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This had to be a dream. There was no way she could have made it this far, made it here, the home of one of Bridleway’s greatest actresses! She didn’t dare pinch herself in case it really was a dream. But there was no waking up from this; it was all real.

“Triple Threat! So glad you could make it! I knew you would.”

Sugar Shaker greeted her at the entrance with as much warmth and enthusiasm as she’d greet her own grandchild, helping her with her coat even as the younger mare was still processing her new reality.

She had met the old star before. Worked with her, even—both in protest and in song! This was not exactly anything new, but part of her still couldn’t believe that she was living a life her filly self could only dream of.

Walking through the mansion halls was more breathtaking than she even imagined the Crystal Palace would be, with its ornate marble pillars and the glittering chandeliers that hung overhead. Her parents and especially her aunties were well off, she had no shortage of opportunities to experience life’s wonders, but this was something special. This was more than just a mansion because of what it represented.

“There’s the mare of the hour!”

A voice called out as Sugar finally led TT into a grand living area with gold trimming and an expensive-looking couch. If the high-class interior décor wasn’t enough of a marvel, there was the ponies in this room!

“Wha- You- Oh—oh my gosh, you’re friends with all these ponies?”

TT sputtered out in shock, suddenly feeling like something of a country bumpkin in the company of all these old Bridleway stars.

“I mean— I knew about Crème de la Crème. This is her house! Your house!”

She first spoke to Sugar and then addressed the older unicorn mare directly.

“It’s beautiful! An honor!”

Then she looked around again.

“But oh my gosh, to meet all of you!”

These weren’t just any old Bridleway stars. Ranging from newly retired to geriatric, from dyed hair to greying naturally, there was one thing all of these mares had in common: they were all fat!

“You never thought there were so many of us big girls in showbiz, did you?"

One of the mares, a stylish old pegasus, seemed to read her mind.

“Sugar, help her take a seat. Do you take wine, filly? We’ve got plenty to go around!”

Upon TT nodding weakly, the mare took an extra glass from one of her friends and poured a bit of red wine into it, reaching a wing out to offer it.

“Triple Threat, are you? I’m Black Sea Spritz. You know Sugar, and Crème, and we’ve also got Honeycomb Crunch and Sunlit Showers.”

She pointed out each of her friends, starting with herself, Sugar Shaker, the grey unicorn, the sunny-hued earth pony, and the orange-haired mule.

“We go way back!” Sugar added.

“We sure do, and we’ve gotten to know each other awfully well. Some more than others~”

Black Sea lowered her sunglasses to wink as all the other old ladies burst into laughter, with TT chuckling along too once she realized what that meant.

“Oh hush, now!” Crème jokingly protested through a blush. “We’re more proper than that. And to think, I considered filming this!”

She pushed aside the video camera she had lying next to her as she lifted up her regular camera, snapping some photos of the younger star.

“Congratulations on Manespray, T!” Honeycomb turned the group’s attention to her. “An absolutely stellar performance!”

“For a second I almost had to double check that I hadn’t taken a time machine back to when Sugar was doing it!” Sunlit laughed. “But you went above and beyond, really made it your own.”

TT was absolutely dumbfounded at these responses, in the best way possible.

“You…you really saw me?”

“Of course, dear! We all did!”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world!”

“You really had a bone to pick with that Amber, didn’t you?” Black Sea nudged her playfully. “You really put her in her place at the end there.”

TT chuckled humbly.

“Oh, not the actress! She did a wonderful job.” She clarified. “But the character, I’d say, yes. And lots of ponies I’ve met who are just like her and Mrs. von Truffle. I guess I just had to stick it to them.”

The tone of the room shifted from playful to more quietly supportive as she spoke, each of them reflecting on their own experiences from long ago.

Finally, Honeycomb spoke up.

“I’m glad we have young ponies like you still making themselves heard. Back when I was young, you were hardly given a stage to do anything at all. I always say I got into Caberneigh on accident. One of my best roles, and they wouldn’t take me until the lead they wanted dropped out!”

