E-Girls Beautiful-a belly dance story/ A Sparkling Surprise performance

Here's a look at E-Girls belly dance, a double feature. Enjoy!

## Story

It was mid-afternoon Tuesday at Canterlot High School. By now the after school rush had died down, with most of the students and faculty either gone left for the day, or attending to their after school activities and sports. Although the sun was shining and the wind not blowing, Misty Swirl still wore her favorite dark blue hooded sweatshirt as she left campus.

As she walked past of the base of where the Wondercolt statue once stood, she did her best not to look at her reflection. All the same, she still caught a glimpse of her sad violet eyes on her pale freckled face framed by her long icy blue hair. Hers was not the sort of face that could grace a magazine cover - she was just not a photogenic person. At least, *she* did not think so.

Most days after her classes, she busied herself at home playing video games. Today, she was on her way to the animal shelter where she sometimes volunteered with her friend and classmate Fluttershy - one of the few people she fully trusted. She also enjoyed the animals, since they could never judge her.

Walking past a bus stop, she eyed a poster for the latest blockbuster video game, which prominently featured an attractive, well-endowed female character in a revealing outfit fighting off a motley assortment of ugly, bestial monsters. As much as she enjoyed video games, she long ago learned to tune out the over-the-top visuals so often used in their advertisements.

Still...just once, she wished that she could feel beautiful. *Just once.*

Misty pulled back her hood as she entered through the front doors of the animal shelter. To her surprise, the lobby was completely empty - nobody was even behind the front counter.

"Hello?" she called out. "Fluttershy? Sugarcoat?"

Her ears picked up a faint melody coming from the office behind the counter. Curious, she walked up and put her ear to the door where she could make out an exotic tribal sounding tune. Quietly, she turned the knob and eased the door open.

She found Fluttershy and Sugarcoat inside the office. *Dancing.* Both girls had their shirts hiked up to bare their midriffs and seemed completely engrossed in the exotic tribal sounding tune playing from one of their smartphones.

Misty blinked her eyes. Beyond her favorite tank top and skirt combination, Fluttershy was not one to show much skin and Sugarcoat always dressed conservatively - even by Crystal Prep standards. To see them both like this was surprising to say the least, but even more so was the way they moved. The way they fluidly circled their hips and rolled their bellies. They had clearly practiced long and hard at this! It was nothing Misty like had ever seen before.

Suddenly, Fluttershy and Sugarcoat noticed Misty. They both yelped as they hastily pulled their shirts back down.

"Uh...hi Misty," said Fluttershy.

"You're here early," said Sugarcoat as she silenced her smartphone.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," apologized Misty. "What was that you were both doing just now?"

"Oh you mean, uh, *Danse Du Ventre?*" said Fluttershy coyly.

"Commonly referred to as 'Belly Dance'?" quipped Sugarcoat.

Misty paused for a moment before murmuring *"So beautiful..."*

"Hmm?" Fluttershy and Sugarcoat both gave her a curious look.

"You both looked so beautiful. I mean, you both *are* beautiful, but were even more so when you were dancing just now. I...I wish that I could too..."

Fluttershy and Sugarcoat looked at each other for a moment before breaking into smiles.

"Would you like to learn?" asked Fluttershy.

Misty's violet eyes widened as she nodded her head.

"How's your schedule on Mondays and Wednesdays?" asked Sugarcoat.

\*\*\*

The next day, Wednesday, Misty met up with Fluttershy after classes. As her friend had instructed, she packed a sports bra, workout pants, towel and water bottle. Together they headed over to Whitetail Gardens, where Sugarcoat was waiting for them in the courtyard. The three headed to the second floor, then proceeded all the way to the end of the walkway, where they arrived at Chiffon Veil's dance studio. The receptionist, a sweet little old lady, was just finishing up a phone call.

"Hello Fluttershy, Sugarcoat," she said before turning to Misty. "You must be Misty Swirl. Welcome! Let me get Chiffon Veil."

The receptionist disappeared through the beaded doorway. Less than a minute later, another woman with long dark brown hair emerged clad in form-fitting black dress that flattered her curvaceous figure. She appeared to be in her late forties or early fifties, but still looked stunningly beautiful and carried herself with the energy of a lady half her age. The woman regarded Misty with a warm smile as she took her hand.

"Welcome to my studio, Misty. I am Chiffon Veil."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," replied Misty.

