"Amazing!" Luna yelled, brandishing the sleek electronic device and wearing a wide grin. "What is this machine called?!"
To Luna, it was a calmly asked question, but to Celestia and Cadance it was a screaming demand as Luna unintentionally rose her voice above the blaring music.
"I already told you. It's called an MP3-player," Cadance said. "And Luna, you don't have to scream! We're right he—"
"How do they fit so many instruments in such a small device?" Luna cut-in, apparently not hearing her. She did not seem to care for any actual answer, but instead seemed content to exaggeratedly nod her head to some beat only she could hear.
Cadance and Celestia shared a glance, and then Celestia reached forward and plucked the headphones from Luna's head.
"Hey!" Luna snapped as the song was abruptly cut short. "That's my empty-tree player!"
Cadance facehoofed and pressed the pause button on the device. "For the third time, it's MP3, Luna."
"Even I know that." Celestia sipped her tea smugly. "It stands for Music Playing... uh, Three."
Luna stuck out her tongue and wrenched the device back with her magic. In a moment, her music was blaring again.
"I still think you made a poor decision gifting her such a device, Cadance."
"...Starting to agree with you," Cadance replied, watching Luna bop her head, wearing a silly grin. "I never would've imagined Luna would be so into music."
"She always has been," Celestia said. "She used to keep up with all her favourite composers' personal lives. 'Celly! Haythoven just went through a break-up! I'd bet his next symphony is going to be a real doozy!' Luna was an ancient precursor of gossip papers. Right, Luna?"
Luna gave an oblivious grin and nodded her head.
"What kind of music did you put on that thing for her, anyways?" Celestia turned back to Cadance. "Nothing too intense, I hope?"
"'Nothing too intense,"' Cadance repeated, smirking. "I didn't put any of that lame pop-music from the 800s that you listen to, if that's what you're asking."
"New wave is not the same thing as pop," Celestia replied. "We've fought this battle before. Besides, I'd think you'd be all over pop music, Cadance. Isn't it all about loving each other?"
"No, it's about sex. Or dancing. One of the two. I prefer music that speaks the honest truths about reality in ways that sound epic as a teenager, but slowly begin to sound more and more like petty whining the more in-tune with reality the listeners actually are."
"So, punk rock," Celestia translated. "And don't forget, you're not the one who has to listen to Luna loudly singing angsty song lyrics all day. I don't know if I can take a single evening of listening to misheard song lyrics filtered through several layers of, uh... Luna-ness. It's bad enough you listen to such angry and rebellious music—"
Celestia broke off as Cadance tried and failed to contain an abrupt fit of laughter.
"What are you chortling at?"
"You just described punk music as 'angry' and 'rebellious', auntie," Cadance giggled. "You couldn't embody the 'Distrusting-of-this-Generation' trope anymore if you tried."
"Oh, hosh posh."
"See?! You did it again!"
"Malarkey."
"Okay, now you're doing it on purpose," Cadance facehoofed. "But anyways, get off Luna's case. She has a thousand years worth of stuff to catch up on. Don't be a music snob, auntie. Before we know it, you'll be telling her it sounds better on vinyl or something."
"Yes, yes," Celestia sighed. "I can take a hint. Although, don't accuse me of being a music snob, Miss Pop-Music-Is-the-Antithesis-To-All-Things-Good."
"Well it is," Cadance grumbled faintly. "Synthesized corporate crap."
Celestia rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. "But back to Luna and her little device..." she said. "I don't believe you fully understand the ramifications of what I am facing. Now, Luna will provide mundane tasks with loud musical accompaniment—filling the kitchen with the sounds of a blaring orchestra as I make a sandwich, or filling awkward silences in Day Court with guitar solos. All with her voice acting as a mellotron, I might add."
"Frankly, I don't know what you're complaining about," Cadance replied. "That sounds like it would be a blast. Or entertaining at the very least. I'm gonna call BS on any 'Living-With-Luna-Is-A-Chore' remarks, auntie. You're a terrible liar."
Celestia cast a wayward glance at her sister still bobbing her head and smiled faintly. "Yes, I suppose you're right. One thing's for certain. Luna's a good companion for an immortal. She always manages to annoy me in fresh and unpredictable ways, and I truly think that's the oddest blessing I have."
