The Sheltered Princess

by Applefai

Backstage

As the royal family talked, Twilight is in her dressing room getting ready for her performance. She ties her shoes and gets on her dress she had on to spy on Starlight Glimmer when the royal sisters had a friendship problem. She looks into the mirror as she admires herself while putting her hair in a bun, thinking on how she organized this, this ballet is to raise bits for helping underprivileged colts and fillies and other races get a proper education everywhere.

She takes deep breaths while pushing out with her hoof. "You got this, everything will be fine." She told herself before peeking out from behind the curtain seeing that it was a full house. The color quickly drained from her face as she rushed back into her dressing room and began to hyperventilate.

A knock is heard at the door followed by a familiar voice.

"Twilight darling, are you about ready?" Rarity asked as she trotted in.

"Yes, just a little nervous, you did a fantastic job on this dress Rarity." Twilight said, trying to hide her stage fright.

"Thank you darling, I do try to please, now tell me why are you nervous?" Rarity asked while doing some last minute touchups to Twilight's makeup.

"I just never performed in front of a big crowd like this, I'm scared I might mess it up, this is one of the biggest ballets in all of Equestria, and Cadence performed in this play a couple of years ago, what if I---" Twilight started freaking out before Rarity grabbed her cheeks.

"You're not Cadence darling so don't compare yourself to her, and besides you got this." Rarity said, trying to help her friend.

Twilight took a breath and started to calm down a bit when Starlight Glimmer came in.

"Hey Twilight, are you ready for tonight?" Starlight asked as she trotted in. "That dress is beautiful, It really looks like the one you used to spy on me." Starlight remarked with a smug look on her face causing Twilight to blush a bit.

"What, me spy? Come on." Twilight said playfully trying to deny that she did that, but it did kinda make her want to try ballet for real, so she asked Cadence to teach her ballet, though nothing could prepare her for the surprise she was in for.

When she arrived at Cadence's place to learn ballet she saw she wasn't the only student, standing right in front of her in ballet leotards were Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"What are you two doing here?" Twilight asked them as they began to blush and think of an excuse.

"Well, we just thought we'd help Cadence measure these ballet leotards." Rainbow Dash said as she and Applejack sweat bullets

Twilight arched an eyebrow knowing Rainbow is a terrible liar, "Really, Rainbow? You know you're a terrible liar." Twilight said as Cadence came in and presented her with a leotard.

"Alright, Applejack and I wanted to learn ballet, it's actually a lot like athletics." Rainbow Dash admitted as Twilight turned her attention to Applejack to hear her explanation.

Applejack's blush was as red as her apples, she let out a nervous chuckle before scratching the back of her head, "it's actually a pretty interestin' art form." She said as she adjusted her hat.

"I'm glad you think so, and I'm more than pleased you asked me to teach you three." Cadence said brimming from ear to ear.

Twilight went to go change and after she came out they began to practice.

"Twilight, Twilight, TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie shouted, snapping her back into the present, "we begin in twenty minutes, are you ready?"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack came in, in their costumes that resemble a soldier and a cop.

"It's a packed house out there, ya sure yer alright, Twilight?" Applejack asked in her cop costume set to represent both the darkness of crime, but also the good that's inside ponies' hearts.

"Yeah, I'm going to be fine, just a bit of stage fright." Twilight said as she breathed in and out like Cadence had taught her.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do this!" Rainbow Dash said in her soldier costume set to represent the horrors of war.

"Okay, we're all set with the bubble for your solo Twilight, I had a little help from Discord to make it unpopable until you finish your solo." Pinkie Pie said as they startled walking on stage and getting into position.

Birds began to chip with Fluttershy conducting them from the catwalk where she'd be invisible to the audience, and then the curtain slowly begins to rise.