The Greatest Showmare

Chapters

Chapter 2-Beauty isn't Just an Outward Thing
Chapter 3-A Visit from Charles
Chapter 4-Rewrite Your Stars
Chapter 5-The Brand New Chimera
Chapter 6-A Blossoming Relationship
Chapter 7-No One Can Keep Us Down
Chapter 8-A New Member Joins the Circus
Chapter 9-Tour of Greater Equestria
Chapter 10-The Tour Goes On
Chapter 11-The Tour Goes On and On and On
Chapter 12-The Tour Comes to an End
Chapter 14-Wedding Plans and Making Up with Her Father
Chapter 15-Telling the Truth is Hard
Chapter 16-The Week Before the Wedding
Chapter 17-The Locket
Chapter 18-The Show Goes On and Andromeda Lays A Nest Full of Eggs
Chapter 20-Our Home
Chapter 21-Oh No!
Chapter 1-Welcome to the Show
Chapter 13-Carl Lyle asks Twinkle the Big Question
Chapter 19-Return to the Spotlight
Chapter 22-A Year Later
Chapter 23-Philly’s Visit

Chapter 2-Beauty isn't Just an Outward Thing

A few weeks later, The Barnmare Circus gets an audience with none other than the royal sisters themselves, Celestia and Luna. "So, it's nice to meet you, Philly," says Luna with a smile, "we've heard your name several times. You're the best show pony in all Equestria." Luna lets out a giggle.

"I agree, it's good to meet you," responds Celestia. "Now, what do you and your friends have to show us?"

"The time of your lives," responds Philly with a smile.

A few hours later, the performers take their places and the two sisters walk into the skybox of the outer castle arena. Philly then introduces the show. "Fillies and gentlecolts, mares and stallions, welcome to the most amazing show in all Equestria, The Barnmare Circus! We have acts of every shape, size, color, and race. They are proud of who they are and they can't wait to perform for you tonight." The acts then begin to perform. The three zebras do their acrobatic performance and the rest come out one by one and show off their looks and their talents. As the performers do their things, the royal sisters just watch with smiles on their faces and giggles departing from their mouths. Even the royal sisters can see that beauty isn't an outward thing but an inward thing with these ponies and the two sisters tell the performers just that after their performance.

"You ponies have real talents and put on a great show," says Luna to the ponies after the show.

"Thanks," responds Twinkle. "We love performing for others to enjoy."

A few minutes later, a rude and boisterous group of stallions approaches the group of performers and starts taunting them and harping them. "Go back to where you belong freaks! Freaks don't deserve an audience with the princesses." The performers then run out, some of them with tears in their eyes.

"Why are they so mean?" cries Twinkle. "We're ponies just like they are."

"Well, we won't let them cut us down," responds Artemis, one of the ponies in the circus who is a queen when it comes to shooting flaming bows and arrows through the arena. She then begins to sing. "We are not strangers to the dark, hide away, they say 'cause we don't want your broken parts. We've learned to be ashamed of all our scars. Run away, they say. No one'll love you as you are. But I won't let them break me down to dust, I know that there's a place for us. For we are glorious. When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be, this is me. Look out 'cause here I come and I'm marching on to the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen. I make no apologies, this is me. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh. This is me."

Tim Tom then joins in and sings along. "Another round of bullets hit my skin. Well fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in. We are bursting through the barricades and reaching for the sun (we are warriors). Yeah, that's what we've become (yeah, that's what we've become) I won't let them break me down to duest, I know that there's a place for us, for we are glorious. When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out."

Artemis, Twinkle, and the others join in with him. "I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be, this is me. Look out 'cause here I come and I'm marching on to the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen. I make no apologies, this is me. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh. This is me."

Twinkle begins to sing along with her. "And we know that we deserve your love. (Oh-oh-oh-oh) 'cause there's nothing I'm not worth of. (Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh) When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. This is brave, this is proof. This is who I'm meant to be, this is me. Look out 'cause here I come (look out 'cause here I come) and I'm marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on) I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me. When the sharpest wrods wanna cut me down. I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. This is real this is me, this is who I'm meant to be. Oh, this is me."

The performers then walk out and through the streets and back to their place under the big top. There, they sit down together and drink some cider together. As they drink their cider, Twinkle rubs her hooves together and creates sparks and sends fireworks into the sky around them. She then lets out a sigh and begins to sing. "This is brave, this is proof. This is who I'm meant to be. This is me." Artemis then goes over and embraces her in a hug.

"We are a family here, that will never change. While those out there will mock us, in here, we can always be safe and we can always be ourselves." She then begins to sing to Twinkle as she sits beside her with her hoof on her shoulder. "We are a family here, this is our home. This is where we can be free, be ourselves, there's no need to be ashamed here. Outside, they may not treat us as they should, but in here is our escape. We can escape, we can escape. We can hide away. We can hide away. Here is our home, here is where we belong. We won't let them tear us down. We don't have to put up with their mockery. This is our home, here's our home, this is our home and this is where we belong. Come into our world, we invite them in, invite them in, yet they don't see it all. All they see is freaks on the floor. They don't see us as ponies like themselves. We won't let them tear us down. They don't know us, they don't know us at all. They don't really know us at all. We can be ourselves within these walls, here we're home, here we're safe. We belong where we are. When she found us, she found us hiding away or cold in the streets. When she found us, we didn't have anything, nothing at all. Now, look at us, we have a home within this tent, within these walls, this is where we can be free, this is where we belong. Don't let them get to you. Don't let them get to you. Never let them get to you. Never let them get to you."

The two then go over and they go to the back side of the tent and go outside. There, Twinkle puts on a firework show for all of them. As she does so, Twinkle can't help but smile. Thanks to Artemis, her self-confidence is back up to twenty and for her, that's the best feeling in the world.

Chapter 3-A Visit from Charles

A few days later, after returning home from Canterlot, Philly gets a pleasant surprise, a visit from her husband, daughters, and son. "Hey Charles, hey Milly and Melody, hey Junior," says Philly as she embraces them in a great big hug and Andromeda flits down and lands on Charles's shoulder and gives him a nuzzle. "Oh, Andry missed you guys too, by the way." Philly lets out a giggle.

"Well, how'd the performance for the princesses go?" asks Charles as he swings Milly up into the air and onto his back.

"It went well, but a few stallions put a bad taste in the performers' mouths," responds Philly.

"Well, that's going to happen sometimes," responds Charles. "Remember, not all ponies are friendly and happy go lucky."

"Yeah," responds Philly, "but they don't know that, well, they didn't until recently anyway." She rubs her neck.

Charles then lifts up Milly from his back and puts her back down on the ground. He then goes over and puts his arms around Philly and begins to sing. "We live in a world of happiness and light, but sometimes it's not all that grand. Sometimes it's a world of darkness and a world of pain. Teach them these things. They need to know. Sometimes ponies will tear them down. Help them find their voices, help them speak out. Help them be who they want to be. Take my word, listen to me, this circus is their home, their place where they belong, their family. Now, what does family mean? What does family stand for? To them, it's a place where comfort is found and where refuge is taken. To them, this tent, these walls, this is home. To them, this tent, these walls, this is their home."

"You're right," responds Philly. She begins to sing along with him. "This is their home, this is where they belong. I need to teach them how to be themselves, how to be confident, how to be strong. I can help them get through these walls. I can help them break down these walls. This is their home. This is where they belong. This is their home, this is where they belong. Yes, indeed, this is where they belong. Now I see, this is where they'll always belong."

A few minutes later, Philly parts ways from her family and takes Andromeda to the vet for a quick visit before the night's performance. At the vet's office, Fauna gives Andromeda a look over and then sends her on her way with Philly back to the big top. Once back at the big top, Andromeda helps Philly hang up the flags and banners for the night's show. As she watches Andromeda fly across the open air within the tent, Philly looks up and smiles. She then begins to sing. "This big top is my life. Show every night, every weekend, every holiday. Sometimes it can be hard. Not only am I a show pony, but a mom, and sometimes that's hard. Sometimes that's hard. The circus has always been my dream and always been my life, I know nothing besides, I know nothing besides. Look at this tent, look at them as they get ready. They enjoy being here, this is their home. They know nowhere else. Not only am I a mother to my own children, but to my performers as well, to my performers as well. Look at all the joy within these walls. Hear them laugh, see them smile, all their time here is worthwhile. Sometimes they may get hurt by those outside, but that pain fades away as they enter into these walls. This is where they feel safe, this is their home. This is their home. This is where they belong. This is where they'll always belong. This is where they'll always be safe. Look over as they get ready for the show. They are stars, they are stars, that's what ponies think they are. As for the others, who cares what they think? They are bullies, they too have flaws, you are home, you are safe, now let's go show them what you've got. Show them you're not afraid. Show them this is your home. Show them your world. Show them all of it. Show them all of it. This is where you belong. Oh, oh, this is where you belong."

Philly then goes outside and checks on the performers. As they see her approach them, they go and embrace her in a great big hug. Philly just smiles and then tells them that it's two hours until show time. Philly then goes back into the tent and looks out the top and back up towards the stars. The performers, however, go into their single room tents and change before returning to the big tent to practice a few minutes later. As they practice, the performers can't help but think about their run-in with those boisterous stallions in Canterlot. They're still a little shaken by that and Philly knows that's going to take them some time to heal from. Hopefully, they will still do well tonight. That's all Philly can really do right now is hope that the performers give it their all despite their feelings about some ponies and their reactions.

Two hours later, the performers share their acts with the world to great applause same as every night. As they perform, they can't help but smile. Their worries about being hated by ponies have now disappeared from their minds and thoughts entirely. Now, they can relax and perform to their fullest, and to them, that is the best feeling of all.

A few minutes later, the giraffes and elephants take to the floor and perform alongside the other performers. Andromeda then takes her ribbon and flies through the tent and then lands down on top of one of the elephants before taking off in a tailspin back into the air. As she does so, ponies ooh and ah and even begin to clap. All the while, the ponies can't help but smile and Philly can't help but smile as she watches from the sidelines before taking the center ring. Once in the center ring, Philly introduces all the acts in the show and then hops on top of an elephant and rides it around the ring. All the while, the ponies look at her and her performers in awe. As they do, they can't help but clap and stomp in approval.

A few hours later, the show comes to an end and the performers turn in for the night. As they sleep, they think about all the joy they provide to the ponies around them. As for Twinkle, she just sits and smiles as she plays with her powers for a few hours before she finally falls asleep for the night. Tomorrow, it's another night of making ponies happy and honestly, she can't wait.

Not long after the performers fall asleep, Charles sneaks up behind Philly and embraces her in a hug and kisses her on the cheek. "I saw the show tonight, they were really enjoying themselves. Good job."

"Thanks," responds Philly with a smile. "Did the children enjoy it?"

"Yes, they loved it," responds Charles. "Milly even got a rainbow pony doll and she now sleeps with it every night."

"I'm glad," responds Philly. "Because I do this for them. All of this is for them."

Philly and Charles then go and sit down on a box in the corner. Charles then wraps his hoof around Philly's. "I'm proud of you, ya know?" says Charles with a smile.

"I know," responds Philly as she places her head on his shoulder. The two then sit there for hours staring at the stars. Around midnight, the two part ways. Charles returns home to their girls while Philly returns to her personal tent and turns asleep as she holds onto a picture of her, Charles, and their children in her hooves. As she sleeps, a smile appears on her face. She's glad that her performers are happy and that her family is proud of her. To her, that means the world. To her, that means everything.

Chapter 4-Rewrite Your Stars

A few days later, after having gained a fifteen percent partner named Carl Lyleson, Carl falls head over hooves for the performer known as Twinkle. "Who is that?" he asks Philly, "and is she single?"

"Oh, that's Twinkle, she's the star of my show," responds Philly.