"Aw," Cadance smiled. "That's adorable."
She's your sister, Celestia. Your LITTLE sister. All us younger sibling are obligated to annoy our elder siblings. It's practically a law of the universe.
Short, funny, and cute!
Right up my alley~
Good chapter, thanks.
Well crud, I don't have any good recording devices and my voice sounds like BLEEP anyhow. Anywho, a fine chapter!
7285142 No you are wrong. It is a law of the universe. Lord knows that my little brother and sister are more annoying then then that fairy from the Zelda games. That right there takes some talent.
how do you make such great chapters.
Fixed their Cadance problem
how many chapters do you plan on making this. i hope infinity cause it's to great to end.
7285482 Uh... well, I have no plans to stop...
I've said it before, but... this story is pretty easy to write and also serves a practical purpose—preventing burnout as I work on my other, bigger works. So, as long as I'm here on this site writing and as long as I have ideas (which, really, even the dumbest ones tend to work for this story), it's likely going to carry on.
Half the time, when I'm writing other fics, I think of something that I'd like this incarnation of the princesses to talk about, and that's how many chapters are born.
7285505 yay!
7285142 And all us older siblings are obligated to keep you snots in line... Glad I only had one younger sister to deal with, but being the older child was still such a pain.
I have to wonder what type of music Luna would actually listen to. Practically everyone expects her to be into metal, and I can see that, but it seems too predictable. Like Cadence listening to pop predictable. Maybe dub-step?
7285727 Which is why one birthday, I gave my sister a nice little plaque which said "I smile because you're my sister. I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it."
She returned the favor a year later.
7285142
couldn't have put it better myself!
7286000
OK.
Crap no more chapters... At least I can sleep now.
7286023
Agreed!
That is a blessing indeed.
7286528 Hooray! Thanks a lot!
That's not even the last Star Wars reference I make, either.
7286020 I've always said, the only difference between science and magic is that science is understood and gives repeatable results, so yes... The magic shown in MLP:FIM is science--and not actually magic at all.
Yeah, pretty much!
Luna discovering Linkin Park is going to be a riot... that, and Green Day.
Luna finding out about Freak of the week and Iron mask as well as Skillet
Just wait 'till she discovers Ska. Skanking through the halls, a fat brass section accompanying everything.
7290658 Honestly, I like to imagine Cadance is right into Ska Punk too:
7290673 I am so okay with this. headcanon accepted and encouraged.
"synthesized corporate crap", never truer words spoken. Metal all the way!
I see Celestia and Batman agree that and I do quote:
"Punk is nothing but death and crime, and the rage of a beast!"
"No, it's about sex. Or dancing. One of the two. I prefer music that speaks the honest truths about reality in ways that sound epic as a teenager, but slowly begin to sound more and more like petty whining the more in-tune with reality the listeners actually are." "Yes, yes," Celestia sighed. "I can take a hint. Although, don't accuse me of being a music snob, Miss Pop-Music-Is-the-Antithesis-To-All-Things-Good."
"Well it is," Cadance grumbled faintly. "Synthesized corporate crap."
I am with Cadance all the way
7289304 monster!
I'd totally audition, but sadly I lack the requisite physique.
7305602 Mellotron for the win!
Seeing as there are no open roles, I'd say they got the people they needed. And gotta admit, something about ponies and music is oddly appealing.
glorious read this was! Hehehe, I would so give Luna an MP3 :P
Nice work
You got the image of Luna's sick riffs stuck in my head. She is standing on everything Lyra would ever sit on.
I cannot upvote this comment enough.
7285284
Hey! Listen!
That was the best ending ever.
As long as it isn't about sex, drugs, rape, murder, violence, etc, I generally like most songs.
9551812
So basically 90% of songs from the last hundred years! Cool!
See! Somebody gets it!
ha to 800s pop being an analogue for 80s pop. and "music playing three" is probably more thought-through as what "MP3" stands for than what most people carry around in their heads
And I died of laughter.
Oh God, I hope someone makes an animation of that.
Any news on the audio project?
11474402
Nah, I never heard back from the fella who was working on it, sadly.
I guess with 15.ai and Talknet being a thing, though, it is still do-able.