Twilight and the rest of her friends get summoned to a world where music is magic. The king of the world or the "Master Conductor" saw that they restored harmony to their world time after time and he hopes they can do the same to his.
Twilight and the rest of her friends get summoned to a world where music is magic instead of "friend". The king of the world or as it is called there "Master Conductor" saw that they restored harmony to their world and after several disturbances to his own world that he couldn't solve alone he knew he needed help. However he had not intended to summon all of them only Twilight.
A strange draconic-looking pony named Mel watches from the background. He watches as Princess Luna and Celestia as well as Discord turn Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis to stone in the epic climactic battle toward the end of season 9.
Lost in his thoughts, Mel's eyes glistened with determination. "Hard no to Discord," he muttered to himself. "And while Celestia and Luna are undoubtedly powerful, they are vital to the balance of day and night in this world. Rainbow is too arrogant, Applejack is too stubborn, Pinkie Pie is chaotic, Fluttershy is extremely timid, and Rarity wouldn't get her hooves dirty. That leaves Twilight Sparkle. Yes, she possesses great power and is known to lend a helping hoof to anypony in need, no matter who they are."
He looks at Discord again with hatred. While he was calculating and calm making his observations just looking at Discord reminds him of the direction his world is heading. He sighs. "Octavia... I miss you... I promise you won't be forgotten... Look after your father... I hope Twilight can help... No... She will. I can't afford to cry over what I lost or be having self-doubt."
With his mind made up, Mel reached for his violin, a beloved instrument that had been one of many faithful companions throughout his life. He began to play a haunting melody, pouring his will and magic into the music. The vibrations of the violin strings created a shimmering portal before him as he returns to his true home after seeing all he needed to see. He had watched everypony with great interest and had concluded on the one he needs. He is mentally preparing to contact Twilight. He is nervous as he has contacted other heroes but they declined. He closes his eyes as a single tear falls from his eyes.
Hours later, as the dawn approached, the Mane 6 reveled in their hard-earned victory against the forces of evil. The echoes of laughter and joyful chatter filled the air as they celebrated not only their success but also prepared for Twilight's impending Coronation as the new ruler of Equestria. One could say it rivaled the Great Galloping Gala. Everypony and creature were invited. Foods from several races were brought and ponies are finally learning not to fear the changelings. There was harmony. Octavia did not show up to play music and her friend Vinyl Scratch had to take her place. When questioned she wrote on a piece of paper that Octavia was crying a couple of hours ago.
"Octavia Melody... We don't actually recall her ever dreaming. We hath not seen a pony who hath not a single dream unless their minds were shielded. We were looking forward to her performance... This... Vinyl Scratch's music is rather loud and much more to Celestia's tastes." Luna says talking to herself.
As the festivities and the day drew to a close, Princess Luna raised the moon, signaling the end of the day. The Mane 6, exhausted yet brimming with excitement, made their way to the castle. They decided that, amid such momentous events, they would embrace the bonds of friendship and celebrate with a grand royal sleepover.
Twilight found herself immersed in a dreamlike realm, where the ethereal melodies of the flute, drum, and violin merged into a grand orchestral symphony. The music resonates deep within her, filling her with awe and wonder. However, as the composition unfolded, Twilight's keen ear detected the subtle imperfections that tarnished the harmonious tapestry. Discordant notes pierced through the once-pure melodies, threatening to unravel the beauty she had initially perceived.
"Wait... what's happening?" Twilight exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and concern. She looked around, trying to make sense of the dissonance invading the dream realm. "Something is not right..."
Just as Twilight began to feel worried and scared, a voice echoed through the dream realm, both haunting and mysterious. "That is the state my world is in. I have been trying to reach you, Twilight Sparkle. Though you have been busy all day so I am contacting you through this dream."
Twilight's eyes widened as she turned towards the source of the voice, only to find a shimmering figure bathed in soft light. "W-who are you?" Twilight asked, her voice tinged with shock and concern. The sudden voice in the midst of the shattered harmony only deepened her worries. "What did I do for you to contact me? Do you need help?"
Mel materialized in Twilight's dream, his striking black outfit and draconic features making him stand out from any pony she had encountered before. There was a hint of sorrow in his voice as he spoke. "Do not be alarmed, Twilight Sparkle. I mean you no harm. Yes... I need help. My world's harmony is descending into chaos. My name is "Mel Ody". Don't question it. It's my name."
"You said your world's harmony is in trouble, why? What's causing this? And why did you choose to talk to me? Are you a pony? I haven't seen anypony like you before. Wait. Are you a Draconequus? What is your name? Tell me more about your world and what are they like?" Twilight bombarded Mel with a flurry of questions, her curiosity piqued.
"That's a lot of questions... I'll try to answer as many as I can," Mel replied with a patient tone in his voice. "I am not a Draconequus nor a pony. I appear like this because I entered your world. And I just told you my name. My name is simply Mel. I am essentially the ruler of my world, and I know I alone am not enough. I am not sure who I can trust back home."
"Sorry! But what happened? What is your world like? What are your policies? And why me? What exactly happened? Was I your only option or could you have chosen anypony?" Twilight continued to inquire, her mind racing with a multitude of thoughts.
"It's a world of music. I am afraid I don't have time to go over all the details," Mel explained. "Luna will have sensed an outside force—me—entering your dream and will likely chase me out. I need your help... Because I have seen how willing you are to help others and how you are a leader. If there is anyone who could restore harmony, it would be you."
"Huh? Luna? We can just tell her about—" Twilight began, only to be interrupted by Mel.
"No! You must not. The situation will get more complicated if others were involved," Mel cautioned. "I hate to rush you... but I simply don't have much time before Luna gets here. Will you help me restore harmony if I summoned you to my world? I know I am a stranger, and I would be lying if I said this won't be dangerous. I'll let you think on it.
"You are right," Twilight said with conviction, her voice steady and resolute. "I don't know you. But if no one is willing to talk and help others just because they don't know them, then there wouldn't be trust or harmony. I can feel your pain... your sorrow. If I back down from helping you, then I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Mel's gaze softened, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Are you certain? You will be gone for a time. Maybe a long time. You won't have enough time to say goodbye to your friends. It tears me apart that I am forced to ask others to give up so much just to help me. The choice is yours."
"I... am certain," Twilight responded, her voice filled with determination. "It wouldn't be my first time having to choose between saving a world or going back home. I understand the sacrifices that come with it, and I am ready to face them."
Mel nodded, a mix of relief and sadness crossing his face. "Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Your bravery and selflessness are commendable. I will make the necessary preparations to summon you to my world. But be warned, the journey will be perilous, and the challenges you'll face will surely test your will. Thank you... I will summon you to my world. Luna is near and I fear that if I don't do it now I won't be able to later."
In the waking world, the rest of the Mane 6 found themselves unable to sleep, their restlessness amplified by the excitement and merriment of the previous night. As they observed Twilight's sudden glow and the subsequent opening of a portal, panic seized their hearts. Instinctively, they sprang into action, reaching out and clinging tightly to their friend, unwilling to let her be whisked away into the unknown.
"What the hay is going on?!" shouts Rainbow Dash.
"Less talkin' more pulling Dash!" grunts Applejack.
But their efforts proved futile as the portal's pull grew stronger, engulfing not only Twilight but the entire group. Before they could fully comprehend what was happening, the portal closed behind them, leaving them trapped within its enigmatic depths.
As the Mane 6 found themselves in the luxurious empty bedroom, confusion filled the air. Fluttershy's gentle voice broke the silence, expressing their collective bewilderment. "Um... Girls? Where are we?" she asked, her voice filled with shyness and uncertainty.
A melodic lullaby, soothing and enchanting, drifted through the room. Its magical essence began to weave its way into their senses, tugging at their eyelids, making them feel irresistibly sleepy. One by one, the Mane 6 succumbed to the music's enchantment, drifting off into a deep slumber. Mel lowers his head partly in shame. He had only intended in summoning Twilight. And so he decided to at least give them a chance to rest with a hastened slumber from his music. It would be better to explain it in the morning rather than right now in the heat of the moment.
When they awoke, their eyes fluttered open in unison, their confusion evident. Twilight, always the voice of reason, voiced their collective question. "Huh?! Where in Equestria are we?"
Pinkie Pie, as exuberant as ever, eagerly spilled out the sequence of events in one breath, her words tumbling forth in a rapid stream. "We were totally awake, and then you started glowing, and there was a portal, and we tried to grab you, but we all got pulled in, and now we're here, and then the music played, and we all fell asleep!"
Rarity, in her elegant manner, responded with a touch of exasperation. "Darling, can you not be so loud in the morning? Some of us require a gentle awakening, a soft touch to ease into the day."
Rainbow Dash, ever the contrast, couldn't resist chiming in with a mischievous smirk. "Pfft! Soft? That'll never wake you up! You need a jolt of excitement to get your blood pumping and set you in motion!"
Applejack stretched her limbs, breaking the silence. "Well, y'all, this is certainly one fancy room we've ended up in. But this is still a fillynapping!"
Rainbow Dash, ever eager for excitement, couldn't help but eye a nearby window, contemplating the possibility of an adrenaline-filled escape. "Who cares about the 'where' when we can just fly outta here? I bet we're just a few flaps away from finding out what's really going on!"
Pinkie Pie, bouncing with energy, suggested, "Or we could have a party right here, right now! I mean, who needs to worry when we can celebrate being in a brand new place, right?"
Rarity, with a raised eyebrow and a touch of concern, cast a glance toward the room's opulent decor. "Ladies, as delightful as a party sounds, we should perhaps focus on unraveling this mystery first. There must be some clues as to how we ended up here."
Fluttershy, ever gentle and perceptive, directed her attention to a faint whisper in the wind. "Did you hear that? It sounded like a distant melody, beckoning us to follow. Maybe we should explore and see where it leads?"
Twilight Sparkle, the one to ground them in reality, cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Girls, I understand the excitement, but I know why we are here. I'm here because of a plea for help. I had a dream. Somepony was reaching out to me asking for my help asking me to restore the harmony of his world. I don’t think he intended to bring all of you here too. We can deduce that this is a rented apartment room. We just have to go downstairs and where Mel is since it would be logical that he rented this room and that will lead us to the one who summoned us."
"Yeah. That was TOTALLY my second thought. I just wanted you to say it first. ...... Wait... who the hay is Mel? I'm confused now," says Rainbow who rubs the back of her head with her hoof.
"Stop acting so smug Dash. But... Yeah... Twilight, ya need to fill us in. Don't leave us in the dark," Applejack says.
"Everypony stop arguing!" yells Fluttershy before going back to her meek self.
"She is right. We shouldn't be fighting. Just know that we are here now. In another world I mean. We are the elements of harmony and together we form a bond stronger than anything. The only thing that has changed is the world we are trying to save. Somepony named Mel came to me in a dream asking me to help save his world. From what exactly I'm not too sure. He made it sound like a situation similar to when Discord was free from being a statue. But let's do what we do best!" says Twilight trying to give a rousing speech that succeeded.
"Alright, here's the plan," Twilight declared, her voice carrying a sense of determination. "We're all going to head to the front desk and inquire about this room. If any of you prefer to stay here, that's fine."
Rainbow Dash let out a playful chuckle, her adventurous spirit shining through. "No way I'm staying behind! We got pulled into some crazy portal to an unknown place, and I'm not one to just sit around. Count me in for the front desk adventure!"
Applejack nodded in agreement, her characteristic honesty evident. "You betcha, Twilight. Can't let ya go alone. We're all in this together."
Rarity, basking in the comfort of the luxurious room, expressed her preference to remain behind. "Well, darlings, this room is simply divine, and I must say, I quite agree with Fluttershy. We'll stay here, soak in the ambiance, and perhaps await your return with some tea."
Pinkie Pie's eyes sparkled with excitement, eager to contribute her unique brand of joy. "Oh, count me in for the front desk too! If there's a kitchen, I can throw us a 'Welcome to a New Place' party! It'll be epic!"
With their roles assigned, Twilight turned her attention to the door. As she approached, a peculiar sight greeted her—a doorknob. It was a departure from the handles they were accustomed to. Curiosity sparked within her, and she couldn't resist experimenting with her magical abilities. With a flicker of magic, she grasped the doorknob and turned it, causing the door to swing open.
Twilight and her companions stepped out of the room, taking note of the number 48. However, their realization that Equestrian magic was nonfunctional in this realm quickly dampened their spirits. Rainbow Dash's frustration was evident as she flapped her wings, only to find herself grounded.
"What the hay?! I can't fly! Ugh! This is so not awesome," Rainbow Dash complained, her wings drooping in disappointment.
Twilight, ever the level-headed leader, tried to find solace in their unity. "There is magic in this world, but I can't seem to access it either. We may be without our usual powers, but as long as we stick together, I'm confident we can handle anything that comes our way."
As they followed the enchanting melody, their ears guiding them toward the front desk, they were greeted by an unexpected sight. Instead of a pony attendant, a human woman stood behind the desk. The unfamiliarity of the situation made Applejack and Rainbow Dash tense, their instincts urging caution. The woman's beauty was striking, her singing voice rivaling that of the sirens. Twilight, having encountered humans before, remained composed, while Pinkie Pie shared in her familiarity for some reason.
The atmosphere surrounding the woman was filled with unseen magic, evident in the floating dishes and the immaculate cleanliness of the floors. Twilight discerned that it was the woman's magic at work, an impressive display of her abilities.
"Oh! Good morning, Twilight Sparkle, and... who are your friends? I wasn't told that anyone else was coming with you," the lady greeted them, curiosity coloring her tone.
"Told by WHO exactly?" Applejack's skepticism seeped into her question, as she eyed the mysterious woman with a hint of suspicion.
"The Master Composer. Well, seeing that I haven't seen your kind here before, I think an explanation is in order. First things first, call me Emillya. The Master Composer is essentially the title of the 'king of the world.' You see, in this realm, music is magic. Singing, rhythmic beats, and instruments are all forms of music, and they manifest as magic!" Emillya explained with a warm smile.
Twilight nodded, processing the information. "Hmm... I have to assume that means if this person is 'The Master Composer,' then his music or magic in this world is considered the best of the best and perhaps he guides the flow of music in this realm?"
"Very observant! Indeed, that is the case," Emillya confirmed. "He is a very kind and hard-working Note. 'Note' is the name of his race. If I were to describe his appearance, it would be like a shapeshifter, a human, and a dragon all rolled into one."
Excitement sparkled in Pinkie Pie's eyes as she couldn't contain her curiosity. "Oh! I have a question! What kinds of food do they eat? Do they like parties?! I brought everything I need for a party! So, where is the kitchen?" she exclaimed with her trademark enthusiasm.
"Well, last time I checked, he had a little bit of a sweet tooth and loves pastries. I was planning on making some for him if he drops by here. Would you like to help me make some?" Emillya offered, her smile widening.
"Yes, yes, yes! I would love to! Let's make it a super-duper mega-special pastry!" Pinkie Pie eagerly responded.
Applejack interjected, her practicality shining through. "Whoa! Hold ya horses, Pinkie! Ya can't go around making fancy bread with people ya don't know!"
"Why not?" Pinkie inquired innocently.
Applejack sighed, realizing that she couldn't stop Pinkie's enthusiasm. "Ugh... Talking about pastries... I'm starving," Rainbow Dash interjected, her stomach growling audibly.
Emillya gestured towards a nearby table. "We have breakfast set up over there. Feel free to help yourselves," she offered kindly.
The group of ponies approached the table filled with a variety of delectable breakfast treats. The tantalizing aroma of fresh fruits, pastries, and warm beverages filled the air, making their mouths water even more.
Pinkie Pie wasted no time and immediately dove into the array of pastries, sampling one after another with sheer delight. "Mmm, these pastries are super-duper scrumptious! I bet the Master Composer will love them too!" she exclaimed, her mouth full of a cream-filled delight.
Twilight, while still intrigued by their new surroundings, couldn't resist the temptation either. She picked up a delicate fruit tart and savored each bite, her mind buzzing with thoughts about their mission and the musical world they had entered.
Emillya joined them, gracefully selecting a small pastry and nibbling on it with elegance. "You have a good taste for pastries, Pinkie Pie. The Master Composer will be delighted by your enthusiasm and culinary skills," she commented, a twinkle of anticipation in her eyes.
Rainbow Dash, who had managed to find a plate piled high with muffins, relished the sweetness with a satisfied grin. "Hey, if the Master Composer loves pastries, maybe we can use them as a bargaining chip or something. I mean, who can resist a good muffin?" she suggested, her mischievous spirit shining through. Her comment was ignored.
Applejack, ever the practical one, approached the table with a more measured approach. She opted for a hearty bowl of oats, adding a sprinkle of cinnamon for flavor. "I reckon we shouldn't forget the reason we're here. Pastries are fine and dandy, but we gotta focus on finding this 'Master Composer' fella," she reminded the group, her voice steady and determined.
A mesmerizing melody resonated through the room, its ethereal notes weaving a spellbinding tapestry of sound. As the harmonious strains of the violin filled the air, a mysterious figure entered, capturing Twilight's attention. She could sense a familiarity in the melody but couldn't quite place it. The man wore an impeccably tailored black suit, and his face was adorned with a dragon-themed mask, giving him an aura of mystique.
"Princess Twilight, I'm happy to see that—oh. Your friends are here too... I did not expect that. I had only intended to summon you. Not that there is a problem with them," the enigmatic figure spoke, his voice carrying an air of authority and intrigue.
Rainbow Dash, ever the skeptical one, couldn't help but voice her doubts. "And now that she is here, she can't use magic. Sounds more like a fillynapping to me."
Applejack chimed in, her suspicion evident in her voice. "Ya know, it's mighty suspicious to take her in the middle of the night and leave us all without our magic. What's your game, Mr. 'The Master Composer'?"
Mel, as he introduced himself, raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Oh, dear! I must apologize if I have given you that impression. Call me Mel. You all can use magic, even here. It's just that magic works differently in this world, and perhaps you're holding on to the old magic laws of your world."
Twilight's curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't help but ask for clarification. "Different how, Mel? How does magic work through music?"
Mel's eyes gleamed with a mixture of wisdom and excitement as he began to explain. "Well, you see, music is the very fabric of magic in this realm. Every note, every melody holds incredible power. Through music, one can tap into the essence of magic itself. It's a language that resonates with the very core of this world."
Rainbow Dash scoffed, her skepticism still lingering. "As if I'm going to be singing just to fly! That's ridiculous!"
Twilight raised a hoof to calm her friend and considered Mel's words. "Rainbow, let's hear Mel out. Perhaps there's more to it than we realize." She turned her attention back to Mel and asked, "Is there a way for us to harness this magic through music? We're eager to help and restore harmony to your world."
Mel smiled, a glimmer of hope evident in his eyes. "Absolutely, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps a demonstration is in order."
With a swift motion, Mel raised his violin to his chin and began to play. The air around him shimmered, and three colorful orbs of fire materialized, spinning in a mesmerizing dance. Each flame represented a different color of the rainbow, illuminating the room with their vibrant hues. As Mel continued his melody, the flames transformed into various objects, their forms changing with the rhythm and intensity of the music.
Twilight watched in awe as the flames morphed effortlessly as if Discord himself was creating them with nothing but the power of music. It was a spectacle that ignited her curiosity, urging her to inquire further.
"Fascinating! So we don't even have to sing! Do you have to have an instrument if you aren't singing?" Twilight asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Mel lowered his violin, contemplating her question. "Not necessarily. In some cases, humming or even the drumming of your feet is enough. Eventually, it becomes like a dance of music and magic. But the strongest magic comes from the music within your soul. Everyone, or Everypony, has a music or song in their soul. When played, you become as attuned to the fabric of magic and music as you can get."
Applejack couldn't resist a playful jab. "Oh? And what song is in Rainbow Dash's Soul? Heavy metal?"
Rainbow Dash smirked, ready with a retort. "Probably. But I bet he'll just say that 'the music in your soul can only be seen by yourself'."
Mel, however, surprised them all with his response. "Not true. I see the music in the souls of others. Her song is certainly interesting. I can play it. Listen well."
Mel's violin transformed into a guitar, and he began to play a tune, starting with some awesome riffs to get his fingers adjusted to the new instrument. With each strum, his magic flared to life, and his long flowing white hair took on Rainbow Dash's vibrant mane colors. It was an auditory representation of all her highest moments and her lowest moments, a tapestry of her experiences.
As the performance continued, the atmosphere filled with electrifying energy. Mel's music seemed to transcend the realm of notes, touching the very core of Rainbow Dash's being. The song summarized and encapsulated her spirit, reflecting her courage, daring, and unwavering determination. It was a musical journey that lasted fifteen minutes, transitioning to the song "Awesome As I Wanna Be."
Caught in the spellbinding spectacle, Rainbow Dash found herself unable to speak. Tears streamed down her face, but they were tears of joy and connection. This performance understood her for who she truly was, resonating with her on a level she had never experienced before.
As the last chord rang out, Mel concluded the performance, his voice filled with pride. "Yeah! I'm awesome, take caution! Watch out for me, I'm awesome as I wanna be!"
Rainbow Dash's mouth hung open, her eyes wide with wonder. She knew that this moment would be forever etched in her memory, a testament to the power of music and the depth of understanding it could convey.
"T-that was... AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash finally managed to utter, her voice filled with a mix of awe and gratitude. "That's at least 20% cooler than I expected it to be!"
"You don't need to sing, play, or hum the whole song. Even just a small section of it is enough. Nor do you have to maintain it throughout. Music lingers and so will the magic. But I must ask. If music is magic here then what about magic in Equestria?" Mel asks.
"Friendship is magic!" says Twilight proudly.
Mel listened intently to Twilight's response, his expression thoughtful. "Friendship is magic," he repeated, mulling over the concept. "That sounds awfully tedious. So if you have no friends, you have no magic?"
Twilight shook her head, understanding the confusion in Mel's words. "No, it's not that simple. Friendship is the source of our magic, but it's not limited to having friends. It's about the power of connection, understanding, and compassion. It's about the bonds we form with others, be it friends, family, or even the world around us. Friendship is the bridge that allows magic to flow."
Mel's confusion began to fade, replaced by a spark of curiosity. "I see. So friendship is more than just having companions. It's a force that transcends boundaries and fuels the magic within us."
Twilight smiled, glad that Mel was starting to grasp the depth of the magic of friendship. "Exactly. It's the strongest form of magic because it brings ponies together, inspires us to help one another, and creates harmony. Through friendship, we can accomplish incredible feats."
Mel's gaze turned serious as he spoke again. "Well, I hope that holds true here. This world needs help. I have been working tirelessly, but I suspect that someone is actively stirring up discord, whipping up fear, and planting the seeds of disharmony. They know to avoid me because I am The Master Conductor, one of the strongest beings in this world."
"Can you tell us about what kinds of trouble you are having?" Twilight asks.
"Several songs and wonderful music have been forever silenced. Murder, Twilight," Mel replied with a grave tone. "I am The Master Conductor, but only recently. The last one died a hundred years ago from an attack. I suspect the culprit is connected to this chaos. I've been looking into several worlds for possible heroes to help."
Twilight's eyes widened in shock, and her friends exchanged concerned glances. The weight of the tragedy and the urgency of the situation settled upon them.
"And? Did ya find any?" Applejack asked, her voice laced with anticipation. Her skepticism towards Mel had melted away, replaced by a genuine desire to aid him in his quest.
"I did find a potential ally," Mel continued. "The dream traveler Cabbit himself. Klonoa. I reached out to him, explaining the gravity of the situation and the importance of using music for magic. However, he politely declined, stating that he found the concept of music-based magic to be silly."
Mel reaches out and grabs a pastry and partially lifts his mask to eat it. He was hungry.
