I win tonight."
Sweetie Belle's legs started quaking, and not just because of the heels.
"Come along, Diamond Tiara," Spoiled Rich instructed, turning her nose to the air. "You have to get in position."
Diamond Tiara took another look at Sweetie Belle's heels before giving her mocking smile.
"Break a leg, Sweetie Belle." With that, she hurried off to join her mother.
Rarity stepped up beside her and grabbed her shoulder. "Don't listen to them," she said, squeezing a little too tightly to be considered comforting. "You go out there and show them that you came here to win!"
Sweetie Belle took a steadying breath and carefully stepped forward.
Okay, Sweetie Belle, she thought. Baby steps. Heel-toe… Heel-toe...
She walked off in her lady-stilts to get in position.
For the Poise portion of the pageant, each of the nearly thirty girls would wait to be announced by Hoity Toity, one at a time. Once called, they would enter from stage right, strike a pose at center stage, and exit stage left. In total, a contestant might spend twenty seconds in the limelight. It was hardly any time at all to make an impression, so each one had to devise a way to stand out. Most girls gave a wave or performed some sort of curtsy for their pose.
Diamond Tiara took the stage with a strut when she was announced. Once she reached center stage, she bent over and blew the audience a kiss with a wink, earning her a respectable amount of applause. She exited the stage with a confident gleam in her eyes.
“And now,” Hoity Toity said, “please welcome our next contestant, Sweetie Belle!”
With a deep, calming breath, Sweetie Belle walked out on stage and stepped into the spotlight. She pressed her hands together and brought them next to her cheek as she gracefully swept one foot behind the other. The glow of the overhead lights made her the absolute vision of an angel. The audience fawned over her and gave her modest applause as Sweetie Belle turned to make her exit.
“Whoo-hoo!” Scootaloo cheered.
“Go, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom joined in.
The looks of contempt from the rest of the crowd made them sink back into their seats while Hoity Toity moved on to the next contestant.
“And that concludes the Poise portion of the Little Miss Canterlot pageant!” Hoity Toity said. “We will be taking a brief intermission before we proceed to the Interview portion!”
The houselights came back on and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed out of their seats to beat the wave of people shuffling about. They made their way toward the backstage area, only to be stopped by a large man with shades and a shaved head standing guard at a velvet rope.
“‘Scuse us, mister,” Apple Bloom said, but the man remained as still as a statue.
“Hey!” Scootaloo said. “We gotta get back there and see our friend.”
“Look, kids,” the man finally said, “no one gets past this rope unless they’re on the list. Understand me?”
“Ahem,” a voice said from behind him. “They’re with me.”
All three turned to see Rarity giving the security guard a severe look. He hesitated, but lifted the velvet rope and stepped aside, allowing Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to dash backstage.
Sweetie Belle, relaxing after removing her heels, immediately brightened at the sight of her friends and rushed to meet them. The three collided in a bouncing hug and fit of giggling.
“Did you see me?” Sweetie Belle asked as they separated. “How did my walk look?”
“Kinda like everyone else’s—ow!” Scootaloo rubbed the side that Apple Bloom’s elbow had struck. “I mean, uh—that pose you did was totally cute.”
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom agreed. “You looked real pretty up there.”
“Thanks,” Sweetie Belle said bashfully, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just hope the judges thought so, too.”
“You did excellently, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said as she stepped forward, “but we need to get you ready for the next event.”
Three sets of shoulders fell in disappointment, but they knew they couldn’t object.
“Guess we better head on back to our seats,” Apple Bloom said.
“We’ll be right there cheering you on!” Scootaloo flashed a grin, trying to lift the mood.
Sweetie Belle managed a small smile, grateful to know that her friends were there to support her.
“Mmph. Mmph. Mmph!” Sweetie Belle flinched as Rarity applied, removed, and reapplied yet another layer of blush to her cheeks. Rarity squinted at her work, frowned, and wiped it away to start again. Finally, after so many applications that Sweetie Belle stop bothering to keep count, Rarity was content with the result.
