MLP: The Magic of... Music?

by The Bricklayer

Part 16: Children of The Night

Author's Note:

Okay, for this chapter we're going to get a song a know a lot of you have been begging for, mentally or not. Plus, a very classic song by the Animals as well! Now, on to more important crap. Originally, this chapter was going to be very dark and heavy with both Locomotive Breath and The Needle and the Spoon in it, but I decided to save those songs for the chapter after the next, and focus more on the plot and character relationships here.

A few days later, the Mane Six gathered once more to listen to human music, now once again joined by the Princesses and Sunset. Twilight was sad, tomorrow was Sunset's last day here before she went back to the Human World along with Sonata, who felt out of place here with all she'd done. She knew she'd never be accepted by the citizens of Equestria and especially Ponyville, not after what she and her sisters had done.

As for Sunset, she felt oddly sadder then she should have been about leaving Ponyville. She was happy to see her friends back at Canterlot High, but at the same time she didn't want to leave Equestria once more. Maybe, she thought, it was because she'd finally reconciled with her old teacher, but a small part in the back of her mind said it was because of Twilight. Sunset pushed this thought even further away. That couldn't be it, could it?"

"Look at me, acting like some lovesick mare. I just feel sad as I'm leaving my new friends here. I can't be in love with Twilight... Can I?" Sunset mentally argued with herself.

"Gah! Why must friendship be so confusing?!?" Sunset shouted, although she didn't mean to. Princess Celestia looked at her in concern.

"My student, you alright? You sound... conflicted." Celestia's kindly voice asked her fellow Alicorn. Sunset smiled weakly at her.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Completely fine!" Sunset responded in a nervous manner. But Celestia didn't look as if she believed her, and it showed on her face. Celestia knew her former student, she could always tell when something was bothering the bacon maned mare, like right now. And Celestia had her suspicions on what exactly was bothering the Alicorn known as Sunset Shimmer. She'd noticed the ways she looked at Twilight, even when she thought and was hoping else was looking. Twilight herself had done these exact same things when she was young, and had a small crush on Celestia. And now she was sneaking glances at Sunset, thinking hoping had noticed them. But notice Celestia did. She hadn't lived for one thousand years and not learned to pick up when a pony was hiding something. She knew Sunset and Twilight as well had feelings for one another, and that they were just too afraid of each other rejecting the other to admit it.

"J-Just start the next song, okay Twi?" Sunset stammered out. Like her mentor, the Princess of Friendship looked at her in concern and suspicion, but started up the next song anyways.

The song began with soft, almost sad guitar strums from it's player before a sorrowful, almost mournful voice sung that there was a house in New Orleans, obviously the human world equilvent of Neigh Orleans. This house, they called it the Rising Sun, a place where that it has been the ruin of many a poor boy, of which the singer was one.

"By Faust, such a poor human..." Rarity whispered, her compassionate side coming out once again.

"Having to live like that. W-Why, i-if I was there I'd help him." The Element of Generosity continued, now starting to sob, tears streaming down her muzzle and ruining her make-up. But Rarity didn't care in the slightest for her appearance like she normally would have, for she was far too saddened by this human's plight. By this time, keyboards had joined in with the guitar strums, and they aligned with them perfectly.

The singer sung that his mother was a tailer, that she sowed his old blue jeans. Rarity's demeanor now changed from sadness, to interest, it perked up by the fact that humans had sewing machines in their world. Images flashed through her head, of the designs she could create.

"Sunset dearie?" Rarity inquired in interest. "Am I right to assume my human counterpart creates fashion as well?"

Sunset nodded, and Rarity squealed in glee that her counterpart did the same things she did. But then, disappointment fell over her features as she realized she might never see the things her counterpart might have created. Sunset, on seeing her friend's face fall, along with her knowing how her mind worked laid a hoof on her shoulder in support.