Meanwhile, in Equestria, Celestia and Luna found themselves in a state of panic. The absence of Twilight and the rest of the Mane 6 coupled with the emergence of an ancient evil in the Dragonlands had left them deeply concerned.
"This is beyond bad. Twilight and the Mane 6 are nowhere to be found! And now some sort of ancient evil in the Dragonlands has emerged!" Celestia exclaimed, her voice filled with worry.
Luna, equally troubled, questioned their reliance on others to solve their problems. "Are we this useless, sister? Since when have we started to rely on them to handle all our challenges?"
"We are not useless, Luna!" Celestia responded, her voice firm. "We are still two alicorns, revered by many as goddesses. If only Discord would cooperate and lend us his assistance!"
Luna sighed, her frustration evident. "Why are we not taking action ourselves? Why won't you let us deal with this while you attend to the royal duties?"
Just as their conversation reached a heated point, Discord materialized out of thin air, interrupting their argument. "Alicorn sisters actually doing something useful for a change! Count me in for the useless princess train. I'll help."
Celestia's annoyance flared as she confronted Discord. "Discord! Why haven't you responded when we called you? I have tried everything to get your attention!"
Discord smirked mischievously. "I know, I heard. It's called ignoring your problems. I am a reformed Draconequus, not your deus ex machina. I'm the Lord of Chaos, after all. But before you glare me to death, I do have another solution."
Celestia raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "And what 'solution' might that be? You haven't exactly been the most trustworthy in these matters."
Discord, now clad in a typical "hero" outfit, grinned playfully. "Don't be such a stick in the mud, Molestia. How about we summon a human teenager and inform them that they need to defeat the demon lord? We can even throw in a bit about a "curse", saying that everyone in Equestria is transformed into ponies."
Celestia immediately dismissed the idea, her voice filled with indignation. "Ridiculous! Out of the question!"
Surprisingly, Luna's expression shifted, contemplating Discord's proposal. "Actually, summoning a hero might be worth considering though not in the way you described," she mused, her voice thoughtful.
Celestia turned to Luna, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Luna! Have you lost your senses? This is not the time for whimsical experiments! We should be focusing on finding Twilight and her friends!"
"Don't worry about it. Twilight is in another world right now, caught up in the classic 'The hero gets summoned to another world' genre," Discord nonchalantly remarked. "As for summoning a hero, we need someone cute, someone who won't scare or worry the pony folk, but who also possesses the qualities of a true hero. And guess what? I, the multiverse traveling expert, know just the guy."
Celestia's expression turned skeptical. "No, Discord. Your idea of 'cute' is often anything but adorable, and your notion of a hero is... shall we say, unique."
Luna nodded in agreement, her voice filled with concern. "We second our sister's statement. Your idea of a hero is often warped, Discord."
Discord grinned mischievously, undeterred by their protests. "Ah, but you haven't met Klonoa yet! The dream traveler, a Cabbit, and supposedly defeated the King of Sorrow. He fits the criteria perfectly!"
Both Celestia and Luna immediately objected, their voices resolute. "The answer is no!"
Ignoring their protests, Discord revealed the figure he had summoned—a bipedal mix of a rabbit and a cat, dressed in clothes and adorned with a magical golden ring.
Celestia and Luna couldn't help but face hoof in exasperation, realizing that Discord had gone ahead with his plan without their consent.
"I swear, Discord," Celestia warned with a stern gaze, "if anything goes awry as a result of this... 'Klonoa,' the responsibility will rest squarely on your chaotic hands."
Discord shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Oh, come on, Celestia! What's the worst that could happen? It's all part of the fun, isn't it?"
Back to the world of music Mel has finished eating. The rest of the group came back to their room and told the others all about what is going on. Rainbow Dash is humming the song of her soul the entire time.
"That sounds horrible... Killing is never excusable. Even Discord at his lowest would never stoop that low." Fluttershy says.
"You're absolutely right, Fluttershy. Taking a life is never excusable, and even Discord, at his lowest, would never stoop that low," Mel responded, his voice filled with determination.
Rarity, always one with an eye for unique opportunities, chimed in with excitement. "Oh, darling, I must say, perhaps I could request an album from this world. After all, being a world of music, they must surely possess some of the most exquisite melodies!"
Rainbow Dash, still humming her soul's song, couldn't contain her enthusiasm. "You know what? At first, I thought it was dumb, but that Mel guy is seriously awesome! The song he played for me was so incredible that his hair still hasn't changed back to white!"
Pinkie Pie, ever the embodiment of boundless energy, bounced up and down in her seat. "Oooh! Do me next! I want to discover the music in my soul!"
Mel chuckled warmly at Pinkie's request. "Oh, Pinkie, I'm afraid it's a bit too early in the morning for such an exhilarating revelation. But fear not, in due time, I will reveal the music that resides within your soul. It is essential for all of you to embrace the melodies within, as it will amplify the power of your magic."
Curiosity sparked within Applejack, the down-to-earth pony of the group. "That's all fine and dandy, but what kind of magic might I have? I'm an earth pony, and my strength has always been my defining trait."
Mel's eyes gleamed with reassurance as he addressed Applejack's concerns. "Magic, much like music, can manifest in various forms. While you may not possess the ability to fly like Rainbow Dash, trust in the harmony of your own unique magic."
"You all must be thinking, 'Well, what now?'" Mel began, addressing the group with a contemplative tone. "Well... I didn't intend to summon all of you. I was hoping to get Twilight caught up and trained myself. Each performance of Souls is lengthy, and only Rainbow Dash has regained the use of magic. I will have to come up with an alternative plan. Fluttershy, I will perform your Soul's music. The rest of you will be trained and spar with my assistant."
Fluttershy's voice trembled with hesitation as she spoke up, "Um... But... can't I go to help them?"
Mel offered a reassuring smile and replied, "You will, Fluttershy. But you'll have to come with me alone. I promise it isn't scary."
Applejack, always ready to protect her friends, interjected, "Why'd ya put her on the spot like that? Let Fluttershy go last so she won't be alone. I'll go in her place."
Mel took a moment to consider Applejack's suggestion before nodding. "I see. Come, I'll take everypony to the music arena where my assistant is. Follow me."
The group followed Mel, their hooves carrying them through a vibrant world filled with clean buildings and a multitude of beings engaged in singing, talking, and dancing. The sight was truly enchanting, with various races, including Sirens, harmoniously coexisting. Eventually, they arrived at a small building that appeared deceptively modest from the outside but revealed its true grandeur within. Waiting for them was a humanoid figure, with a handheld piano keyboard strapped to his right arm.
"Ponies? I'm fighting ponies? I'm not paid enough for this..." the figure grumbled.
Rainbow Dash couldn't resist a playful remark, smirking as she said, "Afraid we'll kick your butt? Hehe!"
Rarity, ever the embodiment of grace, stepped forward and diplomatically stated, "Darling, that was rather rude. I assure you, sir, that we are worth your time."
Mel introduced the figure as Thomas, explaining, "This is Thomas. His music magic is impact-based. It means his beats pack a punch. I hope this is alright with all of you."
Twilight greeted Thomas warmly, extending a hoof. "Nice to meet you, Thomas!"
Thomas sighed, looking slightly irritated. "Mel, it's 8 in the morning, on a Saturday. You didn't tell me I would have to spar against talking, magical, pastel-colored ponies."
Mel chuckled and replied, "Alright, Thomas, I'll leave it up to you. Applejack, come with me."
Applejack's sharp instincts kicked in as she noticed something off about the situation. "Somethin' ain't right. His words say one thing, but that twitching in his... hooves? It ain't tired. He's itching to fight." ----------------- "Sigh... Whatever. You all have one objective: knock me down. Do that, and I can say you can handle most threats. Anything goes," Thomas declared, his tone laced with a hint of resignation.
Twilight exchanged a quick glance with her friends, silently acknowledging the challenge ahead. They knew that testing their skills against Thomas would help them grow and prepare for future battles. With determination burning in their eyes, they readied themselves for the intense training session.
While Applejack followed Mel out of the room, the remaining members of the Mane 6 stood face-to-face with Thomas, ready to face his musical onslaught.
"Purple pony with a star tattoo on your butt, I hope you don't take this personally, but I'm going to relieve my stress and frustrations out on you and your friends. So don't hold back, because I won't," Thomas warned, his words filled with a mix of candor and challenge. "Any person you fight out there won't hold back, so I'll be doing you a disservice if I do. If you can look past that, then I can be your 'friend.'"
Rarity, never one to shy away from a verbal sparring match, retorted with a touch of elegance, "It's called a 'Cutie Mark,' darling. Are you going to talk, or are you going to play that piano?"
Without warning, Thomas swiftly roundhouse-kicked Rainbow Dash, who was attempting to launch a sneak attack from behind. Rainbow Dash let out a grunt of surprise and frustration.
"I'll use my magic when I feel like I need to. And right now, I don't feel the need," Thomas declared, his confidence palpable.
"Grrrr! Hey! Don't be a jerk!" Rainbow Dash snapped, her competitive spirit flaring.
Realizing that Thomas was challenging them to give it their all, the rest of the Mane 6 nodded in agreement. They understood that this was an opportunity to grow stronger together.
"What are you all doing? All of you attack me at once," Thomas commanded, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.
With a synchronized determination, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy leaped into action, launching a coordinated assault against Thomas.
Meanwhile, Applejack settled herself onto the ground, patiently awaiting Mel's performance. As she sat there, nerves tingling, she couldn't help but voice her slight apprehension.
"Not gonna lie... I'm a tad nervous," Applejack confessed.
Mel offered a comforting smile and reassured her, "Don't be. It will be fine. Pay attention. This performance is all about you." ------------- Mel starts playing starting with a flute. Applejack is confused as the first section sounds like the very opposite of herself. It made her feel childish, girly, confused, young, and not quite country. Then it dawns on Applejack. This is just like her when she was a filly and didn't get her cutie mark yet. She didn't know if she wanted to return to the barn or continue in the city. As Applejack absorbed the nostalgic melody that captured her past, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions swirling within her. Mel's musical performance had tapped into a deeply personal part of her life, evoking memories and reflections she hadn't anticipated.
"I remember that. That's a tad personal. Ya didn't have to go that far," Applejack expressed, her voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability.
"Your past is very much a big part of who you are. It shaped who you are now. But you know the story from there," Mel responded, his understanding tone offering a sense of reassurance.
With a flick of his musical prowess, Mel transitioned to a banjo, capturing the essence of Applejack's country spirit. The music wrapped around her, embracing her identity and celebrating her journey. As the tune reached its peak, Applejack couldn't contain her excitement when she recognized the familiar melody of "Raise This Barn" but as a heavy metal version. Her hooves instinctively started tapping along to the beat.
"How do ya know that one? That... is fitting," Applejack exclaimed, a mix of surprise and delight in her voice.
"I find it best to transition into a song that has some familiarity when doing these sorts of things," Mel explained, his eyes filled with understanding.
Curiosity got the better of Applejack as she noticed Mel's long blond hair.
"What happened to ya mane? It keeps changing color," she inquired.
"My magic activates even though it isn't the song of my Soul. It's a side effect of my music affecting reality. So by playing the Song of your soul, it changes me slightly. But now you know your song. How about you try?" Mel suggested, a hint of anticipation in his voice.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Mane 6 lay sprawled on the ground, exhausted from their attempts to overcome Thomas's unconventional musical prowess. Thomas stood tall, occasionally pressing keys on his handheld piano, emanating an eerie aura that filled the room with groans and whispers. The dissonant melody cast a sense of unease and paranoia among the group.
"I thought you were supposed to be a 'hits heavy' kind of person! This feels like a debuff!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in frustration.
Sighing, Thomas addressed their struggle, attempting to offer guidance amidst their fatigue. "Look, unless you can surprise and incapacitate your opponent before they can get started, normal attacks are useless. You all need MAGIC. You need MUSIC. Throwing yourselves at me endlessly isn't the right way to go about this. Rainbow over here is too busy humming by herself."
His words resonated with the Mane 6, making them realize that their approach needed to shift.
"Follow my lead! I'll need everypony's help! Come in when you think the time is right! Pinkie Pie! Set up the beat with your hooves!" orders Twilight remembering when she sung in a battle of the bands against sirens before.
As Twilight took charge and led the Mane 6 in a synchronized musical assault, their combined magic and harmonized voices began to reshape the eerie melody that Thomas had created. Pinkie Pie set the beat with her hooves, while Twilight's glowing horn and cutie mark signified the return of her magic. With their newfound connection and understanding, they tapped into the lyrics from their human counterparts in Canterlot High, infusing their performance to the Mane 6.
Breaking out into song, Twilight's voice filled the air:
"Don't need to hear a crowd cheering out my name, I didn't come here seeking infamy or fame! The one and only thing that I am here to bring... Is music, is the music, is the music in my soul!"
Their voices blended, and the magic surged within them, reinvigorating their spirits. The disorganized and eerie composition that Thomas had created began to transform under their unified efforts. Twilight's violet Bar lines took shape, organizing the chaotic sounds. Pinkie Pie tapped into her newfound magic, painting musical notes onto the Bar Line with a brush that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Fluttershy embraced her newfound confidence, adding strategic breaks to the composition, while Rarity's magic lent a steady tempo to their performance.
Impressed by their abilities to counter his own song, Thomas decided to test their limits. However, as the Mane 6 delved deeper into their harmonious assault, Thomas realized that they had reached an advanced level of musical mastery.
"Ok. This is actually rather impressive. It's not perfect. But countering your opponent by using their own song against them, plus your own, is advanced. It might get dangerous for me. How about we stop here? If you intend on going further, then I will have to go all out," Thomas admitted, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Unfazed by the challenge, Rainbow Dash responded defiantly, grabbing the barline like a cloud and hurling it towards Thomas. Thomas, recognizing their determination, smirked and unleashed a flurry of key presses. Each strike felt like a punch, The barline is unwoven. The tormented melody echoes through the room, leaving the Mane 6 momentarily defeated and sprawled on the floor.
"At least you are starting to get it. If that country pony was here and joined in, I know I would have lost. It could even rival the music of sirens with enough practice," Thomas admitted, acknowledging the potential of their combined musical prowess.
Although battered and groaning, the Mane 6 found solace in Thomas's words.
Mel and Applejack return. Applejack's eyes widened as she took in the sight of her bruised friends, but she quickly composed herself, reminding herself that it was all part of their training.
"Is everypony okay?" Applejack asked, concern evident in her voice.
Rainbow Dash replied full of sarcasm, "No, Applejack, we love losing and lying on the ground at uncomfortable angles. Just peachy."
Fluttershy spoke softly, reassuring her friends, "I'm okay... Just... Out of breath."
Twilight chimed in, acknowledging Thomas's strength, "Thomas is strong. We underestimated him."
Rarity, clearly displeased with Thomas's musical style, exclaimed, "This was dreadful! It sounded like a crazy pony banging their head against a wall!"
Mel turned to Thomas, a hint of disappointment in his voice, "Thomas, was it really necessary to go all out? You know you were on the ballot for the title of Master Composer."
Thomas, aware of his place on the ballot, responded, "I'm at the very bottom of that list, mind you. I will admit, it was fun. I too underestimated them and had to pull out all the stops. Though I can see it in their eyes. They can handle themselves. Maybe."
Mel sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility, "Do you think they are ready? I don't want a 'maybe.' I want to be sure that they can handle themselves."
Thomas, realizing his own limitations, admitted, "I'm already tapped out. I don't think I can teach them anymore. You should be the one. You ARE the Master Composer, after all."
Mel paused, considering the situation and the trust placed upon him. "Sigh... Okay. Who is next?" he asked, determined to guide his friends through their journey of discovering and mastering their souls' music.
"Hold ya horses. They need medical attention." says Applejack
Mel interjects, "Thomas certainly gave you a challenge, and I must admit, he is a formidable with his music. But remember, the purpose of this training is to prepare you for even tougher battles. If anypony feels that it might be too much I will get Emillya to heal you before I send you back to Equestria."
Rainbow Dash immediately rejects the idea, her competitive spirit flaring up, "We're not giving up! This was just a warm-up. Thomas said we could have beaten him with Applejack, and with practice, we can even rival the sirens!"
Pinkie Pie bounces to her hooves, her determination shining through, "Yeah! We've been through worse challenges before. We're not backing down now!"
Twilight, fueled by her unwavering resolve, states firmly, "Giving up was never an option for me. I'm ready to face whatever comes our way."
Fluttershy, though still slightly hesitant, finds the courage within herself, "Pain is scary, but the thought of my friends being hurt because I chose to give up is much worse. I'm staying."
Rarity, known for her dramatic flair, declares with confidence, "Darling, I look like a drama queen who wouldn't get her hooves dirty? I can handle it. I'm staying too."
Applejack, proud of her friends' resilience, stands tall and resolute, "There's your answer, Mel. We ain't going anywhere. We'll face whatever challenges come our way, together."
Mel smiles, impressed by their determination, "Very well then. I see that you are all resolute in your decision. If you're ready to continue, we'll press on. But remember, there will be more tests ahead, and it won't be easy. Are you truly prepared?"
The Mane 6 exchange determined glances and nod in unison. Their shared commitment strengthens their bond and fuels their determination to push forward.
Mel's expression turns serious as he addresses the group, "Good. Because the next performance will be Rarity's. It's time for you to delve into the depths of your soul Rarity."
Celestia and Luna found themselves facing a new problem. Discord had summoned a being named Klonoa into their world to help combat the ancient evil in the Dragonlands. However, Klonoa's overwhelming cuteness had caused a public frenzy, as ponies couldn't resist hugging and patting him, much to his discomfort.
"DISCORD!" Celestia's voice boomed with frustration, echoing through the halls.
Discord materialized nearby, a mischievous smile on his face, still in the middle of his shower. "Winter wrap up, winter- wooah! Oh, naughty you, Celestia! Catching a Draconequus in the midst of his shower. How can I assist you?"
Celestia sighed, trying to maintain her composure. "Discord, your 'hero' is causing quite a scene. The ponies won't let him carry out his mission because they find him too cute."
Discord chuckled, tilting his head. "Ah, but it's the ponies themselves who can't resist his adorable charm. It's a reflection of their values, and who can blame them? Maybe he should be the honorary 'Princess of Adorableness.'"
Celestia shot him a stern look but quickly decided to change her approach. Discord was only seeking a reaction, and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
"I seriously doubt that last bit, Discord. Let's focus on the matter at hoof. Please provide me with an update on Twilight and her friends," Celestia said, her tone shifting to a more diplomatic one.
Discord shrugged nonchalantly, conjuring a comfy chair to lounge on. "Twilight and her friends are doing quite well in the other world. They've encountered a remarkable character named Mel, the Master Conductor. They are currently undergoing training to harness their musical magic."
Curiosity piqued, Luna interjected, her voice tinged with concern. "Musical Magic? And what progress have they made? Are they prepared to face the challenges that lie ahead? I should hope the answer is yes because they were summoned from this world right when we needed them."
Discord paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he carefully considered his response. "Well, they have just begun their training, so it's a bit early to assess their progress. However, Mel seems confident in their abilities. He believes that by delving into the music within their souls, they will unlock their true potential. And aren't you two always needing them?"
They shoot Discord a mad look.
Luna took a deep breath, her regal demeanor returning. "Very well, Discord. We shall put our trust in Twilight and her friends' abilities. But I expect you to aid them in any way necessary. No more distractions or antics."
Discord feigned innocence, placing a paw over his chest. "Me? Cause distractions? Never! I am a model of focus and seriousness."
Luna raised an eyebrow septically but chose not to challenge him further. "Just ensure their safety and success, Discord. That is all I ask."
Discord makes an over-the-top dramatic bow before disappearing. He failed to tell them that he is actually banned from entering that world himself.
Back at the Mane 6
Rarity took a deep breath, her composure steadying as she prepared herself for the upcoming performance. She understood that this particular musical piece would unravel the depths of her soul, revealing the essence of who she truly was. Stepping forward, she cast an expectant gaze at Mel, who retrieved his instruments and positioned himself for the performance.
The rest of the group watched with anticipation, their previous fatigue fading away as a renewed energy filled the air. They understood the significance of this moment—Rarity's performance would not only lay bare her inner self but also provide a glimpse into her future.
Mel began with a soft melody on his flute, setting the stage for Rarity's soulful expression. The music flowed through the air, resonating with Rarity's being. Memories of her passion for fashion, creativity, and the pursuit of beauty surged forth, carried by the enchanting notes. As the music swelled, the surroundings underwent a breathtaking transformation.
Suddenly, they found themselves standing in a grand fashion studio. Luxurious fabrics draped the walls, while elegant mannequins showcased Rarity's finest creations. The room shimmered with the essence of her artistic vision. Mel's hair even took on a shade of purple, mirroring Rarity's flowing mane.
The rest of the Mane 6 stood in awe, their eyes widening at the fantastical display before them. It was a level of reality alteration reminiscent of Discord's mischievous antics. Yet, Mel's intentions were far from chaotic. He carefully orchestrated the magical environment, perfectly aligning it with Rarity's inner world.
Mel's flute eventually fell silent, but the ethereal music continued to play, seemingly emanating from an unseen source. A spectral figure materialized, gracefully wielding an instrument and seamlessly joining the performance. And then another spectral figure appeared it was Sweetie Belle, Rarity's beloved younger sister.
Rarity gasped, her voice catching in her throat as she beheld the familiar figure. Sweetie Belle sang alongside the spectral orchestra, her voice harmonizing with the melody in a way that only a sister could. The connection they shared, the unbreakable bond, was beautifully woven into the fabric of the music.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Rarity found herself struggling to find the words to express her gratitude and astonishment.
"I... I am at a loss for words," Rarity managed to say, her voice trembling. "To see Sweetie Belle, and to witness our relationship unfold in this mesmerizing performance... It is beyond anything I could have imagined."
Applejack, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy stood beside Rarity, their eyes brimming with wonder and admiration.
"How did you manage to create all of this, Mel?" Applejack asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.
Mel smiled knowingly, a glint of mystery in his eyes.
"I'm afraid even a Master Composer must have his secrets Applejack," he replied. "Let's just say that music and magic have a way of intertwining beautifully when one truly embraces their inner self."
Rarity wiped away a tear, her heart overflowing with gratitude and inspiration. She turned to Mel, her eyes shining.
"Mel, this experience has touched me to the core," she said, her voice filled with sincerity.
After Rarity's mesmerizing performance, the group pondered who should take the stage next. As they contemplated, Mel, the master composer, carefully observed each member, seeking to capture their essence in the next soulful melody.
"Fluttershy," Mel spoke softly, his gaze fixed on the gentle and compassionate pegasus. "I believe it's time for your soul song to be heard."
Fluttershy's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and apprehension. She was not accustomed to being in the spotlight, preferring the tranquility of nature and the company of her animal friends. However, deep within her, there was a wellspring of emotions waiting to be expressed through music.
Mel continued, his voice gentle and encouraging. "Your soul is a symphony of kindness, empathy, and a profound connection with the world around you. It's time to let your inner melody be heard."
Fluttershy took a deep breath, She knew that this performance would unveil the depths of her compassion and her unwavering love for all living creatures.
As Mel prepared his instruments, a serene melody began to fill the air, matching the gentle spirit that embodied Fluttershy. The surroundings transformed, enveloping them in a serene meadow teeming with wildlife. Mel's aura shifted, taking on soft pastel hues reminiscent of Fluttershy's own color palette.
Fluttershy closed her eyes, allowing the music to flow through her. Memories of nurturing injured animals, standing up for the voiceless, and finding solace in the harmony of nature intertwined with the melodies. It was a delicate and heartfelt composition, capturing the essence of her nurturing soul.
However it wasn't all calm. There was an underlying fear that hung to every note played. Pain from being bullied in the past. She has grown stronger and learned to be more expressive and the fear in the notes dewindles, but doesn't go away. But there are always brief moments in the performance where the fear goes away. It is when she is with friends or with animals.
