Part 5: Lined Lips
“Get a lookit you.” cooed Red once she had a chance to really look them over. Her voice dripped slow, like honey off a spoon. “What’s a tall, righteous thing like you doing in a place like this? You got a name?”
“Luna.” stammered Luna. She wasn’t sure what confounded her more; being eyed up like a fine dish by a salivating diner, or that the flattery felt rather nice for once.
“Ha.” she scoffed, throwing her head back. A maroon hoof reached up with utterly playful intent, and as her gaze leveled back out, it swept some of that dark mop to one side. The one eye she revealed was piercing and cool, glacier blue with flecks of white glinting. “I totally already knew that. I just wanted to hear you say it.”
Hope-Heart stepped into a staredown, her bright red eyes shunning her sister’s icy blue. She lifted a hoof between Luna and Red. “I told you, Red-Heart, this one’s spoken for.” Less confidently, she put her hoof to her chin and added: “Sort of. It’s complicated.”
“Tch.” Red-Heart let her hair fall back down with an air of disappointment. “All of ‘em off limits?”
“Would you listen to me this time if I said yes?” asked Hope with zero trust, turning her nose up while narrowing her gaze.
“Depends on how interested they’d be, haha!” Despite the low light, Red-Heart’s toothsome laugh gleamed pearly white.
Rolling her red eyes, Hope pulled a folder out of her bag. “Just take this and please don’t flirt with any of my new friends.”
“Aw, sweet!” beamed Red. Her horn produced a cool blue glow, and she flipped through the papers within, growing more excited with each new page she glossed over. She called out: “Onyx, get the bits for my sis!”
A moment later, a tall, skinny unicorn colt with a dark, dark coat stepped into the hall. Upon his narrow torso, he wore a loose-fitting white mesh top, and at the ends of his long, lanky legs, he wore silver bangles above his hooves. Coming in, he pushed his messy white undercut to one side. “Right on? I hope I wasn’t too pushy on some of those changes I wanted.”
“Nah,” insisted Red, passing the folder to him, “you know Hope is cool.”
Looking it over with his speckled gray eyes, he liked what he read, brief as he was. One could tell from the nodding more than anything, though, as he seemed to wear a resting face of apathy, intentional or not. “Oh yeah, these match the new melody I’ve been working on much better than the last draft. Thanks so much, Hope.”
“Aw, it was nothing.” She was rather bashful about it, though a hint of pride lingered or those who knew her well enough to pick up on it.
“Cherry!” bellowed Onyx in a voice that held a surreal mix of nasally treble, and monotonic bass. “Sorry to yell like that, Cherry is in charge of the lockbox and merch.” He waved to Hope’s entourage, adding: “Hello, by the by. I’m Onyx, in case you couldn’t tell by Red here shouting my name.”
As they exchanged pleasantries, Luna asked Hope: “What’s the folder? I knew you said your sister was in the band, but you didn’t mention that part.”
“Ah.” said Hope, suddenly very abashed. “Well, you see, Luna—”
Red interrupted, pulling her sister in nice and close, much to her chagrin. “Hope didn’t tell ya? Oh man, she’s the best poet in Ponyville. We commission her to write our lyrics.” She turned her, aiming some ire further in, adding: “At least, we do when somepony gets her dang money for her!”
“Wow, I had no idea.” said Luna, bemused. “Hope, you are full of surprises.”
Hope-Heart wriggled out from her sister’s embrace. Fixing her hair, she smiled timidly. “Heh, well, you know…”
“Cherry!” bellowed Red once more, unintentionally shutting out whatever it was Hope was going stammer out in reply.
“Awright, would ya relax? I was helping with the final sound check, yeah?” Where Red had the most bass to her voice, followed by Onyx, this one held the highest pitch. She was a pegasus quite on the short side; a full head shorter than even Ruby, and she had been the squattest of the group thus far.
