by G. M. Berrow
Jazz Hoof scoffed and closed his eyes in disgust. “My sources have informed me that it was definitely Countess Coloratura.”
“And Countess Coloratura was the only nominee who did not have her sets and costumes destroyed by a gigantic glitter monster!” whined Jewel Tone.
Daisy Chain jutted out her bottom lip and nodded. “Yeah!”
Pinkie Pie nodded wisely. “So all signs point to Coloratura… or do they?”
Everypony turned to look at Rara’s reaction. But the pop star didn’t say a thing—she simply burst into a fit of laughter. Once Rara composed herself, she shrugged with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for laughing. It’s just that I would never do any of that. It’s all so preposterous!” Rara paused and considered again. “Somepony must be really upset with me if they would spread those rumors and try to frame me for ruining sets.”
“Exactly! Which brings me to my next point… the motive.” Pinkie Pie spun around dramatically and pointed at Crownpiece. “Tell us, Crownpiece, who fired your brother—SVENGALLOP?! It was Countess Coloratura… was it not?!”
Rara blushed at the mention of the awkward exchange with her former manager. The two had had very different ideas about how Countess Coloratura should run her career. Crownpiece’s face fell as the realization dawned on her.
Crownpiece went pale. “H-h-h-how did you know Svengallop is my brother?”
“Easy-peasy. I just put hoofwriting and hoofwriting together . . .” revealed Pinkie Pie. She held up a slip of purple notebook paper. “Before the show, my friend Cheese showed me this invitation, signed Countess Coloratura. It even has a hoofsies stamp on it! A stamp that only Rara—or somepony who worked for her—would have access to.”
Pinkie paced back and forth. The ponies were rapt with attention. “I knew I recognized it from somewhere. Crownpiece dropped a piece of paper during rehearsal one day. She was always dropping papers, so I scooped this one up to help her out. I tried to return it, but she was busy with assistant duties, as always. And when I compared the papers, it was the same writing.”
“What?” Crownpiece scoffed. “That doesn’t prove anything.”
But Pinkie Pie was unshaken. She had all the answers. “You knew Songbird and I were close to discovering the truth about your plan to ruin Rara’s career, so you invited my friend Cheese Sandwich to distract me away from the trail!”
Songbird Serenade couldn’t take it anymore. She felt so betrayed. She had put her trust into Crownpiece, but she was only pretending to be her friend. “Well… did you do it?” she asked sadly.
“It’s true!” Crownpiece wailed, collapsing to the floor. “All of it!” The pony stifled a few sobs, then composed herself and stood up. “I wanted to help my brother, Svengallop. He was so upset after the way she tossed him aside so carelessly, so he was determined to ruin Rara’s career. At first he just wanted to ruin some of her costumes, but then a pony at a magic shop sold him this box. The pony said that it held a spell that would make it look like there was a fearsome beast.”
“What?!” Rara was already in shock from the confession, but then she saw Svengallop himself emerge from the shadows of the curtains. His poufy pink coif and blue waistcoat was unmistakable. He was red with embarrassment, but somehow he still had a bad attitude.
“That’s enough, Crownpiece.” Svengallop looked annoyed at having to explain himself. “It was me. Are you happy? I devised the plan to frame Rara on the biggest night of the year,” Svengallop admitted with a sneer. “And I didn’t want anypony to suspect me, so I made my sister pretend to be your assistant, Songbird. It was the only way to put everything in place before tonight.”
Pinkie Pie’s mind was officially blown. She’d just been going on wild theory, connecting dots all willy-nilly. But here Svengallop was, actually confessing to everything! I really should be a detective, she thought proudly.
Crownpiece sniffed and pushed her golden mane away from her face to look straight at Songbird. “I’m so sorry I put you through all of this.”
“What you did was wrong.” Songbird gave her a little smile. “But in the wise words of my friend Rara: ‘You are just a pony, and you make mistakes from time to time.’ You were just trying to help your brother.” Songbird put her hoof on Crownpiece’s shoulder. “I’m sure if you both apologize to everypony here, we can find it in our hearts to forgive you.”
Much to Crownpiece’s surprise, everypony onstage was nodding, even Countess Coloratura. Svengallop looked up from his hooves with a hint of hope. “Really?” Crownpiece asked with tears welling up in her eyes. “You’d all do that?”
