Silas Epista

by Maneiac

Miasma [Rewritten]

Bound me up in chains if you like; you're just giving me one more way to kill you later.

“Pulling my own weight?” I pointed at my chest with an index finger, my face the very definition of lost as I blinked at Sunset. She simply nodded, sipping a cup of coffee that I made. “Are you implying that I don’t already? I do way more than you! I do the laundry; I cook, gather firewood, clean the chimney, dust the furniture, mop the kitchen, and sanitize the bathroom! What more do I need to do?” I wasn’t angry, just proving a point.

Sunset chuckled. “Indeed, you do a lot more than me. But alas, you have nothing to show for it. You need to acquire some money if you’re going to see the world, right?” Sunset fluttered her eyes at me with a cocky smile to boot, making me sigh as I placed a small plate with a blueberry muffin down in front of her.

“Money would be important...” I groused, returning to the oven to get my own. I slid it out easily enough with my bare claw, because dragons- according to Sunset -are fire and burnproof.

In two steps, I was back at the table, sitting down with my muffin in front of me. I picked up a fork and played with its top a little, watching the steam rise off of it. “So what do you think I should do about my financial difficulties then, hmm? I’ve been in town a couple of times, and most Taurs are pretty skittish around me. Manual labor is out of the question, since all the Taurs I’ve seen so far look like they benchpress their own houses every tuesday.”

The top of the muffin soon found itself sliding down my throat. Of course- like anything I make -it was delicious. There was just enough cinnamon in it to leave the mouth wanting more, and the blueberries only helped this reaction further. Sunset was practically wolfing hers down as fast as a refined woman could.

Swallowing a particularly large bite, she fixed me with a smile. “Excluding your aptitude in the culinary, I ask you this: do you have any other notable strengths?” Her glass of milk levitated to her mouth, and she drank mightily.

“Well...” I trailed off, remembering my two musical passions. I love stroking the ivory, or shredding a guitar. Singing was no big deal for me, but the songs that I like are often hard to cover, and therefore fall short of stellar. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but not overly so; which means covering a song half-assed is taboo for me. Even so, it was my pseudo-ace, and damnit, I was gonna play it!

“I can play the guitar and piano equally well, and belting a few chords from my throat happens to be a pastime of mine,” I explained with a nervous scratch to the side of my face. “It’s not so much a pastime as it is a passion, heh,” I laughed tentatively, watching as Sunset’s face took on one of radiant intrigue.

“Then I think there’s something for you yet, Si’,” Sunset enthused, using the nickname she’d given me two days ago during another trip to the Maples’ house. Once she finished her muffin off and downed the rest of her milk, Sunset levitated those things into the sink while keeping her eyes on me. She even went so far as to prop her ‘elbows’ onto the table and rest her head on her hooves. “The Tipsy Clover in town is having Open Mic Night! As for instruments; they definitely have a guitar and a piano! Do good enough, and Haggis might make you a regular!”

I shrugged my shoulders and tossed the rest of my muffin- which had been getting pecked at while Sunset was talking -into my mouth and chewed it up quickly, swallowing the tasty morsel in its chewed-up entirety. “Then I guess I know what’s on the agenda for today then! You seem pretty ecstatic about it, Shimms’. Thinking about joining me for a duet?” I carried my dishes to the sink as the question hung in the air for a moment, which was then responded to by a sharp gasp.

“Oh good heavens, no,” Sunset stated quickly. “I’m not one for crowds, Si’! You know that already! I’ll get stage fright something awful,” Sunset whispered near the end, making me snicker to myself quietly as I started washing the dishes. “Singing is no issue for me, but not in front of a crowd, Silas; I just won’t be able to handle all those staring eyes.”

I lathered my claws up till they were nice and sudsy. “Hey, Sunny; come here real quick.”

Even though seeing her from my position is impossible, I could feel her eyebrow climb higher. “Oh,” Sunset hummed, a tinge of playfulness clutching at her vocal chords. “And why would I need to bring myself closer to you, Si’? I’m sure washing the dishes doesn’t require an extra set of hooves.”

“You forgot to kiss the cook.”

