Chapter 22
The twins showed up at the studio the next morning, actually excited to try the new songs. They had never tried anything like this before, but they were anxious to see how it would come out. However, while this was going on, there were other goings on in the city of Fillydelphia.
Ponaeros and the general were in the city, looking through the poorer neighborhoods, the general in civilian clothes not wanting to draw too much attention to them, he being an escaped convict now. However, being with this unicorn made things hard to be subtle. Yet, he was still curious to what they were doing there. He finally asked, “Why in the world are we here? Why are we wasting our time wandering around here?”
“Simple, general,” he said, “We’re looking to start building our cause.”
“How so?” he then asked, not sure why they were being so sneaky.
“We go into the more downtrodden areas, find the youth, fill their heads with delusions, and build our cause,” he said, “What did you expect?”
“I would have thought that, after over a millennium in Tartarus, you’d be a bit more aggressive,” he answered.
“What were you thinking?”
“Find some nation hostile to ours, take it over, and invade,” he answered back, “You know, take the direct approach and not waste time.”
Ponaeros sighed, shaking his head, knowing such war hawks were needed, but were more useful idiots. He’d serve his purpose in time, though, and tolerated the fool. He then said, “You war hawks are all alike: dive in where angels fear to tread and destroy everything in our path. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
“I would think the more tactical approach would be to get to your objective and eliminate it before it could strike you.”
“Really? We need an army first. And as beloved as the current rulers are, that would not be an easy task to take them down. Moreover, because of this princess of friendship you told me of, she’s been shoring up foreign relations to where there is really no hostile nations. We attack now with no resources, and we’d have Trottingham, the Gryphon lands, and even Saddle Arabia all breathing down our necks. To take them, we have to start from within. We have to start them young and bend their minds, make them think they are more than what they are, better than their elders, and stir up some hate for some thing or another, and blame the royalty for the problems. The Bardics, if they are reemerging as it seems by the feel in the magical streams, are not that great. Before we are ready to strike, I fear they’ll build their numbers up before we could take them down. Taking them now is foolish, because they would have the protection of the princesses, and even as powerful as I am, they would have enough weapons against me. I have to be ready at the right time, but by the time that happens, they will have enough Bardics to face us down.”
“You fear them that much?” asked the general.
“Chances are that the pair in question, from what you’ve told me, are powerful, but not as much as they could be. I am not certain they know just how much they have learned, but I am not willing to take that chance. I’d rather build up an army, which would give them time to build up, but the army we’d make, as well as civilians we can win to our cause and to turn their opinions against the Bardics, would also bear such hatred, and we can pick them off bit by bit. By the time the princesses realize what is going on, it would be too late, and we can then enact war and start our conquest. Truly, general, such things take time.”
The general just stared at him, and then started to laugh heartily. “Do you really think your delusions of grandeur are going to work? You are the fool, sir! This era is far to educated and sophisticated to be fooled so easily.”
“I could put you right back in that cell,” growled Ponaeros.
“I might stand a better chance of living,” he answered dryly.
“What you are not accounting for,” Ponaeros said with some frustration, “is the fact that for all those years, I have been increasing my powers more and more, cutting deals, selling my soul, only to steal it back and slay whomever bought it, all to gain their power. That fool Sombra actually trusted me in thinking I’d actually aid in getting him out of there and told me all his secrets. I am certain he regrets it now, being in the lowest layer of the Abyss now. With the magic I have, it will be a bit easier to…persuade…those we need much faster than before, and to cover detection from the princesses. I am certain that if this Luna and Celestia are as powerful as you claim, they’d be able to detect my actions on the magical winds. Fortunately, I can cover that, so we can act without notice.”
“How are you going to do that?” the general asked, now knowing that there just might be a chance at this.
“Simple,” he answered, “We become social justice workers.”
“Activists?” asked the general.
“Ha,” answered Ponaeros, “That’s not the chaos we’re looking to build. There is a huge difference.”
“Which is?”
“The activist fights, say, for ramps to be built for the disabled to get into this building or that. The Social Justice Worker would then sue the city to have the stairs removed because they are offensive to the disabled, because they constantly remind them of what they cannot do. For certain, general, being a general, you had to have involve yourself with politics, yes?”
“True,” he pondered, “Okay, I see your point. We have to get a population on our side.”
“Right,” answered Ponaeros, “Before we can execute our conquest, we cannot look like the villains. We start by opening some kind of a non-profit and then solving a few problems to win some trust. Then we start to sow the seeds of discontent and get enough people in the poor parts of town turned into a voting bloc. I win the mayor’s office, and that establishes me in politics. We go from there.”
“So, just how do you build this thing?”
