The Music of Ponyville

by GrassAndClouds2

Beast

"Careful," said Vinyl. "There's a sharp curve in the path up ahead."

Octavia nodded and thanked the DJ for the warning. The forest had grown more and more overgrown since leaving the kelpie village until there was barely enough space on the paths for them to walk single-file. The trees pressed in around them and blotted out all but the faintest glimmers of light that managed to penetrate the thick canopy. Vinyl's horn in the front and Lyra's in the back provided just enough light to see by, but could not come close to fully illuminating the forbidding forest. As such, the DJ's careful scouting of the path was proving invaluable.

"Can we stop soon?" asked Bluenote, suddenly. Her stomach rumbled. "I think we could all use a snack."

"We have plenty of food," said Fluttershy. She sounded a little calmer since escaping the kelpie village. "I packed apples, oranges, celery, lettuce, bread--"

"And I packed three boxes of Bonbon's Signature Chocolates!" said Lyra. "Knew I'd need 'em for a special occasion."

Octavia cast an anxious glance up at the canopy. She wished she could see the sky; if the Sun and Moon were warring, the position of celestial bodies might give some indication as to who was winning. Unfortunately, the foliage was so thick that not even the pegasi had been able to work their way through the branches to breech the canopy. We have no way of knowing how much time we have, Octavia thought. For all we know, we are almost out of time already. "I think we should continue on a little longer before resting. For all we know, the Sun or Moon has already defeated her sister and is on her way to our location."

"I agree with Tavi," said Vinyl Scratch. "Come on, girls. Let's keep rockin' a little longer."

"Aww," said Bluenote, though her tone indicated that she wasn't really all that upset. She tapped a hoof against a gigantic tree set up against the path's curve. "Well, let's keep an eye out for a comfy clearing. We'll need to keep our strength up if we want to make it to the castle!"

Octavia had walked a few paces on before she realized that something had sounded strange. Thinking back, she turned to Bluenote. "Could you please do that again?"

"What?"

"That tapping motion that you made."

Bluenote frowned, but raised her hoof and tapped the tree again. This time, Octavia was listening for it and clearly heard the tap. It wasn't the dull thump of something striking a thick piece of bark. It sounded sharper, like a plaque or sign.

"What is it?" asked Lyra.

"This tree... Vinyl, Lyra, could you please illuminate it?"

The two looked at each other, and then Vinyl trotted over. "You got it," she said. Her horn flared up, and the shadows drew back from the tree. "Woah..."

"That's one big sign," said Medley.

There was an ancient sign affixed to the tree. At least three ponies tall, it towered above the group. Had it not been for the dismal lighting conditions, Octavia knew they would all have seen it fifty paces away. "I did not know this section of the forest was inhabited."

"What's it say?" said Vinyl, squinting upwards. "The text is just random squiggles."

Octavia took a closer look at the first line. It took a few moments, but she remembered where she had seen characters like those before. "No," she said. "The first line is in Deer." She looked at the next, a collection of sharp, thick scratches. "And that is in the Griffin tongue... and below that, Camel..."

"You speak all those languages?" asked Medley, raising an eyebrow.

"Just Deer, but I recognize the others. Part of my education -- before I went to study with the Princess -- was in diplomacy and foreign relations. I know what the characters of most of the major tongues on the continent look like." Octavia's gaze reached the bottom of the sign. "The last line is in Equestrian," she announced. "'Beware the Beast of Everfree.'"

"Beast?" gasped Fluttershy. "Oh, no, not another beast!"

"No worries, Flutters," said Lyra. "We'll kick its flank!"

Medley coughed pointedly.

"Well, okay, Medley did all the flank-kicking last time. But this time, we'll help!"

Octavia looked back over the sign. "I know enough Deer to get by," she said, "and I can at least read some Griffin." She checked the first two lines again. "They both say the same thing, 'Beware the Beast of Everfree.'"

"Somepony wanted to make very sure whoever came this way got the message," said Medley.

Lyra laughed. "What message? That it's time to be awesome? Let's go fight a beast!"

"We have to save the world," said Octavia. "We do not have time to hunt monsters."

"Well, yeah," said Vinyl. "But if we happen to stumble across it we might need to fight it to get past. And DJ-PON3 has no objection to that." She grinned fiercely. "Come on, team--"

"NAY! NAY!"

