//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Cover Song // Story: Changing Your Tune // by thedarkprep //------------------------------// “Don’t you think it comes off as a bit desperate?” The radio backstage at the Manehattan Theatre hissed for a moment before reestablishing its connection, an impressive feat given the amount of magical interference in the surrounding area. “I mean, consider this. Her last show flounders with a low turn-out. There is no marketing or anything for any future shows or projects. We haven’t heard anything about her next album still, which has many speculating that there’s nothing ready to release. All she’s got is this one performance, her last shot to make an impact. And suddenly we have this ‘leak,’ out of nowhere? It’s pretty standard gossip news fodder if you ask me.” Vibrant leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. He does make a good point. “Only if it’s not true,” chimed in a deeper voice. “You can’t seriously believe it?” “I’m just saying, there’s more to consider,” the second voice said placidly. “If Vibrant Tone really was trying to use this as a publicity stunt, shouldn’t she be out there denying it?  Public statements stoke up speculation but she’s been completely silent on it. All her label said is that they haven’t had a chance to ask her about the allegations. Not really a coordinated PR strategy if I’ve ever seen one. The timing matches up too. Her first missed shows happened around the time all the changelings ‘reformed.’ We never did get many details on that but it was probably a very painful process. It would certainly explain a lot.” “Confirmation bias.” “Confirmation bias?” “Yeah, you’re making things fit in retrospect,” the first voice dismissed. “Yes, it would explain the first bit, but what about the rest of the missed shows? The delays? Wasn’t the whole reformation thing supposed to be a good thing?” “Far as I can tell.” “Right, so it’s been years since the changelings transformed and Vibrant Tone still floundered for a while before disappearing through most of them? No, this whole changeling thing is just a way to drum up interest for her performance tonight, a last ditch effort to buy some time while she salvages what’s left of her career.” The changeling chuckled. If Vibrant Tone had a career left after tonight, she needed to get in for an interview with that pony. The most amusing part was the fact that it wasn’t just the changeling thing he was wrong about. This whole leak business was less a master plan and more of a lesson learnt about thin hotel walls and middle-of-the-night conversations. “Well, intentional or not, it’s working,” the deeper voice added. “The show was already sold-out, but it seems that all anypony can talk about is this rumor and how it will affect Vibrant’s performance. The spotlight will certainly be on her tonight. As for whether the rumor is true or not, it will be hard to get any form of official confirmation.” “Yeah, especially since King Thorax, who is in attendance tonight, has refused to comment on rumors surrounding ‘private citizens.’” Thorax didn’t out me? That was nice of him. The two radio announcers kept on talking, moving their conversation onto the other artists performing at Luna’s Festival of the Arts Celebration that night, but Vibrant tuned them out. So Thorax is here, Vibrant contemplated. That will be an awkward conversation. Doesn’t really change the plan any, I don’t think. A little too late to modify things, in any case.  “You sure you should be listening to that?” Vibrant was snapped from her thoughts. Next to her was a pony with a dark indigo mane and kind opal eyes. Her coat, a soft gray with hints of aquamarine, was covered by an exquisite black dress. Vibrant focused on her smile. “Are you Rara tonight? Or should I call you the Countess?” The mare laughed. “Rara is fine,” she said. “And you didn’t answer my question. You sure you should be listening to that?” Vibrant focused on the radio again, where messages were being read from ponies voicing their opinions on the whole leak thing. Vibrant shrugged. “I’d already tuned it out to be honest,” she said, using her magic to turn the radio off behind her. “It’s been like this for a few days now. I kind of already heard all that has been said on the subject.” “Is it bad?” “No, actually,” Vibrant shook her head. “Those who think I leaked the rumor for attention are a little annoyed by it, but they’re the same type that love gossip so they’re not too upset, if that makes sense?” Rara nodded. “Right,” Vibrant continued. “And those who believe the rumors are true are actually pretty supportive once they’re over the shock. Changelings aren’t really the big scary monsters they used to be, so most wouldn’t really be upset, even if I was a changeling.” “My