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My Best Friend1,875 words
A New Day1,704 words
Sparkle and Shine1,955 words
Double Edged...Guitar?2,057 words
Exit Light...3,354 words
...Enter Night4,045 words
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This Was a Triumph2,347 words
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Dinner2,117 words

Exit Light...

Guardian Angel
Chapter 11: Exit Light...

Rainbow Dash peeked from behind the curtain at the large crowd of ponies gathered. It was Nightmare Night and the eve of the concert. The inside of Vinyl's Ponyville club was filled to the brim, various themed decorations dotted the walls and the stage. Though the location was able to easily accomodate the larger than usual amount of occupants, Rainbow hadn't expected so many ponies! Normally Ponyville has about 70 residents, but thanks to word spreading of Princess Luna's visit last year, more ponies had flocked to Ponyville for a chance to possibly see the Lunar Goddess herself.
Among the guests, sitting in a private booth, was the Princess of the Night herself. Ponies of all shapes and colors had gathered, enjoying the music that was being played over the club's speakers. Rainbow's eyed spied a trio of pegasus ponies in Luna's booth, they wore black form fitting bodysuits. One who looked like the leader of the three had a fiery orange mane. She quickly realized it was Spitfire! Logically the other was Soarin; a large pie sitting on the table confirmed that. Judging by the mane color the final member was Fleetfoot. The fan-filly inside Rainbow was squealing now, her lifelong heroes were here, but she had more important concerns right now. Autographs could wait. Calming herself down Rainbow slunk back behind the curtain. She looked over at Vinyl who was poring over some last minute tweaks to her sound system. Twilight was over in the studio room, warming her voice up.
This was it, the concert was set to start in an hour; Rainbow Dash was ready. The three mares had come a long way in just a month. Vinyl had put together a set list and sent it off; Rainbow practiced it every day. When Vinyl was done coaching Twilight, rehearsals had begun. They'd practiced steadily for a week and a half, the familiarity Twilight and Rainbow shared helped speed up the learning process. They were ready, and in a bit they'd show it. Rainbow trotted over to her guitar, taking a seat on the chair. Of the few things she'd learned over the years, nothing beat out the odd way of sitting that Lyra had shown her. It was exceptionally comfortable for playing, normally she hovered with her wings. She removed her helmet and set it aside; slipping on a pair of headphones, she hefted her guitar and began her warm up exercises...

Luna looked around at the mass of shapes in the club. She'd been surprised to have received an invitation to an event that wasn't a boring social party for once. Luna was itching for something new, and since she was going to be in Ponyville for Nightmare Night anyways, she'd accepted. One does not simply ignore an invitation from the element of Laughter after all! Most of the day was spent interacting with the locals, playing games and scaring the young colts and fillies. She looked over to her companions, the Wonderbolts. They were here as Luna's guards, but also as her friends. A few weeks after the previous Nightmare Night she'd run into one of their members, Fleetfoot. Remembering how nice it was to make friends in Ponyville, Luna had struck up a conversation. It progressed from there, she met the rest of the team and they chatted for a while.
They'd enjoyed their time together and Luna became friends with most of the team. She'd gone to a few of their shows, showing her support for the team, especially when they'd run into a bit of a bind. She regaled them with stories of her own private flight team, the Night Wings; before her corruption and subsequent transformation. While it was in the past, it still hurt to remember them. They'd been changed by Nightmare Moon, becoming the fearsome Shadowbolts; hunters of the night.
Fleetfoot reminded Luna of the former captain of the Night Wings, he was a quiet pony, but one of Luna's closest friends. She'd been extremely saddened to hear of what befell her fliers. They'd passed on, nopony lived forever.
'If I hadn't been so selfish maybe they wouldn't have had to suffer like they did' Luna thought, the pain from before welling up again. Fleet noticed this and placed a reassuring hoof on the Princess' shoulder. Luna smiled, overjoyed to have such a good friend again. Spitfire shot her a reassuring smile. "So, how do you feel about a concert celebrating you and your night?" She asked, curiosity creeping into her voice.
Luna broke out into a sheepish grin, "We ar..I am flattered, a concert in my honor! It was really a shock. Though it is nice to see ponies enjoying the night more in this time than before. Shame Twilight Sparkle could not join us for this."
"I'm sure she had something important to do, from what I've heard she's a busy unicorn."
The Princess nodded; accepting Spitfire's theory. Twilight Sparkle had once again taken care of being the Princess' guide for most the day, until she had to excuse herself, citing important business. She'd been left in the custody of Applejack, who was extremely happy to have Luna for company. They'd killed time playing games and bobbing for apples; before making their way to the venue. The Wonderbolts had arrived only a few minutes ago, right from a show in a neighboring town. Now they all waited for the performance to start.

Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was now finishing her warm up. Looking over she gave a small wave and went back into playing. Rainbow quickly finished up her routine and made her way over to Twilight, helmet tucked under her wing. "You ready for this Twi?" she asked, concern clear in her voice.
Twilight chuckled and pulled her into a loose hug. Rainbow blushed, Twilight looked stunning in her outfit. It was one of a royal scholar for the Princesses long ago; or at least that was what Twilight said. A wide brimmed hat covered her head, and a cloak shrouded her body.
They were interrupted by Vinyl, "You two lovebirds done? We're on in five."
She and Rainbow quickly broke apart, Twilight sputtering, "We're just good friends, there's nothing going on here."
"I was just kidding Sparkles, lighten up. Now we've practiced for this, and we've nailed it. So let's get out there and show 'em how it's done." Vinyl finished her pep talk, holding out her hoof. Twilight's and Rainbow's hooves joined in and the three gave a nod. Quickly a few miscellaneous items were moved off to the side and Vinyl made her way over to her booth. Twilight cleared her throat, and Rainbow Dash replaced her helmet; it was time to rock.

Nightmare Night – Glaze and Mic

The club fell silent, everypony eagerly watching the stage where the curtains pulled back; revealing two shapes on stage. Most ponies recognized Twilight Sparkle, having seen her earlier in the day, but the other pony remained a mystery. The armor it wore concealed the mane and the cutie marks well. The cyan coat and a grayscale tail were the only things that could be made out. The silence was broken by a string of piano notes striking in the near silence of the club-the concert had officially begun. Vinyl's voice broke out over the music, she'd be handling the first song,

Yeah. Watchu know 'bout Nightmare Night, son?!

The crowd screamed, the song immediately recognized by most of the occupants. It was first heard a year back, during the first Nightmare Night after Luna's return. A couple of ponies, known only by their stage names of Glaze and Mic, had written the song and it became an instant hit; especially around this time of year. Vinyl knew this and she capitalized on it. Rainbow's guitar had joined in now, adding a new dimension to the song. The DJ continued to rap, the lyrics flowing easily for her.

Welcome Fillies and Gentlecolts; No reason to scream
Your favorite Princess is back; She's walkin' up on the scene
She has been stuck on the moon, but that's no reason to fret
She's not a Nightmare no more, so buckle down and get set
She's comin'; Gracin' her subjects. She ain't leavin' no choice
She's gonna blow you all back with her Equestrian Voice
So cover all of your fears and stowe away all your fright
The Lunar Princess is back; to bring the Nightmares Tonight

At this point Twilight had joined in, her voice mixing with Vinyl's for the chorus.

She's living in the past
so you won't last
Without the proper care

With a royal farewell
And an animate spell
You won't have long to prepare

Once again Vinyl took over, moving on to the next part of the song.

Now little fillies, this is Nightmare Night
Your ruler Nightmare Moon is back to come and fill you with fright
So Hurry
Now get your goodies and fill up all your bags
And go and leave a candy offering for that big ol' hag
Get runnin'
And pray above that she's not coming back
To come and take away your soul and eat you up for a snack
So run away and go hide; just keep your head out of sight
The darkness is rising again cause this is Nightmare Night

Rejoining the song once more, Twilight vocalized the chorus with Vinyl again.

She's living in the past
so you won't last
Without the proper care
With a royal farewell
And an animate spell
You won't have long to prepare

Twilight and Vinyl completed the lyrical portion, Rainbow taking over with an impressive solo to finish off the song. The club broke out into another cheer, ecstatic at the performance so far. Vinyl called out to the crowd, "How's everypony doing tonight? Having a good time so far?" The sound of hooves stamping punctuated the club, a few whistles mixed in. She smiled, this was going to be a good night, "Well it's about to get better, buckle down everypony!"
Rainbow took this as her cue to begin, starting with a simple riff; increasing the speed of her playing rapidly. Vinyl provided the supporting instruments, her hooves dancing along on her console. All the while Rainbow continued into the long intro. Her hoof moved at a ferocious pace, strumming the guitar.
Twilight, now standing near the front of the stage, called out, "One Two!" A couple of small fireworks detonated, covering the stage in a white smoke. Twilight was ready; it was her time to shine. Catching her cue, she launched into the song;

All Nightmare Long – Metallica

Luck. Runs. Out.

Crawl from the wreckage one more time
Horrific memory twists the mind
Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn
Path of destruction, feel it burn
Still life
Incarnation
Still life
Infamy
Hallucination
Heresy
Still you run, what's to come?
What's to be?

She sung the chorus of the song, voice calling out in a tone most hadn't heard from her before. It was a drastic change from her usual subdued tone, more forceful.

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah

Luck. Runs.

I can crawl back in
But your luck runs out
Luck. Runs. Out.

The light that is not light is here
To push you out with your own fear
You hide, you hide, you´ll be found
Release your grip without a sound
Still life
Immolation
Still life
Infamy
Hallucination
Heresy
Still you run, what's to come?
What's to be?

Luck. Runs.

I can crawl back in
But your luck runs out

Rainbow Dash begun her second solo of the night, this one much quicker than her last. Her guitar rose in pitch, before dropping back down. The song continued on, Twilight resuming her singing,

Then you crawl back in
Into your obsession
Never to return
This is your confession

Her voice trailed off along with the music, before exploding back into the final verse.

Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah

Luck. Runs.

You can crawl back in
But your luck runs out
Your luck runs out!

The song came to a close, with the last note being drawn out for a few seconds. The club exploded into applause, Twilight's performance had been spectacular. She looked over the crowd, any nervousness was gone. The reaction from the crowd filled her with a new kind of energy, it was electrifying. Twilight could definitely get used to this. She waved and the crowd mimicked her. Vinyl moved the set list along, a piano once again leading into the song. Rainbow's guitar play was still present, but in a more subdued form this time.

Falling – Cryoshell

Lights out
No one here
Hear the silence
Scent of fear

You start running
With mistrusting and skeptical eyes
Are you haunted?
I call out
I'm counting on you

In the shadows

All gray
Darkened days
A stone in my chest
The feel weighs me down
I'm counting on you

Falling
Is this the end of the line?
And can we make it in time?
Falling
My world is spinning around
I'm crashing into the ground
Falling
Now I need you to see
It's up to you and me
I'm counting on you

This song's solo was more subdued, almost feather like picking was required. Rainbow was up to the challenge, her hoof angled for maximum speed and precision. She fluttered about the stage, teasing the crowd with glimpses of her hooves moving across the strings.

Far out of reach
Listen to them preach
Bring you to your knees
Till you're too hard to please
Soon you will see
If you won't set you free
In time you'll know
How to let it go

How to let it go

Falling
Is this the end of the line?
And can we make it in time?
Falling
My world is spinning around
I'm crashing into the ground
I'm counting on you

To push on through
I'm counting on you

The song drawing to a calmer finish, Twilight took a deep breath. The strain on her voice was pretty hefty, but she'd be much worse off without Vinyl's help. A bottle of water levitated over, she took a swig of the refreshing liquid. This was really fun! Smiling, she hollered out to the crowd, "I hope you're having as much fun as I am, because we're about to kick it up a notch! Two taps of a cymbal sounded, and a powerful riff was heard. Over the roaring crowd Twilight began to belt out the next song.

Back in Black – AC/DC

Back in black I hit the sack
I been too long I'm glad to be back
Yes I am
Let loose from the noose
That's kept me hanging about
I keep looking at the sky cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the hearse cause I'll never die
I got nine lives cat's eyes
Using every one of them and runnin' wild

Cause I'm back
Yes I'm back well I'm back
Yes I'm back

Well I'm back
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black...

Sitting in her booth Luna was amused. The show so far had been stellar; the unicorn Twilight Sparkle had shone, enticing the crowd. Ponies jumped and waved their legs in reckless abandon. Soarin' was off getting more refreshments, likely another pie. Meanwhile Spitfire was on the dance floor, shaking her head in an odd manner. Fleet referred to it as "manebanging" and it was apparently common with this kind of music. Luna had never heard this genre, having no opportunities to sample it. The she was used to was what is now referred to as classical. It was moments like this that Luna truly realized how much time had passed; how the world had changed.
It wasn't all bad though, this new genre had some merits. Luna found the music left her with a jittery feeling inside. The lyrics fit well with the theme, but also brought up some memories that she'd rather leave buried inside.
The unknown musician with the odd instrument intrigued her. The lute...no guitar, she now remembered, recalling an earlier bit of embarrassment. She'd made a remark to Spitfire on the musician's performance, and in her inexperience with modern times had called the instrument a lute. Her companions had obviously found this funny, but Soarin' quickly informed her of the instrument's real name.
It sounded so dark and mysterious, much like her night. The sounds were wonderful able to go from a low thrum, to a high pitched almost screech like tone-she'd never heard anything like it. Luna found herself enjoying it, she'd have to find some of those "cds" Spitfire mentioned-perhaps she'd be willing to lend a few.
Other than the lute incident the night had been rather uneventful. The performance continued on, the music pounding throughout the club. Fleet sipped her drink beside Luna, noticing the princess' awkwardness with the situation. "You know it's much more interesting when you're in the thick of it. To be in the crowd, it's exhilarating. If I wasn't nearly blind, I'd be down there myself." She remarked, slightly saddened at her disability. She'd been born near blind, but she'd learned to "see" with sound. Learning the ancient talent of echolocation from the bat ponies to the south Fleetfoot had been able to attain her dream of joining the Wonderbolts. High activity locations like the club disoriented her easily, thus she'd been stuck in the booth with Princess Luna; not that it was a bad time or anything, but she wanted to experience the excitement of being in the crowd.
Luna noticed the discomfort on her friend's face and an idea quickly popped up in her mind. "Shall we go together then? I wish to experience that which you describe, what better way then with a friend." she offered. Truth be told, Luna was a bit nervous. How would ponies react to her presence...would they shy away like most? Or perhaps she'd be accepted. Only one way to find out.
Fleet jumped at the chance, there wasn't anything that would stop her now, "I'd love to, lead the way." With that the two departed the booth. Luna smiled, even if she made a complete foal of herself, she'd at least made her friend happy...

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