Applebloom first felt her hooves rubbing up against something. It seemed so soft yet so bulky. She nudged herself down, taking in a deep breath. She suddenly smelled something familiar, something that made her think back to last week.
She had stood atop a set of turntables, giggling like crazy as she spun around. Sweetie Belle had pushed sliders up and down on a huge mixing board while Scootaloo buried herself under the table beneath them, trying to get loose of a batch of thick cables. Meanwhile, DJ Pon-3 had stood on the railing behind them and laughed deep belly laughs.
"Where," she muttered, standing up straight. "Where am I?" She looked down and saw herself standing atop a set of burlap bags with dozens of heavy, curvy things inside them. I guess those are A/V cables, right? "What the hay just happened to me?"
*Boing!"
Applebloom's heart raced at the loud noise, hopping over to the side. She blinked again and again, still barely seeing a thing. She leaned up against a wall, feeling as fuzzy and soft as petting a puppy, and slipped against a set of tubes. She smashed her hooves against the other wall.
Suddenly, she found herself falling face down upon a long grey floor. She picked herself back upwards, shaking her head. She glanced around and saw the four walls around her collapsed onto the floor. Well that was... odd... was that some kind of pre-fab closet or something? She guessed that made sense. But what the hay does that mean? Am I at some kind of recording studio?
She took in her sorroundings. Soft, delicate blue lights danced along the edges of her horizon. She seemed to be in some kind of massive dome, soft of like the cage, yet it couldn't have felt more different. Blue and white streams cascaded across her slight. Things looking like stars shone out in the distance.
She took a deep breath and she flung her head backward, walking out across the floor. She had the sensation of flying right through outer space, simulated comets and constellations going past the sides of her face. She stepped backwards into a set of tall gray poles, flipping in a 180 degree fashion.
"Wow, it's like they're going up forever," she muttered. She ran her hoof alongside, and thick globs of glitter stuck to it. She gazed straight upwards, smiling. It feels so welcoming. So relaxed. So calm.
*Pop!*
She saw huge sets of blue fireworks going off overhead. Thick trails of sparks followed. She walked over to the other side of the floor, eyes drinking in the scene. She peered off the end.
"Just more stars. More lights," she commented. Well, I'm trapped. I guess? It hardly feels like danger. Am I standing atop some kind of spaceship or something? She looked up and down the isolated gray floor. It seemed just like a magical door flying through space. "I'll bet that Sweetie would sure have gotten a kick out of this!"
At least she's safe. I did it. I won. I beat that evil piece of garbage that trapped her. At the memory of seeing her friend safe and sound in front of Sugarcube Corner, Applebloom started to cry. She sniffed. But where am I? Where's Scootaloo?
*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!*
The floor suddenly lit up, sharp black and green lights erupting from the edges. Applebloom hopped straight up, heart beating almost out of control. Loud, electronic noises burst out from deep beneath the ground. She shifted around in place, shivering.
"What? What now?" She bucked back in her hind legs. "Enough games! Enough puzzles!" She closed her eyes and screamed. "Where's Scootaloo, you monster!"
The floor lights started to flash in a repetitive fashion. Her ears perked, hearing smooth, soft electronic music starting. She couldn't see any speakers anywhere. The music just seemed to flow from every inch of the entire space around her.
She suddenly felt a hoof on her back. She froze still as as statue, hardly able to breathe. Her eyes slowly moved to the left. She saw somepony that she could hardly of imagined. Her gaze ran up from his slender, slate gray hooves up to his slick cream-colored suit and sharp black tie over to his smooth, handsome face. He looked right at her, and he winked.
Applebloom shifted a few inches to the side, and the unicorn leaned back. He smiled from cheek to cheek, putting a hoof through his his swave greyish-brown mane. Applebloom opened her mouth, but she couldn't manage to put any words out. She wiggled, trying to force herself to go back to her senses.
"You're... you're... Fab Factory?" she called out. "The pop star? The Canterlot singer-songwriter? My sister, she bucking loves you!" She held her hooves out, touching his side. I can't believe it!
"Not quite," he replied, making a suddenly devious expression. As his eyebrows curled up, his horn lit up with ugly green goop dripping off of the top.
"I guess I can't believe it, then," she muttered. She glared at him as he knelt down and breathed on her, thick green magical mist oozing through the air from his mouth. His eyes looked like something she'd see on a wild animal.
"Since I just helped you free Sweetie Belle and all, you little cutie," he whispered, leaning down with his body perched over hers. Applebloom scrunched her face. Fab's voice magically transformed into something more feminine, something raspy. "I think I deserve a nice, good--" He ran a hoof along the tips of her flowing red mane, nudging her bow down. "Reward." His face shone with his horrible green magic. "Don't I?"
Applebloom shook with rage. She glared as his hoof caressed along her neck and moved back down to the floor. He licked his lips, and she trembled. Her face went red, and she had finally had enough.
"You so much as think about touching me again, and I'm bucking you into the next world, buster!" Applebloom threw herself down, legs poised right under Fab's chest.
"Everypony having a good night, tonight?" the stallion suddenly asked, going the impostor's real voice to that smooth as silk voice of Fab's. Cheers erupted around them. As Fab leaned back, taking in the sea of noise, Applebloom sped over to the tip of the platform.
She saw hundreds upon hundreds of ponies of all shapes, sizes, and colors beneath them, all gazing at the platform as they bounced up and down. Her eyes grew wider as she noticed even more strange creatures, big and small, from griffons to dragons to hairless bipedal creatures with peach-like skin that she had never seen before. She started to pant, feeling totally confused. They're cheering for what? What!
Beneath their platform, a band slowly built up chill, cool background music. Fab slanted from side to side, humming. Applebloom stepped backwards and watched as some kind of tall, thin plastic screen lifted up, out of nowhere. It hovered in the air above them, and the screen flashed a green and black checkered background.
