The Full and Complete History of Equstria...The Musical!

by Violet Frost

Ponies Don't Break Into Song

Ch. 1 Ponies Don’t Just Break Into Song

Film Reel was still unsure how it had happened. One moment he was being yelled at by Princess Luna, the next he was being whisked away to Canterlot to help her produce a documentary. If that wasn’t the craziest thing, she wanted the documentary to cover the entire history of Equestria. His mind was working in overdrive. So many ponies whose stories he could tell, so much of history he could fix.

Film Reel didn’t look it but he was a history buff. When he was a foal he thought he was going to be a historian, but no matter how hard he studied and acted in reenactments, it wasn’t until he tried to make a film for his history class that he got his cutie mark. Sure he knew he was good with a camera; he used it to track his movements so he could better act at reenactments, and to videotape the places his parents took him to fuel his passion.

Still, a chance to work with history again in a professional setting was a dream come true. However, the hours weren’t the best. Luna could remain up all day but even the alicorn liked her sleep. During the day. Film Reel admitted that at least the guest room made it easy to sleep; it was just odd to work during the night.

“Ah, Film Reel,” Luna addressed him as he entered the room after she rose the moon. They typically talked briefly over what section of history Luna wanted to cover that night and flesh out an outline, right before dinner/breakfast with Celestia. “Have you thought more on the Griffon wars? Those will be especially messy to work through.”

“I have, Princess,” Film Reel stated slowly. “I think there is really only one way to handle it, and that will be to cover both sets of history at once. Include the Griffons and what happened before they attacked Equestria. It will mean adding time onto the documentary, but if you make it a multi-night production, something that ponies would see in class, or as part of huge cultural excursions then running time becomes less of a problem.”

“Why all this focus on running time, Film Reel? As long as we do not bore the audience it should be no problem, correct?” Luna said as if it were fact and gently pulled a brush through her nebula mane.

“I-it’s not that simple, Princess,” Film Reel stated as he crouched down. “On top of having a compelling story a movie has to have drama, action, and romance–not necessarily the romantic kind-to have even a shadow of a doubt to compete with the Fillywood productions.” Luna scoffed as he stated the dreaded name of the movie production hub of Equestria. “And even then you need talent working the cameras, the make up, the music...I GOT IT!” he shouted, leaping into the air, a sudden stroke of genius hitting him.

Luna suddenly yanked the brush through her mane and stared at the pegasus pony. “What hast thou got?”

“I got how we can make it a cultural explosion! All we have to do is get the outline done, then bring in the music. We’ll display it as a musical.” His wings flapped harder as he zipped into Luna’s face. “Think about it! Several important leaders of Equestria framed by song!” He zipped to the other side of the room and grabbed a book about the Griffon Wars. “Imagine General Gwain singing to his brother King Gaston the benefits of honor over taking a village of defenseless ponies while in the middle of prosperity! Imagine all the musical lyrics… if done right this could be GOLD!”

Luna burst into laughter at the pony’s antics. “My little pony,” she stated, trying out her sister’s phrase, “Griffons and ponies don’t just break into song.”

Film Reel ignored her, jumping up with a tune leaving his lips. “Oh, His-tor-y, what you do to me,” he said, flipping through a book at random. “So many stories waiting to be told.” He flew upside down, tossing the book and only narrowly missing Luna’s head. “And there’s always opportunity, to tell the story right!”

Luna stared in disbelief as he proceeded to grab a much heavier book and flip through it nonchalantly. “If the story’s been told, pay no mind,” he said, pointing his hoof to a picture of a diamond dog. “Kick it up a notch, while keeping the story true!” He shut the book and flew back into Luna’s personal space. “Lo and behold, you may just find, that the story you struck is gold!”

“I feel like this is just an attempt to make me change my mind,” Luna stated with a frown at his antics.

“Well, maybe it is!” he said with a big smile as he rolled on his back in the air.

“It’s not helping.” Luna rolled her eyes.

“Maybe not yet but it will!” He dashed to the top of the tallest pile of books. “His-tor-y-y, I’m here to prove that I can do what you need, His-tor-y-y, we’ll set a new bar!” He flew around the pile before pulling out a diary written by Smart Cookie.

“Careful!” Luna called up to him. The other books had been more modern but Smart Cookie’s diary was not as young.

