//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: The Hills Are Alive With... Er, Music? 
// Story: I Prefer Show Tunes 
// by Harmony Charmer 
//------------------------------//

	The Cutie Mark Crusaders typically start their meetings with a bang; sometimes literally, if that time they tried to earn their pyrotechnic cutie marks was any correlation (Applejack had their tails for nearly setting the clubhouse aflame). Somepony would always make a grand suggestion of how to get their cutie marks, although it almost always ended in disaster by that suggester' s lead. That never stopped them from going at it, though.

That is, unless some members are missing from the bunch.

"Anypony know what time it is?" Apple Bloom asked lazily, looking up from the craft table with a frown.

Scootaloo glanced at the clock on the wall, briefly wondering why Apple Bloom didn't remember it, then laid back in her chair once more. "Way past when Sweetie was supposed to show up, that's for sure."

Apple Bloom groaned. "Is she out with Button again?"

Scootaloo frowned. "Probably not... She's probably at home, listening to her Bridleway albums."

They both sighed collectively, their eyes rolling in simultaneous annoyance and agreement. Ever since her victory at the school talent show a couple months back and a public performance at one of their adult friends' wedding, Sweetie had begun spending less time with the Crusaders and more of it by herself, though she seemed to spend more time with Button than Scootaloo and Apple Bloom to begin with.

"Yeesh, when was the last time she hung with us?" Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo paused to think about it. "Well, she talked with us at school today."

"Ah meant outside of school," Apple Bloom added, a tad more annoyed.

Scootaloo frowned. "Good point. I mean, it's been awhile, hasn't it?"

Apple Bloom nodded. "Yep, it has. Think we should say somethin' when she gets here?"

Suddenly, the door to the clubhouse opened, revealing a frazzle-maned Sweetie Belle. She darted in, grinning and skipping with excitement. "Did you guys hear?!"

Scootaloo arched a brow, hoping that Sweetie didn't hear them talking about her. "Uh, hear what?"

Sweetie faltered a bit, but she was still eccentric nonetheless. "About the play! The school's doing a play!" She pulled a flier out from her saddlebags. "They announced it after school!"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got up and looked at the paper, their eyes scanning over it as they read over the information out loud. "'Ponyville Elementary presents a rendition of the Bridleway classic, Eclipse, showing the tale of Princess Luna's descent into Nightmare Moon through--'"

"Music!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, hopping up in excitement. "Isn't that awesome?"

Suddenly, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's excitement faded into annoyance. "You're here to show us something for a musical?" Scootaloo droned out.

Sweetie gaped at them, then frowned as she glared at them. "An awesome musical that earned three of the ten Pony Awards they were nominated for and won the six out of eleven nominations for the Drama Desk Awards!" She held up a hoof. "And then there's the fact that the leading actress in the original cast won a Pony Award, too! The day you besmirch the great name of Wicked Talent is the day you make an enemy of me!"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "OK, getting over how incredibly nerdy you sound, why are you showing us this?"

Sweetie perked up in excitement. "Because how cool would it be if we got to perform in this? I mean, it'd be so totally awesome!" She looked up dramatically. "We'd be telling the story of Princess Luna, all through music and dancing!" She turned towards them with bright eyes. "What's not to love?"

"Uh, other than the fact it has a bunch of singing in it?" Apple Bloom commented.

Sweetie frowned at her. "We literally sang an entire song the other day. Don't give me that 'musicals are lame because of how much singing there is' excuse like Rainbow Dash."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the mention of Rainbow, who she knew was a huge musical dork like Sweetie was. "Yeah, well, I don't think I wanna get up and sing an aria over the super depressing stuff Luna went through."

Sweetie frowned. "But, it has a happy ending! Luna ends up good at the end and we get to see her returning with Celestia, even though she lost Clover the Clever and Princess Platinum during her thousand year imprisonment. Plus, there's that awesome song 'The Night Will Last Forever'! I can't wait to sing it!"

"Doesn't sound very happy to me," Apple Bloom commented.

Sweetie sighed. "You guys do get that in order for us to see Luna turn good, the Elements of Harmony are gonna have to be in the play, right? Meaning that--"

Scootaloo's jaw dropped and she leaped towards Sweetie. "Rainbow Dash is in the play?!"

"Well, the part of her, yes, but--"

"When's the audition?!" Scootaloo exclaimed, grabbing Sweetie and shaking her excessively. "When's the audition?!"

