//------------------------------// // Episode 20: Clients and Stars Pt 4 // Story: My Little Pony: Sparkling Harmony // by Captain_Cosmos //------------------------------// 🎵I’m breaking down So you can hide me No matter what what you do I’m gonna steal your heart!🎵 The music stopped and Sparkler stopped the recording as she, Flappy, and Lyrica gave Airwave a round of applause. Lyrica smiled and picked up her pen to check something off in her journal. She smiled as she set the pen down. “And that puts us back to where we started before Star Records went up. And thanks to SHR’s efficiency, we’re back on schedule for the next album release.” Flappy smiled. “Squawk! This is LITERALLY Sparkler’s talent. She just has that magical ear for music. Squawk!” Sparkler chuckled. “It also helped that you guys already had an idea of the last few songs, and could help us get them to where they should be.” Airwave nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah...sorry you haven’t really gotten to show off what you were really made of yet.” Sparkler smiled and giggled. “Oh, it’s perfectly fine. You guys already had an idea of what you wanted and obviously you’ll want to stick to that idea if it’s already been completed. And besides, why WOULD I want to ruin what’s already pure perfection?” All of them chuckled. Lyrica nodded. “Well. Now that we’re all caught up we can see what you can really do.” Sparkler nodded as she glanced at the clock. “Before we start on the next song, how about we take a lunch break? Hm? Give Airwave a break from singing?” As if on cue, there were four grumbling stomachs making their presence known. That elicited another round of giggles. “Lunch sounds like a good idea actually.” Sparkler nodded. “Can’t sing on an empty stomach. Well...sing very well on an empty stomach. Anypony for sandwiches?” Airwave and Lyrica nodded. “Those sound good.” Sparkler nodded and glanced at Flappy. “And watermelon for you Flappy?” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! You know me Sparkler. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded as she started up the stairs. “Yeah I do.” She giggled. She noticed that Lyrica and Airwave had not followed her. She raised an eyebrow. “Airwave? Lyrica? You two coming?” Airwave nodded. “In a second, I’d just like to talk to Lyrica about something.” Sparkler nodded after a second as she resumed her way up. “Alright. Just come to the kitchen, I’ll be making lunch if you need me.” Airwave and Lyrica nodded as Sparkler and Flappy ascended the stairs. Once they were out of sight, Lyrica turned to Airwave, who had stopped her from following. “What’s up Wave?” Airwave sighed. “I think now’s the time.” Lyrica glanced at the stairs and back to Airwave. “You absolutely SURE? Once she knows there’s no going back.” Airwave nodded. “I don’t think we’ll regret it. I mean, I still don’t know what it is, but I feel like I can tell her anything, even though we’ve only known each other for a week.” Lyrica nodded. “That’s true, she is easy to get along with.” In the week that they had known her, Sparkler had been nothing but friendly to them, and after fan-maring the first day, predictable given Airwave’s popularity, Sparkler had treated them as if they weren’t anypony special. All parties could confidently say that they were good friends. Still, one thing lingered on Lyrica’s mind. “And Flappy?” Airwave nodded. “It’ll be quite impossible to get Flappy out of the room I’m betting, so worst case we use their privacy policy.” Lyrica nodded. “Let’s hope it doesn’t need to come to that.” Airwave nodded. “So, after we get back down here. That way it’ll be as private as possible.” Lyrica nodded. In the kitchen, Sparkler was expertly and effortlessly preparing three sandwiches at the same time. While she worked, Flappy pecked away at the slice of watermelon Sparkler had given him. He looked up from his meal to see the impressive display of magic on Sparkler’s part. He giggled. “Squawk! To this day I remain in awe of your magical prowess Sparkler. Making multiple sandwiches at once? I didn’t believe that possible at first. Squawk!” Sparkler chuckled as she smeared three slices of bread with Peanut Butter and the other three with Jelly. “All it takes is a little concentration. Though I suppose being a special Unicorn helps.” She added as she slapped the sandwiches together. Summoning three plates, she slid the sandwiches onto them, and then placed the plates on the table, just as Lyrica and Airwave entered the kitchen. Sparkler smiled. “Good timing you two. Lunch is ready.” Lyrica nodded as they all took their seats. “Looks amazing Sparkler. Thanks.” Sparkler nodded. “Anytime. Gotta make sure my clients and friends are well fed.” She shot them a wink. Making them all chuckle as they began eating. Airwave took a single bite and smiled, his taste buds agreeing with what they were getting. “Mm. This is good. This another Sparkler recipe?” Airwave asked Sparkler chuckled and shook her head. “Nah, just