//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Flurry Heart's Story: Fillie Jean // by AleximusPrime //------------------------------// Night Shade’s second concert was held later that night. Flurry, Pumpkin, Shutter Lens, Peachy Pie and Allegra were all given free passes to see his concert and were present in the front row. He started the show off singing Wicked, accompanied by female backup dancers to fit the theme of the song. Verse 2: Just watch her body Her movements so smooth Hard to believe She’s here to weave Her web to catch you She’s out of your league But it’s not too late You can escape You’ve got to run Her looks are just bait _________________ Better watch out Don’t lock eyes She’s no angel It’s a disguise Better watch out Don’t lock eyes She’s no angel It’s a disguise _________________ Chorus 2: She’s wicked! You’re under her hex Just left her last man Now you’re next She’s wicked! She’s smacking her lips She’ll seal your fate If she gives you a kiss _________________ Don’t fall for bad girls I tried to warn you Boy, you’ll be sorry Guess this is your doom That girl is wicked! _________________ Bridge: I know you want a woman You don’t want loneliness But what you need is one that Won’t leave you in distress That girl you see is trouble You’ll thank me in the end Ignore her and save yourself my frieeeeeeend _________________ Better watch out She’s comin’ for you (4x) _________________ Final Chorus: That’s right, she’s wicked! You’re under her hex Just left her last man Now you’re next She’s wicked! She’s smacking her lips She’ll seal your fate If she gives you a kiss _________________ You’ve got this my friend This won’t be your doom The right girl is out there And you’re sure to find her sooooooooon That girl is wicked! (3x) The song faded out as the crowd applauded. The five winners jumped up and down as Night Shade waved to them. He then removed his sunglasses and took some time to talk to the crowd. The dancers went backstage to change clothes and the band retuned their instruments. “You’re all an amazing crowd!” he said as they cheered in response. “It’s been a great experience performing in a small yet very positive town. I had an awesome time with the five ponies that won the contest last night. We had some who were already singers and a few who were still learning, and I think I really helped them. They’re right down here in the front row. Wave to the crowd, guys!” Night Shade pointed to the winners in the front row. Flurry turned around and waved bashfully. Allegra went airborne and bowed. Peachy, Shutter and Pumpkin joined Flurry in waving. Behind the curtain, Zeb listened as Night Shade was speaking. Everything was going fine until Night Shade mentioned the winners. Zeb immediately feared what would happen next. “Night Shade, no. Don’t you do it,” he grumbled. “So to show you all just how much they’ve improved, I’d like to invite these five wonderful ponies on the stage right now to sing Heart Can’t Stop Beating with me!” “Did…did he just?! FLURRY, HE WANTS US ON STAGE! EEEEEEH!” Pumpkin screamed as she hugged her friend. “OH MY GOSH! This is so nice of him!” Peachy added with her hooves against her cheeks. “A chance for all of us to shine!” Allegra proudly said. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Shutter told them. The security guards let them through the rope dividers onto the steps on one end. They made their way out to the edge of the stage where Night Shade was waiting for them. Some staff ponies came out with new microphones and stands to let them use. Night Shade covered his to speak to them real quick. “Alright, everypony, just like we did in practice. Don’t try too hard. Just sing like you were in our class earlier.” The music started up and they all ran over to the microphones. The band began playing the hard rock overture that started the song. Night Shade started singing the first verse with the others joining him. Verse 1: Wish I could say how I feel about you I’m holding back, I just don’t know what to do Don’t wanna disappoint, don’t wanna be rude It’s true…yes, it’s true I think about you when I can’t fall asleep When I’m awake, can’t even stand on my feet Can’t take it anymore, can’t let this be my defeat It’s true… _________________ Chorus 1: Oooooh, I got you on my mind Oooooh, I want you to be mine I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! Oooooh, I think I know what to say Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today I’ll open my heart. It’s no time to play It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! The multitude of ponies in the stands clopped and stomped in rhythm with the song. Flurry kept the volume of her voice low enough so Pumpkin and the others could be heard. Allegra was singing the loudest and boldest. Peachy and Shutter weren’t quite so loud, but they seemed rather confident with being on stage. Night Shade taught them this song quite well earlier that day, and they already had the lyrics memorized. He clearly prepared them for this moment. Even Pumpkin seemed to have the hang of things now. They all bobbed their heads to the music and smiled at the crowd. The song continued with the next verse. Verse 2: You walk right by me and I freeze in place You smile at me and I’m red in the face I need your presence. I need your embrace It’s true…yes, it’s true We’ve only known each other for a few years And at some point I confirmed my worst fears I’m lovesick…I want you… It’s true… _________________ Chorus 2: Oooooh, I got you on my mind Oooooh, I want you to be mine I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! Oooooh, I