Friendship is \m/etal

Nightmare Knights:
FRIENDSHIP IS \m/ETAL

by Mystic Morning, "the Aubade Veil"

She had heard that the weather control in Ponyville had fallen into the same mismanagement as that in Fillydelphia, but as she flew around the fair and fluffy clouds shading the small village lightly from the mild but bright sunshine, it was the nighttime she was worried about. The Pegasi in Fillydelphia had banded together to run out their last weather manager, when she finally got too far out of hand. By the time Rebel Rouser had arrived from Manehatten, the nights were being restored by the new team. But in recent months, the weather in Ponyville had become more turbulent at night, and it was whispered that the Pegasi didn't have the moxie to organize and stand up to a corrupt weather manager.

Now, even despite the struggle last year in Fillydelphia, Rebel Rouser had difficulty buying that Ponyville's Pegasi were pushovers. The evidence was overwhelmingly contradictory. Aside from some trouble with Winter Wrap Up for decades, Ponyville had enjoyed arguably the best managed weather in Equestria for years. According to her research, their usual weather manager was one of the best fliers in all of Equestria, even winning the title of best flier two years ago. More so, she was one of the two Pegasi involved in the redemption of Princess Luna, shortly before the troubles in Fillydelphia started. In fact, this Rainbow Dash seemed pretty cool in general and grossly competent; so much so she was training for the Wonderbolts.

Rebel was a huge fan of the Wonderbolts, but not nearly fast enough, and at best reasonably coordinated in the air. She was good with weather, considering, but most of her talents were more earthbound. Like this Rainbow Dash character, Rebel also had not completed flight school, rather she worked as a prize fighter, one of the few professional pugilist ponies to be found in Manehatten holding her own against a slew of Earth Ponies. Dealing with other, better trained pegasi was another matter, though...

Ponyville had been started by the Earth Ponies in the neighboring orchard, and Rebel had only ever heard that the ones making residence there were known to be tough, rugged, and quite capable. As she flew over the town proper, and looked over the peaceful residents going about their day, she had a hard time conceiving they were weak, or unhappy. Granted, most ponies preferred the day, but still, even with Rainbow Dash gone, the Pegasi could not have been that timid or incompetent. What about the other one? Unlike most ponies, Rebel kept up with Equestrian politics.

She knew that two pegasi, along two Earth Ponies, and two unicorns not only took on Nightmare Moon, but supposedly Discord as well, along with two other threats for which they earned stained glass monuments in the royal palace. The other pegasus was also rumored to have battled several powerful beasts including a dragon! Certainly the pegasi here were more than a force to be reckoned with. In any case... Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she turned a cloud and a flash of gray and yellow broke from a bright ray of sun and "Thwack!"

A series of confused flaps, aerial collisions, and unintentional spins culminated in the two horses thudding against the earth. Rebel dizzily stood up and was unable to regain her balance for several moments, and use of her left eye for several more as she straightened up, and turned around letting the pain in her skull fade and saw the other pegasus shaking it off and looking to her with unaligned eyes. Rebel's concern immediately shifted off of herself.

"By Luna! Are you OK? I'm so sorry! Can you see?" Her eyelids almost vanished as the alarm overtook her expression.

The gray pony blinked, smiled, and looked at her plainly, her eyes remaining very much uneven. "Oh hey there! Did I hit you? I'm sorry, I dunno how I managed to miss you!" She was acting perfectly fine, as the commotion drew the attention of several passing ponies, none of whom seemed any more alarmed.

"Miss me? You ran right... never mind that? Do you need a doctor?"

The other pegasus tilted her head curiously. "Well my head hurts a bunch, but what about you?"

"I... I'm fine! I think... But you look like you may be hurt, I mean... well um..."

The other pony stretched and folded her wings casually, shaking it off. "Hurt? I'm not hurt. Well it did hurt, but it's happened before."

"Um, well, OK. If... I mean if you're sure."

"She's not sure about anything!" A couple of over-confident pegasi came forth, a red mare with a bad attitude, and a beige stallion with an unpleasant expression moved forward. They began to denigrate the wall-eyed mare, as the other locals resumed their business, still showing no immediate concern.

"Derpy here is lucky she can carry a package without destroying it, much less her own self!"

The other pegasus seemed content to ignore these jerks, as she continued. "I'm sure. Are you new here! I'm sure haven't seen you before, but I didn't see you in the sky either, so maybe I did see you and didn't know it..." Her wall-eyes wandered off as she seemed lost in contemplation for a moment. "At least I haven't met you, or if I did I don't remember, but I know most of the pegasi around here and..."

"Can you not pay attention for five seconds, before you cause some real damage?" The snotty pegasus looked to Rebel. "Don't waste your time on her, heck have her arrested, she's a walking disaster."

The odd mare continued muttering. Rebel was getting far more annoyed than the other mare, if a bit perplexed as why she just kind of took it. "You're just gunna let these plotholes talk to you like that?"

The aggressive ponies approached the mumbling pegasus, as the stallion spoke up. "Of course she is... she knows we're right." As they crowded the pony, she began to look unsettled and irritated, as he huffed dismissively.

"Don't get angry at us, Derpy. You're the one who is going to kill somepony one of these days!" She looked at Rebel. "Don't worry about this one, she was brain-damaged before you ev..."

"What the hoof is your problem? I am trying to make sure she's o..."

"She's never been OK!" the earth pony responded. "She's a walking disaster who needs to apologize and stay inside so the competent pegasi can do our jobs."

The other pegasus didn't seem especially threatened, as she moved to walk around them, and resume the conversation. The little mare blocked, and she just switched directions and pushed past her. Rebel was not so forgiving of being interrupted.

"Watch where the hoof you're going, tard! As much as you..."

Rebel pounded her hoof and huffed, looking dead at the so far harmless bully. "Now you shut up and listen! And do not interrupt me again." The other pony opened up her mouth, and Rebel stomped up nose to nose with her, and kept speaking with an authoritative voice. "I don't know or care, where you think you get off, but I strongly suggest you learn some manners, before someone decides not to be as nice as me!"

She smirked dismissively, but as the beefy mare in a defensive posture stared unwaveringly, she eventually backed down, but still snarked. "Alright then, make friends with the village idiot for all I care, but don't expect to make any other friends here!"

They wandered off, and Rebel looked back to the quirky mare. "Why would you take that?"

"Oh well... that happens a lot, they're new here and don't like me working weather. But they're mean, and you're nice, and you're new too, or I think you're new..." She began to trail off again.

Rebel decided to intervene for brevity's sake. "Yes I am. New that is... I am visiting here for the first time. I'm Rebel Rouser."

"Ooh visitors, we like visitors! We have lots of things for visitors too!" The pony began to ramble as she walked alongside Rebel, seemingly forgetting the two brats entirely. Rebel, perplexed but fascinated moved to follow her. "We have books, and boutiques, and muffins, and cannons, and parties, and muffins, and..."

"OK, OK, I get it... and you said muffins twice." Rebel was still quite annoyed, but decided to let it go for now.

"Did I? I usually say it more than that." She stopped and stared awkwardly at Rebel, who was reasonably confused, but had decided the other pegasus wasn't terribly injured... she hoped.

"OK, well I am glad you are OK, then... um... you never told me your name?"

"Didn't I?" She pondered again. "Oh well, if didn't I should I have. I don't know why I... ah well... anyway. I'm Ditzy Doo!"

"Well, nice to meet you, Ditzy Doo, but anyway, I actually came here about the weather..."

"Oh, we have plenty of that here too!"

"I meant the nighttime weather. I hear it has been regularly fogged or overcast, but I only hear good things about your weather manager, Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash! I know Rainbow Dash, she's awesome! But she doesn't run the summer weather around here anymore. She's training to be a Wonderbolt! But Sunshine Spirit does a good job when she's not here. Anyway no one around here stays up at night, like in a big city! Well except those new really loud ponies!"

"Loud Ponies?"

"Yeah, they're weird and stay up at night, and make their instruments scream. It would bother people, but they have been staying in the old castle in the Everfree Forest."

"Rebel's ear perked. "Is that near where you are taking me?"

"I was following you." She said with a giddy blankness, and blinked.

"You started walking first."

"I did? Well that's silly, I don't know where we're going!"

Rebel raised an eyebrow at Ditzy. She seemed excited about almost everything and oddly passive towards the unpleasant, but was oddly helpful, although she didn't seem to be IN the conversation.

"Oook... Then um, where can I find these loud ponies?"

"I already told ya that. In the old castle in the Everfree forest."

Rebel sighed and tried to slow down. This rather bubble-headed pony seemed slow to the draw, but eventually gave oddly precise directions, although she claimed she would get lost. She said not to go through the forest, because it was dark, but that was all Rebel could get.

"OK, well then, thanks Ditzy. It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Rebel Rouser!" She exclaimed once more, before taking off again in the other direction. Rebel was eager to meet these so-called loud ponies, but noticed Ditzy's haunches as she took off. Rebel imagined she probably fell rather often, as she would need to take off rather often to have back legs like that. She watched for a moment, until the quirky pony disappeared behind a cloud, still a little confused from the earlier scene, though her mind was going in a new direction. As she vanished, Rebel remembered she had a purpose, and gathered her focus again.