"Well, I think I love her," responds Carl. He then goes over and introduces himself to Twinkle.

"Hey," says Carl to Twinkle, "you are amazing, beautiful, I'm surprised no pony has snatched you up and run off with you."

"Well," responds Twinkle as she rubs her hooves together, "my powers are probably why. They may seem beautiful but if done carelessly, they can be dangerous."

"Well, I know you'd never purposefully try to hurt anyone," responds Carl as he walks in front of her and blocks her path. He then begins to serenade her. "You are more than just your powers. You are a pony too. Just like me and Philly. There's no monster within you. You don't need to be scared or ashamed, you can show them what you've got. You can make your place, take your place. Who cares what others think? Who cares what they think? Who cares what they say? We can rewrite the stars, we can rewrite history."

"Believe me, it's best if I stay hidden. No one wants to see me unless it's out on that floor. They only like the performer, not the pony behind the act. Don't you see it, no one can rewrite the stars, no one can rewrite history. Why even try? Why do I even try because I cannot rewrite the stars, I cannot rewrite history. No pony can. No pony can."

"Don't let them tell you who you have to be. You can be yourself. You can just be free. You can rewrite the stars, you can rewrite history, if not alone, we can do it together. We can rewrite the stars, we can rewrite history. Take my hoof and come with me, if we do it together, we can rewrite the stars, we can rewrite history."

"No we can't, don't you see we can't. We can't rewrite the stars, we can't rewrite history. No one can't rewrite the stars. No one can rewrite history. No one can rewrite history."

"But yes we can, we can rewrite the stars... we can rewrite history..."

As their serenade comes to an end, the two embrace in a hug and share a kiss, which shocks Twinkle to the core and she runs off. Philly then runs up to Carl and stands behind him. "Why did my star just run off in tears? What did you do to her?" Philly demands.

"I may have accidentally, well, kissed her," responds Carl. "I didn't mean to." Philly then runs off to find Twinkle.

A few minutes later, Philly finds Twinkle out sitting behind the tents looking up at the stars and messing around with her powers. "Are you okay?" asks Philly.

"Yeah, just shocked," responds Twinkle. "I didn't think he'd kiss me. I didn't know what to do, so I just ran off."

"It's okay," responds Philly as she strokes Twinkle's mane. "He didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable and he's sorry."

"Well, he's forgiven," responds Twinkle. "I'm not mad with him at all. It was an accident."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," responds Philly, "now you should go and tell him yourself that you forgive him." Twinkle nods and follows Philly back to where Carl is standing and Twinkle then listens as he apologizes then tells him that she forgives him.

"Well, I'm glad you forgive me," responds Carl with a smile, "and I promise, I'll never do that ever again without your consent."

"Yeah, I have something I have to admit too," responds Twinkle, "I actually kind of liked it and maybe we can rewrite the stars and rewrite history together."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," responds Carl with a smile. Twinkle then walks over to him and puts her hoof in his. The two then walk into the main tent and he watches as she practices her act. As he watches, he can't help but look on in amazement. Maybe someday, she'll be his. He can only hope.

Philly, on the other hand, is now off rounding up the other performers and helping them get ready for that night's performance. As she helps some of them finish up getting on their costumes and makeup, Philly is interrupted by Charles. "Oh, hey Charles," says Philly with a smile. "Are you and the kids going to enjoy the show tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," responds Charles with a smile.

"I'm glad," responds Philly. Charles then gives her a kiss on the cheek and leaves the tent and goes and joins up with their children. They then go and take their seats in the top benches of the tent. Philly then goes and grabs Carl and pulls him to the side. "Carl," says Philly to him sternly, "your job is to observe, so stay focused and do not crush on Twinkle until after the performance, got it."

"Yes ma'am," responds Carl. "I understand."

"Good," responds Philly. Philly then goes into the center of the ring and introduces the show while Carl watches from the sidelines. As he watches, he can't help but shift his gaze to Twinkle for a brief second, then he goes right back to focusing on Philly and then he continues this charade for the rest of the night, but he doesn't let Philly know this. Philly thinks he only focused on her the entire time, but in reality, he was only partially focusing on her and partially on Twinkle.

A few hours later, the performers turn in for the night but Twinkle sneaks out and goes and spends some time under the stars with Carl. As they lay there, the two identify constellations together and even see a shooting star fly past overhead. As they see it fly by, the two make a wish to be together for the rest of their lives. The two then share a kiss. Carl is glad Twinkle has since moved past the first kiss and is now with him for real. To him, that is the best part of coming to work now, and he'd have it no other way.

Around midnight, Twinkle turns in for the night and goes and hops under her sheets. As she lays there, she can't help but think about her time with Carl. They had a blast together and can't wait to hang out again together tomorrow night after the show. As for now, she soon falls fast asleep and continues to think about Carl within her dreams.

Chapter 5-The Brand New Chimera

A few days later, Philly gets a new set of creatures for the show including a cockatrice and a chimera. Needless to say, she's thrilled. She can't wait to put the creatures in her show. These ones, luckily, have been trained not to turn everypony into stone or try to eat everypony they set eyes on. "My new little showstoppers," sighs Philly. "I can't wait to share you with the world."

A few minutes later, Philly hears a peep from behind the curtain and she turns to see Twinkle standing there. "So, new acts, huh?" says Twinkle.

"Yeah," responds Philly, "but don't worry, you guys are still the real stars."

"Good," sighs Twinkle, "can I talk to you about something? In private."

"Sure, what's wrong?" responds Philly.

"Well," responds Twinkle, "my powers have started acting up again. Instead of simple sparkles and sparks right now, they're more like flame balls and firebombs. I don't think it's safe for me to perform right now, not until I get my powers back under control."

"Well, that's a hard knock to the show," responds Philly, "do you know why your powers are flaring up like this?"

"Stress maybe? I don't know," responds Twinkle. "I'll try to get them back calmed down before tonight."

"That a girl," responds Philly as she embraces Twinkle in a hug. "But if you can't, the show will go on."

"Thanks for understanding," responds Twinkle. She then leaves the tent and goes out into some open space and sits there, breathes in and out, and meditates. As she meditates, she begins to relax and her powers begin to calm back down. Soon she is back to just shooting out twinkles, small sparkles, and small sparks. Twinkle is relieved. She will be able to perform tonight after all. She's ecstatic. She then runs off and tells Philly that she will indeed be able to perform and Philly picks her up in a hug and tosses her in the air with a smile on her face.

A few hours later, the show begins with Twinkle leading the way. She is then followed by the other performers, then by the giraffes, the elephants, and then finally by the chimera and the cockatrice. They are then followed by Leopold the Bear. As they enter the spotlight, a smile appears on all their faces. This is their favorite time of the day, performing for others with not a care in the world. They soon begin to sing, led by none other than Philly and Carl. "Welcome in, welcome to the show, you're here to see a show stopper, here we go! Leave all your cares at the door, leave reality outside, come on in, and get ready for the ride! Everything in here is a dream come to life, everything in here is a way to get rid of the outside's worries and strife. Step in, come in, be free. You feel alive, you feel free, see the show before you as it slowly takes control. You stomp your hooves and clap along. You're enthralled, intoxicated, let everything else go. Feel the excitement as it takes control, see the lights as they shine above, see the fantasy as it unfolds right in front of you, see all your dreams come true, feel as your worries melt away, they melt away, welcome to the show! We light it up! We won't come down! The sun doesn't stop us now! Your joy is our only goal! Not having worries but only joy makes you whole! Come on into our world! Feel fulfilled! Feel full! The lights come flashing down, nothing can stop us now! Nothing can stop us now! You're enthralled, intoxicated, see the fantasy as it unfolds before you, see all your dreams come true. Oh, the circus is where your dreams come true! Oh, the circus is where everything comes true! We light it up! We won't come down! The sun doesn't stop us now! Nothing will stop us now! Not even the walls will stop us now! Light it up, we feel alive, we're in a fantasy, a dream, so we'll take the dive! Welcome to our world! Welcome to our home! Now stay awhile! Welcome to our world!"

Twinkle then sets off fireworks around the tent with her powers and the acrobats do their thing. They are then followed by the stallions with the longest neck and the largest beard and even the rainbow-colored mare. As they do their acts, the crowd stomps, claps, and cheers. They're having a blast and they couldn't ask for anything better. When ponies applaud them, they can't help but smile. They are then followed by the chimera and the cockatrice and the bear, which the ponies also applaud as the elephants and giraffes enter the main ring. As they do, the ponies continue their applause. For several hours, the show continues on until around midnight which is when the ponies all flood out and return to their homes and their lives.

Once they are gone, the performers return to their tents and the animals turn into their specialty cages for the night. Everypony and every creature are tired out from that night's performance. As she lays in bed, Twinkle can't help but think about how her powers act up whenever she gets stressed or annoyed. She can't help but admit that she'll need to learn to control that if she wants to keep doing the show with Philly and the others.

Meanwhile, over in her tent, Philly pets her pet owl, Andromeda as she works on some upcoming acts stuff. As she's working, she looks over at a picture of her with her husband, her daughters, and her son. "I'm doing this for you guys," she sighs as she rubs her hoof across the picture.

"I know," responds Charles from behind her. Philly then turns around and runs over and embraces him in a hug.

"Charles," she sighs. "I'm so glad to see you. How are the children?"

"They're good, but they miss their mother, especially Junior," responds Charles.

"Well, Christmas is almost here and that's our last show until Valentine's Day," responds Philly. "Then we can go anywhere they want for a family vacation."

"Okay, deal," responds Charles as he kisses Philly on the cheek. He then gives her a hug goodbye and then returns to the house. He's ready for the family to have a nice vacation together again. He just hates that he has to wait until January to have it.

A few hours later, Philly finally turns in for the night, and as always, she falls asleep with a picture of her children held tight in her hooves. As she sleeps, she can't help but dream about her children and her husband. To her, they're her world. She just wishes she was able to spend quality time with them more often.

Chapter 6-A Blossoming Relationship

A few days later, after the shows come to the end for the night, Twinkle and Carl Lyle run off and go and have a late night picnic under the stars. "This is nice," sighs Twinkle, "being with you, that is."

"Yeah, here, here!" responds Carl with a laugh and a smile on his face. "But my parents don't really approve of it, which is a shame."

"Yeah," sighs Twinkle. "Why don't they, though?"

"Because they see mess ups like you as inferior to their upper-class lifestyle," responds Carl with a frown appearing on his face.

"Well, screw them," replies Twinkle. The two then share a kiss as they tumble down the flowery hill underneath them. A few minutes later, the two finish rolling and Twinkle pegs him to the ground and the two continue to kiss. After a while, the two sit up and he embraces her in his hooves. He then begins to sing her a love song he wrote just for her.

"When I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the mare for me. When I first saw you, it made my heart skip a beat. You have changed my life, maybe for the better. Through whatever comes our way, we both know we're both stronger and better together. Sweetheart, I love you. I'll love you forever. You are the mare of my dreams and you're here right in front of me. I will love you to the day I die. The way I look into your eyes. How they twinkle! How they shine! Oh, how much I want you to be mine. Say you'll always be mine. Say you'll always be mine because I'll always be yours. When you need a shoulder to lean on, a hoof to pick you up off the ground, I'll always be there for you. Right there for you. After all, when I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the mare for me. Let's not let that love disappear. After all, the two of us, we're meant to be. Yes, indeed, we're meant to be."

Twinkle then joins in. "You and I both know, we're meant to be." The two then share yet another kiss then walk back up to the picnic blanket together, get their stuff, and return to their tents and turn in for the night. Before they do, however, they share one last kiss. Twinkle then goes into her tent and falls fast asleep, then falls into dreams of her and Carl being happy together. As she dreams, she can't help but smile. Maybe she and Carl are meant to be together after all.

