//------------------------------// // Verse 29 // Story: The Nightmare Knights Become A Band // by SwordTune //------------------------------// Luna tapped her horn against the side of the carriage taking them to the Vanhoover Consortium for Music and Performance. While most popular for its orchestras and musical ballets, the other half of the campus was almost as popular as a site for jazz, rock, and the occasional electronic rave. “So, I got the final confirmation for Rainbow Falls in spring.” Poppin reviewed their tour plans as they travelled. “But for our next concert, Starlight says she can teleport us to Fillydelphia safely, and from there it’s just a two-hour express train to Baltimare.” She looked up to make sure Luna was listening, but she already knew it was hopeless. Luna had been scribbling away on a shrinking stack of paper since they started. Each page usually started off quickly until she slowed to a halt in the middle. She’d crumple each failed song and teleport it out the back of the carriage. Poppin offered to roll down the window, but with one crack the icy rain and wind threatened to blast into their cosy, insulated cabin. “Alright, I think I’ve been fair enough,” she said, crossing her hooves, “what’re you trying to write?” The back of her quill crumpled within Luna’s telekinetic aura. “Sorry, I’m just getting stuck in frustration. We were talking about Baltimare, right?” “Oh no,” Poppin waggled her hoof, “you need to be focused before a concert. So lay it on me. What’s bothering you?” Luna looked down at her draft. “I’ve been wondering about how my songs are being understood. What if they don’t get my meaning? I want to make sure they know that things don’t have to be so serious all the time.” Poppin raised a brow. “You gonna throw sunshine and rainbows into songs about the night?” “Ha,” Luna laughed, “no, but power metal is fun in its own way. It’s explosive, exciting, bombastic. I want to write something that captures those feelings.” A small grin slipped across Poppin’s face. “Well, I’m tired of management work anyway. Go ahead, sing me what you got so far. A singer and a Bridleway producer could probably figure something out.” Luna scratched her head. “If you say so. But, you should heed my warning. It does not sound good.” She cleared her throat and sang out the first lines. “A glorious shadow appears in the sky, a Nightmare all armoured from tail to teeth…” Starlight was the last to join the band backstage. “Sorry I’m late, every pony,” she said, quickly changing into her costume. “The conference went longer than I planned.” Svengallop scooped a dollop of facepaint and slapped it onto Starlight. “Just calm down and quit fidgeting, I don’t want to smear your makeup.” She sat down in a fold-out chair and looked around. The backstage was organized and spacious. There were closets for costumes and lockers marked for extra instruments or sound equipment. She could clearly see Luna discussing with Poppin as Tempest and Lightning watched nervously. “There, good enough,” Svengallop smoothed out the last streak of paint on Starlight’s face. “Feel free to thank me whenever you want.” “Uh-huh,” the discussion distracted Starlight. “What’s going on with them?” Svengalloped followed her gesture. “Oh. Luna just wanted to change the first song on the setlist.” “What? Is that even possible?” He checked his watch. “With an hour before showtime? Yeah, if the stage techs agree with it. But she is going to have to make a decision.” Intercepting the conversation, it seemed it was not a question of if to do it, but how. Luna had sketched out on a piece of paper the choreography changes for the opening song. They weren’t complex, but some minor tweaks had to be made. Starlight recognized the layout of Luna’s plan, it was for a part of a performance they had planned to do later on in their tour. The song was left off the setlist because it was reportedly less popular than the others in the album, and Luna had wanted the tour to start off with the strongest songs. The name itself was a dead giveaway. “Passion of Dawn” was written with a very specific feeling in mind, and was noticeably different from the rest of the album for the shift in themes. Poppin shrugged, relenting to Luna’s persistence. “It would’ve been nice if you came up with the idea to change it a few weeks ago. But, it shouldn’t be impossible. Personally, I advise against it, but this is your show.” “My sister and I had a small disagreement just two weeks ago,” Luna defended her choice. “Please understand if I have been indecisive about it during that time.” “Wait, you had another argument with Celestia?” Starlight raised a brow. “I thought you two understood each other now.” Luna cracked a smile. “You were a single child, yes? Trust me, this is not unusual for siblings. And you are right, we were getting along, or so I thought. But Celestia said some things, and I need some space from her right now.” Tempest looked back again at the change of