I was always convinced that me and Rhythm were odd ones out when it came to our underground specialty. But I hadn't noticed that all around me there were ponies that shared our love for melody. When Rhythm was confident enough with me to break out of her dark shell and be her bright and bubbly self around me, she offered to show me to ponies who also loved music. I was scared, what if I knew them? Rhythm had told me that it didn't matter.
We'd flown down to the park, humming a beat we'd conjured together. She had led me down to the grass area by the fountain in Ponyville. There was a clean white filly with a two-tone mane lying on the soft earth, and a mare who sat strangely on the edge of the fountain, leaning back her with legs hanging over the edge. I recognized the filly immediately.
"Sweetie Belle!" I had exclaimed.
She was shocked to see that I was the pony Rhythm must have mentioned to them before. Before I even had a chance to voice my fears, she'd read my mind and reassured me that she wouldn't tell anyone about our meeting, if I kept it from Scootaloo. It was two sided promise I was willing to keep.
"This is Lyra," Rhythm had explained, introducing me to the turquoise Earth Pony.
Once the introductions were well through, we'd joined together as one. It was more amazing than any race I'd had, any competition or audition. With Lyra's skilled hooves plucking at her lyre with a long, smooth melody, we began to sing parts of our song.
"I opened my eyes," Rhythm started off for us, her hips swaying, "last night, and saw you in the low light."
"Walking down by the bay, on the shore, staring up at the planes that aren't there anymore." Sweetie Belle sang, looking as if it made her warm just by using her voice.
When it was my turn, I felt excitement rise in me, and it came out in the form of my lyrics. "I was feeling the night grow old and you were looking so cold."
Then warmth exploded inside of me as we sang together, each of our different voices weaving together into a knot. "Like an introvert, I drew my over shirt, around my arms and began to shiver violently before you happened to look and see the tunnels all around me, running into the dark underground, all the subways around create a great sound to my motion fatigue, farewell, with your ear to a seashell you can hear the waves in underwater caves, as if you actually were inside a saltwater room."
It was at that very moment I knew that music was the very fabric of what I wanted to do. My fears had been banished by our harmonious voices and I wanted nothing more than to share my voice with the whole of Equestria. I was going to get over this hurdle, I was a changed pony. No longer was I the competitive pegasus of before. I was ready, and I had a feeling that so were my new friends.
I cannot put into detail the feeling of staring out with eyes that glow with self-pride, and have it reflected by three other pairs. Sweetie Bell's soft smile, Lyra smirking as she watched me, and Rhythm looking mischievous. Because this was not the end of my story. Just because I have now realized what lies in store for my future, doesn't mean its all going to flow in and it the frame perfectly. I have so much more to tell you.
After our day together, Lyra had planned us to meet at Sugarcube Corner. This where my nerves began to rise again like clouds floating into the sky. Pinkie Pie and the Cake family were sure to be there. What was Lyra planning? To scare me away from the ground to become a pony living half a life, droning on being sporty when it was just her fillyhood dream?
Oh, how I was wrong. When I arrived I saw more ponies than I had expected. I was greeted by a bouncing Pinkie Pie, who was speaking so fast that I couldn't understand anything she said. She'd led me through the ponies, some I recognized, to Rhythm, Lyra and Sweetie Belle. Beside them were two ponies I was less familiar with, two mares, one a dusky gray, the other bright white with hair I almost envied.
"Dash!" Rhythm beamed. "Come on, come on!" She'd rallied, herding me towards them. "This is Vinyl Scratch and Octavia!"
Vinyl stared at me through wide rimmed glasses, and I blinked with awe as she bobbed her head as if to a tune. Octavia looked more sophisticated, holding herself elegantly up on her hooves. She rested one leg on a cello. She dipped her head to me, but neither said anything.
"What are we all doing here?" I had asked, shaking out my mane and looking around, spotting each of my old friends inbetween the ponies that had gathered.
All together, the five ponies around me spoke together in perfect synch. "We're going to perform!"