//------------------------------// // Verse 39 // Story: The Nightmare Knights Become A Band // by SwordTune //------------------------------// “Is she out there?” When the crowds started gathering up, Lightning Dust couldn’t help but sneak a peek. It was like seeing a stadium fill up just before a race. She looked out along the sky. The torrent of scheduled storms, one after the other, had finally broken. However, the light still flickering down on the main clouds of the city, where the weather factories churned away, promised more rain and snow after today. Starlight was the first one to notice and pull her back. She was early, for once, and had her makeup already finished. Same as always, the oil-based paint stuck to their skin and coat, waterproof in case the performers started sweating. Although, performing this high in the sky, and in the middle of winter no less, made the warmth of the stage lights sound like a blessing. “Looking for someone?” Starlight asked. Lightning Dust narrowed her eyes at her. “You really gonna ask? You know what I mean, I dragged Luna into Rainbow’s mess just to help her out. I want it to mean something.” “You mean you want her to see us on stage.” “Maybe I do. But what about you? Thought we were your dirty little secret,” she taunted, going so far as to lean into Starlight’s face. “Are you gonna be alright with a teacher seeing you on stage?” But Starlight dodged whatever she was implying. “Most of the school knows by now. And actually, I think the kids respect me more for it.” She patted Lightning on the back, smiling. “Guess I should’ve just told everyone right from the start.” Further backstage, they could hear Luna teleporting in with Tempest and Glitter Drops in tow. Svengallop scolded them, clicked his tongue at them for showing up “late” to their first Cloudsdale concert. Tempest had some kind of excuse, but whatever it was, he didn’t give her the chance to say it. The jar of facepaint was out and being pressed onto her face in seconds. Lightning scoffed. There was still plenty of time, half of the cloud was still waiting to be filled by the line of pegasi streaming in from the city. Still, it didn’t seem like it was enough. The cloud was small, fractions smaller than Cloudsdale’s core. The city was one of the smallest in Equestria since only pegasi could live there. But even with the smaller crowd, fans would start bringing their own clouds once the concert cloud filled up. “I’ll keep an eye out for Dash,” Starlight said. “You better get painted now before Svengallop notices. Unless you want him to turn you into a clown again.” “I wish you wouldn’t mention that,” Lightning groaned at the memory of their first concert, back before she had learned how to deal with his quirks. Starlight took over as the pegasus dragged her hooves, sticking her head out to watch the white cloud below them slowly become replaced by a few hundred warm bodies. The sun was coming down deceptively fast. Sunset turned to twilight after a few minutes. The moon’s rise still made her think of Luna, even though she knew somewhere in Canterlot was Twilight carefully using the former princesses’ talent. She wondered if, on some small level, she had influenced their decision. After all, she had switched their talents between them. It couldn’t be too hard to switch it into an enchanted clock or some other device. The crowd cheered preemptively as the lights on the stage flickered on, the soft hum of their incandescent filaments overflowing the stage with lights. It was just a warm-up for the stage crew. Pegasi dressed in full-body black suits turned and aimed the beams from their lights all across the stage and onto the crowd. The stage, a real stage built on top of the cloud, sparked and spat small bursts of fire just like anything on the ground. It was a testament to pegasi engineering that the ultra-dense clouds floated around, unfazed by the rising heat. “That’s our queue, Starlight,” Svengallop stomped out from his corner of the stage. “How’s it looking out there?” “Same as always. Can’t pick anyone out from a crowd like that.” “Good. Come on, get on stage. We already filled our quota for distractions.” When the music came on, the herd of pegasi clamouring just a few meters from the stage murmured and waved and screamed out for the Knights. When Luna’s voice entered, a crescendo slowly overtook the crowd. Luna carried the melody with her “royal Canterlot voice,” muting her higher notes and almost humming the words with low reverence. Ge-le-a-fa in-de-mo-na Rec-can-out-en ond-fin-dan-me Ere-fe-oh-tan na-fo-go-ten Ge-le-a-fa in-de-mo-na A-ri-san-mo-na an-li-fe-oh-tan Ge-le-a-fa Short cymbal beats kept the slow pace of the chant, giving weight to the words. Not that the opening lyrics were meant to be understood. The Old Ponish words, chopped up for their sounds, were almost meaningless. And although they could not stomp the clouds, pegasi started beating their wings to the beat fo Lightning’s hi-hats. An, twa, thrie, feor! At the crash of the snares, Starlight and Tempest joined their guitars with the beat, picking up the melody. Luna spread her wings and stood centre stage, right on the edge. She could feel the gust coming up from their wings as they beat, but it was a slow gust, nothing like the pulse of the guitar chords warbling from the speakers. She raised her wings, pumping them up in the air. The simple gesture of feathers riled the crowd, and quickly they caught onto the rhythm, producing bursts that roared back at the stage as the speakers