"Fab, uh, whoever you are," Applebloom mumbled. The stallion seemed totally overcome by the crowd's cheers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, blushing all the while.
"So... much... love..." he moaned, shivering a bit at the bottom of his legs.
"Enough!" Applebloom hopped over and stood right in front of Fab, between him and the crowd. "Tell me where the hay is Scootaloo!"
"Up, and to the right!" Fab gleefully replied, pointing a hoof into the massive audience. He smiled, looking less devious and more drunk on the loving sensations.
Applebloom rushed over to the edge of the platform, trying her best not to fall off as she leaned over. Her eyes scanned the distance of the crowd. "Where-- what are you--"
"Next to the pile of griffons on the upper right side, compared to us. Doesn't she look happy?"
Applebloom's heart just about skipped a beat as she spied Scootaloo sitting atop a tall, skinny griffon's shoulders. The pegasus' hooves tapped against the claws of her apparent friend, gigantic smiles across both their faces. Her wings fluttered up and down.
"I'm coming! I've already got Sweetie Belle! Don't worry!" Applebloom shouted. She could barely hear herself, though, from the noise of the crowd.
"Here, this will help."
Applebloom blinked. She saw a short, stubby microphone hovering in the air in front of her. She thought about having it right up against her mouth, and it immediately swung over. She coughed, and it wiggled from side to side. Wait... how am I...
"Just use your latent earth pony magic. You've got it just as well as your pesky element of harmony sister," Fab murmured, standing over Applebloom. Before she could respond, the stallion moved over to a gigantic white circle in about the middle of the platform right besides the audience. It lit up with his green energy, and he lifted himself up a few feet.
"What's going on?" Applebloom called out, totally confused.
"What the hay does it look like?" Fab laughed, and Applebloom found herself magically hovered through the air over besides Fab. She saw her microphone and the screen flutter over as well. "It's time for Scootaloo's Puzzle.. First off, there's the emotional test. It's also a bit of a talent test as well."
"Talent?" She repeated. It all felt like an out of body experience. Oh, no! This didn't work out at all when all of the Crusaders did it together! How can I even think about doing this by myself?
"Simple!" Fab pointed over at the screen. Applebloom blinked once more, staring, and text started to crawl from the bottom upwards.
Welcome to Karaoke Central! Population: You!
You have to complete two songs. Try your hardest, and remember that the crowd is here for a show. They want to have fun, and they really are on your side. Don't let them down!
Upon the completion of song two, you'll have the opportunity to welcome one lucky audience member to the stage for the 'Encore'. Pull out all the stops, and you'll get a nice surprise. Complete Scootaloo's Puzzle correctly, and you'll have the opportunity to send a pony back home. Fail, and Fab has requested your presence in his backstage dressing room with the rose petals placed along your mane.
"Not bucking likely!" Applebloom shouted. She threw her head back over at Fab, who made a melodramatically pained, sad-puppy-like face.
You don't have much time. The crowd looks pretty restless.
Please select your song menu:
==] Best of Power Pop [==
==] Best of Synth Pop [==
"Uhhhhh..." Applebloom muttered, feeling herself start to shiver from her hooves to her head. No! Don't panic! I have to be strong! I have to save her! "Cutie Mark Crusaders don't give up." She smiled, putting on a determined expression. "We never give up."
"I think you have less than a minute before we start," Fab commented, rubbing his hoof against his suit. He put on a seductive face, kissing the air.
"I pick-- uh-- 'Best of Synth Pop'!" The screen flickered, and a group of songs popped up.
Poison Arrow - ABC
Living In Oblivion - Anything Box
Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles
Wishful Thinking - China Crisis
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
Always - Erasure
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
Cars - Gary Numan
Things Can Only Get Better - Howard Jones
Don't You Want Me - The Human League
"Stop, stop, stop!" Applebloom took a frantic breath. "I don't-- I-- I just-- who the hay are these groups? I don't know any of these songs." She tossed her head over to Fab.
Fab giggled, kicking a hoof against the floor. "Oh, you're so uncultured. You know that? I'll bet that you've never even left Equestria. Maybe never even left your planet"
"Never l-left m-my p-planet..." she repeated, leaning down and putting her head into her hooves. She heard the crowds cheering growing into restless shouts and calls of impatience.
"Better hurry, you delicious little thing."
"Uh... 'Best of Power Pop'!" Applebloom screamed.
A Different Side Of Me - Allstar Weekend
Flavor of the Weak - American Hi-Fi
Can You Feel It? - The Apples In Stereo
No Matter What - Badfinger
September Gurls - Big Star
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)? - Buzzcocks
Just What I Needed - The Cars
I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
Just The Girl - The Click Five
"Noooooo! Stop!" She stared to cry. A few of the crowd yelled out in anger, screaming at her to get on with it. She panted, trying to think. I can't! I don't know any of these? Are these griffon bands? Dragon bands? Alien bands? I can't take it! "This is, is... ugh!" She bucked up on her hind hooves. "This is just what I needed!" Applebloom called out sarcastically."
SONG SELECTED!
Title: Just What I Needed
Group: The Cars
Album: The Cars
Writer(s): Ric Ocasek
Singer(s): Benjamin Orr
"Oh, dear sweet Celestia, help me," Applebloom whispered. She found her microphone held up in front of her face. A guitar riff and bombastic drums started, and the crowd exploded. Fab grinned.
Applebloom stepped up right in front of the massive auidence and opened up her mouth. She panted, heart rattling like a jackhammer. I can do it. She closed her eyes. I can do it. I can. I must!
"Are you ready?" Applebloom yelled out.
The crowd went wild.
To Be Continued...