plans. “I don’t have siblings either, so tell me again how ‘Passion of Dawn’ is supposed to create distance between you two?” “How do I put it,” Luna scratched her head. “I’m almost certain she’s going to be here tonight, My sister is a lot more headstrong than she lets on. I want her to know what it means to be a Nightmare Knight, that we are more than her assumptions.” The other band members looked around. Svengallop seemed the least interested, while Lightning and Starlight traded looks of surprise. Despite many of their songs resonating with darker themes, they had never seen Luna act so subtly vindictive. Sympathy found purchase only within Tempest’s eyes. “Let’s go for it. It’s not like this song’s new to us. We were going to perform this anyway, right? I say we do it. I don’t have any siblings, but I get it.” She pointed to her broken horn. “I know a grudge when I see one.” Luna scanned the crowd as best she could. The stage crew had only just finished getting the lighting and effects ready for the sudden change, and to mask the stallions still reeling back wires, a heavy fog was pumped onto the stage. It was impossible to clearly spot any creature in the crowd. Through the fog, she wondered how big the crowd actually was. She certainly couldn’t tell from just the front rows. Vanhoover was surrounded by vast farmlands for pear plantations and other crops, and it was the center of folk and classical music on the west coast. There was a general culture against styles like heavy metal. But what a crowd it was. Unicorn horns from the back began to trickle small flickers of magic, and from where she stood, Luna could not see the horizon, only the sea of fans dressed in black jackets, chains, and ghostly face paint. Through the sightless fog, Luna let her voice carry a slow-growing melody. Hear the call for all by the morning sun Far away, but we are one Come together, our fight’s begun Chant till we have all won Chanting till we have all won Tempest and Starlight split the stage, each taking a side and synchronizing the chords of their guitars. Starlight took firmly her microphone, lending her signature growling to Luna’s vocals. All ride Onto the final battle Can you hear the crushing drums? Let's fight Through the darkness and There’s a light to lead us all But every Knight, even Svengallop and Lightning Dust, threw their voices in. The song forgoed some melody and harmony for the sheer force of a strong chant. Charging into my destiny Hear the thunder of our horde By fighting strong I will be free Defenders heeding my call - Come with me, Nightmare Choir Our fate comes soon And tonight, we rise higher Sworn to the moon As the light breaks free In the darkest of night Just keep on Fighting 'til the break of dawn ‘Til we have all won - Moonlight Out on the battlefield There's a hunger in your jaws Respite Gather up your life As pariahs of our cause - Charging into my destiny hear the thunder of our horde By fighting strong I will be free Defenders heeding my call Tempest leaned into the music, hammering hard on the strings as she excited the crowd with a fierce look through her facepaint. Lightning’s drums rolled in a repetition of beats, keeping time and measure even at higher tempos. With Tempest leading the guitar, Starlight ran across the stage, left to right, riling up the crowd by pumping her hoof into the air. Luna peered over the crowd. She had hoped to see her sister, but the mass of fans blew her away. The fog had lessened and she could see clearly, but she was engulfed by their cheers. So when it came time for her to rejoin the song, she brought a renewed vigour. Come with me, Nightmare Choir Our fate comes soon And tonight, we rise higher Sworn to the moon See the light break free In the darkest of night Just keep on Fighting 'til the break of dawn - Come with me, Nightmare Choir Our fate comes soon And tonight, we rise higher Sworn to the moon As the light breaks free In the darkest of night Just keep on Riding 'til the break of dawn, fighting on The Knights were given their own hotel rooms after the concert, save for Starlight, who opted to teleport back to Ponyville instead. Luna retired to hers with a tired but satisfied gait. At her request, the room’s main windows faced the horizon with a view of the moonrise. Vanhoover was a good city for sightseeing. Near the western coast, there were a lot of scenic waterways and bridges. With magic, travelling on tour didn’t feel any different from living at home. Every amenity not found in Vanhoover could be teleported from Silver Shoals. She put on her swimsuit and took the elevator down to the hotel’s pool and hot tub. Luna laughed to herself all the way there. Silver Shoals. At first, retiring made her feel old. She imagined relaxing days with books, long hours sitting on the beach, just staring at ships coming into port. Truly, it was as if she found a new purpose when she started the Knights. Perhaps this is the difference, she thought to herself as she sank