This story is a sequel to Knight of Equestria I: Certainty
Long before I became Songbird Serenade, while I was still in high school, I encountered Discord turning Ponyville into the Chaos Capital of the world. I wasn't buying that his changes made ponies more fun, and I told him as much, which meant I had a part to play in the drama.
Though this three chapter story is a sequel to Knight of Equestria: Certainty, it begins with a reprise of the first story and is written to be enjoyed as a standalone work. A big thank you! each to DoContra and Loganberry for pre-reading and suggestions.
Songbird's Playlist
Fly Away!, the JPB Remix by NCS.
Looking for You by the Empire Cast
Ain't Nobody, a cover by Ain't Nobody, not the original by Chaka Khan
I'm Free by Kenny Loggins on the Footloose Soundtrack.
The following sequence from the long description of Certainty also sets the stage for this second story in the series:
Music Biz's Wicked Tongue: So, Miss Serenade... World renown DJ, songwriter, records topping the charts, fans cry "Songbird" at you, Friendship Festival headliner... What's the scoop with the serialized stories The Strand is launching? Self-aggrandizing fiction?
Songbird Serenade: Self-aggrandizing? (She shuffles some pages on the table before her and takes a deep breath.) On the evening of the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration, a blank-flank teenager was expecting to scrub and dust, helping her immigrant parents clean Town Hall overnight. She was... okay with that. Her family was glad for any opportunity. Her Trottingham accent worried her—
WT: Your accent—
SS: Might her classmates discover she was a peasant who cleaned up after other ponies and always would? She jammed with a nascent DJ named Vinyl Scratch, but, with her sorry excuse for being a DJ next to her only friend, she had no dreams of a musical future.
(Her blue eyes catch mine for an instant.) Little did I know at the dawn of the Age of Harmony, I would meet its first monster.
The filly made it to her next sunrise, but would be piecing herself together for the rest of her life. Ultimately, without Princess Nightmare Moon there would be no Songbird Serenade. This is one of those stories.
WT: Are you saying the stories are autobiographical?
SS: (She covers her face with her mop of bangs after I see incipient tears.) It's a confession. She dislikes the filly she was. As for the mare she became... (Shudders)
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You made my day, thanks.
And appreciate the style note. Mastering 1st person narrative is how I justified my writing on this site in the final analysis. (I used to only write 3rd person.)
Fascinating. Flopsy certainly has experience with battling her own worse impulses. Being of two minds about existence is hardly anything new for her.
This does seem to hint at the nature of her talent: Equilibrium. She can keep her head about her in the most calamitous of situations, and can't help but do the same for others. Even Discord merely made her take some time to recalibrate, which will likely prove beneficial in the long run. Looking forward to seeing how she grows from the experience.
Chaos contains all things, including antichaos. Random chance can produce a coherent sequence. And from the look of the future, this was a very educational little interlude for Discord.
Another great installment in the very strange, very eventful life of one Flopsy Mopsy. Thank you for it.
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The payoff occurs in the fourth story* in the series.
And thank you for the compliment. Considering the poor page views, probably because of obscurity of the character of Songbird Serenade, the series is definitely a labor of love. I am glad I've gotten some appreciative readers.
* Completed and awaiting final edits.
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I think Flopsy mentions Discord in Pizzicato and Changelings, the direct sequel to this story, but the efficacy of Fluttershy's efforts does come up in Unmarked Time. Wait for it...
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I'm neither confirming or denying it, but there may be a payoff for this observation in Unmarked Time.