"... That was just what I feared I would hear... I'm still scared..." says Fluttershy.
Mel looked at Fluttershy with understanding in his eyes, recognizing her vulnerability. He took a step closer and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Fluttershy, fear is a natural part of life. It's what makes our moments of courage shine even brighter," he reassured her. "You don't have to conquer all your fears at once. Take one step at a time, and know that we're here to support you every step of the way."
Fluttershy nodded, finding solace in Mel's words. She drew strength from the unwavering support of her friends, knowing that they believed in her even when she doubted herself.
"You've already shown tremendous bravery in facing your fears and embracing your kindness," Twilight chimed in, her voice filled with encouragement. "We're on this journey together, Fluttershy. You're not alone."
"So now it's just me and Pinkie who haven't heard our soul song yet," says Twilight.
"I am afraid I have reached the limit of soul performances for the day. The strain of playing the song of the soul of someone or somepony still living can mess with or confuse your own soul. That's soul fatigue. Not many in this world can do one soul music performance of another, and fewer still can do multiple ones in a day. I am going to have to change up the training as I recover," explains Mel.
Pinkie's ears droop slightly. "Aw! I wanted to hear mine!"
Mel's expression softens. "I understand your excitement, Pinkie, and I promise you will have your turn. We'll continue the soul performances once I've rested and regained my strength. Your soul song is just as important, and I'm looking forward to experiencing it."
Twilight's concern is evident as she speaks. "Oh... Why didn't you tell us about the strain? We don't want you pushing yourself too hard, Mel."
Mel offers a reassuring smile. "Because you would worry about me. Trust me, I know my limits. I don't want this disharmony to last longer than it has to, which is why I've been pushing you all so hard. But I appreciate your concern. It means a lot."
Applejack steps forward, offering her perspective. "That's mighty kind of ya, Mel, but take it from me. Ya can't push yourself endlessly, even if ya think ya know your limits. We're here to help ya, so let us do our part too."
Mel nods gratefully. "Thank you, Applejack. You're right, and I'll keep that in mind. We're a team, and together we'll navigate through this."
Rarity interjects, her voice filled with determination. "Absolutely! We'll support you every step of the way, Mel. Just as you're helping us discover our soul songs, we'll be there for you in whatever capacity you need."
Rainbow Dash, though still processing the information, speaks up. "Yeah, Mel. We've got your back. We're not ones to sit idly by while you shoulder all the burden. We're in this together, remember?"
Fluttershy's gentle voice carries a resolute tone. "If there's a chance to bring harmony to your world, Mel, then count me in. I may be scared, but with my friends by my side, I can find the courage to face any challenge."
Pinkie Pie bounces up and down, her enthusiasm undeterred. "Don't worry, Mel! We're ready to help however we can. And when the time comes for our soul songs, I'll be the bounciest, happiest participant ever!"
"Anyway, I am short-staffed right now. I only had Thomas to help train you. In the end, all the other people I trust are out there searching for the source of the disharmony," says Mel.
"What exactly are we talking about when ya say disharmony? Ya still haven't given us a straight answer," says Applejack, her curiosity evident.
Mel takes a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "It's hard to explain. You see, this world itself is akin to a song. In fact, the reason for this world's existence isn't because of a big bang but because of the song of creation. And someone is trying to change that melody, to alter the song. To alter the song of creation is to alter the fabric of reality. My brother and I already have some ability to manipulate it, but what's happening now is on a much larger scale. Cities will fall, and worlds will kneel if this disharmony continues unchecked."
Rarity raises an eyebrow, seeking further clarification. "I can understand the concept, darling, but what exactly causes this change to occur? Is it the work of a single individual or something more complex?"
Mel nods in understanding. "In most cases, one person can't fill the role of an entire orchestra. One lone melody can't change the tides of music. But if enough people who support the natural order of things were to stop or enough people resist it, then the balance can be disrupted. It's a collective effort, a collaboration of disharmony that threatens to unravel everything."
Rainbow Dash, growing impatient, interrupts. "Ugh... Just tell us who to clobber! We're not exactly musicians, you know."
Mel chuckles, appreciating Rainbow Dash's straightforward approach. "Good. I want that attitude for the next part of training. As I continue to recover, I'm taking you all down to the cells where we hold criminals. If we're going to face those who disrupt the natural order, we might as well have some experience dealing with them."
Pinkie Pie, always looking for an opportunity to bring joy, chimes in excitedly. "Can we throw a party afterward? There's been a distinct lack of parties since we got here!"
Mel smiles, amused by Pinkie's enthusiasm. "Yes, Pinkie Pie, we should have enough time for a celebration once we've completed the training. But for now, let's focus on the task at hand."
With Mel leading the way, the group traverses through the town, eventually arriving at a seemingly ordinary building. However, upon entering, they find themselves in a vast concert hall, the battleground of this world. They are greeted by the warden, who guides them to the stage where a prisoner awaits, clutching a violin. The prisoner is a thin, pale girl with long black hair.
"So I get even better rations if I beat these colorful ponies?" the prisoner asks with a sly grin, receiving a nod from the warden.
"Greetings, my little ponies. My name is Anny. How about I play you a song?" Anny says, her smile taking on a slightly eerie quality.
The mane 6 starts, humming, tapping, or singing their soul's song but they don't all line up together harmonically, and likewise, their magic is unstable.
"... Cute. Six cute colorful ponies cutely trying to make cute music. I HATE CUTE," Anny sneers as she plays jarring notes that build suspense and tension.
"Come on, Sugarcubes! Follow my lead!" Applejack encourages.
"I think I should start us off, as the melody could use some high notes!" Rarity suggests.
"Ugh... No one but you wants an opera, Rarity!" Rainbow Dash grumbles.
Anny's smile widens as she watches the disarray among the Mane 6. The tension in the air fuels her enjoyment.
"How about I help you all with the opening?" Anny suggests, her voice dripping with mocking malevolence.
Anny infuses her music with magic, creating an aura of dread that permeates the room. The atmosphere becomes tense, and a sense of something unnatural fills the air. The Mane 6 instinctively take a step back, their previous disagreements forgotten.
"N-no thank you... Y-you can stop..." Fluttershy stammers, her voice trembling, but Anny's grin only grows wider.
"Girls! We can't do anything if we don't work together! When have we ever beaten a foe by ourselves? Let me connect you all together, and let Applejack lead this time, and someone else the next!" Twilight urges, desperately trying to maintain their unity while trying to keep her cool.
"Drown in the tension. Plead and beg, but none will help you!" Anny taunts, reveling in their disarray.
Twilight attempts to speak or sing, but the suffocating dread stifles her voice, reducing it too feeble squeaks. Only Rainbow Dash, the embodiment of bravery, refuses to succumb completely. She looks around at her friends, curled up in the fetal position, and a flicker of determination ignites within her.
"You! How dare you?!" Rainbow Dash shouts, her voice cutting through the oppressive atmosphere.
"Oh? Aren't you brave? Crack, crack, crack. Even your willpower will not last forever and is degrading. I don't even have to lift a finger," Anny taunts.
Rainbow Dash knows Anny's words hold some truth. It has come down to a solo performance, and Rainbow Dash realizes that it's up to her to break free and save her friends. In response to her loyalty her cutie mark glows and Rainbow Dash knows exactly what to do.
"Shreddin' up my latest tune~, there's nothin' you can do to beat me! I'm so good that you can't defeat me!" Rainbow Dash sings confidently, her voice soaring.
Her wing feathers glow with vibrant rainbow colors as she takes flight, circling around Anny with lightning speed. The tornado she creates whips up a gust of wind, drowning out the dissonant notes and stifling the sense of dread that had filled the room.
"Step aside now, you're just gettin' in my way. I got sick chops you could never hope to play~" Rainbow Dash taunts, her voice a mix of singing and mockery mixed with a hint of narcissism.
Anny hastily resumes playing, desperately trying to regain control of the music. But Rainbow Dash's swift aerial maneuvers disrupt her rhythm, leaving Anny struggling to keep up. Rainbow Dash feels a surge of power coursing through her, fueled by her unwavering confidence. With a powerful flap of her wings, she unleashes a barrage of rainbow-colored energy feathers, obliterating Anny's violin in a dazzling display of light.
"This can't be! I was winning! I'm not going to lose to some... PONY who is so insecure that she has to paint her mane rainbow colors!" Anny shouts in frustration and disbelief.
Rainbow Dash smirks, her eyes gleaming with determination. "When it comes to making music, I'm the ruler~ You wish you could be 20% cooler!" she says finishing her performance, her voice filled with conviction.
With a sudden burst of energy, Rainbow Dash creates an explosion akin to a sonic rainboom, propelling Anny across the stage. The force of the blast sends her tumbling, and the medics on standby quickly rush in to attend to her.
As the commotion subsides, the rest of the Mane 6 stand in awe, their expressions a mix of surprise and admiration. They had witnessed Rainbow Dash's incredible display of skill and bravery, and they couldn't help but feel inspired by her unwavering self-assurance.
"And for your information, this is all-natural. Maybe YOU are the one so insecure that you can only get a kick out of making others feel lower than you," Rainbow Dash asserts confidently, her voice ringing with pride.
Mel walks into the room, applauding the performance with genuine admiration.
"You understood what I was trying to teach! It usually takes outsiders days, if not weeks, to learn to do what you just did. You're a natural!" Mel exclaims, a smile playing on his lips.
"Hehe! It was nothing! Hardly even a challenge!" Rainbow Dash boasts, puffing her chest with pride.
Mel's expression turns serious, his voice firm. "No, it was. Despite being the first to discover your music magic as an individual, it came at the expense of your friends not being able to learn their lessons. Remember, harmony is stronger than an individual. Are you going to go out by yourself or with your friends?" Mel's words are meant to humble Rainbow Dash and remind her of the importance of unity.
Rainbow Dash's confident facade wavers for a moment as she takes in Mel's words.
"That was still mighty amazing, Dash. Can I try to lead next time?" Applejack interjects, offering her support.
Rainbow Dash glances at her friends and then back at Mel, realizing the truth in their words. "Oh... yeah... Sorry about earlier... Perhaps I should explain to them how I did all that?" Rainbow Dash suggests, seeking approval from Mel.
Mel sighs, their tone a mix of exasperation and understanding. "Are you asking me, or are you going to do it? Pretend I'm not here. I might not always be able to tag along. I have duties as a ruler," he responds.
"Ugh! A yes would have been fine," Rainbow Dash grumbles, slightly frustrated.
Mel's gaze softens, and they speak with a hint of vulnerability. "I want to hold you and cheer you and tell you just how awesome you are, but pride comes before the fall. I will do everything in my power to ensure all of you make it through this. However, if even a single one of you dies, then I will send the rest of you back home," Mel states, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
Rainbow Dash sighs, understanding the weight of Mel's words. "Okay... but seriously... wouldn't it be good if I at least tell them how I did it?" she asks, a mixture of determination and frustration evident in her voice. Mel sighs. "Alright, I hear you. But still! A yes isn't that hard!" Rainbow Dash retorts.
As Rainbow Dash continues to explain her newfound understanding of her soul's song and its transformation into magic, the rest of the Mane 6 listen intently, absorbing the knowledge and reflecting on their own experiences.
"I see! If we all sing or make music, it restores our magic, but the strongest magic comes from within! Perhaps the magic of friendship is still there, just accessed differently!" Twilight exclaims, a spark of excitement in her eyes as she connects the dots.
Pinkie Pie, always one to celebrate, pulls out a cake from seemingly thin air and throws a spontaneous victory party. "Woohoo! This calls for a celebration! Rainbow Dash, you're so amazing! And Twilight, you're gonna be super duper mega strong once you tap into your soul's song!" Pinkie exclaims, her enthusiasm infectious.
Rarity, with her keen perception, offers her perspective. "Well, in a way, we all already know our soul's songs. The music is within us, and we understand ourselves on a deep level. All we have to do is express it. That's the music of the soul. I don't see why we have to wait for Mel to strain himself when we already have the answers," Rarity suggests, her voice filled with confidence.
Applejack nods in agreement, chiming in, "Ya know, Rarity, ya make a good point. I reckon given enough time, I could have figured out that performance on my own. I think Mel was just speeding up the process for us."
Fluttershy, meekly offering her thoughts, adds, "Um... it's complicated... We all have parts of ourselves that we hide or struggle with to some degree. Maybe it's best that we trust in Mel's performance, where nothing is hidden." Her voice carries a hint of uncertainty.
Rainbow Dash considers their perspectives and responds, "It doesn't hurt to try. Besides, if we get it wrong, Mel can always correct us. We're learning and growing together."
Twilight ponders for a moment, weighing the options. "Hmmm... It would be safest to let Mel guide us, but I have a feeling he'll be thrilled to see that we've figured it out on our own. Let's give it a shot and see where it takes us," she suggests, the determination evident in her voice. "Ok. My defining traits are that I organize and make plans. I try to listen to all sides. And when push comes to shove and it's a high-stress situation I will always pull through at the end!"
They all nod agreeing.
"And you are an egghead!" Rainbow Dash adds unhelpfully.
"I am not an egghead for loving books! I read that line in a book." Twilight says slightly annoyed by the comment. "I know! I think I got it! I just need to work on the final bits! I just need that little push! Since there is still a little time left in the day we could try training on one more criminal!"
Rainbow Dash smirks confidently. "Twilight, remember, we've faced incredible challenges before, and we always find a way to overcome them. We're capable of more than we realize. Ever since we got here it was Mel this, Mel, that. I get it. He is powerful, but we are 20% cooler."
Applejack chimes in, reflecting Rainbow Dash's determination. "She's got a point, Twi. We can't keep relying on Mel all the time. We gotta learn to trust in ourselves and each other. And if we're gonna grow and get stronger, we need to push our limits."
Fluttershy musters the courage to interject, her voice trembling slightly. "I-I understand what you're all saying, but... maybe it's best to wait for Mel's guidance. He knows this world better than any of us."
Pinkie Pie trembles, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is a bad idea... It's... my Pinkie Senses are tingling, and they're telling me something bad is going to happen. I can't explain it, but... I'm really scared about this."
"Pinkie Pie. What EXACTLY do your senses say this time?" Rarity asks knowing that Pinkie Pie's senses always have some sort of meaning and logic behind it.
"Fear..." says Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow Dash chuckles, "It's probably the prisoner's fear after we kick their butts! We'll get a head start on our performance by making them have to run over and open the instrument case and assemble it."
"Now hold on a minute. That's playing dirty!" says Applejack disapproving of Rainbow Dash's tactics.
"Oh! I see! Hehe! If it's their fear of us kicking their booty then that's a good thing!" Pinkie Pie says doing a complete 180.
And so the Mane 6 goes to the warden's office. The Warden was sleeping and so they woke him and asked him for keys to the cells. The Warden knowing they were with the Master Conductor assumes they were acting in his interests. If they had been normal people he would have taken this situation a little more seriously and strictly, but he was disarmed by the cute pastel colored ponies talking to him. After some head pats to each of them he gives them the keys.
After obtaining the keys from the warden, Twilight carefully reads through the cell protocol. It's crucial to understand the workings of the prison since they are planning to release a criminal in order to confront them. In her brief study, Twilight discovers that the prison consists of three levels. The first level houses general prisoners, while the second level is reserved for violent and unstable individuals. The third level is where the most powerful and dangerous criminals are held, and Anny was part of this group.
As they approach the cells, the group notices that each prisoner has an individual cell without roommates. The cell doors bear inscriptions containing the prisoner's name, their crime, and their unique music type or power.
Determined to face the musical disharmony plaguing their world, Twilight addresses her friends with a resolute tone. "Alright, girls, we have a mission to accomplish. For the sake of restoring harmony, we must succeed."
Unexpectedly, a voice emerges from one of the level three cells. It belongs to a prisoner wearing a partial mask that covers his mouth, preventing him from using his voice to activate his power. "Oh? Musical Disharmony, you say? I might know a thing or two about that," the masked prisoner remarks.
Curiosity piqued, Rarity approaches the cell and reads the inscription aloud for Twilight's benefit. "This prisoner's name is Azeun, and his crime involved sending several people to the hospital. His music magic is described as parasitic copying."
Intrigued, Twilight steps closer to Azeun's cell and directs her question toward him. "Azeun, if you possess knowledge regarding musical disharmony, we implore you to share it with us. The lives of countless depend on our success."
Leaning nonchalantly against the cell bars, Azeun allows a smug smile to form beneath his partial mask. "I have no obligation to divulge anything to you. Besides, I never imagined I'd be questioned by talking colorful horses. The fortune teller's prediction was right after all."
Applejack, ever direct, steps forward and asserts, "We ain't horses! We're ponies, and it's disrespectful to confuse the two. Now quit ya stalling and answer the question."
Chuckling softly, Azeun's gaze shifts from Applejack to the group as a whole. "I do know who the leader is and even why they seek to cause this musical disharmony. But I don't feel like sharing. I'm cozy in this cell and none can touch me."
"How about a bet? If we beat you in a fight..." Rainbow Dash begins, but before she can finish her sentence, Azeun cuts her off with a mischievous grin.
"Deal. I don't need to hear the rest of the details. I assume it's going to be a 6-on-1? Oh, dear me. I'm a bit out of practice. But I never turn down a challenge. If you can take me on and emerge victorious, I'll gladly share everything I know," Azeun responds confidently.
With their agreement set, the group escorts Azeun to the music stage, where the confrontation will take place. Applejack takes the lead, tapping her hoof on the wooden floor in a steady rhythm.
"1, 2, 3, 4, together we can raise this barn, 1, 2, 3, 4!" Applejack begins singing, her voice accompanied by the synchronized tapping of hooves from the rest of the Mane 6. The harmony builds, amplifying Applejack's music and empowering her unique magic.
Observing their performance, Azeun comments playfully, "Oh! You won't even let me grab an instrument! How tricky!" Undeterred, he rushes to the other side of the stage to seize a violin, determined to counter their efforts.
"Up, up, up, go to the beams! Hammer those joints!" Applejack calls out, and the rest of the Mane 6 join in, their voices blending seamlessly into the song.
As each beat resonates, several wooden beams shoot out from the ground, propelled by the collective harmony. Azeun grunts as he gets propelled backward, crashing into the wall with immense force, creating a substantial crater. Spectral nails materialize, pinning him down.
Rainbow Dash cheers, exhilarated by their success. "Yeah! That was AWESOME! We totally kicked his butt!"
Applejack, however, seems concerned and stopped the song. "Oh, Nelly... I didn't mean to go THAT far... Maybe we should've held back a bit..."
Twilight approaches Azeun, her voice filled with a mix of determination and concern. "We can get you healed, but now you must fulfill your end of the bargain. Tell us everything you know."
The mask covering Azeun's face cracks before shattering completely, revealing his expression shifting from pain and shock to a wicked grin.
"It's so nice to finally speak without my voice being disharmonized. You see, my dear ponies, I said if I lose. But I'm not done yet," Azeun declares with a hint of defiance. "Although I must admit, I won't be able to handle another hit like that. And I'm bound, preventing me from using instruments."
Rarity interjects, urging caution. "Darling, don't push yourself too far. You need healing. While we understand your magic talent revolves around mimicking our songs and using them against us, we must remember that together, we are stronger than you could ever be alone. Each of us has a musical talent to showcase, and I have a feeling you won't be able to copy all of them simultaneously."
Pinkie Pie interrupts the conversation, her voice trembling with a sense of foreboding. "Guys... I'm feeling it again... And he doesn't look scared to me..."
"You are right about all that purple-haired horse. I hid my powers so they misinterpreted mine. That isn't my power at all. You forgot one thing. Well, two things really. One. You stopped singing. and two now I can sing." says Azeun.
As the realization of her mistake dawns upon her, Applejack's eyes widen in alarm. She swiftly attempts to resume the interrupted song, desperately trying to reignite the fading magic that once surged through her. The lingering notes hang in the air, intertwining with Azeun's harmonic whispers, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. Azeun's dark melody begins to overshadow Applejack's song, its haunting beauty captivating the senses.
To the horror of the Mane 6, the spectral nails that had restrained Azeun's movements begin to degrade and fade away. Applejack's negligence in maintaining her magic allowed the decay to take hold. Azeun seizes the opportunity, extending his hand to summon a violin that appears to be crafted from bones. It emanates an aura of malevolence.
"As for who the leader is, that would be me," Azeun declares, his voice laced with a mixture of arrogance and triumph. "Mel, being none the wiser, would have never suspected to search among the imprisoned. All I had to do was orchestrate my arrest for a lesser crime. Meanwhile I could continue to pull the strings from behind the scenes."
Without hesitation, Azeun starts to play his violin, conjuring a melody that is both mesmerizing and unsettling. Applejack's song pales in comparison, its once vibrant magic fading under the weight of Azeun's powerful music. As Azeun's composition reaches its crescendo, a spectral figure materializes, wearing a mask that obscures half of its face. It is the previous Master Conductor, a phantom-like entity.
Azeun smirks, continuing to sing as he controls the reluctant Phantom. "Say hello to the previous Master Conductor. You could say he is the Phantom of the Opera~"
The Phantom's expression is one of anger and resistance, clearly unhappy with being summoned and forced into Azeun's service. However, Azeun plays the Phantom's soul song, a haunting melody that compels the spirit to obey. The Phantom, who needs no physical instrument, channels its spectral power through the strokes of Azeun's violin.
In a single swift motion, the Phantom's violin stroke slices through not only the Mane 6's music but also Applejack herself. A spray of crimson and black energy erupts from the wound instead of blood, and Applejack's appearance undergoes a dramatic transformation, aging rapidly until she resembles the elderly Granny Smith.
"W-w-what the buck?! Applejack!" Rainbow Dash cries out in shock and concern.
"You monster!" Twilight's voice quivers with a mixture of anger and fear.
Azeun smirks, reveling in the chaos he has unleashed. "Necromancer, you could even say a musical necromancer. I play the melodies and soul songs of the deceased to wield their powers," he taunts mockingly, fully embracing the role of the villain mastermind he has claimed to be.
Twilight's mind races, her stress levels reaching their peak. The situation has escalated to a dangerous level, far beyond what she had anticipated. The urgency to protect her friends, especially Applejack, consumes her thoughts. She knows she can't flee and leave her companions behind, but she also realizes that she must act swiftly.
"Grrrr! You're going to regret hurting my friend!" Rainbow Dash's voice echoes through the chamber as she channels her anger and determination. The feathers of her wings shimmer with a dazzling rainbow hue as she prepares to unleash her solo performance.
Creating a swirling storm of wind and energy, It was the same thing that had muted Azeun's melody, but it does little to diminish the power of the Phantom's song.
"Just say it already. You're going to 'kill me,'" Azeun taunts, his words striking a nerve within Rainbow Dash. She hesitates, realizing that her initial intention was to deliver a fatal blow. The realization jolts her, causing her to hold back her attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Azeun moves on to the second act of the Phantom's song. Rainbow Dash's wings begin to warp and melt, causing her to spiral downwards, her confidence shattered.
"Two down. I hope you aren't relying on the 'power of friendship' or whatever, because that isn't happening," Azeun sneers, reveling in the damage he has inflicted.
Twilight's mental stability continues to crumble under the weight of the situation. Rarity attempts to sing, only to clutch her throat as if submerged underwater. Fluttershy, in her attempt to hide, finds herself covered in spectral eyes that gaze at her judgmentally, reducing her to a sobbing mess.
"And then there were two," Azeun remarks, his voice dripping with a mix of malice and satisfaction.
"Twilight... Run... Go get Mel..." Pinkie Pie's voice trembles with a combination of fear and concern.
Twilight's inner turmoil intensifies. Logically, it makes sense to seek help from Mel, but ethically, she struggles to abandon her friends in their time of need.
