> MLP: The Magic of... Music?
>  by The Bricklayer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Part 1: Twilight screws up... Maybe.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab:

It was a known fact that Twilight Sparkle loved to preform mad science type experiments, even now as the Princess of Friendship. Currently, she was in the middle of one such endeavor, trying to create a new form of communication so ponies would not have to have unicorns send letters back and forth to those they wanted to communicate with.

"Let's see... One last little thing, and THERE! That should do it." Twilight exclaimed in glee as she looked upon her creation, a transmission tower like device with a switch connected to it.

With a almost mad grin that would scare almost anypony who saw it, Twilight threw the switch. However, almost immediately she knew something went wrong when the shaking started...

"Oh dear." Twilight whispered nervously. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"







Anyponies standing outside Twilight's library could see the blue beam of magical energy shoot up into the clouds. They also instinctively knew something had gone wrong, and it was a safe bet it would affect Equestria in some way, for good or ill. Most chose ill and ran for it. What nopony however did see was the beam going through time and space and hitting a radio tower in Miami, Florida energizing it before the radio tower shot a beam back through time and space to the Golden Oaks Library...







Inside the Tardis, behind the Hooves household...

In one certain time machine, in front of a certain console a certain Time Lord turned pony detected this happenstance and grinned to himself. This was certainly unexpected, someone breaking through the time-space barrier.

"OH! This merits further investigation!" The stallion cried as he ran around his console room looking for a chest. 

When he found the chest, he reached in and pulled out a small device with a glowing tip at the end of it. But before he could continue his investigations any further, a female voice called out to him.

"Honey, it's time to wash up for dinner!" The Doctor's wife yelled from outside the Tardis. The Doctor grumbled to himself, sometimes being married wasn't all it was cracked up to be...

"I made your favorite, fish fingers and custard!" Derpy called again, and the Doctor grinned to himself as he amended his pervious thought. Marriage was wonderful, wasn't it?







Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab:

Twilight was blown backwards into a pile of books when the energy reached her machine. Peeking her head out of the books, Twilight groaned and rubbed her head although she did smirk to herself.

"And Rainbow Dash says all these books aren't good for anything..." Twilight smiled to herself before a noise, both horrific and yet somehow terrific and wonderful breached her eardrums like a tsunami.



Twilight frowned to herself as the song went on, it talked about a great jungle, surely full of dangerous creatures. Whoever the narrator was, he was warning them not to go into this jungle and to take advantage of him. But then another thought struck her, what if this "Jungle" was a metaphor for something else?

"This... This requires some thinking!" Twilight exclaimed before she quickly changed her mind as another thought struck her. She couldn't do this alone, this was beyond her as much as the lavender unicorn hated to admit it.

"No, I'm going to need some help with this. A second opinion if I am to discover this message's meaning." Twilight muttered to herself, angry at her own lack of knowledge on this particular subject.

Twilight immediately went for her pen and paper to transcribe a letter to the only pony she knew who might be able to help, the Princess of the Sun herself... Princess Celestia.

Dear Princess Celestia:

"It seems, during one of my... many experiments I may have accidently discovered transmissions from another world. However, I cannot decipher them for myself and need your assistance."

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Then she called for her faithful assistant of a drakeling, who came eagerly running at Twilight's beck and call.

"Spike, take a letter..."







Canterlot Castle, Celestia's Private Quarters:

One would expect the personal and private quarters of the regal Princess of the Sun to be quite fitting of her status, and they'd be right. The walls were decked out in white, and the bed which had purple covers and four hardwood pillars on each corner with a curtain (Also purple) connected to each if the Solar Princess wanted some privacy. 

Currently, right now they were in full use as the Solar Princess read her favorite novel, J. R. Mankin's "King of the Bracelet" but was soon rudely interrupted by Twilight's letter. Celestia groaned, as she as at the best part of the book where the wise wizard Manybeards was about to face the centaur Gothmog on a bridge in the Mines of Tantablus but opened the letter and read it anyway.

Celestia raised a eyebrow at it's contents, she had to admit she was intrigued by the prospect of transmissions from another world. She threw off the covers and put on her royal garb and rushed out her bedroom door and turned to a nearby guard, who bowed at the sight of the Princess.

"Iron Shield, please alert my sister she may have to take over my duties for the rest of the day." Celestia said quickly.

"M-May I ask why?" Iron Shield inquired nervously. It was a well known fact that Luna hated to be awoken during the day, and there were (Unconfirmed of course) rumors of guards being banished to the moon by the ones who did wake the Night Princess.

"I may be out for a while, something has come up with my student." Celestia stated in a tone that left no room for disagreement. The guard nodded nervously as Celestia vanished in a flash of golden light. After she was gone, Iron Shield rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"...I don't get paid nearly enough for this..."







Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab:

As soon as the Solar Princess arrived, Twilight began to try and repeat the same things she did before, and once more a blue beam of energy shot up from her Library and into the sky. 







And once more, a certain stallion picked it up in his Tardis.

"Huh, this again?" The Doctor asked. "Seems time and space are having a very active day."

Then there was a angry shout from Derpy once more.

"DOCTOR! Your dinner's getting cold!" She shouted, and the Doctor hung his head and sighed. He took it back, marriage really sucked. 







Back in the Library, Celestia and Twilight along with Spike who was watching in interest did receive a transmission, but this time the song received was different much to Twilight's shock.



After the song was over, Celestia, Twilight and Spike took it and there was a brief silence of shock till Twilight spoke up.

"...These aliens, they do seem rather violent don't they?" Twilight guess, and Celestia nodded sadly.

"Yes, they do don't they?" Celestia replied before she decided to take an gamble and play Tirek's Advocate. "But do not let these two songs discourage you my faithful student. For all we know, they may be exceptions to the rule."

"...At least he's got a good voice right?" Twilight asked, trying to be optimistic. Spike just looked confused. He was far too young and innocent to have been exposed to such things, Twilight thought in hindsight.

"What were all those things they were talking about? TNT, and neckties?" Spike asked curiously. Then, on hearing his question both Celestia and Twilight shared a nervous look before saying one thing in unison.

"Uh-oh."



END
> Part 2: Twilight's Fright/Celestia's Doubts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library: A few hours later

Twilight paced back and forth, questions running through her brain like a wildfire gone out of control. Who were these aliens, where did they come from, and were they as violent as the first few "transmissions" suggested? No, Twilight quickly amended herself, they weren't transmissions, they were music... Even if said music wasn't quite as easy going as Equestria's normal style. On that subject, Twilight flashed back to a certain conversation between her, Celestia and a certain young drake...







A few hours before...

Spike stamped his foot impatiently, still waiting for a answer. Celestia and Twilight shared a look, not sure how to answer the young drake.

"I'm not breaking his innocence!" Twilight whispered to Celestia nervously who raised a eyebrow.

"You do realize he's been on adventures with you before right? Even killed King Sombra." Celestia deadpanned back.

"B-But I... I... That was a accident! And besides, I don't want to lecture my own son on how many deadly ways there are to kill somepony!" Twilight whispered back, quite frantic at this point as Spike watched the exchange like a tennis match.

"He... He might become a mass murderer or something!" Twilight hissed to Celestia, who rolled her eyes in disbelief. If anypony outside this room saw her do that, it might ruin her image as calm and unfazable.

"I doubt that highly." Celestia put in. "You don't become a mass murderer just because you learn of how many ways there are to kill somepony. ...Well, Sombra did but he was insane anyway."

Spike coughed, bringing both Celestia's and Twilight's attentions back to him.

"You do realize I wasn't questioning why somepony would do that, I know about death. Hello, killer of Sombra here?" Spike deadpanned, he'd picked up his adoptive mother's sarcasm a bit. Both Celestia and Twilight flushed as they realized they'd been overheard.

"Then why...?" Twilight trailed off.

"I was just asking what they were, that's all. I don't know what TNT or neckties are, seriously!" Spike exclaimed with a shrug. Twilight's eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted.







Now....

Twilight finally made up her mind, she knew there was only one way to get the answers she needed. That was, listen to more music. With more then a bit of nervousness, she fired up the machine and once again a blue beam shot up into the sky and came back with a song.



Twilight smiled as she tapped her hooves to the beat and bobbed her head. The singer sounded very determined, and Twilight noted this song would sound like the thing her good friend Rainbow Dash or Rainbow's idols the Wonderbolts would train to. Twilight's opinions on the aliens (She still desired to learn their name) were already changing. Maybe they weren't as violent as she thought they were...

"Hmm, let's see what else we can get!" Twilight smiled, now in a determined mood thanks to the song and she fired up her fantastic machine. Outside the Library, a certain pink pony was watching.

"Ooh, pretty! But what's Twi doing!?! I must know!" Pinkie cried, before another thought struck her as they always did.

"...Eh, maybe later. First, candy!" Pinkie exclaimed before she bounced off in search of the nearest sweet shop. 

Meanwhile, Twilight got her song sent back to her, unfortunately this song is what she got...









Canterlot Castle: Celestia's Chambers:

Meanwhile, in the personal chambers Celestia went over what she'd heard in the songs even as she got ready for bed. She'd already lowered the sun for tonight just after she'd left Twilight's. In her mind, Celestia's thoughts raced. Now the Princess was not one to pre-judge others before she actually met them, but these songs seemed to paint a violent image of the aliens. Celestia had always wanted to make contact with creatures from another world, but it seemed these were not ones she would want to meet anytime soon.

"L-Look at me!" Celestia chastised herself. "I-I'm supposed to be perfect, and right now I'm acting like a..." Here Celestia swallowed hard and barely found the strength to continue her sentence but she mustered up the courage and did so.

"A-A bigot just based on songs from aliens who I've never even met! Tartarus, I don't even know what they look like, just hear them! I've got to keep a more open mind, I'm ignoring my own advice! These two songs may be exceptions to the rule, you know that!" Celestia told herself harshly.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. I'll go to Twilight's tomorrow and see if I get a better song, one that paints a nicer picture of these aliens." Celestia said, with a determined tone in her voice before she yawned.

"B-But for now... Rest is the best medicine." Celestia murmured as she walked over to her bed and threw off her royal garb...







Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Bedroom

In Twilight's room, she trotted to her bed, worn out from the day's events. The last song was very violent to say the least, even more violent then the songs before it. It told of a man in a war, and how he killed others until he was killed himself. Twilight admitted the song was violent, but something in her mind also told her it was based on something historical in nature. Twilight sighed, she'd think more on this tomorrow and fell onto her bed and into the realm of sleep.







Twilight's Mind:

In Twilight's dream which she had rapidly fallen into, she found herself on a battlefield, the exact same from the song she had just listened to. She fired her trigger relentlessly with a determined look on her face, although she was really quite frightened as she knew what was about to happen any second now.

And then it came.

KA-BANG!

Twilight fell to the ground, bleeding from the gunshot wound. Suddenly the battlefield was gone and there was just Luna.

"Twilight, what's happened? Why are you here in this horrific place?" Luna asked, but could get no answer as the dreamworld soon faded away by Twilight's own sheer force of will, or more accurately fear.







Canterlot Castle: Celestia's Chambers:

Suddenly Celestia was awoken from her slumbers by a flash of purple light. She glanced towards where the flash came from and saw Twilight tossing and turning. Celestia's eyes widened, it was not unusual for unicorns of high power levels to accidently sleep teleport if their stress during their sleep was high enough. And it seemed something had driven Twilight to the brink for her to do this, something she hadn't done in years as she'd learned to control it years ago. Or at least, Celestia thought she had.

"Twilight, wake up!" Celestia said franticly. "I'm here, it's me! Princess Celestia!"

As Twilight awoke and saw her teacher, Luna rushed in through the great wooden chamber doors looking frantic.

"Sister, it's Twilight! She's gone and-" Luna stopped when she saw Twilight. 

"Oh... I guess you already know." Luna amended herself with a embarrassed look on her face as Twilight began to sob uncontrollably.

"War... War and destruction, I saw it in my nightmares!" Twilight cried out and her teacher brought her into a hug with her great white wings. She may have be a Alicorn Princess now, but Twilight was still Celestia's student and she would look out for her like she did all of her little ponies.

"Shh... Shh, my student." Celestia reassured as Twilight sobbed heavily into the Solar Princess's pure white fur staining it with her tears. "They're not going to get you, they're on a different planet and can't come here."

As Twilight continued to sob and Celestia began to make her a sup of hot cocoa by levitating the ingredients with magic the Solar Princess turned to her sister.

"So, what do we do now my sister?" Celestia asked. "Stop the experiment here, or...?" She trailed off nervously as she looked down at her student.

"NO!" Luna suddenly cried. "This was a great happy accident on Twilight's part!"

Celestia glared, and Luna suddenly realized what she'd said, and corrected herself.

"I mean, the discovering of the alien planet in the first place and it's wonderous transmissions in the form of music! I shall not let this experiment be stopped, no! I shall continue it until Twilight has recovered!" Luna cried, and suddenly Celestia felt very nervous indeed...



END
> Part 3: Rocking through the night...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ponyville: Main Street:

Early that next morning, the residents of Ponyville were in for a rather large shock indeed. There was Luna, Princess of the NIGHT walking down Main Street towards the Golden Oaks Library. As she passed by his café table at the Hay Burger, Doctor Whooves blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Nope, Luna was still walking past him.

"Okay... Time and Space must be fracturing if Luna is walking past me in the day." Whooves guessed. 

"Probably reality is cracking and ponies from alternate dimensions, mirror ones even are appearing! I-I should start seeing the words Bad Wolf any second now!" Whooves panicked before he quickly sat up and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Allons-Y! I must get to the Tardis and solve this problem!" The Doctor exclaimed before dashing off. His wife, Derpy sighed and facehoofed before she groaned to herself and yelled for the check.

"Why can't we ever finish a meal together...?" Derpy muttered. "Maybe I should consider getting a divorce..."

But Whooves wasn't the only one to comment on the strange sight of Luna walking down Main Street. High above, Rainbow Dash was just getting the clouds ready for the later afternoon rainshower when she spotted Luna. Rainbow rubbed her eyes, much like Whooves had.

"...I wonder if I should get the rest of my friends?" Rainbow wondered. "After all, a Princess in Ponyville usually means trouble. Like big bad end of the damn world kind of trouble. ...Yeah, definitely getting my friends."

After making up her mind, Rainbow rocketed off in search of the rest of the Mane Six...







Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab:

Luna made her way to her fellow Princess's laboratory where the machine was still set up and ready to go. Luna chuckled to herself, if this experiment panned out, maybe Twilight should have had "Princess of Music"  added to her titles. Luna, with somewhat nervousness (Not that she'd ever admit it, the Princess of the Night NEVER showed fear!) pulled the switch and almost at once was besieged with a assault on her eardrums.



Luna laughed out loud, it seemed this song was almost a tribute to the wonders of the dreamworld. Luna however then frowned, it seemed to show reverence for the spirit of the Nightmare which once had her under it's spell. 

"NO! THIS SHALL NOT STAND! WE SHALL NOT LISTEN TO A SONG THAT WORSHIPS THE NIGHTMARE!"  Luna roared, going back into the Royal Canterlot Voice by accident. Her sister had been taking her to a speech therapist to solve her... issues but when Luna was angry all of the therapist's teachings went out the window so to speak.

Luna frowned and flipped the switch once more, she would try again and hopefully would have better luck. But this time she twisted a few dials as well unknowingly turning into a different radio station. The song she got, of course was different then the last.



Luna smiled, this song was much more to her liking. It was happy and seemed to be song about rebellion against a certain chaos entity who was even named in the song itself, and she wanted to dance to it's beat. 

But this did beg the question, how did the aliens even know of Discord? Were they too menaced by him once? She'd heard from Discord himself (Although she took his words with a grain of salt as the modern saying went) that he was known as the God of Lies on one planet, and she'd also heard he loved to dance around the universe calling himself "Q".

"...Agh, just thinking about it gives me a headache." Luna muttered and suddenly there was a loud crashing sound of a door bursting inwards and shattering to splinters.

Luna turned her head only to see Spike and five of the Elements of Harmony looking ready for battle. Even without the Elements, which had been long since returned to the Tree, the five former bearers were still a sight any villain would find daunting.

"I'm... I'm sorry but they j-just barged their way in." Spike said in a small voice.

"No apologies are needed, Spike of Golden Oaks Library. It was safe to assume me, yours, Twilight's and Celestia's little secret would not stay that way for long." Luna admitted with a blush.

"Little secret? What are you talking about? Spill it!" Rainbow demanded before she realized who she was speaking to exactly and bowed with a small blush present on her face. "...I mean, Princess."

Luna laughed long and hard.

"No worries Rainbow Dash. We are friends, titles are not needed here." Luna said.

"But still, what in the Sam Hill is going on?" Applejack exclaimed angrily.

"Well, it seems your friend Twilight has had a happy accident and has tapped into alien transmissions. She has discovered, and you may not believe this, alien music!" Luna exclaimed gleefully. Applejack raised a eyebrow and looked suspicious, with the others not far behind her.

"So where is Twilight anyway?" Applejack asked. Luna looked crestfallen at her question.

"...Sadly, one of the songs scared her into a horrific nightmare I could not stop and now she is recovering with Celestia's help." Luna explained sadly while shaking her head in pity for the Friendship Princess.

"What kind of "Recovery"?" Rainbow asked with a flirty grin. Everypony glared at her.

"Rainbow Dash, I cannot believe you would even insulate such a thing!" Rarity huffed with a expression of disgust directed at her friend, and Applejack shared it as well. The farm pony then saw Rainbow's gaze drift towards the switch and Applejack groaned. She knew exactly where Rainbow's thoughts were heading.

"And don't even think about pulling that! You don't even know what'll happen!" Applejack warned.

Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively and walked up to the switch and pulled it along turning the dials just because she wanted to see what would happened.

"Oh boy, here we go..." Rarity muttered at her friend's recklessness.

"Never thinks with her head, that one." Applejack agreed with a nod.

"Sometimes you just gotta jump in!" Pinkie exclaimed in a happy tone while bouncing up and down in place. Then, the song came and Rainbow almost at once grinned. This was her kind of tune.



The ponies took this new song in, as Luna thought to herself. It seemed to have been a different song by the artist who created what seemed to be the "Nightmare Worshipping Song" as she called it. This new song seemed to be political in nature and a warning.

"Huh, somepony doesn't like royal power." Rarity muttered in distaste at the sound of the song she'd just heard.

"I... I wouldn't go that far." Fluttershy said, speaking up for the first time, having been far too scared of the song while it played. Everypony turned to her with a questioning look.

"Whatever do you mean Flutteshy dear?" Rarity asked, with a eyebrow raised.

"I-It seems to be a warning against wishing for power on the throne. T-That having that power isn't all it's cracked up to be." Fluttershy stammered in a small voice, but still loud enough to be heard.

"Yes, that makes sense." Rarity agreed. Suddenly Spike came up with a idea which he quickly voiced.

"You know, if we could record this song somehow we could send it to Cadence and Shining Armor and they could use it to mock King Sombra on the anniversary of the Crystal Empire's return! He really was KING NOTHING." Spike joked, and everypony seemed to like this idea.

"Yes, a most glorious plan! When Twilight recovers, we shall ask for her help on this matter." Luna said while Rarity kissed Spike on the forehead, making him blush.

"I never thought you could come up with such a thing, Spikey-Boo!" Rarity said kindly while Spike rubbed his head in embarrassment and said proudly "Well... I... I do come up with good things from time to time."

Applejack went over to the machine's control panel and flipped the switch and twisted the dials in determination.

"Enough of this rock and roll y'all! Ah'm going to see if we could get some Country and Western on here!" Applejack exclaimed before the sound of fantastical fiddling began and a smile broke onto Applejack's face at the sound...





END
> Part 4: The Devil Came Down to Ponyville and the Crusaders join in on the fun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last time...

Applejack went over to the machine's control panel and flipped the switch and twisted the dials in determination.

"Enough of this rock and roll y'all! Ah'm going to see if we could get some Country and Western on here!" Applejack exclaimed before the sound of fantastical fiddling began and a smile broke onto Applejack's face at the sound...









Now:

After the song was over, each pony was very confused, who was this devil character and why'd he want this Johnny pony's soul? For that matter, was it even possible for a soul to be gathered and what magic could you use to do it?

"W-Well... T-That song sure was interesting..." Rarity stammered, quite scared of the devil character in the song. Applejack meanwhile was shivering, in no way should anypony play the fiddle in the way this devil pony did. It was frightening, dare she say it not of Equus. Rarity agreed with her, something she rarely did.

"That music... No instrument should sound that scary. That devil brute needs some music lessons on making his music less offensive to the ears, that's for sure!" Rarity put in.

"Whoo doggies, I gotta admit though, that Johnny feller certainly had guts for taking on somepony who could steal his soul, that's for sure!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Yes, he would be worthy of a Element if it could be given to him." Luna agreed.

"I-I really wish he wouldn't have called that devil that nasty word though." Fluttershy squeaked, she'd covered Spike's ears when the word "Bitch" was uttered by the singer.

"OH COME ON!" Rainbow exclaimed in disbelief. "It's not like that guy didn't deserve it though!"

"But still..." Fluttershy trailed off.

"Man oh man, that fiddle though.... Imagine how rich I could be if I had it!" Rainbow exclaimed, a bit of drool coming from her mouth. Applejack sighed and facehoofed at her rival.

"I think you're missing the point of the song there." Applejack deadpanned. Rainbow glared harshly at her until she noticed something that caught her eye, and one by one everypony else noticed it too. Pinkie was in the corner of the room, shivering and her hair far from it's natural poofy state.

Seeing this, Rainbow walked over and demonstrated her status as her Element by trotting over to the scared Earth Pony and putting a foreleg around her shoulder and bringing her close.

"C'mon Pinks, what's wrong?" Rainbow asked. "Ya know you can tell me anything."

After a brief moment, Pinkie finally answered.

"It... It was that devil character, and him being able to steal your soul! I-I don't want my soul stolen!" Pinkie sobbed into Rainbow's fur. Applejack now felt incredibly guilty with herself, the song she got scared one of her best friends beyond belief.

"J-Just tell me that my soul is safe! TELL ME!" Pinkie cried, and it was none other then Luna who reassured her.

"Element of Laughter, I assure you it is quite impossible for souls to be stolen, at least today. The magic books that contain such spells were burned long ago." Luna explained, and Pinkie wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled a bit.

"R-Really?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes, really." Luna nodded before she sighed and rose to her full height from where she'd been sitting on a chair.

"I think... I think after that song we should take a break." Luna said. Nopony bothered to disagree with her.







The Hay Burger

It was only a few minutes later that the whole group was having a early lunch at the popular café known as the Hay Burger, run by the pony known as Good Eats. They chose not to eat inside, and ate outside at the tables out there instead. As they talked, The Mane Five, Luna and Spike were surprised to see Celestia and Twilight walking up.

"Hey girls!" Twilight said happily. Nearby, everypony was gaping. It wasn't often you saw THREE Princesses of Equestria and the Mane Six all gathered together at a simple café. Good Eats watched from behind a window, and soon he fainted dead away. So focused on the new and interesting sight, nopony bothered to help him.

"It's good to see you up and about, and happy Twilight Sparkle." Luna smiled. "I assume your recovery from that awful song went well?"

"Yes, it has. Twilight is no longer scared of the transmissions from the other planet, and wants to continue the investigations into them." Celestia replied.

"Just what kind of recovery did you give her?" Rainbow laughed, with a flirty tone in her voice. Applejack groaned and facehoofed.

"Really? This again, Rainbow?" Applejack deadpanned and felt a bit of a headache.

"Alright, am I missing something?" Twilight asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

"Don't ask." Applejack and Rarity said in unison. Twilight got the message.

"So, uh shall we continued the investigations into another world?" Twilight asked excitedly with a clap of her hooves, and then noticed heer friends expressions.

"Not right now Twi, that last song took a lot out of Pinks." Rainbow said sadly. "You can continue if you want with Celestia but-"

Suddenly they were interrupted by a familiar voice, or make that three familiar voices.

"I'm sorry, but did you say transmissions from another world?" Scootaloo's voice asked, and everyone turned to face the young pegasi and her two friends known all over Ponyville as the Cutie Mark Crusaders with excited grins on their faces.

"Yeah, I did say that but-" Twilight began before she was interrupted by a certain young Earth Pony.

"But nothing! We could even earn our Cutie Marks from this!" Apple Bloom put in before the inevitable began and everypony braced for it.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ALIEN INVESTIGATORS YAY!" The three cried, before putting on the puppy eyes. Twilight sighed and groaned, there was no bothering to fight against that particular technique fillies and colts knew so well.

"...Fine." Twilight muttered as the CMC high fived before Rarity spoke up, in a concerned tone.

"I should warn you though, Sweetie. Some of the songs we've heard so far can be..." Rarity began as she struggled for the right phrase.

"...Harmful to a young filly's ears." Rarity finished, as Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively.

"Puh-leeze, nothing worse then what I've heard blaring from at a Sapphire Shores concert." Scootaloo replied, and Rarity said nothing as she knew the young filly had a point. 

"I'm coming along too, I want to learn more about these aliens and see if my worries about them are unfounded." Celestia said in a tone that left no room for argument. As the newly formed sixsome trotted back towards the direction of the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight muttered to herself.

"...Why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret this?" She asked to nopony in particular.







Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab

And so, as soon as Twilight stepped into her library she went right to the lab with the CMC and Celestia arriving just in time to see her throw the switch and it wasn't a few seconds later they got this song:



Twilight and the foursome took in the song. It seemed to tell of a stallion (Least that was what they assumed) who committed horrific acts under somepony's control and now had broken free, to be a hero to a world gone completely crazy. 

Twilight and Celestia held back tears, was that what this alien's world was really like, always full of death and destruction? If so, they pitied those who had to live in it, and cheered on this hero who came to save them. With a sniff as she wiped away her tears, Twilight threw the switch once more...



"You know, that last song actually reminds me of you, Princess." Twilight said with a smile quite happy she finally was hearing another song that wasn't quite so depressing. In her mind, Twilight's thoughts ran rampant, the second song proved that the alien's planet wasn't far off from their own as it had a day and night. Celestia meanwhile wondered if the sun was raised by somepony and the moon lowered like it was here.

"Yes, it does sorta remind one of myself, does it not?" Celestia replied, somewhat flattered these aliens thought of the sun in such a way.

"Bleh!" Scootaloo said. "That song, bit boring honestly. I want to see some real rock and roll!"

"I prefer country, actually." Apple Bloom disagreed.

"You would!" Scootaloo snapped while Sweetie Belle watched them nervously wondering if she should step in.

"I don't see how the songs we've gotten so far are inappropriate for a filly's ears though." Twilight wondered aloud. Of course, the next song she got was a perfect example of tempting fate.



"Not inappropriate for our ears, huh?" Sweetie Belle deadpanned and Twilight glared. It wasn't like it was her fault that song came on!







Elsewhere in Ponyville...

"Oof!" Sunset cried as she landed in a alleyway near Twilight's place. She broke out in a smile. Even if it was just for a visit to see Twilight, she was home. Suddenly her ears perked as a sound reached her ears. Was that the voices of Steven Tyler and RUN-DMC? Since when had Equestria discovered them, or since when did these sounds come from the Golden Oaks library for that matter.

"This... I need to see this!" Sunset exclaimed before she tried to run forwards but only fell over. Sunset groaned, it would take some used to using hooves again. As she made her way towards the Golden Oaks Library, what Sunset failed to notice were three serpentine like creatures exit from the portal behind her as well...
> Part 5: Shimmer Shocked (AKA the Suggestion Chaper)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Twilight and Celestia both took this song in and smiled. It sounded, despite the blood and gore of the lyrics, the song itself sounded like something out of J.R. Manekin's novels that they both loved to read. In fact, Celestia often read the first of Manekin's novels to Twilight back when she was a filly as a bedtime story. 

It was while Twilight was reaching for the switch and dials to hopefully power up the machine and get a more filly appropriate song, she and Celestia received what they would later think in hindsight to be one of the biggest shocks of their lives when Sunset Shimmer, completely a pony walked right in the lab door.

"S-Sunset?" Twilight stammered, stunned with a slight but almost unnoticeable blush on her face. 

Celestia on the other hoof whispered "No, it can't be... My student couldn't have come home..." with tears in her eyes. But there she was, Sunset Shimmer with the only noticeable difference to Celestia (Besides the obvious leather jacket) being the way she smiled, it wasn't a evil smirk of a smile, more of a kindhearted one.

"Yeah, it's me." Sunset replied before she frowned. "Just asking here, but when did Equestria discover rap-rock?"

"A-Ah, so you heard that then?" Twilight asked, still stunned by Sunset's appearance. She blinked and rubbed her eyes to see if this was a dream, but nope. Sunset was still there. 

