//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 Back in the Saddle // Story: The Legend of Zepplin Tales in Equestria // by Zeta Dragon //------------------------------// Episode 3 Back in the Saddle “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Rainbow dash exclaimed dancing in place. She then shot over to Zepplin, hugging him around his neck. Zepplin pulled his head back as he looked to Twilight “Who are you and why are you in my house?” “Zepplin is it? Look we are so sorry to just intrude like this, but we heard that there was a new alicorn in town and we wanted to meet you. I know this seems like a strange greeting but please believe me that it’s pretty common for other ponies to barge in.” Rainbow Dash unwrapped her hooves from Zepplin’s neck and backed away. “Ya know, if you just wanted to meet me you could have asked Rainbow here to introduce us.” At this point Pinkie Pie and the others burst in through the doorway. “We heard Rainbow scream!” Applejack started. “I uh oh…” She stared at Zepplin. Zepplin, turning around and seeing the small army of ponies that had invaded his home, began “Wait I know all of you. Ahahaha.” He burst out laughing “Just because I’m an alicorn? Ahahahaha.” “Girls this is Zepplin.” Twilight introduced everypony. “Well Zepplin you don’t know how special that makes you, I mean every alicorn I’ve ever heard of has been royalty. Why even our own Twilight here is Princess of Ponyville.” Rarity explained. “Royalty?” Zepplin questioned “So you thought I was some sort of prince or something? hahaha.” “Well, considering the way you paid me for your suit, yes I did.” Rarity responded. “Well I may not be royalty, but I am famous. Isn’t that right Dashie?” “Famous? That’s like, the understatement of the century. Ooh no no. The understatement of the millennium.” Twilight butted in “Umm no offense but well… Zepplin who are you exactly?” Zepplin pondered the question for a moment putting his hoof to his chin, then grinned “I guess you could call me a successful musician.” “Are you kidding?!” Rainbow said “You’re like the most famous hardcore rock-star in all of Equestria!” “You can barely get through half your set list before you play so loud you knock yourself out!” Zepplin grinned. “Well at least I’ve got one fan in this town.” “That’s another thing.” Applejack said “If you’re some big celebrity, then just what exactly are you doing in a little town like Ponyville?” “Why yes.” Rarity said. “A celebrity like you should be performing in big cities like Cloudsdale or Canterlot. Zepplin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Ok look, nopony is supposed to know that I’m here. Alright? I’m going to be honest with you. That accident in Cloudsdale that the papers blamed on an air quake? That was my concert. I played too loud and the cloud dome… it just, it just came crashing down. I had to cancel the tour. My manager Hawk set me up with this place and if he found out ponies knew I was here he’d be furious. So please, all of you need to promise me not to tell anyone about me until this whole thing blows over.” “Why of course Zepplin.” Twilight smiled “We’ll keep your secret right girls?” “Mmhmm” they all replied. “Thank you everypony!” Zepplin said. “I won’t forget this. I’ll see if I can talk some sense into Hawk and maybe we could all hang out sometime.” “Yeah!!!” everypony said. “Aw, buck Hawk!” Zepplin said. “I’ll be at sugarcube corner tonight around nine!” “Yeah!!! Let’s do it” they all said. --- That night Hawk returned. “Zepplin, Zepplin are you here? I swear if that stallion ran off again I’m gonna!” he stopped and looked in at the Master bedroom and saw the covers raised as though someone was sleeping in the bed. “Oh for Tartaurus sake Zepplin, are you going to bed or have you not even woken up yet?” The griffin smirked as he walked over to the side of the bed. “Well?” Hawk said. “Aren’t you going to ask me how my date went?” no response came from the lump in the sheets “What, are you jealous? You’re not speaking to me now is that it?” still no response from the figure in the bed. “Listen dude, I know you’re bummed about not being able to leave, but this is only temporary. Okay?” The lump on the bed still didn’t move. “Hey, wake up ya lump!” Hawk said as he gripped the sheet with his talon and ripped it back. Under the sheet was a fancy suit stuffed with pillows to mimic the shape of a body. Hawk’s eyes widened. “Why that motherbucker.” he whispered to himself before he raced back downstairs and out the door. --- Meanwhile down at sugarcube corner Zepplin and his new friends were celebrating their friendship. “I got another batch of my special Rainbow flavored cupcakes!” Pinkie yelled holding up a baking pan. Rainbow Dash took one and started munching on it “Mmm these sure are good Pinkie what’s the secret ingredient?” “Oh don’t worry Dashie I’m sure you’ll find out someday!” Pinkie happily smiled. As the party raged on Twilight and Zepplin sat in a booth chatting. “So Zepplin, do you know how you became an alicorn?” “Nope. I mean, all I know is that I was born this... like this. I was