Meanwhile, back in his tent, Carl reads a letter from his mother and father. As he does, his eyes well up with tears. "Why do you disapprove of everything I do?" he sighs as he lights a match to the letter and watches it burn. He then throws it into the bin and snuffs out the flame with the lid. He then turns over on his side and falls fast asleep, all the while thinking about his parents' disapproval and how much it still continues to haunt him.

Meanwhile, over in her tent, Philly works on some papers with Andromeda perched atop her shoulder. "You're a good bird, my sweet Andry," sighs Philly as she finishes up the letter that is in front of her. "If only the critics and the skeptics were so nice." She then rubs Andromeda under the beak and Andromeda lets out a soft coo and then flies over and lands on her perch. Philly then sticks the letter in an envelope and puts it in her desk drawer. She then plops her head down and after only a moment, she is fast asleep.

The next morning, everypony wakes up to the sound of flames everywhere. "Why is everything on fire?" screams Philly as she looks up in shock. "What happened?"

"Some scoundrels came by in the dead of the morning and set everything ablaze from what I saw," responds Carl. "Why would they do such a thing?"

"Because they see us as rejects and worth burning to the ground, now help me get everypony else out," demands Philly. Carl nods and gets right to work. A few minutes later, all the performers, animals, and creatures leave the tent. All the while, Andromeda sounds like an alarm and helps get everypony out of harm's way. Soon, everypony is out of the flaming tent and accounted for. They then go up the hill and watch the blaze spread, all the while, some of the performers are in tears, and Twinkle is also crying in Carl's arms.

"I can't believe our home is destroyed, how are we ever going to rebuild?" she sniffles.

"Well, we are, we're going to rebuild, right Philly?" says Carl as he looks up towards her.

"Yes, I promise," responds Philly.

Over the next few months, the circus slowly rebuilds with even better tents with built in fire retardent fabric. They are making sure this won't ever happen again. After about eleven months, the circus is back and going stronger than ever. The performers, animals, and Philly are thrilled. Their life is back and from now on, they are not going to let it burn to the ground like that ever again.

Chapter 7-No One Can Keep Us Down

A few months after the fire happened, Philly and Carl Lyle are approached by a dapperly dressed stallion by the name of J. J. Baley. "Hey, so, you two are the famous Philly Barnmare and Carl Lyle? I've shown a great interest in your show for many months and would love to become a part of it!"

"Great!" responds Philly. "How much of the show do you want?"

"I was thinking we could do it in a three-way. What do you think?"

"That sounds like a plan! Welcome to the family!" exclaims Philly as she shakes his hoof. The three then go inside the side tent and pop open a nice bottle of cider and toast their partnership. A few hours later, the show kicks off and Philly throws herself right into the middle of it while Carl and J. J. Baley watch from the side.

"She really enjoys it out there, doesn't she?" sighs Baley as he looks to Carl.

"Yeah, this is her life," responds Carl. "The circus will always be her life." The two then stop talking and listen to Philly as she introduces the acts to the eager crowds and as she sings along with them. As he listens, a smile spreads across Baley's face.

"I'm glad to be a part of this big happy family," responds Baley, "and I really think it is a shame that you got burnt to the ground at one point. I'm glad you've rebuilt."

"Yeah, me too," responds Carl Lyle with a smile on his face as he watches Twinkle do her thing. "There is no place I'd rather be than here."

"I can agree to that," responds Baley with a giggle. "Is the pony shooting fireworks your lover or something? I see how you're giving her the goo-goo eyes."

"Yeah, we're dating," responds Carl. "She's amazing."

"She sure is," responds Baley. "A pony with abilities like hers are definitely one in a million."

"Yeah, don't I know it," responds Carl as he rubs his neck.

A few hours later, the first show comes to an end and Twinkle runs into Carl's arms and the two embrace and begins to kiss. Twinkle then looks over at Baley then back at Carl. "Who's your new friend?" asks Twinkle.

"That's J. J. Baley, our new partner," responds Carl.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Baley," says Twinkle as she lets go of Carl and gives Mr. Baley a shake on his hoof.

"Good to meet you, too," responds Baley with a smile. Twinkle then grabs Carl and they run off back behind the tents where they can get some more privacy and continue to kiss. As they stand there and kiss, the two feel the whole world seem to stand still around them. Only a few minutes later, do the two realize that they need to get back to the main tent for the show, so they rush back over there. Twinkle gets back into position and Carl goes back to standing beside Baley and watching as the next performance begins. As Twinkle takes her place, Carl can't help but smile and cheer. He's so proud of her and all she's overcome.

Meanwhile, in the main portion of the tent, the other performers take their places and then Philly takes hers last of all. They then burst out into song. "Are you ready for this? You've waited for this moment. This is our second big debut. Enjoy! As we put on this show for you! Oh, this show's for you! Let go of your worries and your fears, indulge your fantasies, your joys, your cheers. Let go of all that ails you, this fantasy world will not fail you. You're always in for a treat and a show when you're here with us. Welcome to our home. Welcome to our world. Here your dreams come alive and your fantasies unfurl. Are you ready to see the fireworks? Ready to see the lights shine down? Ready for your fears to go away? Ready for your dreams to take hold? Are you ready for this? You've waited for this moment. This is our second big debut! We have everything here and it's all waiting for you."

"I have my powers, they really light up this place," sings Twinkle.

"High flying fun is here and open to cheers from everyone," sing the acrobats.

"Welcome to the show! Welcome to our second big debut! Oh how much we've been waiting for you! It's good to see you again. Seeing you flock through our doors. Let out those cheers and screams if you want some more. We know you want some more. You always want some more. After all, joy and dreams coming true and delights shining through are what you're here for. We're what you're here to see. Welcome to our world! See your dreams like the magic around you unfurl. Welcome to your fantasies. Welcome to your dreams come true. Ponies, we're here for you! We are here to perform for you! We're here to share our joy and delight with you! Now begin to jump, stomp, enjoy yourselves. Cheer, clap, enjoy yourselves. The circus is a place where all is well. All is well. All is well. Come on and sing along with us. Come along and share our fantasy world, our dream world, our world where we all live in love, peace, and harmony."

The crowd then begins to sing along with the performers and Philly. "This is where we belong. Forget the woes of the outside world, here we can be free. This is where we belong. Forget the worries that you had before. We're all here for more. We're all here for a good time, to escape the outside world. This is where we belong. Jump, stomp, enjoy yourselves. Cheer, clap, enjoy yourselves. This is where we can escape, this is where we can be free. I'd like to be at the circus, there's no place I'd rather be. There's no place I'd rather be. The circus is the place for me." The crowd then begins to fade out and it just goes back to being the performers singing and dancing and doing their acts. It's been a great night and Philly couldn't ask for anything better than that. The circus is back and going full force and that is all she could ever want.

Chapter 8-A New Member Joins the Circus

A few weeks after the reopening, a new act joins the show. Her name is Flitter Light and she is a pony that can shrink to the size of a breezy. As soon as she joins, Philly sticks her in the prime act spot within the show under the title: The Smallest Shrinking Pony on the Planet. The other performers also hit it off right away with Flitter, especially Twinkle and the two soon become the closest of friends. Every night, the two sit under the stars together and just talk.

"This is nice, being part of the show," says Flitter to Twinkle one night while they're lying out under the stars. "It's a place where I can just be myself and I love that."

"Yeah, I love that too," responds Twinkle with a smile, "when I'm performing, I truly feel like I belong and that's the best feeling in the world."

Flitter then begins to sing a song about staying true to yourself despite what others say. "When I was little, I was told to always be myself, no matter what, always be myself. It didn't matter my size or my abilities, my special talents, my special gifts. I was proud of who I was. I still am. My family taught me how to be true to me. Now, they're here every night to see me perform. Now, they're here every night to share their support. They are my support, a shoulder to lean on, arms to fall on, it's wonderful. They watch me shine. They watch me smile. They watch me be true to who I am and I couldn't be prouder. I couldn't be prouder of myself. Look at me now, I feel like I'm flying. Look at me now, I am finally free. Look at me, I'm finally where I want to be. I can be who I am without being ashamed. I can be who I am. I can be proud of my name. I can be proud of my claim to fame. When I was little, I was told to always be myself, no matter what, always be myself. It didn't matter my size or my abilities, my special talents, my special gifts. I was proud of who I was. I still am. And I always will be, yes, indeed, I always will be. I'll always be true to myself. I'll always be true to me."

"Wow," responds Twinkle. "It's cool how your parents support you and your special ability. I wish my family was like that. The only one who was like that was my sister, but she's dead and gone now. After her death, my parents kicked me out on the street." Twinkle then begins to sing her sister's song. "Be strong, be bold, don't let them push you down. You are who you are, don't you ever wear a frown. You're special just the way you are. You are my only, you are my little star. You are the special little sister that lights up my night. How I miss hearing those words that she'd tell me every night. How I miss hearing those words that she'd tell me every night." A tear falls from her eye. She then sings shakingly. "How I miss hearing those words that she'd tell me every night." She then bursts into full-on tears and Flitter does her best to comfort her. They may come from two different worlds on the surface, but the two aren't that different at all.

A few hours later, Twinkle pulls herself together and the two go get ready for the night's performance. The two go and get into their costumes then go and get into their places in the performer line up. A few minutes later, the two, along with the rest of the performers, take to the floor behind Philly Barnmare. Philly then introduces all the acts and the new act then kicks off the show. As the performers do their thing, the crowd cheers, stomps, and claps happily with smiles on their face. Little foals hold onto dolls that are in the performers' likenesses. Everything is truly perfect. In the ring, all the pain and loss melts away for Twinkle and all the adoration floods her and makes her smile. It's her escape place and for that, she's grateful.

Two hours later, after the show comes to an end, Twinkle turns in for the night after sharing a sweet kiss with Carl and sharing a goodnight hug with Flitter Light. The three then part ways and enter their separate tents. They then all fall fast asleep and think about how much fun they'll have doing tomorrow's shows and the upcoming Tour of Greater Equestria.

As she sleeps, Twinkle can't help but think about her big sister and how much her passing affected her entire life. Eventually, she ends up waking up ever so often and crying herself back to sleep and does that continually throughout the night. She wishes her sister were still alive, but alas, she knows that isn't how things were meant to be. Eventually, after a while, she just gives up on sleeping altogether and just flips through the scrapbook of her and her sister that she keeps under her bed. As she does so, she can't help but smile and tear up ever so often. Her sister was everything to her and that wound of not having her around is not going to heal up anytime soon.

Chapter 9-Tour of Greater Equestria

A few weeks later, Philly and the performers head out on their Tour of Greater Equestria. Everypony is excited and can't wait to perform for ponies they've never performed for before. Philly especially is excited because she's never done a tour this big in years. As they stand in their train car, Philly stands up and gives them a pep talk. "Now, this is a time of great excitement for us, but it's okay if you're nervous. That's understandable. Remember the joy you give to those around you each time you get nervous. Remember the smiles you put on their faces." She then finishes her speech and the performers erupt in applause. Philly then goes back into the main car of the train and takes her seat next to her husband and children.

"Philly," says Charles with a smile as he embraces his wife, "I'm proud of you. You know that?"

"Yeah, I do," responds Philly as she kisses him.

Charles and Philly then let go of the kiss a few minutes later and Charles begins to sing. "When I first met you, I knew you were the one for me. You had crazy dreams, an avid imagination, but I didn't care. I knew you were the mare of my dreams. You're still the mare of my dreams. Through thick and thin, we're in this together. Through thick and thin, we're in this together, together forever. When you first started the circus, I knew it was what you wanted. Helping those who didn't have a home, how sweet that was! How sweet that was! Now, look at where we are now. We're heading out on a tour of the world. We're heading out on a brand new adventure. The best part is we're doing it together. I love how we do everything together. I'll always support your dreams, your goals, whatever you want to do. Through thick and thin, we're in this together. Through thick and thin, we're in this together, together forever." Philly giggles then join in with him.

