//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: The beginning of something new 
// Story: The Lights of Music 
// by Allonsbro 
//------------------------------//

	
Chapter 1:


The beginning of something new


 
“Now arriving: the Canterlot Express.”
 
The conductor’s voice carried loud over the platform of the Canterlot train station. Ponies jostled and crowded each other, waiting for the train to stop and waving at loved ones they could see through the windows. Some clutched or counted luggage, waiting for their turn to board. The acrid smell of smoke and engine oil filled the air, as well as the cacophonous racket of ponies’ chatter, screeching brakes and the hissing inner workings of the train.
 
“Do you see her yet?” a light pink unicorn asked the two stallions accompanying her. She held up the wide brim of her white sun hat, bobbing and weaving her head like a curious bird to see around the other ponies on the platform.
 
A unicorn stallion stood beside her, his hair white and thinning in the front and a goatee on his chin. He chuckled, crow’s feet crinkling deeper as his smile widened. Placing a sandy-colored leg on her shoulder, he said, “The train’s hardly had a chance to stop, Dawn. Give her a minute.”
 
The pink mare settled down some. “I suppose you’re right, honey. I’m just excited. Aren’t you excited?”
 
“Course I am. Been forever and a day since I’ve seen my own daughter.” The old stallion glanced behind him. “I’m sure Neon will be just as excited once he wakes up.”
 
The third member of the group, a light blue unicorn sitting on the bench just behind the couple, worked up the effort to make something akin to a response. All that came out sounded like a barely audible grumble from deep in his throat. It would have to suffice. He did not feel like working up the effort for something better.
 
He pulled an extra-large coffee cup to his lips and took the last long sip of double shot espresso. Why anypony would ever want to be alive, let alone up and about at this hour were far beyond him. Getting up at one or two was fine, maybe even noon, but ten a.m. was complete madness.
 
At least the coffee was helping, he thought as he levitated the empty cup in the direction of the nearest trash bin. The Styrofoam bounced off the lips of the lid before falling inside. With what little enthusiasm he could muster, the stallion’s mouth curled upward slightly at the goal.
 
“You good, boy?” the sandy stallion asked him. “Come to join the living?”
 
“Yep, I’m good, Mick,” Neon groaned sleepily, blinking his bleary eyes behind his sunglasses as he stood up and moved beside the couple. “Is this Reel’s train?”
 
“Mmmm hmmm,” Dawn hummed. “Ooh, they’re letting ponies off. Do you tall stallions see her?”
 
Neon slid his sunglasses down his nose, his blue eyes scanning the crowd of disembarking passengers. There. One of the last ones off. Black trilby, light yellow coat, rat’s nest of an orange mane.
 
Mickser must have spotted her as well. Both stallions raised their hooves to wave at her at the same time. The mare smiled when she saw them, rushing through the crowd and meeting Mickser in a hug.
 
“Hey, daddy,” she greeted, nuzzling his neck.
 
The stallion hugged her back. “Hey, sweet girl.”
 
The young mare turned her attention to the other two ponies. “Dawn, Neon, I missed you,” she said, her scratchy voice alone already bringing up old memories in Neon’s mind.
 
“We missed you too, Film Reel,” Dawn said as the other mare hugged her and Neon both. “How’s Ponyville?”
 
“It’s good,” she replied as the hug broke. She gave Neon’s head an affectionate rub. “But this guy’s gonna be finding out pretty soon, huh?”
 
Dawn grabbed both Neon and Film Reel into another hug around their necks. “Ooh, my babies. Moving out and making their way in the world.”
 
Film Reel grunted. “Dawn, we both moved out years ago.”
 
“Mom,” Neon objected, “I thought I was your baby.”
 
“Oh, hush. Biological or by marriage you’re both my babies.”
 
Mickser chuckled, glancing at the train. “C’mon. We can all sit and talk for a minute before you kids have to board.”
 
The four unicorns sat down on a set of benches to chat, Film Reel and Dawn in the middle with the stallions on either end.
 
“So how’s work been, kiddo?” the sandy stallion asked, wrapping a hoof around his daughter’s shoulders.
 
“It’s good.”
 
“We see all your pictures in the papers,” Dawn proclaimed.  “If you can believe the stories, Ponyville seems like a very…interesting place to live. Was there really an infestation of parasprites?”
 