“Alright, sorry girl, didn’t know.” Red became far more sheepish. Though, any amount of timidness compared to her blister-forth confident attitude thus far was a drastic shift. “This here’s Cherry Pit, the third and final member of our humble ensemble.”
“Please. My stage name is Cherry Bomb.” She spoke like someone who did not let a little thing like stature bother her. Or at least, she tried not to. Her coat was mottled, with a splotchy transition from a reddish orange on top to yellow underneath, giving her the look of a particular breed of her namesake. Cherries, that is; not bombs, nor pits. Her mane was long, straight, and dark, dark red. Peering out from under the perfect, curved line her bangs created were eyes of sweet, light, minty bluish green.
“I see that look in your eyes.” spoke up Red-Heart, somewhat nervously. Mostly, the rest of them were still unconvinced she could see anything. “I promise you we didn’t rope some random high schooler in to be our drummer. Cherry’s just… fun-sized!”
“I woulda told them ‘bout how I’m just short if they asked, Red.” huffed Cherry. Her head tilted to one side to sell her air of disappointment, and her mane became the ruddy crimson cape of an indignant noble.
“Aw, I know, Cher, but you get so tired of always having to explain yourself to folks.” Sidling up beside her, Red nudged Cherry’s shoulder with her elbow. “We’re all partners here, so we share burdens and boons alike together.”
Still seemingly expressionless, Onyx hoisted the two of them into his ample span, paying no mind to the tumbling metal box he caused Cherry to drop in the process. It wasn’t that surprising he could lift her, but his slightly diminutive figure made the addition of Red something of a feat to behold. “Ditto what Red said.”
“Guys?” A stagehoof peered in, but paused when he realized he was interrupting. Once he had the attention of the bandmates, he said: “You’re on in ten. Better let those VIP’s find a spot in the crowd, too.”
“You heard him.” said Cherry, breaking free. “I love you guys too. Best thing to happen to me, both of ya, et cetera.” She slammed through the numbers on the lockbox and started counting out coins with rapid movements which betrayed the limber hooves of a percussionist. “But speaking of share, let’s get Hope hers and get out there.”
From nearby, Onyx produced a small case. It opened with a pop, and a tiny bit of reddish dust flitted through the air. His magical aura of soft, dull white pulled on three narrow brushes, and with a tilt, the bright red pigment practically glowed. “Alright, pucker up, everyone.”
“Aw, can’t I take mine off your lips?” jeered Red. When he simply gawked at her in that unflinching way he always did, she didn’t pucker, but pout. One of the brushes quickly patted between her lips and the pigment until her ruddy maroon kisser became a bright carnation crimson. When he was done, she shivered and said: “C’mon, Onyx, you know I’m just kidding, sorry. Put the evil eye away.”
With eyes distinctively not evil, Onyx repeated the process for himself and Cherry, even as she kept counting. Pulling a spare brush from the case, he asked: “Would any of the VIP’s like me to paint your lips as well? Then the whole crowd will know you got to meet us back here.”
The general consensus was a no thank you, and one might swear he looked just the tiniest bit dejected while doing his own. Then, while stowing her commission without doubting Cherry with a secondary count, Hope also took charge. Leading her friends along the way to the crowd-adjacent stage exit, she called back: “Break a leg!”
Much quieter, Ruby leaned over as they went, and said: “Your sister is, uh… a little intense.”
“She’s hopeless.” retorted Hope with a wry grin. “Stole every boyfriend I ever had.”
“Boyfriends?” squeaked Ruby in surprise, her voice stung with the slightest twinge of disappointment. Still, she hung onto every word, and hoped that wasn’t noticed.
Hope, possibly not picking up on it, gave her a rakish look, and added: “Couple of my girlfriends too, just for good measure.”
“Ah.” reacted Ruby, her ear flickering. She couldn’t conjure much else to configure a real response, so she flatly said: “I see.”
“Hey, don’t look so worried.” added Hope with an easier air about her. “It was a long time ago, so it’s all water under the bridge. She may be a hopeless flirt still, but I love my sis, and there’s no more bad blood between us.”