"Together, we're living our dream, together, we're off on an adventure. We have crazy dreams, crazy imaginations, a crazy life, a different kind of life and we don't regret it. Through thick and thin, we're in this together, Through thick and thin, we're in this together. Through thick and thin, we're in this together, together forever. Look where we are now. We're off on an adventure. We're off seeing more of the world than just our tiny corner of the world. We're going to be sharing the joy with others. There's nothing like sharing the joy with others. Together, we're living our dream, together, we're off on an adventure. The circus is our world, is your world, is my world, is our world. The circus is our dream come true, the dream meant to share with you. I'm so glad I get to share this adventure with you. So glad I get to share this adventure with you."

Philly then lays her head down on Charles' shoulder and falls asleep. As for their children, they happily color in their coloring books or play their hoof held games. It's still going to be several hours until they get to their first stop, so right now is the time for rest and relaxation or even a proper nap and Philly is going to savor every minute of it.

Meanwhile over in the performers' car, Twinkle messes around with her powers while looking at a picture of her sister that she always keeps on her. "Is that your sister?" asks Flitter curiously.

"Yeah," responds Twinkle with a smile. "She was my world, my whole world."

"Yeah, makes sense," responds Flitter, "she was your family. The only one that mattered to you."

"Yeah, that's for sure," responds Twinkle as a single tear falls from her eye.

Around four hours later, the circus arrives at their first location on the tour, Saddle Arabia. Once the train comes to a halt, everypony begins to unload and sets up the tents and then everypony gets into costume. A few hours later, the show begins and the Saddle Arabian royalty attends the performance. Just like they do with their other performances, they kick it off with a special musical number. "Welcome to our tour, our Tour of Greater Equestria. We're here to share our little world with you. We're here to share our family and our joy with you! Welcome to the show! Let your imagination take control! We are here for you, to show you what we can do, welcome to the show! Let your imagination run wild! Let out your inner child! Stomp, clap, we encourage it, have a blast! Welcome to our tour, our Tour of Greater Equestria. We're here to share what we love with you, share our joy with you. Let imagination take control, let it run wild, let out your inner child. Let out your inner child. We're here to make your lives a joy. We're here to make you smile. Let us make your time worthwhile. Let us cheer you up! Let us make your day! Let us be your ray of sunshine! Let our joy light your day! We perform to make you laugh. We perform to make you smile. We perform to make your afternoons worthwhile. Let us light up the sky! We can go all night! Let your dreams take flight! Let your imagination take flight! Welcome to the tour, our Tour of Greater Equestria! Have the time of your life! With us, with us, you can have the time of your life! Have a wonderful time!"

The performers then go on to do their acts which are received much applause from the audience including the Saddle Arabian royalty. Philly couldn't be more pleased. The first spot on the tour is a great success and she can only imagine the others will be the same if not better than the first and honestly, she can't wait.

A few hours later, the circus does their second performance in Saddle Arabia and then load up the train and head off to their second stop on the tour. Their next stop is Vanhoover, then after that, The Crystal Empire, then Los Pegasus, then back up through Appleloosa, then Ponyville, ending in Canterlot. She can't wait!

Around noon the next day, the train stops in Vanhoover and the circus unloads and sets up once again and does their next show at 3:00 that afternoon. They open up once again to immeasurable success. Philly is overjoyed. The tour is more of a success than she could have ever hoped for. She couldn't be more grateful.

That night after their final two performances in Vanhoover, the performers and Philly turn in for the night and fall fast asleep. All of them do except for Twinkle. Instead, she pulls out the picture of her sister and rubs her hoof across it. "If you were here, you'd be so proud of me," she sighs.

Meanwhile, in Canterlot, Carl is back visiting his parents as J. J. Baley is on the road with Philly and the others. He honestly has nothing better to do. As they sit down to dinner that night, Carl can't help but feel uncomfortable. "Mom, Dad, are you proud of me? Are you mad at me? What's going on?" asks Carl.

"Well, son," says Mrs. Lyle, "we are proud of you. Don't get me wrong, but are you sure the circus is what you want to do with my life? Those ponies aren't like other ponies. They're odd, strange, freaks of nature."

"That's where I disagree," responds Carl, "they're ponies just like the rest of us even if they have special abilities or don't look exactly like we do."

"Well, whatever makes you happy, I suppose, son," responds Mrs. Lyle. "I just don't think the circus is as worthwhile or in your best interest like you do." This maddens Carl and he lets out a huff then retires to his room for the night. His mother has never approved of him like she has his older brother and that drives him crazy.

Mr. Lyle looks across the table at his wife. "Why do you give the lad such a hard time? Why compare him to Jason?" he asks.

"Because Jason has a real job, a real, well-paying job," responds Mrs. Lyle. "Carl is still an immature child compared to his brother."

"No, he's not, that's preposterous, hon," responds Mr. Lyle. "All I'm asking is for you to not be so hard on him, okay. Can you do that?"

"I'll try," responds Mrs. Lyle. She then gets up and goes and washes the dishes and Mr. Lyle grabs the newspaper and goes and reads in his recliner. Unlike his wife, Mr. Lyle doesn't disapprove of Carl's ventures and is actually proud of Carl. He just wishes his wife would learn to feel the same.

Chapter 10-The Tour Goes On

The next morning, the performers wake up with the sun. They then go and sit outside and watch the sunrise as they eat breakfast. As they enjoy their breakfast, Twinkle can't help but think about how much her sister has missed ever since she passed away. "Are you okay?" says Flitter as she comes over and sits beside Twinkle.

"Yeah, just not yet over my sister's death, especially right now," responds Twinkle. "She would've loved doing something like this."

"Well, remember, she'll always be proud of you," responds Flitter with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess so, thanks, Flitter," responds Twinkle. The two then share a hug. They then go and finish up their breakfast and go and help each other get into costume for that day's show. As they do, Flitter gives Twinkle some cheering up and advice.

"Sometimes it can be tough. Sometimes it can be hard. Sometimes we miss those we love. Sometimes they've passed on, or sometimes they just live far away. Whatever the case, know they're proud of you. They're proud of you, they'll always be. They're proud of everything you do and who you've become. Know they're proud, remember they're proud of you. They'll always be proud of you. Look how far you've come. Look at where you are now. This is what your sister would have wanted for you. She would've wanted you to live your dreams, live your life, not dwell on the past times but always remember the good times, the memories you shared. She would've wanted you to move on. You need to move on. It's time to move on. Look at where you are now. Look at where you are now. Sometimes they've passed on, or sometimes they just live far away. Whatever the case, know they're proud of you. They're proud of you, they'll always be. They're proud of everything you do and who you've become. Yes, indeed, they're proud of who you've become, they're proud of who we've become! They're proud of who we've become. They'll always be proud of who we've become."

Twinkle then joins in. "She'll always be proud of who I've become. I'm sure she's proud of who I've become."

A few minutes later, Philly walks into the two mares' changing tents. "Ten minutes till show time!" says Philly excitedly.

"Okay, thanks!" the two holler back. "We'll be out in three!"

"Great!" hollers Philly back. She then goes and lets the rest of the performers know that they have ten minutes until show time.

Ten minutes later, Philly introduces the performers to the crowd and then they come out in droves. They then begin their acts and too much applause from the fans. As they perform, a smile spreads across Twinkle's face. "You'd be so proud of me, big sis," she whispers to herself as she begins shooting off the fireworks from her hooves, "you'd be oh so proud." Meanwhile, right above her head, Flitter shrinks down to the size of a breezy and flies around dazzling the crowd with her loop de loops and twirls. As she does so, the crowd's cheers get louder and louder.

Two hours later, the first performance draws to a close and the performers go and take a break for lunch. "That was fun," says Twinkle with a smile. "Thanks for the advice earlier, Flitz."

"You're welcome," responds Flitter with a smile. "I'm glad my advice helped you." The two then finish up lunch and go and enjoy some time around town for a little bit. Around a half hour later, the two return back to the main tent in time for the next show.

A few minutes later, the second show kicks off and once again, Twinkle enjoys every single minute of it. She actually ends up laughing and giggling and smiling even more in the midst of the second performance. Philly and Baley can't help but smile as they watch Twinkle perform. "I'm glad she's enjoying herself," sighs Philly to Baley, "after all, when she first joined the circus she had just lost her big sister."

"Wow!" gasps Baley at hearing this. "I had no idea. Well, it's clear to see she considers this place as home and you guys as family."

"Yeah," responds Philly, "and that's an amazing thing. It really and truly is."

Two hours later, the show comes to an end and the performers take a thirty break before doing the last performance of the night. After the final show comes to a close, Twinkle and Flitter retreat to their tent and there, the two talk for a while before finally dozing off and falling asleep. As she sleeps, Twinkle dreams about all the memories she shared with her sister and for the first time in a long time, she actually smiles while she does it. So many times before she'd frown whenever she dreamt about these memories, but thanks to Flitter, not anymore. Now, she can sleep peacefully and to her, that's the greatest feeling in the world.

Meanwhile, over in the central tent next to the main tent, Philly shares some time with Charles while the children sleep. "This is nice," sighs Philly as she lays her head on his shoulder. "Just you and me together."

"Sure is," responds Charles with a smile. The two then grab each other and begin to kiss. After a while, the two stop and turn in for the night themselves in a tent adjacent to their children. While Charles falls fast asleep, Philly can't help but stay awake and think about the tour and how much longer they have to go.

"Here we are, on the road together. Yet, somehow, we're still far apart. You may support my dreams and exploits, but who am I kidding, do you still love me like you used to? Do you still enjoy this life of ours like you used to? Here we are, continuing to drift far apart. Here we are, how can we become close again? How can we become closer than we ever were before? Here I am, looking at you so peacefully. Feeling that we're still growing apart. How can we grow close again? How can we grow close again? I just want to grow close to you again! I just want to grow close to you again! Here we are, on the road together. If only this could make our relationship get better. You play the part of fully devoted stallion to me, but are you really? Do you really still support my crazy dream? Will we just continue to drift apart, to drift apart, drift apart, apart? Sometimes I wish we could go back to the start. That way we'd possibly be more happy. We wouldn't be going from town to town in a wild parade. We'd still have a family, an easy life worth living, one without crowds, applause, and fame. But here we are, part of the fantastic world that is the circus. I don't want to change this ever, they're also family. They're also family. But which is more important to me, them or you, them or you? Here we are, on the road together. Yet, somehow, we're still far apart. You may support my dreams and exploits, but who am I kidding, do you still love me like you used to do? Do you still love me--like you used to do?"

She then sits down on her bed and then after a few more hours, falls fast asleep, still thinking about how much the tour could possibly tear her and Charles apart at any given moment in time. She can only hope that their bond will strengthen and not weaken like she oh so fears.

Chapter 11-The Tour Goes On and On and On

A few days later, the tour reaches its next stop, The Crystal Empire. There, they are greeted by the reigning royals there: Cadence, Shining Armor, and a now five-year-old Flurry Heart. "Hello Philly and Charles Barnmare, we've been awaiting your arrival," says Cadence with a smile, "welcome to the Crystal Empire. You can set up in the Crystal Arena."

"Thank you," responds Philly. Cadence then shows her, her husband, Baley and the performers to the Crystal Arena and then Shining takes over and helps them set up the tent within the arena. A few hours later, the first performance begins and the three royals are in attendance along with the rest of their family who came in the day before to spend the week, so Princess Twilight, Twilight Velvet, and Nightlight were there as well. Philly then looks up at them and tips her hat. She and the performers then begin to sing.