The rest of the conversation faded into background noise in Neon’s mind. The stallion rotated in his seat on the end of the bench to check the bags he had brought with him. Most of his belongings had been sent ahead and all that remained were a few things that he couldn’t live without. Igniting his horn, he lifted a box of his favorite records, counting them for the umpteenth time to ensure they all had been packed.
 
Film Reel poked his shoulder. “Hey, that reminds me. Most of your stuff arrived the other day. I put it all in the spare room. How many records does one pony need? Seriously, dude, there were like a bazillion boxes of them.”
 
“Boy buys as many records as he can get his hooves on,” Mickser said. “You should see how much room we had in our attic after he moved out.”
 
“Or how clean his apartment was once all those records were in the mail,” Dawn added.
 
“What can I say,” Neon defended, shrugging, “I like music.” He leaned forward to look at Mickser and Dawn. “Hey, we made sure that my decks are coming on this train, right?”
 
“Yes we did,” Mickser replied. “They’re packed and checked in for the shipping car.”
 
“The train for Ponyville is now boarding,” called the conductor.
 
“Guess that’s us,” said Film Reel, standing up.
 
Neon collected his things, a pair of saddle bags, a bag slung over his shoulder and the box of records.
 
“Oh, almost forgot,” said Mickser, pulling a wrapped object out of his own saddle bags. The parcel went from yellow to light blue as it passed from one aura to the other. “Brought you a going away present.”
 
Neon tore the paper, revealing a glass bottle filled with amber liquid.
 
Film Reel grabbed at the bottle, her eyes widening when she saw the label. “Hey, no fair. All I got for a housewarming present was a casserole. How come he gets booze?”
 
“We bought a good chunk of your furniture,” Mickser reminded her.
 
Dawn gave her step-daughter a glare. “What’s wrong with my casseroles?”
 
“Nothing, it was delicious,” the other mare quickly replied, becoming quiet.
 
“Thanks, Mickser,” Neon said, slipping the bottle carefully into one of his saddle bags.
 
“Now you use that responsibly, young buck,” Mickser said. “That’s the good stuff that you save for special occasions only.”
 
The blue unicorn nodded.
 
“Like when you propose to a nice filly,” Dawn whispered.
 
“Mom!” Neon groaned.
 
Mickser chuckled, giving his daughter a hug. “Bye, kiddo.”
 
“Last call for the Canterlot Express to Ponyville,” the conductor called.
 
“Oop, we gotta go,” Film Reel exclaimed, quickly giving her father an extra squeeze before dashing in the direction of the train.
 
“Hey, Neon,” Mickser called as the blue stallion followed her, “see if you can’t get that prodigal daughter of mine to answer a letter every now and again.”
 
“And you be sure to write too; as often as you can,” Dawn added, waving goodbye.
 
“OK.”
 
The two younger unicorns boarded the train and found their seats. They waved to their parents from the window for as long as they could as the train pulled out of the station. When Canterlot was behind them, Film Reel laid back in her seat, sighing.
 
“I really gotta come up and visit more.”
 
“There’s another train going out later tonight,” Neon said, settling into his own seat across from her. “You could have stayed and spent the day.”
 
“And missed the chance to get you out of bed at a decent hour? No way.”
 
They both shared a laugh.
 
“But nah,” Film Reel continued, “I can’t stay today. I got a big day. Being The Ponyville Express’s number one photographer really keeps you hopping. Ever since that whole Nightmare Moon thing last Summer Sun Celebration, it’s like there’s something new to be excited about every week. The typewriters hardly have a chance to cool sometimes. Maybe if things slow down, I can take some time off, but that just doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen any time soon.”
 
The yellow mare perked up, changing the subject. “But enough of me complaining. What’s been happening with you? Gimme the low down. You were working at that little place on Alabaster Way, right?”
 
“Ebony,” Neon reminded her, lifting his sunglasses to his forehead. “If you can call the second biggest club in Canterlot a little place, then yeah, that was my primary gig.”
 
The mare leaned forward, her reporter’s instinct kicking in. “So why the change? Doesn’t exactly seem like a step up.”
 
The blue stallion glanced out the window at the passing scenery. “Just…thought it was time for a change. That place got me some good gigs, but I wasn’t really going places, y’know.”
 
Film Reel nodded once, smiling. “The owner caught you messing around with his daughter again?”
 