As Rebel made her way into the dark woods, trying to remember the odd, if somewhat charming, native's overly complicated directions, she took a bit before noticing the ominous nature of the forest. She managed eventually to come towards a river where the canopy broke, and she could see the sky. She saw clouds moving slowly overhead, but there were no pegasi. She decided to fly up and get a better view, get across the creek, and maybe even see this castle.

As she rose above canopy, she was only more puzzled as the clouds seemed to move on their own. She had heard of it happening in other far off or isolated places, but it was still unsettling. She could not see a castle proper, but did note what seemed to be an oddly contained fog over a gulch. She made her way to into the clouded region of the forest, where she eventually did see ruins, and flew about to try to come to the main entrance. It seemed to be rather conveniently marked by a rather large and darkly decorated carriage. As she landed, she noted the words 'Nightmare Knights' appearing in stylized letters.

She was both fascinated, and apprehensive, but she was confident she could take anything in the forest, so these 'Nightmare Knights' couldn't be that much of a problem. She looked inside of the carriage and saw some concert equipment, lighting and sound hardware, and a handful of stray drums and drum kit hardware. She was a fair bit curious why only some extra drum parts would be in the carriage, but was getting more curious why these 'loud ponies' couldn't be heard. She approached the entry, tried to call out, and eventually wandered in when there was no answer. She followed a few echoes down corridors until she heard indistinct voices, and some stray musical notes, which she proceeded to track down.

As she was coming to the plain conclusion that the loud ponies with instruments were a rock band, she neared the voices but was intercepted as loose stone in crimsonish pink aura flew towards her, but intentionally missed, hitting the ceiling and knocking dirt on her. In the distraction a rather strong but feminine voice echoed in the corridor.

"Go away."

A dark pinkish red unicorn with hot pink eyes blinked in right in front of her.

"We're not leaving without performing, and we already told you we can't do anything about the fog in the forest. Now, I suggest you leave on your own, before I have you removed!"

Rebel's eyes narrowed slightly, and her head lowered in an aggressive stance, but she remained calm. "If you wanna scare me, Miss Fancy, you'll need more than threats. I don't get on well with bullies!"

The other mare stood plainly, and stared unyieldingly. "Amusing accusations from the bad weather brigade, but your new game isn't going to work. Besides, I don't need you to be scared, just to be gone."

Rebel's brow raised, but she did not give any ground. "Look, I dunno what the hoof you are talking about, and I don't care. I just want to know what's going on with the weather around here, and you seem to be the new element!"

The unicorn's eyes narrowed, but more in calm threat, than anger. She would not be as easy to challenge as a couple local plotholes "You WILL regret if you continue to try and intimidate me. We will leave when we have played, and not before. If you're so concerned about the weather, then I suggest you see that we do. The longer we remain, the more it will cost you in the end. My patience has worn thin. Leave!"

Rebel was sure there was a misunderstanding, but was not going to back down, before even determining the source of the problem. As the unicorn's horn softly started to glow, and Rebel's wings slightly opened, a calm, if distressingly confident voice broke suddenly through the tension.

"Really now, Leather, what do you intend to do? She hardly seems intimidated, and we don't even know who she is." The voice revealed its owner to be a black earth pony, with a long, jet black mane and tail. Only shocking violet eyes broke through the gloom. She was an unsettling figure, but for the moment, she was on Rebel's side. "Shall we simply try to spook every pegasus we see, now, or perhaps you are waiting to see how well your 'methods' work, when they fight back?"

"Do not intervene in this, Illusion, she's obviously one of them."

"I haven't seen her with the others before. In fact I haven't seen her at all."

"One of who?" Rebel demanded angrily, even in her precarious position. "What are you ponies talking about? I just got to this town!"

"As you can see, Sunshine is calling in re-enforcements!" Leather said calmly, as her aura shrouded Rebel's wings.

"Sunshine Spirit? Is she responsible for this damn weather?"

Leather maintained her stare on the purplish red mare, but calmed her stance, if only slightly. "If you are not with them, then what is your business here, and why such concern for the weather?"

"As if I'd want to tell you, now!"

Without any apparent movement out of Rebel's peripheral vision, Illusion was suddenly on the other side of her, as only a shadow remained where she'd been. Startled, Rebel tensed her fore-leg muscles, but managed not to immediately react. Her wings did instinctively began to flap, dissipating the magic aura, somehow, as Illusion continued calmly.

"Lay off the shiny, Leather. Maybe she even has something useful to say."s

The unicorn's aura faded completely, and Rebel immediately spread her wings, and locked into a stare with her. "I came here because someone keeps going from town to town making it rain all night, and keeping everypony inside all night. I happen to like it at night!"

"So... you're here to contend with Sunshine Spirit?" The unicorn demanded, maintaining a firm and unwavering stare. "Then what are you doing here, instead of in Ponyville?"

"Another pegasus said there was a group of night owls staying here. I thought it'd be a good place to find some friends."

"We don't need any more friends." Leather turned around. "Fight your battle on your own."

"It's the same..." A black hoof covered Rebel's mouth.

"You'll have to forgive Leather, she is used to either dealing with adversaries or people she can boss around." Illusion lowered her hoof and began walking, pausing to wait for Rebel who started alongside her.

"Leth-ur?" She began to inquire.

"LeaTHER!" The unicorn sharply corrected.

"Is that a foreign name?"

"Something like that." The eerie earth pony responded as they entered a large chamber.

The room had several openings in the stone where the windows had collapsed, letting in the dim sunlight through the heavy fog, but the room itself was well lit with lamps and torches. It was so well lit that Rebel only noticed it now, as she looked at Illusion's fur. Her coat was a deep, dark blue, dark enough to appear black in dim light. For an earth pony she was poised like a unicorn... elegant, but there was something else... a cold confidence concealing an elusive strength. Her black mane nearly reached the ground and seemed to have a slight glimmer. She was an ...intriguing pony at the very least. Her cutie mark appeared to be a wand over a top hat, but she was no unicorn.

"Welcome to our ...hotel suite, for the duration of our stay. Obviously, we are a band, mostly nightmare metal... gothic progressive black. I'm Illusion, you've met Leather Luxury, and that over there is Heartrock, or collectively, the Nightmare Knights. The lithe young colt working on the balcony is Shockrod, and Axlerod, Lime Light, and Joker Juggler are around somewhere. They're our roadies."

Rebel passively paid attention to Illusion as she looked about noting the amps, guitars, sheet music, synth, mics, and a very basic drum set, she also saw in a darker corner, another apparently black mare sitting at an old dilapidated piano, messing about with it. The cutie mark looked like a battleaxe, until she saw the guitar strings, which was tricky given the distracting hot pink mane, done into three pony tails on the right side , somehow scraggly and elegant at the same time, with a tail to match. She couldn't help, but notice the strange name, though.

"Joker Juggler?"

"Yeah, Heartrock's coltfriend, he's rather strange."

Rebel's brow lifted at this unusual pony in this unusual group... calling someone out for being strange. "Greeeeat... I'm sure I'm looking forward to meeting him."

Illusion eventually settled at a desk humming over sheet music, while Leather started messing with some clothes and dress forms. Illusion then suddenly spoke up once more. "So you know who we are, now. What about you? Who are you, and why you are here?"

"My name is Rebel Rouser. I am from Fillydelphia, where this has happened before. Days are always bright and sunny with enough cloud cover to keep it cool, and then all the rain falls at night, with downpours, storms, hail, or sometimes just blinding fog. We ran a bunch of Pegasi out last year. I think they might have come here. I am guessing this Sunsh..."

"So this is all your fault then? We've been here for two weeks, waiting for the nights to clear up so we could have our concert that was scheduled for a week ago! Your preppy cheerleader friend has been trying to run us out of town ever since!"

Rebel was not keen on being interrupted, but this Leather was intriguing to her, especially now illuminated by the torchlight. Even as she spoke with anger and accusation, a sensual grace tempered the firm and assertive demeanor, only further brought out by her lavender mane and tail flowing with her movements. Still more curious she had what appeared to be a corseted heart as a cutie mark. She could not help but stare, at the oddly named mare's backside as she returned to her work. Illusion took notice, and subtly smiled before actually redirecting her attention to Rebel.

"Leather and Heartrock don't want to leave until we have performed. Too many ponies still ignore the Night Court. They started the band because we want ponies to respect Princess Luna as her sister's equal, and show our loyalty to our ruler. But ever since we got to Ponyville, everybody's been all about 'Praise Celestia, Ruler of Equestria.' Leather is taking it personally."

"Ah, yes... I am the one taking it personally... All of us know the Night Princess doesn't get the respect she is due, and we all suffer the same consequences. This may all be some idealistic message to you, but Heart and I will not permit this disrespect, and ponies WILL know what they bring upon themselves!

"Sheesh, drama queen much?" Illusion responded, before Rebel thumped a fore hoof and got all pontifical.

"Then we're fighting the same fight, so why shouldn't we fight it together? We night ponies don't need to be pushed around just because Celestia's subjects don't know they are Princess Luna's as well! Your musical mission is all well and good, but when push comes to shove, sometimes we need to fight back with diplomacy, and even hooves! You call yourselves Knights of the Night, Champions of Princess Luna, but Knights don't hide in castles anymore, they stand up for what they believe in. I am willing to help you get rid of this Sunshine Spirit, the same way we did in Fillydelphia. Why not use your voices and axes to face down your adversaries, rather than just preaching to your... to our choir?"