friend AJ and her friends have done a lot to ease things in regard to other species with that school of theirs, though it probably does help that changelings all look so cute now. Pretty coats. Shiny wings. The princesses vouching for them. It all adds up, I’m sure.” Vibrant nodded. Though Rara didn’t say anything else, she didn’t leave either. It was easy to guess what was on her mind, however, and thus Vibrant decided to steer the conversation for a while. “Shouldn’t you be out there?” she asked. “Mingling with the fans. Hanging out in the green room with other singers and musicians? Posing for pictures?” If she was taken aback by the change in conversation, Rara didn’t show it. “Probably,” she admitted. “I saw somepony out there, though. Somepony from my past. I would rather not have to deal with him right now. Or at all.” Rara grimaced. “So, you’re hiding?” “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I’m not really scared of him, but I don’t want to see him if I don’t have to.”  “Well, you picked a good place to hide,” Vibrant smiled. “Plenty of space and good company.” “I see that,” Rara laughed softly. “Certainly a better place to be than all alone in my dressing room. But, since we’re on the subject, what are you hiding from?” Oh, she’s good. “The future, I guess?” Vibrant said, hanging her head. “This performance is going to change things for me. I have something planned... Something big that will change the way things go for me from here on out. And it’s not like I really have much to lose at this point. But things will be different and that makes it a big risk. It’s been a while since I let myself take any of those.” While she didn’t hear Rara stepping closer to her, there was no missing the hoof upon her shoulder. “Take it from somepony who’s had to change once or twice,” she said kindly. “As scary as it might be, change is most oftentimes a good thing—in art as much as in life. The important thing is that you make changes you feel you need to make, not one’s that are expected of you. If it feels right to you, then things will tend to work out, come what may.” “You should tell my label that.” “You’ll find your audience. This new you, I mean. And the you that you become after that will as well. If your label can’t see that, the next one will.” Vibrant nodded. “One can hope.” “One can hope.” The two talked for a while longer after that, sharing stories of past performances, tricks of the trade, and memorable anecdotes as a way to pass the time. Eventually, however, a stagehand politely made his way to the pair, informing Vibrant that she was needed at the side of the stage. “Best of luck out there,” Rara said, hugging the mare. “Thank you, Ms. Headliner,” Vibrant replied. “Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s somepony I need to check in with real quick before I go on.” As she began to walk away she heard Rara call out to her one last time. “Vibrant Tone! Not that it matters at all but, are the rumors true? Are you really a changeling?” Vibrant looked back with an unsure expression, but then chuckled at the sight of the singer’s sheepish demeanor. “I guess we’ll find out.” The roar of the crowd was hard to ignore as Vibrant walked center stage to the sound of some ambient music provided by the house band. Behind closed curtains, her bandmates for the evening threw a glare in her direction, before returning to study the sheet music she’d provided them with for the song they’d be performing.  Last minute changes are seldom appreciated, she supposed. At least they look more annoyed than nervous.  She made it to the microphone just in time for the music to fade away into nothingness, the curtains opening a moment later. Vibrant stared out into both blinding lights and a sea of darkness behind them.  She could still hear the whispering. Last chance to run. Instead, she levitated the microphone in her magic.  “This is a new song I wrote especially for tonight. It is called ‘Somepony Underneath.’”  Taking this as their cue, a running bassline kicked off the song before being joined by other instruments. Taking a deep breath Vibrant did her best to clear her mind.  You have a limited amount of energy. Be precise. Be purposeful. Do not miss a cue.  