“And that was after a whole lot of roles we’d like to forget, isn’t it, Honey?” Sunlit added her two cents. “All of my early roles were the butt of the joke! I’m a comedy sort of gal, I love making creatures laugh, but I was always being laughed at. And not like the mean old lady in Little Orphan Filly, that was one of my best works. More like, ‘hee-haw, look at how fat I am!’”

She stuck her front teeth out and wiggled her body around in an exaggerated way, bitterly making fun of her old roles. Nopony laughed, as she expected them not to.

“And they’d make us don the most horrid costumes, too!” Crème carried it on. “What if I wanted to be beautiful and wear a stunning gown, instead? Rather than all the monstrosities they put me in.”

“Not that what they called the ‘good’ roles had a lot to offer. I was always cast as somepony’s mom, or some sad little sidekick. I played those roles well but really, me? Sad? Married to a stallion?” Black Sea guffawed at the thought of it.

Sugar let her get it out before adding, “We did have our gems like Trotsy Thoroughbred, but they were few and far between. I don’t figure I’m known for much else these days, I wasn’t cast in many productions where the character wasn’t written to be big.”

Part of Triple Threat felt disheartened hearing all of these stories from the celebrities, with her own experiences in mind.

“It really hasn’t gotten better…”

She uttered.

“I’ve had those kinds of roles too, and they were awful! I almost quit and I even went to the hospital for it. I thought the only way to make it was to starve, because of how the business made me feel. I was cast as a warthog, for Gaia’s sake!

The affirming nods from everypony in the room made her feel more seen than she ever had been. Not a single “it could be worse” or anything, just true understanding from others who knew the feeling.

Which made her feel comfortable enough to express her lingering fears.

“I love being Trotsy, but I sometimes think, is this it? Is this the best role I’ll ever get, and I’ll go back to duds until I quit or retire? Did I really make an impact at all?”

All of her elders thought deeply for a moment.

“We’re going to make sure this isn’t it.”

Black Sea spoke up.

“For you or anypony else coming up. Us old gals, we changed what we could in our time, but we need a young one like you in our circle to keep us going. We’ll teach each other our tricks and we’ll do our damn best to make sure nopony else feels like quitting because of their size.”

“And as for you, this is just the beginning!” Sugar encouraged her. “Don’t worry about my career. I wanted to settle down anyway. You’ll find lots more roles, where you’ll be a hero, a love interest, anything you want to be and anything those skinny gals can do. I’m positive.”

“Yeah, because the casting directors won’t hear the end of it from us if you don’t!”

Laughter roared through the room, a sound of pure camaraderie across generations.

Triple Threat was comforted by this reassurance from…what were now her peers, as she joined their ranks. She was no longer the only one of her size taking up space in the room. She was no longer figuring it out on her own but had the experience and wisdom of others to count on. And she wouldn’t ever have to go back to that lonely time before.

