//------------------------------// // Performance // Story: The Shattered Remnants of My Mind // by Chivalry //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Performance Part 1: Coming Together As Leon finished reminiscing, the phone in his room rang. "Hello?" "Hey, Leon. Are you still going to the play?" his mother asked. "Of course I am. In fact, I was just getting ready to pick you up." "Oh, you're so sweet. I'll see you in a few then." "Yea, see you in a few… I love you, mom." "I love you too. Goodbye." "Goodbye." He hung up the phone and walked out towards home. He hasn't been to the house since he was injured and was anxious to get back home. He looked around at the world around him as he walked. Canterlot had always been a sight to see, but he was awestruck as he looked around. Many of the old houses were torn down and replaced by these extravagant mansions, the stores had all been expanded and refurbished, and the roadways were now lit by some sort of candle on a pole. 'Wow… Canterlot sure has changed in the last couple of months.' As he continued to walk, he came across the alleyway he had nearly lost his life in. Instantly, fear began to creep into his mind. His head was screaming, 'Get away from here! Get away!' but Dr. Grey had said that he must confront his past in order to put it behind him. He examined the alleyway very carefully, making sure that he was prepared if somepony tried to jump him. As he looked down, he noticed the blood stained cobblestone where everything had taken place. As the memory began to play out in front of him, he watched himself being beaten, Michael and the others laughing at his anguish. As he began to walk out of the alleyway, he saw another figure entering the alley. It was Sunny, well, the memory of him anyway, saving his life. At this, the memory ended, and Leon found himself crying silently yet again. He sat there for a few minutes until her heard familiar voices just outside. He peeked out and noticed a purple unicorn with magenta streaks in her hair walking with a tall, yellow unicorn with a red and orange mane; his friends, Twilight and Sunny. "Hey guys," he said trying to sound cheerful. "Oh, hey Leon. What are you doing out here?" Sunny asked. "Well, Windbreaker's play is tonight, and…" "Oh my gosh! Was that tonight?" Twilight interrupted, clearly distressed. "Y-yes. It is tonight. Why?" Leon responded nervously. If there was one thing he learned from being Twilight's friend, it was never a good thing when she was caught off guard. "I can't believe that I forgot! And I have a big test tomorrow! Oh, but I really really want to go…" "Twilight!" Sunny put his hoof to her lips. "We've studied enough for this week. I think that we deserve a break, and what better way to spend the evening than watching a play." Sunny turned back to Leon. "What time should we be there?" "Oh, uh… The play starts at five, but you should show up earlier to get the seats you want." "Alright, we'll see you there, Leon." "Yea, see you there." Sunny and Twilight started to walk away, and as they left, Leon watched them. 'They really do look like a perfect couple. Shame they haven't noticed it themselves.' He chuckled as he thought about it. 'I wonder if I should say something tonight just to screw with them.' Before he knew it, he was just down the road from his house. Compared to the houses he had passed on the way there, his home was out of place. His family lived in an old sod home next to a large oak tree. The outside covered by stucco and painted an earthy brown with two to three windows on each wall. The yard was a wide-open field with a tile path leading to and from the road. When Bolt formed the Wonderbolts, they had to leave their old home in Ponyville to live in Canterlot. When they arrived, Bolt built them a new home to live in. It was just like their old home in almost every way, accept for the abundance of trees that Canterlot seemed to lack. The thoughts of being in his home again filled him with joy, and he ran as fast as he could. "Mom, I'm home!" he announced, and looked around the room for Moondancer. While she was nowhere to be seen, he did notice another pony sitting in one of the large chair near the fireplace reading a book. "Well well. It's been a long time, Leon." Leon recognized the stallion immediately "Uncle Star!" Dawnstar put the book down as Leon charged him. "What are you doing here?" Leon asked embracing his beloved uncle. "Do you think I would miss little Windbreaker's play?" Dawnstar and Leon sat down. "So, how are you doing? Getting better, I hope." "Yea, Dr. Grey just took off some of the bandages. She says that I'm healing really fast for a pegasus. What's new with you?" "Well, I was promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard a month ago, which is why I haven't seen you guys sooner." Leon's eyes widened. "Wait. You're Captain of the Guard? No way!" "Yea, I didn't believe it either, but I am." Dawnstar sat back in the chair with a smug smile plastered on his face. Over the years, Leon knew just how t push his uncle's buttons. "Yea, how could they let a scrub like you be a Captain?" ding-ding* "Hey, what do you mean by that? I'm no scrub! I worked hard for that position!" Leon just rolled his eyes and laughed. After realizing what he was doing, Dawnstar joined him. Looking over at the clock, Leon was reminded of the play... "Hey, is mom ready?" "She was just getting dressed when you walked in." Dawnstar stood and started walking toward Moondancer's bedroom. He knocked twice, "Hey you ready, Dancer?" In response, the