Octavia blinked and turned to look further down the path. A cloaked figure was approaching them. It was a quadriped, but beyond that, Octavia could not make out any other details. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Nay! Nay!" repeated the cloaked figure. "Ponies like you should not be here. Heed the sign that says 'beware!'"

Vinyl blinked. "Okay, wait. Who are you?"

"You may consider me a friend, who wants you not to meet your end. Before you lies a monstrous beast, who aims to make you his next feast!"

"What kind--" began Bluenote.

"No time for talk, no time for words -- perhaps the beast already stirs! Indeed, the six of you must run, before your mortal lives are done!"

The sextet exchanged glances for a moment. Vinyl eventually said, "Look, we appreciate the warning, but not only are we pretty awesome, but we've kind of got a job to do. We need to get through these woods--"

"Traverse the forest if you will, but this one path will bode you ill." The figure's voice grew more flustered. "I do not know what else to say. The beast waits ahead, eager to slay--"

"What beast?" snapped Medley. "Another kelpie? A bear? A lion? What? We're not a bunch of foals, whoever-you-are. We can take care of ourselves."

The figure sighed, then slowly removed her cloak. She had black and white stripes, and wore golden jewelry; there was also a large package on her back. Octavia remembered meeting a few creatures that looked like her while at Canterlot Castle. "A zebra," she whispered to the others.

"Woah. Awesome stripes," said Vinyl.

The zebra ignored this. She opened up the package and withdrew an instrument that Octavia did not recognize. It had the neck of a guitar or lute, but its strings extended vertically down to a protruding base, like a harp. "Continue and you will die soon! I pray my kora changes your tune."

Without further ado, she strummed it. The sound was low and floating, combining the twang of a guitar with some of the lighter, etheral sounds of a harp. After a few notes, all soft and low, the zebra began to sing:

Gather pony travellers, I have a tale to tell.
It might just save your lives, but only if you listen well
For on this ancient forest path, next to the Red-Oak tree
There’s a sign, that says beware... the Beast of Everfree.

She began to play faster, keeping time by stomping one hoof on the ground. Octavia moved to go around her, but Vinyl stuck out a hoof and barred her way. "If she's got useful information..." the DJ murmured.

Octavia paused, then nodded. Meanwhile, the zebra continued:

Now, some say he’s an octopus a foal threw in the sea
But he ate so many ponies now he’s bigger than a tree!
His tentacles like iron chains, his teeth like sharpened knives...
And if you think he’s ugly wait till you see his insides!

Fluttershy squeaked. “Okay! We’ll go another way!”

“Hey.” Lyra gently embraced her. “Come on. World’s at stake.”

“Yeah,” said Medley. “I’m not scared--”

The zebra shook her head and continued to sing.

Now don’t you sail and don’t you row--
And certainly don’t you swim!
For if you aren’t careful
You’ll end up inside of him!
He’ll eat you up and spit you out, you’ll nevermore be seen
So heed the sign that says beware the Beast of Everfree!

"I don't believe it," said Medley. "Pony-sized monsters, fine. We saw that. But something that huge? Where would it even come from? How would it get into the woods without being seen?"

The zebra sang:

Some say he’s a monster who terrror was begun
Thanks to an evocation of the mighty Burning Sun!
Now, some they don’t believe it; as for me, I have a hunch...
For the Nightmare had some soldiers here -- but he ate them all for lunch!

Octavia shook her head. “We do not work for Nightmare Moon! We only want to get through the forest!”

“We can’t stop now,” said Bluenote, almost apologetic. “We really have to get going.”

“And we’re strong,” said Medley. “This beast doesn’t scare us--”

Well Star Swirl, you’ve heard of him, he went to Everfree.
He needed some components for his ancient alchemy!
He saw a crystal in the lake; he reached to grab a trace...
There was a CRUNCH! She played a rapid, jarring chord. And a SCREAM!

She paused for a moment, and Octavia could only hear silence. Even the forest animals seemed to be enraptured by the performance.

His next project was checking if a hoof could be replaced!