"Don't worry, I'll send pictures." Sunset smiled, and Twilight whispered "Thank you." to her friend. Sunset felt her face heat up at Twilight's gratefulness, but she didn't know exactly why.

What the Hell is wrong with me!?!" Sunset mentally shouted to any deity that would listen, expecting a answer. She, of course, received none.

Meanwhile, the song continued, telling of the boy's father, a gamblin' man, and the only time he was satisfied was when he was on the drunk. Right then and there, Rainbow let out a loud growl of protectiveness and fury towards the boy, even if he wasn't there in person.

"R-Rainbow, you alright?" Fluttershy asked in concern. She had never seen her old friend this furious, not even when the Dazzlings took over Ponyville.

"You know perfectly well I'm not, and you know why." The rainbow maned pegasus snarled, scaring everybody present. Fluttershy bowed her head in remembrance and sorrow. She did know perfectly well why. Rainbow's father was a drunkard, and often abused her. In fact, the only time Rainbow had been happy was when Rainbow's father was cleaned up, if only briefly and took her to that Wonderbolts show in Cloudsdale, leading her on the path to her dream. But after that, the abuse got worse, and Fluttershy's parents took her in after Rainbow escaped her father, and the two had been sisters ever since.

"It's okay... It's okay. He's gone now, he's not coming for you anymore Dashie." Fluttershy reassured as she hugged her sister in all but blood as Rainbow shed some rare tears and let out a soft whisper of "Thank you, Flutters."

Fluttershy then turned to Twilight and didn't even have to ask for what she wanted. Twilight instantly understood, and changed the song.

---

The depths of Tartarus

Meanwhile, Shining Armor and a few of the Crystal Guardsmen under his command had journeyed deep within the foul, hellish bowels of Tartarus to find HIM before he returned from the abyss from which he had been imprisoned.

"Okay, this place just gives me the willies." One guard, a orange pegasus and the sole non Crystal pony, Flash Sentry whispered in fear.

"Everything gives ya the willies. Pretty sure Twilight Sparkle gives the willies." A fellow guard, whose name was Bright Gem mocked, and Flash glared harshly at him, which could be seen even in the darkness which was only illuminated by torchlight.

"She doesn't give me the willies!" Flash spat back at his fellow guard.

"Then why you so nervous around her, huh?" Bright Gem asked sarcastically. Flash said nothing as a few other guards snickered.

"Silence, the lot of you!" Shining barked. "I hear something!"

Hear something he did, like a low growl from a creature from Hell itself before a shadowy form of smoke with only two red eyes visible materialized in front of Shining and his troops, who readied their, shields, swords and spears for battle.

"So..." The form said in a calm, almost charming voice. "You finally figured out my involvement and have come to face me in person."

"Your plot ends here." Shining responded, no trace of fear in his voice at all.

"Sorry, but I'll have to decline my capture of going quietly." The being retorted as shadows seemed to reach all around the cave in tendril like forms.

"Instead... Well, if you want blood, well you got it!" He roared, and chaos exploded in the cave...

---

Golden Oaks Library

Night had fallen on Equestria, and the moon was high in the sky casting in a comforting glow on the small town of Ponyville. Once, the moon was feared for the being that once lay rest in it's surface, but no longer. Nowadays, ponies held the moon in equal splendor as it's solar cousin. The atmosphere, as the moonlight reached through the windows of the Golden Oaks, was perfect for the next song that played...

The first thing anypony heard was a monologue, a unknown narrator remembering the aftermath of the battle with the chaos being Discord, and the two brave sisters who stepped up to defeat him. Both Luna and her sister bowed their heads sadly in remembrance. They, like the pony narrating, remembered the devastation after the battle. Ponies wandering, lost and homeless. But then the story changed, as the narrator described Luna forming a new colony, something the Prime Luna only thought about, but never put into action before she was consumed by the entity known as Nightmare Moon.