"Welcome into our world! We're here to give you a show! Light it up, giving you memories like you've never known before. This is a place where your dreams can come true. You can live your fantasies. Come on in, come on in and see! And see! And see! Welcome to our world of fantasy! There's no place we'd rather be! Welcome to our world of fantasy! This is a place where we can finally be who we want to be! Before we came in here, we were in a world where we were taunted and teased, now we're here, we're not out there anymore. We're bolder now! Happy now! Home now! We're home now! We're home now! Welcome into our world! Watch your fantasy unfold! Watch your fantasy unfold! Welcome to our world of fantasy! Welcome to our world of fantasy! Our world of fantasy! Our world of fantasy! This is the place you wanna be! The place you wanna be! You wanna be! We can go all night! We are now living our lives, free of shame, free of pain, in a place where we belong. Watch your fantasy unfold, watch your dreams come true, we do this for you. We do this all for you! All for you! Welcome into our world! This is a place where your dreams can be true, a place you can be true to you. Be true to you like I'm true to me! This is a world where we can share our fantasy! We can share our fantasy! Let us share our fantasy! Let us share our fantasy! Let us share our fantasy with you! Let us share our love, our joy, our happiness, our hope with you! Let us make your dreams come true! Welcome to the show!"

The performers then begin their acts, all with smiles on their faces. This is their best show yet in the most beautiful venue yet. As they perform, wild squeals come from the royal box. Twilight Sparkle and Flurry Heart are having the times of their lives while Shining and Cadence just watch on with happy smiles on their faces. "She's always been the more immature of the two of us," whispers Shining into Cadence's ear.

"Really Mr. Squeals Over the Newest Comic Book?" responds Cadence as she whispers into his ear.

"Good point," whispers Shining back. The two then get back to watching the show, hooves over each other's shoulders and head on each other's hooves.

A few hours later, the first performance comes to an end and the performers go and take a lunch break then hang out for a little bit before the next performance, which also goes off without a hitch to Philly's relief. The next day, they do two more performances before they head off to their next stop. Everything is perfect and Philly couldn't ask for anything more than that.

Bright and early the next day, the tour arrives in Los Pegasus and sets up their tent two miles outside of the main hotel part of the city. A few hours later, the first show begins with great success and great applause. Philly is thrilled. Hopefully, the other remaining stops will be just as good. Hooves are crossed. The other two shows there also go off without a hitch. That night, everypony sits and talk in the lounge tent for several hours before turning into bed for the night. In her tent that night, Twinkle brings out the picture of her sister and just smiles. "You'd be proud of me," she sighs as she hooves the picture. "Oh so proud. So proud." She then holds it close to her heart and falls fast asleep. Meanwhile, in their tents, the other performers are passed out and fast asleep as well. Tomorrow, they're off to their next stop, so they need their rest. Tomorrow is Appleloosa, it's definitely going to be a show with a little bit of western flair and a little bit of a bang. Philly can't wait.

Around noon the next day, Philly and the circus arrive in Appleloosa and put on their first show around 3:00 that afternoon to massive success. Philly is overjoyed. She hopes the remaining three shows will go just as well. A few hours later, they put on their next performance, their Western Extravaganza one, also to much success with a tent packed three times over. Philly is stunned. "Wow!" she says to herself. "This is an impressive turnout!"

"Not kidding," says Baley as he overhears her. "We better not mess this up." Philly nods and then steps out and introduces the performers. They then come riding out in western themed gear to much applause from the crowd of Appleloosans. Three hours later, the performance comes to an end and all the Appleloosans crowd around the performers and try to get autographs and overwhelm them to the point they have to be escorted out. Philly is shocked. She didn't expect that kind of thing to happen. Then again, it just proves how much of a success the show was. Now, she has to put up with that two more times around and that has her nervous. She hopes that crowd jamming around them won't happen again as she absolutely hates crowds surrounding her that tightly. She then takes this complaint up with Baley and her husband. Hearing Philly's voice shaking, Baley agrees to take over tomorrow's two shows to Philly's relief.

The next day, the remaining two shows, although directed by Baley, also go off to great success which has Philly pleased. Not only did the shows go well, but Baley more than proved himself in the ring and that has her impressed. That afternoon, they pack up and head off to Ponyville for their final performances before Canterlot. Philly can't wait and neither can Baley and the performers. They haven't done one in Ponyville in forever, so it's definitely the one they are most excited about by far.

Chapter 12-The Tour Comes to an End

Two weeks later, the tour comes to an end and the circus returns to its home on the outer borders of Ponyville. As the performers go off to get some beauty sleep, Philly sighs to herself and begins to sing. "The tour was a success but now we're home once again. It's good to be home and good to be back where we belong. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. No place like home. We have another show on tonight, there's no better life than that under the spotlight. The smiles in the crowds, they make it all worthwhile. It's good to be home again. We're home again. We're home again. The cheers of the crowds, they make it all worthwhile. There's no place like home. No place like home. No place like home indeed. We've been through a whole lot together. We've been through the thick and thin together. There's no pony else I'd rather be with than all of you. This place is our home, this place is our dream come true, this is a story worth living, both for me and you. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. No place like home in my mind. No place like home to me. All the excitement floating through the air, not a care in the world. What do you expect when dreams unfold? What do you expect when your greatest wishes come true? This place is our home and we hope you consider it yours too. This is our home and we hope you consider it yours too."

Philly, a few minutes later, is approached by Baley and Carl Lyle. "Hey," says Philly to the two stallions. "How's it going? You ready for the night's upcoming crowds?"

"Yeah," respond the two stallions enthusiastically.

"Well, a new act is coming in for tonight's show. Her name is Stella and she is an amazing acrobat," responds Philly with a smile. "You'll love her. She's coming in this afternoon."

Meanwhile, on the train, Stella stares out the window at the landscape around her. "When will we get to the outskirts of Ponyville?" she asks the conductor as he walks by.

"In about two hours time," responds the conductor. He then walks off to an empty car and begins to smoke his pipe.

"Thanks," responds Stella. She then turns back to looking out the window. "Look at me, look where I'm going now. I'm heading to the big time, to the big top. I'm nervous, I'm excited. I don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling. Look at me, I'm soon going to be a star, an even bigger star than I was before. I can't wait to show them my acrobatic skills under the big top. They better be ready to see the show of a lifetime! This'll be the show of a lifetime! That's for sure! That's for sure! Yes, indeed, that's for sure!"

Two hours later, the train pulls into the outskirts of Ponyville and Stella hops off and a few minutes later, arrives at the circus tent where she is greeted by Barnmare, Lyle, and Baley. She then greets them back with a great big hug. "Sorry," she giggles letting go of them. "I got carried away. I'm kind of a hugger."

"It's fine," responds Philly. "We're just glad you made it here safely."

"Yeah, me too," responds Stella. "I personally hate trains, but around here, apparently it's the only way to travel."

Around 9:00 that night, the performance begins. All the performers get a big applause especially Stella. After the performance comes to an end, Stella goes outback with the rest of the performers and they all look up at the stars together. "I was born on a starry night like this," sighs Stella, "heck, that's why I was named Stella. It means star."

"That's cool," responds Twinkle with a smile. "I wish I could've been born under the starry sky." The two then go and hang out for a few hours before the midnight palooza. The two end up having a blast together, joking, laughing, and even identifying constellations together outside.

A few hours later, after the midnight palooza, the two mares fall asleep under the stars. Meanwhile, all the rest of the performers sleep soundly in their tents. A few hours later, the two mares wake up and enter their tents after sharing a goodnight hug. Now back in her own bed, Twinkle pulls out the picture of her sister once again and falls asleep with it in her hooves.

Meanwhile, over in her bunk, Stella can't help but think about her family back home in Whinnyapolis. "They'd be so proud of how far I've come," sighs Stella. "But are mom and dad just as proud of me? I can't help but wonder. After all, they wanted me to become a nurse or a teacher. They never wanted me to be a performer, to begin with." She then lets out a sigh and begins to sing. "My parents never approved of my want to be a performer, I doubt they do now. They wanted me to be a teacher or a nurse, but I chose a different path. Is there anything wrong with what I want to be? Why pressure me to be what you want me to be? I can follow my own path, follow my own destiny. I can still make you proud. I will make you proud. I will make you proud of me. I don't have to make a lot of money, a lot of bits for you to be proud of me. I can do that by just being me. I can do that by just being me. I can still stay true to myself and make you proud of me. I promise I'll make you proud of me. Oh... I promise I'll make you proud of me. Yes, indeed, mom and dad, I promise I'll make you proud of me. Yes, I will. I'll make you proud of me. You're going to be so proud of me."

A few minutes later, she rolls over onto her side, peeks out at the stars one last time, then falls fast asleep for the night. She hopes her parents have moved on and learned how to be proud of her. Alas, she's not going to know anytime soon. At least, not that she knows of at the current time.

Chapter 14-Wedding Plans and Making Up with Her Father

While on their breaks between shows over the next few months, Carl and Twinkle work on planning their wedding. "What kind of cake do you want?" asks Carl to Twinkle.

"Strawberry with a caramel frosting," responds Twinkle. "It's my favorite and the one that I'd always share with my sister all the time."

"Okay," responds Carl. "We can do that."

"Yay!" squeals Twinkle. She then embraces Carl in a hug. "I'm so glad we're getting married."

"Me too," responds Carl with a smile. "Me too."

The two then share a kiss and Twinkle goes off to warm up for the upcoming show in the next few hours. Meanwhile, Carl works on planning the rest of the food and flowers for the wedding. He knows how much Twinkle enjoys Dragon Snaps and Firefly Daisies, which are going to make up the bouquets and the main centerpiece of flowers for the wedding. A few hours later, planning comes to a halt for a little bit and the day's performance begins. As he watches from the sideline until his cue, he can't help but smile as he watches Twinkle. A few minutes later, he throws on his coat and takes to the floor himself and performs for the crowds with much applause. He then begins to sing with the rest of the performers and Philly. "You've come to see the show. Man! Have we got a show for you tonight! Please enjoy as we share our talents and skills with you. Please enjoy while we share our joy and happiness with you! Welcome to the show! Welcome to our world! We're here to show you a good time. We're here to show you a good time. We're all like family here. We're like brothers and sisters here. We're here to show you who we are, show you what we do, share our lives with you, we're here to share our lives with you. Welcome to the show! Welcome to our world! Watch our lives unfurl! Watch our lives unfurl!"

Twinkle and Carl then begin to sing as just the two of them with the others quieting down so the crowd can hear their duet. "We've been through so much together. Together we face the storms, the bad weather. We've done so much. We've come so far. Look at us now. Sharing our joy with you. Here we are."

Everypony else then joins back in. "Welcome to the show. Watch as it all unfurls. We're here to show you a good time. We're here to show you a good time. Welcome to the show! Welcome to our world! We're here to show you a good time. We're here to show you a good time. Magic, special abilities, acrobats flying through the air, you can see it all here. Watch as it all brings you cheer. Strong ponies, long-necked ponies, long-bearded ponies, you can see it all here. You can see it all here. A chimera, a cockatrice, and more. So many things you haven't seen before. You haven't seen before. Welcome to the show! Welcome to our world! We're here to show you what our lives are like, what our lives are like. Welcome to the show! Welcome to our world! Watch our lives unfurl! Enjoy as you watch our lives unfurl!"

The performers then go around and perform their acts to the applause of the crowds. As Twinkle does her act, she smiles over at Carl before looking back at the ponies that are cheering for her. A few minutes later, she spots a familiar face in the crowd, and it shocks her. "Dad?" she says confused. "Why is he here? He doesn't love me. He's the one that cast me out. Why is he here?" She then freezes in the middle of her performance then runs off in tears, soon followed by Carl.

In the backstage area of the tent, Carl asks Twinkle what's wrong. "What's wrong, my love?"

