Flurry Heart and Pumpkin Cake get a chance to meet their favorite pop-singer, Night Shade, but they soon realize he’s not as good of a pony as they expected.
The biggest pop sensation in all of Equestria is coming to Ponyville: NIGHT SHADE! Flurry Heart and Pumpkin Cake have tickets and get a chance to see him in concert! Unfortunately, Nightshade has a very suspicious manager who works for a corrupt music industry, set to control all aspects of their performers’ lives. Will this put a dampening on Nightshade’s relationship with his fans? An old familiar face in the pop music industry may have information that will change everything for Flurry and Pumpkin.
Inspired by the official show, this is part of a fan-made sequel series I created called "Flurry Heart's Story", which documents the adventures of Flurry Heart as she makes friends and faces new and familiar villains, some of which may still be redeemable.
Flurry Heart's Story and its author are in no way associated with Hasbro or any of the creative team behind My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This series is entirely fan-made and is created in honor of the official show. No copyright infringement is intended or encouraged. Please support the official release.
Pumpkin dashed out of Sugarcube Corner at high speeds, carrying two small tickets with her magic. Pound flew after her, trying his best to keep up. Pumpkin ran around, zooming by a few ponies that were walking in the streets of Ponyville.
“S’CUSE ME! COMING THROUGH! SORRY!” Pumpkin told them as they stumbled and almost fell back.
A pony couple was sitting at a table near a restaurant that Pumpkin leaped over. She nearly caused them to spill their drinks but barely missed them. The ponies scolded her.
“I say!” said the female pony.
“Hey, watch it, kid!” her husband added.
“Sorry about my sister, everypony!” Pound told them, nervously.
Pumpkin kept leaping over other objects in her way as she continued to run with a huge smile on her face.
“Geez, Pump! Might wanna slow down before you wreck the place!” Pound teased.
“I’M SORRY, BRO, BUT I CAN’T HELP IT!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!” she replied.
As they neared the edge of town, they continued down the path to the crystal palace where their friends were. Inside the palace library, Flurry was reading a magazine with Spike sitting next to her, munching on a gem candy bar. Stormy was playing a small hoof-held video game with Chip and Annie watching him while Starlight, Sunburst, and Trixie all sat at a table talking. The door then swung open. Pumpkin ran inside screaming with Pound close behind her. Stormy jumped and nearly broke his game.
“AGH! Pumpkin, you made me lose my last life!” Stormy said, angrily.
“FLURRY!!” Pumpkin shouted as she walked over to the alicorn princess. “You will not believe what just happened!”
“What is it, Pumpkin?” Flurry asked.
“Guess who just convinced her mother to get two tickets for the upcoming Ponyville concert?”
“Judging by the fact that you’ve got those two tickets, I’m guessing you did?”
“Correct! And guess who I just found out is gonna be the featured singer for said concert!”
“Um…”
“Ok fine, I’ll give you a hint: only the greatest, most fabulous, most talented pop-singer in all of Equestria!”
“You…you mean…”
“That’s right!”
“NIGHT SHADE!! AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!” they both shouted in unison as they twirled around.
“Night Shade is coming to Ponyville to do a concert?!” Starlight asked. “I LOVE HIS MUSIC!”
“Oh gosh! It’s just hard to believe they got somepony so popular for a concert in little old Ponyville!” Sunburst added.
“Alright, you two. Settle down,” Spike laughed as he tried to calm Flurry and Pumpkin down.
“Spike, you have no idea how big of a deal Night Shade is!” Flurry said.
“Oh believe me, I do. I think every pony does. Night Shade’s huge all over Equestria!”
“Wow! Lucky Pumpkin and Flurry!” Chip said.
“Urrrgggh…” Stormy grumbled.
“What’s the matter, Stormy?” Annie asked.
“I can’t stand Night Shade’s music. I always have to plug my ears every time that lady’s voice comes on the radio!”
“Lady!? Stormy, you silly goose! Night Shade is a boy!” Pumpkin laughed.
“What? Night Shade’s a boy?! HAHAHA! I thought it was a girl this whole time! He sure sings like one!”
Stormy fell back on the ground and flailed his legs around as he laughed.
“Oh don’t listen to him. Flurry, all that matters is that you and I have these tickets and we’re going to use them to see the Prince of Pop himself tomorrow night!”
“I’m so excited, Pumpkin! I remember the day I first heard his music when I walked in on Mom cleaning her bedroom while dancing to My Heart Can’t Stop Beating For You! She let me listen to the rest of his album and I was hooked!”
“I had a feeling you and Pumpkin would really bond once I found out you were into Night Shade too,” Pound told Flurry. “Pumpkin knows everything about that guy. She’s got albums, t-shirts…the whole nine yards.”
“Night Shade is the epitome of talent!” Pumpkin went on as she brought over a magazine with an article about him. “He’s one of the best-selling artists of all time and continues to place #1 in the charts! His contributions to music, dance, and fashion have made him a huge figure in pop culture! His highest-rated albums are Treacherous and Wicked! I own all of them of course!”
“And the song My Heart Can’t Stop Beating for You is sooo catchy!” Flurry added.
“So is Instiller, especially if you listen to it around Nightmare Night!”
“Well Flurry, I’m guessing they would have just let you in free, but you guys can use those tickets if you want. I think my royal advisor status is enough to let me get a free pass since I need to accompany you anyway,” said Spike.
“OOOH OOOH OOOH! We can all come in too! We’ll get our own tickets!” Starlight shouted excitedly as she pointed to Sunburst and Trixie.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing him perform in concert for once!” Sunburst said. “Now that I know he’s here, I’ll go get myself a ticket. You want in, Trixie?”
“Eh, probably not if you don’t mind. Pop music is all right, but the Great and Powerful Trixie would prefer listening to something classical and empowering. Something that makes her feel like she can take on the world! Like she’s a living goddess that no one stands up to!”
Starlight and Sunburst giggled while everyone else stared at Trixie.
“What? Oh come on. I can’t be the only one who does that.”
“Chip, Annie, you guys interested?” Pumpkin asked the Apple Twins.
“Eh, Night Shade’s pretty good, but you guys go ahead without us,” Chip replied.
“Chip and I are more into country,” Annie added, smiling bashfully.
“Country? BLEGH! Doesn’t anypony in here appreciate rock and roll?” Stormy said as he went airborne and pretended to play an electric guitar.
“Alright Stormy. Let the girls have their fun,” Pound said, putting his hoof on Stormy’s shoulder. “Flurry, Pumpkin, I think we’ll sit this one out, but you girls have fun at the concert.”
“Yeah, why don’t you two go on without me. Get a little time to yourselves and all,” Trixie told Sunburst and Starlight as she winked to them.
“Uh…time to ourselves?” Sunburst replied, blushing.
“EEEH! We’re gonna have so much fun there, Sunburst!” Starlight squealed as she squished Sunburst’s cheeks together and brought him in close to her face.
Pumpkin then jumped on top of the table and used her magic to bring over a boom box. She placed a cassette tape inside and pressed the play button.
“Now I think it’s only appropriate that we all celebrate with some Night Shade music!” she called as My Heart Can’t Stop Beating for You started playing.
“NOOOO!” squawked Stormy as he covered his ears with his hooves.
“Aw come on, Stormy! This song is technically a rock song!” Pound told Stormy.
“I DON’T CARE!”
Pumpkin held the boom box on top of her hooves as she let it play the music. Flurry jumped on next to her and sang into a rolled up magazine like it was a microphone. On the floor, Starlight was really getting into the music and got Sunburst to dance with her as Trixie watched them in amusement. Everyone else except Stormy even began to dance a little.
“Hehe. Those two are gonna have the time of their lives,” Spike laughed as he watched Flurry and Pumpkin.
“Come on, Sunburst!” Starlight shouted as she rushed to get in line. “The sooner we get in line, the better chance we have of getting a seat up front!”
“It’s only a concert of about a hundred or so ponies, Starlight,” Sunburst told her.
“I know, but don’t you wanna be as close as possible?”
“It sure would be nice. I just hope we aren’t too close to any screaming fangirls.”
“EEEEEEEH!” Pumpkin shouted right on cue.
“Alright, Pumpkin. Calm down,” Spike told her.
“Spike, how can we be calm?!” Flurry asked. “We’re about to see Night Shade! Everyone’s going to be screaming there!”
“That’s right! This is the chance of a lifetime and we’re actually here for it!” Pumpkin added.
“Hehe. Girls,” Spike laughed as he shook his head back and forth.
They all got in line with other excited ponies, waiting to enter the concert stage that had been set up in a field bordering Ponyville. Since it was a small town, the wait would not be too long. It would only take about half an hour. As the sun began to set, the security guards finally unlatched some ropes and let the ponies start entering to give them their tickets. Starlight and Sunburst got past the checkpoint and went to buy some merchandise at the vendor before the concert would start.
“Alright. One adult, two children…oh! Your highness!” said the ticket pony, just noticing Flurry.
“You can call me Flurry, Sir,” she said, politely.
“Oh. I mean Flurry, of course. Well if you want, I can just let you in free since you’re royalty.”
“That’s okay, but you can let my bodyguard in for free in my place. My friend and I have no problem using our tickets. We’ve waited for this night ever since we became fans of Night Shade.”
“Absolutely! Enjoy the concert!”
Flurry and Pumpkin galloped in past the checkpoint. The staff gave Spike a nod and he followed the girls as they went to join Sunburst and Starlight at the vendor.
Back inside the Crystal Palace, Trixie sat back in a chair with her legs on a table. She used her magic to bring over a small cassette player with a design pattern similar to her cape and hat.
“Alright kids,” she told Pound, Stormy, Chip and Annie, “It’s just you and me tonight. Trixie’s had a long day and needs to wind down with a little Totrota and Fugue in D Minor if you don’t mind. You’re all little angels so don’t hold yourselves back. The castle is all yours, just behave and don’t run off.”
“Thanks Trixie,” Annie said, politely as the others smiled.
“We’ll be on our best behavior,” Chip added.
Trixie turned on the player and started listening to her music. She closed her eyes and leaned back with her arms behind her head. She hummed along to the music and waved one hoof as if she was conducting.
“Alright, she’s distracted. Whadaya say we go raid the kitchen and eat all the oat bites?” Stormy said, mischievously.
“Stormy, the last time you did that, you got caught,” Pound told him.
“Yeah, but not this time!”
Stormy started to take off, but Chip grabbed his tail with his mouth. He got him to stop and spat his tail back out.
“Stormy, let’s do something safer. How about we go watch Pound play Seapony Adventures on the Joy Box.”
“Boooooring! Let’s go break some rules for once!”
“Storm, I got an idea,” Pound said as he brought everyone in close to whisper to them. “How about we sneak out and go watch the Night Shade concert on one of the branches of the new clubhouse tree?”
“Uh…I dunno, Pound. You think we’re allowed to be up there yet?” Chip asked, cautiously.
“Sure we are! I know they’re still working on improving the inside, but we won’t do any harm if all we do is sit up there and watch.”
