A couple of days later, Miracle, Vito and Pureblood were sitting in the garden again, trying to think up new ways to get their Cutie Marks, when Hurricane raced over.
"I got it!" She squealed. "I got it, I got it, I got it!"
"It's not contagious, is it?" Vito snarked.
"Very funny." Hurricane sneered.
"I thought so, too." Vito smirked, as Pureblood nudged him.
"What's up, Hurri?" Miracle asked.
"There's this big charity fashion show going on in Canterlot, and they're looking for volunteers." Hurricane smiled. "This could be it. Our special talents could have something to do with fashion!"
"What do you mean 'our'?" Pureblood asked. "This really seems like a 'filly' thing."
"Yeah, who cares about some prissy girls strutting down a catwalk?" Vito agreed.
"You know, they have male models, too." Miracle pointed out.
"Really?!" Vito lighted up, eager for any opportunity to show off, "In that case, I'm in!"
"I'm not." Pureblood declared. "Unlike you, V, I'm not interested in showing off."
"Come on, PB." Hurricane urged. "We're a team, remember?"
"I'm sure there'll be something for you to do backstage." Miracle offered. "Wouldn't hurt to try, at least."
"Sorry, but no." Pureblood declared, "I just don't see the appeal of the whole thing."
"Then you leave us no choice." Miracle smirked.
"...What do you mean?" Pureblood gulped.
Miracle and Hurricane each pulled a feather from their wings.
"No..." Pureblood stepped back in realization. "You can't..."
"Wanna bet?" Hurricane grinned, "My mom does this to my dad all the time."
"Now, now, let's be reasonable…" Pureblood stammered.
"Get him!" Miracle shouted.
The girls tackled Pureblood, and started tickling him with the feathers.
"AHAHAHAHAH!" Pureblood laughed. "Vito, help!"
"Sorry, bro." Vito chuckled. "Not getting between you and the girls…"
"HAHAHA! ...Fine, I'm in, too!" Pureblood guffawed, prompting Miracle and Hurricane to stop. "But just so you know, I don't do sewing."
The kids raced to Canterlot's town center, where the fashion show was being put together.
"Are you sure we can just waltz on in and get a place in the show?" Pureblood asked.
"How soon you forget, dear brother." Vito smirked. "We're royalty. The common folk will have to let us in."
"Not how I would've put it." Miracle frowned. "Besides, I don't think it'll be a problem."
Miracle pointed to the judge's table; Alongside the famous supermodel Fleur De Lis and fashion photographer Photo Finish was Prince Blueblood. He had offered his services by virtue of being 'the most handsome prince in Equestria.'
"Dad?" Pureblood and Vito chorused.
"Great!" Hurricane smiled. "We can go ask him!"
The Crusader quartet dashed over to Blueblood.
"Boys?" He gaped. "What are you doing here?"
"Can we be in the show, dad?" Vito asked.
"It might be our special talent!" Miracle added.
"Pretty please with chimicherrychangas on top?" Hurricane begged.
"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt." Blueblood shrugged. "Just give me a moment to inform the ponies in back."
"Oh, I'm not modelling, by the way." Pureblood raised his hoof. "Can you see if they have a job for me backstage?"
"I certainly will, Pureblood." Blueblood smiled.
Blueblood went backstage and pulled some strings, arranging for Miracle, Vito and Hurricane to come out last, and for Pureblood to help dress them.
"This is gonna be so much fun!" Hurricane squealed.
"Fun?" A voice rang out. "You rookies have a lot to learn about the catwalk."
The speaker was a Pegasus filly of about their age, with a pale pink coat and a purple mane. Her eyes were gold, and her Cutie Mark was a high-heeled shoe.
"And you are?" Miracle asked.
"Strut Step." The filly introduced herself. "Professional child model. Best there is, in fact. And let me tell you: This ain't fun and games. It's serious business. You don't wanna mess up, trust me."
"What makes you think we're going to mess up?" Vito preened.
"Gee, maybe the fact that you have no experience, and the only reason you're even here is because your royal daddy got you in?" Strut smirked. "You should've left this to the professionals, like me."
"Just wait and see." Hurricane boasted. "We're gonna leave the crowd speechless."
"That'll be the day." Strut rolled her eyes, before turning to Pureblood. "You're not part of this madness, are you?"
"I'm not really the modelling type... no offense." Pureblood admitted.
"None taken." Strut smiled. "Nice to know one of you has some sense..."
"Oh… thank you…" Pureblood nodded, blushing a bit.
"Too bad your friends aren't as smart." Strut declared.
"We'll just see who's smart, prissy!" Hurricane growled.
"Easy, Hurri." Miracle calmed her. "Don't let her get to you."
"Yeah." Vito added. "We'll soon see who the real models are around here."
"Yeah." Strut nodded. "We will."
