The fashion show felt like it came in a blink. Time passed in an instant and suddenly it was the day of. Coco had prepared like a workhorse, seven full outfits ready to be worn, displayed, shown off in every way that she could think of. It started flawlessly, it really did. Her models had been paid and arranged, the outfits set up on their stands and now all that she had to do was wait backstage for everything to get started.
It filled the main auditorium in Stalliongrad’s concert hall, the stage modified to have a cat walk instead of the wider assortment normally reserved for full orchestras. The floor seats had been moved, pushed back to make room for the extended stage, and lights were focused on it from every angle. Drapes hung from the balconies announcing the participants with each of their brands. From backstage, Coco could see hers: a silhouette for a horse with finery all over it, the pommel of it’s gear emphasized more than the rest.
Others hung too but Coco didn’t recognize them, oddly enough. Perhaps that made sense considering that she just recently moved here and this was a local thing.
Still, something felt off in the back of her head. Things had gone too well. That meant something had to go wrong.
Coco poked her head back behind the curtain, blinking to let her eyes adjust to the relative darkness backstage. Ponies scurried around, working on last second adjustments, stage hands setting up the rest of the stage. Not much needed to be done, but it seemed like they busied themselves regardless of that fact.
Somewhere, Moondancer had packed herself into a corner. Coco knew that her best friend had come to support her even if she would have her head in a book for most of the show. Really, that was just fine because Coco knew that she’d bring her head right back out when it came time for her display.
Without anything else to do, she wandered. The mare took the time to look over her competition, marveling at all the designs they’d come up with. Quite a few caught her eye, that one over there with the stained glass design in particular. The glimmering bits of it were awe inspiring, and the more she looked at it, the more she seemed to see. All the details, the intricate stitching, the way the actual glass panels were coated with magic gel to make them always seem luminescent.
That made the time fly by, and eventually Coco found her way back towards her own setup, her models chatting amongst themselves and… wait. Six models. She had seven dresses. Moondancer still sat in her chair, but somepony wasn’t there that should have been. Her mind had already started to race, to try and comprehend it as Moondancer moved from her seat.
“She didn’t show up.” For a second, Coco wanted to cry, to fall apart. How could she have had everything go right and end up like this?
Six models, seven dresses. The girl wracked her mind for what to do. Perhaps one of the other ladies here would let her borrow a model. But then again, the makeup process and getting ponies ready alone would be enough to take up anypony’s entire evening. She could try and go find somepony new, but by the time that happened there wouldn't be any time to get them ready.
No, there was really only one way to get out of this. Coco’s eyes locked onto Moondancer with a deathly serious look. “I need you to put down the book and put on a dress for me,” Coco said, brow furrowing up.
Moondancer laughed because how could she see this as anything but a joke? It was obviously a joke, no one would want her to model. But already, Coco had started to lead her by the forelegs, over towards the side of the dressing room, where her models had been getting themselves ready all day.
“You really must be my model, Moonie!” Coco cooed, dragging her over whether she wanted it or not. “I know, I know, it isn’t ideal-”
Moondancer yipped out and dug her hooves in. Why was Coco stronger than her!? “Stop that! I can’t be a model, Coco, what are you doing!?”
But Coco didn’t stop! Coco actually pushed her down into the makeup chair, wrapping a full black cloak around her. “Mooney,” she cooed, stopping in front of her best friend and pressing against the chair, blocking her in. “You’re going to be my model. I really, really need a new model and you’re so pretty. You can do this for me, can’t you? Just let me dress you up. All you have to do is walk down the runway and come back.”
There was a lot more to it than that. Modeling was hard work, incredibly difficult work, but Moondancer and the one who had quit on her had nearly the same size and that meant she could adjust it close enough. If she had one weak walker in the mix of her seven, she could still win, but having six instead of seven and leaving her set incomplete… that would ruin her.
Moondancer looked damned uncomfortable. The mare shifted in the seat, trying to scoot away from all the touching but Coco wouldn’t let her. “Coco!” Moondancer snapped, letting out a little squeak of surprise. “I can’t do this! I’m not a model like those other girls are, I’m not even pretty!”
But that, that was the trigger word for Coco. “You!? Not pretty!?” she gasped. Already, she’d started trying to work on her current victim, letting her hair down and trying to get her settled into the chair. The first part was easy, a single pull of the tied up knot and boom, Moondancer’s mane hung down around her muzzle instead of staying up in the most frumpy of ways.
“You are the most gorgeous mare that I have ever met Moonie, and you need to see that! You are going to be my model!”