think I know what to say Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today I’ll open my heart. It’s no time to play It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! As the bridge of the song started up, Night Shade moonwalked a few yards behind them and joined the backup dancers with some of his signature dance moves. Some fireworks were launched off the stage just as the dancing ended and they came to the finale chorus. Night Shade made his way back to the stage and sang one more time with them. They were far more energized to face the crowd this time. Final Chorus: Oooooh, I got you on my mind Oooooh, I want you to be mine I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! Oooooh, I think I know what to say Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today I’ll open my heart, it’s no time to play It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! My heart can’t stop beating for you! (4x) More fireworks were launched, and the crowd roared. Everypony on stage waved and bowed their heads. Night Shade turned around and they all formed a circle. “Everypony, you did awesome!” he told them. “Thanks for having us on!” Pumpkin exclaimed. “I wanted to get you guys ready for tonight and thought ‘what better way to do it than to let my students on stage with me to sing My Heart Can’t Stop Beating For You?’ I only regret that we won’t be able to do it again since tonight is the last night for concerts, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow and then the next day before I leave. Two more days of lessons.” “Well we’ll all be there, Night Shade! I certainly will!” Shutter said. “Can’t wait for tomorrow!” Peachy added. Night Shade joined all of them in a group hug before they left to exit the stage. The security guards guided them back to their spots in the front row as Night Shade and his dancers got ready for the next song. Flurry and the others made conversation, while they waited for the performance to start up again. “Wow, you guys did great up there!” said Flurry. “Thanks, Flurry!” said Allegra. “I’ve been on stage before, but it feels way better to be up there with someone like Night Shade!” “After everything we’ve learned from Night Shade so far, I’m way more confident about singing!” Pumpkin chimed in. As Night Shade put on a different outfit backstage, Zeb tried to stop him to say something. “Night Shade, what did I say about the princess?” he whispered loudly. “You’ve got to get rid of her!” “Not now, Zeb. I have a show to do.” “If not now, when then? We are going to get the shaft when the label finds out you’ve been hanging out with a royal.” As Zeb and Night Shade spoke behind the curtain, Flurry was the only one to notice what was happening. She could not hear them but could tell they were not having a very positive conversation. She quickly forgot about it though as Night Shade walked out onto the stage to sing his next song. “This is getting out of hoof,” Zeb said to one of the handlers. “You want me to get you Svengallop on the phone?” the handler asked. “Wait until after the concert, but I’m going to have to talk to him tonight. I can’t wait until he sees the paper or hears about it through the grapevine. That little princess is going to be the death of me if I don’t do something right now.” That next morning, Night Shade continued his lessons with Flurry, Pumpkin, Allegra, Peachy and Shutter. He taught them some techniques to achieve high notes and even started teaching them a few dance moves. Pumpkin was in the middle of learning the moonwalk. “Lift and slide. Lift and slide,” Night Shade said as he slowly demonstrated the dance for her. “Uh…like this?” she said as she scuffed her hooves up on the floor. “Not quite. It’s okay, Pumpkin. The moonwalk is kinda hard. The real trick is to know your center of gravity and get the balance right.” “This would be a lot easier if I just used my magic, but that would be cheating.” “Hehe. Tell you what: we’ll all try the moonwalk tomorrow during our final lessons. Right now, let’s all do some practice with some songs we know. Anyone in here wanna try singing a song that isn’t one of my songs?” “I have one!” Flurry said, raising her hoof. “Awesome! Why don’t you sing it for us, Flurry.” All eyes turned to Flurry and she cleared her throat. She decided to sing the You’ll Never Be Alone song that everyone sang to her after she first came to Ponyville a few weeks ago. With friends by your side Helping you to stride You’ll never be alone You’ve got all you need right here Friends to hold you dear Watching you as you grow You’ve got the chance of a lifetime You’ll see it’s worth the while With friends you’ll do just fine Keep this song in mind And you’ll never be a-you’ll never be alone Everypony in the room cheered for Flurry and Night Shade clapped his front hooves. He then stopped and looked behind his students as Zeb stared menacingly at him. His heart nearly stopped at the sight of his manager. He knew right away what would happen. Zeb didn’t get the chance to talk to Night Shade about Flurry after the concert last night, so he would likely take the opportunity now. “Alright, kids,” he said, doing his best to ignore his manager. “Flurry’s song might actually be good for-” “AHEM. Night Shade, it’s important,” Zeb said, moving his head towards the door. “Does it have to be now?” “Now.” Night Shade closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “Sorry, everypony. I’ll be right back. In the meantime, Flurry, why don’t you try practicing that song with the others. We’ll see what we can do with it when I come back.” “You got it, Night