Octavia opened up her mouth to say something else, but the zebra raced along, drowning her words in music:

Now Blackmane the pirate -- you know for what he’s famed?
It’s mostly for the dark, imposing color of his mane!
He met the Beast, and now nopony’s scared of him because...
His mane turned white, and it was so pathetic he had it buzzed!

"We get it!" said Medley at last. "But we don't have a choice. Now get out of our way if you're not going to contribute!"

"The zebra's just trying to help," countered Fluttershy. "And maybe we should listen to her. I don't want to get eaten up and spit out..."

"Fear not!" said Lyra. "For I will protect you!"

Octavia said, "If nothing else, the monster may be out foraging, or asleep. We should at least examine the area before giving up entirely. I think that we should keep going."

Vinyl paused. "Okay, vote time." She looked at the group. "All in favor of going on?"

Five hooves rose in the air. A few moments later, Fluttershy brought hers up as well, though it was obviously shaking.

"That settles it." Vinyl thrust a hoof forwards, pointing down the path the zebra had come from. "Onwards!"

"If you do not heed my song!" yelled the zebra as they passed, "death will find you before long!"

"Yeah, yeah. If death shows up we'll just buck it in the face," said Vinyl. "Bye!"

They passed her by and continued into the woods.

***

Within ten minutes, the path opened up onto a long beach.

The sight was so startling that Octavia could only stand and stare. The beach was a long, wide strip of sand that ran as far as she could see in either direction. In front of it was a vast lake that vanished off into the distance. It was dark, but Octavia could see just well enough to tell that the lake was absolutely huge.

"Walking around that could take hours," said Medley, looking around. "Anypony got bright ideas for crossing?"

"You and Flutters could carry us!" said Lyra.

"... um, I'm not that strong..." whispered Fluttershy.

Vinyl shook her head. "Real idea: Fluttershy, you know the foliage, right? Any trees around here we could turn into a nice raft?"

"There's a few we could try..."

As they talked, Octavia approached the lake. It looked calm and tranquil, a welcome respite from the noisy and oppressive forest, not to mention the chaos that had occurred in Ponyville earlier that evening. Looking at the smooth surface of the water, Octavia felt like she could just sit, stare into it, and be recharged. She couldn't imagine that any sort of beast lurked within.

"Hey." Octavia turned to see Lyra approaching her. "You okay?"

"I think so." Octavia smiled slightly. "This is... not what I expected when I first arrived in Ponyville."

"We're not usually this exciting," said Lyra.

"I hope I have not delayed the team too much--"

"You've been fine. Really." Lyra playfully slugged Octavia in the shoulder. "Trust me, if you slow us down, Medley or Vinyl'll let you know."

"Hey!" The two mares turned to see Vinyl waving at them. "You wanna help us cut some wood?"

"Of course," called Octavia. She turned back to Lyra. "We should go back." She smiled slightly. "I do hope somepony on this team knows how to make a raft--"

"I do!" chirped Lyra. "I've read every book on 'how to be an adventurer' and 'how to go on heroic quests' in the Ponyville library!" She beamed. "Just in case."

Octavia chuckled. "I should have figured." She glanced up at the sky, relieved at finally being able to see it again. It looked alright; she wasn't exactly an astronomer, but most of the celestial bodies seemed to be in their proper place. The moon was full and bright, stars twinkled around it, and--

She paused, narrowing her eyes. What? Were some of the stars moving? That wasn't right.

Meanwhile, Lyra had bounced into the air, and she kicked some sand into the lake as she landed again. "We need to get some wood that floats, some vines, seaweed or something else to pack into the cracks, and--"

The water began to slosh a bit more violently.

Octavia and Lyra looked at each other, then began to back away. "I..." began Octavia, speaking as loudly as she could. "I think the beast may be here!"

The water began to splash over the edge of the beach, drenching Octavia and Lyra as they continued to back away.

"Woah," said VInyl. "Octavia, Lyra -- run!"

The water parted, a form rose up, and the cellist's gaze fell upon the Beast of Everfree.

Octavia felt her hooves freeze as her head tilted as far back as she could. The thing -- and that was the only word she could come up with -- was absolutely massive. It rose into the air, eight times her height at least, and four times as wide. Its mouth was as large as a one-story building. Its filmy, yellow eyes were as big as Octavia's entire body. Its slimy skin, its squid-like body... all were so large that Octavia found it difficult to even accept that what she saw really existed.

