"What?" Umbra blinked at Purple. "Seriously?"
"Right here." Purple lifted a paper attached to her right hoof. "They're having a beauty pageant. Cadance will be the judge. The princess is one of the prettiest mares around." She burst into little giggles. "Cadance and her consort. Judged by royalty!" She wagged the paper. "And you're invited to compete."
Umbra's cheeks began to darken swiftly. "Those guys! Ugh..." Still... The idea of being in such a contest? That was a thing for distant people to do, not something she ever thought she would be doing... "Who's going to be in it?"
"Locals." Her eyes swept over the paper. "Only ponies who live in the empire are invited. You qualify."
"I do live here." It was hard to argue that. "Uh... hm... Alright... Sure! That sounds fun and stupid. Stupidly fun?"
Purple began to applaud. "I am certain the crowd will cheer for you, ma'am. Myself included."
Umbra went for the mirror. "But I've never done this before..."
"That is why you have a servant." Purple was upon Umbra in a hurry. "I'll have you looking your absolute best! Simply let me take care of it."
Umbra was caught in a tornado of care. Her mane was fluffed, her tail brushed, her eyelashes extended to a magnificent flutter. Her shoes were replaced with jeweled ones that sparkled with each step. She wore a flowing dress of shadow-magic colors, greens and purples with dark bands. She was a shadow wizard, and Purple did not deny that part of her look as she glamorized things up.
It felt like just later that day that she was parked in the waiting room with the other contestants. Most of them were crystal ponies, which made sense to her. Most were also mares. Few were the stallions that wanted to be crowned 'prettiest', but there were three that rose to the call. "I love it." Umbra nodded firmly. "It's so nice that Equestria just rolls with that, and you three are looking pretty!" She clapped for all three of them, getting bashful smiles in return.
One of the stallions struck a pose, blowing a kiss and fluttering lashes that were a bit long on a stallion. "The competition is fierce, but I will stay in the fight to the end. Good luck."
"You too." Umbra hesitated a moment. "You open for a hug?" The answer was the hug itself, the two competitors wishing each other well in a warm embrace.
"I tell you." She looked over the many others. "I expected more cutthroat grumpy faces in here." That was how it worked in the movies, right? "I am not complaining. May the prettiest win, and let everyone have a good time." That got the room to stomp in approval. They would do their best, together.
"Miss." A crystal mare was looking over at Umbra. "I just want to say, it is an honor to compete at your side. I know I can't beat you, but I will do my best."
Umbra blushed at that. "You look pretty fine to me, girl. Don't write yourself off." She waved a hoof at the crystal mare. "I love how your dress really works off your general shininess. It's great! Compliments to whoever designed it, and you for wearing it."
But then it was time to do the walk. Umbra had never strutted for a crowd. The only strut she knew required being a biped, which was a thing she wasn't anymore. She wasn't the first called, thankfully, so she watched how the others showed off their stuff. "Just like... that."
"The next contestant, Great and Honorable, Umbra the Brave and Glorious!" The crowd began to cheer and stomp and clap wildly before she had even shown herself. She tried to fight it, but her cheeks lit up brightly despite her commands. She was a star, like it or not. She emerged from behind the curtain, smiling as best she could. Slow walk, show off those hips. She swayed her tail in time with each step. Be a sexy mare! She wasn't sure if she was doing it right, aping, er, horsing? the style she'd seen the others use.
All the eyes were on her. The place was bright, lights reflecting brilliantly off crystal chandeliers. The cheers of the sizable crowd washed over her as she worked her way down the walkway. Something yanked her to the side and she began to list. Even as she tumbled, she realized what it was. She had stepped on her own dress and tripped. Her eyes flared brightly as her magic took a firm grip of her own body, righting herself and avoiding a tumble. The crowd roared. Did they even know she'd almost toppled over?
Play it cool. She did her best to look like that was all part of the show. Flutter the lashes, keep going, right... She made it back to the curtains and ducked into the comforting darkness, heaving for breath. "Umbra, walking with shadow in her steps, proving the dark can be so alluring," spoke the announcer, unseen. "Next up..."
"Are you alright?" It was the crystal mare from before. "That looked tense for a moment there."
She had been spotted! "Yes! Oh... so yes." Umbra began to laugh, some of the tension burst with knowing her secret was out. "Did I recover?"
"Magnificently." The crystal mare applauded. "Many will not even know what happened. That was a good save, and you should be proud...er than you already are, for keeping the walk going."
"Now time for the talent show! What's the point of a pretty pony that doesn't do anything? We have enough statues already. Let's let these ponies show off what makes them shine!"
The shows were delightfully varied. The stallion she had hugged played music on crystal glasses, running his hooves over their rims in an enchantingly complex song for such an odd instrument. The crowd cheered the demonstration.