“I’m down for it,” Annie chimed in.
“I guess it couldn’t hurt. Trixie’s distracted but the town’s safe for us to be around at night anyway,” Chip said.
“GUYS! I don’t wanna watch that concert! I hate Night Shade’s music!” Stormy whined.
“Please Stormy? I’m gonna need you to fly me up there,” said Annie, making a sad face as her eyes grew large and cute.
“UGH! For you, Annie.”
“Alright, let’s do this!” Pound said.
They all started to walk out the door, but Trixie teleported right in front of them. She stood there with a stern look on her face and removed her headphones.
“You naughty little foals,” she said in a foreboding voice.
“Tr-Trixie!” shouted Pound.
“You thought you could get past the Great and Powerful Trixie just like that? Don’t you know Trixie has eyes in the back of her head?”
“Wait, she’s got eyes in the back of her head?” asked Stormy.
“AND EARS! I heard every word you said in the midst of my crescendo. So you wish to scamper off to see the concert from atop a totally-illegal vantage point, do you?”
“Uh…yeah?” Annie said, nervously.
Trixie stared menacingly at them for a few moments, until she finally smiled and began to giggle.
“Oh, who am I kidding? Come on, you little rascals! We’ll all go watch it!”
“Phew! You scared us there for a minute, Trixie,” Chip said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Nah! Some rules are meant to be broken! Come on. Maybe we can catch a glimpse of what the others are doing.”
As the concert was getting warmed up, ponies in the crowd were talking amongst each other. Flurry and Pumpkin were showing off some of their Night Shade gear they had. Flurry had bought a shirt with a picture of Night Shade on it while Pumpkin had a hat that said “Treacherous”. Off to the side, Starlight and Sunburst had bought new albums they were discussing.
“So Flur, what song do you think he’s going to open with?” Pumpkin asked.
“Hmmm. I’m guessing My Heart Can’t Stop Beating For You. That one’s pretty popular on the radio right now,” Flurry responded.
“I’m gonna go with Instiller. I know it’s not Nightmare Night yet, but that song sounds perfect any time of the year!”
“You know there hasn’t been a crowd this big at a concert since Rara was here years ago,” Spike told the girls as he was observing the crowd.
“Oh, Countess Coloratura?” Pumpkin replied. “Mom and Dad told me they actually watched that concert with us! Sadly I don’t remember it since Pound and I were babies, but it’s good to know I was there. It’s so awesome how that was the time she turned on her crazy manager.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Night Shade’s manager isn’t nearly that bad,” Flurry added.
Suddenly, the lights over the bleachers and stage went down and ponies started cheering.
“Oh! The concert’s starting!” Pumpkin squealed.
Meanwhile by the tree, Pound carried Chip up to a branch while Stormy carried Annie. They set them down and then sat next to them. Trixie snuck onto one of the larger branches next to them and lay down on the branch while keeping her eyes on them. The announcer for the concert could finally be heard.
“Fillies and gentlecolts, thank you for coming to the Annual Ponyville Young Artist’s Concert! We promised you a worthwhile event last year and we did not disappoint!”
As the announcer spoke, some ponies dressed as royal trumpeters walked out and lined up on two sides of the stage. They were carrying long horns with flags hanging from them with a black and white graphic of Night Shade’s cutie mark.
“What the hay? I thought this was a pop concert. Are they introducing Princess Twilight or something?” asked Stormy.
“Shhh! Just watch, Storm. This is an awesome song,” Pound told him.
“It better be,” Stormy said, crossing his arms.
“Put your hooves together for the Prince of Pop himself, the one and only NIGHT SHAAAAAADE!!!”
The trumpeters put up their horns and blew into them. The tune they were playing was instantly recognizable and the ponies in the crowd knew right away this was Instiller. This song started off with a royal trumpet procession followed by a creepy ambience building up and a monstrous voice.
“BEWARE THE INSTILLER!” said the voice.
Mist was released on stage. The trumpeters gave their trumpets to some staff ponies down by the edge of the stage and quickly tore off their uniforms and switched hats to reveal they were actually the backup dancers. Just as this happened, the music instantly took a different turn. It was the same tune the trumpets were playing but now with an R&B groove and some edgy rock. The silhouette of a pony standing with his arms spread out could be seen in the center of the stage behind the mist. Night Shade began to enter and could be seen more clearly now. He was wearing a white coat with a black button-up shirt and a white tie. He had on a white fedora and a sparkly glove over one of his hooves. This was the signature look seen in the music video for Instiller. His dancers all had on the same outfits but with reverse clothes and were all wearing special horseshoes on their hind legs.
The audience erupted in applause. Night Shade started walking on all fours, trotting to the beat. He then moonwalked his way out onto the edge of the stage to the microphone. Once he got there, he spun around with grace, grabbed the microphone and began to sing.
Woke up at 3 am
Heard knocks on my door (on my door)
Chills run right down my spine
Footsteps on the floor (on the floor)
I go to open up
But there’s no one there (no one there)
Just my imagination
Why should I care (should I care)
But then I turn around
And the lights they start to flicker
I start to realize something isn’t right
Ooooh ooooh!
I try to flip the switch
But I’m only met with lightning
And now I know what’s happening tonight
It’s an Instiller
No way to escape its clutches
It’s a real killer
Will you survive the night?
It’s an Instiller
Try not to let it take you
Be brave and fight on till you get this right
Instiller!
The crowd sang along with Night Shade. Flurry and Pumpkin clapped their hooves to the beat as Spike tapped his foot. Starlight and Sunburst were enjoying themselves just the same and sang along to the lyrics. Night Shade continued to dance and sing in perfect rhythm. He never missed a single beat or botched a single lyric.
Screams of terror and anguish
Ring in my ears (in my ears)
Creatures march all around
They feed off my fears (off my fears)
Ghosts and spirits are floating
All above me (above me)
What do I do to stop them
SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEE!
But I suddenly remember
What momma once told me
Whenever I’m alone and can’t see the light
Yeah yeah yeah!
She said don’t let em get to ya
You know it’s smoke and mirrors
Just sing this song and it’ll be alriiiiiight
BE ALRIIIIIIGHT!
It’s an Instiller
I will escape its clutches
It’s a real killer
I will survive the night
It’s an Instiller
I will not let it take me
I’ll keep on fighting till I get this right
Instiller!
Over at the tree, Chip, Annie and Pound bobbed their heads and swayed back and forth to the music. Stormy looked rather grumpy and still had his arms crossed, but then he realized his head was bobbing too. He grabbed his head to hold it still, but his hoof started tapping. He reached down and tried to get it to stop, but he lost his balance and fell into some leaves in the branch below before he could even open his wings. The angry little pegasus poked his head up and spat some leaves out of his mouth as the others giggled. Trixie lay back in the tree branch she was on with her hooves behind her head. She crossed her legs, which were both moving to the beat. Although pop music wasn’t her scene, she was also enjoying this concert.
“Well I must say, I’m impressed!” she said. “Hope Glim and Sunny are having fun down there too.”
After the second chorus, Night Shade utilized his special horseshoes by latching them into small bolts on the stage, allowing him to do an “anti-gravity lean” on two legs with the back-up dancers. The crowd cheered even louder. They then did other iconic dances that Night Shade was known for like the moonwalk and the zombie dance. As the bridge was finishing, Night Shade went back to his mic to finish the song.
So when you’re scared and lonely
Remember what I’ve taught ya
Don’t let those wily demons get ya down
No no no!
Don’t let em get to ya
You know it’s smoke and mirrors
Just sing this song and it’ll be alriiiiiight
It’s an Instiller
I will escape its clutches
It’s a real killer
I will survive the night
It’s an Instiller
I will not let it take me
I’ll keep on fighting till I get this right
Instiller!
Just as the song finished, he put one hoof up in the air, and fireworks were launched from behind the stage. Everyone clapped and stomped while girls in the crowd screamed as loud as they could. Night Shade smiled and nodded to everyone. The dancers all rested and looked back and forth to congratulate each other on a job well done with the first song.
Everyone on the tree applauded softly so no one would hear them.
“See, Stormy? That wasn’t so bad,” said Pound.
“Eh, it was okay, I guess,” Stormy said, shaking more leaves off his head. “Kinda sounds like a rip-off of Pinkie Pie’s ‘Giggle at the Ghostly’ song.”
“That was so awesome!” Flurry shouted down in the stands.
“Someone pinch me! I must be dreaming!” Pumpkin joined in.
Spike stood with his arms crossed and smiled as the girls bounced up and down with excitement. He then looked up to see a male unicorn walk on stage carrying five small pieces of paper with his magic.
“Thank you, Ponyville!” shouted Night Shade before the audience screamed. “You guys are an awesome crowd! Now, before we continue, the manager has an important announcement to make.”
Night Shade handed the microphone to the manager next to him and he spoke into it.
“Thank you, Night Shade! Now for those of you in attendance, I hope you bought one of our hats because there’s something special for you under there! If you turn the hats over, you’ll see there’s a six-digit code printed on the inside. I did a random drawing of five codes earlier, and whoever has the right codes will get to do singing lessons with Night Shade for the rest of his time here in Ponyville!”
The crowd cheered again and everyone who was wearing a hat from the vendor took theirs off to check the codes.
“Alright, get ready. The first code is 111488. Again, that’s 111488.”
A male pony raised his hand and started shouting. The security ponies let him walk out on stage. He walked up to Night Shade and shook his hand as the announcer did two more drawings with the codes 010283 and 021483. Pumpkin looked at her hat while listening to the drawings but he did not call hers yet. Her code was 082958.
“I sure hope I get the drawing,” she said.
“I wish I got one of those hats,” Flurry said. “I don’t usually wear caps cuz they don’t fit so well with my horn, but it’ll be great if you win anyway, Pumpkin.”
“Thanks Flurry. I probably won’t win, but we can still get his autograph and picture later!”
“Yeah, thank goodness I’m royalty and Mom and Dad gave me a lot of cash for this.”
“Alright,” said the manager “The fourth code is 082958. Again, that’s 082958.”
Pumpkin looked again at her hat, unsure if she heard right. She read it over just to be sure. Her eyes opened wider and she smiled.
“THAT’S ME!!! I GOT IT!!” she screamed
“Oh my gosh! Pumpkin, you got it!!” Flurry responded.
“Alright Pumpkin Cake!” Spike said, patting her on the back.
Pumpkin rushed to the stage. The guards let her in and she walked up to Night Shade. She was a bit nervous but remained as confident as she could. Night Shade shook her hoof as she excitedly introduced herself.
Back at the tree, Pound took to the skies to get a closer look. He saw Pumpkin walking out on stage.
“That’s Pumpkin! THAT’S PUMPKIN! PUMP WON THE DRAWING!!”
“Sweet mother of Twilight Sparkle! Are you serious?!” shouted Chip.
“Aw, that’s awesome!” Annie joined in.
Stormy looked surprised at hearing this but didn’t celebrate as much as the others. He was happy that Pumpkin won something but still didn’t care for Night Shade, so he nonchalantly clapped his hooves.
