“AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!! FLURRY!!” shouted Pumpkin.
“Pump, wait up!” Pound called back.
Pumpkin dashed out of Sugarcube Corner at high speeds, carrying two small tickets with her magic. Pound flew after her, trying his best to keep up. Pumpkin ran around, zooming by a few ponies that were walking in the streets of Ponyville.
“S’CUSE ME! COMING THROUGH! SORRY!” Pumpkin told them as they stumbled and almost fell back.
A pony couple was sitting at a table near a restaurant that Pumpkin leaped over. She nearly caused them to spill their drinks but barely missed them. The ponies scolded her.
“I say!” said the female pony.
“Hey, watch it, kid!” her husband added.
“Sorry about my sister, everypony!” Pound told them, nervously.
Pumpkin kept leaping over other objects in her way as she continued to run with a huge smile on her face.
“Geez, Pump! Might wanna slow down before you wreck the place!” Pound teased.
“I’M SORRY, BRO, BUT I CAN’T HELP IT!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!” she replied.
As they neared the edge of town, they continued down the path to the crystal palace where their friends were. Inside the palace library, Flurry was reading a magazine with Spike sitting next to her, munching on a gem candy bar. Stormy was playing a small hoof-held video game with Chip and Annie watching him while Starlight, Sunburst, and Trixie all sat at a table talking. The door then swung open. Pumpkin ran inside screaming with Pound close behind her. Stormy jumped and nearly broke his game.
“AGH! Pumpkin, you made me lose my last life!” Stormy said, angrily.
“FLURRY!!” Pumpkin shouted as she walked over to the alicorn princess. “You will not believe what just happened!”
“What is it, Pumpkin?” Flurry asked.
“Guess who just convinced her mother to get two tickets for the upcoming Ponyville concert?”
“Judging by the fact that you’ve got those two tickets, I’m guessing you did?”
“Correct! And guess who I just found out is gonna be the featured singer for said concert!”
“Um…”
“Ok fine, I’ll give you a hint: only the greatest, most fabulous, most talented pop-singer in all of Equestria!”
“You…you mean…”
“That’s right!”
“NIGHT SHADE!! AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!” they both shouted in unison as they twirled around.
“Night Shade is coming to Ponyville to do a concert?!” Starlight asked. “I LOVE HIS MUSIC!”
“Oh gosh! It’s just hard to believe they got somepony so popular for a concert in little old Ponyville!” Sunburst added.
“Alright, you two. Settle down,” Spike laughed as he tried to calm Flurry and Pumpkin down.
“Spike, you have no idea how big of a deal Night Shade is!” Flurry said.
“Oh believe me, I do. I think every pony does. Night Shade’s huge all over Equestria!”
“Wow! Lucky Pumpkin and Flurry!” Chip said.
“Urrrgggh…” Stormy grumbled.
“What’s the matter, Stormy?” Annie asked.
“I can’t stand Night Shade’s music. I always have to plug my ears every time that lady’s voice comes on the radio!”
“Lady!? Stormy, you silly goose! Night Shade is a boy!” Pumpkin laughed.
“What? Night Shade’s a boy?! HAHAHA! I thought it was a girl this whole time! He sure sings like one!”
Stormy fell back on the ground and flailed his legs around as he laughed.
“Oh don’t listen to him. Flurry, all that matters is that you and I have these tickets and we’re going to use them to see the Prince of Pop himself tomorrow night!”
“I’m so excited, Pumpkin! I remember the day I first heard his music when I walked in on Mom cleaning her bedroom while dancing to My Heart Can’t Stop Beating For You! She let me listen to the rest of his album and I was hooked!”
“I had a feeling you and Pumpkin would really bond once I found out you were into Night Shade too,” Pound told Flurry. “Pumpkin knows everything about that guy. She’s got albums, t-shirts…the whole nine yards.”
“Night Shade is the epitome of talent!” Pumpkin went on as she brought over a magazine with an article about him. “He’s one of the best-selling artists of all time and continues to place #1 in the charts! His contributions to music, dance, and fashion have made him a huge figure in pop culture! His highest-rated albums are Treacherous and Wicked! I own all of them of course!”
“And the song My Heart Can’t Stop Beating for You is sooo catchy!” Flurry added.
“So is Instiller, especially if you listen to it around Nightmare Night!”
“Well Flurry, I’m guessing they would have just let you in free, but you guys can use those tickets if you want. I think my royal advisor status is enough to let me get a free pass since I need to accompany you anyway,” said Spike.
“OOOH OOOH OOOH! We can all come in too! We’ll get our own tickets!” Starlight shouted excitedly as she pointed to Sunburst and Trixie.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing him perform in concert for once!” Sunburst said. “Now that I know he’s here, I’ll go get myself a ticket. You want in, Trixie?”
“Eh, probably not if you don’t mind. Pop music is all right, but the Great and Powerful Trixie would prefer listening to something classical and empowering. Something that makes her feel like she can take on the world! Like she’s a living goddess that no one stands up to!”
Starlight and Sunburst giggled while everyone else stared at Trixie.
“What? Oh come on. I can’t be the only one who does that.”
“Chip, Annie, you guys interested?” Pumpkin asked the Apple Twins.
“Eh, Night Shade’s pretty good, but you guys go ahead without us,” Chip replied.
“Chip and I are more into country,” Annie added, smiling bashfully.
“Country? BLEGH! Doesn’t anypony in here appreciate rock and roll?” Stormy said as he went airborne and pretended to play an electric guitar.
“Alright Stormy. Let the girls have their fun,” Pound said, putting his hoof on Stormy’s shoulder. “Flurry, Pumpkin, I think we’ll sit this one out, but you girls have fun at the concert.”
“Yeah, why don’t you two go on without me. Get a little time to yourselves and all,” Trixie told Sunburst and Starlight as she winked to them.
“Uh…time to ourselves?” Sunburst replied, blushing.
“EEEH! We’re gonna have so much fun there, Sunburst!” Starlight squealed as she squished Sunburst’s cheeks together and brought him in close to her face.
Pumpkin then jumped on top of the table and used her magic to bring over a boom box. She placed a cassette tape inside and pressed the play button.
“Now I think it’s only appropriate that we all celebrate with some Night Shade music!” she called as My Heart Can’t Stop Beating for You started playing.
“NOOOO!” squawked Stormy as he covered his ears with his hooves.
“Aw come on, Stormy! This song is technically a rock song!” Pound told Stormy.
“I DON’T CARE!”
Pumpkin held the boom box on top of her hooves as she let it play the music. Flurry jumped on next to her and sang into a rolled up magazine like it was a microphone. On the floor, Starlight was really getting into the music and got Sunburst to dance with her as Trixie watched them in amusement. Everyone else except Stormy even began to dance a little.
“Hehe. Those two are gonna have the time of their lives,” Spike laughed as he watched Flurry and Pumpkin.