Scootaloo tuned her guitar down to drop b, stretching each string and re-tuning to lock them in place. Atmospheric and Apple Bloom did the same on bass and rhythm guitar respectively. Sweetie Belle checked the pitch of each drum to make sure they were relatively similar. Do to Harmonic's technical knowledge of each instrument, he was able to help them set up relatively quickly. The music started out as a 7 Angels 7 Plagues-esque blend of mathcore and metalcore, combining brutality and melody into a harsh wave of energetic noise.
"A WEAKENED SOUL, BROKEN DOWN BY THE GRIEF OF LIFE! I MADE LOVE WITH AN ANGEL! I STOLE HER KISS!"
Atmospheric whispered into her fiancé's microphone.
"Steal my kiss..."
"UNCERTAIN HOURS FORCE RELIANCE UPON MY FAITH! SPREAD YOUR WINGS! REVERSE MY COURSE! BEGIN AGAIN!"
Atmospheric took over on vocals, implementing a spoken word style.
"A contemplative introspection brought about by the need for something greater. We look back in time again and again, wondering what we could've done then, and what we should do now. Take heart. Trust in your gut. Your ultimate destiny is what you make it out to be. Join me in union so we may press forth...Take flight..."
"FEAR NO MORE THE DISINTEGRATION OF MORTAL FLESH! THE MIND EXISTS FAR BEYOND EXPIRATIVE RESTRICTIONS! FEEL THE FLAMES AND THE FLOW OF THE DIVINE CALL! WAIT FOR HER TOUCH! RISE TO HER WORLD AND SEIZE IT ALL!"
"Show me your love..."
Scootaloo wiped the sweat from her brow. It was one thing to be a passive listener of the genre. Making it yourself was a whole other beast.
"I think I have a pretty good idea what the song is about," she commented, "but there are a couple lines that confuse me. What did you mean by uncertain hours?"
"After Ian moved out, I felt kind of alone and lost in life," Harmonic explained, "I wasn't particularly close to anyone else in my family. I was an introverted shut-in that spent most of my time playing video games because I couldn't deal with feeling like life was meaningless. Suicide crossed my mind more and more as I got older. My mom and a couple close friends were the only people who knew, but as you've seen, sometimes a little faith pays off."
"It's still hard to believe angels are real, let alone how similar they are to regular people."
"You're tellin' me. I'm engaged to one and still can't believe it."
"Speaking of which, when are you two lovebirds gonna make us some nieces and nephews?"
"We'll get there. One thing at a time, kid."
"I don't have to put you in a home already, do I old man?"
"It's cool to joke about that kind of stuff here, but I'd use a bit more discretion. For a lot of older folks, it's a really painful prospect to think about."
Scootaloo tensed, realizing how offensive her comment came off.
"Sorry..."
"Don't sweat it. Live and learn."
"We should take a break," Apple Bloom suggested, "I wanna play Final Fantasy anyway."
Everyone agreed. They left the treehouse and headed back to the farm.
Shortly before dinner, the group decided to cover a 7 Angels 7 Plagues song. They re-tuned their instruments to drop d. Harmonic went into detail about the song's history.
"They wrote this for one of the guitarists' cousins I think. From the look of the lyrics, it actually lives up to the album's title, Jhazmyne's Lullaby. It sounds like an oxymoron, but I used to fall asleep to hardcore and metal all the time."
"I do that a lot, too," Apple Bloom acknowledged, "Guess metalheads are really just tired."
"Probably."
"Let's do this." Scootaloo encouraged.
Harmonic nodded. They began their last song for the day.
"TONIGHT WILL BE A LONG NIGHT! I FIGHT-"
"My sinking eyelids-"
"SO I CAN WATCH-"
"Her dreaming of the last safe place!"
"FEATHER FLOORS FOR BARE FEET!"
"Without even the first idea, she will be lost to me!"
"I BARELY BELIEVE I LET IT BE! I WILL HAVE TO SEE THAT SHE WILL BE LOST TO ME! I DIDN'T MEAN IT AS A LIE-"
"When I promised to be your contender!"
"AN AIR STREAM OF DOUBT CUT ME APART - EVERY FEATHER-"
"Blown away!"
"IT'S GOING TO BE HARD ON HER SOFT FEET!"
The song transitioned to an abrupt breakdown.
"I BARELY BELIEVE I LET IT BE!"
The drums stopped, pushing the song into a clean, atmospheric melody. Sweetie created tension using her cymbals, erupting into a fast, melancholic rhythm.
"JHAZMYNE NEEDS HER SLEEP JUST AS BADLY, AS BADLY AS ME! YOU HAVE TO SEE THAT SHE WILL BE LOST TO ME! JHAZMYNE NEEDS TO SLEEP - NEEDS TO SLEEP!!!"
Atmospheric took over for the remainder of the song. An open chord rang out across the clubhouse.
"I know you'll make it...I know you'll make it...I KNOW YOU'LL MAKE IT! BE STRONG! I LOVE YOU!"
Atmospheric exhaled heavily in exasperation. She'd put all her energy into the last three screams. Harmonic smirked.
"It's one of her favorites. The message resonates a lot."
"Is she gonna be okay?" Sweetie asked with concern.
"Angels are a lot tougher than us regular folk. She just needs to rest for a bit. Plus it's kinda hot: summer time, ya know?"
"Tends to happen in the south." Apple Bloom affirmed cheekily.
"You guys should head home before it gets dark. We'll meet up tomorrow and write some new stuff."
"You got it."
Inside, Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom continued their research into the world of metallic hardcore. Apparently 7 Angels' style was inspired by an evolving sect of progressive, experimental hardcore bands that wanted a heavier edge. It started with bands like Unbroken and Hand over Fist before shifting towards metal-oriented projects like State Craft, Cave In, Zao, and Eighteen Visions. After 7 Angels, Unearth, and As I Lay Dying emerged, the genre branched off into more melodic variations. As a consequence, it lost much of its original passion in favor of popularity. The third wave was the last to push the envelope creatively and lyrically before the fourth spawned a seemingly endless array of copycats.
"Music really does suck now." Scootaloo stated bluntly.
"Eeyup." Apple Bloom replied.