door opened slowly, revealing the stunning mare. She wore a midnight blue and white dress with earrings that glistened like the stars, and her necklace that bore four different colored birthstone gems; a blue sapphire representing her, turquoise representing her late spouse, rose pink garnet representing Windbreaker, and finally the fire red ruby which represented Leon. "I am now," she replied. As she walked out into the main room, she did so with royal elegance, almost gliding on the floor, but as soon as she saw her son, all of this disappeared. "LEON!" she cried, running and embracing her son. Leon shared a similar conversation with his mother as he did with Dawnstar, and soon the three set off to get the doctor and head for the school, where Windbreaker was preparing for perhaps the biggest night of her life… "Christo? Christo? Where could that filly be?" the play director asked. "We need to do one last runthrough before showtime. Somepony please find her!" Windbreaker was in the bathroom stall, a nervous wreck. She had studied the part for months and months, practicing with whomever she could get a hold of, even being so bold as to ask Sunny and Twilight for help one day. Even with all of this preparation, she was shaking, and terrified of what was to come. When she heard somepony enter the room, she stiffened. "Hey, Windbreaker? It's Ivy, are you in here?" Ivy was a light pink colored earth filly with a green and blue mane. She has been Windbreaker's best friend since they moved to Canterlot, and they could turn to each other for anything. Ivy walked down the row of stalls, looking for her friend. "Well, if you're in here, Ms. Querade is looking for yooOUUU!" As the stall door flew open, Windbreaker grabbed her friend and pulled her in like a trapdoor spider. Ivy was caught completely off guard and stumbled into the wall. "Ow! Warn me next time you're gonna do that!" Ivy complained rubbing the top of her head. As she was preparing to scold Windbreaker and tell her all the possible ways she could have done that better, she saw her friend's face filled with tears. "I… I can't do it! I can't go out there!" Windbreaker burst into tears. "I… I don't e-even know why sniff* I agreed to pl-play this paaart!" As she watched her friend cry, Ivy couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. She had been the one who pushed Winbreaker into trying out for the part. She sat next to her friend, trying to comfort her. "Hey, hey. Don't cry now. You're makeup will run." She wiped the tears off of her friend's face. "You'll do fine, trust me. There's a reason you got the lead. Besides, I'll be out there with you every step of the way." Windbreaker looked at her friend, eyes bloodshot and filled with tears, "Promise?" Ivy rolled her eyes and smiled. 'So childish.' "I promise. Now, we should get going. Ms. Querade has been looking for you," Ivy got up and opened the door. As soon as Windbreaker walked out into the hallway, she was spotted by none other than their teacher. "Christo!" the distraught mare shouted. "Where have you been? It's half an hour till curtain! Get to your flank back in the dressing room!" Windbreaker swallowed hard, "Y-yes ma'am!" ------------------------------ As Leon and the others entered the auditorium, they were handed the playbill and a ticket for a free drink. Leon looked around, stunned by how large and extravagant the room seemed. There were large tapestries hanging on the walls, gold tinsel elegantly lining the ceilings like the web of a spider, and finally a large chandelier illuminating the whole room. After taking in all of the beautiful furnishings, Leon snapped out of he star-stricken state and started trying to find his friends Sunny and Twilight. 'Oh come on! How hard can it be to find a purple mare and a sun-gold stallion?' Leon thought, frustrated that he couldn't find them. Just as he was about to fly up for a better view, he spotted Sunny walking down the aisle. Sunny was wearing a black vest with a white undershirt and tie. As Leon watched him, he also noticed all of the eyes that were following him. Leon chuckled, 'If those girls turn around any faster, their necks are gonna break!' "Hey, Leon!" Sunny walked up to his friend. "How are you Sunny?" Leon went to shake his friend's hoof, but was instead brohoofed. 'I don't think I'll ever get used to that…' "I'm pretty good, Leon. I saved you a seat up front if you want." "Yea, sure. I'll be down in a second." "Alright, well hurry up. The play is about to start," Sunny said, smiling as he returned to his seat. Leon walked over to where his mother and the others were sitting to see everypony laughing. "What's so funny guys?" Leon checked himself over to make sure that they weren't laughing at him. When Moondancer finally caught her breath, she said, "Oh, it's just that Dawnstar was telling us about one of the new recruits. Did he really do that?" Dawnstar replied, "Yea. He couldn't stop yelling for twenty minutes!" he said crying as he continued laughing. Seeing his uncle in such hysteria made Leon smile. "So," Leon started, "Do you mind if I sit with my friends?" "Oh you mean Sunny and Twilight? Are those two going out yet?" "No, they're not, but I hope they realize how perfect they are together soon." "They will. Trust me," she said, with the same smug smile her brother uses. Leon rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll see you guys after the show." He walked back down the aisle to join his friends. As he sat down, he noticed that their party was short one member… "Hey, where's Twilight?" Leon asked looking for the purple mare. Sunny checked his watch and frowned. "She was supposed to be here awhile ago. I'll go look for her…" and just as he stood up, the doors to the auditorium opened. They looked over, and their jaws dropped… Twilight was wearing an extravagant red dress that sparkled in the light. She wore a simple maroon colored cloak around her and a diamond necklace. Leon couldn't help but blush when she looked their way. 