a regular Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Nothing special.” At the word Jelly, Lyrica’s and Airwave’s eyes widened while Airwave coughed up what he had already eaten. “JELLY?!” Sparkler recoiled a little at the outburst before nodding. “Yeah?” Before anypony could say anything, Airwave stumbled out of his seat and was visibly struggling to stay on his hooves. Lyrica immediately rushed to his side. “Airwave. Are you ok?!” Airwave shook his head. “...Can’t...” He groaned. Sparkler shook herself out of the shock at last and got out of her seat. “Is Airwave alright?! What’s going on!” She asked as she rushed to Airwave’s other side. Lyrica shook her head. “He’s allergic to Jelly! Extremely allergic!” Sparkler gasped. “ALLERGIC?!” Airwave was ALLERGIC to jelly?! Lyrica nodded. “Yeah.” She stood up. “Get Airwave to the living room. I’ll go get his elixir.” Before Sparkler could question it further. Without knowing what else to do, Sparkler helped Airwave to the living room and gently eased him down on the floor. Sparkler knelt down on her haunches and gave Airwave a concerned/apologetic looked. “Airwave, I-I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know...” Airwave nodded and offered a weak smile. “Hey, not your fault...we should’ve checked before I ate.” He let out a cough before speaking again. “Whatever happens next Sparkler, please understand this isn’t how it was supposed to happen, and, please know I mean no harm.” Flappy flapped in and landed in front of Airwave, having heard what he said. “Squawk! What wasn’t supposed to happen like this? Mean no harm? What’s going on? Squawk!” “You’ll see in a few seconds.” Sparkler and Flappy turned to see Lyrica had returned with a bottle in her mouth. She rushed to Airwave and practically jammed the opened bottle into Airwave’s mouth. “Here Airwave, drink.” Airwave nodded and took a few gulps before Lyrica took the bottle away. She recorked the bottle and then took Sparkler’s tail in her mouth, pulling her away from Airwave. “Get clear! This next part’s gonna get bright hot!” Sparkler raised an eyebrow as She was pulled away, with Flappy getting away from Airwave as well. “What’s going—EEP!” Sparkler stood up, and was met with Airwave being engulfed in a big bright green flame. Sparkler had to shield her eyes from the bright light. “AIRWAVE!” She shrieked in horror. Lyrica turned to Sparkler whilst also shielding her eyes. “Don’t worry! This is supposed to happen!” Flappy shot Lyrica a look. “Squawk! SUPPOSED TO?! He’s on FIRE! Squawk!” Lyrica nodded. “Just give it a second and it’ll all make sense, I hope!” Sparkler and Flappy watched as the flame died down, and then vanished completely, leaving behind what they first thought was Airwave all charred, until they noticed the small horn and silky wings. They gasped in absolute shock. “What, happened.” Sparkler whispered. Lyrica sighed. “His Jelly allergy forced him to revert back to his natural form.” Flappy shook his head clear. “Squawk! Natural form? Just what is he? He’s clearly not a Pegasus. Squawk!” Airwave nodded as Lyrica slowly approached and helped him up to a sitting position. “Yeah. I’m not a Pegasus. I’m really a changeling.” Sparkler gasped. “A CHANGELING?!” She had met a changeling before, at the school of friendship. “But...Changelings don’t...” She didn’t want to finish her sentence because she didn’t want to be rude, but still. Airwave nodded. “Yeah. I know what the changelings look like now. I’ve yet to undergo the transformation.” “Squawk! Ok, just, what is going on around here? Airwave’s really a changeling, just...what’s the deal here? Squawk!” Airwave sighed. “I’ll explain the deception, though, can we take this to the basement?” Sparkler and Flappy glanced at each other, before turning back to Airwave and nodding. ... “Ok, so, you are really a changeling. I think I got that part.” “Squawk! But everything else is gonna need some explaining. Squawk!” Airwave nodded. They were all seated in the lounge area of the basement studio. “First, how much do you two know about changelings?” “Not all that much.” Sparkler replied. “Just that they tried to take over a while back, something happened and they reformed, and now changelings are Equestria’s friends.” Airwave nodded. “That’s the gist, but my story goes even further back.” Sparkler nodded. Prompting Airwave to continue. “Before the invasion, Queen Chrysalis sent scout agents ahead searching for plentiful food sources. I was sent in the direction of Equestria.