The DJ hung his head as a remembering smile spread across his face. He chuckled. “I keep forgetting how well you know me.”
 
The photographer touched the brim of her hat, tipping it slightly and winking at him.
 
The trip passed quickly as the pair chatted, catching up and swapping stories of their lives. As the train descended the Canterlot Mountains, the little town that was its destination became visible.
 
“Hey,” Film Reel said, reaching across to Neon’s bench and tapping his shoulder. “There it is.”
 
Neon looked out the window, finding himself less than impressed with the cluster of mostly thatched roof houses that met his eyes.
 
 “It’s…charming?” he said.
 
She chuckled. “It’s nicer than it looks. You’ll see in a while,” she said, using a cryptic voice that Neon had long since learned to be wary of.
 
“Why? Something going on?”
 
The mare laid back in her seat and placed her trilby over her eyes, hoping to get some shut eye before they arrived. “You’ll see,” she cryptically sing-songed.
 
When the train finally pulled into the station, the two ponies gathered their things and disembarked. After claiming Neon’s boxes from the freight car, they both helped to pull them on a rented wagon to the house.
 
“Here we are,” Film Reel announced as she opened the door. “Mi casa, su casa and all that. Sorry I haven’t had a chance to get you your own key yet. You can use the spare until then. It’s under the welcome mat.”
 
Neon stepped through the front door and took a look around. The interior of the house wasn’t much to look at. The front door opened to a living room with blue carpet. On the right wall there were two openings looking into a small kitchen, one a half wall with a countertop and the other a doorway. To the left was a small hallway with four doors.
 
“Right,” Film Reel began. “How about a tour? That’s the kitchen, this is the living room. Bedrooms and bathroom are down the hall. Your room’s the last one on the right. I put all your stuff in there. I know you like to be up late with your music sometimes, so I had somepony come in and put up some soundproofing wards in there already. Blocks all sound below 150 decibels, but even so, you should put a tie on the doorknob if you have company, if you know what I mean.”
 
The blue stallion smiled. “Basic house rules. Got it.”
 
“Yep. You wanna unpack or go grab a bite?”
 
“I think I’ll at least get my stuff out of the cart and inside. I wanna get my decks set up, but I’m not too worried about the rest. I can always do that later.”
 
“Sounds good,” said Film Reel. “I have some stuff I need to do anyway. How about you meet me at Sugarcube Corner in…say an hour, hour and a half or so. It’s the big building in the middle of town. Looks like a giant gingerbread house. You can’t miss it.”
 
Neon quirked an eyebrow. “Uh, OK.”
 
“Oh, and do me a favor,” the yellow mare said. “Lose the shades.”
 
“Why?”
 
“’Cause I know you, and you’ll wear those things till kingdom come if I let you. It’s your first day in my town, so just have a look at what it really looks like, OK?”
 
The blue unicorn removed his sunglasses, tucking them in his bag. “Still trying to make me catch that case of shutterbug you’ve got?”
 
“Only if you haven’t stopped trying to convince me Sapphire Shores’ tunes are crap.”
 
The blue stallion gave an exasperated gesture with his hoof. “She doesn’t even write her own stuff! And-”
 
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it a million times,” Film Reel droned. “Are you coming to Sugarcube Corner later or not?
 
Neon sighed. “OK, see you in an hour or so.”
 
“I’d better,” the mare said as she stepped out the door.
 
The house now quiet, Neon took in his surroundings as he made his way to his room. True to her word, Film Reel had stacked all his other stuff against the wall. Smiling to himself, he made his way outside to the cart and started unloading his belongings. When the cart was empty, he started unpacking.
 
His decks were the first things he set up. Turning them on, he grinned as they hummed to life. Grabbing a record from the box of his favorites, he set it spinning with a flourish he’d practiced a hundred times.
 
“Oh yeah!” he cheered as the bass thrummed, vibrations going up his hooves. His head bobbed in time with the music and he cranked the volume higher.
 
His music blaring, he danced across the room to the next thing he wanted to unpack. Time passed quickly, unloading boxes and dancing as things were put away. Boxes were opened and unpacked, furniture was moved. Like a sculptor chipping away at a block of marble, the blue stallion slowly made progress.
 
The room had only just begun to look more like a bedroom than a storage space when Neon realized what time it was and thought it best to be getting on his way.
 