"As am I, dear. No doubt Fluttershy and Sugarcoat have already told you a little bit about what we do here. Here we accept all levels of experience and all body types, because each dancer is beautiful in her own way."

"Yes," said Misty. "And the dance itself is so beautiful. That's why I want to learn."

"And you shall have your chance to show what you've learned at our quarterly recital. But we'll discuss that in further detail later on. Please, go ahead and get changed and we'll begin class in a just little bit."

"Right this way," said Fluttershy.

Misty felt an icy pit form in her stomach as Fluttershy and Sugarcoat led her to the changing room. Recital? They never mentioned performing in front of others! She began to wonder if this was really such a good idea.

Despite the warm welcome she had just received from Chiffon Veil, Misty felt a little self-conscious as she changed into her workout clothes. She scrutinized her reflection in the mirror. Despite her sedentary lifestyle, she had a fairly slim figure. Still, she had never bared her midriff before, and found herself wishing that her breasts and hips were just a little bigger.

Misty's reverie was suddenly shattered when Sugarcoat poked her in the navel without warning. Misty yelped as she glanced down to find Sugarcoat holding a sizable piece of lint between her thumb and forefinger.

"Would've been embarrassing if you went out with that," said Sugarcoat flatly.

Misty actually giggled, as did Fluttershy.

"Good looking out," said Misty.

The three girls proceeded on their bare feet to the dance floor. As they stretched and warmed up, the rest of their dance class arrived one by one. Misty was surprised to see Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who immediately recognized her and welcomed her enthusiastically. Next came Twilight Sparkle - the girl who transferred from Crystal Prep following the Friendship Games. While Misty had not known her as long as the other Canterlot High students, she had always been kind the few times their paths crossed.

The last student to arrive was girl with long green hair. Misty did not recognize her at first, but then remembered seeing her on Crystal Prep's team during the Friendship Games. Sugarcoat brought the green-haired girl over to Misty.

"Misty, allow me to introduce my Crystal Prep classmate Lemon Zest."

"Nice to meet you!" said Lemon as she took Misty's hand.

"Likewise," said Misty, who immediately noticed Lemon's curvy figure.

But the greatest surprise came when Vice Principal Luna of Canterlot High arrived alongside Dean Cadance of Crystal Prep. Misty could not believe the Number Two faculty members of each of their schools were Chiffon Veil's assistant instructors.

"Good evening ladies!" called Chiffon Veil. "I would like to introduce our newest student, Misty Swirl!"

Misty gave a bashful wave as her classmates greeted her enthusiastically. As her first belly dance class got underway, her worries about the recital soon faded away. She would cross that bridge when she came to it. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was part of an exclusive all girls club!

\*\*\*

The next three weeks seemed to just fly by. While Misty had never been fond of physical education, she always looked forward to Monday and Wednesday evenings at Chiffon Veil's dance studio. She left every class feeling a little bit more sure of herself.

Chiffon Veil proved to be an enthusiastic and inspiring instructor. Under her guidance, Misty learned all the basic moves - lifts and drops, slides, shimmies, hip circles, and the most challenging of all, undulations. It was also fun getting to know Vice Principal Luna outside of CHS, as well as Miss Cadance. Misty could easily see why the Crystal Prep students held their dean in such high regard.

In her spare time, Misty found herself researching all that she could about Mediterranean culture and cuisine. It would have been cool to go on a "field trip" with the girls in her dance class to the local Mediterranean restaurant and watch the dancer perform, but that place was extremely expensive. A drink and appetizer alone would have cost her an entire week's lunch budget! Still, she was especially curious about those hookahs (water pipes) she saw some of the patrons smoking.

Unfortunately, she could not just walk into the local vapor shop and buy one, so she looked up instructions for building one online. Over the course of a week, she would assemble her own homemade hookah from a water jug, a couple of fish tank hoses (courtesy of Fluttershy), a small ceramic bowl and a length of pipe. Obtaining the *shisha* (flavored tobacco) and quick light coals, however, proved beyond her means.

Yet even as she honed her dance skills and appreciation of all things Mediterranean, her doubts resurfaced when she was reminded of the recital. In addition to performing two group routines with her class mates, she would also have to perform her own solo routine. Whenever she was at the studio, she found herself constantly stealing glances at her classmates - especially Lemon Zest, whose figure she had come to admire. Although she had a good grasp of all the basic dance moves, how could she possibly hold a candle to any of them?

