Circus Ponies

Part 3

Sweetie Belle was still not sure about her upcoming circus stunt. Pinkie Pie slowly walked towards her. "Sweetie Belle, I know how you feel. It's always scary at first to see those big claws and sharp teeth of those huge, roaring lions and tigers--"

Sweetie Belle covered her eyes. "Oh, please, Pinkie Pie, don't mention sharp teeth or claws in front of me!"

"Sorry," replied Pinkie. "The thing is, everypony feels scared when they have to do a job that involves big animals. But you should know that it always helps to face your fears and give a smile. That way, you won't feel so scared."

Sweetie Belle released her eyes and made direct eye contact with Pinkie, then smiled. "Okay, Pinkie. But would you please come with me?"

"Sure!" Pinkie smiled back.

"Then let's go tame ourselves some wild animals!" said Sweetie Belle.

Pinkie corrected her, "Uh, Sweetie, they're bred in captivity animals."

"Oh, yeah." Sweetie Belle giggled sheepishly.

Later, as she prepared for her stunt, the ringmaster announced, "Our next act stars a kind, young filly who will face three enormous lions and three ferocious tigers. Presenting... Sweetie Belle, the mistress of animal taming!"

Sweetie Belle and Pinkie Pie appeared on onstage, with only Sweetie jumping into the spotlight. She did a brief dance in the spotlight while holding a whip in her mouth,
then scurried towards the center of the ring. She removed the whip from her mouth and held it in her front right hoof and gave Pinkie a thumbs up. Pinkie gave one of her own
back at her.

"Release the animals!" called the ringmaster.

A circus pony opened a large cage. Out poured three gold-furred lions with brown manes and three orange tigers with black stripes. They ran around Sweetie Belle inside the ring.
She swished her whip this way and that. As she did so, all six animals gradually stopped running and lined up in their respective lines. Sweetie turned to a lion with both of its paws up.
As the lion waved one of its paws at her, she used her whip to calm it down.

"That girl is so brave!" said one of the audience members in the crowd.

"Yeah, even braver than I am!" said another.

Back inside the ring, the tiger walked backwards paws up while Sweetie carried her whip towards it, walking forwards. Then one of two tigers jumped over the other as Sweetie positioned them. Next, in a small obstacle course inside the ring, one tiger leaped from stool to stool and through a ring of fire. Sweetie continued her training with the animals for about two additional minutes. As the stunt ended, Sweetie hugged one of the lions, then one of the tigers. After that, she waved her hoof with whip inside victoriously. The crowd cheered and applauded. Later, she returned backstage with the rest of the class.

"Sweetie Belle, that was amazing! Even I could never do that!" Pipsqueak said.

"Were you scared?" asked Scootaloo.

"A little," Sweetie Belle replied. "But like Pinkie said, facing your fears is always the best thing to do. And that's what I did!"

Words of encouragement came from the students.

"Okay, everypony, are we all ready for the grand finale parade?" asked Cheerilee.

"Do I have to ride on an elephant? I don't really like heights," Sweetie Belle said.

Cheerilee approached towards the unicorn filly. "Sweetie Belle, you were a terrific animal trainer. I'm sure you'll be brave enough to handle riding on an elephant. Tell you what, if you're really that afraid of heights, then I'll ride with you."

"Thanks, Miss Cheerilee!" Sweetie Belle hugged hugs her teacher, and Cheerilee hugged her back.

"I think Sweetie Belle is feeling more confident about things," Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom.

"Tell me about it," Apple Bloom added.

"And now, before your very eyes, I now present to you all... Pinkie Pie, the pony cannonball!" announced the ringmaster. Pinkie Pie stood next to a huge cannon completely resembling her party cannon. She waved at the excited audience members.

"Anything you'd like to say to our audience before we begin, Miss Pie?" asked the ringmaster.

"Yep! Just one thing," Pinkie said, then yelled really loudly, "Does anypony have a huge cake for me to land on?!?"

The ringmaster was confused. "No. Why?"

"It's nothin'. Just in case I get hungry again," Pinkie shrugged.

She then zipped over to the large cannon and strained to get her entire body inside, until only her head can be seen from the outside.

"Okay! I'm ready now!" Pinkie shouted. She disappeared entirely from view to inside the cannon.)

The ringmaster turned back to the crowd. "On the count of three, with the help from you audience members, we will all launch the cannon together! Are you ready?"

The crowd counted down, "One! Two! Three!"

As the cannon exploded, Pinkie sailed high into the sky, along with loads of tiny bits of confetti. While in the air, Pinkie performed a twirl. She landed on the ground safely and raised her two front hooves high up in victory. There was wild cheering and applause everywhere from the crowd, including Cheerilee and her whole class. Pinkie took several bows in front of every member of the audience.

Then for the very last time, the ringmaster went back into the ring. He announced, "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! Our final act of today's Fillydelphia City Circus Show! Fillies and gentlecolts, presenting... the grand finale parade!"

The spotlight shone an elephant from a distance away. It approached closer and closer on stage with the elephant in the spotlight. Another spotlight showed Sweetie Belle and Miss Cheerilee riding on the elephant. Both of them waved their hooves at the audience. Following the elephant in line, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo walked while training a zebra. All the fillies, colts, and their parents in the audience waved their hooves at them.

"Look, they're really enjoying us!" Apple Bloom pointed towards the crowd again.

"Yeah, even I'm enjoying it myself!" Scootaloo added.

Behind them were Snips and Snails riding on unicycles, Pipsqueak playing the drum, and the rest of Cheerilee's class just clowning and having fun. Last in line was Pinkie Pie and her party cannon. She fired it, unleashing confetti and sending it flying everywhere on stage in front of the whole audience. The crowd was filled with cheers and applause, meaning that they have enjoyed the show performed by the ponies of Ponyville.

Now, Cheerilee, Pinkie, and all the fillies and colts in Cheerilee's class stood outside the booth, still wearing their clown suits. Cheerilee announced to her class, "Well done, everypony! All the fillies and colts of Fillydelphia salute you all for your fantastic clowning. Did any of you learn something important today?"

"We all did. We learned that whenever somepony has to show themselves in front of a whole crowd, even when they're feeling afraid, they're never alone. Somepony else will always be there with them whenever they need help or forget something," Sweetie Belle said.

"Very good, class. You all did indeed learn a very important lesson," said Cheerilee.

"Maybe we should come back next year and throw a circus party!" cheered Pinkie Pie.

Apple Bloom looked around, confused. "Is there really such a thing as a 'circus party'?" she asked.

"Not really. I just made that up," Pinkie told her.

Then everypony started walking back to the Friendship Express train station. As they walked around the city, Pinkie Pie said, "Hey, I just thought of another clown joke! Did you hear about the pony cannonball?"

"No," Scootaloo answered.

"What happened to her?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"She got fired!" exclaimed Pinkie.

Everypony laughed at Pinkie's joke as they continued their journey back home in Ponyville, passing the Fillydelphia Liberty Bell tower.

THE END

P.S.: Suggested Voice Performers

Michelle Creber as Apple Bloom
Claire Corlett as Sweetie Belle
Madeleine Peters as Scootaloo
Nicole Oliver as Cherilee
Andrea Libman as Pinkie Pie
Peter New as Ringmaster Robin
Chantal Strand as Diamond Tiara
Shannon Chan-Kent as Silver Spoon
Graham Verchere as Pipsqueak
Lee Tockar as Snips
Richard Cox as Snails