“Alright, and now for the final drawing, everypony!” said the manager. “The final code is 062509. Again, 062509.”
Everyone looked around, expecting someone to respond, but there was no answer.
“Let me repeat: 062509. Anypony have 062509? Anypony?”
The audience remained silent and no one spoke up.
“062509? No one has it? Either someone’s not paying attention or they lost their hat cuz we sold out of our hats, so someone’s gotta have it.”
“Come on everypony,” called Night Shade. “Anyone got 062509?”
They waited a few more seconds and no one responded. Pumpkin looked at Flurry in the audience and then whispered something into Night Shade’s ear as the manager kept trying to find the winner.
“Well, looks like we’ll have to go with just four winners, cuz I already did the drawing.”
“Actually, one of our other winners has a friend of hers she’d like to invite on stage for the fifth spot if that’s okay with you,” said Night Shade.
“Oh? Well then in that case, where is she, honey?”
The manager handed the microphone to Pumpkin.
“Thanks guys. I just wanted to see if my friend could join us. Flurry, get on up here, girl!” Pumpkin shouted.
Flurry’s eyes opened wide and then she smiled. She looked back to Spike and he nodded and pushed her along. The guards bowed and parted for her immediately since she was royalty. Everyone in the crowd cheered loudly and started shouting her name. Most of them were from Ponyville and knew about Flurry’s important trip to learn about friendship for the summer. After what she did to help them against Cozy Glow and reforming Tirek, they couldn’t help but feel happy for her. Flurry flew up on stage and hugged Pumpkin tightly before getting to Night Shade.
“PUMPKIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!” she said with delight.
“I figured it was the best I could do for my pal!” Pumpkin replied.
“Princess! It’s great to see you here!” said Night Shade, walking over to greet Flurry.
“Night Shade! Pumpkin Cake and I are huge fans of yours! I’m so happy to be here!” Flurry said as she shook his hoof.
“I can’t wait to have you both in my lessons for the next few days. I’ve been looking forward to awarding my fans like this!”
Flurry looked out into the crowd, so happy for what had happened that night. She waved to Spike, Starlight and Sunburst as they waved back. She then looked further and saw someone flying above the new clubhouse tree in Ponyville with several others beneath him. It was the rest of her friends with Trixie. She pointed them out to Pumpkin and they both waved back.
“Well it sure was worth coming out here to do this! Never thought I’d like pop music as much as I do now! Consider Trixie a fan of Night Shade too!” Trixie said, happily.
“Same here! And that was so nice of Pumpkin to do for Flurry!” said Annie.
“Boy are they gonna have a great time with those lessons. Not that Flurry really needs lessons anyway, but we just might hear Pumpkin singing a lot more from now on,” said Chip.
“Come on, Stormy. You’ve gotta at least be happy for them,” Pound told Stormy.
“I am happy for them,” Stormy said, smiling bashfully. “I just hope he’s nice to them is all.”
Back at the stage, the five winners of the drawing walked back down with some pamphlets the manager gave them, which contained a special pass to get in for lessons the next day as well as autograph vouchers to use after the concert. As the dancers got ready for the next song, a dark zebra wearing sunglasses was seen behind the curtains, watching Night Shade interact with the five winners. He did not appear very amused with what he had seen.
“Night Shade, you fool,” he said in a deep sinister accent. “I told you to stay away from the royals.”
A crew of ponies with filming equipment and microphones stood outside of a building with the zebra at Night Shade’s concert. They were doing a news story on the concert and interviewing him. The female reporter pony was standing in front of a camera with the zebra off to the side. Her cameraman gave her the cue to start talking and she and the zebra both smiled and got ready.
“We are here in front of the Ponyville Center for Performing Arts with an exclusive interview with Zeb the Zebra, who is the manager for famed artist Night Shade,” said the reporter. “So Mr. Zeb, how would you describe last night’s concert?”
“Oh, absolutely spectacular. I haven’t seen Night Shade that energetic for a concert in quite some time,” he replied.
“Now one thing we were really surprised by was the drawing they did where five lucky concert-goers were chosen at random to be in a singing class with Night Shade. What prompted Night Shade to do this?”
“Well Night Shade really has a close connection to his fans and wants to spread his love of music. He figured he best thing he could do is invite a few random fans to join in. He’s planning on doing it again for another concert, at least if he goes to a small town.”
“And is it true that Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire is one of those winners?”
Zeb stuttered and appeared surprised at the question, but he quickly found a way to avoid answering it.
“I…uh…I actually wasn’t there when the winners were brought on stage and I’d rather not speculate. I apologize. Do you mind if we cut that part of the interview for when this goes into post and just skip to the next question?”
“Yeah, don’t worry, we’ll scrap that part. Anyways…do you expect Night Shade will be encouraged to perform in other small towns in the future after last night?”
“Oh I have no doubt he will be interested in it. Some small towns are a bit hard to get into with the cost a bit high for them, but Night Shade will find ways I’m sure.”
“Alright…I think that’s good enough for the interview, boys. Let’s shoot some more B-roll of the PCPA.”
The cameraman turned off this camera and they moved to another location to get some other shots. The reporter put her microphone down and turned back to Zeb.
“Thank you so much for the interview, sir, and don’t worry about that one question. We won’t be using all of this in the broadcast.”
“It was my pleasure, ma’am.”
The reporter went back to her crew to help them. Zeb dropped his smile and turned around to speak with some handlers.
“Did the papers say anything about the princess?” he asked one with a newspaper in his arm.
“Even worse. The top photo has a picture of him on stage with all the winners including Flurry Heart,” said the handler, showing him the front page, “The local news really likes to talk about this girl, especially after what she did in the Midnight Kingdom recently. It was inevitable.”
Zeb put his hoof over his face and grumbled.
“So now everybody knows. And they’ll probably interview the princess at some point too. Now I understand why Svengallop warned me about Ponyville. Have they started the lessons yet?”
“Looks like they have.”
“Alright. I’ll see if I can talk to him about it later. He was too tired after last night so he crashed and went to sleep back at the inn. Hopefully I’m not too late to do it after the first lesson.”
“That’s gonna be pretty hard to do at this point, Zeb. You know how close he is to his fans.”
“Yeah, well he’ll find he has no other choice. I have ways to convince him. Trust me.”
Inside the performing arts center, Night Shade was starting his lessons in a classroom that was reserved for him with each of the five winners of last night’s drawing. Before getting started with the singing, he decided to have each of them give their names and tell everyone about themselves.
“Alright, everypony,” he said as he stood in front of the classroom. “First of all, I’m really happy to have you all in here. I’ve been looking forward to meeting more of my fans and getting to spread my love of music to them. Maybe not all of you will go on to become singers like me, but I hope I can pass on some good knowledge and get to know you. First of all, let’s go down from my left to right and say your name, tell us a bit about ourselves, and tell if you have any previous experience with singing. We’ll go with you first, sir.”
Night Shade pointed to the blue unicorn stallion with brown hair and a cutie mark of a camera.
“Hey guys. My name is Shutter Lens. I’m a photographer from just outside of Ponyville and I’m not the greatest singer, but my parents always said I did pretty well for a pony with no lessons, so hopefully this is my time to shine.”
“Thank you, Shutter Lens. You next, Miss.”
Next was a filly pegasus who was pink with dark brown hair and an eighth note for a cutie mark.
“Hey, everypony. My name is Allegra. I’m ten years old and I’ve been singing since I was just three years old. I’m a huge fan of Night Shade’s, and my dream is to become an artist like him someday.”
“Awesome! Thank you Allegra! And you next?”
Besides Allegra was a plump yellow earth pony mare with orange hair and a cutie mark of three peaches.
“Hey, everypony. I’m Peachy Pie. I work at a fruit stand and I’ve done a bit of singing in my life. I’m not the greatest, but I’m also a big fan of Night Shade and I hope I can learn more about singing and maybe join a choir or something.”
“Thank you, Peachy Pie. And now for you, sweetie.”
Pumpkin cleared her throat and started to speak.
“Hey everypony. My name is Pumpkin Cake and my family owns a confectionary down the street called Sugarcube Corner. I’ll be honest and say I’m not the best singer either; I could definitely use some lessons, but I’ve been following Night Shade for quite some time and his music really inspires me.”
“Pumpkin Cake! Lovely name! And I already know your name of course, but would you care to introduce yourself anyway, Princess?”
Night Shade finally turned to Flurry and she spoke up.
“Greetings, everypony. You know me of course. I’m Flurry Heart, the princess of the Crystal Empire. Not meaning to brag, but I actually do get a lot of praise for my singing. It comes from my mom’s side of the family. I’ve been listening to Night Shade for a few years now and he really inspires me. If it weren’t for my friend Pumpkin Cake, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Flurry and Pumpkin put their arms around each other and smiled.
“Thank you, Princess! Yeah, that was such a nice thing of your friend to do for you last night. Well now that we’ve gotten introductions out of the way, let’s all go over some basic fundamentals.”
The five of them all sat down in a circle as Night Shade stood at the front to start his lessons.
“First of all: you know the one question I get a lot is how do I sing so loudly yet so effectively. Well the thing is, you don’t want to force yourself to sing really loud or really hard. That can be taxing on your vocal cords. The key is to go easy on yourself and try to sing a little softer than you intend. If you can hit the notes right, you’re already at a good start. Now I believe it was Allegra and Flurry Heart that said they’ve had experience with singing and started at a young age. For the rest of you, don’t worry; it’s not too late. And don’t feel like you sound bad compared the experienced singers in this group. A lot of great singers start out sounding bad, but through practice, you can improve. Now I want to have Flurry and Allegra come up to show me how they sing and then we’ll try the rest of you. If you aren’t comfortable with your voice, we’ll work on getting them in shape. So you girls wanna give it a try? Let’s have Allegra go first.”
Flurry and Allegra both walked up to the front of the room to show off their singing. Flurry waited on the side as Allegra cleared her throat and got ready.
“Okay, what should I sing?” she asked Night Shade.
“Anything you want, honey.”
“Alright. If you guys don’t mind, I think I’m gonna try Wicked, my favorite of Night Shade’s songs. I’ll just do the first verse and chorus.”
Allegra cleared her throat and opened her mouth. She sang while tapping her hooves to the beat of the song.
Verse 1:
They say beware
Approach her with caution
She may look friendly
Don’t be fooled
She’s always watchin’ _________________
Her eyes alluring
Her mane it glistens
It’s just a ploy
You’ll be her toy
If you don’t listen _________________
Better watch out
Don’t lock eyes
She’s no angel
It’s a disguise
Better watch out
Don’t lock eyes
She’s no angel
It’s a disguise _________________
Chorus:
That’s right, she’s wicked!
You’re under her hex
Just left her last man
Now you’re next
She’s wicked!
She’s smacking her lips
She’ll seal your fate
If she gives you a kiss _________________
Don’t fall for bad girls
I tried to warn you
Boy, you’ll be sorry
Guess this is your doom _________________
That girl is wicked!