One day, Misty was walking home from the animal shelter with Fluttershy.

"Do you know what you want to do for your solo?" asked Fluttershy.

"I...can't really decide," replied Misty.

"Do you know what song you want to dance to?"

"There is this one song I really like."

"Why don't you work around that?

"That does make sense. How about you?"

"I'm going to try dancing with my tambourine."

"You don't seem nervous."

"I am. A little. But then I remember to just dance like nobody is watching."

When they arrived at Misty's house, they went to Misty's room do go over their homework. Fluttershy was amazed at the homemade hookah Misty had assembled, although she did caution against using it. When they finished with their homework, they went over their recital routines. Heeding Fluttershy's advice, Misty began to choreograph her solo based on the music she selected.

\*\*\*

It now was the Friday afternoon before the recital. Despite knowing her solo routine and the group routines forwards and backwards, Misty still felt anxious. Her usual therapy of beating up hordes of minions in one of her games - in perfect chains exceeding 200 hits - was just not working for her. She needed to put her mind at ease.

A knock at her front door snapped her out of her funk. Misty opened the door and was greeted by Lemon Zest.

"Hey, how you doing Misty?"

"Hey Lemon," Misty replied in surprise. It was the first time someone other than Fluttershy ever visited her at home!

"I've got something for you." Lemon reached into a pocket and produced a small canister and tossed it to Misty. Misty could not believe her eyes - it was a canister of apple-flavored hookah *shisha*!

"It wasn't easy to get these," said Lemon as she then pulled out a pack of quick light coals. "But when I heard you'd built your own hookah, I figured you'd appreciate it."

"Thank you so much," said Misty. "Wanna join me?"

"Sure, why not?"

Misty fetched her hookah from her room and led Lemon out to the garage. After filling the lower part of the hookah with water and the upper part with *shisha*, they lit a few coals and set them atop the *shisha*. They each took one of the hoses and proceeded to puff and savor the sweet apple flavor.

"Nervous about tomorrow?" asked Lemon

"A little," replied Misty. "I mean, I've got my routine down, but..."

"I'll let you in on something," said Lemon in a conspiratorial tone. "It's my first recital too."

"You've got nothing to worry about. You dance *so beautifully!*"

"Thanks, but I'm still a bull in China shop compared to Twilight and Sugarcoat."

"At least you have a nice body..."

Lemon raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you kept stealing looks at me in class?"

The blood drained from Misty's face. "N-no! I-I mean...I'm not..."

Lemon suddenly burst out laughing. "Hey, no sweat! I think I know what you mean!"

Misty wasn't sure if it was the *shisha* or Lemon's contagious laughter, but she found herself laughing as well. They would spend another hour chatting about their schools and their friends before Lemon had to take off. As much as she enjoyed finally getting use her hookah, she enjoyed her talk with Lemon even more. Now she did not feel quite as anxious about their recital.

\*\*\*

The next morning, the girls arrived early at the studio to change into their recital costumes. Misty donned the purple costume she had picked out the week before. Although she was ready to perform, she still wondered whether she would keep her composure as she did. Looking through a basket of various accessories, she found a diaphanous face veil that *closely* matched her costume's color.

Sugarcoat gave Misty a puzzled look. "You realize that we can still see your face under that."

"I know," said Misty nervously. "Just...to capture that classic Arabian Nights feel!"

"Hey, whatever floats your boat, right?" said Lemon.

With their costumes and makeup done, each of the girls draped a larger veil over her shoulders like a cloak. Quietly, they filed out of the dressing room on their bare feet, moving along the row of room dividers obscuring them from their audience. As Chiffon Veil went to welcome their guests, Misty peeked between the divider screens. She recognized the students from Canterlot High - Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, DJ Pon3, Octavia and Trixie, all of whom sat alongside Vice Principal Luna. The other four sitting next to Miss Cadance had to be Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, Indigo Zap and Fleur Dis Lee from Crystal Prep.

Once Chiffon Veil finished her introduction, the girls took their places on the dance floor. Some in the audience cast curious looks at Misty with her face veil, but those quickly faded as the opening song began to play. The entire class moved as one - twirling their veils as they shimmied and spun about the floor.