She lit her horn, enveloping herself in an emerald glow which exploded into a shower of sparks that faded into the darkness. She then began to sing. Those who were present that night would talk much about this performance after the fact, though some details would get more coverage than others. The way the song started, bruske and unapologetic, a rarity in such a venue, never seemed to warrant much of a mention, for example. Sadly, neither did the lyrics, heartbreaking lines about Vibrant’s struggles with identity and purpose. When pressed, some would comment on how impressive the vocal arrangement was, how strong a performance, though it was clear their memories were focused on other aspects of the show. For most, the parts worth discussing really started during the chorus, when the mare was surrounded by a wave of green flame—disappearing from the stage. In her place appeared a lanky stallion with a blue coat and a ragged mane who kept singing in Vibrant’s voice, his visage somehow more fitting for the words than the polished singer before him would have been. The musicians, to their professional credit, kept their composure—the song never faltering. The crowd, however, could not contain their exclamations. The rumors had been confirmed. As the chorus ended another flash of green flame enveloped the singer, turning her back into Vibrant Tone for the duration of the second verse. As she stepped forward towards the edge of the stage and raised her horn into the air, the crowd watched as a green glow enveloped her whole body again, lighting her without the need of a spotlight. The glow lasted for a few seconds before absorbing into Vibrant’s body, ending in time for the second chorus, at which point whatever hints of tiredness the singer had been showing disappeared without a trace. Vibrant shifted again.  The crowd’s cheers mixed with the roar of the flames as the singer disappeared into them, this time returning as a pegasus mare with a commanding presence. Whereas the previous guise gave the chorus an air of weariness and exhaustion, this new persona gave the lyrics a feeling of heartbreak and loss. The crowd stomped their hoofs to the rhythm. As the chorus began to repeat a third time, another shift occurred and Vibrant Tone was back, this time remaining as a pegasus who rose into the air alongside the song’s keychange. With the final repetition of the chorus at its end, the instruments faded away. And yet, the song was still not over. Vibrant landed center stage, singing acapella into the microphone which she fitted into the mic stand. One by one the lights faded as well until Vibrant Tone was lit by nothing more than a solitary spotlight in the darkness. Moment of truth. One final flash of green flame. One final refrain, sung into the void. Gasps ringing out throughout the theater.  Standing center stage was a changeling, black carapace shining in the spotlight, turquoise eyes staring out at the audience with resolve. There she stood in silence, unmoving, for a second. Then two. Then five. There was no clapping. No yelling. No nothing. Just the whispering. But that was fine by her. Taking a bow, she turned around and walked offstage, passing by several band members, the host for the evening, and various members of the stunned security team. Nopony made a move to stop her. Now how’s that for a statement? “Nopony can see her.”  “You have an unreformed changeling inside of there. She needs to be secured, or at the very least questioned!” “Probably, but not by you. I need official orders to let somepony through. Come back when you have something official.” “Miss, as the owner of this theater, I demand you let my security team in.” “I am sorry but, until you get some sort of warrant that overrides her diplomatic immunity, she is staying where she is.” A moment of silence passed, followed by another.  “She does not have diplomatic immunity.” “She most assuredly does. All changelings do, in accordance with the treaty after their kingdom allied with Equestria. King Thorax is here tonight and I really don’t want to be responsible for a diplomatic incident. If you want to be the one to cause a scene, then be my guest. Until then, I am not moving.” The changeling leaned against the wall of the dressing room she had holed herself in, hoping to hear more of the exchange, but nothing else came through. Near as she could figure, Honeysuckle had finally driven the theater owner away, but really there was no way to be sure. She must be as tired as I am, she thought, heading back to the chair. I really do need to thank her once things calm down. The hours after the performance had been chaotic to say the least. Luna’s Festival of the Arts Celebration was certainly still happening, but the showrunners probably had their hoofs full. The silent shock that had followed Vibrant Tone’s performance had only lasted a few seconds after the changeling had made it backstage, at which point the pandemonium started. Yelling, screaming, running. Everything happened too fast for her to really process. All she really remembered was that at some point Honeysuckle, in her earth pony disguise, had joined her in running away from the noise. At another point, Rara had intercepted them and offered her dressing room as a place for them to hide. And now, she was here. Everything else that had happened that night was up