"Eight..."
Golden Pants giggled, ducking lower behind the bush at the edge of the neighborhood playground. She could see several ponies from where she was huddled. Clarity had climbed on top of the monkey bars—as if height would save her. Crystal Wishes's hooves peeked out from underneath the slide, but she was otherwise hidden. Decent enough. A blue-and-red tail hung down from the foliage of a tree in the yard. Close, but not quite.
High Horse stood on her hindlegs, her forelegs crossed and braced against the tree, counting up until it became time for her to seek them all out.
"... Nine..."
Golden curled up into a little ball with her tail wrapped around her hooves. She had the best hiding spot: a row of yellow rose bushes that matched her coat perfectly. Her blue mane and tail didn't quite blend in, though, so she had to make herself as small as possible.
"... Ten!" High Horse lifted her head and looked around. "Ready or not, here I come!"
The blue filly trotted forward, pranced in a circle, and paused. Her ears flicked this way and that while her gaze darted about, searching, seeking. She mumbled to herself and, when she tilted her head back, she pointed at Clarity. "Found you!"
"Aww!" Clarity swung down to hang from her hindlegs, then dropped onto the grass. "Shucks!"
High Horse smiled. She was pleased with herself, the silly filly. But she still had six ponies to go, and Golden had no intention of being found!
A suspicious giggle from behind a recycling bin drew High Horse's attention. One more pony discovered, five more to go. And that was when Golden spotted the endearingly simple Frostpointe, perched in the middle of the sandbox, his forehooves covering his eyes.
His ears wiggled with glee as High Horse trotted up to him. "Found you," she exclaimed, but he didn't move. "Found you?"
Frostpointe remained still, other than snickering as though he was getting away with something. High Horse reached out and gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Frosty?"
"Aww... I was hoping you weren't talking to me." He lowered his hooves. "I couldn't see you, so how did you see me?"
Golden rolled her eyes, grinning to herself. Four down. She was almost to the halfway mark. She was going to win. Nothing was going to stop her.
"Golden!"
... Except, maybe, her mother.
"Golden Pants, come along, now." Her mother's voice was distant, and Golden spotted her on the opposite end of the playground. "Where are you, darling?"
Golden stayed put. She wanted to win! Her mother could wait.
Lyrica Lilac tapped a hoof impatiently. She wasn't going to wait, was she? But High Horse had just found Arrow hiding in the tree! That only left two other ponies! Golden nibbled on her lower lip. "Just a moment, Mom," she whispered under her breath.
Lyrica walked over toward High Horse, who was starting to zero in on Crystal. "High Horse, sweetheart. Have you seen my daughter?"
"Oh, no, ma'am!" High Horse ducked her head. "I haven't found her yet. We, um, we're playing hide-and-seek, and... she's hiding."
"I see. Well, tell her to stop hiding." Lyrica waved a hoof.
Golden felt something moving behind her, like a sudden swirl of wind but without the breeze. She recognized the sensation as magical in nature and turned her head to see Midnight Snow appearing from thin air.
Midnight Snow lowered her head down to Golden's level. "Hey. Your mother's looking for you."
"You cheated!" Golden gawked at her, eyes wide in shock.
"What? No. The game is hide-and-seek. I was hiding. With a hiding spell." She straightened up. "Mrs. Lyrica, she's over here."
Muttering under her breath, Golden leaned around the rose bush and offered a sheepish smile. "Hi, Mom."
High Horse pranced in place. "Oh! That was a really good spot, Golden! I would have never found you there!"
Lyrica huffed lightly as she waved a hoof to gesture Golden to her. "Come along, dear. I've signed you up for a camp this summer. You have to pass an interview first, so don't dally. Say goodbye to your friends."
"Summer camp?" Golden's ears flattened to the sides. "But, Mom! I don't do summer camp!"
The stare she received in response snapped her mouth shut. Summer camp? That was for filly scouts and tomcolts! Dragging her hooves, she made her way over to her mother and glanced back at her friends. High Horse waved her off with a smile and the others gathered around to decide on a new game.
Her mother walked with a graceful air about her. Everything she did was graceful. She was basically grace ponified into a beautiful mare.
"It's such a shame for your friend," Lyrica started. "That dreadful naming fad her mother fell for. High Horse, Mary Mare, Pony Tail... It's such a relief it didn't stick, though ponies like your friend are stuck with it." Her tail flicked. "Nonetheless, it's of no real consequence. You're destined for great things, my little sunshine. You're going to the same elite camp that made me the power pony I am today."
"Power pony camp?" Golden's breath nearly caught in her throat as excitement flared within her. "Really? I'm finally old enough for it?!"