A few tentacles rose out of the water, as thick as trees and almost as tall. Drops of water the size of bowling balls splashed down around the two ponies, soaking both of them. Octavia shuddered.

"Kraken!" gasped Lyra. "Octavia, it's a kraken!"

"I don't care what its name is!" was Octavia's first -- and completely honest -- response.

"WOAH!" Octavia turned to see Vinyl. "GIRLS, RUN!"

Octavia bit back a response that was along the lines of 'Duh.' "Lyra! Come on!"

The two ponies began to race back towards the treeline as the other four ponies hurried forwards to meet them. Vinyl skidded to a halt when she was still a fair distance in front of Octavia. "Tavi! Tentacle! DUCK!"

Octavia didn't question this. She simply threw herself flat. Moments later, a tentacle swept over her head, pounding a deep ditch into the sand. Octavia gulped; had the tentacle hit her, she would have been pulverized.

The kraken screeched behind her.

"Tavi! Get up, come on! This way!" yelled Vinyl.

Octavia got to her hooves, and -- after a quick glance to verify that Lyra was also on the right path -- sped forwards again.

When the kraken swung a tentacle again, Vinyl's horn flared and a blast of light and sound exploded into existance over Octavia's head. She forced her gaze away and kept speeding forwards, but the kraken twitched in shock, and its tentacle missed. Octavia grinned. "Thanks!"

"You got it!" Vinyl's horn glowed as she sent another blast of light, this time to distract the kraken from targeting Lyra. "Come on!"

Octavia reached Vinyl's position, then turned. Medley had taken to the skies and was swooping near the kraken's eyes; it rose two tentacles to block her, but as it did so it couldn't target the others as well. Another tentacle reached out for Lyra, but Bluenote had reached her first and was helping her onto her back. "I've gotcha!" she said.

"Wait..." said Lyra.

"Alright!" yelled Vinyl. "Come on, let's knock this thing back!"

"Forget that!" yelled Medley. "Let's take it out! We've gotta cross this lake; let's teach it not to mess with us!"

Vinyl nodded. "Sure. Alright, Medley--"

"WAIT!" yelled Lyra. She was on Bluenote's back, but she suddenly reached around her barrel and pulled up, as if trying to haul up on insivible reins.

"What?" asked VInyl. Her horn flashed, but this time she herself had to throw herself to one side to dodge a tentacle. "Kind of busy!"

Medley had swooped back to the trees, and was now returning with a long stick. "Hey Vinyl, if you light this on fire I bet it'd do a number of Slimy!"

"Right!" Vinyl opened her saddlebag, Octavia belatedly recalling that she had chosen to pack mostly pyrotechnics. The DJ flipped two fireworks up to Medley, who used them to ignite the stick--

Which was encased in a golden glow and yanked from her hooves. "STOP!" screamed Lyra. "STOP IT! NOW!"

The ponies stopped for a moment. Even the kraken looked confused.

"What is it?" demanded Vinyl. "What's your problem?"

"Haven't you seen how many tendrils that thing has?" asked Lyra. "Look at it! It's huge! If it wanted to pound Tavi and I, we'd be pounded!" She paused. "Girls, it's missing on purpose."

Octavia stared. "Lyra. It is a gigantic squid. It does not have the mind to--"

"Octavia, stop." The cellist blinked; she had not heard Lyra sound so serious before. "Look at it. It could have knocked us all down a dozen times by now, but it didn't. It's just trying to chase us away."

"It's a monster," hissed Medley. "It's not intelligent, Lyra."

"Animals are intelligent," said Fluttershy, suddenly. "At least, the ones I talk to are..."

"You know what I mean. This thing just wants lunch!"

Lyra looked around, then shrugged. "Let's see." She hopped off of Bluenote and trotted right up to the kraken.

"Lyra!" Octavia began to run forwards, but Lyra's horn glowed and Octavia felt herself yanked backwards. "Stop!"

Lyra ignored her. "Hey, kraken!" she called. "You want to eat me? Here I am!" She stood in front of it, calmly meeting its gigantic gaze.

