//------------------------------// // The Shyren's Song // Story: Undertales of Friendship // by ngrey651 //------------------------------// "Ha-ha-ha-HA-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-HA-ha-ha..." "Hark, hark, the lark!" Burgerpants groaned as he finished sipping from a mug, shaking his head back and forth whilst everyone looked over at the women's bathroom in the bar. Grillby was very much enjoying his new digs, the fire elemental softly gazing at the bathroom along with the others present as they looked from each other to the toilet. For you see, when Shyren entered the bathroom...you left. Immediately. Why? Cuz she always sang in the bathroom of every building she entered. Always. It was her way to perfect her singing. You could hear Shyren's singing for blocks on end, as both pony and monster cringed and covered their ears as best they could whenever coming anywhere close to her little, fish-faced little hamlet. Her home quite nicely resembled a gigantic Shyren head, a commonality among the former inhabitants of Waterfall; all had houses that so lovingly resembled their own faces. Naturally, Aaron always insisted he had the best for HIS house had "arms", aka a garage and a shed extension made out to look like arms. But whether they had the best house on the block didn't matter in Ponyville's eastern outskirts, oh no. What mattered was what they agreed on, and ALL agreed that you didn't wanna be anywhere near Shyren's home. Not if you could help it. Cuz she didn't...stop...practicing. Normally you'd appreciate this. After all, practice makes perfect! But...Shyren? "I swear, I'm having nightmares about her. I don't mean to, but...I'm having nightmares about her!" Applejack admitted as she shook her head back and forth at the bar, sipping on some hard apple cider as Grillby nodded sympathetically, the nearby stage currently unoccupied as an Earth pony approached, sitting on top a chair and adjusting an acoustic guitar. "I had to teach ol' Apple Bloom about "The Odyssey" and I was dreamin' she was the Siren who lured men's boats into the rocks to crash!" "What was she singing?" Muffet wanted to know, every single hand holding a different type of drink, for Muffet ADORED indulging. "A Screamo cover of "Whole New World"!" Everyone in the bar cringed at once, Grillby shuddering violently as he shook his head back and forth before Shyren exited the women's bathroom, seeing everyone had been looking right at her and frowning a bit, her seaweed-colored thick locks falling over her faintly fishy face as her deep black eyes stared accusingly at Grillby. "You were all talking behind my back about my singing, weren't you?" She asked. Grillby just cleaned a mug, nonchalantly staring before Shyren glared at Applejack, who "eeped" as everyone began inching slooooowly away from Shyren as creepy Latin chanting seemed to fill the air. "APPLEJACK. Were you talking about my singing?!" Applejack bit her lip, quivering in sheer terror. She couldn't lie, but she didn't want to hurt Shyren's feelings either! She was utterly torn between what she knew was right, and what she knew would hurt Shyren's feeling as she grimaced and tugged her hat down over her face. "Y-Yeah...I...I'm real-sorry, but...y-yeah." "You all think I can't SING, don't you?!" Shyren yelled angrily, waving her faintly muscular arms at them, folding them over her chest and "harrumphing" as Applejack cringed. "It's just...y'all get real loud..." Applejack tried to say. "And you sing off-key." Burgerpants added. "And you mess up the lyrics." Muffet interjected. Shyren tugged down on her hair, groaning. "So basically, I can't sing?!?" "Well, not everyone's good at everythin'!" Applejack reasoned nervously as Shyren quivered angrily, shaking, looking really, REALLY hurt. "Shyren, I don't get why this is sucha big deal to ya." "Yeah, I mean NOBODY in your family can sing except for-" "AARON." Shyren grumbled, as everyone suddenly went "Ohhhh", nodding in understanding. Now they got it. Aaron, Shyren's brother. Aaron, the horse-headed hunk. The mer-horse, who had such muscular arms, a voice like Right Said Fred, and the surprising catchy skill to match. And, more importantly, who's head was usually so far up his own ass, they were surprised his breath didn't smell like farts. "Aaron