“Well, it looks like our work starts now!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: You Can't Stop The Beat
Next: Over The Moon

~~~~~~~~~~

[Image Description: In a grand mansion living room with gold decorations on the walls, Sugar Shaker, an elderly cream-colored earth pony with a brown and red-streaked mane and wearing bronze glasses and a dark blue scarf, and Triple Threat, a pale pink unicorn with a curly orange mane sit on a white couch together. Sugar Shaker is hugging Triple Threat, who is sitting in shock as she holds a glass of red wine with one hoof. Black Sea Spritz, a light brown pegasus with a short purple, blue, and green mane and wearing sunglasses and a fancy collar, holds her own wine glass with her wing and clinks it with Triple Threat’s. Surrounding them, from left to right, are Crème de la Crème, a dark gray and pink unicorn who is levitating a camera; Honeycomb Crunch, a yellow and teal earth pony, and Sunlit Showers, a tan and orange mule. The latter two are also holding wine glasses. End Description.]

Description
This had to be a dream. There was no way she could have made it this far, made it here, the home of one of Bridleway’s greatest actresses! She didn’t dare pinch herself in case it really was a dream. But there was no waking up from this; it was all real.

“Triple Threat! So glad you could make it! I knew you would.”

Sugar Shaker greeted her at the entrance with as much warmth and enthusiasm as she’d greet her own grandchild, helping her with her coat even as the younger mare was still processing her new reality.

She had met the old star before. Worked with her, even—both in protest and in song! This was not exactly anything new, but part of her still couldn’t believe that she was living a life her filly self could only dream of.

Walking through the mansion halls was more breathtaking than she even imagined the Crystal Palace would be, with its ornate marble pillars and the glittering chandeliers that hung overhead. Her parents and especially her aunties were well off, she had no shortage of opportunities to experience life’s wonders, but this was something special. This was more than just a mansion because of what it represented.

“There’s the mare of the hour!”

A voice called out as Sugar finally led TT into a grand living area with gold trimming and an expensive-looking couch. If the high-class interior décor wasn’t enough of a marvel, there was the ponies in this room!

“Wha- You- Oh—oh my gosh, you’re friends with all these ponies?”

TT sputtered out in shock, suddenly feeling like something of a country bumpkin in the company of all these old Bridleway stars.

“I mean— I knew about Crème de la Crème. This is her house! Your house!”

She first spoke to Sugar and then addressed the older unicorn mare directly.

“It’s beautiful! An honor!”

Then she looked around again.

“But oh my gosh, to meet all of you!”

These weren’t just any old Bridleway stars. Ranging from newly retired to geriatric, from dyed hair to greying naturally, there was one thing all of these mares had in common: they were all fat!

“You never thought there were so many of us big girls in showbiz, did you?"

One of the mares, a stylish old pegasus, seemed to read her mind.

“Sugar, help her take a seat. Do you take wine, filly? We’ve got plenty to go around!”

Upon TT nodding weakly, the mare took an extra glass from one of her friends and poured a bit of red wine into it, reaching a wing out to offer it.

“Triple Threat, are you? I’m Black Sea Spritz. You know Sugar, and Crème, and we’ve also got Honeycomb Crunch and Sunlit Showers.”

She pointed out each of her friends, starting with herself, Sugar Shaker, the grey unicorn, the sunny-hued earth pony, and the orange-haired mule.

“We go way back!” Sugar added.

“We sure do, and we’ve gotten to know each other awfully well. Some more than others~”

Black Sea lowered her sunglasses to wink as all the other old ladies burst into laughter, with TT chuckling along too once she realized what that meant.

“Oh hush, now!” Crème jokingly protested through a blush. “We’re more proper than that. And to think, I considered filming this!”

She pushed aside the video camera she had lying next to her as she lifted up her regular camera, snapping some photos of the younger star.

“Congratulations on Manespray, T!” Honeycomb turned the group’s attention to her. “An absolutely stellar performance!”

“For a second I almost had to double check that I hadn’t taken a time machine back to when Sugar was doing it!” Sunlit laughed. “But you went above and beyond, really made it your own.”

TT was absolutely dumbfounded at these responses, in the best way possible.

“You…you really saw me?”

“Of course, dear! We all did!”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world!”

“You really had a bone to pick with that Amber, didn’t you?” Black Sea nudged her playfully. “You really put her in her place at the end there.”

TT chuckled humbly.