The room fell silent as Leather, Illusion, and even Shockrod, young dim gray stallion with a glowing lightning rod on his flank, stared blankly at the righteous pegasus. The unicorn huffed and returned to her work, as Illusion tried to gauge just what this vocal pony was all about. Heartrock moved to approach the middle of the room and address their guest. Her voice was calm and soft, but noticeably steady.

"Truly inspiring, you know, perhaps even like music? Look, you wanna pick a fight with Sunshine, that's your business. But don't presume to charge in here with your speeches and holier than thou nonsense, and insinuate that my friends are disloyal cowards. We've been doing this since Her Highness returned almost four years ago, and it has motivated and warned a hundred times as many ponies as some troublemaker's speeches. We don't want help from anyone who is as arrogant as Sunshine Spirit, so do us a favor, and take Leather's advice. Go rouse the rabble somewhere else. We have real work to do."

She turned to go hook up her guitar. "It's getting late, we should start practicing."

As they began to set up to start practicing, and the young stallion began working with some machine, Rebel noticed the drums were away from the group and being ignored. Illusion approached her and spoke up in that cool, but purposeful voice.

"It was a good try, just a bad audience. That might be your problem, you need to know your audience. Maybe you should try your hand at music..." Rebel opened her snout to speak, but was preempted.

"We hardly need anyone like her in the band!" Leather sniped.

"We hardly even know who she is," retorted Illusion. "Know your audience, Leather."

"Whatever, creep."

Illusion spoke and moved with intent. She seemed to have an agenda, and certainly seemed very interested in deciphering Rebel. Know your audience, after all. "Well we heard your sweet little oration, Rebel Rouser was it? It seems only fair you hear us." As she picked up a bass guitar the others looked at her with annoyed expressions. She smirked and started testing the amps.

Rebel wasn't used to being dressed down; for that matter, she wasn't used to not being followed. Then again, most of her rebels really were rabble where she came from. A bit put off, she plopped her plot down as the Knights began to perform.

The music began softly as the base and lead guitars sung a delicately syncopated melody that slowly blended as Leather's voice escaped from nearly closed lips in a melodic flow into the air. Her voice was a soft growl that gradually began to scratch the air with increasingly dulcet, yet snarled regret, in a dark lullaby with a sense of pained affection, until the music quickly grew dark as the bass overtook the timbre, and the lingering tenor cries of the lead guitar tried fearfully to follow until Leather's voice softened to a dim growl and stopped. The bass then picked up heavily, and pulled in the lead guitar which again rose to the front of the sound, and Shockrod activated a drum machine which carried the thumping bass through the deep whisper of a low ride cymbal. Leather's voice fell into a contralto snarl as the partially decipherable lyrics began to form.

"Now our moon rises, thus cometh thy fall

Child of the moon, Wizened by

dayyyyyy

Thy own lov-ed darkness, thy soul rots within

In the light of thy never seen night

...Your soul...

Sees no comfort...

...at allllllllllllllll

The toms picked up on the machine, and again a syncopated break tore into the melody, bringing the bass back to the front of the music. The morbidly enchanting lullaby quality continued with a hint of anger.

"Our glorious moonlight

couldn't show thee the

way

Free of the sunlight, thou wept though the

night

Blind of the glory,

With wide opened eyes..."

The lead guitar quickly began to blend toward treble, as the bass underlined Leather's darkened voice, which descended from anger to sorrow before breaking into a shrieked metallic growl.

"Still you desire,

To pass into sleep,

...And may...

Then all your fears

decaayyyyy!

May then your soul tortured by fear

decaaAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The drums and howling rifts of the guitar broke all at once, grounded by only the bass of Illusion's guitar and the drum machine, and another syncopated measure pulled Illusion into an operatic voice which flowed beneath the tragic deathbed lullaby in a mysterious elegy as Leather's lyrics about how a moonchild's inability to embrace her darker nature rotted away her soul, rotted into a nearly indecipherable hellish snarl. The bass guitar carried the haunting song as it grounded the riffs contending with the drums pulling Leather's voice over Illusion's timbre to draw her into heartbroken rage that began to pour back into Leather's growls and snarls, until Illusion's gothic voice fell away, conquered by a combative but intently harmonic guitar duet.

At one moment, being blown back by the sudden shrieking of all three immediately justifying one another musically, Rebel gained focus the next verse, as the music hammered an untold rhythm into her head. The drum machine was keeping a beat, giving the music tempo and force, but there was no passion.

Rebel jumped behind the four piece drum kit, with one cymbal and no hi-hat, grabbed the worn sticks and leapt into the solo. As the guitars battled for supremacy weaving a beautiful heavy nightmare lullaby, Rebel used the snare as a hi-hat, and the cymbal as a ringing snare, breaking into the beat and giving the music a speed and aggression which bridged the guitars together, as Illusion and Leather watched in some surprise. Then Illusion signaled the others and melded her playing into Heartrock's, leading Rebel into an angry but unchallenging professional drum solo to bridge the verses and the two singers, and with an incomplete set to boot. She then faded back, softly and darkly into the next verse and took over for the machine.

In professional form, the group finished the song, as they regrouped, twelve eyes fell on the young pegasus, staring in fatigue and bit of awe. Most of them at least. A lime green mare with a spotlight cutie mark, and a silverish stallion with a greasy axle on his flank, had arrived to investigate. They, along with Leather and Heart, were trying to decide if that had just happened, as Illusion smirked and shook her head. Rebel looked about and nervously squee-smiled, her purplish red cheeks becoming reddish purple. Leather was the first to snap back into it, regain her poise, and speak up.

"Huh, not... terrible. Maybe you stand a sliver of a chance to be worthy of us."

Illusion's steady voice broke in once more. "A sliver, hardly a real chance."

"It was your idea in the first place!"

"It was, I had hoped that energy of hers might translate into the music. Her playing has aggression, but no authority."

"I'm right here, y'know! And what do you mean no auth..."

"She's right," interjected Heartrock. "You play very well, and you feel the music, but you don't speak to it. How can you be committed to a thing, if you don't even understand it?"

The silver stallion, who looked almost identical to the gray one spoke up with a timid undertone. "I thought she sounded really good. Where did you learn... to...." Leather's attention moved to the young pony, and she stared directly at him without speaking or moving. He lowered his eyes and stopped speaking.

"I just... I'm good at hitting things. I just know how to do it in patterns. If I had a better set..."

"You'd have more things to hit?" snapped Leather. "That's your whole problem isn't it? You're all about what you can see, what you can fight with your hooves. You may have the attitude to lead a revolution, Rabble Rouser, but that's all you have. And you expect us to follow a self-righteous poseur into a fight? You've had more say than you've warranted. Leave now."

"So you can do what, then?" Rebel demanded as she pounded the sticks onto the snare. "Just hide here in the gloom, until you get bored and go to the next city? What then? What if the same thing happens there? You say I don't have passion for the music! Well you're all too scared to have passion for anything else! At least..."

"Enough!" yelled Heartrock. This seemed to alarm the others, as they looked at her, and seemed to keep a distance as she stormed toward the pegasus. "Enough of your arrogant speeches. Enough of your empty words, and ENOUGH of your self-important attitude! We received you. We heard you. We even let you force yourself into an audition, and we aren't impressed! Moreover, you come into our squat, boss us around like street thugs, and then insult my friends? Clop off! You've exceeded your welcome!"

She returned to her instrument, as the other three mares in the room stared coldly at Rebel. The pegasus fell onto four hooves with a thunk and huffed out.

As she left, Leather snorted and Heartrock quietly closed in on herself again as she picked up her guitar. Axlerod spoke up once more. "She's right, you know." Leather immediately shot a look back at him, and he lowered his head.

"She is..." affirmed Illusion.

Leather looked back at her. "Make up your mind, already, Lusi."

"Oh, Elel, you know me better than that by now, I'd hope?"

"Perhaps I do. I also know we will not regarded as some street gang!"

"She wants a fight Leather, but she needs a challenge. If she can't handle a few musicians, how is she going to handle Sunshine and Static? A faceplant in the dirt will do her good."

Leather blinked softly and sighed. "We should get back to practicing."

...

Meanwhile as Rebel made her way down the gloomy stairwells, she felt as if she was part of the fog creeping into the corridors. She heard the thunder crash just before the guitars started screaming again, and dejectedly made her way to the entrance, walking outside into the rain and trudging towards the rickety bridge, grumbling and kicking up mud as she became soaked. A sharp, almost melodic male voice broke through the downpour.

"You must be pissed to risk the bridge, when you can fly above the clouds."

Caught off guard, and her head down, as the voice startled her, she lost focus on her pacing and smacked her face into the pole securing the bridge. She rubbed her nose and sighed, as she looked to the image emerging from the fog, and immediately took and aggressive stance upon seeing him. He was more than a little alarming. The pale gold pony had a short spiked crimson mane, and a long untrimmed tail that picked up some of the mud, despite not quite reaching the ground. His look was calm, but uncomfortably confident, and his posture was lazy was still relatively proud. All that was fine; it was his face that was disconcerting on top of all the rest.

His nose was painted blood red, to match the asymmetrical and creepy clown make-up most notably on his brows and mouth. It was black, red, and a bit of gold, sharp, dark, and psychotic looking. Rebel wasn't worried about asking questions, she was ready to defend herself.

