//------------------------------// // Part 7 - Won't Give Up // Story: Lunar Eclipse: The Rock Opera // by CrowMagnon //------------------------------// Lunar Eclipse: The Rock-Opera by CrowMagnon As Celestia and Sungleam held their silent conversation, another pony stepped out of the shadows and approached them, though neither the princess nor the soldier gave any indication of noticing her. Those who knew her instantly recognized the purple-coated thestral as Nocturne Striker, especially given that she hadn't received the same costmetic alterations that many of the other actors had. "Is this what I am meant to see, Princess?" she asked, though there was no audible response. "I can't hear them. What are they saying?" She moved closer, flicking her ears as she came right up next to Sungleam and leaned in close. Oblivious to this, the unicorn continued speaking silently to Celestia. Still hearing nothing, she stepped back and looked upward. "I don't understand, Princess. What is it that you want me to see? What is it that you want me to do?" While she spoke, all of the lights except one which was focused on her and another focused on Celestia, began to dim. The light on celestia was aimed so as to cast a deep shadow against the backdrop, and Eclipse's form began to slither out of that shadow. Taken aback, Nocturne stepped back. "Is this... Eclipse? Emerging from your sister's shadow? I do not understand, Princess, how can such a deep darkness exist in Celestia's light? Are you guiding me to help her, or are you saying that Eclipse is a creation of your sister's? Please, help me to understand!" But no reply came to her. And as she waited for one, Eclipse's inky form slithered closer and closer to her. Nocturne braced herself, spreading her leathery wings and baring her fangs at the apparition until a gruff male voice called out, "Nyx! Nyx, answer me!" With a sound like a giant soap bubble popping, the light illuminating Eclipse cut out, and the shadowy monster vanished into the darkness. 'Nyx' folded her wings back against her sides and looked up. "I hear you, Elder. How did you find me?" The voice of the Elder replied, "I taught you everything you know of the dreaming, Nyx. Even after abandoning us, you are still merely a student. Now please, set aside these delusions--" "It is not a delusion!" Nyx snapped. "I follow Princess Luna's call!" Nyx's ears flattened against her head when the Elder's voice retorted, "A call that the most skilled dreamwalkers of our colony have never heard. Do you think that we have not scoured the dreaming for our Princess from the first moment that she was lost to us? Do you think that we love her any less than you? Do not be so egotistical, child! What you are hearing is not her voice, but your own desire to change what we all must accept... that Princess Luna was taken from us." The Elder's voice softened as Nyx sat on her haunches, then lay down on the ground. "Come back to us, Nyx. Come back to the colony. To your family. Wherever the Princess may be now, it is beyond our reach. We need you. Wake up and come home. Wake up. Wake up." "Wake up! Wake up," another voice began saying. A filly's voice that rang over that of the Elder. Nyx raised her head, and the stage lights brightened again, showing that the backdrop of Celestia's throne room had been replaced by one depicting a rural village. This also revealed that the filly speaking to her was Scootaloo, who was flanked by her two friends. All three of them were dressed in simple country dresses appropriate for the era that hid Scootaloo's tiny wings, and a bonnet concealing Sweetie Belle's horn. ----- "This is so unbelievably lame. If they needed some earth pony fillies, they should have just come to us instead of dressing up those no-talent losers." Diamond Tiara 'whispered' to Silver Spoon as the rich fillies and their families watched the show from the front row. Being so close, it was easy enough for her to project her voice at precisely the right volume that the Crusaders could hear, knowing that the blank-flanked fillies couldn't respond without messing up the show. "Oh, I know," Silver Spoon replied with a snicker. "But then we'd have to wear those lame costumes. Seriously, they look like something Sweetie Belle's bumpkin sister would make." ----- All four ponies on the stage flicked their tails in annoyance at the heckling from the two brats. Nocturne, who was able to hear it more clearly than the fillies, shared a look and a tiny nod with her daughter before giving her next line. "Oh, hello, children. What time is it?" Scootaloo replied, "The same time it's always been since the sun and moon stopped moving in the sky. Why are you sleeping out in the open like that, anyway, moooo..." Realizing that she was slipping up by nearly saying 'mom' in front of everypony, Scootaloo dragged the syllable out as her mind raced, quickly improvising in a bad imitation of Apple Bloom's country accent, "Maaaaaah thestral friend, whose name is Nyx?" 'Nyx' stood up and stretched her legs and wings, using one to momentarily cover her face as she gave her daughter a wink of approval for her quick thinking. "Ahh... Just sleeping under Luna's stars, little ones." "Luna's stars?" Sweetie Belle asked, her voice squeaking more than usual as a hint of stage fright crept into her performance. "B-but there ain't no stars no more, boy howdy!" Looking aghast at her unicorn friend, Apple Bloom whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "Why're ya tryin' ta sound lahk me?" "Scootaloo did! I thought we were supposed to!" Sweetie Belle whispered back. Nocturne said her next line loudly to remind the girls of where they were before they could get too far sidetracked. "The stars are there, children. Even if the sky is too bright to see them, the stars are above us just the same. In the same way, I am sure that Princess Luna can still be saved. She's calling out for help, but most ponies can't hear it." "But how do ya know fer sure?" Apple Bloom asked. "I don't know. Not in any way that I could explain," Nocturned replied as the sound of a piano and pounding drums began to play. "But it's what I believe." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Won't Give Up ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Based on "Breaking out" by The Protomen) The princess lays down in her castle Wrapped up in silken sheets. They say that she will remain there, Forever in an endless sleep. They say she's lost in Eclipse's shadow, But I can hear her spirit weep. So I won't give up on the night. No, I won't give up! The twang of an electric guitar joined Nyx as she practically shouted her last line and took wing, hovering above the fillies as she sang. The whole world's been set against us, So we should break down in fear. Just cower down in our caves When the shadow draws near. But I cannot just do nothing While she's crying silent tears, So I won't give up on the night. I'm gonna wake her up. There's so much tension now, Like a coiled spring. I'm sure that something has to give (Fillies: Something has to give.) But when it gives, I cannot know Where all the parts will fly. Time is running out. (Time is running out.) Will I find where I need to be Before everything snaps? I hope that you all can see, girls. (Time is running out.) Before Equestria falls apart, I'll fight and pray to save her soul. Nyx set back down on the ground and hugged the three fillies with her leathery wings as the music hit a momentary lull, with only the piano accompanying her words. This town has treated me well, But now it's time to move on. There's a shadow in my dreams, And I need to see it gone. So farewell all, And take care of yourselves. Pray for Luna. Save her from this spell. One day soon, we'll all see the stars And bask in moon's pale light. No, I won't give up on the night! I won't give up on the night! I won't give up on the night! I won't give up on the night. Nyx let go of the fillies and once again took wing, swooping and fluttering around the stage just as Applejack stepped onstage, her attire fancier than that of the fillies, and a green cravat that the Ponyville residents in the audience immediately identified as being nearly identical to the sort that their own mayor was fond of wearing. As Nyx banked over her, the 'Mayor' gave a startled yelp and quickly ducked. The glare that she shot the thestral's way was so over-dramatic that there was no doubt that this was a choreographed move. Less so was when the tip of Nocturne's hoof accidentally caught on the edge of Sweetie Belle's bonnet, yanking it off the little unicorn's head. Sweetie Belle's look of shock, combined with Scootaloo stifling a yelp as she pointed at her exposed horn, drew a laugh from the audience as this made it look like her being a unicorn was some shocking secret. Then again when Nocturne hastily swooped back down and hastily shoved the bonnet back onto Sweetie Belle, only to have it fall across her face. Struggling not to lose her place, Nocturne stumbled a bit into the next verse, but managed to get her rhythm back after the first line. I'm so tired of waking up Into a half-lit twilight world. And though I don't know where to go, I know that I am being led. I'll follow Luna's voice to the end, And when all has been done and said, I won't give up on the night. Wake up... The Mayor made her way to help Sweetie Belle put her bonnet back on while ducking and weaving around Nyx whenever the thestral swooped low. Scowling up at Nyx, she joined her own voice to the song. {Mayor: We don't have time for this nonsense. We don't have time for this nonsense. We don't have time for this nonsense.} I won't give up on all The thestrals in their caverns. {We don't have time for this nonsense.} I won't give up on all The lovers under the moonlight. {We don't have time for this nonsense.} I won't give up on all The soldiers fighting. {We don't have time for this nonsense.} I won't give up on all The ponies who still believe. Nyx hovered low above the ground, ignoring the Mayor as she looked into the glass of the windows of one of the buildings painted onto the backdrop. To many ponies' surprise, the face of Luna's actress seemed to be reflected on the glass, much as she had been in the mirror in her chambers earlier. None of the other ponies on stage showed any sign of seeing this, but Nyx leaned in close as if she were singing directly to the vision of Luna. I can't just stand idly by When it's all gone so wrong. The Princess has been taken From us all for far too long. I don't care at all what you might believe. I will not rest until Luna is free. And no matter where I go from here, I will not cower in fright! I will not give up on the night! I know she's crying out for someone. Waiting for a hero. And if nopony else will stand up... If nopony else will do, Then I will gladly take that role. I've seen you dreaming of happy endings. I've seen you dreaming of Equestria's tomorrow. So believe in us who believe in you. Just give me a guiding star to pierce this shadowed light. I've seen you dreaming... {We don't have time for this nonsense.} So believe in us who believe in you. {We don't have time for this nonsense.} So believe in us who believe in you. Just give me a guiding star to pierce this shadowed light. {We don't have time for this nonsense. We don't have time for this nonsense.} Just give me a guiding star to pierce this shadowed light. {We don't have time for this nonsense!} The Mayor finally raised her voice and approached Nyx directly, reaching out to yank her away from the glass. When she did so, Princess Luna's visage vanished from sight, and the Mayor held Nyx's face close enough that they were practically nose-to-nose while the music cut out except for the drums, which thumped like a heartbeat. "I've been hearing this big talk from you ever since you wandered into this town," the Mayor said, glowering at Nyx. "If anypony is going to bring Princess Luna back, it will be Princess Celestia, not some self-aggrandizing drifter spreading tales of false hope!" Seeing their friend in trouble, the three fillies ran up to the Mayor and began pestering her. "Hey! Let Nyx go," Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Yeah, she didn't do nothin' wrong!" Apple Bloom added. "Nyx is gonna save Princess Luna," Scootaloo passionately shouted, only for all three of them to shrink back when the Mayor glared down at them. "That's enough," the Mayor said, letting go of Nyx and sighing before looking her in the eye. "Listen, Nyx, this town has real problems to deal with. The minotaurs are coming this way, and the army will not be able to intercept them in time to stop them. We took you in when you wandered into this town looking for food and shelter, so if you truly want to do some good, then give up on this fantasy of being some sort of 'chosen one' and help us evacuate." Nyx narrowed her eyes. "I'm grateful to you, Madam Mayor, but I will never give up on saving Princess Luna." The Mayor grimaced and turned around in disgust. As she started to stomp away, however, Nyx added, "But I also won't give up on you. I'll help with whatever you need for the evacuation." The Mayor stopped and looked over her shoulder, nodding to the thestral. "Thank you. We need to work quickly, though. The minotaurs will be upon us soon, if we do not hurry."