Shade,” Flurry said. Night Shade followed Zeb out the door and down the hallway to a nearby office. Several handlers were waiting there and one of them had a large wireless phone on his hoof. “Answer the phone, Night Shade,” Zeb said, sternly. Night Shade hesitated for a second, not sure what to make of this situation. He was about to ask who was on the line, but he went ahead and answered the phone first. “Uh…he-hello?” “Night Shade, what’s going on over there?” said an irritating, effeminate male voice on the other end. “Svengallop? Hey! Well we’re doing pretty awesome in Ponyville. We had a fantastic reception at the concert last night, and I’m in the middle of-” “I’m going to stop you right there. What is this I’m hearing about you and Princess Flurry Heart? Why did you let her into your class? You know how we feel about those disgusting royals.” “Well we drew five numbers and nopony was calling for the last one, so I let the fourth one bring up her friend, and it just so happened to be Flurry Heart.” “And you didn’t think to tell her to bugger off right then?!” “What? No! I would never do that in front of everypo-” “Why not just quietly tell her the next day that she’s gotta scram?!” “Svengallop, she’s doing fine and she’s got talent. It’s really not that big of a deal.” “Not that big of a deal?! Oh, you are soooooo wrong my friend! I am getting phone-calls off the hook about this. Executives everywhere are threatening to take action and we may lose a few sponsors. You of all ponies should be well aware how dangerous it is to be seen making any form of contact with any family of that brat Twilight Sparkle. It’s just industry policies, Night Shade. We do NOT associate with royals or anypony who rubs shoulders with them!” “Svengallop, please, what about my fans? No one in Ponyville is mad about this and I promise you my fans won’t mind it either. In fact they’re probably really happy to see me singing with her.” “I don’t give a flying feather what fans think. So long as they pay for what we produce and keep us making more money, that’s all that matters. That’s literally their only purpose. When it comes to royals, however, that’s where we draw the line. Whatever the music industry executives say goes, Night Shade. This has got to stop now!” “Can’t I just wait until I’m done with the final lesson tomorrow?” “No! This is what you’re going to do: you’re going to march back into that classroom and get rid of that princess…oh, and her little friend while you’re at it. When you get back to Hinnywood, we’ve got some damage control to do over here.” “I can’t just get rid of Flurry. How do you want me to do this?” “Use your imagination!” Svengallop slammed the phone on his end. Night Shade gave his phone back to the handler who turned it off. He was in such shock over what happened; he could not speak. “I told you this would happen, kid,” Zeb said, removing his sunglasses. “You snitched on me, didn’t you?” Night Shade replied, angrily. “Svengallop already saw the paper, Night Shade. Like I said, everypony was going to find out eventually. You should have listened to me when I told you this could hurt your career. Let’s just get this over with. Go do what you need to do.” Zeb opened the door and let Night Shade out of the office. He walked down the hallway, nervous as ever. In all his life, he never thought he would have to do anything like this just to save his career. Meanwhile in the classroom, Flurry had already gotten the others to sing her song and harmonize to it. They had just finished the chorus. “You’ve got it, guys!” she told them. “Night Shade’s going to be so pleased when he gets back here!” The door opened and Night Shade trudged into the room. He had his head down and looked very distressed. “Oh, Night Shade! You’re just in time for…uh, Night Shade? Is everything alright?” Pumpkin asked. Everyone watched as Night Shade put his hoof on a nearby desk and stood motionless for about ten seconds before speaking up. “Everypony…I…I’m going to have to cut today’s lessons short.” Flurry and the others looked at each other in confusion. “Is there something wrong?” Peachy asked. “Something has…just…come to my attention,” he responded. “Everything’s fine, but I can’t finish today. I’m sorry,” “That’s okay, Night Shade. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.” Allegra told him. “Yeah, we’ll see you then,” Shutter added. “Bye, everypony,” he said, waving. They all headed out of the classroom through the back door. Flurry and Pumpkin took one last glance at him. Night Shade had turned around and they could not see his face. They looked worried for whatever he was going through, but they figured tomorrow would be different. After the girls closed the door, Zeb walked in to speak to the young artist. “I’m proud of you, Night Shade,” he said, putting his hoof on Night Shade’s shoulder. “Now tomorrow morning, we’re going to cancel that final class and leave on the train. Make sure you’ve got everything ready.” Zeb walked out and left Night Shade behind. Night Shade couldn’t even respond to what Zeb just said about the last lesson. He felt so powerless now to do anything. He never thought his manager would have this much control over his life or that Svengallop would make such demands. He started to wonder if he was even that good of an influence if he had to avoid certain fans over politics. This situation made him feel sick and depressed. The only comforting thought was that he would not have to face Flurry or Pumpkin to tell them the truth, but he worried about how they would react to him not being there tomorrow. “I’m sorry, girls.”