Lyrica smiled down at her. "Well, that's up to you, now, isn't it? You're going to have to make it through an interview first. Make me proud, darling."
Golden did her very best to match her mother's graceful stride, but she had to move too quick to keep up, so all grace was lost. She was going to learn to be just like her famous, powerful mother. There were fan clubs all across Equestria devoted to Lyrica Lilac, the Golden Voice of Opera.
Determination replaced the feeling of excitement. Golden wanted to be the Golden Something of Anything, and learning how to be a power pony was the first step.
♕
A clock ticked on one wall of the spacious office, filling the awkward silence. Golden did her best not to fidget in the uncomfortably rigid chair. Across from her sat an older mare with a grey mane tied into a tight bun, her expression betraying no hint of emotion as she looked over a piece of paper.
"Always keep your head high," her mother's voice snapped, and she straightened her posture.
"Miss Golden Pants," the mare said, lifting her gaze, "why do you believe you should be enrolled in this summer's camp?"
"Never let anypony bring you down." She had to avoid any language like 'believe', 'would like', 'hopefully', or 'please'. Her mother said those were weak words for weak ponies.
Golden smiled and waved her hoof to paw at the air. Her mother did that all the time for whatever reason. "I don't, Ms. Influence. I know I should."
Ms. Influence's ears perked and a smile crossed her lips. "Is that so? Well, that's a good attitude to have. But are you prepared for the work ahead? Becoming a power pony does not simply happen overnight. It takes hard work and determination to reach the top."
"You are the star of your universe."
"Oh, that's no concern, Ms. Influence." Golden tossed her mane over her shoulder and gave a winning smile. "I'll do whatever it takes to be the star."
With a chuckle, Ms. Influence set aside the paper in her hooves and stood. "I expected nothing less from the daughter of Lyrica Lilac. One of our best success stories. She clearly trained you well, so there's no need for any further formalities of an interview. Come, then, let me show you around and introduce you to some of the ponies that have already enrolled."
Golden daintily stepped down from the seat and walked alongside the older mare, doing her very best to imitate her mother's way of walking. That long stride of hers where she seemed to walk on air, her hooves barely touching the ground...
"Here at the Canterlot Camp for Excellence, we train fillies to walk, talk, live, and breathe the life of the elite. We do not tolerate the average or the mundane. To become a pony like your mother and father, one must rise above."
She wanted to pay attention. She absolutely wanted to, but her focus was drawn to the paintings that lined the walls of the hallway they walked. Mares and stallions were posed in fancy attire and looked down their noses at those who passed by. Her blood ran cold when she met her mother's painted gaze next to the smiling face of her father.
Beautiful golden locks framed an equally beautiful face. Her mother was perfect in every way. Golden wanted to be perfect, too, just like her.
Ms. Influence cleared her throat as she stood by a door that she held open. "Miss Pants?"
Golden's ears flicked back. "Please, call me Golden." She trotted forward and through the doorway, freezing when she saw the group of ponies inside.
Four fillies and two colts sat at a table, engaged in a conversation that abruptly ended when Golden had walked in. All eyes were on her. Greedy eyes that took her in and judged her worth right then and there. She felt suddenly small and insignificant under the weight of their stares.
"Fillies and gentlecolts," Ms. Influence announced, "this is Golden Pants. She will be joining our camp this summer. I have five more interviews, so if you'll excuse me. Please enjoy the refreshments and mingle."
Head high. Shoulders square. Tail not tucked between her legs. Golden started to walk forward, but the moment the door closed, their mouths opened.
"Golden Pants? What sort of name is that?" one filly teased while another laughed behind a hoof.
"Well, I suppose it's better than something dreadful like Golden Overalls." A colt ran a hoof through his mane. "Imagine how embarrassing that would be."
A chorus of laughter circled the table and Golden felt a tremble start to overtake her.
Never let anypony bring you down.
Golden stuck her nose in the air and strode across the room to one of the empty seats. "Honestly, I would have expected better from ponies attempting to enter the world of elite. One never mocks a pony to their face." Once she was seated, she did her best impression of her mother's smiling sneer. The looks on their faces told her she had pulled it off. "You never know who you're talking to."
One filly rolled her eyes. "Oh, right, sure. And who are we talking to?"
Holding out one hoof to examine the glimmering polish, Golden said in an idle tone, "The daughter of Lyrica Lilac and Fancy Pants. Surely you know of them?"
Silence dominated the room. She had won, so she allowed herself a victory smirk. Her parents were ponies everypony not only should know, but did know. That made her a somepony now, and she wasn't going to let these foals forget it. She was going to be the star.
Somepony...