"Who said any of you would get the chance to tell Mel?" Azeun taunts, knowing the futility of their situation. He proceeds to play the third act of the Phantom's song.
A curse befalls the Mane 6, preventing them from ever revealing Azeun's name through any means. Realizing that his captives pose no further threat, Azeun approaches Twilight, who is paralyzed with fear. He shakes her forcefully until she drops the key needed for his escape.
"What a wonderful day outside. Rats are gnawing, spirits are screaming, on days like these, ponies like you should be barn animals mindlessly eating hay," Azeun sneers, reveling in his victory.
"I'm gonna kill ya... Ahhh! Mah back!" Applejack cries out as her back gives out.
Azeun's laughter fills the air as he strolls out, leaving behind a group of broken and cursed friends, their spirits crushed and their hope fading away.
Mel's arrival brings relief to the Mane 6 as he starts cycling through their soul songs, using his magic to undo the damage inflicted upon them.
"Oh, thank you, darling... I felt as if I was drowning," Rarity expresses her gratitude.
"My wings are back... I can fly!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, her excitement returning.
"Thank you, Mel, for fixing us," Applejack acknowledges with a sense of gratitude.
However, Mel's expression is far from happy. He appears deeply angered by the situation they find themselves in.
"What were you all thinking? Level three prisoners are the most dangerous kinds. They are skilled at what they do. I have experience from fighting them myself, which is why I knew you could face Anny. Now, who did you all fight?" Mel's voice carries a stern tone, demanding an answer.
Silence hangs in the air as none of them are able to speak up, the curse preventing them from revealing their encounter.
"I would appreciate an answer. I know you all can talk just fine," Mel persists, determined to uncover the truth.
"We are not able to..." Fluttershy's voice trails off, indicating their predicament.
"... Necromancy. You fought a musical necromancer. That's bad. I thought I dealt with all of them. There isn't even supposed to be one left in this world!" Mel's frustration seeps through his words.
Confusion fills Twilight's mind as she tries to comprehend the implications of what Mel just revealed.
"Necromancy here doesn't mean raising the dead. The deceased cannot return to life. It is considered taboo because it involves stealing the magic and hard work of those who have passed away, exploiting their abilities as if they were one's own... The dead cannot rest, and their honor is defiled. I banish such beings to other worlds that deal with necromancers," Mel explains, his tone heavy with disappointment.
Pinkie Pie remains silent, her usual cheerfulness nowhere to be seen.
"I am sorry. Perhaps I am partially to blame. I knew it was risky to involve others in this matter. But thanks to your team's efforts, I now know that the prison should have been the first place I searched. I will send you all back home to Equestria now," Mel declares with a mix of regret and determination.
"W-what?! You can't do that! Sure, we failed, but we can try again once we are stronger! We nearly had him!" Rainbow Dash protests, unwilling to accept defeat.
"No sugarcube... That wasn't a fight we could have won... The moment he got to do his thing, we lost," Applejack interjects, her voice filled with resignation.
"But... We can still help! Give us another chance!" Twilight pleads, her determination unyielding.
"A ruler must make difficult decisions. You are alive not because they spared you all, but because they didn't know when I might have returned and was in a hurry to leave. I do wish we could continue... But what would I tell Celestia? That I let you all nearly die while attempting to solve a problem that I need to fix?" Mel's sadness is evident in his words.
With a heavy heart, Mel raises his violin and begins to play. The forceful notes carry a mixture of farewell and longing as he teleports the Mane 6 straight back to Equestria, their adventure in the other world coming to an unexpected and abrupt end.
Back at Equestria half an hour before the Mane 6 was sent back.
The ancient evil has been defeated. Celestia and Luna reluctantly thanked Discord and the hero he summoned before sending the hero back to his home world.
"Don't think because you helped once that means you can just do whatever you want now. What is the status of my little ponies?" asks Celestia not happy with the last time she spoke with Discord.
Discord knows he is already in hot waters and decides not to risk angering them, "They are fighting some Necromancer right now. They aren't going to win. But don't worry. Deus ex Machina insures that they won't die. I bet they'll be sent right back home soon."
Luna growls, "We remember asking thee to watch over and protect them. Please do tell us your excuse for why you aren't there right now if this is the case."
"Um...." Discord says gulping, "You see... I'm sort of... Banned from that world. I am actually unable to enter that world myself."
A flash of light appears and suddenly the Mane 6 are there. Their look of defeat are reflected on their faces.
As the Mane 6 find themselves back in the throne room of Celestia and Luna, their disorientation from the sudden teleportation is evident. The princesses, who had been worried about Twilight's well-being, express relief upon seeing them safe.
"Oh, thank goodness you are okay, my little ponies," Celestia says with genuine concern.
"It is good to see all of thee. Thy absence has affected Equestria, as an ancient evil has awoken," Luna adds, her voice carrying a somber tone.
Twilight, shifting back into "Equestria has a problem" mode, is quick to respond, "What?! What ancient evil? We were just—"
"Oh, but don't worry about THAT. I had someone else take care of the problem. If some Rando Conductor guy can summon you all to solve his problems, then we should be allowed to do the same. And now the job is done," Discord interjects, his nonchalant tone evident.
Rainbow Dash's annoyance is palpable as she exclaims, "Ugh! He is so ungrateful! We literally didn't have to help, but we chose to anyway! And now we aren't good enough for him?"
Applejack joins in, expressing her frustration, "I am just as frustrated as ya. But we did end up releasing a necromancer, so we really are the only ones at fault."
Celestia and Luna exchange a concerned glance, lacking the context of their conversation other than what Discord has shared.
"Princess Cele— I mean Celestia, I know it must have been rough dealing with the ancient evil in our absence, but please... help us return there. Mel is working alone. He is frustrated with us, sure, but I could see it in his eyes. He kicked us out because he is scared we'll get hurt," Twilight pleads.
"B-but... It was dangerous... You heard Mel... He didn't spare us... he was in a hurry..." Fluttershy adds, her voice trembling.
Pinkie Pie, ever the optimist, interjects, "The world is fun and cheerful! I got to make a cake that Mel ate! And the music was great! We lost, but I'm sure we can learn from our mistakes and come back stronger!"
Rarity chimes in, determined, "It isn't like me to leave something I started unfinished. Count me in, darlings."
Before Rainbow Dash can speak, Luna interrupts, "Can somepony PLEASE tell us what is going on? Are we invisible? Does our presence no longer mean anything? This world has its own set of problems, Twilight. You can't simply go to another world at the drop of a hat."
Rainbow Dash proceeds to explain, "World of music. Music is magic. We met the leader of music. We started to learn about ourselves and music through training. We fought a prisoner who was a necromancer without permission. That's about it."
Celestia and Luna are left with more questions than answers, but they refrain from overwhelming the Mane 6 with inquiries at this moment.
"Celestia and Luna won't be able to send you there. I could, but knowing that Fluttershy is against this, I won't do it. Besides, it would be against multiversal rules," Discord asserts.
"When has 'rules' ever stopped you? Isn't your whole motto: 'What fun is there in making sense'? You go to other worlds all the time and even have your own dimension," Celestia retorts, questioning his reluctance.
"It's different this time. I was banned by the ruler there. There is a massive penalty for traveling to a world you are banned from. If you die, then your soul won't go on into your home world's version of the afterlife. Die in a world without an afterlife, and now you are gone beyond salvation," Discord explains, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.
The Mane 6 realize that their only chance of returning to Mel's world is to convince Fluttershy to speak with Discord about their concerns.
"Girls, I'm scared... Maybe we would just get in his way. I'm worried about our safety. What do we do if we encounter that Necromancer again? Twilight, do you have a plan for that?" Fluttershy asks, voicing her fears.
"No... I don't... Discord, send me and only me there. I understand. You want Fluttershy to be safe. As for the rest of us, we're on thin ice with you, just as you are with us. You don't care—" Twilight begins, but Discord interrupts her.
"No, Twilight Sparkle. I do care. Fluttershy is the only pony who understands. I DO care very much. My antics have nothing to do with me not caring. I know manipulative psychology when somepony tries to use it on me. You all are my first... friends. Mostly just Fluttershy, but still FRIENDS. Very, very, very annoying, sometimes stuck-up, or narcissistic, and rude friends, but still... friends," Discord rants, his frustration evident. Discord has learned from being betrayed several times.
"Twilight... Discord has been trying to change. It wasn't right of you to say that," Fluttershy defends Discord.
"The answer is still no, Twilight Sparkle. Besides, your friends look like they will turn me to stone if I don't take them alongside you. I care," Discord firmly states.
The Mane 6 freeze, realizing that they aren't always in the right, even if they fight for the sake of harmony and all things good.
"Discord, I've changed my mind. I am going back. I'm scared, but the more I think about it... so was Mel. He is kind to the point of pushing others away to protect them, loyal to the extent that he would do anything for his people, honest to the point of bluntness, and uses laughter to reduce tension even when he's stressed. He's generous, as he remains patient even when things don't go according to plan," Fluttershy explains.
"But why risk everything for someone who might be a good guy? Celestia and Luna are great mares. Why, Fluttershy?" Discord questions.
"Because... I know that while I'm getting better and not as shy as I used to be, I have reached the limits of my growth here. Sometimes life will not be kind, and I want to be prepared for that. I could learn a lot from him. The last thing I want is to push others away as a distorted form of kindness," Fluttershy expresses her resolve. But that wasn't entirely the reason. She felt that if she doesn't go then the others might fail if they ended up needing her.
"... Celestia? Luna?" Discord turns to the two rulers who have been silently observing and listening.
"... Three weeks. You have three weeks to do what you must before I have Discord bring you all back," Celestia responds.
"Know that you are all playing a dangerous game, one with no second chances. Death is very real there, and we can offer little help. Honestly, I wish this 'Mel' had chosen Me and Tia, as we are nearing retirement," Luna adds with a hint of concern in her voice.
"Alright... Fine. You win. I'll send you all there," Discord concedes.
"This time, YOU are going with them, Discord," Celestia firmly states, not willing to take any chances.
"No, I actually can't. In addition to being banned, there is an anti-Discord Barrier specifically designed for me. But I happen to know someone who can~" Discord replies mischievously.
"No more games, Discord. Why would we send ANOTHER pony with them?" Luna questions, her tone skeptical.
"Because I maaaaay have accidentally, not-so-accidentally... brought someone from that world to ours. That may or may not be the reason I was double-banned. That someone has become a pony. And that pony is none other than Octavia Melody," Discord reveals.
The group glares at Discord, their expressions filled with a mixture of surprise and annoyance.
"She has been rather content here! She hopped on for a ride, and she should be able to help. In a world of music where one's musical talent is proportional to their magic, she surpasses them all. If nothing else, she can offer them advice," Discord explains, attempting to justify his actions.
After a moment of silence, Celestia sighs. "Very well, Discord. If Octavia is willing to assist them, then let her accompany the Mane 6. But remember Discord, you WILL bear the responsibility for your actions."
Discord grins mischievously. "Oh, don't you worry, Princess. I always bear responsibility. It just so happens that it's an ever-changing responsibility."
The Mane 6 decide to head out as Celestia and Luna start to rant about Discord's decision to allow another being to come with him. Eventually, they arrive at the house she shares with Vinyl. The Mane 6 stood in front of Octavia's house, the sound of music wafting through the door. Twilight took a deep breath and knocked, causing the music to abruptly halt. Octavia, wearing a neutral expression, opened the door.
"Greetings, Princess," Octavia greeted Twilight.
"Um... Can we ask you a couple of questions?" Twilight asked, feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
"Of course. Could this be about preparations for the next Gala?" Octavia inquired, her head tilting out of curiosity.
Twilight hesitated for a moment before responding, "Actually, it's about something else. Discord mentioned that he took you from a world of music, and we recently had an experience where music played a significant role in our struggles against a necromancer in that world. We were wondering if you could help us."
Octavia raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Twilight's words. "An interesting story indeed. And you believe that I might be from this world of music?"
Rarity couldn't help but interject, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Darling, we're receiving mixed messages. Discord claims that you are from that world. Can you confirm if it's true?"
Octavia paused for a moment before answering. "Perhaps. Assuming that I did come from a world of music and chose to leave with Discord, one might have to consider the possibility that I started a new life, adopting a new identity."
Rainbow Dash couldn't resist pointing out the obvious. "So, in other words, you did come from that world."
Octavia looks at Rainbow Dash, acknowledging Rainbow Dash's observation. "Plausible deniability, I apologize Princess. I am a mare of music, and that is how I choose to live."
The Mane 6 exchanged glances, feeling slightly frustrated by Octavia's intentional vagueness and insistence on being treated like any other pony. Fluttershy mustered the courage to make another request.
"Can you help us find Twilight's and Pinkie Pie's soul songs? Please?" Fluttershy asked, her voice filled with hope.
Octavia paused, her gaze shifting from one pony to another, before responding firmly, "I am Octavia Melody, an Earth Pony who enjoys playing music. Ask again in a way that I understand, I might be able to assist."
Understanding Octavia's desire to be treated like a regular pony, Applejack stepped forward, taking a more casual approach. "Ah, I see what ya mean. So, can you help Twilight and Pinkie find music that truly captures the essence of their existence?"
Octavia considered Applejack's words, her eyes calculating and thinking. "Hmm... Music doesn't always translate events directly, but it is not impossible. Come, let us delve into Twilight's life song, her journey that has shaped her into who she is today."
Twilight took a seat, feeling a mix of vulnerability and excitement. She began to pour her heart out to Octavia, sharing the struggles, triumphs, and personal growth she had experienced. From the pressures of friendship to the weight of her responsibilities, Twilight spared no detail, wanting the music to reflect the entirety of her journey.
As Twilight finished recounting her story, Octavia nodded, her understanding gaze reflecting empathy. "Very personal indeed. I believe I have a song that can capture the essence of what you've shared. Let us see if I can create something akin to the works of this 'Master Composer' you mentioned."
With that, Octavia positioned herself and her cello, her hooves poised above the strings. The music that flowed from her instrument was not as flashy as Mel's, but it carried an undeniable undercurrent of musical magic. The performance started to transport Twilight through the vivid memories of her life, from hatching Spike's dragon egg to her journey through friendship and beyond.
Pinkie Pie bounces up and down, her excitement palpable. "Yay! I can't wait to hear my soul song next! I bet it's going to be the most amazing, fun-filled, party-worthy tune ever!"
Twilight chuckles softly, appreciating Pinkie's infectious enthusiasm. "I have no doubt that Octavia will create something truly special for you, Pinkie. She has a remarkable talent for capturing the essence of our experiences through music."
Rarity interjects, her voice filled with curiosity. "Octavia, darling, how exactly do you go about playing somepony's soul song? We were led to believe it was taxing."
Pinkie Pie continues to bounce with uncontainable excitement, her pink mane bouncing along with her. "Ooh, ooh! I can't wait! I bet my soul song will be filled with laughter, joy, and endless surprises! It's going to be sooo Pinkie-riffic!"
Rarity, ever the inquisitive fashionista, raises an eyebrow and leans forward, her voice tinged with curiosity. "Octavia, darling, I must admit, I'm quite intrigued. How exactly do you go about playing someone's soul song? We were under the impression that it could be quite taxing."
Octavia adjusts her bow and smiles, her eyes sparkling with a mix of passion and expertise. "Ah, playing a song that deeply reflects one's life in great detail is indeed a deeply emotional endeavor. I immerse myself in their experiences, their joys, their sorrows, and everything that makes them who they are. It is a delicate dance between their essence and my interpretation, all expressed through music."
She pauses, a faint hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "But you see, it is precisely this emotional connection and expression of self that makes it my favorite kind of music to play. It allows me to explore the depths of a pony's soul and weave their unique story into melodies and harmonies. It can be emotionally exhausting, but it is also incredibly rewarding."
Rainbow Dash, impatient as always, adds, "Alright, enough talk! Let's get to it, Octavia. I want to hear Pinkie's soul song!"
Octavia sighs from Rainbow Dash's impatience. "Very well, Pinkie, if you're ready, I'll need you to share your most significant memories and experiences with me. Let us create a melody that reflects the very essence of your vibrant personality."
Pinkie Pie's eyes sparkle with anticipation as she takes a deep breath. "Okay! Get ready for a whirlwind of parties, Cupcakes, pranks, and laughter!"
As Pinkie Pie begins to recount her most memorable moments, Octavia listens intently, her hooves poised over the strings of her cello. She absorbs the stories of Pinkie's wild adventures, the joy she brings to every occasion and even the times she deflated feeling down and not overly cheerful. Her story seems to shift and jump around at places as she remembers new things to tell.
With each anecdote, Octavia's cello resonates, producing notes that reflect the exuberance and zest for life that is uniquely Pinkie Pie. The music dances in the air, capturing the essence of Pinkie's free-spirited nature and her ability to find joy in the simplest of moments. At last. The Mane 6 all now have their "Song in their soul" played. Figuring out how to harmonize all together would have to be done in the other world.
They returned to Discord, their journey through the portal marked by the harmonious conversion of magic into glitched-out music. The dissonant tones filled the air, creating a surreal atmosphere as they stepped out into an unfamiliar town. But the moment they arrived, the burning heat assaulted them, causing Twilight to exclaim, "Ouch! Hot hot hot! The air here is too hot for us!"
Rainbow Dash grumbled in annoyance, fanning her wings. "Ugh! First Octavia Melody refuses to answer our questions, and now my wing feathers are about to catch on fire! This is just great."
Just as they were contemplating their next move, a figure appeared before them, gesturing for them to come inside. Though hesitant to trust a stranger, they realized they had little choice. Reluctantly, they followed the figure into shelter.
Once inside, the figure's demanding voice filled the room. "Who are you all? How do you know that name?!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow, trying to make sense of the situation. "What name? Octavia Melody?"
The figure's tone intensified with frustration. "Yes! Her! The Master Conductor's daughter! How do outsider invaders know her name?!"
Rainbow Dash interjected. "Woah, whoa, whoa! Hold on! Are you talking about Mel?"
The figure's words tumbled out, mixed with disbelief. "His name is Mel Ody. You say his name so casually! Who are you horses?!"
Applejack's patience wore thin. "We ain't horses! We are tired of folks calling us that! We are PONIES! And how can Octavia be whatever Mel is?! She's a pony!"
The figure seemed taken aback, they accept the fact that perhaps they have gone crazy. They muttered under their breath, "Oh [curse] me... This is one big fever dream."
Twilight stepped forward, her voice calm and reassuring. "No, miss. My friends are confused. You see, in our world, most beings from outside turn into ponies when they enter. And sometimes, when we ponies go out into other worlds, we can change our forms as well."
The figure seemed to reluctantly accept this explanation. "Alright. I'll just go along with that. So fever dream, pastel-colored ponies, what now? I bet this isn't where you wanted to be. My name is Cinder. Priestess of flame."
Rarity, ever the inquisitive fashionista, raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, darling, but how exactly does being a Priestess of flame relate to music? Isn't the whole point of this world that music is magic? And that tacky red cloak... give it here and I can make it fashionable."
Cinder nodded, a flicker of excitement in her eyes. "Indeed, music of flame. Some of us choose to live close to the extremes, embracing the power of the elements. We learn the melodies that resonate with the fiery essence of our domain. I'm going to ignore that last statement about my robe."
She paused for a moment before continuing. "So, anyPONY with real questions? I always knew I would one day go insane. I might as well embrace it because I'm bored and I want to go out and do something. So what's the plan funny ponies?"
Pinkie Pie had her own question which she deemed important for Cinder, "I do! I do! What do you do to celebrate birthdays? Cake?! Pie?! Are the parties inside or outside?"
Cinder listened attentively to Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic barrage of questions about birthday celebrations. She couldn't help but chuckle at Pinkie's reaction when she mentioned the absence of cake.
"I usually gather a bunch of flammable material and burn it in one big bonfire as a form of celebration," Cinder explained, observing the shocked expression on Pinkie's face. "I'm going to assume the pink one is the voice of excitement."
Pinkie gasped, clearly disappointed. "GASP! That's it?! No cake?! No no no no! That won't do at all! I'm going to make you a super duper 'make up for all the no-cake birthday parties' party!"
Rainbow Dash chimed in, "With what ingredients? And no pies. You know I hate pies."
Cinder ignores them, playing along with the lively group. "Yup... I'm going to lean into this. Either all of this will be one big fever dream, or this is real... So, let me guess. The pink one is 'Pinkie Cake' or 'Pinkie Pie,' the blue pony is 'Rainbow,' the yellow one is 'Butter Shy,' the orange one is 'Apple Girl,' the purple one is 'Twinkle Star,' and the white one is... I don't know."
Fluttershy spoke up softly. "Fluttershy... that's my name."
"I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship," Twilight introduced herself with a warm smile.
Rainbow Dash flew closer, exuding confidence. "Close enough with my name. Rainbow Dash, 'cause I'm the fastest flier in all of Equestria!"
Pinkie bounced in place, unable to contain her excitement. "Pinkie Pie!" she exclaimed.
Applejack crossed her forelegs, asserting herself. "Applejack. 'Apple Girl' ain't mah name!"
Rarity gracefully spoke up, introducing herself with a touch of elegance. "You can call me Rarity, darling."
Twilight and Applejack exchanged a concerned glance as they listened to Cinder's increasingly erratic behavior. Applejack leaned in closer to Twilight, whispering her thoughts.
"Twilight... I think this person is a little crazy in the head. They think we're some sort of delusion! Do ya think we should just go after asking for directions?" Applejack whispered.
Twilight nodded, equally uncertain about their current situation. "Let's hold on to that idea. We don't have much information about this world. The last thing we want is to deal with another situation like that Necromancer."
Cinder noticed the hushed conversation and couldn't help but interject. "I don't know how much you all know about this world. Do I have to explain everything?"
Fluttershy spoke up, her voice soft and gentle. "Um... We know the basics... Music is magic. We know our soul song."
Cinder scoffed, clearly irritated. "Huh? Basics, you say? Rub it in, why don't you? Not everyone knows that music within their soul. That's musical master level. I still haven't mastered mine. Yet you random ponies claim to know your soul song and still say you don't understand? Bull. Show me."
Fluttershy, taken aback by Cinder's outburst, hesitantly obliged. She began to hum and sing, her voice carrying a soothing melody that resonated with the surrounding atmosphere. As she sang, spectral creatures like fire salamanders, phoenixes, and baby dragons, which bore a more lizard-like appearance than those in Equestria, materialized and surrounded her. They perched on her shoulders or nuzzled her affectionately. It seemed that her song had summoned these spirit-like creatures into existence.
"Dragons?! Salamanders?! Phoenixes?! Are you a master summoner?!" Cinder exclaimed in shock.
Fluttershy blushed and shook her head. "Oh no! I prefer to see myself as a nature-loving druid. I think my singing would normally attract animals. Usually, a bunch of hummingbirds."
Cinder's amazement turned into bewilderment as she looked at the rest of the group. "Are you all like her?" she asked, still trying to process what she had just witnessed.
Rainbow Dash, always eager to boast, smirked confidently. "Pfft! Mine is 20% cooler than summoning ghost animals!"
Twilight stepped forward, her eyes reflecting a sense of urgency. "We are hoping to get stronger... This world's harmony is in danger!" she explained, hoping to convey the gravity of their mission.
Cinder raised an eyebrow, the puzzlement on her face giving way to a slight realization. "Excuse me... What? The harmony is just fine. Ok, maybe the volcano is acting strange these last couple of years, suddenly changing into neon colors. So you ponies need to find stuff out of the ordinary with this world. I can help."
Twilight nodded in agreement. "Thanks. I say let's see what's going on with the volcano. If the world's harmony is falling apart, then any disturbances would be worth checking out."