can sing. And he never...EVER...let me forget it. Or anyone else for that matter!" She said, throwing her hands in the air. It was true. So said all the testimonials! "He NEVER...let us...forget it." Undyne grumbled, she and Alphys trying to ignore Aaron as he waved his trophy in their face, Alphys sighing sadly as she poked at her third-place trophy in the cafe. "He NEVER lets us forget it!" Woshua complained as Aaron looked his reflection over in the trophy he had, all of them waiting for Temmie to hurry up and serve them some "Tem Ice Cream". it tasted just like real Temmies! ...don't ask me how they know what real Temmies taste like. "I do say, the cad never ONCE lets us forget his spectacular singing voice." Bob the Temmie grumbled to Frisk as Frisk sympathetically scratched him behind the ears, hiding from Aaron and his creepiness. "He only mentions it and his arms, oh, ten BILLION TIMES A WEEK!" "Just ONCE, I'd like to..." She trailed off, sighing as she headed for a nearby booth and sank into it, burying her head in her arms. Just once...she'd like to sing. And have people think it was good. Just...once. And it was then that salvation seemed to take center stage...or rather, the bar stage as the Earth pony who was on it now began to strum away on his guitar, and Shyren looked up, seeing Shinedown playing away, the Changeling-blooded Earth pony now perfectly imitating an old woman's voice. In fact...GRANNY SMITH'S voice! "Oh happy travels for we! All hangin' out in our caravan! Our kids are gone and we have no plan! You never checked out your engine, man! Such happy campers are we! Oh, kings of the road are we! Up a mountain road we wind! With a mile of traffic stuck behind!" "YOU ASSHOLE!" Shinedown suddenly proclaimed mid-song, now briefly mimicking a clearly angered Canterlot pony even as he continued to strum away, voice shifting back to Granny Smith's. "Too friendly a folk you wouldn't find! Such cheery old folks are we! We sold the home and 'round we roam, like a pair of drovers 'round we roam! No more winter and no more phones! We're wild and fancy free! And we always camp right near the loo, cuz I have to go every hour or two!" Applejack, of course, was laughing so hard she'd fallen clear off her chair. "It's funny cuz it's TRUE!" Applejack snorted out, guffawing loudly, whacking the floor of the bar as she kicked at the air. "Yes, dribble-dribble-dribble's all I do! Such happy campers are we!" Shinedown finished, rising up, taking a bow as everyone in the bar laughed and applauded, Shinedown grinning in delight, his heavily wrapped up arms waving cheerily back at the patrons. He stood up tall on his wrapped-up back feet, Shyren surprised he could so easily stand up so tall on legs that looked like they had endured heavy injuries. Still, another idea was coming to him. He could sing. And he could change his voice. Maybe... ...just maybe... ... ... ... ... "I know it's a lot to ask for." Shyren asked as Shinedown and she sat in the middle of his home, Squirt currently out playing with Huey the Monster Kid and Asriel out in the backyard, trying to make the world's most giant monster. It involved a large set of King Asgore's old armor, and trying to see if all of them could fit inside it. Shenanigans had ensued, because now the helmet had fallen over Huey and he was running around like a chicken missing its head as Asriel struggled to get off the chest armor, Squirt trying to tug him out. "It's fine, Shyren. I noticed you were looking at me earlier when I left the bar. How long were you waiting to approach me?" The dark-furred, blue-maned Pony inquired, scratching his headbandaged head. Shyren bit her lip. "...three days." "Three Days?" Shinedown asked in surprise as she nervously held up a small poster she'd taken from off the bar wall, a poster that had been repeatedly popping up around town: Singing Competition, Cash Prize, located at the Edge of the Everfree. "I...I want to win. Or at least come close, y'know? I want to finally SING, and for people to like my singing!" Shyren insisted fervently. "I...I want to look at people watching me and know that what I'm singing makes them happy, to look into their eyes and..." She began to stammer, panting a bit. "And to know that they're not just lying to make me happy! I want them to