The blue stallion squinted as he stepped outside into the bright sunny day. Instinctively, he reached for his sunglasses before he remembered they weren’t with him and his promise to Film Reel. He stood in the shade of the house to let his eyes adjust for a few moments before making his way down the street.
 
As the DJ passed through the town, thatched roof after thatched roof passed him by. His smile dwindled as he walked from street to street. So far, all he had seen of the little town hadn’t lived up to Film Reel’s description. What he saw lead him to believe that he had just left one of the best cities in the world to come and work in a farming community.
 
The stallion gulped. He would have no problem adapting if his fears were realized, but he highly doubted country would be very lucrative for a non-earth pony.
 
As his walk continued, it took him to a large, grassy clearing beneath a steep cliff. The stallion scratched his head, wondering if he’d gotten turned around. He continued walking, hoping he’d come across a map or something to point him in the right direction.
 
The fact that there were a lot of ponies around enjoying the nice day was no surprise. Many even waved and said hello. Neon waved back. At least they were friendly country folk.
 
The serenity of the meadow was abruptly shattered by a shrill, terrified scream.
 
“Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”
 
The heads of everypony present turned to find the commotion as the wails of an infant pierced the air. Everypony gasped, pointing in fear to the top of the cliff as one by one they spotted the baby pram careening down the road to the edge.
 
Neon’s eyes widened in horror.
 
Suddenly, a blue pegasus came from nowhere, pursuing the baby carriage. She bit the handle, pulling it to a stop in the nick of time.
 
The mare pulled the pram away from the edge and the crowd cheered, praising her heroics as she bowed and waved.
 
“Oh no,” the mare shouted. “There’s something wrong with the baby!”
 
Another collective gasp ensued.
 
The heroic pegasus lifted the baby out of the pram for all to see. “She’s not cheering for everypony’s favorite hero, Rainbow Dash!”
 
Again, the crowd erupted into cheers as Rainbow Dash returned the foal to her mother. Neon smiled. It looked like Film Reel hadn’t been exaggerating when she said that Ponyville was an exciting place to live. Maybe the new location wouldn’t be so bad after all.
 
Neon squinted as photographers gathered around the pegasus, wondering if Film Reel was with them. Sure enough, she was. He looked around, trying to see if he could find a way up there, maybe go with her to Sugarcube Corner or at least get directions. Hoping not to miss her, he took off running toward a few buildings on the other side of the meadow, thinking there was a way up the cliff.
 
The stallion found a road leading up on the other side and reached where Film Reel had been after a good few minutes of trotting. Unfortunately, the mare had moved on. Neon glanced around, trying to at least find a landmark. While he didn’t see any big gingerbread houses, he did spot what looked like a market. Thinking that to be the center of town, or at least near it, he headed in that direction.
 
“You look a little lost,” an elderly mare said to him as he wandered aimlessly down the road lined with stalls.
 
“Uh, yeah,” he said, looking down in embarrassment. “Just moved here today and I’m still working stuff out.”
 
The green mare nodded, her orange eyes twinkling. “Thought you looked like a new face. Where ya headin’?” she asked, an unmistakable country twang in her voice.
 
“Sugarcube Corner.”
 
She pointed farther down the street. “Just head this way, then take a right when you hit Stirrup Street. Can’t miss it. It’s a great big-”
 
“Gingerbread house. So I’ve heard. Thanks.”
 
“Welcome,” the green mare replied, giving him another friendly nod. “Don’t be a stranger now, y’hear?” she called after him as he walked away.
 
He waved in reply, a warm smile on his face brought by her kindness as he made his way down the road.
 
When he finally reached it, Neon stood gawking at the building for several moments. He had believed what Film Reel said about it looking like a gingerbread house, but he never would have dreamed it would look so realistic. Approaching one wall, he poked it, trying to see if it even felt like gingerbread. Part of him wanted to lick the building to see if the gingerbread was real.
 
“Yo, Neon,” Film Reel called from the doorway, breaking him from his reverie. “You gonna come inside or stay out there gawking?”
 
“Coming,” he replied.
 
As he drew nearer to the mare, he noticed a smile on her face that didn’t look quite right.
 
“OK, what are you hiding?” he asked.
 
She chuckled and shook her head. “Dude, just get in here,” she said, ducking inside before he could retort.
 
Having no other option, the blue stallion followed her inside. “By the way, I saw you earlier up on the hill with-”
 
POP!
 