Allegra took a bow and everypony in the room cheered and stomped their hooves on the ground.
“Wow! That was amazing!” said Night Shade. “I can definitely tell this little one’s had a lot of practice! Allegra, your style seems to be high energy-based. You can really belt out those notes without stumbling. Now Flurry, let’s see how you do.”
“Thank you, Night Shade. I think I’m gonna go with My Heart Can’t Stop Beating For You.”
“Ah, yes. One I’m really proud of.”
Flurry took a second to prepare. Once she was ready, she took a quick breath and then began.
Verse 1:
Wish I could say how I feel about you
I’m holding back, I just don’t know what to do
Don’t wanna disappoint, don’t wanna be rude
It’s true…yes, it’s true _________________
I think about you when I can’t fall asleep
When I’m awake, can’t even stand on my feet
Can’t take it anymore, can’t let this be my defeat
It’s true… _________________
Chorus:
Oooooh, I got you on my mind
Oooooh, I want you to be mine
I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you! _________________
Oooooh, I think I know what to say
Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today
I’ll open my heart, it’s no time to play
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
The ponies in the room all stomped and cheered for Flurry as Pumpkin whooped unashamedly.
“YEAH, FLURRY!”
“Alright! Flurry, that sounded awesome! You tend to go for a softer style and I like how you do it. Now, for the rest of you, let’s do the same thing. I know you’re going to be a bit nervous so I won’t make you come to the front, but I’d like you guys to each sing each line from the first verse of that same song. I’ll point to you as I go. We’ll do Shutter Lens, Peachy Pie, and then Pumpkin Cake right in that order and then I’ll go last. Alright, Shutter, you start off. One, two, three and go!”
As Night Shade pointed to the other three, they took turns with each line. Shutter Lens and Peachy Pie’s voices sounded average and passable, but Pumpkin’s voice was a bit scratchy and off-key. She had to clear her throat at least once and continue. She knew she would botch her line and not be able to sing nearly as good as Flurry or Allegra.
“Sorry. That could’ve been better,” Pumpkin said, blushing while smiling.
“Oh no, it’s alright, Pumpkin,” said Night Shade. “That’s part of the process. I remember when I used to sound like that.”
“You used to sound like that?”
“Yup. When I started back when I was a little younger than you, my voice cracked at times and I couldn’t get the high notes right. I think your problem is that you’re pushing yourself a bit too hard. Remember what I said about that. You gotta just let it flow. You wanna try again but a little softer like Flurry did?”
“Uh…yeah. Yeah, I’ll give it a try. AHEM!”
Pumpkin cleared her throat, waited a second and then sang again, this time singing the entire first verse by herself. She sang at a slower rate and was quieter and softer like Night Shade had recommended. While it wasn’t perfect, she received applause from the others as soon as she finished.
“There you go! That’s an improvement, Pumpkin!” exclaimed Night Shade.
“Great job, Pumpkin!” Flurry said.
“That’s what I’m talking about! Never try out singing too much like the pony you want to sound like. Try practicing with your own vocal range first, and then maybe someday you can really belt out those notes but you’ll be better at it.”
“I’m feeling a lot more confident already!” Pumpkin chimed. “Can’t wait to do it some more!”
As they were speaking, Zeb walked in quietly to speak with Night Shade real quick.
“Hey, Night Shade. Sorry, just letting you know, they were wondering if you could get backstage tonight at 6:30 instead of 7:30,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, that works out fine,” Night Shade said before turning back to the others. “Everyone, just so you know, this is my manager, Zeb. It’s thanks to him that I get all my paperwork and scheduling done behind the scenes.”
“Hi, Zeb!” said everyone as they waved.
“Good to see you all. Hope the lessons are going well,” Zeb said as he smiled.
As his eyes moved over the five ponies, his smile dropped and he scowled a bit once he made eye contact with Pumpkin and Flurry. He then turned to leave.
“He doesn’t seem so happy,” Flurry whispered.
“He’s probably a little stressed out,” Pumpkin suggested. “Being a manager for someone like Night Shade must be exhausting.”
“That’s true,”
Hours later, Night Shade was preparing for his next concert inside his trailer. He hummed some of his music as he applied stage makeup and tried on his new outfit for tonight’s concert. The door opened and Zeb walked in.
“Zeb, how is everything out there?” he asked his manager.
“They’re doing fine,” Zeb answered. “Are you ready for the performance tonight?”
“Ready as always. I gotta say, that class went pretty well. I had five students and two of them were already into singing. They’ve definitely got some skill, especially Princess Flurry Heart!”
“Yeah, actually that’s what I wanted to talk abou-”
“And the other three aren’t too bad either. I was especially impressed with Pumpkin Cake. I think my lessons really helped her out.”
“Night Shade.”
“Yeah?”
“We need to talk.”
Night Shade put his comb down and turned in his chair to face Zeb. He looked more grim than usual. Night Shade could tell this would not be a positive conversation.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“It’s the princess. First of all, why did you let her in this class? She didn’t even win the fifth drawing.”
“Pumpkin Cake’s her friend and wanted her to join so she asked us if she could call her up. I didn’t wanna stop Pumpkin and look bad in front of everypony. No one else spoke up when we called out the last number.”
“So the unicorn girl is friends with her?”
“Yeah. Why are you asking me this?”
“Night Shade, I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but you’ve got to stay away from Princess Flurry Heart. You know how the industry feels about the royals. Svengallop lost Countess Coloratura years ago because of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and none of them were fond of Celestia when she was leading either. I don’t think you understand how much this can hurt you.”
Night Shade rolled his eyes and turned back around in his chair to get back to his makeup.
“Zeb, I’ve already told you: I don’t care about politics. My music is meant for everyone. I’m not going to just snub Flurry because she’s royalty. That’s not the pony I am. I love my fans and I refuse to do something like that.”
“Tonight is your last performance, maybe we should just leave after that so you don’t have to risk being around her anymore if you feel that way.”
“I already promised the winners I’d give them a one-hour class for three days. I gotta be there tomorrow and the day after.”
“Well you’re going to have to think of something clever. Look, I’m sorry, Night Shade. I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but this is just how things are. There’s already a picture of you and the princess in the local paper. The executives are going to find out about this one way or another.”
Zeb placed a newspaper on top of Night Shade’s desk. Night Shade looked at the front page and saw he was right.
“You’re asking me to do something I can’t do, Zeb.”
“I’m your manager. I’m just looking out for you. You need to make the right decision for the good of your career, even if it means staying away from that princess, and that includes her friends.”
Zeb walked out of the trailer and closed the door quietly. Night Shade thought about what Zeb had said, but he quickly got over it.
“It’s gonna be fine,” he told himself. “These busybodies in the music industry don’t know what they’re talking about. Flurry and Pumpkin haven’t done anything wrong. I’m still gonna call all five of them up to sing with me on stage, and there’s nothing that zebra can do about it.”
Night Shade’s second concert was held later that night. Flurry, Pumpkin, Shutter Lens, Peachy Pie and Allegra were all given free passes to see his concert and were present in the front row. He started the show off singing Wicked, accompanied by female backup dancers to fit the theme of the song.
Verse 2:
Just watch her body
Her movements so smooth
Hard to believe
She’s here to weave
Her web to catch you
She’s out of your league
But it’s not too late
You can escape
You’ve got to run
Her looks are just bait
_________________
Better watch out
Don’t lock eyes
She’s no angel
It’s a disguise
Better watch out
Don’t lock eyes
She’s no angel
It’s a disguise
_________________
Chorus 2:
She’s wicked!
You’re under her hex
Just left her last man
Now you’re next
She’s wicked!
She’s smacking her lips
She’ll seal your fate
If she gives you a kiss
_________________
Don’t fall for bad girls
I tried to warn you
Boy, you’ll be sorry
Guess this is your doom
That girl is wicked! _________________
Bridge:
I know you want a woman
You don’t want loneliness
But what you need is one that
Won’t leave you in distress
That girl you see is trouble
You’ll thank me in the end
Ignore her and save yourself my frieeeeeeend
_________________
Better watch out
She’s comin’ for you
(4x) _________________
Final Chorus:
That’s right, she’s wicked!
You’re under her hex
Just left her last man
Now you’re next
She’s wicked!
She’s smacking her lips
She’ll seal your fate
If she gives you a kiss _________________
You’ve got this my friend
This won’t be your doom
The right girl is out there
And you’re sure to find her sooooooooon
That girl is wicked! (3x)
The song faded out as the crowd applauded. The five winners jumped up and down as Night Shade waved to them. He then removed his sunglasses and took some time to talk to the crowd. The dancers went backstage to change clothes and the band retuned their instruments.
“You’re all an amazing crowd!” he said as they cheered in response. “It’s been a great experience performing in a small yet very positive town. I had an awesome time with the five ponies that won the contest last night. We had some who were already singers and a few who were still learning, and I think I really helped them. They’re right down here in the front row. Wave to the crowd, guys!”
Night Shade pointed to the winners in the front row. Flurry turned around and waved bashfully. Allegra went airborne and bowed. Peachy, Shutter and Pumpkin joined Flurry in waving.
Behind the curtain, Zeb listened as Night Shade was speaking. Everything was going fine until Night Shade mentioned the winners. Zeb immediately feared what would happen next.
“Night Shade, no. Don’t you do it,” he grumbled.
“So to show you all just how much they’ve improved, I’d like to invite these five wonderful ponies on the stage right now to sing Heart Can’t Stop Beating with me!”
“Did…did he just?! FLURRY, HE WANTS US ON STAGE! EEEEEEH!” Pumpkin screamed as she hugged her friend.
“OH MY GOSH! This is so nice of him!” Peachy added with her hooves against her cheeks.
“A chance for all of us to shine!” Allegra proudly said.
“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Shutter told them.
The security guards let them through the rope dividers onto the steps on one end. They made their way out to the edge of the stage where Night Shade was waiting for them. Some staff ponies came out with new microphones and stands to let them use. Night Shade covered his to speak to them real quick.
“Alright, everypony, just like we did in practice. Don’t try too hard. Just sing like you were in our class earlier.”
The music started up and they all ran over to the microphones. The band began playing the hard rock overture that started the song. Night Shade started singing the first verse with the others joining him.
Verse 1:
Wish I could say how I feel about you
I’m holding back, I just don’t know what to do
Don’t wanna disappoint, don’t wanna be rude
It’s true…yes, it’s true
I think about you when I can’t fall asleep
When I’m awake, can’t even stand on my feet
Can’t take it anymore, can’t let this be my defeat
It’s true… _________________
Chorus 1:
Oooooh, I got you on my mind
Oooooh, I want you to be mine
I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
Oooooh, I think I know what to say
Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today
I’ll open my heart. It’s no time to play
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
The multitude of ponies in the stands clopped and stomped in rhythm with the song. Flurry kept the volume of her voice low enough so Pumpkin and the others could be heard. Allegra was singing the loudest and boldest. Peachy and Shutter weren’t quite so loud, but they seemed rather confident with being on stage. Night Shade taught them this song quite well earlier that day, and they already had the lyrics memorized. He clearly prepared them for this moment. Even Pumpkin seemed to have the hang of things now. They all bobbed their heads to the music and smiled at the crowd. The song continued with the next verse.