Now it was time for their solos. Rarity performed an elegant routine in the Egyptian style. Pinkie Pie gave an energetic demonstration of the Turkish style. Twilight Sparkle danced with a pair of goddess wings. Fluttershy performed with her tambourine. Sugarcoat demonstrated her focus and control. Lemon Zest's wild performance rivaled the sheer energy of Pinkie's. Then at last, it was Misty's turn.

As Lemon returned from the dance floor, she whispered to Misty. "Knock 'em dead!"

Misty adjusted her face veil one more time. *Just dance like nobody is watching.* Fluttershy's words echoed in her mind as she took her place on the dance floor. Her song selection, a haunting wind and percussion piece, began to play. Despite a second or two of hesitation, she released her anxieties and threw herself into her dance - circling, shimmying, and undulating throughout the entire song. Misty ended her number on her knees, hands together overhead.

The audience was silent for a second. Two seconds. Misty suddenly realized that she was no longer wearing her face veil. Oh no! She was so into her dance that she did not even notice that it had fallen off! She could feel the eyes of all her classmates on her as she remained frozen in place. What now?

Then the audience suddenly erupted in cheers and applause, banishing the last of her fear.

The other girls rejoined Misty on the dance floor for their closing group number. With one swift kick, Misty sent the face veil flying off to the side. In that moment, she realized that she did not need it - she had never needed it! It was the greatest feeling she had ever experienced, dancing there with her friends to the cheers of their classmates. For the first time in her life, she truly felt beautiful.

## Story

“Bend the knee to drop, straighten it to lift.”

Twilight Sparkle stood in her room before her mirror, clad in a crop top and workout pants. Wrapped around her hips was a violet scarf lined with coins. With one leg underneath her and the other leg extended forward, she dropped and lifted her hip as the woman on the DVD instructed.

“Drop. And lift. Drop. And lift.”

Each movement rattled the coins lining her scarf. By now, she had watched the DVD countless times, and knew each of the instructor’s lines by heart. Every now and then, she glanced over at her notebook computer on her dresser to compare her movements with those of the woman on the screen.

Two weeks ago, Twilight and her brother Shining Armor happened upon a belly dance recital where among the performers they found Vice Principal Luna of Canterlot High School and Dean Cadance of Crystal Prep Academy. It had been a bit of a shock for her to learn that both the Dean of her former school and the Vice Principal of her current one both practiced belly dance. Her shock quickly became wonder when she witnessed them perform on stage. It was more than the exotic beauty of their costumes or the primal rhythm of the music. She could not explain it, but she could "sense" a palpable aura of confidence emanating from them as they performed.

Twilight, normally given to careful deliberation, decided then and there that she wanted to learn how to belly dance. After talking it over with Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance, they all agreed that it would be best if she started small like they did. To this end, they were more than happy to give Twilight the instructional DVD that got them started. Cadance even gave her the hip scarf she now wore. Encouraging her study was likely their way of ensuring her secrecy about their now mutual hobby – not that she had any intention of betraying their trust.

The DVD lesson continued with shimmies.

“Keep your upper body steady, and your lower body relaxed. Left knee forward. Then the right. Left. Right. Left. Right.”

The tempo increased with each shimmy, the coins on her scarf jingling vibrantly. Twilight had always been a quick study when she was motivated to learn. Athletics had never been one of her strong points, but she took to her new exercise regimen like a fish to water. After just two weeks, she had gotten the hang of almost all the basic motions.

The final segment of the DVD worked on undulations, the most challenging move by far.

“Chest forward, chest up, upper abs in, lower abs in, release.”

With her arms out to the side and her feet directly underneath her, Twilight mimicked the instructor’s motions as best as she could. By now, her abs were burning, as though she had just performed a hundred sit-ups. It was going to take some more practice before she could undulate as smoothly as Vice Principal Luna or Dean Cadance. After a few minutes, the DVD lesson concluded, and Twilight began her cool down.

“You’re getting better with that last move.”

Spike, Twilight’s pet dog, had been lying quietly at the foot of her bed. He was the only other one besides Shining Armor who knew of her new hobby. Despite being able to speak, Spike still had the mind of a dog, and had a hard time fathoming why belly dancing was often considered provocative. Twilight just smiled as she reached down to her ankles.

“So, when are you going to share with your friends?”

