The interior of the Books and Branches Library looked almost the same as it ever did, with the exception of a strangely shaped object covered by a cloth lying on the table in the middle of the room.
The door burst open, and Twilight and her friends quickly entered.
“Whatever this is had better be pretty awesome, egghead,” Rainbow Dash said with a frown. “I had a nap scheduled about now.”
“It is, Rainbow! This is going to be the breakthrough of the century!” Twilight Sparkle replied enthusiastically, her wings quivering against her sides with excitement.
“That’s what you said when you tried to tame that parasprite, sugarcube,” Applejack said, more than a hint of amusement clear in her voice.
Twilight’s enthusiasm noticeably decreased a notch and a small blush appeared on her face. “Alright, I know I can get a little overenthusiastic sometimes, but this time I’m serious! This is going to change everything!”
“Ooh, ooh! Is it this thing!?” Pinkie had seemingly teleported next to the cloth covered object on the table. “What is it? Is it a surprise? I love surprises!”
“It sure is, Pinkie! This is the result of nearly a month of work! Girls, let me present to you… the Subspace Transceiver!” Twilight dramatically removed the cloth, revealing a box like object. The front was covered with gauges, dials, and knobs, and one corner had a long, cylindrical shape sticking up into the air, like a wildly elongated unicorn’s horn.
Twilight’s friends were all silent. Applejack was the first to speak. “Twilight… that looks like a regular ol’ radio to me.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Applejack, darling,” Rarity added.
“Umm… but it's a very nice looking radio…” Fluttershy mumbled.
“That’s the thing, girls! It looks like regular old radio, but it’s not! I’m going to have to give a bit of background to explain this, so bear with me a moment.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in exasperation as Twilight began. “So for the last couple of months, I’ve been working with Princess Celestia to find ways to harness electricity, and—”
“Electricity? You mean like lightning?” Dash interrupted. “Twilight, pegasi can already harness lightning! And you can too, now!”
Twilight gave a frustrated sigh. “Yes, I know, Rainbow. I mean ways for non-pegasi to harness it as well.” Her face lit up again. “Just imagine how useful it would be if everypony could harness the power of lightning for use in their homes! We could use it for heating, or lighting, or any number of other things!”
“Well, that does sound mighty useful, but what does that have to do with yer fancy radio?” AJ asked.
“I’m getting to that! So, anyway, we were doing a lot of experiments with electricity and magnets. One of those was a way to see if we could use lightning to instantly send messages over long distances, just like with dragonfire. We created a prototype of a device that should be able to receive these messages, and the most amazing thing happened! We began receiving signals from outside the planet Equus!”
She now solidly had the attention of all her friends. Even Rainbow Dash was listening intently. “But that’s not even the best part!” Twilight continued. “After studying these signals, we came to the stunning conclusion that they weren’t natural! Something was making them!”
“Woah, woah, hold up, time out,” Rainbow Dash said while waving her hooves about. “You’re telling us that you picked up signals from aliens?”
“Exactly!” Twilight said as she leaped up in the air with excitement, her wings unfurling to keep her there. “This is the most amazing discovery ever!”
“My my, that is rather exciting,” Rarity said. “Actual proof of aliens… I wonder what kind of fashion they have?”
“Do you think they like parties? I bet I could throw a party an alien would like!”
“I hope that they’re nice aliens…”
“Ok, I gotta admit, that is pretty awesome,” Rainbow Dash said. “But you said that these signals were supposed to be like messages, right? So what did they say?”
“Well, that’s the thing, Rainbow,” Twilight replied. “We we were able to detect these signals, but we couldn’t actually make any sense of them.” She grinned victoriously as she turned back to the radio on the table. “That is, until now…”
“So then this fancy radio of yours is supposed to pick up alien signals?” AJ asked, clearly intrigued.
“Right! I’ve spent the last month modifying the universal translator spell used by diplomats to work with these electrical signals, and I think I’ve finally got it working!” Twilight turned back to her friends. “Girls, we’re going to be the first ponies on Equus to listen to an alien message!”
All of her friends, now fully caught up in her enthusiasm, gave a small cheer. “So, how exactly does it work, Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“Well, pretty much just like regular radios. I just have to adjust the frequency until we pick up the signal. Only instead of the magical signals we use for our radios, we’ll be picking up electrical signals!”
“Electrical signals from aliens!” Pinkie shouted. “This is the most superrific stupenderlous thing ever!!”