Verse 2:
You walk right by me and I freeze in place
You smile at me and I’m red in the face
I need your presence. I need your embrace
It’s true…yes, it’s true
We’ve only known each other for a few years
And at some point I confirmed my worst fears
I’m lovesick…I want you…
It’s true…
_________________
Chorus 2:
Oooooh, I got you on my mind
Oooooh, I want you to be mine
I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
Oooooh, I think I know what to say
Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today
I’ll open my heart. It’s no time to play
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
As the bridge of the song started up, Night Shade moonwalked a few yards behind them and joined the backup dancers with some of his signature dance moves. Some fireworks were launched off the stage just as the dancing ended and they came to the finale chorus. Night Shade made his way back to the stage and sang one more time with them. They were far more energized to face the crowd this time.
Final Chorus:
Oooooh, I got you on my mind
Oooooh, I want you to be mine
I’ll build up the courage, just give me some time
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
Oooooh, I think I know what to say
Oooooh, I’m gonna do it today
I’ll open my heart, it’s no time to play
It’s true…my heart can’t stop beating for you!
My heart can’t stop beating for you! (4x)
More fireworks were launched, and the crowd roared. Everypony on stage waved and bowed their heads. Night Shade turned around and they all formed a circle.
“Everypony, you did awesome!” he told them.
“Thanks for having us on!” Pumpkin exclaimed.
“I wanted to get you guys ready for tonight and thought ‘what better way to do it than to let my students on stage with me to sing My Heart Can’t Stop Beating For You?’ I only regret that we won’t be able to do it again since tonight is the last night for concerts, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow and then the next day before I leave. Two more days of lessons.”
“Well we’ll all be there, Night Shade! I certainly will!” Shutter said.
“Can’t wait for tomorrow!” Peachy added.
Night Shade joined all of them in a group hug before they left to exit the stage. The security guards guided them back to their spots in the front row as Night Shade and his dancers got ready for the next song. Flurry and the others made conversation, while they waited for the performance to start up again.
“Wow, you guys did great up there!” said Flurry.
“Thanks, Flurry!” said Allegra. “I’ve been on stage before, but it feels way better to be up there with someone like Night Shade!”
“After everything we’ve learned from Night Shade so far, I’m way more confident about singing!” Pumpkin chimed in.
As Night Shade put on a different outfit backstage, Zeb tried to stop him to say something.
“Night Shade, what did I say about the princess?” he whispered loudly. “You’ve got to get rid of her!”
“Not now, Zeb. I have a show to do.”
“If not now, when then? We are going to get the shaft when the label finds out you’ve been hanging out with a royal.”
As Zeb and Night Shade spoke behind the curtain, Flurry was the only one to notice what was happening. She could not hear them but could tell they were not having a very positive conversation. She quickly forgot about it though as Night Shade walked out onto the stage to sing his next song.
“This is getting out of hoof,” Zeb said to one of the handlers.
“You want me to get you Svengallop on the phone?” the handler asked.
“Wait until after the concert, but I’m going to have to talk to him tonight. I can’t wait until he sees the paper or hears about it through the grapevine. That little princess is going to be the death of me if I don’t do something right now.”
That next morning, Night Shade continued his lessons with Flurry, Pumpkin, Allegra, Peachy and Shutter. He taught them some techniques to achieve high notes and even started teaching them a few dance moves. Pumpkin was in the middle of learning the moonwalk.
“Lift and slide. Lift and slide,” Night Shade said as he slowly demonstrated the dance for her.
“Uh…like this?” she said as she scuffed her hooves up on the floor.
“Not quite. It’s okay, Pumpkin. The moonwalk is kinda hard. The real trick is to know your center of gravity and get the balance right.”
“This would be a lot easier if I just used my magic, but that would be cheating.”
“Hehe. Tell you what: we’ll all try the moonwalk tomorrow during our final lessons. Right now, let’s all do some practice with some songs we know. Anyone in here wanna try singing a song that isn’t one of my songs?”
“I have one!” Flurry said, raising her hoof.
“Awesome! Why don’t you sing it for us, Flurry.”
All eyes turned to Flurry and she cleared her throat. She decided to sing the You’ll Never Be Alone song that everyone sang to her after she first came to Ponyville a few weeks ago.
With friends by your side
Helping you to stride
You’ll never be alone
You’ve got all you need right here
Friends to hold you dear
Watching you as you grow
You’ve got the chance of a lifetime
You’ll see it’s worth the while
With friends you’ll do just fine
Keep this song in mind
And you’ll never be a-you’ll never be alone
Everypony in the room cheered for Flurry and Night Shade clapped his front hooves. He then stopped and looked behind his students as Zeb stared menacingly at him. His heart nearly stopped at the sight of his manager. He knew right away what would happen. Zeb didn’t get the chance to talk to Night Shade about Flurry after the concert last night, so he would likely take the opportunity now.
“Alright, kids,” he said, doing his best to ignore his manager. “Flurry’s song might actually be good for-”
“AHEM. Night Shade, it’s important,” Zeb said, moving his head towards the door.
“Does it have to be now?”
“Now.”
Night Shade closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
“Sorry, everypony. I’ll be right back. In the meantime, Flurry, why don’t you try practicing that song with the others. We’ll see what we can do with it when I come back.”
“You got it, Night Shade,” Flurry said.
Night Shade followed Zeb out the door and down the hallway to a nearby office. Several handlers were waiting there and one of them had a large wireless phone on his hoof.
“Answer the phone, Night Shade,” Zeb said, sternly.
Night Shade hesitated for a second, not sure what to make of this situation. He was about to ask who was on the line, but he went ahead and answered the phone first.
“Uh…he-hello?”
“Night Shade, what’s going on over there?” said an irritating, effeminate male voice on the other end.
“Svengallop? Hey! Well we’re doing pretty awesome in Ponyville. We had a fantastic reception at the concert last night, and I’m in the middle of-”
“I’m going to stop you right there. What is this I’m hearing about you and Princess Flurry Heart? Why did you let her into your class? You know how we feel about those disgusting royals.”
“Well we drew five numbers and nopony was calling for the last one, so I let the fourth one bring up her friend, and it just so happened to be Flurry Heart.”
“And you didn’t think to tell her to bugger off right then?!”
“What? No! I would never do that in front of everypo-”
“Why not just quietly tell her the next day that she’s gotta scram?!”
“Svengallop, she’s doing fine and she’s got talent. It’s really not that big of a deal.”
“Not that big of a deal?! Oh, you are soooooo wrong my friend! I am getting phone-calls off the hook about this. Executives everywhere are threatening to take action and we may lose a few sponsors. You of all ponies should be well aware how dangerous it is to be seen making any form of contact with any family of that brat Twilight Sparkle. It’s just industry policies, Night Shade. We do NOT associate with royals or anypony who rubs shoulders with them!”
“Svengallop, please, what about my fans? No one in Ponyville is mad about this and I promise you my fans won’t mind it either. In fact they’re probably really happy to see me singing with her.”
“I don’t give a flying feather what fans think. So long as they pay for what we produce and keep us making more money, that’s all that matters. That’s literally their only purpose. When it comes to royals, however, that’s where we draw the line. Whatever the music industry executives say goes, Night Shade. This has got to stop now!”
“Can’t I just wait until I’m done with the final lesson tomorrow?”
“No! This is what you’re going to do: you’re going to march back into that classroom and get rid of that princess…oh, and her little friend while you’re at it. When you get back to Hinnywood, we’ve got some damage control to do over here.”
“I can’t just get rid of Flurry. How do you want me to do this?”
“Use your imagination!”
Svengallop slammed the phone on his end. Night Shade gave his phone back to the handler who turned it off. He was in such shock over what happened; he could not speak.
“I told you this would happen, kid,” Zeb said, removing his sunglasses.
“You snitched on me, didn’t you?” Night Shade replied, angrily.
“Svengallop already saw the paper, Night Shade. Like I said, everypony was going to find out eventually. You should have listened to me when I told you this could hurt your career. Let’s just get this over with. Go do what you need to do.”
Zeb opened the door and let Night Shade out of the office. He walked down the hallway, nervous as ever. In all his life, he never thought he would have to do anything like this just to save his career.
Meanwhile in the classroom, Flurry had already gotten the others to sing her song and harmonize to it. They had just finished the chorus.
“You’ve got it, guys!” she told them. “Night Shade’s going to be so pleased when he gets back here!”
The door opened and Night Shade trudged into the room. He had his head down and looked very distressed.
“Oh, Night Shade! You’re just in time for…uh, Night Shade? Is everything alright?” Pumpkin asked.
Everyone watched as Night Shade put his hoof on a nearby desk and stood motionless for about ten seconds before speaking up.
“Everypony…I…I’m going to have to cut today’s lessons short.”
Flurry and the others looked at each other in confusion.
“Is there something wrong?” Peachy asked.
“Something has…just…come to my attention,” he responded. “Everything’s fine, but I can’t finish today. I’m sorry,”
“That’s okay, Night Shade. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.” Allegra told him.
“Yeah, we’ll see you then,” Shutter added.
“Bye, everypony,” he said, waving.
They all headed out of the classroom through the back door. Flurry and Pumpkin took one last glance at him. Night Shade had turned around and they could not see his face. They looked worried for whatever he was going through, but they figured tomorrow would be different.
After the girls closed the door, Zeb walked in to speak to the young artist.
“I’m proud of you, Night Shade,” he said, putting his hoof on Night Shade’s shoulder. “Now tomorrow morning, we’re going to cancel that final class and leave on the train. Make sure you’ve got everything ready.”
Zeb walked out and left Night Shade behind. Night Shade couldn’t even respond to what Zeb just said about the last lesson. He felt so powerless now to do anything. He never thought his manager would have this much control over his life or that Svengallop would make such demands. He started to wonder if he was even that good of an influence if he had to avoid certain fans over politics. This situation made him feel sick and depressed. The only comforting thought was that he would not have to face Flurry or Pumpkin to tell them the truth, but he worried about how they would react to him not being there tomorrow.
Later that day while eating lunch, Flurry and Pumpkin told their friends what happened earlier at Night Shade’s class.
“And then he came back in and told us we gotta leave early. He looked really sad,” Pumpkin explained.
“Did he tell you why he had to do it?” Pound asked.
“He just said something came to his attention. That was the only explanation we got,” Flurry answered.
“I’m worried about him,” Pumpkin said with her ears down.
“I don’t like it,” Stormy said after taking a sip of his drink. “That guy’s keeping secrets.”
“Now Stormy, let’s not just go jumping to conclusions,” Spike warned.
“Yeah, he’s probably just having a rough time,” Chip suggested.