“Really? Oh, then I shou- WHAT!?” I barely kept my laughter in as the sound of Sunset taking a sudden tumble reached my ears. A short shot of air was blown from her nose as she got up, and I was trying really hard now to not give away my enjoyment at her plight. “Don’t you patronize me, Silas! Stop making jokes like that!”

“Who says I’m playing?” I pursed my lips and turned around, crossing my legs while using my claws to support myself against the counter’s edge. Making sure the appropriate amount of mirth was in my eyes, my claw slowly drifted to my pursed lips as I nodded at Sunset.

“I’m serious, Sunset...” “But if you don’t want to, that’s totally fine! Why did I have to fall for her so bad!?”

Her face exploded in red. Small sounds of creaking doors left her mouth as it hung open. Her eyes were glued to mine as she tried to process if I was playing or not. As cheesy as this may sound, I noticed how her pupils slowly moved from side to side, giving the appearance of shimmering like a polished gem.

“But...but...” She looked away finally, her mouth trembling as her back legs fidgeted together. “I can’t...”

I frowned up a little bit at having my wish denied. “She’s really bad at taking hints, huh? Still, I shouldn’t tease her like this, especially when some of those feelings she has towards me could be mutual...” I coughed into my own claw as my chest tightened.

“You don’t have to do it if you really don’t want to, Sunny; go on and get ready for us to hit the Clover, alright? You’re gonna need to dress up a little bit if this place is as ritzy as you claim it to be.” I did, however, wink at the pony happily as she made to leave with a smile on her face. “I’m just going to go as is, because I don’t have anything to change into. Can’t wait to see you in the dress, Shimms’!”

“Y-Yeah,” Sunset answered with a little more confidence as her soft steps died out on the carpet. They picked back up a second later as she reached the linoleum of the hallway, making me smile as I finished up washing the dishes and walked over to the couch.

“Siri,” I thought as I sat down, “Did I leave any dress clothes on Judgement before my spell of amnesia?”

“Processing...”

I raised my eyebrow at that, wondering just where that robotic tone came from. Normally, Siri would be assaulting me with insults right now. It scared me a little bit; not hearing her talk to me the way she normally does.

“You just got the ship three weeks ago, dicknugget!”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s good to hear from you as well, Siri. Has there been any disturbances since I checked in three days ago?”

A snort from the inside of my head alerted me to her answer long before she said it. “Huh, let me check.... no, everything’s still boring, Champ! How about you check back in when some serious shit actually goes down, hmm? And I’m only mad because we don’t hang out like we used to! Now it’s just ‘play this song, Siri’ or something of the like. "

I couldn’t stifle my laughter anymore. Siri’s voice did not match her word choice whatsoever, and it was damn funny to listen to. “Alright, Siri; I’ll check back in when something interesting happens, okay? I’m sorry for ignoring you so bad. ”

“I’m not gonna hold my breath on you actually coming through with that promise, Champ. It’s nice that you’re making promises to me, though, cause it let’s me know that you care. Thanks, Silas.”

Her voice went dark with a booping sound as I leaned my head back, enjoying the cold of the faux-leather against my neck as I closed my eyes and waited for Sunset to finish beautifying herself up. “I wonder why women take so long in getting ready...”

Sunset Shimmer wanted to hide. She wanted to absolutely barricade herself in a makeshift fort of pillows and blankets as her magic sifted through the clothes in her closet. The hangers clamored loudly as she bit her lip with a massive blush on her face.

“... Kiss the cook...”

As if having a mind of their own, her back-legs began a tango of desire with each other as the thought rung out through her consciousness. Everything from her waist down was burning up, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to stand up. Her body quivered at the slightest breeze, and her mouth dropped open to pant a couple of times.

“Why do I go through this at the beginning of each month!? Grrr, it’s even more unbearable now that... I...” More pressure was added to her lip as the burning intensified suddenly, nearly causing her to yipe and collapse. Her mind was hazy as the word she was going to think eluded her; hiding in the overbearing inferno that was her loins. They threatened to consume her, and she had half a mind to let it.