“Magic does wonders,” he answered, as they stood before an old abandoned building in the poor part of town. He cast his magic, and the ruins started to reverse themselves. The building was starting to heal itself, and before long, it was perfectly normal, ready to be occupied. OF course, the activity was noticed by those around, and when they asked what was going on, he explained that he was establishing a charity to help underprivileged ponies, to provide welfare, health, and legal services. He gave his name as Nero, and his partner as Hawkins, and said that, if anyone wanted to get involved, they could join in and help fill the office with things he’d need for it to function. Once done, he would start by hiring who he could to have it function. Word spread quickly, and he said he’d be back in a few days with the funds they’d need to get things going. He finished by saying, “Indeed, you have not come out on the good end of the lottery of life. It is time to change all that and get those who would hold you down put in their place to give you all a fair shake. Today is a new day in this neighborhood. Today, we’re going to do what we can to get you out of this to broad sunlit uplands. I shall be back in a few days, and we can get started. Until then, spread the word about what we do here.”
Some were skeptical, as many ponies had come before him and promised the sun and moon, and only given a bill of goods. However, others were excited that a chance for some kind of a job might be coming, so word did spread. Yet, as they trotted away, and got out of earshot, the general asked, “And just where are we going to get this money?”
“I have a stash of gems and precious metals Starswirl knew nothing about,” he answered, “And if it is there still, we have what we need. If not, we find a different city and get funds elsewhere, leaving them to see this as just another empty promise. But, if it is there, we convert it to Jangles…”
The general laughed and said, “You have been out of touch. The old Jangle-Shoe-Bit system hasn’t been used in centuries. It’s just Bits now.”
Ponaeros nodded and said, “Yes, that is good to know. In any case, we convert it to Bits and get started.”
As they went, the general had to ask, “I was curious; if the Bardics had not reemerged, what then? I mean, you would have no cause.”
He got a very evil look on his face as he said, “Then, I would have invented one!”
The twins suddenly found it easy to record. It was not just because they now knew what to expect, but because the two songs they worked on that morning were the two they had wrote themselves. Indeed, because it came from them, it was from the heart, and the performance was a bit more from the heart. Vinyl was impressed at how this was going. She wanted just them on their own instruments for now, and moreover, because they were versatile on the instruments, she had them play to their own accompaniment and started the mixing process. She liked how that came out, but because of this way of doing it, she now wanted to lay down some new vocal tracks. If they could nail this take, she knew she had something they could release in advance and get the ball rolling.
At about the same time, Coloratura came by to pay a visit to Applejack as her tour swept through the area towards Canterlot and an eventual play at Manehattan before stopping at the Crystal Empire. The tour wagons pulled up as her band and the roadies all got out to stretch their legs. Ra-Ra came out and spotted Big Macintosh. “Mackie!” she squealed, having met her the last time she had been through, and gave her a howdy and waved. She trotted in and gave him a big hug, exchanging greetings and eventually asking, “So, where’s AJ?”
Before Mac could answer, she heard, “Right here, y’all!”
This was complimented by Granny Smith’s obligatory, “Tarnation, child: y’all gotta haul all that mess and racket with ya? Goodness…go big ‘er go home, eh?”
Ra-Ra giggled and said, “And hello to you, Granny Smith.”
After the mares hugged it out, AJ got all excited and said, “Oh, wait! I just remembered. We got some new renters on th’property. Ah think I mentioned sumpthin in my last letter to ya.”
“Oh, are they those twins I heard about at the gala?” she said, “I wish I could have been there to see it. I’d love to meet them. Where are they now?”
“They’re in town,” answered AJ, “They is workin’ on their first album. Ah think they is workin’ on a couple of songs they wrote and played fer us at the water hole last night. They’re usin’ a studio in town. Maybe we can go on by and see ‘em.”
“Oh, that would be good,” she said, “But, I’ll have to try to look a bit more subdued and not look like myself, sort of. I mean, the second we get into town, they’re going to be all over us.”
She sighed and said, “The price of fame. My popularity rose so much since Ponypalooza and you showing me that I can really be myself and just do what I love.”
“All the magazines say it’s as if y’all are two different ponies,” she said, “They’re talkin’ ‘bout you pre-palooza and post.”
“Oddly enough,” answered Ra-Ra, “I’ve reworked many of my songs and gotten rid of the auto-tune spell, and all my songs I wrote before took on a whole new light. I’ve actually considered rerecording all my old stuff and pulling all that off the market because that just does not reflect who I am anymore.”
“Sometimes the best show y’all can do is goin’ out there and doin’ what comes all natural like,” answered AJ, “And when ya meet the twins, ah think you’ll see what I mean.”