“Maybe he got a phone call with some really bad news like a relative in the hospital or something,” Annie added.
“I don’t think that’s it,” Flurry interjected. “It’s that zebra manager of his: Zeb. He demanded that Night Shade go in there with him right now. That guy always gives me a look when he sees me. I think there’s something wrong with Zeb, not Night Shade. I saw them arguing between songs last night.”
“Why doesn’t he get a new manager then? What kind of zebra names their son ‘Zeb’ anyway? That’s like if our parents named us ‘Pone’ because we’re ponies,” Stormy blurted.
“I think it’s short for ‘Zeboro’, Stormy,” Spike explained to the cheeky pegasus. “It’s a common Africolt name for zebra stallions. Anyway, Flurry, Pumpkin, I wouldn’t ask Night Shade what’s going on tomorrow. Just focus on those lessons for the last day and don’t bother him about it.”
“I know. I just wish there was some way we could help,” Pumpkin sighed.
“You know who could help? Coloratura!” Annie beamed.
“Oh that’s right, Annie! I forgot Rara used to be friends with Night Shade.” Chip told his sister.
“Oh yeah! Pumpkin, Rara’s over at Sweet Apple Acres this weekend catching up with Applejack. We can ask her this afternoon,” Flurry told her friend.
“Flurry, you’re a genius!” chimed Pumpkin. “Okay, we’ll go to Chip and Annie’s and see if she can tell us anything.”
“I’ll take you two over after lunch. Just be prepared, girls,” Spike warned them. “You might find out some pretty shady stuff about Zeb.”
“Probably, but I’m sure Rara will clear it all up,” Flurry said, confidently.
Later that afternoon, Spike took Flurry and Pumpkin over to Applejack and Tex’s house to visit Coloratura and ask about Night Shade. They knocked on the front door and were greeted by Tex.
“Spike! Girls! Great to see you!” he said, warmly.
“Hey Tex. We’re sorry to bother you, but is Coloratura still here?” Flurry asked.
“Yeah, we’d like to have a quick word with her,” Pumpkin added.
“Rara? Sure! She’ll be here till Sunday. Come on right in!”
Tex stepped aside to let them in. Over to the right, they saw Applejack and Coloratura sitting on the couch, waiting for them. Coloratura, or Rara as she was commonly called was wearing her hair just like how she did after she stepped away from her management years ago. She no longer donned heavy makeup or studded clothes and wigs. She only wore dresses for special occasions and concerts. She preferred to not make herself too flashy anymore now that she was free of the music industry.
“Howdy, girls! Howdy, Spike!” Applejack greeted.
“Hey, Applejack!” Spike responded.
“Coloratura, it’s great to finally see you!” Pumpkin said, nervously.
“Princess Flurry Heart! And I’m sorry, what’s your name, dear?”
“I’m Pumpkin Cake. I don’t know if Pinkie Pie’s ever told you, but my family and I are close friends with her.”
“Oh, that’s right. The owners of Sugarcube Corner. Applejack ordered some tarts from there earlier. You guys make great treats!”
“Hehe, thanks!”
“Speakin’ of which: y’all three want me to get ya some cider and some of those tarts in the mean time?” Applejack asked, getting up from her seat.
“Sure, Applejack!” Spike responded.
“Yeah! They sound delicious,” Flurry added.
“We won’t be long; we just wanted to ask Rara about something we thought she could help with,” Pumpkin told her.
Applejack and Tex both went into the kitchen to prepare the refreshments. Flurry and Pumpkin sat next to Rara while Spike stood next to the couch.
“So Flurry, how’s your time in Ponyville been so far?” Rara asked.
“I’ve been having the time of my life!” Flurry said, happily. “Spike’s been watching after me and I’ve made some great friends like Pumpkin.”
“Plus all the crazy adventures we’ve been through,” Spike added. “I’m sure Applejack’s told you about some of these villains we’ve been encountering like General Scutellum, Cozy Glow, Anatankha and Tirek.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty amazing what you did with Anatankha and Tirek last week! Also, congratulations for winning at Night Shade’s concert! Did you learn a lot from his lessons?”
“We sure have! I’ve even figured out how to sing a lot better now and he’s gonna teach me to moonwalk tomorrow,” Pumpkin told her.
“Yeah, but we’re having a bit of an issue, or rather we might have noticed one,” Flurry said as the mood of the conversation dropped.
“Uh oh. Is there a problem with him?” Rara asked.
As Rara spoke, Applejack set a plate down with small treats and two cups of apple cider for the girls.
“Thanks, Applejack,” Flurry said before returning to Rara. “Well, we’re not sure it’s Night Shade.”
“Let me guess. Zeboro?”
“Yeah…Zeb. Do you know him?” Pumpkin asked.
“What did you girls see Zeb doing?”
Pumpkin turned to Flurry as if to say she would be better at explaining this. Flurry finished chewing her tart and then spoke.
“Well, he gives me this scowl every time he looks at me and he sounds like he controls everything Night Shade does. He looked like he was arguing with Night Shade last night at the concert after we sang with him on stage. Even more worrisome was when Zeb pulled Night Shade out of our class this morning to talk with him about something important. He came back in all moody and said he needed to cut the class short because something came to his attention.”
“Flurry, has Night Shade said anything wrong to you?”
“No, he’s been fine aside from cutting our class short. I think Zeb made him do it.”
Rara took a sip from her drink as Flurry told her this. She had a very somber look on her face and didn’t seem surprised at hearing this. It was almost as if she knew what the girls were going to say all along. She closed her eyes and sighed before talking.
“I know what this is all about,” she said as she put her cup on the table. “You see girls, back when I was a popular artist, I befriended a lot of the other artists in the industry, and Night Shade was one of them. I first spoke to him a few years before I left it all. He was very friendly. We had good conversations and he learned a lot from me, but everything changed after the Ponyville concert where I finally reconnected with Applejack and my true self. You have to understand, when my old manager Svengallop left me, I not only lost my contract, I lost practically everything else. My bank account was hit hard and I had to move out of my mansion. I even lost the trademark to some of my songs, most of which I didn’t write anyway. I was thrown out and shunned by everyone in that industry. I lost all the friends I made there, and Night Shade was one of them. I remember talking with him one last time after my exodus. He seemed fine at first, and that’s when I saw Zeb. He came in and whispered something into Night Shade’s ear. Night Shade then told me he had to go and Zeb grimaced at me. That was the last time we ever spoke. From then on, Night Shade just kept snubbing me every time I tried talking to him.”
Rara took a moment to reflect. The girls could do nothing except exchange worried looks until she continued.
“I learned the hard way that the industry really doesn’t like outcasts or anyone that chooses to go against manager orders or get too close to their fans. Svengallop hated that I was doing charity work and hanging out with fans, and Applejack and the others exposed him that day. Again, I lost everything, including my reputation in the music industry. They won’t allow their artists to associate with someone like me, and that’s what brings me to this now, Flurry: you’re a princess and you’re directly related to Twilight Sparkle. This is hard for me to tell you, but the industry hates the royals. They hate Celestia and Luna, and they hate Twilight and her family and anyone they’re friends with for that matter. They don’t agree with the Equestrian royalty’s way of governing and are against the constitution. There’s no doubt in my mind Zeb is keeping Night Shade away from you for this reason. And since you’re friends with her, that unfortunately means you too, Pumpkin. I know you don’t want to hear this, but Night Shade is too infatuated with his career. I do believe he cares about his fans to an extent, but if Zeb threatens to let him go, he’ll put his job first. It also doesn’t help that Svengallop is now the CEO of the very record label Night Shade has his music under, or so I’ve heard. For all we know, he could also be pulling some strings.”
There was a long pause. Flurry and Pumpkin shared glances again. Spike had his arms crossed and looked very apprehensive. Flurry looked back at him and he nodded his head back and forth slowly.
“Rara, I don’t understand…” Flurry said, trembling. “Why do they hate me and my family so much? What did we ever do to them?”
“It’s hard to explain. Twilight helped expose Svengallop with her magic, which explains why he has such a gripe with her, but they hated Celestia and Luna before that. It’s sadly the way things are.”
“You really think Night Shade would do that?” Pumpkin asked. “He seems so nice. It just doesn’t seem possible.”
“I hope I have this all wrong, Pumpkin. I really do. I miss Night Shade and all the other artists I knew. The artists you admire may produce really good content, but most of them have this same problem. Thankfully, I hear the industry is decentralizing. Independent artists are starting to gain popularity too. I actually just befriended one recently.”
“And what about Night Shade? Can he not go independent and leave it all behind like you did?” Spike asked.
“I don’t think he could be convinced to. He’s already making so much money; he can’t lower himself any further. I think he cares more about the art than the money like a good artist should, but if he can’t express himself through said art, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it. Some artists are waking up to all this; I just wish Night Shade was one of them.”
Pumpkin lowered her head and sighed. Flurry put her wing around her.
“It’s okay, Pumpkin,” she said. “Maybe I could just not come to the lesson tomorrow and I’ll try to say goodbye to him real quick when he gets on the train to leave. I’ve already had enough singing lessons as it is.”
“I don’t want you to feel forced to stay away from him,” Pumpkin replied. “Besides, since we’re friends, I’m probably just as much of a problem for him now as you are.”
“I’m sorry, girls,” Rara said as she put her hoof on Flurry’s shoulder. “This is just the part and parcel of being a singer. It’s why I’m more relieved than ever to be rid of it. I eventually found myself a home and settled in not too far from Ponyville. I learned to leave it all behind and frankly, it’s been the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“Thanks for letting us know all this, Rara,” Flurry said as she and Pumpkin hugged her.
“Any time girls. Here, let me get you something real quick,”
Rara got down from the couch and rummaged through her purse. She took out a small CD case. On the front was a picture of a yellow pegasus mare with blue hair, brown eyes and a cutie mark of musical notes. She was sitting before a grand piano with a guitar in her hands. The case read “Restored: A Collection by Melody Heartsong.”
“This is my friend’s album. It’s only got six songs on it and she’s just getting started, but she’s really good.”
Flurry carried the CD with her magic and looked at the back of it. The songs on the back were Always Love You, You’ll Get There, Never Too Late, Come Home My Child, Restored and My Past is Gone featuring Coloratura.
“You’re in one of these songs?” Pumpkin said, with a smile finally forming on her face again.
“Yup. She and I met a few years ago and I helped her get back on her feet after she went through a rather impoverished life. We decided to collab on My Past is Gone. It’s such a great song.”
“I’m guessing she’s more of an acoustic artist judging by the guitar and piano,” Flurry observed.
“That would be correct. Restored is an instrumental piece she played solo on guitar. We mixed in a bit of modern pop with My Past, but she’s really good on both piano and guitar.”
“She looks really nice. We’ll have to give this a listen later. It might make the girls feel better,” Spike said as Flurry gave him the CD to carry. “Well Rara, thanks for letting us know all this. It’s probably rough to talk about these things, but we appreciate it nonetheless.”
“I hope we at least get to see Night Shade one more time tomorrow. We probably won’t see him again after that,” Pumpkin said.