“That’s good,” droned Ruby with her best attempt at a convincing face, “and definitely the thing I was worried about.”
Snickering, Hope supposed: “So I guess in one way, she isn’t ‘hopeless,’ see?”
“Oh my gosh,” wheezed Ruby, “that was terrible.” She giggled until she snorted, then covered her mouth up right away.
“Wow. You have got the cutest laugh, Ruby.” cooed Hope in a reassuring tone.
Behind them, Marble realized Luna’s pace had slowed, and caught her looking back. “Luna? Having second thoughts about tonight?” The part she didn’t say out loud though was that she certainly was. Yet still, she got no attention and no response, so she said again: “Luna?”
“Actually, you girls go find a spot. I’ll catch up with you.” Turning about on her heels, Luna trotted back towards Onyx.
“What are you going to do?” requested Marble of her as she hesitated. Looking forth, Hope and Ruby ahead of her heeded Luna’s promise to find them later and kept on their merry way.
“Something spontaneous!” she said with a trepidatious glee in her voice. Her coming back was a surprise to Onyx, who set aside the last of the equipment he was moving. Nervous, yet giddily, she told him: “I changed my mind. I want the full VIP treatment.”
His own crimson lips curved in ever so slightly in one corner, and he once again produced his little makeup case right away. “Then tonight you are an honorary member of the Lined Lips.”
Luna couldn’t help but chuckle as he painted her lips. “It’s an honor. Ah, I can’t remember the last time I really cut loose like this.” More pleading and hushed, she leaned in and asked him: “That is the right term, isn’t it? Cut loose?”
“You are precious.” he said, not exactly laughing on the outside. Faintly, what seemed like a sigh or a quick breath escaped him. It must have been a singular, low chuckle. “My boyfriend is gonna flip when he hears about this.”
“I’d gladly meet him if he’d like.” She figured he must mean the fellow in question might be a fan of her escapades over the summer. Earlier on in that same season, she met many such ponies, to a point of admittedly tiring of them. “Things have calmed down a great deal since the Summer Sun incident, so I wouldn’t mind.”
Onyx’s speckled gray eyes began to sparkle. “He’d love that, but also, I think I just had a great idea. If you’re okay with it, of course.”
Rainbow Dash came back with a cup, weaving through the crowd as best she could. “You sure you don’t want a drink? I bet I could getcha one and be back in time. Don’t know if you’ve heard, but I am pretty fast.”
“Nah.” Pinkie dismissed the notion with an equally flippant motion of her hoof. “I don’t need one to have a good time. I just need to jam and mosh and forget about my problems for a bit.”
Rainbow tapped the back of her free hoof against Pinkie’s lapel, a faux mocking look rippling across her face. “Might take a few concerts to get through all of them.”
“Haw haw.” Rolling her eyes, she put one hoof over Rainbow’s shoulder. She wore a smug look of self-impressedness, and said: “Look, pal, maybe you should leave the jokes to the professionals here. Amateur like you could hurt yourself trying to do what we do.”
“Right,” mused Dash, “real risky business.” She quieted down as the crowd surged with volume and excitement. The band had finally taken the stage.
Onyx brushed his undercut to the side and pulled on his electric guitar from its comfortable stand. It had a nice, pearlescent white body. He affixed a picking bracelet to his dominant hoof and waited for his bandmates to get ready.
Red-Heart, when she was done blowing kisses for the crowd, threw her black jacket aside and put on not one, but two pick bracelets. And over her own neck, she draped the heavy strap to a beast of a shiny ebon double neck bass.
Cherry Bomb grabbed a high stool behind a special drum kit, fixing her own bracelets on to play, with loose bases that snapped onto the drumsticks. Each piece of the kit itself sat at a far more aggressive angle than they usually might for your average drummer. Cherry was not average, however, in more ways than one.
“Hello, Ponyville!” cheered Red into her mic, and the crowd cheered back. “Ah, haha, I am so excited to be here tonight!”