for interpretation. Knock Knock Knock She stood up and made to answer, but found the door opening before she could reach it. In the doorway was standing her assistant for the night. Behind her was a very unexpected guest. “They um… They found someone official,” Honeysuckle mumbled, staring at the ground. She stepped into the dressing room and to the side, clearing a path for the other visitor to step through as well, which he did. “Arista, if I’m not mistaken?” “Actually, King Thorax,” the changeling swallowed hard. “It’s Vibrant Tone, if it’s all the same to you.” Thorax nodded. “Vibrant Tone,” he amended. “You caused quite a bit of ruckus tonight and a lot of confusion atop of that. It’s left ponies asking questions that I simply don’t have the answers to.” Calm your breathing. Maintain eye contact. Keep things conversational. “That must be quite frustrating.” “A bit, yeah. I didn't even know you were a changeling until ponies started asking me about the  rumors, and then I was under the impression that you had undergone the reformation process. As you can imagine, it has been quite confusing being out the loop the way I have been.” Vibrant Tone nodded. “Strangest thing too,” he continued. “There are a lot of changelings who can verify that you arrived at the hive a week after the fall of Queen Chrysalis. They seem to claim they saw you reform before their eyes. The idea that you found some way to undo the process. That there is a way to undo it at all… Surely you can understand why it would make us nervous.” “Probably doesn’t help that I’m not connected to your hivemind, does it?” “It probably would make things easier if either you or your assistant were, yeah,” he said, causing the mare in the corner to flinch. “Don’t suppose you’ll let me take a peek?” Vibrant hesitated.  “It would do a lot to help me figure this out,” Thorax pushed further. “You’d be able to prove your intentions and I’d learn a lot about what exactly is happening here.” On the one hoof, it was a simple request borne out of understandable concerns. It would certainly be a quick and easy way to clear up a lot of the misconceptions that had arisen in the past two hours. And yet, a familiar sense of panic began to grow in her gut. She could almost swear she could hear a ringing in her ears and what sounded like distant screams echoing through her memories. “I—” “That will not be necessary.” Standing outside the dressing room, visible through the still-open-doorway was a cream coated stallion with a coral pink mane wearing a sharp blue suit—his brown eyes commanding the attention of the room from behind blue spectacles. “My client has done nothing wrong,” the pony said gesturing towards Vibrant Tone. “I’m not sure how things are done in your kingdom, your majesty, but here in Equestria there would normally need to be a reason for such an invasive form of questioning as that of ‘mind reading.’” “Your client?” “Quite,” the pony pressed on, taking a moment to wipe at his glasses before continuing. “I am a representative from Vibrant Tone’s label and I do believe that this whole ‘hivemind’ business could and would infringe upon some of our intellectual properties. Unannounced concert dates, business dealings, her whole new album—I’m afraid that we just can’t allow this without going through the proper channels first, especially without proper justification.” Well that seems like a bit much. “I don’t mind,” Vibrant lied. “It’s really not that serious.” “No, that’s alright,” Thorax said, waving her off. “He does bring up a good point. You two probably have good reasons not to be connected to the hive. It was kind of rude of me to just ask you to put that aside. As far as I know, you’ve been living amongst ponies without incident for years. That should be good enough for anypony unless you’re accused of something specific.” “I’m glad you were able to see it that way,” the label pony responded. Vibrant looked between the two, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken. “Just like that?” she asked. “Depends. Are there any crimes I should be aware of?” All eyes turned to look at her, with the pony at the doorway making a motion across his neck with his hoof. “Um… Nothing since the end-of-conflict pardons, at least?” she said nervously. “Then yes, just like that,” Thorax said, after a moment of consideration. “You’re an Equestrian as much as a changeling and you are entitled to your privacy. Besides, we wouldn’t want to breach any type of ‘diplomatic immunity.’” At that, he winked at Honeysuckle, causing the mare to fluster further. He chuckled. “Yes, yes, very well,” the suit-wearing pony interjected. “If that is all, I will ask you for some privacy with my client. We have some business matters to discuss.” “Ah, all right,” Thorax chuckled good naturedly. “It was a pleasure meeting you Mr…” “Svengallop.” “Svengallop.” Thorax nodded to the mares as he turned to walk out of the dressing room, slowing down for a moment as he passed by the stallion. “Do take care of my changelings.” As he left, Honeysuckle moved up to stand next to the singer.  “That went well,” she said. “Any particular reason you didn’t let him into your mind? I mean, I know why I wouldn’t want him to but…” “Yeah,” Vibrant responded. “Connecting to the hivemind kind of freaks me out. Tell you about it some other time. Still, we should probably explain the whole deal to him. It’ll make him feel better at least, and he seems nice.” “Cough Cough.” Both mares snapped their attention towards the stallion at the doorway. Right. Him. “You know, you are welcome to come in,” Vibrant offered. “I have a feeling this talk will take a while.” “I’m very much not, actually,” Svengallop replied wryly. “Irregardless of how long the conversation is, it’s been made very clear that I am not to set hoof into that dressing room. I would appreciate it if you could come talk to me out here.” Well that’s interesting. As Vibrant Tone walked towards Svengallop with Honeysuckle following behind, she could feel his eyes studying her wings, her carapace, her fangs and frame. As she reached him she offered him a smile that showed a bit more of the fangs than was probably polite. He didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow. Huh. “So,” Vibrant began. “You’re not one of the usual suits they send out. I’m guessing you drew the short straw?” “More you like you drew the longest one,” Svengallop replied. “I’m a new manager at the label, so it’s no wonder you haven’t seen me before, and as of yesterday I am your manager.” “You picked up a client mid-scandal?” “I picked you because of the scandal,” the pony smiled. “I thought the changeling thing might be true and decided to roll the dice on it before anypony else saw the same opportunity I did. Between the free promotion, the marketing angles, it’d be a guarantee that I’d be able to make your career restart in some way. Imagine my surprise at finding not just an unreformed changeling but an actual singing talent. This is certainly going to pay in spades for both of us.” “That’s all well and good,” Vibrant said hesitantly. “But—” “Yes, well and good,” Svengallop continued. “Anyway, as you heard a moment ago, my name is Svengallop. I wanted to introduce myself, as I will be representing you in the upcoming contract re-evaluation meeting in a few days.” Vibrant waited for a moment before speaking. “That’s all well and good, but I feel like I should warn you that I’m about to be fired from the label.” If the news shocked Svengallop, he did not show it. However, Honeysuckle let out an audible gasp at the news. Oh right, I probably should have told her earlier. “I highly doubt you’ll be fired after tonight’s performance.” “I’m sure I left an imprint,” Vibrant admitted. “But that performance was supposed to burn what was left of my bridges. I have no album at the ready. I’m out of extensions. I’m not ready for a tour. Not really much to offer during negotiations.” “Oh I see,” Svengallop sighed. “That is tricky. How long do you think it would take you to finish the album?” “Not long at all!” Honeysuckle interjected, surprising both of the ponies with the interruption. “The song we— I mean, the song she performed tonight, it was written in one night. And she has tons of notes and things laying around. I’m sure if you give her a few months…” “And who are you, exactly?” “Her name is Honeysuckle,” Vibrant answered for her. “She’s been my assistant for the past few days. A temporary arrangement. She… she helped me finish my song. She also did some work tonight to… to help my performance run smoothly.” “It doesn’t have to be temporary.” Svengallop looked between the two.  “Right... So with her help, how long do you think it would take you to finish the album and be show ready?” Vibrant hesitated to come up with an answer as she stared at Honeysuckle. It had been close to two and a half hours at this point since the performance and she still looked exhausted. The last few days had to have been tough on her. And yet, her eyes showed a determination that Vibrant couldn’t ignore. Vibrant raised an eyelid. A question. Honeysuckle nodded. “Two months,” Vibrant said, addressing Svengallop. “Two months for the album. Touring will take a bit longer. I would need to put together a band. We would need to practice. I probably need to revamp my whole routine and repertoire to include the whole changeling thing.” “Brilliant,” Svengallop exclaimed, the fire back in his eyes. “Make it three months for the album, we want to make it perfect. We’ll worry about touring and all that after the album gets approved and we