"Why are you even here anyway?" Twilight asked, getting to the obvious question. Sunset smiled again.

"I came to see you of course, why else?" Sunset replied, and at this Twilight's blush became more noticeable.

"R-Really?" The Princess of Friendship stammered while Sweetie Belle singsonged "Someone's got a crush... Anypony want to bet?" but Twilight heard her and glared at the young filly. Sweetie rolled her eyes.

Scootaloo whispered to her in response "I'll take that bet." and handed Sweetie some bits in a bag which the younger Belle sibling gladly took in her hooves

"Now, if I may continue, since when does Equestria have Run-DMC and Aerosmith? And was that Zeppelin's Immigrant Song I heard just now while I was coming in?" Sunset asked, and Twilight looked sheepish, shuffled her hooves for a brief moment before she explained her story. Once she was done, Sunset burst out laughing.

"Oh man, that's both genius and the funniest happy accident I've ever heard!" Sunset laughed before she realized neither Twilight nor Celestia were laughing along with her. They had just realized they had passed judgement on the human world and thought all humans violent when they knew otherwise. And it horrified them, as they wondered when did they start being so bigoted?

"W-What's wrong?" Sunset asked nervously, quite concerned. Celestia explained, and Sunset sucked in a breath as she took it in before sighing and giving a reply.

"It's okay, you had no idea at the time. While I will admit some... Okay more then some humans are violent creatures not all of them are like that. Most are fairly good people, with flaws just like you and I." Sunset explained, and with this Twilight and Celestia felt a little better, but something still bothered them.

"What about the songs?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, those! Well, those are just meant to be enjoyed in good fun, it's not like the singers are actually doing those things." Sunset said before a idea came to her.

"You know, I'll show you what I mean. But first, can you gather the rest of your friends? I have some songs they might want to hear." Sunset began...







Later...

Sunset brought out a small yellow device which had flame details on it and which was very tiny and had a little screen on it that showed a list of songs.

"What's that?" Rarity asked, quite intrigued by the strange device.

"It's called a I-Pod, and it can be used to play music saved to it." Sunset told her, and Luna looked curious.

"And can anyp-Sorry, it's anyone in your world..." Luna said with a blush as she corrected herself before continuing. "Can anyone buy this strange and wonderous device?"

Sunset nodded, and Luna then turned to Twilight.

"Twilight Sparkle, earlier we thought we could ask you to try and make a recording device of some sort so our subjects could listen to these songs without having to tune in to these transmissions." Luna began. "Can you do such a thing, I ask?"

"Yeah, I'd love to send that song King Nothing song to Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadence so they can use it to mock King Sombra as he really was..." Spike began before Rainbow interrupted with a hoof waved in dismissal.

"Yeah yeah, King Nothing. We got it first time around." Rainbow said sarcastically and Spike crossed his arms, huffed and muttered "I get no respect." while Twilight pulled out a notepad and began muttering to herself.

"Y-Yes, of course it can be done. Some sort of recording crystal maybe...?" Twilight murmured. Sunset smiled at her friend being all adorably geeky and rapidly thinking about her next project, before she turned to Applejack with a eyebrow raised.

"King Nothing? Okay, what kinds of songs have you been listening to before I got here?" Sunset asked, and Applejack explained. Sunset winced when she heard that her friends counterparts heard the famous Charlie Daniels song, as Sunset could only guess how that would affect them. Sunset then played the first song from her I-Pod.

"Here, this is one of my favorites." Sunset said with a smile. "Now remember though, this is all in good fun and not meant to be taken seriously." She warned before the music began.



Everyone took in the song in different ways, Rarity and Applejack looked disgusted at the song about war and death, Celestia and Twilight looked curious, Sweetie, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom looked scared at the singer's lyrics being sung while practically everypony else was rocking out to the song. Even Pinkie jammed along, remembering this was just a song, and it was meant to be enjoyed. Suddenly, Twilight noticed Sunset was banging her head back and forth to the music.

"Er, you alright Sunset?" Twilight asked, concerned for her friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine! This is just something ya do when some real heavy metal comes on!" Sunset exclaimed in glee before she sighed sadly. "...Shame you can't do the goat with hooves though..."

Twilight raised a eyebrow and looked at her in confusion before Sunset blushed and muttered "Er, never mind."

As soon as the song was over, another quickly began but different in style from the first.



Celestia's, Luna's and Twilight's jaws dropped in shock, here was a man who sung about killing his brother who was a king and what sounded like the king's son and was enjoying singing about it the whole way.

"P-Please tell me this isn't about a real event?" Celestia asked, quite unnerved by the song's sheer bloodlust about killing a royal king and his line. Luna on the other hoof personally remembered when she was Nightmare Moon and tried to kill her sister, so this song unnerved for that reason. Sunset was quick to reassure.

"No, it's from a kids movie called the Lion King and don't worry, that guy got stopped in the end. Eaten by his own minions." Sunset told her former teacher, before she quickly realized her mistake as everypony looked rather green, although the Royal Sisters were trying to hide it. 

"It's from a kids movie and yet has themes of a stallion killing his brother the king and eventually said stallion getting eaten by his own minions? You know how messed up that sounds right?" Rainbow deadpanned.

"It's not half bad actually, I saw it once at a slumber party with you and the rest of your friends' counterparts and enjoyed the whole thing. It's a pretty fun movie actually, and includes some of the best and downright catchy musical songs I've ever heard!" Sunset gushed before she realized her and her friends' tastes in movies might have been different then the pony Mane Six. Sunset, to fix her mistake quickly got a idea.

"Here, I'll show you a different song, to make up for that last one." Sunset said, and although everypony looked rather nervous they listened in to what came on next...



"Ooh, you were right! That wasn't bad, and this fellow being sung about sounds like my kind of pony! That song, so romantic!" Rarity exclaimed, and as one her friends collectively sighed in resignation knowing the fashionista pony had to be thinking of this "Magic Man" as her next "Prince Charming."

"Great, here we go again..." Applejack muttered, with a facehoof. 

"Yeah, even I have to admit he sounds like a pretty damn cool guy to make this girl rebel against her mother like that." Rainbow mumbled, and everypony stared at her. Rarity raised a eyebrow.

"Rainbow Dash, can it really be you are interested in romance after all?" Rarity inquired, looked as if she was about to have her jaw drop in disbelief.

"I-I-I, uh... NO! No, I am not!" Rainbow said rapidly, far too quickly for anypony in the room to believer her for a moment. Rainbow quickly realized this, and gave up the ghost.

"O-Okay, I admit it. I do like romance from time to time!" Rainbow admitted, and Rarity let out a loud squeal and hugged Rainbow tightly and said "Ooh, you and I next time you come over are going to read some of my collection of romance novels! We can be reading buddies together!"

Rainbow decided against telling Rarity she already had a bunch of admittedly crappy romance novels like "Fifty Shades of Hay" stored away in the darkest depths of her closet where hopefully nopony would ever find them.

Seeing her friend's ever-growing embarrassment, Sunset took pity on her and thankfully quickly changed the subject.

"Hey Applejack, you mentioned you listened to that Devil Went Down to Georgia song right?" Sunset asked, and Applejack nodded feeling rather uneasy where this conversation was going. But she had no reason to be worried as she quickly found

"Well, it's got a sequel. Devil VS Johnny part deux!" Sunset exclaimed and Applejack jumped in at once to say "Play it, Ah want to hear this."

And so Sunset did.



After it was over, Applejack had a confused look on her face.

"It... It didn't say who won..." She said, but Rarity piped up with a suggestion.

"Not quite dear, the song said Johnny was still the best there's ever been so that would imply..." Rarity trailed off and Applejack quickly realized what she was thinking at once.

"That Johnny won!" Applejack exclaimed, happy that Johnny defeated the devil once more. She then turned to Sunset, with a eager look on her muzzle.

"Please tell mah ya have more Country on there!" Applejack cried, and Sunset nodded and was just about to play another song before it happened. With a frantic expression on his face, the pony known as Doctor Whooves burst in, Sonic Screwdriver in hoof.

"Now, any of you lot want to tell me why there are multiple breaches of the time-space barrier?" He asked, and everypony looked at each other nervously...



END
> Part 6: Let's do the Time (And Space) Warp again....
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well... Uh, this... This is rather hard to explain." Twilight admitted with a blush, not really sure what to tell the Doctor. In her mind, it was easy enough to say she'd breached time and space and tapped into alien transmissions but every time she wanted to speak, the words failed to come out of her mouth. Thankfully, or not depending on your perspective and opinion of her Pinkie jumped in.

"Weeeeeelllll, So Twily here tried to make pony communcations better but managed to break time and space and get music from alternate world where we are all humans, and we have only just found this out because Twi's human friend/possible girlfriend has shown up and told us this!" Pinkie said rapidly, almost at hyperspeed. But somehow in some fantastic way, the Doctor understood it all.

"You mean... You mean you actually tapped into radio that's been created by those GLORIOUS creatures we call human beings? That's... That's amazing, and I seriously mean that from the bottom of my both hearts." The Doctor gushed, with a big grin on his face before he kissed Twilight on both cheeks making her blush before hugging her. Sunset growled at this action and some flames sparked in her hair. Apple Bloom noticed.

"Bet Sunset doesn't like that..." Sweetie Belle whispered to Scootaloo, who snickered and said "Twenty bits that Sunset will be jealous and beat the Doctor to a pulp if he does that again."

"I'm taking that bet." Sweetie said before handing Scootaloo her money. (Again.) Scootaloo smirked, something told her she'd be rich enough to buy that whole set of Wonderbolt dollies she'd been eying lately... N-not that she'd ever play with them, oh no! She just wanted them for display, yeah that was it!

"I... I... Er, you're welcome?" Twilight said, not really sure how to respond to the Doctor's comment, and the hug, and the kisses on her cheeks.

"But here's where things get odd." Luna said, finally having a chance to get a answer to a question that had been bothering her for a while now. Namely, the one about a certain song about a certain chaos entity.

"...Odder then right now you mean?" Rarity deadpanned. Luna ignored her comment. The Doctor however, was grinning up a storm at Rarity's comment, as if he missed or was just outright ignoring it entirely. It was impossible to tell with him, after all.

"What do you mean by odd? I deal in odd all the time, I'm the king of odd!" The Doctor proclaimed and Luna resisted the urge to comment that he certainly was.

"Well, at one point I got a song about Discord." Luna said, before taking a nervous glance around, as if expecting Discord himself to appear at the mere mention of his name. (He often had a annoying tendency to do that.)

"Hmm, maybe you're breaching into alternate realties as well..."  Doctor Whooves guessed before he tried some thing and flipped the dials on Twilight's transmitter and pulled the switch. This is what he got, and it wasn't just music this time, but a video as well projected by magic somehow in some manner.



The Doctor gaped, he certainly hadn't been expecting that. A TV show based on him? It was actually kind of... Fantastic. It was then Sunset realized something, as if a lightbulb was switched on in her brain and she gaped for a moment before speaking.

"Wait... Don't tell me you are actually THE Doctor? As in the Doctor, Last of the Time Lords, and husband to River Song?" Sunset gushed, her fangirliness for her favorite fictional character showing big-time. She then mentally slapped herself for giving away such a huge... well, Spoiler with a capital "S". Meanwhile the Doctor was wincing at being reminded of being the last of his kind. You see, this Doctor came from just after the episode "Doomsday" in his timeline.

"Well, I do like to be reminded that I'm famous, but last I checked the only husband I am to is Derpy, not this River Song person... Well, I assume she's a person. Could be a pony or some other sort of species with my luck..." The Doctor mumbled while Sunset chuckled under her breath and whispered "You have no idea on the other species bit..."

The Doctor heard her however, and raised a eyebrow.

"Something you're not telling me?" The Doctor inquired, his curiosity raised, even though another regeneration (Well, all of them really) were mentally screaming in his head at him not to ask about the future.

"Spoilers." Sunset said simply, although she hated to quote River Song. (Not that it was because SHE wanted to be the Doctor's wife, no it was certainly not that!)

"...Why do I get the feeling I would learn to eventually hate that word?" The Doctor asked to nopony in particular. Everypony else decided to take the wise decision and avoid asking about any of the past few moments between the Doctor and Sunset. It would probably avoid headaches in the long run. Suddenly, the Doctor got a very good, or possibly crazy idea (Rose and all of his other regenerations would probably tell him that it was the latter.) that came into his head like he was... Thunderstruck, so to speak. A smirk came to his face.

"Uh Doctor, should we be worried?" Twilight asked nervously. That smirk reminded her far too much of Discord for her to be comfortable with it. The Doctor waved a hoof dismissively.

"No, no worries at all!" He exclaimed. "Anypony up for a little trip in time and space?"







The Tardis


The Doctor led the whole group to his machine, and after the usual fashion of gawping, gaping and pretty much every other form of disbelief from everypony else (Well, almost everypony. Sunset was still in Osgood mode.) the Doctor began flipping switches and pressing controls on the console. Then the Tardis began to groan and wheeze it's usual sounds as it's warp drive was engaged.

"Well, time to go universe-hopping! Anypony up for that?" The Doctor asked gleefully, and pretty much everypony stared at him in disbelief.

"How in the hay can we leave the universe?" Apple Bloom yelled, voicing everypony's thoughts perfectly. The Doctor grinned back at her.

"With enormous difficulty! You want to see some live music, done by humans?" The Doctor asked, although he already knew the answer but got it anyway in the form of multiple nods.

"Well then, buckle yourselves in and keep all hooves and tails inside the ride at all times!" The Doctor cried before the room began to shake...







Whooves Residence

Derpy, hearing the distinct groaning and wheezing looked out her living room window only to see the Tardis vanish into thin air. She sighed to herself. She really hated it when her husband did that without warning.







Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab:


With a pop and a flash of white light, Discord appeared in the laboratory belong to Twilight, he'd heard his name called and so he'd come exactly like Luna suspected he would. Problem was, he was just a few minutes late obviously.

"Huh, I could have sworn I heard old Moonbutt mention my name..." Discord mused, before he then spied the machine. A overwhelming curiosity overtook Discord at the sight of it, and he could help himself as he pulled the switch and the electronic sounds of "Discord (Living Tombstone Mix)" filled the room. As he listened, the King of Chaos couldn't help but smile.

"Ah humans..." He said to himself. "Never fail to surprise, do they?"







The streets of Ponyville

Apon seeing the Mane Six, Sunset, the CMC and most importantly the Two Sisters depart in the Doctor's fantastical machine, three smoky serpentine forms appeared and solidified into three ponies. One golden, with curly auburn hair, another purple with purple and green hair tied in pigtails and a third cyan with cyan and black hair tied into a ponytail.

"Excellent, now that they're gone our plan can begin..." Adagio smirked...







The Tardis

Finally the shaking stopped and the Doctor smiled. There, that should do it. He didn't know where they were, but he knew it was at a live concert somewhere.

"Worst. Form. Of. Travel. Ever." Rarity muttered as Apple Bloom got sick in the background. Nopony bothered to disagree except Sunset and the Doctor, who both looked offended.

"Oh I don't know, that was pretty damn cool!" Sunset exclaimed while the Doctor cried "Oi! Don't mock the Tardis! She doesn't like that you know..."

The Doctor then began whispering apologies into the Tardis's control console while Luna once bit back the urge to make a snarky comment, this one about how the two of them might need to be alone or something along those lines. Twilight sighed, she really didn't want to know about why the Doctor was speaking to his machine as if it were alive did she? It would probably just give her a even bigger headache then she had now.

"So where are we anyway?" She asked. The Doctor was quick to correct her.

"Not where, but WHEN you mean! And as for the answer to that question..." The Doctor trailed off before he cried "Let's find out!" and opened the Tardis doors. Almost at once, the sound of soft guitar playing entered the room...


> Part 7: Mandatory Fun (Until it's ruined)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Lab

Spike yawned in boredom, he wished he could have gone along with the Doctor and Twilight along the rest of his friends and the Princesses, but somebody still had to stay here and watch the Library, as it seemed to be a focus for unusual incidents ever since Twilight and him came to town and probably would be again and knowing Ponyville's luck quite soon. For such a peaceful town, it sure seemed to get attacked quite a lot didn't it Spike mused to himself. Then, his boredom was broken by a single shout.

"Hello, is anypony home?" A familiar arrogant tone of voice exclaimed as the sound of five sets of hoofsteps made the wooden floor creak and groan. Spike himself was groaning, he knew that voice all too well.

"Trixie." He muttered, as the showmare along with the ponies known as Octavia, Vinyl Scratch AKA DJ-PON-3, Cheese Sandwich and Lyra Heartstrings entered the room.

"Er... I hate to ask but what are you guys and gals doing here?" Spike questioned, although he already knew the answer. He wasn't wrong, as Cheese confirmed it for him.

"Weeelllll, we heard about Twilight discovering music from another world, so we thought we'd just come along and see what's what!" Cheese proclaimed, and before Spike could stop him, he started up a song with a flip of the switch. At first, it seemed it would just be a slow plodding bass driven song, but then the tempo picked up...



Once the song was over, the speculation began as always.

"Okay, well that was... interesting." Octavia commented after a brief silence of taking the song in, not really a fan of the song's bluesy sound if she were to be honest, but Vinyl disagreed.

"Are you kidding?" She asked in disbelief, she'd been banging her head throughout the whole song. "That was awesome man! But I don't get the lyrics though. Was this a song about war or something?"

"Well, the fact that there was the phrase "Seven Nation Army" would seem to say that." Lyra mused, but she still wasn't entirely sure.

"The person singing this song seems to be a violent one, doesn't he?" Octavia agreed, as she'd picked up on the "Seven Nation Army" lyrics as well. Spike groaned, he remembered how badly the misconceptions about the human race went last time, and hoped things wouldn't turn in that exact same direction as before.

"I'm curious though, what are these Hounds of Hell that the singer mentioned?" Octavia wondered before Lyra theorized "Could they be a counterpart to the guards at the gates of Tartarus?"

Trixie herself had her own theory on what the song was about, and hers was possibly the most spot on.

"I don't know, Trixie thinks the singer is protesting about something. But about what she asks?" The showmare wondered aloud to herself, not really expecting a answer. But she got one anyway.

"Hmm, to me it sounds like he regrets something, and everyone is still talking about that, whatever it is." Spike thought and Lyra couldn't resist commenting towards Trixie and the irony of it all.

"Yeah, and you'd know a lot about that don't you?" Lyra asked dryly. Trixie's little Alicorn Amulet incident was still a talking point, and it was a sad fact of life she wasn't particularly well liked in the town because of what she did under it's control.

"Trixie was brainwashed! She wanted to show Twilight Sparkle how great and powerful she truly was!" The showmare defended herself with a furious expression on her face. "She is the Humble and Apologetic Trixie now! Ask Twilight Sparkle, she'll believe you!"

Nopony bothered to tell her that Trixie's demeanor wasn't exactly helping her case in the slightest. Octavia meanwhile wanted something more her style, and with a flip of the switch and turning of the dials she got exactly that.



At first, the song was sad in sound before it changed and became excited in tempo and a electric guitar joined in and played along with the strings making for a unusual combination, but it somehow managed to work in this context. Octavia felt a tear run down her face as she took in the beauty of the string playing as it slowed down, she could truly feel the emotions of who was playing this grand song of sorrow. She could feel the pain, love and the loss in the song, even if there were no lyrics to accompany it. She didn't need them, as because being a seasoned member of the Canterlot Orchestra she could tell what a song was about just by it's tone and playing of the strings. Octavia felt more tears running down her face now, and she was unashamed of them as the song reached it's climax and the tune became excited once more before it stopped abruptly.

"Oc-Octavia, you alright?" Vinyl asked in concern for her best friend as she saw the tears coming down her face.

"Y-Yeah, it's... It's just the song. Celestia above, that was beautiful..." Octavia whispered as the final notes played.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Cheese agreed with a nodding of his head. "It felt like various gatherings throughout, with happy moments of one spicing up something, or a funeral for a friend during the more painful and sorrowing parts. I can only wonder though... What was it about?"

"Yes, Trixie wonders that as well." Trixie put in with a curious and inquiring look on her face. Octavia wiped away her tears with a many colored handkerchief handed to her by Cheese as she explained the song's meaning, at least to her and from what she could make of it's ever changing tempo.

"It... It  was a song, a song of love, loss and the sorrow that comes with it." Octavia explained, still in awe of the song's ability to tell a tale without saying a single word or phrase.

"How... How do you know these things?" Lyra inquired, she thought you needed lyrics to discern the meaning of a song while Trixie stared in disbelief.

"Trixie doesn't believe you, sounds like a load of bupkis to her." She stated arrogantly with a scoff, but Octavia only chuckled and shook her head at how naïve the stagemare was.

"Trust me, when you've been playing in a orchestra for as long as I have, you'll pick up these things." Octavia replied, and those were her final words on the matter. Trixie huffed, she still didn't believe her.

"Bah! Now Trixie wants a song she can actually understand!" The stagemare harrumphed before turning the dials and flipping the switch like everypony else before her. This was the result, and the first thing anyone heard was the sound triumphant horns beginning to play and a female voice accompanying them.



"Wow, what a stallion!" Vinyl exclaimed with a blush as naughty thoughts that would definitely bump this fic's rating up ran through her head. Octavia's mind had similar thoughts, though she'd never admit it.

"Rarity would love him." Spike grumbled, sounding somewhat jealous.

"Hah! The Great and Powerful Trixie bets she could do all of those things this Hercules fellow could do and more besides!" Trixie exclaimed while everypony else groaned at her proclamation and Spike just facepalmed to himself and muttered "She never changes does she? Twilight, I'm so glad you're not here to see this..."

Lyra couldn't resist a good olde fashioned deadpan snark and put it "And Lyra severely doubts this entirely." she said dryly, throwing in a mocking version of Trixie's style of speak just for good measure. Lyra still hadn't forgiven the mare for when she took over Ponyville and did the things she did, even if it was under the Alicorn Amulet.

"You doubt my abilities?" Trixie raged, quite offended at this point, and Lyra responded in a dry tone "Yeah, I kinda do."

"I should turn you into a newt!" Trixie snapped back at her. "You'll get better, but you won't like being a lizard, I can promise you that!"

Both Lyra's and Trixie's horns were flaring with magical power, and sensing what was about to happen Cheese quickly sprung into action and played another song before a battle between the two mares commenced and wrecked Twilight's library. (Spike was supremely thankful for this.)

"Okay, I think we need to relieve some stress and put everyone into a party mood!" He cried and the song began, and it was different from any other before it, that was for sure.



Once the song was over everypony turned their heads to Cheese Sandwich, who was blinking in shock. That singer sounded so much like him it wasn't even funny. Actually, it was kinda scary if Cheese was to be honest with himself.

"Wow Cheese, you've been holding out on us! I didn't even know you could sing!" Lyra exclaimed in shock and Cheese sputtered out a answer after a few moments.

"I... That's not me!" He stammered out at Lyra's statement. "I don't even know what this Jurassic Park is!"

"Trixie does not believe you." The showmare commented with a huff while Octavia wondered why anyone would bring back dinosaurs anyway. From what the song said, it sounded like everything all went to Tartarus at this "Jurassic Park". She was scared, could the race of the creature who sung this song really have the ability to mess with the laws of nature in such a way?

"From the sounds of things, it sounds like the singer is having a bit of fun in all of this mayhem. Trixie believes the word crazy applies here." She said, and for once Lyra could agree with her.

"I dunno, it actually sounds like the singer is making fun of this whole concept." Vinyl guessed and everypony stared at her like she'd grown a second head or suddenly turned out to be a changeling.

"Y-You're kidding right?" Lyra asked in disbelief at the Neighponise native's statement while Octavia facehoofed and muttered "You and your stupid ideas Vinyl, that sounds as almost as dumb as you thinking up a vehicle that can play drum and bass music as loud as you wanted."

Vinyl smirked like she knew something nopony else did.

"It's actually not as uncommon as you might think." She told everypony else. "I've heard somepony doing things like this for that Dr Insane TV show."

Suddenly the door burst in, and there stood the Dazzlings, all with evil smiles on their muzzles and their pendants glowing and pulsating a ominious green color as a mist, also green seemed to surround them like a fog of doom. All five ponies and the young drake felt a distinct sense of foreboding as the mist seemed to follow the three newcomers in with them, and the Dazzlings were still smirking all the while.

"Well now..." Adagio began seductively before she "Tut, tut, tutted" to them as if chastising a small colt or filly.

"Knock knock and you didn't let us in." Adagio said in a mock-disappointed tone of voice before she chuckled darkly and continued.

"How rude, now may we have a listen?" She asked, and Vinyl glared as harshly as she could at them sensing these three were trouble but her shivering hooves and quavering voice betrayed her.

"W-Who are you?" Vinyl asked nervously and Spike let out a small growl as he answered her.

"The Dazzlings, but you three are supposed to still be at CHS!" He snarled as a small bit of green flame came from his nostrils. Aria could only laugh. She'd managed to come back as a unicorn, so she pinned Spike to a wall with constructed magical chains.

"Hey, let him go you scoundrels or I'll show you my Cluck-Fu!" Cheese shouted bringing out a rubber chicken and holding it like it was a sword of some type, but he was ignored as Aria laughed once more.

"Ah, that little doggy pet of Twilight's, asking all the right questions. Good for you, want a treat?" She mocked before continuing. "Well, when little miss bacon hair came back home, we hitched a ride."

"Now, we ask again." Adagio asked, this time more menacingly. "May we have a listen?"
> Part 8: Seek and Destroy (A pony's faith in humanity...)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few moments after the Doctor and Company had left...

"Excellent, now that they're gone our plan can begin..." Adagio smirked. Now, they had no interference. Now, you may be asking what about the Crystal Empire and it's rulers the fair and lovely Princess Cadence and the noble and just Shining Armor? Well, to be fair the Dazzlings were banished right during the time the Empire was still under King Sombra's rule so for all they knew it was still the same as it was before, a dark and twisted place where terror of the King reigned supreme.

"I still think this is a stupid plan. It's nothing we haven't done before." Aria grumbled. None of the three knew exactly how their magic had returned, they weren't exactly complaining but even if it had returned with given time, that still didn't mean they should just go back to Equestria and try again. They'd been defeated once before. Of course, on the other hoof Aria mused Starswirl was probably long dead by now and she doubted there was any pony in Equestria besides the Mane Six and the Princesses who seemed to have conveniently just took a trip to who knew where.

"Some heroes, leaving just when the land they live in is about to re-meet us huh?" Aria asked sarcastically.

"Well, to be fair ruling a land's gotta stress you out huh?" Sonata wondered aloud to nopony in particular as she put a hoof to her chin in thought. " I think they deserve a break from time to time, don't you?"

Adagio and Aria growled at the kindness of their sister. She may have been a siren, but that didn't mean she liked to do what she had to. It was just she needed to do it to survive, and even then most of the time she had to be bullied into causing chaos with her voice by her siblings.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm related to you..." Adagio grumbled to herself.

"Because we're siblings?" Sonata asked cheerfully in her own ditzy manner. Adagio facehoofed, she found she was doing this a lot around her sister.

"That was sarcasm fool." Aria snapped at Sonata, who frowned slightly at the insult but cheered right back up. It was really hard to keep her down. If there was any siren who probably could be reformed, it was most likely to be Sonata. Neither Adagio or Aria wanted to even consider the possibility.

"Ah, but who's the fool? The fool or the one who follows him?" Sonata asked cheerfully, quoting that one movie she'd somehow manage to convince her sisters to watch during a brief moment of boredom. Both of the other Dazzlings groaned at the reminder.

"You had to quote that didn't you?" Adagio grumbled again.

"Hey, it was a good movie!" Sonata replied in her defence.

"No, it sucked big time." Aria disagreed before she shared a look with her sister. "Enough of this," they agreed mentally. Both of the other two Dazzlings hummed a small note towards Sonata. It was weak, as their powers had yet to regain their full strength but it was enough to put Sonata into such a state where she'd do anything asked of her, like a puppet with Aria and Adagio being the ones pulling the strings.

"Now, we've got to get to work. We don't have a lot of time before those goody four hooves come back." Adagio said.






Back in the present....

"Y'know, I bet they're damn curious on who exactly is sending these transmissions." Aria mock-wondered while she held a hoof up to her chin in thought. Adagio smirked at her.

"Should we tell them the full truth?" She asked and Lyra nervously replied. "W-What is the truth?" although something told her she really didn't want to know.

Nearby, Spike was yelling out a warning of "No... No, don't ask. Please, don't ask them! They'll just twist and disto-" 

He never got to finish as Spike's mouth was soon stuffed full with a book by Sonata who sneered "And that's enough out of you, little doggy."

Adagio smirked before she said "The full truth is, these songs were made by..."

Here she waited for everypony to lean in forwards in interest before she continued. "...Humans."