A mare hopped through flaming hoops. Another went up on her forelegs, doing a handstand walk right down the runway with just as much of a strut and looking calm and collected as she did it.
"I'd like to give a speech." Another mare spoke on the challenges of crystal ponies, coming from such a long time ago in a lyrical rhyming stance that had the crowd stomping along with the beat.
But it was Umbra's turn. She cantered out onto the middle of the stage with a bright sharp smile. "Alright everyone! I hope you're ready to bask in my shine." Even as she said the last word, purplesh darkness exploded from her. It didn't rob senses, instead plunging the room into strange anti-colors. Umbra grew in power, or at least she appeared to, giving the audience shadow vision. "Because I have such sights to share." Her hooves flared with shadow magic as she laughed, launching into a full demonstration of her shadowy tricks.
She strode off the stage with a confident smile. The crowd was cheering wildly behind her. It was, she realized, maybe a little unfair. She had too much of an advantage, being the local hero. She went to her fellow competitors. "Whoever gets second place, they are the real winner in my eyes. I'll make a special prize."
The stallion with the glass-show inclined his head. "You are so confident! What if you are the one getting second place?"
Umbra burst into a new blush, and laughter. "Well, then I guess I'll owe myself a reward. You are all such great sports I'm dying over here." She threw her hooves open. "Win or lose, this was so much fun with great people."
New voices came in from the front, "We have such a delightful collection of talented ponies." Cadance. "To judge them is difficult, but it is our job."
"And one we're going to do." And there was Shining. "But, we're not the only ones. Cast your eyes on the front stage. Images of the contestants will appear. Applaud for them and the winner by popular request will be crowned. Will it be the same as the one we pick? Let's find out."
Cheering and stomps rose and fell, presumably as pictures of the contestants were shown. "That's neat." Umbra nodded firmly. "Two chances to win!"
"This way please." A prim and proper crystal mare was waving at them. "We're about to announce the winners." That got them moving, shuffling up to the front.
"Third place, with a smile for days and hooves that capture music." A great image of the stallion appeared and he trotted out, blowing kisses and looking quite pleased. Cadance leaned forward over her mic. "I dare say he'd be a shoe-in for most handsome, but he manages to balance handsome and beauty in one package." The crowd cheered for the first winner.
Shining put a hoof over the mic, but it heard him anyway, a fact he seemed to know, the wink he gave. "Honey, keep your eyes forward."
She stuck out her tongue in defiance. "Second place, our local hero of shadows. Rated 'the thing I hope is hiding under my bed.' Umbra!" Cadance waved as Umbra emerged, looking surprised. She had gotten second place. Still, um, second place! That was still really good!
#1 went to the crystal mare, shining with all the lights directed at her with dazzling brilliance where her dress didn't mute it to lend vibrant splashes of colors as she waved and thanked the crowd.
"But that's not all. You chose your favorite." Shining stood up, waving to the front. "And there she is." Umbra was suddenly pushed out past the curtain into the light. "Great and Honorable, Umbra the Brave and Glorious!" The cheering was loud, arguably too loud as hooves stomped and voices called. "Brave defender, home builder, smoking hot dress wearer, and proving that magic is in the hooves of the wielder." He and Cadance applauded, allowing the crowd to do the wild part of things.
"T-thanks." Umbra was lit up, bright under her dark fur. "You're all too much! It's been nothing but a delight joining you all here in the Crystal Empire. Let's make more great memories together." She blew a kiss, only making the cheering get louder. "Thank you!"
That didn't stop the smug look they were all giving her as she returned to the waiting room. "Yeah yeah." She turned to the stallion. "I'm giving that prize over to you. Boy, you were rocking it and not afraid to let the world see it. You get my vote! Let me know what sort of thing you'd like."
The stallion dipped his head. "You are too kind. It was an honor to compete against you. So close! But I lost to two visions of enchantment, so I can't be all that angry." He set a hoof over his chest. "Keep watch over us and I will consider my prize received in full. Your kind words mean more than any crystal bauble you would waste time on when you could be doing more important work."
The other crystal ponies applauded his decisision. The one other not-crystal pony snorted. "He's being shy. Make him something nice and he'll treasure it forever."
Umbra softly giggled. "I had a feeling that might be what was going on. Prepare yourself, because I'm going to waste some time." Her tongue slipped free. "Not that making gifts for a new friend is ever a waste of time."
The contest was over with not a single hard feeling to be had. It likely helped that the entire idea was entirely alien to the crystal ponies. Just being a part of it was novel and amazing all on its own. With luck, the traditions set on that first one would carry forward, and the contestants would remain ever bright and warm to one another each year they came together to shine as brightly as they could on the eager audience.
At least, Umbra hoped so.