She just wondered what to do for a disguise, and AJ just did her hair straight and plain, tying it back like her hair, plopping a Stetson on her head, and putting her in a western shirt and skirt to cover her very recognizable cutie mark, hoping this would work.
Once in town, they were mostly undetected as anything out of the ordinary, but they also moved in the most direct route to the studio to lessen the chance she’d be recognized and then summarily mobbed. They got in just in time to see Vinyl getting ready to start cutting the acid take and giving a smirk and salute as they entered. Both AJ and Ra-Ra found spots and readied themselves for the test. Vinyl signaled them, motioning them in a count-off, hitting the switch for their prerecorded background tracks, and they began to play their guitars and sing the numbers. They heard this accompaniment in their earbuds, but in the booth, what they all were hearing was what the acid test would sound like, now that she had the background mixed the way she wanted and had the twins on a preset volume she already knew she needed, having heard their vocals the past two days. AJ was floored, but Ra-Ra was fixated on the twins and the sound they were creating. It was not as if other folk acts had not ever been, but in this case, it had been a long time since any folk act came along like this one. She had been in the business long enough to know what was going to work, and considering how she now knew how much fans appreciated actual talent over putting on a spectacle, she knew they were going to have an effect. Once done, she asked Vinyl to hit the switch into the booth, and Ra-Ra announced, “Congratulations: you have just recorded your first two number one singles.”
The new voice took them by surprise, not yet knowing of Coloratura and just beginning to know of what the music scene was like. Downy then said, “Um…hello?”
“Hi,” she said back, “I’m Coloratura, but you can call me Ra-Ra. I’m a friend of AJ’s, and it looks like a chief competitor.”
The last part she said more lightheartedly, not meaning malice, but more of her being welcome that somepony else could come along and add a bit of variety to the music scene. Vinyl signaled them to come to the booth and they all had the chance to meet. As they got to know one another, Vinyl then played back the acid take, and the twins found it neat to hear themselves coming back like this, almost feeling like they were listening to different performers. Coloratura then said, “I’m telling you, this sound is so fresh and new that they ponies out there are going to eat it up. Believe me when I say that.”
Vinyl nodded, and she then prepared the special disc upon which an acetate could be placed and then sent to the studio. Both sides were cut, and she prepared the package, making note that it might be a week before they heard back. At that, it was time for lunch, and AJ suggested they just get a corner in the Hay Burger and try to keep it low key.
At lunch, Ra-Ra was telling them about the industry, and a bit about what fame can do; that it is both great, and a curse, being that one now lived in a fishbowl. “Bill Foal kind of filled us in on that,” answered Quill.
“Oh, you’ve met him?” she said, “Oh, he’s had quite the career.”
“We met at the gala,” answered Downy, “He got us hooked up with his agent.”
“Oh, good!” she said, “There are so many leeches out there,” the last statement being said towards AJ knowingly.
Quill then steered it a bit and said, “Not to be rude or anything, but, why the interest?”
“Like I said,” she answered, “You two have potential. I’d love to see you do well. Besides…”
She pulled a card out of her purse and said, “If you two score well on the charts with those first two singles, have your barracuda call my barracuda. I’d love to have you as an opening act.”
They were stunned, and they said, “You mean, go on tour with you?”
“Of course,” she said, “Acts like yours need exposure. I love having others get a shot.”
She knew nothing of what they were, but they felt it would be better to tell her later on if they did go with her. However, they also sensed a great opportunity. They would have the chance to reach so many with their message of love and tolerate, as well as find other Bardics. The twins thanked them for the generous offer, and that was as somepony stuck their heads in, saying, “RA-RA’S TOUR BUS IS AT SWEET APPLE ACRES. THAT MEANS SHE MUST BE SOMEWHERE IN TOWN!”
The squeal was huge as the place emptied out, and Ra-Ra said to the twins, “And it starts,” giving them indication to slip out with the crowd and head back to the studio and wait for the fervor to die down before they tried to head back to the farm. They would have to head to the castle after that and see if Twilight can get them back to the farm undetected, for there would certainly be a crowd surrounding the place.
And while all this was going on, as well as Ponaeros acting with some heavy magic in Fillydelphia, Discord was having his regular tea with Fluttershy. At that, he detected the shift in the magic streams and it caused him to shake and go wobbly for a moment. “Oh goodness!” said Fluttershy, “Are you alright?”
“I wonder…he said, pondering, “Was that just a great disturbance in the magic streams, and a premonition of a possible future of millions of innocent ponies calling out in terror, and being silences?”
After a moment of thinking, he said, “Eh, no…just a small headache…” and yet, somehow, he knew better.