Lyra was over the moon with joy, despite every sense of hers telling her not to trust these three and remembering what little of Spike managed to get out as a warning. But the voice of Adagio was already compelling her to obey and continue talking.

"Humans! Yes, I knew they were singing these awesome songs!" Lyra cried in triumph, pleased to have her theory that she'd been telling whoever would listen finally proven, even if it was by one of the Dazzlings of all creatures. Adagio chuckled darkly and shook her head.

"Yes, but they're not as cool as you think they are..." She began seductively while leaning in close to Lyra's face while Trixie, Octavia, Cheese and Vinyl watched nervously in the background constrained by a spell from Aria.

"Want me to prove it to you?" Adagio asked, and Lyra shook her head nervously but was ignored and Adagio began up a song which began with a bassline but soon squeaks of electric guitar were added in...



The song described somebody singing of a kid who'd been to school and thought that maybe he'd seen it all, but wasn't true as he kept on being surprised on what was in this land called Cambodia. Foul words (One even racist if you could believe it) were uttered, some ponies never thought they'd ever like to hear again and the kid being sung about was like a leech. Then, it got worse as it described no matter how hard the kid worked, he'd still end up with his head on a stake.

"Celestia above... Please tell me that place isn't really like that?" Octavia whispered in horror and Adagio gained a evil smile as the ponies were continued to be exposed to how foul certain sides of the human race could be.

"Oh, it is. And you know the really funny thing?" Adagio laughed, taking pleasure off the rage their quarries felt at the song's description of the strange land.

"W-What?" Octavia asked, not really wanting to know.

"There are even fouler places, where you can get killed for just speaking your mind." Adagio replied, remembering all she'd heard of North Korea and some Arabic countries.

"No... No, that's not possible! Humans can't be like that!" Lyra cried, nearly close to tears.

"Oh, but they can, and be even possibly more worse then anything the demons of Tartarus themselves could think up." Adagio continued, before she used Twilight's machine once more. And so, the next song began with a truly thunderous guitar riff...



Throughout the Dazzling's visit, the ponies faith in humanity as more then violent creatures was wavering, but now it was finally and truly broken and shattered with this final song. The things the final verses described, digging up somepony's body and... Nopony could bear to even think of the next phrase in the song. Octavia sobbed and threw off her bow tie and smashed the control panel to Twilight's machine with a mighty buck while Vinyl threw off her headphones and glasses. If music could be twisted and distorted this way, why should she make any herself?

Meanwhile, Cheese's mane style went from curly right to flat and straight, almost as if the party had been sucked right out of him entirely. Nearby, Trixie screamed 'HUMANS, THEY ARE BASTARDS!"

But the truly saddest of all was the state of one Lyra Heartstrings, with tears rolling down her face  as she cried silently and she whispered to herself "Humans... I truly thought they were better then this..." 

The Dazzlings smirked collectively, their work was almost done here. Adagio turned to her two sisters and asked "Girls, I think it's time we bust out one of our own numbers, don't you agree?"

Sonata and Aria both nodded, before they began to croon one of their infamous bewitching songs...



Once the song was over, Adagio asked one simple question, just to see if the song worked as it should.

"Now, do you promise to serve and obey us?" She asked, and in unison the ponies answered "Yes, our mistresses."

Adagio and her cohorts, seeing this laughed long and hard although in Sonata's mind she was screaming for herself to stop this and break free from her siblings control, but her pleas went unheard. The first of many were now under their Siren spell, and more were soon to follow. Soon, they'd regain their rightful places as the Queens of Equestria, and nopony, not even the Mane Six themselves could stop them now!
> Part 9: Doubleback Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last time...

"So where are we anyway?" She asked. The Doctor was quick to correct her.

"Not where, but WHEN you mean! And as for the answer to that question..." The Doctor trailed off before he cried "Let's find out!" and opened the Tardis doors. Almost at once, the sound of soft guitar playing entered the room...

(Author's note, this takes place in the exact same timeframe as the last chapter)

"Okay, that was EPIC!" Rainbow exclaimed after the final chords of Stairway to Heaven had been strummed. Everypony else's ears were still ringing from the soloing and the high pitched lyrics "And as we wind on down the road..." They certainly hadn't expected for when the Doctor to take them to a live concert, for it to be that loud. Nor had they expected the tempo to change from soft strumming to just plain rock and roll.

"Ugh, I think my ears may never work properly again darlings..." Rarity muttered while Pinkie was still headbanging along, as if she hadn't realized the song was over. Nobody had the heart to tell her otherwise, and just let her be.

"Ah, Led Zeppelin, always bringing out the best of rock and roll wherever they go." The Doctor mused to himself as he worked the controls.

"I'm curious Doctor, what did those lyrics mean?" Celestia inquired, in her mind she thought they meant it was a song simply about a mare who was dying and going to the place where all were one. But some of the other lyrics, like the ones during the heavy guitar solo by the long maned human cast doubt on this.

"Well, to be honest..." Sunset began. "Nopony is really sure actually. There's been so many interpretations over the years that for all we know yours may very well be the truth." The bacon haired mare said with a shrug seemingly forgetting about where she was for the moment. But that didn't last long, and Sunset squealed as she ran off down a Tardis corridor. The Doctor sighed in exasperation. He supposed he should have been expecting that.

"I'll go after her, make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." He muttered before giving everypony a serious look. "Nobody-Eh, sorry, nopony touch ANYTHING!"

But as soon as the Doctor had left, Pinkie was the first to ignore his instructions and began flipping dials and switches. She had a great memory, so she knew exactly how the Doctor controlled his machine. And soon, there came the distinct wheezing and groaning. The Doctor himself was groaning as he ran after Sunset. Ponies or humans, they never seemed to listen did they? "What, do I have some big sign over my head that read don't listen to a word I say?" He thought.

But in anycase, our favorite heroes of Equestria and it's two rulers were treated to another song, one that seemed to be starting out very slowly with plodding guitar strums. This however, turned out not to be the case soon enough...



The song soon picked up and Rainbow, Scootaloo along with Luna found themselves headbanging along with the pounding guitar strums which eventually changed back to a more slow tempo as the blond maned human sung about how happy he was before once again the guitar and other instruments picked up the tempo which seemed to switch back and forth throughout the song and all the while a man who seemed to serve no other purpose then to just jump around the stage did so in the background while the song thundered along until it's tempo slowed back down for the final concluding notes...

"Well... That was  certainly interesting w-wasn't it?" Twilight stammered out, her feelings on the song quite mixed. On the one hand it, sounded good with the complex ever-changing tempo but underneath it the lyrics seemed to be confusing. In her mind, she felt a small prinpick of something, but ignored it. It was probably nothing.

"Hmm, that there song seemed almost bipolar in nature didn't it y'all?" Applejack mused. She'd heard of the condition, actually no it was more then that. A few years back when she was just a young filly, she had to watch as her grandfather came down with the condition (Even if she didn't understand it then) before he passed away, and as If to make matters worse her parents passed exactly the year after. Applebloom looked at her sister in concern.

"Something wrong sis?" She asked, but Applejack quickly shook her head no as she wiped away a tear while looking away from her sister. It wouldn't be a good thing for her sister to know about such things at such a young age.

"Yes... Yes it does." Twilight thought in response to Applejack's words as she put a hoof to her chin in thought. "At some points, the singer seemed happy but at other times he was insulting himself and the other person he sung about in the song."

"I...I..." Fluttershy tried to speak up, but couldn't find the courage to voice her theory.

"No, go on Darling. If you've got something to say dear say it." Rarity reassured while Pinkie chimed out "Yeah girl, spill it! Well, not literally but ya know what I mean right?"

"It... It seems to me that the m-man dancing about in the background is a v-visual representation of the disorder." Fluttershy said, and with this possible new representation of the imagery everypony swallowed hard.

"L-Let's see if we can get something a little happier huh?" Scootaloo whispered sadly before she turned to everypony else to ask a question that was practically tempting fate. "Anypony got a suggestion for what kind of song?"

Pretty much everypony began shouting suggestions but it eventually came down to this little scene between Rainbow and Applejack.

"Rock!" Rainbow shouted while Applejack retorted "No, Ah want to hear some more country!"

"ROCK!"

COUNTRY!"

"ROCK!"

"COUNTRY!"

"ROCK!"

"COUNTRY ROCK!" They both finally shouted in unison, before they stared at each other in disbelief as they'd actually agreed on something neither wanted. Everypony else stared at the two's younger sisters, but both Scootaloo and Applebloom shook their heads. They didn't want to get in the middle of this. Rarity just sighed in disgust before speaking.

"Oh for Celestia's sake..." Rarity muttered before she gave them a harsh look. "Will you two quite your arguing before I have Pinkie change the type of concert to drum and bass?"

Both Applejack and Rainbow looked positively horrorstruck at that possibility (While Pinkie actually looked pleased) as Scootaloo facehoofed and just gestured to Pinkie to change to another concert. The first thing they heard with this new one was the sound of a synth note playing causing both Applejack and Rainbow to faint dead away at the possibility that Rarity had carried out her threat after all. But they needn't have worried, as then came the guitar.



From the first few opening synth notes and the appearance of the man facing a symbol of the star, all three princesses felt a distinct chill run down their spines and it only increased as the guitars thundered through various notes before a squealing solo played before it went back to a series of powerful strums that the crowd only seemed to egg on with the song finally ending with a few soft guitar plucks. But just when they thought it was all over, the guitars picked up AGAIN and a high pitched voice began to sing about priests who controlled every facet of every life.

"By us..." Luna whispered. "I... I know it's just a song b-but..." Luna trailed off as she couldn't continue anymore. This was something she had a strong suspicion Nightmare Moon would have done had she come to power and controlled every bit of every life, but her dark half was defeated and for that she thanked the Elements of Harmony. Celestia put a comforting wing around her sister, who was trying to hide her tears.

"I understand, but it's not going to happen, not while I'm around sister. If Nightmare Moon shall ever return, I and your friends shall be around to stop it." Celestia said in reassurance as Twilight nodded (Feeling another mental pinprick which was quickly dismissed.) and Luna gave her sister a thankful look as she wiped away her tears. It was then the Doctor and Sunset returned.

"So, what'd I miss?" He asked cheerfully, looking around the room and blinking at the unconscious Rainbow and Applejack.

"Timeing, Doctor. Timing." Twilight deadpanned as the CMC facehoofed collectively.  The Doctor then walked over to the two knocked out ponies and held out some smelling salts and added with a grin "Banned on so many planets you wouldn't believe how hard this was to find!"

As soon as the salts were used, both ponies doubled over and ran around the room before collapsing in unison.

"So...uh, was that supposed to happen?" Celestia asked nervously.

"Yep, but that was just the reaction! They should be waking up shortly." The Doctor replied smirking before sure enough the twosome awoke groaning and rubbing their heads in pain from when they'd hit the control room floor. It was even as this happened Pinkie played another song and Applejack perked up at once at it's country sound while giving Rainbow a victorious smirk with the mare being only able to growl back at the farm pony.



Once again, this song set off moral debates in everypony's heads. This man, he talked about killing a person just to "Watch him die" but on the other hoof he seemed to be feeling rather sorry for himself as the song went on. Should they forgive this man, if it ever really happened or would letting him rot behind bars be the better option?

Sweetie Belle's next comment summed up everypony's thoughts perfectly.

"Doctor... Give us something a bit less sad and a bit more fun... please." She pleaded, and the Doctor never could ignore a crying child, it went against everything he stood for. With a manic grin, he began flipping switches and dials one final time as he laughed.

"Fun, you say? I'll give you fun! Now, straight from the heart of the south... it's WIDESPREAD PANIC!" The Time Lord cried, faking a announcer's tone of speaking when introducing a band as the song began to play...



Suddenly as Superstition finished, before anyone could take in the song completely the Tardis's Cloister Bell began to bong very loudly over and over and the Doctor gained a urgent, no a terrified look on his face as it rang. Seeing this, Twilight began to grow increasingly nervous, her Alicorn instincts alerting her that something bad was afoot. Then, she felt what she'd been feeling inklings of this whole trip. Someponies unknown but with dangerous power had breached her Library and tripped her security systems. Spike could be in danger! Now she was terrified beyond measure.

"Doctor?" She asked in a panic. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The Last of the Time Lords looked back at her with the most serious expression she'd ever seen on his muzzle.

"Something's wrong... Something back in Equestria! Hold on!" The Doctor cried as he threw the start up switch to the warp sequence and the Tardis began to shake and groan as it breached the barriers of the universes once more...
> Part 10: Save us, save us from the (Wo)Man with the Hex...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Through the ever twisting spirals of time and space, the Tardis rushed. It spun through it's many bends and folds crossing dimensions with the Doctor at the helm. The Last of the Time Lords frantically pressed buttons, and used the controls. Something was very wrong and whatever it was it grew worse by every passing moment, as evidenced by the ever growing bonging of the Cloister Bell in the background.

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out now! This is so not cool!" Rainbow Dash panicked as everypony was thrown around by the Tardis's travels. At one point, the CMC went flying and nearly crashed into a side wall, but thankfully Luna reacted just in time and caught them with her magic.

"...Oh, I think I'm going to need a airsick bag..." Scootaloo muttered to herself before she threw up on Luna's necklace. The Princess of the Night could only sigh.

"Doctor, how much longer must we be kept being bashed around like rocks in a quarry?" Rarity exclaimed in anger and fear. She received no answer, and only the muttering of the Doctor to his machine.

"Come on, come on!" The Doctor muttered to himself, sparks flying from the control console as he pushed the Tardis ever harder. it had already been through one dimension crossing today, and two made it protest but the Doctor was having none of it. He leaned in low to the Tardis's panels and whispered to his girl.

"Come on sexy, just one more trip. You can do it, I know you can." He whispered, and the Tardis almost seemed to respond and with one mighty Thud it landed right back where it first vanished in Equestria, outside the Whooves household. Almost at once, everypony began to slowly recover their bearings.

"Okay, Ah am so not sighing up on that particular train ride again..." Applejack muttered as she picked up her hat and fixed it back on her head, as it been thrown off during the trip back.

"Agreed." Rarity put in with a nodding of her head.

"Okay, even I don't find that fun. That was the exact opposite of fun!" Pinkie yelled, while looking a little green before she couldn't hold back what was building and threw up right on the Tardis floors. A few others didn't look far behind her.

"W-Well, that was... indeed something." Celestia murmured, before she felt it. Something, something outside the doors of the Tardis was wrong. Very wrong indeed, almost as if the love and harmony that bound Equestria's very magics had been replaced by something dark and twisted to it's core.

"No, something's wrong..." She murmured again, with Twilight nodding along.

"You feel it too, Princess?" Twilight asked. While it wasn't as strong for her as she had yet to reach full Alicorn maturity and become as interconnected and in-tuned with the magicks of Equestria as Celestia and her sister (Or her old foalsitter Cadence for that matter) were, she did feel the pinpricks throughout her whole body. This, combined with the warnings of somepony or something breaking into her Library made her feel very worried indeed.







Then the doors were opened, and almost at once both Twilight and Sunset felt a familiar feeling of unease come over them. They'd felt this once before, but not in this world but in the human world. They didn't know how, but the Dazzlings were back and at full power.

"N-No, it can't be... It's all gotta be some kind of dream." Sunset muttered. This had to be, it had to be the only explanation. It was a nightmare brought on by eating too many tuna sandwiches before bed. But Sunset's denial didn't last long, it never could have. Not when everything she had experienced, meeting up with her old friend Twilight again, the Tardis and the rides through time and space to various musical concerts had occurred. Those memories were too real to be those of ones from a dream.

"B-But how?" Twilight asked as she looked around the streets of Ponyville. They were barren, (Ponyville's streets were never barren as they always had ponies going about their lives each and every day) and a all too familiar dark green mist was about floating in the air all around them.

"They must have hitched a ride with me when I came back from the Human World! Damn it!" Sunset cursed to herself. "I knew something was off with the transition and yet I just put it in the back of my mind!"

"It's okay Sunset, you couldn't have known." Twilight said, and laid a hoof on her friend's shoulder with a blush coming quickly to their faces. In the background, Rainbow smirked and held out a hoof as if to ask for bits for a bet.

"So, SunSparkle anyone?" Rainbow asked. Rarity was about to give her some bits, before she realized what she was doing and her eyes widened. She was acting just like her little sister. With a huff, she glared at Rainbow Dash.

"Now I know where Scootaloo gets it. You're rubbing off on her, a bit too much I think!" Rarity harrumphed with her head held high.

"Aww, can you blame me? I'm awesome, so it's bound to rub off on somepony! I'm flattered, actually." Rainbow bragged, only for Applejack to give her a deadpan look.

"Ah highly doubt gambling could be seen as "Awesome", Rainbow." The farm pony said dryly, but was ignored as Rainbow had focused her attentions on the more obvious problem.

"Hey, where is everypony? It's like a ghost town." Rainbow wondered aloud, while behind her Fluttershy trembled at the comparison.

"I-I don't like g-ghost towns, or g-ghosts in general really..." She whispered in fear, and Rainbow put a foreleg around her and smiled at her best friend.

"Hey, if any ghosts come out at you, I'll kick their asses." Rainbow said in a cocky tone, while Scootaloo exclaimed "Yeah, ass-kicking is so gonna happen one way or the other to whoever did this to our town!"

Rarity sighed and grumbled something to herself about Rainbow under her breath, again more proof that the rainbow-maned pegasus rubbing off on her biggest fan wasn't entirely a good thing in her mind.

"Remind me later, when this is all over to wash out your muzzles with soap." The fashionista told them both, and Rainbow stuck out her tongue at her. Rarity just facehoofed in response. Sometimes you just couldn't win.

Then, sound filled the air, reaching everypony's ears. It came from the far side of town, near the Town Hall if a guess was to be made.

"Hey, you hear that girls?" Twilight asked, and everypony nodded. Twilight narrowed her eyebrows as what sounded like the beginnings of music began to play.

"C'mon, let's go and just see who's playing what!" The Princess of Friendship exclaimed before galloping off in the direction of the sound  with everypony following. Well, almost everypony as the Doctor was still fumbling inside the pockets of his brown trenchcoat and blue suit for his Sonic Screwdriver, before at last he found it and only then noticed he'd been left behind.

"Hey, wait for me!" He cried and ran off after his fellow ponies. The Doctor sighed as he did so, he really should just start wearing that old scarf of his. Less likely for him to lose something in it. Pockets, it seemed are so overrated. Like bottomless pits, they were.







Eventually, everypony reached the Town Hall where a makeshift stage had been set up, and a crowd had gathered. A rather LARGE crowd to be exact. It seemed, and probably was, that the whole of Ponyville had gathered there. And right in the middle of the stage, with spotlights manned by Vinyl Scratch who also worked the sound systems were Adagio, Aria and Sonata casting their green mist which seemed to float into the crowd and enthrall them and have their attentions focused only on the Dazzlings themselves.

"Alright Ponyville, are you ready to hear some real music...?" Adagio began seductively, and the crowd of ponies roared in response and stamped their hooves. Twilight and company were agape, what had happened while they were gone? Then the guitars began, but it was strange, as nopony seemed to be around to play them.



The Doctor and company were astounded as they watched from behind some bushes and various other things to hide their forms. Here the Dazzlings were, singing about putting a spell on the ponies they'd gathered up, and singing it blatantly at that and nopony seemed to even give a damn about how obvious it was that they were being enthralled by the Dazzling's voices.

"I... I don't believe it, they must have got the whole town under their spell!" Sunset stammered in disbelief.

"But how'd they do it so fast? Those amulets of theirs, we broke them! They shouldn't even be able to sing at all!" Twilight exclaimed in equal shock and surprise. Rainbow gave them both a look of confusion as she scratched her head with a hoof.

"Eh, you wanna explain what's going on? Y'know, fill us all in?" Rainbow asked, and Twilight and Sunset shared a serious look between them.

"Come on, I'll explain everything once we're back at the library!" Twilight told Rainbow before galloping off towards the direction of Golden Oaks. They'd lingered too long, and now it was time for some answers... If they could get any.
> Part 11: "And I believe I'm sinking down..."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library...

Twilight nervously opened the wooden door to her home, it creaking and groaning as if it hadn't been opened in a good while as she did so. The lights were out, and everything seemed to be covered in that fine green mist the Dazzlings put out. Dust covered everything as well, giving Twilight more and more reason to believe they'd been gone for a longer time then anypony had thought (A week, if she had to guess personally) as she lit up her own horn to use as a make-shift light source and it's purple magic aura lit up the area around them but not by much so if anything were to jump out at them, the group would not see it coming until the very last moment and by then it would be far too late.

"I... I don't like it in here..." Fluttershy stammered out while trying to make herself as small as possible and hid in the group like many young creatures do in their parent's herds on the open plains of the Serengeti or elsewhere so if any threats appeared, she wouldn't be likely to be the one attacked by them and have some muscle between them and her.

"What happened...?" Rainbow Dash wondered aloud to herself.

"Ah'll give y'all three guesses, and the first two don't count." Applejack said dryly in response to Rainbow Dash's question.

"Yep, they've probably been here alright." The Doctor commented, and nopony needed to ask who "They" were. The Doctor then pulled out a small white orb from his coat pockets, drawing everyone's curiosity.

"Hey, what's that?" Scootaloo asked, and the Doctor grinned at her question before giving out the answer.

"It's called a Gravity Globe, and it should help us... er, lighten things up a little." The Time Lord replied/joked, before giving the "orb" a little shake as he muttered "Allons-Y..." and throwing it upwards while the newly named Gravity Globe glowed white and held itself aloft near the ceiling's wooden rafters somehow, lightening up the whole room and illuminating every nook, cranny, and crack of the whole room. It didn't help matters much, as showing how much the Library had suffered in it's owners absence only made everyone more worried. As for how the Globe worked, the Doctor didn't seem to be keen on offering up any explanations, as he figured nopony would understand a word of it if he did try and explain.

"Doctor, you never cease to amaze..." Princess Luna murmured to herself, but the Doctor heard her and beamed at her compliment.

"Yeesh, never thought Ah'd say it... But this here place gives mah the creeps." Apple Bloom muttered to herself as she'd just let out a small sneeze from all the dust in the room.

"Yeah, talk about needing to fire the maid." Sweetie Belle joked, but Twilight didn't find this very funny as this made a new worry come to the forefront of her mind. Someone very close to her was missing, and Twilight was cursing herself for only now noticing, or not noticing who wasn't there to be precise.

"Spike! Spike!" Twilight yelled, as she had yet to see her number one assistant/little brother in all but blood. Him being missing, combined with the Dazzlings seemingly ruling Ponyville and for all she knew Equestria beyond made her very worried. Many horrific possibilities flashed through her mind on what the Dazzlings possibly could have done to the young drake, each growing more and more frightening as they flashed through the lavender Alicorn's head as she paced back and forth. 

"Twilight, you okay?" Pinkie asked in concern, only for her friend to snap at her.

"DO I LOOK OKAY!?!" She yelled, and Pinkie's hair deflated in fear making Twilight feel extremely guilty at once about it and she put a hoof on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Pinkie, it's just..." Twilight began, but Pinkie nodded without saying a single word nor did she need to. She understood completely.

Now normally, Rainbow or the Doctor probably would have made a joke about digging a hole in the floor with Twilight's pacing back and forth, but they sensed this wasn't the time for making wisecracks, not when they saw their friend in this sorrowful and absolutely frantic state.

Finally, Twilight receiving no response broke down in tears as she whispered to herself "S-Spike... N-No, I can't have lost you... Please, just please, I-I don't care how but just come back to me..."

Nopony present knew how to comfort the young Alicorn and relieve her of her worries. But that didn't mean they weren't going to try.

"Twilight, maybe he's alright. For ya know, he could have fled to somewhere safe before the Dazzlins gone and went and taken control of Ponyville. Ya know that's a possibility, right?" Applejack reasoned, while putting a hoof on her friend's shoulder. Twilight sniffed and wiped away some of her tears with one of her hooves, maybe that was true. She had to be logical about this.

"Applejack's right darling." Rarity put in, while nodding her head at the farm pony's words. "We may not have seen Spikey-Boo yet, but that doesn't mean he's around here someplace dearie."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a window opening and everypony turned their forms to that direction and readied to attack if necessary but as it turned out, that was not required as it was only Spike. This revelation was accompanied by sighs of relief. As for Twilight, she rushed towards him and embraced the young drake in her forelegs in a almost crushing hug.

"Twilight... Can't breathe..." Spike coughed out, and Twilight released him at last as she thanked Faust and various other deities for his safety, and for seemingly being uncorrupted by the Dazzling's siren-like soulbinding singing.

"Spike, how are you...?" She asked, before a more important question came to her mind. Twilight needed answers, and she needed them now.

"What happened? How'd the Dazzlings turn Ponyville into... Well, just look outside." She asked, gesturing to a nearby window. And so, Spike explained the whole story, from the Dazzlings breaking in and restraining him to using Twilight's transmission receiver to show the worst sides of humanity and how things progressed from there.

"What Ah don't get is, how are ya not effected?" Applejack asked and Spike could only shrug.

"My guess, must be because their song doesn't work on dragons." He reasoned as his best guess. Meanwhile, Twilight wasn't taking the news well.

"It's... It's all my fault. MY FAULT! If I hadn't built that damn receiver none of this would have happened!" Twilight yelled/sobbed as she faced away from everypony so none of her friends nor her teacher could see her cry. But Celestia, seeing her student's sorrow was quick to reassure and put a wing around her fellow Alicorn in a comforting manner.

"No, it isn't your fault Twilight, never tell yourself that." Celestia told her faithful student before Sunset jumped in as well.

"She's right you know, I was the one who led the Dazzlings here, even if only by accident so if anypony should be blamed it should be me!" Sunset told Twilight and Celestia in a somewhat bitter tone, but Twilight wasn't reassured at all by her words, and it showed when she gave them an absolutely heartbreaking look of guilt.

"But if I hadn't built the-"

Celestia was quick to cut her off before Twilight said any further.

"No, you had no way of knowing what would happen. Nopony can tell the future, now I'm going to tell you something a very old friend of mine once told me and that is "There is no sense dwelling on past mistakes as you cannot change them." Celestia said sagely, and Twilight wiped away her tears as she looked up at her teacher in curiosity.

"W-Who told you that?" She asked, and Celestia smiled sadly.

"Starswirl the Bearded, he said it to me right after..." Celestia trailed off while looking directly towards her sister. At once, Twilight understood and wiped away her tears as she whispered "T-Thank you..."

Celestia smiled again, this time a happy one.

"No need, as you will always be my student." She replied, before there came a great and gleeful shout from the Doctor drawing everypony's attentions towards him.

"It's fixed! I fixed it!" The Time Lord cried as he reappeared from the transmission receiver room.

"What? What'd you fix?" Scootaloo asked rapidly in excitement.

"The receiver, it's back online!" The Doctor exclaimed while holding up his Sonic Screwdriver with a smug look on his face before he said "Amazing, what a little handywork and duct tape can do."

And just then, as if to signal the onset of happiness that accompanied this statement, a triumphant tune began to play...



This song, and the man's words that came with it at the very end and his speech filled everypony with hope, a hope in defeating that threat which now faced Equestria once more. The man reminded everypony of somepony else, somepony familiar, but they couldn't place who exactly. And when it reached the "Trust me" part, nopony's eyes were wider more then the Doctor himself. Sunset smirked as the tune and the speech reached her ears. She knew it, and what it represented. The Doctor was definitely in now, and the Dazzlings should be very afraid indeed as he and the rest of this merry little group of his were coming for them.

"I've got a plan." Sunset proclaimed, and everypony looked at her in interest before the bacon red and yellow maned unicorn continued with "Time to reform the Rainbooms, pony style. First things first, I'm going to give you all a crash course in rock and roll and then we can kick the Dazzling's flanks once more."
> Part 12: "I want to break free, I want to break free..." (A Dazzling Duel Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, it was with great desperation and urgency that inside the the Doctor's Tardis where time seemed to have no have lost any sense of itself and become meaningless that crash-courses in the art of rock and roll along with the power of making music in general began.  At first, it was slow going as using hooves to play a Guitar was almost nigh-impossible but eventually things began to fall into place under Sunset and Twilight's previous experience in the matter of music. Guitar strings were snapped, and a few (temporarily) losses of hearing occurred as amps blew but soon all was ready. The training was finished, and the Rainbooms were back... Pony style.

Sunset grinned to herself as she strummed three distinct notes familiar to anyone who was a lover of hard rock on her red and yellow flame detailed Gibson Flying V and zipped up her leather jacket. Time to make some music and rock Ponyville like a hurricane if needed. And she severely hoped so, Sunset did love the lure of the stage and playing kick-flank numbers after all.