“Now stand up, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said, donning her red-rimmed glasses. “I need to adjust your dress.”
Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes in confusion, having assumed all of the adjustments were already made, but obediently stood up. Once positioned behind her, Rarity worked the laces of her back corset and gave them a fierce tug.
“Eep!” Sweetie Belle squeaked out. “Rarity! That’s too tight!”
“Stop fussing already,” Rarity instructed, shooting her a pointed look. “It’ll help with your posture.”
Sweetie Belle took in as much air as she could manage and stood up straight as Rarity tied the laces in place. As her cue to go out on stage approached, Sweetie Belle stiffly walked into position, grateful to at least be back in shorter heels.
“And smile, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity called after her. “Smile!”
Diamond Tiara once more sashayed out on stage to a burst of applause and joined Hoity Toity in the center stage spotlight.
“Now, Diamond Tiara,” he said, pulling a cue card out of an envelope, “what is your favorite part of participating in pageants?”
“Well,” she began, “I love that pageants give girls like me the chance to show off just what makes us so special. Pageants help to teach girls what beauty and confidence are all about, and participating in pageants like Little Miss Canterlot has filled me with both.” She ended with a bright smile and wave to the audience, who cheered for her in response.
“Wonderful, wonderful!” Hoity Toity said. “Thank you, Diamond Tiara.”
Diamond Tiara curtsied to him and to the audience before exiting the stage.
“Now,” Hoity Toity said, adjusting his sunglasses, “please help me in welcoming the next contestant: Sweetie Belle!”
Sweetie Belle smiled and waved as she crossed the stage, then delicately folded her hands in front of her when she reached Hoity Toity.
“Okay, Sweetie Belle,” he said as he read the card, “who would you say has been the most influential person in your life and why?”
“Oh!” she piped up. This was an easy one. “That’d definitely be my big sister, Rarity.”
Rarity straightened at the sound of her name and brought a hand up to her mouth.
“She’s smart, beautiful, talented, and she’s always ready to help me when I need her,” Sweetie Belle continued. “She’s the most generous person I know—the kind of person I want to be.”
The surge of applause took her by surprise, but she waved and smiled to the audience.
“Lovely,” Hoity Toity said. “Simply lovely. Thank you very much, Sweetie Belle.”
She gave them all a dainty little curtsy and exited the stage. Once out of view, she scampered over to Rarity.
“Rarity! Did you see me? Did you—are you okay?” Sweetie Belle tilted her head curiously. “Your make-up’s starting to run.”
“Oh! Oh, my—” Rarity pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. “Yes, I-I’m quite alright.”
“Well, how’d I do?” she asked. “Did you like my interview?”
Rarity wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight.
“…I loved it.”
Diamond Tiara walked out on stage with light, lithe footsteps that barely touched the ground. Her ornate, sparkling leotard coupled with her dazzling smile made her nearly blinding to look at. She positioned herself in the center of the padded flooring placed on the stage for her rhythmic gymnastics demonstration. High-energy pop music with a percussive backbeat started when she raised her arms high above her head. She danced back forth across the padded floor, incorporating spins and flips and tumbles, with increasing complexity as the demonstration continued. The routine ended on one final flip as the music surged, and she quickly topped it off with a bow.
The audience exploded into applause, the most enthusiastic of which came from Silver Spoon, who was giving her a standing ovation. Diamond Tiara tried to keep her panting hidden beneath an air of composure and exited the stage.
Spoiled Rich held her puffy yellow jacket out to her, but her eyes were narrowed in contempt.
“You should consider yourself lucky that these… pageant-goers don’t know any better.”
“Yes, Mother.” Diamond Tiara slipped her arms through the jacket sleeves, but avoided eye-contact.
“Imagine such a pitiful display at an actual gymnastics meet,” Spoiled Rich continued. “You’d never disguise such a botched landing with a bow like that.”