“We all are.” agreed Onyx, and in return, he got a much more subdued cheer. It was a perfect match for his demeanor, so he gave them a teeny, tiny smile.
“Wow,” whistled Red, “you guys are really getting to him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this energized!” She leaned back and asked: “And how’s our little Cherry Bomb?”
“Enough talk, when do I get to hit it?” An electrical whine of protest rang out as she wrenched her mic down to sound off.
“Easy, girl, all in due time.” Red gestured her maroon hoof over to just off stage. Tugging on an invisible chord, she announced: “First, we’d like to introduce a very special guest.”
“It’s a Lined Lips first, everyone.” added Onyx to hype up the crowd, himself not actually providing any of said hype. He eyed a certain corner of the room, though, hoping he held their attention.
“You know her. You all love her. And I can’t blame ya, woof!” Again, Red pulled her little string, and the crowd rumbled with anticipation. “Once the mistress to the night, now savior of the day, Ponyville’s own local hero!”
Luna’s legs felt heavy, and her movements sluggish. Again she found herself raised into bright lights before a shaded crowd. Although, this one seemed far happier to see her. Her bright red lips wavered into a nervous smile. She wasn’t quite sure why she agreed to this. Spontaneity?
“Oh crud,” sighed Dash in the crowd, “is that—”
“It’s Luna!” blared Red-Heart, and the crowd went wild.
“Think I’ll take that drink now.” droned Pinkie, snatching the cup from Rainbow and downing it in one go. She shivered with the last drop, gasping. “Ah, okay, I’m ready to handle this now. Or maybe after another.”
Before Pinkie could get away to the concessions, Rainbow yanked her back and narrowed her eyes. “Pinkie, this is an all ages event. That was literally just punch, girl.”
“Oh.” Pinkie licked a few drops off her lip, just then realizing it was fruity and delicious, even if she was fairly confident she could make better punch than this. “I knew that.”
Taking the empty cup, Dash said: “Yeah, no you didn’t. Are you gonna be okay? I mean, it’s okay if you’re not okay. We don’t have to be here if you’re not.”
“No.” sighed Pinkie. “I mean, it’s…” She looked at her up there, posing for the crowd, and showing that bright smile she loved seeing. “I can’t avoid her forever. Not if I’m ever going to make things right. So. Let’s stay.”
“‘Ey. These ponies came here for music, not some tall-dark-and-handsome number.” Cherry flew up, dragging her whining mic along in another bout of staticy pain as she insisted on being seen moreso than just over her rims.
“You think I’m handsome?” quietly asked Luna, not realizing how close she was to a microphone. Hearing her voice over the speakers sent flustered spirals through her cheeks, and the crowd ate it up.
Laughing so loud, it rang out even over the crowd, Red threw her head back. Coming back, she practically howled into the mic. “Hoooooooo boy! Why don’t y’all make some noise if you think the hero of Ponyville is kinda hot?”
An ear-splitting whistle sounded off, managing to deafen the roiling crowd and their bawdy baying. Rainbow winced, glancing to her side. Abashed, Pinkie reluctantly said: “What? She totally is, okay?”
“Alright, everyone. Let’s simmer down and not embarrass the poor girl too much, okay?” Onyx made a motion of pushing down against the disappointed noise. As she tried to leave the stage behind, he beckoned her back. “But you’re right, we didn’t make her an honorary member of Lined Lips to gawk at her good looks. So maybe she’d like to sing for us.”
“Wwwwwhat?!” Luna spun around. She got just close enough to share the microphone with Onyx to address the crowd as well as the band. “I-I couldn’t, I mean, I’m still learning about new music.”
“Sing some old music, then.” said Cherry, not having that. It wasn’t clear if she actually wanted to hear Luna’s singing voice or not, but it was apparent she wanted to move on either way.
“Oh, great idea.” agreed Red. “She must’ve been there when some classic bards’ songs were written.”