Twilight paused as she stared at the floor. While she was not about to reveal Vice Principal Luna’s and Dean Cadance practice of belly dance to anyone, she had considered sharing her newfound passion with her friends. Her former Crystal Prep classmates might fall more on the prudish side - Sunny Flare especially. She wondered if her Canterlot High friends, the Rainbooms, would be as open-minded as she was.

“Mmmaaaybe after a little more practice.”

Twilight slowly rose from the floor. Inhaling deeply, she raised both arms to the ceiling. As she held the stretch, she took one more look at her bare midsection in the mirror. She had neither prominent curves nor toned muscles – her slim figure fell somewhere in between those two extremes. Still, she now felt more confident and comfortable with her body than she ever had before.

Her cool down complete, Twilight went to go shower off.

\*\*\*

Later that evening, Twilight joined the Rainbooms to watch the latest blockbuster movie at the local theater. Having patiently waited until the very end for any and all post-credits scenes, they emerged at the tail end of the exodus from the movie theater.

“That movie was okay,” said Rainbow Dash. “But not as good as the last one in the franchise. I’d say about twenty percent less fresh.”

“Did anyone else feel like they were watching a moody film noir and an upbeat action adventure cut and pasted together?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“You said it Pink,” said Applejack. “It’s like they couldn’t make up their minds what kinda tale they were tellin’.”

The girls continued chatting as they walked through the darkened shopping center. By this late hour, most of the stores were closed. Aside from the movie theater, the only places still open were the casual dining restaurants.

Twilight’s ears suddenly picked up on an exotic melody. She recognized the song - she had heard it two weeks ago at the belly dance recital, during one of the individual dance routines.

“Just a moment, I need to see something!"

Before anyone could say anything, Twilight strode off in the direction of the music. She found herself outside the patio of a Mediterranean restaurant not too far away. Men and women filled each of the patio tables, eating and drinking as they socialized. The other six soon caught up with Twilight. Sunset Shimmer reached her first.

“What is it Twilight?” asked Sunset.

Across the patio, a woman emerged from the restaurant doors, clad in a lavender bra, belt and skirt with silver accents. The patrons seated in the patio cheered and applauded as she glided toward the center of the patio.

“Ooh, a belly dancer!” beamed Pinkie.

The dancer shimmied and undulated amid the patio tables. Vibrant chiming from the zills - little cymbals - on her fingers punctuated the rhythm booming from the speakers. Twilight thought of Dean Cadance's number during the recital. Every now and then, a patron would stand up and dance with her briefly as other patrons cheered and laughed.

Twilight realized that each of her friends was watching the performance. Pinkie was even shaking her hips and humming the melody as she watched.

“I wish I had that much confidence…” Fluttershy whispered earnestly.

“Isn’t her costume just gorgeous?” beamed Rarity.

"If ya make one of those, don't ask me to model it." laughed Applejack.

“You won’t catch ME wearing one of those!” snorted Rainbow.

“You’ve both worn less going to the pool.” quipped Sunset.

“Yeah well, I wasn’t gyrating for everyone to see!” Ironically, Rainbow circled her hips for emphasis. The dancer performed a back bend, her arms undulating overhead. “Still, I’ve really got to admire her flexibility.”

“And endurance,” added Applejack. “She’s been at it for the last five minutes straight!”

Sunset chuckled. "I'll admit, for a long time I wondered why showing one's tummy was considered sexy." The others laughed with her - they sometimes forgot that she was originally a pony from another world.

Twilight remained silent as she watched, but listened to each of her friends’ remarks. Their responses to the performance they now watched – more importantly, the fact that they were still watching – filled her with confidence.

The song concluded. Amid applause from patrons and staff alike, the dancer took a bow and vanished inside the restaurant. Twilight and her friends applauded then continued on their way. As they walked out of the shopping center, an idea began to take shape in Twilight's mind.

\*\*\*

At the end of the following school day, Twilight walked over to the CHS administrative office. Spike had gotten very good at remaining hidden in her book bag and made no noise or movement that would give him away as she passed the office staff. She proceeded directly to the Vice Principal’s office. The door was ajar.

Twilight looked in to find the Vice Principal Luna busy at her desk. Twilight rapped on the door.

“Vice Principal Luna?”

Luna looked up and smiled. “Hello Twilight. Come right in.” As Twilight neared her desk, Luna asked, “How is practice?”

