On the road to Detrot, a couple of days out of Manehattan; Trixie's wagon, pulled by her, stops. The band gets out and stretches their legs for a bit.
Vinyl Scratch smells smoke and runs to the source. "Hey, this wheel's on fire!" Then notices Trixie with a sheepish look, "Um, what happened?"
"Needed to change wheels, and got a little frustrated taking it off."
Sweetie Belle shakes her head at how this trip was going,"Okay, this may be a good a time to stop for a rest anyways. The wagon is a nice way to travel; If only it wasn't so crowded!"
Trixie briefly glares at Sweetie. "You could help pull. My magic may make the load lighter, but it is still hard, and boring, work pulling it long distances."
That night, the band sits around the campfire. Wild Rover brings a couple of instruments with him. He puts the guitar aside,and then plucks the single string attached to a wooden board,creating a buzzing single note.
"What the hay is that?" asks Trixie
Lyra answers before anyone else,"A monochord. an ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument."
Wild Rover begins to sing.
"Well that song was different.and slightly depressing," comments Vinyl Scratch."Got any other song that would get this party started?"
Wild Rover nods as he grabs his guitar,"I might, and it seems appropriate."
Wild Rover hands Lyra the guitar, "Practice while I go and grab my banjo." He picks up the monochord as he heads for the wagon. Lyra strums the guitar, getting a feel for it.
Rover comes back with his banjo, "Not bad, Lyra." She smiles at the compliment."Okay, I am sure everypony has heard this song at summer camp."
After a couple more campfire songs, the band members settle down to sleep.
Princess Luna flies overhead checking up on the band after having read Princess Twilight Sparkle's letter to Princess Celestia. She was a bit concerned about Sweetie Belle's growing power as well.
Landing softly, and quietly walking among the sleeping band members. When near Sweetie Belle, the Princess of the Night subtly probes the singer. It wasn't just the raw power, but how complex and sophisticated Sweetie's talent was; Almost like Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's gift with love. Thankfully, nowhere near the power levels of any of the Princesses.
Luna raises an eyebrow as a mystical field seeps from the sleeping singer towards her follow band members. The Princess closes her eyes, and steps into her lesser known role, as the defender of dreams.
Carefully entering the now shared dreams of the band. This kind of thing was very rare; and only happens to those closely associated with each other, and under great deal of stress.
Sweetie Belle looks around. Why is she and the rest of the band in a classroom filled with such strange creatures? All of whom were wearing clothes. Lyra is grinning widely and vibrating with excitement. The rest of the band looks puzzled.
Then a similar, yet slightly older, creature steps into the room. A teacher?
Wild Rover approaches Sweetie Belle to ask what is is going on, the atmosphere and scene changes all around them.
As Lyra Heartstrings steps forward to explain what is happening; there is another shift,
Vinyl Scratch having a hint of what is going on, steps into the growing circle with a smile, eager to see whats next.
The disc jockey, grinning, turns to her friend, Octavia, "Come on, 'Tavi, your turn to join us,"
The classical cellist hesitates for a moment, "Oh all right, if you insist." The atmosphere and scene changes as Octavia joins with the rest of band.
Octavia cries "Why!? Such beautiful music used in a beastly manner like that!" The others are in despair as well; Even Lyra, with her obsession with humans, is crying.
Luna steps forward. "All this is a dream, a shared one at that."
Everypony turns, "Princess Luna!" and they all bow down to her.
Then Luna speaks in Royal Canterlot Voice, "Time For All of You to Wake Up...NOW!"
Trixie wakes up as well, "What is going on here?" Then bows as well. "Princess Luna!?"
"Sweetie Belle here has quite a gift for magic, especially when it comes to music.What surprises me, and likely everyone else here was the shared dreams. That only happens under extreme stress with close associates."
"Trixie sadly hasn't been with the band long enough to be friends." Shakes her head, then smiles "Trixie has her own dreams, some that might give Princess Twilight Sparkle nightmares. For Trixie is the most powerful unicorn in the world."
"Technically true." Luna nods at the boastful showmare, "But, don't let your arrogance make you forget that the new princess is still the Element of Magic."
With a contrite voice,"I won't"
Wild Rover gives Trixie a hug, "You are a friend, Trixie. I think the dreams were meant for musicians only." Directing a question to both Princess Luna and Sweetie Belle. "Care to explain?"
"Except for the last one, the dream sequences represent your own desires and personalities. Sweetie Belle wants to sing a style of music. Unless she really wants a physical chunk of earth." Everypony laughs.
"Can't have Tom, Rarity already has her hooves on him."
"Who's Tom?" asks Wild Rover.
"Discord's trick with my sister. She thought a huge boulder was a diamond." Everyone chuckles lightly, imaging the cruel but funny scene.
"What's with the clothed bipeds?" Asks Rover, The pegasus was quite impressed with this Waylon, and how he played the guitar. "They sure can play music."
"As Miss Lyra Heartstrings would rightly tell you, they are humans. A long lost race in this world, but alive in others."
Octavia asks, "What was with the last part? Why so violent?"
Luna nods thoughtfully. "I can't really explain why. But, remember: Humans and ponies are both complex creatures, similar in many ways to each other. .
Equestria wasn't always a paradise, especially during Discord's reign. Some ponies, including Celestia and myself, had to do terrible things in order to have a chance at taming the land." She shakes her head to dispel some of the dark memories.
"Humans have their own struggles. In some universes, they have been able to tame their more darker impulses. Although they are still predators at heart; Very much like griffins. We ponies have our own natural instincts to overcome as well. In order to build and maintain a stable civilization, the struggle never really ends."
"Will we meet them?" asks Lyra, hopefully
Luna shakes her head no, "Unlikely. solid objects have very little chance of crossing over into other universes. And they rarely survive intact. Only concepts, dreams and ideas are able to crossover dimensional barriers. They can be picked up by a few special ponies; Aside from my sister and myself." Then Luna frowns, "And Discord as well."
Then the Princess smiles softly at Lyra and Sweetie. "Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Belle are two here who can also do the same."
Luna starts stretching her wings. "I must go, I have other duties to preform."
She flies away as they all say good bye.