Octavia stared. She knew that Lyra was nice, of course, but to give the benefit of doubt to such a monster boggled her. "Vinyl," she whispered.

"Trust me, if that thing attacks her, I'm yanking her out at mach 3," said Vinyl, horn glowing slightly.

But the monster didn't attack.

Instead, it slowly retracted its tentacles, then seemed almost to sag its head.

"Well," said Vinyl. "I'll be a foal. Lyra was right."

Octavia heard hoofsteps. Turning, she saw the zebra exiting the forest. She looked at them with an amazed glance.

"Alright," said Vinyl. "I think we need to hear the whole story now. We wouldn't even have seen this thing if it hadn't shown its head, so why attack us if it didn't want to eat us? And why'd you tell us all those lies about it?"

The zebra bowed her head for a long moment. Then she took out her kora again, and -- slowly, almost somberly -- began to sing:

The forest is so empty now, it's only you and me.
And if you care, I’d like to share how this song came to be.
Just come a little closer, if you really want to know...
This very sad and woeful tale begun so long ago.

I was a young zebra when I came to the Everfree
And there I spied a creature who was very sad to see
With spikes stuck through its tentacles, and gashes in its side...
This glorious squid was in such pain that I sat down and cried.

She was silent for a few moments.

I pulled! Oh, I tugged! But they would not give way!
Those damned iron spikes that keep the creature in this bay!
All I could do was ensure that the bullies would never see...
So I wrote a sign... that says beware... the Beast of Everfree.

She paused, and then the song accelerated to a much faster speed -- and with perhaps a trace of sarcasm flickering amongst the notes.

The ponies were all silent for a moment.

And then, in a tone that brooked no argument, Lyra said, "We're helping the kraken."

***
"Ready?" asked Vinyl.

"No," said Octavia. "But I doubt I will become more ready with time."

Bluenote laughed merrily, and Octavia could not help but smile. "Vinyl'll be watching. Don't worry. If something goes wrong, she'll poke the kraken till it pulls you out."

Octavia inclined her head. "Very well. We can begin"

According to the zebra (who introduced herself as Zecora), the kraken was fixed to the sea floor by three massive stakes. It was pinned so tightly that it could not lever the spikes up with its trapped tentacles, and the extruding tops of the spikes were so small that the kraken couldn't wrap its other tentacles around them to pull them up. There was just enough space, though, for about three equines to pull. As the strongest members of the group, Octavia, Medley, and Zecora were going to be sent down to try.

A tentacle wrapped around Octavia's barrel, and she cringed at the slimy sensation. "Does it know how long ponies can hold their breath?"

Vinyl grinned. "If you're drown, don't worry. I'll sue the kraken and build you an awesome monument. Word of honor."

"I am relieved that my welfare is foremost in your thoughts."

"Oh, it is! Your memorial will have a life-sized cello, except it'll be shooting flames out every hour, and--"

"...have you considered simply donating to a charity on my behalf in lieu of burning cellos?"

"Not for a moment."

Lyra began to play a miniature lyre that she had brought (along with a rope, a collapsable shovel, a hardhat, and other gear that she said was essential for 'quests') as she cast a spell. The music was sweet, soft, and seemed to carry Octavia's mind away on a light breeze. She felt herself being lulled by it. "Lyra... I thought that was for the kraken?"

"Right!" Lyra's horn flashed before resuming its glow, and Octavia felt the affects of the music lessen. The kraken, though, began to list slightly as it listened to the music. "Alright. I'm giving it such a soothing lullaby that, even if pulling the spikes really hurts, it totally won't squeeze its tentacles in pain and squish you in two at the waist!"

"...Good."

"Oh, it gets better. Hang on a sec." Lyra tensed, then used her magic to levitate the lyre and began playing it with both hooves on the strings. The high notes stayed soft and light, as before, but the lower ones formed into a swift, bright melody.

"I thought--" began Octavia.

"Shh," said Lyra. "Tough spell. Gimme sec."

For a moment, the melodies seemed like they were going to run into each other and muddle, but Lyra's horn glowed a bright yellow and they slipped apart again. Octavia's eyes widened slightly as she felt herself seem to tense; it was like the music was energizing and empowering her. Meanwhile, the kraken seemed to be completely tranquil.