"My, my dad," cries Twinkle. "He's in the crowd. He's the one that kicked me out when my powers first manifested. He then did the same to my sister. He's a horrible pony and I want him gone." Carl then goes and tells this information to Philly who then has the stallion escorted out of the show and locked out of the tent. They then tell Twinkle this news and she gets back to performing, happy that he is gone.

A few hours later, the show comes to an end and Carl and Twinkle go back to wedding planning but not before Twinkle confronts her father. "What are you doing here?" she asks bitterly.

"I wanted to apologize for kicking you out all those years ago," he responds, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Well," says Twinkle confused. She then looks at Carl for backup but he just shrugs. "I forgive you, father and I'm sure, if big sis was alive, she would too." The two then share a hug. She then asks her father the big question. "Father, now that we've made up, will you walk me down the aisle on my wedding day?"

"Sure," responds her father as he embraces her in a hug, "I'd love to." The two then part ways. Her father returns to his house and Twinkle goes off to work on wedding plans with Carl. Little does Twinkle know that her parents are recently divorced and her mother is off living in Whinnyapolis with her new husband, a stallion that is racist towards freakshows like herself. Twinkle has no idea. However, she soon will.

Meanwhile, off in their tent, Twinkle approves the flower arrangements that Carl has set up. The two then go separate ways. Twinkle grabs Stella and they head off to go wedding dress shopping while Carl goes off to get the perfect ring. The wedding is six months away and they can't wait.

Meanwhile, back out his house, Twinkle's father sits down and sighs. "Why leave me for a racist? Why does that make sense?" He begins to cry. "Why did you make me cast our daughters out due to your racist tendencies? Why didn't I know earlier? Why? What did I ever see in you?" He then throws the picture of his ex-wife at the wall and it slams and crashes on the floor. He then takes everything relating to his wife and burns it including the shattered picture on the floor. He is blocking her out of his life is good and he definitely is better off for it. "I used to see you as the perfect wife. Little did I know the life you were showing me was an absolute lie. It turned out you were the racist one and I regret listening to you and all I've done because of you. You used me and now that you're gone, I'm finally free. Now I see, I'm not the horrible parent. That was you. Now thanks to you, our eldest is dead and it's all your fault. I'm still lucky because our youngest accepted me back into her life. Will I ever tell her the truth? I don't know. Why would I tell her something so jarring a few months before her wedding day? What would she think of me then? I might lose her again. I don't want to lose her again. My little Twinkle, she's all grown up and I missed every second of it. How I wish I could've seen her and her big sister growing up. What you did was messed up? No pony should throw out their own daughters because they hate ponies with special abilities. That's just wrong. You were a monster. Why didn't I see it until now? Anyways, you're gone anyhow and I'm better off for it. I'll always be better off for it. I'll always be better off alone than I ever was with you. I'm better off now than I ever was with you." He then begins to cry once again. He may hate his wife but he hates himself just as much because he didn't prevent her from kicking their children out into the dangerous, wide world, and alas, that is not something he can go back in time and change and he hates that oh so much. He should've stood his ground and told his wife what for. Alas, he didn't and to him, that is the worst thing he ever did.

Chapter 15-Telling the Truth is Hard

A few days later, Twinkle goes out to lunch with her father where she learns the truth. "Honey," says her father, "your mother was a racist. She forced me to toss you and your sister out. She used me and I'm sorry." Tears begin to fall from his eyes.

"It's okay, I forgive you," responds Twinkle with a smile. She then takes a munch of her hayburger. Her father soon does the same.

A few hours later, the two go enjoy some time together at the amusement park, Pony Island. They ride every single ride, play every single game, and Twinkle even wins a stuffed teddy bear. She and her dad go and get ice cream and cotton candy. The two had a great day together and Twinkle can't help but feel they're going down the right road to fixing their relationship. A few minutes later, the two arrive back at the circus tent and Twinkle goes and embraces Carl in a hug and gives him a kiss.

"Well, I see your day with your dad went well," says Carl with a smile. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, I am too," responds Twinkle. "I'm glad we're fixing our broken relationship."

"Well, I'm happy for you," responds Carl.

"So, you're the husband to be, nice to meet you," says Twinkle's father with a smile as he shakes Carl's hoof.

"Yeah, you too," responds Carl with a smile. "She's such an amazing young mare."

"I wish I could've watched her grow up," responds her father.

"Well, you have me now," responds Twinkle as she looks at her father, "and I'm never losing you again." The two then share a hug. Her father then says goodbye and returns home for the afternoon to get some rest. Twinkle and Carl then work some more on wedding planning.

Meanwhile, back at his house, Twinkle's father looks at all the pictures of their day together that morning. "We had so much fun and I'm glad we're mending our bond," he sighs. He then falls asleep for a nice three to five hour nap. When he wakes up, he hears a knock on the door and opens it to find Twinkle and Carl.

"Hey dad," says Twinkle with a smile, "you invited us over for dinner, remember?"

"Yes," responds her father, "come on in." He then goes to the fridge and pulls out some leftover carrots in a blanket and a vegetable pizza and heats them up. He doesn't want his daughter to know he totally forgot. He then brings over the heated food and the three enjoy it together.

"You forgot," says Twinkle eventually, "but I don't mind. We did have a busy day together after all." She lets out a little giggle as she eats her carrot in a blanket. Once they finish up dinner, the three enjoy a movie together: The Tale of Snow Veil. "Big sis and I used to love the Disneigh princess movies, especially this one. We'd watch it every time we got downtime in the orphanage," sighs Twinkle.

"I know," sighs her father. "That's one of the things we used to do together too before your mother kicked you and your sister out. That movie was also your first Christmas present from me."

"No wonder I like it so much," sighs Twinkle as she snuggles up against her father and continues to watch the movie.

Carl, however, just sits there in silence and watches it, his hoof never straying far from Twinkle's. Carl enjoys the Disneigh princess movies but not as much as his sisters and mother do. He used to watch it with them, sure, but he never quite enjoyed it as much. In fact, he feels that same way right now while watching it with Twinkle and her father, but he doesn't care as long as it keeps Twinkle happy and to him, that's the most important thing in the world right now.

Chapter 16-The Week Before the Wedding

A few months later and it's the week before the wedding, and Twinkle is a nervous wreck. "I don't know if I can move through with this! What was I thinking?!"

"Calm down, calm down," say the other mares trying to settle her down.

"It's just, it's just," says Twinkle breaking down in tears, "I always thought my sister would make my wedding, but she won't. She's dead and gone and she won't get to see my wedding day." The others then come around and embrace her in a hug and do their best to comfort her, a few hours later, finally succeeding.

A few hours later, Twinkle goes out for a walk to get some fresh air. As she walks, she can't help but think about her upcoming wedding day. "Look at me, I'm getting married next week. I always thought you'd be there for my special day. That was what we talked about as fillies. I'd be there for your special day and you'd be there for mine. Now, here I am alone. I'm getting married next week and you're missing it because you're no longer alive. How I wish I could have you here at my side! What I wouldn't give to have you back alive! What I wouldn't give to have you back alive! Now, here I am, I'm getting married soon. In the empty pews, I can imagine your face. I can imagine you sitting there. I know you'd be proud of me, but it's not quite the same. How I wish I could have you here at my side! What I wouldn't give to have you back alive! What I wouldn't give to have you back alive! What I wouldn't give to have you here for my special day! I will imagine you in the crowd on my special day no matter what they think. I'll always keep you in my heart. That will never change. My dear sister, I'll always remember you, no matter what they say. My dear sister, I'll always remember you, that will never change. Yes, dear sister, that will never change. That will never change."

A few minutes later, she arrives at the sandwich shop, gets a sandwich and returns back to the circus tent and enjoys her lunch, all the while thinking about her sister. About five minutes later, she finishes up her sandwich and enters the tent, where she is greeted by Carl. The two embrace in a hug then shares a kiss. "Are you okay?" he asks concerned.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about how my sister is going to miss my wedding because you know why," responds Carl.

"Because she's dead," he then embraces her, "oh sweetie. She'd be so happy for you, so proud of you. You know that."

"Thanks," responds Twinkle with a blush, "that means the world to me coming from you." The two then share another kiss. They then go backstage and Twinkle shows Carl her new act. As she finishes, he claps for her with much applause. She then comes down on a magic stream slide and gives him a kiss on the lips. The two then leave the tent for the day and go spend some alone time together. She has no idea that he got her a locket made with a picture of her and her sister inside. It'll be a present that he gives her the day before their wedding so she can wear it down the aisle.

Around midnight that night, the two part ways and go to their separate sleeping tents. Once back in her tent, a now stirred awake Stella grabs her attention. "Hey, Twinkle," says Stella with a smile. "Glad to see you back. Where have you been?"

"Out with Carl," responds Twinkle. "Why?"

"I was just thinking, who is doing the music for your wedding?" asks Stella.

"Why you are," responds Twinkle with a smile.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," responds Stella with a smile. "I'm honored. Are you hosting the wedding here at the main tent?"

"Where else?" responds Twinkle. "This is home after all."

"What's wrong then?" asks Stella.

"My sister is dead and won't be able to make my wedding," says Twinkle breaking down in tears.

"Oh, sweetie," says Stella coming over and embracing her in a hug and trying to comfort her. The two do this for awhile and eventually fall asleep in each others' hooves on the floor and stay asleep right through seven or so the next morning. They are then awoken by Philly and sent off to eat breakfast quickly before getting to work on practicing their acts before the nine o' clock performance.

Around 9:00 that day, Twinkle and the rest go on and do their performances to much applause from the crowd. Afterward, Twinkle and Carl go outside and have a picnic together for lunch. They then go and get ice cream together and then go to a movie together, all the while having a blast. On the way home to the circus, Carl begins to sing. "When I first met you, my heart couldn't stay in my body. When I first met you, I went head over hooves for you. I'll always be head over hooves for you."

"When I first met you, I didn't think we'd work. When we first met, I was still a nervous wreck after the loss of my sister. Now that I have you, I feel part of that void is filled. Now that I have you."

"Now that I have you, I am whole, more than I ever was before. Now that I have you, I finally feel complete. I can tell that we are meant to be. The stars aligned to bring us together, I can see it now. We were always meant to be since the beginning."

The two then begin to sing together. "Now that I have you, I am more whole than I have ever been before. Now that I have you, I am so much more. Let's leave the past in the past, and move onto the future meant for you and me. I'm so glad I get to be your husband. I get to be your wife. Now, we're ready to start our life anew and it's all thanks to you. It's all thanks to you." The two then share a kiss and begin to walk back to the tent.

A half-hour later, the two arrive back at the tent and Twinkle heads off and takes a shower in the out tent while Carl goes back into his sleeping quarters and writes to his parents. After all, he needs to make sure they are still on good terms since the wedding is only a week away.

Chapter 17-The Locket

Days pass and it is soon the day before the wedding and Carl pulls Twinkle to the side for a few minutes. "Hey, honey, I got you something," says Carl as he hands her a tiny wrapped up box.

"Well, thanks, sweetie," responds Twinkle. She then opens it right away. Once she has the box open, she opens up the jewelry box and finds the locket inside. She then opens the locket and lets out a gasp and begins to cry. "This was so sweet, thank you." She then embraces him in a hug. He then takes it from her and clasps it around her neck.

"Now you'll always have your sister with," says Carl with a smile.

"And for that, I can't thank you enough," responds Twinkle with a smile. The two then share a kiss and part ways. Twinkle goes and tries on the dress since the practice lunch is in a few hours and Carl goes to get into his suit.

A few hours later, it's time for the practice lunch and it all goes smoothly and just as planned and Twinkle couldn't be more delighted. After the lunch draws to a close, the two go behind the main tent and talk for a few minutes. "I can't believe tomorrow is the big day," sighs Twinkle, "it's almost here."

"Yeah, I know," responds Carl, "and I'm so glad we get to spend the rest of our lives together."