'By Celestia, she looks amazing!' He turned to see Sunny frozen in time, his face burning red and his jaw completely slack. Twilight saw the two of them instantly and began to walk over to where they were seated. "Snap out of it Sunny! Here she comes!" Leon said, bumping his friend to help drag him out of the daze. "Huh? Oh!" Sunny sat down back in his seat thoroughly embarrassed by his behavior. "Hi, guys. Sorry I'm so late. Whoa, are you alright, Sunny?" Twilight asked, which made Sunny's blush to deepen even further if it were possible. Leon saw him start to sway and wondered if he was going to black out. Sunny tried to recover, "Uh, yea. Yea! I'm fine. Here, sit down." "Oh, thank you. Did I miss anything?" "No, the play is just about to start. You look very nice tonight by the way," Leon said, trying to buy Sunny some time to regain his composure. Soon, the lights dimmed which gave Sunny the necessary cover to hide his blush. As the audience hushed, a lone spotlight fell on the stage, where a young stallion walked out carrying a large book with him. "Ladies and Gentlecolts," he began, his velvet voice filled the room, "Thank you all for joining us in the telling of this epic. Before I begin to read the tail of our two heroes, I must remind you that when the exit doors close, they will not open again till the intermission. If you must excuse yourself, this is your very last chance." He paused, allowing for some of the parents to take their foals out one last time. After they had returned, he opened the tome and prepared to read. "Now, let us begin!" His spotlight started to fade and be replaced by a smokescreen, "Our story begins many years ago during the Age of Chaos…" ------------------------------ Intermission: The gilded doors of the auditorium flew open as a stampede of young ponies flew out in search of a restroom. It took all that Leon had to not be completely trampled or swept away by the flood. After they filed out, Leon, Sunny, and Twilight headed for the concession stand to get some food. "Leon, I gotta tell you, your sister is doing an amazing job out there," Sunny said patting his friend on the shoulder. "Yes," Twilight continued. "its amazing considering how shy she is in front of other people." Leon smiled, "Thanks you guys. I'm so proud of her for following through with it, and I'm sure that she was happy to see the both of you. Especially you," he said pointing at Twilight. "You're her idol." "R-really?" Twilight blushed. "But why?" Sunny stepped in, "Well, you're an outstanding student, you help everypony you meet, you stay out of trouble, and your one of the most beautiful mares in all of Canterlot." When he realized what he said, he blushed and looked down. "Well thank you, Sunny," she said smiling. "I appreciate the compliment. You're not so bad yourself stud." She threw a seductive glance Sunny's way. 'if it were any colder, I might be able to see steam coming off of his head' Leon thought to himself as he watched the two of them. Being around them always helped Leon feel better about everything. Before he could leave the hospital, they always came over and helped him with the schoolwork he was missing and gave him something to look forward to. Their mere presence lifted his spirit and made all of his problems go away. Thinking about it now, he probably wouldn't have made it this far out of his spiral without there help. "Leon, where are you going?" Sunny called out. "Huh?" Leon finally broke out of his train of thought to realize he was on the terrace. "Oh, I didn't…" "Ah, never mind that. I need to talk to you anyway." Leon looked around. "Where's Twilight?" At this, Sunny's face turned from his normal joyful demeanor to one of stone. "She had to use the little mares room, but she's actually what I need to talk to you about…." ------------------------------ Part 2: The Cleansing Light… "Leon, I think I'm in love… With Twilight." Sunny said walking over to the terrace, resting is hooves on the railing. "…and this is a bad thing?" Leon asked, puzzled. "No! Maybe… I don't know." "Why ask me for advice?" "You are one of my closest friends, pretty much my brother, and I trust you and Twilight more than anypony else. I want to tell her, but I'm terrified of what she will think. Will she hate me, or does she share my feelings?" he put his head in his hooves. "I don't know what to do." Leon looked up at the night sky, searching for a way to respond to his friend's conundrum, when it finally hit him. "Do you know the story about The Moon's Love?" he asked, still staring up at the night sky. Sunny raised his head, "No, I can't say I do." "Over a thousand years ago, there was a young mare whose job was to raise the moon and create the night sky, and she loved her job so. She put so much time and effort into every night she created, she wanted to show it off to everypony, however, nopony was awake to witness her work." "Nightmare Moon…" Sunny muttered. "Yes," Leon sighed. "This is the tail of Nightmare Moon, however, there is something that many ponies don't know. There was one pony who shunned the day, and lived during the night. He