Cinder, understanding the urgency, took the lead. "First, I have to sing the song of fire. You all need some level of heat protection. You see, while music might be the primordial and purest form of magic, music created the universe, and the elements are extensions of that music and thus one needs to be prepared."
She began to sing, her voice accompanied by the crackling and sizzling sounds of fire. A reddish glow enveloped the group, providing them with the necessary heat resistance. She removes her cloak and her face is now fully visible. Her long fire red hair flowed and glowed as if it were hot embers.
Pinkie Pie pouted, interrupting the magical performance. "Aw! But I haven't finished making a cake yet! I'm halfway done!"
Cinder looks on confused. "How? I don't even have flour. Never mind. So, quick question. What are we even going to do once we get to the heart of the volcano?" she asked.
Twilight pondered for a moment before responding. "If the volcanic activity is acting strange, then maybe playing the music of fire might be able to overwrite the changes. You are the only one with fire magic, Cinder."
Cinder raised an eyebrow, contemplating the idea. "Huh. Sounds like something a Master Conductor would do."
Applejack, ever practical, voiced her concerns. "We get that this Mel fellow is great and powerful and all, but why isn't anypony else trying to help or solve their own problems?"
Cinder smirked, correcting Applejack's choice of words. "You said 'Everypony.' That's cute, but here you say 'everyone.' And why should we? He does a good job of fixing the problems in this world. The reason why the title is Master Conductor is that he leads the music and harmony. It would be like if someone started to improvise to correct a mistake. That could cause more trouble."
Rarity, with her elegant demeanor, chimed in with a different perspective. "Darling, if no one tries, then nothing gets done. Even though I, at times, want to stop working on patching dreadful clothing that should have been long discarded, I carry on. Besides, he isn't so on top of everything if he is summoning others to help him."
"Noted. Still, the last time we tried to solve our own problems was before Cleft Melody ran for Master Composer and delivered a speech that discouraged random vigilante justice that caused problems. He and his brother Mel Ody laid the foundation of the core world rules, which are akin to the laws of gravity. Anyway, they worked together," Cinder continued.
Twilight nodded, absorbing the information. "And what are those rules?" she asked, eager to learn more about the guidelines that shaped this world.
Cinder took a breath before explaining each rule in detail. "First rule: No attacking others unprovoked or without good reason. Second rule: Battles of music can be conducted either in an actual battle or in a battle of the bands format. The latter allows for a competition where the quality of music determines the winner, enabling those with non-aggressive music to defend themselves. This rule ensures that battles become tests of will and musical skill rather than combat experience. Third rule: Music decides who wins. Those who break the rules will face penalties."
Twilight processed the rules, realizing their significance. "So let me get this-" she began, but Cinder interrupted, needing a moment to catch her breath.
"I'm not done yet," Cinder said, catching Twilight's attention. "Fourth rule: One can issue a challenge, and if both parties agree on the terms, a battle of the bands or a music battle will commence. Consent is not required if one party has already incurred penalties. Speaking of penalties, the first strike of an unannounced attack will never be lethal, and the situation will become as if they were challenged. Attacks against someone who has won a battle of the bands will fail. Those who commit crimes or break the rules will bear a mark that reveals their transgressions, which cannot be hidden."
Twilight contemplated the rules, recognizing their importance in maintaining order and fairness within this musical world. Applejack nodded with agreement, appreciating the notion of justice being delivered to those who acted out of line.
Fluttershy, however, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease with the strict rules. She knew felt that something was off about the rules, but she decided to keep her concerns to herself for the time being.
In the midst of the discussion, Pinkie Pie pulled out a vibrant and colorful cake, eager to lighten the mood. Cinder, taking a break from the complexities of the conversation, tried a piece of cake and nodded appreciatively.
"I give up... The more I try to understand how you ponies do what you do, the more my head hurts," Cinder confessed, a touch of exhaustion in her voice.
Pinkie Pie was taken aback by the lack of exuberant response. "A nod? That's it?... I'll have to make an even better cake! I need to find one that you really like!" she exclaimed, determined to bring joy through her baking.
Cinder let out a loud laugh and offered Pinkie Pie a small smile. "It's a good cake. But I'm not a live-to-eat kind of person. I won't be overly dramatic over food, no matter how good it is."
The group shared a chuckle at Pinkie's persistence and Cinder's straightforwardness. With their discussions concluded, the group set off towards the heart of the volcano, Cinder leading the way. As they ventured deeper into the volcanic terrain, the air grew hotter and more stifling. The ground rumbled beneath their hooves, and vibrant hues of neon colors of the lava which is currently mixed with Neon yellow, red, and purple colors that danced within the billowing smoke. The Mane 6 might have heat protection but they can still feel the heat.
As the group walked out of the village, they noticed the absence of any other inhabitants. Fluttershy couldn't help but express her concern about the emptiness. It was eerie in its emptiness.
"Um... Cinder? Um... Where is everyone?" she asked, her gentle voice filled with a hint of worry.
Cinder sighed and explained the situation. "There isn't anyone here anymore. This place used to be more like a training ground, but everyone left when the music of the flame and lava changed. They didn't want to synchronize with the new melodies. I stayed behind, hoping that things would return to normal while practicing based on memory and scrolls. It's challenging without being able to compare them to the actual melody of the lava as it has changed."
Fluttershy felt a pang of sadness at the thought of the once-thriving village or training ground now deserted. "That's super lonely! Don't worry, we can keep you company!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, always ready to spread cheer and friendship.
Cinder's response lacked enthusiasm. "Yay me. I was going to leave sooner or later. This volcano is no longer a place for learning about fire's songs. The only magic here now is the yellow flames that drive one to madness."
Rainbow Dash, ever observant, pointed out a potential threat. "So... You're saying we have some crazy flame magic going around. Do you think it would affect the wildlife? Because I see some fire dogs, and they're running at us."
Cinder identified the creatures as Hellfire Wolves. "They used to be fire wolves, but now their flames have taken on that neon yellow glow. They attack everything without any sense of self-preservation. I have been itching to punch one!"
Concerned for the wolves and determined to find a peaceful resolution, Fluttershy spoke up. "Wait! Don't hurt them! Let me try something!" With a calming tone, she began to sing, extending her hooves wide as if inviting the wolves to approach her.
The wolves pounced, but to everyone's surprise, they refrained from harming Fluttershy and hesitated. Their yellow flames started to transition to a reddish hue, and they nuzzled against her instead. It seemed that Fluttershy's gentle song and flame protection had a calming effect on them.
"They're responding to your music, Fluttershy! You're able to soothe them," Twilight remarked, impressed by her friend's ability to connect with even the most aggressive creatures.
Fluttershy smiled warmly, relieved that she could offer compassion and understanding to the misunderstood wolves. "I believe they're just scared, confused, and lost. They just needed somepony or someone to show them kindness and remind them who they once were."
Cinder laughs as she shares her thoughts. "Fluttershy is basically a movie princess! I guess the beasts and animals won't be a problem with her. And her kindness seemed to undo the strange flame. Honestly, that alone gives me hope. Now I'm truly committed to this."
Rainbow Dash playfully sought recognition for her contribution. "No 'thank Rainbow Dash' for alerting everypony about the possible dangers?"
Cinder nodded appreciatively. "Thank you. Can I trust you to be our eyes? Report anything you see that you think we can't see. I trust in your judgment."
Rainbow Dash grinned proudly. "Hehe! Of course! But are we actually going INSIDE the volcano? As much as I trust your fire protection spell, I don't know if I trust it to hold up if we swim in magma."
Twilight corrected her terminology. "Magma. It is only called lava when the magma reaches the surface."
Rarity, always concerned with her appearance, expressed her discomfort with the heat. "Cinder Darling, can't you do anything about this heat? The protection is good and all, but I'm sweating like an Earth Pony farmer on a hot day, and it's not doing wonders for my skin."
Cinder pondered Rarity's role in the group. "What does Rarity bring to this group again? We've got Applejack as the muscle, Rainbow Dash as our lookout, Fluttershy as our movie princess, Twilight's nerdy knowledge, and Pinkie Pie's good vibes."
Rarity was determined to prove her worth. "I am VERY much a valued member of the team! I keep everyone looking their best."
Cinder playfully teased her. "I'm still not getting it. My impression of you is like a Karen."
Rarity chuckled. "Haha. The only managers I need to talk to are when there is actually a problem."
Cinder suggested that Rarity use her music to distract herself from the heat. Rarity's eyes sparkled with an idea. She began singing in a high-pitched, operatic tone and used her magic to create a dress made of ice crystals, freezing the moisture in the air. The dress started to steam and melt, but it provided temporary relief from the heat.
"Woah! Cool dress! You wouldn't happen to be able to make one for me, would you?" Rainbow Dash asked, hoping to cool down too.
"Normally I wouldn't want to wear any silly dress unless I had to, but I must say, ya dress made of ice seems mighty attractive right now," Applejack added.
Rarity smiled and used her magic to create ice dresses for everyone. However, she quickly became exhausted, struggling to maintain the creation and make more.
"You all have monstrous potential. Not many can use ice musical elements in a place where it is the weakest. It will be very draining. As much as it feels good, you all should conserve your energy. We are here— a cave entrance leading to the volcano's core," Cinder informed them, pointing to the entrance ahead.
The sounds of a heavy electric guitar reverberated from inside the cave. Rainbow Dash's ears perked up, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
"My kind of music! Somebody is jamming out in there! It's good but we are 20% cooler!" Rainbow Dash beams with pride.
Twilight, always the voice of caution, quickly interjected. "Hold on, Rainbow Dash. We should stick together and approach with caution. We don't know what we're dealing with. It could be dangerous."
True to her spontaneous nature, Pinkie Pie bounced ahead without a second thought. "Oooh! It sounds like so much fun! I can't resist a good party! Let's go, everypony!"
Twilight groaned but knew they had to stay together. "Pinkie Pie, wait! We should stick together! Safety in numbers!"
However, Rarity, always the observant one, had noticed something peculiar. "Darlings, I think you are all failing to notice something. The cave is actually not hot. In fact, the music seems to distract from the heat. The closer we get, the harder it is to focus on anything. We should be ready to face someone with disruption-based effects."
Twilight nodded, recognizing Rarity's keen observation. "Good thinking, Rarity. We won't be caught off guard now if something goes wrong with our melodies. We'll just stop and orientate ourselves before joining back in. But we need to stick together!"
Cinder, who had remained quiet, stepped forward. "And while you all do that, I'll see if I can do something about the magma."
With a determined expression, Cinder led the group, running through the tunnels with an unwavering sense of purpose. They followed her closely, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
Finally, they arrived at a large cavern, where a figure stood on a built-in stage. His performance was electrifying, every chord from his electric guitar producing beams of neon light that mixed into the magma. The figure bore a glowing mark on his body, signifying he has committed a crime.
"Hey! Do you know what you're doing?!" Twilight shouted, her voice filled with a mix of concern and frustration.
The figure turned to face them, a wild grin on his face. "Oooh yeah! I have an audience now! Sit back and enjoy this show! Cylen's show stops for nothing!"
Twilight's eyes narrowed, and she mustered her resolve. "We challenge you to a musical battle!"
Cylen paused, turning to meet Twilight's gaze. The mark on his body glowed, silencing his music as it forced him to comply and accept the challenge.
"Challenge ME?! Now you all are being a bad audience! I'm going to rock your world!" Cylen exclaimed, his voice filled with arrogance.
Twilight took a deep breath, ready to showcase her new musical magic. But before she could start, Cylen's fingers began dancing across the strings of his electric guitar, producing a rapid and disruptive melody that startled her.
Rainbow Dash took Cylen's solo performance as a challenge and started to sing her song using Cylen's own performance and tempo for her own song.
"I'm awesome-" Rainbow started to sing.
"Iguana! Iguana Iguana Iguana Iguana." Cylen starts saying in fast session to the beat of his guitar intending to trip her up.
"-As I Iguana be- wait... What?" Rainbow Dash says confused as she got distracted and messed up. She falls and crashes into the ground as her musical magic of flight got disrupted.
Twilight quickly regained her composure. She realizes this is harder than she thought. They can't all sing at the same time without her establishing a mental link and she can't start a countdown to get them in sync if she keeps getting disrupted.
Pinkie Pie, always full of surprises, couldn't resist joining in the fun. She started dancing and bouncing around the stage, creating her own energetic rhythm. Cylen tries to disrupt her by suddenly changing the melody but Pinkie Pie is already distracted with her own thoughts.
"Party rockers in the house tonight! Everypony's gonna have a good time!" sings Pinkie Pie. Cylen waits for whatever effect might occur but nothing happens. Moments later a party cannon fires from behind him making him jump startled. Both Cylen's and Pinkie Pie's disruptive melodies fuse and make several fireworks made of magic go off before both of their songs go quiet.
Fluttershy, attuned to nature, noticed that the disruption caused by their music was affecting the stability of the cave. Small tremors began to shake the area, and chunks of rock started falling from the ceiling.
"Everyone, be careful! The cave is becoming unstable!" Fluttershy warned, her voice filled with concern.
Applejack, using her strength, shielded her friends from falling debris, while Rarity not being disrupted used her magic to create protective barriers around them after a quick opera singing. They managed to avoid any serious harm, but the chaos of the situation added to the challenge of the battle.
Cinder, realizing the danger and sensing the growing instability of the Volcano, focused her magic on controlling and calming it. She sang a powerful tune that resonated with the elemental energy of the volcano, seeking to bring harmony and stability back to the raging flames. It did little to calm it as if it didn't understand her being so infused with outside magic.
Cylen pauses as does everypony else. They know to continue fighting would be dangerous and Pinkie Pie's music would likely be the turning point that would lead to his defeat. He clears his throat. "You all think you can judge me?! I used to be a nobody! But look at me now! I have made the element of fire more intuned with my magic than most are attuned to normal flame! This is an artistic expression! So what if I was put up to this?! Not all of us were born good singers! Not all of us are talented! I should get to even the playing fields! Forget it! I rather bury us all than give up this-"
Cinder pushes him into the corrupted magma which is so infused with Cylen's music and magic doesn't kill him but solidifies around him like stone. Cylen was petrified. The volcano seems to stabilize now.
Cinder smiles and smirks not feeling sorry for the guy, "He talked far too much. I finally understand the music inside my soul. I tried so hard to find my way. I tried to be as vigilant and as good of a person as I could be. But I wasn't being true to myself. Seeing Pinkie Pie's song and rhythm completely ignoring the disruptions... It made me realize that I was just afraid to be me in fear of what others thought. I realized. I'm not the hero. I'm more of an anti-hero."
Twilight was shocked, "Y-you! What would you have done if that had killed him?!"
"But I didn't so it works out morally. And had I actually killed him it would be my burden. Either way, I can't go on with all you ponies. I have to do damage control and fix the damages which will take months to years. But before we part ways... Pinkie Pie. Your music was explosive. Let me add my song of flame with yours so that you may use a bit of my power." Cinder says with a sigh of relief.
"That sounds cool but the only thing you really did was push a guy and give us flame protection," says Rainbow Dash.
"I think we could all use some improvements miss 'awesome as I iguana be'." she teases.
"HEY! He tripped me up! He was loud and distracting!" Rainbow Dash pouts.
"Y'all keep talking while some of us are a little hurt from falling debris..." Applejack says trying to remind them.
And so Cinder teaches Pinkie Pie a simple melody of flame. Cinder gives the group directions telling them that if they want to find someone who knows about the natural order of the world then they should travel to the college of music and magic. It would be a week of travel by land for normal humans.
Meanwhile in Equestria
A portal opens up and a dragonic pony steps out and into the throne room which is empty at this time of night.
"I sent them back here. Why did they let them go back? Was I not clear enough? Was I-" Mel says talking to himself. Luna's bat-pony night guards with their superior hearing burst into the room and surround him.
"Take me to Luna. If you are all unwilling to cooperate then you will do so unwilling." Mel says in an angry tone warning them that he fully means what he says.
"Threatening the night guard will not get you to the princess. How did you get in here? Leave. You are trespassing." the night guard lieutenant holds his ground.
"Trespassing? How ironic. I'm here because of some ponies doing the same thing. Luna. Stop hiding. I know you can see through their eyes. I am not here to cause problems, but things will get messy if you make this into one." Mel says annoyed.
Luna appears from the lieutenant's shadow.
"Who art thou? Thou could seeth past our spell. Thou art, not a Kirin... Why doth thou seekth to see us?" Luna says being tense and ready for a fight.
"Royal Medieval tongue? We are a race not of thy world. We sendth back thy heroes. They were in danger and we did the responsible thing and sent them back. Yet, by thy sister and thee's authority, they were sent back to our world. They art trespassing now. We do not wish to spill blood so do not give us a reason." Mel says copying Luna's speech and the royal we.
"Thou art mocking us! The 'royal we' is used only for royalty! And thou knowth not the one-" Luna starts.
"I am the ruler of my world. I know who you are Luna. I don't want pony blood on my hands. All that happens in my world is my responsibility. Take them back. You know my world's problems are no longer Equestria's business." Mel says calming himself and trying to make her see reason.
"Thou art right. We hath no business in the affairs of other worlds. However, this was not our call. Thou art underestimating us as a race." Luna nods and relaxes knowing that Mel means well.
"Perhaps. Perhaps.... One last chance. If they can't handle the weight of our world's problems then.... Well... I don't know. I don't want war. I don't want bloodshed. You see? Being a ruler is difficult. Being kind and being firm is a difficult line to walk. Everyone and everypony says 'Just don't be an evil ruler and be kind'. It's never that easy. And when we hold others dear then they will inevitably be caught up in our struggles as well." Mel says.
"So thou truly art a ruler. Indeed. It is never as easy as everypony makes it out to be. However tragic.... If we were to lose Twilight and her friends... We would be at a loss. But rest assured we will not seek out retaliation. We desire peace as well."
"I fear that the problems were worse than I thought back home. If the worse comes to pass... Please allow my people to seek refuge in your world. I have to go. Every minute that goes by the more the Necromancer recovers from his injuries." Mel says as he reopens a portal and leaves without confirming if Luna agrees to support his people.
The Mane 6 followed the river, guided by Cinder's assurance that it would eventually lead them to a nearby city. As they walked, the weight of their recent battles lingered in the air. Each of them carried a sense of doubt and worry about their future encounters with other musicians. However, no pony spoke up about it, and silence enveloped the group. It wasn't until they stumbled upon a hermit that things took a different turn.
The hermit, a weathered and wise-looking individual, noticed the somber atmosphere surrounding the Mane 6. His gentle voice broke the silence, reaching out to them with understanding.
"My... There seems to be quite an air of despair around you all. I know that look. Questioning if you are good enough, strong enough, big enough. But let me assure you, my dear ponies, that you possess monstrous potential within you. Perhaps sharing your burdens with me might help chase away those feelings," the hermit said, his eyes filled with sympathy.
Fluttershy, grateful that someone had finally addressed their concerns, spoke up in a polite and timid tone, "Thank you, kind sir. It's been weighing on our minds."
The hermit smiled warmly, his curious gaze sweeping over the group. "What you all need is to see. You have eyes, yet you fail to see what you can truly do. Merely playing the music is not everything. Many end up wasting their potential that way."
Rainbow Dash, always one to speak her mind, couldn't help but express her skepticism. "Are you saying that you have a way to make us 'see'? We don't want to be pushed around or manipulated."
The hermit chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement. "I assure you, I have no intention of manipulating you. I offer only guidance. My music allows me to mimic the music of others, albeit at a fraction of its potency. Choose one among you, and I shall use only the music from the chosen one. Then, you shall all face me in a musical duel."
Applejack, ever the cautious one, spoke up, her voice filled with curiosity. "Ya talk a big game, but who are ya? What makes ya so confident ya could win against all of us?"
The hermit's smile widened, his eyes twinkling with a mix of humility and pride. "I am but a traveling hermit. I do not need a name. I once placed 70th in the Master Conductor ballet. Helping those who are lost is why I do what I do. I didn't say I would win. We are doing a battle of the band's style."
Twilight, feeling a deep sense of uncertainty in this unfamiliar world, added her thoughts. "I must admit, I feel lost here. I am the Element of Magic in our world, but this place is so different."
The hermit nodded, understanding Twilight's predicament to some degree. "I see. Play for me. Let us see if these old bones of mine can handle your magical melodies."
Twilight took a deep breath, summoning her inner strength, and began to sing. Her melodic voice filled the air, the hermit raises an eyebrow as he listens. The hermit listened intently, his expression a mix of concentration and appreciation. Once Twilight finished her performance, he stretched his back, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Alright then, my young one. Now that I have heard your music, it's time to put it to the test. Prepare yourselves to watch what I can do with it. Or how do you youngsters say it? Getting freaky on a Friday night?" the hermit said, his tone filled with anticipation.
"No pony says that Darling," Rarity says finding that last statement uncouth.
Fluttershy takes the lead this time and the others join in. No magical effects this time happen which confuses the group and then the hermit plays and yet still no magic. That's when they realize that this is completely different from how they had been facing their opponents. The hermit plays his flute confidently and his skill really shows. He plays Twilight's song but in his own way. After a few minutes, he stops. The Mane 6 also stop. The victor was clear. They had won because their teamwork and combined harmony was worth more than his more skilled performance. Music had decided the victor.
"If I had been marked I would have lost and forced to surrender and comply with whatever conditions were set beforehand. The purple one has a gift that is called an "amplifier". It means any harmony she joins is immediately boosted. Scarily enough that isn't the only thing. You have a 'Unity' skill which lets you connect with and have others work together seamlessly though it is still a work in progress. The final skill she has is the 'Adaptive' skill which means that her melodies can have parts from others and share in that power which again is empowered by Amplifier. If I had to guess... She right now would be in the 50th position on the Master Composter ballot results and if she reached her full potential then the top 25." the hermit rants.
Twilight thinks for a moment before asking, "Suppose there was a Necromancer... What rank would we have to be to-"
"Don't. Any such being in this world that is skilled enough for you to ask "What rank I would need to be at to fight" is one you don't want to fight at all. Because they can weld the music of the previous Master Conductor. His spirit lingers after death upset due to a tragic death which means unlike other passed-away people Necromancers can use 100% of their power. Until the Master Conductor finds peace and leaves expect any necromancer to hold powers equal to him." the hermit warns after interrupting Twilight.
Twilight is shocked, "100%?! So even if we worked together...."
"Now if you all manage to work together and harmonize your soul songs then... Maybe. I don't know. But I don't expect such a being to play fair so don't count on it. If outsiders like you are dealing with these kinds of threats then this world might be reaching its finale... I wonder what Cleft Melody is doing during all of this... Anyway, good luck you strange strange ponies!" the hermit says before leaving.
Rainbow wanting to see what her rank would be calls out to the hermit, "Wait! What place would I be?!"
The hermit doesn't even turn to face them as he continues to walk away, "Placement isn't everything. A stubborn musician will only play what they think is right and will struggle to improve or adapt. All of you have the potential to be... Eh. I'm rambling. I'm just an old no-name hermit who has given up his name. You all already know that you are stronger together. Don't play alone."
The hermit leaves. Now that the group had a chance to see the alternative to a music magic battle they feel better. And being praised by someone in the 70th rank also helped. Twilight always wanted to be productive and as a multi-tasker, she came up with a plan. In the case of having to split up, they would work in two groups of three or three groups of two. And so each day of travel they practiced in small groups. They are getting close to their destination but their rations had ran out.
"I'm hungry... Are you sure there is no more food?" Rainbow Dash asks after her stomach growled.
Twilight saw this as an opportunity to apply what they learned and practiced "Ok girls! This is a perfect time to use our heads and think up a solution!"
Applejack thinks before answering, "Mah music seems to be earth related. And Rainbow's is about the weather. If we add a little bit of your magic then maybe we can get a plant to grow?"