Luna began to object anew, but a fuzzy memory crept in. At the start of this week, she’d found herself reminiscing back to that time she’d happened upon Celestia hiding in the garden to practice that old summer hymn. “Well,” said Luna ponderously, “is that truly what the crowd desires?” A wave of agreement washed over her. So she stood a little taller, musing: “Heheh, I suppose if there’s one thing my time as a princess taught me, it’s that you ought not disappoint a crowd.”
Luna sang out a hymnal so ancient, its castles would surely all have crumbled to dust by now, had it any. It was dedicated to bright, sunny summer days, with their pleasant warmth and necessary toil alike. The lyrics drifted over the hushed crowd, weaving wheat to bread in the gilded light of the heavens. And all of it, every single word, was lost on the beautiful air to Pinkie in the crowd.
“Wow.” she whispered in something akin to awe as the crowd applauded, and at the band’s insistence, Luna bowed to them. The grace, the poise; she was stunning.
“You okay, Pinkie? Lookin’ a little slack-jawed there, bud.” Rainbow tried in vain to get her attention. She was lost off in her own little world.
Did I ever deserve her in the first place? thought Pinkie as the regret racked her mind, like a ton of brick or stone from a collapsed castle wall. No, this was different. It was as though she’d been there when the wall came down, and came back to lament the rubble. But also she was the one who knocked the wall over, she guessed. Her mind swam, and the metaphor fell apart.
“Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Luna.” Onyx finished clicking his hooves together for her and gestured around the stage. “It was an honor. And I can speak for the whole band on this, since they’re not as good at expressing themselves as I am.”
A chuckle surged through the crowd. Oh yes, they had some regulars here tonight. Red-Heart, her head held high, grooved across the stage, one good hoof-shake ready for Luna. When it was accepted, she leaned in to whisper where no microphone would pick up. “By the way, don’t be afraid to tell me to back off. I’ll respect your bounds, I swear. I try to be a flirt, not a creep, ya know?”
Luna smirked in a way that might almost seem a touch pained to a random onlooker. Luckily, there were only several dozens of those beyond the lip of the stage, now ooh-ing and ah-ing with all the wrong assumptions. Trying to keep composure, Luna whispered back: “Toning it down a tad wouldn’t hurt. Let’s just say I’ve only recently settled on my preferences, and it’s been a little overwhelming as I get used to liking what I see.”
“Oh,” mumbled Red as their hooves parted, “is that right?” This was an odd sensation; were her cheeks abnormally warm? Was she coming down with something? This wasn’t terribly convenient, considering she’d have to start playing now. “Liking what you see…”
“Bahaha!” rang out Cherry’s laugh, her voice surprisingly filling the room. “She musta got you good if you’re the flustered one for once.”
“Hn-hm.” When they looked over to Onyx’s mic, they actually saw his teeth.
Red dragged over her mic stand and shouted: “Okay dude, it wasn’t that funny!”
“Right, sorry.” he muttered back. “I’ll try to calm down. Let’s hear one last hoof for our special guest, then I figure we’ll probably start.”
“Yeah,” complained Cherry as they cheered for Luna once more, “it’s been great, love ya, but join us in song or get off the stage already.”
“R-right.” agreed Luna, stammering into Onyx’s microphone. “Thank you for having me, and thank you, Ponyville for ah, having me also!” She dashed up to the edge of the stage, spread her wings, and soared headlong over the crowd. No attempt was made to locate Hope or Ruby. Even less was made to spot Marble. Instead, Luna rushed over the cheers straight toward the counter in the way back where they served concessions.
“One! Two! Three! Four!” shouted Cherry Bomb in what seemed like a farther distance than it could have been, the click of her smacking one drumstick onto the other growing so puny, they might as well have been toothpicks.
“A drink, please.” pleaded Luna as she set two coins upon the counter with a considerable huff.
The server was a magenta earthen colt. He slid one coin back to the edge where she stood, and a cup along behind it. He told her: “It’s only one bit for a punch, miss Luna.”