“Hmmm! Damn it! Just hold on, Sunset. You’ll confess to him at the Tipsy Clover, and then he’ll help you with these sensations! But I’m going to need a dress to seal the deal!” Sunset’s pained grimace transformed into one nearly overflowing with confidence as she slid the last hanger into her field of view.

“Oh yes; you’ll do nicely, my sweet~!”

“Huh... should I confess at the Tipsy Clover tonight? I took my last rejection rather well, so I’m used to the awkward feeling; but I don’t want to be rejected a second time! That’s going to suck major bad if I am denied! I just want to be with her, man... why is love so difficult...” I sighed in exasperation while tugging on my mane a little. This whole situation was stressing me out, and it’s been a while since I felt anything close to stress.

I looked over to the hallway, feeling my heart bump against my chest. It was like hearing her hoofsteps coming would destroy any sense of apathy I had left, and that emotion didn’t like that fact at all. My heart was doing combat with it, leaving me to be the innocent victim amidst their war for control.

“You need to say the right things to her, or she’ll walk away. It’d be best to tell the entire truth during a song; a complete synopsis of why I love her and the way she makes me feel!” My chest tightened up, letting me realize that all this thinking about confessing was slowly starting to hammer away at my motivation to go through with it.

“She’s beautiful, confident, intelligent and determined! She’s also careful and kind to others, especially to me; who basically treated her like shit on a dick for the first time I was here! She carries herself so well, and her mannerisms are all stellar! It would be near impossible for me to find a woman like her on Earth; I’ve tried! I enjoy every single minute around her has been utter bliss! From the way she walks with regality and poise, to the way she’s basically a zombie in the morning! Her fur is so well-kept and her house is so clean; she even has the type of eyes cheesy romance writers like to describe; the kind the protagonist gets lost in! The way she prefers her coffee black, to the times where she asks for a little bit of creme when ill; how she takes her baths in lukewarm water when it’s snowing, and hot when it’s not! The fact that we both like daffodils; her appreciation for the night and the sky; the fact that she enjoys reading exactly like I do! I love how her honesty towards herself is spot on! I like-”

“You’ve got it, you’ve got it bad~! When you’re on the phone; you hang up and you call right back~!

I frowned as Siri made light of my panicking with a song. “Very funny, Siri.” She laughed a little bit inside my head, before going dark with the sound of a television being switched off.

The thought of being rejected by such a strong crush again wounded me better than any weapon crafted since the beginning of time. “I haven’t loved a woman this much since my crush with Cassandra... but I think this one is worse! It’s gotten to the point where she’s pretty much all I think about! I even train with the Hearth’s Fire to beat the Four Dragons for her!”

Another sigh blasted through my mouth as I sunk further into her couch, resigning myself to a quick nap in order to sleep the anxiousness.

Sunset added the last bit of dark-gold eyeshadow, stepping back to look at herself in all she was. The beautiful black dress that faded to a nighttime-purple around the edges of the sleeves and midsection was speckled with little sequins, giving the appearance of a clear night sky. Her cutie mark comprised of a red and yellow sun sat deadcenter on her chest.

She was almost complete... but why? “Why do I hesitate like this!? Come on, Sunset; you’re better than pre-date jitters! Pull yourself together, girl!” Sunset, for the first time in her life, slapped her face softly to set herself back on the path of confidence.

“Right! Time to finish the ensemble!” She nodded her head in the mirror, determined not to be disheartened again. Her magic reached out and snatched a small pearl necklace on her boudoir, which was then levitated onto her neck quickly. Turning her head this way and that, Sunset inspected and adjusted it until she was satisfied the white pearls would keep Silas’s attention on her neck and above.

Her back legs trembled, letting her know that no matter how strong her conviction was, her body wasn’t in concordance to remain pure. Shaking her head while biting her lip hard, the burning subsided enough for her to recharge the Soothing Spell she had casted earlier. Sunset even went so far as to add another layer of magic to it, making sure her... urges were kept severely under wraps.

“You’ve got this, Shimmer! He’ll be putty in your hooves.... Oh, I hope we feel the same way about one another!” Sunset bit her lip and turned away from her boudoir, heading for the hallway in order to get this night on the road.... literally.