"And after all that, still all tough? I ain't here to fucking mug you, if that's what you think, so chill the fuck out. If anything, I'm here to give you some ...helpful advise."

"Were you spying on me, freak? Is that a threat? I'm not scared of you!"

The stallion laughed softly but vocally. "Never think that might yer problem? You wanna start shit, but you ain't fucking smart enough to be scared of nuthin! You act like you come from the streets and know how things work in the real world, but you don't! Maybe you should just fuck off, and leave the real killas to do the carnival's work."

He turned around and moved back into the fog, as she got a glimpse of his cutie mark. It was overly colorful and...

"What carnival? What the hoof are you talking about? Is... Is that a microphone or a cannon?"

"Yeah... it is. I thought you had places to be."

"You're a musician?"

"Now you wanna talk? Make your muthafuckin' mind up, already!"

"Look, I'm sorry. I had a shit day, and am having a shit night. I came here to..."

"To start shit. Yeah, I know. My bitch is stayin' here. I heard the whole thing! And I thought maybe, you got judged too fast, but if all you wanna do is cause shit, and not get shit done..."

"What I want is..." She sighed. "I wanted to help."

He turned part way around again. "No ya don't. You wanna make other people fight your fucking fight. You asked if I'm a musician. No. An emcee. I know a couple things about inspiring muthafuckers to do somethin' worthwhile. Thought you might too, but you ain't down with the carnival, just yo damn self!"

"What car... If you think that, then why are you still talking to me?"

"Look, maybe stop to be a fuckin' high horse, and look around for a minute. Decide what the fuck you stirring shit for, 'fore you start slingin' it." He turned around, speaking more calmly, if just as dirtily. "Ponies don't wanna listen until you talkin' TO them. And in THEIR language. You wanna help us, but what makes us wanna help you?" He turned to move away again. "I'd just use dem wings, dat damn bridge ain't been fixed for a thousand years." With that he vanished into the fog.

"Hey... Hey where'd you go? What the fuck are you saying? I WAS talking to them!"

There was no answer. She mumbled as she shook out her wings. "Not like I was talking to my damn self... freak!" She fought to get air before she managed to get above the clouds long enough to get out of the storm, and eventually out of the forest.

As Rebel slumped beyond the forest, between the town and the orchard, she lazily thumped onto the ground. It was getting late in the afternoon, and she saw the storm clouds and fog rolling in from the west as she sat and moped, watching the silhouettes of the townsponies gradually vanish into their houses. Soon enough, though, her thoughts the light flapping of wings from behind. Axlerod had apparently followed her, and approached her timidly on foot, after landing several strides back.

"Come to make sure I get all the way out?"

"No... well... not really, though... kinda ... well..." The soft spoken stallion stumbled quietly over his words until met with an annoyed grunt from Rebel.

"Actually Mi... they, the band I mean... well they did ask me to make sure you left, but also told me to stay with the wagon... but see... well it took guts what you tried to do, and I think they should help you. They're just... well y'know... proud."

"Yeah, well by the looks of those clouds, it seems so is this Sunshine Spirit pony, and she has the upper hand. Your so-called Knights won't win by hiding in foggy ruins!"

"Well... my um... the manager, Leather Luxury.. she says a fight is just what Sunny wants, and that it will give the town a reason to hate us... and maybe even make the Princess look bad. Nobody here wants to stand beside the band, because... um... I don't know, I guess. Something about not insulting Princess Luna again?

"Look up there. You can even see Canterlot from here. If Sunshine Spirit has to leave here, she might go there next, and well... she's good at making trouble, I guess."

Rebel stood up firm and with purpose. "Well so am I! And maybe, if they won't listen to a bunch of emo goths, they'll at least listen to me. You can't tell me everypony here is happy about all this?"

"I uh... I'm not really sure? But maybe if you want to spook her? I've seen some beefy guy who didn't look too happy helping her, but he's pretty good with the clouds and all. And didn't you say you met somepony? Maybe if... I mean... if people around here thought they had a friend... instead of y'know... a bunch of screaming ponies in dark make-up." He began talking far more quickly. "I mean I like the band just fine! I like all of them. They really are good ponies, they just... y'know... are intimidating."

Rebel looked awkwardly at him for a moment, then shook it off. "Well I'm not intimidated by your friends, OR by this Sunshine snob. Bullies need to be challenged! You know where I can find the cute, gray, wonky-eyed pony, or this big guy?"

Axlerod didn't entirely register her words, as he was more worried about disobeying Leather, but he hoped if this mare could make good on her words, that it would show the Knights, and even help them get to perform. Being rather observant, and rather itinerant in general... he was able to lead Rebel to Ditzy Doo's house.

As they took back off, a glint of yellow and white bit the side of Axle's vision. As he looked over, he supposed it was just a cloud catching a stray sunbeam. He didn't think anything more of it as they reached the house. He was too nervous at the whole situation, as he waited in the corner, while Rebel knocked at the door.

The yellow wall-eyes poked out from the behind the door.

"Oh hey its you!" Ditzy chirped as she opened up the door, standing in an excited posture.

"It's nice to see you! But how did know where I live? I mean I suppose it's not hard to find that out... I know where most everyone lives." She pondered. "But it's my job to know where everyone lives. Is it your job too? What is your job?"

Rebel kind of just waited for her to wind down this time. "I um... I'm a boxer."

"Ooh, work with boxes too!"

"Nono... like a pugilist. You know, a prize fighter?"

"What's that got to do with boxes?" She looked a little perplexed as she tried to reason it out... boxing was not a popular form of entertainment in most parts of Equestria.

Rebel chose to just move forward. "Anyway, speaking of fighting... that's..." She considered what the Nightmare Knights had said for a moment. "I wanted to talk to you about something, if you don't mind."

"I like to talk! What do you want to talk about? We can talk about um... we can talk about Ponyville; we can talk about aerial collisions; we can talk about Rainbow Dash some more... we could talk about muffins..."

"No, I wanted to talk about Sunshine Spirit."

"Why do you want to talk to me about her?" Her eyes inverted positions, as she seemed relatively disinterested. "You should talk to her about herself."

As Ditzy awaited an answer, the gold eyes of a purple unicorn filly peaked out. Rebel was curious, but she continued.

"You wanted to talk about Rainbow Dash... but not Sunshine Spirit?"

"Rainbow Dash is awesome. Sunshine Spirit is just... efficient."

Rebel was trying to get a read on Ditzy who seemed at once very smart, and very... well ditzy.

"Well her non-awesome efficiency is what I wanted to talk about. She's making the nights here, almost unlivable outside, and doing it on purpose so every day can be sunny. I talked to the Nightmare Knights in that old castle, and they have been waiting to perform for two weeks!"

As soon as she said 'Nightmare Knights,' the other mare became rather more serious and nudged the little girl back inside. "Those ponies just wanna make trouble. The weather is working well enough for Ponyville, for now, and it's just until Rainbow Dash or the Princess come back..."

"Princess?"

"You should probably stay with your friends at the castle." She started to close the door.

Rebel flattened a hoof against the door, becoming slightly preachy again.

"The pegasi here can't seriously be OK with this abuse of power!? Are you gunna wait for this Rainbow Dash and her friends to fight all your battles?"

"I don't wanna get involved in any trouble."

"Someone needs to stand up to these bullies! You can't just keep ignoring everyone who walks all over you! You need to think about these things, you have a filly to take care of! If you won't stand up for yourself, how do you expect to protect her?"

"SHE is the only thing I have GOT to think about!" Snapped back the gray pegasus, whose personality had flipped from cute and personable, to angry and forceful in the blink of an eye, as she pushed the door shut with impressive strength.

Rebel sat there for a moment pondering things. Were these people all scared of Sunshine? Why did nobody stand up to her? What did these ponies do when Celestia's "knights" were not around? Which Princess was she talking about? She has a kid? Does she have a husband? He must be a unicorn...

She was startled and put up her hooves as Axle tapped her out of her daze, quickly backing down in reaction. Rebel wanted to react in turn, but just dropped her hooves and huffed. "OK, well what about this other pony you mentioned?"

"Oh well, um he generally practices by the track. Let's see if he's maybe still there."

As they took off again, Ditzy watched out of the window, until something bright yellow refracted the last rays of the sun into her eyes, and they were gone.

As Rebel and Axle neared the track, the chilled drizzle seemed to fall through a thick moisture in the air, and the thunder crashed over the east edge of town. Visibility was rapidly dropping off, but it was hard to miss an over-muscled beast in the general shape of a pony, quickly floating back to the town.

She intercepted the stallion whose tiny wings were flittering intently to carry his huge body trough the air. Whatever worked, Rebel figured as she introduced herself.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting you?"

"NO!!" The pony shouted suddenly, starling Rebel, who ran head first into a tree as they descended into town.

"You OK!?" The stallion asked loudly and with abnormal gusto, while Rebel rubbed her head.

"Yeah.. I'm um... used to it.

"OK!" exclaimed the stallion forcefully, as he moved toward a cottage.

"Hey wait up. I wanted to... well I wanted to ask... do you know a Sunshine Spirit?"

"Yeah!"

"Uh... OK then. Well see I'm Rebel Rouser, and I'm from..."

"Bulk Biceps!" he half shouted.