Ponyville

Hooves stepped to the top of the hill that overlooked the small town, and our equine heroes stood confidently ready to take back their town from the Dazzlings, who it seemed had progressed their plans even farther. Now, smack dab in town central a portal presumably to the Human World had been created, powered by Unicorn magic where unicorns did indeed stand at each corner of the gateway. Ponies stood, dressed in armored garb, battle ready. Twilight frowned, this whole thing didn't make any sense.

"I don't get it, the Dazzlings like to cause chaos, sure, but this...?" She murmured in thought as Sunset nodded in agreement with her.

"I know what you mean. Not their usual M.O is it? This is more like outright war." Sunset thought in suspicion. Nothing added up, the Dazzlings getting their power back and now this? It was almost like... Sunset shook her head in denial. She didn't dare think of the possibility.

"Whatever!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Let's just kick their flanks and get this over with."

"As crude as she puts it, Rainbow Dash is quite right. I want my town back." Rarity agreed with what everypony swore was a slight growl in her tone and Rainbow grinned back at her cockily. It was then Twilight saw something, or rather someponies in the crowd providing the magic needed to sustain the portal that made her eyes widen. A large body of a stallion with pure white fur for his coat and a blue mane, along with another pony, a alicorn that was mostly pink all over with a heart on her flank which combined with her appearance gave her both a appearance of both great loveliness and yet great majesty.

"It seems the control of those sirens extended farther then we at first thought." Luna observed.

"Shiny... Cadence... No..." Twilight sobbed quietly to herself as she saw her brother and old foalsitter, now her sister-in-law under the Dazzlings'  song spun control. Noticing her former student's distress, Princess Celestia put a wing around her in comfort.

"Don't worry Twilight, we'll get them back. Not just your family, the whole town and anypony else under those creatures' control." She said in that calm reassuring voice she had perfected over her centuries of living as Twilight wiped away her tears with a hoof and her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, we will." She growled in plain and simple fury. The Dazzlings had gone too far this time. Meanwhile, the Doctor was looking as excited as ever.

"Well, you know there is a great saying that must be said before we go into battle." The last of the Time Lords put in as he adjusted his bow tie. "You know, I really need to start wearing these more often. They're... Kinda cool." He thought with a playful grin.

"Oh, and what's that?" Celestia asked curiously. Sunset smirked as she knew what was coming before it was even said as the Doctor grinned back at the Solar Princess. 

"Allons-y!"







Just as the first ponies were about to march into the portal, there came a young filly's shout.

"Hey, you want real music? Listen to THIS." Scootaloo snarled before a tune began. The music, like it often did in Equestria, seemed to come from no discernable source.



"Well, we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Ah got somethin to say." Apple Bloom began before she and her two friends sing about their mission, no, their passion in finding their coveted marks which showed off their special talent. This was a tune that came from the heart, and that was what music was really all about in the first place wasn't it? Sure, the song was admittedly bad, so bad it was good some might have said, but that wasn't the point. The point was, no ponies, as they were too distracted by the kinda hilarious song at hand, were entering the portal to the Human World.

As soon as the music was over, the Dazzlings looked as if they were about to fall over laughing at what they'd just heard.

"Seriously?" Adagio laughed. "Did you really think THAT would work? I'll give you points for creativity... Or stupidity, simply haven't decided yet which."

"I... I kinda liked it." Sonata admitted, a snipet of her old personality shining through. Aria noticed and took back control with a "Shut it, you."

But she wasn't the only one who'd seen Sonata's brief spurt of kindness. Sunset had seen it as well, and mused "Something's off here..."

"Y'all really haven't heard of the word distraction have ya?" Apple Bloom drawled as suddenly the Doctor's voice came from another area nearby. There he was, along with Vinyl Scratch who'd been un-brainwashed thanks to the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and was wearing her distinctive headphones keeping her that way, all the while, sitting at her bass machine.

"Word of advice." The Doctor announced from a microphone. "When you're evil villains who plan on controlling ponies through music and there's a genius in town..."

The Doctor, with a manic grin, plugged in some speakers as he continued his monologue.

"...Don't let him near any sound systems." He finished as Adagio glared at him furiously.

"Who do you think you are?" She asked, and the Last of the Time Lords was only too happy to answer as he stared her down.

"I'm the Doctor, I'm a Time Lord, from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous, and I'm one of the ones who's going to help free this planet from you. Now, got a problem with that?" He asked sarcastically as he tossed another microphone to Apple Bloom.

"Gonna need your help with this one." He said as the filly nodded and the Doctor then held up a record and put it in Vinyl's machine as she switched it on.

"Did you know? Vinyl records, made a comeback in the year 3031." The Doctor commented cheerfully before he shouted "Hit it, Ms. Stratch!"



Vinyl was only too happy to oblige. A tune, familiar to those in the 1980s but different as well began. The guitars, along with a thudding drumbeat before them, came first. And then the Doctor and Apple Bloom started a duet, one wearing a white jacket and hat, the other the same costume but in black with these provided by Vinyl's magic. Both jackets were covered in glitter and had the words "Pony" on the back of them. The twosome, exchanging lyrics back and forth sung of not being afraid even if somepony was out to get you, all that you had to do instead of being a boy was just be a man instead. To just "Beat it". At first, one might have thought this was a song of cowardice, but instead it was one of facing up to your problems. And then the bass dropped, courtesy of the recording which ended the song with a impressive solo.

As the song ended, both singers threw off their hats and jackets with a distinct flourishing manner.

"There, how do you like that?" The Doctor said cockily but then to his shock a familiar voice rang out. One he should have expected and unsurprised to hear, but the words hit him like a punch to the gut all the same.

"Oh there you are, turning up at the last second from somewhere like usual and showing off as if you like the attention it gets you!" Derpy's angry voice accused. And she wasn't done yet.

"You're always going off somewhere, in one of your adventures while I have to care for Dinky all alone... I... I w-worry about you, worry that one day you may never c-come back either from you getting bored of me, or worse killed by one of those many monsters you fight!" Her voice quavered in anger and sadness as the Doctor stuttered out "I... I..."

He wanted to believe it was just the Dazzlings making her say these words, but deep down he knew it wasn't true. The emotion in her voice, it was all too raw and real for it to be faked. 

"Aww, isn't that sweet..." Adagio's sarcastic voice admonished. "The lovebirds having a little spat."

Then, another voice came. It was angry as well, but that anger was directed at the Dazzlings.

"Hey, leave him alone you three ass-holes!" Rainbow's rage filled tone snarled, and the Dazzlings' eyes collectively widened as they recognized the voice. But it couldn't be...

"N-No... Y-You can't be here, you just can't!" Adagio stammered as Sunset, the Mane Six and the Princesses appeared, with Sunset and the Rainbooms dressed in ponified versions of the outfits they wore when they first defeated the trio of sirens, complete with musical instruments as well.

"Guess who?" Twilight snarled in anger at finally having a chance to re-take her town, wings flared and horn glowing. 



She teleported to Vinyl's bass machine and put on another record, which began with upbeat piano and horns as male and female vocalists sung that if you ever needed reassurance, they'd be there. The song kept this upbeat tone all the while, and little by little the Dazzlings' control began to break, and they knew and sensed it as well.

"No. I won't let you ruin our plans like this!" Adagio roared in fury as she turned to her minions and tried to put them back under her spell.

"Remember, remember what you heard about the humans, their love of violence and destruction.  How they like sex, drugs and rock and roll! Don't let these traitors turn you back!" She called out in a tone of false kindness and care, but it was enough and little by little the ponies began to fall back under her spell.

Luna turned to the Rainbooms.

"Looks like you will have to step it up a notch." She said before the Princess growled at Adagio and her group's audacity. Sunset nodded, before Rarity's hooves slid across the synthesizer creating a sound not too dissimilar to that of the ominous sound created by that of a tornado warning siren...

(To be continued...)
> Part 13: "Your past is NOT today!" (A Dazzling Duel Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as the synthesizer's tornado warning siren like whine sounded off thanks to Rarity's expert use of the Korg keyboards, even the Dazzlings had to admit they felt a little chill run down their spines. In fact, pretty much everypony did including the Rainbooms and the Royal Sisters themselves. (Applejack in particular felt like taking her kin and shuttering down at Sweet Apple Acres's storm cellar.) It was just that plain downright eerie as Applejack or her younger sibling might have put it after all. But Sunset's chill running down her own spine wasn't out of nervousness. In fact, it was of anticipation. She was eager to show the Dazzlings up once more and kick them out of Ponyville. They'd tried to take over her new home, and now that had been a complete failure, they were gunning for her old one as well with their hooves nearly on the trigger so to speak. So quite needless to say, Sunset was boiling mad, her already quick to being furious temper now as red hot as her former demon form's skin.



The guitars started as soon as the synthesizer notes ended, with a light jangely sound I suppose you'd describe it. Now you'll have to excuse me while I go ahead and give you a brief notation but a rather necessary one on my part on the Rainboom's instruments, specifically the guitars. They'd been enchanted via a complex spell from Twilight, so that they could switch from the light sounding guitars used here for this particular song to heavier sounds if necessary for songs like Creeping Death by Metallica or When the Levee breaks by Led Zepphlin. As Sunset sung about riding a storm out, a feeling of confidence filled the air and even Fluttershy began to feel as if they just might make it through this. The song went on for a good five or six minutes give it take a few seconds with a series of rather impressive guitar solos from Rainbow Dash throughout before the song finally concluded with that exact same bone chilling synthesizer riff from Rarity.

"Well, I have to admit. That was really rather... Invigorating." Rarity admitted to her friends while wiping a bit of sweat off her muzzle from her hooves. 

"Though I really don't particularly care for the sweat worked up here. Really ruins my appearance." She huffed before continuing. "And a lady such as I must look absolutely fabulous everywhere, especially on stage performing."

Rainbow gaped at her in complete and utter shock.

"Are you kidding? All you're commenting on is your hair? Did you even hear my guitar solos? That was absolutely awesome!" The rainbow maned pegasus bragged. Sunset groaned and facehoofed.

"Uh gals? Evil sirens who want to take over Equestria right in front of us?" She pointed out, and both Rarity and Rainbow suddenly remembered as they rubbed their heads sheepishly and murmured "Oh, right..."

Said sirens were now snickering in their own evil manner.

"So that's how it's going to be huh? Us doing this dance again?" Adagio laughed and Twilight glared harshly at her.

"And it'll have the exact same outcome. You, losing." Twilight growled. She didn't know how the Dazzlings got their powers back, that was a mystery she'd have to ponder later. Currently, she had to be focused on the here and now, which was the Dazzlings who were throwing magical blasts deflected by a powerful shield that the Royal Sisters had thrown up.

"Cute." Adagio smirked. "But that shield won't hold forever And then you'll be ours... Forever and ever to do with as we feel fit. But in the meantime..." She trailed off as she and her two siblings began to hum in unison before beginning a familiar song.



Pinkie let out a groan of "Not this again! I hated that song, it wasn't even good the first time around!"

Nopony bothered to question how she knew about this song in the first place. This was Pinkie Pie we're talking about after all. But the real concern was the affect the song was having on the crowd. It was whipping them into a frenzy, making them act out against the Rainbooms. Unicorns fired off blasts of magic spells that were intended to do various things, from igniting somepony to just blowing them to smithereens in a shower of blood and gore. Earth ponies bucked boulders and street carts while pegasi whipped up gusts of wind and created storm clouds to rain down lightning. Thankfully, the Royal Sisters' shield still held in spite of it all.

"Hold fast, My Little Ponies!" Princess Celestia barked out in a reassuring tone. "We can get through this!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" Applejack exclaimed in disbelief. "They've gone plum crazier then a whippet after a sugar high powered jackrabbit!"

"...Never heard that particular countryisim before." Rainbow muttered as Fluttershy squeaked in terror but then she remembered all the Dazzlings had done and she felt not fear, but rage and her eyes narrowed and the rest of the Rainbooms had their eyes widened as they realized what the normally shy pegasus was about to attempt.

"Whew doggies! She's going to use THAT, y'all!" Applejack exclaimed in joy and relief. What she was talking about, was of course the infamous Stare known for freezing even full grown fire breathing dragons in their tracks. But it seemed a very large crowd of ponies was just too much for it, as there was very little, if any noticeable affect at all.

"I... I just can't do it!" Fluttershy breathed and began to worry. "There's just too many of them, and the Dazzlings are just too powerful!" She panicked as Adagio smirked.

"Yes, that's right... Give in." She remarked and smiled...







Meanwhile, after the Doctor had moved the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Vinyl to a safer location somewhere out of the way so they wouldn't be caught up in this rapidly evolving form of chaos, he began to deal with his other problem: A blond maned, silver coated pegasus known as Derpy Hooves AKA his wife.

"Derpy, you've got to listen, I never meant to hurt you! You know how hard it is to keep me tied down to anything right?" The Doctor pleaded, and for a moment, just a brief one, Derpy's eyes softened.

"I know that..." Derpy began before her eyes narrowed once more and they went back to being harsh and cold.

"But you could have at least dropped me a warning, or... or something!" Derpy ranted, tears streaming now her face from her eyes, which weren't their usual off-set state and focused squarely on the Doctor. "Do... So you know how many times that not just me, but Derby as well worried that you wouldn't come home because of some monster, or worse come back as a different pony entirely? New face, new mane, new... Well, new everything!" Derpy sobbed, as a particular memory came back to her of her youngest daughter, Dinky asking when would daddy come home and her being unable to give that answer because she wanted to know the exact same thing as well.

"By Rassilon... I never knew. Has she been keeping these feelings bottled up inside the whole time? Guess it just took a little help from the Dazzlings to finally let them out." The Doctor thought to himself sorrowfuly as he hung his head in guilt. Now that he thought about it, there was always a sense of relief and more joy then was normal for a pony's wife whenever the Doctor returned home after one of his little "Vacations" as he called them and announced that he was back, always receiving a tight hug from Derpy. Always. As he looked back, the Doctor cursed himself. He supposed he should have seen it before. Then, his thoughts were brought firmly back to the present as Derpy launched gusts of wind at him by flapping her wings hard and he had to roll to the left to dodge them.

"It's going to take more then my wits and my Sonic Screwdriver to solve this." The Doctor mused as he looked towards the Rainbooms who had just finished playing a hard rocking cover of The Who's Long Live Rock ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BQHZ7nvBSLY ) and a idea came to his mind as if he'd been suddenly struck by a thunderbolt from the heavens.

"Of course!" He exclaimed, before galloping towards the stage and grabbing the microphone, stealing it away from Sunset, who could only gape at him.

"Doctor, w-what are you doing?" She stammered in disbelief as the Doctor looked at her, his eyes full of determination.

"Fixing a family." He growled before he announced into the microphone "Okay, this next song goes out to my absolutely beautiful and so, so wonderful wife Derpy."

"Follow my lead." The Doctor mouthed to Sunset before whispering the song he wanted. Her eyes widened, but she nodded all the same.



The song opened with a yet another strong synthesizer note, before the guitars joined in. As the Doctor sung about wanting to ride on a "Silver Dove" and be taken on it's mighty wings, there was no denying which pony he was talking about it that the words came from the heart. (Well, two hearts in the Doctor's case anyways.) It was here that Sunset finally figured it out. This was the key to defeating the Dazzlings. It didn't matter which song you played, as long as you genuinely felt the emotions in it while playing it. She looked around at the Rainbooms and saw that they were slowly coming to this conclusion as well. So had the Dazzlings, and with beastly snarls they resumed their ancient siren forms, becoming sea serpent like.

"Well, this is it girls. It's now or never!" Twilight shouted as Sunset began to sing.



The lyrics themselves were easy enough to follow, with Sunset singing from the bottom of her heart and soul about rejecting her past, and as she sung, both Twilight's and Celestia's eyes widened to see Sunset gain two golden wings. Celestia smiled and a small tear of pride ran down her face as she thought "My student, you've finally done it..."

The real shock for the Rainbooms personally, was then going right into their Rainbow Power forms before they fired a glowing stream of multicolored light at the Dazzlings and then with a nearly blinding flash of white light, it was over. The Dazzlings were defeated. Sonata whispered "I'm free..." even as Royal Guards surrounded the threesome and pointed spears at them even as Derpy enveloped the Doctor in a kiss in the background.

"Wait!" Sunset shouted as she ran up to Sonata. The guards didn't know how there was a new Princess in Equestria, but they bowed all the same.

"There was something different about you, wasn't there? In the fight, it was almost as if you didn't want to go along with your sisters. Tartarus, I even noticed you singing along to that final number."

"You... You noticed?" Sonata squeaked in surprise before she explained all that had happened. By the end of the story, Sunset was left furious and she pointed at the two other Dazzlings and snarled "Take them away!"

As the Dazzlings were led off, Sonata stared at Sunset.

"You're really forgiving me? After all I've done? For realizies?" Sonata asked and Sunset smiled and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"For realizies." She replied. "After all, as the old song says, your past is not today."

Sonata let out a squeal of joy and hugged Sunset tightly who gasped out "Can't... breathe... Mommy, help."







Later, in front of the Golden Oaks Library as the sun set on a day that would long be remembered in Equestria's history, Twilight and Sunset stood in front of each other.

"Sure you have to leave so soon?" Twilight asked sadly.

"Yeah, I do. Equestria's not my, or Sonata's for that matter, home now." Sunset replied but as she looked at Twilight's almost begging face she sighed.

"Weeeeelll, I guess I could stay a little while lo-" She never even got to finish as Twilight embraced her before they both pulled away from the hug, blushing heavily.

> Part 14: The Sounds of Swing and the Blues...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One would think after a major incident like the three sirens known as the Dazzlings just nearly taking over the small town of Ponyville one would notice a change in the air. But oddly enough, there wasn't much of one at all. Maybe it was just because of how often strange incidents happened in the small hamlet, or maybe it was just because of how hardy the townspeople were, but either way everypony seemed to act like absolutely nothing had happened in any way whatsoever. Well, at least that's what it seemed like on the surface for some ponies. One case in particular was Trixie Lulamoon. On the surface it seemed like that she was going about life as always, but in the inside she felt guilt. She'd let the Dazzlings sucker her, and in the process nearly help take over Equestria and nearly invaid another world filled with creatures who'd done nothing to her.

"Trixie was a fool, that's for sure." The showmare muttered before there was the sound of two sharp knocks on her wagon's door.

Knock! Knock!"

"Alright already, Trixie's coming!" She shouted before Trixie then muttered "Hold your horses, okay?"

When she opened the door, the showmare was surprised to find both Lyra and Octavia along with Cheese Sandwich on the other side of it. She noticed the guilty expressions on all three of their faces, one which she herself shared.

"You three as well, huh?" Trixie asked, and got three nods in response.

"Yeah..." Lyra said. "We were idiots. We let ourselves get suckered by those three, and look what happened." The lyre playing pony muttered.

"There's only one way we can make up for this and we know it." Octavia added in. "That is, listen to more human music. After all, we only heard three songs that we actually disliked, and heard how bad humans were from the mouths of the DAZZLINGS."

"Plus..." Cheese added in. "The songs before those three particular ones we actually liked."

Trixie now was the one to nod as she trotted out of her wagon.

"Trixie says you are quite right." She agreed. "So she says we all go over to Twilight's later and listen to more human music."

"Later?" Cheese asked enthusiastically. "How 'bout now?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Lyra agreed excitedly.







Golden Oaks Library

So it was with a little hesitation that all four ponies returned to the Golden Oaks Library to once again listen to more human music. Sunset along with the Mane Six were already there, along with somepony else that made Trixie fly into a rage of pure fury.

"What are you doing here!?!" Trixie yelled as she walked up to Sonata. The showmare was then pulled back by both Twilight and Rainbow.

"Woah, take it easy Trix!" Rainbow exclaimed as she held back (If only barely) the furious unicorn mare.

"Take... Take it easy?" Trixie sputtered. "Have you lost it? She's one of the freaking Dazzlings for crying out loud!"

"Not anymore..." Sonata whispered sadly causing Octavia to quirk an eyebrow in surprise.

"What do you mean?" The cellist asked curiously, and so Sonata explained the whole thing, from arriving back in Equestria to being brainwashed by her sisters. Lyra sucked in a breath after she'd heard everything and took it all in.

"Wow, so they got you too huh?" She asked before letting out a small growl. "Talk about low."

"And how do we know you're not lying, huh?" Trixie growled out making Sunset state at her in shock.

"Trixie..." The Alicorn said sadly.

"No, it's alright. She has no real reason to trust me. As for my sisters, I... I don't want to talk about it okay?" Sonata whispered holding back a small sob at what her sisters had become. Once, they'd been like a family, looking out for one another, until a lust for power and attention consumed them. 

"So... So can you please just start the music?" Sonata asked tearfully. And so, with a look of sympathy, Twilight did.



The first thing anypony in the room heard was a fast and hard blues guitar riff before the singer announced that he was going down to somewhere known as "The Crossroads" before the distinctive riff of this song played again. Eventually the singer again announced he was going somewhere called Rosedale before being asked to be taken down to the riverside. After that, there came a short guitar solo, if not a fairly impressive one despite it's short length. Rainbow Dash in particular knew it to be impressive as she'd gained a appreciation for soloing after being the lead guitar for the equestrian version of the Rainbooms. She knew playing a solo like that, or any part of this song really on the guitar was no small feat. The song went on for a few more minutes, before finally ending with the ominous sounding "And I believe I'm sinking down..." from the singer.

"Well, that line wasn't ominous at all was it Dearies?" Rarity said sarcastically as she took the song in.

"You're not kidding." Trixie agreed. "Wonder if he meant it literally, like somepony put a spell on him or something that made him fall into quicksand?"

"I doubt something so literal." Lyra interjected as she shook her head at Trixie. "I've done my research on humans, and last I checked they never have had access to magic."

Twilight nodded in agreement at her old Canterlot friend's words. Lyra was quite right on that front. Chances are, that last line was probably just a metaphor... Right? It wasn't like somepony put a curse on the singer to make him sink into the ground.

"Lyra's right." Twilight agreed. "He probably means he's just sinking into despair, sad as it is."

"What a happy song." Octavia deadpanned.

"Still, whoo-wee, you got to admit that was some pretty impressive soloing on that there guitar!" Applejack put in. 

"Whew doggies, that human has got some skills!" She continued as Rainbow nodded at her friend's words.

"Almost as good as my skills!" She bragged, and everypony in the room raised a eyebrow causing her to quickly backtrack.

"...Okay, maybe better than I am." Rainbow said, correcting her words as Sunset spoke up.

"You know, there's actually a famous legend about the original writer of this song, or songs as the case may be as another one was sampled in this version of it." Sunset began, as everypony turned their attention to her in curiosity.

"Really?" Rarity asked in interest. "What kind of legend?"

"Well, the original writer, Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads to become a famous guitar player with this song and it's lyrics "supposedly" being evidence of the fact. Make what of that as you will." Sunset explained.

"Well, good thing magic doesn't exist in the human world. Otherwise this myth might be more then just that, a myth." Twilight stated before a nervous Sonata spoke up.

"A-Actually, it's m-more then a myth." The youngest Dazzling stammered out, and now all heads were turned to her.

"Wait, you mean that legend is actually true?" Sunset exclaimed in shock before a thought struck her like a thunderbolt.

"But the only way you'd know that is..." Sunset thought to herself before her eyes widened.

"Yeah, I may or may not have been the one to give Robert his guitar playing skills." Sonata replied sheepishly. "Who'd have thunk, right?"

"Right..." Twilight muttered before switching to another radio station to begin the next song, which was as different from the first as songs could be.



This next song began with quick little drum beat before launching into a very upbeat swing tune. This continued for a few moments before a catchy little tune via a trombone played. Then, a singer announced that he was going to tell the listeners about a "Cat he once met." The "Cat", whoever he was was described as somepony who strolled through the city like a big alleycat, always wearing a pinstriped suit. He was also described as a smooth talker with a exported cigarette and a cocktail in his hands. He was named as Mr. Hi-De-Hi-De Ho and somepony who was always on the go. Imagery flashed through the ponies of this pony who was being sung about. While this happened, a very swinging solo played eventually announcing "That's right, Jack!" before the chorus occurred once more, describing this pony as someone who had all the answers. As soon as the song ended, everypony took it in.

"Well, I must admit that was some of the just fun I had all day, listening to that song!" Rarity mused.

"No kidding, that was-" Pinkie announced before swiftly being interrupted by a interjection from Rainbow Dash.

"AWESOME!" The multi color maned pegasus exclaimed while Cheese Sandwich nodded in agreement as he proclaimed "No kidding! That song was one Grade-A party!

"One thing I'm curious about though is if this person the singer describes is really a cat." Lyra out in curiously. "I mean, can you imagine a cat up on stage playing the trombone? Last I checked, animals can't play music."

"I thought we are animals, last I checked." Octavia deadpanned.

"She's got a point there!" Pinkie interjected before mimicking the sound of something sizzling. "Ouch, burn!"

"Maybe I'm wrong, but it sounds like slang to Trixie." The showmare disagreed.

"Probably is." Twilight agreed. "I know that there is this group of ponies who hang out at the bowling alley a lot who describe everypony as cats."

"I think I know the ones you mean Twi." Sunset remarked even as Twilight blushed at the nickname her friend gave her. Strangely, at that very moment Twilight felt her heart beat  just a little bit faster in her chest and she let a blush come to her face as she gazed at Sunset.

"Wow, never noticed how good she looked before. And then there's that flank..." Twilight mused to herself before she quickly caught and corrected herself apon realizing what direction her train of thoughts were going. "No, bad Twilight! Friends don't think about friends like that! After all, Sunset is just a friend... right?"

"Twilight, you there?" Sonata asked, waving a hoof in front of the Alicorn's face in order to snap her back to reality.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. My thoughts just wandered there for a second." Twilight apologized blushingly. "Won't let it happen again."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Sonata smirked, as she had noticed Twilight gazing at Sunset. "Wonder if anypony's started a betting pool on when those two will admit their feelings yet?"

"Anyways, is it just me or do those three ponies look like some of the characters from that TV show, the big something or other?" Sunset wondered aloud only to receive bewildered stares in response. Sunset then blushed.

"Right... Forgot you gals are kinda clueless when it comes to pop culture references." Sunset muttered as Twilight then switched to another station to find another song to break up the ensueing awkward moment of silence.



The song began with piano keys being played in a nice rhythm with horns soon added in. The meaning of this song was easy to discern, what with it's two males singers singing about how everybody needs someone to love. Trixie found herself nodding along to the beat alongside Sonata, who grinned at her.

For just a moment, Trixie wondered that maybe Sonata wasn't so bad. That moment was only fleeting.

"What are you thinking? She was with the same group who pretty much brainwashed you! She can't be trusted!" She mentally argued.

As Trixie was trying to decide if Sonata was really on her side or not, another song began courtesy of Twilight.



This last song once again began in a upbeat manner, this time with a catchy piano beat. But what surprised the ponies was the subject matter of the song. Evidently, it seemed that Twilight had once again tapped into the transmissions of an alternate universe as this particular song was about one Octavia Melody. From asking her if it was groove she was looking for to requesting she "Put down that cello and grab a bass", the entire song was about her.

"Well... I certainly wasn't expecting that!" The subject of the song finally said after recovering the ability to speak.

"No kidding... Those humans watching us sure know how to make good music though!" Pinkie exclaimed, making everypony stare at her.

"Watching us? What do you mean?" Sunset asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"What, you haven't noticed?" Pinkie replied to her in shock. "I thought I wasn't alone. Huh, guess I was wrong." She shrugged even as Twilight pulled the switch once more, beginning another song...
> Part 15: Friends on the Other Side
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so the next set of songs began...



This next song, it was dark and villainous to the core, but still because of how fun it was at the same time and because of the singer's undeniable charm, you couldn't help but want to sing along to it as well. The singer sung about hoodoo and voodoo along with various other things he hadn't even tried, he had friends on the other side. At one point he even asked if they'd shake a poor sinner's hand to the two other people he was talking to. Finally the song ended with one last chorus of main verse and it's tempo picked up as well before the song began reaching it's inevitable conclusion.

"Well... That was something." Trixie said after taking the song in and it's lyrics about witchcraft.

"You said it." Rarity agreed before turning to Twilight."Twilight dearie, you're our resident expert on magic-No offense Trixie-so maybe you can tell us what all this hoodoo and voodoo is all about?"

Twilight imeditantly went into what Rainbow termed as her "Egghead Mode" and began to explain.

"Well, I may not be the expert on all of this, Zecora could probably tell you more if you're really interested but hoodoo and voodoo are various magic native to the Zebra countries and active throughout the city of Neigh Orleans as well." She began before continuing her explanation. "Basically, they and their practitioners draw power from various talismans and potions and the like and the spells and hexes can be very powerful in the wrong hooves." She warned.

"Like the ones shown here huh?" Rainbow deadpanned.