“Going good. Still getting the hang of undulations though.”

“Trust me, those will take a while. What’s up?”

After a brief pause, Twilight asked. “Were you nervous at your first recital?”

“A little bit, but it quickly passed.” Luna raised an eyebrow. “Are you thinking of putting on a show?”

Twilight told Luna about the evening outing with her friends.

“Hmm…it sounds like your friends might be receptive.”

“That’s why I’m going to give a surprise demo at our next sleepover, which I have volunteered to host. Any advice?”

Luna considered for a moment.

“I suggest you encourage them to participate with you. As far as music, I recommend something with a LOT of percussion. That might be easier to take in than something string- or vocal-heavy - as long as you feel comfortable dancing to it. The toughest part will be your costume. Even a low-end *bedlah* doesn’t come cheap.”

“I’m ready to make do with what’s available.”

“As long as it draws attention to your hips, you ought to be fine. I’ve got to say, Twilight, you are MUCH braver than Cadance or I. Now while I do understand that you want to surprise all of them, it still might be easier if you have at least one other person helping you – if only to start your music as you make your entrance. The most important thing is that you show them what the dance means to you.”

“I shall. Thank you, Vice Principal Luna. Say hi to Dean Cadance for me!”

“Will do. Let me know how it goes. Best of luck, Twilight!”

\*\*\*

As Twilight walked down the street, away from CHS, Spike poked his head out of her bag.

“Where’re we going Twilight?”

“To find me a costume.”

There was a party supply store not too far from CHS. Its selection of costumes was bound to be slim at this time of the year, but it was worth a look. Spike ducked back inside the bag as Twilight entered the store and asked a clerk if they had any costumes in stock. Following the clerk’s directions, they found themselves in an aisle at the very rear of the store.

Twilight perused the prefabricated costumes hanging on the racks. She eventually found two that might suit her need. The Genie and Harem Girl costume packages each featured a well-proportioned – likely digitally retouched – woman modeling their respective outfits, along with several accessories which were sold separately. Sure enough, each outfit drew attention to the wearer’s midsection – right down to the faux jewel in each model’s navel.

Twilight’s heart sank. After seeing the beautiful costumes worn by Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance, these prefabs just seemed downright tacky or cheap at best. She began to question whether she ought to go through with her demo performance if she could not find…

“Twilight?”

Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin as she whirled around to find Pinkie Pie and Rarity approaching. Twilight hastily gathered her bearings. This must have been how Vice Principal Luna felt when I surprised her that evening, she thought to herself.

“Rarity! Pinkie! What a surprise.” Twilight said nervously.

“We came to stock up on supplies.” said Pinkie. “How about you? Getting a head start on Halloween?”

Rarity eyed the costume packages in Twilight’s hands. There was no doubt that she shared Twilight’s assessment of their quality. “My, those are some…ahem, fetching selections.”

“Uh, not exactly. I recently took up a new hobby,” Twilight replied hesitantly. Rarity and Pinkie stared at her in silent expectation. Twilight felt Spike nudge the nape of her neck with his paw as she summoned her nerve. “Belly dancing.”

“Ooh, how fun!” beamed Pinkie.

“That explains the other night!” exclaimed Rarity. “Where have you been taking lessons?”

“Just off a DVD.” No need to tell them about Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance. Spike suddenly emerged from her bag with her hip scarf in his mouth. “I was actually thinking of giving a little demo at our next sleepover.”

“Darling, that’s a wonderful idea!" said Rarity. "Do the others know?”

“You’re the only ones I’ve told,” replied Twilight. “I wanted to surprise all of you.”

“You still can!” said Pinkie. “We can help!”

Rarity took the scarf from Spike and wrapped it around Twilight's hips.

“I would be more than happy to make you a proper costume! This will be just like the genie costumes I've made before - only better!”

“We can make our next sleepover a *hafla*!” cheered Pinkie as she playfully shook her hips.

The three girls and dog spent the next half hour searching the store for beads, coins and other accessories they could use for Twilight’s costume, along with the supplies for their next sleepover. With Pinkie Pie’s frequent shopper discount and a coupon, they got everything they needed for half the cost of one of the prefab costumes.

Twilight thought about what Vice Principal Luna said about having at least one helper. With two helpers – three if she counted Spike – she now had a fighting chance!