The clopping of hooves made me sit up on the couch faster than a rabbit running from a wolf pack. My jaw dropped when she stepped into the living room, her ensemble completely breathtaking. I honestly felt like Evening itself walked into the room; the actual time of day!

“Buh... uh.....” I trailed off, my face heating up as Sunset scratched her front hoof bashfully, turning her head away with a small smile. I was still babbling like an idiot, my face heating up and turning what I could only assume to be purple, because that’s what red and blue make when they collide. “You... uh... y-you look...... ethereal.” I shied away from her gorgeous form as my heart beat a little faster.

“Whatever you do, Richards: Don’t. Play. It. Cool! The cool guy is always the worse off! Just be yourself, and there’ll be no problems!” I swallowed some spit and turned back around, standing up from the couch but kept my head down as I walked towards her. The less eye contact I made, the more confident I felt. I know it sounds cowardly, but nothing else seemed to alleviate the fierce pounding in my chest better!

“Are you r-ready?” Sunset turned her head up to look at me as her back legs fidgeted a little. I instantly noticed her pearl necklace and dark-gold eyeshadow, which made my heart skip a beat as my blush intensified.

“Y-yeah...” I opened the door and walked outside, grateful that it was still winter, because the cold air did help a little bit in alleviating the horrid blush on my face. Everything was covered with a thin layer of snow, and the evening sun glinted off of the forest and wildflowers beautifully. I waited for Sunset to join me at the side, before we started to walk towards Stonehaven.

The city of Stonehaven happened to be broken up into small streets that ran in circles. From the outside in, the circles contained less and less houses. The Tipsy Clover sat in the first circle, with only three other buildings next to it. Minotaurs lined up at the doorway in a straight line, waiting to earn their chance for patronage. In fact, there were so many minotaurs, that most of them had set up tables in which they’d play checkers or chess.

Their chairs were giant barrels, and so was the support for the checkerboard. Many of the barrels had nozzles, which were frequented with mugs as Taurs filled them with ale while playing. Some of them had instruments like the flute or an accordion, playing and singing what sounded like hymns and folk songs. These songs portrayed merriment and lovely seasons; they picturized the turning of seasons, and the many festivals held within them. Overall, this outside was a jubilant place, and did well to alleviate my nervousness, at least to some extent.

“That’s a pretty big line, Sunset. How are we supposed to get inside?” I kept my gaze ahead, lest I be attracted to the instruments and board games being played. Sunset sighed and led me by her magic up to the front door, all the of the other Taurs giving us little glares of annoyance as we strode up to the bouncer.

“Hello, Steel Ingot. I trust my V.I.P pass is still in effect?” I quirked my eyebrow up as the massive minotaur nodded and pulled aside the red rope, giving a short exhale of agreeance all the while. Sunset smiled and dipped her head at him before proceeding inside, tugging me along with her magic by the collar.

“How do you have V.I.P passes to the fanciest place in Stonehaven -nay- Bullivia!?” Sunset smiled back at my question, enjoying my confusion. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I was lead not into a pub like I had imagined, but a nightclub. Apparently, the minotaurs had no form of distinction between the two.

From the outside, the Tipsy Clover looks pretty small. I entertained the notion that this bar is ran by Doctor Who for a moment, before chuckling the absurdity of that away. If there was a Timelord here, he or she would have visited me a long time ago! Even so, this place was on fire tonight.

The Clover was separated into three large areas. Immediately to your left when walking in was the restaurant area, and it housed around one-hundred tables. All of them were filled with minotaurs as waitresses in checkered outfits used roller skates to deliver meals and zoom back into the kitchen. The bar was a large square that could seat approximately eighty minotaurs as well. Neon-blue lighting came down from its metal ceiling, washing the glass countertop in an awesome radiance that reminded me of crystalline waters.

The dancefloor held the largest congregation of minotaurs; possibly more than the other places combined! A DJ, who happened to be a dull light-blue with a spiky-black mane and ovoid, black-tinted aviators was bobbing his head as he blasted dubstep through some large speakers, making the crowd pulse along to the heavy drops and deadly wubs.

