//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Dum, dum, da-dum // Story: Friendship is mADgic // by Dafaddah //------------------------------// Friendship is Madgic Chapter 4: Dum, dum, da-dum UnEdited as yet (Author's note: Open this in another tab and then come back and start reading.) The screen lit up showing a poster displaying an image of a pony: a head shot of Rarity sporting one of her signature Sunbonnets. Over her head were two lines of text which read "Fashion Show Tonight at the Carousel Boutique, Ponyville, Equestria." Slowly the scene pulled back, revealing two human girls, a tall blond and a shorter brunette, dressed in flowing gowns. The tall one giggled loudly and placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "A fashion show? In Equestria? But ponies don't wear any clothes! What are they gonna show off, fur?" The girl giggled again then straightened up. “I’m never converting! I would rather die, because,” she adopted a dramatic pose with the back of one hand on her forehead, “I cannot live without fashion!” The other girl was laughing while looking at the image on the wall. Her smile faded as a faint sound of drums could be heard. It seemed to come from the poster. The two girls leaned in towards the image of Rarity. The drums beat louder: dum, dum, da-dum, da, dum, dum, da-dum! The image of Rarity on the wall moved, the hat dipping slightly with the beat. The girls moved backwards suddenly. Celestia heard Luna's surprised indrawn breath. Rarity on the screen moved again. Horns began to sound, adding another raucous layer to the beat: bwaaaa, waa-a-waa, bwaaaa, waa-a-waa. Rarity’s head moved with the beat, and suddenly she was out of the poster and fully three dimensional, tapping her forehooves before the two surprised humans. She was also wearing a long white dress with a simple cut that emphasized her alabaster back, elegant coiffe and her long neck that sported a short string of diamonds. On her hooves were delicate silver slippers. “Well darlings,” said Ponyville’s premiere fashionista, “in Equestria not only do we love fashion, but it’s our style to to make it sing, sing, sing, with a swing!” The music took off with a blast of horns and clarinets. Rarity’s hooves began to fly as she tap-danced to the lively sound. Celestia leaned forward on her throne. I had no idea Rarity could tap dance! And to Benny Goodpony at that! She smiled broadly and risked a glance at her sister. Luna was leaning dangerously forward on her own throne, a look of utter surprise on her muzzle. The blond human lifted the hem of her dress, and tapped out a staccato series of steps while Rarity watched. The mare repeated the moves with her forelegs, adding an extra flourish. The brunette then issued her own challenge as the mare and the other human watched. Rarity repeated that sequence using only hindlegs. Then the three repeated their sequences simultaneously, Rarity matching both of the humans’ moves with all four legs! The three rested a moment as the drum beat a solo sequence. On the screen, Pinkie-pie and Fluttershy entered the dance, both wearing flowing ballroom gowns. They positioned themselves just behind the unicorn mare, mirroring her every move, each one doing the same complex four-hooved step. There was an red flash in the air above them, and suddenly, there stood Big Macintosh wearing an immaculate white smoking jacket and black tie. Rarity moved to face him. Clickety-click-ty-click went her forehooves. Clickety-click-ty-click went Big Mac’s. Clickety-click-click-click went Rarity’s hindhooves. Clickety-click-click-click went the stallion’s. With a blare of horns, the two began a complex series of moves, dancing around each other, with Pinkie and Fluttershy orbiting in step around the pair. The two humans looked at each other, shrugged and hand-in-hand began to swing with the music. The ponies approached the pair and together all six made a complex series of moves including arms, forelegs and necks. Pinkie and Fluttershy paired off, as did the two humans. Each pair locked forelimbs and began swinging each other in turn. They lined up next to Big Mac and Pinkie swung Fluttershy right over his back, and the motion was completed by Fluttershy pulling Pinkie over his back in turn. The human girls did the same, ending up on the opposite side of the large farmpony. There was another sequence with all three pairs gyrating around a common center. With a last flourish of horns and clarinet, the music ended, Rarity sitting side-saddle on Big Mac’s back, the pony mares leaning on one of his flanks and the humans girls on the other. The camera zoomed-in close on Rarity’s visage. The image froze in the same pose as at the beginning of the segment. The camera then pulled back revealing the two human girls again, looking at Rarity’s face on the poster. The girl who had giggled at the idea of a pony fashion show looked to the other human. “I take it back. Fashion in Equestria really swings, and on all four legs!" "So you'll consider converting before it's too late?" asked her friend. "I have to admit, compared to the alternative, it's more than just the fashionable thing to do. And I can't wait to try on some of those dresses!" The girls giggled and walked off-screen together. The lights came up. Rarity stood next to the screen. Celestia looked at her sister and gently lifted Luna’s lower jaw back into place. “That was exquisite, Rarity! You ladies, and those two humans are truly amazing dancers! And that was Applejack’s brother, was it not?” Applejack moved up next to Rarity, with the rest of the Bearers close behind. “Sure enough, that was Big Mac. I recon he got all the dancin’ genes ‘cause I sure didn’t. But that was mighty fun to watch!” Luna sat back down on her throne. “I surely must spend more time in Ponyville. So much has passed me over in the last thousand years. Perhaps, Rarity, you can teach me to dance as well.” “I’m willing to try, your majesty. But I’ve already had to admit defeat trying to teach Twilight,” she replied demurely. Twilight blushed. “It wasn't a total loss. At least I can dance for my own enjoyment, if not for that of others.” All the other elements were suddenly looking elsewhere. Celestia was forced to extinguish a snort before it might offend her favorite student. “Well then, that leaves Fluttershy,” said Celestia. “Shall we?” The lights grew dim.