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Of course you were. Squawk!” Be murmured to himself. Sparkler nudged him in the wing as Airwave continued. “The changeling’s main source of food is love. Any kind of love. And at the time we couldn’t find any. That is, until I stumbled into Equestria around...I’d say ten years ago.” Sparkler’s eyes widened. “That’s right around the time Airwave became an almost overnight sensation. Wait, is your name really Airwave?” Airwave chuckled. “Yes. Before you ask, the only thing I was faking was my appearance. Everything else is true.” Sparkler nodded. Airwave continued. “Anyway, at the time I was sent away, I was actually one of the older drones. The rest were still just coming out of their eggs. So while our army matured, Chrysalis instructed me to hide and gain ponies' trust. Maybe as some sort of backup plan or something. Which led to my career in music.” Sparkler nodded. “Your very successful career. So what happened? Because you said you meant us no harm.” Airwave nodded. “That’s true. I don’t mean any harm. I actually NEVER meant any harm. I just wanted to find food” Flappy raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! So you were never really on Chrysalis’s side? Squawk!” Airwave nodded. “What cinched it for me was her plan. She finally told me of it 4 years ago. When I heard what she was planning to do, I renounced her and cut myself off from the hive mind.” Sparkler gasped. “You can do that?” Airwave nodded. “I didn’t want her evil thoughts corrupting me.” Sparkler nodded, and turned to Lyrica. “So where do you fit into all this?” “I met Airwave almost immediately after he arrived in Equestria. Like him, I was trying to make my way into the music business as a songwriter. Suffice to say, we got along pretty quick.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! And Sparkler is sure glad you did. Especially since you’re the reason she has her cutie mark. Squawk!” Sparkler blushed and shot Flappy a look. “Flappy!” Lyrica and Airwave smiled. “Aww, we helped you find your true talent?” Sparkler smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Ahem. Yes. Without even knowing. Uh, I’ll tell you my cutie mark story later. Right now let’s get back on track, Lyrica you obviously knew Airwave was a changeling, how did you find out?” Lyrica giggled. “I actually made the same mistake as today. I fed him some jelly.” Airwave nodded. “By that time, I wasn’t hiding because Chrysalis wanted me to. By then I was hiding because I was scared of what Ponies would say. It’s why I STILL hide. Even though the changelings are Equestria’s allies now.” Sparkler smiled. “But Lyrica wasn’t scared, was she.” Lyrica nodded. “It wasn’t his changeling nature that scared me, I was scared I had killed him. Thankfully the allergy just zaps his energy and forced him to revert back to his natural form.” Airwave nodded. “Once we both got over the adrenaline and I had recovered from the allergic reaction, I told her everything. And she did the last thing I expected her to do.” Flappy raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! What? Squawk!” Lyrica chuckled. “I confessed my feelings for him.” Sparkler’s jaw dropped. “No way.” Airwave chuckled. “I couldn’t believe it either. I had just revealed myself as a monster and she acts like it’s nothing.” Lyrica chuckled. “Because it IS nothing. And stop saying you’re a monster. Because you aren’t.” Sparkler nodded. “I agree. And Airwave. I totally get it. I totally, honestly get how you feel. I know what it’s like to hide your true self from your friends.” Airwave raised an eyebrow. “You do?” Sparkler simply nodded, got up out of her chair, pulsed her horn, and Lyrica and Airwave saw her sweater vanish and hot pink, gradient blue tipped wings spread out from her sides. Sparkler smiled at them. “Yeah. I do. Because I’m more or less in the same boat. I just have something very different to hide.” Lyrica and Airwave nearly scrambled to their hooves and hit the deck in respectful bows. “Our apologies your majesty—“ “No.” Sparkler cut them off and shook her head. “No, please, get up, and NEVER do that again. I may be an Alicorn. But I am NOT a princess.” Airwave raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t?” Sparkler nodded. “Yes. I don’t know WHY I have wings, or HOW I could have them seeing as how I don’t have any Pegasi in my family tree, but I do know that I am NOT a princess. Never have been, never will be.” She sighed before giving Airwave a reassuring smile. “Back on track. Airwave, you aren’t a monster. It’s just your outward appearance. And that doesn’t make you you. What matters is who you are inside.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Yeah. And if the changelings are Equestria’s friends now. Then you shouldn’t have any problems now. Squawk!” Airwave nodded. “That’s why I think it’s time to come out to everypony. I just figured I’d test the waters with you first though. Hehe.” Sparkler chuckled. “I’m honored. And until you come out. Your secret is safe with us.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! And can we trust you with Sparkler’s secret? Squawk!” Lyrica nodded. “Consider it our way of saying thanks for everything.” Sparkler nodded. “You don’t have to thank me. But I do appreciate that you’ll keep this quiet.” Airwave nodded. “Anytime.” Sparkler nodded. “So. How about we get back to making music? Now we’re getting into more uncharted territory.” To be continued...