I shook my head at the tasteless noise. It was good for getting a crowd pumped, yes; but it shouldn’t be mainlined like it is. “I can’t stand dubstep, man! There’s no words, no story, no emotion, no nothing! Music is an artform; a bridge to one’s feelings and emotions! It is not a gimmick to get rich quick off of! And that’s why I couldn’t stand modern-day radio; namely, ‘hip-hop’.”

Sunset led me into the crowd; having us weave back and forth between swaying minotaurs as we neared a closed-off table near the stage, separated by two burly minotaurs in black suits and a red rope. Once we neared them enough, the minotaurs lowered their shades and eyed Sunset and I down.

“Ms. Shimmer? What a surprise. Who’s your friend?” The minotaur on the left with cold blue eyes stared at me, alongside his cohort with cold red ones. I stared at them stoically, knowing I could take them should this become an issue.

“He’s a very close friend of mine, Ignis and Aquilla; he doesn’t deserve those looks you’re giving him either. Open the rope, please, before I become cross at the rude behavior you two are giving.” Sunset looked up and narrowed her own eyes at the minotaurs, who gulped audibly and moved the ropes aside. Sunset slid into the booth without another word, and I stuck my tongue out at the two jerks as she pulled me in with her.

There were two other minotaurs there, both of them dresses well for the ritzy club. The sow was white with black spots, like a dairy cow, and boasted a voluptuous figure! Her eyes were a deep-orange that held no traces of mirth at the moment, and they were shielded behind square-framed glasses. Her hair was done in curly strips, the all-black and festive curtain stopping right at her shoulders. Her shoulderless dress revealed a lot of her cleavage, and that’s all I could see before she affixed a curious eye and smug smile.

Her partner was a tan fellow with orange facial hair; a ginger cow. He had no hair on his head, but had a long and orange goatee that parted twice at the bottom. His green eyes were serious as they settled on me, but jovial as they rested on Sunset. “It’s so nice to see you again, Sunset Shimmer! What brings you back to the Tipsy Clover tonight!” His accent was pure scottish, and I found myself barely able to contain a chuckle over how much he sounded like Soap Mactavish from Call of Duty.

“Hello to you as well, Haggis. I’ve brought with me a close friend of mine,” Sunset spoke happily, pointing a hoof at me. “This is Silas Epista, and he’s here to perform a song or two for the crowd.”

Haggis raised his orange and well-kept eyebrow, crossing his arms as he looked at me analytically. “Oh? We get many singers and the such in here, Mr. Epista. Most of them are pretty talented. What makes you so different, eh?” Haggis sips from a wine glass, keeping his eyebrow raised.

“I may not look like it; as I’m sure you must hear a lot from the ‘talent’, but I could be just what this club needs. There’s also something I would like to....” I choked up and tugged at my jacket collar. “... Get off my chest, per se.... hehehe,” I laughed nervously, twirling some of my mane with an index finger.

“... I don’t see why not.” Haggis shrugs his shoulders, leaning back into the seat. “This’ll be a good time for me to see what you bring to the table. Get the crowd pumping like Neon Lights is right now, and I’ll even throw in an upfront pay.” Haggis held out a burly hand, which I took in joy and shook.

“Deal! You won’t regret it, Mr. Haggis!” I smiled at him and his compatriot just as the music stopped. I felt my heart skip a beat when I realized my time was coming quickly, and I had yet to pick a song that would impress the crowd or get them moving.

“I’m Neon Lights and that was my newest mix! Hope you all enjoyed it, Stonehaven!” The unicorn lifted his hooves into the air, getting a loud bout of applause, before stepping away from the DJ booth and making his way over to the V.I.P section. As he neared, his tracks were stalled up as his eyes fell on my form. Neon Lights looked over at Haggis for confirmation, who nodded in return. The unicorn gulped but made his way over to Haggis’ left side, sitting down at the table without further facial expression.

“Neon Lights, meet Silas Epista; our next performer, who is also a dragon.” said the sow. “And in case you were wondering, Mr. Epista; I am Dominika Lehigh, but my friends call me Donna. I am the bookkeeper and secretary for the Tipsy Clover.” Dominika dipped her head at me, and sipped some wine. I smiled back, and then pieced two and two together when she leaned forward enough to glorify her massive mammaries.

