//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Equestria the Beautiful // Story: An Equestrian Patriotic Hymn Book // by PensacolaRanger //------------------------------// “All right, you heard the Princess! Everypony onstage for the Grand Finale’! Everypony! Places! Places! Come on, time is short, work with me, work with me, here!” the Stage Manager pony called out, stomping her hooves to motivate the stage herd. So now every member of cast and crew, including the stage manager, came out from the backstage wings to take position center stage. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, still in their Cloudsdale togas (no time for a costume change) fell into step with the stageward migration. Fancy Pants and Ken Lawrence joined them, passing through the curtain folds at stage center. Crew ponies wheeled a dais with four tiered rows into place at stage center. Then, one by one, cast & crew filled up the rows, until they reached full capacity. Those who could not fill the dais, stood in line on either side. “Everypony in place?” called Twilight. “All set, your Highness!” called the Manager. “Orchestra ready? Finale’ number!” called Twilight to the pit. Pages rustled, instruments raised, and the conductor tapped his baton. “Ready, your Highness!” “Fireworks, ready?” called Twilight, up to the stage roof. From her perch on the stage roof, Trixie looked back to a clearing behind the stage, where Snips, Snails and other fireworks crew ponies had rows of rockets, spinners and other pyrotechnic wonders standing by to light up & launch on cue. “Ha! Always ready!” the magician pony called back, waving a confident hoof. “(*Gulp*) Okay, here goes, all or nothing this time…” said Twilight softly to herself, almost in prayer. Then, raising her head in (feigned) confidence, she put on her brightest smile, and faced the audience. “And now, fillies and gentlecolts, we close tonight’s Summer Sun Celebration program, with a special grand finale' number, number, followed by our annual fireworks display. CURTAIN, AND…MUSIC!" Cymbals crashed, kettle drums boomed, brass blared and strings hummed from the orchestra pit, as the curtain rose to reveal the entire cast and crew choir (the end-ponies holding Sisters’ Flag banners tall and proud) as on the back screen, sweeping motion-picture vistas of Equestria rolled by, each in turn, as the finale’ song lyrics announced them. EQUESTRIA THE BEAUTIFUL* Oh, Canterlot, Oh, Baltimare, Manehattan by the sea… Oh, Ponyville, Las Pegasus, and Forest of Everfree… Equestria, Equestria, Celestia’s grace on thee… And crown thy good, with ponyhood From sea to sparkling sea… From Vanhoover, to Horseshoe Bay, To Cloudsdale’s lofty heights… Thy Crystal Empire’s majesty, ‘Neath Luna’s moonlit nights… Equestria, Equestria, may thy peace never end… And Twilight’s Kingdom always show, The magic of a friend… From Fillydelphia’s summer scenes, To White Tail Woods in fall… Foal Mountain’s winter festivals, To spring in Winsome Falls… Equestria, Equestria, thy beauty always shines, From coast to coast, forever more, Eternity be thine… Oh, Unicorns and Pegasi, Earth Ponies all alike… Belong to you, and you to us, to share and share alike… Equestria, Equestria, Celestia’s grace on thee… And crown thy good, with ponyhood From sea to sparkling sea… From sea…to…sparkling… sea!!!!! [End] And on the last chorus and refrain tag, on Trixie’s cue, colorful blooms and airbursts lit up the night sky! On a total whim, Rainbow Dash zoomed skyward, power-dove, and performed a perfect Sonic Rain-BOOM (just like at Cadence’s royal wedding) to make the grand finale’ and fireworks show, the perfect closing spectacle for the Equestria Summer Sun celebration! The audience erupted into powerful throngs of APPLAUSE, CHEERS, WHISTLES & WHINNIES!!! And in the Royal Box, the Alicorn Princesses reared up, hoof-clapped, and flapped their wings in glee!! *** “There, you see?” said Miss Cheerilee to the Crusaders, as they were all herding away with the audience towards the exits, “Nothing to worry about. All’s well that ends well!” “Ehhh…W. Shakesmare." said Big Mac. “(*Gasp*) You read William Shakesmare?” asked Cheerilee in surprise. “Ey-yup!” said Mac, nodding. “Well…I’ll just have to bring a volume or two over some time…to pore through together." said Cheerilee, dreamily. “Uh—huh." Mac agreed, as he and the teacher pony shared a romantic nose-boop. “Ewwww, bleechh!" said the Crusaders in disgust! “Apple Bloom, you sure the effects of that ‘love poison’ potion ever went away?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Not anymore, I ain’t.” said Apple Bloom, shaking her head. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes. “I’m disappointed Rainbow Dash & Fluttershy didn’t get to do their Cloudsdale Anthem. I was really looking forward to that.” “Eh, don’t sweat it, Scoots…” said Babs, “...you know, I bet maybe, if you ask real nice… they’ll do a special performance at the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Clubhouse, just for you guys!" “Really? You mean it? Like, at our next big meeting?" asked Scootaloo, all excited. “I wouldn’t put it past ‘em!” said Babs. “Oh, that reminds me…” said Apple Bloom, now trotting up to Babs, “even though you got your cutie-mark now, Babs, I just want you to know: you’re always welcome to visit our clubhouse again. Consider yourself an alum---um, alumn—nuh…” Bloom struggled for just the right word. “I think you mean an alumnus. Graduate member. Glad ‘ta hear it!” said Babs, hoof-bumping with Bloom. “So, um…when’s beauty school start for you?” asked Sweetie Belle. “First thing this fall…” said Babs, “…and Babs Seed aims ‘ta be a cut above the rest!” she said, with a predatory grin. They all enjoyed a good big LAUGH at this! *** Later, as cast and crew were calling it a night, Princess Celestia pulled her brightest student into a warm, heartfelt embrace. “I am so proud of you, Twilight Sparkle. So, tell me…what lesson have you learned today?” After pausing to think, Twilight said: “…I’ve learned that…I should never be afraid to try new things, even when the results are not what I expected, or intended. Creating new patriotic anthems may have been easy to do at first, but not easy at all to inspire a crowd with. I’m the Princess of Friendship…but I’m no George M Cohan.” “Um…who?" asked a puzzled Princess Celestia. “(Heh) Long story, your Highness…” added Ken Lawrence. “…and not everything Mr. Cohan wrote was an instant success, either. We all have our hits and misses…even in America.” He then turned to Twilight. “…but I agree with you, Princess Twilight: we can't let ourselves be afraid of failure, even in the midst of it. My forefathers had the fear of failure first and foremost on their minds. But that never stopped them from breaking away from tyranny, forming an independent nation, and striving to improve the quality of life in it, each and every day since.” “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” Twilight quoted, reading from the words of Thomas Jefferson, “…that all are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty…and the pursuit of happiness.” “We’re not guaranteed the achievement of happiness. Only the right to pursue it. And right or wrong, for better or worse…your people, and my people, pursue that happiness freely, each and every day. That’s the American dream. And, it would seem…the Equestrian dream, too.” Deeply touched, Celestia clopped over and pulled Ken, also, into a warm, heartfelt embrace. Then, sniffing and blinking away a tear, she commented: “Very well put, Mr. Lawrence. Indeed, we have a lot to talk about, and a great deal more to learn about this…America, you come from. Come, please…won’t you join Twilight, Luna and me for some late-evening tea in the palace?” Ken paused for a moment, in delighted shock. “I’d be delighted, your Highness.” he consented. But just as they were all turning to leave, Ken caught sight of Applejack. “Oh, wait, please, just one more thing, be right back!” he hastened to say, turning to trot back toward the saddlebags Luna hung on a hook backstage. “Wait, Miss Applejack?” he called! “Hm, yes, what?” said AJ curiously, looking around to see who had spoken. “Over here!” said Ken, as he plunged his teeth into one of the bags, and pulled out a hardcover book. He trotted it over to AJ and placed it down on a small table nearby. “Souvenir from home. Thought you might like it.” She trotted over to eye the title. (Amazingly, as Ken was converted to pony by passing through the mirror portal, so, too, were the words on his sheet music, and the text of this book, instantly converted from American English, to Equestrian Equish.) Applejack squinted at the title on the cover. “Huh? Tales of American Folk Heroes?" Ken just gave a friendly wink, then trotted back to rejoin Celestia’s party as they exited. Curious, AJ called Spike over to handle the book. He opened it, and claw-thumbed through the pages. “Huh…tall tales and legends…” said AJ, “Pecos Bill…Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Casey Jones, Paul Bunyan… WHOA!" Spike halted on command. “What? What is it, Applejack?” She just stared at the page with wide eyes. Curious himself now, Spike turned and also studies the page. “Whoa! Check it out…” said Spike, now staring also with wide eyes. "JOHNNY APPLESEED!?" They both exclaimed at the same time! A silly grin spread across AJ’s face. "I LIKE IT ALREADY!!" She proudly declared. Spike just rolled his eyes…and said nothing. [END OF 'MANE STORY.' BONUS CHAPTERS TO FOLLOW...]