Rarity gave a quiet sigh. “It’s just too bad Spike couldn’t be with us…”
“I know, Rarity,” Twilight replied. “I wish he could be here too, but Princess Celestia needed him for something back in Canterlot.” She turned to the device on the table. “Now lets see here…” Her horn lit, and the device was engulfed in a magenta glow. There was a click as it turned on, and a quiet static filled the room as she began tuning the device.
“Twilight, wings,” Dash said.
“Oh, right,” she responded with a slight blush. Her magic released its hold on a few of the knobs on the device, and she instead unfurled her wings and began using those to manipulate them. Rainbow Dash insisted that occasionally using her still somewhat new wings for fine manipulation was a vital part of keeping them in proper shape, but she was just so used to using her magic for everything that she always forgot.
As Twilight tuned the device and Dash observed her wing work, the others conversed quietly amongst themselves. “So what kinda signal do ya’ll think this is gonna be?” AJ asked.
“If it’s anything like our radio stations, It will probably be a advertisement of some kind,” Rarity said with a sigh. “I swear, they’re playing more and more advertisements and less and less music these days.”
“Ohh ohh! Whatever it is, I hope it's loud and fast paced! Like party music!”
“Not too loud, I hope…”
“Girls!” Twilight shouted. “Girls, I think I’ve got it!”
They all leaned in anxiously as Twilight made a final turn of one of the knobs and backed away. There was silence for a few moments, and then a few soft guitar strums became audible. They all listened in stunned silence for a few more moments, and then words joined the guitar.
“This… this is music!” Twilight said in a reverent whisper. “This is actual alien music!” Her voice was quickly starting to rise. “Do you know what this means!? About their culture and their society and—”
She was cut off by a white hoof being shoved into her mouth. “Dear, do be quiet. We’re trying to listen,” Rarity said.
Twilight nodded sheepishly and Rarity removed her hoof from her mouth. The alicorn’s horn glowed, and a stack of parchment and a quill appeared before her, and she eagerly started taking notes. Winter? That means that their planet has seasonal variations just like ours! And snow means that their global climate is also water based! she thought excitedly to herself as she wrote.
Dash’s face scrunched up in confusion at the chorus line. “Wait, so the aliens are rocks and islands?” she asked quietly.
Pinkie looked similarly confused. “I don’t know if I could throw a party for an island… But I do know how to throw a party for rocks!”
Twilight shook her head without taking her eyes from her notes. “I don’t think they’re being literal, girls. It’s clearly some kind of figure of speech, but I’m not sure what it could mean.”
“Huh, well they seem pretty industrious, building walls and fortresses,” AJ said. “I guess I can appreciate that. Unless ya’ll think they’re not being literal again.”
“Right. I get the feeling that was symbolic, AJ. I think that—”
Whatever Twilight was going to say next was forgotten upon hearing the lyrics that followed. The six all sat in stunned silence for a moment as the song continued. Twilight was the first to recover enough to say anything.
“...Friendship causes pain?” she squeaked out in a disbelieving whisper.
“What the hay!?” Dash shouted angrily. “That’s like, the exact opposite of what friendship does!”
“And they hate lovin’ and laughter, too?” AJ said, then snorted. “I don’t think I like these here aliens very much.”
“Now now, I’m sure that this song isn't a reflection on their entire species,” Twilight said, though her tone of voice didn’t convey nearly as much certainty as her words. To hear something that she held so close to her heart blasphemed against like that… it was a bit much. “It’s probably just the one alien that’s signing it that feels that way! ...I hope.”
“Well, I, for one, don’t see what reason this individual could possibly have for feeling that way about having friends,” Rarity said, disdain clear in her voice.
“I’m sure if we keep listening, we’ll learn more,” Twilight said, and hoped she was right. Part of her wanted to just turn the thing off right now, but another part of her wanted to see if the song explained itself.
Sure enough, they soon got their answer.
“‘If I never loved I never would have cried’?” Dash asked.
“It means that somepony close to him hurt him so very much, that he’s afraid to ever get close to anypony again… that poor creature…” Fluttershy explained.
“...I think that answers that, doesn’t it?” Twilight said. She was relieved that the alien at least had a reasonable explanation for feeling that way, even if she still felt that his reaction was a bit drastic.
“I suppose so…” Rarity admitted, her tone now much more sympathetic. “That does seem rather tragic, doesn’t it?”