“Oh, I will be! I won’t let a treasure like this fall.” He started flipping to the middle of the diary.

“You’re not changing my mind this way.” Luna frowned.

“Oh? Then maybe I just need to try harder,” he stated, flying down and placing the diary on Luna’s desk, a much safer place. “Some may say: Film, what’s the big deal? It’s just a bunch of dusty books.” He zoomed over to Luna’s timeline. “But I stand to think, that for each event there is something we could learn.”

“And this is how I play my cards,” he gestured boldly. “By using what history has given me, it’s rich with drama, and only needs the right touch.”

“Oh no, what have I done? It seems thou hast caught my madness,” Luna sang with a facehoof.

“It’s no madness, Princess, just the love for the past,” Film quipped, making a few small notes.

“History, I’m here to show what I can do,” Film jumped back into the air with his eyes closed. “History, you are my key, History-y, I’m here to tell your story, your story!” He finished on a high note before dropping to the ground, extending a wing before him and lightly preening it.

“You still haven’t changed my mind.” Luna strode to the far side of the room, certain the pegasus’ song was finished.

“Oh, but I will.” He trotted over to her as she left the room, walking down the grand hallways to the dining room. “It’s too perfect. It will call to all those in Equestria, and besides the Element of Laughter used a song that we can’t just ignore.”

“It’s supposed to feel out of place,” Luna said, rolling her eyes. “She was giggling at the trees.”

“So? You also said that you had a mentor who sang to you and Celestia. If songs are only at the beginning and at the end it would really feel out of place, especially since they aren’t like each other at all,” Film Reel replied with a smug smile.

“And you’re basing your whole thought that this needs to be a musical on two songs?” Luna mused as they finally came into the dining room. Celestia was already sitting at the table with her nephew next to her. Blueblood was griping about something or other again; really, the more time Film Reel spent in here with the Princesses he felt the most of the more vocal nobles were not as impressive as most ponies believed. They seemed to feel more concern over impressions and money.

As Luna took her seat Celestia turned her head. “How did you sleep, Luna? And good evening to you too, Film Reel.”

“I slept fine, Celestia,” Luna stated as she sat down at her place at the table. Film Reel followed with a simple nod. While he’d grown used to talking with Luna, Celestia was a another story. Luna had only been back from the moon for a few years, while Celestia had been ruling the kingdom for his entire life.

Luna turned her attention to affairs of the state, asking Celestia if there had been any word from the Griffon kingdom on the search for the Changeling hive. There had been no hint as to where the hive was, and Celestia and Luna had been extending their range outside of Equestria, though only the warlike griffons had offered government support in the search inside their mountain home.

Blueblood simply grumbled that the money being used to find the hive would be better spent on ensuring tax breaks. Film Reel rolled his eyes when he was sure the white unicorn wasn’t looking. He was focused on the food in front of him. The idea of turning the documentary into a musical was still playing through his mind.

Otherwise, breakfast was uneventful and as it concluded Luna went to check in with her guard. While Luna was technically supposed to hold court there were no nobles who sat in her court, nor were there ever many practitioners. Typically Luna would go through the ceremony of opening, sitting on her throne a few hours looking over what Celestia did during the day and making official recommendations before going off to her room to work on the documentary.

Film Reel found all this work boring, and spent his time working on the outline or bits of script. The more he worked the more he became convinced he was right. There were so many intricacies that really a song could display them in a way mere words couldn't.

Film Reel hummed as he began to edit the tale of Hearth's Warming Eve with the notes that Smart Cookie had stated in her diary. Luna had gotten permission for Celestia to use or edit the lines as they saw fit for the documentary, and it was the easiest thing to work on since it was already pretty accurate.

He missed his wife’s music; it could make the work go so much faster, especially editing work. Film Reel stopped and snapped his head up. Luna was against the musical idea because she couldn’t see everypony just jumping into song; what if she actually heard tunes that would be similar? Film grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began scribbling on it very quickly. As soon as his note was finished he folded it up and handed it off to one of Luna’s bat-winged guards, “Take this to Cloudsdale, house five on Rain Avenue.” He urgently whispered to the guard so as to not distract Luna from her talk with one of her advisors.

The guard simply nodded and walked calmly from the room as Film had to hold in giggles. Oh yes, Luna would come around.

Author's Note:

Sorry it took so long but I got swept up in fair and school work.