"Worth a shot!" Rainbow Dash says excitedly.
Twilight smiles. She predicted this was one of several possible combinations that might work. Applejack took the lead and Rainbow Dash creates audible whooshes with her wings in rhythm and Twilight sang with Applejack. Their cutie marks glow and their power surges. Plants around the area start to grow rapidly and transform from magic influence. The plants respond to their music and gradually turn into a large apple tree that kept growing and growing even after they stopped as their harmony lingers in the air.
Applejack chuckles, "At least we don't have to worry about being hungry now! That tree is huge!"
And so the group ate and pondered what other possible combinations they could make. This synergy effect was much stronger than when they all worked together implying that they still can't all harmonize at the same time but in smaller groups they can harmonize and truly shine. Their hopes are high and they finally reach a city after following the river. This city was called "Cleft" and the city was structured and built around a massive music academy. They tried to enter but two dragon-masked guards block them. It was similar to Mel's draconic mask.
The first guard holds out his hand as if to stop them, "Stop! Come no closer! The academy is restricted to only students and those with appointments."
"I got this. We are guests of Mel and-" Rainbow Dash starts but gets interrupted by the second guard.
"Show us your ID so we can verify. If you think that taking the form of pastel-colored ponies is going to distract us you are mistaken." the second guard says demanding.
The situation seemed grim as none of them had an answer and they had a feeling there was no way they could sneak in. A young veiled lady wearing a masquerade mask walks up to the guards and shows them her ID. "They are with me. They are part of my project."
The second guard squints his eyes, "What kind of project? Midterms are over."
"A personal one and one that is for extra credit. Did you even read the syllabus? Extra credit projects turned in before the end of the year ring any bells?" the lady says not backing down.
The first guard is getting nervous, "Dude... She is the headmaster's daughter... Do we have to be this thorough with her?"
The second guard shoots a glare at the first guard before looking back, "Do you think this is some sort of movie drama? the whole 'they are with me' act and then they turn out not to be with you and then we get in trouble. It's stuff like that that gives guards like us a bad name and makes us look like idiots. So let us see it. Show me your project and how these random ponies relate to it."
"Fine. Give me a moment." the lady says before turning to the group who didn't even get a chance to say anything.
Twilight realizes that this lady is putting herself into trouble just so she can help them go inside. They all quietly decided to play along.
"They aren't Notes. They are ponies. Real ones. A little bit of music to awaken their animal minds... And I am working on seeing if I can turn/train them into 'amplifiers' to improve melody." the lady says lying as she plans on showing them something big to make it look like her power got amplified. "Ok ponies, With me like we practiced. Three, two, one."
The Mane 6 hearing the word "Amplifier" knows that Twilight is one so they let her sing with the lady. In the sky, a mini-moon made of ice forms. It keeps getting bigger and the area starts to get cold and dark. The lady seems shocked not expecting her power to actually get amplified. The mini ice moon seems to spread a cold chilly melody as well as frost. The two guards are baffled and slightly scared. Suddenly the door swings open and a tall woman with the same masquerade mask as the lady that was helping them and wears long silky white robes.
"ENOUGH! Frost Lunar! What do you think you are doing?! This level of magic is destructive! As your mother and headmaster I order you to stop this!" says the headmaster in a stern voice. "You know what? Forget it! I'll deal with it myself!"
She takes out a handheld harp and with a crushing melody the mini ice moon is shattered and the music effect is silenced. The headmaster glares at the guards waiting for an explanation.
"I was just doing my job! If there is any reason for suspension or any suspicious activity we are to do a full search/investigation! There were these ponies and your daughter claimed that they were for her extra credit project which I don't remember in the syllabus which-" the second guard starts to explain.
"OH! I knew I had forgotten something! Extra credit projects! I must have forgotten to add that! It all makes sense now. All is well in the world. Now if there isn't anything else to keep my daughter from coming in then please let her and her 'project' inside." the headmaster says changing her mood. "Frost Lunar, I'm proud. You are starting to tap into your full power at such a young age! You might just make it up to the top ten in the rankings. I can't wait to hear all about your project. I have to go now. See you tonight Frost Lunar!"
Frost Lunar sighs before turning to the ponies, "WHAT. WAS. THAT?! Are you all Notes trying to get in? Why ponies?!"
Twilight answers quickly, "We aren't Notes. We ARE ponies. Just.... from a different world."
Lunar sighs, "That's the story you are going with? Also I didn't REALIZE you WERE an amplifier. I was going to use my music to create a chill and make it snow! Also why in the world are you trying to get into the academy? If you wanted to get in then you had to have heard of the rules. All forms must be bipedal and humanoid."
"We didn't know that. We figured we could just walk in and.... oh... Now that I think about it..... Maybe we didn't think things through..." says Applejack as she realized that they were just planning on walking in and asking around.
The Necromancer Azeun rests in a building he rented.
Despite his talents, he struggles with playing the music of dead healers and thus had to recover slowly. He is annoyed that he took so much damage from fighting amateurs. He was planning on killing them, but the risk of facing Mel while he was injured wasn't something he was willing to make. He wasn't a fool. He knows their songs aren't from this world and their untapped potential. But now that he recovered enough he puts together a new plan.
Azeun grabs a bloodied draconic mask and places it over his face. He had stolen the face of a "Note" and wears it. He walks into the same prison he escaped from. The Warden and the prison guards being on higher alert planned to be more strict on security, but they did not expect to be attacked. Azeun's melody was haunting and almost soul-crushing to hear. It wasn't pleasant to listen. They didn't get a chance to fight back before they shriveled and collapsed. Azeun didn't bother to kill them as they couldn't stand a chance against him anyway. Taking the keys he goes down to level 3 and then unlocked a secret trap door leading to a level 4.
"A pity I wasn't placed at this level. I more than met the requirements. But then it would have been difficult to escape. Let's see who the lucky person in this prison is," Azeun says.
Level 4 is a classified level that is built to contain even a master conductor. Only a handful of people know of this level and it is cleverly inaccessible as only one key opens it and no one would suspect it was a low-level key. The only ones who knew about that last bit can be counted on one hand. This entire level is meant for one prisoner per prison with a level 4.
"Knock, Knock. How would you like to be free?" asks the figure inside.
Azeun chuckles, "I thought that was supposed to be my line considering I'm not locked up."
The prisoner giggles before bursting out into full laughter, "He he he! I know a puppet when I see one! You want to be free alright~ To cut the strings and be king!"
"Touchy subject. Indeed. What more is there than to be king? I'm more than enough to rule this world, but I grow bored with these old toys and want the worlds beyond," Azeun admits. "But I know you. You call yourself the reaper jester. How edgy and unoriginal, but I can't complain about your resume."
"Too bad~ I like my freedom here as I watch the world tear itself apart thanks to you. Oh?~ You aren't at your best. How risky of you coming here in that state~" the "Reaper Jester" points out. "I know your type~ You came here hoping to bribe me and offer me something you think I want. And the answer will always be the same~"
"You are trying my patience. The guards would have sent out an alarm by now. You are straight-up crazy and broken mentally. I just thought you would like to have fun with a couple of pastel-colored ponies seeing how they fit right in your whole clown theme." Azeun says successfully striking a nerve.
"Clever, Clever..... Why not? It's been a while since I played with somepony~ Hehe~"
A unsettling melody is introduced to the world again and the harmony wanes. The Mane 6 is unaware of the danger that is coming. The Mane 6 are taken to the academy's library.
Twilight's eyes sparkle she is ready to pull a hundred books down and devour knowledge.
Frost Lunar stops her with a quick response, "You can't read them. I won't let you. This academy has been the best of the best. Mel and his brother Clef both were taught here. And you think it is right for you random ponies who haven't worked as hard to gain the same benefits? I covered for you all because I do intend on using you all to my own benefit so I can tear down this horrid system."
Applejack makes an angry pony noise, "And why are you telling us that?"
Frost Lunar sighs realizing her words didn't reflect her motives, "... Now I'm the one who didn't think things through. Forget it. Read all that you want. Not that it will be very helpful. I hate my mother. She is intolerable. Her ideals are that perfect concerts should be preserved forever. That means she traps those whose music she considers perfection in a time loop to preserve that 'perfect' moment forever. And the worst part is that everyone knows and she even managed to convince them that it is the highest honor. It makes me sick."
"I understand wanting to preserve a beautiful moment, but forever? That's ridiculous! Things go out of fashion all the time. What might be considered perfect at one time is sooo last season the next. Darling, I get you. While the way you presented the problem was uncouth... You still were able to correct yourself." Rarity says while adjusting her mane as she shudders at the thought of what it would be like if she never changed things up.
"That's... Seriously messed up." Rainbow Dash says while looking around and seeing that the rest agree with her.
"I know I always go out to create the PERFECT and BEST parties for a pony in question, but I know that there is always room for improvement as I come up with new ideas for parties all the time!" Pinkie Pie exclaims as she speedreads through a book on historical birthdays. "WHAT?! Mozart and Beethoven were Master Conductors?!"
"Moza... Who now?" Applejack says scratching the side of her head with her hoof. Of course, Pinkie Pie tends to know things that don't make sense.
"Just because they are Master Conductors doesn't mean they have to remain here. They can influence this world even while in others. Mel is a perfect example of that. He is always off in some other world playing for a massive crowd. Those two you mentioned were Notes that were born here but moved to Earth." Frost Lunar says. "But that is beside the point. I need help and I can't trust anyone here because my mother has eyes everywhere. Having even a single amplifier makes my plan work even better".
Frost watches as Twilight hums and levitates around 20 books and starts to speed read, "How can you even read like that? Telekinesis is rare. Like only .001% rare. There isn't a single person with telekinesis in the world that isn't well-known! Just who are you ponies?! I refuse to believe you aren't a Note!"
"Hm..... No. It's hard to believe, but we come from another world. We are ponies. But if Mel is a "Note" then why would everypony err... I mean everyone confuses us for one? Wait..." Twilight says before having a revelation, "Wait! Notes are Shapeshifters!"
"I guess you really must not be from this world if you didn't know that. But no matter what form they take part of them will be draconic. Notes are exclusive to this world. They are descendants of both dragons and sirens and with the best traits of both. They often are the best singers or playing instruments. The dragon mask you see isn't a mask but actually their face." Frost explains.
"Hol' up! So them 'Notes' are like a race of Changelings minus the eating love bit and are on the dragon side instead of buglike?" Applejack says now understanding.
Frost says something after she has concluded something based on her observations while she talked with them, "Right now you ponies are taking all our common sense logic and throwing it out the window. I can sense a scarily powerful harmony synergy from you all. If done right... No... That's silly... Blasphemous to even suggest... But... It might even surpass even Mel... Our Current Master Composer. But there is no way you all could pull that off. The record for the highest number of members that could harmonize in sync is 5."
"Why not darling? A band can harmonize. So can a choir. So why would the limit be 5?" Rarity asks.
"Soul Melodies. The music of one's soul can harmonize with the soul melodies of others. Mostly two lovers or really close family."
"Stronger than Mel? Everyone says he is super duper strong! How strong is he? Tell us!" Pinkie says while bouncing up and down.
"Rumors say he hasn't even used his full power but his power rivals the evil chaos deity called Discord who invaded this world a long time ago. Mountains were moved and the sky turned purple for a time from their clash. Ultimately Mel chased Discord out and sealed the way back."
"D-did Discord k-kill anyone?" Fluttershy says nervously. In Equestria Discord claimed he never killed anypony, but she wanted to know if Discord was hiding something.
Frost sighs as she is impatient "Those who saw him claim he alters the land and the sky but wouldn't ever take a life. But back to business. I need that power that the purple pony had. An amplifier. I need to be able to crush the magic my mother used to keep those people on loop. But I'm afraid she is still too strong... And if she catches wind of what I will do then she can interrupt. Someone has to keep her distracted. I know her routine and even her guard."
"Darling, is there no way to convince your mother to see the error in her ways? It appears to me you took the violent approach first." Rarity points out.
"She never listens. She is so focused on me living up to her expectations that anything else I say is irrelevant."
Rainbow Dash speaks her mind, "If it were me I'll be so cool that she'd be impressed. She wouldn't put you on a loop. Only a psycho would."
"I considered that already. But nothing I have done so far is enough. I never seem to be enough! I get praised, but she always then pushes me to do more!" Frost Lunar shouts before calming down, "No. I thought about it. I will shatter her spell even though it will render this school venerable. It can burn for all I care."
"I changed my mind. There ain't no way I'm helping with this. It's destructive and ya can't just go with the violent option without trying other options first!" Applejack says with conviction. She is the element of honesty and while she is on board with defeating bad guys she isn't on board with this plan.
"So you want me to go up to my mom and be like 'Hi, mom. I think your plan is bad. Stop it please' and she is going to magically stop? What girly children's show are you all from?" Frost says starting to consider options to use the group even against their will.
"Um... Miss Frost... If you haven't talked with your mom... Then how could she know how this affects you?.... At least try talking with her... I-If she doesn't listen... T-then you can at least say you tried... I-it doesn't hurt to try to be kind..." Fluttershy says nervously as her lingering melody magic allows her to sense the moods of living beings and is worried about Frost's intentions.
"Then I want a promise. If she doesn't see reason then you all will go along with my plan without question." Frost says firmly. "And where the heck is that pink pony?"
"I'm baaaack~ I brought the headmaster telling her that you have a super duper surprise for her!" says Pinkie Pie as she enters the library.
Walking in behind Pinkie Pie is the headmaster, "I'm excited to see what new powers you want to show off this time! Your growth and watching you grow is what makes me, a mother proud."
Frost Lunar gives the mane 6 a death glare before turning to her mother. She sighs as she might as well speak her mind. "Mom. Stop this. I was fine when you were pushing me and pushing me... But I'm never going to be perfect in your eyes. But for the last ten years, you have been pushing that onto everyone!"
Frost's mother looks around at the mane 6 and decided she was going to have a one-on-one with her daughter. She takes out a harp and plays a few notes which stop time for her and Frost. It was a taxing melody that doesn't allow for her to attack.
"Frost, I am the headmaster. It is my job to make everyone the best they can be. There is nothing worse than seeing someone who should have been happy with their lives and get what they deserve, often fail because they weren't pushed to greatness."
"Yeah. Say that to those you kept frozen in the loop so their melodies would be preserved. Are you just going to do that to me too?" Frost says aggravated.
"... No. Frost. Those students wanted to pursue a life that won't bring them happiness. One of them even wanted to work at a PIZZA restaurant! If I don't preserve them at their best then... They'll be doomed to live unappreciated."
"So if I'm not a 'good girl' are you going to do the same with me, mother? It is YOU who decided what YOU wanted me from MY life! I'm my own person! So are they! Life has no meaning if there is no way to fail! You were once thought of as a failure too and you worked hard to prove them wrong!" Frost says with tears rolling down her eyes.
"No... No... I... I wouldn't do that do you... You ARE your own person... I am just pushing you to be the best you can be... You are the one who has decided your view must be the only one... It was because I was considered a failure that I know that the fate I went through shouldn't have to be the fate of others if I could help them... Azeun assured me this was for the best."
"Mom. That event shaped you. It made you determined to shape your own life. Don't take away that from them. Sure some of them are lazy and might live poor lives, but they might have a chance to rise again. Azeun might have been in the top ten Master Conductor candidates... But you choose the way you want to live. But you won't understand will you?"
Frost's mother sits down on a chair and thinks about her daughter's words, "What was I thinking? I'm sorry. I was played a fool. He assured me with honeyed words and twisted my views that this was justified... Frost... I am sorry. I was so caught up in all of this... Frost... I love you. I am sorry if I pushed you too hard or made you feel like you had to be something you didn't want to be. I just wanted to be the best mother I could be."
"... I am sorry too. I... Didn't think you would listen to reason... I was plotting to destroy the Conductor's seal so that you couldn't sustain the loop spell... Songs do have to end so that new songs be played by the same person."
"You were going to do that? Frost... That would put everyone in danger. You would have been marked by the laws of music! I am your mother. If you want to talk with me and tell me how you feel then I would drop everything to be there for you. I was in a meeting when the pony called 'Pinkie Pie' told me that you were in a bad place."
"That yellow pony was right... They were all right... I shouldn't have assumed the worse and talked with you first..."
"They have names. I'm surprised you didn't ask them yet. I looked them up. The yellow one is Fluttershy, the orange one is Applejack, the blue one is Rainbow Dash, the purple one is Twilight Sparkle, and the white one is Rarity. But... All that matters now is that you spoke your mind and showed me the error of my ways. Thank you Frost Lunar... My sweet daughter." the headmaster stops playing the harp and hugs Frost who hugs back.
Time resumes and the Mane 6 see them both hugging. They didn't hear a word of the conversation but they could tell how it ended. The headmaster's robe seems to expand and encompasses the whole school as she undoes her loop spell as she plays soft and loving notes from her harp.
"Fluttershy... Applejack. You were right. I should have gone to her first... I was so caught up in thinking the worst that I planned something dangerous and destructive. Thank you all... The stability of the school can finally return to normal though it will take time." Frost says as she bows her head in an apology.
Twilight gets excited, "Girls! I think we managed to solve another stability problem! Though not exactly how we expected it to go!"
"Stability? Well, I'm glad that it... What... No... NO!" the headmaster began as she started to back away. "That madman is free?! Twilight Sparkle. I must remain here to protect my students and continue my work as headmaster and mother. If you really are miracle workers who restore harmony... Then go north...."
"Uh... Miss. Lunar? What in tarnation got ya so scared all of a sudden?" asked Applejack.
"The reaper who dresses as a jester is free. His presence is almost as bad as Discord's was in this world. Discord may have even been related to how he came to exist. He is a being made of both pure chaos and disharmonic melodies given form. But... If you can harmonize your... hmm... What does Frost call it? 'soul melodies' I think. If you can manage four then I think you could stop this madness. You'll know who they are and it'll be impossible to miss the location now that reality is going to start warping." the headmaster says.
"Wow! This is moving really fast! I haven't even got time to throw a mother-daughter rekindling party yet!" says Pinkie Pie.
"There is no time for parties. You all must go. Don't engage in the reaper's games. Don't fight against his music magic but do a battle of bands format. He is too dangerous to fight normally. I wouldn't normally rely on talking ponies from another world but I have a feeling this has to happen. And thank you all for helping me see reason." the headmaster says.
The group smiled and then left. They have a new mission though they have a bad feeling that this next encounter might end up being more dangerous than when they fought Azeun.
Portals are opening randomly and a stream of uncanny carnival music flows out. Discord was the first to become aware of the disruption of the balance as a being of chaos himself. He snaps his fingers to teleport near one such portal. He expands his ear comically large to further hear every note and capture the vibration. He literally captures the vibration and melody causing the portal to close.
"Alright now, that kind of music is quite inviting~ Hold on... It seems... Familiar..." Discord says talking to himself and he strokes his beard with his clawed hand.
Discord snaps teleporting to another portal and again he hears that melody. He doesn't capture it but focuses on it. He tries to enter the portal to take a peek only to be flung out the moment he went in banishing him back to Equestria.
"It can't be THAT world. It always has a bunch of melodies and harmonies going on at the same time in the background. Oh well! Restrictions and consequences be damned. I'm the LORD of Chaos!"
Discord slams his pawed arm into the portal as his fist hits the barrier that kept him out. It stung his hand and didn't break. Discord winces. "Ok! Fine! Do you think you can keep ME out?! I'll show you barrier! Get ready for Discord's Chaos Jade Dragon Lion Heavenly Demonic punch!"
Discord psyching himself up pours his chaos magic into his fists and he starts doing a barrage of punches when suddenly a scythe flies out of the portal cutting Discord in half. Discord being Immortal and used to dismembering parts of his own body as well as altering his form had no problem pulling himself back together. The portal closes.
"How rude. You haven't even broken through yet." says a Discord clone that suddenly appears.
"Hold on... That scythe... That was... Something I left behind. Who threw that?! Now I'm mad!" says the original Discord.
"Umm... Equestria to Discord. There is a note on the scythe." says a second Discord clone and the first Discord clone stretches his neck 10 feet sideways to see the note.
"Let's see what the note has to say! It better be something funny and amusing." says the original discord.
Discord snaps his fingers and the note gains a mouth with it used to read. "There is only enough room for one clown around town~ Enjoy your banishment while I'll pick up the game you left behind~ The world revolves in my favor Tee hee hee!"
Discord snaps his fingers and all the clones of himself disappear. He is in deep thought. He starts to sweat orange juice as he realized he might have unintentionally created another spirit of chaos through a lesser one in the world of music. His sweat starts turning into grapefruit when he realizes that the portals are appearing around Equestria because the balance of the world is on the verge of breaking down and the line between worlds is growing unstable. His heart stops for a moment when he realizes that Fluttershy and her friends would have to deal with a lesser spirit of chaos on their own who probably doesn't share his morals.
"Oh... That might be a slight problem... Ugh! If only I could break through! Only Mel Ody or perhaps his brother Clef Melody can lift the barrier! By the time the barrier gets warped and weakened enough to go through..." Discord starts talking to himself worried.
"For once... I think we ought to do the right and responsible thing and report this to Celestia and Lula instead of delaying." says a Discord clone that appeared.
"I loathe the idea of doing things the intended way, but you are right me! We do not have time to waste! Fluttershy might be in danger!" Discord says.
"And the rest of the Mane 6 right?"
"Yeah yeah. Them too. I'll rescue them all like the damsels in distress they tend to be. I swear though they better not still think that I'm some sort of fix-everything button." Discord says as he snaps making his clone disappear before snapping again to talk to Celestia and Luna.
Meanwhile in the world of music Mel meets with his brother.
"Clef! You were hard to find! You don't even send letters anymore. A visit now and again would be nice." Mel says as Clef opened his door.
Clef chuckles, "Surely you didn't come all this way for a family reunion brother. You don't have to tell me. The Reaper Jester is free."
"Well? Why aren't you doing anything? You have your team and even without them you are more than capable."
"You forget that he is nothing like Discord except for his madness and his chaotic powers. I can't do anything until everyone is evaluated. We both nearly lost against Discord when we were holding back to not harm the citizens."
Mel's eyes widen, he knew exactly what he was planning, "Are you sure we need that level of power to handle the situation? Brother... You don't mean you plan to go full siren dragon mode, do you?! That could level the city! Against Discord we had no choice, but this is a lesser spirit of chaos! Are you certain there is no way to face it with normal means?"
"I'm your older brother Mel. I know what I am doing. You haven't fought it. I have. Plus I can at least repair the city with my creation music unlike you."
"I see... but still... If you can beat the spirit without going all out please do that."
"You know that if you were to go and fight it yourself then you get to fight it the way you want to. We are both nearby."
"Clef... You know why... I have to find that Necromancer and I don't want to have to choose between stopping the puppet master and the lives of the people of this world. And because I can trust in your strength I know I don't have to make that choice which would have been a lose-lose situation."
"I don't suppose you want to switch places with me?"
"Brother. It was my mistake that led to him being set free. I had no idea he was pulling the strings from within his prison. I had hoped to put my faith in outsiders... No. I will find the Necromancer and you will silence that Jester. Killing a minor spirit of chaos and disharmony will certainly be a big blow to the Necromancer's plan of causing the harmony of the world to fall apart." Mel says grimly.
"I see. Rest assured that this spirit of chaos won't be so lucky as Discord and escape into another world. But talking about the Necromancer do you have any leads yet?"
"... I do not. He is hiding and biding his time. No doubt he is still recovering. Necromancers don't heal from magical healing. I put out a notice. But he couldn't have gotten far. He could have gotten to the next city by now, but certainly not further."
"Why don't you go dragon mode and quarantine all surrounding cities and slowly shrink the barrier until he is forced out?"