I sighed internally. “Damn it all, she wants me. Ain’t this ‘bout a bitch? I’ve looked at myself in a mirror enough to know I’m not God’s gift to the planet, so why the fuck do women like throwing themselves at me!? I love Sunset Shimmer, dammit!” With these thoughts in mind, I nodded back at Dominika and turned my head to face Neon Lights.

“So what genre do you usually perform, Mr. Epista?” Neon Lights slid down his shades enough to pierce my gaze with eyes that matched his hair color, which radiated something like an aura of challenge with some smidget of indifference to them. “This is a rather high-end establishment, after all. Not just anything can be sung or played up there.”

I shifted to the right a little, his gaze making me a little irritated. There was a war going on inside my chest; a war on whether I should use Neon Light’s head as a hackysack. “Oh please,” I waved him off, “As if I would ever play something that could offend others. I assure you that my music choice isn’t something you should be fearing. I might not get the crowd jumping like you do, but I’m sure that, in my own way, they will be just as ecstatic.” I stood up and extended my claw out to Neon, hoping to squash whatever means of rivalry he was probably hoping to start.

Neon Lights slid his aviators back up and sighed. He didn’t take my handshake offer, as well. “This is a venue that’s been pretty faithful to me, Mr. Epista. I’m just saying that this place holds a good spot in my heart, and I’d hate to see its mood sullied by some rubbish.” Neon sat back and nodded at me, which I took as a sign that he didn’t feel like talking anymore.

I dropped my claw with a sigh and turned to face Sunset. “.... I hope you enjoy my performance, Sunny.” Blushing a little bit, I hurriedly made my way to the stage. Climbing up the three steps quickly, my mind was racing on what I should play for my opening song.

“Sunset’s Song is what I’m playing afterwards, so I need something now. Hmmm.... that last section Neon played has got everyone pretty riled up. They’re looking for something with a lot of energy.... so that’s what I’m going to give them!” I strode onto the stage with bubbling confidence, smiling at all the faces that turned towards me instantly.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I am your next performer, Silas Epista. How are you all tonight!?” There was a small cheer, some minotaurs even raising frothing mugs as they hollered. Smiling wider, I took the microphone in my claw and removed it from the stand. “So, how did you guys like the last set?”

Another brief cheer.

“Good, good! Well, I think it’s about that time where I introduce myself and such... other than give my name, of course. As you can see, I’m not your typical, ‘Burn your Village and Plunder your Gold’ dragon. Growing up was a little rough, but I ended up finding something that helped me through it, ladies and gentlemen. Do you know what that was?” I tilted my head to the side as the minotaurs mumbled amongst themselves, before a skinny arm shot up. I followed the lithe appendage to the face of a brown sow with blonde hair, straightened to fall just past her shoulders.

“... Music,” She tried tentatively.

I winked at her. “Bingo.” She smiled and sipped her wine, a blush on her face as the minotaurs around her applauded a little. “Yes, ladies and gentlemen... music. And it’s not just any music, either. I am talking music... with emotion. I love hearing and feeling the lyrics of a nice song; to... digest the story, if I may be a little poetic.” Nodding at them briefly and turning on my feet, I walked over to the black grand piano that had somehow been wheeled in without my knowing or hearing of it.

The black bench called my name, and I answered by sitting down while giving a flap of my jacket. I ran my fingers over the keys, playing some scales before sighing. “Siri, can you help me out here? I need you to play every instrument other than the piano in the song, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen.

“Queen? Let me see…. Oh, I like this one! I’ll play this for you all day, Chief. Start ‘er up! Just give an even better performance for your chica when the time comes.” I cleared my throat and began the the tedious process of matching my voice to that of Freddie Mercury. I sung the scale from ‘do’ to ‘do’, and once I was satisfied with my new voice, I signaled Siri with a mental jolt.

The notes from the piano started, and I immediately lost myself in the having a good time! My fingers glided across the instrument as I sang out; Siri was doing a marvelous job with projecting the rest of the track into the room. The notes from the piano were deafening, yes, but I could hear the whooping and excited yells of dancing minotaurs as they paraded about the dancefloor.

