//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: It’s Quiet in Town 
// Story: The King of Swing 
// by The Sonic Mage 
//------------------------------//

Normally, in the situation they were in, Celestia, Luna, and Radiant Hope expected to be doing certain things. They expected to be sneaking around corners, hiding in dark alleyways, and side-streets. They were under the impression that they would be ducking from the watchful eyes of patrols and civilians who would rat them out. It was only after the adrenaline in their blood ran its course that a strange and almost unnerving realization hit them.

The streets were empty and, most disturbingly, quiet. 

Not a single piece of wind blown paper or suspicious tumbleweed in sight. And it was so deathly quiet, a pin drop could be heard.

What was even worse was the fact that it was broad daylight out. Not a dark cloud in the sky, not an inch of creepy mist to be seen. The visibility was so clear, they could see the base of The Crystal Palace down the street. It was practically 20/20.

Hope broke the disturbing silence between the three. “Where is everypony?” 

Radiant opened her mouth to speak, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. She tried to think of all the places anypony could be, where they could all go. 

None of the ideas she came up with were very positive.

“I...I don’t know…” Celestia let herself admit.

“Well they can’t have just vanished into thin air,” Luna said, “they must have gone somewhere.” 

“Agreed,” Celestia nodded “We should start looking for clues of some kind. Stay on the ground and be carefully, there could be a trap.”

Luna and Radiant nodded their heads in agreement, and the trio started cautiously walking through the street.

Each of them went door-to-door, to every house on the block. They knocked on the doors. No one answered. They tried the knobs. All of them were locked. They even peered through every window. If the curtains and blinds weren’t drawn, all they could see were unlit living rooms. Empty armchairs arranged around cold fire places, accompanied by an entourage of shapes that they couldn’t make out in the shadows. 

“This is far too strange!” Luna said throwing her hooves up in frustration.

Hope looked up and down the street. Her mind continued to demonstrate it’s uncanny ability to jump to the worst possible conclusion. 

“Princess Celestia?” 

Celestia looked away from the door she was about to knock on, and turned her attention to the pony that had brought them all this way

“Yes Radiant?” Celestia asked in her usual warm comforting voice.

“Do you think…” Hope couldn’t make eye contact, “Do you think everypony...is…?”

Celestia didn’t need to hear the end of the question. She knelt down to Hope’s height and placed a hoof on her shoulder. 

“Now Radiant,” Celestia consoled “We mustn’t think like that. I’m sure there’s a better explanation for this than...that.” 

“Indeed,” Luna said in agreement, “They cannot have just disappeared.”

Hope sniffled a bit, but managed to smile at the Princesses.

“Thank you,” She said, her optimism restored.

“You are most welcome,” Celestia said with a smile. She rose back to her hooves, and they all resumed looking for anypony.

As they continued up the street, towards The Crystal Palace, something caught Radiant’s eye. She couldn’t make it out completely yet, but there was definitely a strange, gray colored column with blinking blue lights on it. What was even stranger was that the column appeared to be situated right where The Crystal Heart should’ve been. 

To say that the sight was mildly concerning would be an understatement. 

“Princesses-” Radiant started before a dark blue hoof landed squarely on her lips to hush her.

“Wait!” said Luna in a hushed tone. Her ears were up and twitching, swiveling about like they were trying to pick up something. 

“What is it, sister?” Celestia asked. 

Luna waved a hoof at her sister, wordlessly demanding similar silence from her as well. Celestia complied, patiently waiting for what her sister was doing to be explained.

“Do you hear that?” Luna asked quietly.

“Hear what?” Hope asked. 

“Listen!” Luna said through her teeth.

All three ponies fell silent, their ears up, listening for the sound that Luna was trying to bring attention to. 

Then the Sun Princess and the unicorn’s ears twitched.

“That…” It was as if Luna knew they could hear it now.

There was a sound being carried on the wind. It was faint, could easily be missed if one wasn’t paying attention, but it was definitely there.

“What...is that?” Hope asked, her ears swiveling about, trying to pick up the sound better.

Her ears continued to swivel until a sizable chunk of her the sound reached her. It was coming from her left. It sounded a bit like…

‘Screaming!?’ Hope’s pupils became dots.

“Radiant,” Celestia asked, “What’s wrong?”

Hope didn’t acknowledge the Princesses. She just set her sites on the nearest side street and wordlessly bolted down it. 

“Radiant!” Luna called, forgetting the fact that they were trying to be stealthy. 

In a panic, the sisters gave chase to try and catch up with their companion. 





Radiant had completely disregarded the whole plan she and the Royal Sisters came up with. She was to scared to even think about it. When she had heard that faint echo of screaming, she forgot everything that wasn’t finding out who was in trouble and what was going on. She continued down the side street following the sound. As she continued to gallop, the sounds got louder, and clearer. Hope only began to imagine the horrible sights that awaited her eyes once she reached the source. 

But something became noticeably off as she ran forward. More specifically the sound, or rather sounds, themselves. There was a certain energy to them that seemed strange. They almost sounded...happy. Jovial even. 

Confusion was added to Radiant’s concern.

She came to the end of the side street the noise was loud and clear. She rounded the corner, her eyes falling on the origin of all the “screaming”.

She completely froze…





Celestia and Luna continued galloping down the side street in pursuit of Radiant. They couldn’t leave her all alone. They were in enemy territory after all. And considering how close she and Sombra used to be, there was no telling what he would do to her if he found her.

“Radiant? Radiant?” Celestia called.

“Where are you?” Luna’s shout reverberated off the walls of the narrow street. 

“Lower your voice, sister!” Celestia urged through her teeth. 

“Worry about my volume after we find Radiant Hope,” Luna argued, though her voice was lower than it was a moment ago.

“Look, there!” Celestia pointed past her sister. 

There was Radiant Hope, standing stock-still, an expression of disbelief on her face. The Royal Sisters galloped towards her.

“Radiant,” Celestia called, “Are you alright?” 

Radiant blinked a few times turning to face the sound of her name being called.

“Princesses?”

“Radiant,” Luna said, “What were you-” Luna was interrupted by the unicorn pushing both she and her sister away from the corner, while almost putting her hooves to their mussels.

“*Shoosh!*”

“Radiant,” Luna pushed the unicorn’s hoof off her face, “What is going on?”

“Yes Radiant,” Celestia said, “Are you alright?”

Radiant was silent for a while, simply looking stunned.

“I…” she began, “I found where everypony is…”

The Royal Sisters looked to each other, waiting for Radiant to elaborate on her statement. 

“And? What happened?” Luna demanded.

“Radiant,” Celestia leaned down to look the unicorn in the eyes, “Is something wrong?”

Radiant looked up at the Princesses, biting her lip. “I think it would be easier to show you…”

The Princesses looked at the unicorn, their confusion plainly on their expressions. 

Radiant lead them to the corner she had just pushed them away from. Slowly, she motioned for them to poke their heads around the corner. 

The Princesses looked around the corner, briefly wondering what Radiant could possibly have such a hard time explaining.

They looked out onto the main street. Their eyes became plates, and their mouths became unhinged. Their expressions went from confused to shock and awe, for they could not believe what they saw…