The stallion’s eyes widened, his heart jumping in his ribcage as confetti and streamers fell from the ceiling and ponies jumped and shouted.
 
“SURPRISE!”
 
Film Reel grabbed him around the neck. “Welcome to Ponyville, dude!”
 
Neon took a few deep breaths to slow his racing heart as a pink mare bounced up to the two of them.
 
“Hi, there!” she greeted bubbly. “I’m Pinkie Pie. Here, have a welcome to Ponyville cupcake.”
 
The mare wiggled her hips and did a quarter turn, flinging a cupcake from a platter on her back while leaving the other dozen or so on the tray undisturbed. Film Reel caught it in her magic.
 
“Thanks, Pinkie.”
 
“You’re welcome,” the earth pony replied. Her front end dropped and she jumped slightly with her rear legs, catapulting another cupcake into the air. It landed perfectly on her nose, balancing precariously as she offered it to Neon.
 
The stallion, finally recovered from the shock, took the proffered treat. He smiled as he noticed the phrase ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Neon’ written in icing on the top.
 
“It’s chocolate marble,” Pinkie said. “Your favorite.”
 
Neon peeled the paper off and saw that what she said was true. “Uh, thanks. How’d you know it was my favorite?”
 
The earth pony giggled. “Film Reel told me. Plus, the minute I saw you, I said to myself, ‘self, this guy really likes chocolate marble cupcakes.’ I have an eye for this kinda stuff, you know.”
 
Neon nodded, giving Film Reel a look as he took a bite of his cupcake.
 
“So, you’re a DJ, right?” Pinkie asked. “That’s so cool! Hey, you wouldn’t mind playing us a set or two, wouldja?”
 
Neon smiled. “You bet. Just let me run home real quick and grab some stuff.”
 
“Oh, don’t worry. Being Ponyville’s number one party planner, I gotta be ready to throw a party at a moment’s notice, so I’ve got my own set you can use.”
 
“Well, OK, but I need my-”
 
“Gotcha covered there, too,” the pink mare interrupted, producing a pair of sunglasses very similar to Neon’s own.
 
“Wait, how did you…?”
 
The pink mare tapped her nose. “It’s a gift.”
 
The stallion decided not to pursue the matter. “OK then. Let’s see those decks you’ve got.”
 
In minutes, the trio had pulled a set of decks and a couple of speakers up from the basement.
 
Neon whistled, running a hoof along the side of the machine. “Not bad, Pinkie, not bad. The decks are a little smaller than mine, but these speakers are top brass. Not a better sound in the world than these. Let’s see how she handles.”
 
Pinkie giggled again. “I’ll go set up the disco ball.”
 
Neon’s borrowed glasses moved up to his eyes almost without a thought. The DJ settled behind the decks, already anticipating the buzz of the music running through him.

“Hey everypony,” Pinkie called, drawing the attention of all the ponies in the room. “My new friend Neon’s about to take this party to a whole ‘nother level!”

A cheer erupted from the guests, most of them starting to gather around.

Pinkie glanced behind her at Neon. “You ready?” she whispered.

The decks hummed to life as the DJ set a selected record spinning. The electronic music began, a simple few-note melody supported by a steady beat. 

The DJ gave the party pony a curt nod.

Pinkie grinned. “OK, you party ponies. Lemme hear some noise!”

Sugarcube Corner filled to the rafters with the sounds of applause.

“Yo, Ponyville!” Neon shouted, already sliding into his stage persona. “How’s it hanging? I’m Rising Star and it’s awesome to be performing for you this afternoon. Now, I just moved here today, so how about you show me what a Ponyville party looks like?”

The crowd cheered again, most of them already shaking and moving to the beat. 

Neon watched the party unfold, bobbing his head to the music and swaying side to side. He glanced at the decks’ display, noting how much time there was until a certain point in the song. Then, at just the right moment, he egged the crowd on.

“Aw, come on,” he shouted. “Don’t tell me that’s all you got. Let’s make the princesses hear you!”

At just that moment, the song hit the peak of a buildup. The melody exploded. Ponies on the dance floor bucked, jumped and shook, their thumping hooves rocking the building to the foundation.

“Yeah!” Neon shouted, pumping a hoof in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

Smiling brightly as he reveled in his element, the stallion gave the crowd a nod of approval. 

‘Oh yeah,’ he thought, ‘this town is going to suit me just fine.’