"Yes, exactly." Twilight confirmed, a little creeped out by the song's content. She switched radio stations to get it and it's lyrics out of her mind.



Then, the next song began to play. It started out ominous and foreboding, making the ponies think that things weren't off to a great start, before it quickly became sweeping and majestic, almost heroic in it's style. Various feelings spread over the ponies as they heard it. The first feeling that came was awe, then another swiftly replaced it. That next emotion was called hope, hope that despite any problems that they may face in the near future, everything would be alright. The song was beautiful, the players of song were experts. Octavia, as she was part of an orchestra herself, could tell the skills of those who played this song. She could tell they were masterful in their craft, and had the ability to generate all of the right feelings when they played this song.

"By Celestia..." Twilight whispered as the song continued to play. "It's beautiful."

"I know what you mean." Octavia agreed as the song reached It's middle part and again became hopeful. "Please tell me you've figured out a way to record these songs."

"I... I've been meaning to start working on a way, but I've never been able to find the time, what with everything going on and all."

"Well, I have faith in you Evening Twinkle." A familiar voice said gleefully as there was a bright flash of white light from behind Twilight, who yelped in surprise. The figure who appeared looked like a creature who had it's blueprints mixed up somehow, what with his menagerie of various animal parts making him up, with no two parts exactly the same. "You being an Alicorn Princess and all."

"DISCORD!" Twilight exclaimed in annoyance as soon as she got her heartbeat back down to normal levels. "How many times have I told you, please knock before you enter!?!"

"Oh Twilight..." Discord remarked in a dismissive tone of voice while waving his paw. "Knocking's boring for one such as me. Now appearing in a flash of light, that's much better." 

"The jury's still out on that..." Twilight muttered to herself even as Discord turned to Sunset Shimmer.

"And speaking of Alicorn princesses..." He began as he pinched Sunset's cheek. "I hear there's a new one in town. What are you, Princess of Bacon Hair or something?" Discord joked, while Sunset glared furiously at him.

"Gee, it seems they'll make just about anypony a Princess these days, huh?" Discord remarked in a teasing tone as Fluttershy facehoofed in the background to herself. Meanwhile, Discord had given himself two feathery wings in place of his usual ones and a tiara as well with a snap of his fingers.

"Who knows, maybe old Sunbutt will finally go ahead and make me one!" He continued. "I mean, think about it. I'd be Discord, Princess of Chaos! Well, I suppose it's be Prince but you get my drift. Just think about it!"

"I'd rather not." Twilight growled as she ground her teeth together, severly annoyed at Discord's shameless mocking of her, Sunset and Princess Celestia. "What are you doing here anyways, Discord?"

"Oh, you know me. Always curious." The Spirit of Chaos replied to her with a shrug. "Heard you gals were listening to music by those lovely humans so I decided to see if I could join in!"

At this point, Discord hugged them close to himself before he then let them go and mimed playing a guitar like Chuck Berry while wearing sunglasses.

"Anyways, let's spin the wheels of fate and see what we get next, eh?" Discord exclaimed, while taking control of the transmission receiver and getting it to play another song. What he got next however, gave him along with Fluttershy, a bit of a surprise...



This next song started with soft and sad sounding piano notes before a male singer began to sing in a heartfelt tone of voice. He sung that if he hadn't promised to keep some sort of crazy deal, he might not have fallen in love and known there was something more to whomever he was singing about. He told the target of his affections to dry her eyes as he was there for her. Then, if things weren't heartbreaking enough, a female singer joined in for a part of her own, singing about the exact same things the male singer sung about. The two joined in a duet and sung together their lines in a very beautiful manner before the song finally ended, leaving the listeners in tears.

"That... That was beautiful..." Rarity whispered as tears streamed down her face before she grabbed whatever was closest to her and used that to very loudly blow her nose. Unfortunatly, that something happened to be Applejack's tail.

"Could have asked before you did that, ya know that right Rares?" Applejack deadpanned tossing Rarity an annoyed look, while the fashionista herself looked sheepish with herself.

"Sorry, it's just..." Rarity trailed off unable to finish her sentence. But she didn't need to.

"I understand." Applejack said kindly while nearby, Sunset and Twilight shared a smile and accidentally intertwined their tails before they quickly realized what they had done and broke them apart while blushing heavily.

"That was one of the most beautiful things Ah ever heard in mah lifetime." Applejack continued, a small tear running down the side of her face and she quickly tipped her hat to hide it.

"Trixie agrees with you." Trixie replied to her while nearby Octavia wiped away some tears of her own.

Then, everypony heard the sound of loud bawling. Surprisingly, it came from the last pony anypony expected it to come from. Nearby, with tears streaming down her face was Rainbow Dash.

"Er, Rainbow? You alright?" Applejack asked in concern. "Do... Do you need a handkerchief or sumthing?"

"That... That was beautiful!" Rainbow continued to sob while Applejack muttered "So much for the big tough act eh?"

Rainbow quickly took a offered handkerchief from Rarity and blew her nose and wiped away her tears before saying to everypony "That does not leave this room understand?" while giving them a harsh glare that was scary enough to make even Discord take a step back.

Speaking of the chaos entity, both he and Fluttershy were in shock. They recognized exactly who those voices were supposed to be, AKA them.

"How... How could they know? We certainly haven't exactly announced to the world that we're dating... Have we?" Fluttershy whispered, quite shocked to the world that somewhere out there somepony or someone knew that she and Discord were dating.

"Well, my mind is officially blown for today." Discord muttered in a almost inaudible tone. Almost.

"Something wrong?" Twilight asked in concern.

"No... No, nothing at all!" Discord responded nervously with a squeaky tone in his voice. Twilight eyed him suspiciously before beginning the next song...







Crystal Castle: Dungeons

Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire, Prince Shining Armor of the Royal Guard marched through the corridors of  the dungeons of the castle he shared with his wife and the Princess of Love, Mi Amore Cadenza. He had one singular purpose in mind, to interrogate the Dazzlings and find out who exactly was their hidden backer. Like his sister, he had quickly figured out that they weren't working alone due to the fact that somehow they'd regained their magic.

Already, he'd tried to get information out of Aria, but she'd been no help at all, offering only sarcastic comments. Now, hopefully he'd have better luck with her older sibling.

"There's two ways we can do this Adagio, the easy way or the hard way." Shining told the Dazzling while he circled her like a lion his prey, which wasn't a bad comparison really.

"Oh, I'm so scared..." Adagio mocked. "You going to play good cop/bad cop with me? I wouldn't mind that really." She said seductively while Shining only rolled his eyes.

"Listen, I'm not in a playful mood siren." Shining growled while trying to keep his cool. He'd been mind controlled once before, back at his wedding to Cadence, by Queen Chrysalis so this was bringing up bad memories for him.

"Shame, shame, 'cause I am." Adagio continued before she chuckled. Shining wasn't amused in the slightest.

"No games. I'm starting to lose my patience." Shining growled out at her.

"Ugh, fine. Spoilsport. Bet you were the school swot and never even got kissed." Adagio sighed to herself. "Well, just because I'm feeling generous, I will offer you this. I do have friends, very... shadowy ones."

Shining considered her statement, the wheels mentally turning in his head before he reached a rather frightening conclusion, his eyes widening like dinner plates. Shining quickly regained his composure, before he turned to one of his guards that was in the room with him.

"Get a message to Canterlot to the Princesses. HE'S returning..." Shining said fearfully before the guard dashed off while Shining thought to himself.

"Let's just hope we're not already too late..."
> Part 16: Children of The Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, the Mane Six gathered once more to listen to human music, now once again joined by the Princesses and Sunset. Twilight was sad, tomorrow was Sunset's last day here before she went back to the Human World along with Sonata, who felt out of place here with all she'd done. She knew she'd never be accepted by the citizens of Equestria and especially Ponyville, not after what she and her sisters had done. 

As for Sunset, she felt oddly sadder then she should have been about leaving Ponyville. She was happy to see her friends back at Canterlot High, but at the same time she didn't want to leave Equestria once more. Maybe, she thought, it was because she'd finally reconciled with her old teacher, but a small part in the back of her mind said it was because of Twilight. Sunset pushed this thought even further away. That couldn't be it, could it?"

"Look at me, acting like some lovesick mare. I just feel sad as I'm leaving my new friends here. I can't be in love with Twilight... Can I?" Sunset mentally argued with herself. 

"Gah! Why must friendship be so confusing?!?" Sunset shouted, although she didn't mean to. Princess Celestia looked at her in concern.

"My student, you alright? You sound... conflicted." Celestia's kindly voice asked her fellow Alicorn. Sunset smiled weakly at her.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Completely fine!" Sunset responded in a nervous manner. But Celestia didn't look as if she believed her, and it showed on her face. Celestia knew her former student, she could always tell when something was bothering the bacon maned mare, like right now. And Celestia had her suspicions on what exactly was bothering the Alicorn known as Sunset Shimmer. She'd noticed the ways she looked at Twilight, even when she thought and was hoping else was looking. Twilight herself had done these exact same things when she was young, and had a small crush on Celestia. And now she was sneaking glances at Sunset, thinking hoping had noticed them. But notice Celestia did. She hadn't lived for one thousand years and not learned to pick up when a pony was hiding something. She knew Sunset and Twilight as well had feelings for one another, and that they were just too afraid of each other rejecting the other to admit it.

"J-Just start the next song, okay Twi?" Sunset stammered out. Like her mentor, the Princess of Friendship looked at her in concern and suspicion, but started up the next song anyways.



The song began with soft, almost sad guitar strums from it's player before a sorrowful, almost mournful voice sung that there was a house in New Orleans, obviously the human world equilvent of Neigh Orleans. This house, they called it the Rising Sun, a place where that it has been the ruin of many a poor boy, of which the singer was one.

"By Faust, such a poor human..." Rarity whispered, her compassionate side coming out once again. 

"Having to live like that. W-Why, i-if I was there I'd help him." The Element of Generosity continued, now starting to sob, tears streaming down her muzzle and ruining her make-up. But Rarity didn't care in the slightest for her appearance like she normally would have, for she was far too saddened by this human's plight. By this time, keyboards had joined in with the guitar strums, and they aligned with them perfectly.

The singer sung that his mother was a tailer, that she sowed his old blue jeans. Rarity's demeanor now changed from sadness, to interest, it perked up by the fact that humans had sewing machines in their world. Images flashed through her head, of the designs she could create.

"Sunset dearie?" Rarity inquired in interest. "Am I right to assume my human counterpart creates fashion as well?"

Sunset nodded, and Rarity squealed in glee that her counterpart did the same things she did. But then, disappointment fell over her features as she realized she might never see the things her counterpart might have created. Sunset, on seeing her friend's face fall, along with her knowing how her mind worked laid a hoof on her shoulder in support.

"Don't worry, I'll send pictures." Sunset smiled, and Twilight whispered "Thank you." to her friend. Sunset felt her face heat up at Twilight's gratefulness, but she didn't know exactly why.

What the Hell is wrong with me!?!" Sunset mentally shouted to any deity that would listen, expecting a answer. She, of course, received none.

Meanwhile, the song continued, telling of the boy's father, a gamblin' man, and the only time he was satisfied was when he was on the drunk. Right then and there, Rainbow let out a loud growl of protectiveness and fury towards the boy, even if he wasn't there in person.

"R-Rainbow, you alright?" Fluttershy asked in concern. She had never seen her old friend this furious, not even when the Dazzlings took over Ponyville.

"You know perfectly well I'm not, and you know why." The rainbow maned pegasus snarled, scaring everybody present. Fluttershy bowed her head in remembrance and sorrow. She did know perfectly well why. Rainbow's father was a drunkard, and often abused her. In fact, the only time Rainbow had been happy was when Rainbow's father was cleaned up, if only briefly and took her to that Wonderbolts show in Cloudsdale, leading her on the path to her dream. But after that, the abuse got worse, and Fluttershy's parents took her in after Rainbow escaped her father, and the two had been sisters ever since.

"It's okay... It's okay. He's gone now, he's not coming for you anymore Dashie." Fluttershy reassured as she hugged her sister in all but blood as Rainbow shed some rare tears and let out a soft whisper of "Thank you, Flutters."

Fluttershy then turned to Twilight and didn't even have to ask for what she wanted. Twilight instantly understood, and changed the song.








The depths of Tartarus

Meanwhile, Shining Armor and a few of the Crystal Guardsmen under his command had journeyed deep within the foul, hellish bowels of Tartarus to find HIM before he returned from the abyss from which he had been imprisoned.

"Okay, this place just gives me the willies." One guard, a orange pegasus and the sole non Crystal pony, Flash Sentry whispered in fear.

"Everything gives ya the willies. Pretty sure Twilight Sparkle gives the willies." A fellow guard, whose name was Bright Gem mocked, and Flash glared harshly at him, which could be seen even in the darkness which was only illuminated by torchlight.

"She doesn't give me the willies!" Flash spat back at his fellow guard.

"Then why you so nervous around her, huh?" Bright Gem asked sarcastically. Flash said nothing as a few other guards snickered.

"Silence, the lot of you!" Shining barked. "I hear something!"

Hear something he did, like a low growl from a creature from Hell itself before a shadowy form of smoke with only two red eyes visible materialized in front of Shining and his troops, who readied their, shields, swords and spears for battle.

"So..." The form said in a calm, almost charming voice. "You finally figured out my involvement and have come to face me in person."

"Your plot ends here." Shining responded, no trace of fear in his voice at all.

"Sorry, but I'll have to decline my capture of going quietly." The being retorted as shadows seemed to reach all around the cave in tendril like forms.

"Instead... Well, if you want blood, well you got it!" He roared, and chaos exploded in the cave...







Golden Oaks Library

Night had fallen on Equestria, and the moon was high in the sky casting in a comforting glow on the small town of Ponyville. Once, the moon was feared for the being that once lay rest in it's surface, but no longer. Nowadays, ponies held the moon in equal splendor as it's solar cousin. The atmosphere, as the moonlight reached through the windows of the Golden Oaks, was perfect for the next song that played...



The first thing anypony heard was a monologue, a unknown narrator remembering the aftermath of the battle with the chaos being Discord, and the two brave sisters who stepped up to defeat him. Both Luna and her sister bowed their heads sadly in remembrance. They, like the pony narrating, remembered the devastation after the battle. Ponies wandering, lost and homeless. But then the story changed, as the narrator described Luna forming a new colony, something the Prime Luna only thought about, but never put into action before she was consumed by the entity known as Nightmare Moon.

"So... This song is about me?" Luna gasped in shock as soft guitar strings plucked and a beautiful voice sung for the children of Equestria to come along with her.

"So it seems." Celestia agreed. She thought about what might have been, what Luna might have done.

"A-And I thought I was never loved..." Luna whispered tearfully, in shock a song was written about her.

"Of course you are loved." Celestia reassured, and wiped away a tear from her sister's eye before putting one of her wings around her in comfort. "You are loved by me."

"No." Twilight corrected her fellow Alicorn and Princess. "You are loved by all of us."

"She's so kind." Sunset mused to herself. "I don't deserve her, not after what I've done." Sunset mentally said before she growled to herself. She thought she was done with her past and it affecting her, but it seemed she was wrong.

"T-Thank you, Twilight Sparkle." Luna smiled, and wiped away her tears as the song ended. She now had no doubts about her place in the royal hierarchy, and had no doubts her sister, and her friends cared about her. For Luna personally, that was the greatest victory of all.

> Part 17: Tell her about it!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library

Today was the day. Today was the day Sunset Shimmer and Sonata Dusk made their trip back through the mirror and returned to the Human world. But Twilight didn't want either of them, or to be more accurate, just Sunset to go. She still hadn't figured out why she felt the way she did. No matter what she did, still no real answers came to her mind. 

Twilight cursed herself, she was an Alicorn Princess, the personal student of Princess Celestia for crying out loud and yet she couldn't figure out why her face heated up when she saw her, why she felt her heart flutter and beat faster when she saw her, and why in the Nine Realms of Tartarus she had un family friendly thoughts about things like Sunset's flank and how delectable she mysteriously found it to be.

"Faust and Bonnie above, what's going on with me! I was raised right and proper, I shouldn't be having those kind of thoughts about anypony, in private or not!" Twilight mentally ranted to herself as she paced around the main room's wooden floors of the Golden Oaks Library while Spike watched. Books were scattered about, including books on feelings and what they might mean. All the while, this song played in the background from a radio station Twilight had tuned in on.



"Careful Twilight, watch yourself or else ya might wear a hole in the floor and then where would ya be?" Spike lightly teased his adoptive mother. Unlike her, he knew perfectly well what was wrong with her, Tartarus, he'd even joined the bet Scootaloo had set up and contributed some money of his own to it that Twilight would figure out her feelings by the end of the day. Actually, he'd set up his own bet on who would confess first and kiss the other, and money was being exchanged by all the other members of the Mane Six and the CMC. There were even rumors that Princess Luna herself had joined in on this bet. Spike felt very reassured he'd be one very rich dragon by the end of the day.

"No time for jokes Spike, I'm not in the mood." Twilight yawned. She'd been up all night trying to figure out her predicament and now found herself being forced to take desperate measures with figuring out her problem, and finding a solution to her woes. That drastic measure? A pony named Rarity Belle.

Carousel Boutique

Twilight made her way to Rarity's place of business and explained her problem, only to be met with laughter from the fashionista mare.

"Oh Twilight, you silly mare!" Rarity chortled in amusement at Twilight's obliviousness to her obvious feelings for Sunset. "You're in love darling!"

"N-No... No, that's impossible! Love?" Twilight denied, finding it impossible to believe the obvious truth staring snack dab in front of her, even if she didn't see it. Rarity then found herself giving her friend a deadpan expression.

"Twilight, we've all noticed. Sunset. Loves. You!" Rarity exclaimed as if speaking to a child. "And I think it's fairly obvious you love her back." Rarity continued. "So do us all a favor, and if you pardon my language not suited for a lady here, damn well tell her about it!"

Rarity wasn't even blushing at her language use, as she felt it absolutely necessary in this particular case. She then shoved Twilight out of her shop with a shout of "Now get going!" before slamming the boutique door shut.

Twilight steeled her eyes. Rarity was quite right. She knew it now. Love was the feeling that had been bugging her ever since her reunion with Sunset. She had, no she NEEDED to tell her. But how was the question.

Then, Twilight got an idea. She would use the same thing that had strengthened her friendships with her friends. Of course! Music! That was the only solution to this problem! And Twilight knew how to solve problems.

With a new fevor in her gallop, and a purpose planted firmly in her mind, Twilight raced back to the Golden Oaks Library. But to her surprise, Sunset was already there, with a book held up by her magic as she flipped through it's pages half-heartedly.

"S-Sunset?" Twilight stammered out in surprise, making the Alicorn mare look up from her book before dropping it on the floor where it landed with a soft thud.

"W-What are you doing here?" Twilight continued to stammer out, her heart beginning to beat faster, not from just being around Sunset, but from just plain nervousness.

"Spike sent me a letter. He said you were acting funny." Sunset explained with a concerned tone in her voice, trying to hide her frankly obvious blush apon seeing Twilight. "I got concerned, so I came straight here to see what was the matter."

"O-Oh, I... I suppose that makes sense." Twilight stuttered, cursing herself once again. She had to get ahold of herself. Talking to Sunset, even if she was the mare Twilight loved, should have been talking to just like any other pony!

"Spike sent her here? That's... That's... Is it really that obvious to everypony?" Twilight mentally asked.

"You alright Twilight?" Sunset asked in concern. "Your face is all red. You sure you're not coming down with a case of a fever, are you?"

Twilight shook her head rapidly in a no manner before answering. "No! I'm completely fine. Completely fine!" Twilight lied, although Sunset didn't look as if she believed a word of hers for a minute.

"Okay, if you say so..." Sunset trailed off, her tone of voice indicating neither of them was done with this line of conversation.

"Actually..." Twilight began, quickly thinking up a quick lie to change the subject as fast as she could and begin a new topic of conversation. 

"I was going to come looking for you. You see, I finally finished a few of those recording crystals a few days ago, and I wanted to show them off to you in a private listening section before I debut them to the rest of Ponyville for a dry run and then, if everypony likes them, the rest of Equestria!" Twilight said excitedly, clapping her hooves in glee at finally finishing her creation. 

Sunset smiled at her friend. Twilight was always at her most cutest when she was being her adorkable egghead self.

"Wow, Twilight, I'm honored!" Sunset complimented. "Well, if you got a song recorded already, let's play it! I'm very interested to hear it!"

Twilight smiled before bringing out a small pink many spiked crystal glowing with a blue orb inside it. Twilight's magic flared, before the orb changed to bright orange and a song began to play...



Sunset smiled widely when she felt the first synthesizer notes hit. She recognized this song alright, remembering when she first heard when she was watching Back to the Future with the Human version of the Mane Six at a sleepover at Pinkie's house.

"Good choice Twi! I love this song!" Sunset exclaimed in glee. Twilight blushed at the nickname even as Huey sung about the power of love. Sunset offered a hoof and held it out.

"Care to dance?" Sunset offered, and Twilight nodded and stammered out a "S-Sure!"

The two danced together to the song as it continued and when it reached the almost bluesy guitar solo, Twilight did a ballerina like twirl before Sunset pulled her back in close. Their muzzled were now perilously close to each other and their eyes connected. Finally, Twilight took the initiative.

"Well, nothing ventured... Nothing gained." Twilight mused before she captured Sunset's lips in a soft but sweet kiss.

"Wow..." Twilight breathed out and Sunset nodded back.

"Yes, I know... Wow." Sunset replied before capturing her new marefriend's lips once again and pressing forwards as the two's tongues did battle with Sunset's forelegs wrapped around Twilight's neck. Spike, peeking in from a doorway smiled to himself.

"Finally!"







Trixie's Wagon

Meanwhile, across town Sonata had made her way to Trixie's wagon, where she found the showmare getting ready to leave town, presumably for another show. When Trixie saw who was coming, she grimaced.

"What do you want?" She muttered towards Sonata, who hung her head looking ashamed of herself.

"To apologize." Sonata admitted but Trixie glared back at her harshly, judging her with her eyes.

"There's nothing you or your sisters could do that would make me forgive you." Trixie snapped back at the former Dazzling.

"I'm not speaking for my sisters. I'm just speaking for me." Sonata tried to explain but Trixie was having none of it.

"Doesn't matter." Trixie growled out. "What you and your sisters did to me is something that can't be easily forgiven or forgotten."

"I... I see." Sonata said before turning and walking away tears in her eyes. Almost immediately, Trixie felt guilt well up inside her.

"What has the stupid and foolish Trixie done?" She asked herself sadly...







The Hay Burger

In another part of town, at the popular cafe known as the Hay Burger, Discord and Fluttershy were on a double date with the Doctor and his wife Derpy Hooves.

"...And then, my TARDIS materialized inside Jack's shop just as it was about to blow up and he was standing there agape as if he'd never seen a TARDIS before!" The Doctor laughed, as he was just finishing up explaining the events chronicled in "The Doctor Dances".

Everypony present was now laughing long and hard at his story. Discord though, thought he had something better.

"Oh yeah? Well, I helped stop a giant red centuar that looked like something off the cover of a metal album!" He challenged, daring the Doctor to find something that would best that feat.

"Sucked both the Daleks and the Cybermen into the void!"

"Turned Ponyville into the world's chaos capital!"

"Met the devil!"

"Well, at least I have a marefriend who can freeze you in place!

"Oh yeah? Well I have a marefriend who can spot things no one else can with her special eyes!"

"Well, mine can talk to animals and has saved the world at least FOUR times!

As Discord and the Doctor continued their arguement, Derpy leaned over to Fluttershy from across the table and whispered "Are they always like this?" 

Fluttershy just sighed to herself.

"No, today's one of their better days..." She muttered.







Later that night, Sunset and Sonata were just about to head home through the mirror which would take them back to Canterlot High. Sunset looked at Twilight sadly, and whispered "I won't forget to write."

Twilight nodded tearfully. She wished Sunset could stay, but she knew Sunset had her own friends to get back to and that Earth was her home now.

Just then, Trixie burst in through the door.

"Wait! Wait, don't leave yet!" She called, making everypony look at her in confusion. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has something to say!"

Sonata stood, stunned as Trixie walked over to her and hung her head.

"The Great and Apologetic Trixie wants to apologize. I was wrong." Trixie confessed to the siren. "You really aren't like them. You're different, I see that now."

She extended a hoof in a offer of friendship.

"Friends?" She asked nervously. Sonata took the offered hoof and shook it.

"For realsies." She smiled, and Trixie smiled back.

"For realises." She repeated.

> Part 18: Welcome to the Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library

Twilight smiled to herself as she opened her marefriend's letter from the human world. Twilight smiled once again at the word forming in her mouth. Marefriend, that was a word that would take some getting used to, that was for sure. In all of Twilight's life, she never imagined even the slightest possibility of her getting a marefriend to call her own, but then only a day ago it happened between her and what used to be only just a good friend named Sunset Shimmer.

"I don't know whatever I was missing when I didn't have Sunny in my life." Twilight mused to herself before chuckling at the nickname she'd given her new marefriend. Sunny, well it certainly suited her in both appearance and disposition.

This is what the letter read:

Hey Twi, just wanted to check up on you. I know it's only been a day since I left back to the human world alongside Sonata, but I wanted to make sure you didn't miss me already or anything. I love you, ya know that right. I know you're probably thinking something along the lines of what you have missed by not having me in your life. Funnily enough, that's what I was thinking just earlier. Life's definitely different now that I have somepony to share my innermost thoughts and feelings with, ones that I would never dare share with anypony else. of course, having you around to write to isn't the only way things are changing around here. You see, here at Canterlot High this thing called the Friendship Games have come around. Basically, it's a competition between Canterlot High and another school, one called Crystal Prep. Thing is, CHS has never won at all at this thing ever since the Friendship Games began, at least that's what I've been hearing around campus. Well, if I and my friends have anything to say about it, that's going to change this year. Shout it with me now... Go Wondercolts!

Love: your loving and confident marefriend, Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight chuckled as she began to go for a pen and paper to write back to Sunset in reply to her letter when there was a sharp knock on the door, followed by another.

Knock! Knock!

A familiar feminine voice called out to Twilight from behind her front door.

"Yoo-Hoo, Twilight! It's me dearie!" Rarity's voice singsonged in a happy tone of voice before another familiar tone, this one quite raspy joined in with it.

"Eh, maybe she's not home Rares." Rainbow Dash's voice put in. "Just a thought."

"Nonsense darling!' Rarity interjected. "Let me try again!"

There were two more sharp knocks after this, true to Rarity's word.

Knock! Knock!

Twilight sighed as she put down the pen and paper and trotted over to the door as she shouted "Alright already, I'm coming, I'm coming! Just hold your horses!' before opening it, an annoyed expression evident on her muzzle. Rarity and Rainbow weren't the only ones at the door, the rest of the Mane Six were there as well. Fluttershy flinched at Twilight's expression.

"Oh dear..." She whispered. "Is this a bad time?'

Twilight's expression softened as she felt guilt apon scaring Fluttershy and she let out a short sigh of resignation before shaking her head.

"No, no." Twilight explained to her friends. "It's not a bad time at all. I was just writing a letter to somepony whom I lo-like very much."

Although Twilight tried to hide what she really wanted to say, her amendation of her word choice was noted by all present.

"Lemme guess, Princess Celestia?" Rainbow teased and everypony else present groaned at the joke's return. They thought they'd seen the last of it, but apparently it was not to be.

"Really Rainbow, this thing again?" Applejack deadpanned, an annoyed expression now being on her muzzle as she rolled her eyes.

"Let me give it a whirl, as the foals say today." Rarity put in. "Does the receiver's name start with Sunset and end with Shimmer?' She inquired and Twilight was stunned into silence for a few brief moments. When she finally regained the power of speech, Twilight stuttered out "H-How did you know?'

Rarity smirked before replying "News travels fast around here. Anyways, want to listen to some more human music? That's what we came here for anyways."

Twilight nodded at Rarity's words before going over to her machine and turning the dials and throwing the switch.



This song began with a couple guitar strums before launching into a thundering beat. It's singer, who sung with a southern accent pleasing Applejack very much sung of thirty days and the same amount of nights along with it before coming home on an airplane flight. He then launched into describing something involving a needle and a spoon and the problems along with those two things.

"Well, isn't this pleasant..." Applejack dryly said, despite being pleased with hearing a fellow southerner via the singer, she wasn't pleased at all with the song's content and what she knew it was about.

"Drugs, wonderful. Can't we find something else a bit more cheery?" Rainbow asked sadly. She had a personal hatred for drugs after a friend of hers had succumbed to them. Actually, friend wasn't even the right word. Rival was more accurate. You see, after being kicked out of the Wonderbolts and having her dreams crash and burn, Lightning Dust fell into drug abuse to help cope with the pain. Rainbow had tried to help, but by then it was far too late. Knowing Rainbow's history, Twilight nodded before changing the music, not wanting to drudge up any more sad feelings or memories in her friend's mind.