“Sorry, Mother.” She followed behind her mother in silence without raising her gaze.
Rarity slowly and carefully wiped the blush from Sweetie Belle’s face. Once the last trace of make-up had been cleared away, she gently cupped her little sister’s cheek in her hand and smiled to her. Sweetie Belle raised her hand to hers and smiled back.
“How’re you feeling?” Rarity asked.
“A little nervous,” she admitted.
Rarity lowered her hand away. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
“But I want to be more than ‘fine’. I want—” Sweetie Belle turned away, biting her lip.
“What is it?”
“…I always wanted to be like you, and you used to win your pageants,” Sweetie Belle said, looking up. “I just… I just want you to be proud of me.”
“Oh, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity pulled her into a hug, which was quickly returned. “You don’t have to win a pageant to make me proud. I’ve always been proud of you.”
“Really?” Sweetie Belle pulled back to look into her eyes. “It doesn’t matter if I win or not?”
“Of course I want you to win,” Rarity told her with an endearing smile, gently caressing her sister’s cheek with a thumb. “But I want you to win for you.”
Sweetie Belle smiled as warmth rushed to her cheeks, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
Rarity tilted her head curiously and turned to retrieve something behind her. “Close your eyes,” she instructed.
Despite her confusion, Sweetie Belle did as she was told.
“A girl should always know how to accessorize,” Rarity explained as she adjusted Sweetie Belle’s hair. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to give this to you, but… perhaps you’ve been ready for longer than I realized.” She held a mirror up before her. “Okay, open your eyes.”
Sweetie Belle peeked an eye open and gasped when she saw her reflection. Her hair was now held in place by a barrette, featuring a magenta eighth-note inside a purple star.
“It’s just like yours!” Sweetie Belle cheered. “Oh, I love it. Thank you, Rarity!” She threw her arms around her sister, nearly knocking her over. Rarity did her best to catch her, and once she was secure, held her tight.
Sweetie Belle stepped up to the microphone, squinting into the glare of the stage lights. Her eyes passed over the silhouettes before her as she tried to find a familiar shape.
There they are! she thought. There was no mistaking the curves of that bow or that windswept hair. Sweetie Belle took a calming breath and smiled. The song started slow and soft, and she gently swayed as she sang out to her friends. The music suddenly picked up in tempo as she pulled microphone free from the stand. Sweetie Belle brightened as she moved about the stage, stepping in time to the music with an uncontainable grin.
Rarity brought her fingers to her lips and suppressed a giggle at the sight. She had suggested that Sweetie Belle choose a ballad that would touch the pageant-goers’ hearts, or perhaps one of Sapphire Shores’ pop songs to appeal to a more modern audience. Sweetie Belle, however, had remained adamant in her choice, and watching her now—as she spun and threw a hand into air to belt out the final note—Rarity knew her sister had made the right decision.
Sweetie Belle always did prefer show tunes.
With all of the pageant competitors lined up on stage, Hoity Toity stepped up to the microphone, clutching a shimmering envelope in his hands. He cleared his throat into his fist before he began.
"Ladies and gentlmen," he said dramatically, "the winner of this year's Little Miss Canterlot pageant is..."
Diamond Tiara tossed her hair over her shoulder with confidence, while most of the other girls tried to hide their jittery shaking.
"...Sweeite Belle!"
The audience erupted into a chorus of cheers, but none could surpass those of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
"She did it!"
"Way to go, Sweetie Belle!"
Still too stunned to move on her own, Hoity Toity led Sweetie Belle into the spotlight, inspiring a fresh surge of applause. Her cheeks flushed as he placed the sash over her shoulder and handed her the bouquet. Finally, he placed her pageant crown on top of her head as tears of joy flooded her eyes.
She finally did it. She was crowned Little Miss Canterlot.
Sweetie Belle instinctively reached for her hair, and her fingertips brushed against her new barrette. She turned to see Rarity, who had her hands over her mouth with proud tears streaming down her cheeks.
That was the greatest prize of all.