"Dragon mode is only in emergencies. You know that brother. And I rather not resort to that tactic. It will prevent anyone from entering or leaving and force everyone else out. Not only does that take away the people's freedom, but he'll be surrounded by many people in that case and that puts many lives at risk. Otherwise good idea."
"..."
"..."
"It appears I'm out of things to talk about. I guess I should be going now. Thank you Clef for being on top of things. I do hope you don't have to go all out."
Mel leaves. He does notice how empty this city has become. The last few people are packing up and leaving. He thinks of the Mane 6 and he wonders if they could handle this crisis. They handled Discord with the Elements of Harmony but could they take on a lesser version of the spirit of chaos with only their friendship and the magic of music they had only recently started to learn?
Back to the Mane 6
"Oooh! A circus! I wonder if there will be a funny clown! GASP! Cotton Candy! And Popcorn!" Pinkie Pie says excitedly as the group approaches the city from the distance. It looks like the whole city is surrounded by a dark bubble of chaos in the shape of a circus tent.
Applejack interjects, "Hold ya self Pinkie. Didn't ya hear that lady? This is dangerous. I have a real bad feelin' about this..."
"I'm not one for clowns myself. But even I'm nervous. Not that I will back down. I'm going to kick that reaper's butt! We beat Discord so who cares if he is related to him!" Rainbow Dash says though she too has a bad feeling and tries to hide her worry under the guise of awesomeness.
"Well girls, I don't think we have to walk all the way there. I have been practicing a little in private and I think I might be able to teleport us there. It is within sight so there is no chance of a teleporting mishap. Everypony. Let's be honest. Raise a hoof if you have a bad feeling about this." Twilight says as she raises her own hoof. As she suspected everypony raised their hoof. "The last time Pinkie Pie was scared or worried we could have lost our lives. Before we go into what will be the heart of madness or chaos I need to make sure everypony is sure they want to continue. It's all or nothing. No pony left behind."
"Thank you Twilight... I know you are mostly referring to me... But... A true...true friend... helps a friend in need... I am scared... I'm not strong... But if I run away instead of helping... Then I don't deserve to be called the element of kindness." said Fluttershy as she started off trembling but stands her ground as she thinks back to all the adventures and friends she made along the way and won't let them down.
"Well said darling, as intimidating as it is, we can't give up now. Besides it is an eyesore to look at. Twilight darling, I'm sure that if even Fluttershy is motivated and determined there is no doubt that we all are."
Twilight nods. She focuses her magic and sings from her heart as she thinks about their friendship. A purple light envelops the group and they are all teleported right outside the chaos bubble shaped like a circus tent. Twilight pants as it was quite the distance. Twilight reaches out with a hoof and cautiously touches it. Her hoof passes through and so she enters. The rest of the mane six does as well. They hear a slow and looped carnival music coming from everywhere. They see buildings and houses and even some stands, but there is no one here.
"Where is everyone? I hear fun music, but there is no one here! There HAS to be someone here or this is the worst carnival ever!" shouts Pinkie Pie using her humor and energetic personality to distract the group and herself from the dread.
"Pinkie, if I had ta listen to this nonstop then I'd go mad," Applejack said already forgetting about how wrong the situation is.
Suddenly they see a familiar draconic mask-looking face. It was Mel.
"Funny that I see everypony here. I distinctly recall sending you all back home. No need to explain. Coming back here means you have all accepted the dangers. I still want you all gone. There is no more time. Already the stability of the harmony that maintains this reality is being rewritten. I thought I had more time and I was being proactive and handling the situation as soon as I noticed. Twilight. You don't know your-" Mel starts before jerking back a little. His draconic mask-looking face shows visible shock. "How?! How did you learn the song in your soul?! It would either take a Master Composer or a talented Note for you to have learned it that fast!"
"We are sorry we failed last time. We were so caught up with our own victory that we took risks that put your world in even more danger. We don't want to abandon this world. If not to save the world then let us at least fix our mistakes." Twilight says looking determined. She hopes he doesn't force them back.
"I ask again. HOW? You couldn't possibly learn it all by yourself that quickly. You might know yourself well but you have only basic music theory and a good singing voice."
"We learned it from somepony called Octavia Melody. We figured we might need Twilight to learn her soul's music so we got our-" Rainbow Dash says before choking on her words as Mel Ody's face goes from neutral to rage.
"I don't want her name coming out of your mouths. I'm SURE there are no pony equivalents of beings in this world. This isn't like the human equestrian girls' world. DON'T LIE TO ME. Applejack. You tell me. I want to hear it from you." Mel says getting tense.
"Hold ya horses, Mel! We ain't looking for a fight. Rainbow ain't lying. We met an earth pony named Octavia Melody who has a cutie mark of a violet treble clef. I don't know about any of this "pony equivalent" babble, but she is a pony through and through. Ya probably confusing her for someone else with that name. We would know if there were a bipedal....Note? in Equestria." says Applejack sternly though she takes a few steps back when Mel looms over her.
"... No. You wouldn't be able to tell. But now that I think about it... She can't be the same Octavia Melody that I know... I apologize to you all. She was my daughter. I lost her to Discord when he pulled her into his dimension of Chaos. A disharmonic death..." Mel says now bowing as he apologizes.
Fluttershy steps up defensively, "Discord would never do that!"
"Discord invaded our world. He was unwelcomed. He is the SPIRIT of Chaos and Disharmony which in this world of music means disaster. Me and my brother pushed him back and he was fleeing. Then he grabbed my daughter and dragged her through one of his portals. A portal to his Chaos dimension. EVERYTHING in this universe was created by the song of creation including life itself. Being taken away from this world and into a dimension of chaos? What do you think happens? the unraveling of our souls. No creature is ever meant to remain in that realm other than chaos itself."
"Discord would NOT kill! He is a trickster, but he is not a killer!"
"Fluttershy, I rather not argue with you. You might have 'reformed' him. But you can't reform chaos. Right now my brother is planning on going all out just to take care of the Lesser Spirit of Chaos and the whole town will likely be wiped away. I'm not going to ask you to save this city so that he won't have to do that. Run away. This world might be doomed anyway, but while I still draw breath I won't abandon it. In other words. I don't need you all." Mel says hoping to sway them and make them leave.
"You are going to let your brother burn down an entire city just to kick a clown's butt?! I bet not everyone got evaluated yet! That's not Loyalty to your people or your world!" Rainbow Dash shouts which startle the group.
Mel clears his throat, "I prefer to be civil. I like to be kind. But my patience is not infinite. If there were other options I would be doing those. However, relying on somepony else and hoping they succeed is not guaranteed success. I thought about this exact situation ahead of time. This is not heroic. This is suicide. I am close to finding the puppet master behind all of this. The Necromancer you freed. I must focus on finding him. If I deal with him then perhaps the world can be saved which is why I must leave this job to my brother Clef who will guarantee victory. This is how I reduce the number of casualties."
"T-There are still people in the city?!" Twilight says shocked.
"Twilight despite how happy-go-lucky Equestria is or how good always seems to win in the end it is not perfect. You will one day face a problem where the lives of ponies are in your hands and the best you can do will be to help as many as you can. During war, you will have to send ponies to kill for you in your name and some of them will die in your name. I'm not lacking in Empathy. I'm using my logic and common sense to do the best I can do and try and reduce the casualties as much as possible." Mel says explaining his observations on Equestria and his own personal experience.
"That ain't going to happen! We'll save them all! Ya say ya use logic and have empathy, but ya lack one thing our world has a lot of." retorts Applejack before Twilight could get a word in.
"And that would be?"
"Hope. Hope for a good future. Hope to carry ya through the hard times. Sure ya got to make hard choices, but that's called life. Ya are so caught up in ya 'guarantees'. There ain't no such thing in life other than death and taxes."
"Hope... I lost that the day I lost Octavia. But... Perhaps you are right. I won't stop you from trying. But I must do my part and find the Necromancer. I won't be able to help you. Show me this hope. Show me a new path. All I see is doom." Mel says as he walks away and disappears into thin air in a burst of musical notes.
Twilight knows that not everyone can be saved. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. It hurt her to hear that but she knew it was true deep down. She wouldn't let that stop her from doing what needs to be done. The Mane 6 continues toward the center of the city. They reach a secondary bubble of chaos. The group goes in and their cutie marks disappear and change.
"W-what?! What's going on?! Mah cutie mark!" cries Applejack as she fully enters and finds herself wearing a lion costume just like the one she wore that time in Nightmare Night.
Applejack's cutie mark is replaced with a lion jumping through a hoop. Rarity has her cutie mark changed to a ticket booth, No change with Pinkie Pie, drama masks replace the three butterflies from Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash's cutie mark is now of a blacked-out pony walking across a tightrope, and Twilight finds her cutie mark also unchanged.
Rarity looks down at a uniform that appeared around her the moment she walked through. "I MUST be having a HORRID nightmare! This has no class! It's.... Mundane! And my cutie mark is gooooone!" Rarity says as she breaks down into tears.
The Mane 6 is so confused and in a state of panic they don't notice that the music coming from this bubble of chaos is much faster and energetic than the one they were just in.
Panic. That's what The Mane 6 was feeling. Panic from confusion, from distortion of their cutie marks. What was so fundamental to them was altered. They would be panicking more if something like this hadn't happened before. Unlike last time when they had their cutie marks changed they still held on to their old habits and skills for now. They look around and see that this part of the city has been converted into a chaotic and nightmarish carnival. There are no civilians only carnival-related staff, vendors, etc.
"This is... Unsettlin'. Pinkie, what do ya think of the smiles of those folks? Is it a Starlight Glimmer's townsfolk smile?" Applejack asked Pinkie Pie knowing that she would be in her element here or at least more in her element than everypony else.
"Some of them look like they are forced to be happy, while others look genuine. But if they are actually happy then that's a good thing! We only really have to help those who aren't! Operation happy carnival is on the waaay!" Says Pinkie Pie as she bounces up and down.
"Um... I... Don't like this... Or do I? Maybe I do! Just kidding... I don't... I don't know why I said that. Isn't this supposed to be a dangerous place? Nopony or person should be this happy willingly if they are in danger..." Fluttershy says as she ponders if her new cutie mark is the reason she feels dramatic rather than timid.
"You are right Fluttershy. Mel said his brother was planning on wiping this city out. I think this is... Advanced Mind Control... Maybe Hypnosis. I think everypony and everyone who is within this area might be undergoing changes. That would explain the change in our appearance and our cutie marks. It feels like some sort of twisted game Discord made up. We must not split up. If you notice anything about each other or yourselves that is different please tell us right away," Twilight asked of her friends as she wants to take every precaution.
"Then we simply must speak with the manager. Demand that they cease all operations and if not we throw down." Rarity says with an almost Karen-like attitude.
"Yeah! I mean couldn't they give me ANY other cutie mark cooler than this? And by the manager, I assume you mean the one behind all of this," Rainbow Dash says before groaning. "What am I saying?! I don't WANT any other cutie mark besides the one I walked in with!"
"Hehe! All we have to do is something super duper crazy amazing to draw the head honcho out! I need everypony's help!" Pinkie Pie says as she came up with a plan. She lays out the plan and everypony else didn't like it, but strangely agreed.
"Ugh... Not my thing... But at least it IS kind of cool and action-packed. I guess it is time to draw the crowd's attention." Rainbow Dash says as she gets ready. Rarity borrows an empty booth to set it up for the grand performance they are about to do.
"Come one, come all, and join into the show!~ Some action, some thrills, something for your cheers!~" Rarity sings in tune with the bouncy background music and cringes internally. Her voice was amplified and mystified as it became empowered by her singing. Many heads were turned and many were curious and came to see what was going on and bought tickets.
Twilight started to sing drawing out her notes like how the sirens did in the cafeteria at Canterlot High School. Her voice vibrates throughout the air and fills the air with mist and colorful lights focused on a stage that was nearby filling the area with a sense of suspense.
Applejack appears onstage and roars. She is still dressed like a lion and she chases after Fluttershy like as if she wanted to eat her. Fluttershy makes a convincing scream that transitions to singing about how distressed she is and she hides behind Rainbow Dash.
"Oh no! Angry Lion! Why are you hiding behind me?!" Rainbow Dash says and she almost smiled at how smoothly she delivered her line. Rainbow Dash swoops Fluttershy into her hooves and stands on her hind hooves as she jumps on the tightrope that Pinkie set up and starts going across. Applejack climbs up and starts scratching at the rope. Rainbow Dash sees this and hurries across the tightrope before making it to the other side. Applejack jumps over the entire section and roars.
"Oh no! Oh no! The lion is across! What shall we doooo?" Singed Rainbow Dash as the audience gasped.
"Look over there, we might just be saved! Jump through that hoop, made of fire!" Fluttershy sings.
Rainbow Dash sees that there is a floating ring of fire. She jumps through it with Fluttershy still in her hooves and lands before dropping her. Applejack seems a little hesitant, but she too jumps through it. Suddenly Pinkie Pie shows up singing the song of fire that she was taught and is doing plenty of fire-themed tricks and dances. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hide behind Pinkie Pie who starts waving flames at Applejack who backed up.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both start singing, "We're saved, we're saved, the fire is here! The dancer of flaaame!"
Applejack shrugs as she can't catch them now and curls up into a ball to sleep which marks the end of the show. The audience liked it. To them, it was humorous and tense. One person in the crowd wasn't having fun.
"That's not even a real lion! This was thrown together at the last minute! What the heck is going on with this city-" The person began almost breaking out into roast rap before being impaled from behind by a spinning scythe. The person screamed as his outward appearance flaked off and was replaced by a clown and then proceeded to juggle and hum with the background music.
A voice is heard all around them. The background seems to be revolving around them like a carousel. "Critics, am I right? Tee hee hee! A little on the short side but I can see you all are naturals at this! Stay, stay! Join the pa- rade! Your songs are nice and made to enter-tain! Lose that thing you hold so dear! That sweet fantasy life! Let me, the reaper of songs add you to the big, and fun sing along~"
It was clear now. Either one willingly accepted the madness and joined the show or they would be reaped and their music replaced with the song of maddening carnival music. A tall figure dressed as a jester with color clashes that only half the time works appear sitting on thin air. Rarity almost passes out from the horrid fashion design choice. They all have a bad feeling. It was like when they first met Discord who made a mockery out of logic, friendship, and reality. Discord was an unknown entity with power they had never seen before and it scared them though Discord's idea of humor ruins it at times. Here this entity has that same unknowable power with a twisted sense of humor that is unsettling. None of them want to fight such an entity. His music was so potent that it lingers in the background without needing to be maintained which leaves the entity free to sing and perform within his own music to enhance itself.
"Welcome to the show! Hehe! You can't stop what has been set into motion~" The reaper says laughing.
"Y-you! We challenge you to a Battle of the Bands! That means music decides and not magical skill!" Twilight says.
The figure frowns and looks down at its jacket which has the mark that compels it to accept. "You have done your research~ But my name is Jestper. Hehe. Get it? Jester Reaper! HAHAH!"
"It's ok! His music magic should stop and he'll have to face all of us fairly!" Twilight says.
"We perform, and strike back at the norm and still are entertaining!" the Jester Reaper says in a half-singing voice.
The Mane 6 start their singing. They let Rarity take the lead, but it wouldn't last long as Pinkie Pie tackles the group just before spinning scythes that appeared out of nowhere stabbed them. The group was flustered and nearly stopped singing. They know that they must not stop or the battle would be over.
"Hehehe! It's no fun playing by the rules! You should know that from meeting Discord! Hehe! Let's begin!" Jestper sang and that's when the group noticed that the background carnival music never stopped.
It was degrading without the lesser spirit of chaos being able to maintain it due to music not translating to magic due to the battle format, but he hadn't been maintaining it anyway before the challenge and thus was separate and still very much under his control. The group realize he could attack them with chaos magic while they couldn't use magic to defend themselves.
Rarity stops singing. Her song didn't feel right. It didn't match the group. It matched with chaos. Her role as an element seems to drift away, "Sorry Darlings, I don't think I can help you. It's not you all. It's me."
Losing Rarity, the group stops and Twilight reorganizes the group to sing their soul songs and timings so that they can transition from one to another. Applejack starts and is sweating, "Raise this barn... Raise this barn... 1...2...3..."
"Up and down on this Carousel ride~ Going to place that you would never have known~ Raze the barn! 1! 2! 3! and 4!" Jestper sings mocking her Applejack seems to tear up as she is hit with a flaming whip that formed from nothing and whimpers less like a pony and more like a hurt animal which makes Fluttershy stop to try and help her while making it a dramatic scene.
"Watch out! To your lefts and ups!" shouts Pinkie Pie who was more focused on keeping everypony alive by pointing out dangers that she sees in time. Though fading into the background in silence like an unneeded party balloon the next day after a party.
"I'm as awesome as I wanna be... I'm-" Rainbow Dash says before being interrupted by the background music had a beat that tripped her up. She can't remember that she doesn't give up on anything least of all her friends.
"I'm finally free~ The world revolves around and around chaotically! hehe!" Jestper built off of her song just to flex on her.
It was all down to Twilight. Everypony was a mess. They are losing themselves. The stress of facing a lesser spirit of chaos is making them lose themselves like how Discord warped their minds. And if Twilight stops singing the Battle of the Bands will be over and Jestper wouldn't toy with them anymore and they could lose their lives or their very identities. Twilight was alone and she was scared. She felt like she was as productive as being on stage performing in an empty theater alone. Something is eating at her making her question why is she still going if her friends have fallen.
"Hehe! You perform, I am the void, and you sing the song of Noooothing~" Jestper says with a smile as his mark burns away. The reality around this area is so warped that the laws of the world are starting to fall apart. Jestper hides a hand behind his back which goes through a portal. One appears behind Twilight holding a spectral scythe that would take her life the moment she gives up.
Time seems to slow down for Twilight as her voice becomes softer and softer as her hope fades. She bites her lip and stomps on the ground for a new beat. At her lowest, she remembered that she faced worse. She faced a situation like this before. She still had her friend. The only thing that changed is that they had forgotten themselves and needed a reminder. She raises her voice so that all her friends can hear her.
"I used to wonder what friendship could be. Until you all shared its magic with me!" Twilight sings to the tone of the opening of MLP. Her hope sparked something with the rest of the group.
"Big adventure!" shouts Rainbow Dash.
"Tons of fun!" Pinkie Pie says with a smile as she dodges a spinning scythe.
"A beautiful heart!" Rarity smiles as she shouts.
"Faithful and strong!" Applejack reaffirms as she kicks a scythe into a wall and grabs a rope and lassos another and swings it at Jestper who splits in half to dodge it before coming back together.
"Sharing kindness!" Fluttershy shouts nailing the timing.
"It's an easy feat! And magic makes it all complete!" Twilight says as she nods to everypony knowing that even without using magic to synchronize they all know what to say.
"You're all my very best friends!" They shout and at their conclusion the world's verdict was conclusive. Before the spectral scythe could strike the portal closed which sliced off Jestper's arm and disintegrated it. The whole carnival background music and the chaos bubble disappear as per the rules. The world had decided that the magic of friendship was better even though it was messy, confusing, and had good parts and bad.
"Hehe! You idiots. You didn't specify what you wanted to happen after you defeated me meaning I can just play play again! Hehe!" Jestper mocks them. Losing an arm didn't phase the lesser spirit of chaos.
"Can we now officially beat the stuffing out of him? He is getting on my nerves," Rainbow said knowing full well that they would have asked the same thing if she hadn't.
Right now the magic has returned and with music, magic, and the bonds of friendship holding them together they never felt closer now that they have been reminded of themselves. They won't soon forget. The Mane 6's cutie marks begin to glow and return to normal and become rainbowfied versions of themselves.
The background area starts to revolve as the lesser spirit of chaos's music starts up again. Rainbow Dash grabs a scythe in midair and revolves in the opposite direction creating a rainbow hurricane that slices the chaos and Fluttershy helps her. Applejack tears a carousel off its axis and throws it while Pinkie Pie makes it explode into a colorful spray of rainbow. Twilight uses her magic to restore reality back to normal by exerting her influence and music to start undoing the influences. Rarity uses her magic to organize and restructure the lesser spirit of chaos and disharmony.
"No. This... Can't be possible! This power... ISN'T MORAL POWER! You are all merely ponies who burn their souls for a moment of divinity!"
"Heh. You COULD say that we are deities. 20,000% percent cooler." Rainbow Dash boasts.
And just like they had the momentum the harmony of all of them in sync spiritually and through song ended abruptly. They had not mastered harmonizing and synchronizing all their soul songs together and thus they rainbowfied for only 3 seconds. They realize they don't have enough time to try again. Twilight using the last of the faded visions of the future she had while in that form realizes they will be fine. It starts raining a hundred spears before a sea of flame in the sky melts them and the sea of flame starts falling before turning to ice and then to sand before disintegrating into nothingness. Clef appeared behind the lesser spirit of Chaos and stabs him from behind making the spirit dissolve into chaos energy before disappearing completely.
"Elements of Harmony I presume?" Clef asks as he tips the hat he was wearing. He has a blue draconic mask-like face like Mel. "I can't say I like what each of the elements represents. Some of them are just silly. But enough about me. Congratulations. You all are the first nonnotes to 'dragonify' although I assume you have your own name for it."
"We are. And we heard from you brother that you intended to burn down the entire city just to defeat that guy." Twilight says cautiously.
"Ouch. You can't complain. You all used the same level of power though spread out. I thought I sensed a powerful force strong enough to shake the world and I was getting ready to eliminate the threat and I nearly assassinated you all until I saw what you were all doing. Silly mistake. I'm glad that you all are here. The world is close to being... Saved? Yeah. Then me and my brother will send you back and everybody celebrates."
"Assassinate us?! Ya can't brush that comment off! This ain't over. The ------..... The bad guy is still out there!" Applejack says.
"The Necromancer. Yes. He is still a problem. My brother should be almost done taking care of him. But the power of love prevails right? So you are all lesbian?"
The Mane 6 was so baffled and flustered by Clef's statement/joke that they didn't realize he disappeared through a portal.
Clef appears in a bar and taps the back of one of the people there who has a draconic mask face.
"Azeun. I almost didn't recognize you with that note's face you stole and wear." Clef says.
"Surely you don't plan on getting rid of me here. There are too many people. Though you didn't seem too concerned with sacrificing an entire city's worth of people who didn't evaluate to deal with one clown." Azeun responds while drinking another glass.
"That was a calculated risk. You do realize it's over right? Mel is on his way. You can't hide from him forever. He'll hunt you down. You won't suffer mere banishment. You'll be executed." Clef says before flicking away Azeun's hand from grabbing another glass with his draconic tail.
"And why are you here telling me this? Why the hell are you here? Aren't you here to kill me too?" Azeun hissed as he strokes his hand that was flicked.
"Because I heard an interesting rumor. You do realize I was the one who locked you up. I didn't realize you were a Necromancer. Care to tell me how you suddenly go from being a healer to playing the songs of the dead? Did someone GIVE you that power?"
"Tsk. No. I AM the puppet master. All of this was my plan. I planned everything including you arresting me. Don't fancy yourself thinking you know it all. I hid my power. I never was good with healing music anyway. Too hopeful. Is that all you needed to know?" Azeun says as he relaxes as he has finished making secret preparations while they were talking.
"Hmm... Pretty much. Now as to why I am here. I'm here to tell you that you better run because this world will be your grave. Maybe you should banish yourself like how Discord banished himself to Equestria after he killed-" Clef said before being interrupted and a black spear stabbed through his heart. It goes through him like as if he was a ghost. It was an illusion.
"Tsk... You gave me a heart attack. I was sure you were here personally from that tail slap. It was a convincing illusion of Clef. MEL. I know your brother's habits. Though now I know that confronting you is inevitable. But maybe I should go to Equestria. My plan has come to fruition."
"You won't. I'll be here in a few moments and you won't be able to escape-" Mel says through the illusion of Clef no longer in Mel's voice.