This musical piece was again different from any seen before it. For one thing, a holographical video accompanied it. In it, there was a man, dancing along to the tune with the location he was dancing in changing every few moments. But he wasn't the only one dancing in the video. You see, everywhere he danced he had backup dancers dancing along with him to the music and it's beat. The tune itself was catchy, and soon the Mane Six found themselves dancing along with the man in the video.

"My my, this certainly is addicting isn't it?" Rarity inquired to her friends, who all nodded along to her statement. At this point Spike came down from the stairs leading to the second floor of the library yawning. He'd been taking a nap until the music disturbed him from it and awakened him.

"Alright, can somepony please explain what's going on here?" Spike yawned. "I was trying to take a nap here."

Twilight blushed a deep red. She hadn't meant to wake her son in all but blood up.

"Sorry Spike, we were just listening to more human music." She apologized before a idea struck her like lightning.

"Hey, want to join in?" She asked and Spike shrugged before muttering "Well, as long as I'm up..." before joining in on the dancing. Everypony else followed his lead for a few more minutes when Twilight then suddenly spoke up.

"You know, I've been doing some reading on some of the human world ever since this whole enterprise of ours started from some old texts in Celestia's personal library, and some of the countries this male is dancing in have often been ravaged by war, so the most some of their people see of any other people from other countries is weapons called guns." She explained, going into full egghead mode.

"Wow... That's awesome..." Rainbow gasped, and received stares from everypony else in response.

"Tell me, how are guns awesome?' Rarity inquired with an eyebrow raised in suspicion. Rainbow quickly found herself backtracking.

"No, I don't mean the guns. I mean the fact that this human is willing to show that to these people that there's more to other human beings from other countries then just violence and death." The pegasus explained. "It's quite inspiring really. Maybe one day somepony here might do the same and bring dancing to Griffinstone or someplace." Rainbow continued, remembering that ponies and griffins had been involved in a war shortly before Twilight came to Ponyville.

"Wow, Rainbow. Never knew you could be so wise or inspiring." Rarity said in shock at seeing this new side to her friend. Rainbow smiled smugly.

"Well, of course I can. I'm that awesome after all." She bragged before the music changed once again.



This time, the song was of the metal variety leading Rainbow to exclaim "Oh yeah!" and start banging her head along to the beat. But Twilight's thoughts weren't focused on the song itself, but rather it's lyrical content. As she listened, she took a long look at Spike and felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She remembered all the times she and her friends had left Spike out of something, even if it was only by accident. Things like not taking him on adventures to outright ditching him at the Grand Galloping Gala to not inviting him to her birthday party that had been thrown by Pinkie, she remembered each and every incident.

These thoughts led Twilight to ask herself a horrifying question.

"Am I a bad mother?" She wondered in horror. So focused was she on this question she couldn't even enjoy the next song that came on. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i19d1QnstsA )She knew there was only one way she was going to get an answer to her question. That way was getting Spike's own opinion out of his very mouth. 

Pulling the young drake aside out of her friend's earshot, she looked him dead in the eyes.

"Spike, I need to ask your something and I want your honest opinion on this." Twilight said seriously and Spike looked confused at her statement.

"W-What is it Twilight?" He stammered out and Twilight let a small tear slip from her eye as she thought "He doesn't even call me mom anymore! I knew it, I'm a bad mother!"

"Twilight, you alright?" Spike asked nervously on seeing Twilight beginning to cry softly. 

"I'm a bad mother!" Twilight sobbed loudly catching everypony's attention. Rarity came over to her and looked at her friend in concern.

"Dearie, what's wrong?" The fashionista asked in concern as she pulled Twilight into a hug. Through her sobs, Twilight let it all out and at last Spike understood and put a comforting claw on her shoulder causing Twilight to look at him.

"Oh, is that all?" Spike asked before explaining his feelings on the matter. 

"Sure, I felt left out at times, but then again I'm a dragon, not a pony and all those events were for ponies, not drakes like me." He began. "And as for not taking me on adventures, I don't blame you. In your position, I wouldn't take me either as for all I know I might have gotten hurt, or worse."

At this, Spike was brought into a sweeping hug by Twilight who blubbered out "T-Thank you Spike, but know this. I-I'll never leave you out of anything we do, ever again."

Spike smiled and snuggled into his mother's fur while whispering "Thanks, mom." and Twilight smiled at last. She knew her relationship with her son was now stronger than ever and nothing could ever break it apart. And now Twilight once again felt the confidence to flip the switch and turn to the dials to anthor song...
> Part 19: Chasing Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Oaks Library

And so the next song began, with a message saying it went out to all the money men...



From the onset, it was obvious the song's meaning was about greed, about a greedy "Money Man", possibly a banker or a broker. The lyrics spoke of him driving fancy cars, and even if he wasn't a rock star the mares sure treated him like one, with all of his money. The singer continued to ask where the money went, intercut with the Money Man saying things like it looked good in his retirement plan and such.

"Such a greedy pony, reminds me of some of those bankers up in Canterlot!" Rarity huffed. As the Element of Generosity, she loved givng things to others, ranging from simple acts of kindness to making fancy dresses for balls, dances and galas of all types.

"Yeesh, and I thought Spoiled Rich was bad." Applejack mused, she too was angry with the man sung about in the lyrics. "He's plum greedier than a squirrel after their nuts! in the fall!"

Then, it seemed in the lyrics the Money Man finally had to pay up for his deeds, and it seemed he had been captured and put to trial at last for his stealing the money from the band in question, with the singer saying he and his prison buddies were just shooting the breeze, but not before asking what did he do with the money, and the greedy man couldn't seem to answer but with a "Uh" and stammers of all sorts.

Spike meanwhile, had different thoughts about the song, and it's lyrical content. He had bad memories being stirred up, and he remembered what had happened the last time he himself got too greedy, and his dragon instincts activated, with him getting greedier and greedier. Bigger too, as well, becoming a full sized serpentine like dragon. Spike right now was currently lost in a flashback to that very day...

(Transcript taken from MLP FIM WIKI: Secret of My Excess so credit where it's due)

ROOOOAAARR!

At the time, Spike had Rarity in his very claws, and was now a giant, no longer a little simple drakeling. Rarity was currently screaming in fear, she couldn't believe this was happening to her, nor could she, if she knew who it was, would have believed that this giant monster of a dragon was her little Spikey-Wikey.

"Put me down, you brute!" Rarity ordered, but it was to no avail, as Spike wasn't listening in the slightest as he continued on his rampage, smashing houses that were unlucky enough to get in his path. He stomped on house after house, smashing them to bits beneath his feet and unleashed blasts of flame each time he roared.

ROOOOAAARR!

"How rude!" Rarity huffed, quite annoyed at being ignored by Spike in his current state.

"Don't worry Rarity, we'll save you!" Fluttershy called out in the loudest voice she could muster up as she and her sister in all but blood flew up to try and save their friend. Determination, as well as fear for their friend shown on their faces, but they weren't ashamed of showing this fear at all. Courage, after all was about facing your fears and standing up to them, no matter the size or challenge. Even a very big challenge like the one currently facing them.

"Put her down, right now!" Rainbow Dash barked out, anger on her face. She knew this was Spike, but that didn't mean she would resort to attacking him. A dear friend was in danger after all.

"If... if you wouldn't mind that is." Fluttershy squeaked out in terror, not just for her but for Rarity as well.

"I mean it, dragon boy!" Rainbow snarled, balling up her hooves like one would fists and getting ready to charge towards her foe.

"We'll be ever so grateful if you'd be so kind as to possibly consider... " Fluttershy asked, trying to reason with the beast that was once Spike. But Rainbow was in no mood to try and do that.

"Drop her, scaly!" She snapped, all out of warnings. She rocketed towards Spike, only for her, along with Fluttershy to get swatted away like flies, which Rarity was keen to comment on.

"Hey! I'm– not some– sort of common– fly swatter!" Rarity sputtered out, even as Fluttershy and Rainbow screamed in terror as they were swatted away. 

Spike shuddered at the memories which were rapidly overcoming him, he remembered the sheer horror he'd caused and the fear that his friends felt towards him becoming nothing more than a monster. And then Spike wondered, what if it happened again? What if his greed got control of him once more, like it did the first time, and his dragon instincts returned? What then? Would he hurt more ponies, like he did the first time, or worse still, even k-kill somepony?

"It's going to happen again, I just know it!" Spike panicked at the thought, and looked towards his friends. His dear friends, those who had been his true companions all his short life in Ponyville, and the teenage drakeling felt grateful for all they had given him, all the fun times they'd had and adventures had together. Even the sad times were happy in hindsight, as they were there for him.

"Celestia above, what's wrong with me?" He wondered aloud, in a soft tone, but just loud enough for Twilight to hear.

"You alright Spike?" She asked of her son, only to get a rapid shaking of the head in response. Twilight was now growing very concerned indeed. Something was definitely bothering Spike, that was for sure.

"NO! NO! I'm not alright!" Spike suddenly shouted, all of the stress getting to him. "W-What if I go greedy again, or worse, grow up and become a monster full time!" He panicked.

Twilight knew she had to calm her son down, and she knew just the way to do it.

"Spike, you won't become a monster again, I guarantee it." She assured, with a hoof on his shoulder.

"H-How?" Spike sobbed.

"Because we're always there for you, and we always will be, me most of all. Remember, I care for you. And even if you go and turn into a monster again, we can stop you, remind you who you are inside." Twilight said calmly and without a trace of doubt in her voice. She knew her son, and he was no monster. Meanwhile, Spike was having another flashback, of Rarity's words to him that brought him back to his true self.

"Oh, no. You are not getting this gemstone! This was given to me by my dear friend Spikey-Wikey. The kindest, sweetest, most generous dragon ever. And it is too precious to me to give to a greedy, old beast like you!"

"T-Thank you mom, I needed that. Pinkie Promise I won't become THAT ever again?" He asked nervously, and was reassured with a wink and a calm smile from his mother. All his doubts were erased forevermore with these two things.

"Pinkie Promise." She said, before flipping the switch to find a happier song.



And happy is what they got, with the song beginning with light acoustic guitars and a peppy, and almost jazzy horns along with them. The song sung of a man who used to be rough and tough, till a Bronx woman bobbed his head. The man was named Bill, Big Bad Bill in fact, but now he was known as Sweet William.

"Ooh, catchy darlings!" Rarity chirped as she bobbed her head along to the songs beat.

"Y'all know, this song almost reminds me of somepony we know." Applejack mused, as she thought of a certain chaos entity who was dating Fluttershy now. Everypony was soon following her train of thought, and reaching the same conclusion she was.

"Oh come on, don't tell me DISCORD of all creatures is doing the dishes and mopping the floors like a common housemare!" Rainbow exclaimed in disbelief. To her, the idea was just laughable. But she was surprised to see Fluttershy smirking. It was an odd sight to say the least.

"He is, and he's very good at it." She said, and nopony could tell if she was joking or not. To break up the ensuing awkward silence, Twilight quickly changed the song to another one. This one managed to stun the ponies with a revelation even more shocking then the last, if you could believe it.



This next song was surprisingly sung by Pinkie Pie herself, stunning everypony in the room. The song talked about how she was the real Pinkie Pie, and that there was no one else like her, she sung of how it was as if no pony had seen another pink pony before, before calling Ms. Cake a certain very insulting word. As the song went on, she insulted a lot of other people too, including a group known as "Bronies", whatever they were.

When everypony recovered from their stunned silence, they all turned to look at Pinkie.

"Pinkie, I didn't know you could rap!" Rainbow gasped out in shock.

"I am pretty awesome aren't I?" Pinkie bragged before grinning. "That's the song that'll be on my upcoming demo CD!"

"But darling, must you be so rude?" Rarity inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"But that's rap music for you. If you can't handle the fire, stay out of the kitchen." Pinkie responded smugly. Nopony had any more words to say after that.







Canterlot Castle: Celestia's private chambers

Celestia was worried, and was pacing back and forth around her chambers. It had been days since Shining Armor had gone down into the very depths of Tartarus to find the true villain behind Adagio's plot to take over Equestria, and nothing had been heard back from him since. Cadence had strted to panic, and it was starting to show, with her starting to lose focus on her royal duties and when she showed worry, it carried over to her subjects, the Crystal Ponies of the Empire. Celestia so wished she could find something to say to comfort her fellow Alicorn, but she just didn't know what to say.

"You're starting to pick up your student's habits, I see." Luna remarked as she peered into the slightly ajar door to her sister's quarters.

"I am... worried." Celestia admitted. She didn't like to admit it, but she was afraid, afraid that Prince Shining was never coming back. Her worry showed on her face, and she looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Do not worry, sister of mine." Luna reassured as she walked over and put an wing around her sister in a attempt to console her. "The Prince will be back, just you wait. Why don't you read a book or something?" Luna asked, holding up her sister's favorite book, J. R. Mankin's "King of the Bracelet".

Celestia smiled weakly, she so wished she shared her sister's ability to always stay cheery.

"If only I shared your ever flowing optimism, sister. I just can't-" Celestia began, before swiftly being interrupted when a Solar Guard rushed into the room, looking frantic.

"It's... It's the Prince! He's back!" The guard stammered out, sweating hard from exhaustion from running so fast. On hearing this, both Luna and Celestia rushed towards the Throne Room and found a beaten and bloodied Shining Armor, being supported by a bloody and bruised Flash Sentry.

"What happened?" Celestia asked at once in an authoritative tone of voice. "Where are the rest of your men?"

"He... He killed them. Killed them all." Shining sobbed, the loss of his troops weighing heavily on him. Both Luna and her sister gasped, this was very bad indeed.

"Who?" Luna asked worriedly. "Who killed them?"

Shining took a deep and shuddering breath before answering.

"It was him. Grogar. He's back."
> Part 20: The Meaning of his Tears/Hell's Bells
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, by this time, before the next song started Twilight quickly paused it when she heard knocking at her front door.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Alright already, hold your horses. I'm a-coming." Applejack said as she opened the door and was very nearly barreled over by all three members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Hello girls!" Twilight greeted cheerfully, happy to see the three young fillies again and for them to be able to enjoy more music. "I assume you want to hear some more human music?"

"Uh-huh!" Apple Bloom nodded while Scootaloo could barely stay in one spot due to her excitement as she said "Show us what you got Twilight!"

"Okay then girls. Let's see what Twi can wrangle up for us!" Applejack told them as Twilight resumed the song.



This next song, it began with a violin solo before giving way to soft piano notes for a short while before a female singer, sounding around the age of a child asked if the listeners felt anything, that did they really see the reason behind some poor child's tears. An influx of emotions from the listeners was felt from the song's lyrics and the emotion from the singer singing them. Sadness, sorrow, and maybe a few tears of their own were shed as the song continued as the singer asked the question of what had they done.

"By Celestia, this song..." Rarity whispered.

"It's so sad..." Pinkie added in, her hair deflated and no trace of her normal giddiness. The song continued, asking if they could see the intention of their goal, which showed clearly in their eyes, which were glistening with fear. The song asked to drown out the color and turn a blind eye to what they had done.

"What did we do? What did we do?" Twilight asked, not expecting an answer but she did it anyways, wondering why the song was questioning these things.

"I don't know Twi, remember it's just a song." Rainbow reminded her, putting a wing around her friend in a comforting manner.

:You don't think it's about..." Rarity asked, not daring to consider what her mind was thinking, the train of thoughts it was traveling down. "A-Abuse?" She stuttered out, feeling very sick with herself for even thinking it.

"By Celestia, if that's the case..." Twilight sobbed, foal abuse was one of the worst crimes imaginable in her mind. She rememebered when Rainbow had privately confessed to her that the reason she lived with Fluttershy when she was young was that her own parents had abused her when she was just a filly. From that day forwards, out of loyalty to one of her best friends, Twilight kept a keen eye in look out for anypony who lived in a similar situation, and if she found out about it, mentally promised to bring the full wraith of a Alicorn Princess down upon them.

"Change it, change it please!" Scootaloo asked, not wanting to dwell on the possibility of a foal being abused any more then she had to.

"Perhaps that's a good idea." Twilight agreed, not wanting to listen to this song any longer herself. And so, she turned the dials to another station...



The next song began with soft synthesizer notes, before a video appeared with the Wonderbolts logo becoming visible after the stunt ponies shown onscreen got behind one another and curled up into a ball as one of their tricks before breaking apart in an explosion of color. But that wasn't all, as a strange winged vehicle that was mostly dark blue with golden detailing on it's wings and down the center was shown next after the logo faded out rocketed skywards up into a clear blue sky somewhere in the desert at a landing strip.

"Wow, what is that thing?" Apple Bloom asked in wonder while her fellow Crusaders were awestruck.

"Well, seeing as how this video is seemingly a tribute to the Wonderbolts, maybe that's their human equivalent." Rainbow guessed.

"But humans don't look like that." Sweetie Belle asked only for Scootaloo to roll her eyes.

"Of course they don't! But maybe they need a vehicle like that to fly!" The young Pegasus guessed even as onsceeen the Wonderbolts did more and more tricks, each even more death defying than the last.

"Wow..." Twilight whispered in awe, now she understood why Rainbow looked up to these ponies if they could preform aerial maneuvers like those.

"You see, that's why I want to become one, that right there!" Rainbow gushed before she began to brag. "And I'm so awesome, I bet I will someday!"

"Alright already, we get it. We all know you want to become one, no need to repeat yourself." Applejack deadpanned in an annoyed tone of voice while Rainbow glared at her rival for interrupting her.

"Those blue vehicles and their pilots are no slouches themselves." Rarity observed as the onscreen vehicles did tricks like close flying, sometimes almost directly on top of each other and rocketing over fields of grass.

"Ya got that right, they should just be already inducted into the Wonderbolts as honorary members!" Scootaloo cheered.

"I can get behind that, squirt!" Raindow agreed, and then there was a small thud as Scootaloo fainted from the phrase shown by her rival. Sweetie Belle, on seeing this, muttered "Oh brother..."







Canterlot: Canterlot Castle

"Tell me what happened, all of it." Celestia ordered once she had finished taking in the young Prince's words while Luna comforted him by extending a dark blue wing around Shining. Neither could offer any words of comfort, as they were too stunned by the revelation that Grogar was alive and it seemed, completely healthy despite what they knew of his situation.

"A-Alright, it happened like this..." Shining started to explain as he flashbacked to what had happened only a few days before...


The deepest parts of Tartarus

The shadowy form of the Goat Necromancer rushed forwards, a black cloud covering everypony like the shroud of death itself. The room was filled with smoke, and just barely visible through it were two dark golden eyes, shining like a harbinger of doom with two horns almost invisible through the smoke above them.

"Form up!" Shining shouted from somewhere in the smoke. This was Grogar's favorite tactic, divide up his opponents, confuse them as to his true location and then conquer them. The Crystal Guards, however were far too scattered to properly form their ranks and began easily getting picked off by their foe one by one.

"He's beating us!" Bright Gem yelled in fear. "Sir, what are our orders?"

"I don't... I don't know..." Shining whispered in fear. He'd never encountered a foe quite like Grogar before and so he, despite not wanting to admit it, had no idea on how to deal with him.

"Sir! What do we do?" Bright Gem asked once more. Shining now knew there was only one thing he and his men could do.

"Retreat!" Shining ordered and his men began to run for it. As Shining ran, a blade of purple energy nicked his leg, and he fell to the ground bleeding and in pain just in time to see Bright Gem cut down directly in front of him.

"NO!" Shining shouted even as Grogar laughed long and hard.

"You fools just don't have what it takes to beat me, so run away and hide. Not that you can avoid me for long, as I always find you." Grogar chuckled. "I am the reason ponies fear death, why they try so hard to run and escape it, why they take life for granted and celebrate it so for I am the Lord of the Dead!"

Shining's eyes widened in fear and horror  as Grogar's terrifying speech concluded even as the sole remaining member of his squad, Flash Sentry extended a hoof to help him up.

"Come on, sir! We need to regroup!" He exclaimed and pulled his commander up off the ground and put a hoof around him to support him and help him walk.

"I swear Grogar, you'll pay for what you've done today." Shining growled even as he and Flash ran up some steps to flee the scene...



Present Day

"S-So that's it. That's exactly what happened." Shining explained sobbingly to the two Princesses, it had taken him a few days to make the trip back to Canterlot even with the Friendship Express, and it pained him every step of the way to know that he had a failure to report, and to know that it was his fault almost all of his men were dead.

"It's... It's my fault, I got my men killed and failed to stop Grogar, and now, he's probably getting ready to-"

"NO!" Luna suddenly shouted. "Stop right there, stop blaming yourself! It's not your fault that your men are dead, did you kill them yourself?" She asked.

"N-No, but I may as well have! I led them to their death! I'm the reason their families have to mourn!" Shining replied even as he broke down. Luna's gaze then became firm and it seemingly bored into his very soul.

"No, you are not the reason. Grogar is, he's the reason they're dead so stop blaming yourself understand?" Luna ordered, and Shining nodded as he gave Luna a look of gratefulness.

"T-Thanks, I needed that." He whispered even as Flash Sentry looked towards Celestia.

"So what do we do now?" He asked, and Celestia almost at once answered him. She knew there was only one thing to do.

"Send a letter to Twilight, she needs to know what's happened. The Elements of Harmony are needed once more." Celestia ordered even as Luna's, Flash's, and Shining's eyes widened...
> Part 21: This is Halloween
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unaware of what was going down in Canterlot between her brother and the Royal Sisters, Twilight and company had decided to continue listening to music as Nightmare Night loomed in a few days time. So the group hoped, with some luck, that they'd get some Nightmare Night themed songs to listen to and sing along with.

"Alright Twilight, boot it up!" Scootaloo chorused alongside her friend Sweetie Belle. "Give us some frightful fun!"

"Uh, girls..." Rarity began in a concerned tone of voice. She was afraid that whatever they may get may scar the young filly threesome for life and thought that any Nightmare Night themed songs should be left to the adults.

"What its Rares? Ya worried bout somethin?" Applejack asked, noting Rarity's concerns and observing them.

"Yes dearie, it's just that..." Rarity began, unsure of how to put what she wanted to say into words.

"Oh, I get it." Applejack replied as dawning realization hit her. "You're just scared any Nightmare Night themed songs we may get might just scare the flying fur off the youngins."

Admittedly, she too shared her friend's concerns, but she also knew Nightmare Night was about getting scared, that was half the fun, as Twilight taught Princess Luna all those years ago when she tried to fit in with the fun of Nightmare Night but only ended up getting confused and almost banning the holiday forever. It was only with the help of Twilight teaching her otherwise, or lecturing her as she put it that ponies loved to be scared on Nightmare Night that the holiday was saved.

"Rares, while Ah too share your concerns, don't forget that Nightmare Night is about getting scared, remember that next time huh?" Applejack said, going on a lecture of her own.

"Ah, yes, I know that dearie." Rarity explained to her friend. "I just don't want these cuties to be traumatized for life, that's all."

"Don't worry Scoots, I'll protect you." Rainbow said, wrapping a wing around her little sister in all but blood. "Budge up, gals. Heck, I'll protect you all! I don't get scared." Rainbow bragged as all three members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders cuddled up to her. Actually, Rainbow did get scared once, like with the tails of the Olden Pony and the Headless Horse, as she confessed to Scootaloo that one time, but at any other point in her life she'd just deny it.

"As Sunset taught me to say, play it again Sam!" Pinkie cheered. Twilight chuckled, she too knew the saying from her marefriend's teachings and she wasn't sure that was exactly how that saying was supposed to be used but she got the message anyways.



A voice announced that this was a story that took place in the worlds of olden times, holiday worlds to be exact. It also said that if you ever wondered where holidays came from, It was time you begun.

"Holiday Worlds? Can holidays even have... worlds?" Rarity questioned, quite confused.

"Well, it'd be pretty awesome if they did!" Pinkie cheered. "Imagine, a Hearth's Warming Eve world! Full of snow to make snow ponies and yummy Hearth's Warming Eve's cookies!"

"And don't forget the presents!" Rainbow added in.

"Yes, we mustn't forget those! Miles high, I bet they're stacked!" Pinkie agreed, nodding her head in excitement. Twilight and Rarity shushed them both, as they wanted to listen, quite interested in the tale that was about to be told.

And the tale that was told began with "Boys and girls of every age..." and from those words the ponies were launched into a strange tale full of strange creatures to be sure, some with snakes for fingers and spiders in their hair. Another, was a clown without a face.

"Scary clown!" Pinkie screamed, and ran off to hide under Twilight's bed. 

"No clown should scare children, or childish ponies for that matter." Rarity huffed, feeling her fears were coming true. But soon she was reassured in a way when a male and a female monster announced despite this being their job, that they weren't mean, in this town of Halloween.

The song continued, introducing more and more strange creatures like a tree with puppets on it's wooden branches, and a being who introduced himself as the shadow on a moonlit night, filling one's dreams to the brim with fright.

"Better not let Luna hear this song. Faust above knows she'll love that." Twilight thought sarcastically to herself in a dry tone of voice. But perhaps the strangest creature of them all, was the one coined as Skeleton Jack, the one that was said to catch you in the back and make you scream.

"Celestia above, he's like the Headless Horse in terms of frightening!" Rarity squeaked in fear, but Rainbow of course had to disagree.

"The Headless Horse? Don't tell me you're still spooked about that old mare's tale I told you!" Rainbow scoffed as Scootaloo giggled. After learning of how Rainbow got over her fears of the Headless Horse by realizing as she grew up, she could totally take on such a beast, that mindset grew in Scootaloo as well and now she too was no longer afraid of the Headless Horse.

"Please, that guy sounds awesome!" Scootaloo cheered as onscreen, Jack was lit on fire before diving into a well and emerging as a tall thin skeletal being wearing a nice suit.

"Scootaloo, you're not... scared?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"Scared?" Scootaloo laughed long and hard making Rainbow grin. "I bet I can totally take him!"

"Thatta girl!" Rainbow cheered making her younger sister feel a huge swell of pride as the song ended to claps and cheers from all the monsters in it.

"So, anypony want to dare to continue on with this?" Twilight asked as a warning, and got a room full of nods. With a hint of trepidation, she threw the switch to begin the next song.



This next song, it was about the Rainbow Factory, but not the one they knew. Now a Rainbow was made with suger and spice, but the singer sang that the things making up this form of Rainbow were not quite so nice. All the ponies were appalled, Rainbow Dash most of all. She had a special love for the Rainbow Factory, and had a very good memory of it when she worked there. But that wasn't all. She had a very special memory relating to it. Back when she was just a filly, during one of the few times her father wasn't stone dead drunk and abusing her for some stupid reason like disrupting his drinking, he took the young Rainbow to the factory and gave her a message that she cherished to this day.

"Remember Rainbow, this is what a pegasus was born to do. It's our responsibility to create the Rainbows. Now when you grow up, I want you to remember these words, and create some amazing Rainbows of your own, okay?"

"Thanks dad, one of the only useful pieces of damn advice you ever gave me." Rainbow mused to herself, before she felt a tugging on her wing. It was Scootaloo, with a scared look on her face. Rainbow's heart went out to her young charge.

"R-Rainbow, the Factory i-isn't really like that... is it?" Scootaloo asked fearfully, and Rainbow shook her head and grinned.

"Of course not squirt." Rainbow reassured before she got an idea. "Hey, when this is all over I'll take you to the REAL Rainbow Factory and show you how Rainbows are made, just like my dad did for me okay?" Rainbow asked.

"Pinkie Promise?" Scootaloo asked in reply, and Rainbow nodded before responding with a "Pinkie Promise." of her own.

Twilight smiled at the cute scene in front of her and silently changed the song. 



The next song, it began with an ominous electronic tune which thundered as it played. The song sung of Lun-No, Nightmare Moon and all the horrible things she was going to do. It was a silent agreement the ponies made to never show this song to Luna, in fear of her reaction. After all, if she reacted badly to the Children of the Night song, who knew what kind of reaction she would have to this?

Suddenly, Spike rushed in and burped up a letter in a flash of green flame that Twilight recognized to have Princess Celestia's personal signature. She read over it, and almost at once shock came over Twilight's features.

"Twilight, darling. What is it?" Rarity inquired curiously.

Twilight spoke up at once.