Moondancer’s magic stopped her, levitating both her and the makeup supplies from the table up and into the air. “I said no!” she squeaked out, though the blush on her face showed more embarrassed than mad.
And speaking of embarrassment, Coco flailed in the air, trying to get her hooves on the ground and only succeeding when the magic ended, sending her and the supplies clattering down. She stayed on the ground, however, looking up with big, wide eyes, pleading ones directed towards her best friend in the whole world.
“Please, Moondancer,” she cooed out, her words soft as silk. “Do this for me and I’ll do anything for you. I’ll even help you with your stu- I mean, with your amazing flash cards!” The girl’s tail went between her legs and everything, nothing more pathetic in the entire world.
Moondancer groaned and facehoofed, looking away as if unable to stand the sight of such groveling. “Look,” she started, forehooves reaching out to try and pick the poor thing up. “You need to stop looking like that, it’s humiliating,” she chastised.
There was silence for a second, but only a second as Moondancer sighed. “I’ll do it, but you have to never, ever say anything about this to anypony besides those here, otherwise I will absolutely kill you, okay?” It wasn’t meant seriously, not with that look that Moonie gave her, but the sentiment couldn’t have been clearer.
Up the mare went, getting onto her hooves again and trying to throw her forelegs around Moondancer’s body. “Okay! Okay, we have to get you ready!” she squeaked out. What happened next came in a flurry of activity that seemed to move from one thing to the next without a single break in between.
On makeup went, hair straightened and brushed, hooves painted, coat brushed, everything touched up and the glasses taken away. It left Moondancer looking… well, not like a model, but beautiful in Coco’s eyes nonetheless.
She looked on her work with an appreciative eye and a croon. “You look so nice, Moony,” she sighed out, scooting to the side so Moondancer could see herself in the mirror.
It was interesting to watch Moondancer do a double take at seeing herself. “I’ve never done all this before,” she admitted, a faint blush coming up underneath the blush that Coco had already applied. “I didn’t know that it could look this good. But I’m still no model,” she complained, glancing over towards the gaggle of giggling girls that were Coco’s real models.
Of course, she agreed with a nod of her head. “You aren’t, but you’re still beautiful all the same,” Coco cooed, a blush appearing on her face that stained those light cheeks red. “And you’re going to do amazing. We need to get you into wardrobe, okay?”
Another flurry of action followed, shrugging Moondancer out of the same turtleneck she always wore and into a flowing green number, this one all about the beauty and joy of nature itself. The top half was a gauzy green, light and nearly see through with sparkling fabric interlaced inside each stitch. The trail of it changed to flowers of all colors, pink roses, lilac tulips, each one hoof made with way too many hours spent making it perfect.
The top of it flared out in an aqua high collar, symbolizing the rains that came down to make everything green. Moondancer couldn’t have looked more perfect in it if she tried. The two of them stood in front of a full length mirror in silence for several seconds.
Coco broke it first. “You look perfect.” Simple but true, with something akin to reverence in her voice. Moondancer had always been pretty to Coco, though she admittedly did have her bias. Now, she looked gorgeous. Still no model, the stupid TV trope about the girl taking off her glasses and letting her hair down stayed in fiction, but beautiful nonetheless. Coco nudged Moondancer’s side, breaking her out of the trance she’d apparently been stuck in.
“Oh,” Moondancer finally spoke. The studious mare gave a shake of her head, the hair moving with it and shimmering in the light. It still looked good. “Maybe I’ll let you do this a bit more often,” she said weakly.
Already, the show had started without them. Coco’s line didn’t go first, or even second. In truth, they went nearly last, so they had had time. Yet, even now, as they spoke, their turn swiftly approached. From the corner of her eye, Coco saw her first model go out on the stage and worry peaked through her.
“Okay!” She squeaked again, hurrying Moondancer over towards the waiting line, the order set perfectly so she’d go last. “Just do what the rest of the girls do, okay?” she asked, trying to stress that last bit. “It’s not as easy as it looks, but I believe in you. I think we can win this whole thing, we just gotta make sure that we do it right.” A quick hug around the neck and Coco took a step back. The second model had already started to go, her first returning with a beaming smile.
Moondancer suddenly looked stressed. The nice talk had certainly calmed her down, but now being on stage? Too much, too quickly. “I can’t do this,” she whispered out in a hushed, but hurried tone. Third model.
“Yes you can!” Coco assured, moving up the line with her. “You can, you can do it, I believe in you-” Fourth, “and you’re going to kill it. It’s almost your turn, eyes up front, watch how your fellow models do it!” she urged.
The fifth and sixth followed quickly, and finally, Moondancer’s turn had come.