Guardian Angel

by The Mysterious N

...Enter Night

Guardian Angel
Chapter Twelve: ...Enter Night

---

Rainbow Dash looked over the crowd, the massive frenzy of ponies was bouncing around like mad. Everypony enjoyed the performance so far. That much was obvious; it was made even better by the fact that it was thanks to her! Of course her companions deserved a big part of this appreciation as well. Without Vinyl the music would be missing most of the backup instruments; no drums, no bass guitar and no piano. As she continued to play, Rainbow looked over at Twilight.
The lavender unicorn amazed her. She'd never expected Twilight to be doing something like this. It was almost like she was another mare, so radically different from her normal self. To Rainbow it seemed familiar, like she'd seen Twilight like this before. It struck her, the times Rainbow had seen Twilight this confident had been when they were fighting Nightmare Moon and later Discord. She'd taken charge of the element bearers both times, leading them to victory. She was a natural leader, even if a bit introverted.
Twilight looked absolutely spectacular in her outfit, the cloak and hat glittering and shifting in color under the stage lights. Her lavender coat sparkled, it was almost entrancing. She'd never realized how beautiful Twilight really was. It wasn't the same kind of beauty that Rarity had, nopony could compare, but Twilight had her own kind of radiance. She didn't need to use any products other than the basics, it was all her. 'Am I really having these thoughts about my best friend?' she wondered. Shaking her head-she'd sort these thoughts later, Rainbow turned back to her music. The finale was about to start, and she'd need her full attention to keep up with these songs.
She began the next track, strumming the instrument in a flurry of movement. Slowing down into a crawling pace, each note clearly picked, Rainbow began her next tune. The soft portion was mimicked with "oohs" from the crowd, and Twilight began her intro.

---

Fear of the Dark – Iron Maiden

---

I am the mare who walks alone
And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park
And when the light begins to change
I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall
And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light?
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Have you ever been alone at night
Thought you heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's somepony there

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Rainbow began to jam out her solo, the instrument responding to her motions. Upon Twilight's beckoning the crowd began to chant.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

With her solo coming to an end, Rainbow moved back into her normal playing speed. Twilight continued on with her lyrics.

Watching horror films the night before
Debating witches and folklores
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that somepony's always there

When I'm walking a dark road
I am the mare who walks alone...

The notes faded off; the last few gentle strums echoing into silence. Now it was her time to play alone; Twilight having signaled that she needed a break. Checking that the amp cable was secure Rainbow allowed herself to gain a little more altitude. Hovering about two feet off the stage she began to play her solo. While most solos were pure improvisation, Rainbow had adopted Twilight's advice of at least having a general layout.
She continued to play, shredding on her guitar. Landing on the stage, Rainbow stood upon her rear legs, using her wings for balance. Slowing to a creeping pace, she allowed her instrument to fall silent. The crowd gave a cheer but quickly subsided, eager to see what the guitarist could come up with next. A series of quick hammer-ons punctuated by shouts from the mass of fans gathered broke the silence and Rainbow moved into the last part of her solo. Once more she strummed, music coming out in a blitzing pace, swinging her head in a circle. If her mane wasn't covered by a piece of metal it would be swinging like crazy now. It was awesome, nothing could stop her.
Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans. With a loud "snap" the chin strap broke, the helmet being tossed off her head by the force of her spinning. The enchantment, the same one used by the Royal Guard to maintain a uniform look, on the armor dissipated, and Rainbow Dash returned to her usual colors. Sweat covered her head, hair soaked and hanging down in a waterfall of color. She stopped playing, looking over at the helmet laying a few feet away. The crowd had fallen silent, everypony looking in shock at the sudden change in the guitarist's appearance. When she looked over at Twilight, she felt relief start to course through her. The librarian winked, and whispered, "You can do it!".
Rainbow smiled, yes she could do it-she would, and nodded back to Twilight. The unicorn let out a squeal, thankfully the microphone was off, and her grin grew even larger-It almost rivaled Pinkie's on some days now. Moving her hooves back into playing position, she was interrupted by her name being chanted by a single pony. Rainbow recognized the mane and nearly fell over in shock. Spitfire of all ponies had started chanting her name! Quickly the chant spread and she felt her confidence returning even more.
Most solos were improvised on the spot, and now she'd have to do the same. Pulling a few cues from several songs she knew; Rainbow resumed her interrupted solo. The pitch of the notes rose steadily, culmination in a long whine. The crowd roared their approval, even Princess Luna, using her royal voice, had joined in.
She slid her forehoof into position and placed the other one on the bridge of the guitar. Twilight and Vinyl both noticed this and got back into the game, readying up for their final few songs. Her hoof picked a series of noted, falling into the rhythm of a familiar riff. Twilight smiled, of all the songs she learned, this was one of her favorites. She yelled, "Are you still out there?" and the crowd shouted back in earnest.

