Being a celebrity can at times be dangerous. You never know how the visits with your public will turn out until it is too late and when you become a celebrity, you kiss your personal life goodbye. Still, ponies have to remember that we are just that…ponies, who harbor feelings just like anypony else. That was the case when a very good friend of mine went through three days of a living nightmare in Canterlot. She was one of the most popular pop stars in Equestria who didn't deserve to go through what she went through.
It all started about three days after the Friendship Festival in Canterlot ended and I noticed that Songbird Serenade was feeling the effects of the Storm King's invasion. The brave and upbeat persona Songbird had at the festival was gone and since she returned to Manehattan, Songbird was more nervous, frightened and I wanted to see if everything was all right.
"Songbird, it's me, Rara," I called as I knocked on Songbird's penthouse door. "I'm just coming over to check on you."
The door opened and I saw Songbird, her facial expressions blocked by her straight hair, but the body expressions showing off that something was wrong.
"I could use the company, Rara," she sighed as we embraced each other. "I haven't been able to sleep since that…"
"It's all right, Song," I said in a reassuring voice. "I know what you went through and I want to help in any way I possibly can. Would you like some water?"
"That would be nice."
So, I got Songbird some water and as I did, I let out a small sneeze, courtesy of the head cold that I was still getting over at the time.
"Sorry about my cold, Songbird," I sneezed as I handed her the glass of water. "I mean, after everything that has happened, it was probably a good thing I didn't go to Canterlot."
"You were lucky that you didn't, Rara," cried Songbird. "Knowing that a simple performance would turn into a three day nightmare. Being stuck in that cage…seeing other ponies treated so horribly…trying to keep their spirits up. I've been having nightmares non-stop, Rara, don't you see?"
For a moment, it seemed like Songbird was going to lose her emotions, but to my amazement, she didn't.
"Songbird, if you need to let it out," I said in a comforting voice. "Then, do it. Believe me, it's not healthy to keep your emotions cooped up."
"Rara, you know I can't show my emotions!" Songbird cried, tears already flowing down her face. "I need to be strong, I need to be brave, I need to…"
But she couldn't finish her sentence and buried her face into my chest, sobbing her heart out.
"It's okay, Songbird, it's okay, let it out. You've been through a nightmare, but it's over now."
Hearing Songbird cry was painful and as a fellow celebrity, I couldn't help but feel so sorry for her. From what I heard, she was probably wasn't and most likely wouldn't be the last pony to act like this from the horrors of the Storm King.
"What was I supposed to do, Rara?" sobbed Songbird. "Just not show up and disappoint my fans? I didn't know that there was going to be an invasion!"
"Nopony was aware of it," I whispered. "Not even the Princesses were aware of it. But, what's important is that you got out of it all right and everypony got to see their Songbird perform."
"It's not that, Rara," sniffled Songbird, pulling away from me and calming down a little. "I tried to keep their spirits up by singing, trying to be that pony who desperately tried to keep their spirits up in times of despair! Wouldn't you have done the same?"
Hearing Songbird say those words did raise a few red flags inside of me. She did have a point about me doing the same thing, but I wasn't at the Friendship Festival. Still, I felt sympathetic for Songbird's situation.
"And then," cried Songbird, reaching onto her coffee table and pulling up a picture of her trapped in the cage. "There was this: somepony took a picture of me singing and look at the headline, 'I know why the caged songbird serenade sings.' I don't want to be viewed as somepony who was treated in this manner."
"Just another pony trying to make money off of what happened in Canterlot," I said, tossing the paper on the floor. "Something that we really don't need right now. In fact, the last thing we need right now!"
"It's disgraceful, Rara," cried Songbird. "Why did I even allow myself to become a celebrity to begin with?"
"Now, hold on a minute, Songbird," I said sharply. "You cannot let one little invasion stop you from doing what you love. We have to prepare for the unexpected and unfortunately, that is what happened at the Friendship Festival. These things happen and all that matters is that we keep doing what we love to do."
Hearing me say this seemed Songbird to snap out of her despair.
"All that matters is we come together to support those who were internally damaged by the invasion in Canterlot. We need to come together and it will not only do them good, Songbird, but it would do ourselves good."
Songbird was silent for a moment, then she looked back at me.
"You're right, Rara," she said. "We do need to come together in this time of crisis. We need to be there for our fans and help them get through this. It will not only make them feel better, but also ourselves."
And Songbird embraced me in a hug once again, feeling better that she and I had a good talk. Still she had her scars of being a prisoner, but she and I were one thing…we were singers and our job was to heal not only our hurt public with our music, but ourselves as well.
THE END