The song wasn’t known to be a long one, and as I belted out the last ‘la’s, I knew the crowd loved my performance based on the way they were clapping and whistling. I stood up and faced them, taking a bow. Out the corner of my eye, I noticed a pair of minotaur stagehands with red caps and light-blue denim overalls moving the piano back behind the red curtain. I grabbed their attention with a couple shakes of my claw, only bringing one of them over with my motion.

“Yeah?”

“I have one more song that I’d like to perform tonight...” I rubbed the back of my head and blushed a little. “... It’s for a friend -no- interest of mine, and it requires an acoustic guitar. Is there a chance you could bring me that and a stool?” The stagehand nodded quickly and disappeared behind the curtain. A couple seconds later, and he was bringing out what I had asked for.

“Here you go, Champ! Hope you win her over!” I was given an abrupt slap on the back, which made me choke a little bit and blush some more. He gave me a thumbs-up and disappeared behind the curtain again.

Sighing to alleviate the nervousness that had welled up in me, I moseyed my way onto the stool and picked up the strapless acoustic guitar. The microphone stand was adjusted to a good height, making sure my mouth was directly in front of it, but backed up far enough so the crowd couldn’t hear me breathe between verses. Taking a few practice strums while playing some chords and scales, I confirmed that this guitar was adequate enough to assist me in winning the heart of Sunset....

“Egads, you’ve got it something awful, Justin Richards! Winning the heart!? Ugh.... Siri?” There were a couple clicks and whirring sounds in my head.

“Heyo.”

“It’s about that time.... I need you to play ‘She is the Sunlight’ by Trading Yesterday when I give the signal, okay?”

“Gotcha, Silas.”

I smiled a little bit and tapped the microphone, gathering everyone’s attention. “Hey, it’s me again. I just want to perform one last song before I leave you all tonight. Is that alright with you all?” They clapped their assent to my question, making me nod and smile a little harder.

“Now, I know things have been pretty fast-paced in here, but I’m starting to see you guys unwind a little bit. I think this is a perfect opportunity to dance with the one you care about. If you have that person with you tonight, come out to the floor for a nice and easy slow dance. And if you don’t, just grab someone’s hand and lead them. I know it may sound creepy, but I think everyone just needs to be shown a little bit of affection; just a little bit to keep them pushing through some lonely days. What do you all say?”

The applause was louder from when I ended my first song, making me jump back a little bit before chuckling. “Good! Yeah, I’m liking the energy guys! So yeah; just come on out with someone you know, love, care for, or just think needs a little dance to brighten up!” I strummed a G chord, loving the reverb it fed into the instrument as I waited patiently for every to get situated.

A surprisingly large number of minotaurs came out onto the floor, some of them with lovers, and other with shy strangers that averted their gazes. I smiled at them all, feeling pretty good about how well I set the positive air in here. “Look at you all! Go on; clap it up for yourselves!” A short applause broke the air, but died out as quick as it came. I sighed, knowing I had to say something about why I was here in the first place, getting ready to sing one of my favorite love songs.

“You guys are awesome! Y’know, I’m actually up here because.... well... there’s a face out in the crowd; a little beam of sunshine that always knew what to say and how to say things to me. There was a time when I didn’t value our friendship, and pretty much saw her as a thesaurus or some other trove of information; but it’s funny what... uh... love can do to a person. Overtime, I found myself hopelessly craving to be with her more and more; to the point where I was basically living with her! I just don’t want these days to end, and I can’t just sit here with these emotions bottled up inside me without hearing if she feels the same way anymore!”

I picked up a claw and scratched at my face awkwardly, knowing my blush was tinting my cheeks a shade of purple. “So... yeah... that’s why I’m really up here tonight...” I cleared my throat, adjusting it to that of David Hodges.

The cheers were deafening and instant! I smiled sheepishly at warm reception, and saddled up to play a song that would forever stay with me. The opening chords drifted about the room, the progression sounding like the beating of a heart.... my heart. I looked out among the crowd as the notes rang out, watching start a slow dance just as the intro chords stopped.