---

Enter Sandman – Metallica

---

Say your prayers little one
Don't forget my son
To include everypony
I tuck you in
Warm within
Keep you free from sin
'Til the sandmare she comes
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never never-land

Something's wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of snow white
Dreams of war
Dreams of lies
Dreams of dragons fire
And of things that will bite, yeah
Sleep with one eye open
Grippin' your pillow tight

Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never never-land

Feeling confident after her unexpected reveal, Rainbow had started inching closer to Twilight during the solo. Quickly jabbing her hoof in the direction of the microphone, Rainbow conveyed her intention-She wanted to sing. Twilight nodded and inched closer. They were almost side by side now; though with enough clearance that she could manipulate her guitar comfortably. The music quieted down to a low thrum, She started to sing, easily able to lower her voice to a growl, Twilight mimicking her lines in a light voice, like that of a filly.

Now I lay me down to sleep
Now I lay me down to sleep

Pray to Luna my soul to keep
Pray to Luna my soul to keep

And if I die before I wake
And if I die before I wake

Pray to Luna my soul to take
Pray to Luna my soul to take

Hush little filly don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beast under your bed
In your closet in your head

Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand

Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never never-land
We're off to never never-land

Take my hand
We're off to never never-land
Take my hand
We're off to never never-land

We're off to never never-land

The song drew to a close, Twilight's voice fading off and drowned out with ecstatic cheers. Once the crowd settled down a bit, she spoke the final farewells for the night, "Thank you everypony for coming, I hope you had a really great time!" A wave of cheers broke out, and she continued, "It's been great entertaining you all, but now we have to wish you a goodnight." A groan of disappointment was heard, followed by a call for an encore.
An idea suddenly popped into Twilight's head, she had a song that she'd wanted to do but they were unable to fit it in anywhere. It just didn't mesh with the theme-But now she could fit it in. The memories of the past few months had come back, and filled her with joy. She wanted to thank Rainbow Dash for all of this. The dedication she'd shown, even when she was at her worst. Her openness with Twilight about her past issues. The way she'd stuck by her, loyal to the end. Just thinking about Rainbow filled her with an unexplainable feeling. She felt like she was on top of the world, all thanks to that cyan angel. Gathering her voice, she announced her intentions, "Since everypony wants it, I think I'll indulge you. But first I want to hear you scream!"
The gathered ponies roared their approval, they wanted an encore badly it seemed. "Alright, you've convinced me. I wanted to thank you one last time, for being here. You've made this night really special. I hope you enjoy the rest of it, and from the three of us, to all of you an angel comes tonight." She finished, her eyes never leaving Rainbow's figure.
Vinyl noticed the slight emphasis on the word angel and smiled. The unicorn had seemed downtrodden when they couldn't fit the song in earlier, but now she could sing it. But that didn't seem like the real meaning behind the word, she noted that Twilight's focus remained firmly on Rainbow Dash. Setting her instrument panel to the proper settings, her hooves sliding to the embedded electronic keyboard, she gave a wave signifying her readiness.
In the meantime Twilight quickly went over the plan with Rainbow. She couldn't sing the song alone, it just didn't sound right. Her guitar toting counterpart nodded, recognizing the song from the list. It was an interesting song and she was looking forward to playing it. They spaced themselves out a bit, not too far, but with enough space to allow Rainbow to comfortably play. A pair of synthesized sounds from Vinyl kicked things off and both the performers began to sing.