into the hot water, between existing and living. “Looks good.” Luna turned around to see Tempest with Glitter Drops, setting down their towels on the benches. “Mind if we join?” “Of course not” Luna replied, inviting them in with a wave of her hoof, “the vapours help relax the body and voice.” Glitter Drops stepped in, while Tempest detoured around to the pool. “I’m just going to get a few laps first.” “Even when we’re away,” Glitter laughed, “she can’t help herself. Honestly, it’s all I can do to keep up with her energy.” She leaned back against the edge of the hot tub and let out a big sigh. “But I can’t complain. She’s a thorn in my side, but she’s stuck deep.” “Don’t act like you hate it!” Tempest surfaced from a dive and shouted from the pool. She dipped back down and then popped her head up on the closer side. “You love having me around.” Luna smiled, enjoying simply being in the presence of their bond. She never got the full story, but it was surely a miracle that Tempest could be reunited with a lifelong friend after so long, especially after the loss of her horn. As Tempest passed them by and looped around the pool, Glitter Drops leaned a little closer to Luna, offering a gentle, candid grin. “Hey, I just wanted to thank you, for everything.” Luna made a funny face. “Thank me? For what?” “For this,” Glitter Drops pointed to Tempest. “The Crystal Empire’s our home, and we love patrolling the Wastes. Tracking dangerous creatures, it’s like solving living puzzles. The rush of adrenaline that comes when the creature threatens you, it makes us feel alive.” “But?” Luna raised a brow, wondering what Glitter was getting at. She shrugged. “I don’t know. We didn’t realize it at the time, but the Crystal Empire was already changing before Fizzy joined you. It was easy to ignore at first, but now that I look back at it, we really needed to get out and live a little. Fizzy spent so much time travelling outside of Equestria that she always needs that next exciting thing, you know. “I understand that feeling,” Luna nodded. “I knew you would. I’m just happy you could give her that.” Luna looked sceptically at Glitter Drops. “Is that so? Half the time she’s around the other Knights, all she talks about is you. I’m pretty sure you gave her that. Actually, I’m pretty sure you are her ‘next thing.’” “M-me?” Dropsy flustered, her face reddening even through her blue-ish coat. “Well, that’s… We go everywhere so I guess that’s also true.” Luna read her face. Ponies usually think they know how to hide their emotions, but Luna peeled that veneer back easily. No face was ever perfectly stiff and neutral. Forcing something to stay hidden spoke just as much as letting the feeling out. “Just make sure you find what comes next for you,” Luna said. “Seize it, if you have to. Don’t be like my sister and watch everything from afar.” Glitter Drops blinked. A twitch changed her expression to slight confusion. “What do you mean by that?” “Haha, funny story actually,” Luna said. Quickly, she covered the short panic over changing the first song, simply because she knew her sister would be watching. “She told me she thought that playing songs with dark themes only fostered bad emotions. I wanted to show her that even a metal band could play something different.” “Actually,” Glitter Drops hesitated, but decided to speak the truth, “she wasn’t watching the concert.” Luna smiled. “I know my own sister. It might be annoying, but I know she says what she says out of love. She was probably hiding in the crowd somewhere. But I just want her to understand me better, so even if no pony saw her, that’s fine. I know she couldn’t have stayed away.” Glitter Drops furrowed her brow. “But she did. I know because when I was looking for Bridleway tickets for when your tour reaches Manehattan, I saw an article in the news about Celestia starting her own Bridleway production. She’s been there for weeks, she must be swamped with work right now.” “What?” Luna’s face twisted in disbelief. She expected, and even kind of looked forward to, her sister’s reaction to her music. “It’s in its early stages now, but the news about the play is pretty much in every paper and magazine since it’s Princess Celestia’s first play.” Luna shook her head, trying to focus. “W-what is it called?” “Ooh…” Glitter Drops hesitantly sucked air through her clenched teeth. “It’s… ah. Um, how do I put it nicely?” Luna gave her a puzzled look. “I have faced ancient shadows of evil magic, I can handle it.” She sighed. “It’s titled Wicked Moon.” Luna shot out of the water. “That selfish, passive-aggressive bitc--!” “Heeey!” Svengallop waltzed in from the hallway, head held high. “Did I hear some pony talking about me?” Luna seethed as he interrupted her outburst. As he dipped his hooves in the hot water, she calmed down. There was no reason to drag her band members into more of her personal life. Everything she had was perfect already. She didn’t need to bother with whatever her sister was trying.