LIKE what I sing, Shinedown! I SO want to sing well! Please, PLEASE promise me you can help me!" "I can't promise anything." Shinedown said, holding out his hooves, taking her hands, looking deep into her eyes, deep blue into black, his tone soft and gentle. "...but I'll help anyway." He added with a smile. Soon, he and Shyren were sitting down in the living room, Shinedown strumming away on the acoustic guitar he'd used in the bar, eyes closed as he slowly played. "Now, in the bar, I did a bit of "White Guy With Acoustic Guitar". Pretty much anyone can do it, it's just a matter of pretending to be saying something deeper than-" He then blinked. "Then again, you're a girl. Your equivalent is White Girl With Piano." "Let's try with the acoustic tunes." Shyren offered, Shinedown strumming a bit as he began to hum. "So what should I start with?" "Do you remember what I sang in the bar? Let's try the chorus. Oh happy travels for we!" Shinedown began to sing before gesturing at Shyren, then strumming some more, Shyren clearing her throat. "All haaaangin' out in our caravan! Our k-kids are gone and we got no plan! Ya never picked out your engine, man! Such happy campers are we!" Shyren croaked out, Shinedown cringing. "Uh, no, it's You never checked out your engine, man"." He remarked nervously. "Try, um...try a higher note." Shyren cleared her throat and tried to adjust her voice. "Such happy campers are we!" She tried to sing out, her voice cracking as Shinedown cringed visibly. "Oh, I'm blowing it, aren't I?" She asked, eyes wide as her stubby hands flew to her mouth. "Let's try again." Shinedown offered gently, clearing his throat. "Let's try something else. Country. Can you do a twang?" "Oh, I love country! It's goin' dooooown! I'm yellin' Timbeeeeeer!" Shyren proclaimed, holding one hand over her chest, the other stretched wide as the window shattered from her cry, Shinedown blinking a bit as he sighed a little, Shyren blinking stupidly. "I...um...oh geez." "You know..." Shinedown offered gently, putting the guitar down on the couch cushion nearby, placing his hooves together. "You COULD do surgery. It's not unheard of for people to do plastic surgery to alter their voice. The most common is CTA, "Cricothyroid approximation". It can be risky, though." Shyren rubbed her hands together, biting into her lip, head bowed a bit. "I, uh...I dunno, I...that seems like cheating." She admitted softly. "Shouldn't I be capable of winning this contest on my own?" She inquired before cringing. "I mean...I WANT to win on my own skills even...even if I don't have them." She murmured quietly, hanging her head. "Look, Shyren. It's alright." Shinedown said softly, taking her hands as he nodded his head. "It's okay to think that. But sometimes people CAN'T do things on their own skills, and do genuinely need extreme measures in order to reach their full talent, or to accomplish great things." He offered. "Trust the voice of experience." "How do you know that?" Shyren asked, Shinedown sighing as he gently let go of her, and then reached up to his arm, and began to unwrap the wrappings around it, first the left, then the right... Shyren gasping in horror, hands flying to her mouth, gaping in surprise, mouth hanging down. "OH SWEET LORD!" She proclaimed. "OH MY GOD!" His arms looked near-desiccated, with words carved in so deep you could almost see bone, muscle and underflesh exposed. The bloody words read cruel, biting words like "Traitor", "Murderer", all looking like they'd been dug so deeply into his arms that it was amazing he could still USE the arms. Worse still, the tattoos were shifting around, moving across the space on his arms, changing words into even more insults like "Monster" and "Demon" as Shyren looked into Shinedown's somber face. "What...what happened?" She asked. "You know just like the others that I've been to other dimensions. And I did ugly, sick, twisted, VILE things in the name of stopping people who were truly evil. But to do that, I...I kind of lost my way. I did things as bad as the people whom I fought would do." Shinedown confessed. "I tortured. I killed. I brainwashed. All so I could bring an end to a Bureau of monstrous proportions that sought to convert all humans into ponies." He murmured. "...I went "thug" on them. I left NOTHING...alive...in