---

Wish I had an Angel – Nightwish

---

I wish I had an angel
For one moment of love
I wish I had your angel
Tonight

The song kicked into full force now, Rainbow playing the notes with perfect accuracy. Twilight stepped up.

Deep into a dying day
I took a step outside an innocent heart
Prepare to hate me for when I may
This night will hurt you like never before

Old loves, they die hard
Old lies, they die harder

I wish I had an angel
For one moment of love
I wish I had your angel
Your Lady Candance undone

Rainbow screamed out her part, fully partaking in the finale. If she was going to do it right, it was going to have an impact. Twilight joined in, their voices mixing together melodiously.

I'm in love with my lust
Burning angel wings to dust
I wish I had your angel tonight

I'm going down so frail and cruel
Drunken disguise changes all the rules

Old loves, they die hard
Old lies, they die harder

I wish I had an angel
For one moment of love
I wish I had your angel
Your Lady Candance undone

I'm in love with my lust
Burning angel wings to dust
I wish I had your angel tonight

Greatest thrill, Not to kill
But to have the prize of the night
Hypocrite, Wannabe friend
13th disciple who betrayed me for nothing!

Last dance, first kiss
Your touch, my bliss
Beauty always comes with dark thoughts

I wish I had an angel
For one moment of love
I wish I had your angel
Your Lady Candance undone

I'm in love with my lust
Burning angel wings to dust
I wish I had your angel tonight

I wish I had an angel
I wish I had an angel
I wish I had an angel

Twilight finished the last line with a raw scream of pure joy.

I have an angel tonight!

The crowd roared one last time, and the final pyrotechnics blasted out. Shrouded by smoke Vinyl walked over and joined them. The three gave a final bow and disappeared in a flash; no doubt to a teleportation spell of Twilight's doing.