born like this. Sadly, I can’t remember anything about my parents. I was abandoned in the Everfree Forest when I was just a colt. A passing wonderbolt was making a fly over and spotted me. He took me back to Cloudsdale where I went to Flight School. Growing up in Cloudsdale I was never really trained in magic. I picked up a few spells over the years but nothing as advanced as you I’m sure.” “That’s a fascinating story.” Twilight said. “But I’m so sorry about your family.” “Ah, it’s okay. I mean, I never would have gotten to where I am today. I might have never met you and your friends.” “So how did you become a rock star?” Twilight asked. “Well it’s a long story but basically one day I found out that my horn had a special power, to summon a guitar made of pure light. My horn is directly in tune with the guitar. The louder I play the brighter my horn glows. Anyway I started using this power to practice and I played small shows for ponies everywhere. Then one day I got a letter asking me to perform at Hoofstock. I took my friend Hawk who has been with me since flight school to the performance but they wouldn’t let us in because I didn’t have a manager. So, I told them my manager was Hawk and they bought it. I’ve been rocking ever since.” “Wow!” Twilight said. “That’s a cool story” “I hope you don’t mind me asking.” Zepplin began, “But are you the same Twilight that stopped discord and queen chrysalis?” Twilight looked away with a sheepish blush. “Oh! Yep that was me. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends though. Together we used the Elements of Harmony to stop Discord as well as Nightmare Moon. Actually, my brother and his fiancée at the time were the ones who really defeated Chrysalis.” Twilight said. “Wow so you really are the wielders of the elements. That must be so cool, being heroes.” Zepplin said solemnly. “Well Rainbow Dash might think so but to tell you the truth it’s really just another responsibility.” Twilight said. Zepplin looked at her with his golden eyes and Twilight saw that he was hiding something, a thought or a feeling about what she just said. As she was about to ask him about it loud music came pounding from just outside in the town square. “What in tarnation?” yelled Applejack. “ooh T-t-that’s really loud.” Said Fluttershy. All the ponies ventured outside Sugarcube corner to investigate the commotion. Outside a large group of ponies were gathered by the fountain around a small stage with big letters that said DJ PON3. On the stage was Vinyl Scratch herself, the blue haired, white unicorn with her trademark beat bug glasses. “OH YEAH IT’S A PONY PARTY TONIGHT!” she screamed over the microphone. “Is there anypony out there who wants to come up on stage and rock with Vinyl Scratch!” A frenzy broke out as nearly everypony in the audience raised their hooves high. “hmm You there, the… alicorn!” she pointed her hoof at Zepplin. “Wh-What?” Zepplin said reserved. Vinyl giggled “Yeah. You get your butt up here on the stage blue boy!” Zepplin started to back away but was blocked by a wall of cheering ponies including his newfound friends. Zepplins golden eyes looked over the stage as a serious look came over him, and he marched towards the stage. Zepplin walked up on stage as he heard the roar of the ponies from below. His eyes scanned the crowd eventually working their way over to Vinyl Scratch who was leaning up against a speaker with a turntable on top of it. She had her arms crossed. “So hehehe you think you got what it takes to share the stage with Vinyl Scratch, eh?” she asked in a cocky tone. Zepplin nodded his head. “Ya know your mane looks like it was from three decades ago!” Vinyl said as the ponies in the audience burst out laughing. Twilight looked around at them “That wasn’t very nice of Vinyl to say” Twilight said. “What do ya say to a little rock off?” Said Vinyl. “I think the audience would make perfect judges.” She said. Zepplin again nodded his head. “What’s your name?” “Zepplin” the alicorn responded. “Zepplin everypony.” Vinyl reiterated. Zepplin gestured with his hoof. “Ladies first.” “Why thank you!” Vinyl giggled “This way it’ll be over before you even begin.” She said to Zepplin. Zepplin rolled his eyes as Vinyl Scratch brought out her base cannon. The beats pulsed and shook the ground the speakers pounded in and out as the white unicorn spinned the discs on the turntable creating a new species of sounds. Zepplin was covering his ears with his hooves. He couldn’t stand it, but the other ponies could, and they loved it. Vinyl bounced up and down on her hind legs with the music as sparks started to fly from the discs as she was scratching. When it was over the crowd went wild cheering and chanting “Vinyl, Vinyl!” “Well your turn, if you even want to try and beat that.” Zepplin approached the center of the stage and took a deep breath. He ran a hoof through his long unkempt mane and took another breath. The audience waited in suspense. What could possibly follow, let alone beat Vinyl’s performance? Zepplin closed his eyes as his horn again wrapped in a golden glow and summoned a guitar