Canterlot. All to save Earth." He chuckled wryly. "And it worked! I can tell you, it worked! But you don't think about that when you realize someone's bones and gristle are sliding down your chest, and pieces of their skull are embedded in your hooves. No. You just think "Oh God oh God oh GOD" and you want to die. So I..." He gestured at his arms. "I had that done on my arms. My legs. My...forehead. A reminder that extreme measures can work. And they can work well. But that you HAVE to pay the price for them. Actions have consequences. If there ain't any other way to move forward, then you must do the most extreme measures. But you can't avoid responsibility for them. You have to accept the consequences." Shyren bit her lip, looking at Shinedown as he began to gently re-wrap the bandages around his arms, sighing. "Squirt knows. It's why I'm so hard on his pranks. I don't want him going anywhere CLOSE to the same path I did." "...I don't know what to do." Shyren admitted. "Everyone hates my singing, but I can't...I can't sing right no matter what type of song I do! I can't hit those notes, I-I can't remember the lyrics..." "The lyrics you could get if you practiced enough. It's the NOTES that are the problem, hitting that right pitch..." Shinedown murmured before an idea hit him, and hit him hard as he smacked his face. "DUH! Of course! We've been looking at this all wrong!" "What do you mean?" Shyren asked as Shinedown clasped her arms, grinning from ear to ear. "Shyren, I've got a BRILLIANT idea!" ... ... ... ...people waited calmly in the audience, all sitting in large chairs as they watched the stage that had been set up by the Edge of the Everfree, with flowing red curtains and an immense wooden stage. The sun softly beamed down upon them all, a gentle wind blowing as multiple microphones had been erected upon the front end of the stage, people whispering and muttering under their breath before every new entry got on the stage and began to perform for the crowd. Sans, of course, had been quite a surprise entry, with him and his brother going up to a joint performance of the song by Macklemare and Ryan Lewis, "Thrift Shop". And, of course, he'd been happy to show off what he'd acquired for the song. "Aww, he got the velcros." Asgore chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, jabbing his arm into Toriel as she giggled at the sight. Frisk, of course, had also gone onto the stage, and had driven everyone nearly to tears with a performance of "Over the Rainbow". Even Undyne had found it hard to resist. "Undyne, are you crying?" Alphys whispered, Undyne wiping her good eye. "NO! I just caught something in my eye." "What's that?" "TEARS." Undyne sobbed, covering her face as Aaron grinned, making his way onto the stage, grinning down at Frisk as the kid gave Aaron a look over. "Not bad at all, kid. But I'm gonna bring the house down." Aaron said, flexing his muscles. "You're gonna sing "I'm too sexy for my shirt"?" Frisk asked, Aaron chuckled as he struck a pose, arm held up high as his mane fluttered in the breeze. "Ha! Nothing so unoriginal." Aaron said with a chuckle as he clapped his hooves, and a small horde of monsters all raced behind him, saxophones, trombones and other instruments at the ready as he gave a wink to Frisk, getting on the stage, wheeling around, spreading his arms wide, the instruments beginning to boom, loud and powerful...and catchy. "I'm that flight that you get on, international! First class seat on my lap, girl! Riding comfortable! 'Cause I know what the girls all need!" "Oh GOD, no, please..." Shyren gasped out as she and Shinedown hid behind a nearby tree close to the stage, her mouth gaping. As sleazy and disgusting as the lyrics were, the charisma of his voice, and the MUSIC behind the song...they were undeniable. They couldn't be resisted! "Been around the world, don't speak their language! But your booty don't need explaining All I really need to understand is! When you! Talk dirty to me!" Aaron proclaimed, pointing at the audience as the saxophone began to play a little solo, Aaron dancing as fluidly as a leaf dancing on the surface of a river, Shinedown biting his lip. "Damn! He's GOOD." Shinedown murmured, seeing people were grooving in their seats, Undyne now visibly blushing as Alphys