\*\*\*

When Sunset Shimmer arrived at Twilight Sparkle's house, she was greeted at the door by Rarity.

"Hey Rarity!"

"Sunset, come right in, darling!"

As Sunset entered the living room, she found Applejack and Fluttershy seated on the sofa, and Rainbow Dash reclining on one of Pinkie Pie's oversized cushions. They all greeted her as she set down her bag.

"Hey everybody," said Sunset as she sat down on another of Pinkie's cushions. "Where's Twilight?"

"Just seeing to some last minute details." said Rarity. "She'll be joining us very soon."

Pinkie Pie emerged from the kitchen carrying a big tray. "Who's up for some appetizers?"

Pinkie set the tray down on the coffee table. The platter was filled with an assortment of apple slices, carrot and celery sticks and crackers. Next to the peanut butter and artichoke dip was a thick, pale yellow dip. Rainbow eyed the unfamiliar spread curiously.

“What’s this stuff?”

“Ah think this is hummus.” said Applejack.

"Something new, if anybody wants to try." said Pinkie.

Applejack scooped up some of the hummus with a cracker and took a bite. Rainbow followed suit.

“Mmm…not bad” said Rainbow.

"We've also got coffee, mint tea and baklava later on if anyone wants!" beamed Pinkie.

"Sounds like the only thing missing is a *hookah*." quipped Sunset.

"A hooker?" asked Applejack mildly scandalized.

*"Hookah."* replied Sunset with a chuckle. "A water pipe."

By now, everybody had settled in. They were only missing one person.

"Where is Twilight?" asked Fluttershy.

At that, Rarity gave a whistle over her shoulder. Spike, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, pressed a button on a nearby MP3 player. As a lively drum beat filled the room, the girls all glanced toward the hallway.

Twilight emerged draped in a large pink veil. Her long hair was down and her face made up. The girls set down their snacks to watch as she approached sinuously. With a grand flourish, Twilight cast off the veil, revealing the beautiful costume Rarity had made for her - a pink top, belt and skirt with lined with gold accents.

The girls stared in awe as Twilight danced, the beads and coins on her costume rattling vibrantly with every movement. She seemed an entirely different person from the socially and physically awkward bookworm they had met during the Friendship Games. The girl from Crystal Prep who had nearly folded under pressure during the Tricross Relay now emanated a powerful air of confidence. They almost expected her to pony up!

As the song came to an end, Twilight spun in place several times - something she could not do before without losing her balance - before gracefully dropping to her knees. She took a bow as her friends applauded and cheered.

“You never told us you belly danced!” said Fluttershy. "That was so beautiful!"

Sunset gave Twilight a sly smile. “I knew that there was something different about you lately!”

“Different?” asked a puzzled Twilight. “How?”

“The way you walk - the way you carry yourself now versus when we first met you during the Friendship Games."

“That, aaand you don't run into others as much as you used to.” added Rainbow. "Must be all that footwork you're now doing."

"Great show, Twilight!" said Applejack.

“Thank you all.” said Twilight. “I couldn’t have done this without Rarity and Pinkie’s help.”

“What?” exclaimed Applejack as she glanced toward Rarity and Pinkie as they giggled. “You gals knew?”

“It’s quite a story.” said Rarity.

Rarity and Pinkie told the others about their encounter at the party supply store earlier in the week. As they did, Twilight quietly reflected on last couple of days. She had been ready to go it alone, but by some bizarre stroke of luck, the two people who could help her most found her. As a result, her demo performance had turned out even better than she ever imagined. Her discovery of belly dance, and now her sharing it with her friends - she wondered if there was truly such a thing as fate. She could not wait to tell Vice Principal Luna and Dean Cadance about this evening!

“Come on everybody!” Pinkie rose with her shirt rolled up to bare her midriff.

A familiar beat filled the living room – each of the Rainbooms recognized it instantly. It was an instrumental recording of the song they, minus Sunset, performed in the CHS cafeteria to rally everybody to Princess Twilight the first time she came to their world. Since then it had become their group’s anthem – even Sunset had grown fond of it.

The song had much different sound from the one that just played, but Twilight had a move for every beat. They all joined in, following her lead – as best as they could. They laughed as they attempted to shimmy as fast as Twilight. But they were all having fun together, and that was all that mattered.

While dancing may not solve any of their problems, it sure felt good to let their spirits soar!