//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Pegapalooza // Story: When Music is Silenced // by Summer Knight //------------------------------// The muzzle-melting music of My Metal Pony tore through Cloudsdale. Thunder scanned the crowd during a brief instrumental and took pleasure and pride in how fierce and energetic his music had made them. I've never seen a mosh pit in mid-air before. That is seriously bad-flank. Masses of pegasi were soaring around and slamming into one another directly above the more traditional mosh pit that the earth ponies and unicorns had begun on the clouds below. Twilight's cloud-walking spell worked perfectly, and the clouds gave no more trouble to the ponies than a grassy field would. The wild tones from Power Chord's guitar reached their peak and began to fade, cuing Thunder to lean forward and sing. "With your song, your path is crossed. One by one, your friends are lost. Alone you face the coming storm, Equestria's joy its cost! CACOPHONYYYYYYYYYYYY!" He banged his head to the music as he waited for his next verse to begin. "All you know has been forsaken, magic, mirth, and music taken. But not alone you face the beast, your power shall awaken! CACOPHONYYYYYYYYYYYY! When you're faced with a demon's might, when there is no hope in sight, when it seems that all must fall, just take in the light. HARMONYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! A rainbow blur shot from behind the stage, nearly drowning out the last notes of the song as it punched a hole in the sky. The crowd stared in awe at the Sonic Rainboom, a thing that had only been done three times—now four—in living memory. "HARMONYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Thunder's voice faded with the music and the band stood silent, drinking in the cheers and applause of the audience. Rainbow Dash landed on stage next to him, making sure to get her share of the adoration. Hooves on clouds made a weird sound, Thunder mused, but the energy was there. "Thank you, Cloudsdale!" Thunder roared into his microphone, making himself heard over the crowd. "It has been bucking amazing being here. I would just like to take a moment to thank Rainbow Dash for her bad-flank Rainboom!" He paused to let the crowd roar their approval. "Twilight Sparkle—sorry, it's Princess Twilight Sparkle now—whose cloudwalking spell made Pegapalooza possible!" Another pause for cheering, even though the bookish now-alicorn had opted not to come to the concert. "I would also like to thank Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, who, along with Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow here, planted their hooves up Cacophony's plot so we could be here tonight!" This cheer was the loudest yet, and it seemed to go on for ages. Finally the noise died down enough for Thunder to finish. "Thank you all for coming out tonight. We are My Metal Pony, and we'll be back next year to tear this place down all over again!" The four of them vacated the stage to make way for the next act. Once backstage they indulged in a group hug. It had been a little over a month since Cacophony's defeat, but this had been their first show since the Manehattan Bash. "Awesome as always, My Metal Pony," Vinyl said with a smile. The members of My Metal Pony each gave her a hoof bump as they passed. "Thanks, Pon-3," Thunder said as he took his turn. "Break a leg or four out there." "It's good to see you two getting along again," Wing Beat said as Vinyl walked out to prepare for her set. "It's good to be getting along again," Thunder admitted. "Very well done, everyone," Octavia said in her cultured accent. Apparently Vinyl had gotten her a backstage pass for the show. "Thanks." Seeing her reminded Thunder of something. "Where's Berry?" Octavia rolled her eyes. "The bar, I'm certain." Thunder snorted. "Why'd I even ask? C'mon guys, you wanna get a drink or six?" With a general chorus of affirmatives, Thunder's bandmates quickly stowed their instruments and joined him at the large cloud bar, which was being tended by no less than ten pegasi to keep up with the huge crowd. "Well, there you are!" Berry slurred. She stumbled over and planted a sloppy kiss on Thunder's cheek. "You guys sounded great out there." Thunder kissed Berry back and wrapped a foreleg around her, pulling her in close. "Thanks. I know it's not really your thing." "Nononono, I like it," Berry giggled. "Awesome set," one of the bartenders said when she spotted them. "What can I get you? On the house, of course." "Cider, please," Bass Groove placed his order. "Rum and cola for me," Power Chord said. "Apple brandy," Thunder requested. "I've gotten a taste for it lately." "Dry manehattan, straight up," Wing Beat said. "Another glass of marelot, Miss?" the bartender asked Berry, who nodded. "Coming right up." She darted away to prepare the drinks. "The Great and Powerful Trrrrrrrrixie would like bourbon on the rocks!" a familiar voice called from not too far away. Thunder caught her eye and waved for her to sit with them. While they were waiting for their drinks they were also joined by Rainbow Dash, who looked a bit flushed from exertion and the praise she'd been getting from the crowd. By the time they all had their drinks the distinctive beats of DJ Pon-3 were tearing through the air. Thunder grimaced and took a deep drink of his brandy. He might have made his peace with Vinyl, but holy buck did he still hate dubstep. Celestia had raised the sun by the time the last act had finished and the ponies had begun to stagger home. Thunder thought more than once that it was a very good thing the pegasi had created high barriers around the edges of this particular cloud. Given the amount of energy and alcohol involved in Pegapalooza it would have been very easy for somepony to wind up as a messy spot on the ground otherwise. Balloons stood ready to take the hardest partiers back down to the ground, while most of the pegasi simply flew themselves home. Thunder winced sympathetically as he saw one get pulled over—literally pulled by the hind leg—for an FUI. Thunder, his bandmates, Berry Punch, and Trixie got a balloon to themselves and settled in to enjoy the trip back down. Their instruments and equipment would be brought down separately by pegasus roadies. Cloudies? Thunder wasn't quite sure what to call them and didn't much care. Cuddled into his side, Berry fell into an alcohol-induced slumber within seconds. The others looked equally tired, and even Trixie was uncharacteristically quiet. "What was it like being part of Cacophony?" Thunder asked suddenly. The alcohol had muddled his thoughts but loosened his tongue, and he'd been meaning to ask for a while. His bandmates exchanged uncomfortable looks. "It was like a bad dream," Wing Beat finally said. "Like one of those dreams where you keep thinking that you woke up, but things still aren't right. You try to move and you can't, you try to talk and you can't..." she trailed off. "I couldn't even think for myself," Bass Groove added. "I'd try to think of something, but my mind kept getting forced back to whatever Cacophony wanted me to think about." "You mind if we don't get into it right now?" Power Chord finally said. Thunder shook his head. "No problem, pony. Sorry, didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Trixie walked over to sit next to Thunder and rested her head sleepily on his shoulder. "Thunder," she whispered for his ears only, "if I am not mistaken, your friends are going to need your help to get past this." Thunder nodded. He'd been thinking the same thing. "I know what Twilight Sparkle can teach," she added. "I know they will be in good hooves with you. Now," she said more loudly, "The Great and Powerful Trixie is weary and must sleep. Wake Trixie when we land." She pulled her large hat down over eyes and settled bacwas snoring within moments. Thunder considered his bandmates. Their faces were drawn, their eyes troubled. He knew exactly buck-all about helping somepony get past trauma like what they'd endured, but he had been taught a thing or two about friendship lately. He would do everything he could for them, just as a group of mares from a backwater town had done everything they could for him during his time of need. He would do it because he could. He would do it because it was the right thing to do. Most of all, he would do it because they were his friends. He would do it because, if there was one thing he now knew, it was simply this: Friendship is Magic.