She slid the second coin his way a little more firmly this time. “Sorry, look, I’m--I try to tip where I can.”
Less apprehensive now, he slid the spare coin into the pocket on his apron. She seemed like she could use some space, though, so he made to give her some, leaving her be after telling her: “Thanks.”
Drawing breath in deep down into her core, Luna tried to clear her mind. The reserved press hanging on her very word had been one thing, and she even had her sister nearby for that. Somehow, the cheers and admiring eyes were worse. She couldn’t quite concentrate on her telekinetic grip, so she just clamped her hooves on either side, hoisting the cup to her lip. Another deep breath was necessary after she downed it all in one go. Cool and refreshing as it was, she ached for something a little stronger. Or a lot stronger, even. Perhaps… it wouldn’t hurt to ask?
“Excuse me, so sorry to bother you again.” she meagerly said, sliding over to reapproach the server.
“Sure, I can get you a refill.” he said, almost glad to see her brightened up, offering to take her cup back.
Luna held the paper cup in reserve for a moment. “Well, that’s just it. I was wondering if you had anything a little more… appropriate for a pony my age, so to speak.”
Catching her meaning right away, he still hesitated. “Well, this is an all ages event. We’re really not supposed to serve any of that tonight. Buuuuuuut, nopony else is around to see, so maybe I can make a quick exception.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” She waved for him to stop as he began to crouch behind the counter and reach for cases to show her what options she had. She peered over either shoulder. The crowd was nigh completely coalesced around the stage, so it was just the two of them. Turning back, she said: “It’s okay. You really don’t have to break the rules on my account.”
He seemed almost disappointed. “I figured I could do the hero of Ponyville a little favor, just between us.”
“I don’t want special treatment.” she said, exasperated. “I’d much rather be treated like a normal pony.” She propped one elbow onto the counter, and her cheek callously squished against her tired hoof. Her other hoof put the cup back onto the counter, followed by two more coins. “I’ll just take a refill, thanks.”
One coin went into his lockbox, and the other found its lost partner in his apron pocket. As he poured her a fresh cup, he said: “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend, or nothing.”
“It’s quite alright.” she said, trying to put on a more reassuring tone. “It’s not your fault, I’m sorry for snapping. But I didn’t venture out with my friends to wrench the sun from a Nightmare’s grasp so strangers would do me favors. I did it because it was my duty.”
He set down her cup anew and whistled. “Wow, you’re really something. Like a holy warrior of old.”
“Hm.” Without meaning to, Luna mimicked the subdued sort of laugh she expected from her brief time with Onyx. Taking her cup with a nod, she more confidently declared: “You don’t know the half of it, friend.”
The first song came to a close behind them, and Onyx very politely said: “Thank you, thank you. This next one might be a little rough; it’s off our new album, and we’re still working on it. We just got the newest draft from our wonderful lyricist.” A spotlight above the stage began to wander aimlessly over the crowd. “Let’s see if--ah, there she is. Can we get a little applause? She’s the glue to our three-part harmony.”
Luna watched as Hope shyly waved to the approving crowd. Knowing where she is in the crowd meant she could rejoin her, and she made up her mind to do so. No more drowning down the pity with punch. So she polished off the rest with one last thank you to her server, and made her way toward dealing with the crowd.
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Why the fuck is she even still talking to Red, let alone forgive her for stealing her boyfriends (& girlfriends)!? If my brother did that, even once with my girlfriend, I would NEVER speak & look at him ever again!
I hate Red.... From now, everytime she shows up I'm skipping the scenes without reading them... Dumb bimbo
10246491
Sorry to ruffle your feathers there, friend. I was going through this chapter so fast, I didn't stop to think about how that might hit a little close to home for some folks and what I could do to soften it a bit. And while not wanting to play my full hand just yet, I'll say there's a little more texture to that situation to come. After all, they were still within earshot of the band when she said her bit about it being water under the bridge.
10246709
All right I'll wait and see what you have planned