Mane Six In the World of Music

by Snakes0

Chapter 9

Pinkie Pie had her own question which she deemed important for Cinder, "I do! I do! What do you do to celebrate birthdays? Cake?! Pie?! Are the parties inside or outside?"

Cinder listened attentively to Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic barrage of questions about birthday celebrations. She couldn't help but chuckle at Pinkie's reaction when she mentioned the absence of cake.

"I usually gather a bunch of flammable material and burn it in one big bonfire as a form of celebration," Cinder explained, observing the shocked expression on Pinkie's face. "I'm going to assume the pink one is the voice of excitement."

Pinkie gasped, clearly disappointed. "GASP! That's it?! No cake?! No no no no! That won't do at all! I'm going to make you a super duper 'make up for all the no-cake birthday parties' party!"

Rainbow Dash chimed in, "With what ingredients? And no pies. You know I hate pies."

Cinder ignores them, playing along with the lively group. "Yup... I'm going to lean into this. Either all of this will be one big fever dream, or this is real... So, let me guess. The pink one is 'Pinkie Cake' or 'Pinkie Pie,' the blue pony is 'Rainbow,' the yellow one is 'Butter Shy,' the orange one is 'Apple Girl,' the purple one is 'Twinkle Star,' and the white one is... I don't know."

Fluttershy spoke up softly. "Fluttershy... that's my name."

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship," Twilight introduced herself with a warm smile.

Rainbow Dash flew closer, exuding confidence. "Close enough with my name. Rainbow Dash, 'cause I'm the fastest flier in all of Equestria!"

Pinkie bounced in place, unable to contain her excitement. "Pinkie Pie!" she exclaimed.

Applejack crossed her forelegs, asserting herself. "Applejack. 'Apple Girl' ain't mah name!"

Rarity gracefully spoke up, introducing herself with a touch of elegance. "You can call me Rarity, darling."

Twilight and Applejack exchanged a concerned glance as they listened to Cinder's increasingly erratic behavior. Applejack leaned in closer to Twilight, whispering her thoughts.

"Twilight... I think this person is a little crazy in the head. They think we're some sort of delusion! Do ya think we should just go after asking for directions?" Applejack whispered.

Twilight nodded, equally uncertain about their current situation. "Let's hold on to that idea. We don't have much information about this world. The last thing we want is to deal with another situation like that Necromancer."

Cinder noticed the hushed conversation and couldn't help but interject. "I don't know how much you all know about this world. Do I have to explain everything?"

Fluttershy spoke up, her voice soft and gentle. "Um... We know the basics... Music is magic. We know our soul song."

Cinder scoffed, clearly irritated. "Huh? Basics, you say? Rub it in, why don't you? Not everyone knows that music within their soul. That's musical master level. I still haven't mastered mine. Yet you random ponies claim to know your soul song and still say you don't understand? Bull. Show me."

Fluttershy, taken aback by Cinder's outburst, hesitantly obliged. She began to hum and sing, her voice carrying a soothing melody that resonated with the surrounding atmosphere. As she sang, spectral creatures like fire salamanders, phoenixes, and baby dragons, which bore a more lizard-like appearance than those in Equestria, materialized and surrounded her. They perched on her shoulders or nuzzled her affectionately. It seemed that her song had summoned these spirit-like creatures into existence.

"Dragons?! Salamanders?! Phoenixes?! Are you a master summoner?!" Cinder exclaimed in shock.

Fluttershy blushed and shook her head. "Oh no! I prefer to see myself as a nature-loving druid. I think my singing would normally attract animals. Usually, a bunch of hummingbirds."

Cinder's amazement turned into bewilderment as she looked at the rest of the group. "Are you all like her?" she asked, still trying to process what she had just witnessed.

Rainbow Dash, always eager to boast, smirked confidently. "Pfft! Mine is 20% cooler than summoning ghost animals!"

Twilight stepped forward, her eyes reflecting a sense of urgency. "We are hoping to get stronger... This world's harmony is in danger!" she explained, hoping to convey the gravity of their mission.

Cinder raised an eyebrow, the puzzlement on her face giving way to a slight realization. "Excuse me... What? The harmony is just fine. Ok, maybe the volcano is acting strange these last couple of years, suddenly changing into neon colors. So you ponies need to find stuff out of the ordinary with this world. I can help."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Thanks. I say let's see what's going on with the volcano. If the world's harmony is falling apart, then any disturbances would be worth checking out."

Cinder, understanding the urgency, took the lead. "First, I have to sing the song of fire. You all need some level of heat protection. You see, while music might be the primordial and purest form of magic, music created the universe, and the elements are extensions of that music and thus one needs to be prepared."