“Whatever happens, just be prepared for anything, girls. I’m rooting for you.”
“Thanks for comin’ by, y’all,” Applejack said as she walked in. “Sorry to hear about Night Shade. Hope it all works out.”
Flurry and Pumpkin nodded politely. Spike held the door open for them and they left. Flurry and Pumpkin sighed deeply after stepping outside.
“Well I wasn’t prepared for any of that,” said a rather forlorn Pumpkin.
“It’s too bad that’s how the industry thinks of us royals,” Flurry said. “I knew not a lot of ponies didn’t really like us, but I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“I didn’t want to say anything, girls, but Twilight already told me a lot of what we heard in there,” Spike told them. “I guess Celestia warned her how there’s a movement forming over in Gallopfornia that opposes the royals and wants Equestria to change. I won’t bore you with all the political details, but it’s not good.”
“Do they even know what we do to help this country? How we try to spread messages of friendship and love?” Flurry asked.
“Oh they know about it, but…well, let’s just say it’s complicated. Your mother will tell you more when you’re older.”
“Well, now what? Just hearing this makes me afraid to be around Night Shade. It’s starting to change how I view him as a pony,” Pumpkin said.
“I’m sure Night Shade is alright, Pumpkin,” Flurry told her friend. “You saw how nice he was to us. He let me into the class and even invited all of us to be on stage with him last night. It wasn’t until earlier this morning that he seemed to be ignoring us and that was after Zeb pulled him out. I’m sure he really wants to be a good pony; he’s just trying to be careful around Zeb. Maybe he really wants to talk to Rara again, he’s just waiting for the right time when Zeb isn’t around.”
“Yeah, we’d hate for him to lose his job over all this. I just hope he doesn’t say anything mean to us.”
“For now, let’s just pretend none of this happened, girls,” Spike said. “We’ll let the others know, but tomorrow, don’t say anything to Night Shade.”
“Got it. Act normal. Maybe Night Shade has changed a lot since Rara last talked to him,” Pumpkin said as they continued back to Ponyville.
Spike escorted Flurry and Pumpkin to the Ponyville Center for Performing Arts that morning for their final lesson with Night Shade. They were nervous to meet him after yesterday’s revelations, but they insisted on being there for the last day.
“I hope he’s doing alright,” Pumpkin said. “I should be excited to meet him, but now I’m scared.”
“I’m scared too, Pumpkin, but remember, we just gotta act like we know nothing,” Flurry encouraged her friend. “Let’s act like yesterday didn’t even happen; like we just got out of his concert and we’re all excited.”
“You can do this, Pumpkin,” said Spike. “I’ll be waiting for you girls outside like usual if you need me.”
Just then, they arrived at the PCPA and saw Peachy Pie, Shutter Lens, and Allegra waiting outside the door. There was a small note taped to it that they were reading.
“Hey guys. What’s wrong?” Spike asked.
“Flurry, Pumpkin, Spike, we have terrible news: Night Shade cancelled the last lesson!” Peachy exclaimed.
“WHAT?!” they shouted at the same time.
“He left this note behind,” Shutter Lens said as he read the note aloud.
Dear students,
I regret to inform you that matters of great importance came up yesterday. Night Shade had to leave this morning with his crew. Allegra, Peachy Pie, and Shutter Lens, we hope to see you again some day. Night Shade had great things to say about you all.
Sincerely,
Zeb (Night Shade’s manager)
“The…the note doesn’t mention us in it?” Pumpkin asked.
“Yeah, that was kinda weird,” said Allegra, looking carefully at the note.
“Maybe he wrote it in a hurry or something,” Peachy suggested.
“Well this is a real bummer,” said Shutter Lens, folding up the note. “I was really looking forward to that last lesson. We only had introductory lessons on the first day and yesterday we only had half a lesson.”
“And to think I was just starting to get pretty good at singing. I’ll probably just have to join a class or something,” Peachy said as she kicked her hoof around on the dirt.
“It’s okay, guys. Night Shade’s next concert is gonna be this fall in San Horsé,” Allegra reminded everyone. “If we all go there, I’m sure Night Shade would recognize us in the crowd. He’d probably even invite all five of us on stage to sing again!”
Flurry and Pumpkin had horrified looks on their faces and glanced at each other before Pumpkin smiled nervously and spoke.
“Yeeeeeeah. Hehe. I’m sure he would…”
“And the note doesn’t say anything more than that? It doesn’t give a specific reason for leaving so early?” Flurry asked.
“Nope. That’s all it says,” Shutter answered. “Well I’m sure he wouldn’t leave without a reason. Night Shade’s a nice pony after all.”
“Yeah, that’s just how it is with some of these artists: they’re always busy,” Allegra added.
“Well I guess this means I can go open the fruit stand early. I’ll see you guys later,” Peachy said, waving as they all started parting.
“Take care, girls!” said Shutter.
“Bye, guys!” Pumpkin and Flurry said to them, waving and wearing fake smiles.
After the other three were out of sight, Pumpkin and Flurry turned frantically to each other.
“He cancelled the class! Flurry, I knew this would happen!” Pumpkin said, fanning herself and trying not to cry.
“Pumpkin, calm down,” Flurry said, holding her friend still. “Zeb wrote that note and cancelled that class, not Night Shade. We can’t just assume everything just yet.”
“But how will we know? He’s already left and we’ll probably never see him again!”
“Not exactly girls,” Spike spoke up. “The train doesn’t take off any time in the morning until nine o’clock. We still have a few minutes left.”
“He’s right! Come on, Pumpkin! We might be able to catch him and at least say goodbye!” Flurry said as she took off flying with Spike.
“Oooooh, I hope he’s not with Zeb at the moment!” Pumpkin said anxiously as she followed them.
At the train station, Night Shade, Zeb, and all the crew and backup dancers were packing crates and equipment into the train. There were a few executives that had come in from Hinnywood to assist them and ask Zeb about Night Shade’s interactions with the princess.
“Don’t worry, boys. I’ve taken care of it,” Zeb assured them. “I got him to cut yesterday’s class short and he hasn’t seen either of those girls since then.”
“Girls? There’s more than one of them?” asked an executive.
“Yeah, the second one is some random kid from town that is close to the princess and got her in this mess to begin with. He’ll never see them again.”
“I hope so for all our sakes. We were unsure about sending Shade into this dirty hillbilly town after what Svengallop said. Well after this, we’re never coming back here again. As of right now, Ponyville is officially on the blacklist for concert bookings.”
Night Shade stood at the station, reading a newspaper from his town about his first concert the other night. Instead of having the picture the Ponyville-based newspaper used, this picture was taken before Pumpkin and Flurry were called on stage and the text didn’t mention either of them anywhere. He overheard what the executives were saying about not coming back to Ponyville and his heart sank. He was hoping he could say goodbye to all his students, but Zeb wouldn’t allow it.
“Night Shade, are you ready?” asked Zeb as he walked over with the executives flanking him.
“I’m ready, Zeb,” he sighed as he put on his sunglasses.
Some of the handlers came over and took his suitcases for him as everyone began to file into the train. The handlers went in first followed by a few of the executives. Suddenly, they all heard screaming behind them.
“NIGHT SHADE! WAIT!”
They all turned around to see Flurry, Pumpkin and Spike rushing in onto the platform.
“Girls?” Night Shade said as he removed his glasses.
“Oh great,” Zeb grumbled.
“Is that them?” asked one of the executives.
“That’s them. No idea how they knew we’d be here at this exact time.”
“Night Shade!” cried Flurry. “We saw your note!”
“We’re sorry we missed you. Is everything okay?” asked Pumpkin.
“Uh…I…” Night Shade began to say before Zeb and the executives blocked him from view.
“Folks, I’m going to have to ask you to all stay back,” said one of them. “Night Shade isn’t taking any autographs or pictures right now.”
“Sir, we’re not here for that, we just wanted to say goodbye to him. We didn’t get to after the last singing lesson was cancelled.” Flurry said.
“Look, Night Shade cannot speak to anypony right now,” Zeb said, looking down on Flurry. “We’re on a tight schedule, so I suggest you leave us be.”
Spike walked in front of Flurry with his arms crossed, causing Zeb to back away a few feet. He looked angrily at the zebra for a few seconds, striking fear into him. He spoke in a stern voice.
“I just so happen to be the princess’s body guard; enlisted by her majesty herself, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I say Flurry Heart and her friend Pumpkin Cake can talk to Night Shade before you leave. Now please step aside unless you want to be reported to the Canterlot guard.”
Zeb wanted to bark back at the large menacing dragon, but being reminded how he can be arrested for doing this to the princess rendered him incapable of responding. He grimaced at Spike and walked away, cursing under his breath. Spike stepped aside and let Flurry and Pumpkin go to Night Shade.
“Night Shade, why did you cancel the class?” Flurry asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Girls, I…I just gotta leave early. I’m sorry,” he said, nervously as he started to turn back to the train.
“Why though? Could you have at least waited and said goodbye to us back there?” Pumpkin asked.
“I’m sorry, I wish I could-”
“Ahem!”
Night Shade looked off to the side to see Zeb clearing his throat and giving him a glare. The executives all gave the same glare to warn him to not say anything nice to these girls. They would have loved if he could just tell them to buzz off, but Night Shade couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. He did the best he could to just shrug it off and not be nasty.
“Girls… look, things just came up. I don’t have time to explain. I really gotta go.”
He put his glasses on and started walking into the train, but Flurry knew what was really happening and wasn’t about to let it end this way. She stepped forward to speak.
“Is it because of me, Night Shade?”
Night Shade froze and everyone went silent until Flurry continued.
“Is it because I’m royalty and all these executives won’t let you talk to me because they hate me and my family and anyone who associates with us? Is that why Pumpkin and I weren’t mentioned in the letter left on the door?”
There were several seconds of silence as Night Shade lowered his head. Flurry’s voice got angrier as she spoke.
“Rara told us everything about you and Zeb, but I didn’t want to believe it. You can be honest with me. You care about your fans, don’t you?”
Night Shade trembled. He wasn’t sure what he should do. He wanted so much to apologize to them and say he hopes to see them again, but the gathering of executives around him would not permit that. His entire career was on the line and there would be no way he could do it without losing everything the way Rara did. He didn’t want to admit it, but Flurry already had said enough and he needed to be honest. He swallowed hard and finally spoke.
“It’s true…all of it. I can’t be with any royals or their friends. That’s just the way it is. It’s industry policies.”
“But, Night Shade…why?” Pumpkin pleaded.
“What I do is important to me, and I can’t let anything stand in my way. Flurry Heart, Pumpkin Cake…I’m sorry, but I can never see either of you again.”
Zeb and all the executives smirked and nodded to each other. Spike stood with his arms still crossed and angrily watched Night Shade enter the train. Pumpkin couldn’t take it any longer and burst into tears. Flurry started crying too but couldn’t stop admonishing the pony she once idolized.
“How could you do this to us, Night Shade!? You were such a good pony!” she hollered.