Lyra, obviously strained but grinning brilliantly nonetheless, nodded at Octavia and the others who would be descending. "Kay. You three should be ready. Go be awesome!"

Medley whistled. "Two melodies... and two spells. At once. Nice." She flexed her left foreleg. "Feel like I could take on the world. Nice magic, Lyra."

Vinyl grinned. "Yeah, yeah, Lyra's cool. Alright. Fluttershy -- tell the kraken we're ready!"

Fluttershy conveyed the message.

Octavia gulped. At the count, the tentacles would yank her, Medley, and Zecora down to the spikes. Lyra seemed to be strenghtening her with her magical music, but there were still many things that could go wrong. She could die for the sake of a squid.

But... honestly, it feels good to be doing something for something else. Even if it's a kraken. It is in pain and captivity, and I am trying to free it. She bowed her head. I should be grateful for this opportunity.

"For your help, thanks once again," said Zecora. She still looked stunned that the others were willing to help her, but her voice was humble and quiet. "Forever, I shall be your friend."

"Great!" said Bluenote.

"On three!" yelled Vinyl. "One! Two!"

Octavia took a deep breath.

"THREE!"

***

The first spike was the hardest. The water was cold, and Octavia almost coughed and released all her air instantly at the impact. Somehow, though, she hung on to her breath, and then she was hurtling down to the sea bed.

She hit bottom within ten seconds, finding herself staring at an ugly looking metal handle. Medley and Zecora joined her, they braced their hooves around it, and they lifted as best they could.

They raised it six inches before they had to tap the kraken to signal that they needed air.

It took five trips down to fully raise the spike and send it tumbling away. The second one took only four, and the last spike took just three trips. It was exhausting, painful, and frightening work -- at least twice Octavia opened her eyes under water to see herself hurtling towards a sharp-looking rock. When it was over, Octavia felt like she wanted to sleep for a week.

But when it was over, the kraken was free.

And -- as the kraken gathered up the ponies and Zecora in its tentacles and hugged them with obvious love -- Octavia felt wonderful.

***

Lyra swept a hoof out across the lake. “Release the kraken!” she yelled. “You are free! Free as the wind and rain!”

Octavia, who was not especially fond of being hugged by gigantic squids, had managed to wiggle out of the embrace. “Does the kraken know what did this to it?”

Zecora shook her head. “It was so very long ago... the villain's name, he does not know.”

Lyra shrugged. “Well, if we see some kraken-capturing jerk, we can kick her flank. For now, let’s move on!”

“Where are you going?” asked Zecora. “If you don’t mind me knowing?”

“The castle,” said Octavia.

“The tyrant alicorns are back,” added Bluenote. “We need the Elements.”

Zecora gasped. “The alicorns? Such depravity! Truly, what a tragedy!” She frowned. “The castle is across the lake. To go around, much time it takes.” She looked at the kraken and gave a slight nod.

Octavia asked, "Is there a shortcut? Can you come with us?”

“Forest animals I must protect. Their lives I do not dare neglect. But for your journey to the castle -- he will minimize your hassle.”

The kraken lowered itself in the water. Octavia noted, with dismay, that they could now mount its head if they so chose.

“We can ride a kraken?” Lyra gasped. “This... is EPIC! This is awesome! No knight has ever had a greater steed!”

“YEAH!” cheered Vinyl. Her serious look was gone. “This is totally the name of my next record. ‘I rode a kraken; what have you done today?’”

“I’d buy that record,” mused Bluenote.

Zecora turned to them and bowed. “I apologize for my resistance, and give you thanks for your assistance." She then bowed low to Lyra in particular. "You saw a monster deep in pain, and helped it with no thought of gain. You are the sort that all should treasure... a true hero. Beyond all measure."

Lyra blushed, her face shiny with glee.

"Return someday, with quest complete." Zecora nodded at Lyra. "I will give you a great treat--"

“Hey!” Octavia looked to see Vinyl had already climbed on the kraken’s head. “Are you all done? We’ve got to ride the MOST EPIC MOUNT IN THE WORLD!”

“Yay!” cheered Bluenote.

The ponies climbed on the kraken and waved farewell to Zecora, and then the kraken began to move towards the far end of the lake.

Above them, a single star drifted low, then fell out of the sky.