"Me too," sighs Twinkle as she puts her head on his shoulder. The two then go back inside and get back to enjoying hanging out with the rest of the performers. A few hours later, everything fully wraps up and Twinkle goes and puts the dress up for tomorrow.

That night, all Twinkle can think about is her big day tomorrow. "I can't believe it's almost here," says Twinkle as she embraces the locket around her neck and opens it to view the picture of herself and her sister. She then falls asleep with it in her hooves after closing it shut.

The next morning, Twinkle is up with the sun and pops open the locket one more time before the wedding. "Today's the big day," she sighs. "I'm so excited...but also nervous. After all, the rest of my life changes today." She then begins to get changed into her wedding dress with the help of Stella and the other performance mares.

A few hours later, it's time for the wedding. Whilst Carl stands in position, Twinkle's father walks her down the aisle with a smile on his face. A few moments later, she is placed beside Carl and things kick off.

"We are gathered here today," says Philly with a smile, "to unite two of the sweetest ponies here in holy maretrimony. Twinkle is one of our most beloved performers and Carl, our young, energetic, co ringmaster. Now, Carl do you take Twinkle to be your wife?"

"I do," says Carl with a smile.

"And do you, Twinkle, take Carl to be your husband?"

"I do," says Twinkle with a smile.

"You may now kiss the bride," says Philly as the two newlyweds share a kiss after exchanging rings. The two then run down the aisle and head off on their honeymoon. The two are so glad to be married. As the two load their plane to go on their trip across the ocean, the two hold their hooves together tightly.

"I've never been on a plane before," says Twinkle. "I'm scared."

"Don't be," says Carl reassuring her, "flying's not that bad." She nods and the two sit down in their seats. About an hour later, the plane takes to the sky and Twinkle clutches onto Carl the entire time. Two days later, the two arrive on Mare Island and their vacation officially begins once they check into their hotel. There, an exhausted set of newlyweds falls on the bed and falls fast asleep. They then sleep for hours, waking up again around noon and heading off to start their vacation. The first thing they do is climb a volcano and dive over a waterfall. They then go for a hike across the island with a local guide and a few other ponies.

"This is fun," says Twinkle with a smile.

"Yeah," says Carl, "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

After the hike comes to an end, they go off and explore the Sapphire Blue Geyser and take pictures with the water spouts of the geyser. Once done with that, the two return to their hotel and enjoy a nice lunch together. The two are so glad to have this time alone to themselves and can't wait to continue this, the best honeymoon imaginable.

Chapter 18-The Show Goes On and Andromeda Lays A Nest Full of Eggs

It's a beautiful day and everypony is getting ready for the day's performance when Philly remembers that one of her best performers is out on a honeymoon. "Oh Andromeda," sighs Philly, "let's hope the show will be just as good without my star performer." She then rubs the owl's neck. Andromeda then coos and flies back up towards her perch in the rafters holding up the center of the tent. A few minutes later, the show begins.

"Hello, welcome to today's show," says Philly Barnmare with a smile, "today is a bit different as you can tell. Two of our members are newly married and out on their honeymoon. Anyways, enjoy the show." The crowd then cheers and the show begins. The performers begin to sing.

"Here we are to put on a show for you. Welcome into our world! We have so much to show you! We may not all be here, but they're here in our hearts. Why don't you stomp your hooves and let the joy flow freely from the start? Welcome into our world! See what we do! We always guarantee you a good time, that will never change. Welcome into our world! Let your dreams unfurl! Welcome into our world! Let your imagination run wild! Here is where you can be free, where you can be you. Everypony is unique here, and so are you. Welcome into our world!"

The crowd goes silent and Philly takes over for a solo. "Everyday there is something new. It's never boring. Sharing joy and laughs is what we do. Go on and let us share our wondrous world with you!"

Everypony then joins back in with her. "Go on and let us show you what we do! Let us put on a fantastical show for you! A show of mystery, fun, excitement, and joy: it's all here and waiting for you. It's all here and ready for you, waiting for you, ready for you. Welcome into our world! Watch your fantasies unfurl! Watch your dreams come true! We do all this for you! We do all of this for you! Enjoy the show!"

A few hours later, the show comes to an end and Philly goes to check on Andromeda. "Andri! Andri!" hollers Philly. "Come here, girl!" She then hears a coo come from the rafters in the center of the tent. Philly then climbs up the ladder there and pushes Andromeda aside to find a nest full of eggs. "Andri," she says with surprise, "you're going to be a mother, girl." She rubs Andromeda's neck and Andromeda lets out a coo before sitting back down on her eggs. Philly then climbs down the ladder and gets to work on checking up on all the other performers before the afternoon show at 12:30.

A few hours later after a nice lunch together in the meal tent, Philly and the performers get back to practicing and at 12:30, they go on to cheers from the crowds. The performance also goes off without a hitch to the joy of Philly. Around 3:00, they do their final performance of the day before turning in for the night. In bed that night, Philly can't think about much other than when Twinkle and Carl are going to get back and when Andromeda's eggs are going to hatch. To her, those are the most important things right now and everything else can take a back burner.

Meanwhile, in the tent, Andromeda sleeps on top of her eggs, keeping them warm through the chilly night. As she sleeps, she lets out little coos and squeaks every few minutes. Around midnight, she wakes up and catches a mouse for dinner then climbs right back into the nest and tends to the eggs once she's done finishing up her dinner.

Meanwhile, in her tent, Stella looks at Twinkle's empty bed. "I hope you're having fun on your honeymoon," she sighs. "I also hope you know that I miss you, friend." A few minutes later, she falls fast asleep and thinks of Twinkle and the memories they've shared over the past few weeks. Here's hoping that she and Carl make it back safely from their honeymoon.

Chapter 20-Our Home

After the show draws to a close and the crowds leave, Philly and all the performers go backstage and enjoy a nice dinner of daisy and hay sandwiches and apple juice boxes.

"Another great performance," says Philly with a smile. "Glad you're back, guys."

"Awe. Thanks," responds Twinkle. "To us, this is where we call home, so we're glad to be back and don't plan on leaving for that long ever again. Ya know, unless it's for having a ya know, little colt or filly of our own."

"Yeah, I get that," responds Philly. "But hopefully, no offense, that's not for awhile." She then gives the two newly weds a hug before running off to join up with her husband and children and returns home.

As Twinkle sits there next to her husband and the other performers, she begins to sing to herself. "To me, this place is home. To me, this is where I belong. As I sit here, I can imagine my sister smiling down from the heavens at me. To me, this is my home. To me, this is where I belong. To me. To me. To me, this is where I belong."

"And to me, my home is at your side. I promise to never part from you. I won't let you go at anything alone. Not on my watch. Twinkle, you're my home. With you is where I belong," sings Carl Lyle. "Don't you know it? With you, with you, without you I'm nothing. But with you, I'm home. With you, I'm home."

"Oh with you I'm home," responds Twinkle as she puts her head in his hooves with a smile. "With you, I'm home at last."

The two then happily return to their own private tent while the other performers return to the bunk tent. It's going to be a very busy week. After all, tis the life of a show pony.

Chapter 21-Oh No!

A few months after the return from their honeymoon, Twinkle decides to buy a pregnancy test and take it and to her shock, she turns out to be pregnant. "Oh no! Oh no! I'm not ready for this," she says in shock as she drops the test into the trash can. She then calls for Carl Lyle, tears streaming down her cheeks. He soon comes running to her side.

"What's wrong, dearest?" asks Carl Lyle.

"I'm, I'm pregnant," whimpers Twinkle. "I'm honestly scared. I'm not ready to be a mother."

"You'll be a fine mother," responds Carl as he wipes away her tears. "I'll be here to help you through it."

"Promise?" responds Twinkle.

"I promise," responds Carl. He then embraces her in a hug. The two then head out to practice for that evening's show.

As they practice, Twinkle can't help but think about the little foal growing inside her. Eventually, she decides to go off and find Philly. She soon finds Philly in the main tent. "Hey Philly," asks Twinkle, "can we talk???"

"Sure, what about?" responds Philly as she turns to face the mare.

"I'm, I'm pregnant," responds Twinkle, "and honestly, it has me scared. Absolutely terrified. Horrified."

"Well, no need to worry. Sure, the first one can be a bit scary at first, but the fear doesn't last long. I was terrified just like you were when I found out I was pregnant with my first too, but Charles helped me get down off the ledge. I have a feeling, Carl Lyle is doing the same for you right now."

"He is," responds Twinkle.

"Well, that's good," responds Philly, "husbands are the first support system. When the foal is born, it's absolutely the best feeling in the world. It's very time consuming and you'll be tired, but it's all very worth it. Believe me. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have three of my own."

"Yeah, well thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it," responds Twinkle with a smile.

"Anytime," responds Philly with a smile. "Now get back out to practice."

Twinkle nods and goes back out to practice her routine alongside the other performers. All the while, Carl Lyle helps her through all of it just as Philly told her he would. Maybe this whole foal thing isn't as bad as she thought after all.

Chapter 1-Welcome to the Show

It's a beautiful day outside as Philly sets up her circus tent on the outskirts of Ponyville. "I remember when we first started this," says Philly as she rubs Andromeda under the beak. The bird lets out a coo. Philly then goes into the setup tent and a smile slides across her face. "Let's get ready for the show." She then hands the flags up to Andromeda and she flies and hangs them up on top of the tent. Philly then begins to sing. "This world is the world of my dreams. Making ponies smile. Making everypony smile. This is my dream and it's come true. I'm living my dream with you. I'm living my dream with all of you. Life running the circus, it's never boring. All the colorful lights, all the laughs filling the air. All the smiles in the crowds. They love us out there. They love us out there. See the lights, see the colors, see the acts as they take to the floor. See it all, fly up the flags and open the door. Open the door. Open the door." Philly gladly swings open the door flaps of the tent. "This world. These ponies. This life. What more could I ever ask for? They are my friends and my family. Welcome to the show, where the fun goes on far into the night! Welcome to the show, we don't stop when the sun does, We always have the light. We always shine, steal the show, keep the eyes on the stage. Watch us as we embrace who we are. Who we are. We are proud of who we are. Welcome to the show." The performance ponies then join in with her. "Welcome to our world, welcome to our home. Watch us as we show you what we've got. We share our joy so you can have some too. Let us share our world with you. Let us share our world, this world, with you."

A few minutes later, the performers take to their places. The acrobats take their positions in the boxes of the high wire. The Mare of all the Colors of the Rainbow takes her place as does the stallion with the largest beard and the stallion with the longest neck. The pony the size of the palm of a hoof then takes his spot atop his tricycle. They then begin their acts for all the world to view. As they show off their talents, ponies stomp, clap, and cheer.

A few hours later, the show comes to an end and the performers go and eat dinner in the lunch tent. "They love us," says Rainy, "us, the misfits, the outcasts."

"Yeah, I know," responds the bearded pony, whose name is Anton. "It's wonderful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so," responds Territ, the long-necked pony. "It's not what I thought I'd be doing with my life. I wanted to be an engineer, but look where I am, locked away in a tent to be shown off four days a week."

"Well, it's not all bad," responds Tim Tom, the hoof palm-sized pony. He then takes a sip of his apple juice.

"Well, I don't mind ponies seeing my sparkles and my glitter sparks," says Twinkle. "Ponies love seeing my talents." She then begins to sing. "We may be different from the others, but it's not always bad. We stand out, we're special, we're unique. We can be proud of who we are. Don't let them get to you. Show them who you are. Show them what you can do. Show them what you can do. Be proud of your abilities and of your appearances, they are what make you unique. Beauty is more than skin deep, it's what is inside of you that matters. It's what is inside of you that matters. Beauty is more than skin deep, don't let them tear you down. You're special as you are. We're special as we are. We stand out of the crowd, but that's not a bad thing. We can shine like the stars we are. We are stars. We are stars. Don't be scared of the spotlight. Be proud of who you are. We can be proud of who we are. We can be proud of who we are."