She began to sing, her voice accompanied by the crackling and sizzling sounds of fire. A reddish glow enveloped the group, providing them with the necessary heat resistance. She removes her cloak and her face is now fully visible. Her long fire red hair flowed and glowed as if it were hot embers.

Pinkie Pie pouted, interrupting the magical performance. "Aw! But I haven't finished making a cake yet! I'm halfway done!"

Cinder looks on confused. "How? I don't even have flour. Never mind. So, quick question. What are we even going to do once we get to the heart of the volcano?" she asked.

Twilight pondered for a moment before responding. "If the volcanic activity is acting strange, then maybe playing the music of fire might be able to overwrite the changes. You are the only one with fire magic, Cinder."

Cinder raised an eyebrow, contemplating the idea. "Huh. Sounds like something a Master Conductor would do."

Applejack, ever practical, voiced her concerns. "We get that this Mel fellow is great and powerful and all, but why isn't anypony else trying to help or solve their own problems?"

Cinder smirked, correcting Applejack's choice of words. "You said 'Everypony.' That's cute, but here you say 'everyone.' And why should we? He does a good job of fixing the problems in this world. The reason why the title is Master Conductor is that he leads the music and harmony. It would be like if someone started to improvise to correct a mistake. That could cause more trouble."

Rarity, with her elegant demeanor, chimed in with a different perspective. "Darling, if no one tries, then nothing gets done. Even though I, at times, want to stop working on patching dreadful clothing that should have been long discarded, I carry on. Besides, he isn't so on top of everything if he is summoning others to help him."

"Noted. Still, the last time we tried to solve our own problems was before Cleft Melody ran for Master Composer and delivered a speech that discouraged random vigilante justice that caused problems. He and his brother Mel Ody laid the foundation of the core world rules, which are akin to the laws of gravity. Anyway, they worked together," Cinder continued.

Twilight nodded, absorbing the information. "And what are those rules?" she asked, eager to learn more about the guidelines that shaped this world.

Cinder took a breath before explaining each rule in detail. "First rule: No attacking others unprovoked or without good reason. Second rule: Battles of music can be conducted either in an actual battle or in a battle of the bands format. The latter allows for a competition where the quality of music determines the winner, enabling those with non-aggressive music to defend themselves. This rule ensures that battles become tests of will and musical skill rather than combat experience. Third rule: Music decides who wins. Those who break the rules will face penalties."

Twilight processed the rules, realizing their significance. "So let me get this-" she began, but Cinder interrupted, needing a moment to catch her breath.

"I'm not done yet," Cinder said, catching Twilight's attention. "Fourth rule: One can issue a challenge, and if both parties agree on the terms, a battle of the bands or a music battle will commence. Consent is not required if one party has already incurred penalties. Speaking of penalties, the first strike of an unannounced attack will never be lethal, and the situation will become as if they were challenged. Attacks against someone who has won a battle of the bands will fail. Those who commit crimes or break the rules will bear a mark that reveals their transgressions, which cannot be hidden."

Twilight contemplated the rules, recognizing their importance in maintaining order and fairness within this musical world. Applejack nodded with agreement, appreciating the notion of justice being delivered to those who acted out of line.

Fluttershy, however, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease with the strict rules. She knew felt that something was off about the rules, but she decided to keep her concerns to herself for the time being.

In the midst of the discussion, Pinkie Pie pulled out a vibrant and colorful cake, eager to lighten the mood. Cinder, taking a break from the complexities of the conversation, tried a piece of cake and nodded appreciatively.

"I give up... The more I try to understand how you ponies do what you do, the more my head hurts," Cinder confessed, a touch of exhaustion in her voice.

Pinkie Pie was taken aback by the lack of exuberant response. "A nod? That's it?... I'll have to make an even better cake! I need to find one that you really like!" she exclaimed, determined to bring joy through her baking.

Cinder let out a loud laugh and offered Pinkie Pie a small smile. "It's a good cake. But I'm not a live-to-eat kind of person. I won't be overly dramatic over food, no matter how good it is."

The group shared a chuckle at Pinkie's persistence and Cinder's straightforwardness. With their discussions concluded, the group set off towards the heart of the volcano, Cinder leading the way. As they ventured deeper into the volcanic terrain, the air grew hotter and more stifling. The ground rumbled beneath their hooves, and vibrant hues of neon colors of the lava which is currently mixed with Neon yellow, red, and purple colors that danced within the billowing smoke. The Mane 6 might have heat protection but they can still feel the heat.