"Yeah, a pleasure, but I'm kinda on business. See I'm from out of town, and um... well why hasn't anyone said anything about how Sunshine Spirit is managing the weather here, I mean..."

Bulk's eyes widened and flitted nervously from side to side. "I Gotta Go!" he interrupted loudly, as he hefted himself with his wings and rapidly retreated to his house.

Rebel sat there grumping as Axle landed and sat beside her. "Well hey, you tried. What else can you do, right?"

The quickening pittering of drizzle quieted as the noise was replaced by a heavy rain, quickly drenching Rebel and her spirit. "Get wet, apparently."

"Maybe you should just stay inside at night!" The snarky, snooty, feminine, and familiar voice broke through the rain from behind her.

Axle shrunk back, away of the entourage of preppie pegasi, as Rebel turned to see a familiar face, though one she had never put a name to before. Standing under wide, neon yellow, green, and orange umbrellas, were the same two entitled pegasi who were giving Ditzy a hard time earlier, along with a mottled bluish green earth pony with a green and gray mo-hawk, and mud up to her knees. It was obvious however, the other pegasus was the leader of this little posse.

Her loosely pig-tailed mane was bright yellow, almost enough to reflect in the ambient light of the town. Her gold eyes, though dulled in the rain, pierced through, as she smirked with unearned victory at Rebel, whose eyes quickly narrowed. The clearly antagonistic pegasus, wandered around Rebel as if to look her over, and started again to talk down at her. By her half pom-pom and half sun cutie mark, it was likely this was Sunshine Spirit.

"So... you're the out-of-towner who's been stirring up shit in my town. And I think I remember you... Yeah... you're that lame pot stirrer from Fillydelphia who 'inspired' all those street thugs to rise up and 'defend their rights!" She scoffed. "Well your fancy little speeches to dirty hobo ponies, may have worked in the city, honey, but Ponyville is home to classy ponies, who have more important things to worry about than if it's pretty out after bedtime."

Rebel turned around with a huff, and set herself in an charging position. "It's ponies like you, and these minions of yours that almost lost your precious day forever, because you have no respect for the co-ruler of our lands, and are blind to any beauty you can't find in a boutique! You..."

"Oh for the love of Celestia, save your sentiments, sweetie, for someone lame enough to care, like those stupid Nightmare Ninnies..." Her gaze shifted to Axle as she smirked dismissively. "Or him."

She started moving towards the pensive young pegasus. "And you... What do you think would happen if somehow, Nanny Knight learned you were off your leash?"

Rebel intercepted. "Leave him alone! Your fight is with me, cunt!"

Axle nervously stuttered from behind. "Ac..a..a... Actually, she's r..r.. well... I really shu... should go. He took off swiftly into the fog back towards the forest. Sunshine leered, smiling, back at Rebel.

"Fight, oh sweetie, I'm not going to fight you. I'm going to give you a chance. Come to the pegasus meeting tomorrow morning, and have your say. I'm sure one of those insp..."

"Yeah, you'd love that! A bunch of gutless ponies wrapped around your hoof, to throw me out of town. It's harder than that to get even with me, little miss! Come on, what's wrong, you can't handle a real scrap?"

Sunshine scoffed, and moved off, as Rebel moved to block her again. The angry pugilist pony was immediately blocked off, herself, by the stallion, and the earth mare, letting Sunshine sashay off before the others followed, leaving the soaked pegasus, pissed off, huffing hotly, and without a retort. Rebel wandered for a fair bit, fuming and thinking. Despite the time to calm down, these ponies were being stubborn pussies, and that snot was getting away with this crap. Eventually she found a tiny cave in a rocky area outside of town to settle down and sleep, but it didn't help. The next morning she woke as self-righteous and aggressive as ever, intending to at least get the last word, if these ponies wanted to let the Princess's sister's minions do all their dirty work, anyway.

She flew about, nearly bruising her ribs with the wrath in her wings until she found the pegasi gathered, going on about basic weather stuff, and Rainbow Dash coming back in a couple weeks, and other crap she wasn't concerned about. She landed with a slopping noise into the drying mud, again in a fighting posture, with her eyes staring down the unflappable Sunshine Spirit.

"Ah yes... the big bad... oh I didn't get your name, sweetie... Shit Stirrer, was it? Did you have something to say, before we go to work?"

"You're damn right, I got something to say, but not to your sorry ass!" She turned to address that gathered pegasi.

"What's wrong with all of you, anyway? I can see it in your eyes, that you're not OK with this? This is not just about some band performing, this is about respect! Respect for Princess Luna, sure... but respect for yourselves, for your town, for Equestria! What's this kind of weather going to do your crops over time? What about evening picnics, camping trips, Nightmare Night? If you all are settled to just let this prissy snob make Ponyville look like a lot of cowards and haters, well then I guess there's nothing I can do... Just wait for your precious Rainbow Dash, and those other ones to come save you. Just know that the next time someone like HER wants to come throw her weight around, and the warriors of the realm are off saving your butts, that you'll just be hiding in your houses from the torrents of tyranny again!"

Sunshine clapped her hooves slowly a few times. "Well now, that was so moving, I guess I better pack up and go..." She giggled insultingly. "Is this the kind of troublemaker we want around this town? Ask around, ask each other: this is the mare who went around our town in the late evening, tracking ponies down in their homes, and trying to start a big fight! The same pony who picked a fight as soon as she fist landed in our town! Not to mention one of the same mares who wants that death metal trash making noise all night for 'poor widdle dejected pwincess wuna.' If this is what Princess Luna's cults are like, then we're better off drowning them out at night. We did just fine with one Princess for centuries, and even since then, what has Luna done but whine? I say let her stay in her castle, with her minions and troublemakers!"

The pegasi were not exactly riled up by her disrespectful speech, anymore than they were by Rebel's disrespectful speech, but they all seemed too complacent to do much more than mutter, until another voice cut through the crowd, as the grungy earth pony with a mo-hawk stepped up.

"I sure as hoof don't. Oh, not that you're much better Sunshine, but you're right about one thing, this mare is just making trouble, while the worst you make is some puddles that dry up by mid-morning." She approached Rebel closely enough that her cutie mark of a rusty open safety pin, over a splattered do not enter sign made a lazy anarchy symbol. "You and your band come up in her talking about respecting the night, then play your 'heavy metal.' Well guess what, I don't give a buck about the night, or the day! But I'm more respectful of Luna than you ponies with your speeches, and arias, and pretty riffs. You're right about one thing, we don't care. The Princesses do what they want, and we keep out of trouble, and keep to our own damn business. Nobody wants you here, Shit Stirrer, and it's not just because of Sunshine. It's because you piss everybody off, and got nothing to show for it."

By this time a few ponies were watching the drama, and mostly backing the punk pony, but may had dispersed, and Sunshine had taken off to begin her day. It was clear Rebel had worn her welcome, but her temper had taken firm hold. She lifted off from the other smug horse to just go, but Sunshine winking at her, as she flew off, finally blew her fuse.

Rebel Rouser put forth a hoof and started tearing through the air at impressive speed towards Sunshine, who turned just in time to see the red foot smash into her cheek an cut open her face, knocking her off balance as she tried to regain attitude in the air. She straightened up just in time for the raging pegasus to bull rush her from above and ram her into the grass. The soil cushioned the impact, but it still bruised a rib or two. As both ponies stood to face each other, Rebel was pounding a fore-hoof as Sunshine tried to regain her focus.

Rebel waited a moment, not one to back down from a fair scrap, giving Sunshine the chance to try to fly away. Her less than honorable opponent kicked up some dirt and took off into the beginning of a maneuver, until Rebel grabbed the flesh of her wing and pulled her face down into the mud. Sunshine stood up quickly shook the mud and grass off her already cut face, and looked up to see Rebel eagerly waiting to finish pounding her.

Sunshine may not have been a raging thug, but she was no longer being amused by this mare. She crouched down and huffed, letting Rebel dive in, before she flipped around and bucked her in the chest. Rebel coughed a brief moment, then the two locked hooves, proceeding to batter and bruise one another, although Rebel seemed to be causing far more damage. Sunshine kept trying to get airborne, but was on the defensive, as Rebel was far more coordinated on the ground than a normal pegasus should be, faster than an earth pony, and almost as strong. Eventually the earth pony, and another stallion pushed Sunshine off and grabbed Rebel to throw her down, letting Sunshine get away.

Rebel's first reaction was to pursue, but she was being blocked. She huffed in frustration as she looked back to see Bulk, Ditzy, and another pegasus watching the altercation. As she stood up, covered in mud with a bloodied lip, scraped knee, yet another bruised rib, and a chipped hoof along with several other bruises and bumps, the punk pony and the stallion had moved off, and she looked to the others.

Bulk just sighed silently and took off to go help with the mid-day weather, as the stranger shook his head disapprovingly and wandered off. Ditzy and Rebel shared a brief look, before the other pegasus looked down, picked up a letter-bag, and flew away without making further eye contact.

"And I had to go and make that lame speech, when you were ready to show everyone what a loser you are all by yourself." The punk pony had meandered back. "Heh, you stupid metalheads think you're all hardcore. You have to resort to violence, because you can't make waves with your pretty music. Leave the streets to the street trash... go back to your cozy castle and write your screamy love songs to your Princess. It doesn't matter to anyone here. When I make music, people can at least hear it, who cares what you have to say when it's too bucking loud to even hear?" She moved off again, muttering about how stupid metal was. Even if she was keeping a distance from the prissy pegasus, they were obviously... loud as you like doesn't matter. She was right about one thing, extreme is too loud to really hear anyway. Rebel didn't know who was stupider, the punk pony for telling her exactly what she was doing wrong... or herself, for not hearing everyone else saying the same thing under all her ranting.