"I guess you're right," responds Territ. "Thanks for the pep talk, Twinkle."

"Don't mention it," responds Twinkle with a smile and a blush.

A few minutes later, Philly steps in and calls the performers out into the big ring. There, she gives each of them a gift, a small coin with their individual faces and names engraved on them. The performers then embrace Philly in a hug and thank her. They then go and get ready for the next show. They can't wait to show more ponies what they are capable of and what they can do. Making ponies smile is their favorite thing in the world and Philly can see that clear as day. As the performers get ready, Andromeda flies overhead and helps each one of them out if they need it. If they don't, she just goes to her perch and ruffles her wings.

A few minutes later, the performers take to their places and begin to share their acts with the ponies once again. As they perform, ponies once again, laugh, smile, clap, and stomp. All the while, Philly can't help but smile as she takes to the main ring in the center of the tent. "Fillies, mares, gentle colts, and stallions welcome to the most wonderful show in all Equestria. Please enjoy the show. These mares and stallions put a lot into all they do, so sit back, stomp and clap along, and please, most important of all, enjoy the show." Philly then begins to sing. "Welcome to my world, welcome to my show. See the colors as they shine. See the amazing feats as they go on all around you. We have ponies here of every shape and size, every style of life, here to show you what they can do. Welcome to the show, where the fun goes on far into the night. Welcome to the show, where the unusual and unique is the main spotlight. All the smiles on your faces, all the joy in your cheers, it shows them that it's worth it. Welcome to our show, our world of magic and fantasy. Welcome to the show, where the fun goes on far into the night, where the unusual and unique is the main spotlight. Welcome to the show, welcome to our world. Welcome to our world." The performers join in with her. "Welcome to our world. See it the way we do. This is our only home. This is where we belong. Welcome to the show, where the fun goes on far into the night, where we are the main focus, where the unusual and unique is in the main spotlight. Welcome to the world we live in, welcome to our dreams coming true. Welcome into our lives. Enjoy the show you see. We do it all for you. We do this all for you. Welcome to our show, our world of magic and fantasy. Welcome to the show. Welcome to the show. Welcome into our home! Now enjoy the show!"

A few hours later, the show ends and the performers go to their bunks and fall fast asleep after changing out of their costumes. As the others sleep, Twinkle can't help but stay awake. As she sits there, she lights a spark and begins humming to herself and singing to herself a lullaby that her big sister used to sing to her a long time ago. "Don't be scared of who you are, you are special, you are unique, don't let them stare. Let them know you are proud of who you are," her voice begins to shake, "you are special, you are unique. Don't let them tell you that you're not. You mean the world to me. You mean the world to me, and I know, I mean the world to you too." Twinkle then begins to cry. She misses her big sister. How she wishes her big sister was still around. Alas, that is not the reality. Her sister was killed by ponies that didn't like the fact she had special abilities. Twinkle then opens the locket that's in the palm of her hooves and looks at the picture of her sister. To her, Nilette was the world, now she's gone. The only pony she loved is gone. That is not going to change anytime soon. A few minutes later, Twinkle cries herself to sleep with the locket still in her hoof. She knows her sister would be proud of her, but alas, it will take her awhile to shake the loss of her big sister while hiding that information from Philly at the same time, which is the most impossible task of all.

Chapter 13-Carl Lyle asks Twinkle the Big Question

It was a beautiful sunny spring day and the two were chilling in the main tent before the performance. After a while, Carl gets up and walks over to Twinkle and pulls out a ring. "Twinkle," asks Carl with a smile, "will you marry me?"

"Carl, why me? I'm not normal like other mares," says Twinkle.

"So, I don't care, marry me!" responds Carl. "Listen, I don't want a normal mare. I want you." He then begins to sing. "I can't help but feel we belong together. I am done with the normal, I'm ready for the new. I'm ready to share the rest of my life with you. When we first met, I couldn't help but feel there was something there. When I first saw you, my heart went through my chest to the sky. It sang out loud. I sang out loud. I had the feeling you were the love of my life. Well, here we are now. We've been through so much together. Don't you think that means we should be together? We've been to hell and back together, so why don't we just tie the knot? Let them stare. I don't care. Twinkle, please marry me. We're meant to be together. I know it. We're meant to be together. Can't you see, we're meant to be together."

"Why can't you see it like I do? I love you, really I do. But we could never be together. They scorn me. They hate me. They don't see me like you do. Other ponies in the outside world, they don't see me like you do. Why do you want to marry me? You know I can't marry you."

"Well, who cares what others say? We can tread a brand new path. You don't have to be scared of what the outside world thinks of you. Please be mine, I promise I'll protect you. Please be mine, I promise I'll always protect you. I can't help but feel we belong together. I am done with the normal, I'm ready for the new. I'm ready to share the rest of my life with you. I can't deny these feelings. I have to stay true to my gut. My gut says we belong together for the rest of our lives. I can protect you. I won't let others hurt you. I won't let anyone touch you. Please just say you'll be mine. Please just say you'll be mine."

"You promise you'll protect me. Then protect me from your parents. I know they hate me. That's always been clear to me. I will marry you if your parents learn to accept me. I don't want to marry you if they're just going to hate me. Please do that for me, then we can get married. Please do that for me, then we can get married."

"Okay, I'll do that for you. I will get you on my parents' good side if that means we can be together forever. I will do anything to please you. You know I will. I promise I will. I promise I won't let you down. I can make them see. Leave it up to me. I can make them see. We're meant to be. They're going to see. We're meant to be."

The two then share a kiss and part ways. Carl Lyle goes and talks to his parents while Twinkle gets back to practicing for the show. A few minutes later, Carl heads out to lunch with his parents and they begin to talk. "Mom, dad," says Carl, "please learn to like Twinkle. All she wants is your approval. She doesn't want you to scorn her. I love her mom and dad, but she won't marry me unless you two learn to accept her. Can you do that for me? Can you just put aside your differences and learn to like her? For my sake, will you please?"

"Sure, sweetie," responds his mother. "I'd do anything to make you happy but I still think you should marry a high-class sensible mare."

"Honey!" exclaims his father. "Let the boy marry who he chooses. Please learn to like Twinkle. For Celestia's sake!"

"Fine," grumbles his mother. "Marry who you please, boy."

Carl Lyle then runs back to the tent but arrives too late. "I guess I'll just have to tell her afterward," sighs Carl. He then enters the tent and takes his place next to Baley. He then watches as Twinkle and the others perform. "Mom is willing to accept you," sighs Carl Lyle. "Hopefully, that's enough."

Two hours later, the show comes to an end and Carl Lyle tells Twinkle the good news. "I'm so thrilled your mom is willing to accept me as one of the family. Now, I'll marry you," says Twinkle overjoyed. Carl nods then slips the ring onto Twinkle's hoof. The two then kiss. They then begin to sing. "Now, we're part of the same family. Now, we share a common string. Now, we share a common bond. Now, they can clearly see, we truly are meant to be. Yes, indeed, we are truly meant to be." THe two then share another kiss.

Now, the two can't wait to plan their wedding. It's going to be the wedding of the decade, and Twinkle can't help but feel excited. She's glad she gets to marry her lover and she wouldn't have it any other way. As for Carl, he's just glad he has his parents willing to accept Twinkle for who she is, not who they want her to be.

Chapter 19-Return to the Spotlight

It's a beautiful day outside, sun shining as the newly married couple of Carl and Twinkle enter the tent for the first time in months. As they enter, they're greeted in a hug by Philly and their fellow performers. "We're so glad to be back," says Twinkle with a smile.

"And we're glad to have you back," responds Philly with a smile. "Hope you two are ready to jump back into performing. We've sold out tickets for Saturday's show and we need our star back."

"Of course, I'm always ready to perform," says Twinkle as she grabs her locket in her hoof and holds it close to her heart.

That night, Twinkle's back in the center of the spotlight just like before. Once again, she's wowing the crowds with her fiery abilities. As she displays her powers for the crowd, she can't help but sing to herself. "Look at me now. If sis was here she'd be so proud to see how far I've come. Look at me now. I show off with the love I feel from her held in my heart. Look at me now. Sis I know you're looking down. I know you see me. I know you're proud of me. Look at me now. I've come so far. Look at me now. I'm married and have a fresh start. Look at me now as I share with the world what I can do. They no longer laugh. They no longer stare. How I wish you could see my dream come true. How I wish you could see my dream come true."

Meanwhile, backstage, Philly checks on Andromeda and the nest and sees a bunch of tiny hatchlings inside. She lets out a smile. "They're beautiful, just like their momma," says Philly as she tickles Andromeda under the beak. The bird lets out a coo. She then wishes Andromeda well before rushing back out into the show ring to join in on the fun alongside her performers. As they all perform together, they can't help but burst out in song. "We've come so far! Our lives they have changed forever! Changed forever! We used to be outcasts, freaks cast out in the cold but no longer. Now we are appreciated. Just listen to them cheer."

Twinkle then begins to sing solo, the others hushing to a silence. "Back when I first started, I had just lost everything. I had lost my sister. The one person who cared for me. Now I've gained a family and a husband of my own. Now the joy that I feel. I know it is real! From now on this is the place that I call home. This is the place I'll always call home!"

Everyone joins back in. "This is our home! This is our home! Even when we stray away or get caught in the razing fire. When we face the ire of our foes. This is our home! This is our home! Who cares what others say? We're proud of who we are today. Welcome to our home! Welcome to our home! Welcome to our home! This will forever be our home! This circus, this tent will forever be our home."

The performers then go around and show off their abilities with the cheering fans and Philly runs off to join her husband and children backstage, leaving the reins to Carl Lyle. Everything is perfect and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapter 22-A Year Later

A year later, Twinkle and Carl Lyle welcome their first little filly into their lives and name her Dazzle Star. For the first few months, Twinkle sits out the shows and stays home with the filly and after those six months are up, she returns to performing and leaves little Dazzle to be foalsat by a family friend and when she’s not free, by Charles.

The first day back after her time off, Twinkle gets a visit from Philly. “How’s the foal? I heard you had a little filly.”

“She’s fine, very healthy and so sweet,” responds Twinkle with a smile. “Her name is Dazzle Star.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” responds Philly. “I can’t wait to meet her!”

“Well, come by anytime,” responds Twinkle. “You’re always welcome around our apartment, Philly.” Twinkle trots off to practice with the other performers. She is so happy to be back because while yes, she enjoys being a mother, at the same time, she missed performing. Now, it’s just an issue of balancing those two lives and those two worlds.

Chapter 23-Philly’s Visit

A few days later, Philly takes Twinkle up on her offer and stops by hers and Carl Lyle’s apartment. She rings the bell and is soon greeted by Twinkle who is holding the little filly close to her chest. “That must be little Dazzle,” Philly says with a smile.

“Yeah, you wanna hold her?” Inquires Twinkle.

“Sure,” responds Philly. Twinkle hands Dazzle Star to her boss to hold and Philly takes her in her hooves. “Hello little Dazzle,” says Philly with a smile, “it’s nice to finally meet you.” Twinkle blushes as Philly continues talking to the filly. “You’re beautiful just like your mamma. You have her eyes and her smile.” Twinkle continues to blush. Philly stays awhile and is treated to coffee, tea, and treats by the couple.

“I’m glad you like our little filly,” says Twinkle, “we were wondering if you’d be her god-dam.”

“Sure, I’d be delighted,” responds Philly with a smile. “I’m honored. You didn’t have to do that.” She stays for about an hour more before leaving and returning home to her own husband and children. Just like Twinkle, Philly loves being a mother more than anything else in the world. She doesn’t know what she’d do without her husband and her foals, that much she knows for certain.