And if all the flowers.... have fade~d away. And if all the storm clouds, decided to stay~.
Then you would find me~, each hou~r the same. cause She is tomorrow~, and I am today~.

‘Cause if right is leaving~.... I’d rather be~ wrong.
‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight.... and the sun~ is gone.

That marked the end of the first verse, which also ended with a downwards strum. Wanting to be on time for the pickup, I inhaled and continued to watch the slow-dancing minotaurs wave sluggishly.

If loving her is~, a hearta~che for me.
And if holding her me~ans, that I ha~ve to ble~ed.
Then I am the martyr~, Love is~ to blame.
‘Cause She is the heal~ing, and I am~ the pain~.
She li~ves in a daydream... where I don’t be~long!
‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight... and the sun~ is gone~.

I progressed onto the bridge, switching up the notes as Siri’s projected cellos, violins, and piano filled the air.

And it will ta~~~ke this li~fe of regret~, for my hear~~~t to learn~~ to forget!
Tommorrow will be~~~ as it al~ways has been~!
And I will fall~~~... for her~ again!
For I know~, I’ve come~ too~ close~!

‘Cause if~ right is leaving.... I’d rather be~ wro~~ng.
‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight... and the Sun~ is gone.

The end of the real lyrics came after that last verse, and I broke out into many ‘la’s’ as the song started to unwind itself. Right before the piano came in to seal the deal alongside the other orchestral instruments, I made sure to catch the last part of my vocals.

‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight.... and the sun~~ is gone....

After that, it was an instrumental fade out on Siri’s part that lasted for a good minute and some change. I took a really big sigh and stood up, awaiting the minotaurs to realize that the song was over. When they did, I was almost blown back by the teared-up eyes of them all as they cheered their hearts out. Clapping, hollering, and whistling came from every direction!

I smiled sheepishly and bowed at the waist, placing the guitar down next to the stool. Making my way off stage after lifting myself up, I was stopped at the steps by Sunset Shimmer, who was looking up at me with misty eyes. I offered her a smile; it’s the only thing I could think of.

Words couldn’t describe just how fast she flew into my chest and cried her eyes out. Instead of falling backwards, I braced the impact and hugged her, crying into her mane as well. We stayed like this for who knows how long, but I didn’t really care! Her answer was clear the moment she slammed into me; that she felt the same way I did.

After a couple more minutes, she finally took her face out from my chest and looked up at me. Her face was the definition of joy, and I’m sure mine was as well. “Hey...” I started, before she placed a hoof onto my lips and silenced me with a smile.

“... Just kiss me, you idiot...”

Our heads slowly came together, and everything else was tuned out! This was it! “Screw that glass that just broke.... huh... I feel funny...” My eyes fluttered shut as I fell backwards; a strange and pungent scent filtering throughout the air as more and more sounds of bodies hitting the ground fill my ears.

The last thing I remember seeing was yellow smoke and a dog’s face.

Author's Note:

Don't Stop Me Now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzGwKwLmgM

She is the Sunlight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_JvvizkBc

Stay Tuned! For those that have followed this Rewrite so far, thank you! To those returning veterans of the tale... you can probably guess what's next...

Comments

[Sky Wishes 7266]

NNNNOOOOO!!!!! Why does it have to happen now?!?!?!? Aaaaawwwww come on they were trying to have a moment!!!!! Darn it. After all they've been through and now this happens. I think I need to lie down.

Sorry. I get really into the story.
Loved the song choices BTW!

[Maneiac]

3928384 Glad you enjoyed it! How do you like the Rewrite so far?

[FourthWallAfroBrony]

Damn. That just wasn't fair! I am currently up at about 1 in tha morning cuz of this story. This is more addictive than any drug!!! (not that I would know). This cliffhanger is giving me bad health, onto the next chapter, Allons-y!

[BureYaAkili]

Dub step is like fine wine. Its an acquired taste. Except it isn't fine. At all. Except lindesy sterling. No matter what you say. I hate you if you hate here. This has nothing to do with the whole knowing her side to.
I like the music choices tho. So I cannot complain much.

[Black--Soul]

To Quote sweety bell: "O COME ON" not now! That was a perfect night