Sitting alone in the empty clearing, she moped for a minute, her own behavior starting to put off even her, as everypony's reactions began to set in. She really was no better than Sunshine Spirit... so blinded by her own view of things to force it down everyone else's throat, but she didn't know what else could be done to stand up to her, and her unexpected associate. She sighed and looked back towards the Everfree Forest. Those mares had something to say, something that needed to be heard. Their music wasn't going to say it to anyone who wasn't listening, and her own ranting wasn't telling anyone anything they didn't already know. She stood to lift off and winced as her heavily bruised wing spasmed. She wouldn't be able to fly for a day or so, so she'd have to hoof it. Half way out of town on her injured foot, she couldn't go anywhere fast, especially with no energy. After stopping to eat, and limping out of town and through the forest, it was just after mid-day.

The castle still seemed shrouded in twilight under the fog, and as Rebel limped her way up the stairwells and through the corridors, it was quite quiet. She realized they'd probably still be asleep, as she made her way to the chamber where they had set up, sitting behind the drum kit and fiddling with the tuning as she pondered. Limelight made her way in to investigate the noise.

"Oh, you're back. You, uh... probably should not be here."

Rebel opened her mouth to speak as another voice emanated from a corridor.

"Who should not be... You! I thought we made it clear you were not welcome."

Leather and Axle exited the dark hallway. The shy stallion looked with concern, but with purpose to the visitor as he moved to go back outside. Leather looked plainly at Limelight, who promptly went about her business.

"I suggest you leave, before my temper finally does run out."

"You don't own this castle. I have as much..."

"Squatter's rights. Go away. I neither know nor care why you were foolish enough to come back here but..."

Rebel pounded the snare and stood up, nearly shouting. "And I don't care th..." She took a breath, calmed herself, and sat back down. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to talk. You all were right, and I am more willing to listen too."

Leather sighed. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"I'm a professional fighter, it's my job to know when to give up. Now is not the time. Now is the time to step up..."

Leather looked directly at Rebel and slowly approached. "You don't seem to understand... We don't like you, and we don't want to deal with you. You do not intimidate me, and I have heard all I intend to. You have no further business here."

Illusion quietly slipped into the room, unnoticed to the two mares, so her voice caught them both a bit off guard. Still, Leather being used to it, and Rebel being rather stalwart, the two remained locked in their stare.

"Speak for yourself, Leather. I never said I didn't like her. I like her just fine."

"Besides, I most certainly do have business. I have something to say, and I intend to be heard."

"You've already..."

"I'm SURE... you know the feeling, Miss Leather."

Leather huffed as Illusion smirked to herself and retorted. "She's got ya there, Elel."

Heartrock and Joker Juggler were wandering in at this point, and the nocturnal musician seemed not at all happy to be woken by the commotion.

"We've already heard all you have to say."

"No... no you haven't. You heard me making noise, but I was so loud... I guess... I drowned out anything worth hearing. Look, I'm sorry I came off so... so, well..."

"Arrogant?"

"Belligerent?"

"Asinine?"

"Yeah... that. Look, I came here to help. I mean help this city, and in doing so, to help you. You can't do it alone, but you are determined to go through with this. I can help deal with Sunshine Spirit... but I can't do it alone either. With your help... we can run her the hoof out of this town, and even frighten her away from bucking with other cities. Where she goes, you only need to follow, IF you... if we... stand up to her here and now."

"What brought about this revelation of yours? Anything to do with those cuts and bruises?" asked Illusion. Leather stayed silent, holding her ground, and holding her stare, as Rebel addressed the room undaunted.

"Kind of. I guess I realized that I was being as bad as Sunshine Spirit, especially after I attacked her and drew her into an all out brawl. But it was actually something her friend said... a grungy green earth pony..."

"Static Strife," Heartrock sneered.

"Yeah well, she was trying to shit on you all, talking about how your music is so loud you can't hear it... It made me think, maybe that's why nopony was listening to me. In a way, we have a similar hurdle..."

Heartrock was not at all amused at the idea of Static saying anything of worth. "Do you seriously think that coming back, praising that cunt, and insulting our music is going to encourage us to give you another chance?"

"I didn't say she was a mentor, but she has a point. People can hear her music, just like they hear when she talks. I can make people listen, but..."

"...but you need something to say," interjected Joker from the corner.

Heartrock continued. "That's your problem, and Sunshine's, and Static's. People can hear you all ranting, but none of you are saying anything worth horseapples. This is not music of statement, the words are not supposed to be clear! It's about expressing pain, emotion, purpose."

"And THAT is what these day-lovers need to hear, not empty words driven by rage, but pain, anguish, and everything they are too afraid to acknowledge that will destroy them in the end," added the unicorn.

"Which is why nothing Leather says matters," teased Illusion as she moved next to her. Leather finally broke her stare to leer at the snarky pony, as she smirked and continued. "...without the music to back it up. Leather is the frontmare, not the band."

Leather huffed at Illusion before redirecting her attention to Rebel. "It's the emotion... the depth behind the words that give them meaning. You are still just thinking about the words, about the surface. Not many ponies can stand nose to nose with me. You might be hardcore. You might be a bad-ass in the ring, but it's not your hooves that get you back up and fighting. It's your heart, your passion that gives you power. In the ring against another boxer, or in the sky against Sunshine Spirit."

"And in the band," continued Heartrock. "We further each others passion, feel each others pain, and give the music meaning. If you want help, you need to be part of the solution, not try to force others to accept your own. If you got rid of her before, it seems like you should know that."

After a moment of silence, Illusion piped up again. "She's still right about one thing, how are we going to get anyone to listen?"

"They already give a shit," responded Rebel as she looked between the three. "They just need to find their own passion. They need someone to stand with them, to say what they need to hear and not pontificate their... our own crusade. THEY need to tell Sunshine Spirit to shove her spirit where the sun don't shine..." She sighed and then stood taller than the Knights had ever seen her stand. "And if you want to play here, you have to be the ones to do it, and you need me if you want to succeed."

"Now THAT, sounds like a challenge worthy of the Nightmare Knights!" exclaimed Illusion, as she smiled.

Heartrock pondered for a moment. "I can deal with Static on my own later. It's not just me she's bucking over this time. If you think you can inspire people to beat Sunshine's pretty white coat into the mud, well then I guess I'm in!"

The three looked at Leather, who hesitated for a moment then snorted. "Fine. But this is your last chance Rouser, beck up and..."

"Yeah, I get it. You in or not?"

Leather nodded.

"Then it's settled," chimed Joker from the corner again, "Let's give these ponies a nudge to get rid of the cunt, so you fuckers can play, already!"

They all looked at Rebel, who seemed a bit daunted for a moment before a coy smile crossed her face, and she nodded.

...

As sunset approached that evening, Rebel Rouser and her new friends took the carriage to edge of town, between Ponyville and the apple orchard. They drew a few looks, but kept most of their equipment under tarps, to avoid attention, as well as in response to the black clouds coming in from the west. Much of the town was busy wrapping up their days to go home and avoid the weather. They didn't bother to set up any lights, and were able to go unnoticed in the dimming light, at least until they were ready to be noticed.

There was no melodic buildup this time, no dulcet whimpers of the guitar screaming through the wind, or softened snarls. As soon as Illusion tore out a nightmarish base riff, Heartrock's axe began to shriek a melodic thrash cacophony, which spread through the air so as to preempt Illusion's black baseline. The treble screech pierced the air and pulled in the attention of every pony not locked inside their house, whether they appreciated it or not. Rebels hind hooves spun into a rapid fire double bass drum roll off the heels of the initial guitar measure, and pulled in Leather's baritone death growls. The black thrash piece was only the short intro to the band's self-titled second album, but it was enough to draw several dozen angered, curious, inconvenienced, and fascinated ponies to the clearing, including Sunshine and her self-proclaimed Celestial "cheerleader" cadre.

"Well now, isn't this adorable! Are the Nightmare Ninnies gunna play in the rain?"

"Nice make-up job, Sundried Spit," returned Illusion. "Were you trying to highlight the big red gash? Because I think the shiner is your best feature." Leather just stood firm, staring dead at the pegasus.

"Oh I'm so glad you noticed, Illooser, actually both are great examples at how right I am that Ponyville is far too classy for Lunar lackeys and children who cover up their tantrums by banging on your trash cans, and shredding the eardrums of decent day-loving ponies."

The crowd of distressed spectators went along with her criticisms and defamation for the moment, but Rebel wasn't interested in the Ponyville ponies playing follow the leader... not with Sunshine, not with her, not with anyone.

"If we're finished with the foalish name-calling, I think somepony has something important to say." She approached Sunshine.

"Ponyville isn't going to listen to any thug who talks with her hooves. If it's another fight you're looking for, I'm sure there's a drunk or two in the lock-up, who'd be happy to oblige."

"Oh you misunderstand. I'm not going to talk with punches, or words, or drumbeats, or anything else. I'm not the one who has something to say."