Zeb and the rest of the executives entered after him. Night Shade turned around and saw his old friend Coloratura in the distance, watching all the while by the ticket booth. She looked very disappointed in him. He knew what he had done, but he had no choice. A few of the executives patted him on the shoulder and complimented him as they walked by. Zeb stood by his side and smiled devilishly at the girls and Spike.
“Night Shade…” Pumpkin whimpered one last time.
“Good bye, girls.”
The door closed as the train hissed and lurched forward. In a few seconds, the train had left the station and was headed for Gallopfornia. Spike and the girls were left behind alone on the platform. Pumpkin broke down and wept bitterly as Flurry joined her. Spike knelt down to hug them both. For about a minute, he let them cry into his shoulders until he saw someone out of the corner of his eye. Rara had come out of hiding and walked over to meet them. Flurry and Pumpkin heard her hoofsteps and turned around to see her. Rara had already started crying herself. She then reached out and let them both hug her.
“I’m sorry girls,” she said. “I wish I could have stopped him.”
“It’s okay, Rara,” Flurry wailed.
“I just don’t understand!” Pumpkin wailed. “How could any singer live with themselves if they treat their fans like this?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand it either,” Rara replied.
“And to think I’ve been listening to him for so long and have all those CDs and stuff in my room!”
“Maybe it’s time we just let him go, Pumpkin,” Flurry said, trying to dry her tears.
“You’re right, Flurry…”
Pumpkin and Flurry continued to cry as Rara held them closer and Spike joined them.
That afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Cake and Flurry helped Pumpkin clear out her bedroom of all the Night Shade merchandise she had. There was a dumpster outside her window that she used to throw it all away. She took all her CDs and vinyl records and started a pile. Next she found her hat she bought at the concert and any clothes with Night Shade on them. She ripped the posters off her walls and crumpled them up. Lastly, she opened her drawer and found a photo Spike had taken during the second concert of them singing with Night Shade. She began to rip the photo by the top, but something stopped her. She felt she might regret throwing away this unique piece of her memories with Night Shade as well as a picture she had with her friend. She decided to keep it, but everything else had to go. With Flurry’s help, she used her magic and tossed things out the window one-by-one right into the dumpster. After they were done, Pumpkin sat down and dried her tears with a tissue. Mr. and Mrs. Cake walked in and sat down with their arms around her.
“Feel better now, sweetie?” Mrs. Cake asked.
“A little,” Pumpkin answered.
“I’m so sorry about all this, dear. If I’d have known, I never would have bought those tickets.”
“It’s okay, Mom.”
“If throwing all that stuff out makes you feel better, Pumpkin, then there’s no trouble doing so,” Mr. Cake told his daughter. “There’s still plenty of other music you can listen to in this house.”
“Thanks Dad. I guess I could’ve kept them, but I really can’t separate the art from the artist right now. It’s hard to even hum his songs anymore. At least we still have Melody’s CD. We listened to her album last night at the castle. It made me feel better.”
Flurry smiled as she watched Pumpkin hug both her parents. Spike then entered the room with Pound, Stormy, Chip and Annie.
“Hey, Pump,” Pound said, landing next to her. “Spike told us everything.”
“We’re so sorry, Pumpkin,” Annie said.
“That was really uncool of Night Shade,” Chip added.
“Thanks guys,” Pumpkin replied as she sniffled and rubbed her nose with her hoof.
“Hey Flurry and Pumpkin, sorry for what I said about him earlier,” Stormy said with his ears down. “I think I might have jinxed it.”
“It’s okay, Stormy,” Pumpkin said, giggling a little. “You just didn’t like his music. Obviously there were other reasons to avoid him.”
“You know, Pumpkin, we’re unfortunately going to have to tell Trixie, Sunburst and Starlight about all this," said Flurry.
“Yeah, we probably should.”
“And I’m not looking forward to having to tell my mom either. She’s going to be really disappointed in Night Shade, especially since she was the one who introduced me to his music.”
“What about Allegra, Peachy and Shutter?”
“We probably should leave them be. They won’t take that news too well. We’ll just let everyone we’re close to know.”
“Yeah, we probably shouldn’t spread anything. Not like a lot of ponies are going to believe us anyway.”
“Besides, I feel there’s still some good left in Night Shade. He’s just in a really bad spot right now. Maybe we’ll meet him again someday and he’ll be a whole new pony.”
“Hope so.”
“We’ve still got each other,” Pound said. “Night Shade can do whatever he wants, but we put friendship before fame and fortune. Rara and Melody are still good artists who get it.”
“That’s right, bro. Well I guess what they say is true: celebrities really are way nicer on TV.”
Everyone in the room laughed. Spike then took out a quill and parchment.
“You girls wanna send Twilight a friendship report?” he asked.
“That’s a good idea Spike,” Flurry answered.
She cleared her throat and started reciting the letter, taking turns with Pumpkin.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
My friend Pumpkin Cake and I learned a valuable lesson today about idolizing famous ponies. It’s never a bad thing to look up to someone like a singer, musician, or actor, but you have to be careful whom you do it to.
Sometimes celebrities may appear nice and promise to be good to their fans, but you never know what could be happening behind the scenes. Some famous ponies will take advantage of you or avoid you because their boss tells them to.
It’s a good idea to just enjoy what others make without getting too close to them. You should instead look up to the ponies that really matter in your life that are worth admiring. For every bad influence out there, there is always somepony who really cares about you.
Your niece and her friend,
Flurry Heart and Pumpkin Cake
Spike rolled up the scroll and burned it with his fire to send it by magic to Twilight. The green flame flew out the window and made its way to Canterlot.
“Well, that wasn’t such a great start to our day, but I already feel a lot better,” Pumpkin said, standing up.
“We’re happy to hear it, sweetie,” Mrs. Cake said, patting Pumpkin on her head.
“Well, I dunno about you guys, but I’m in the mood for some horseshoe-tossing! Wanna come?” asked Stormy.
“Yeah! Let’s go, guys!” Chip responded as everyone got up and left the bedroom.
Spike led them downstairs and opened the front door to Sugarcube Corner. The kids followed him out to go make merry after a rough morning. Pumpkin came out last and noticed a garbage worker who was rummaging through the dumpster. He picked up one of the vinyl records, excited to finally have a copy of his favorite Night Shade album. Pumpkin walked over to speak to him. She cleared her throat and he noticed the little filly below.
“I wouldn’t bother with him, buddy. The guy’s a real phony,” she said with a smile on her face.
Pumpkin then turned around and trotted off, leaving the worker rather confused.
EPILOGUE
That night in the thriving metropolis of Hinnywood, Gallopfornia, Zeb and Svengallop sat in the top floor of a high-rise building, hob-knobbing and laughing about the incident at the train station.
“And then he said he could never see them again and boarded the train! The little brats started crying! HAHA!” Zeb laughed as he slammed his hoof on the table.
“HAHAHA! I’ll bet that dragon Twilight has watching over them didn’t find it too amusing either!” Svengallop remarked.
“Nah, but what can that fat lizard do about it? What can anyone do about it? We’re way up here on top!”
Svengallop sat back in his chair and threw his head back, laughing in his shrill effeminate voice as Zeb continued pounding the table.
“Well, Zeb, I really wish I could’ve been there to see those brats get what they deserve, but with the way you described it, it sounds like Night Shade got close to pulling another Countess Coloratura on us.”
“Oh Night Shade will be fine. Trust me. I’ve got that kid eating out of my own hoof. And if he does rat out on us like Coloratura did, I think I know of somepony who can replace him quite well.”
“Oh? Who, might I ask?”
“One of the other kids that won the contest and got lessons. She was the only one of the other three that could actually sing. The other two were rather sub-par, but I think Allegra would be a perfect artist to snag someday.”
“Allegra? The name already sounds like it could catch on. How old is she?”
“Probably as old as the princess and her friend, but she really wants to be a singer and she sounds like the type that would be easy to convince. If I see her at another concert, I’ll try and get something set up. The kid’s got talent.”
“Perfect. The more we can take advantage of or use these little twerps, the better. We’re getting more influence though the arts day by day and soon enough we’ll have the power to create a culture that will overthrow that impudent Twilight Sparkle! I only regret that I might not be around when it happens, but I’ll do what I can to make sure it will happen eventually.”
“Well, Sven, I best get back to work. Another day, another royal family member’s day ruined.”
“Take care, my friend. And keep that Night Shade in line.”
“Oh I will.”
Zeb left Svengallop’s office and walked down the corridor to another one. He closed the door and locked it behind him before pulling the shades to all his windows. Leaving one light on, he went to his desk and pulled out a drawer. He picked up a thin, tall vase with ancient runic symbols written on it and placed it in the center of the table. With both hooves in the air, he started tapping on the table and chanted in a strange foreign tongue.
“Om noni ubut. Om noni ubut. Arogoth Erebus, om noni ubut!”
After the final tap, he clapped both his hooves together over his head and the inscriptions on the vase glowed orange and it began to shake. Out of the vase spewed thick black smoke. It had an odor that smelled like ashes, but it didn’t bother Zeb. It swirled itself above the zebra and started to form the shape of a creature with a face. It had two orange eyes with fire trailing behind them and a skeletal face with razor-sharp teeth. It slithered around Zeb like a snake and began to laugh in a deep raspy voice. For over a thousand years, this creature only existed in the tales of old Equestria. His likeness had made its way into various entertainment and video games. He was treated more like legend than history now, but this was the real thing. This creature was none other than Lord Erebus, the Shadow Demon.
“Hehehehehe… Well done, Zeb. Well done indeed,” said Erebus as he moved about the room. “You and Svengallop have fostered a cult following for Night Shade, and by continuing with this anti-Equestrian, anti-royalty sentiment, you’re making them a lot easier for me to control.”
“Erebus, when I first took your advice and came to Equestria to start working for you, I wondered why we couldn’t just control the royals too, but after meeting Flurry Heart, I think I know why. Despite how much I mock the girl, she’s still got brains and she wouldn’t have fallen for any of this. Somehow she knew about what we told Night Shade, but thankfully I got him to listen. I only fear that she and her friends and these new wielders of the Elements of Harmony could be a problem for us.”
“I wouldn’t worry about them, my friend. I’m growing more and more powerful each day. The Elements of Harmony won’t stop us.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just do it now, my lord? While they’re least expecting it?”
“Patience, Zeb. Patience. My time will come. For now, I suggest we keep this Night Shade in our grasp.”
“And if Night Shade fails us like Coloratura?”
“Then we move for the little pegasus girl next.”
“Allegra?”
“Yes.”
“It will be done, my lord.”
“Keep up the good work, Zeboro. Before you know it, Equestria will be ours. HAHAHAHAHA!!”
The black demon swirled around in the air and entered the vase once again. All the smoke in the room followed him and his laughter slowly faded out. The sinister zebra put his hooves together in front of his face and smiled wickedly.
“The time is coming, princess,” he crooned. “You won’t stop us. Hehehe…”