---

With a pop the three reappeared backstage, panting heavily. It had been a heavy night, Twilight never having done something so strenuous. They quickly took a seat at the table nearby, and each grabbed a bottle of water. Even though she'd gone through several bottles during the show, Twilight was still parched. Singing and prancing about on stage took a lot out of you apparently. In her mind it was a successful show; everypony enjoyed it and Rainbow had gotten a reveal unlike any other. She'd almost panicked when she saw the helmet flying from Rainbow's head. Thankfully Rainbow recovered and continued on; even being brave enough as to sing with her!
"Best night ever!" Rainbow called out. Her mane was slick with sweat, hanging down in long strands. To Twilight she looked amazing, having that natural recklessness she was known for, but also a hidden beauty. Twilight found herself looking away, a blush burning on her face.
"That it was!" Vinyl replied, ecstatic at the two's performance. "That was the best concert I've ever hosted. You two did great, we should do this again sometime. Anyways, I'm off to mingle with the crowd. Enjoy the rest of the night Sparkles, you too Rain." She departed, leaving Rainbow and Twilight alone.
Rainbow's head had started to droop, the days events catching up with her. Stifling a yawn, she turned her focus to Twilight sitting across from her. She found herself staring at her eyes, lost in those mesmerizing purple orbs. Their eyes met, for a brief few seconds, and they found themselves turning away; blushes evident on their faces.
They'd continued to sit there, the occasional piece of chatter exchanged between them. Twilight had gone to grab a bite and was now returning, plates with fresh hayfries suspended in her magical grasp. Setting the plates down, the two dug in. The food was quickly devoured, a bit of their energy restored. Rainbow groaned, more tired than usual-she had been hovering for most of the performance after all. Twilight noticed her friend's tiredness and questioned, "Do you think you'll be able to make it home tonight?"
"No, I don't think so. Too sore." she punctuated this by giving an experimental flap of her wings. The soreness intensified and she grimaced, "I'll survive. I'm just gonna walk most of the way." she added with a bit of disdain. It wasn't that she hated walking, but as a pegasus she was naturally drawn to being off the ground.
"You could sleep at my place for the night. I've got plenty of space and it's closer." Twilight offered, secretly hoping Rainbow would accept.
"Sounds good, does leaving now alright with you?"
"Yes it does, just relax. I'll get your guitar." Twilight responded, already moving in the direction of the discarded instrument. She lifted it in a gentle aura and placed it securely in the case. With a satisfying snap the case was closed, and the latches were fastened. Picking it up with her magic she joined Rainbow at the door into the main area of the club. Rainbow held the discarded helmet, having picked it up before the teleport. Noticing Twilight approaching she pushed open the door, allowing the lavender mare through. Rainbow following, they made their way into the much calmer crowd.
Several ponies gave their appreciation, thanking them for an amazing performance. Rainbow's keen eyesight noticed three shapes approaching. She recognized the Cutie Mark Crusaders instantly. Scootaloo seemed to barely contain herself. "That was awesome! You rock Rainbow, and I thought you couldn't get any cooler!" she all but screamed out.
"Thanks kiddo, I was pretty awesome wasn't I?"
"Like 20% more awesome than usual." the three fillies intoned.
"I can't take all the credit though, Twilight was a big part too. Without her, probably none of this would have happened." Rainbow added, noting the look of amusement on Twilight's face. "I'm pretty tired, I gotta get some rest. I'll visit my fan club sometime later." she finished, but before leaving plopped the helmet she held on Scootaloo's head. The orange filly's smile grew even larger, only to be obscured by the helmet sliding down over her head. Scootaloo pushed the helmet back into place and wished Rainbow a goodbye, before scampering off after the other two crusaders.
Rejoining Twilight they made their way out of the club and into the fresh night sky. "Sure is beautiful, ain't it Twilight?" she asked, just wanting to make conversation. Twilight nodded back, partially focused on keeping the instrument suspended beside her. Up in the sky they noticed Princess Luna's chariot, pulled by a pair of her bat-pony guards.
Continuing on their merry way, the two soon found themselves at the library. Rainbow swung the door open, allowing Twilight through with the guitar. With an overly theatric bow, Rainbow beckoned, "After you, milady." Unable to keep a straight face she soon burst into laughter, Twilight joining in once the guitar was safely set down.
"I'll go get the guest bed ready, you might want to get out of that armor." Twilight noted, seeing the large clasps on the torso piece. She soon disappeared, leaving Rainbow alone. Looking around once, she got started. The bracers came off first, they were the easiest to remove. Manipulating each of the buckles, she managed to get almost all of them undone. Except for the one just behind her wings, try with all her might, she couldn't get her hooves on the annoying buckle.
By now Twilight had returned and looked on with amusement as Rainbow struggled to reach the buckle. Having enough mirth at her friend's expense, Twilight asked, "You want some help with that?"
"Yeah, that'd be great." she deadpanned.
Twilight moved behind Rainbow and undid the offending buckle. Her hoof brushed Rainbow's wing and the appendage fluttered. Curious, she ran her hoof through the feathers near the base of the wing. Rainbow tried to hold in a laugh, "No wait don't!" She didn't get to finish, her words drowned out in laughter as Twilight tickled her. Standing on her hindlegs, she attempted to move out of Twilight's reach, to no avail. Over extending herself, Twilight fell taking Rainbow with her. The two lay in a tangled heap, faces just inches apart. Scrambling to separate, the two blushing mares wound up untangling themselves. Clearing her throat, Twilight spoke, "Well, I think it's about time we went to bed. Don't worry about the armor, we'll put it away later."
The duo made their way up the stairs, and into Twilight's room. Spike's bed lay empty, he would be staying with one of the crusaders tonight. The guest bed had been prepared, fluffy white sheets looking really inviting. Rainbow made her way over, but realized something. She stank, the armor while awesome looking, really didn't allow for much breathability. "I'm gonna go shower first Twi." she informed her friend.
"Alright, shampoos in the blue bottle, and soaps in the green." Twilight informed her. Nodding Rainbow made her way over to the bathroom. Turning the water on she waited for it to heat up. 'Nothing beats a hot shower' she thought.
Humming a song from the show, she stepped into the warm stream, pulling the curtain closed behind her. Releasing a sigh of relief, she let the water cascade down her body, carrying away most of the dried sweat that clung to her coat. She reached over and grabbed the blue bottle, squeezing a dollop onto her hoof. Returning the bottle to the small rack, she scrubbed her hair. The shampoo smelt nice, a scent of lilac permeated her nostrils. It smelt like Twilight and she found herself breathing in heavily.
Finishing, she rinsed off the last of the soap and turned the water off. Grabbing a towel off the rack, she dried herself off. Folding the wet piece of cloth she hung it on the bar that held the shower curtain. Normally she'd just throw it over, but she wasn't at her place. Running a hoof through her mane, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. A sleepy face stared back at her, and she smiled. Today had been a great day.
Making her way back into the bedroom she found Twilight on her side, asleep, a book clutched loosely in her hooves. Gently pulling the book away, she placed it on the nearby nightstand. She pulled the covers over the lavender form, tucking a stray hoof underneath. "Goodnight Twi, sleep tight." she whispered, blowing out the candle on the stand.
Making her way over to her bed, she blew out her own candle. Snuggling into the covers, she closed her eyes. Her mind went blank, the only thought remaining was one of Twilight. With a content smile she drifted off to sleep, pleasant dreams of the lavender unicorn awaiting her...