As it started to drizzle, the roadies began covering up and putting away the equipment, while the band moved behind Rebel.

"I suppose one of your friends here is going to scream something at me then?"

"We're not here to talk. We came here to play... at night... in honor of Luna, and we do intend to play, but not in the rain."

"And what are a few grounded ponies, and one beat-up pegasus going to do about it?"

"We're not going to do anything. We're not going to say anything. The citizens of Ponyville are."

Rebel stood her ground, as the crowd began muttering curiously. Sunshine was quite amused.

"Oh really, I think the only thing they're going to say is get the buck out of this town!"

The crowd seemed hesitant for a moment.

"No, that's what you are going to try to tell them to say. And thanks to me, I think they are tired of being told to what to say, do, and think, by pretentious, self-important cunts like you... and like me." She turned to address the crowd.

"I know I pissed most of you off, and that's my fault for acting like her, but are you really OK with letting other people fight your battles, and push you around? If you don't want the Nightmare Knights here, then fine, tell us. Celestia's warriors have protected this town for three years now, but they will have to move on, and when they do, you can either let ponies like this mare wander in and take over, or you can be your own ponies. How many of you are really OK with running to hide in your houses all night, because she has a hard-on for sunshine? Are you really OK with demeaning the Princess of the Night, or having your celebrations during the day, when most of you have work to do? It doesn't matter what I think, or what she thinks. What do you all think?"

The ponies hesitated to take sides, as both entourages watched them, still under the impression, that each was only trying to guide their responses, but Rebel had at least gotten their attention. Sunshine was intent on maintaining her favorable position, as she clapped sarcastically again.

"Very eloquent. And your little trick of disrupting their lives to get their attention, I'm sure speaks oodles in your favor."

Rebel ignored her and continued to address the crowd. "If we are disrupting your town, let us know. It's your town, not mine, and definitely not hers."

As the crowd wavered, Illusion saw what Rebel was trying to do, but knew they still needed a bit more incentive to stand up to Sunshine.

"It's absolutely your choice, and I have to say, I don't entirely disagree with Miss Spirit here. I'm sure some ponies like the rain, I know I do. The rain on a cold night, it... well it inspires me! It drives my passion, and my performance. Maybe Sunny here enjoys working the rain, maybe it's her passion, her passion she wants to share with all of you. And if you all have accepted her passion, then who are we to scream ours into your ears. Extreme metal is a highly disruptive influence to such a town after all."

She looked to Rebel who took over once more. "So if you don't want our passion, the passion for Luna, the passion of metal, from a few ponies waiting in the woods, then we'll leave you with Miss Spirit, to decide your passion for you. We only offer warnings about people like her, to empower ponies to fight back with passion; buck the price. But why bother with your own passions, when you have her to tell you what to care about?"

The crowd was starting to turn, but Rebel's preaching was getting old once again. She looked to Bulk Biceps.

"You grew up here, right? Have you been working the weather all these years?"

His eyes went back and forth again, as Sunshine started to stare him down.

"You look like you could move these clouds all on your own. I heard you were good with them... as good as she is?"

He continued to look between them, as Leather stepped forward, locking her stare on Sunshine.
Bulk noticed as for the first time, someone else was standing hoof to hoof with the overbearing pegasus, leveling the field.

"uh... yeah..." he answered in soft, short huffs...

"You could handle this yourself..."

"Yeah..." He got a bit louder.

"All this rain, all this fog, is this how YOU'D manage your home?"

"No!" He became emphatic as he lifted his head up.

"Your choice then. Who do YOU think needs to leave? Us, or her?"

"YEAH!" He shouted, then blinked awkwardly. "I mean... HER!"

"Heh, a pegasus so muscled up, he can barely get off the ground..." Sunshine was running out of ideas, as Bulk huffed and stomped a hoof, leaving her stuck between the potent gazes of the body-building stallion, and the very intense metal frontmare.

"One dumb pegasus... The rest still know you're a troublemaker... You're all troublemakers!"

Rebel looked over at Ditzy, who was either watching her, or watching Sunshine, either way worked. "I'm really sorry about that stuff I said. I know I was out of line, and I also know you have a lot to care about. It's your choice if you want your filly to grow up with sunny days and dismal nights, to honor Celestia, or in a place where people can express themselves, or even neither. If you want me to, I'll go, but I think the same should go for her."

Ditzy looked at Rebel for a moment, as she pondered over what the now much more reasonable mare was saying, then looked to Sunshine for a rebuttal.

"You really gunna listen to her? C'mon she attacked me," she looked smugly towards Rebel." These screaming foals are violent, and you can barely even take care of yourself. If you're worth horse apples as a mother, you know you need me, and these ponies will choose me over these thugs.. ev... ry..." Ditzy's brow fell low and she glared at Sunshine, as expected, but trying to turn the town against each other, especially against such a well-liked member of the community, turned out to be poor judgment. Several of the dirty looks Rebel and the band had been getting, Sunshine now found directed toward her.

The lustrous white pegasus was feeling more than a little pressure, and at a loss for words, as Static Strife stepped out from the crowd. "So now we're all supposed to bind together, and stand up to the big bad bully? That's not what these ponies are about! You wanna know why you can't hear their music for all the screaming? It's because they're all about violence, and frightening children, and blowing shit up when it doesn't work for them, and that's what they're gunna do, y'know. They're gunna be so much worse than this Celly fangirl will ever be. All any of them want is to boss you around, or destroy what they can't control!"

The other pegasus that had witnessed the fight stepped into what was now a loose circle. "And what do you want? To subvert everything, destroy it from the inside?"

"What I want isn't any of your damn business. Except I want these fucking posers to get out of my town, and the rest of you are wasting time, worrying about this other preppie waste of flesh."

"Oh shut up, Static... they're pushovers, not stupid."

"Buck out of my shit, princess priss. I'll say what I want, and I'll tear a hole in anypony who tries to get in my way!"

Heartrock calmly and quietly approached Static, eyes keeping blankly on her the entire time, walked right up to her, nose to nose, met her stare, and for about 5 seconds the tension was almost too heavy even for Bulk, until without blinking, Heartrock swung a hoof right across Static's snout, shamelessly popping her one in the nose. She then set her hoof down, and continued staring, as the punk pony looked back up into the eyes of the statue like horse. Static huffed, but did nothing else.

The other pegasus stallion looked back at Sunshine Spirit. "And you... maybe we don't all like this noise these ponies call music, but they don't go around bullying whole towns into some sorry crusade for..."

"All these lame-flanks do is whine, just like their precious Princess... You can't honestly be..."

"We can't honestly have been this stupid, to listen to YOU whining about what doesn't concern you, and Ponyville doesn't concern you anymore."

"Yeah!"

Ditzy stomped forward. "And we're not gunna give Princess Luna any reason to come back and make us pay for your crush on her sister... who she loves by the way!"

"YEAH."

"Yeah we're sick of all this rain!"

"And we're sick of your bad attitude making us all look bad."

"And we're tired of being intimidated, just because you're as able as Rainbow Dash!"

As the crowd started to turn on Sunshine, Rebel approached her winged rival, preparing for her last word, before someone shouted over the crowd, "Your rain won't dampen our spirit, Sunshine Spirit!"

"YEEEAAH!" roared bulk, turning Sunshine's head so quickly she clocked Rebel in the skull. They shook it off, and Rebel smiled and stared Sunshine dead in the eye. The other pegasus was prepared to stand against Rebel, but with Leather's eyes burning a whole in her, and Illusion staring off, all too comfortably at her posse, while Heartrock's own eyes were slowly pushing Static into the crowd, Sunshine had no legs left to stand on, as the crowd heckled her.

As a last ditch effort, Sunshine rammed two clouds above to drown out the crowd with thunder, as a lightning bolt shot straight towards Rebel, before arcing wildly to Shockrod holding a large pole.
The stallion, while disoriented, seemed no worse for ware, as Bulk charged into the storm, and pounded a hole in the cloud cover before the downpour, then proceeded to unceremoniously eat a significant portion of the clouds, as Ditzy and several other pegasi joined to clear the sky.

Rebel backed off as the crowd of unicorns and earth ponies closed in on Sunshine and her cronies. "Well then, maybe this town isn't the right... uh... fit for me. No need to see me off, I can find my own way... As she lifted off the ground, several stray arcs of lightning from dissipating clouds zapped a couple pegasi, but one found its way to one of Sunshine's hairpins, frizzing her coiffure to Tartarus, and singing the bright yellow ends a nice golden brown.

As the chaos calmed down, Ditzy landed next to Rebel, staring down Sunny with the others. The prissy pegasus shot Rebel one last dirty look as she took off into the moonlit sky.

The locals dispersed quickly as there was a lot to be done at home, or in the skies, except for a few of the quieter ones who seemed to linger. Ditzy yanked Rebel into a hug, thumping her head into Rebel's, likely now calloused, skull, without even a twitch, before she returned to her bubbly self, and bounced up into a playful posture. "Hey! You're supposed to do a metal music thing! How is music metal anyway... is it because she has a metal guitar?" She stopped suddenly, looked at Rebel, and stuck her tongue out playfully.

Rebel tried not to blush. "Maybe just go see them play..."

"Whaddaya mean 'them?"

Heartrock's voice out of nowhere spooked them, as she kinda just showed up. "Yeah, what do ya mean 'them?"