"You are right. Guess what? Octavia Melody is alive. I tried using her melody but I couldn't use her magic."
"... You are lying. That..." the illusion says before fading due to Mel losing his focus on maintaining it.
Azeun grabs another glass and drinks it before paying his tab. Azeun thinks to himself, "The ironic part is that I wasn't lying. Shame. If I was going up against a Master Composer I would have liked to see his face when I play his daughter's music to trip him up. There goes my instant win plan. If only I knew where she was I could give her the intuitive solution to life. Death."
In Canterlot Castle's throne room a few minutes ago.
"So thou hath told us EVERYTHING?" Luna says with suspension toward Discord.
"I did! Is that SO hard to believe? ... Don't answer that. Because I really did this time. Octavia Melody was the one who asked me to take her with me. She was like me. Someone who wanted to see more out there. But that's beside the point! I'm the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony! I know when there is an imbalance! I also know when there is a plot to exploit an imbalance. Someone on that side is planning on conquering multiverses. And if The Mane 6 die... Who will fight to save Equestria when they come? You two haven't had a winning streak in a long time. I won't be strong enough." Discord says sighing.
"Sister. Send Twilight a daydream. Make her remember what she stands for. If this lesser spirit of chaos wants them to forget then we won't let that happen." Celestia says as Luna nods.
Luna focuses on sending a flash of memories to Twilight even though she is in another world.
"I promise to make this right. When this is all said and done... I will make sure Mel sees his daughter. Equestria has become my home... Home is where the water is chocolate milk because you made it that way and the ponies are ignorant and... Where your friends are. No, I won't write you a silly friendship letter."
"Bring my little ponies back alive and I won't ask you to. Keep us informed." Celestia says.
Azeun walks out of the bar and sees Mel waiting for him, already prepared. He and Mel were teleported elsewhere when Azeun walked out of the bar. They were sent to an auditorium stage.
Azeun chuckles, "You are here far faster than I thought... I knew you could see through your tricks but I didn't think you were already this close... Oh well. I have been itching to see where I fall in the rankings."
"Enough. You will comply with the Battle of the Bands format. You are too dangerous to be banished to another world. Once this is over I'll erase your song," Mel says no longer in a talkative mood.
"No audience? I thought you would at least bring those "heroes" from another world to watch," Azeun says grinning.
"... It's for the best they aren't here. They won't be able to do what is necessary and may even try to stop me. Wait... No. How?" Mel is confused as Azeun's mark hadn't activated to force his compliance to accept the battle terms.
"No. We'll do a musical duel. and for Pete's sake. Stop beating around the bush. Only one of us will be making it out alive and the other will die."
"... The world's law that me and my brother should still be in effect. Was the world's melody and harmony so imbalanced that the mark no longer works? In which case... yes. You must not be allowed to walk out of here," Mel says as he gets ready.
Azeun of course didn't wait. He had been busy and acquired more songs during his escape. He starts with Cylen's heavy metal and fills the stage with yellow disharmonic flame which then jumps towards Mel. He then shifts Anny's music of dread and overlays it with Thomas's heavy beats which sound like thunder and it resonates with the dread to create an electric aura that saps the will of all who hear it.
And just as quickly as Azeun did all of this it was soon undone. With three quick and precise strokes of his violin, all three effects were locked and organized, and restructured.
"No? No response? Not going to question how I have Thomas's song? You know. Your assistant?" Azeun asked
There is no point in asking. Getting emotional right now is dangerous and thus Mel said nothing as his draconic mask-like face starts to expand and Mel partially dragonifies and his performance creates hundreds of fiery orbs which start raining down and replenishing. Azeun realizes that using lesser melodies will truly do nothing against a Master Composter so he uses the melody of the Formal Master Composer "Phantom of the Opera" which contains his lingering resentment and it suffocates the flames which then change into orbs of lighting as Mel changes the melody. Azeun dodges one while stroking his violin violently and Mel is struck with a slicing black wave which causes black ichor to spray out of him.
"Hehehe... It was SO hard to kill the last Master Composer. And you are too scared to go all out. This will be easier than I thought." Azeun mocks before he uses another slicing wave which Mel doesn't dodge and gets hit.
"My music is a little slow. It's not a melody that goes all out from the start. The first strike was a surprise. The second was me testing the waters. I see now that you won't win. You can use the Songs of the Dead up to 100% of its capabilities. But that was not Master Composer level of skill."
"So much for not being in a talkative mood. You can die now. Thanks~" Azeun says as he plays on and creates a wave of disharmony that withers the wooden planks of the stage and rusts the metal it touches as it decays reality.
Mel's music picks up and suddenly there are three other spectral versions of him and each of them has its melody which overlay with Mel's which create more spectral versions of him and so forth until there is an entire orchestra and reality gets altered. The decaying wave dissipates, and the stage reverts to normal and is improved. Suddenly Mel and his spectral orchestra's performance play the primordial song of fire which fills the entire auditorium in a sea of flame before suddenly the performance changes to the Primordial song of ice which flash freezes everything before it changes yet again. Now the performance is the primordial song of water which shatters the ice and fills the entire auditorium. Azeun was only kept alive by overlaying The Phantom's melody with a shielding melody to create a barrier that keeps shattering and exposes him briefly to the extreme elements which are wearing him down to the bone in some places.
"This... Can't be... You can do that endlessly?! You can just create more and more versions of yourself to create an endless synchronization with yourself?! That's not possible! Six was supposed to be the theoretical limit!"
"As I play your last melody I'll tell you. No one can do that. Only someone already truly omnipotent would and by that point, it is pointless to build back up to infinity that way when such a being is infinite. But to cut my rambling short. I have a loophole that lets me synchronize my soul's melody with myself which is why I can never be beaten by the likes of you." Mel says as his performance ends with a deafening silence that brings the swiftest and painless death. "He wasn't weak. But in the end, it was a skill issue. hmm..... How did his soul melody sound again? Something like this?"
Mel plays the melody of Azeun. The melody was dry and lifeless as is playing the songs of the dead normally. He tries to give it more life and meaning by overlaying it with his soul melody orchestra so that he can replicate Azeun's ability at a lower efficiency. He tries to bring his daughter's song back. It failed as it was not at all dry and soulless but full of life just different as it has a hint of Equestrian melody which if he hadn't already experienced by playing multiple soul performances of the mane 6 he wouldn't have noticed. She wasn't dead nor was her song corrupted.
"She... Is alive?... I thought... I was so focused on how impossible it was for her to survive... I'll have to investigate later. I have to tell Twilight and send her and her friends back."
At Twilight Clef appears.
"Congratulations on defeating the lesser spirit of chaos," Clef says but is confused by the group's anger.
"Ya already said that. Ya can't just restart a conversation." Applejack says annoyed
"Considering this is the first time I met you Equestrian ponies that seems rather unlikely. That was probably my brother. Why would he want you to view me as hostile is beyond me. He killed Azeun just now. Your search for the Necromancer has ended."
"Darling, while I can accept that you might be a different person seeing your dementor is different... You can't expect us to" Rarity says as Clef tosses a disembodied hand. Rainbow Dash remembered the details of Azeun well and she knows that is indeed Azeun's hand. She holds her hooves to her mouth as the urge to throw up rises. Fluttershy hides, Pinkie Pie covers it up, Rarity dramatically faints, Applejack does end up throwing up, and Twilight is horrified.
"There is my proof. Sorry. But I don't have a single ounce of tact in my body, "Darling". We thank you for saving our world. However, we have much to do here. Much to rebuild. With all due respect. Go play princess and fantasyland back home." Clef says as he plays a harmony.
"Hold on! Can't we at least say goodbye to all the non-jerks?!" Rainbow Dash protests.
"No. Because in case you haven't realized it yet. You all aren't the heroes of this story. And that story is over. I don't have to humor any of you. You all belong in Equestria. Don't come back. It's for your own good." Clef says as music surrounds the ground forcibly sending them back just as Mel arrived.
"Brother. Was that really necessary? Granted I was mad and did paint a bad picture of you, but you are anything but petty." Mel says.
"Brother. You have been to other worlds. You saw them. Chaotic. Disorganized. Even Equestria has power-hungry villains with childish logic. In the end, does not all the chaos that ever occurred in this world due to outsiders? You pitied Discord. You know we aren't that different from a Draconequus. His chaos gave birth to chaotic ideas and it all snowballed to Azeun." Clef says.
"I know this. Can I ask why you wanted to bring this point up?"
"Because. We have the power. We CAN bring our music, our MAGIC into other worlds. We can bring order to them. We can hunt down Discord! You had him in your sights! You know where he is! You could have possibly killed him when he wasn't looking!"
Mel sighs, "I did. I Loath Discord. It took all my willpower to stay focused and remove my biases. He is currently not a threat where he is. He has... Settled down. And... My Octavia is alive. I did not want to interfere too much with the world."
"Not possible. And you changed. You were kind and loving AND logical, but never emotional. I never once tried to take your title for myself. Because I believed you were someone who could bring about greatness and fulfill everyone's dreams and so I had no reason to want to change that."
"My Daughter... She is in Equestria. But I can't go there... I have to remain here and rebuild. Come, brother! The future is bright!"
"Brother. Your heart is in the right place. But your ambition is lacking. And now you are a threat to my plan. It's time for a rank assessment."
"Plan? It couldn't be... You were helping to fight against all of this chaos!" Mel says confused.
"I was. Because the chaos has outlived its purpose. The song of Creation is exposed as all the chaos has unraveled reality and brought it back to its true harmonic form. The last step of my plan was for Azeun to die. I planted the seeds and whispered suggestions to make him think this was all his idea. To make him think he was the puppet master. Now that he is dead and my soul's harmony resonates the closest with the Song of Creation I'll be able to rewrite and restructure worlds."
Mel realized the insanity of his brother's plan. He was shocked and wanted to ask why, but he knew he needed to strike first and question later. He was still partially dragonified and so they both use primordial elements attacking and canceling. Mel was slowly overpowering Clef until he clawed his ears and made himself deaf. Suddenly the elements no longer had any effect on Clef. Clef created a ball of fire even while under Mel's water and struck Mel. Clef used the primordial song of Earth to create a lance of metal and Mel tries to use a wall of flame to melt it only for it to do nothing and Mel gets stabbed through the chest and pinned to the wall.
"Brother. We both alter reality. I found it strange how whenever you stop playing all that you create or change disappears and goes back to normal while anything I create remains. Some say you use illusions. I figured it out. Your creation music creates solid illusions. But only for the listeners. I can't hear your harmony so it is an illusion to me. Mine is very much real." Clef explains.
"I didn't think you would piece it together.... and use that against me... Well played brother... Now... You won..." Mel says before closing his eyes.
Back in Equestria
"Hey! Something fishy is going on! He clearly didn't want us in that world!" says Rainbow Dash.
"Like he is some sort of evil bad guy who set everything up and he is the secret mastermind and the only thing in his way now would be Mel?" Pinkie Pie says with far too much meta insight than she should be entitled to have.
"I agree with Rainbow Dash. I looked into his eyes... He couldn't care less about the lives of anyone. We have to go back there. We are missing something...." Twilight says.
"Um... I don't think Discord will be too happy with sending us away... again...." Fluttershy says.
"I don't think we need him this time. I think the magic from that music world lingers. If I combine that with my alicorn magic I can make a portal back by reversing the magic matrix and vectors-" Twilight says as Rainbow Dash pretends to have fallen asleep. "Basically we can go back right now while the magic and music is still fresh."
And just like that before anypony else could even comment they are back and they are horrified to see Clef stabbing Mel.
"Oh? You came back. You all are not heroes-" Clef began.
"Actually we are. You can shut up because clearly, you aren't one either. Being a hero is more than saving the day. It's making life easier for everyone! So yeah. WE ARE heroes." Rainbow Dash says clearly annoyed.
"No. You are all misled. Tell you what. I'll face you all using nothing but your own soul melodies. ugh... We need an official name for that. I'll show you what you all truly are. Weak. prideful. and hypocrites. It's because of 'heroes' like you who make things harder on others whenever you save some but fail to notice others that I am doing this. Maybe if you succeed I'll change my mind." Clef says as he watches them get ready to attack him.
Of course, he was lying. He wasn't going to change. But he knew that if they even believed there was a chance to redeem him then they would never strike the final blow. He was going to first make rainbowfication impossible.
"Did you know how hollow Mel's words and intentions are? Even his reality alteration magic is nothing but an illusion that tricks the mind into thinking it's real and acts as if it were so. The reason why I am explaining is to tell you that you will find no such gimmick from me," Clef says while wiping away a drop of blood from his face.
Clef manifests a violin and with just three strokes he creates five puppets each with an instrument. They are all supported through Clef's melody. Rainbow Dash steps up and takes the lead. Rainbow Dash's wings glow and she zips around trying to disorient Clef and be as unpredictable as possible. The others are doing what they can to support and harmonize with her soul melody.
"Well? Aren't you going to strike?" Clef taunts.
"Why you!" she says aggravated and strikes Clef and pauses as she was surprised she didn't feel flesh and blood nor armor. Clef's body had been replaced with one of the puppets just before she hit.
Suddenly the mane 6 hears Clef start playing Rainbow Dash's soul performance. He gains rainbow dragon wings and Rainbow Dash pauses as if she feels compelled to listen. It was similar to how Mel did it... But it highlighted all her mistakes and regrets making her remember those haunting bad memories that will forever leave a mark. The music brings forth the memories that had loosened their hold over her life after spending time with Twilight and the rest and when she started healing. Mel had undone it.
"N-no! I'm the Element of Loyalty! I'm n-not..." Rainbow says shaking.
"Loyalty? Hardly. You are loyal to yourself. A simple glance at your soul reveals everything. You are a narcissistic pegasus who complies with your friend's requests when you rather do something else because it is a necessary "chore" in your friendship."
Rainbow Dash winces as she knows it is partially true. She silently and for just a moment wished she had no ego. Rainbow Dash suddenly turns into a puppet as she allows her past mistakes to become the puppet strings that Clef is puppets. The mane 6 is baffled. Rainbow Dash maintains her own melody though now to Clef's tone.
"No!" They shout as they witness what happened.
"Is that all it takes to make you all crumble? Let's move on then and expose your true natures," Clef says.
He knows that he can intercept anything they do by themselves and do the same as he did to Rainbow Dash. The group knows this too and changed up. Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy harmonize their songs while Pinkie Pie tries to harmonize with Rarity. Nature starts to take over and vines and roots grow and lunge while a sparkling blizzard forms and sends colorful crystals toward Clef.
"You should have done that from the start. It won't work." Clef says as he harmonizes or in this sense directly takes control of Rainbow Dash's melody and imbuing it with the primordial song of fire.
Rainbow Dash flaps her wings and flew in a spiral creating a flaming vortex that evaporates the colorful blizzard and burns away the roots and vines.
"Ok. I'm done playing. I'm not going to target each of you and give you time to make a plan." Clef says as he changes his instrument and melody to Twilight's.
Twilight feels a chill and she can't move or sing as she starts to have her sins and mistakes replay. Twilight realizes it was a mental attack by trying to warp her own experiences and use them against her. She quickly reaffirms over and over that she is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic and she has her friends at her side.
"It's pointless to raise your mental guard. Princess of Friendship? Friendship is magic? How tedious."
Twilight is haunted by her mistakes. The memories of her forgetting her old friends at Canterlot, her arrogant attitude before coming to Ponyville thinking she was better than everypony else and had nothing to learn from them, The times she kept trying to push her ideals and interests onto her friends, all the harmful things she said before being captured by Tempest. All the times when she was a hypocrite and the times she hasn't truly forgiven others while forgiving others.
"I... Made many mistakes... But I'm-"
"Let me finish for you Princess. You never wanted to become a princess. You never wanted to be the princess of friendship. You hated it. You just wanted to selfishly stay with your group of friends and go on fantasy adventures rather than sit on a throne and guide your kind to a bright future." Clef interrupts Twilight to hammer the nail in deeper as she is about to become a puppet to her own bad memories.
Applejack stomps her hooves in an angry rhythm, "Shut ya mouth! Friendship ain't selfish! What would ya know of friendship?!"
"Twilight has stepped up to her duties! She still gets to hang out with us. No matter what you say our friendship isn't that fragile darling." Rarity expresses singing to Applejack's rhythm.
"Twilight gets to be a super awesome princess! If she can't hang out in Ponyville we'll just have to visit her often!" Pinkie Pie says cheerfully clapping along.
"Twilight is kind... She puts others before herself. She knows that the future will be different and that is scary... But she will never be alone." Fluttershy says as she also claps along.
"Guys... Thank you for believing me!" Twilight says wiping away tears before her eyes widen in horror. The group follows her gaze and where mortified.
Clef had Rainbow Dash impaled on a spear while they were talking.
"No. Don't let me stop you. Keep having your conversation in this battle. Go on. See what happens."
The group backs up. They lost the spark of determination. Despair sets in as they know even if they win it will be a hollow victory and the fear of death looms over them as for the first time they got a wake-up call that death is very much a real danger. They remember Discord's warning and despair further as the chance of an afterlife was also taken from her. Clef walks away. He knows they are done for and he succeeded in his plan. He could leave and take over and control the song of creation itself. It didn't matter where he did it so he didn't bother teleporting somewhere isolated. He mocks them one last time by playing all of their Soul Songs at once and he takes on attributes of all of them as he activates dragonification and starts connecting himself with the Song of Creation.
"We... We... Failed... Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy says before breaking down into tears which quickly made them all tear up.
Applejack cries, "That monster... It wasn't enough for us to suffer by draggin' us through the mud and our mistakes?!"
The others were quiet or sobbing too much to say anything. Mel watched from where he was pinned to the wall with a spear. He knew what had to be done. Even if it did nothing in the end. Even if they aren't likely to win he knows all too well the pain of loss and he made a promise. Mel sings his soul song. A tale of his joy and his sorrow. He hides nothing. His pain, and his mistakes, but doesn't undermine the good and reveals everything forcing himself not to cough up blood while singing and only on pauses. His song changes reality even if it is a faint illusion it allowed the impossible to occur. The spear vanishes and Rainbow Dash turns back to normal. Every note was painful and forcing himself to sing and imbue it with magic quickly hastened his death. Instead of final words, he would finish the performance which would reflect his guiding nature. He has given them one more chance and with one final fading note he closes his eyes. The group hugs Rainbow Dash.
"Ow... I'm sore everywhere..." Rainbow Dash complains. Her strength and will were renewed.
Mel's performance undid the highlighting of their past and drew their attention to the future and hope that they could be better and different from how they once were. They turn to Mel but his body was no longer there. They were about to despair but the lingering death notes of Mel's final performance would not let them. It was as if he wasn't gone just watching over them and was there aiding them even from the beyond. And that was when the group finally understood why they couldn't fully harmonize. Their hearts were in the right place, but they weren't true to themselves and tried to hide their flaws and it was only now after Clef had exposed and forcibly brought forth some of their flaws and contradictions that they realize that they were scared to admit certain facts and hidden thoughts to each other.
"Um... You all are still ok with me? E-even if I-" Rainbow Dash starts.
"Of course. You are our friend. That goes for everypony. We all made mistakes at one point and sometimes we had moments where we weren't being true to ourselves... But I accept you all no matter what. No matter what any of you have done, thought, or said in the past. Rainbow Dash... We thought we lost you... We kept secrets and brushed off the bad and that came back to bite us and that is why... We must move forward..." Twilight says closing her eyes before opening her eyes with determination. She looks around and sees that everypony nods and agrees. They would make peace with their past and they will become closer than ever because of it.
Meanwhile, Clef is branching himself and adding himself to the harmony that made up reality, The Song of Creation. He suddenly feels a melody picking up that intensifies more and more. He turns and sees that The Mane 6 had Rainbowfied. He ignores them and turns back to focus and sings in draconic and applies his will to the song of creation. The Mane 6 are enveloped in a dark sphere which was a demi-plane where they would have to fight a clone copy of Discord, Sombra, Empowered Chrysalis, and The Pony of Shadows. He thought that would keep them busy.
The Demiplane faded and turned into a wave of calm. Fluttershy's harmonized Soul Song brought out the best and kindness in the clone copies who had the memories and personalities of the originals and they turned into a wave of peace and kindness. Clef who wasn't very expressive or overly emotional was still affected by it. He was going to kill them and make it painful if they resisted but now he "lost his appetite" for Death.
Clef applies a new song and the Song of Creations responds. The Mane 6 were being undone and their souls were being unwoven as their contradictions and past came back. They were ready this time and their song transitioned to Rainbow Dash taking the lead. Rainbow Dash's Harmonized Soul Song kept them all together. A wave that restores what was damaged back to normal comes out of Rainbow Dash. Clef now "lost his appetite" for Manipulation.
"Leave. This has nothing to do with you all. Outsiders will inevitably harm worlds not designed for them." Clef demands.
"Darling, you need to learn that not all outsiders are the same. We didn't come here to be heroes. Perhaps it is you who needs to look inward and realize that in general others are generous and have good intentions." Rarity refuted as it was her turn to lead the song.
Clef starts to wonder if he is going too far for peace. He wonders why they haven't attacked. He puts his guard up as Applejack took over to lead. He then realizes they were trying to reform him despite what he did. They were mad at him, but they somehow knew there was something worth saving in him. An aura of Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, and now Honesty overlap the area and bring back memories of the past when he was more innocent. He realized he had stopped connecting to the Song of Creation subconsciously.
Pinkie Pie's turn came and she lead with her Harmonized Soul Song. The memories of the past were his only source of joy and he wanted to cling to them and he blamed the cruelty of reality for the end of those days. He wanted to use the Song of Creation to force that view of peace, happiness, and ignorance on others. Those memories were his motivation and now he was reminded once again of his goals. His dragon form dissipates. He knows even if they somehow redeemed him he would always be tempted to return to this same goal and with his lifespan it would be inevitable. He turns to The Mane 6.
"This makes little sense. Where is the puppet master controlling your strings? There is no way after experiencing true despair and death that you can still act as you all are doing now. You all act as if you know me. Ah... Mel. I see. So what are you all going to do now? Shoot me with a rainbow beam of friendship? Go ahead. It better kill. Because even if I do change there will always be the possibility I return to my old ways," Clef says to Twilight.
Clef expects Twilight to then take the lead and use her harmonized Soul Song, yet nothing. No magic rainbows, no insane feats of magic. It suddenly clicked. Twilight had been singing this entire time. Her true and harmonized Soul Song was the combination of all of them together rather than just her alone. He sighs as he accepted his defeat. He was stronger. He could submerge cities in an ocean of fire, freeze entire oceans, and more but he ran out of reasons to fight. All this self-reflection made him realize he can try to create peace with his own power and didn't need to force it unto others. Clef played one final note to create a portal and he leaves without a word.
"That was so anti-climatic. If it wasn't for Mel's final wishes for us to try and redeem him I would have totally kicked his butt," Rainbow Dash says sighing with relief now that it was over.
Fluttershy nods, "Mel let us see Clef's soul... If we couldn't then we wouldn't have been able to get through to him... But now I think he is going to find himself and become a better pon- err... Person."
Applejack huffs, "I'd rather kick his hide to next Tuesday. He got off scot-free despite his actions! Sigh... This was one tragic adventure."
"Oooh! Ooh! Everypony! Look! It's the ghost of Mel!" Shouts Pinkie Pie.
Everypony turns and sees a translucent figure of Mel. Their harmonies allowed him to manifest for a time.
"I must thank you all. Harmony has been restored. I am at peace. I think I might choose to be reincarnated in Equestria. But seriously... Thank you. I'll be going now." Mel says before he fades.
"I don't know. I think this was a success. But for the record Darlings, I think we shouldn't do this again." Rarity says half joking and half meaning it.