"It's from the Princesses. They want us to gather the Elements of Harmony." She informed, making everypony present gasp...
> Part 22: Hot for Teacher
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everfree Forest: The Tree of Harmony

It was with great urgency and even greater confusion that the Mane Six rushed towards the Everfree Forest and the location of the Tree of Harmony, where they had given up their Elements in exchange for the abilities known only as Rainbow Power to defeat the mad centaur Lord Tirek who was stealing every sort of Magic from every sort and type of pony, even the Princesses were not safe from his magic stealing abilities. Even when Twilight Sparkle herself took on their magic and engaged in an epic battle that destroyed her home, the Golden Oaks Library, it wasn't enough. It was only with the unlocking of the Chest of Harmony that the powers to defeat Tirek were discovered and he was defeated at last and cast deep into Tartarus,  deeper then the dark necromancer lord King Grogar or King Sombra even and all the ponies whose magic he had stolen was returned to them. But it was not without a loss. The Golden Oaks Library was destroyed, and Twilight was left without a home, that was until Applejack and the Earth Ponies of Ponyville teamed up to restore it with their Earth Powers giving Twilight her beloved home once more. Twilight had never been so grateful to the Earth Ponies of Ponyville and especially her dear friend Applejack for what they had done for her.



The Tree Of Harmony, a many branched tree made out of crystal loomed over the ponies in it's hidden cave, with the Elements of Harmony still right where they left them in their specific places in the Tree. Six Elements, one for each pony, each with it's own necklace (Or Tiara in Twilight's case.) They were, in order, a Balloon for Pinkie Pie, a Lightning Bolt for Rainbow Dash, a Gem for Rarity, an Apple for Applejack, a Butterfly for Fluttershy, and lastly, a spark of Magic for Twilight.



"I'm curious." Rarity began in inquiry. "What kind of threat is so bad that we need the Elements of Harmony once more. I mean, we already defeated the Dazzlings, so what's left for us to face?" She asked curiously. Rarity was right. Nopony present knew just what exactly Princess Celestia needed the Elements of Harmony once more for, and nopony wanted to question her, but it was obvious that whatever the threat was, it was very grave indeed.

"Ya got me Sugarcube." Applejack answered to Rarity's inquiry. " But whatever it is, I'm sure Princess Celestia has her reasons."

"Well, whatever we're facing, we can beat it. We're just that awesome!" Rainbow proclaimed with gusto, and nopony bothered disagreeing with her bragging for once.

"Ya got that right Dashie!" Pinkie exclaimed happily. "It doesn't matter if it's Nightmare Moon, Discord, Lord Tirek, or even the Dazzlings again, we can beat anypony who dares stand against us!"

"Yeah, that's the spirit Pinks!" Rainbow exclaimed, agreeing with her friend and partner in pranking. "Nothing can stop us!"

"Awfully confident, aren't we?" Rarity commented in a dry tone of voice.

"Can you blame us?" Rainbow responded in an equally dry tone of voice to the fashionista pony.

"No... I guess not...' Rarity admitted. Rainbow had a point. So far every threat that they had faced had been defeated by them, and Rarity admitted privately to herself that there was probably nothing that they couldn't stop.

One by one the ponies took their respective Elements from their respective branches on the Tree and put them on. Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack put on their necklaces while Twilight did the same with her tiara. Now, they were ready for whatever threat they had to face...







Canterlot General Hospital: Emergency Ward



Meanwhile, at Canterlot General Hospital, Shining Armor was still in recovery, both physical and mentally from his battle with Grogar and the loss of all his men except Flash Sentry. It had affected him greatly, and he still blamed himself from his battle with Grogar that resulted in the death of all but one of his men. Now, he lay in his hospital bed, thinking over his losses and watched by his mother and father, Twilight Velvet, and Night Light Sparkle who watched him in his recovery bed, dearly hoping he'd recover sometime soon from the trauma that he suffered.

"Oh dear Celestia, poor Shining, losing his men like that..." Night Light whispered, in mental agony from his son's pain, with his wife being in the same way.

"There there dear." His wife said to him in a comforting manner and laying a hoof on her husband's shoulder. "Shining will get better, we just got to pray to Faust and hope he recovers."

"B-But what if he doesn't? What if he never recovers?" Night Light asked, sobbing now in response to his son's pain. Flash Sentry watched from the doorway, he too hoping his commander recovered from his trauma that he had suffered.

"Now that's enough of that!" A familiar and welcoming female voice said to both of them. it was Shining Armor's wife, and the Sparkle parent's daughter-in-law, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. At once Flash Sentry saluted to the only pony who was higher in rank then Shining Armor himself.

"Cadence, thank Faust you came!" Twilight Velvet exclaimed at once, happy to see her beloved daughter-in-law. She hoped with her help, Shining would finally recover from his trauma.

"C-Cadence...?" Shining whispered, finally speaking at last. His body was wracked with pain, but that didn't stop him from embracing his wife that he had married so long ago.

"I came as soon as I heard what happened. I'm so sorry my love, I promise those men you lost to that bastard necromancer Grogar will be given a proper soldier's funeral. This I swear." Cadence promised, but Shining still had something to say. Despite all the reassurance he'd been given by both the Royal Sisters and Flash Sentry, he still blamed himself.

"I... I don't deserve to go to that funeral. It's my fault that they're dead!" Shining said, now sobbing uncontrollably. But Cadence was having none of it.

"Now stop right there!" Cadence suddenly shouted, tired of her husband blaming himself for something that was not his fault. "Did you kill those men? NO! You didn't! It was Grogar's fault, and Grogar's alone!" She continued, and with these words, from his wife Shining finally saw sense. His mental pain was over, and now he only wanted revenge for what had been done to those under his command.

"T-Thanks." Shining whispered to his wife. "I really, really needed that."

The couple embraced once more, but Shining soon broke away due to the pain. His mental pain may have been over, but his physical pain still wasn't over yet. But with time, and recovery, he would be ready for the upcoming battle...







Canterlot Castle: Throne Room



Now, the Mane Six had rushed as fast as they can via a powerful teleportation spell from Twilight to Canterlot Castle's Throne Room to meet Princess Celestia and see why exactly she had requested for them to once again take up the Elements of Harmony. There she sat in her Royal Throne with Luna by her side, looking serene as usual but if you looked closely you could detect a certain worry in her eyes.

"Ah, Twilight, good." She began in a hurried tone of voice. "You and your friends came as fast as you could, and you brought the Elements of Harmony just as I requested."

"Forgive me for asking, but why did you need me to bring the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight inquired curiously. And so Celestia began to explain.

"King Grogar the Necromancer... He's returned." She began, and told the tale of Shining's pain and woe. Twilight almost at once became worried for her brother's safety.

"Shiny? In the hospital? Faust above, I hope he's okay!" She said, and took a few calming deep breathes to relieve her worries, just as her teacher had taught her. She knew Shining would be okay, he just had to be. She also knew of Grogar, from her many books. She'd heard of his infamy, and powers, but there was one thing she didn't know. One thing Celestia had kept secret, in fear of losing her subject's trust.

"Forgive me, but who's this Grogar dude?" Rainbow asked. Suddenly there was a loud explosion and the Throne Room doors were thrown open, shattered into splinters with two Royal Guards thrown aside from the force of the explosion. There stood Grogar, no longer made of shadows now that he had escaped from Tartarus. His eyes glowed yellow with demonic power, and fury was etched on his face.

"So, you never told them about us?" Grogar asked sarcastically. "I'm disappointed, my love."

"Y-Your love?" Luna asked in surprise. "What have you been keeping from us?

And so Celestia began to explain her own tale of pain and woe.

"Grogar..." She began. " He was my student, no, not just my student. Over time, we fell in love, but his lust for power corrupted him and I was forced to banish him to some of the deepest depths of Tartarus." Celestia explained sadly, tears rolling down her face as she explained . Pain was etched on her every feature, this tale of hers obviously pained her greatly to explain. Memories came flashing back to her as she explained to the ponies her and Grogar's past. This was during the time after Luna had been banished and become the Mare in the Moon and during this painful time, Grogar was Celestia's only form of solace and happiness.

The Past...

"I love you Grogar, more then any other being I've ever met."

"And I love you too Celestia, like the sun you embody you brighten up my every day."

And then came the painful memories. The ones where Grogar was consumed by his lust for power, and where he started practicing the dark art of Necromancy.

"Grogar, why? You know these dark arts are forbidden by law! You know what they'll do to you. If you don't stop I'll be forced to banish you! Grogar, I love you, so I'm begging you! Please, stop!"

But of course Grogar wasn't listening. He had become far too consumed with his lust for power, like Luna transforming into Nightmare Moon before him. He had read books, dark and powerful books on the dark art of Necromancy. Celestia continued to plead, but to no avail.

"Please Grogar, I've already lost my sister! I don't want to lose you too!"

"Sorry "My Love", but the Grogar you knew is gone! Only King Grogar the Necromancer remains!"

Then, with great pain and tears streaking down her face Celestia knew there was only one choice remaining to her. Like Luna before her, she had to banish one of her only sources of happiness.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, and began to recite an ancient spell. With a mighty scream of rage, Grogar was sucked into a dark swirling pit into the ground and sent on his way to Tartarus. Tears continued to stream down Celestia's face. She had lost another that she loved...

"So that's our tale." Grogar growled in fury and rage at his former love. " You banished me into a pit of hell for over 900 years, after we loved each other for 100 years of happiness!"

"I... I had no choice! You became consumed with your dark powers!" Celestia shouted, now furious with herself for ever loving Grogar and letting him escape his imprisonment in the deepest depths of Tartarus. "And now, we will be forced to stop you once again. I'm sorry my love, but I cannot let you continue your reign of terror once more!"

"Wow, you have bad luck with love don't you Princess? First this Grogar dude, and then with Twilight as well." Rainbow Dash laughed, in spite of the dire situation. Celestia looked confused, with the rest of the Mane Six groaning before answering in unison "Don't ask."

Grogar could only laugh long and hard. It was an evil laugh, one that would send chills down anypony's spine.

"Who?" He laughed. "You and your "Elements of Harmony"? You know perfectly well they won't be enough to stop me!" He proclaimed.

"We'll just have to see about that! My Little Ponies have never failed before, and they won't fail to stop a damned monster like you!" Celestia exclaimed angrily.

"But you're alone in stopping me. Remember my powers?" Grogar asked. " I can bring anypony back to life, and make them work for me. I've got a fiddle of gold against your soul that I'm better than you!" He proclaimed, quoting the famous line from the Charlie Daniels song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".

Then came a familiar and welcomed voice that Twilight was only too happy to hear asking "Who says they're alone?" Two figures, familiar in shape and form stepped into the Throne Room. There stood Sunset Shimmer, wings flared and a tiara on her head with a sun on it along with Sonata Dusk, wearing a necklace with a musical note on it. They, like the Mane Six had unlocked their Elements of Harmony, the secret ones, Redemption and Music and now, with all eight Elements assembled, the final battle was about to begin...



> Part 23: The Devil Comes Back to Canterlot (The Final Battle Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight had never been so happy to hear her marefriend's voice. But this raised one very important question. How had she even returned to Equestria? Not that Twilight wasn't happy she had returned or anything, but last she checked the portal to the Human World was closed for 30 days and nights,  and it hadn't nearly been that amount of time yet, so why was Sunset and Sonata along with her as well? And also, since when were there two more Elements of Harmony? Twilight had read nothing about them in her many books back at the Golden Oaks Library or even the even bigger one here in Canterlot.

"S-Sunset?" Twilight stammered out in shock and genuine confusion. "W-What are you doing here? How? Just how?" She asked her marefriend, who simply smirked a triumphant smirk of victory.

"Two words, Twi." Sunset began, her Element of Harmony glowing a duel selection of yellow and red as the sunset it represented. "The Doctor."

Twilight's eyes widened in realization. This explained everything. The Doctor must have used that fantastic machine of his known as the TARDIS to cross dimensions (As she knew from personal experience it could do this.) and go to the Human World and retrieve both Sunset and Sonata. But this still didn't explain the new Elements of Harmony. But Sunset still had more to explain.

VWOOP! VWOOP! WVOOP!

The Doctor stepped out of his TARDIS and back once more into the Human World and found himself in front of Canterlot High. He smiled, despite his enjoyment as his time as a pony and his livelihood with his wife Derpy, he felt good to have proper hands and feet again, along with a good old fashioned hairstyle. He quickly put on his old blue suit, tennis shoes and his brown trench coat, knowing humans frowned on nakedness, even if he didn't himself. He could never understand why humans frowned on being naked, as it was just showing of the body that Rassilon had given you!

"Now, to find Sunset and Sonata as well, my guess is that both of them will be needed to defeat King Grogar and help the Rainbooms stop him for good this time." He theorized, and with a cry of his old saying of "Allons-Y!" he rushed through the doors of Canterlot High and looked from class room to class room (With everyone looking at him strangely, for this stranger who was seemingly a madman who had no certainty of where he was going or what he was looking for.) Finally, he found both humans that he was looking for, in the middle of Written Script's History Class. Both Sunset and Sonata both looked shocked to see the  Doctor, but they both knew from the urgent look on his face that something in Equestria had happened and the situation was very grave indeed.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Sunset said hurriedly as the Doctor pulled both her and Sonata out of the classroom by both arms leaving behind a very confused Written Script and class.

"H-Hey, don't forget to pick up your homework when you return!" Script stammered out in shock before muttering "...Whenever that is..."

Leaving no time to explain the inner workings of the TARDIS to a very shocked Sonata Dusk, he flipped the dials and switches and was soon rushing through time, space and dimensions back to Canterlot. Soon, they were there, and Sonata quickly found herself getting sick from the faster than normal trip through the worlds. But as soon as she was done releasing the contents of her stomach, she found, to her surprise, a necklace with a musical note on her neck. Sunset was surprised as well, but she too found herself now bearing an Element of Harmony, a golden tiara with a sun on it.

"I... I don't get it." Sunset said in confusion. "I thought there were only six Elements of Harmony, n-not eight!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought as well? Are we really bearers? For realizies?" Sonata asked in shock, and as usual, the Doctor had a theory.

"Hmm, from what I can guess is that you've both proven yourselves to be worthy of two more Elements." He guessed before he began to explain his theory. First, he gestured to Sunset with a hoof. "You, Sunset Shimmer, and might I say, I'm soooo proud of you and your new marefriend's new relationship, have redeemed yourself from being a former school bully and embraced the magic of friendship so you now bear the Element of Redemption." He explained before then gesturing to Sonata.

"And you, Sonata Dusk, have sung your heart out with true passion many times over, unlike those bloody "Sisters" of yours, so you are now the bearer of the Element of Music." He explained, and now both Sunset and the former Dazzling felt things had fully been explained.

"Now come along you two, we've got a city to save!" The Doctor cried before rushing off towards Canterlot Castle with another cry of "Allons-Y!" as Sunset and Sonata followed, confidence etched on their every feature. 

And so, with the Doctor now standing behind them, Sunset and Sonata both glared harshly at Grogar, who looked annoyed from being cut off from his moment of triumph.

"Are we done yet?" He asked sarcastically. "I've got a world to take over here!" He exclaimed, before with a glowing of his twin ram's horns, both Celestia and Luna were locked in iron cages. They struggled as hard as they might, but they found themselves trapped.

"And now, for you..." Grogar said menacingly as he advanced towards the eight Element Bearers and the Doctor. But with a flash of magical energy, the instruments of the Rainbooms appeared before them, with three new instruments, triple microphones for the Doctor, Twilight and Sonata to sing as backup singers if needed for a song that required them.

"Alright, let's do this!" Twilight said in complete confidence, before Sunset strummed the first chords of one of her favorite songs...



The song started off slow, but soon picked up with thundering guitar chords, and every time Sunset sung "You make me breakout!" Grogar was forced back as the floor cracked under the sheer noise from the song and the song just got more and more intense with each passing minute and as soon as Sunset started screaming "BREAKOUT!" over and over for four times, with a mighty blast of energy Grogar was sent flying out of the Canterlot Throne Room and into the streets of the Equestrian Capital. As soon as the Foo Fighters song ended, Grorgar smirked. He didn't just have the powers over shadow and iron cage imprisonment, if you remember. He, with a glowing of his eyes began to raise an army of hundreds of undead even as the Rainbooms teleported themselves and their instruments out to see this horrific sight.

"See, I'm unstoppable!" Grogar laughed in his evil manner. "I'm a monster now, just like you and your "Spike" once was!

Twilight was shocked. How could Grogar have possibly known about that?

"Oh yes, I've heard the rumors, even in my imprisonment." Grogar began to laugh even as more and more skeletal ponies began to rise up from the ground all around them, cackling and laughing in demonic tones as their eyes glowed various shades of red, green and yellow. "I've heard about how your Spike, that adoptive son of yours became a monster due to his greed and nearly destroyed that precious little town of yours you call home!"

Oh yes, Twilight remembered alright, but she also remembered how she reassured Spike, her son, that he'd never become a monster again as long as she lived, and that she and her friends would always be there for him.

"You alright Spike?" She asked of her son, only to get a rapid shaking of the head in response. Twilight was now growing very concerned indeed. Something was definitely bothering Spike, that was for sure.

"NO! NO! I'm not alright!" Spike suddenly shouted, all of the stress getting to him. "W-What if I go greedy again, or worse, grow up and become a monster full time!" He panicked.

Twilight knew she had to calm her son down, and she knew just the way to do it.

"Spike, you won't become a monster again, I guarantee it." She assured, with a hoof on his shoulder.

"H-How?" Spike sobbed.

"Because we're always there for you, and we always will be, me most of all. Remember, I care for you. And even if you go and turn into a monster again, we can stop you, remind you who you are inside." Twilight said calmly and without a trace of doubt in her voice. She knew her son, and he was no monster. Meanwhile, Spike was having another flashback, of Rarity's words to him that brought him back to his true self.

"Oh, no. You are not getting this gemstone! This was given to me by my dear friend Spikey-Wikey. The kindest, sweetest, most generous dragon ever. And it is too precious to me to give to a greedy, old beast like you!"

"T-Thank you mom, I needed that. Pinkie Promise I won't become THAT ever again?" He asked nervously, and was reassured with a wink and a calm smile from his mother. All his doubts were erased forevermore with these two things.

"Pinkie Promise." 

'That's where you're wrong Grogar!" Twilight exclaimed in fury, not even bothering to acknowledge his title as the Necromancer King, making him very furious indeed by Twilight's growing impudence against him. He was even more furious by her next statement.

"Spike will never become a monster again, not as long as I'm around!" Twilight snarled in fury. "I'll always be there for him, and how dare you suggest otherwise!"



Meanwhile, as the Rainbooms began their next song, beginning with a thundering guitar chord and launching into a dueling solo played by both Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer, with Rainbow playing a sky blue Jackson Warrior guitar and Sunset her usual Gibson Flying V with Sunset singing "His evil highness, born from disaster, to dominate and kill!", Trixie had joined the fight and had teamed up with Lyra Heartstrings, who had both been in Canterlot on visits to the city just in time to see what was happening, to either launch magical explosions from Trixie's horn or Lyra firing blasts of sonic energy from her Lyre which had been upgraded by the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver (As he wasn't singing at the time just yet) to smash and destroy undead ponies, reducing them to just piles of bones. As they fought, they remembered the last time they talked, with their discussion over the White Stripe's "Seven Nation Army".

"Okay, well that was... interesting." Octavia commented after a brief silence of taking the song in, not really a fan of the song's bluesy sound if she were to be honest, but Vinyl disagreed.

"Are you kidding?" She asked in disbelief, she'd been banging her head throughout the whole song. "That was awesome man! But I don't get the lyrics though. Was this a song about war or something?"

"Well, the fact that there was the phrase "Seven Nation Army" would seem to say that." Lyra mused, but she still wasn't entirely sure.

"The person singing this song seems to be a violent one, doesn't he?" Octavia agreed, as she'd picked up on the "Seven Nation Army" lyrics as well. Spike groaned, he remembered how badly the misconceptions about the human race went last time, and hoped things wouldn't turn in that exact same direction as before.

"I'm curious though, what are these Hounds of Hell that the singer mentioned?" Octavia wondered before Lyra theorized "Could they be a counterpart to the guards at the gates of Tartarus?"

Trixie herself had her own theory on what the song was about, and hers was possibly the most spot on.

"I don't know, Trixie thinks the singer is protesting about something. But about what she asks?" The showmare wondered aloud to herself, not really expecting an answer. But she got one anyway.

"Hmm, to me it sounds like he regrets something, and everyone is still talking about that, whatever it is." Spike thought and Lyra couldn't resist commenting towards Trixie and the irony of it all.

"Yeah, and you'd know a lot about that don't you?" Lyra asked dryly. Trixie's little Alicorn Amulet incident was still a talking point, and it was a sad fact of life she wasn't particularly well liked in the town because of what she did under it's control.

"Trixie was brainwashed! She wanted to show Twilight Sparkle how great and powerful she truly was!" The showmare defended herself with a furious expression on her face. "She is the Humble and Apologetic Trixie now! Ask Twilight Sparkle, she'll believe you!"

Suddenly, an undead pony just nearly blindsided Lyra from behind had Trixie not smashed it to bits by throwing a magical flaming spell at it reducing it to a pile of ashes.

"T-Thanks Trixie..." Lyra stammered in shock, surprised that Trixe had saved her, given their past history together. "Y-You saved me, but why? I was so mean and distrustful of you..."

Then Trixie said something that truly surprised Lyra.

"Trixie did say she was reformed, didn't she?" She said, and with this Lyra finally realized that Trixie had been speaking the truth. No more had the influence of the powerful and dangerous artifact known as the Alicorn Amulet had any sort of control over her like Lyra had long suspected.

"T-Thanks... Trixie." Lyra said, hanging her head in shame for her previous actions. "I never thought I'd say it, but can we be friends?"

"Of course Trixie and you can be friends, but we can save the getting to know each other better for later." Trixie said as she bucked a skeletal pony into pieces. "After all, we have undead flanks to kick!"

Lyra grinned, and blasted another into bones. Meanwhile, the Rainbooms were still playing Megadeth's "Sudden Death", with Sunset singing "Now death descends upon you, like a bloody white dove." before launching into another solo where she dueled once more with Rainbow Dash while Twilight and Sonata blasted energy from their Elements into more undead ponies while Pinkie's drum kit thundered out a heavy beat. Finally, after five minutes of intense heavy metal playing, the song came to an end, but Grogar wasn't defeated yet. He still had an army of undead ponies to serve his every whim, and so with great fever, the Rainbooms launched into another song, the prefect one to deal with the rising dead...



(To be continued....)
> Part 24: Ghost-Er, Zombiebusters! (The Final Battle Part 2) (Gore)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last Time...

"T-Thanks... Trixie." Lyra said, hanging her head in shame for her previous actions. "I never thought I'd say it, but can we be friends?"

"Of course Trixie and you can be friends, but we can save the getting to know each other better for later." Trixie said as she bucked a skeletal pony into pieces. "After all, we have undead flanks to kick!"

Lyra grinned, and blasted another into bones. Meanwhile, the Rainbooms were still playing Megadeth's "Sudden Death", with Sunset singing "Now death descends upon you, like a bloody white dove." before launching into another solo where she dueled once more with Rainbow Dash while Twilight and Sonata blasted energy from their Elements into more undead ponies while Pinkie's drum kit thundered out a heavy beat. Finally, after five minutes of intense heavy metal playing, the song came to an end, but Grogar wasn't defeated yet. He still had an army of undead ponies to serve his every whim, and so with great fever, the Rainbooms launched into another song, the perfect one to deal with the rising dead...


Now:

After the final ending notes of "Thriller" finished playing, (With the Doctor gladly substituting in for Vincent Price, much to his enjoyment. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack privately thought he enjoyed it a little too much, but kept it to themselves not wanting to ruin the Doctor's fun.) and the Boneyard Boys were smashed to bits by the various ponies participating in the battle, bones lying everywhere in the street, everypony thought they finally had time to take a breather. Panting and sweating from the various devastation they had laid upon Grogar's forces, everypony, including the Royal and Night Guards (Led by Flash Sentry and Galaxy Swirls respectively.) who had joined in the battle at an unknown point in time thought everything was over. But then, there was a crash of thunder and the skies began to darken black as night and blood red rain began to fall on the ground and through the clouds, a two horned, goat like figure with bat wings could be seen, and he raised his head and let out a long and loud cackling laugh.

"W-What's h-happening...?" Fluttershy squeaked in terror as the blood red rain fell upon her pristine butter-yellow fur coat and pink mane. She felt a great fear wash over her, greater than any fear she'd ever felt before, even when Discord betrayed them to Lord Tirek and stole their magic along with everypony else's in Equestria.

"I dunno sis..." Rainbow Dash muttered as she gazed up at the sky, and was ominously reminded of the storms from the Everfree, only much, MUCH worse. She then felt a surge of fear, even if she didn't want to admit it. Rainbow "Danger" Dash was never afraid, not for anypony or anything! This was just like a Daring Do adventure, only much more awesome, and the stakes much higher. And her idol Daring Do never, EVER gave up, no matter what the odds or the peril she faced. And for that reason, neither would she. Wrapping a comforting wing around her sister, she looked at her with a reassuring look in her eyes and a cocky grin on her face. "But we'll get through this together, just like we always have."

"T-Thank y-you..." Fluttershy whispered gratefully as she smiled at her sister in all but blood. If Rainbow could make it through this, so could she. She was a Bearer of the Element of Kindness, and she was chosen to bear that burden for a reason. This... This would just be another day to show why exactly she was chosen.

"Well, would somepony tell mah what the Hay is going on 'round here?" Applejack exclaimed in anger and confusion. Twilight had the answer, although nopony would like it.

"No... It can't be." Twilight whispered in horror as her eyes widened like saucer plates, her blood running cold as ice as if from a Windigo's chilly touch and her hair whipped in the howling wind as the ground began to shake and rumble beneath everypony's hooves. "The Rapture has come."

"T-The Rapture?" Applejack exclaimed, her eyes as equally wide as Twilight's. "Oh sweet Celestia... Girls, Ah never thought Ah'd say it, but this just might be it for all of us." She whispered and thought of her family back in Sweet Apple Acres. Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, all of them. And then she thought of her parents as a tear dripped from her eyes. Ma... Pa... Guess Ah'll be seein' y'all again real shortly now."

"Well, this all seems rather horrible." The Doctor commented lightly as he readied his Sonic Screwdriver, not afraid in the slightest. He'd faced Daleks, Cybermen, The Master, and even The Devil himself, and loads of other horrible things that not even your wildest nightmares could dream up during the final days of the Time War along with a corrupt and decadent government in his own High Council. To him, this was nothing. And then from out of the sky, Grogar came, wings flapping, his eyes glowing demonically, and landed on the ground right in front of the group, the cobblestone street cracking beneath him into a small crater from the sheer force of his landing.

"Oh really, did you honestly bloody think that you could defeat me and my army that easily? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?" Grogar snarled in triumph and mockery. "Puh-Leeze, gimme a break. You thought the Dazzlings were tough, you really haven't met me yet have you sweethearts?"

"And what was our role in all of this ultimate plan of yours Grogar?" Sonata snarled, truly wondering, even from the start why exactly they of all monsters had been recruited for the task of prepping Equestria for his return. It had bothered her ever since Grogar had come to them with an offer to restore their magical, seductive powers, and now she wanted answers.

"Oh, just a small taste of the terror I would have unleashed upon Equestria." Grogar commented lightly with a chuckle and a mad gleam in his eyes. "But you and your "Sisters" got too greedy, too ambitious. Wanted to take this world and another for their own ends." He explained before shaking his head and muttering a few long forgotten curse words in the ancient Equestrian tongue to himself. "Sigh... It's so hard to find good help these days, don't you agree? But enough chitter-chatter. I've got a world to bring to its knees! You thought my bone boys were tough enough?" He laughed before Rainbow laughed at him, interrupting him.

"Actually, I thought they were kinda pathetic." She commented, with the rest of the Rainbooms nodding along in agreement.

"Well!" Grogar said in mock offence before he continued. "Clearly you haven't met me. Now that I'm back up to full strength, I can do THIS!"

With a stamping of his hooves, the ground rumbled and shook some more, and then hooves, clearly in various states of decay rose up from the ground all around the city with the rest of the bodies they were attached to swiftly following. Grogar just laughed some more.

"You know what the biggest weakness in Ponykind is?" Grogar inquired sarcastically. "You have so many dead. Sic 'em boys!" He crowed and took back up to the skies to watch the ensuing chaos unfold.