spent every night basking in the glow of the moonlight and watching as the stars shot across the sky. He fell in love with the night, but most importantly, he fell in love with its creator." Leon paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing. "He wanted to confess his feelings to her, but was afraid of what she would say to him. After all, she was a princess and he was but a mere peasant. So he kept his feelings a secret until he could no longer hold it in. He came to the castle seeking her out, to tell her how he felt." Leon looked over to see Sunny watching him like a little school colt. "Then what happened?" Leon chuckled, "Well, he found her in the courtroom, arguing with her sister. As the argument heated, she began to change… Turning into this terrifying monster who felt scorned and unloved. When she finished her transformation, her sister used the Elements of Harmony to banish the Princess of the Night to the Moon for one thousand years. He was crushed. If he had told her sooner, maybe he could have saved her. Maybe she would be with him, but he was far too late. And so, every night, he would look up at his love, but he could never have her." Sunny understood, "So, you're saying I need to tell her before I lose her, but how do I do that?" "You've known the answer to that all along, Sunny!" Leon then pointed to his friend's chest, "You just need to tell her what's in your heart, and you'll be fine." Sunny heaved a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Leon." "Anytime, just don't make a habit of it!" Leon replied with a playful pat on the shoulder. As the two headed back to the main foyer, they were stopped by Dr. Grey. "Leon, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. "Sure Dr. Grey. I'll see you back in the theatre," he said turning back to Sunny. Sunny nodded and left, leaving the Dr. and her patient alone. "Leon, have you experienced any 'episodes' while watching the play up to this point?" "No Dr. and, please, don't worry. I will let you know if anything happen," he said smiling the biggest grin possible to help put her at ease. It only seemed to put her more on edge. "Are you sure? I could give you something to make you fall asleep, or I can grab Luther and we can leave right now, or…" "Dr. Grey, I'll be fine!" Dr. Grey eyed him suspiciously, "Okay, but if anything does come up, remember I'm sitting with your folks." Suddenly, one of the school's loudspeakers began to sound. "THE PLAY'S INTERMISSION IS JUST ABOUT TO END. PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR SEATS." Leon seized the opportunity to change the subject, "We should get going. Don't want to get locked out!" Half an hour later, Leon and the others are watching the play… "Not so brave now are ya, punk!" a white colt said to a bound pegasus. Leon began to sweat, he felt his chest getting tighter, and he the room begin to spin. He tried to shake himself out of it, and closed his eyes to stop the spinning. When he did, he was brought back to that horrific nightmare that had been plaguing him: "I'm gonna teach you the true meaning of pain!" Leon was now in the theatre of his mind. It was impossibly dark, but he could feel his legs bound once again. "I'm gonna teach you the true meaning of pain, Christo! And I promise you, you're never going to forget this!" When he finished saying this, Leon lowered his head, and began to chuckle. Michael was taken aback by this, "Something funny?" "Yes, there is," Leon started, his anger flaring. "The fact that I am still plagued by such an insignificant, irrelevant memory!" "Why YOU!" Michael struck out towards Leon, but he was stopped. His arm began to disintegrate as a light began to flow from Leon's being. The light also burned his bonds away, and he stood to face his terror. The closer he walked to Michael, the more of Michael and the darkness surrounding them began to fade away. "You are a spiteful, terrible, and evil being, Michael, but I no longer fear you! You have no power over me!" Leon yelled as a wave of light crashed against Michael causing him to reel back and yell in pain. "But I should thank you… If it weren't for what you did to me that day, I would have never met Sunny or Twilight or even Dr. Grey." His voice was becoming stronger and stronger as he watched Michael's evil aura burning away, "And they all taught me the most important lesson! They taught me that it doesn't matter what has happened in your past, but it is what you do right here, right now that counts! And true friends will do whatever it takes to help you move on!" The darkness had been completely burned away at this point, and Leon was engulfed in light. It warmed and soothed his very soul, allowing him to be at peace for the very first time since the incident. The feeling was pure bliss, but even in this state, he could hear the cheers and clapping of hundreds of ponies. Leon snapped open his eyes to see that the play was over, and all of the actors were taking their final bows. Windbreaker stood in the middle of them all with a giddy smile on her face. "Hey, Leon," Leon felt someone nudging his side. He turned to see Sunny watching him, his eyes full of concern. "Are you alright? You were talking to yourself." "Wh-what? No! I'm fine. Actually, I'm better than fine." He smiled and waved back at his sister. "What do you mean?" He looked back to his friend with a slight smile, "I'll tell you about it later, but tonight is Windbreaker's night." Sunny looked to the stage and smiled, "You're right. We should celebrate her magnificent performance tonight."