shimmied in her own seat. Nobody could resist a good saxophone riff! "They're getting jazzy on it!" "Still think I can do this?" Shyren nervously asked, Shinedown clasping her hands, and looking her squarely in the face. "Don't. Doubt. Yourself." He insisted. "You know what to sing." Shyren took in a few slow, deep breaths, her eyes closing, her body slightly shuddering. She thought back to what they'd practiced for hours, then DAYS on end, and felt Shinedown's pulse through his hooves. "You're ready." "...yeah. I...I think I am." She said, as she approached the stage, getting on top as Aaron winked at her. "Top that, sis." He chuckled, everyone gulping nervously, many looking down under their seat at the headphones said there...the noise-canceling headphones so many had brought there when they'd heard Shyren was entering the contest. Just in case, after all. But as Shyren cleared her throat and began to sing, all of them gasped. She...she didn't sound like a SHE! "There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea? Yooooou became the light on the dark side of me! Looooooove remained...a drug that's the high and not the pill, But did you know? That when it snows... My eyes become large and... the light that you shine can be seen?" And then she clasped her hands tightly into fists before sweeping across the stage, belting out the lyrics as everyone gaped in awe. "Babyyyyyy! I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey! Oooooooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeeeaaah! Now that your rose is in bloom! A light hits the gloom on the greeeeeeey!" "Seal." Shinedown said to a stunned Aaron as he gave the mer-horse a wink. "Few songs quite as classy AND nostalgic." He remarked as everyone began to cheer and whistle in delight, clapping their hands in eager delight, hooting and hollering as Shyren continued to sing on the stage, all eyes now on her as Shinedown softly smiled, Aaron sighing as he hung his head. "Shouldn't you be happy for your sister? What, can't stand that somebody outdid you? It's a brand new day, Aaron." The Earth Pony chuckled. "You laugh NOW. Wait until she decides to try her hand at anything by Big Sean!" Aaron promised, Shinedown tilting his head to the side, mentally picturing it and shuddering. "EXACTLY!" Needless to say, though she won second place, there was nothing that topped Frisk's beautiful performance. He would be the one to take home the prize money...but he'd swung by Shyren's house. "Here." He said, holding the bag of Bits up and smiling warmly. "I don't need it." He told Shyren. "And it was worth it just to hear you sing." He added as she took the bag in her hands, looking like she was going to burst out crying. "Just one request? I overheard Aaron talking to you and I wanted to KINDA get him back for all the times he creeped on me!" "Su-sure! What?" THE NEXT DAY... "Hey Aaaaaaroooon!" Shyren called out, Aaron sighing as he floated out of his house, looking Shyren over as she held up a stereo and grinned at him, Frisk sitting behind a nearby tree, giggling insanely as Shinedown sat with him, a video camera in his hooves. This was mostly for them. And a LITTLE bit for the Internet. He HAD to see this. "What is it now?" Aaron groaned. "PLEASE don't tell me you're going to try your hand at Rap!" "Oh, no, that kind of music doesn't appeal to me." Shyren said with a shake of her head, putting the stereo down and pressing the play button, getting the tune ready. "But I wanted to get your opinion on this little tune. I know you said it used to be a big favorite of yours cuz it got played in that film "Dodgeball"?" Aaron's eyes went wide. Oh god no- "Myyyyyyyy Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard! And they're like...it's better than yours! Damn right it's better than yours, I could teach you but I'd have to charge!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Aaron ran right through his wall, out through the other side of his house, and clean through Woshua, Moldbygg's and Undyne's homes, Undyne letting out a cry of "What the fuck" as Shinedown began laughing so hard he almost dropped the camera, Frisk giggling in joy as Shyren held her hands up to her chest and faked shaking her breasts, giggling as well. "Oh, I am NEVER gonna let him forget this." She decided.