made from pure light in front of him. The air was silent as the lone stallion stood on the stage, Vinyl smirking in the corner. Zepplin then readied himself as he stood up on his hind legs, using his wings to balance, and clutched the guitar in his hooves. His horn was now a dim glow, resembling that of a candle in the dusk. Then he started to play and sing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_1hLiqwq7c) Hawk was coasting over the town when he heard the roaring music coming from the town square. He focused his gaze at the stage, but as he did the heavens were lit up with golden light. Blinded by the intense glare he stumbled in the air and began to fall. Hawk growled and began to right himself, squinting through the glare, when the sound from the speaker blasted to life, the vibrations sending him spiraling once again toward the ground. Hawk crashed into the sea of ponies and struggled as the frenzied mosh pit pulled him into an unwanted crowd surf away from the stage. His desperate protests dwarfed by the music and the roaring voices of the crowd shouting “Heavy Metal!” over and over. Vinyl took off her glasses, revealing her colorful eyes as Zepplin entered his solo. She then immediately put them back on as the light from his horn flared even brighter. Finishing his song, Zepplin struck a final, epic cord, and then collapsed into blackness. ---- “Aww… my head.” Zepplin awoke in a room made entirely of wood with hundreds of books lining shelves on the walls. As he sat up he saw that he was in a bed and his forehead was wrapped in gauze. He looked around, seeing a bed across from him and another, dog like bed on the floor. Zepplin moaned, putting a hoof to his head. As he slammed his head and hoof back down on the pillow he heard voices coming from downstairs. Zepplin looked over to the side of the loft he was on where he could get a clear view of where he was at. The place was a large tree that must have served as the town library. He saw another area below him with even more books on the shelves. He could also see Twilight, along with her friends talking with a hawk headed griffon. “Hawk?” Zepplin whispered to himself. “Oh no.” Hawk was talking with Princess Twilight. “I’m telling you he’s out of control!” Hawk yelled “Please Mr. Hawk calm down.” Twilight said “I know Zepplin is supposed to lay low but honestly he didn’t hurt anything.” Hawk looked at her with piercing eyes, like he thought she had no business meddling in their affairs. Which was exactly the case. “Didn’t hurt anything? He not only lied to me and broke his promise, he knocked me out of the sky! Not to mention the damage he’s doing to himself! I brought him here to keep this kind of thing from happening. Imagine what the media will do if they find out about the Cloud Dome incident. Plus, he told all of you about all of this stuff after knowing you for how long? He’s too reckless.” Rainbow dash burst through the front door slamming it shut behind her and bracing herself up with it to hold it closed. “Uh you guys… we may have a tiny, tiny problem.” She said pinching the clefts of her hoof together. “What is it Rainbow?” Twilight asked. Rainbow responded “I think Zepplin might have a few… fans.” She strained to hold the door shut as they began to hear pounding on it from the outside. Hawk looked out the window “Horsefeathers.” He muttered as he looked out the window at the sight of practically all of Ponyville chanting ”We want Zepplin, We want Zepplin!” Hawk flew back down near Twilight. “They found us. We need to move him. Applejack go see if Zepplin’s awake and feeling better either way we need to get him out of here.” “NO!” Zepplin said, standing at the base of the stairs as everypony in the room turned. “Zepplin what the hay do you think you’re doing! I told you to wait in the house!” Hawk shouted. “I was doing what I do best Hawk! I was entertaining.” Zepplin responded. “Zepplin do you know what would happen if ponies found out you were responsible for the collapse of the Clouddome? You’d never be allowed to perform ever again and you would probably be banished back to the Everfree forest. You don’t want to live that life again do you?” Hawk said. “No Hawk, I don’t. But we can’t keep running away from our problems. I’m tired of wandering around looking for where I belong.” Zepplin said. Fluttershy spoke up “Umm e-excuse me b-but what about princess Celestia?” Twilight spoke up “Fluttershy you’re a genius Celestia is the high princess of Equestria. We can go to her and have her pardon you. She would forgive you for the Cloud dome. It was an accident after all.” “But how are we going to get Zepplin all the way to Canterlot without anyone noticing? It’s too far to fly and he’s still week from that performance.” Hawk said. “hmm I can teleport us outside the back of the Treehouse.” Twilight continued. “But we’ll have to take the train to Canterlot.” "And just how in tarnation do we sneak a celebrity like Zepplin onto a train?” “I think I might have an idea” Rarity said. Zepplin looked back and forth between all of them. “I’m not going to like this am I?”