Author's Note:

Well. I finally get these two chapters out. I'm really quite proud of these two.
A lot of fun was had writing 'em and I hope you enjoy it.
Oh and the color is just used to separate who sings what in the songs.

Best news is that there will be a chapter every weekend, as my beta and I have come to an agreement.

Until next week.
~Nuuk.

Comments

[Paradox949]

Woo a chapter every weekend! Can't wait for more.

[starwarsbrony]

best chapter yet

[wickedmatt717]

Epic. That is all.

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

im sensing a metallica fan...
better watch out, unless you paid to use those songs in this fic...
metalinjection.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/lars_photo.jpg
lars will get you...

[Jarlax]

OK, finished the chapters. And they were great. Can't wait to see what's next now that the nightmare night arc is finished. My only minor complaint is that I wish there had been more pony metal than just Nightmare Night. But then I really can't argue with Back in Black and Enter Sandman(hadn't heard the other songs before).

Also, anyone else have the songs playing while they were going on in the story? It took me way longer than normal to read these because I was making sure that I was keeping the songs and the story synced up.

[The Mysterious N]

2175769
Yeah I'm quite a fan. They're one of the first groups that got me into the metal genre, Sandman being the first ever song I really liked.
2175810
Yeah, but I really couldn't find anything that fit with the themes of Nightmare(s) or Night without me butchering the song itself. But I do have a few pony metal/rock songs I will implement in the future.

Quick Question, when I display the song title and artist, would you guys like a link to a YouTube video?

Thanks for reading,
~Nuuk.

[Timaeus]

Link to the YouTube video would be great for lazy people like me who are reading this at 6:30 in the morning and too tired to find it themselves. Great chapters by the way!

[Quantum Logic]

2177248
Yeah, I thought the same thing. The song titles should have been links to the songs.