“Oh, not the actress! She did a wonderful job.” She clarified. “But the character, I’d say, yes. And lots of ponies I’ve met who are just like her and Mrs. von Truffle. I guess I just had to stick it to them.”

The tone of the room shifted from playful to more quietly supportive as she spoke, each of them reflecting on their own experiences from long ago.

Finally, Honeycomb spoke up.

“I’m glad we have young ponies like you still making themselves heard. Back when I was young, you were hardly given a stage to do anything at all. I always say I got into Caberneigh on accident. One of my best roles, and they wouldn’t take me until the lead they wanted dropped out!”

“And that was after a whole lot of roles we’d like to forget, isn’t it, Honey?” Sunlit added her two cents. “All of my early roles were the butt of the joke! I’m a comedy sort of gal, I love making creatures laugh, but I was always being laughed at. And not like the mean old lady in Little Orphan Filly, that was one of my best works. More like, ‘hee-haw, look at how fat I am!’”

She stuck her front teeth out and wiggled her body around in an exaggerated way, bitterly making fun of her old roles. Nopony laughed, as she expected them not to.

“And they’d make us don the most horrid costumes, too!” Crème carried it on. “What if I wanted to be beautiful and wear a stunning gown, instead? Rather than all the monstrosities they put me in.”

“Not that what they called the ‘good’ roles had a lot to offer. I was always cast as somepony’s mom, or some sad little sidekick. I played those roles well but really, me? Sad? Married to a stallion?” Black Sea guffawed at the thought of it.

Sugar let her get it out before adding, “We did have our gems like Trotsy Thoroughbred, but they were few and far between. I don’t figure I’m known for much else these days, I wasn’t cast in many productions where the character wasn’t written to be big.”

Part of Triple Threat felt disheartened hearing all of these stories from the celebrities, with her own experiences in mind.

“It really hasn’t gotten better…”

She uttered.

“I’ve had those kinds of roles too, and they were awful! I almost quit and I even went to the hospital for it. I thought the only way to make it was to starve, because of how the business made me feel. I was cast as a warthog, for Gaia’s sake!

The affirming nods from everypony in the room made her feel more seen than she ever had been. Not a single “it could be worse” or anything, just true understanding from others who knew the feeling.

Which made her feel comfortable enough to express her lingering fears.

“I love being Trotsy, but I sometimes think, is this it? Is this the best role I’ll ever get, and I’ll go back to duds until I quit or retire? Did I really make an impact at all?”

All of her elders thought deeply for a moment.

“We’re going to make sure this isn’t it.”

Black Sea spoke up.

“For you or anypony else coming up. Us old gals, we changed what we could in our time, but we need a young one like you in our circle to keep us going. We’ll teach each other our tricks and we’ll do our damn best to make sure nopony else feels like quitting because of their size.”

“And as for you, this is just the beginning!” Sugar encouraged her. “Don’t worry about my career. I wanted to settle down anyway. You’ll find lots more roles, where you’ll be a hero, a love interest, anything you want to be and anything those skinny gals can do. I’m positive.”

“Yeah, because the casting directors won’t hear the end of it from us if you don’t!”

Laughter roared through the room, a sound of pure camaraderie across generations.

Triple Threat was comforted by this reassurance from…what were now her peers, as she joined their ranks. She was no longer the only one of her size taking up space in the room. She was no longer figuring it out on her own but had the experience and wisdom of others to count on. And she wouldn’t ever have to go back to that lonely time before.

“Well, it looks like our work starts now!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: You Can't Stop The Beat
Next: Over The Moon

~~~~~~~~~~

[Image Description: In a grand mansion living room with gold decorations on the walls, Sugar Shaker, an elderly cream-colored earth pony with a brown and red-streaked mane and wearing bronze glasses and a dark blue scarf, and Triple Threat, a pale pink unicorn with a curly orange mane sit on a white couch together. Sugar Shaker is hugging Triple Threat, who is sitting in shock as she holds a glass of red wine with one hoof. Black Sea Spritz, a light brown pegasus with a short purple, blue, and green mane and wearing sunglasses and a fancy collar, holds her own wine glass with her wing and clinks it with Triple Threat’s. Surrounding them, from left to right, are Crème de la Crème, a dark gray and pink unicorn who is levitating a camera; Honeycomb Crunch, a yellow and teal earth pony, and Sunlit Showers, a tan and orange mule. The latter two are also holding wine glasses. End Description.]