get a single out. For now, start thinking about what demands you’re going to want to negotiate for at the meeting. I’ll need to know what they are, going in. Anything you think you might want is worth mentioning, no matter how unimportant it might be.” “I want Honeysuckle to be a contracted part of my team,” Vibrant said immediately, causing the mare beside her to nod. Svengallop rolled his eyes. “Naturally, but think bigger. Think practical but also lifestyle wise. You’ve done this before, think about non-negotiables and perks that we can take or leave depending on how things go.” Vibrant Tone nodded. “Good,” Svengallop nodded back. “Between tonight’s performance and having me on your team, I’m sure we’ll be able to get at least eighty-five percent of whatever we request. Although, in the interest of transparency, my services do not come cheap. They won’t be a cost to you, of course, but there will be some non-negotiables I’ll be discussing with the label for me as well. I need my perks to keep the job exciting." Wait a minute, Vibrant thought as the puzzle pieces of the night began fitting into place. “You’re Rara’s old manager!” Svengallop winced. “Ah yes, I guess Countess Coloratura would have mentioned me. I’ll have you know that despite whatever negative stories she’s spreading about me, I have always carried myself with the utmost professionalism.” He said a few things after that, but Vibrant wasn’t really listening anymore. “Do you still have those vocal enhancement things?” she asked. “The collars she said you developed? Can you make more of them? Do they have more functions? Can they be modified?” Svengallop looked surprised at the questions. “I did not develop the collars,” he admitted. “However, they were custom made and I still have contact with the manufacturer. We could definitely procure some that produce a variety of effects as long as the label was willing to pay for it.” Vibrant’s mind began to race with the possibilities. Turning to look at Honeysuckle, it was clear that she saw the potential as well. “In any case,” Svengallop said, snapping them from their thoughts. “If that is all, I believe I will be taking my leave. I will stop by your hotel room in the morning the day of the meeting to discuss our strategy. We can walk to it together afterwards. Just make sure you think about your demands before then so we can make the best proposal possible.” “We will,” Vibrant answered, already beginning to make a mental list. Seeming satisfied, Svengallop smiled and waved goodbye. “You should head home as well. Oh, and if I were a changeling, I would think changing my look to that of a random pony would make for a better way to hide than barricading in the headliner’s dressing room, but that’s just me.” Svengallop didn’t look behind him as he walked away, and thus missed both Vibrant and Honeysuckle look at each other, close their eyes, and sigh. Two unicorns walked into a familiar hotel room, exhaustion coursing through their every step. One of them used their magic to light a bedside lamp. The other closed the door behind them. Once the door was closed, Honeysuckle dropped the unicorn disguise reverting to her changeling form. She then made a beeline for the couch, flopping unto it with a fatigued grunt. “Ugh” she groaned. “So today happened—” “Shhh!”  Honeysuckle lifted her head from the couch to look at the unicorn who was at that very moment glaring daggers into the wall. “Ah, right,” she said. “Eavesdroppers.” The unicorn nodded and lit up her horn. The glow then spread to encompass the offending wall, after which point the energy was absorbed into the paint. The soundproof spell was cast, but not without a cost.  A second passed, then two. Then the unicorn collapsed, amidst flickers of green flame. “Vibrant!” As the flames faded, they revealed her lemon-yellow carapace and lime green wings flush against the hotel carpet.  Must’ve used more energy than I realized, she thought idly while admiring the carpet’s density. The sound of her name being called repeatedly caught her attention and she turned to look up at the aquamarine changeling looking down at her, or more specifically the orange eyes filled with both exasperation and relief. “You’re absolutely hopeless,” Honeysuckle said, helping her up. “You know that right? I’m surprised you’ve survived this long.” “In my defense, I used to not use as much energy in a day. I got a bit excited.” “I can tell,” Honeysuckle snarked. “Well if you’re done being reckless, I’m going to go to bed. We can talk about everything tomorrow.” “That sounds good, though I’m thinking of staying up for a bit. You go ahead though.” Honeysuckle hesitated. “If you’re going to stay up, let me give you the rest of my energy.” Vibrant widened her eyes in surprise. “Now who’s being