"Ne-ext wee-eek!" Sweetie cried out, her words jerking with her body.

Scootaloo dropped her to the ground, her eyes widening. "Next week? How am I supposed to make myself so undeniably awesome for the part in that amount of time?" She put on a determined face. "With Luna as my witness, I vow to hold up to Rainbow Dash's caliber of awesomeness by that time!"

Apple Bloom frowned at her friend's display as she helped up Sweetie Belle. "Y'know, you don't have to be so dramatic about it. It's not that big a deal."

Sweetie sighed once more. "Yeah, well, I guess Scoots and I can be in the play while you do tech stuff. Besides, you might not be up for it."

Apple Bloom arched a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sweetie waved a hoof. "Oh, nothing. I guess you're not up for performing since that talent show a couple years back, huh? I mean, who'd expect you to try out? I mean, especially since I heard so many other ponies were going to..."

Apple Bloom "hmmph"ed. "Nice try, but Ah ain't goin' for none of that reverse psychology nonsense."

Sweetie frowned, then shrugged. "Eh, worth a shot."

Scootaloo held up a hoof. "Anypony thinking what I'm thinking?"

Sweetie grinned. "You know it!"

The two fillies smacked hooves. "Cutie Mark Crusaders: Bridleway Actors!"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Good luck, you two. Yer gonna need it."


*	*	*


"Silver Spoon, did you hear?" Diamond Tiara asked, a little more excited than usual. Her usual resting face of meanness and anger dissipated into nothingness as she trotted alongside Silver Spoon, who wasn't sure what to make of Diamond's sudden mood change.

Silver Spoon shook her head, trying not to appear clueless. Diamond didn't like it when she was clueless. "Hear what?"

Diamond frowned, returning to her original sullenness. "Uh, about the play the school's having? You were there with me when I got the flier, remember?"

Silver blinked in remembrance, the memory brushing over her mind. "Oh, yeah. What about it?"

Diamond gawked at her. "What about it? You mean, other than the fact that this is one of the greatest Bridleway classics of all time?"

"Uh, what?" Silver blurted out, confused.

Diamond sighed in annoyance and she stopped her trot to put a hoof over her face. "Ugh, all these ponies and their ridiculous mediocrity!" She glared at Silver disapprovingly. "You know, I expect it from those Cutie Mark Lame-os, but from you?" She scoffed. "You know better than that."

Silver resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm not a big Bridleway fan. Or a musical fan. Or even a Princess Luna fan."

Diamond glared at her. "There are so many things about what you just said that made me want to hit you, but due to my ladylike behavior, I must abstain from doing so." She put on a smile. "Besides, this is a big chance for me to gain revenge on that stupid Sweetie Belle!"

"Uh, how? She doesn't seem like a Bridleway fan," Silver observed aloud.

Diamond scoffed. "Duh! But, she's still gonna want to try out because she thinks she's this big shot now that she can sing in public!" She smirked evilly. "I can't wait to knock her off that pedestal when I get up there and rock 'The Night Will Last Forever'!"

Silver, this time, did roll her eyes, though Diamond didn't see it. "And how do you think things are gonna go down after you beat Sweetie? You think Button's just gonna ditch her?"

'Besides, that didn't work out so well last time, Miss Comedy Award,' Silver thought, careful not to air it out loud.

Diamond rolled her eyes. "Please. Like I need him anymore! I am so over that high-pitched ball of annoyance!" She rose her brows expressively. "Plus, knowing her, she'll get him to try out to be Clover the Clever so that way they can kiss onstage!" She grinned. "And by the time I'm done with my audition, I'll be the one to steal a kiss from Button and it'll just tear her to bits knowing that I got the part and got to kiss Button!"

Silver frowned. She had been a witness to Sweetie Belle's singing abilities on not one, but two occasions, and she wasn't exactly sure if Diamond was capable of reaching her range. Granted, Diamond, like lots of ponies, could sing very well, but it was still going to be hard to envision her singing as a lead, let alone a likable one. "I don't know... What if she gets the part?"

Diamond narrowed her eyes. "Oh, believe me... She won't." She perked up. "Now, let's head to my place! We got a lot of practicing to do!"

"Huh?" Silver blurted out. "Why?"

Diamond frowned. "What? Someone needs to play Princess Platinum!" She flipped her mane. "She's just a supporting character, it's not that too big for you to handle."

Silver frowned a bit. 'No, but I think this might be a bit too big for you to handle.'