"So... This song is about me?" Luna gasped in shock as soft guitar strings plucked and a beautiful voice sung for the children of Equestria to come along with her.

"So it seems." Celestia agreed. She thought about what might have been, what Luna might have done.

"A-And I thought I was never loved..." Luna whispered tearfully, in shock a song was written about her.

"Of course you are loved." Celestia reassured, and wiped away a tear from her sister's eye before putting one of her wings around her in comfort. "You are loved by me."

"No." Twilight corrected her fellow Alicorn and Princess. "You are loved by all of us."

"She's so kind." Sunset mused to herself. "I don't deserve her, not after what I've done." Sunset mentally said before she growled to herself. She thought she was done with her past and it affecting her, but it seemed she was wrong.

"T-Thank you, Twilight Sparkle." Luna smiled, and wiped away her tears as the song ended. She now had no doubts about her place in the royal hierarchy, and had no doubts her sister, and her friends cared about her. For Luna personally, that was the greatest victory of all.

Comments

[diablo4000]

Have you thought of the song Lullaby for a Princess?

[batran]

This is a little fast paced, especially adaigos scene.

I mean seriously. It does not make sense if it's fastpaced. After sunsets teachings and 2 songs from adagio shattered the pony's view?

Then the paragraph and a song after that the ponies are mindcontrolled?

I think it's fine if you go with more details and extend it all.

[chavis54]

Man I was imagining what their reaction to Dethklok would be

I cracked myself up

[Xuncu]

The feelings of Friendship and Love fill Woona with... DETERMINATION
[youtube=1Gis-di6L6A]

[Xuncu]

snaaaaaaaaaaake eeeeaaaaaterrrrrrrrrr~
[youtube=_CbFAZ2ztlE]

[Xuncu]

Some that Bacon Firehorse may be interested in at the moment:
[youtube=9C5kBlctiMM]
[youtube=SZmMD84XpCs]
[youtube=07RY9TMysiE]
[youtube=lBXdG4FZHoI]

[LongJohn 03]

Another good song would be on pale horse (halo 3) or worthog run (halo 3)

[Xuncu]

The guys touch it;
[youtube=9R1MKgPCE4o]
[youtube=HpY3ggKAPIE]
Flash gets Heartsonged to say the "Size doesn't matter" line

[Xuncu]

[youtube=6Oh9iWDBsmE]
[youtube=vioZf4TjoUI]

[Xuncu]

Sorry if I'm kinda spamming: back pain AND oral surgery, and the goddamned hydrocodone ain't doin' shit.....

[youtube=3JrZ1RUBaCg]
[youtube=3tTHn2tHhcI]

[Black_Knight]

Well seems things aren't going well with Sombra.

And everyone love Luna, she doesn't win most of the polls around her for nothing.

Here's another song a like to add in the suggestion list.

[The Bricklayer]

7563288 I understand, got to do something to keep your mind off the pain.

[A random person]

7563738 Some good songs

[The Bricklayer]

7563817
That military montage to Thunderstruck? (One of my favorite songs by the way.) That would be perfect for the final battle against Sombra or for my upcoming chapter which touches on some dark and heavy themes.

[A random person]

7563881 yeah, they could turn on the machine in the final battle and that song pops up with a video

[The Bricklayer]

7563934 Funny story about this song. Every time Lynyrd Skynyrd is about to go on, this is the last song played through the venue in question's speakers. Hell, I even know the whole set list the speakers play before they go on. It's the same set list every time.

[A random person]

7563979 you replied twice there

[The Bricklayer]

7563993 Noticed, and deleted the comment.

[ExoDemonG]

Why didn't I post this song, THE MUSIC MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND! xD

[magmon1000]

I got three songs:

It's Over, Isn't It?
Black Parade
And
Mr Bojangles.

[Jiggyjig23]

7563997
You describe the main instrument in "children of the night" as a guitar but I believe it's more of a lute or dulcimer if anything.