Crownpiece didn’t want to quit working for Songbird Serenade. Even though she’d been a part of Svengallop’s ridiculous plan, she’d grown to love being around all these ponies, anticipating their needs and helping them. For once in her life, Crownpiece had found something she actually liked to do. “And I could keep being your assistant?”
“Of course!” Songbird lifted up her bangs and gave Crownpiece a little wink. “If you let me write a song about all this.…” Everypony laughed. Songbird Serenade sure knew how to make light of any situation.
“Okay, everypony! Enough warm fuzzies!” Jazz Hoof called out, trotting to the front of the curtain and facing the singers. “Now, we’ve got a show to finish!”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Once the glittery mess had been cleaned up and the confused audience corralled back inside to their seats, the Glammy Awards went off without another hitch. It turned out to be the beautiful night of music and celebration that everypony had been hoping for.
Each nominee had the chance to perform his or her Musical Menagerie songs (with a bit of residual glitter) to much applause. The long hours they’d logged in rehearsal were evident. Each performance was stunning in its own way, and still appeared as a cohesive art piece. Nopony was quite sure whether the Glitter Golem had been a fancy magical effect for the purpose of the show or if it was indeed real. But it didn’t matter either way.
By the end of the show, Jazz Hoof was beaming with pride at his masterpiece. And though Pinkie Pie couldn’t speak for anypony in charge, she was pretty sure he was here to stay as host and director for many years to come.
After the performances, it was finally time to announce the awards winners of the evening. The silver ballot boxes worked perfectly, revealing winners just as they were supposed to—no more monsters. Ritzy Rose even took home her first Glammy, for Best Live Summer Sun Celebration Performance. And Hoity Toity was very smug about the fact that Feather Bangs shocked everypony by sweeping many categories, boasting a rookie record of six awards by the end of the night. He wouldn’t let Photo Finish hear the end of it.
Finally, it was the big moment. Pinkie Pie held her breath in giddy anticipation as Jazz Hoof trotted onstage with the last silver box. “And the Pop Pony of the Year is”—Jazz Hoof stomped his hooves on the ground and the audience followed along, creating a rumble that shook the walls—“Songbird Serenade!”
After the curtain had fallen, and the celebratory sparkling juice toasts had been made, Songbird and Pinkie noticed Lyra and Bon Bon trying to slip out the backstage door without so much as a good-bye. Crownpiece was with the duo, but she was smiling, so everything seemed okay.
“Hey!” Pinkie Pie bounded over, Songbird in tow. “Where are you ponies going?! Party’s just getting started!” Pinkie tried to pass them a glass of juice, but they held up their hooves in protest.
“Pinkie, Songbird—Operation Pondora was successful thanks to you two. But our work here is done,” Bon Bon said with a slight nod, which was the unofficial salute of the agency. “And don’t worry, we’re just taking Crownpiece to S.M.I.L.E. hidequarters for some debriefing, and then she’s free to come back and work as Songbird’s assistant for as long as she likes.”
Lyra nudged Pinkie with a laugh. “We can’t have anypony knowing how to steal and use a Pondora Box. That’s top secret information!”
Pinkie furrowed her brow. “
But Songbird and I know how to open it—”
“Do you?” Lyra said with a sly smirk as she opened a shiny compact mirror. The light caught in Pinkie’s and Songbird’s eyes. All of a sudden, things seemed very fuzzy.
Pinkie and Songbird found themselves standing by a doorway and staring at the handle.
“Uh… what were we talking about again… ?” Pinkie Pie scratched her head and searched Songbird’s face for clues.
“You know, it’s the funniest thing. I don’t remember.…” Songbird mused. She stared at the door handle, but nothing came to mind. “How strange.”
“Oh well! Guess it wasn’t important.” Pinkie shrugged and giggled. Suddenly, a fun beat started blasting through the speakers. Pinkie couldn’t help tapping her hoofs.
Songbird grinned. “Come on, Pinkie! They’re playing our song!”
“You don’t have to ask me twice!”
And with that, the two new pals headed back to rejoin the party and dance the night away like nopony was watching.
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