“I guess you were right about that whole ‘building a fortress’ bit being symbolic, then,” AJ said.
“I still don’t get that stuff about being a rock and an island...” Rainbow grumbled.
They remained quiet for a few moments as the song continued, Rarity being the next one to speak. “Books and poetry? Why, this alien almost sounds like you, Twilight.”
Twilight grimaced. It actually sounded uncomfortably close to what she had been like before coming to Ponyville and meeting her friends. Granted, she had avoided making friends with others only because she didn’t see much reason to it, not because she thought it would hurt her, but still...
As the song came to an end, Twilight reached out with her magic and turned the device off. They all sat in silence for a short while longer, thinking on all they had just heard.
“You know…” Dash quietly said after a moment. “I think I can kinda understand where they’re coming from.”
Her friends turned to look at her expectantly, so Dash continued. “I never really told you all this, but when Gilda dumped me like that, I… I felt really…” Her face scrunched up in confusion for a few seconds, trying to find the right words. She eventually gave up with a sigh. “Look, I’m just really glad I had you girls around afterwards, okay?”
“Why, Rainbow, I had no idea…” Rarity said.
“Yeah, I think I know the feeling, too. Or at least, have an idea what it feels like.” AJ said. “Last year, up near Manehatten, one of my relatives ended up publicly disowning the rest of the Apple family.” She pulled her hat down over her eyes. “I had only met the feller a few times at our reunions, and I still felt plum terrible ‘bout it. I can only imagine how the family up there felt.”
“Bleh, all this talk about being sad and stuff sucks!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “C’mon Pinks, we need to liven things up around here!”
“...Pinkie?”
It was then that they realized that Pinkie hadn’t said anything in an uncharacteristically long time. They turned to look for her, and found in lying in a corner of the room, her mane flat and her eyes on the verge of tears.
“Oh horsefeathers!” Rainbow said, and quickly dashed over to Pinkie, the rest of her friends quick to follow. She put a hoof on Pinkies shoulder. “Pinkie! Pinkie, c’mon, what’s wrong?”
“T-that alien…” Pinkie said, her voice shuddering. “He needs a big hug and a party and friendly ponies so, so bad. But he’s on a different planet, in another galaxy… and I’ll never be able to make him feel happier…”
“Aw jeez…” Dash said under her breath. “Hey, look, Pinkie. I bet that whatever planet that alien is on has their own alien version of Pinkie Pie, and that she threw him a party right after he sung that song! I bet he’s feeling just great now!”
“And besides, Pinkie,” Twilight added, “I doubt that that song is actually how he feels, or what happened to him. I mean, just listen to some music here in Equestria! There’s plenty of songs that aren’t based in reality! I bet that aliens is actually perfectly normal with plenty of friends!”
“...Maybe,” Pinkie said halfheartedly, though she at least no longer appeared on the verge of bursting into tears.
“You know, I’m absolutely famished!” Rarity said. “Pinkie, dear, why don’t we all head to Sugarcube Corner and grab something to eat? Some food is sure to make you feel better!”
“Oh yes, that sounds wonderful,” Fluttershy said with a nod.
“...Okay,” Pinkie said.
Rainbow Dash helped Pinkie up off the floor, and the six all made their way outside.
Twilight was the last to leave. As she stepped through the doorway, she paused and turned to look back at the Subspace Transceiver sitting on the table. This was not how she had expected things to happen. With a sigh, she levitated the cloth covering back over the device, then stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
It could have been worse, they could have ended up with a Justin Bieber song.
Next chapter they should tune in to Skrillex.
Lovin' the story so far, have a like and fav.
I vote johnny cash
Let them listen to some good old MJ, Elvis and Daft Punk. Oh and also some tragic news,
Nah have them listen to Howard Stern.
or andrew wk's party hard
I want them to tune in and end up listing to some Disturbed. Oh, their reactions would be glorious. Can we recommend songs?
3226991
oh my gosh to a sequel or a new chapter based on this!!! xD
You should extend this, they haven't gotten to understand how a thing as friendship can be equally painful as being by yourself. Essentially the dark side of friendship, not all of it is great and currently they only possess a superficial understanding of that side. Still it's a cool idea what you have here.
Some Final Fantasy music for them to listen to! Please?