blared through the crowd. Finally satisfied by their fans, Luna brought the microphone up and peeled back the gates of her voice. Hail our ruler when the moon is high (Hu, ha!) We are nightmares, restless sleep is nigh (Hu, ha!) Say a prayer, for your hope is lost (Hu, ha!) Heed this warning, fear is what we want! - Eall singan, niht haes feallen We are the nightmares of Equestria We are the army of your fright - All beware when lunatics enrage (Hu, ha!) Run or cower, flee the night till day (Hu, ha!) Deep within your mind, we’ll have our feast (Hu, ha!) Never trust a nightmare in your dreams - Eall singan, niht haes feallen We are the nightmares of Equestria We are the army of your fright - Ege af heofon, Gastlic Wæccan We are the nightmares of Equestria We are the army of your fright - Luna willan clipain eall the niht, for wyrre af Equestria Even with clear skies, the breeze of a distant storm lifted Starlight’s mane, showing off her face and makeup as the lights focused on her and Tempest. Every kick, snare, or cymbal crash from Lightning seemed to control the flash of light as fog, made from a few busted clouds, caught the beams the lamps threw and shrouded the Knights in a soft, moon-like glow. But in the swarm of effects, the stage crew made sure the guitarists were always visible as they worked their strings. Eall singan, niht haes feallen We are the nightmares of Equestria We are the army of your fright - Ege af heofon, Gastlic Wæccan We are the nightmares of Equestria We are the army of your fright Luna breathed in the voices as they chanted the name “Nightmare Knights” over and over. The worst thing about going on tour was the wait between performances. She wanted this, and only this. She had her next line prepared and rehearsed so that it would carry the strength of her lungs throughout the crowd, but now she was certain she wanted to say it. “Good evening Cloudsdale!” She smiled, hinting at the joke to come as her wings spread open wide to welcome them all. “And thank you, my loyal subjects.” There were a number of laughs from the crowd, but the majority responded much the same as before, with more cheering. “Tonight will be a great night, yes?” Luna continued. “For tonight, we will celebrate the night!” She paused to breathe, the air feeling like power as she filled her lungs. Each time the crowd responded, it felt as if it was pushing closer to her dreams. “But, there are nightmares in the night, are there not? Are we scared of the nightmares, Cloudsdale?” A unanimous “No!” echoed from around the stage. “Everyone! Will you join my Knights and chase away the nightmares?” A “yes” would have been too literal an answer for a concert. Instead, some pegasi jumped and unfurled their wings, while others yawped with hearty voices to the sky. A few even howled to the moon rising above the lights of the stage. “Some of you might be ready,” Luna pointed a tentative hoof at the crowd, “but we will see. We will see. For this next song, show me your dedication! We are the Nightmare Knights!” The hotel may have been a ten-minute flight away from the concert cloud, but Luna was happy sitting right where she was. Although there would be no storms for a few more hours, the winds picked up almost immediately after the autograph session ended. It took time to move the clouds and the weather ponies seemed keen to stick to their schedule. Svengallop raised some concerns over what would happen to their equipment. Being on a cloud in the middle of strong winds didn’t seem like a good idea to him. But, the pegasi knew how to construct their city. The ultradense clouds used to build the streets and buildings almost ignore the wind completely. They had to. Cloudsdale would have annual integrity issues if their storms tore apart their own city. Even so, Luna and Starlight had to explain the principles of pegasi magic twice before he stopped packing their equipment for more secure storage. While the other band members removed their facepaint in the makeup room, Luna sat on a sofa in the common lounge, drinking a warm glass of fresh cider. “You look happier than usual,” Poppin said, approaching behind her. “Could that have anything to do with that weather conference I’ve been hearing about?” “Ha, did Svengallop mention it?” “Starlight, actually,” Poppin corrected. “I had some, ah, scheduling questions for her earlier today. She brought it up.” “Did she mention how much of a pain in the flank it was?” Luna groaned from the mere memory of the conference. “I feel like I needed this concert just for my own sanity. Ponies often underestimate how stress affects our sleep.” Poppin looked at her curiously. “Of course, I couldn’t say no to Twilight when she told me about the conference. It’s hard to put away old responsibilities. And I think that’s what worried me the most. I keep telling myself that I have to break away from my princess reputation. But can I ever truly do that?” “Meh,” Poppin shrugged. “Not really.” “Ouch,” Luna clutched her chest as if she had been wounded. “You could at least pretend I’m in a tougher predicament.” “Don’t get me wrong,” Poppin hopped over the sofa and sat down by Luna. “You keep doin’ whatcha gotta do, you know? It’s an easy answer, but that’s why it’s a tough problem. We give ourselves a hard time because we think we’ll learn something by the end of it, yeah? That’s why we’re never happy with the easy answers, and then we keep doing what we do until we are.” “That’s true, I suppose.” Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully. “This was a special case, after all. It’s not as if I keep coming across common problems to solve. And if I’m needed for emergencies, that can’t exactly be helped.” “Oh, while I got your attention,” Poppin unfolded an envelope from under her wing. “Rara reached out to me a few days ago. She wanted me to make sure you got her letter.” “Know what it’s about?” Luna tenderly held the envelope and inspected every corner, from the stamp to the smear-proof ink used to write the address. Receiving a letter truly was a special experience. Poppin nodded. “Sure do. But it’s probably best to let the letter do the talking. I’m not clear on all the details yet.” “This is a nice envelope, I’d hate to just tear it open.” Luna tucked it between her wing feathers. “I have a letter opening in my luggage back at the hotel. I’ll read it then.” The makeup room finally opened again, and from it Lightning Dust walked out with a washcloth in one hoof, vigorously rubbing the paint off her face. Once she was done, she bunched it up and threw it back into the room. Luna and Poppin observed as Svengallop chased after her with a fresh towel in hoof. “For the love of Equestria, staahp!” He yanked her tail and scrubbed the sides of her face. There was paint everywhere. Under her ears, in her eyebrows, even some stuck in her mane. “I’m telling you, it’s going to itch tomorrow if you don’t get it all out now.” “Quit— stop rubbing. You’re just like my mom.” Svengallop scoffed. “Sweetie, if I was your mother, you wouldn’t be the way you are now, let me tell you.” “Was that a diss on me, or my mother?” Lightning’s face darkened as her face flared red with temper, but Svengallop simply covered her up with the towel and continued scrubbing. “Uh, you good there?” Poppin called out. “You know how it is,” he replied. “Artists never appreciate what their managers do for them.” Lightning Dust pushed him off of her. “It’s not that, I just know how long you take with makeup and I don’t want to be late.” “That’s why you need my help,” Svengallop insisted, stomping his hoof down firmly. “You can’t go on a date looking like that.” Luna’s ears perked up. “Oh-ho, a date? Do tell.” “No,” Lightning seethed, holding Svengallop back at a hoof’s length. “It’s not a date, anyways. Turns out Rainbow Dash showed up. When you were giving autographs she flew by and asked to hang out with some of the other Wonderbolts.” “During autographs? When? I didn’t see her.” “You just signed your name two-hundred times. I don’t think you saw anything during the autographs.” “So she came up and asked you directly? Sounds like a date to me.” Poppin teased. “Hey, I’m just going for the cider. She offered me a drink to thank me for getting you to help her out.” “You get a drink for that?” Luna folded her hooves. “I deserve a whole keg, then. Where’s my date?” Svengallop gave up on cleaning Lightning with brute force and retreated, throwing the towel at her face in defeat. “Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Just don’t forget to use rubbing alcohol once it dries on your coat.” He walked back to the makeup room, but paused at the door. “Also, don’t drink so much that you forget to use protection.” “What was that?” Tempest asked from within the room. “Nothing!” Lighting yelled and pulled at her hair. She took a good look at the towel, thinking about Svengallop’s warning, and then scowled as she resumed removing the last of the paint from her face. “She invited me to drink with the Wonderbolts, so it’s not like we’re going alone.” “No way,” Poppin clapped her hooves together, “that means it’s definitely a date! Everything starts out so casual now. Watch, the other Wonderbolts are gonna have to take off because they have laundry to do or some shit like that, and they’re gonna leave you two together and it’s going to turn into a date!” “That’s crazy,” Lightning turned to Luna. “Come on, this is just a joke, right? You can’t actually think I’d go on a date with Rainbow Dash.” Luna held up her hooves in surrender and backed herself away from the debate. “I am not the one to ask about this. I haven’t had a date since…” she paused. “I haven’t had a date.” “I’m telling you,” Poppin looked her in the eyes. “She’s going on a date. One hundred per cent.” Seeing that it was a losing fight, Lightning quickly wiped the last of the paint off of her face, grabbed her scarf and travel pouch off of her guitar case, and bolted out the back. They were done for the night and the concert organizers had already started taking apart the front of the stage. Although the Knights usually hung out after a concert, Luna didn’t stop her. Date or not, she was happy for Lightning. When they met each other, Lightning still had nowhere to go after being kicked from the Washouts. She was crashing with Rainbow Dash, but only as a last resort. Luna couldn’t have imagined this is where their relationship would end up now. “It kinda fits, doesn’t it?” she asked Poppin. “The Nightmare Knights, as a team, has always been made up of second-chances like me. Now Lightning gets to have a second chance with a friend. Even if they’re not on a date, I really want them to be happy. Lightning needs some pony who can bring out her good side.” “Mhm,” Poppin nodded. “So what I’m hearing is that you’re sailing on the Lightning-Dash ship.” “I’ve been back in Equestria for years, how am I still behind on slang?” Luna sighed, throwing her hooves up in dejection. “I don’t know what a ‘ship’ means in this context, but it sounds right, so I’m going with it. Let the Lightning-Dash ship sail.”