The show soon started. With the Crusaders being last, that gave them plenty of time to work on their look. As they worked, they heard the judges giving their opinions of the models: Fleur was nice, Photo was mean, and Blueblood was perfectly honest (which was both good and bad, depending on the model).
"Such a lovely ensemble." Fleur smiled at the current model. "And what wonderful poise."
"Bah." Photo Finish snorted. "I haff seen greater balance on a one-legged buffalo! And that dress would look better on one, too!"
"Well, you do have good poise." Blueblood told the model. "But I'm afraid that dress doesn't really work on you... Did I mention you have good poise?"
The model returned backstage, downtrodden.
"You know, I think I actually have a knack for this." Pureblood admitted, as he added a bow to Miracle's mane. "A stylist Cutie Mark wouldn't be so bad... I mean, our dad spends at least an hour every morning styling his mane, and he's considered the most handsome prince of Equestria! It's must be in the genes!"
"I think this dress really brings out my eyes." Miracle declared of her hot pink frilled outfit with gold ribbons. "What do you think, Hurri?"
"I think this make-up makes me look incredible!" Hurricane boasted, having applied a liberal coating of blusher and eyeshadow.
"Like it matters." Vito smirked as he styled his mane, a tuxedo and evening jacket adorning his midsection. "Who in their right mind would even glance at you two, when there's a vision like me on the runway?"
"Careful, V." Pureblood snorted. "If your head were any bigger, there wouldn't be room in here for the rest of us."
"Jealous much?" Vito sneered. "Maybe if you ask me nicely, I'll share my beauty secrets with you."
"I'll keep that in mind." Pureblood rolled his eyes. "By the way, our grandpa and the entire Napoleon mafia family called… they want their suit back."
"Hmph, at least I spent a little time listening to uncle Murray." Vito huffed.
A clamor of clapping was heard, as Strut Step just finished her walk down the runway, showing off a silvery gown.
"Magnificent!" Fleur declared. "A triumph."
"Hmph." Photo Finish sniffed. "Not ze worst example of modelling I haff seen today..."
"Young filly, you are a marvel." Blueblood declared. "The perfect blend of style and grace."
Strut returned backstage, pretty proud of herself.
"You're up, rookies." She called, not even glancing in their direction.
"Showtime." Miracle smiled.
"Let's wow them!" Hurricane beamed.
"My adoring subjects awaits." Vito beamed.
As they headed for the catwalk, Strut finally looked at them, and stared.
"How'd'ya like us now, little miss 'professional'?" Hurricane smirked.
As they moved past the curtain, Strut trotted over to Pureblood.
"Do you know what they look like?!" She whispered.
"Yep." Pureblood nodded. "And I helped."
"…Oh, dear…" Strut shook her head.
"What?" Pureblood asked.
"...Nothing." Strut sighed. "Nice job on the... bows."
"Thanks." Pureblood said proudly. "It seems I have an eye for color."
"Can't argue with that." Strut shrugged.
The Crusaders strutted down the catwalk. The crowd gasped, watching silently as the trio went by. Despite what they thought, their clothing, hairstyle and makeup had turned out an utter mess. They looked more like clowns than models. Vito wasn't helping matters, with his exaggerated poses and facial expressions.
"You were right, Hurri." Miracle whispered. "They're speechless."
They stopped at the end of the runway, eager to hear the judge's reactions.
"Well, that is really... creative." Fleur said awkwardly.
"I haff no wordz." Photo Finish said simply, but in her head, she added 'Zhat are any gut, at leazt.'
"I can honestly say I've never seen anything like this before." Blueblood declared, trying his best to not damper his god-daughter, his cousin, and his own son's spirit. "You've given this show an ending none of us will soon forget."
Smiling proudly, the trio went back down the catwalk, to more stunned silence. As soon as they went back-stage…
"Vow…" Photo Finish gaped. "And one of them iz your child?!"
"Yes, he is." Blueblood said solemnly. "My boy..."
Backstage, the trio were celebrating their 'success'.
"That was awesome!" Hurricane cheered. "Did you see their faces?"
"Well, obviously, they know beauty when they see it." Vito grinned.
"Hey, maybe...!" Miracle gasped.
They all took off their outfits, revealing... still blank flanks.
"Oh, well." Miracle sighed. "Let's get cleaned up.
"You guys struck out, too?" Pureblood walked over, his flank also blank.
"Sure did." Vito sighed. "Still, it wasn't a total disaster. We were pretty good out there."
"Maybe we can even give this model stuff another try someday." Hurricane suggested, as she removed her makeup.
"I think once was enough." Strut remarked.
"Maybe she's right." Miracle smiled. "As fun as it was, I don't think it's really my thing."
"Speak for yourself." Vito chuckled.
And so, another quest had failed. But the Crusaders were far from discouraged. The fun they had that day was compensation enough.