reckless?” Honeysuckle shrugged. “Look, I appreciate it, but you’ve given me a ton of energy already,” Vibrant said, hanging her head. “The all-nighter writing session, the boost at the show from backstage, the one mid-performance… you’re exhausted.” “I’m going to replenish my energy as I sleep and, as I said, I’m going to sleep right now,” Honeysuckle argued. “Besides, if you’re stuck like that all night, you’re going to whine and complain about it non-stop and I don’t want to deal with that tomorrow.” Vibrant looked down and her colorful hoof and couldn’t disagree with the assessment. She nodded. Wasting no time, Honeysuckle lit up her horn, gathering a mass of emerald energy. The same glow then enveloped Vibrant absorbing into her body and restoring her strength. Honeysuckle yawned.  “You should have enough charge for like… two more shifts? So do try not to waste them before tomorrow.” “I’ll try my best.” Honeysuckle nodded, heading back to the couch where she lay and immediately went to sleep. Barely a minute passed before her soft breathing filled the hotel room.  Vibrant smiled and took a deep breath, feeling recharged, if briefly.  I really should thank her when she wakes up. Looking around the room, Vibrant couldn’t help but note the stark difference between how the room looked now and how it had looked earlier this week. The bottles of alcohol were in a plastic bag, gathered in the corner of the room. The papers were no longer scattered throughout the floor, but rather were in a neat pile next to her unopened fan mail—or rather, her mostly unopened fan mail.  Vibrant looked into the mirror, studying her reflection while the disgust and self-hatred grew. Once the anger began to boil, she shifted in a blaze of green flame to reveal a different changeling form, one with a black carapace and turquoise eyes. Like a salve, the anger cooled and she regained her calm and composure. Vibrant took another deep breath and looked into the mirror again. I’m certainly not the changeling I used to be, she thought as she studied herself. Yes, she looked the part with the fangs and the black chitin, but the eyes were still wrong though—were still hungerless. She would never again be able to rely on her hunger to drive her forwards anymore. It was something she’d have to come to terms with. And yet, somewhere along the way she had developed a drive of her own. She knew that now. She looked at the papers on the desk, countless attempts by a changeling to carve a niche in the world of ponies, artifacts to a drive she herself had believed dead. That night’s performance, the previous one, this hotel room, it all stood as proof that she could still crawl out of a crater of her own making.  Honeysuckle’s reflection was visible just over the papers. Vibrant turned to look at her sleeping form directly. Vibrant had lost her love supply during the reformation, her skills and powers thought forfeit. And yet, her performance that night had still happened. With Honeysuckle’s help, she’d finished a song, pulled off the show. It had been as if nothing had changed. All without syphoning love. Vibrant had lost her internal love supply and had thought the answer was to just “make do without.”  How foolish of me, she chastised herself. Still, it’s not like it was a perfect system. Honeysuckle had run herself ragged supplying Vibrant with the energy she needed. That had not been fair. But with Svengallop’s enhancements? More training? More ponies? Perhaps the burden could be shared, her love supply taking the form of those she kept near her. Perhaps they could sustain her? Honeysuckle grumbled in her sleep. Vibrant chuckled. Something to consider at least. For the first time in a while, Vibrant Tone felt excited about the future. Sure, this wasn’t the path she’d predicted, but perhaps it could still be a road worth traveling.  This was a new way of gathering energy. A new way of finding motivation. It was certainly going to be a new way to perform and present herself now that she had changed one life for another. And yet, it is a changeling’s nature to change. And Vibrant Tone was nothing, if not a changeling. Okay, I’ve got a lot of demands I’ve got to plan tomorrow, she mused. Honeysuckle being contracted to my team, access to the vocal enhancements to ease the need for buffs, creative control on all performances, nicer hotels, the ability to hoof-pick my band… At that thought her mind sort of wandered to distant memories of better times, things she couldn’t really appreciate when she lived them, things she had missed since they’d been gone. And if I’m trying to build my network with ponies who’ll support me— Vibrant Tone sat down at her desk, pulling out a piece of paper on which she began to write a long overdue letter. Dear Clef Note, It’s been a while hasn’t it?