A song of a totally different genre' like rap. It doesn't have to be straight out of the ghetto style stuff, just enough of a difference to be jarring. Possibly something with a clear message, Dear Momma, by Tupac Shakur or Sing for the Moment, by Eminem. Or, you could try some classic Punk music like You're in a Rut, by The Ruts or something more obtuse like I Wanna be Sedated, by The Ramones. And I bet Pinkie would flip her lid and turn her frown upside down when she hears Party Hard, by Andrew W.K. and learns that there's an alien as dedicated to partying as she is!
-----EDIT-----
Forget those other songs for now, as a polar opposite to the feelings expressed in the forst song, use Hold My Hand, by Michael Jackson and Akon! It's perfect to polarize the first song.
Makes me tear up every time I hear it. I miss Michael.
Welcome to the club!
Not bad for a short, fast one-shot.
I quite enjoyed this
TBH I was kinda expecting some Rings of Saturn to start blaring out and scare the crap outta them
3226991
Try "Champagne Supernova" - the most drug-fueled lyrics in human history
And now, to avoid depression, this!
Yeah, that's not a good first song to introduce ponies to Earth's music by.
I second the comments calling for more chapters. Ponies reacting to notable songs from our musical history could be highly entertaining. And you could do a chapter on anything, really, from classical to modern pop.
Yeah you should continue this. Also anyone who ignores the Mare Do Well episod is a good bloke in my book.
Applejack- Johnny Cash
Rainbow Dash- Metallica
Duuuuuuu eeeeeeet filly!!!!
you picked the perfect song for this! I was laughing the entire time! have a mustache... no 5!
oh, and if you continue (which you really should) PLEASE do at least one Billy Talent song
ill jump on the wagon and say "play atleast one slipknot or a good song for Celestia - You Wear a Crown But You're No King by Blessthefall" and Layback and watch anarchy :D
Thank-you! Though I don't see why you thought it was okay to exclude from this story in the first place. "The mane six discover human music...without the guy who works his ass off for Twilight every day of his life, and was her friend long before those ponies were." Seriously, she couldn't have waited?
Furthermore, he didn't just let his dreary thoughts take over. He did something positive with them by pouring them out in song for the benefit of anyone else who's feeling the same way. One of'em probably coulda said that to her.
Make them listen to other songs. I think you can make a series out of this good woork
THE BEST SONG IN TWO WORLDS
more
This is a fantastic idea. I often find myself imagining how Ponies would react to various Human music, & I hope they try out the radio again. Maybe not as a group though. Perhaps One or 2 of the Mane 6 will find their curiosity getting the better of them & sneak back individually for another listen?
This needs a sequel lol. So much songs to misinterpret.
With the whole breadth & depth of Human music that they're essentially playing Lucky Dip with, they're just as likely to find something that could become a hit all over Equestria as they are to find something that will make them smash the device to pieces & banish the pieces to the Moon.
That makes me feel strangely proud.
This is a perfect idea. I've always wanted to read something like this because having the ponies react to human culture is an idea with a whole lot of promise. You did a great job with characterization. Definitely needs a sequel.
hmm, I suppose I should have foreseen that everyone would have songs of their own to suggest.
Well, I'm afraid to say that, at least for the time being, this is going to remain a one-shot. Sorry.
who knows what the future may hold, though?
3227004 You mean like this?
What if they managed to tune into Everfree Radio?!
amon amarth, sabaton, or papa roach.
I'm actually really glad this one got featured. And sad at the same time.
I was thinking of asking if you'd like me to do an illumination on this fic, but I guess you clearly don't need that anymore
3227723
wait, this got featured? I don't see it...
*turns on mature filter*
OMG there it is!
3227744
I wish mine had had the same luck yours did.
at least it wasn't 90s pop music.
Imagine ponies
Listening to death metal
3227830
That would just DESTROY their minds.
3227836
How?
I'm sure at least rainbow dash would like it
If you do make more, might I suggest Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones, though if only if you do make more.
The story itself was great; funny in places, and sad when it came to Pinkie's reaction.
3227842
What would be funny is if Fluttershy liked it
A sub-space transceiver? With a few more years the ponies will be able to build a full on hyperspace engine and visit Earth!
White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. Let's see them try to make sense of that one.
3228000
...
...
...why?
3228034 ...Because
Pink Floyd's the wall or there are just so many other songs that could... You could find out quite a bit (although it would be somewhat emo) through our music.
This kind of needs another chapter or two...
Can't wait for the next chapter(if there will be more).You should continue this.It's kinda good idea for a fanfic.
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