All across Canterlot, hundreds upon hundreds of undead warriors risen from the grave trodded through the city streets, reeking of death and decay. The Guards engaged, slicing zombie after zombie, making them spill from their wounds mounds of black blood and gore. One caught a guard by his wings from behind, and stabbed him through the stomach with a sword making a waterfall of blood pour from his wounds and the unfortunate guard slump to the ground dead. Another set of guards, twin unicorn brothers found themselves losing their horns, with the second one losing more than that, namely his head. Vengeance was swiftly delivered by Galaxy Swirls, who sliced the offending zombies in half with his scythe before using his hind legs to buck another zombie into the glass windows of the Canterlot Observatory behind him. All the while, in the middle of this unfolding chaos, the Rainbooms launched into another song, this one being about a piece of history (A famous battle in fact) from the human world. In a lasting 60 days siege in Vienna, the Ottoman Empire was on the verge of capturing the city when the elite force known as the Winged Hussars (Husaria in Polish) led by the Polish King John III. Sobieski turned the tide by leading the largest cavalry charge in history and rampaged through the enemy campsite, utterly destroying them. Sunset smiled as she sung the lyrics of great heroism, remembering all of this from Written Script's history course back at Canterlot High. She wished she had that force right now, but for now she and the rest of the Elements of Harmony would have to do. With great blasts of power, they unleashed their energies. From their guitar headstocks which had split in half to reveal miniature cannons, Sunset, Rainbow and Applejack fired off their Elements. Sunset incinerated zombies with solar power and turning her foes to ash, Rainbow fired off pure red lightning bolts burning zombies to crisps and Applejack made vines sprout up from the ground to either strangle or pierce the hearts of the zombie hoard. Pinkie brought out two Party Cannons and fired them into squads of zombies, scattering them far and wide enough for Sonata to blast them away with bursts of sonic energy and Twilight with magic streams from their microphones while Rarity imprisoned zombies in large crystals all the while being protected by Fluttershy's energy shield even as they launched into their next song.



The song began with powerful electric guitar chords and as it progressed, Sunset sung of the days of Heavy Metal's golden years. Pinkie Pie and Applejack stamped their hooves, and great cracks in the ground opened to let zombies fall in or rocky spikes jutted up from the earth itself to block their paths and lead them into the Royal and Night Guards' clutches. Nearby, in another part of the city, the Doctor had found himself faced with a swarm of zombie Griffins. With a confident grin on his muzzle, he raised his Sonic Screwdriver.

"And what are you going to do about us?" One zombie hissed. The Doctor smirked as he straightened up his tie and aimed his Sonic.

"Firstly, introductions. I'm the Doctor. Hello!" He greeted cheerfully with a wave of his hoof before clearing his throat. "Right, well. Now normally I don't reeeeallly like to get involved in little skirmishes, but seeing as how you lot seem to want to threaten the ponies I love and play your roles as monsters, it seems I now must be forced to play mine, as the stallion who stops the monsters. I'm sending you back to the grave. Who knows, some of you may even make it back there in one piece, but know this, this world, this plane of existence is protected! Protected from creatures like you!" He snarled and with one blast of a wave of sonic energy from his Screwdriver, the zombies were sent flying backwards and back into the ground from whence they came from. The Doctor then whirled around to find himself faced with another hoard, but he needn't have bothered worrying about it, as Discord then appeared with a bright flash of white light and snapped his lion's paw. Next thing the Doctor knew, he saw the zombies shaking violently before he was covered in gore.

"You do know that's completely disgusting right?" The Doctor deadpanned as he wiped off a bit of zombie guts from his suit in disgust.

All the while, Grogar watched from above, not even participating in the battle so sure of his army's victory being at hoof. Then, he heard two sharp explosions coming from the direction of Canterlot Castle and saw two blurs, one white and one midnight blue coming straight for him. He was then hit from the side by the white blur and then from the left by the blue one, who soon revealed themselves to be the Royal Sisters, freed from their imprisonment.

"YOU!?!" Grogar roared in fury and surprise. "But how could you escape? My dark magic should have trapped you there forever!"

"Grogar, there's one thing you never understood about magic." Celestia grinned. "There's always a counterspell, or in this case something loud enough to break a spell. Music, it seems, is more than just for entertainment." She mused, as her and her sister's horns glowed with a magical aura, before firing off twin energy beams forcing Grogar back and into a nearby clocktower, reducing the top half of it to rubble, parts of it falling down all around into the streets, with one clock hand piercing a zombie clean through.

"Whatever. I'm the daringest devil you ever met, love." Grogar scoffed, directing the word "Love" towards Celestia even as he recovered himself and his wounds healed all on their own. "You simpletons just don't understand that I can't be beaten. Look at the size of my army! Eventually, your magic will run out and your soldiers will fall like dominos. Tartarus, which I never got to thank you for imprisoning me in there by the way, they already are!" He bragged, but he was soon cut off when a pink aura lit up the sky, and a magical swirling portal, with the image of the Crystal Empire being seen through it, opened up in the sky above, and waves of the Crystal Guard poured out from it, weapons at the ready. Then, Grogar was hit from behind by a pink blur sending him back towards Luna and Celestia who blasted him into the ground below creating spiderweb style cracks in the street even as the pink blur revealed itself to be the Princess of Love, Mi Amore Cadenza.

"You really need to stop your bragging. Honestly, it gets on a pony's nerves after a time." Cadance said simply. With the addition of the Crystal Guard, the tide had been turned. Three sets of Guard fought back the ensuing army. Cadance smiled to herself, they could win this battle. But then, her smirk was wiped clean off her face when the "Grogar" that had just been smashed into the street below flickered out of existence, revealing itself to be just a masterfully crafted illusion. Then, the real one appeared behind Celestia and Luna and grabbed them with shadowy whips and with all of his strength flung them into a rooftop behind him sending shingles flying every which way.

"How about next time you don't miss, okay? MORONS!" Grogar roared even as Cadance blasted him with pink magic beams that split into multiple ones and then wrapped around him forming a ball like cage.

"You were saying something about missing?" Cadance laughed. Meanwhile, down below Rainbow Dash had found herself waging a personal battle of her own. She had run across another zombie, and even in it's dead and decaying state she could see the sky blue fur and the darkened and dirt covered prismatic colored mane. Rainbow's eyes widened, it was her worst nightmare coming back from the grave, literally, to haunt her. It was her father, Rainbow Blaze.

"Well well, isn't this a surprise. My dear daughter, my how you've grown up." Rainbow Blaze commented in a mock sweet tone of voice. "Come on, give your dear old daddy a hug."

"You... You are no father of mine." Rainbow growled, her voice etched with fury as she remembered every beating, every insult she ever took from her so called "Father".

"Worthless child!"

"You'll never fly!"

"You never should have been born!"

"Aw, I'm hurt. Just for that, I think I oughta give you some punishment!" Rainbow Blaze snarled and flew towards his daughter who was too stricken with fear to move but was soon grabbed by a vine that wrapped itself around him and lifted him high into the sky. The vine's creator soon stepped besides Rainbow, an enraged Applejack.

"You've got a lot to answer for, ya bastard." Applejack snarled.

"Aw, isn't that sweet? My gal's got a girlfriend. Mind you, she should have better taste. Really, choosing a Mudpony over a pegasi?" Rainbow Blaze mocked, but a vine soon covered his mouth to stop him from speaking.

"Well, ya gonna deal with him or what, cause if ya won't, Ah sure as Tartarus will. Stallion really needs to learn some manners." Applejack commented, and Rainbow nodded before her eyes narrowed and her hooves went for her guitar strings, with her father's eyes begging mercy. But his daughter had none.

"Go to Tartarus."

KER-ZAP!

Elsewhere, Twilight had found herself separated from the rest of the group in the chaos, and was fending off ten to twenty zombie Changelings all on her own. Just as she had finished off the first batch however, more rained down from the sky like bullets surrounding her and just as they began to close in, Twilight heard a familiar voice...

"YOU! GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"

There stood Shining Armor, wielding the sword only given to the Captain of the Royal Guard, the magnificent gold and blue blade known as the Stormbringer. With one single slash, multiple beams of electricity were sent through the Changelings, destroying them completely as Twilight embraced her brother in a hug.

"BBBFF!" She cried.

"I'll always be here for you Twiley, always. Never forget that, okay?" He reassured in that calm loving tone only a brother could have before he looked skywards towards Grogar, who had broken free of his cage. "Besides, I've got some payback coming." He snarled before with several slashes of his sword he sent three arcs of electricity towards Grogar making him roar in pain giving Luna and Celestia a chance to wrap up Grogar in beams of magic energy, ensnaring him like a python around one of it's victims and lowering him down to street level.

"Now! Now is the time! Strike now, Elements!" Luna ordered, and as the eight Elements of Harmony along with the Doctor regrouped, they got into one final song.



With one magnificent guitar rift, and a cry of "Power Rangers Lost Galaxy!", Sunset fired the first beam from her tiara. Even as she did so, memories came flashing back to her. She remembered watching the show on Netflix, even back when she was the Queen Bitch of Canterlot High. She especially loved the character of Karone, (Even if she didn't want to admit it at the time, nor would she admit to loving the show as she'd lose her uncool status quite fast.) and how she turned from the Dark Empress Astromena into the kind and caring Pink Galaxy Ranger. Secretly, at the time, a small part of her wanted to be that girl, the one who showed that there was still light inside of her despite all the bad she'd done in the world. As the lyrics continued, ("Turn on the Power, Power Rangers, Lost, Lost Galaxy!") the other Elements fired one by one and combined into a rainbow beam of energy which fired itself at Grogar who screamed in rage at the top of his lungs, as just like Discord before him, he was turned into a stone statue.

"Goodbye... Lover." Celestia thought quietly as a tear slipped from her eye and the skies began to clear and the rain stopped falling, revealing the true extent of the damage done to Canterlot. Bodies lay in the street, both of Royal Guard and zombie, not counting the civilian deaths. Buildings lay smashed and in ruins. It would take a very long time to rebuild indeed. Despite all this, Celestia smiled. Armageddon had been adverted, and the day had been won, and by the Magic of Music of all things! Celestia let out a hearty laugh, even as everypony stared at her in confusion.

"Ya know, I'll never understand her." Galaxy commented to himself as he shook his head. "Now, is somepony round here going to wipe the blood off me or do I have to do it myself?"







Later that day, The Elements of Harmony along with Discord, the Doctor, Shining Armor, and the three Princesses stood in the Royal Gardens of Canterlot, watching the now statuefied form of Grogar, his face permanently locked in rage and fury, being moved into place where it would now lay forevermore.

"Ya know, I've been thinking." Luna commented. "The Gardens have been needing an interesting new statue ever since Discord got freed."

"Hullo...? You do know I'm standing right here right?" Discord commented in an offended tone as Fluttershy patted him on the shoulder. Luna just gave him a roguish grin and Discord groaned, letting a talon slide down his face before he blew a raspberry at her as everypony else just laughed. Celestia stood quietly with a deeply saddened look on her face as she watched the statue be moved into position. Twilight, noting her fellow Princess' distress walked up to her and put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"Are you going to be alright, Pri-I mean, Celestia?" Twilight asked softly, after mentally reminding herself that she no longer had to call her former mentor by her title anymore.

"Yeah... I'll be fine." Celestia lied, and said no more on the subject. Just then, they heard the galloping of hooves and a female voice shouting "Doctor!" joyfully. The Doctor turned, and grinned widely. Running up to him was Derpy and his family, and was tackled by all of them as Derpy gave the Doctor a big passionate kiss in front of everypony who blushed and looked away in embarrassment with Applejack hiding her rapidly reddening face with her Stetson. Suddenly, Sunset grew an almost evil smile on her face and turned to Twilight, before grabbing her with a hoof and passionately kissing her.

"Oh, well now this is just getting ridiculous. What next, Fluttershy and Discord kissing?" Rainbow exclaimed in disbelief, and sure enough...

"AW, COME ON!"
> Part 25: Jukebox Heroes (The Encore Chapter: For those about to rock...)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweet Apple Acres, one week later...

"Eh, not to sound paranoid or anything, o-or nervous before the big gig and all..." Rainbow Dash asked as she put her front two hooves together nervously as she leaned back on an amplifier while a white maned pony with brown fur and a silver wrench for a Cutie Mark worked on another amp's wires, making sure they were connected properly and wouldn't cause the mega-watt speaker to go up in a huge explosion on stage. (It had happened before with the band "Heard it through the Grapevine" once before. Huge mess to clean up afterwards. Long story, and ended up getting the band's sound technician fired... Out of a borrowed Party Cannon. At least that was how the rumors told it.) "B-But are you sure that thing's hooked up properly?"

The other mare, whose name was Silver Spanner glared back at her. She really didn't like anypony questioning her abilities. She was the best damn mechanic and technician this side of Equestria and she let everypony knew it. Rudely. Very rudely.

"Trottingham parts, Canterlot parts. All made in bloody Haywan." She scoffed before muttering a few rude phrases under her breath, sounding suspiciously like "Arrogant rainbow Cloudbuckers questioning her ability..." along with a few other none too nice phrases not fit to print. Rainbow rolled her eyes and muttered "Pot calls kettle black." quietly to herself. Anyways, I bet you want to know what's the story here. Well, basically after the destruction of Canterlot, Twilight knew the money in the Royal Treasury may or may not have been enough to fix all the costs of the damages, not to mention all the costs for the funerals for the many dead. So, she came up with the idea to hold a concert in Sweet Apple Acres on the Big Apple Stage set up every year for the Ponies of Pop festival to raise the necessary funds. The Rainbooms would be the headlining act for a five song set, although there would be other bands attending, such as Sapphire Shores and the Ocean and Countess Coloratura and her back up group "Glitz and Glam". Needless to say, this was met with a widespread approval from the Canterlot Elite, most surprisingly of all Amadeus Blueblood, whose mansion had been smashed to pieces by an undead Changeling divebomb. (Although nopony considered this too big of a loss, as everypony hated the guy anyways, and thought his constant requests for higher taxation on the rest of Equestria every year... well, month really was just to put it in Luna's own words "Just bucking rude." Yes, that was an exact quote. Luna always had been more potty mouthed than her more well refined and less exuberant sister.)

Nearby, the Doctor sat on a chair strumming the notes to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on a black Fender Stratocaster with a pearl white pickguard. Nopony had bothered to tell him that song would not be played, as they just didn't have the heart to ruin his enthusiasm. Even so, he was playing it brilliantly, and if Octavia had been around to hear it, even she might have been impressed, even if she still didn't have any real love of that ghastly music called "Rock and Roll". Rainbow arched an eyebrow as she watched the Doctor switch to a violin string instead of the pick he was using and began to play the guitar in that manner.

"Okay, now he's just showing off. And coming from me, that's saying something." Rainbow mused dryly to herself on the irony of somepony being a bigger show-off than her. The Doctor grinned as he finished playing the final notes and whispered to himself "Geronimo." before smiling to himself.

"Hmm, I could come to like that phrase." He thought.







Meanwhile, outside the stage a very, VERY large crowd was beginning to gather. Ponies from all across Equestria had come to see the show, and chances were, it wasn't for any of the other bands except the Rainbooms. After all, everypony wanted to see the heroes of Equestria that had defeated both the Dazzlings and the lord of the undead King Grogar perform on stage. From down in Ponyville, all the way out to the Appleloosian Plains to even the ponies of "Our Town" that Twilight and company had freed from a maniacal unicorn dictator named Starlight Glimmer who wanted to take away everypony's Cutie Marks with her Staff of Sameness and therefore make everypony equal in her mind for some yet to be discovered reason. Whispers went throughout the crowd, they were excited and you could feel it in the air. The crowd had just been pumped up from the Countess's latest performance and were now ready to see the Rainbooms bring the house down, as the phrase went.

"I'm telling you man, can ya feel it? The excitement in the air?" A green pony with an electric guitar for a Cutie Mark said to his friend and fellow musician, a purple furred pony with a brown mane and glasses with a musical note wrapped in grape vines for a Cutie Mark, who nodded before noting the dazed way he spoke and sighed in resignation to himself.

"Soundcheck, please tell me yer not on Magic Mushrooms... again." The purple unicorn pony, whose name was Grape Vine said with a deadpan stare.

"T-That was one time! And I was in college! Everypony at that school was high as a kite at one point or another!" Soundcheck replied in a tone that sounded suspiciously like denial.

"Ah wouldn't know. Never made it to college." Grape Vine replied simply before mentally noting "Mental note, never EVER go to Detrot University." to himself and let a hoof slide down his face. Honestly, his friends were so embarrassing at times.

"Hey, who'd you get to foal-sit your niece?" Another voice said from behind, and Grape turned to see another friend of his, Sudoku Quartermane, who was a tan pegasus pony with red hair and wearing glasses like his. Grape smiled and did a mental happy dance. Finally, somepony he knew that wouldn't embarrass him completely.

"Sudoku!" Grape cried out cheerfully before giving his friend a hoofbump. "Didn't know ya were coming! Where's the wife?"

"Out in the Zebra Countries hunting Manticores. Crazy she is, but Faust above I love her." Sudoku sighed wistfully. Grape Vine nodded in agreement. He'd had the pleasantry of meeting Target once, and crazy definitely fit the description of her to the letter. Grape Vine still hated her for that five week trip in a hot air balloon over the Zebra Countries that she made him and Sudoku take. "Anyways, back to the matter at hoof. Who's foal sitting your niece this time? Please tell me it's not that grandmother of hers that you despise so much."

"Nah, it's that Griffin Ah met while Ah was giving a free concert in "Our Town", Aerin Silverfeather. Best choice for the situation, considering his... habits." Grape commented, not wanting to mention his friend and pen pal's habits to anypony. It wasn't like he was embarrassed by them or anything, it was simply Aerin wanted them kept quiet for personal reasons.

"Do I even want to know?" Sudoku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Probably not man, no." Soundcheck answered for him, before Grape could respond, still in that dazed tone of voice. Sudoku leaned over to Grape and whispered in his ear "Please tell me he's not high again." and Grape could only sigh in disgust once more, giving his friend his answer. Then, the lights on the stage went on and the crowd roared in approval. A white unicorn with a copper mane and a treble clef for his Cutie Mark walked on stage and almost at once dropped the microphone he was holding and flushed in embarrassment as the crowd laughed.

"So sorry, dropped it." The unicorn, named Coppermane laughed nervously before clearing his throat. "Ladies and Gentlecolts, would you please give a warm welcome to the heroes of Equestria and bearers of the eight Elements of Harmony, plus one extra special guest star, the RAAAIIINNNBOOOMMMS!"

The crowd roared in approval as the curtain dropped and Coppermane quickly jumped off the stage to let Sunset take the mic even as lights lit up the entire area and stage itself illuminating the band members one by one. The band's logo (Rainbow's Cutie Mark, unsurprisingly)appeared on the big jumbo-tron behind Pinkie's drumkit before this very phase (Inspired by a show Sunset had just gotten into recently)appeared below it in rainbow colored letters.

The Road So Far...



As Sunset sang softly into the microphone "Carry on my wayward son...", images gather from the memories of all those involved from the past few months appeared onscreen. They ranged from Twilight first starting up the machine and shooting a bright beam of blue light into the sky and her whispering to herself "Oh dear. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" to images like Luna experiencing "Enter Sandman" for the first time and Spike joking about how King Sombra was really "King Nothing" to that awkward moment between Spike, Princess Celestia and Twilight discussing the lyrical content of "Dirty Deeds" and Spike asking what all of those methods of killing were in his own innocent way and the resulting argument between Twilight and Celestia over how Spike may or may not become a mass murderer. Then, more images were shown, of the rest of the Mane Six joining in on the fun and hearing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and the resulting discussion over lunch with the Cutie Mark Crusaders joining in on the fun and yelling "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ALIEN INVESTIGATORS YAY!"

"Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high..." Sunset sang, with Twilight and Sonata providing backing vocals as an image of her in her "Sunset Satan" form appeared with the Human Five and Twilight facing off against her. Then, more images were shown, this time of Sunset appearing in a Ponyville alleyway through a portal with the Dazzlings secretly following. As this happened and Sunset sang her heart out, a pony with green fur (Not Soundcheck) and white and orange streaked hair wearing a leather jacket yelled out over the din "I love you Sunset!" and Sunset smiled as the second guitar solo began courtesy of Rainbow and Rarity on her Korg Keyboard with Sunset winking at him and throwing him a magically conjured rose which the lovestruck pony gratefully caught. More images flew by, to the Dazzlings starting to corrupt Ponyville, The Doctor and company traveling space and time to see different concerts in the Human World from the Rainbooms battling the mind controlled ponies and the Dazzlings and the now iconic image of Sunset singing that her past was not today and two golden wings appearing on her back before offering a hoof to Sonata in friendship.

"Carry on, nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you..." Sunset sang, as an image of her and Twilight sharing their first kiss together to the tune of Huey Lewis's "The Power of Love". More images, (Even as the third and final guitar solo, a duel between the Doctor and Rainbow began) of King Grogar still in his shadowy form slaughtering all but Flash Sentry and Shining Armor to Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six redonning their Elements to King Grogar imprisoning both of the Royal Sisters in an iron cage to him starting the Rapture and the ensueing battle, shown from various perspectives of it's participants like Galaxy taking down zombie after zombie with his scythe, the Doctor blasting away some undead griffins with his Sonic before Discord made some more explode and the Doctor's dry reply.

"You do know that's completely disgusting right?" He deadpanned which the crowd laughed at even as the Royal Sisters engaged Grogar in battle and Cadance soon joining them as they blasted an illusion of the undead king into the street and his ensuing mocking laughter.

"How about next time you don't miss, okay? MORONS!"  The onscreen Grogar roared before the pony version of the "Winged Hussars", the Crystal Guard appearing from their homeland courtesy of Cadance and turning the tide of battle. The final image shown was Grogar being turned to stone by an eight colored rainbow beam of light and being placed in the Royal Gardens.

...Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more... Sunset finished as the crowd roared in approval. Coloratura's manager, a white furred stallion wearing glasses and a dark blue suit huffed and muttered "My Countess could have done better..." to himself.



This next song was a personal one for Sunset, as after her offer of friendship was extended to her by the Equestrian Twilight, she found herself wanting. Wanting to do something with her life, and well, when she went to a concert in downtown Canterlot, she heard one guitar, and there her whole life changed. Now she knew what she wanted to do with her life. So, later she picked up one beat-up old guitar, and man it felt good in her hands. This was her destiny, she just knew it. To make her way to the top.

"Now she needs to keep a-rockin, just can't stop. That girl needs to keep a-rockin, make her way to the top..." Sunset sang, pouring all her emotions into the song and even taking up the guitar solo, just because Sunset, for some reason felt the need to show off a bit. Maybe it was because she was caught up in the song, maybe it was her love of the stage and sound, or perhaps even maybe it was because Twilight was right there beside her on that stage, looking on in wonder at her marefriend. Whatever the reason, Sunset played on, and with a few final strums of her guitar, she shouted into the microphone "How'd you like that, huh?" to be greeted by a chorus of cheers while Rainbow crossed her two front forelegs and huffed as she muttered "Totally stole my thunder."



Just as Sunset was about to start the singing for the next song on their setlist, Rainbow took the microphone away from her.

"No, I want to sing this one." Rainbow snarled, and Sunset's eyes widened in surprise as she stuttered out "A-Are you sure?". She knew what Rainbow's past history with her father was like, and how it had affected Rainbow throughout her life. But then she saw the determined look in Rainbow's eyes, and knew this wasn't up for debate. Rainbow growled in remembrance of that bastard of a father of hers, and knew she had to put her past behind her, and this was the perfect way to do it. So, with a strum of her guitar, the song began, with Rainbow singing about the dangers of drinking whiskey, her voice coming almost out as a snarl. Her father was the reason she was today, why she was so brash, so arrogant. She always wanted to prove she was more than what her father said of her, that she wasn't worthless and give her father a personal middle finger as it were and prove that she wasn't just a mistake who never should have been born. As she sung, she remembered every beating, every foul thing that came out of her father's mouth to her. In a way, she supposed, she had him to thank for what she was, a pony who was always searching for a way to prove herself. This was her way of letting out all the anger she'd felt towards her father over the years, and little by little, she felt a great weight being lifted off her shoulders.

"It happened back in the city of clouds so many years ago, Nightmare Moon came to take him and she did it real slow..." Rainbow sung, and the song continued, eventually going into a nasty and dirty solo. Nasty and dirty, just like her father. As soon as the song ended, Rainbow let out one last shout into the microphone.

"That was for you Rainbow Blaze, ya bucking bastard of a father!" She exclaimed, a chapter in her past finally put behind her for good this time.



The next song began with a heavy series of guitar chords, and from the get go the meaning was clear. It was about the life on the road for a rockstar, getting robbed, getting beaten, and getting broken boned. It was all about the Rock and Roll lifestyle, and despite the rather grim depiction of the life, it was obvious it was all in good fun, even with all the "Getting had, getting stoned..." and all that. 

"I'm telling you folks, it's harder than it looks. It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll!"

Then, to everypony's surprise some Royal Guards (A result from a prearranged deal with Flash Sentry and Twilight) teleported in and began playing bagpipes, AKA the most irritating sound in the world.

"Ugh, bagpipes, the worst sound to come out of Trottingham. Why oh why did somepony think to come up with those Tartarus be damned things?" Celestia muttered in disgust as she attempted to cover her ears with her hooves, thinking to herself Discord had to have had a talon in creating them. It was in his very nature to irritate everypony in any and every conceivable way possible Luna on the other hoof, didn't seem to mind. The bagpipes were perfectly in time with the song, and even added an extra flair to it, if she had to say for herself.

"I dunno sister, I think they kinda work with the song." Luna replied. For a moment, her eyes wandered briefly to the night sky, and she swore she thought she saw a red maned figure with white wings flying around up there, but brushed it off as just her imagination. It simply couldn't be...

"Fair point." Celestia mused, although she wouldn't admit it aloud. She also made a mental reminder to have all bagpipes in Equestria destroyed once this was all over. Preferably by being burned at the stake.



The next song began with soft synthesizer notes, and a softly strung guitar. This was another personal one for Sunset, and for Twilight as well. This time they sung as a duet. As they sung about how every little thing they did for each other was magic, they remembered all the awkward feelings for each other they'd had around each other since Sunset first returned to Equestria. In hindsight they supposed, it was rather silly of them to not admit each other's feelings to each other, and instead of dancing around them, they should have just admitted it right from the start. Rarity smirked as she played her part, remembering how she finally gave Twilight the shove she needed.

"Oh Twilight, you silly mare!" Rarity chortled in amusement at Twilight's obliviousness to her obvious feelings for Sunset. "You're in love darling!"

"N-No... No, that's impossible! Love?" Twilight denied, finding it impossible to believe the obvious truth staring snack dab in front of her, even if she didn't see it. Rarity then found herself giving her friend a deadpan expression.

"Twilight, we've all noticed. Sunset. Loves. You!" Rarity exclaimed as if speaking to a child. "And I think it's fairly obvious you love her back." Rarity continued. "So do us all a favor, and if you pardon my language not suited for a lady here, damn well tell her about it!"

Rarity wasn't even blushing at her language use, as she felt it absolutely necessary in this particular case. She then shoved Twilight out of her shop with a shout of "Now get going!" before slamming the boutique door shut.


Back in the present, Twilight and Sunset continued their duet.

"Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on!" Sunset and Twilight sung together, and in the audience ponies were cheering and stomping their hooves. Princess Cadance as she looked at the twosome, could feel the waves of love blossoming off the two, outshining every other couple there.

"W-Wow..." One particular pegasus with orange fur and a wavy brown mane mane and tail with blue streaks in them whispered. Oh how she wished she could find somepony like that, but with her luck in love chances are that would never come to pass. But then she felt a hoof offered to her by a stallion everypony in Ponyville recognized as Big Mac.

"Wanna dance?" He asked, in his deep baritone voice, and with a nervous nod, Solar Blitz, for that was this particular pegasi's name accepted and they swayed together in the moonlight to the music. Nearby, Grape Vine was bobbing his head to the music and smiled and pulled out a golden pocket watch, and looked at the face of the mare inside it, a mare with azure blue fur and a mane with the colors of the clearest of blue skies. Grape wished she could be here to see this, but alas, his special somepony was off touring in Las Pegasus... Or at least that's what he thought, right up until the moment he was pulled into a passionate kiss by the mare of his dreams.

"T-Trixie?" Grape stuttered in shock. "W-What are you doing here?"

"For you, and the music of course. Why, Trixie wouldn't miss this for the world!" The stagemare proclaimed and then, just as the song came to it's conclusion, everypony, including the Royal Sisters themselves were in for a grand shock as landing right in the middle of the crowd was a tall, taller than even Celestia and Luna themselves if you could believe it, pure white Alicorn with magnificent white wings and a long horn with a red mane and an ink bottle for a Cutie Mark.



"M-Mother...?" Celestia whispered with a tear in her eye and the unknown Alicorn embraced her in a hug. Both Luna and her sister had thought their mother long dead, ascended to the heavens above, but it seemed, that was not the case at all.

"Yes, My Little Pony, I've come home at last." Faust replied with a smile as Sunset's and the rest of the Rainbooms' jaws collectively dropped before Twilight summed up what pretty much everypony was thinking in a single sentence.

"Holy Crap..."

THE END...?