"You might... MIGHT just have what it takes to be one of us," asserted Leather.

"We do need a drummer, who knows when to hit hard, and when to let the bass do the work," added Illusion sarcastically.

Heart finished off fairly conclusively, "We helped you, after you got us into this mess. Go ahead, try to bail on us now. Nightmare Knights don't like loosing friends." Her voice was steady and dead serious, serious as her expression. While Illusion snortled to herself, Rebel felt it best not to test the creepy metal mare.

Joker lumbered forward with the drum hardware. "New filly carries her own shit," and piled it into her arms.

"We'll have to set up a little outside of town," Leather explained, as the band gathered their stuff into the carriage, "It seems we already have a bit of an audience," as she looked about the remaining ponies, and a few others beginning to gather.

Rebel started to move to lug the drum-stands to the carriage, before she paused a moment.

"Hold up a sec! What if it rains? We ran off the head weather pony, won't it take a bit to organize everybody again?"

"Oh Bulk can do that! He's really good with that stuff. It'll be fine!' chirped Ditzy Doo as Bulk unassumingly landed behind the pair.

"YEEAAAH!"

Rebel jumped and nearly slammed her forehead into the 50 pounds of steel wobbling in her arms, but locked her neck just in time. She looked back with mild annoyance at Bulk.

"Squee!"

...

There was no stage, no hype, no schedule. Leather Luxury had been waiting for two weeks to play, and they had a clear night, an audience, and a month of pent up rage, gloom, and energy. By the time they set up the amps, equipment, and what lighting they could manage (or even needed under the full moon), a workable number of ponies from all walks had gathered. Some were pumped, others just morbidly curious, but as the band set up in front of a rock face a few leagues out of town, under the moon-cast shadow of Canterlot, and as they started to tune their instruments and connect the equipment, the spectators had gathered around the foursome, growing impatient.

Leather decided if she was going to perform, the quality was going to be worth the wait, and so she intentionally stalled, allowing Illusion to play mind freaks with the concert-goers as an impromptu opening, while the band fine tuned every amp, instrument, and mic. Just as the impatient audience was on the edge of pummeling Illusion with food and rocks, Heartrock opened with a deep growling bass riff, as Rebel crossed the toms with an ominous baritone role. Rebel's playing was of course entirely improvisational, and the drum machine still developed the beat, but the low rumbling of the drums and sorrowful hatred of the bass caught the audience off guard, as Heartrock's bass drifted into Illusion's playing, before the lead guitar and drums flowed dissonantly into a quiet fury of a melody over brooding bass, as Rebel's bass drums gradually picked up the tempo over the muted machine.

A low and slow death growl, that even many stallions couldn't pull off emanated from Leather;s throat, rapidly gaining tempo, before Illusion dropped the bass hard, and Heartrock shredded every ear within a league with a treble rip that died into a powered drum opening carrying the melody into a fast tempo, and Leather's voice into a violent, but regretful shriek, as she fought the guitar at the expense of half the ponies present.

A hand full of the audience were swept into the energy, heads thrashing and hooves pounding, as most of the rest were just curiously fascinated at the foreign sound which somehow communicated a melody to draw them into somber contemplation despite the discordant wails of the gravely shrieks and wild guitar notes reigning her back in.

Illusion's playing kept the music, and the emotional current grounded, but offered no steady commanding presence to hold the attention of a distressed audience. Rebel's carefully timed bass drops against the sudden streaks, and eerie cymbal reverbs linking Leather's broken vocals, almost seemed to threaten the spectators to stay, as her rapid pounding kept the music pumped.

Ditzy, in the back a bit, seemed to have no love of the music, but still let herself get swept into the energy anyway, flapping into the tiny mosh pit, and causing an unreasonable number of collisions as she happily stood on hind legs, banged her head, and pounded her wings. Eventually she was waylaid as Bulk crashed into the mosh, and knocked every pony who collided with him out of sorts as the fist song dissipated, capping it off with a final "YEAH!"

Some of the ponies would eventually drift home, but the wailing and mourning of the dark music continued well into the night, emanating its contemplative energy through the town under the glowing silver light of the moon.

THE END

Author's Notes:

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:
The following is a work of fan-fiction set in the world of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."
"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" is owned by Hasbro
Equestria, Ponyville, Fillydelphia, Manehatten, Canterlot, Everfree, Ditzy Doo, Bulk Biceps, Rainbow Dash, Dinky Doo, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon, Discord, and the Wonderbolts are intellectual properties of Hasbro and DHX.

Nightmare Knights Concept and OC's (Mystic Morning, Rebel Rouser, Heartrock, Leather Luxury, Illusion, Sunshine Spirit, Static Strife, Axlerod, Shockrod, Limelight, & Joker Juggler) by Izhane Twilight as Mystic Morning

"Lunar Lullaby" Lyrics written by and (c) Copyright Izhane Twilight 2014
Please do not re-post or reproduce without author's permission.

ADVISORY:
The attached story contains strong language, fantasy violence, and references to dark, nihilistic music and lyrics.

Nightmare Knights: Lunar Lullaby
by Mystic Morning, "the Aubade Veil"

"My Little Pony" is owned by Hasbro
"In Vengeance of Our Wrath" is owned by Graveworm (Nuclear Blast Records)
Concept (Nightmare Knights, Eternal Lullaby, Aubade Veil Records) and OC's (Mystic Morning, HeartRock, Leather Luxory, Illusion) by Izhane Twilight as Mystic Morning

Lyrics written by and (c) Copyright Izhane Twilight 2014
Please do not repost or reproduce without author's permission.

ADVISORY: The following contains dark, nihilistic themes and imagery of death.

Real World Musical Backdrop: "In Vengeance of Our Wrath" by Graveworm

Nightmare Knights
Lunar Lullaby: from Eternal Lullaby LP
Aubade Veil Records
Music: HeartRock, Leather Luxury.
Lyrics: HeartRock, Leather Luxury, Illusion.

LEATHER: ................................................................................ILLUSION: Bel Canto

"Now our moon rises, thus cometh thy fall
Child of the moon, Wizened by
dayyyyyy
Thine own lov-ed darkness, thy soul rots within
In the light of thy never seen night

...Your soul...
Sees no comfort...

...at allllllllllllllll

"Our glorious moonlight
couldn't show thee the
way
Free of the sunlight, thou wept though the
night
Blind of the glory,
With wide opened eyes..."

"Still thou desire,
To pass into sleep,
...And may...
Then all thy fears

decaayyyyy!

May then thy soul tortured by fear

decaaAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"Thy twilight awaited............................................................. Rest now in darkness
Waxing child of the...............................................................Our nubile moon child
moon
Set free in thy darkness, thy soul that thou..............................Never knowing the love of the night
seek
thou find only nothing.............................................................Let free thy spirit
thy purpose is lost...".............................................................With blind eyes to seek

"Hopeless thy being, .............................................................In folly what thou cannot find.
thou pass into sleep,
...And let... ....................................................................Nescient unto.
All that you are......................................................................The truth in thy soul

decaayyyyy!...........................................................................Rest in the embrace of thy blight.

All that you are but never could be

decaaAAYYYYYYYYYYYYS!"

CHORUS:

Child of the Moon
Nurtured by Sun
Never to feel

The Essence

of thy soooouuulllllllll.

Spawned by the Moon..........................................................A life spent searching without
Condemned in Sun............................................................... A spirit decaying within
Sundered soul to...................................................................An empty life

Rot Into......................................................................In the grave now full

an emmmptyyy deeeeaaatttthhhh.........................Filled with an Empty Death.

LEATHER:

"The darkness hath risen, and where art thou now.
But lost where thy truth thou can't
fiiiinnnd
Thy beloved moonlight, sees thee unprepared
In the light of thy never seen night

...Your heart...
Finds no spirit...

...at allllllllllllllll

"Our glorious moonlight
Speaks but nothing to
theeeeee
Free of the sunlight, thou wept though the
night
Blind of the glory,
With wide opened eyes..."

"Emptiness now,
Thine only companion,
...Allows...
That all thy hopes

decaayyyyy!

Let all hope for thy soul

into emptiness pass

awaaAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

"Emptiness rules thou............................................................Sleep now in emptiness
Waning child of the................................................................Aged moon child
moon
Free of the burden of the spirit thou.........................................thy desolate search must now end.
seek
Thy promised land, ...............................................................Let go thy spirit
Has left thee forsaken..."........................................................Let close thy blind eyes

"Sleep now within, ...............................................................The darkness will ne'er let thee in
The darkness you longed for,
...And may... ....................................................................Lay thou abandoned.
Then all you are.....................................................................In darkness thine own

decaayyyyy!..........................................................................thine own dark enlightenment spent

Let your forsaken dream wash you

awaaAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

CHORUS:

Child of the Moon
Nurtured by Sun
Never to feel

The Essence

of thy soooouuulllllllll.

Spawned by the Moon............................................................A night to fill the world
Condemned in Sun.................................................................No dark to fill the soul
Sundered soul to....................................................................A lost soul found

Rot Into.........................................................................Alas only found

an emmmptyyy deeeeaaatttthhhh. ..........................Found in an Empty Death.

No one will mourn thee
Dying child of the moon
A meaningless life
...Decays...
Into empty

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH

Nightmare Knights: Friendship is \m/etal

by AubadeVeil

Friendship is \m/etal